Daily Archives: August 20, 2012

STATEMENT BY THE INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON MARIKANA TRAGEDY

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BY Obakeng M,aje

Rustenburg– The Inter-Ministerial Committee appointed by President Jacob Zuma following the Marikana tragedy met on Monday, 20 August 2012 in Rustenburg, North West. The Committee will maintain a ministerial presence in the area supported by senior government officials operating from the offices of the Executive Mayor of Rustenburg Local Municipality.

The Committee which includes Ministers: Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini -Zuma, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Minister Susan Shabangu, Mildred Oliphant, Nathi Mthethwa, Dr. Siyabonga Cwele, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, Bathabile Dlamini, Richard Baloyi, the Premier of the North West Province Thandi Modise and the Executive Mayor, Mpho Khunou.

The Committee met against the background of the declaration of Days of National Mourning, marked by national flags flying at half-mast nationally and at all South African Embassies and High Commissions abroad.

The Government remains of the conviction that this is not the time for apportioning blame, finger-pointing or exploiting this national tragedy to advance narrow and petty political agendas.  Neither must violence replace dialogue which has become synonymous with the new and democratic South Africa in resolving problems.

In pursuance of this objective,  we call on affected communities to support the law enforcement agencies as they continue to discharge the mandate of ensuring the maintenance of safety and security, protection of life and limb as well as property.

We further call on leaders of all sectors of our society including religious, business, labour, traditional leaders, civic, women and youth to join the Government in its efforts to unite the people in prayer and thoughts around this national tragedy and beyond. We reiterate our firm belief that only working together can we help the nation in the process of healing.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee, in elaborating on the mandate given by President Zuma,  decided upon a number of critical interventions as part of the Government’s contribution  to assist the families of those who lost their loved ones, as well as those injured and recuperating in hospital.

Noting that President Zuma had already visited those injured in hospitals, the Inter-Ministerial Committee decided upon the following measures for immediate implementation:

  • To visit the mortuary and give support to bereaved families
  • To meet various stakeholders –traditional leaders, trade unions, mine management, and religious leaders.
  • Brief political parties represented in parliament on government interventions
  • Government will also participate in the national debate scheduled for 14h00, tomorrow, Tuesday 21 August in the National Assembly

In further giving effect to the President’s Declaration of the National Days of Mourning, the Committee further called on all South Africans to mark this tragedy with dignity and respect and to attend  memorial services which will be organised in various provinces.

The following are the services that the Committee pledged that Government will provide to affected communities:

o   State Pathology to work with provincial authorities in finalising post-mortem processes

o   A contingency of health personnel comprising of, military, municipal, provincial, and national have been mobilised to provide any emergency services required during this period and beyond

o   Identification of the remaining six deceased persons.

o   Provision of death certificates through dedicated counters established in the local Rustenburg Home Affairs offices to all those affected families including the issuance of enabling documents to help in the facilitation of movement of deceased persons through various ports of entry with particular reference to foreign nationals

o   To provide psycho-social support to members of the bereaved families and the injured through a dedicated team of social workers who will be stationed in the area while providing alternative care for orphaned children.

o   Ensure payment of Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Compensation Fund benefits, where applicable to affected families.

o   To provide disaster management services in all major gatherings related to this tragedy.

o   Engage services of the CCMA to help in dispute resolution and to find a lasting solution to current challenges.

o   Engage with political parties represented in parliament to brief them about government interventions in this regard

o   Co-ordinate with other provinces from which some of the deceased originate

The Inter-Ministerial Committee reiterates the heartfelt condolences of President Jacob Zuma, the Government and people of our country to bereaved families while wishing those injured a speedy recovery. Accordingly, the thoughts and prayers of the Government and people of South Africa reach out to all those families who lost their loved ones expressing the hope that their burden will be lightened by the knowledge that their loss is shared by millions of people across the country.

