6 torturers to appear in court

Published: 2010/05/30 21:04:22

MELODY BRANDON

JOHANNESBURG - The six Nigerian nationals accused of kidnapping and torturing a Brazilian businessman will appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court today.
While the name of the man is known to The Citizen, the Hawks do not want it or his photo published.
“We still want this man to come back to the country to testify. If you publish his photograph and name, it will jeopardise the case,” said Hawks spokesman Musa Zondi yesterday.
The man, who was badly burnt on his chest, stomach and feet by a hot iron posted an emotional message on his Twitter page on Saturday.
“For all those who helped me with prayers, yes, there is a God and without divine intervention, this would have ended tragically.”
His previous message was optimistic about his business trip to South Africa. Little could he imagine the horror that awaited him.
“At the office, this will be a busy week. There are jobs to do and an international trip coming up!” he posted on May 17.
However, instead of concluding a business deal, the man was captured, kept at a house in Kensington, east of Johannesburg, and tortured.
The Brazilian victim was the second man to be lured into the country on a bogus business deal.
The first, a South Korean businessman, also came to the country to “conclude a business deal”.
Under the impression that he had concluded a deal to transport concrete to Iraq, his company paid his captors $70 000 (about R534 000).
Released by his captors on May 19, he gave police information about his ordeal.
They surveyed the house and rescued the Nigerians’s second victim early on Thursday morning.
It is not known if the man has returned to Brazil or is still in the country.
“He is now in the care of the Brazilian embassy,” said Zondi.
The embassy was not available for comment at the time of going to print.
melodyb@citizen.co.za

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The Citizen

Comments by Sonny

Nigerians do not only deal in drugs in SA!

'Madiba confessed to immoral life'

31 May 2010, 07:10
Related Articles
'Give 67 Mandela minutes'

By Mercury reporter

South Africans may have come to terms with President Jacob Zuma's infidelity, but a new book to be released next month about Nelson Mandela, claims the country's first democratic president was no saint either.

Titled The Young Mandela, the book by David James Smith - an extract of which appeared in the London Sunday Times yesterday - shows another side of the former president, including allegations of womanising, wife-beating and at least one love child.

Smith writes that Mandela's memoir was smuggled out of jail and contained a reference to the break-up of his marriage to Evelyn.

In a note to Mac Maharaj, he instructed his comrade to include reference to: "And then I led a thoroughly immoral life." But when the Long Walk to Freedom was finally published, the comment was omitted.

Smith refers to a list of women who Mandela reportedly had affairs with, while married to Evelyn, including Ruth Mompati, Lilian Ngoyi and Dolly Rathebe.

Smith says that while Mompati denied it, people close to Mandela were confident that she also had a child by him.

"The story is known within Mandela's family and there are suspicions there could be other half-siblings. There are rumours of a woman who appeared at the funeral of his and Evelyn's second son, Makgatho, who died of Aids in 2005, claiming to be his half-sister from an unknown mother."

Smith also quotes from Evelyn's comments to, among others, Fatima Meer and author Fred Bridgland, and refers to two files that comprise the record of the couple's divorce.

They contain a statement by Evelyn in support of a petition for separation that she lodged in May 1956 in which she alleged that Mandela had assaulted her on a succession of occasions. Mandela denied the allegations.

The couple were divorced in 1958.

This article was originally published on page 3 of The Mercury on May 31, 2010

The Star

Comments by Sonny

All the skeletons are still hanging........

Bramley police reservist shot

30 May 2010, 16:00

A police reservist from Bramley is in critical condition after being shot by a security guard, Johannesburg police said on Sunday.

Police spokesman Warrant Officer Moses Maphakela said an argument broke out between the security guard and reservist at about 8pm on Saturday.

The guard, aged 35, then shot the reservist in the head.

He was taken to hospital in critical condition.

Police arrested the guard for attempted murder and his firearm was seized. He will appear in court soon. - Sapa

The Star

The truth must out!!

How to survive in South Africa (11)

