Monthly Archives: October 2012

Zuma delaying to appoint SIU head

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JOHANNESBURG – A number of organisations on Sunday said President Jacob Zuma’s failure to appoint a full-time head of the special investigations unit is raising questions about his commitment to fighting corruption.

Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), Corruption Watch, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) have all voiced concerns.

Advocate Willem Heath stepped down as SIU head exactly 10 months ago, and no new head has yet been appointed.

He resigned following remarks he made to the City Press newspaper about former president Thabo Mbeki’s alleged involvement in prosecuting President Jacob Zuma.

Zuma became embroiled in corruption-related controversy when his financial advisor, Schabir Shaik, was charged and later convicted with corruption and fraud.

Mbeki then relieved Zuma of his duties as his deputy after he was accused of abusing his power.

Corruption Watch head David Lewis said he did not understand the delay in the appointment.

“It doesn’t square with fighting corruption. The SIU has been a very effective body”.

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

Striking Bokoni Platinum miners set to return to work

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Limpopo- Striking Bokoni Platinum Mine workers in Limpopo are expected to return to work today. More than 3 000 miners embarked on an unprotected strike about two weeks ago, demanding to be paid R 16 500 per month. 

Labour unions, the Transport and Allied Workers Union of South Africa (Tawusa) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), have urged their members to return to work after management said it would fire them if they did not do so. 

NUM spokesperson William Mabapa says, “If the workers are not back to work it won’t be the issue about the union, it’ll then be an issue about the employee and the employer, because by Monday (today) the company will start to have the powers and the prerogative that if they dismissed the workers they may re-employ them with low salaries and that’s not what we want as the union because that’s going to take us back to square one, we urge our members to go back to work.” 

The union says it has lost its members after violent protests in Marikana in the North West

Meanwhile, the National Union of Mineworkers says it’s concerned about the escalating violence targeting its members in the Rustenburg area. The union says it has lost its members after violent protests in Marikana in the North West. 

It says four of its members were killed in August. Two people are expected to appear in court today in connection with the killing of an NUM shop stewart in Marikana two weeks ago.

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

Step-father sought after a 5 year old death

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By Obakeng Maje

Majakaneng-North West police are search for a step-father of the deceased after a five year old baby found murdered.

On Wednesday a case of kidnapping was reported at Mooinooi police station after a boy went missing.

“It alleged that a suspect abducted a boy on Wednesday and a case was opened. Yesterday police were called after a body of a boy was found in an open field” Sergeant Philani Nkwalase said. 

“Police were taken to a crime scene near Echo Berry farm where body as found. The boy was certified dead by paramedics after he suffered a fructured skull and bruises on his neck” He said.

Police are right on the heels of alleged perpetrator who is still at large.

Muder case has been opened and investigation continues.

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3 nabbed for robbery

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East-London-East London – Three men were arrested after they robbed a shop of an undisclosed amount of money on Saturday, in Dutywa, north of Butterworth, Eastern Cape police said.

 

Captain Jackson Manatha said five men, two armed with pistols, entered the shop on Saturday morning.

 

Police were informed about the robbery and received information that the men went in the direction of the Ngxakaxha Village, outside Dutywa.

 

“When police arrived at the village, they spotted the suspects and gave chase,” he said.

 

“Three suspects were arrested… The two suspects who were armed with pistols managed to escape with undisclosed amount of money.”

 

He said the police recovered some of the money.

 

The men are expected to appear in court on Monday.-Sapa

Dlamini header sees Banyana Banyana to victory over Zimbabwe in Dobsonville

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By Obakeng Maje

Banyana Banyana captain Amanda Dlamini scored the only goal of the match to give her side victory over Zimbabwe in an international friendly encounter played at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Saturday, 13 October 2012.

 

Dlamini headed home six minutes into the second half from a neatly played cross from the right hand side of the field, from second half substitute Silindile Ngubane, who was making her Banyana Banyana debut.

 

Durban Ladies (Sasol League KwaZulu Natal) striker Ngubane, brought on in the second half for Nocawe Skiti, instantly gave the hosts more thrust on attack.

