Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj and his wife Zarina have denied an allegation that they took bribes for a 1990s tender for new drivers’ licences, it was reported on Friday.

Their lawyers also questioned the Mail&Guardian’s motives in publishing the claim, made by Maharaj’s sister-in-law Shirene Carim, and her motives in making the “revelations”.

Carim told the Mail&Guardian of a Swiss bank account, into which it was alleged the proceeds of kickbacks on a 1990s contract for new drivers’ licences were paid.

Maharaj’s lawyers told the newspaper this was not the first time the claim was being made, but it had not been published or acted on until now because of its origin and “lack of veracity.

“Responsible journalism requires of you to treat these false, and undoubtedly uncorroborated allegations in a similar light…,” BDK Attorneys director Rudi Krause wrote in a response to journalist Sam Sole.

Carim told the newspaper her sister had told her, during a stop-over in London on her way to open the bank in account in Geneva in 1996, that Schabir Shaik was getting a tender “because he was a good comrade during the struggle”.

“She was going to Geneva because she was getting this money from this guy who was getting the tender,” she reportedly said.

According to the Mail&Guardian, a Scorpions investigation into Maharaj obtained documents which showed that money was later transferred into the account from a company which was in a consortium with Shaik to produce the new credit-car style drivers’ licences.

The case against Maharaj, who was transport minister at the time, was later withdrawn.

The newspaper described Carim’s move as apparently driven by “courage and bitterness, anger and principle”, and reported that Shaik, who claimed not to know Carim, had said there appeared to be “some family breakdown”

-Sapa

Burkina Faso arrived in South Africa with few expectations, and coach Paul Put says they have already achieved their target, as they aim for their best ever finish in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament.

The west African side have played in eight editions of the continental spectacle, only once making it past the first round, when home support carried them to a fourth-place finish in the 1998 edition of the competition, held in Burkina Faso.

When the Stallions defeated Ethiopia 4-0 in their second Group C match in Nelspruit last week, it was the first time the landlocked nation had won an Afcon game since defeating Tunisia on penalties in a quarterfinal match back in 1998 — compiling a record 15 games without a win in the continental showpiece. They went on to finish top of their group.

“We had one motivation — we wanted to qualify for the next round, which had never happened (on foreign soil) for Burkina,” Put said ahead of their last-eight clash against Togo at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday.

“I think it’s the biggest achievement because the country hosted it one time and then they played a semi-final, but it was a long time ago.”

With little pressure to progress to the playoffs, Put said he had told his squad to make use of the opportunity and prove their worth.

“I told the players, ‘you have to write history. It’s the moment to write history. Maybe this chance will never happen again’.

“Because we are very close (as a unit) we had to have the mentality to believe that we could go further. I think it’s history for Burkina Faso.”

-Sapa

Kimberley – A racketeering and fraud case against Northern Cape ANC chairman John Block was postponed to next year in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Phaladi Shuping said the matter was put off due to a constitutional challenge to the NPA’s racketeering certificate.

The matter would be back in court on January 31, 2014 again.

The charges relate to allegations that Northern Cape government departments purchased water purification equipment at inflated prices in 2005 and 2006.

Accused with Block is Intaka Holdings director Gaston Savoi.

The matter includes, among others, the acquisition of a portable water purification unit by the Sol Plaatje municipality for Ritchie, an area near Kimberley, in April 2011.

It is alleged that Intaka was paid more than R2.7 million before the plant was installed or commissioned.

The Sol Plaatje municipality includes Kimberley and surrounding areas such as Ritchie and Modder River. – Sapa

Bafana Bafana are ready to put up the fight of their lives when they face Mali in an Afcon quarterfinal tie at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium tomorrow night.

Gordon Igesund’s motivational skills will also be on full display in a match that could turn out to be a bruising affair.

If the fire and determination displayed by striker Lehlohonolo Majoro is anything to go by, the coach’s passion and pure bullheadedness may already have rubbed off on his players.

Majoro, whose team enter this contest as underdogs, yesterday insisted he was ready to play, despite not having received a clean bill of health.

The 25-year-old striker received stitches to a cut on his leg shortly after coming on from the bench to score Bafana’s second goal in their 2-0 victory against Angola.

“I feel fit and in my opinion I am ready to play. But the doctor still has to confirm that. I am quite happy right now and my fingers are crossed,” he said.