How to survive in South Africa (II)
US Department of State
28 May 2010

The US State Department's advice to American fans travelling to the World Cup
The following is an extract from the travel alert on South Africa issued by the US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, May 25 2010:
The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in South Africa to safety and security issues related to the FIFA World Cup taking place in nine cities across the country from June 11 to July 11, 2010. This travel alert expires July 31, 2010. Full information about the World Cup for American visitors is available on the U.S. Mission to South Africa's dedicated World Cup website.
TERRORISM: Large-scale public events like the World Cup may present a wide range of attractive targets for terrorists. There is a heightened risk that extremist groups will conduct terrorist acts within South Africa in the near future. While a number of terrorist threats against the World Cup in South Africa have appeared in the media in recent weeks and months, the U.S. Government has no information on any specific, credible threat of attack that any individual or group is planning to coincide with the tournament. In the event the U.S. Government receives information of any specific and credible threat, the Department of State will provide information on that threat to the public immediately through an updated Travel Alert or Travel Warning. All USC citizens in or traveling to South Africa are urged to register with the U.S. Mission to South Africa in order to receive these alerts as quickly as possible.
CRIME: The vast majority of visitors complete their travels in South Africa without problems; however, visitors should be aware that criminal activity, including violent crime, is prevalent throughout the country. Be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times, looking out for your own personal security. While driving, keep doors locked and windows closed, avoid having purses, phones, bags and luggage in plain view, and when stopping at intersections at night or in isolated locations, leave enough space in front of your vehicle for a quick exit. Be wary of street vendors at traffic lights, planted obstacles and staged "accidents" that may be traps for unsuspecting motorists. Do not stop for cars with flashing lights unless they are clearly marked as police or emergency service vehicles. Park your car in secure, gated parking lots or garages wherever possible, and do not leave bags or valuables in plain view. Travellers to South Africa should avoid carrying or displaying expensive items or wearing eye-catching jewelry, stay in a group, and avoid walking at night. Keep a photocopy of your passport with you, leaving the original in a hotel safe or other secure location. Lost or stolen passports should be reported to the local police and nearest U.S. Consulate.
PUBLIC DISTURBANCES: Organized or wildcat labor actions and protests in poorer communities against shortfalls in public services may occur during the World Cup. While localized and normally well away from typical tourist destinations, these disturbances can develop quickly and unpredictably, sometimes turning violent. Use caution and avoid any areas where protests, demonstrations or other public disturbances are taking place.
IMMIGRATION, CUSTOMS, PUBLIC HEALTH: Scrutiny of foreign travelers arriving at South African ports of entry will be tightened during the World Cup. U.S. citizens should ensure they have two blank pages marked "Visas" in their passports as required for South African entry formalities. Those travelers with criminal records should consult the nearest South African Consulate or the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C., before traveling. Questions about carrying firearms or other unusual items into the country may also be directed to the nearest South African embassy or consulate. Any traveler coming from or passing through the so-called "yellow fever belt" of Africa and South America must carry certification of having received a yellow fever vaccination upon entry into South Africa. The yellow fever belt is defined to include the following countries/territories:
Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda.
South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, and Suriname.
LODGING: Extreme shortages of hotel rooms are likely during the World Cup, particularly in the smaller World Cup host cities including Bloemfontein, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, and Rustenburg. Visitors are urged to book rooms well in advance. See the FIFA 2010 World Cup Fan Guide for commercial accommodation services covering all World Cup host cities. Assistance with last-minute accommodation needs can also be obtained by calling South Africa Tourism at 087-803-INFO (4636), or from outside South Africa at 27-87-803-4636 (available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day).
TRANSPORTATION: While South Africa has adequate and generally safe intercity air and surface transportation including planes, buses, and trains, public transportation within cities is poorly developed and not nearly up to U.S. standards. Travelers are advised to use rental cars or book private transport from one of the many commercial operations available. While park-and-ride and park-and-walk facilities are being established around all 10 World Cup stadiums, space for parked cars is expected to be extremely limited. The website Find Your Way, operated by the South African Department of Transport and still under construction as of mid-May, promises to provide useful transportation-related information in time for the opening of the tournament. Assistance with transportation can also be obtained by calling South Africa Tourism at 087-803-INFO (4636), or, from outside South Africa, at 27-87-803-4636 (available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day).
Source: US Department of State, Travel.State.Gov, May 25 2010

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

World Cup 2010: United States government issues terrorism warning to fans
The United States government has issued a travel alert to American fans attending next month's World Cup warning them of a heightened terrorism risk during the tournament in South Africa.

By Telegraph staff and agenciesPublished: 10:05PM BST 28 May 2010
The United States will kick off their Group C campaign against England in Rustenburg on June 12, with Americans having bought more tickets for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa than any other travelling nationality.
While the US Department of State believes there is no credible threat of a terrorist attack it has warned its citizens to be on alert during the finals.

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"Large-scale public events like the World Cup may present a wide range of attractive targets for terrorists," reads the travel alert posted this week on the State Department's website.
"There is a heightened risk that extremist groups will conduct terrorist acts within South Africa in the near future."
The State Department also repeated warnings about the levels of criminality in South Africa and in particular the dangers of travelling between the nine host cities during the tournament.
"The vast majority of visitors complete their travels in South Africa without problems; however, visitors should be aware that criminal activity, including violent crime, is prevalent throughout the country," the alert continued.
"Be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times, looking out for your own personal security."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No 'known' threat to SWC
2010-05-30 17:57
Read more on:
swc 2010
crime
fifa
Related Links
2010 SWC skit 'demeaning'
2010: Fears for exploitation
'SA risks 2010 terror attack'
Johannesburg - There is no known terror threat for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) said on Sunday."The security forces can firmly state that there is no known specific terror threat against the 2010 FIFA World Cup," said the Natjoints in a statement.The body said it "strongly disputed" a Sunday Times story which said South Africa had drawn up a watch-list of 40 terror suspects.The newspaper said it had received two separate accounts of "at least one arrest linked to World Cup threats".It also said that "operational militant training camps" were set up in several provinces.However, Natjoints said that the article in question was riddled with inaccuracies and most comments were from anonymous sources."Although the Natjoints is not prepared to discuss intelligence matters for obvious reasons, we can categorically deny the existence of a 'watch-list of 40 terror suspects' or the arrest of any person directly targeting the World Cup."We can also dispute the existence of operational militant training camps in several provinces in South Africa."

Cele vows to 'leave no stone unturned'

May 30, 2010 12:00 AM | By Taschica Pillay

The SAPS has vowed to leave no stone unturned to solve the killing of a senior Durban policeman.


Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Pillay, 50, was shot dead in the driveway of his Lotus Park home on Wednesday when he returned from shopping with his wife, Roseanne.

Pillay, a policeman for 32 years, was attached to the provincial trial section, an internal disciplinary unit.

On Thursday, national commissioner General Bheki Cele and provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Mamunye Ngobeni visited Pillay's home to express their condolences.

They told the family they would "leave no stone unturned".

Pillay's son, Julien, 28, said his father had parked his car and gone to speak to someone working on a neighbour's property.

"My mother, who was seated in the car, heard gunshots, and when she turned around, she saw my father lying on the ground," he said.

"She was afraid to run to my dad in case whoever had shot him was still around. Other than the gunshots, she heard nothing and saw no one.

"He had not received any death threats. This was just a senseless killing. We are left with many unanswered questions. My father hated violence and shooting, yet lost his life in that way," said Julien.

Pillay headed the detective branch in Isipingo before serving as station commander in KwaMakhutha.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent Mdunge said the motive for the shooting was unknown.

He said Pillay was confronted by three suspects, who had a short conversation with him.

The case is being investigated by Durban's Organised Crime Unit.

Pillay's funeral took place on Friday.

Sunday Times

Comments by Sonny

Police Killings are deplorable, just like during the Apartheid Era!

Police killings were politically motivated then, what is the motivations NOW?