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Amcu-linked miners are not safe: union

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Striking miners chant slogans outside a South African mine in Rustenburg

Striking miners chant slogans outside a South African mine in Rustenburg, 100 km (62 miles) northwest of Johannesburg, August 15, 2012. Thousands of striking miners armed with machetes and sticks faced off with South African police on Wednesday at Lonmin’s Marikana mine after it halted production following the deaths of 10 people in fighting between rival unions. Lonmin, the world’s third-largest platinum producer, has threatened to sack 3,000 rock drill operators if they fail to end a wildcat pay strike that started on Friday at its flagship mine Marikana. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko (SOUTH AFRICA – Tags: CIVIL UNREST BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT)
Image by: SIPHIWE SIBEKO / REUTERS

Lonmin workers linked to Amcu are not safe, the trade union’s leader told workers and residents in Marikana on Monday.

“We are not safe. Our phones have been tapped,” the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union president Joseph Mathenjwa told a crowd in the Wonderkop informal settlement at the Lonmin platinum mine.

“We have been democratically colonised – workers work under very harsh conditions.”

On Thursday, 34 people were killed when the police opened fire on strikers, some of them armed, when trying to disperse them after a week of violent protests.

Another 10 people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed in violence at the mine in the week before. The police ministry said 78 people were injured and 259 arrested during Thursday’s shooting.

Mathenjwa accused the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Lonmin of trying to get the striking workers fired.

For more details go to http://www.timeslive.co.za

Some striking miners face murder charges

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Murder charges will be pressed against some mineworkers arrested for the bloody protests at Lonmin mine, the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate’s Court heard on Monday.

The first batch of 39 men were brought into a packed courtroom under heavy police guard. The 40th man from the first batch was in hospital.

The court heard that 260 mineworkers were arrested following violent protests at Lonmin’s platinum mine in Marikana, North West.

Police shot and killed 34 people while trying to disperse protesters. Over 78 people were wounded. Ten people had already died in the week before the clash.

The prosecutor asked for a seven-day postponement, saying the ongoing investigations were wide and complex.

The investigation would allow the State to unravel what happened at the mine, and additional charges would be laid later. He said the probe would be complicated by the fact that some of the miners were immigrants. For someone to be released on bail, the State first had to verify their address.

The defence lawyer argued that the rights of the mineworkers had been infringed, as any arrested person was supposed to be brought to court within 48 hours.

The lawyer said where one slept after work could be regarded as home, so the mineworkers had verifiable addresses.

For more details go to http://www.timeslive.co.za/

Tears as miners arrive at court

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IOL pic aug17 lonmin violence police vest

Ga-Rankuwa, Gauteng –

There was a chorus of wailing outside the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate’s Court, north of Pretoria, on Monday as trucks carrying arrested Lonmin mineworkers arrived after midday.

The group of 259 mine workers is set to make a first appearance on charges of public violence.

On Monday morning, a group of women protested at the court, demanding the release of their husbands, brothers and fathers.

Police instructed the protesters to leave the court building and they assembled in a street adjacent to the court, singing and dancing.

As police trucks carrying the mineworkers made their way into the court premises, escorted by police cars, the women started praying, some weeping hysterically.

Police officers holding shields had formed a barricade at the court entrance. The mineworkers could be heard singing in the police trucks at the entrance of the court premises.

Journalists and other people packed the small courtroom. The first lot of the mineworkers walked in a single file, filling the left side of the courtroom benches which had been reserved for them. Some of the men were holding hands.

The miners will be brought before court in different batches.

For more details go to http://www.iol.co.za/

Brutal murder of Limpopo schoolchildren must be a priority investigation

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Brutal murder of Limpopo schoolchildren must be a priority investigation

 

20 August 2012

 

Desiree van der Walt

DA Limpopo Education Spokesperson

 

The Democratic Alliance is outraged at the brutal stoning to death of three Limpopo schoolchildren.

 

The DA calls on Limpopo police to make this investigation their number one priority. The shocking brutality of this triple murder and rape cannot go unpunished. 

