Wednesday, October 31, 2012

DA's quest for 'spy tapes'


GRAEME HOSKEN | 31 October, 2012 00:2211 Comments WAITING FOR THE MAN: Jacob Zuma finally got his vote The DA is to "pursue until the end" attempts to get their hands on the controversial spy tapes involving President Jacob Zuma.

The DA's announcement came on the day when outgoing Gauteng Judge President Bernard Ngoepe yesterday slated the National Prosecuting Authority for being in contempt of court for not releasing the so-called "spy tapes". In an interview with The Times' sister newspaper, Sowetan, Ngoepe said the NPA's behaviour was not good especially coming from a government institution. He said the courts could not go beyond holding the NPA in contempt of court.
Voicing doubts over whether anyone would want to go to jail for defying the court order, Ngoepe said: "Anyone who wants this to be carried out can approach courts to ensure that it is done." His criticism was in reaction to Zuma's lawyer and special adviser, Michael Hulley, who told The Times this week that the tapes would not be released because of a confidentiality agreement they had with the NPA.

The agreement - forged in 2009 - centred on Zuma's legal team handing over taped recordings of former Scorpions boss, Leonard McCarthy and former director of public prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka discussing the charging of Zuma with fraud and corruption. The tapes led to the dropping of charges against Zuma.

DA MP James Selfe said it met with its legal representatives yesterday. "During this meeting it was decided to proceed with the application to get the tapes and any other documents covered by the Supreme Court of Appeals ruling," Selfe said. In April, the SCA ruled that reduced transcripts of the tapes should be handed over to the DA. Selfe said they had discussed their legal strategy, which they would use "to pursue this matter to the end".

"We will now embark on a substantive review application of the decision to discontinue the prosecution of Zuma," he said. COPE leader Mosioua Lekota was booted out of parliament for refusing to retract a statement calling for Zuma's impeachment over his apparent refusal to abide by the constitution and the SCA ruling. The ANC chief whip's office said: "By claiming in the house that the president has defied a lawful judicial order, Lekota has lied to parliament . a serious transgression. "Lekota's statement undermines the dignity of the office of the president for cheap party political gain. "Lekota must be sanctioned for presenting false information."

He was not available for comment. - Additional reporting by Alfred Moselakgomo and Sapa TIMES LIVE - - - -

COMMENTS BY SONNY Is this the price of Justice in South Africa? Has this person got an impeccable reputation? WE DON'T THINK SO. Does he justify another term in office? CERTAINLY NOT!! He is the reason why MP Mosiuoa Patrick "Terror" Lekota was forced to leave Parliament yesterday - 30 October 2012. This is no democracy by any accepted standards.
We believe the 'Spy Tapes' never existed and it was all an ANC diversion to get Zuma out of criminal court and into parliament. THE JUDICIARY IS NOW UNDER HIS COMMAND. THE PEOPLE SHALL RULE SOUTH AFRICA!!

Stolen exam papers: students, staff held


SOUTH AFRICA - WHERE EDUCATION COMES CHEAP..... GRAEME HOSKEN | 31 October, 2012 00:226 Comments File photo UNISA staff and students were among five people arrested yesterday for the theft of hundreds of exam papers .

The theft, at the university's main campus in Pretoria, was discovered while exams at the country's biggest university were under way. According to the police, copies of nearly all the faculties' exam papers had been stolen. A police source said the five individuals were caught in the act. "Detectives from the Organised Crime Unit are investigating who was behind the theft and to whom the papers were to be sold," he said. Unisa, according to its website, has more than 350000 students from throughout South Africa, Africa and elsewhere. The university yesterday refused to say which exam papers had been stolen, how the theft took place, whether the exam papers were stored securely or if this was the first theft to be uncovered during this year's examinations. Unisa spokesman Martin Ramotshela said the university was investigating.

"We will be able to provide details only once the investigation has been completed," he said. "We view such transgressions in a serious light. When necessary, we will take disciplinary action. The university is confident that its actions to date will protect the integrity of Unisa examinations." But a Unisa lecturer dismissed Ramotshela's assurances that the integrity of the examinations was protected, saying the breach could have serious consequences. "This is being kept under wraps. None of the staff knows how severe the breach is, how many papers were stolen or how many faculties and subjects have been affected. "One can only pray that the damage is limited," he said. He said the exams would have to be reset.

"This will be tedious, especially if it is for third, fourth and exit year students, because the setting and marking of exam papers involves external modulators." Hawks spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko confirmed the arrests and said the suspects had been charged with possession of stolen property. "The suspects will appear in court soon," he said. He said investigations were in the initial stages and that it was too early to say to whom the papers were being sold or for how much. TIMES LIVE - - - -

COMMENTS BY SONNY No wonder most politicians have Matric & Doctors Degrees..... Blade Nzimande'S DEPARTMENT - The theft, at the university's main campus in Pretoria, was discovered while exams at the country's biggest university were under way. According to the police, copies of nearly all the faculties' exam papers had been stolen. IF IT'S NOT THEFT THEN IT'S PLAGIARISM IN SA!

With friends, who needs education. Text books in Polokwane are unnecessary in 2012! ....."TEACHER YOU ARE JUST ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL"..... Or was that CLASSROOM! WE ARE COMPELLED TO THANK BRITAIN FOR CREATING THIS MONSTER!!

Coffins used to smuggle people into Britain


Sapa-AP | 31 October, 2012 10:34 File photo of a coffin. Image by: Marianne Pretorius British border officials have detained three people who tried to enter the country illegally by hiding in a truck full of coffins. SAVE & SHARE 0 inShare EMAILPRINT The Border Force says a sniffer dog found the three Eritrean nationals among dozens of boxed coffins in the vehicle, which was from Bulgaria. The would-be migrants were not inside the coffins. Officials say that the three were found Monday at the port of Dunkerque in northern France, where the truck was waiting to board a ferry to Britain. They have been handed over to French border police. The coffins were bound for a funeral director in west London. Border officials said Wednesday the discovery was unusual, but they added that in the past the force had found people hiding in strange places, such as in shipments of dog biscuits and bathtubs. Times Live - File photo of a coffin. Image by: Marianne Pretorius - - - - - COMMENTS BY SONNY This method is as old as DEATH itself. People used to smuggle illegal aliens and terrorists from Mozambique to South Africa in Ice Cream Trucks! They used to pad them in 'cotton wool' and when the trucks were delayed at the border, they ended up STIFFS! HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Inquiry into Khayelitsha police inefficiency under way