Mugabe's blood diamonds

May 30, 2010 12:16 AM | By Zoli Mangena, Jonathan Clayton and Jan Raath
A one-horse frontier town is the centre of an illicit, hugely lucrative trade propping up the Harare regime. Zoli Mangena, Jonathan Clayton and Jan Raath report

ABOUT TURN: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe Picture: REUTERS


The illegal diamond trade in Zimbabwe is believed to be the single biggest source of "blood - or conflict - diamonds" in the world and one of the last cash lifelines of President Robert Mugabe and his cohorts.

An investigation by The Times of London has established how the Marange diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe - a fabulously rich and virtually unexploited source of diamonds - is under the control of the top men in Zimbabwe's secret services.

Despite the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) ordering the Zimbabwean government to halt all illegal diamond dealings, which was reported this week, that country's government seems hellbent on circumventing the directive. Late this week it raided a civil society organisation that has been protesting about human rights abuses and the illegal exploitation of the diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe.

The KPCS is a joint governmental, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds - rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments. The trade in these illicit gems has fuelled decades of devastating conflicts in countries such as Angola, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone.

The KPCS imposes strict requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as "conflict free".

Obert Mpofu, Zimbabwe's mines minister, confirmed on Wednesday he had suspended the sale of diamonds pending the finalisation of the KPCS process after the KPCS monitor Abbey Chikane, who is also chairman of the Southern African Diamond Board, ordered Zimbabwe to stop selling diamonds unlawfully to Dubai.

"The real issue is (that) Chikane told Zimbabwean authorities that, while they can try to go it alone and sell their diamonds outside the KPCS, they were going to face serious problems. He demanded that they must s top their diamond sales," a senior diamond mining executive said.

In 2006, the Mugabe regime cancelled the mining lease for Marange that had been secured by a British-registered company, African Consolidated Resources (ACR). Last year a court confirmed that ACR was the rightful owner, but Mpofu and General Constantine Chiwenga, the Defence Force chief, have refused to release their grip on the lucrative trade.

Attempts by the country's new unity government to gain access to the fields to find out what is happening there have failed.

Analysts say they fear that the elite in the regime are using the diamond wealth to entrench themselves before an expected succession battle when 86-year-old Mugabe finally bows out.

When London Times journalists arrived in the one-horse frontier town of Manica, in Mozambique, until recently a poor farming centre with a population of less than 1000, they were shown a handful of rough diamonds by a man called Bayo, a burly Guinean diamond trader also known as Mr Big. "We can help get them wherever you want - Guinea, Dubai, even Antwerp," he told the reporters, and gestured to a group of women - wives and girlfriends - used as "mules" in the illicit trade, who were watching television in the other room.

Another man pulled out a wad of dollars, counted out several thousand and handed them to Bayo.

It had taken the journalists barely a day to make contact with those involved in the illegal diamond trade from neighbouring Zimbabwe to Mozambique.

It remains to be seen whether the KPCS process will stop the racket.

If the Zimbabwean government's response to the directive is anything to go by, it is unlikely to make a difference. This week it started venting its anger on civil society groups campaigning for a stop in the Marange diamond trade.

One of the organisations which has been lobbying for the suspension of the selling of diamonds, the Centre for Research and Development (CRD), was raided by police on Thursday as Chikane was leaving Harare.

According to the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, a non-governmental organisation monitoring the government's activities, eight police officers from the Criminal Investigations Department and four operatives from the Central Intelligence Organisation swooped on the CRD offices in Mutare looking for the diamond watchdog's director, Farai Maguwu.

Maguwu had met Chikane on Tuesday and raised serious concerns about the controversial mining activities at Chiadzwa, another diamond field in eastern Zimbabwe and the presence of soldiers there.

The crisis coalition said it was outraged by the "unwarranted interference in the CRD operations by the police and intelligence officers who want to cover up human rights abuses, smuggling and other illegal activities taking place at Marange".



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Motshekga cracks whip in caucus
Cops tortured us - GALZ pair
'Mines won't be taken'
Independent daily to hit the streets
Pardon for jailed gay couple in Malawi
Mugabe's blood diamonds
Odinga calls ruling on Muslim courts ‘mischievous’
Zim to get independent daily


COMMENTS

May 30 2010 01:48:51 AM

azaniaisfree


Zimbabwe has no future so long as Comrade Robert Mugabe and his dishonest government of ZANU PF continue in power.
S Africa continues to back Mugabe when he was the loser of the election and this of course questions the honesty of S Africa as an impartial African country.
Zimbabwe has little chance getting ahead when it is run by ruthless gangsters and they are assisted by a fooled government in S Africa

Sunday Times

Comments by Sonny

This is the only way the depraved despot Mugabe can buy friends in SA.

Otherwise he is just a feeble "has-been!"

How will Mugabe and his Zanu PF allow an Independent newspaper?

Depressed SA children signed up for local drugs trial

May 30, 2010 12:00 AM | By KAREN VAN ROOYEN


South African children as young as five are being diagnosed with depression - the leading cause of teenage suicide in South Africa and the only known cause of suicide in children under 12.


Yet no medication has ever been registered to treat the disease among the youth.

Now South African psychiatrists are participating in an international clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of existing drugs on children.

Private practitioner Dr Frans Korb, one of the investigators involved in the trial, said: "The stigma of mental illness among parents is still great. I get parents and I make the diagnosis and the parents say, 'No ways, you are not going to put my child on anti-depressants.' "

Depression is particularly hard to diagnose in younger people as the symptoms are often mistaken for hormonal changes in adolescents, or children "acting up".

"Depression is a medical illness. Why would you let your child get a stomach ulcer or appendicitis (and not treat it)?" asked Korb.

Depression is said to affect one in 20 children and is best described as a chemical imbalance in the brain which is either genetic or brought on by external environmental factors and substance abuse.

Various doctors this week highlighted symptoms, including feelings of guilt and hopelessness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, low energy, indecisiveness, solitude, and thoughts of suicide.

