Bloemfontein – The ruling party wants reliable cadres to take South Africa into the future, said ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe on Friday.

“There is a difference between a member and an cadre, you have to go through a process to become a cadre,” Mantashe told ANC members at a memorial lecture for the late Moses Kotane.

“You must be reliable… This year, it’s the beginning of the decade of the cadre.”

Mantashe said a party could not produce a cadre that was competent, disciplined, committed and contentious with only one lecture a year.

He told members they could not become cadres if they had the attitude of what was in it for them.

“You are not a cadre who could take the country and party forward.”

He said a person who could not differentiate between resources of a municipality and what was his was also not welcome.

“Yours is the salary, that’s all,” he said to huge approval of the members.

Mantashe said the party wanted community leaders who would get involved during community protests. Destroying a school to get a road was wrong.

Referring to Moses Kotane, Mantashe said future cadres would be measured against the values lived by Kotane, a former general secretary of the Communist Party in South Africa.

Kotane died in Russia and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow in 1978.

Mantashe said Kotane believed in non-racialism and despised white supremacy.

“The enemy of the liberation movement was not the white people. It was the domination by white people that was the enemy.”

He said Kotane also believed in unity and was committed to hard work to the course of the people.

“One outstanding quality of Kotane, he was incorruptible,” said Mantashe.

The ANC secretary general said Kotane was a man who would never let you down, do something behind your back or deceive a person.

SAPA

Addis Ababa – African leaders gathered on Saturday ahead of extravagant celebrations for the 50th jubilee of the continental bloc, with Africa’s myriad problems set aside for a day to mark the progress that has been made.

Mass dancing troupes are set to perform musical dramas to about 10 000 guests in a giant hall in the Ethiopian capital, home to the African Union (AU).

Today’s 54-member AU is the successor of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), established amid the heady days as independence from colonial rule swept the continent in 1963.

African leaders are expected to be joined by French President Francois Hollande, China’s Vice Premier Wang Yang and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

AU Commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the “celebration of all Africa” was “historic”, and that it was a time to both look back at the past and consider how the continent can tackle the many challenges ahead.

“The future is in our hands, its bright… the opportunities are great for the continent to be prosperous,” Dlamini-Zuma said in a statement late on Friday.

$1.27m for celebration

South African choreographer Somzi Mhlongo, who organised the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 World Cup as well as this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, said the celebrations he had organised would be “an extravaganza”.

Musicians playing include Congolese music legend Papa Wemba, Mali’s Salif Keita and British-based reggae band Steel Pulse, with giant screens set up across Addis Ababa also showing the festival.

The AU has budgeted $1.27m for Saturday’s celebrations, according to official documents seen by South Africa’s Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

AU Commission deputy chief Erastus Mwencha said he did not have the exact figure but that about $3m would be spent on Saturday’s festivities and on other events over the coming year.

The AU took over from the OAU in 2002, switching its name in a bid to shrug off its troubled past.

OAU non-interference in member states’ affairs allowed leaders to shirk democratic elections and abuse human rights without criticism from their neighbours.

In recent years, the AU’s role in combat – such as its mission in Somalia to battle al-Qaeda linked Islamists – has shown it can take concrete action, even if the funding for that mission comes mainly from Western backers.

Steady improvement

But at the same time, the splits revealed by the 2011 conflict in Libya – when members squabbled between those wanting to recognise rebels and those backing Muammar Gaddafi – showed its disunity and lack of global clout.

Gaddafi’s death also stripped the AU of a major source of funding. Leaders will discuss finding backers for the cash-strapped body at a two-day summit following Saturday’s anniversary celebrations.

Development indicators on the continent – including health, education, infant mortality, economic growth and democracy – have improved steadily in the past 50 years.

Africa is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world according to the IMF, and has attracted huge amounts of foreign investment in recent years.

At the same time 24 out of the bottom 25 nations at the bottom of UN human development index are in Africa, and the subsequent summit will tackle a range of crises the continent faces.

Mali is expected to be discussed: It is preparing to receive a UN peacekeeping force to support French soldiers fighting Islamist rebels in the desert north since January.

The agenda will also likely include Madagascar – in political deadlock since a 2009 coup – and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where United Nations-backed government soldiers are struggling to quash rebels.

AFP

North West Premier Thandi Modise wishes to congratulate centenarian Rosinah Chanki Mokoene of Hebron near Ga-Rankuwa outside Pretoria on celebrating her 100

th Birthday today.

“We wish Granny Mokoene a very Happy 100th Birthday and a healthy and pleasant future.Longevity is a blessing from God. Gray hair is indeed a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life .The province is blessed to have among its senior citizen someone who has lived 1200 months –5200 weeks — 36,500 days-876,000 hours — over 52 million minutes — over 3 billon seconds to reach Granny  Mokoene ’s admirable age. Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days,” says Premier Modise. 

Premier would have loved to share special day with Granny Mokoene but has delegated MEC for Social Development, Women, Children and People with disabilities, Mosetsanagape Mokomele-Mothibi to represent her at the birthday celebration function organised by the Mokeone and Moumakoe families as she is nursing flu.

Modise calls on communities to love and care for the aged and protect them against abuse and neglect.

Alternative accommodation has to be provided for thousands of illegal squatters occupying private land in Klerksdorp, North West, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ordered on Friday.

The court instructed the Matlosana municipality to provide the squatters with alternative accommodation within 21 days.

Civil rights group AfriForum brought the application seeking an eviction order against the squatters living in Meiringspark.

