ACTOR Tshepo Maseko, best known for his role as Parsons Matabane in the SABC3 soapie Isidingo, says he wishes the media and celebrities could play a major role in addressing moral regeneration.

Maseko, who was part of the audience during the Sowetan Dialogues on Wednesday, said celebrities had a powerful role to play in society.

He said he would like to see more advertisements on moral regeneration on television.

He said liquor brands occupied more airplay than anything else, and that might be the reason for society’s moral decay.

“Look at what happened to Oscar Pistorius.

“People idolised him as a role model not so long ago and now he is all over the media with rather negative news,” he said.

Maseko said young people had to be wary of certain celebrities and older men.

“I get worried when I see a beautiful and young black woman being used by a celebrity or rich older man,” he said.

Maseko, who also presents SABC2’s religious music show Gospel Classics, urged churches to come together to boost moral regeneration.

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

Rustenburg – A striking miner wounded at Marikana did not lay down his weapons because this did not occur to him at the time, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Thursday.

Ishmael Semenya, for the police, put it to Siphete Phatsha that he could have disarmed himself once police Nyalas (armoured vehicles) started deploying barbed wire at the hill where the strikers had assembled.

Phatsha said: “It did not occur to me to do that.”

He denied Semenya’s suggestion that he had not disarmed because he wanted to use his weapons. He said he could not throw them away.

“It was illegal, yes, but I had them.”

The commission is holding hearings in Rustenburg, North West, as part of its inquiry into the deaths of 44 people during an unprotected strike at Lonmin Platinum’s mine in Marikana last year.

On August 16, 34 striking mineworkers were shot dead and 78 were injured when the police opened fire while trying to disperse a group which had gathered on a hill near the mine.

Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed near the mine in the preceding week.

Questioning Phatsha on Thursday, Semenya put it to him: “When they (the police) deployed the wire, knowing you had a dangerous weapon, illegal in this country, (and) police having asked you to disarm, you had an opportunity to put it down.”

Phatsha said he did not hear anyone asking the protesters to lay down their weapons. “I had no intention to hurt anybody.”

He objected to being asked about a speech made by one of the miners’ leaders, Mgcineni Noki, alias “Mumbush”, through a loudhailer.

According to Semenya, Noki, who was killed later that day, told the police: “We will kill one another today.”

Semenya asked Phatsha whether he considered this a declaration of war.

Phatsha said he had not heard this.

“He (Noki) is the person who should answer that question, not me…. I don’t think that should be put to me,” he said.

Earlier, an error in Phatsha’s written statement to the commission was revealed.

The statement contained a paragraph that Phatsha attended a march to the National Union of Mineworkers’ (NUM) mine offices on August 11.

However, in his testimony Phatsha said he had arrived late, and while the protesters were returning from the offices.

Lonmin’s representative Terry Motau said: “If I accept that what you are saying is correct, then it follows that paragraph four 1/8of the written statement 3/8 must be incorrect”.

Phatsha, who is illiterate but able to sign his name, agreed.

Motau said it was the responsibility of the legal team representing Phatsha and other wounded miners to prepare and explain the contents of their statements to them. Motau said he would deal with this issue at a later stage.

During cross-examination, Phatsha said he and his fellow rock drill operators (RDOs) at the mine did not want to involve unions in their negotiations for higher wages.

This was because the RDOs belonged to various unions, and they wanted to negotiate only for themselves.

Phatsha denied that there was any other reason that the RDOs did not want to involve unions.

Motau also asked for his comment on NUM president Senzeni Zokwana’s testimony that he received a hostile reception when he arrived at the big hill to address the protesters.

Zokwana claimed the protesters sang a song which translated as:

“We hate NUM. How will we kill NUM? We hate Zokwana. How will we kill Zokwana?”

Phatsha said he had “never heard such a thing”, despite being at the hill that day.

There was no water at the Rustenburg Civic Centre for a second day on Thursday because of a municipal water problem. Toilets could not be flushed and people were unable to wash their hands.

Commission spokesman Tshepo Mahlangu said a temporary solution would be sought if the water supply was not restored by Friday, when the commission resumes. – Sapa

By Obakeng Maje

Klerksdorp- North West police and the Hawks made a breakthrough on a case of ANC Regional Secretary Oubuti Chika’s murder.

The Hawks acted swiftly when they arrested a 38 year-old man from Kwazulu-Natal.

The police said they have arrested a seventh suspects on the case of Chika who was gunned down in cold-blood at his house.

“We have arrested a 38 year-old man in Johannesburg,but he is originally from Kwazulu Natal” Hawks spokesperson said.

Paul Ramaloko explains they also consficated a gun that suspected to be used during crime.

“The suspect took us to his place in Msinga in Kwazulu Natal where we discovered a firearm” Ramaloko said.

The police has arrested six suspects linked to the murder and they have appeared before magistrate.

A 38 year old suspect will appear before court today.

Senior members of ANC has been arrested and some of them are Baboile,Molebatsi who occupy senoir positions in the party.

Chika,33 was shot dead a day before ANC elective conference on 14th of December 2012 in Mangaung.

“We really condemn the involvement of our members in any crime. We hope those who are implicated in the killings of Oubuti Chika will face the full mighty of law” Kenny Morolong said.

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Johannesburg – Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has written letters to South African medical students in Cuba who embarked on an illegal strike, defining the government’s position on the strike, his department said on Thursday.

On February 7, 187 of the 1 200 South African students studying medicine in Cuba went on strike, spokesperson Joe Maila said in a statement.

Their demands include a more than 300-percent stipend increase, that a health attache be sent to Cuba, and that they no longer want to be served any meal that contains pork.

“In dealing with this matter the department suspected that there might also be problems of cultural differences, adaptability and perhaps psychosocial changes, which make it difficult for them to cope with their studies,” he said.

“In this regard, the department promptly dispatched a team consisting of a senior social worker, a senior psychologist, HR manager and a doctor… to assist the students accordingly.”

He said the team joined the ambassador in Cuba, academic staff at the university and the Cuban government to negotiate with the students.

During the negotiations the students gave the embassy two ultimatums, Maila added.

“That the ambassador sign a document that these demands will be met or they come back home,” he said.

“Ever since the South African-Cuban medical programme started, South Africa has never had a health attache in Cuba. The minister decided last year already to appoint, and sent a health attache to Cuba.”

The attache was expected to start in January but had to complete other commitments, and the department said it was “ not understandable why this matter is arising” because a decision was made a long time ago.

He added that on the issue of food, it has always been a matter negotiated between students and universities, even in South Africa.

“Up to now we know of no student who has to abandon studies because such a matter was not resolved. Our students in Cuba are usually served alternate diets consisting of beef, chicken or pork.”

“However, for the two or three weeks, the Cuban government had problems in acquiring beef and chicken, hence they could only serve what was available, which was pork,” he added.

Maila added that the stipend would not change as accommodation, food, transport and tuition is jointly sponsored by the two governments.

“For the students to firmly believe that if such a demand is not met they rather come back home, have left the minister with no option but to grant them their wish, because under no condition will the government be willing to meet such an outrageous and unreasonable demand of $700 (about R6 200) per month.

“In the letter written to individual students, the minister has stated this point unambiguously and emphasised that at no stage will such a demand ever be entertained,” he said.

The students currently receive a stipend of $200 (about R1 800). – Sapa