Cape Town – Poachers, aided by game rangers, have killed every single rhino in the Mozambique section of one of Southern Africa’s most vaunted transfrontier parks.
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Daily Archives: April 26, 2013
Is SA a big brother now in Africa?
Johannesburg – Is President Jacob Zuma Big Brother, flexing South Africa’s muscles in Africa as his predecessors dared not? Or is he David, slinging stones at the might of the West? Or both?
For more http://www.iol.co.za
Democratic Alliance to paint Potchefstroom “Blue”
By Obakeng Maje
Potchefstroom-Democratic Alliance will be painting Potchefstroom “Blue” tomorrow at Promosa.
DA North West will be participate in the walk about mass canvassing in Promosa aiming to paint Promosa Blue tomorrow.
“The event will include the broadening of the “Know your DA campaign” Tiaan Kotze said.
“We will be assessing the needs of the community for the coming winter and a fun soccer match organised for the youth” Kotze said.
VENUE: Promosa Community Hall. Bloemetjie street Promosa.
TIME : 10:00 – 16:00
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NWest stakeholders endorse mediation for integrated land use and development
Socio-economic benefits could accrue to the people of the North West Province if relations are harmonised and an integrated land use plan implemented, key stakeholders agreed at the conclusion of a two-day workshop on mediation strategy and plan for mining, tourism and land claims in Rustenburg on Thursday.
Participants that included representatives of the Provincial government, District and local municipalities, National Departments, Public Entities, Academic Institutions, representatives of traditional communities, chamber of mines and the mining sector, the tourism sector in both public and private sector pledged their full support and commitment to the principles that underpin the North West Mediation Strategy and Plan.
They also committed to the implementation of the strategy and plan to promote harmony among all role players to optimise their development potential.
Parties undertook to promote partnerships within a mutually beneficial and conducive environment and to collectively strife for the advancement and realisation of the mediation strategy and plan for sustainable development.
Stakeholders endorsed the National Development Plan(NDP) as the basic platform to advance development.
In his closing remarks, Darkey Africa, Head of the Provincial Planning Commission in the Office of the Premier commented participants for “taking off gloves their gloves but not putting on masks of pretence and deception about the challenges and possible solutions.”
In expressing appreciation for endorsement of the NDP, Africa said that the development plan is a plan for all. He urged stakeholders not to be tempted to use ideological determinism nor the audacity of ignorance to kill the future and dreams of people by projecting a future that never is nor ever will be.
“We must not allow the darkness of ideological and intellectual disorder to blind us not to see the prospects of a better tomorrow, as succinctly articulated in the National Development Plan with all its imperfections and reinforced by our vision for a better and a prosperous country with a capable and developmental state ready to serve our people without any revolutionary pretence and subtle Marxist deception. The audacity to ignore the truth will never triumph over the NDP,” Africa emphasised.
He said that the North West will not pontificate but will forge solidarity for the common future and advance the NDP.
The adopted mediation strategy and plan are to be presented to Premier Thandi Modise and Executive Council for consideration and determination as to how
and who is to champion its implementation.
Two men denied bail after stealing railway line brackets in Wollies
By Obakeng Maje
Wolmaranstad- North West police arrested two men at Tswelelang township near Wolmaranstad for allegedly stealing a railyway line brackets.
Police received a tip-off from a member of the community and they found three men disconnecting the railway line brackets.
“Two suspects were arrested while another one ran away. They appeared before Wolmaranstad Magistrate Court today” captain pelonomi Makau said.
Gift Malata,25 and his accomplice Oscar Moyo,26 were remanded in custody until the 03 May 2013 for bail application.
“They will appear for bail application on the 03 May 2013 as their residential address need to be verified” Makau said.
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“My ex raped me without condom”- Victim
Hawks to investigate PetroSA
Johannesburg – Anti-corruption unit the Hawks said on Friday it had opened an investigation at state oil company PetroSA, which reported “deviations” in financial procedures that a newspaper said involved millions of dollars of irregular payments.
In an investigative report published on Friday, the weekly Mail & Guardian questioned payments made when PetroSA last year secured crude oil acreage in Ghana through the acquisition of Sabre Oil and Gas Holding.
The newspaper alleged “irregular payments” ordered by top PetroSA managers totalling R200m in what it called a “feeding frenzy” at the oil company, which explores for and produces oil and natural gas. It also sells petrochemical products.
“We are investigating PetroSA, but are not at liberty to talk about the nature of the investigation,” Captain Paul Ramaloko, a spokesman for the police’s special anti-corruption unit, the Hawks, told Reuters.
Responding to the Mail & Guardian allegations about the Sabre transaction and a separate plan to buy petrol stations in South Africa, PetroSA said in a statement that such deals often required “swift decision making and quick turn-around times”.
“In the process of increasing PetroSA’s chances of successfully closing these deals, unfortunately some deviations from our normal procurement processes have occurred,” the company said.
“These were duly declared in the annual financial report of last year,” it said, adding that its board of directors had commissioned a review and would report findings to shareholders.
The acquisition of Sabre gave PetroSA access to crude from the huge Jubilee field in Ghana.
