By Obakeng Maje

Seven directors were removed as members of the Board of the North West Transport Investments (NTI) at a general shareholders meeting held in Mahikeng on Wednesday.

The decisive action taken by North West Provincial Executive Council (Exco) convened as a general shareholders meeting in terms of Section 61 of the companies Act, No.71 of 2008 was chaired by Premier Thandi Modise. The provincial government holds 100% of the issued share capital of NTI.

The resolve to remove the directors was taken on the recommendation of the MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport, Raymond Elisha after establishing that the Directors were incorrectly appointed by the Executive Authority at the time contrary and had appointed directors to each of the subsidiary companies, North West Star and Attridgeville Bus Service, especially with regard to the term of office. Some of these Directors are found to have been appointed by the Interim Executive Chair

, ultra vires his powers.

According to report tabled by MEC Elisha, the appointment of the directors were 

 contrary and beyond the ambit of the provisions contained in the Department of Public Enterprise Protocol on Corporate Governance in the Public Sector dated September 2002, more particularly the provisions contained in paragraph 5.1.6.1 and 5.1.6.2. thereof. Over and above that, Elisha had also established that the board had allegedly

∙         Breached Treasury Regulation 29.2.1. in that they failed to conclude a shareholder compact for the year preceding March 2011∙         Breached their fiduciary duties in respect of compliance with the provisions of Section 50 of the Public finance Management Act.No.1 of 1999 for failing to keep full and proper record of the company in respect of the financial affairs and invest property of Section 55(1)(a) and(b) of the PFMA∙         Failed to implement a system of properly evaluating the Company’s major capital projects with regards to payments of the amount of R110,208,218.00 and not disclosing this payment as irregular and expenditure in the annual financial statements for 2010/11∙         Failed to hold an Annual General Meeting for the year 2011∙         Failed to review the remuneration policy for the Board of Directors of the Company in 2010 and 2011 and, table the said remuneration policy for approval by the Executive Authority∙         Failed to submit annual financial statements of the Company for the year 2012 to the Treasury of the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, within two months after the end of the financial year of the Company as contemplated in Section 55(1) (c)(ii) of the PFMA.A forensic audit firm is in the process of investigating financial irregularities that were identified by the 2010/2011 qualified Auditor General’s report.

The removal of the Board of Directors Board is in line with Premier Modise’s administration’s commitment to clean governance aimed at ridding provincial government departments, municipalities and state owned enterprises of the scourge of corruption and maladministration targeted to achieve clean audits by 2014.

New Directors appointed by the general shareholders meeting to oversee the affairs of NTI are Mohamed Iqbal Motala, Paschallis Thapelo Makhetha, Machii Esther Dladla and Jeanne-Marie Brown. 

Paris – Monkeys are just like the vast majority of human beings when it comes to sex – when they go ape, they want privacy.

Among long-tailed macaques, the urge for hanky-panky was dampened when they were watched by other monkeys, according to an unusual experiment reported in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.

Scientists from the Biomedical Primate Research Centre in the Netherlands monitored 15 female and seven male macaques in a giant enclosure for four months.

They installed everything for perfect love-making – the simian equivalents of Barry White, satin sheets and mirrored ceilings.

The monkeys had tyres and ladders for courting rituals, sawdust bedding, tasty offerings of fruit to replenish lost energy and even a swimming pool for chillout time.

But the animals’ main requirement was a quiet spot, to avoid interference from other monkeys, especially dominant alpha males.

“By concealing sexual behaviour, females and subordinate males try to reduce harassment from group members,” Anna Overduin-de Vries said in an email to AFP.

“Although harassment is not frequent, it may have serious consequences such as getting injured or not being able to finish a copulation.” – Sapa-AFP

AfriForum, the ANC and Julius Malema have reached a settlement over the “Shoot the Boer” song, according to reports.

In September last year, the High Court in Johannesburg, sitting at the Equality Court, convicted Malema of hate speech after lobby group AfriForum took him to court for singing the song.

At the time the ANC became an intervening party and defended the song, based on its use in the struggle against the apartheid.

Both Malema and the ANC said that when sung it was not meant literally, although AfriForum differed.

Judge Colin Lamont held the words undermined people’s dignity and were discriminatory and harmful.

Malema lost an application in November for leave to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court against the ruling. He filed a notice of appeal with the SCA in December. Lamont granted him leave to appeal.

The Supreme Court of Appeal was due to hear the appeal on Thursday.

On Wednesday AfriForum’s spokesperson Willie Spies reportedly told the Mail & Guardian that a deal was struck at 8.30pm on Tuesday night after a day-long mediation on Friday.

“The settlement that has been reached provides for three things. Firstly, the ANC acknowledged that certain struggle songs contain lyrics that originate from a specific era in history which today can be hurtful to minority communities. Secondly, the ANC and Malema undertook to encourage and counsel their supporters and members to refrain from singing songs that could contain hurtful phrases. Thirdly, the parties committed to continued informal debate about cultural heritage and freedom,” Spies was quoted as saying.