 

The bodies of the three children, aged between 9 and 12, were found in Mookgophong still in their school uniforms with their hands bound. The little girl had apparently been raped before the stoning took place.

 

The tragedy of these murders is compounded even further by the fact that the children were last seen in the streets protesting against the shortage of teachers and other education problems at Dikobo Primary school.

 

We call on the police and prosecutors to guarantee the arrest and conviction of the cold-blooded perpetrators without delay.

Police may demand footage from media

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IOL pic aug17 lonmin violence police vest

Cape Town – Police watchdog the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) will approach media houses and ask for access to their video footage of the tragedy that unfolded at Lonmin’s platinum mine in Rustenburg last Thursday.

This was confirmed on Sunday by the body’s outgoing executive director, Francois Beukman.

Past attempts by police to gain such access have been vigorously resisted by newspapers and broadcasters on the basis that it could endanger the safety of journalists or affect their ability to cover events.

It remains to be seen whether the extent of the tragedy will change that position.

“I can confirm that video material will be essential to ascertain what happened and, during the course of the coming week, Ipid will be approaching the relevant institutions with regard to the video material that was made on the scene,” Beukman told the Cape Argus.

He said the footage would be crucial in getting to the bottom of what has become known as the Marikana massacre, in which 34 miners died and nearly 80 were injured after police opened fire on protesters gathered on a hill near the mine. A further 10 people – including two police officers, two security guards and three NUM shop stewards – died in earlier, separate incidents since an illegal strike began 10 days ago.

“I understand that this is very sensitive in terms of media freedom, but, in the circumstances, we are going to have to approach these organisations and see what we can get,” Beukman said. He confirmed that the directorate had access to SAPS footage of the incidents.

Beukman said in terms of section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act, police can force the media to hand over all their footage of the event. “We have requested that material and we will look at other material.”

 

The directorate was working round the clock on its investigation, which will seek to determine whether the police’s response was proportional to the threat posed by armed and angry mineworkers. – Cape Argus

Lonmin: employees trickle back to work

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MinersOne

World no. 3 platinum producer Lonmin said on Monday employees had started returning to work after 44 people were killed last week in a violent strike at one of its major South African mines.

“Attendance has started slowly but is now up to 27 percent. But it is unclear if the striking workers are returning,” a Lonmin spokesperson told Reuters. About 3,000 striking workers face an ultimatum to show up on Monday or be sacked. – Reuters

 

Taung’s Home-brewed making waves!!!!!!

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BY Kgatliso Ramose

Not many of us know about Ditshilong,a remote village in Taung,even worse not many about this BRAND.Dj Juice,a producer,music producer,film maker,online radio presenter and a free lancer camera man

“I stated deejaying 16 years ago whild I was still at University” said the multi talented man

Dj Juice whose real name is Boitumelo Molefe age 34 years achived a lot as far as his career is concerned.Immediately after completing his Language Practise Diploma in 1997,he started a kwaito group called Evasince based in his hometown.The group performed alongside kwaito legend Trompies and the late Vuyo Mokoena at The Taung Cultural Calabash. “It was not easy at all.The big recording companies does not easily”

BIG BREAK
In 2005,DJ Juice got a big DJ job at club Rockafellas in Yeoville where he played alongside well known DJ’s includes DJ Fresh, channel O’s DJ Waxy, DJ Dino Bravo and other.With the experinced gather he started his business “In September I registered my own company SMOKED OUT ENTERTAINMENT and working on my debut house album, Juicy Loozy Sound” he outlined ” In November the same year,I became position 3 in the Hybrid/House Afrika DJ competition and I won DJ equipment worth R10 000″

UP COMING MIX-TAPE
The latest offering from DJ Juice is a hip hop mix taped labeled RAP PHENOMENON VOLUME 1. “It features new artist in the industry such as Kris-Tal a.k.a Sean Krisr,Branny,Young Bonezzy & Beer” he said. DJ Juice did most of the production with Collin Mocumi.

