A worker was shot dead at a Lonmin mine, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Monday, in the latest unrest to hit the troubled platinum belt.

“One of our members was attacked with a gun in our office at Lonmin’s Western Platinum mine,” spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said, adding the worker later died.

Police confirmed the shooting, EWN reported.

The man was expected to testify at the Marikana hearings into the deaths of more than 40 people at the mine last year.

– Reuters

Johannesburg – The DA will make a Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) application to get a forensic report relating to the Lepelle-Nkumpi municipality in Limpopo.

The application would be to the Mayor Ivy Phaahla to access the outcome of a Gobodo forensic investigation, conducted between 2009 to 2010, into alleged tender irregularities worth over R50m DA Councillor Fani Tsela said on Thursday.

“We have been asking for the report to be debated in council and made public, but all our efforts have up to so far been barred and fruitless,” Tsela said.

He said the investigation cost over R1.5m.

In terms of Paia the mayor had 30 days to respond to the DA’s request.

According to its website, the municipality is the Capricorn region in a predominantly rural area south of Polokwane.

Comment was not immediately available from the municipality.

– SAPA

Cape Town – ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe has denied that former ANC chief whip Mathole Motshekga had been demoted, following the announcement of his replacement on Thursday.

Motshekga was replaced as chief whip by Phumelele Stone Sizani.

Mantashe said the reason was that Motshekga was not a member of the ruling party’s national executive committee (NEC) – a pre-condition for being chief whip, which the ANC set in 2008.

“The reason for that is that we have always viewed it as correct to have the chief whip sitting in the NEC as part of the decision-making structures,” Mantashe told a media briefing at Parliament.

He said it was essential to keep a direct line of communication between top party structures and Parliament to resolve problems that arose in the legislature as soon as possible.

Motshekga – the ANC’s longest serving chief whip to date – failed to make it onto the NEC at the ANC’s elective conference in Polokwane in December.

Asked why the decision to replace him came only six months later, Mantashe responded: “One thing that we don’t do when we run an organisation is to take decisions in a rush.”

Motshekga to remain MP

Motshekga was not at the news briefing, but said afterwards he would remain an ordinary MP.

“I will be here,” he told reporters, and later congratulated his successor during the sitting.

In a statement, the ANC thanked Motshekga for his work and credited him with resolving the ANC caucus’s financial problems.

“Since 2009, caucus has achieved four consecutive unqualified audit opinions. He leaves a caucus that is stable, both financially and politically.”

Sizani served on the NEC and was chairperson of Parliament’s portfolio committee on rural development and land reform.

He would be replaced in that post by ANC MP Jerry Thibedi.

The ANC said the new deputy chief whip would be Doris Dlakude, who replaces Nkensani Kubayi.

Mantashe also announced the ANC had confirmed the appointment of Annelize van Wyk as chairperson of the portfolio committee on police.

– SAPA

Pretoria – A witnesses set to testify about the Marikana shootings has received death threats, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Thursday.

“It has come to our attention that one of the witnesses, who has filed a statement, has received anonymous death threats,” Vuyani Ngalwana, for the police, told the commission sitting in Centurion.

“[The] SA Police Service[SAPS] has no intention to call this person as a witness, as we know that people have been murdered. Police have been asked to investigate.”

The witness’s statement was summarised before the commission on Friday.

He received the death threats on Tuesday through e-mails and cellphone text messages, Ngalwana said.

Commission chairperson, retired Judge Ian Farlam, said the matter was “distressing”.

“We have already had a number of deaths in relation to people supposed to give evidence. As the commission we will not insist on the witness to give evidence.

“Anyone foolish enough to consider killing a person because he was about to testify can expect the full wrath of the law to be applied against them.”

Ngalwana would not reveal the witness’s name.

Since the commission was established several individuals involved in the strike at Marikana in August had been murdered.