The Major, as the Kaizer Chiefs fans have baptised him, also set the record straight with regards to the team’s goal scoring drought. Of the four Bafana goals so far in the tournament, just one has come from a forward – Majoro.

“I wouldn’t say this is about the strikers only. In my view, the defenders and midfielders are also a part of it because football is a team sport. If they (the strikers) can help out in defence when the team is under pressure, then it shouldn’t be a problem if the defenders score,” he said.

Only five players, in a Malian team of 28, stand below 1.8m, which Majoro’s teammate, Thuso Phala, downplayed as a factor.

Phala and his teammates will have to rely on their mobility to outsmart the Malians, and having delivered solid performances in the tournament so far, he should find this task up his alley.

“They are big boys, tall and very strong, but it is not about the height. I think it is about what a team does with the ball on the field of play, it is about who wants it more. But Mali are not third on the continent for nothing” he said.

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Inflation at the production level may not be getting any worse, but it’s certainly not getting any better. That is the message from December’s Producer Price Index (PPI) just released by Statistics South Africa.

If anything, according to some economists, there are some grounds for concern. Further weakening of the rand will weigh heavily on the import component of goods before they enter the retail chain where they are felt by the average household.

The annual rate of increase of the PPI for December remained unchanged at 5.2%, the third successive month, which encourages some analysts to believe manufacturers and wholesalers will be comparatively disinclined to try to foist cost increases on to retailers and, ultimately, households.

Stanlib chief economist Kevin Lings, was encouraged by the agricultural component of the index, believing that concerns over rising food prices were abating. But even as he was talking, Eskom was embroiled in hearings on its tariff requests at Nersa, the electricity price controller. If Eskom’s tariff demands are met and if the rand continues its decline, producer costs will be under pressure.

“The good news is that food inflation looks reasonably well contained, helping consumers,” he said.

Elna Moolman, economist at Renaissance Capital, also agreed that the food inflation was well behaved with grain and meat prices actually falling at the farm gate. Thabi Leoka, Standard Bank economist said it was encouraging to see that growth in prices of food at the manufacturing level slipped in December to 9.2% year-on-year from 11.1% in November. Though Leoka did not explicitly say so, but even at this lower rate, prices will double every eight years, something of which the person who controls the household’s purse strings should be aware.

“Nonetheless, we believe that higher food prices will continue to be a risk as the lagged effect of the spike in the global soft commodity prices in mid-2012 will filter into the PPI basket.”

Manqoba Madinane, an economist at Econometrix, said most important was that the manufacturing PPI, which is the largest sub-component and accounts for 62.3% of the index, increased by only 3.7% year-on-year in the month, suggesting that factory input cost pressures were muted.

“There are indications that growth momentum in PPI inflation is in fact slowing down. One can expect a weaker feedback into headline CPI in the medium to longer term. This added to the belief that the CPI is unlikely to breach the Reserve Bank’s upper 6% limit, or if it does it will not be for long,” he said. Some economists said this was largely supportive of the continued recovery in business.

By Obakeng Maje

School girl killed Premier Modise calls for clampdown on illegal liguor trading

Communities need to work with police to ensure that shebeens and taverns that have underage children as patrons are closed and their trading licenses withdrawn, North West Premier Thandi Modise said on Thursday.

In expressing shock and conveying condolences to the family of 15-year-old-girl whose body was found dead in a shallow grave in Verdwaal village near Itsoseng, Premier Modise called for intensified enforcement of liquor laws and a clampdown on liquor outlets that are violating their conditions of trade.

“We need to reclaim our streets and neighbourhoods from criminals. We cannot afford to lose our children to lawlessness and the greed of those who entice them with alcohol and drugs at such tender ages” said Modise.

The Premier calls on the community to come up with information that might assist police in their investigation and lead to the arrest of the person/s that is /are responsible for the horrible murder.

According to police, the body of the young girl was found partially buried in the bush on Wednesday following a search after she was reported missing on Sunday.

Her parents reportedly last saw her on Friday when she went to school.

A fellow learner alleged that they both went straight to a local tavern after school. The same friend gave police a statement to the effect that the last time she saw the deceased was when she walked her home after midnight.

Sergeant Philani Nkwalase of the North West police confirmed that a post mortem would be conducted to determine the cause of death and that no arrests have thus far been made.