30 OCT 2012 11:09 - GLYNNIS UNDERHILL The inquiry commission into police inefficiency in Khayelitsha has begun, despite Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa's request for a suspension. OUR COVERAGE Khayelitsha violence: Police accused of attacking teens Khayelitsha violence: State mum over activists' arrest Police chief mum on Khayelitsha inquiry MORE COVERAGE Khayelitsha faces fresh vigilante, police problems The inquiry was informed three days ago by the state attorney's office that Mthethwa was considering legal challenges to its establishment. In a public show of defiance, the South African Police Service was not present or represented at the first sitting of the inquiry yesterday. Retired Constitutional Court judge Kate O'Regan told the inquiry she had been informed by letter on Friday that Mthethwa felt that the process of intergovernmental consultation regarding the establishment of the commission was not properly completed. In its letter, the state attorney's office requested that the inquiry suspend its proceedings. O'Regan said the inquiry had responded to the state attorney and stated that it must complete its report by February 24 next year. It would not be able to suspend its proceedings as this would make it impossible to complete its report in time, she explained. "The commission, of course, has no knowledge of the intergovernmental processes relating to its establishment and in the meantime will proceed on the basis that its establishment and mandate are lawful," confirmed Amanda Dissel, secretary of the inquiry. Activist circles are now anticipating a legal battle to keep the inquiry going. "My gut-feel is that this would not be a good idea to suspend the commission of inquiry and it could be a white-wash," said Joel Bregman, senior researcher at the Social Justice Coalition, which fought for the establishment of the inquiry. It is believed there have been as many as 18 vigilante killings in Khayelitsha this year, which many activist organisations believe is related to the community's loss of faith in police to respond to or tackle crime. Insufficient opportunity Two weeks ago Western Cape premier Helen Zille was asked by Mthethwa to suspend the inquiry, as he said police would like to establish its own investigation. In a meeting with Zille, Mthethwa said police were not given sufficient opportunity to deal with the complaints. But in her announcement about the establishment of the inquiry Zille said police officials were given ample opportunity to respond to the proposal for the establishment of the inquiry but failed to respond. The inquiry proceedings that took place on Monday were to announce a brief overview of the commission and its terms of reference to the public. The inquiry will look into complaints relating to allegations of inefficiency of the SAPS stationed in Khayelitsha. The investigations will investigate the reasons for and causes of inefficiency and the breakdown of relations, if found to exist. The inquiry's public hearings, where evidence against the police will be presented, will be held from November 12, and will continue through to December 14. 'An act of aggression' The establishment of the inquiry by Zille was seen as "an act of aggression" by both Mthethwa and national police commissioner Riah Phiyaga, Zille said in correspondence to the Women's Legal Centre. The Women's Legal Centre is representing the Cape Town organisations that fought for the establishment of a commission of inquiry into policing in Khayelitsha. The inquiry is being headed by two heavy-weights in the legal field, with O'Regan and the former head of the National Prosecuting Authority, Vusi Pikoli, as its commissioners. Zille confirmed to the M&G that she was asked to suspend the inquiry by Mthethwa, and said she called for comments and questioned the police about the independence and credibility of their proposal. "When I have had the answers to my queries, I will be able to make an informed decision on the request that has been made," she said. Mail & Guardian - - - COMMENTS BY SONNY - - - Is the Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa's request for a suspension of the Commission indication that he is running scared? Could the finding of the Commission render his services in the Cabinet redundant? Time will reveal his and others FEARS! CRIME IN SOUTH AFRICA IS A LUCRATIVE OCCUPATION! Maybe a forensic investigation of his personal expenditures will be a starting block. Or just another stumbling block?

