BY Staff Reporter

The South Africa 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations dust has settled down and quarterfinalists, Bafana Bafana will switch their focus to the 2014 Brazil FIFA World Cup qualifiers when they face the Central Africa Republic (CAR) later this month.

Bafana resume the “Road to Brazil” campaign with a clash against CAR on Saturday, 23 March 2013 at the Cape Town Stadium in a must-win situation for Gordon Igesund’s side.

This will be South Africa’s third match in the 2014 World Cup campaign following two draws against Ethiopia and Botswana last year.

Bafana Bafana are currently placed third in Group A with two points – two adrift of leaders Ethiopia, and just one behind second-placed CAR. Botswana is bottom of the table with one point.

SA Football Association (SAFA) media officer, Matlhomola Morake sat down with Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund to talk about the upcoming qualifiers.

Question: You must be looking forward to the World Cup qualifiers, how will you be approaching them?

Gordon Igesund: The AFCON tournament is a totally different competition altogether.  In the AFCON I had to select a team that would play a tournament, a match every three or so days. You had to consider a lot of things, look at different situations like what would happen if things were to go the other way. You had to also think about the next game. Now I have to select a team for a particular game. Now you can pick a team and not be concerned about what happens if two players get injured.  There is no need to worry much about extra back-up in certain situations.

Question: What have you been doing since the end of the tournament?

GI: My technical team and I have been watching a lot of games since the re-start of the PSL. When I was in hospital, they went on about the job. I have received reports about players and matches and now that I am out of hospital and fully recovered, I am also watching the matches again. We have to pick a team that has to perform and hopefully that will see us qualify for the 2014 Brazil FIFA World Cup. Now it is just a matter of picking the team that will play this one particular match and get the three points.

Question: Can we expect any changes to the playing personnel?

GI: Yes there will be a couple of changes. Like I said before, when you pick a team for the tournament you have to cover all your bases. But picking a team for a once-off match, you can have luxury in certain departments, like I don’t need too much cover in defence. During AFCON I had two players for every position, and unfortunately I can only make three substitutions, so it is pointless to have six players as cover. The team will be a lot more offensive.

Question: A great momentum was created during AFCON 2013, can we continue with that?

GI: It is very important that we do, the players are on a high at the moment and we need to continue from where we left off. The vibe around this team is very positive and I want to maintain that spirit.

We lost to Mali on penalties, and I can safely say we ended the tournament unbeaten in 90 minutes in four matches. Having said that I think the players have learnt a lot from this tournament, and I think in the short space of time we had, the players adapted very well. I am thrilled with the way they responded. But also there are a few areas that we need to fix. There are a few players that are coming back from injury that I need to have a good look at over the next couple of days like Morgan Gould, Ayanda Xulu, Bevan Fransman and Daylon Claasen.

Question: How different are the challenges of a tournament and that of a qualifier?

GI: The challenges are the same, every game you play you want to win. But this is a different scenario in that we are not in a good position in the qualifiers. We have played two games and are sitting on two points when we should be having more than that. We have dropped four huge points and are left with four games, so we are basically playing catch-up. We are in a situation where we almost have to win every game.                                         

We are starting from the bottom in respect of points that we should have gained. If we had one win and a draw it would have made a huge difference. We also understand that qualifying for the World Cup is huge for us, and if we had those extra points it would be a different story, so we can’t afford to lose, that is the bottom line.

Question: How important is this clash against CAR?

GI: The first match of the qualifiers (I mean after the AFCON) is very important because at the moment CAR are above us on the standings, and we need to beat them to overtake them. Should we achieve that, then psychologically we have achieved something and then we can get the momentum going. That is why I say there are no other thoughts other than winning because we are all aware that a draw will not help our cause. And sometimes when you go out knowing what you have to do, it becomes a little bit easier because the players know we have to win.

BY Obakeng Maje

Johannesburg-Banyana Banyana captain Amanda Dlamini has resigned as the captain of the senior women’s national team with immediate effect and will be replaced by the team’s vice-captain Janine van Wyk on an interim basis until a permanent replacement has been identified by the team’s technical team.

Dlamini, who is a student at the University of Johannesburg where she is currently completing her third year of study in Transport Management sighted her need to fully commit on her studies in her crucial academic year of study while also concentrate on improving her game without the huge responsibilities that come with leading the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana team among the reasons behind relinquishing the captain’s armband.