“As a result, the ANC abandoned its appeal and AfriForum and the Transvaal Agricultural Union abandoned the order granted by [the Supreme Court of Appeal] with all the parties consenting to the substitution of the … order with this agreement,” he added.

Details of the settlement were due to be announced at a joint press conference on Wednesday.

According to reports, the ANC will likely withdraw the appeal in the SCA on Thursday. – IOL

By Obakeng Maje

The South African Football Association (SAFA) and Thomas Madigage’s family and friends, would like to thank the entire South African public for the support they provided before, during and after the funeral of the late Bafana Bafana assistant coach.

The 41-year-old Madigage died in a car accident on 18 October in Burgersfort.

He was laid to rest in Driekop on Sunday, 28 October at a funeral attended by thousands of mourners that included colleagues, footballers, politicians and several members of his ZCC spiritual ministry.

“On behalf of SAFA and the Madigage family, I would like to thank all South Africans who contributed and paid homage to the late Bafana Bafana assistant coach,” said SAFA President Kirsten Nematandani.

Among those SAFA and the Madigage family would like to thank mostly are the ZCC church, the Minister of Sport, Tshwane Municipality, MEC for Sport Gauteng, the Jomo Sono family, media friends, the Atteridgeville and Sekhukhune communities, the South African Professional Players Union, former teammates of the late Madigage, representatives of Supersport International and several musicians who performed at the Memorial Service that took place at Saulsville Arena in Atteridgeville.

The same gratitude goes to individuals and groups that played a pivotal role in the lead up to and during the funeral. These include members of the Thomas Madigage Foundation, Mayor of Tshwane, Limpopo Premier and his executive, several members of the ZCC church, Bafana Bafana players, former and current coaches and the general public.

“There might be other names not mentioned here but once again, I would like to thank the South African public for giving one of the country’s greatest sons a moving send off,” added the SAFA President.

Dominionville, North West –

The man who raped a 73-year-old wheelchair-bound woman in Dominionville should be punished severely, the North West DA said on Tuesday.

Democratic Alliance provincial spokesman Tiaan Kotzé said such an act against a defenceless old woman called for an increased commitment by the police.

“We urge the police to act quickly in apprehending the suspect, and for the community to give their full co-operation,” he said.

North West police confirmed a rape case was being investigated.

Captain Aafje Botman said the old woman was alone at her home when she was attacked and raped.

“Neighbours rushed to the scene after they were alerted by barking dogs,” she said.

The rapist managed to flee before the neighbours arrived.

Kotzé said the DA recently requested the provincial safety MEC to address the lack of patrolling vehicles for the area’s sector policing.

“We will again communicate with the MEC on this issue.”

He said if the rapist was arrested the DA would do everything in its power, including picketing at the bail hearing, to ensure that he was removed from society.

“This rapist should not only be denied bail, he must be locked up for life.” – Sapa

Mpumalanga – Four live snakes have slithered out of a package at the Sabie post office, in Mpumalanga, it was reported on Wednesday.

Postal workers could not leave the sorting room fast enough when the reptiles made their appearance on Monday from a package posted on the East Rand, Beeld reported.

A member of the local parks board was called to the scene, and the snakes were caught and removed.

According to the newspaper, the sender of the package had been charged with the illegal transportation of wildlife.

“It’s illegal to post any live animal, liquids that might leak and damage other postal items or radioactive materials,” Ndala Mnisi, the executive in charge of the Post Office’s outlets, told Beeld. – Sapa

About 16 cartridge cases were discovered where two civilians were found murdered in Donkerhoek, Marikana, in August, the Farlam commission heard on Tuesday.

“One civilian body was found near an informal house,” crime scene technician Captain Moses Moshwane said.

“The other civilian body was across the stream.”

Moshwane was giving evidence to the commission, chaired by retired judge Ian Farlam.

The commission is holding public hearings in Rustenburg, North West, as part of its inquiry into the August 16 shooting at Marikana that left 34 miners dead and 78 wounded.

The preceding week saw 10 other people, including two policemen and two security guards, killed in protest violence in the area.

Moshwane said on Tuesday he attended and processed the crime scene on August 13. A R5 cartridge case was also found, he said.

Tim Bruinders, for the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, asked Moshwane if he was involved with the crime scenes where miners were killed on August 16.

“Only at scene one (where 16 people were killed near a kraal) on August 16… I was assisting with the collecting of exhibits and measurements,” said Moshwane.

He said he arrived at the scene at 9.47pm.

A second crime scene technician, Warrant Officer Frederick Opperman, processed the area where two Lonmin security guards were murdered on August 12.

Opperman told the commission when he arrived at the scene, two bodies, two motor vehicles and ammunition cartridges were pointed out to him.

Lawyer for the families of the security guards, Tshepiso Rampil, asked Opperman to describe what the bodies looked like.

“One of the bodies was still half in the vehicle. That body was badly burnt. There was a hack mark on the head of the body,” he said.

“The second body… there were burn marks on the chest and the trousers were also burnt. He had wounds on his face.”

