The situation has returned to normal at Tlhwahalang High School in Valspan, in Jan Kempdorp, after parents had kept their children home in protest against the principal’s suspension.

On Monday, parents, teachers and school governing body members closed the school gates, demanding the reinstatement of the principal Aubrey Modiakgotla. He was suspended by the department of education seven months ago over corruption and maladministration of funds claims.

The general feeling at the school was that Modiakgotla was not given a charge sheet.

The Congress of the South African Students (Cosas) thanked parents for sending the children back to school.

Cosas deputy president Tshepo Louw on Monday met teachers, the SGB and the parents and asked them to allow pupils to go back to class.

“Parents need to understand their role is to guide their kids and teachers should understand that their role is to teach, not engage in politics,” Louw said.

Department of education spokesperson Sidney Stander said they met with parents and teachers on Monday and the delay around the completion of the disciplinary process of the principal was addressed.

Last year in Olifantshoek pupils were kept away from school for most of the year as the community demanded the removal of the mayor and a tarred road.

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

DA NWest leader criticism attempt to downplay call for bold steps to overcome challenges facing municipalities

Democratic Alliance North West Provincial leader and member of the Provincial Legislature Chris Hattingh’s criticism of Premier Thandi Modise’s comments on the 2011-2012 Municipal Finance Audit Outcomes are nothing but cheap politics, usual theatrics from Hattingh to draw attention to himself and a desperate attempt to downplay the call for bold steps to be taken to overcome challenges facing municipalities.

The media statement issued by Hattingh under the heading” Modise’s latest rant about NW Municipalities sounds hollow” on Wednesday 10 April 2013 suggest that either Hattingh is trapped in the blame game mode like an old musical record with a scratch or he is genuinely unaware that municipalities are in terms of the constitution

  of the Republic of South Africa autonomous.

The broadside that Hattingh threw at Premier Modise is part of the DA’s strategy to drive a wedge between the provincial government and municipalities and between the Executive Council and portfolio committees within the provincial legislature.

Hattingh’s deafening silence on provincial intervention in Matlosana, Ditsobotla and Maquassi Hills and tacit support to those opposed to the interventions as they

  threaten their interests in the said municipalities have betrayed that he is not interested in functional municipalities but a divided ANC.

His criticism of the ruling party’s two centres of power in the province which has nothing to do with the AG’s audit outcomes is yet another disguised attempt to fan the flames of division within the ranks of the ruling party for the benefit his party.

Premier Modise has consistently urged municipalities to employ qualified, skilled and experienced senior managers to accelerate and deliver quality services to our communities and will thus not be sidetracked by Hattingh from focusing and pushing for implementation of the local government turnaround strategy which is the only hope for our communities.

Corruption and maladministration in municipalities across the province were not swept under the carpet as Hattingh suggest but were investigated by the Special Investigating Unit(SIU) appointed by President Jacob Zuma. The SIU final report earlier announced for release this month were not part of the Audit General’s 2011-2012 Municipal audit findings. 

Their link to the AG’s audit findings while they are not mentioned in the report proves that the fork-tongued Hattingh is a charlatan and a demagogue.

The Premier’s call for municipalities to appoint qualified, skilled and experienced senior managers was not based on any forensic investigation as circumspectly suggested by Hattingh but on the AG’s findings.

All forensic reports that Hattingh is demanding from the Premier in his attempt to divert the public from interventions to deal with non-performers, accelerate and deliver quality services to communities were not commissioned by the Modise Administration in municipalities and do not relate to the local government turnaround strategy.

  To the best of our knowledge Hattingh has not seen nor read the report on audit outcomes as it will only be distributed to municipalities, legislature, stakeholders and the public during the AG’s Provincial roadshow to be held in the province on 18 April 2013.

Only a desperate psychotic demagogue would use last year’s audit findings to criticise Premier Modise on her comments on the findings of a report he has not seen.

Durban – A kwaito musician will have to face the music for wearing an eThekwini metro police uniform to an awards ceremony, the NPA said on Wednesday.

The National Prosecuting Authority had issued a summons for Mkhonzeni “Professor” Langa to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on May 17, spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson said.

He would face charges of impersonating a police officer, possession of a police uniform, and wearing a police uniform, in violation of the SAPS Act of 1995.

He wore the uniform at the Metro FM Music Awards held in Durban on February 23. He had been expected to appear in court the following week, but the chief prosecutor referred the case back to police for further investigation.

Ramkisson said on Wednesday the investigation had been completed and the senior public prosecutor had decided to take the matter to court.

Under the SA Police Service Act it is an offence for anyone not a police officer to wear a police uniform without permission. The act also regulates unauthorised use of metro police uniforms.

If convicted, Langa could be fined or sentenced to six months in jail. Impersonating a police officer carries a jail term of up to two years.