Census 2011: Meet the face of South Africa


30 OCT 2012 09:06 - PHILLIP DE WET She's not doing badly - especially if she's not ambitious - but she's not rolling in cash either. This is the average South African, Census 2011 says. OUR COVERAGE How government starves the welfare sector Census 2011: Skewed results? Census benefits more than just government Your guide to the census Let's call her Thuli. Thuli is the average South African – to the extent that such a thing exists – and, if anything, the 2011 census data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) shows just how diverse the country is. But if you are looking for the most likely South African, the one you would probably hit with a dart thrown at random into a crowd, it would be Thuli. In some ways Thuli is a mystery; the numbers tell us about her circumstances but are limited in how much it can tell us about her hopes and ambitions. This we can say though: If the basic amenities (and a couple of small luxuries) are what she desires, then Thuli is fairly happy. But if she wants more out of life, say a career that could give her children a chance at higher education, then she's in for disappointment. Thuli is a black woman, 25-years-old, who speaks isiZulu. She lives in Gauteng, where she was also born, with two or three other people in a home, a formal dwelling, which they own without debt or bond. Her home is a comfortable one. It has access to piped water (inside the yard, if not inside the home itself), and the toilet flushes into the sewage system. Her local authority removes the refuse at least once a week. Thuli's concerns do not include waste removal. Nor does Thuli have to worry much about energy – as long as she can afford to pay for power. She and her family don't own a car and they use electricity for light, cooking and heat. They also use it to run their fridge, television and possibly their radio. They do not own a vacuum cleaner or a washing machine but they do have a DVD player. For Thuli, communication is rudimentary, but at least mobile. She has a cellphone, or access to one, but her household has neither a computer nor a landline telephone. She doesn't get email, because she does not have access to the internet, nor does she get snail mail, because mail is not delivered to her home and she does not have a mailbox elsewhere. In Thuli's home, nobody has died in the last year, and nobody is disabled. Thuli has been to high school, a public one, but she never finished it and she most certainly does not have a tertiary education. She's economically active with some kind of income-generating work at least some of the time though she doesn't have a lot of cash to spare. If she, or another woman, is the head of the household, the combined income of her family of three or four is just over R5 600 per month. If she's living with a father or male partner, though, her household is bringing in a considerably more respectable R10 700 per month. How long will Thuli live? How many children will she have and what are their chances for life, education, perhaps happiness? That we do not know yet. The fertility section of Census 2011 is still being evaluated and other data is simply not available on the same scale. However, trends since 1996 give us some idea and it is almost universally positive. Thuli's children should, all things being equal, be better educated, live longer and be wealthier than she will ever be. MAIL & GUARDIAN - - - - - COMMENTS BY SONNY Pity this Census 2012 was released after Marikana. Salaries would have to have been adjusted accordingly! This Census is more of an Alien Invasion. It's not a population explosion, rather, a land invasion by the rest of Africa and elsewhere...... A political strategy that we will not discuss here! How government starves the welfare sector 20 JUL 2012 07:13 - HEIDI SWART Cash-strapped groups plead for more funds: Subsidies have fallen so short of the needs of NGOs that many face imminent closure, writes Heidi Swart. SPECIAL FOCUS The Eugene Saldanha Memorial Fund Fellowship OUR COVERAGE Deep Read: For orphaned babies, time is always running out A broken system cannot fix the broken people Welfare groups fight for survival NGO ban causes alarm in Zim "Please, please, please, I beg you! Who will take care of me?" This was 22-year-old Tsholofelo Phiri's appeal to the government to stop the closure of the West Rand Association for Persons with Disabilities. Phiri has lived there for three years. Born with cerebral palsy, she uses a wheelchair, has limited use of her hands and cannot speak, save to mumble "yes" or "no". Phiri was speaking at a meeting of welfare organisations in Langlaagte, south of Johannesburg, in June. She uses software loaded on to her laptop, provided by the association, which produces a United States-accented tinny voice from the words she types. At the meeting, attended by about 100 people from welfare organisations, a handful of government officials turned up to listen to organisations that desperately need funding. The organisations deliver services to children, the elderly, disabled people and those struggling with alcohol abuse and HIV/Aids. Although the organisations are contracted by the government to care for the vulnerable, it is not providing enough funding for them to do so. They all deliver the welfare services the government is legally bound to make available to South Africans. If there is no intervention, Phiri's home will be closed in six months. The association needs R500000 from the government to keep running – or R6-million a year – but it receives less than a third of this from the department of social development. Its closure will force Phiri to move back to her sister's shack in Kagiso township where her most basic needs will not be met. A few weeks after the meeting I visited Phiri at the association in Krugersdorp west. I found her in an arts and crafts class where she and 10 others, who also need special care, were making photograph frames from paper. Sitting up in her wheelchair and smartly dressed, she greeted me with a huge smile on her beautiful face. Afraid of being dependent Her head was tilted to one side, and her hands pulled in close to her body with her fingers curling in against her palms. She tried to paste a decorative leaf on to a sheet of paper, but got too excited and struggled. She battled to hold on to the glue. Frustrated, she pushed the material aside, but a carer helped her to finish the job and almost instantly she was smiling again. Apart from the software that helps her to speak, she also has a special wheelchair provided by the department that has been adapted so she can operate it with her right hand. She can reverse, turn and speed forward with surprising ease. But Elisma Fouché, the school's social services manager, said Phiri's chair was more than just that: "She is very afraid of being dependent on other people. That's why she loves her chair." Her independence became apparent as I followed her across a patch of grass to the office where her computer is kept. She sped ahead and I had to skip paces to keep up. Although there are special keyboards with larger buttons, Fouché said Phiri had taken a more difficult route and taught herself to type on a normal keyboard. The reason for this is hard to fathom, because her hands seem to have a mind of their own and constantly move from side to side. Child-headed household She spends many quiet hours in front of her computer, writing poetry and essays. If she returns to Kagiso, she will not be able to take her chair or her computer with because she fears they will be stolen. She will not be able to move freely, or express her feelings. Phiri's mother has died and she does not know where her father is. She has no other family, except for her 21-year-old sister Tumi, who lives in Kagiso township. Phiri was born in Kagiso, but attended West Rand School for disabled children until she matriculated. She lived in residence there, going home at weekends. After she finished school, she returned to Kagiso to stay with her grandmother and sister. But her grandmother soon passed away. This left her sister, then in grade 11, with the task of taking care of her. Phiri suddenly found herself in a child-headed household. During the day, she was alone at home, a shack the size of the bright and sunny pink room Phiri now stays in. She lived with her sister for eight months until Fouché found her in the township after Phiri was referred to the association by her former school. At the home, Phiri is assisted by carers to bathe, eat and dress. Fouché said the state wanted the families of people like Phiri to contribute to living costs, but their family members often lived in poverty. This is true of Phiri's sister, who is 21, has a child and does not have her own home. Phiri's only source of income is government grants. This year, the department will spend about 93% of its R104-billion budget on social grants for the elderly, Umkhonto we Sizwe war veterans, children in foster care and those whose parents or guardians earn less than R2800 a month, the disabled and those caring for people who cannot care for themselves. About R6.5-billion will be divided up between the cost of administering social grants, social fraud investigations, bursaries for social workers and the National Development Agency. Grants This leaves only a fraction of the total social