Opperman said the cars of the security guards were so badly burnt police could not immediately determine the make. – Sapa

A crime scene expert told the Farlam Commission on Tuesday that when he arrived at the small hill in Wonderkop where 13 people were killed, the crime scene was still active.

Captain Apollo Mohlaki said he arrived at scene two, known as the small hill, around 4pm on August 16 and processed the scene until 3.10pm the next day.

Commission chair, retired judge Ian Farlam, interjected and double-checked the time of arrival with Mohlaki pointing out that this was the time the shooting happened.

“When I got there the scene was still active,” said Mohlaki.

Evidence leader Mbuyiseli Madlanga asked: “Was there any shooting taking place when you arrived there?”

Mohlaki said there was not, and proceeded to explain that he had been requested to be on stand-by and had been at a police holding area at the Lonmin mine since the morning.

This followed after an early morning police briefing at the joint operational centre (JOC) where he and three colleagues were briefed to be on stand-by.

Mohlaki said he was told there was a possibility that mineworkers, gathering on a hill in Wonderkop, would have dangerous traditional weapons and have unlawful ammunition.

It would be his job to document these weapons once the miners were disarmed.

Mohlaki’s evidence in chief was expected to continue on Wednesday.

Earlier, the commission wrapped up its three-day cross-examination of crime scene technician Lt-Col Cornelius Johannes Botha.

Botha was tasked with filming the police disarming and dispersing operation on August 16 from a helicopter.

However, Botha’s footage did not capture the shooting at scene one, at the kraal, or scene two at the small hill.

He said he had only heard of the shooting when he was back on the ground.

Following the shooting police held a nine-day debriefing in Potchefstroom.

Botha told the commission he could not recall if his video was watched at the meeting or what was specifically discussed at the meeting.

He said during the meeting he was asked about crime scenes which had been processed.

Botha was grilled by advocates for the different parties after he could not recall key details of the operation.

There were four helicopters in the air that day, two of which belonged to police. It was not known if video was taken from the other three.

Thembeka Ngcukaitobi, for the Legal Resource Centre (LRC), asked Botha if he knew that the water cannons also had video recorders fitted onto them.

Botha said no, he had never been in a cannon.

Two other crime scene experts testified on Tuesday about murders committed on August 12 and 13.

Captain Moses Moshwane processed the scene where two “civilian” bodies were found in Donkerhoek.

He also assisted at scene one on August 16.

Warrant Officer Frederick Opperman processed the scene where two Lonmin security guards were burnt and hacked to death. – Sapa

Johannesburg –

The removal of a man’s shirt and trousers by Cosatu members during a rally in Rustenburg was regrettable, the union federation said on Tuesday.

The rally, held at the Olympia stadium on Saturday, was interrupted by members of the Marikana Support Campaign (MSC), Congress of SA Trade Unions spokesman Patrick Craven said in a statement.

“One member of the group, Mr Rehad Desai, had his shirt and trousers removed by some of our members. We deeply regret this incident, but it must be pointed out that he was not harmed,” Craven said.

He claimed the MSC pretended to be supporting Cosatu, but began burning Cosatu and National Union of Mineworkers’ branded T-shirts.

Billy Zulu, a national organiser of the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union (CEPPWAWU), was assaulted, allegedly for wearing a red T-shirt.

Craven expressed Cosatu’s “profound thanks” to photographers who rescued Zulu.

Cosatu criticised the police for using rubber bullets to disperse striking Anglo American Platinum workers at the rally.

“This is further evidence, already seen at Marikana on 16 August, of the SAPS’ abysmal lack of training in crowd control and forward planning,” he said. – Sapa

Cape Town – People living in the Western Cape are better off than those in most other provinces. Most live in brick houses, have access to running water, flushing toilets and a better education than the average citizen, according to census figures released on Tuesday.

There are 5.8 million people living in the Western Cape, of whom 2.8 million are coloureds, 1.9 million are black African, 910 600 are white and 58 000 are Indian/Asian.

The Western Cape and Gauteng have been confirmed as the provinces that attract the most people (numbering in the millions) because of greater economic activity.

Seventy-one percent of people living in the Western Cape were born here, while 16 percent come from the Eastern Cape and the remainder from other provinces.

Census statistics showed that the flood of people from largely rural provinces to Gauteng and the Western Cape was unceasing, said Statistician General Pali Lehohla at the release of the figures on Tuesday.

The Western Cape population has grown by 29 percent, making it the fastest growing region, outpacing Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West, which grew collectively at 26 percent. The rest of the provinces grew at 6 percent.

People who live here are more than likely to be better off than in other provinces. For example, while the expanded unemployment rate rides at 40 percent nationally, it is only 29.3 percent in the Western Cape.

Census figures show people here and in Gauteng earn more money and have access to better services.

White people, however, earn six times more than black people and white people are more likely to be employed.

White households earn an average of R365 134, a year, while black households earn a meagre R60 613.

The average national income is R103 204 a year, while the annual average annual income in the Western Cape is R143 460.

There are 1 313 637 brick and mortar houses across the Western Cape and 320 363 informal and traditional houses.

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