Leopard Park Golf Club employees and caddies are spending sleepless nights after reports of possible retrenchments and the ultimate closure of the facility.

This is after the club’s holding company allegedly failed to account for its financial expenditures.

An investigations carried by an ad hoc committee established by the provincial standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) found that the company, Signal Development, failed to produce financial statements from 2007 until last year.

Among other woes, the committee was concerned about the assets of the entity and wanted to know the viability of selling it to private investors.

It was also concerned about the money obtained from the sales of erven in phase 1 and the current status of the phase 2 development that was never undertaken.

The club has employed 18 people on the greens including gardeners and has more than 100 caddies who all expressed shock at news of the facility’s possible closure.

“I’ve worked here since 1991 and have four children to look after,” said a 64-year-old gardener, Andries Modise from Tsetse village.

“My appeal to the government is to make plans to save our jobs and keep this club running, otherwise we will be unemployed and our families will starve.”

Eric Kekgaretswe, a caddy, said: “I have a child to look after depending on the money I get on days when the club is busy.

“Sometimes it’s dry and we sleep with empty stomachs. I’ve worked here since 1992 and we ask the government to save this club.”

A club committee member who declined to be named said: “The situation is bad and we are worried because the club could shut down, followed with retrenchments.

“We will not give up but talk to the government for something to be done to sustain the club.”

Signal Development was incorporated by the erstwhile Bophuthatswana government that was the only shareholder in the company tasked to ensure proper maintenance and upkeep of the club.

Committee chairperson Mahlakeng Mahlakeng said it was regrettable because the company was not under any particular department in the province.

Scopa chairperson Hlomane Chauke said: “Heads are going to roll because the club is state owned.

“People used to make money from the sale of the land and we are going to serve them with notices to appear before us and account next week.”

For more details go to www.thenewage.co.za

Johannesburg – Six medical students from South Africa studying on scholarship in Cuba have returned home following a disagreement about their allowance, wasting over R2 million as a result, it was reported on Friday.

The students were more than halfway through their six-year training programme, which cost the government R500,000 a student, the New Age reported.

They decided to quit after going on strike about food and their monthly allowance of R1600, which they wanted increased to around R5 600.

Dr Mzulugile Nodikida, who studied in Cuba, could not understand why the students were complaining about the allowance, as their accommodation and food was free.

Health department spokesman Joe Maila said the department was saddened by the students’ decision.

“Money was the main thing that they wanted, and we made it clear that we were not going to increase their stipend,” he said.

“We are extremely disappointed, as we were doing everything for them. They are unreasonable because the issue of diet was not a big problem.”

Eastern Cape health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo backed the national department’s decision.

“They (the students) have embarrassed the country and contravened the laws of Cuba,” said Kupelo.

“Most of these students come from destitute backgrounds…. The Eastern Cape has a shortage of doctors and we cannot afford this.”

According to the newspaper, the incident is the first of its kind since the programme began over a decade ago. – Sapa

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s son Trevor has appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court for failing to pay maintenance, it was reported on Friday.

Tutu, 56, appeared in court on Thursday after being released on bail of R1500 last week, The Star reported.

According to court documents, Tutu was in arrears with his maintenance payments and had absconded when sought. It had been difficult to trace him.

It was further reflected on court documents that he had requested a legal aid lawyer, the newspaper reported.

When Tutu took the stand, he had no lawyer to represent him. However, he said he had been told a lawyer was being sent. “I spoke to him literally five minutes ago,” he said. The matter was rolled over until Friday.

According to The Star a Zimbabwean woman now living in Canada took him to court two years ago to force him to pay monthly maintenance of about R5550 for her now 14-year-old son.

The woman reportedly sought help from a Canadian court, which ruled that Tutu pay. The matter was transferred to the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.

However, Tutu failed to appear in court and was caught at a roadblock by Swaziland police, who handed him over to South African authorities.

-Sapa

Political economist Moeletsi Mbeki has filed papers in the High Court in Johannesburg in an attempt to evict his former lover and her children from a Dainfern property, it was reported on Friday.

Shehnilla Mohammed, who has been in an “intimate relationship” with Mbeki since 2005, was fighting his efforts to evict her from the R3 million house they jointly own, the Mail&Guardian reported.

She told the newspaper Mbeki had been trying to drive her out of the house and had launched a court action to evict her.

Mohammed reportedly said this was an attempt to bully her “into submission on his terms and to punish her for taking the decision to end the relationship”.

Mohammed had been Mbeki’s friend for the past 30 years.