Children and adolescents diagnosed with depression have traditionally been treated with medication registered only for adult use in South Africa, but which have been registered for younger people in the US.

The same drugs are now being used in the clinical trial, which has been running since June last year and is registered with the South African National Clinical Trial Register.

The participating South African psychiatrists aim to recruit between 40 and 60 children by the time the trial ends in April 2012.

Dr Gert Bosch is also participating in the trial, and has signed up five children.

He has between 10 and 20 new referrals at his Pretoria practice a month and believes registration of the various drugs as safe for use on children in South Africa is crucial for medical and financial reasons: "Once it's got registration, medical aid will pay. Some medical aids do not pay for it as a chronic medication because it's not registered so parents have to pay from their savings and when that runs out, they have to pay cash."

Dr David Benn, a psychiatrist with a special interest in child psychiatry, said Prozac was not registered for children under 18 in SA, although it was prescribed. "It is the only anti-depressant that has full registration for paediatrics, for children, in the US."

Sunday Times

Comments by Sonny

Is this what you voted for in 1994.

Dead and dying youth of SA!

Not only the brave soldiers came back with PTSD.

Comments by Reader

Ozgood

Kids today are under enormous pressure and have a lot of insight

All they read about is crime, economic problems and, how many are going to get jobs when they leave school?

The solution lies in contraception/birth control

I could go on for hours about this.

Anyone with insight will realise what a mess the world is in => depression,anxiety

Questions go begging on defence issues

Published: 5/27/2010 21:19:41

PAUL KIRK

JOHANNESBURG - Parliament’s joint standing committee on defence and military veterans has met only once since President Jacob Zuma took power last year.
In that meeting, in early September 2009, the only point of action was to elect Hlengiwe Mgabadeli as chairman of the committee – on an annual salary of R1 million, substantially more than the R757 000 that ordinary MPs earn.
Despite her whopping salary, Mgabadeli has not chaired a meeting and appears to have done very little other than to allow the department of defence to dodge questions on the SA National Defence Force (SANDF)’s contribution to protecting the Fifa World Cup.
The joint standing committee is chaired by Mgabadeli and comprises members of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. This allows the nine provinces to be represented.
Asked to confirm if her committee had met this year, Mgabadeli said: “Yes. No.” Asked to explain, she said: “There were no clear lines of demarcation and I serve on the commission. Why can you not wait for next month?”
Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has repeatedly made it clear she will only appear before Mgabadeli’s committee.
The records of the Parliamentary Monitoring Group show that early last month, after being asked by ANC MP Emmanuel Mlambo to give a representation on the combat-readiness of the SANDF, Sisulu replied in writing.
She wrote: “We urge the joint standing committee on defence and military veterans to call on the department of defence, which is in a state of readiness to engage with the said committee, so we can put this matter behind us.
“The information required is of a confidential nature and the details will only be made available to members of the joint standing committee on defence and military veterans at a closed meeting.”
Asked to confirm if Sisulu only recognised her committee, which has never met, Mgabadeli said: “Yes, that is so and that is as it should be. But we have never met because there were no lines of demarcation.”
The Citizen could not establish if she meant lines of demarcation between the two parliamentary committees or the commission on which she serves.
Congress of the People (COPE) spokesman Philip Dexter said he believed the state of affairs had been “engineered”.
He said: “The ANC’s opinion is that intelligence and defence should be above the law and unaccountable to anyone. This is a manifestation of that thinking. The public should have the right to know if the SANDF is prepared to defend our country and whether budgets are not being wasted or stolen.”
With piracy off the coast of Africa and threats from al-Qaeda affiliates to attack the Fifa World Cup, Sisulu has managed to avoid explaining herself to Parliament.
She has also managed to avoid being questioned on repeated claims that the military has been bankrupted by the controversial R60 billion arms deal and cannot afford to maintain the equipment bought as part of the deal.
Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesman on defence David Maynier said the state of affairs was not good. “Parliament has an oversight function and we need to know things. The country has a clear right to know what’s the state of its defence force.”
The Parliamentary Monitoring Group records the joint standing committee as having eight members all from one party – the ANC.
However, this does not appear to be correct.
Maynier said: “I am on that committee as I know are other opposition MPs. However, the committee has never met so I have absolutely no idea who else is on the joint standing committee. The portfolio committee has 17 members – eight from the ANC and the rest from COPE, the DA, the IFP, the PAC and the Freedom Front Plus.”
Sisulu has failed to appear before Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) three times this year.
Its repeated calls for her to explain the chaotic state of her department’s finances have been ignored.
Last month, Sisulu said she would be boycotting Scopa and refusing to appear before them as she considered their criticism of her repeated failing to appear “very unparliamentary”.


The Citizen

Comments by Sonny

What is Zuma and Sisulu hiding from us?

Proposed toll fee equivalent to doubling fuel price

Published: 2010/05/28 10:14:29

JOHANNESBURG - The toll fee proposed by the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) would be equivalent to doubling the fuel price, the Road Freight Association (RFA) said on Friday.
"Not only this, a number of small enterprises are set to be put out of business, as government continues to target motorists and truckers as an easy source of revenue for its road infrastructure development plans," Gavin Kelly, technical and operations manager for the RFA, said in a statement.
The RFA warned of even higher inflation rates, if Sanral's plans to levy a hefty toll fee on new and future toll roads were implemented.
Kelly said operators would be forced to pass the increased costs on to the consumer, fuelling inflation and leading to increases in the price of goods.
"Transport costs will increase by at least these margins and operators will have to factor in some sort of administration process within the businesses, which will incur an added cost and will be added into the transport cost paid by the customer."
Kelly said once again the small and micro-sized trucking companies would be most severely affected by the high cost of toll fees.
"The largest increase in real costs of transport will occur in the smaller category of vehicles -- express parcels, door-to-door deliveries, supplying of smaller retailers and short-haul deliveries."
These increases ranged from between four to eight percent and
would jeopardise operations.
"Many of them may go out of business as a result of their tariffs being too bitter for customers to swallow."
Kelly said the 25 percent discount bandied about, but not guaranteed, by Sanral would probably be negated by the hidden administration costs that operators would incur to manage the system.
Over 40 tolls are planned across all of Gauteng's freeways from April 2011.
From Soweto to Sandton, West Rand to East, and Johannesburg to Pretoria, tolls will be situated on average every 10 kilometres.
"We are already paying towards roads with the fuel levy, licence
fees and income tax," Kelly said.
"Where does this money go? It definitely is not used for the
very source it is collected from."
-Sapa

The Citizen

Comments by Sonny

The ANC does not stop stealing our money!!