development budget – about 0.76% – for the funding of non-profit organisations that provide. These services typically include family counselling, special work facilities for disabled people who want to earn money but cannot adapt to the labour market, home inspections by social workers in cases of child abuse and neglect, homes for the elderly, children and the disabled, and community projects such as food gardens. The department could not provide a breakdown of how this money was divided between the different vulnerable groups. Although grants often go towards the funding of organisations, they do not cover all their costs. People like Phiri are eligible to receive two grants: a monthly R1 200 disability grant and a subsidy of R1 523 that goes to the association. But Fouché said the cost of taking care of those in frail care came to at least R5 700 a month. This means the home has to raise at least an additional R3 000 per resident a month. There are 47 permanent residents in the home, of whom 13 need full-time frail care. "The centre has a monthly shortfall of R78000 for food and basic care, and we are not even talking about water and electricity bills. The state prescribes how we should care for the disabled, but it does not pay for the service. It says we have to fundraise, but we cannot manage to raise R3 000 per person a month." If the home was to close, most residents would have nowhere to go. Raymond Nicholson is 31. He is in a workshop at the West Rand association that allows disabled people to perform work for a small amount of money, typically less than R100 a month. The purpose is more to give such people constructive activity and an opportunity to socialise. None of the money earned goes toward the association. Safer "We package things and put stuff together," Nicholson said, "like these tap tops." He showed me two small plastic discs, one with a blue mark for cold water, the other with red. "We call these sleeping pills because it gets a bit boring and then some people fall asleep." They also attach the chains to bath plugs. I tried to pinch the metal hoop closed with a pair of pliers and failed. Everyone laughed. One of the workshop members then gripped the plug with the toes of his left foot and attached the hoop using a pair of pliers with his right foot, seemingly without effort. Nicholson also participates in the association's drama group. Last year he received a special mention and a gold certificate for his role in a play. "I was the big bad wolf. I was very proud of it, because it didn't take me so long to learn the words." Nicholson said that he would be lost if the home closed: "I will have to find something to do, otherwise I'll lose my mind." Advent Nyumba has been in the same workshop for 16 years and has lived in the home for the past three. He was born in the nearby township of Munsieville and was in high school when he was shot twice in the back. "My whole left side doesn't work anymore," he said. He is afraid of returning: "Where we live, they don't see disabled people as normal. They throw rocks [at us] and are miserable with us. It is safer here." When asked what he would do if the home closed, he sighed. "I would have to move home. With the money I get here I buy soap, do washing, coffee, buy airtime, anything I need. The rest I save. There, there is nowhere to work. Most jobs say they cannot take disabled people." The need for government support for the disabled is substantial. In April this year, the South African Social Security Agency paid out disability grants to close to 1.2-million people. Feeling the pinch The 2001 census found there were about 2.26-million people with disabilities in South Africa. Black South Africans constitute about two million of this group. The disabled are not the only group struggling. George Petzer is the manager at the Floroma Old Aged Home in Roodepoort to the west of Johannesburg. The home provides frail care for 60 people and another 74 who are self-sufficient live in private cottages on the premises. Petzer said 90% of the people living in the home could not afford the accommodation because they received negligible private pensions or the state pension of R1200 a month. Statistics South Africa estimates there were about 3.9-million older people (above 60 years) in South Africa in 2011, or 7.7% of the population. In April this year, 71% of elderly people received grants. StatsSA estimated that in 2010 nearly 41% of the elderly lived in households with a per capita income of less than R570 a month. Petzer said the home cost about R4-million a year to run. It costs about R5 000 a month to care for a single person in frail care. This covers board, lodging and special nursing care. The government grants, which include the old-age pension of R1200 and a subsidy of R1 523 that goes directly to the home, adds up to R2723, leaving the shortfall to be paid by the home or relatives. Another big expense is rates and taxes. Last month the home owed the municipality R82 000. At R80 000 a month, the home is liable for about R1-million in rates and taxes a year, a quarter of its total operating expenses. Annatjie du Toit (71) told me she was feeling the pinch. I found her sitting in the sun on the small porch of her small flat at Floroma. She keeps it neat and decorates it with pot plants, but the wall needs a coat of paint. The cottage costs her R1500 a month excluding rates. In June, she said, the electricity bill was almost R200, up from R170 the previous month. Her state pension of R1200 goes toward rent. One of her daughters supports her with extra money for groceries, toiletries and electricity. "Without my daughter's help, I would be done for," Du Toit said. Mutual respect Children are also hard hit by the lack of funding. StatsSA said that in 2010 about 62% of the country's 18.5-million children lived in households with a per capita income of less than R570 a month. Two grants are available to children: a R770 foster care grant and a R280 child care grant. The foster-care grant is provided to families who look after children who have been removed from their homes. The agency paid foster care grants to 544968 children in April this year. The child-support grant is paid to parents or caregivers who earn less than R33600 a year. In April, the agency paid out child support grants to 11-million children. Petunia Phaka, a social work manager at Child Welfare South Africa in Vosloorus, told of the struggle social workers face in delivering child protection services. "How can I conduct a home visit [to investigate a child's home circumstances] without a car to go there? With no telephone, how can I make a follow-up call?" She questioned the government's relationship with non-profit organisations. "Are we partners? Is there mutual respect? This is not about NPOs, it's not about the department, it is about society taking care of its children. They are not numbers. They are flesh and blood who need serious investment to become contributing members of society." Nelly Sibanda is 57 years old. One has to be 60 years or older to qualify for an old-age pension. She cannot read or write and recently lost her job. She looks after her seven-year-old grandson Tshephiso Sakgeto. Both his parents are dead. Sibanda receives R280 a month as a child support grant. She said the agency has refused to give her a foster-care grant because she is the boy's grandmother. Now, she had come to the Roodepoort Child and Family Welfare Society to ask for food. The organisation was low on stock and she left with two cans, one of baked beans and another of mixed vegetables. Challenges Another foster parent, who asked not to be named, said the child support grant of R770 did not cover the expenses of the five-year-old HIV-positive girl in her care. Transport, food and clothes cost her more than R1 000 a month. The girls' brother (11) also stays with her. At the moment, she receives only a child support grant for him – R280 a month. Although she used to bake cakes to earn money, her oven is now broken and she has to look for a job. According to Angelique McAdams, Roodepoort Child Welfare's chair and fundraiser, the organisation serves a population of 350 000. The department subsidises social work salaries and a small portion of administrative fees, but the organisation has to pay for running costs that include rent, rates, transport, stationary, accounting fees, workers' compensation and employee taxes. To raise extra funds, McAdams works full time without a salary, but it is still not enough. "Every month we have a shortfall of R50 000 – and that's in a good month." Lumka Oliphant, the spokesperson for the department, said it acknowledged that there were "challenges" within the NPO sector. "The minister of social development is in dialogue in provinces with NPOs. These dialogues will culminate in a summit to be held in Gauteng next month," he said. Watch a slideshow on the welfare crisis, narrated by Heidi Swart.mg.co.za/welfarecrisis Heidi Swart is the Eugene Saldanha Fellow in social justice reporting, sponsored by the Charities Aid Foundation, Southern Africa. Mail & Guardian COMMENTS BY SONNY - - - ONLY ONE LONELY VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS OF MISFORTUNE!! .......AND THE LIST OF POVERTY, LACK OF EDUCATION, HEALTH, SERVICE DELIVERY, CORRUPTION & NEEDY GOES ON..... TOO MANY TO INCLUDE HERE!...........