According to the Mail&Guardian, in his motion for eviction Mbeki alleged that Mohammed and her children Zayaad Khan, 18, and Feroz Khan, 23, were making his occupation of the house untenable.

Mbeki asked the court to grant him an eviction order.

Mohammed told the newspaper that, as a co-owner of the house, she was entitled to live there until they reached a solution about its disposal on equitable terms.

Mbeki reportedly refused to comment on the matter when contacted by the newspaper.

-Sapa

By Obakeng Maje

Three men and two women who were arrested for defrauding the City cellphone retailers with fraudulent Identity document, appeared briefly yesterday before Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on charges of fraud. 

However the matter has been postponed for further investigation and they will remain in police custody until the next court date on March 15 police said.

“One of the accused was arrested inside the retailer while waiting for the application to be processed. His accomplices were arrested in a Nissan bakkie on the N12 just outside the Northern Cape Mall” Lieutenant Olebogeng Tawana said.

“Thorough investigation and search conducted inside the bakkie, four fraudulent Identity Documents were found hidden inside the speaker box. Expensive cellphones such as Blackberry Z10, I Phone 5, Motorola as well as Samsung SIII Galaxy phone, still sealed in boxes which they obtained from the retailers using the fraudulent Identity Documents” said police. 

Police said more than ten second hand cellphones, bank debit cards and credit cards also found in their possession were also confiscated, as well as the Nissan bakkie.  

Investigation continues

By Obakeng Maje

Johannesburg-Banyana Banyana head coach Joseph Mkhonza remains confident of finishing in a good position in the Cyprus Cup despite watching his side lose 2-0  to Korea Republic in the opening match of the tournament on Wednesday, 06 March 2013.

Korea Republic scored two goals in each half to go second of  Group C behind Republic of Ireland who hammered Northern Ireland 5-1 in the other group match played last night on goal difference.

Mkhonza, the current South Africa Coach of the Year who led Banyana Banyana to the 2012 London Olympics and to a runners-up finish at the 2012 African Woman’s Championship (AWC), may have been disappointed at the end of the match but quickly picked himself up. He also lifted the spirits of the Sasol-sponsored girls in encouragement that they can still turn things around in the tournament.

“We started brightly in the opening 10 minutes but soon after we gave away a soft goal from a defensive mistake and miscommunication between our goalkeeper and right fullback. What is pleasing is that the girls fought back bravely and we regrouped, but it was too late,” said Mkhonza.

Banyana Banyana accepted the invitation to participate in the tournament (South Africa is in its fourth year of the tournament – they finished 10th out of 12 teams in 2012), to prepare for the upcoming AWC qualifiers and also create a large pool of players by trying out emerging talent such as Robyn Moodaly, Gloria Thato and Shiwe Nogwanya to name but a few.

“Our objectives to be in Cyprus can’t change overnight because of our opening day defeat. We will continue to look into giving other players a chance especially in midfield and upfront to also gain experience, and for us to see how they can handle themselves at this international level looking ahead of the qualifiers starting later this year,” he said.

Banyana Banyana face Republic of Ireland on Friday, 8 March (14h30 SA time).

“We learned the hard way from our defeat. For our next match we will look at pushing up from midfield and supplying our forwards quickly to also force the opposition into making mistakes for us to profit from. I watched Northern Ireland last night and I believe they are beatable if we knock the ball around and into space on the wings where they are not very strong,” concluded Mkhonza.

South African Football Association (SAFA) notes with interest the media reports about the Association being R100 million in the “red” after a joint media briefing between the Association and SASCOC on Tuesday, 5 March 2013.SASCOC reported to us that they examined our Audited Financial Statement that was finalised in June 2012 and had some questions regarding some figures that were not clear to them. The only item SASCOC enquired about in the meeting was whether the Association was still a going concern. We requested SASCOC to provide us with further detail on their concerns, which they undertook to do.However, SAFA pointed out to SASCOC that these answers were indeed given to our auditors in June 2012, along with a financial and asset management plan to retain the going concern status of the organisation. The plan was accepted by the auditors and has been implemented over the past 8 months.The auditors then produced an unqualified audited financial statement having satisfied themselves that SAFA is a going concern. The audited financial statements were subsequently tabled and accepted by the SAFA Annual General Meeting in September 2012.SAFA’s operations have proceeded normally since the publication of the 2011-2012 financial statement, having raised new and utilising existing revenue from various sources such as the SAFA-FIFA Legacy Trust, sponsorships, membership fees, disposal of assets and streamlining of its operations to produce an efficient administration and governance structure.The Association also has valuable properties such as Bafana Bafana, Banyana Banyana, its Second Division League and many Provincial and Regional competitions that will guarantee future income – which forms the basis of a going concern.

