Johannesburg – Government will establish its own government school in order to improve skills, ethics and professionalism in the public sector, Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said on Thursday.

“This school will educate, train, professionalise and develop a highly capable, skilled, socially and committed public service cadreship with a sense of national duty and a common culture and ethos,” Sisulu said in a speech.

“As a recognition of our public need that there is a ‘competency gap filling’ among public servants that is urgent, the school will be established before the end of October this year.”

“Our new school of government will as a consequence seek to institutionalise a culture of professionalism and innovative thinking within the public service and serve as a catalyst for reform,” she said.

Improve efficiency

Sisulu said regardless of a person’s political orientation, religious background, rank or seniority “for as long as you are a public servant you will attend this school.”

She told the Tshwane branch of the Black Management Forum that government existed to meet the basic needs of people.

“Governments exist fundamentally to meet the basic and human needs of its people and to create an environment where they can exercise their right to life and right to freedom.”

However, government had experienced complexities as a result of influences of the global economic and fiscal crises.

Sisulu said the National Development Plan identified that the country needed to improve its efficiency in the state machinery.

She said to achieve the developmental state discussed in the NDP, government must ensure that state administration at all levels was effective, efficient, professional and capable.

The first space at which government moved was to engage labour through the 2012 collective agreement, she said.

Professional public service

“We jointly committed that our citizens are entitled to have a professional public service rewarded for hard work,” she said.

To professionalise the public sector, government took a decision to investigate salary levels to ensure that public servants were appropriately remunerated.

“Here the notion of equal work for equal pay has been mooted.”

An office of standards of compliance had since been established with the department to promote a high standard of professional ethics and compliance to norms and standards across the public service.

“Our view is that this office will detect, intervene and assist in developing managerial and supervisory systems, especially in the areas of human resource and financial management…,” Sisulu said.

“Our view is that our citizens’ contact and access to public services and goods must be similar across the length and breadth of our country, irrespective of whether it is in a metropole or rural village.”

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Advocate and Judicial Services Commission (JSC) spokesperson Dumisa Ntsebeza has criticised the government for not employing black advocates, it was reported on Friday.

Ntsebeza said this was driving black advocates out of the profession, The Star newspaper reported.

According to the report, Ntsebeza felt a policy should exist where no white advocate should be briefed by the government if they did not have a black, Indian or coloured junior assisting.

He said government used mainly white law firms and advocates such as David Unterhalter and Jeremy Gauntlett, who were made out to be “superhuman”.

Unterhalter and Gauntlett recently represented the SA National Roads Agency Limited and the Treasury respectively in the case against e-tolling in Gauteng.

Gauntlett was passed over earlier this year by the JSC for a position on the Constitutional Court.

Ntsebeza told the newspaper that many black and women advocates left the profession because of a lack of briefs from the state, which was the biggest consumer of legal services in the country.

He was commenting on a written parliamentary reply from Justice Minister Justice Radebe, who said his department was well on its way to fast-tracking the appointment of black and women judges.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu will not vote for the ANC, he wrote in an opinion piece carried by the Mail&Guardian on Friday.

“I have voted for the ANC, but I would very sadly not be able to vote for them after the way things have gone,” he wrote in a piece for Prospect magazine, which was carried by the Mail&Guardian.

“I am not a card-carrying member of any political party,” he said.

Tutu said there was a need for change in the country.

The African National Congress had been “very good” at leading the country in the struggle to be free from oppression.

“They were a good freedom-fighting unit. But it doesn’t seem to me now that a freedom-fighting unit can easily make the transition to becoming a political party.”

He said the “first thing” the next elected Parliament had to do was to change the electoral system so one was elected on the basis of the constituency, and would be accountable to the electorate.

“Those in Parliament are accountable to their party first rather than the electorate.”

Tutu wrote that although the country had the capacity to be one of the most vibrant countries in the world, it had the most unequal society in the world.

“We can’t hold our heads up with pride when you think of the levels of violence in our country.”

He wrote that South Africans were “amazing”. They had been committed to freedom during the political struggle, and had been ready to lay down their lives.

“But now one can point to so many instances of corruption, of unaccountability,” he wrote.

“Seeing how standards have dropped is so galling, because it seems to give ammunition to those who would say: ‘we warned you that once you had a black majority government you would see a steady decline in standards’.”

– SAPA

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has apologised for seeing red in the Nedbank Cup semi-final, explaining that a personal tragedy sparked his actions.

Baxter was sent of by referee Victor Gomez in the match against United FC on May 4 for abusive language, and will have to watch Amakhosi’s final two matches from the stands.

The coach explains that he heard the news that a player at his former club had passed away before the match, putting him under psychological stress.

“I was probably over-emotional on the day after receiving the news of the death of my goalkeeper at my former club AIK in Stockholm, Sweden,” Baxter tells kaizerchiefs.com. “Ivan Turina died in his sleep on the 2nd of May, the news that shattered not only me but my whole family and sent shock waves in Swedish football.”

However, the coach also adds that he believes his dismissal was harshly awarded.

“It was at the end of the game and I had not been warned before this incident,” he says.

“At the end of the day I take responsibility for my actions. I would like to apologise for my action to the referee and I regret that this happened – although it was in the heat of the moment.”

Chiefs are top of the Premiership log. Their final two League fixtures are against SuperSport United and University of Pretoria.

For more http://www.kickoff.com

While the race for the Absa Premiership title continues this weekend, football fans in the Free State are eagerly gearing up for the derby between Bloemfontein Celtic and Free State Stars.

Both teams are looking to end the season on a strong note to ensure that they can secure a top eight finish.

Celtic are in fifth spot at present, while Stars are eighth, but only three points separate the two rivals. And there are also a couple of teams hovering just outside the top eight that could be ready to pounce should any of the current incumbents slip up.