Monday, October 29, 2012

ANC MP's assets attached


26-OCT-2012 | SAPA | 10 COMMENTS The NPA on Friday obtained an order to attached assets worth about R24 million belonging to a National Assembly portfolio committee chair. inShare RELATED ARTICLES DA to pursue Travelgate saga The Asset Forfeiture Unit obtained the order in the Northern Cape High Court against ANC MP Yolanda Botha, the National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement. Botha chairs the social development portfolio committee. The unit successfully argued that Botha disregarded tender procedures while she was head of social development in the Northern Cape, and signed lease agreements that benefited a company called Trifecta Investment Holdings. “In return, Trifecta made renovations to her house. The value of the renovations is estimated at R1.2 million,” the NPA said. The lease agreements were costing the government about R3 million a month, with some coming to an end only in 2017. Botha allegedly approved decisions that went against the bid adjudication committee’s recommendations. She changed the duration of some lease agreements to 10 years from five, and overruled the departmental legal adviser’s judgment that the leases be cancelled. The leases are for buildings rented by the North Cape department of social development in Springbok, Kuruman, Douglas and Kimberley. The attachment order was granted against Botha’s house in Kimberley and her 10% shareholding in Trifecta. The shares had been transferred from the company to a trust controlled by Botha’s relatives. The NPA said Botha had told Parliament’s joint committee on ethics and members’ interests that she only received a R500,000 loan from the company. The committee found in August 2011 that there was an improper and corrupt relationship between Botha and Trifecta. Sowetan News - - - - COMMENTS BY SONNY Another ANC 'Fat Cat' who thought that she was above the Law tastes the dust. THE CORRUPTION LIST NEVER ENDS....... She will get a slap on the wrists and a new portfolio...... Her renovations only cost R1.2 Million Rand as opposed to R200,000,000.

Wheels of justice turn slowly as political killings escalate


26 OCT 2012 00:00 - DAVID BRUCE According to an internal ANC report, 38 members of the party have been killed in KwaZulu-Natal since the beginning of 2011. OUR COVERAGE Sanctioned taxi violence poisons KwaZulu-Natal Caught in a web of violence and political inertia Assassinated KZN chief whip a savvy 'fixer' MORE COVERAGE ANC: A party under violent, criminal siege A 1998 non-governmental organisation report said that political assassinations in South Africa escalated after 1984: between 1985 and 1989 there were 96 in the country – a rate of just less than 20 a year. Today, in KwaZulu-Natal, political killings are occurring at an even greater rate. According to an internal ANC report, 38 members have been killed in the province since the beginning of 2011. At least 13 Inkatha Freedom Party and National Freedom Party members have been killed as well, which means that about 50 politically linked people have been killed in the province in less than two years. It is apparent that many (not necessarily all) of the IFP and NFP killings are linked to interparty rivalry. But this is not the only driver of assassinations in KwaZulu-Natal. The death of an ANC member in Nongoma in March 2009 is understood to have been at the hands of an IFP member, although the killings of ANC members are generally seen to be "internal". In September, for instance, ANC member Sifiso Khumalo was sentenced to 22 years in jail for killing two other ANC members. The conviction came 10 days after they died. But this should not create the illusion that the province's criminal justice system or its government deal enthusiastically with such cases. Until recently, the provincial government had no reliable list of murdered ANC members or the dates of their deaths. A report on this to the provincial legislature in August contained serious omissions and inaccuracies. ANC-aligned people Apart from Khumalo, the only other conviction for the killing of an ANC member was on July 12, when four people were found guilty of the July 2007 slaying of ANC councillor Reuben Magutshwa. The case took five years to complete. There have been arrests in at least seven cases, including in two of the four incidents of ANC councillors slain since March last year. But such matters are commonly postponed repeatedly, as is the case with the two men arrested in June 2011 for killing Umlazi councillor Wiseman Mshibe three months previously. Another feature of cases involving the deaths of ANC-aligned people is a very high incidence of suspects being killed by police. For all the ANC-aligned people killed since the beginning of 2009, there appears to have been only one conviction – but four suspects have been killed. A man was arrested for killing eThekwini regional secretary Sbu Sibiya in July 2011, but another suspect was killed in a separate incident. Three people connected to the death of ANC-aligned Inkosi Mbongeleni Zondi in January 2009 were also killed; the Cato Manor organised crime unit is allegedly responsible for these deaths. All were linked to the KwaMaphumulo Taxi Association (KTA). In the Mail & Guardian last week, Niren Tolsi referred to the "murky web of police brutality and political interests" in disputes over taxi routes. In the period August 2008 to September 2009 police, mostly linked to the Cato Manor unit, reportedly killed nine members of KTA, a rival of the Stanger Taxi Association. Indictment charges The 30 members of the unit charged with murder and racketeering will appear in court again next week. The indictment charges that they were motivated by the "desire to enrich themselves", either by receiving bonuses for their "excellent performance" or through "financial benefits" from businesses or individuals in conflict with the 28 people they are charged with murdering. They are accused of, among other things, killing off the KTA's core for money on behalf of the Stanger association. According to the Cato Manor unit, three of the KTA people they killed were responsible for the Zondi murder. None was ever tried in court, but the case has been closed on the basis that the suspects are deceased. If, in fact, other people killed Zondi, this is very convenient for them. We do not know who killed Zondi. But we do know that members of the Cato Manor unit were not only the self-appointed investigators and jury, but also the executioners of his alleged killers. This alone shows that the investigation into his death should urgently be reopened. But is there any chance that an investigative unit entrusted with this task will be able to carry it out free from political interference? David Bruce is an independent researcher specialising in crime and policing Mail & Guardian - - - - COMMENTS BY SONNY Politics comes at a high price to the Zulu nation. The NFP is responsible for a lot of IFP party members killings recently. The ANC just has to sit back and count its own losses.