They should all be redeployed - to HELL!!

Man dies in roadside panga attack

29 May 2010, 10:45

An attack by two men allegedly wielding a panga left one man dead on the M19 near Reservoir Hills this evening, Netcare 911 says.

It is thought that a man had been walking on the M19 with his girlfriend when they were approached by two men.

The two allegedly stripped the woman of her valuables and made off with them, Netcare says.

The woman's boyfriend then apparently pursued them on foot along the roadway. A scuffle ensued and the pursuer was attacked with a panga.

He sustained a deep wound on his left flank and abdomen, prompting severe arterial bleeding. He was found by Netcare911 Paramedics lying face down in a pool of blood.

Saturday Star

Comments by Sonny

Savages with pangas!!

They are deemed traditional weapons and cannot be banned.

Hang the bastards!

This is what the European community is afraid of!

DA Newsletter 28 May 2010

On Wednesday the DA won two by-elections, one in Heideveld/Gugulethu and one in Grabouw. These were considered safe ANC seats. The DA has never come close to winning them in the past. What's more, if there are any white voters in either of them, it cannot be more than a handful.

These results should put an end - once and for all - to the ANC's repeated lie that the DA is a white party, that we are "racist" and that we want to bring back apartheid. These attempts to discredit us just don't wash anymore: the DA has now won eight seats from the ANC in by-elections since the 2009 election. In fact, the ANC has not won a single by-election in the Western Cape in this period.

What does this tell us?

It tells us that more and more people who have always loyally voted for the ANC now realise that the ANC does not own them. They understand that blind loyalty requires them to sacrifice the most effective power they have in a democracy. That power is the right to change their mind. Exercising this right is actually a responsibility. It is what holds politicians accountable for their actions. Voters who exercise this right drive development and progress.

The result in Grabouw was even more significant than Heideveld/Gugulethu, because Grabouw is the first ward the DA has ever won where there is a majority of black voters. In 2006, the last local government election, the DA won only 9,6% of the vote in this ward. On Wednesday this week, we won 48,13% compared with the ANC's 44,8% (down from 71,7%). This sea of change warrants detailed analysis, but the DA's excellent candidate (who connected with all voters) and the high standard of political organisation had a lot to do with our success.

The DA has over the past four years established a very strong voter base in coloured communities, as the Heideveld/Gugulethu results re-confirmed. But significant progress amongst black voters has eluded us until the breakthrough in Grabouw.

This breakthrough is not only in the interests of the DA. Breaking the racial logjam is essential for democracy in South Africa to survive. If elections are always a racial census, one party will always be in power. This has been the root cause of the 'failed state' phenomenon on our continent. Knowing they won't ever be voted out of office is what leads politicians to abuse power and to steal people's money in an ever-worsening spiral of corruption. They have the freedom to loot with freedom from accountability.

The greatest political challenge we have in South Africa is to ensure that voters' choices are not based on race, but on alternative policy choices for the future. A shift closer to this ideal is in everyone's interest, because unless we achieve it, the chances are great that we will also end up as a failed state.

But before we get carried away about the latest results, we must bear in mind the greatest obstacle to consolidating our democracy: a ruling party which tolerates the Constitution (and the democratic rights and freedoms it contains) only as long as it is winning elections.

This week's victory was tempered by the behaviour of ANC activists who - aided and abetted by senior ANC leaders - tried to violently disrupt a DA meeting in Gugulethu on the eve of the by-election. This showed the lengths the ANC will go to when it is threatened in an area it considers its own. It was an ominous foreshadowing of what could be unleashed in the future when the ANC realises it is in danger of losing a national election.

Such incidents form part of a growing pattern across the country since August last year. In addition to what happened in Gugulethu this week, DA meetings have been violently disrupted in Kaya Sands, Soshanguve (both in Gauteng) and in Tlokwe in the North West province. Our Youth Leader in Mpumalanga received death threats when he exposed ANC corruption in the Thembisile municipality. A DA activist was shot in the neck in Atlantis in the Western Cape while putting up posters for a by-election there.

The ANC's efforts to stop the DA from campaigning are mirrored in its attempts to prevent us from governing. This week in Khayelitsha the ANC Youth League destroyed toilet enclosures erected by the City of Cape Town, despite the protestations of the residents they were intended for. This was followed by the Youth League's call to make the entire city "ungovernable" by vandalising all council-owned property. "We are going to destroy everything," announced Loyiso Nkohla, ANC Youth League regional executive member.

In parallel, are the ANC's attempts to curtail our powers where we govern through legislation. The draft Green Paper on Co-operative Governance that I discussed in this newsletter last week is one such example. It is designed to reduce local and provincial governments to mere implementing agencies of the national government - regardless of the mandate the governing party in a province or municipality has from the voters.

The ANC's determination to retain power by any means necessary points to the great paradox of our times. For our constitutional democracy to succeed there must be an alternation of power at national level - because the longer the ANC is in power, the more it will abuse that power. But the greater the likelihood of the ANC losing power, the more the ANC will use unconstitutional and even violent means to hang on to it.

It is like something out of Joseph Heller's Catch 22.

How do we solve this conundrum? How do we succeed in winning power from the ANC when the more successful we are, the more the ANC will try to close down the democratic space?

