Johannesburg – Next year we will be commemorating the 20th anniversary of our democratic statehood. Surprisingly, a debate about whether we should continue to blame apartheid for our failures to deliver has erupted.

For more http://www.iol.co.za

Pretoria – Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on Thursday accused unnamed leaders of the trade union federation of treason for feeding rumours to the media.

“At this stage I am of the view that there can be no common ground with those leaders who are sources. Either they succeed to divide and weaken (the Congress of SA Trade Unions) Cosatu or we expose and crush them,” he said.

Vavi was addressing the National Union of Metalworkers of SA’s (Numsa) bargaining conference in Pretoria.

He said divisions and back-stabbing had widened rifts and shifted the focus from the main concern of championing the cause of the down-trodden.

“Eventually, it may take months, or years but we shall defeat these individuals. I have no doubt about that. What they are doing is worse than committing treason.”

He said he had repeatedly challenged his distracters to publicise evidence of crooked deals allegedly involving him.

“We say there is no investigation. They say ‘there is something and he is going now’. If they have evidence about any form of allegation they would have given it to the newspapers long back,” he said.

“I have challenged them ‘bring it on, let’s see’. The day you can prove that I betrayed the workers’ trust by stealing from them, that’s the day I don’t deserve to be in the position I occupy. I will walk away.”

Vavi rubbished reports alleging that he had been caught up in accusations of impropriety in the sale of Cosatu’s old headquarters in Leyds Street, Braamfontein.

“I have asked that the sources provide newspapers with information showing that Vavi and his family benefited from the sale of the building.

“Last Sunday there were five articles on me, in different newspapers, (reporting that) there is an investigation and corruption,” he said.

“In the end, it is not even the parasitic sections of capital, but the real ruling class that will be the main beneficiaries of these divisions the sources are promoting.”

On employment equity, Vavi said the workforce in South Africa did not reflect the demographic profile of the country’s population, of which blacks constituted 78.9 percent, whites 9.6 percent, coloureds 9.1 percent and Indians 2.9 percent.

“We are told that apparently in the (Democratic Alliance-led) Western Cape there is even a greater regression (on employment equity), particularly in Cape Town. They are going to the opposite of where the country is going,” said Vavi.

“They are showing us a window of what to expect if they (the DA) were to win a national election. (That would be) the end of employment equity under the so-called equal opportunities. They say ‘forget about apartheid, (there are) equal opportunities.” – Sapa

Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma has not take a decision to establish a commission of inquiry into alleged problems in South African football, the presidency said on Thursday.

“The matter is still being looked into, and such consideration will take into account the relevant legal framework and protocols governing football, domestic and international,” spokesperson Mac Maharaj said in a statement.

Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula had written to President Zuma requesting a commission of inquiry in terms of Section 84 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

SAPA

Johannesburg – The family of Nelson Mandela sought on Thursday to present a united front in a dispute with longtime associates of the former South African president over control of two companies.

For more http://www.iol.co.za

Fifa has sent a warning to Safa and Minister of Sport and Recreation Fikile Mbalula that government interference is not allowed in running of soccer in the country.

World football’s governing body met with the minister in Zurich earlier in the month to discuss the setting up of the Independent Judicial Commission of Enquiry into match-fixing.

This relates to a number of Bafana Bafana matches in the build-up to the 2010 World Cup.

At the meeting in was decided that the government would set up the Commission of Enquiry, but not to cross the boundaries as per agreed upon.

“Herewith we would like to emphasise that any other issues not related to the above should be handled entirely by the South African Football Association (Safa), as otherwise this would constitute interference in the internal affairs of the Safa affairs by a third party and would clearly violate the principles contained in articles 13 and 17 of the Fifa Statutes,” read the letter signed by Fifa Secretary-General Jerome Valcke.

For more http://www.kickoff.com

Johannesburg – Kirsty Theologo, who died after being set alight in an apparent satanic ritual, wanted to be sacrificed, the South Gauteng High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court heard on Thursday.

A magistrate testified on Thursday that one of the accused, Lindon Wagner, made a sworn statement to him admitting to setting Theologo and her friend, who was 14 at the time, alight in October 2011.

Wagner, Robin Harwood, Harvey Isha, and Courtney Daniels have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder, and assault to cause grievous bodily harm.

In October 2011, Theologo was doused with petrol and set alight on a hill behind the Linmeyer swimming pool south of Johannesburg.

She died a week later in Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

Her friend, who was also burnt, survived.

The sacrifice

In the statement, Wagner said Theologo said she wanted to be sacrificed three weeks before the attack at the hill, and that the accused and the girls had spoken about Satanism before.

“It was only under the influence of drugs where we spoke of Satanism,” Wagner said in the statement.

He said that before the group went to the hill they took drugs and alcohol.

The court heard that he tied Theologo and the other girl up with a rope, as if something was controlling him.

He drew a star on a rock and this was where the alleged ritual took place.

Wagner realised what he had done only after the attack.

Earlier, Theologo’s mother testified that her daughter bought dagga before the group went to the hill.

While they were there, Theologo rolled the dagga and smoked it with some of the other youths, she told the court.

The case continues.

– SAPA

The North West Parks and Tourism Board will host exciting events to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the annual Heritage Park Walk this year.

The Heritage Park Walk is a project that seeks to establish a corridor between the Pilanesberg and Madikwe game reserves. The 108km walk will take place over four days in June.

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

The provincial SA Local Government Association (Salga) has added its voice to the growing call for a review of the imposition of Section 139 (1) (b) on three municipalities in the province.

This follows a provincial executive council (Exco) decision to put the Matlosana, Maquassi Hills and Ditsobotla local municipalities under administration, citing a collapsed administration and failure to render services.

Acting local government MEC Paul Sebegoe visited the affected municipalities last week to communicate the new development.

The North-West University (NWU) Mafikeng Campus has heightened the tempo in students’ extra-curricular activities after it awarded R5000 bursaries to the winners of the Miss and Mr NWU 2013 beauty pageant.

The two, Gontse Rakobane and Tshepo Moyaga were on Monday given royal treatment after they were crowned winners at a glamorous ball held on Thursday.

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

Rustenburg – An instruction for police to review their handling of public unrest was ignored at Marikana, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Thursday.

National police commissioner Riah Phiyega signed the document giving the order weeks before the unrest at Marikana in August.

On August 16, police shot dead 34 striking miners near Lonmin’s platinum mine.

The instruction was that a high-ranking police officer had to compile a report on how public unrest cases were handled.

“Our interpretation was that our preparation for this commission  would form part of our review and it would produce the same results (as a police probe),” Phiyega said while being cross-examined by Dumisa Ntsebeza, for the families of the dead miners.

Ntsebeza criticised Phiyega for failing to have a full internal review conducted.

“The proper way to have done this would have been for you to ensure that a proper review is done and that those results are presented to this commission.”

Ntsebeza said it was inconceivable that Phiyega failed to have her instructions carried out.

President Jacob Zuma announced on August 17 that a commission would investigate the Marikana violence.

“Was the announcement (by Zuma) sufficient enough for you to think you shouldn’t conduct your own internal review?” Ntsebeza asked.

“So you decided to collapse what would have been an internal investigation… because you thought this commission would form part of your investigation?”

The commission, sitting in Rustenburg, is investigating the events that led to the killing of 44 people during a strike by Lonmin workers in August last year. – Sapa