A new initiative to find an HIV vaccine has been announced at the South African Aids Conference in Durban.

This 10 year initiative builds on unexpected results from a study in Thailand which found some immune responses from the body to suppress the HI virus.

This new initiative is called ‘Uhambo’, meaning journey. University of the Witwatersrand Aids researcher Dr Glenda Gray says the first step will be to see if South African volunteers show the same response as those in Thailand.

After that, elements of subtype C of the HI virus that is most common in Southern Africa will be inserted in the vaccine and tested.

Various vaccines will be tested over the 10 year period. HIV Trials Network executive Director James Kublin says the first study has just begun and will last till the end of the year.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

19 June 2013 marks the Centenary of the introduction of the Natives Land Act in 1913. The Act restricted black people to own land in certain territories only and had a shattering impact on communities across the country.

Christelle du Toit reports that land reform remains an emotional issue, with much that remains to be done, but that there are examples of it both working and failing.

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

The Somali Interior Ministry has confirmed that two South Africans are among the 15 people killed in an attack on the United Nations (UN) Compound in Somali’s capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia’s al-Qaeda linked al-Shabaab insurgents have claimed responsibility for the attack. It is the first major attack targeting the UN since the agencies started relocating to Mogadishu after a 20-year absence.

The compound, which includes both residential and office areas is a short distance from the airport, which is the base of the African Union troops. The compound is guarded by its own security officers.

The Somali government and the African Union Mission for Somalia have condemned the attacks terming them cowardly and futile attacks. AMISOM says the attacks will not deter the mission’s collective efforts to continue supporting the people of Somalia rebuild their country.

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon condemned the brazen daylight raid as a “senseless and despicable attack on innocent UN civilians”.

Shebab fighters, who boasted about the killings, used both a car bomb and suicide attackers to blast their way into the fortified base in central Mogadishu near the airport.

UN sources said one staff member and two contractors were killed along with at least two Somali security guards, although the nationalities of the foreigners could not be immediately confirmed.

Security warnings of an attack have been in place for weeks, and UN staff regularly practise sheltering in a secure bunker inside the compound.

“Our commandos attacked the UN compound … we set off an explosion and entered the compound,” a senior Shebab official told AFP, saying they entered to attack “the infidel forces.”

Somali and African Union troops later moved into the complex – despite the Islamists battling back with heavy gunfire – to end the hour-and-a-half siege.

“The situation is under control… Somali soldiers along with African Union forces stormed the compound and killed the attackers,” said Somali police official Abdulahi Osman.

He said three civilians were confirmed killed, caught in the crossfire in the streets near the compound.

UN sources said one staff member and two contractors were killed along with at least two Somali security guards, although the nationalities of the foreigners could not be immediately confirmed. – Additional reporting by Sapa-AFP

Johannesburg – The DA plans to file another motion of no confidence against Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale after reports of alleged travel abuse on Wednesday.

“Tomorrow [Thursday], the DA will make a formal appeal to the speaker, Rudolph Phala, to review his refusal to allow a DA motion of no confidence against Premier Mathale to be debated,” said Democratic Alliance Limpopo legislature caucus leader Desiree van der Walt in a statement.

On Wednesday, The Star reported that Mathale allegedly spent thousands of rands flying “short” distances in chartered helicopters. Last month, he spent R60 000 travelling 161km, according to the newspaper.

“We believe that the speaker now has no choice but to allow the no-confidence debate to remove premier Mathale in the light of ongoing abuses,” said Van der Walt.

In May, the African National Congress caucus in the Limpopo legislature rejected an attempt to debate a motion of no confidence in Mathale. The motion came after five provincial government departments were placed under administration because of corruption and gross violation of the Public Finance Management Act.

Mathale was stripped of his position as ANC provincial chairman when the party’s national executive committee decided to disband the provincial executive committee in April. A task team had since run the party in the province.

Mathale also allegedly rented a helicopter for a 200km trip between Polokwane and Musina in January, costing R82 000.

Limpopo government spokesperson Tebatso Mabitsela confirmed to the publication that Mathale spent taxpayers’ money on the two helicopter trips.

Mabitsela said it was impossible for Mathale to travel between the two places due to the distance and time pressure. He said the premier had to attend two “important occasions” last month.

The Star reported that Mathale was driven to Ga-Mashashane village from Polokwane to open the provincial house of traditional leaders.

Thereafter, he flew to Elim near Louis Trichardt, about 100km from Polokwane, to join his MECs at a public participation meeting, Mabitsela said.

Van der Walt said the money could have been better used.

“The money Premier Mathale blows on helicopter flights could have been used to purchase textbooks, increase norms and standard funds to schools or provide water and proper sanitation for the citizens of Limpopo.”

– SAPA

Pretoria – Former president Nelson Mandela’s family arrived at the Pretoria hospital where the elderly statesman was spending a 12th day on Wednesday.

Mandela’s daughter, South Africa’s ambassador to Argentina, Zenani Mandela, arrived at the hospital with Madiba’s grandchildren Zoleka and Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway.

They were with Zaziwe’s husband, American businessman, David Manaway.

The Mandelas drove past the security checkpoint along Park Street in a black SUV.

Mandela, 94, was hospitalised in the early hours of 8 June with a recurring lung infection. The presidency said he was in a “serious but stable” condition.

Several close relatives of the anti-apartheid icon had been visiting him daily.

On Tuesday, Mandela’s ex-wife, ANC MP Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, was at the hospital. She and her daughter left the facility after 16:00 in a black Audi A5 with flashing blue police lights.