Ethekwini mayor James Nxumalo was among those who saw Langa receiving his two awards in the uniform. – Sapa

Johannesburg – A legal attempt to push advocate George Bizos SC, Cabinet Minister Tokyo Sexwale and attorney Bally Chuene out of companies connected to former president Nelson Mandela will be opposed.

“We are instructed to record our clients’ complete rejection of the scurrilous allegations made by the applicants in their papers,” Michael Hart, director at the law firm Norton Rose, said in a statement.

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

Ajax Cape Town and Orlando Pirates will both be desperate for the points on offer when they clash at Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday. 

Kick-off at 18h30.

Ajax claimed their first League win of 2013 this past weekend when they defeated Free State Stars 4-2 at home.

The Cape Town team has recorded four wins, five draws and two defeats from their 11 home matches so far this season. The Urban Warriors are placed 14th on the log with 22 points from 23 matches.

For more http://www.kickoff.com

Eastern Cape – A newborn baby has been kicked to death in Mqanduli, near Mthatha, Eastern Cape police said on Wednesday.

Major Zamukulungisa Jozana said a woman went to a neighbour’s house for help when she went into labour on Sunday.

“On her arrival at the neighbour’s house, she gave birth to an infant.

“Immediately thereafter, the owner of the house entered and became furious, kicking the infant wrapped in a jacket. The infant died immediately,” said Jozana.

The man apparently ran away when he realised the baby had died, police said.

The motive was not known and no arrests had been made. – Sapa

Six Athletics SA (ASA) board members were suspended on Wednesday, ASA president James Evans said.

He said vice-president Hendrick Ramaala and financial manager Terrence Magogodela were among them.

“Six board members have been suspended pending the outcome of disciplinary cases against them which have been referred to the disciplinary committee,” Evans said in a statement.

“The cases will be finalised as soon as reasonably and fairly possible if the suspended members co-operate with the disciplinary committee.”

Ramaala, a former elite marathon runner, Shireen Noble, Esther Malema, Pieter Lourens, James Moloi and Qwadiso Ntathu would all face disciplinary hearings.

Evans said Morgan Matholeni had been appointed as acting ASA general manager.

Last week, Evans obtained an urgent interdict in the High Court in Pretoria, preventing ASA board members from taking any further action in their attempt to remove him from his post, pending the result of an arbitration hearing.

Evans believed the board failed to follow constitutional processes last month when a meeting was called to have him impeached.

“Certain board members continued with their course of conduct, which ultimately brought them into breach of the court order,” Evans said.

Since the motion of impeachment was passed, Evans said ASA had descended into a state of chaos.

The ASA bank account had been frozen, despite the embattled federation receiving a financial boost last month when it signed a new broadcast rights deal with the SABC.

Overdue payments had not been made, which included outstanding prize money to athletes, and ASA had received “several threats of legal action”, including from the SA Revenue Service (Sars).

Evans confirmed that staff members had not been paid, and he criticised the board for not pursuing allegations of improper behaviour in the finance department.

“In short, those board members involved have left the sport in disarray,” Evans said.

“While making… allegations against me of running the sport as a one-man show, the board members concerned have been taking decisions without referring to other board members or following any policy and procedures.

“This has to end if the organisation is to not be liquidated. Money which should be spent on the sport is wasted on further personal political battles, and the sport [is] damaged irretrievably.”

The special general meeting scheduled to be held in Stellenbosch on Saturday would go ahead as planned.

The agenda would include a reconsideration of the decision made at the SGM in Johannesburg in March to impeach Evans. An independent commission of inquiry would also be set up to investigate the affairs of ASA and its financial situation.

“The focus of ASA shall be on restoring the organisation’s administrative and financial integrity and then rebuilding confidence in the sport, which has taken such a battering during the past month,” Evans said.

Evans’s impeachment followed accusations that he made payments to himself from ASA’s coffers, entered into various agreements and settlements with ASA staff without the board’s knowledge, and instructed the chief financial officer to make payments without the board’s authority.

Evans and Ramaala squared off in a public spat through the media following the SGM. While Evans maintained that he was still ASA president, Ramaala, who called the previous meeting, reportedly claimed Evans had been suspended.

-Sapa

THE reintroduction of crowd-control netting at football stadiums was mooted at a Premier Soccer League management meeting on Monday following the weekend’s vuvuzela attack debacle.

Fresh security concerns were raised on Saturday when a pitch invader attempted to strike referee Lwandile Mfiki with a vuvuzela draped with a Kaizer Chiefs flag during an Absa Premiership clash between Lamontville Golden Arrows and Amakhosi at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Chiefs and the PSL quickly condemned the act and two supporters have been charged and each was released on R500 bail.

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