Ghana is one of Africa’s newest oil exporters and has been attracting foreign firms. Oil production from the Jubilee field ranged from 110,000 to 115,000 barrels a day over the last 3 months, just short of the expected production plateau capacity, lead operator Tullow Oil said this week.
PetroSA said in its statement that the final price of $500m “plus contingencies” it paid for Sabre was “favourable to PetroSA”.
About a month ago, the South African government’s Central Energy Fund said an energy ministry probe had discovered “serious allegations” of top executives at PetroSA, a wholly owned subsidiary of the CEF, abusing their power.
The government has reported problems of serious mismanagement and inefficiency in many state-owned companies over the last few years, and some have also faced corruption probes.
The ANC admits successive corruption scandals have been eroding confidence.
Local media frequently denounce suspected graft in government circles and the public sector, and investigations are often announced but relatively few lead to prosecutions.
The spectre of graft has caught the attention of international investors. Global credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded South Africa earlier this year citing rising corruption and deteriorating government performance among its reasons for the move.
South Africa has slid in the influential Transparency International gauge of perceived corruption from 38th in the world in 2001 when Mandela was president to 69th in 2012.- Reuters
A support for Marikana inquiry move
Rustenburg – Most parties involved in the Farlam Commission of Inquiry support a call for its hearings to be moved from Rustenburg to Pretoria, it heard on Friday.
The commission’s chairperson, retired judge Ian Farlam, was hearing oral arguments on the matter.
The commission is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 44 people in Marikana last year. Police shot dead 34 striking miners while trying to disperse them on 16 August. Ten others died in strike-related violence the preceding week.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), the evidence leaders, the families of the dead miners, and the injured and arrested miners told the commission they supported the move.
Dali Mpofu, for the arrested and injured miners, filed an application for the move in February.
Local communities
He was opposed by the Bapo ba Mogale community and the royal family, represented by Karabo Kgoroeadira, and several local municipalities.
On Friday, Kgoroeadira submitted that allowing the indigenous people to attend the hearings formed part of their healing process.
Mpofu argued that the municipalities had shown little interest in the matter until now.
Kgoroeadira said a lack of information and a lack of transport contributed to the locals not attending the hearings regularly.
She said they had made a greater effort to attend since hearing that their poor attendance could affect the decision.
Lonmin already provided a bus service to the hearings in Rustenburg, and Mpofu said he hoped the mine would continue providing transport for locals if the move was granted.
Kgoroeadira told the commission the relocation could be considered as undermining the indigenous people.
“The relocation would be detrimental to the indigenous people, therefore I call for the application to be dismissed,” she said.
Travel, accommodation costs
Mpofu argued that most of the affected parties were based in Gauteng and were spending large amounts of money on travel and accommodation costs.
Some of the legal representatives, including Mpofu, were not being paid for their services.
Mpofu said the government was spending about R500 000 a month of taxpayers’ money on the commission.
If predictions were correct, another R10m would have been spent on the commission by the time it concluded its work.
The commission heard that around R300 000 a month in costs could be saved if it relocated.
Mpofu said the Commissions Act stated that a commission established by the president could sit anywhere in the country. Therefore, arguments that the move would violate jurisdiction laws were invalid.
Legal representatives for the mineral resources department also supported Mpofu’s application.
The lawyers for the families of the deceased miners told the commission that if the hearings remained in Rustenburg, their funds would be exhausted by June 2013.
This meant they might no longer be able to continue with their representation.
Human rights lawyer George Bizos SC said the withdrawal of any legal representatives would result in a negative impact and outlook for the commission.
Farlam is expected to hold discussions with Justice Minister Jeff Radebe before making a decision on the move.
The commission continues on Monday.
SAPA
Two Stilfontein cops arrested after stealing copper cable
By Obakeng Maje
Stilfontein-Two police officers were arrested yesterday for cable theft and appeared at Stilfontein Magistrate Court before today.
“Two South African Police Service members Warrant Officer Solomon Nkoe (48) and Warrant Officer Johan Dunhin (40) appeared before the Stilfontein Magistrates’s Court on Friday on charges of possession of copper cable” Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.
The two officials will appear again on 17 May 2013 after being granted a bail of R500.00 each said police.
They were arrested yesterday after being found with 28,4 kg of Telkom copper cable in their possession.
“It is alleged that police went to the scrap yard to sell copper cables on Wednesday,and were paid an undisclosed amount of money” Ngubane said.
According to the information available at this stage, the members sold copper to a scrap yard branch which were later taken to the main branch.
“The owner was concerned when his employees told him that the copper cable were from police officials” he adds.
The owner then reported the incident to the police.
He instructed his employee to call the two police officials to bring back the money and collect the copper.
Police conducted an operation which led to the arrest of the two officials yesterday. Investigation continues.
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DA hopes budget will solve job losses
Amid looming job losses in the agricultural sector as a result of the new minimum wage, today’s budget vote, to be presented by provincial agriculture MEC Norman Shushu, is expected to touch on the restoration of jobs in the sector and investor confidence.
The province ranks among the best in the industry, especially in grape and cattle farming.
The revised sectorial determination has increased wages from R69 a day to R104, and farmers and industry stakeholders have warned that job cuts are inevitable.
For more www.thenewage.co.za
The Guardian 