Witnesses killed

In March, Alton Zikhuthele, 69, a sangoma, was killed at his home at Ludeke Holt village in Mbizana, Eastern Cape.

He had been expected to testify about his role in the rituals that made protesters believe they would be invisible in the face of gunfire.

Last month, a National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) shop steward was shot dead and his colleague wounded in an attack at Lonmin’s Wonderkop hostel.

Also in March, Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) regional chairperson Mawethu Steven was shot dead.

The commission is probing the circumstances that led to the deaths of 44 people during the unrest in Marikana, North West, last year.

Police shot dead 34 striking miners near Lonmin’s platinum mine in Marikana on 16 August.

Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed during the preceding week.

– SAPA

Veteran defender Matthew Booth has decided against taking up the offer of an contract extension at Ajax Cape Town.

“We are disappointed to lose the services of Matthew Booth,” club CEO George Comitis tells the club’s official site. “He played a crucial role in ensuring our survival in the relegation battle.”

Booth, who scooped the Player of the Year award at Ajax Cape Town’s end-of-season awards, has informed Urban Warriors management that because of family commitments he will be moving to Johannesburg.

His contract comes to an end in June.

A statement on the club’s website thanks the defender for his service: “We would like to thank Matthew for his effort and commitment to the club and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

For more http://www.kickoff.com

Nhlakanipho Ntuli returns to the country to resume training with Orlando Pirates after spending the last three months in the Netherlands familiarizing himself with the Dutch lifestyle before he signs with FC Twente next year.

The youth international midfielder’s stay in Holland was to adjust himself with Twente’s style of play, while he also took Dutch lessons.

Ntuli is expected to sign a five-year-deal with the Eredivisie outfit when he turns 18 in February next year.

“I’m coming back today and I might go back to Pirates for training because I still can’t sign a contract at Twente, I will go back to Holland in September and then in February I sign,” he tells KickOff.com.

Pirates had Ntuli registered for their previous league campaign, and it remains to be seen if Roger de Sa will attempt to tie the youngster down to a short-term spell till January, which will see Ntuli available for the first-round encounters of the 2013/14 season.

But the midfielder insist he’s only going to be training and hopefully play in the reserve league because he has to head back to Twente in September.

“No, I will only be training with Pirates when things are settled, but I doubt I’m going to sign because I must go back to Twente in September.

“Twente wanted me back on July 18 for preseason and the youth tournaments, but because I’m still 17, I was only allowed in the Netherlands for three months, but Twente are making other arrangements and we will see in due time.”
For more http://www.kickoff.com

Pretoria – Former president Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife, ANC MP Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, arrived at the Pretoria hospital on Thursday where he is being treated for a recurring lung infection.

She was accompanied by her daughter Zindzi, and arrived at the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in a black Audi with flashing blue police lights around noon.

The elderly statesman was spending his 13th day in the hospital.

On Wednesday, another of Mandela’s daughters, 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.

‘Serious but stable’

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 have visited him daily.

Three police officers stationed at each entrance screened all vehicles entering the hospital.

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

One handmade card from Mamboleo Stephane Mandela had the words: “I’m waiting for you at my 18th birthday party. Get well soon.”

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The families who participated in a cleansing ceremony in Marikana this week were thanked for their role in the ritual, the North West legislature said on Thursday.

Police and security guards who participated in Monday’s ceremony should be thanked, Speaker Supra Mahumapelo’s spokesperson Mongezi Tsenca said in a statement.

“The speaker is happy that our communities and institutions are adding their effort to find closure to the tragedy.”

On 16 August, police shot dead 34 striking Lonmin miners at Marikana.

Ten people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed during the violent strike in the preceding week.

President Jacob Zuma established the Farlam Commission of Inquiry to investigate the deaths.

The Bojanala Platinum district municipality said on Monday that the ceremony was successful and that 40 families attended.