DA turns up the heat on Nkandlagate


29 OCT 2012 13:41 - NICKOLAUS BAUER The DA has announced a plan to uncover alleged impropriety related to the upgrades on President Jacob Zuma's rural homestead in Nkandla. SPECIAL FOCUS Zumaville: A special report OUR COVERAGE Nkandla: Passing the bucks Pravin Gordhan mum on Zuma's Nkandla upgrades MORE COVERAGE Protector to investigate Zumaville development DA: Zuma must come clean on Nkandla "The DA will continue to pursue steps to ensure that President Jacob Zuma and his government are held accountable," DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko told reporters in Cape Town. "We will take immediate steps to eliminate these clear loopholes in order to prevent another Nkandlagate scandal." The Nkandlagate scandal came to light after a string of reports revealed that over R200-million would be forked out for infrastructural improvements at the president's private residence at Nxamalala in rural Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. The project is chiefly financed by the public works department with the last payment reportedly taking place days before Zuma called for financial caution in light of current economic conditions – along with a pay freeze for senior public and private sector executives. Chief to the DA's plans will be an attempt to modify legislation set out in the National Key Point Act of 1980, which Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi has repeatedly used to defend and conceal the details of the upgrade. "The definition of a national key point needs to be clarified with set criteria provided in the legislation," Mazibuko said. Public scrutiny "This would ensure the minister would not be able, as is currently the case under section two, to declare for expediency only. It has to be proven to be necessary for national security." Additionally there will be a call for more information on the location of all of South Africa's national key points as well as their expenses and running costs to be available for public scrutiny. Mazibuko also pointed to perceived loopholes in the Executive Ethics Act, which has allowed Zuma to act "above the law". "The president remains unaccountable to Parliament, where no oversight committee exists for the presidency. There are few significant mechanisms that enable [parliamentarians] to hold Zuma directly accountable in Parliament for these actions, other than through questions to the president," Mazibuko added. The purpose of the Executive Ethics Act is to govern the conduct of members of the Cabinet, deputy ministers and members of provincial executive councils – as well as the president. The DA believes Zuma may have violated the Act by using his position to enrich himself and other people. In crisis "While the economy is in crisis, and millions of South Africans find themselves unemployed and trapped in poverty, President Zuma's government is building a palace for him, as if he will be president for life," Mazibuko added. Mazibuko also said the leading opposition party will continue to call for a debate in Parliament on the matter, by challenging acting speaker Nomaindia Mfeketo's decision to disallow a debate on Nkandla in the National Assembly at the next meeting of the Parliament Oversight Authority. Additionally, Mazibuko said the DA would request that speaker Max Sisulu form an ad hoc committee of inquiry to "investigate the full extent of this fruitless expenditure", if the Standing Committee on Public Accounts turn down an initial request for an investigation into the Nkandla matter. "The DA will not allow this to go unanswered. The steps we have proposed will go a long way toward preventing future abuse of public funds by the ANC for its party leaders," she said. "Ensuring that this happens will send a clear message to President Zuma and his Cabinet ministers: Get your priorities right and put the interests of South Africa's people above your own." Mail & Guardian - - - - COMMENTS BY SONNY Mbeki was refurbishing his house in Killarney to the tune of about R9,000,000, before he was booted out; now this "Big Fish" wants to push Nkandlaville over R200,000,000. The mentality of the two leave a lot to be desired! The DA has taken on a huge commitment this time around. What would Oliver Tambo say if he was still alive?