The mix tape has all hip hop flavor for the hip hop fanatic “There are old beats,Rnb flavored tracks such as Im in2 U and Loving You All Night” he concluded.The mix tape is due for realise this Spring

Twitter handle :@djjuice3

Facebook username Boitumelo Molefe

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Top cops knew about Motaung and co-accused probe

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Nelspruit-Motaung and his former business partners, Herbert Theledi and Chris Grib of Lefika Emerging Equity, were arrested by the Hawks this week in connection with fraud estimated at R143m.

 

Lefika won the tender to design the R1.2bn Mbombela soccer stadium in Nelspruit for the Soccer World Cup.

 

This was the first arrest relating to the corruption claims since Mbombela speaker Jimmy Mohlala blew the whistle in 2008.

 

He was assassinated the following year.

 

The corruption case has been in limbo for the past four years, amid persistent allegations of political interference and police bias. 

 

Senior police sources told City Press last week that intelligence reports implicating Motaung, Theledi, Grib and municipal officials were given to provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thulani Ntombela in 2009 but he did nothing about it.

 

“The intelligence guys looked stupid when their reports were ignored as they worked hard on the case and presented their reports to the commissioner. These arrests could have been done a long time ago,” said a senior police officer.

 

The crime intelligence unit, City Press understands, was also excluded from Mohlala’s assassination case, which led to the wrongful arrest of two cops and three others in October 2010.

 

Ntombela is also accused of ignoring audit reports commissioned by the Mbombela municipality that were given to him by former mayor, Lassy Chiwayo.

 

Ntombela laid defamation charges against Chiwayo last year when Chiwayo accused him of taking political sides in the matter. 

 

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Leonard Hlathi said: “The Mbombela case falls within the mandate of the Hawks, so there’s no way (Ntombela) could have sat on reports. As for the defamation case, he is the complainant and won’t discuss it in the media.”

Two more police sources said last week’s arrests were precipitated by deteriorating relations between Ntombela and the Mpumalanga head of the Hawks, Major-General Simon Mapiane. 

 

Police sources have told City Press that the fall-out had emboldened Mapiane to act against Motaung and his co-accused.

 

Hawks spokesperson McIntosh Polela did not respond to written questions.

 

Motaung and Theledi were released on R50 000 bail on Thursday, while Grip appeared on Friday and was given a lesser bail amount of R20 000 after pleading poverty.

 

The three allegedly submitted a fraudulent tax certificate when Lefika bid for the tender to design the Mbombela Stadium in 2006. The alternative charge is theft of R143m.

 

They are also accused of faking a letter on an Mbombela municipality letterhead and forging the signature of an official to apply for an R1m overdraft.

 

The bank declined Lefika’s request after probing the letters’ authenticity.

 

Lefika was appointed to design and project manage the Mbombela Stadium. Lefika’s appointment also gave them the privilege of sitting in on supply chain committees that appointed other contractors for the stadium’s construction.

 

But the company became the centre of controversy.

 

Problems started with the sod-turning ceremony on which R1.4m was spent. 

 

This became the subject of a KPMG probe.

 

KPMG said Lefika had declined to provide information on its expenditure, and when it did, the information was not legible.

 

Other allegations and audit probes followed thick and fast.

 

Lefika awarded the construction tender to Mbombela Stadium Joint Venture, a partnership between Basil Read and French firm Bouygues Civil Works, but did not declare that it was working with Basil Read on another project – the Amakhosi Stadium project in Krugersdorp, that still hasn’t been built.

for more details http://www.citypress.co.za

Arrested protesters at Marikana set to appear in court today

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Thirty-four striking miners were shot and killed at the mine, near Rustenburg, in North West, on Thursday when they stormed a police line.

 

“People have died already so we have nothing more to lose … we are going to continue fighting for what we believe is a legitimate fight for living wages. We would rather die like our comrades than back down,” said miner Kaizer Madiba.