Fewer police officers were manning the hospital’s entrances on Wednesday.

Three officers stationed at each entrance were screening all vehicles entering the Medi-Clinic Heart hospital.

The number of journalists, including technical and logistical staff, also dwindled compared to the hundreds that milled outside the hospital during Mandela’s first few days at the facility.

Well-wishers had adorned the hospital’s perimeter wall with get-well-soon cards, bouquets of flowers, balloons, sculptures, and flags.

– SAPA

Polokwane – The trial of five Limpopo policemen accused of beating a Nigerian man to death was postponed in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

A Sapa correspondent reported that Magistrate Janine Ungerer was apparently sick.

Ungerer was due to deliver a ruling on their bail application.

Boitumelo Ramahlala, Mashiba Mathata, Collins Sekoati, Thabo Mabotja, and Clement Tsotsane are accused of beating Onyechiabi Iwuaka to death on 21 May while he was visiting a friend.

His friend escaped the assault.

Iwuaka died on the way to the Polokwane police station.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) told the court previously that Onyechiabi was tortured and assaulted before dying.

The IPID said police found him at the house of a suspected armed robber.

– SAPA

Cape Town – Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu will meet teacher union Sadtu this week regarding teachers’ pay, MPs heard on Wednesday.

The Presidential Remuneration Commission – announced by President Jacob Zuma in his State-of-the-Nation address – was meant to review the pay and working conditions of public servants, starting with teachers.

However, the commission could not start its work until the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) had dropped certain demands it was making.

“We are meeting Sadtu tomorrow [Thursday] and hoping we can strike an agreement, because this is an essential part of the work that we do,” Sisulu told Parliament’s portfolio committee on public service and administration.

She said that during the last public service wage agreement reached with unions, several concerns were raised.

These included teachers who had been teaching for two decades earning less than receptionists.

“We have never used an instrument that is scientific for all to understand on how we grade jobs and what the value for money is for those jobs… what is this value for money?

“We talked about it, but we never tested it,” she said.

The commission, chaired by former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, would invite input from unions and various other interested parties.

Recommendations

Regarding the commission’s terms of reference, Sisulu said it would make recommendations to government on, among others:

– A fair and efficient remuneration system;

– Benchmarking public service remuneration and conditions of service relative to market remuneration;

– Inefficiencies in the remuneration structure as a result of excessive pay or inappropriate organisational design;

– General trends in salary level, structures, and wages;

– A uniform job grading system to improve job equity throughout the public service; and

– Measurable performance indicators for the public service, which might be used to evaluate individual and departmental performance against salary levels.

“We talked about productivity, but we’ve never tested it with our people… we never checked with our people whether teachers are paid sufficiently, or maybe overpaid, or whatever the case may be,” Sisulu said.

Government wanted an internationally recognised grading system.

“The teaching profession would be used as a benchmark against what we would say this is the salary we have worked out. This is what the state will get out of this particular person.”

If Sadtu did not drop some of its demands, the commission could prioritise another sector.

“We are now running out of time. At my last interaction with the president he said if we are not able to have an early settlement with Sadtu, rather start prioritising the nursing sector so we are able to make progress on this matter,” she told MPs.

Time sensitive

The commission would be given eight months to complete its work with a R25m budget.

“The proclamation has been prepared and we hope it will be gazetted as soon as the president has satisfied himself that the labour problems around Sadtu have been done.”

On 6 May Sadtu suspended all protests after Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga agreed to meet a host of its demands.

In a joint announcement, the minister undertook to support, among others, an urgent initiative to achieve parity in the public service, and to appoint a task team to deal with the union’s complaint about a failure to increase the salaries of matric exam markers.

Motshekga also bowed to the union’s demands for an investigation into allegations against her director general Bobby Soobrayan.

It has accused him of violating the Public Finance Management Act.

She said the matter would be referred to the Public Service Commission and dealt with as a matter of urgency.

At the same time, Sadtu dropped its call for Motshekga’s resignation.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Police were offering a reward of up to R100 000 for information about Johannesburg cluster commander Major General Tirhani Maswanganyi’s death, Gauteng commissioner Lieutenant General Mzwandile Petros said on Wednesday.

“We are working around the clock to make sure this case is solved,” Petros told reporters in Johannesburg.

“We are appealing to the public… [and] we are giving a reward of up to R100 000, depending on the kind of information you give.”

Chest wound

Maswanganyi was found dead in a field near Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, near the R101 road, in the early hours of Tuesday. His hands and feet were tied.

A police patrol found Maswanganyi’s abandoned Isuzu bakkie next to the road on Monday evening. A police uniform and police identification card were in the bakkie, which prompted a search.

Petros said a post mortem was being conducted to determine the cause of death.

Although there were no gunshot wounds, there was a wound on Maswanganyi’s chest. Police were not sure what caused it. Maswanganyi’s two cellphones were missing. It did not seem like anything was stolen.

Speculation

He said police did not want to speculate whether Maswanganyi was killed because of his involvement in a murder case.

“He would have been, as a cluster commander, involved in the investigation. We don’t want to speculate that this officer was killed because he was involved in the investigation.”

Petros said he was aware that Maswanganyi had been subpoenaed to testify in court because he had been present during the interrogation, but he was not the key witness. Petros said that Maswanganyi, who joined the police in 1982, was a passionate person who contributed immensely towards fighting crime in the province.

“The SA Police Service is shocked by the incident…we are working around the clock to make sure this case is solved,” he said.

– SAPA