ANONYMOUS LETTER TO THE DA TRIGGER CORRUPTION PROBE IN JOHANNESBURG


Important Media release by DA regarding suspected fraudulent usage of Johannesburg funds: for your information Parks Tau must answer for Sinking Fund irregularities 24 October 2012 The Democratic Alliance (DA) has received information from an anonymous whistle blower on Johannesburg’s sinking fund. The City of Johannesburg uses this fund to put money aside to repay future debts. Currently it holds more than R2 billion and is managed by a private company, Regiments Capital. This company has been hired to manage the fund in order to grow its value over time. But the DA has received a fax from an anonymous source, wherein several damning claims are made. Our source alleges that: Regiments Capital has allegedly fraudulently charged excessive fees for administration of the fund since 2006. That these withdrawals have been made with the cooperation of corrupt officials in the City of Johannesburg’s Treasury. That the fund has been mismanaged, in effect producing a negative return on investment due to mismanagement and looting. That an amount of R1 billion has allegedly been siphoned from the fund since 2006. That the tender process to appoint the fund managers for the next term was allegedly rigged in Regiments’ favour. That KPMG conducted an investigation into the fund and produced a damning report that was never released or acted upon. Under normal circumstances, the DA would not act on the allegations of one whistle blower. But there is significant circumstantial evidence that points to our source’s credibility, and that point to general irregularities in the management of the sinking fund. Firstly, we have been able to determine that the alleged report does exist. In correspondence with DA councillor John Mendelsohn, KPMG acknowledged the existence of the report, but refused to grant the DA access to the report due to confidentiality agreements with the City. Secondly, the City of Johannesburg simply ignored a PAIA request for the report we submitted to it. The City seems to be actively concealing this information. Thirdly, KPMG said that they could not be certain whether the right to access to information in the public interest overrode their confidentiality agreements in this case. This implies that there are in fact “public interest” matters in this report. KPMG argue that the PAIA gives them the right to refuse access to the information under these circumstances. We are currently consulting legal counsel on this matter, to determine whether KPMG’s interpretation of the act is in fact correct, and whether they are within their rights to refuse access to the report on this basis. Here is the timeline of our PAIA requests submitted to both the City and KPMG: 18 July 2012: PAIA request to City of Johannesburg to gain access to the KPMG report. 30 July 2012: PAIA request to KPMG directly. 29 September 2012: KPMG responds to our request, saying that they cannot disclose the information without consulting with “affected third parties”. In accordance with the PAIA, they have 21 days to consult with third parties. 12 October 2012: The City of Johannesburg’s 90 day deadline expires, with no response to our PAIA request beyond an initial acknowledgement of receipt. 22 October 2012 (KPMG’s 21-day deadline): KPMG refuses to grant access to the report. Fourthly, a series of reports in the Mail and Guardian in the last two weeks indicate that the process to appoint fund managers for the next term was rigged in Regiment Capital’s favour. This backs up the claims made by our whistle blower long before these reports were public, further strengthening the credibility of his or her other claims. Finally, the Mail & Guardian has also reported on Regiments’ political connections to the ANC through Regiments Capital’s involvement in the Coral Lagoon Consortium. It is also disconcerting that Parks Tau’s wife is intricately involved with Regiments and the Coral Lagoon Consortium – directly linking the mayor, and former MMC for finance, to a company which is alleged to have been party to looting the sinking fund to the tune of R1 billion. When the allegations of a conflict of interest in the awarding of the sinking fund tender to Regiments Capital came up two weeks ago in the Mail and Guardian, Mayor Tau’s spokesperson denied all wrongdoing, saying that the Mayor did not serve on the tender adjudication committee. That argument holds very little currency as he could easily have exerted his significant influence on the committee without actually serving on it. But the context of the case has completely changed now. This is no longer just about the rightful awarding of the tender to run the sinking fund. In addition to the questions about the rightful awarding of the contract, there are now very serious questions about the alleged irregular management of the fund; the Mayor’s wife’s alleged involvement in those irregular activities; the Mayor’s possible knowledge of these irregular activities; and most importantly, the suppression of this internal KPMG report which allegedly points to massive irregularity in the sinking fund. Two weeks ago, Mayor Tau invited the public protector to investigate him so that he could clear his name of wrong-doing on the allegations of tender irregularities. But there are new questions that need answering, and there is a faster and easier way to settle this issue. We are formally and publicly challenging the Mayor to fully disclose all information at his disposal, and at the City’s disposal, with regards to the sinking fund and Regiments Capital’s management thereof. If Mayor Tau and Regiments is innocent in all of this, he should be able to easily answer the following questions: Is there a KPMG report on Regiments Capital’s management of the sinking fund? If so, provide the report to the council. Has any other audit or investigation of the sinking fund ever been conducted? If so, please provide those reports to the council. What is the City’s cumulative contribution to the sinking fund? What are the total cumulative fees withdrawn from the sinking fund by Regiments Capital? What is the fund’s financial performance since inception? Would the mayor invite a full investigation by the public protector, and the financial services board, of the tender process followed in the appointing and reappointing of Regiments Capital as well as the general financial performance and activities of the fund and Regiments’ management thereof since 2005? The DA has now publicly issued a challenge to the Mayor. We have already written him to challenge him in writing. The letter has been sent to his personal assistant’s e-mail address (sydneyn@joburg.org.za). Last week he said in reference to the allegations in the Mail and Guardian that “It is important that when such allegations arise, we should subject ourselves to scrutiny”. We are now holding him to that standard and asking that he answer these questions, and provide the council with the report KPMG has provided. We cannot allow corruption to take root in our City, because it steals money away from the services our people need most. These kinds of allegations therefore must be answered and we challenge Mayor Tau to come forward and answer all of these allegations as comprehensively as possible. Media enquiries Mmusi Maimane Leader of the DA Caucus in the Johannesburg Council 082 330 1652 John Mendelsohn DA Spokesperson for Municipal Public Accounts in Johannesburg 082 547 2513 Stephen Moore Head of Caucus Communications 084 332 4413 (Thanks to Ian D. Samson for originally posting this letter) COMMENTS BY SONNY The Public Protector THULI MADONSELA is alleged to have investigated these allegations and without hesitation gave the Johannesburg Municipality a 'clean bill of health!' Under the carpet investigation done in secret is popular in the ANC. A BIT OF ANC HISTORY This good and serious ANC must be heard 26 OCT 2012 00:00 - CHARLES LEONARD These days the ANC's loudest voices are those of populists, racists, opportunists and reactionaries. SPECIAL FOCUS Mangaung 2012: A special report OUR COVERAGE Gigaba in the ANC's top six? Road to Mangaung: Gwede warns Cosatu not to meddle in ANC ANC Youth League hits back at 'shameful and reckless' Loubser MORE COVERAGE ANC branches want Malusi Gigaba in top six What has happened to the good ANC? The progressive party that, when it came to power, lived up to its policies of nonracialism, non-­sexism and economic transformation – a party with a great past and an even better future? These days its loudest voices are those of populists, racists, opportunists and reactionaries. The party seems to have lost its moral compass, with many members only interested in finding the shortest cut to the nearest juicy tender. I went to two recent ANC branch meetings on Sunday afternoons, not only to see who they were going to support in Mangaung, but also to get a sense of whether the ever more Byzantine ANC was heading to Zumaville in a handbasket. Established in May this year, the branch in Johannesburg's ward 117 includes suburbs such as Rosebank, Saxonwold and Parkview. Both meetings I attended were held in the listening room of a music production house in Rosebank. Among the attendees were a former senior civil servant, a top advocate, students, business people, domestic workers, a prominent doctor and a poet. The first meeting was dominated by names. Not names of which politicians should be on the Mangaung slate, but of what to call the new branch. Transcending race "We're quick to catapult people to sainthood, but I'm always wary," warned the poet. "You never know what people can get up to. It would be better to have a name tested by time." Like Ahmed Kathrada, said the comrade who proposed his name for the branch. "He transcends race. Individuals do fail, but Kathrada passed the test of time. His is the essence of what leadership should be." However, the meeting agreed that the branch should not be named after a living person. All the other proposers got a chance to motivate why ward 117 should carry their suggested names. "We need courage ... the kind of courage Ruth First displayed," motivated comrade deputy chairperson. "She also lived in what is now our branch. Her book about her detention was coincidentally called 117 Days." So Ruth First it became by a clear majority. The branch was in good standing with its 102 members, which qualified it to send one delegate to Mangaung, reported the secretary, setting the scene for a serious discussion about the state of the party and its leadership. "Factionalism is driving our organisation apart – we should voice our unhappiness with the organisation," said one member. "We must stop the ANC from this downward spiral." Comrade poet: "Our past is being blasphemed by where we are now." Get rid of the president One of the branch executive members cut to the chase: "To remain the leading party, have we got the leadership we need?" Comrade doctor: "If a company's chief executive doesn't do well, he goes. Shouldn't we follow the same model at the ANC?" "People won't be supporting the ANC forever," warned the advocate. "If we look at the rest of Africa, revolutionary parties do get voted out." The executive member with another reality check: "The Democratic Alliance is making inroads into traditional ANC areas. They are a real threat. They've used our failings. We have to assess the leadership we have now – do we still need them? Should we change them?" More nodding heads. "What leadership will give us an electoral victory in 2014?" wondered the advocate. "What kind of politics will still make us electable in 2014?" Then one man summed it up for the meeting: "We must get rid of the president!" I believe I saw the good, serious ANC at those two branch meetings. Now it is up to these members to get their collective act together, have a quorum at their next meeting to qualify to send a delegate to the ANC's national conference and also pick who should lead the party from December onwards. The ANC desperately needs sane voices at Mangaung. MAIL & GUARDIAN YOU BE THE JUDGE......... SERVICE DELIVERY UNDER THE ANC SINCE 1994 HAS BEEN CLOSE TO NON EXISTENT!