This is no easy task because it depends, to a great extent, on the leadership of the ANC itself. It will depend on whether or not they respect the Constitution and the limitations it places on their own power. And we know that the current ruling clique believes that the ANC is more important than the Constitution; that liberation is about seizing all instruments of power, not the limitation and dispersal of power.

Nevertheless, we must work hard to entrench a democratic culture in our country. Just like two football teams agree on the rules before a game and accept the outcome - even if they are on the losing side - so too must political parties. People need to internalise these rules and hold political parties to them.

We will play our part by continuing to expose the ANC's unconstitutional attempts to shut down the democratic space. We will show people that the victims of the ANC's anti-democratic tendencies are not opposition parties, but the people themselves.

Most importantly, we will continue with our mission of building an open, opportunity society for all in the places we govern. We will show how, in practice and over time, this is preferable to the closed, crony society for comrades only.

As recent by-election results show, more and more people are already getting the message. But this is no time for complacency. We will redouble our efforts to take this message beyond the Western Cape and bring about lasting and meaningful change in our country.



Signed Helen Zille

Elderly man shot dead outside bank

28 May 2010, 13:02

An elderly man was shot dead and his granddaughter critically wounded as they left a bank in Alberton on Friday, paramedics said.

The man, who was in his 70s, and his 27-year-old granddaughter were getting into their car after a visit to the bank in Owl road, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on them, Netcare911 spokesman Chris Botha said.

"Paramedics arrived within minutes of receiving the call, and tragically found that the aged gentleman had passed away due to the extensive injuries that he had sustained," he said.

His granddaughter was shot in the chest and transferred to the Netcare Union hospital for the treatment. - Sapa

The Star

Comments by Sonny

Life is cheap in SA.

What happened to the money?

Who many workers will now have to go hungry?

Criminals don't give a shit!

Colombian soccer team robbed

28 May 2010, 08:26
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Two cleaning ladies at the Southern Sun hotel in Hyde Park have appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court for allegedly stealing money from the Colombian soccer team, police said on Friday.

The Colombian team, who are staying at the five-star hotel, noticed that they had been robbed when they went back to their rooms after training on Tuesday, Colonel Eugene Opperman said.

"There was theft out of their rooms. They went out for about an hour to practise and the rooms were cleaned while they were out," he said.

"When they came back they discovered there was some money missing."

The Times newspaper reported on Friday that the women allegedly stole $21 000 (160 000), however Opperman would not comment on the amount that was taken for security reasons.

Three women were arrested on Thursday but the charges against one of the women were dropped due to lack of evidence.

The Times reported that the remaining two suspects, Jeanet Mashimbyi, 29 and Lucky Mahlatsi, 25, appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

They were due to appear in court again next week. - Sapa

The Star

Comments by Sonny

How many more visitors will be robbed before they return home?

God alone knows and he's not saying!

Who will dare suppress the NEWS!

Court rejects policeman statement

27 May 2010, 20:25

By Hanti Otto
Court Reporter

The warning statement a police officer took from a suspect, was on Thursday rejected in court, as the Constitutional rights of Onndwela Luvhani were apparently violated.

Although warrant officer Buti Baloyi has 22 years experience, Atteridgeville Regional Court Magistrate Mogi Naidoo found that the court could not just take his word that Luvhani was informed of his right to a legal representative. Also, that the statement must be completed voluntarily and not have sections left blank on it.

Luvhani faces two charges of culpable homicide, one of driving under the influence of alcohol and another of reckless and negligent driving. He pleaded not guilty.

This breaking news flash was supplied exclusively to iol.co.za by the news desk at our sister title, Pretoria News.

For more about this story, carry on watching iol.co.za

The Star

Comments by Sonny

This is the reason why criminals get acquitted!!

Senior detectives taking sworn statements from suspects?

Give me a cigarette and I'll tell you everything!

No wonder crime pays in Pretoria!!

R100m heist suspects caught en route to Zim

27 May 2010, 13:04

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Two of the nine men charged with the R100-million robbery at the OR Tambo International Airport were arrested while trying to flee to Zimbabwe.

They were also caught in possession of US dollars allegedly stolen during the brazen robbery.

This was the testimony of the arresting officer, Captain Gregory Paulse, of the Johannesburg Serious and Violent Crime Unit in the High Court on Thursday morning.

Paulse came to the witness box moments after the State's main witness and convicted robber Nazir Ishmail fell sick while in the witness box.

Ishmail is suffering from a terminal illness and had to receive emergency treatment. He will return to testify if he has recovered.

Testifying in court, Paulse relived how he arrested Fox Shikunwela Sithole and Eddie Ubisi near the Beit Bridge border post on March 26 2006, a day after the robbery was successfully pulled at the airport.

He said they received information from an informant who also gave them the description of their car and clothes one of them was wearing. He said the two were caught with stacks of 50 US dollar notes.

"The money was placed in an exhibit bag and sealed and the exhibits and the suspects were handed over to Senior Superintendent Etienne Viljoen at Kranskop," Paulse said.

He said three days later, another accused Ananias Nefumembe was handed over to him at his Alexandra Serious and Violent Crime Unit offices. He said Nefumembe was accompanied by two of his employers at the Protea Coin Security.

The court heard that Nefumembe took the police to his house in Venda where he removed three plastic bags containing US dollars.

"I inspected the bags and found that they contained 50 and 100 US dollars. I placed it in an exhibit bag and sealed it. Myself, Ananias and his sister signed it," Paulse said.

Paulse could not answer what happened to the exhibit bag, which is not part of the exhibits since the trial started early this month.

It is believed that the cash allegedly found in Venda was stolen at the Benoni Police Station in 2006.

The trial continues.


The Star

Bank employee arrested for internet fraud

Gia Nicolaides | 1 Hour Ago


A Standard Bank employee was arrested in Soweto on Wednesday morning for allegedly being involved in an internet scam.

The 23-year-old allegedly received over R500 000 from anonymous depositors.