The points on offer are of course vital, but for the players, and even more so the supporters, Saturday’s clash at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein will be very much about pride and bragging rights.

And Phunya Sele Sele fans will know that in their captain Thabo Nthethe, they have someone who will be prepared to die out on the field to make sure that they go home happy.

The 28-year-old Bloemfontein-born defender is green and white through and through, having spent his entire career with his home-town club after having made his PSL debut back in 2004/ 2005.

The Bafana Bafana centre-back is hopeful that his side can add another derby scalp to the current campaign – Celtic have already beaten Stars twice this season.

“Stars beat us in the league, but then we went on to beat them twice in cup competitions. So hopefully we can continue where we left off in those games, and get another win on Saturday.

“We are in good form now, and we are targeting a top four finish, which we could achieve by winning our last two games,” he told PSL.co.za.

Nthethe says that the derby fever is tangible in Bloemfontein, and he understands how much this one means to the fans.

“Everyone is talking about the game. Everybody wants to be at the stadium for the match, there is a great vibe around town at the moment.

“Its always good walking out in front of our home fans, but for this game there is something extra in the air, you can feel it when you get out onto the pitch,” he explained.

The two clubs have played in 43 league derbies since 1986. Ea Lla Koto currently hold the advantage, with 14 wins to Celtic’s 12, while there have been 17 draws.

The last 10 league encounters ended as follows:

2007/08 Stars 1-0 Celtic Sibisi

2008/09 Celtic 1-0 Stars Mensah (og)

2008/09 Stars 5-1 Celtic (Makola, Mofokeng, Batabaire (og), Madimabe, Ngcobo; Schalkwyk)

2009/10 Celtic 2-2 Stars (Olomu 2; Richartz, Nkhatha)

2009/10 Stars 0-1 Celtic (Segolela)

2010/11 Stars 0-1 Celtic (Chenene)

2010/11 Celtic 1-0 Stars (Mthembu)

2011/12 Celtic 1-0 Stars (Spandeel)

2011/12 Stars 2-1 Celtic (Wome, Masehe; Bacela)

2012/13 Stars 1-0 Celtic (Nomandela)

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

PAMPIERSTAD: The Pampierstad SAPS are investigating cases of murder, armed robbery and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition which allegedly took place on Saturday 4 May 2013. A group of men entered a local tuck shop and allegedly robbed the 28 year-old owner at gun-point from an undisclosed amount of cash and groceries. Upon fleeing they ran into Mr Isaac Pico (25), a neighbour who came to investigate the noise. He was shot in the head and died on the scene. Seven men were arrested at their homes in Pampierstad the next day. Police also found the firearm allegedly used during the crime. The seven suspects are James Thladi (23), Malebo Mahadika (22), Serami Bosvark (21), Lebogang Pilane (24), Olebogeng Ndineni (19), Otsile Monamudi (20) and Dumisani Mocumi (23). They appeared before the Pampierstad District Court, but the case was remanded to 14 May 2013. The men are also linked to another recent armed robbery as well as an attempted armed robbery in the area. The Pampierstad police were lauded for the swift arrests and the community for their assistance with information in this regard. Police request that information regarding the incident be forwarded to Detective Captain Lesang Moratiwa at 082 443 8640

For more http://www.kathugazette.com

A cloud of sorrow hung over the graduation ceremony for the human and social science faculty at North West University Mafikeng Campus yesterday following the death of Lesedi Motsamai.

Lesedi was set to graduate with a BA Communications degree but she died in a tragic accident on Sunday while preparing for the occasion.

She hailed from Gaara-Gaetsalwe village in Makgobistadt, outside Mahikeng.

News of her death was received with shock and sadness by the university community and members of the public.

Campus Rector Prof Dan Kgwadi told those who attended an earlier graduation on Wednesday that the university had decided to call a family member to receive Lesedi’s certificate.  

The Marketing and Communications department at the university expressed the institution’s condolences to the Motsamai family and indicated that the university shared the grief.

Lesedi’s funeral is set for Saturday in Makgobistadt.

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za 

Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund leaves for Cairo, Egypt tonight (Thursday, 9 May 2013) to attend a symposium to analyse the 28th and 29th Editions of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations (Gabon and Equatorial Guinea 2012 and South Africa 2013).

The gathering will take place from 11 – 13 May 2013 in the Egyptian capital and will be attended by coaches whose countries participated in the two Editions. Also in attendance will be the continent’s Technical Directors.

Igesund will be among the coaches that will make a presentation about football on the continent and will share his experience with other top coaches from across the African continent.

“I am hoping to represent South Africa well and show the outside world that we were and are always great hosts. But most importantly, I will promote our league structures and showcase how strong it is. I will talk about Bafana Bafana in relation to the AFCON tournament; what was missing from the whole tournament, not just our national team but what I think should be improved overall,” said Igesund.

Also invited to the top notch seminar is Spain’s head coach Vicente del Bosque, who is expected to share some of his experiences with the delegates.

Igesund will travel together with SAFA’s Acting Technical Director, Ms. Fran Hilton-Smith.

She will be among Fifty-four (54) Technical Directors in attendance at this ground breaking event. 

“I feel honoured to be attending this event and hope to draw lots of knowledge from this momentous gathering. I also intend implementing my findings from this conference at junior national team level. I am happy that we have been given an opportunity to attend this meeting of soccer greats from our continent,” said Hilton-Smith.

“Although I was not directly involved with our own national team, I worked with the team that helped put together the CAF Technical Report for the past tournament. In Egypt we will look at the methods and the formula successful teams use in tournaments so that we can in turn use this back home for our junior national teams,” said Hilton-Smith.

The duo returns to South Africa on Wednesday, 15 May 2013.