“It has truly been an amazing journey leading the team for the past three years and my position as captain has opened a lot of doors for me while on the field of play, I led Banyana Banyana during one of our most successful era which saw us make history and qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. I wish the next captain all the best in leading such an amazing bunch of talented and committed girls,” said the dreadlocked midfielder, who also plies her trade for the University of Johannesburg Ladies FC in the Sasol League.

“As a senior member of the team I will continue to give my support and guidance where it is needed. I’m grateful to SAFA and Sasol for their continued support for women’s football and for affording me the opportunity to lead our national team,” she added.

Dlamini has made 60 appearances for Banyana Banyana and has scored 19 goals during that time while she was the captain of the high-riding Banyana side since 2010.

Banyana Banyana coach Joseph Mkhonza said: “When we first heard the news from Amanda we were all quite shocked and disappointed but we fully accept her decision and have supported her during this time. She has made a name for herself during the time she led the team, she showed good leadership qualities and saw the team through many successes which include participating in the Olympics and playing in the final of the African Women’s Championship in Equatorial Guinea last year.”

Janine van Wyk, who takes over captaincy of the side during the team’s participation at the Cyprus Women’s Cup until a permanent replacement has been identified, is currently the most capped player in the squad and the coach and his technical team have full confidence in her to carry out the duties as the leader of the team.

Banyana Banyana are currently in Cyprus for the Cyprus Women’s Cup which will take place from Wednesday, 6th March until Wednesday, 13th March 2013.

The Sasol-sponsored team are in Group C alongside South Korea, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

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BY Obakeng Maje

Taung-Police are investigating a case of arson after a house was allegedly set alight today between 01:00 and 02:00 in Manokwane village, Taung.

The residents of Manokwane went beserk and set alight a house belonging to a headmaster after dispute.

They accusing their headmaster of turning a blind eye to their grievances.

Last year the residents went on the street protesting for poor service delivery. They demand a tarred road that link between their area and town.

“The burnt structure is a three roomed house with garage, and is almost completely burnt. The damage is not yet determined as the owners had not yet managed to assess damages due to police who are still working on the scene” police said.

“The house was not occupied during the incident, and there is no report of any injury at this stage” Mokgwabone said. 

The motive of the incident is not clear at the moment except that Manokwane community gathered and protested yesterday afternoon against rebuilding of houses that were burnt last year.  They allegedly demand addressing of their demands before rebuilding of those houses. It is apparent that properties could have been stolen before the house was set alight because one of machineries that were inside the house was found several metres away from the scene. Nobody has been arrested and investigation continues.

Johannesburg – Ministers not speaking at a parliamentary debate did not reflect government’s attitude in tackling the issue of gender-based violence, government said on Friday.

“Now is the time for collective action and partnership to eradicate gender-based violence, not a time to score political points at the expense of efforts to work together to eradicate this scourge,” said Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) spokesperson Phumla Williams

For more details go to www.news24.com

Johannesburg – The video of a Daveyton taxi driver being dragged behind a police van is horrific, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.

“The visuals of the incident are horrific, disturbing and unacceptable,” Zuma said in a statement.

“No human being should be treated in that manner.”

He was referring to a video, taken by an eyewitness, showing police officers dragging Mozambican national Mido Macia, 27, behind a police van on Tuesday.

Macia was later found dead in the holding cells of the Daveyton police station.

Zuma condemned the death. He said the police were required to operate within the confines of the law in executing their duties. He extended condolences to Macia’s family and directed Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to investigate.

Congress of SA Trade Unions spokesman Patrick Craven said the officers implicated should be suspended.

“At first, police officers claimed that he died after being attacked by other men in the police holding cells, but video footage taken by an eyewitness clearly shows him being tied to the back of the van and dragged along the street,” said Craven.

He called for harsh punishment for those found guilty of Macia’s death.

On Wednesday, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate confirmed it was investigating the matter and interviewing witnesses.

IPID spokesman Moses Dlamini said earlier on Tuesday two policemen switched on their siren, indicating that Macia should move his minibus, when they saw it obstructing traffic in Empilweni Street.

“It is also alleged that the taxi driver then assaulted the constable and took his police firearm. The warrant officer overpowered the taxi driver and handed the firearm back to his colleague,” he said.

“When back-up arrived, the constable was still at the scene, struggling to put the suspect in the police van,” Dlamini said.

Officers put the “resisting suspect” into the police van and took him to the police cells.

A post mortem indicated Macia died of head injuries and internal bleeding.

National police commissioner Riah Phiyega was deeply concerned about allegations that police brutality led to the man’s death.

“The matter is viewed by the national commissioner in a very serious light and it is strongly condemned,” her spokesman Brigadier Phuti Setati said.