Respondents in the court case included representatives of the Matlosana municipality and the occupants.

Despite notices of Friday’s court process, none of the listed respondents turned up at court.

Attorney Werner Human, for AfriForum, said there was no formal opposition to the proposed eviction in court, but an eviction order was not granted on Friday because of a legal technicality.

“Remarkably, we had no opposition from the occupants to oppose this proposed eviction. However, the Prevention of Illegal Eviction Act says the court cannot grant an order against people if they have occupied a certain space for longer than six months,” he said.

“Even if the people have not filed any opposing papers, even if they have not pitched up at court [to oppose the eviction]. Alternative accommodation has to be provided.”

Alternative accommodation

The legislation appeared to favour the occupiers, said Human.

“We will now have to serve our application to the municipality, with the order for it to provide the illegal occupants with alternative accommodation within the [next] 21 days,” he said.

The municipality was expected to present a report on the removal of the squatters to the high court when the matter resumed in July.

Human said due to the stipulations of the act, the legal battle to evict the Klerksdorp squatters could become drawn-out.

SAPA

Pretoria – Mineral Resource Minister Susan Shabangu said on Friday that violence and murder could not be used to coerce people to join a union. 

“We are calling for a peaceful co-existence of unions in the mining industry; let freedom of association prevail,” Shabangu told the NUM central committee meeting held in Pretoria.

“The NUM is not the enemy of Amcu and Amcu is not and should not be the enemy of NUM.”

Shabangu said the unions needed to join hands as they had one common class enemy — “monopoly capital”.

The mining sector has lately seen fierce rivalry between the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) that has led to to violent labour unrest in North West.

Shabangu said this was a testing time for NUM, but the union needed to represent its members without fear or favour.

SAPA

By Obakeng Maje

Klerksdorp-A 43 year old suspect from Doringkruin in Klerksdorp was on Thursday at about 14:00 arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation( the Hawks) of Rustenburg, in Rustenburg CBD.

“It is alleged that the suspect  was caught after gazing people who were doing transactions at one of the bank ATMs in Rustenburg CBD” Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said. The police who were conducting their observation at the bank during that time spotted a suspicious man whom they recognised as one of the bank card cloners, standing suspiciously behind an unsuspecting victim who was busy withdrawing money from the machine.

“Police quickly approached, questioned searched him and found a Scheming Device in his possession. He led the police to his car which was parked nearby where the search continued and thirty (30) different bank cards were found in his car” Ngubane said.

“He was immediately arrested and further led the police to his residential place in Klerksdorp where another search was conducted on Friday at about 09:00 in the morning” said police. 

Police allegedly recovered 2 laptops and computer.

They were seized for further investigation. 

The suspect’s vehicle which he was driving during the arrest was also confiscated. 

“Police are also looking into forfeiting the suspect’s assets if they find out that he benefitted from these horrible activities” said Ngubane.

The suspect is still in custody and is expected to appear before Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face charges of Fraud and Electronic Communication and Transaction Act.

North West police warn the community on an ongoing cloning or skimming of bank cards. 

“Card cloning and ATM fraud is one of the concerns of the police as it cost victims of an estimated R20 million per month in the North West Province only” police said. 

It is alleged that most of the suspects are from Jouberton township in Klerksdorp.  

Police are determined to leave no stone unturned in dealing with these types of crime. 

Police are appealing to the public to be alert when withdrawing money from the ATM’s. 

“The simplest and easiest way to prevent your card from being used by fraudsters is to stand close to the ATM and cover the keypad when you enter the PIN” Ngubane said. 

“This will stop shoulder surfers from stealing your PIN number and prevent it from being read with a hidden camera on the ATM, which is a method used by fraudsters.” concludes police.  

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Johannesburg – The rand weakened, extending its third week of declines, on concern labor unrest will curb growth in Africa’s largest economy.

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

The Office of North West Premier is targeting completion and rollout of a Provincial Anti corruption strategy that will comprehensively combat corruption .The strategy is expected to be finalised during the current financial year, Premier Thandi Modise announced on Thursday.

“We will continue to engage critical stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of this strategy,” committed Premier Modise in her 2013/2014 Departmental Policy Statement and Budget Speech delivered in the provincial legislature.

Three hundred and seventy two cases across departments and municipalities reported through the National Anti-Corruption Hotline were referred to the province for investigation.

Modise committed that her department will ensure that there is compliance with the Minimum Anti-Corruption Capacity.

Milestone achieved during the 2012/2013 financial year include hosting the annual provincial round table discussion on the promotion of professional ethics in the workplace which was hosted with the Provincial Anti-Corruption Forum.

World governing soccer body (FIFA) has assigned SAFA’s Acting Technical Director Fran Hilton-Smith to conduct a five-day coaching course in Kampala, Uganda in grassroots development.

The FIFA coaching course which started on Monday, 20 May, is meant for development coaches; both men and women.

The course which entails taking part in theoretical and practical work will conclude on Saturday, 25 May 2013.

Hilton-Smith, who is a qualified FIFA instructor, says it is an honour and a privilege to be sharing her knowledge in grassroots football with the rest of the continent.

“It is an absolute honour and privilege to share my knowledge in Africa as a FIFA Instructor. Uganda has always been an active country in women’s football and hopefully this course will ensure that more players are developed for the future,” said Hilton-Smith.

The course is mainly being attended by teachers and coaches from all corners of this East African country.

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Bloemfontein – A farmer’s wife who is accused of killing her husband allegedly went to see a sangoma to make the case against her “disappear”.

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