ANC Youth League marks Madiba speech with call to vote

No Fear No Favour No Communist prayers at Easter.......




20 APR 2014 16:56 SAPA

The ANCYL has used the 50th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's Rivonia Trial speech to say that not voting in coming elections would be blasphemous.

"The calls for citizens to spoil their votes are blasphemous to the [cause] Madiba and other true struggle stalwarts stood for," the youth league said in a statement on Sunday.

"We call on young people to defend the democratic breakthrough of 1994 and safeguard the rule of South Africa by its majority citizens by voting ANC on May 7 2014."

It rejected former ANC activist and government minister Ronnie Kasrils' call to not vote for the ANC.

"To us as young people of the ANC, the Rivonia trial speech by Madiba is so powerful and does reflect the high-value our freedom and democracy cost our fore-fathers," said league spokesperson Bandile Masuku.

It recalled that on April 20 1964, Mandela, facing a possible death sentence with his co-defendents delivered his famous speech in which he said: "I have fought against white domination. I have fought against black domination.

"I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

Lawyer and friend George Bizos said Mandela heeded his advice and added the words. "But if needs be", to this part of his speech.

Sabotage
The league felt that Mandela's use of the singular form when addressing the judge, indicated the value of self-sacrifice.

Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Govan Mbeki, Denis Goldberg, Raymond Mhlaba, Andrew Mlangeni and Elias Motsoaledi were convicted of sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory said Mandela signed the speech and dated it April 1964 and gave it to Sylvia Neame, a political activist and the partner, at the time, of Kathrada.

She was arrested in August 1964 and put on trial with advocate Bram Fischer and 10 others.

In April 1965 they were convicted and sentenced. Neame was sentenced to four years (two years to run concurrently). She was released from prison in 1967 and went into exile.

After he was released from prison she gave the signed copy of the speech to Kathrada who donated it to the centre.

Mandela died on December 5 2013 at the age of 95 at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg. – Sapa

Mail and Guardian

'Threats' led to huge Sassa security bill

2014-04-20 12:32

Johannesburg - Death threats and intimidation are some of the reasons behind why multimillions have been spent for security protection services for top personnel at the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa), the social development department said on Sunday.

"This aggressive attitude to fraud and corruption by the Minister and the CEO has led to the numerous incidents of death threats, intimidation and threats against them and their families and other staff," said departmental spokesperson Lumka Oliphant in a statement.

Oliphant was responding to a report in the Sunday Times about more than R10m spent on bodyguards for top personnel - with questions raised on how the contracts were awarded.

The newspaper reported that R2,9m was spent on "close protection services" for Sassa CEO Virginia Petersen and Renay Ogle, the agency's fraud management and compliance general manager.

An arrest was made in a case in which Petersen received death threats. Oliphant said Petersen was under threat as she had been focused on tackling corruption within the grant system and had ensured already more than 7 000 fraud cases had been uncovered.

According to the Sunday Times, a further R1.1m "for close protection services" for Oliphant and her family was also spent.

The newspaper reported that the contracts for protection were given to Vuco Security Solutions, based in KwaMashu in Durban and its report suggested that most of the contracts appeared to have bypassed normal procurement rules.

Investigation extended

In response, Oliphant said close protection services were only used "if an official is reportedly threatened".

She said that the department or Sassa would then investigate.

"This is followed by the use of an emergency delegation to procure the urgent service. Thereafter a bidding procurement process is used if the situation requires close protection for a longer period. The cost is from the CEO's budget as she is required to manage this responsibility."

The Sunday Times reported that Vuco had charged for a number of services and items which reportedly included R45 000 for erecting a fence, R17 000 for building a toilet as well as charges for buying rifles, pistols and night-vision binoculars.

Oliphant said that Sassa was extending its investigation into services procurements for the past financial year.

"This ranges from procurement of office accommodation, office upgrading to services."

She said Vuco was one of four companies who had been providing close protection since 2012.

Oliphant listed a number of personnel receiving security protection, apart from the CEO, including two head office managers, two provincial heads, one security head, four office heads and three families.

- SAPA

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COMMENTS BY BILLY

ANC/SACP COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA/RHETORIC?

COMMENTS BY SONNY

The ANC is capable of using "Dead Votes" during next months elections?

Especially is they use Mandela's MYTH to further Zuma's corrupt plight!

WE WILL HAVE TO SHOW THE ANC WE MEAN BUSINESS AT THE POLLS!

OTHERWISE WE WILL BECOME THE SECOND ZIMBABWE!