 

Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Thoko Mndaweni pulled off several superb saves to deny the Zimbabweans from equalising, and was deservedly named as the Sasol Diski Queen (Player of the Match).

 

The Sasol-sponsored national senior women’s football team will face the Zimbabweans again on Tuesday, 16 October 2012 (15h00 kick-off), with the matches forming part of the national team’s preparations ahead of the eight nation CAF African Women Championship to be played in Equatorial Guinea from October 28 to November 11.

 

Banyana Banyana have been drawn in Group A and will face hosts Equatorial Guinea in Malabo on October 28, Senegal in Malabo on October 31, and will travel to the island city of Bata for their encounter with DR Congo on November 3.

 

Successful group stage results will see the South Africans play in the semi-finals in either Malabo or Bata on November 7, with the 3rd/4th place playoff and the title decider both scheduled for Malabo on November 11.

 

Speaking after the match, Banyana Banyana head coach Joseph Mkhonza said: ““The Zimbabweans are always a tough side to play, either at home or away but the match gave us an opportunity to try out several combinations ahead of the CAF African Women Championship.”

 

The win over the Zimbabweans, ended Banyana Banyana’s run of reverses against their neighbours, having lost in the Cosafa Cup final and the Unity Day celebrations, both played in Harare last year.

 

 

Igesund impressed despite a loss

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By Obakeng Maje

Bafana Bafana lost 1-0 to Poland in an international friendly match played on Friday, 12 October 2012. The clash took place in Warsaw’s National Stadium.

 

South Africa’s head coach Gordon Igesund made five changes to the team that defeated Mozambique in Nelspruit last month.

 

Goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and Kagisho Dikgacoi returned to the squad while Sifiso Myeni, Luvhengo Mungomeni and Ricardo Nunes earned their first caps.

 

The match was used as part of the preparations for Poland who meet England in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier next week, while Bafana Bafana will take on Kenya in Nairobi on Tuesday, 16 October.

 

Once again, just like his heroics in Brazil, Itumeleng Khune put out a fine performance against Poland, first denying Arkadiusz Piech in a one-on-one situation in the 26th minute.

 

He was back again to stop Sobiech from what looked like a certain goal and despite having a busy evening; he could do nothing about Marcin Komorowski’s 82nd minute shot which gave the hosts victory.

 

South Africa did have the ball in the back of the net from Siyabonga Sangweni late header, but the effort was ruled offside.

 

“Congratulations to Poland for the victory, but I believe we deserved something from the game. I am not disappointed with the performance of my players, but I am unhappy that we gave away a very soft goal. I think we achieved what we wanted from this match. It was a good and worthwhile exercise,” said Bafana coach Igesund.

 

“Poland started well but Khune did well to keep us in the game. I also believe we did not have enough bodies in the box to punish them. It is better to lose games like these and be ready for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament because I am building a squad for that showpiece. It was a great test for us.”

 

Igesund was happy with debutant Ricardo Nunes.

 

“He did reasonably well and he showed some quality. But I still believe he can still improve,” he said.

 

Bafana Bafana captain Bongani Khumalo believes despite the loss, there are some positives to take out of this result.

 

“It is a bitter pill to swallow, more so because we conceded so late in the match. We had some chances which we did not capitalise on and at this level we have to bury every opportunity we get, even half a chance.

 

“Be that as it may, we are forging ahead with our mission of preparing a team for Afcon, so we have to keep on fighting, we have to keep on working hard and the results will eventually come,” said the Greece-based defender.

 

Bafana Bafana who travel to Nairobi on Saturday, will have one training session before taking on Kenya on Tuesday.

 

That clash will take place at Nyayo National Stadium and kicks off at 19h00 Kenyan time (18h00 SA time)

 

 

Police vehicle damaged by strikers in Rustenburg

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By Obakeng Maje

Rustenburg- Yesterday North West police were called at around 20:00 and 21:00 after  received information that people are gathered at Zakhele informal settlement in Rustenburg.

The police monitored the group of about 1000 people.

It became clear that the mobilized march was “heading towards Khomanani 1 shaft and the police had to disperse the determined group” Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.  