Spokesperson Archie Babeile said the ceremony involved the slaughter of sheep at the site where the miners were killed.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The Muslim Lawyers Association (MLA) intends taking the NPA to court for refusing to arrest US President Barack Obama on his South African visit later this month.

“We will ask the court to review the decision neither to investigate or prosecute and to order them to commence a full investigation in terms of the Rome Statute,” MLA attorney Yousha Tayob said.

The MLA said it submitted a complaint to the national director of public prosecutions and the SA Police Service, calling for Obama to be “investigated, charged, arrested, and tried in a South African court for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide”.

The MLA cited the Obama administration’s drone programme as the reason for its action.

The association said the complaint was made in terms of international customary law, as well as the implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Act 2002 (the ICC Act).

“The [drone] programme is responsible for extra-judicial killings of both innocent civilians as well as US citizens abroad. The drone strike policy has continued unabated with total disregard for territorial sovereignty and this is cited as the primary reason that Obama should be investigated and tried for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide,” the MLA said.

A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle. In a recent speech Obama said the US used drones to target people it considered a threat to its national security when other measures were not possible.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed receiving the MLA’s documents.

Tayob said the MLA received a letter of reply from the state attorney’s office on Wednesday.

MRN also opposed

“They have decided they are not commencing an investigation,” said Tayob.

The NPA was also not going to arrest or secure Obama’s attendance in a court room.

Tayob said the application for a review would be made next week, probably in the High Court in Pretoria.

The Media Review Network (MRN) was also opposed to Obama’s visit. Executive director Iqbal Jassat said the MRN planned a series of protests over Obama’s visits, over the US government’s use of drones, its failure to stop the “occupation of Muslim countries”, and its not shutting down the Guantanamo Bay detention centre as promised.

The MRN supports the MLA’s planned legal action.

“We have rallied behind these actions. Levels of pressure developed by civil society would force the US government to review the purpose of this visit and possibly lead to the cancellation,” said Jassat.

A row is reportedly also brewing over plans by the University of Johannesburg to award Obama an honorary degree.

According to a report in the Sunday Independent, students were split on this.

But deputy vice chancellor Tinyiko Maluleke said the process was a lengthy one, requiring high levels of consultation and agreement, and had not been finalised.

The process of nominating someone for an honorary degree began with discussions in the honorary degrees committee, where candidates had to receive 100% support.

From there, the nomination went to the senate, which consisted of senior academics and representatives of the Students’ Representative Committee. After that it, went to the council, which also consisted of student representatives.

At each stage, a certain amount of support was required.

“So when people say stuff has not been consulted or students have not been included, it’s simply not true. It’s a very lengthy process,” said Maluleke.

The same process applied to all nominees.

– SAPA

Cape Town – A group of Khoi activists, who invaded a District Six apartment complex, has been denied Legal Aid, the Western Cape High Court heard on Thursday.

Legal Aid principal Cobus Esterhuizen said he received and reviewed an application from Tania Kleinhans, of the Institute for the Restoration of the Aborigines of SA (Irasa).

Kleinhans, listed as the fourth respondent, is representing about 60 people occupying flats earmarked for beneficiaries in Zonnebloem.

They claim this part of Cape Town is ancestral Khoi land.

Esterhuizen said he drafted a merit report and based on that, decided not to grant the group legal representation.

Judge Robert Henney asked him to explain what the grounds were for denying the application. Esterhuizen said he could not because of attorney-client privilege.

Kleinhans said it was the first time she heard about the denied application.

Some of the activists, dressed in animal print tops and headbands, shook their head at the development.

The court adjourned for parties to discuss the matter in chambers.

It then emerged that the judge appointed an advocate to formally represent the Khoi group.

The case would resume later on Thursday, once the advocate had consulted his clients.

The applicants in the matter are the rural development and land reform department and the trustees of the District Six Beneficiary and Redevelopment Trust.

The applicants want the court to make an eviction order final.

An interim order was obtained on Monday, but the activists had not yet vacated the premises.

– SAPA