Mogoeng claims worry DA


DEMOCRATIC Alliance (DA) Federal chairman James Selfe yesterday said that he would consult with lawyers this week over reports that Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng – the most senior judge in the country – attacked “rich and powerful” members of the opposition and media who criticise the judiciary. 29 October 2012 | PAUL KIRK Mogoeng’s outburst comes as the DA prepares to fight an appeal by President Jacob Zuma in a case where the DA is seeking to have the decision to drop corruption charges against Zuma reviewed. Selfe said he believed “the reported words used by the Chief Justice may become relevant” – meaning the DA may have to consider asking the Chief Justice to recuse himself from ruling on judgments relating to the party. City Press newspapers reported yesterday that at a retirement party on Friday for Gauteng Judge President Bernard Ngoepe, Mogoeng warned his audience to be careful of “what vocal and well-resourced opposition party leaders can do to you, what resources and forces the rich and powerful can mobilise against you, and what ridicule, recycled criticism and misinformation campaigns the media and others could subject you to”. Mogoeng was himself the subject of severe criticism from the DA who wrote to President Jacob Zuma asking that Mogoeng not be given the job of Chief Justice. In a letter written in September 2011 Helen Zille, DA leader, wrote to Zuma asking him not to appoint Mogoeng and arguing that “we believe that Judge Mogoeng does not possess the outstanding legal skills (as opposed to ‘usual’ or ‘adequate’) required of a Chief Justice. “ We believe he has, in his history as a judge, failed to display the unwavering adherence and commitment to the Constitution required of a Chief Justice.We believe that he has not shown himself, in his past judgments, to be suitably defensive of the independence of the judiciary. We do not believe he enjoys the support, both intellectually and collegially, of the majority of his colleagues on the Constitutional Court, and of the wider legal fraternity.” Zille asked for a meeting with Zuma to discuss Mogoeng, but this meeting was cancelled by the presidency who said that they had received Zille’s submission and would have contacted her if they wanted clarity on her statements. Attempts to contact Mogoeng were not successful. THE CITIZEN - - - - COMMENTS BY SONNY Another Zuma appointee? Our Constitution can be attacked from within. DIVIDE AND RULE!! ....."A CHAIN IS JUST AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK!"..... ANOTHER CONTROVERSIAL JUDGE WHO MAY NOT BE INDEPENDENT! HOW LONG WILL THE CONCOURT REMAIN INDEPENDENT, IMPARTIAL AND WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR?

Lawsuit: Zuma ‘favours freedom’


ZUMA'S LAWSUIT 'FAVOURS RE-ELECTION' PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma seemed to extend an olive branch to the media yesterday, announcing that he was dropping a multi-million rand defamation case against cartoonist Zapiro. 29 October 2012 | PAUL KIRK The case against Zapiro – real name Jonathan Shapiro – Avusa Media and then-editor of the Sunday Times Mondli Makhanya was set to be heard in the North Gauteng High Court today (mon). It centres around a 2008 cartoon by Zapiro, titled “The Rape of Lady Justice”, and depicts Zuma preparing to rape the symbol of justice as others hold her down. In a statement yesterday, the presidency said that after “consideration and consultation with his legal team, President Zuma has taken a decision to withdraw his claim against the respondents, and pay a contribution to their costs”. It said that a major consideration in making the decision was concern for the principle of free speech. “Whereas the president believes that in an open and democratic society, a fine and sensitive balance needs to be maintained between the exercise of civil rights such as freedom of speech, and the dignity and privacy of others, that balance should be struck in favour of Constitutional freedoms,” it said. “The president therefore would like to avoid setting a legal precedent that may have the effect of limiting the public exercise of free speech, with the unforeseen consequences this may have on our media, public commentators and citizens.” But Dario Milo, a partner at the law firm Webber Wentzel, said that while he welcomed the decision to drop the damages claim against his client, Zuma’s twelve other cases against the media have not been dropped. In its statement, the presidency said that another consideration in its decision to drop the claims was the view that “matters relating to dignity and the public standing of individuals cannot be mediated exclusively through the courts. “Essentially what lies at the heart of the Sunday Times’ publication of the cartoon was a set of deeply ingrained prejudices regarding not only the president, but which extend to views about African males and sexual mores. “While the courts exist in part to protect citizens against racial and cultural prejudice and bigotry, those scourges will not be eradicated from our body politic through litigation alone. Defeating racist attitudes requires removing the racial imprint on the way South African society is organised and structured, as well as continuous political action and open dialogue between South Africans across racial and cultural divides.” The presidency also said that in light of recent economic and political developments, Zuma had called on all South Africans to work together to find lasting solutions to national challenges. One area of focus for Zuma and the government would be “working with business to address the underlying socio-economic causes of the recent unrest, particularly the working and living conditions of mine workers and mining communities”. THE CITIZEN ANC denies snub to SACP IMAGE 1 of 1 A LECTURE on the ANC centenary delivered by the SA Communist Party (SACP) at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto campus yesterday got off on a disappointing note, with the ANC in Gauteng snubbing the event 29 October 2012 | NGWAKO MODJADJIA Simmering tensions between the two parties exploded recently when the Gauteng ANC provincial executive committee nominated Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe to lead the party while the SACP threw its weight behind President Jacob Zuma’s bid’s bid for a second term. But Gauteng ANC spokesman Dumisa Ntuli downplayed the incident, saying it was not a snub because the ANC is part of the ANC centenary lecture. “Most of our leaders are engaged in different political work in the province including general meetings for the process toward Mangaung. It is part of our programme to make sure Nzimande delivers the lecture. It has nothing to do with Mangaung,” Ntuli said. Nzimande, in his address, said under former president Thabo Mbeki relations between the SACP and the ANC soured. “There was an agenda to break the relationship between the party and the ANC. That’s why we wanted change in Polokwane. We respect Mbeki but we must tell the truth,” he said. There was a brouhaha last week when Mbeki criticised Zuma and the ANC’s leadership. Mbeki said he was not certain about the direction the country was heading in under the current ANC leadership. “My feeling of unease is also informed by what I sense as a pervasive understanding throughout the nation that there is no certainty about our future with regard to any of our known challenges, and therefore the future of the nation, and we have an obligation to ensure our continuing struggle is led by people who never, in any way, abuse state power to advance their personal interests,” he said. Mbeki made these remarks at an OR Tambo memorial lecture he delivered as part of the ANC’s centenary celebrations at the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape. Nzimande said the SACP will retain its independence but at the same time will remain pro-ANC. He also warned people who are killing National Union of Mineworkers members in Marikana. The Citizen - - - - COMMENTS BY SONNY Never be fooled by a fool. Nzimande you are but a Zuma puppet. The gloves are off, let the party begin. Motlanthe needs more than a 'biography' to get him out of this pickle. HAS O R TAMBO's SPIRIT NOT RETURNED TO HAUNT ZUMA AND THE ANC?