By Stafff Reporter

Johannesburg-Banyana Banyana head coach Joseph Mkhonza remains confident of finishing in a good position in the Cyprus Cup despite watching his side lose 2-0 to Korea Republic in the opening match of the tournament on Wednesday, 06 March 2013.

Korea Republic scored two goals in each half to go second on Group C behind Republic of Ireland who hammered Northern Ireland 5-1 in the other group match played on Wednesday night on goal difference.

Mkhonza, the current South Africa Coach of the Year who led Banyana Banyana to the 2012 London Olympics and to a runner-up finish at the 2012 African Woman’s Championship (AWC), may have been disappointed at the end of the match but quickly picked himself up. He also lifted the spirits of the Sasol-sponsored girls in encouragement that they can still turn things around in the tournament.

“We started brightly in the opening 10 minutes but soon after we gave away a soft goal from a defensive mistake and miscommunication between our goalkeeper and right fullback. What is pleasing is that the girls fought back bravely and we regrouped, but it was too late,” said Mkhonza.

Banyana Banyana accepted the invitation to participate in the tournament (South Africa is in its fourth year of the tournament – they finished 10th out of 12 teams in 2012), to prepare for the upcoming AWC qualifiers and also create a large pool of players by trying out emerging talent such as Robyn Moodaly, Gloria Thato and Shiwe Nogwanya to name but a few.

“Our objectives to be in Cyprus can’t change overnight because of our opening day defeat. We will continue to look into giving other players a chance especially in midfield and upfront to also gain experience, and for us to see how they can handle themselves at this international level looking ahead of the qualifiers starting later this year,” he said.

Banyana Banyana face the Republic of Ireland on Friday, 8 March (14h30 SA time).

“We learned the hard way from our defeat. For our next match we will look at pushing up from midfield and supplying our forwards quickly to also force the opposition into making mistakes for us to profit from. I watched the Republic of Ireland last night and I believe they are beatable if we knock the ball around and into space on the wings,” concluded Mkhonza.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) would like to extend its condolences to the Tlale family following the passing on of  the 80’s Moroka Swallows midfielder and founder member of the South African Soccer Legends, Brian “Stopper” Tlale on Tuesday night. He was 58.

“Stopper’ as he was affectionately known during his playing days, was not only a star at Moroka Swallows but was revered across the land. 

His former teammates say he was a selfless and hard working individual on and off the field. 

“He was like a lamb, a gentleman through and through, he would not even harm a fly,” said his former captain at Swallows Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba. 

After his playing days, Stopper continued to get involved with the South African soccer and was an active member of the South Africa Soccer Legends.

“This is a sad and great loss for South African football. I am confident he had a huge role to play in the future of our soccer,” added Mashaba.

Mashaba said it was upsetting that when former legends pass away, at times they were not accorded the respect they deserve in South Africa. 

“When former Manchester United legend George Best died, roads were closed and during his burial, life literally came to a standstill in the whole of Great Britain. The joy Best had given to the people of Britain was portrayed at his memorial service and funeral,” added Mashaba.

Johannesburg – The ANC has used the DA’s economic policies for its National Development Plan (NDP) for the country, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said on Thursday.

“After a thorough analysis, the (central committee) came to the extremely disturbing conclusion that significant and strategic parts of the NDP were directly lifted from DA policy documents,” Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said in Johannesburg.

“The reading of the documents is shocking, and that is what we are going to reveal to the public.”

Jim was briefing the media on the outcomes of its central committee meeting.

He said in spite of some impressive announcements by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, the “fundamental flaw” in his Budget was that it was based on the NDP.

After going through the more than 400 pages of the NDP document it came as a shock to discover this, said Jim.

At the African National Congress’ conference in Mangaung in December, delegates in commissions would have been given shortened versions of the document for their discussions and those who prepared it would have worked hard to lobby support for it.

The working class was outnumbered when it came to adopting it, he said.

Jim said Numsa had not yet formally raised this with the ANC but planned to do so in the future and also planned strikes over it.

Its major problem with the NDP was that it protected power relations of colonialism, leaving them intact.

This was a “rightwing” deviation from the Freedom Charter that would bring the country closer to an implosion among the poor if not contested, Numsa said. – Sapa