 

President Jacob Zuma yesterday called for a week of mourning after the tragedy and set up an interministerial commission to deal with the crisis. He reiterated his call for a judicial inquiry.

 

Lonmin has refused to give in to the demands.

 

The JSE and London-listed company stood by the court order, obtained on August 10, that the miners return to work or be fired.

 

Madiba and his co-strikers watched 34 of their colleagues being shot and killed by police.

 

Armed with pistols, shotguns, pangas and traditional weapons, the miners stormed a line of police carrying semi-automatic rifles and pistols.

 

Yesterday, the miners vowed to fight to the death.

 

“The only thing that will end this strike is a positive response from management. I am still asking myself why management refuses to negotiate with us.

 

“We only want R12000 for rock-drill operators and a minimum wage of R7500 for everyone working underground,” he said.

 

Madiba said the strikers would meet today to decide what to do next.

 

All they wanted, he said, was to be able to create a better future for their children back home.

 

Thursday’s killings were against the backdrop of a week-long violent illegal strike by the Lonmin miners, in which 10 people were killed, including two policemen sent to bring calm to the situation, and two security guards, who were burned to death in their car.

 

Lonmin spokesman Barnard Mokwena yesterday defended the company’s decision to re-issue the ultimatum, saying it applied only to rock-drill operators.

 

“There are many options on the table. It is not as if ‘To fire or not to fire’ is all we are considering.”

 

Mokwena said it was not the company’s decision to re-issue the ultimatum. Instead, he said, the wording was a consequence of the court order the company had obtained.

 

“The company is going through a mourning period and is focused on the needs of its employees and their families,” he said.

 

But the ultimatum has angered the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).

 

“It is too harsh of management to talk in this way,” said Amcu treasurer Jimmy Gama, describing the ultimatum as “very unfair”.

 

Frans Baleni, the secretary-general of the National Union of Mineworkers, said the situation was still very “sensitive” and it could not be expected that workers would take up their duties if they were threatened by more violence.

 

Zuma said yesterday: “We must avoid finger-pointing and recrimination. We must unite against violence from whatever quarter.”

 

The inter-ministerial committee, which will be led by Minister in The Presidency Collins Chabane, is made up of North West Premier Thandi Modise and ministers including Mineral Resources’ Susan Shabangu and Police’s Nathi Mthethwa. They are due to visit Marikana today.

 

Zuma’s spokesman, Mac Maharaj, yesterday said details of the judicial inquiry into the deaths of the miners would be made public this week.

 

The “Marikana massacre” has highlighted the problems affecting South Africa’s mining industry.

 

Baleni pointed to “other hot spots in the platinum sector”, hinting that there was a risk of a spillover of violence into other sectors.

 

Gideon du Plessis, general secretary of trade union Solidarity, said he knew of “early signs of the same conflict” in other places.

 

Chief executives – drawn from various mining sectors – met top government and trade union officials, as well as the Chamber of Mines, on Saturday to discuss the problems besetting the mining industry.

 

The meeting reportedly ended with the following goals defined:

 

Repair damage to the image of the mining industry;

 

Avoid a spillover of violence into other industries in the mining sector; and

 

Stabilise the industry to limit opportunities for what the meeting’s participants described as “militant opportunists”.

 

It is believed the last goal was in reference to expelled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema, who visited Marikana on Saturday.

 

He called for Zuma and Mthethwa’s resignations because of the massacre.

 

The miners took a break from protests yesterday, sitting around in groups drinking, shaving and sharing memories of their dead comrades.

 

Though on Thursday hundreds of heavily armed police were patrolling Wonderkop, where the shooting took place, the only sign of a police presence yesterday was a roadblock set up for the police to search vehicles for weapons.

 

Police spokesman Captain Dennis Adriao said that though the situation was quiet but tense, a strong police presence in the area will be maintained until everything was under control.

 

The 259 strikers arrested in connection with the violent protests will appear in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court today.

For more details go to http://www.timeslive.com