She was found at the Jabulani Mall wanting to draw a large amount of money.

The police’s Kay Makhubele said, “It was found that a deposit was made into her account. When we questioned her she could not explain where the money came from. It is also alleged that she is involved with an internet banking scam where people are banking money into her account.”

(Edited by Deshnee Subramany)

Eye Witness News

Comments by Sonny

We can see where our money is going!!

Convicted murderer a no-show for sentencing

27 May 2010, 14:26

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An Estcourt businessman convicted of murder and two attempted murders failed to report to the Pietermaritzburg High Court for sentencing on Thursday.

The attorney of Mohamed Azeem Yunus, 35, said he had tried unsuccessfully to contact him for two days to sign documents for lodging an application for appeal against his conviction and possibly his sentence.

On May 14 Judge Achmat Jappie convicted Yunus of the murder of Vinol Ramsarap and attempted murders of Sarah Sathar and her small daughter Abhida.

The judge found that Yunus had shot at the bakkie in which they were travelling on the Estcourt-Mooi River stretch of the N3 highway in May last year. All were from Estcourt.

Yunus had claimed that he was on his way to Pietermaritzburg for a medical consultation when he saw Sathar's bakkie going in the same direction.

Sathar was travelling to the Pietermaritzburg New Prison to visit her son, who was on trial for allegedly murdering Yunus' sister Safia,

Judge Jappie rejected Yunus' defence that he fired in self defence.

Yunus had contended that Sathar was predisposed to violence and had a firearm, and told the court that when he saw her with a gun - in his car mirror and through tinted windows - as their vehicles levelled, he feared she would shoot him.

He submitted that he shot the vehicle nine times in self defence.

The judge found that Sathar did not have a gun with her at the time.

On Thursday Judge Jappie ordered that Yunus be given two weeks to report to court and if he failed to do so his bail of R10 000 would be forfeited. - Sapa

The Star

Comments by Sonny

So, bail after conviction , does not work, does it?

It is most likely that Yunus has already left the Country.

So much for fair justice to the victims!!

News flashes - May 27, 2010
May 27, 2010 Edition 4


R200 notes still legal tender

Businesses may not refuse to accept R200 notes from shoppers because they are still legal tender, the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) said yesterday. "All businesses should accept these. They are not allowed to turn away people. People have the right to exchange and trade," SARB head of currency and protection services Abubaker Ismail said at the launch of a public information campaign on the upgraded notes. The old notes have been recalled and can be exchanged for the new upgraded version at commercial banks countrywide until May 31, after which they can only be exchanged at the SARB offices and branches. The new R200 notes feature, among other things, the coat-of-arm in the front left corner, windowed security threads and a colour changing ink. It also has five diamond shapes with a raised feel to assist the blind. - Sapa

Bid to kill premier: legal help rejected

Five men accused of plotting to kill KwaZulu-Natal Premier Zweli Mkhize will conduct their own defence, the Pinetown Magistrate's Court heard yesterday. Themba Xaba, 30; Jackson Chili, 30; Mlungisi Xulu, 24; Sthembiso Mthembu, 26; and Sizwe Mkhize, 31; told the court they did not need any legal representation during their bail application. The five men were charged with possession of illegal firearms and ammunition and conspiracy to commit murder. - Sapa

Support for picketing Netcare workers

The Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) yesterday offered its support to picketing healthcare workers at Netcare. "We are of the opinion that the employers are not respecting the valuable work that these healthcare workers are doing in this country and that they should be adequately rewarded for this," said Fedusa deputy general secretary Gretchen Humphries. The Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of SA said it had recently declared a dispute with management of the private hospital group. It had permission to strike, but would start with pickets. - Sapa

Municipal official couple on murder rap

A senior official at the Naledi local municipality and her husband appeared in the Wepener Magistrate's Court yesterday in connection with the murder of the municipality's mayor. Naledi's director for corporate services, Caroline Mokhothu, 43, and her husband James Mokhothu, 34, each face a charge of murder. Magistrate C Mogotho postponed the matter to June 8 for a formal bail application. ANC mayor Motlatsi Motloi, 32, was shot dead in front of his house in Wepener on May 3. - Sapa

Two store killers convicted



Two men, who left a trail of death and injuries when they opened fire in a robbery at a Pretoria family store in 2007, have been convicted on two charges of murder and four of attempted murder. In the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday, Judge Peter Mabuse convicted Zweli Mkhize, 26, of KwaZulu-Natal and Jose George Khoza, 37, of Atteridgeville on charges of murdering two people and attempting to murder four others. The crime took place during a planned robbery at the Dealz Family Store in Claremont, Pretoria, on July 25, 2007. Mkhize was also convicted of the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. A third accused died before he could be tried and a fourth man, 20-year-old Musa Gumede, was earlier acquitted because of lack of evidence against him. Sentencing proceedings were to commence today. - Sapa

Strikers arrested on arson charge

Eighty-one striking workers have been arrested for stoning vehicles and setting fire to a building in Lusikisiki, near Mthatha, Eastern Cape police said yesterday. Magwa Tea Corporation workers became violent during a wage dispute on Tuesday and started stoning vehicles on a nearby road, damaging four of them, but not injuring anyone. The strikers also set fire to a guesthouse belonging to the corporation. The arrested strikers were to appear in the Lusikisiki Magistrate's Court today on charges of arson and malicious damage to property. - Sapa

Promise of beefed-up hospital security

Security measures at Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital will be stepped up to protect employees, the Gauteng Health Department said yesterday. This follows reports of threats against hospital employees involved in anti-corruption initiatives. Details of the allegations and how security would be improved were not immediately available. - Sapa

Recycling facility gets shut down

A recycling facility in Mariannhill was shut down after medical waste was discovered there, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture Environmental Affairs and Rural Development said yesterday. Investigations are continuing. - Sapa

School killing seen as gang related

WESTERN Cape Education MEC Donald Grant yesterday visited the school where 17-year-old pupil Keenan van Wyk was stabbed to death with a pair of scissors by a classmate. The killing was thought to be gang related, Grant said. His assailant was arrested. - Sapa

The Star

Comments by Sonny

We can go on a spending spree again....... R200 notes cannot be refused by SA

businesses!