Phiyega had instructed acting provincial commissioner Maj-Gen Phumzo Gela to start an internal investigation and provide feedback urgently. – Sapa

Johannesburg – The Farlam commission of inquiry continues its hearings into the Marikana shooting on Friday.

On Thursday, the inquiry watched graphic videos captured at the scene of the shooting on August 16, 2012.

The videos show the bleeding bodies of shot protesters on the ground at a hill in Marikana, near Lonmin’s platinum mine. Some had been shot in the head.

One Lonmin worker, Mzoxolo Magidiwana, who had spent the past few days testifying before the commission, is seen in the video. He leads a group of protesters, who wield sticks and knobkerries while marching.

Later, Magidiwana is lying among the bodies after being shot repeatedly. He spent several weeks recovering in various hospitals.

The commission is probing the deaths of 44 people during an unprotected strike by Lonmin workers at Marikana last year.

Thirty-four of them were shot dead during a confrontation with police on August 16. – Sapa

Johannesburg – South Africa on Thursday opened a murder investigation into the death of a Mozambican taxi driver who was filmed being dragged by a police van through the streets, in a case that has sparked widespread outrage.

Video footage taken by a bystander shows 27-year-old Mido Macia tussling with half a dozen police officers before being handcuffed to the back of a police van and dragged to a local police station in Daveyton, east of Johannesburg, on Tuesday.

A large crowd of horrified bystanders looked on, some warning the uniformed officers they were being filmed. “Hey! Hey! Why are you hitting him?” one person in the crowd can be heard shouting in Zulu.

Kicking and struggling to avoid the tarmac, Macia was taken into custody at Daveyton police station and was found dead less than two hours and 25 minutes later, according to investigators.

A post mortem found the cause of death was head injuries with internal bleeding.

South African President Jacob Zuma condemned the killing as “horrific, disturbing and unacceptable”.

“No human being should be treated in that manner,” he said in a statement.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate said it had opened a murder investigation.

“We are investigating an incident involving the death of man, allegedly at the hands of the police. We are shocked by the footage which has been released,” said Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) spokesperson Moses Dlamini.

“The circumstances surrounding his death are still allegations… Let’s find out what really happened,” he said.

The police watchdog and witnesses said two officers initially confronted Macia for parking his Toyota Avanza taxi illegally.

Eyewitnesses said Macia had been trying to get his driving licence back from the police when an altercation occurred. But witnesses denied police suggestions the victim had tried to disarm one of the officers.

“He was just pushing them, not trying to take the gun,” said George Nxumalo, a 57-year-old Daveyton resident.

Around half a dozen officers were at the scene soon after, some clad in stab vests and at least one brandishing a pistol.

The taxi driver was found dead in his cell at around 21h15 (19h15 GMT).

Footage of the incident spread quickly online, sending shockwaves through the country.

Daveyton residents marched on the police station on Thursday after claiming they were dispersed with pepper spray the day before.

“They are criminals in uniform, we don’t want them, we want the law to take its course, otherwise we will take the law into our own hands,” said Bongani Hlela, a street trader based at the taxi rank were the incident occurred.

“Just because he was Mozambican does not mean that he should be treated badly. We are all African, we have rights,” he added.

The Mozambique government said it was “outraged by what happened”.

“It is very sad that a life was lost so stupidly,” Foreign Affairs Minister Oldemiro Baloi told reporters in the capital Maputo.

“I think that whatever perspective you want to attach to it – either human or the relations between the two countries – it is absolutely unacceptable.”

South African Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega expressed “deep concern” about the incident, saying it was being viewed “in a very serious light”.

The police department said no officers had been suspended yet in the case.

Macia’s death is the latest in a series of crises to hit the country’s beleaguered police service, which was pilloried for the shooting deaths of 34 miners last August and for its handling of the Oscar Pistorius case.

“This appalling incident involving excessive force is the latest in an increasingly disturbing pattern of brutal police conduct,” said Noel Kututwa, Amnesty International’s southern Africa director.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate received 720 new cases for investigation of suspicious deaths in custody or in other policing contexts from April 2011 to March 2012, according to Amnesty.

The opposition Democratic Alliance party called for a full investigation by South Africa’s human rights commission and for the officers involved to be suspended.

“Macia paid for parking on the wrong side of the road with his life. Instead of issuing him with a ticket, the police killed him,” said shadow police minister Dianne Kohler Barnard.

“How much longer must South Africans live in fear of the very people who are supposed to protect them?” – AFP