“Teargas and rubber bullets rounds were used to disperse the overzealous group. However the group retaliated with petrol bombs which damaged one of the police Nyala vehicle” he said.

The police managed to extinguish the fire and no reports of injuries were reported from both sides.

“The group eventually disappeared into the informal settlement and four people were detained for public violence and will appear before Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday” said Ngubane.

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A man shot wife and kill self

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Stilfontein, North West –

 

A man shot his wife and then committed suicide by turning the gun on himself in Khuma, near Stilfontein, North West police said on Friday.

 

Sergeant Philani Nkwalase said the couple were taken to hospital on Thursday where the 41-year-old man died.

 

The woman was in a serious condition. – Sapa

Nurse gives a healthy baby anti-retroviral treatment

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A KwaZulu-Natal woman has unknowingly been giving anti-retroviral treatment to her two-year-old daughter, who is HIV-negative, on the orders of a nurse from St Mary’s Hospital.

 

The 24-year-old woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said her daughter started taking the ARV treatment from the day she was born. She said a nurse from St Mary’s gave her the drugs on the day she was discharged from the hospital and impressed upon her that they had to be given to the baby.

 

“She never explained anything, she just gave me medication without telling me what it was for and I gave it to my baby unknowingly,” she said.

 

After three weeks of giving her baby the medication, she noticed that she had developed “breasts” the size of a girl entering puberty. She later discovered she had been giving her baby ARVs the whole time.

 

“We went to the clinic and they told us that they needed to check the baby’s CD4 count as well as the effects of the ARV treatment.

 

“That was when we found out that, according to medical records, the baby was born HIV-positive and given ARVs from birth,” she said.

 

The mother was alarmed as she had had numerous HIV tests and was HIV-negative. She had also taken her daughter for a test and the results proved she was also negative.

 

A doctor and expert in HIV-related issues, Bongani Nxumalo, said ARVs had strong contents which were highly dangerous to babies. “The treatment can harm the liver, cause a change in skin colour, a runny tummy, body sores and cause a person to vomit,” he said. The mistake could be rectified if the ARV treatment was stopped immediately. “The problem can be solved by taking medication to cleanse the blood system as well as by eating healthy food.”

A spokesperson for the hospital, Gugu Mtshali, said the hospital could not comment as the case was under investigation. Health Professions Council of SA member Lize Nel said the council could only deal with the matter once the parent had put forward a formal complaint. The nurse could face severe consequences.

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

Motlanthe keeps S.A guessing

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photo:(zuma to ousted come mangaung)

Johannesburg – If it was a declaration of a bid to become president of South Africa, it was a very strange one.

 

After weeks of speculation that he is lining up a challenge to President Jacob Zuma in an African National Congress (ANC) leadership election in December, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe attracted a packed house at the launch of an official biography on Thursday night.

 

To the hundreds of supporters jammed into the auditorium at Johannesburg’s Wits University, his remarks were affirmation that Motlanthe is taking up the mantle of an “Anyone But Zuma” campaign dividing the ruling party in Africa’s biggest economy.

 

To the less partisan observer, his comments were more notable for their obscurity and ambiguity, even by the standards of a 100-year-old liberation movement with a habit of talking in code forged in the long underground struggle against apartheid.

 

Foregoing the chance to comment on the labour unrest sweeping through the mining sector, Motlanthe – once head of the biggest mining union – instead embarked on a rambling anecdote about alternative learning techniques that he had seen this week on an official visit to a school in Italy.

 

“From a very early age, these children will learn that things are always changing,” he said, to cheers from supporters for whom “change” means “challenge to Zuma” at the ANC conference in Mangaung, near Bloemfontein.

 

With a wry smile, Motlanthe then professed his ignorance of the double entendre. “The irony is really lost on me,” he said, to laughter from the hall.

 

Motlanthe, a bearded and bespectacled 63-year-old, exudes a solidity that reassures the business community.

 

He has already had one brief stint as president following the ANC’s unceremonious ejection of Thabo Mbeki, mid-term, in 2008, although he did little more than serve as a place-holder for Zuma.

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