DA at Work 26 May 2010

Quote of the Week

"But the ANC is more concerned with preventing other parties from delivering than it is about ensuring that its own representatives in government are able to. There is a growing fear in the ANC that people will soon realise that there is a party in South Africa that can and does govern effectively – for the benefit of everybody. This is why the more the DA shows that life can get better where it governs, the more the ANC tries to close us down. The ANC would rather poor people suffer under the ANC than improve their lives under the DA. "

Helen Zille in her recent SA Today newsletter.


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Last Week's Highlights


Top Story: National Treasury praises DA run City of Cape Town

A recent report by the National Treasury, confirmed that the City of Cape Town attained its sixth successive unqualified audit. Tim Harris MP, DA Member of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) said that the report showed how well the City of Cape Town was doing, in terms of its quality service delivery, sound financial planning and good governance.

The National Treasury’s mid year budget and performance assessment praised the City’s “robust financial systems” and welcomed the “good planning and adequate capacity to spend by the City”, said Harris.

The report also welcomed the creation of 10,000 permanent jobs (and 16 300 temporary jobs), in spite of the economic recession. Statistics South Africa recently indicated that between the last quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate in the DA-governed Western Cape had fallen by more than 1%. No doubt, the City of Cape Town’s strong job creation record played a large part in this, said Harris.

Global Credit Rating (GCR) also awarded the City of Cape Town, one of the highest possible long term debt ratings of AA- this year. This was the highest credit rating that was achieved in the municipalities reviewed by GCR, and placed the City of Cape Town ahead of Buffalo City, the City of Johannesburg, the City of Tshwane, Nelson Mandela Bay and a host of other ANC run metros, stated Harris.

Harris welcomed the findings and said that the Treasury’s report stood out as testament to the DA’s excellent track record in government and the City’s financial planning capabilities and service delivery standards, serving as further proof that the DA was now both a party of government and the only other meaningful alternative to the ANC which continued to deliver on its promises to voters.

Read more here >>>

R580-million payments backlog owed to land sellers

Annette Steyn MP, DA Shadow Deputy of Rural Development and Land Reform reported that the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform owed land sellers R580-million in outstanding payments on purchased land.

This was in response to a recent parliamentary question which further revealed that there were 21 court cases under adjudication for the non-payment of R494-million said Steyn.

This massive non-payment bill came on the back of the Department placing a moratorium on land purchases in August last year, as a result a lack of funds, yet sale agreements with farmers continued to be signed, said Steyn. She added that farms at a cost of R1.9-billion were purchased, with close to half of this figure, R496 782 870 not being settled by the Department.

Steyn criticised the ANC’s land reform process as a result of the disorganisation, mismanagement and a number of institutional inadequacies within the former Department of Land Affairs.

The DA proposed to expand the budget for Land Reform and Restitution grants by more than 50% to rectify the budget shortfall. The ANC government on the other hand, continued to prioritise spending billions on bailing out state owned entities like the Land Bank and the SABC and continued to under-prioritise land reform, said Steyn.

The DA supported an equitable and sustainable land reform process and called for a modification of South Africa’s skewed patterns of land ownership, she added.

Steyn concluded the DA would be writing to the Auditor-General requesting a thorough financial audit of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, as well as an investigation into the entire land reform process since its inception.

Read more here >>>

Back to top >>




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IN OTHER NEWS

ValorIT contract cancelled after eight months of DA exposés

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed the pending cancellation of the R152.7 million ValorIT tender, which followed eight months of DA exposés and oversight work, said Andricus van der Westhuizen MP, DA Shadow Deputy of Trade and Industry.

The DA was intimately involved in exposing the truth about fraud and corruption at Cipro, South Africa’s critically important business information and registration agency, said Van der Westhuizen. Since September 2009, the DA had exposed a number of alleged activities building up to, and including, the irregular ECM tender.

Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies admitted that it was the series of questions that the DA posed, and the unsatisfactory answers he had to relay, that led him to realise that all was not well at Cipro. This vindicated our longstanding concerns about the ValorIT tender, and made a mockery of the series of counterclaims made by Cipro.

In addition to announcing the almost certain cancellation of the tender, the Minister also informed the committee that disciplinary charges against senior staff members of Cipro were being formulated.

Again, the DA played a central role in exposing the roles of Cipro’s chief executive officer and chief information officer in the ValorIT tender, and repeatedly called for action to be taken. We therefore, welcomed the latest set of developments, said Van der Westhuizen.

Read more here >>>

16 172 eligible students denied funding

A parliamentary reply from the Department of Higher Education recently revealed that a staggering 16 172 eligible tertiary education students were denied funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in 2009.

Dr Wilmot James MP, DA Shadow Minister of Higher Education said that this represented more than a 45% increase in the number of eligible students being denied funding, compared with the 11 120 eligible students who were denied funding in 2008.

He said that the DA found it concerning that the NSFAS was increasingly developing a trend of not spending money allocated in their budget, or not ensuring that it is spent by tertiary institutions. James added that in 2008 more than R40 million was returned to NSFAS by Colleges and Universities as unspent money – which was simply unacceptable, especially considering that 11 120 eligible students were denied funding.

The DA believes that access to funding is crucial to extending opportunities to all South Africans, said James. This entire situation was compounded by the fact that there are many more needy students who fall outside of the current NSFAS funding threshold of R120 000 combined family income, and are unable to access funding, said James.

James concluded saying that the financial aid threshold of the NSFAS ought to be shifted from R120 000 to R160 000, to expand access to opportunities. He added that the DA would be writing to the Minister asking him to address this issue urgently, and to provide much needed action and leadership in ensuring NSFAS fulfilled its mandate of funding students.

DA at Work