Polokwane – Expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema on Thursday accused President Jacob Zuma of orchestrating a political conspiracy against him.

“All charges, it’s a political conspiracy by [Zuma] and his administration,” Malema told the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court, where he appeared on corruption charges.

Malema is accused of making nearly R4m from corrupt activities.

He is out on bail of R10 000 and faces charges of fraud, corruption, money-laundering, and racketeering.

His co-accused are his business associates Kagisho Dichabe, Lesiba Gwangwa, Helen Moreroa, and Makgetsi Manthata, who are out on bail of R40 000 each.

The State and the defence teams argued for and against the matter being postponed on Thursday.

The court was expected to transfer the matter to the high court and set a trial date.

The State alleges the accused misrepresented themselves to the Limpopo roads and transport department, leading to a R52m contract being awarded to On-Point Engineering.

According to court papers, Malema had business ties with Gwangwa, a director of On-Point Engineering.

Malema’s Ratanang Family Trust was an indirect shareholder in On-Point.

The department paid the company R43m.

According to the charge sheet, Malema substantially benefited from this payment, using it to buy a farm and a Mercedes-Benz.

Malema allegedly did this knowing the money formed part of the proceeds of crime.

All five have proclaimed their innocence.

– SAPA

Cape Town – Phumelele Stone Sizani will replace African National Congress chief whip Mathole Motshekga, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe announced on Thursday.

Sizani is currently chairperson of the National Assembly’s rural development and land reform committee.

Mantashe said the reason for the change 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 in Parliament.

He said this 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 failed to make it onto the NEC at the ANC’s elective conference in Polokwane in December.

He was not at the media briefing, but said afterwards that he would remain an ordinary MP.

“I will be here,” he told reporters.

– SAPA

Pretoria – Lawyer Dali Mpofu is to take President Jacob Zuma and Justice Minister Jeff Radebe to court to get state funding for victims of last year’s Marikana shooting.

Speaking on the sidelines of a Farlam Commission of Inquiry hearing in Centurion on Thursday, he said he would lodge an urgent application in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria this week.

“This is about what we call equality of arms. This inquiry is not an investigation, but a mission to find the truth… You cannot sponsor one party and ignore the other.”

Mpofu represents the miners injured in the shooting in August, and those arrested afterwards.

He said his clients had the right to get financial assistance, just as SAPS was getting state funding for legal representation.

Mpofu successfully lodged an application with the commission, and asked that the inquiry be moved from its original venue at the Rustenburg Civic Centre to Pretoria.

He cited limited resources at his disposal and mounting expenses due to the travelling to, and accommodation costs in, Rustenburg.

Mpofu would not say how much money he was seeking from government.

The court papers were expected to be filed on Friday.

Police shot dead 34 striking miners in Marikana, North West, on 16 August year when trying to disperse them.

The commission is investigating events that led to the shooting, and the death of 10 people in strike-related violence the previous week.

– SAPA

Cape Town – The ANC recalled Mathole Motshekga as its chief whip on Thursday.

Stone Sizani will replace Motshekga. 

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday that Motshekga will remain an MP. 

Mantashe said Motshekga was replaced because he is not a member of the party’s NEC following the national conference in Mangaung in December last year.

More details to follow.

News24

Durban – The KwaZulu-Natal health department has been ordered to pay R2.2m within 14 days for a botched circumcision operation, The Mercury reported on Thursday.

According to the paper, the mother of a 9-year-old boy sued the department after her son was circumcised at a Vryheid hospital in October 2009.

The boy suffered severe burning, infections, and loss of his normal penile tissue after the procedure.

“The words lazy, incompetent, and disinterested accurately describe the treating doctor’s actions,” The Mercury quoted a report before the court by plastic and reconstructive surgeon Paul McGarr.

“In essence, nine minutes of a rushed, incompetent circumcision has significantly and severely impacted on the child for the rest of his life,” McGarr said.

KwaZulu-Natal Deputy Judge President Achmat Jappie also ordered the department to pay the family’s legal costs.

SAPA

Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma has defended his relationship with the Gupta family, saying South Africans can befriend whoever they want, Eyewitness News reported on Thursday.

During question time in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko asked Zuma why the Gupta family had direct contact with members of his Cabinet.

Zuma reportedly responded by saying any member of the public was free to contact any member of his Cabinet or the public service.

His administration promoted open and accessible government.

“It is because any member of the public within South Africa and beyond our borders is free to contact any members of my Cabinet, the executive, or the public service directly.”

Independent Democrats MP Joe Mcgluwa reportedly asked Zuma: “Are you, Mr President, willing to cut your ties with the Gupta family?”

Zuma responded that everyone had the right to make friends.

However, that did not mean endorsing wrongdoing.

“We are not in the state that burns people because they are friends with others,” Zuma was quoted saying.

“But we are also in the state where if there are specific issues that have affected either the interests of government or whatever, people will come back and say these are facts that say this thing has happened and therefore this thing is not good.”

SAPA

Three armed men held a guard at the Tshwane SPCA’s Waltloo branch at gunpoint before stealing a male bull terrier.

Tshwane SPCA spokesman Korky Levanon said the guard had heard a noise at the kennels during the night, Beeld reported today.

“When he went to investigate, he saw three men, one of whom had a pistol.”

They reportedly threatened him with the gun and fled with Achilles, a stray bull terrier previously brought to the animal shelter by a good Samaritan.

The guard called for help on his hand radio, but by the time police arrived the men and dog had disappeared.

Levanon said the local community policing forum had been informed of the incident.

“People have stolen animals in the past, but it’s the first time that it’s been done with a gun,” Levanon said.

– Sapa

By Obakeng Maje

The department of Health will be hosting a AIDS conference, at the Durban International Convention Centre.

The conference will start on the 18th until 21st of June.

The important issues that will be discussed are as follows:

“Government is close to the 2015 deadline for Millennium Development Goals (MDG) with less than 950 days the targets that were set in 2009” Departmental spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane said in a statement.

Lekgethwane said The National Health Council adopted a new contraception and fertility strategy and guidelines to focus on dual protection. 

“The Department of Health will be launching this strategy soon” he said.

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JOHANNESBURG – As former President Nelson Mandela continues to recover in hospital his grandchildren have called on the nation to make each day Nelson Mandela Day.

This year’s international day celebrated in Madiba’s honour was launched in Houghton on Wednesday.

Mandela Day, now in its fourth year, will be celebrated on the 18 July and coincides with Madiba’s birthday. He will turn 95 this year.

Speaking in Houghton on Wednesday, Mandela’s grandson Luvuyo described why the day is important to the family.

“Care for your fellow human being and understand that in these values we’ll be able to strive for the unity that my grandfather set out.” Luvuyo said.

Mbuso, another of his grandsons, said: “[It is about engendering] humanity in each other and making sure that we get together and do good for other people.”

This year the public has been urged to dedicate 20 hours to mark 20 years of democracy, which South Africa will mark next year.

In previous years Mandela and his organisations have urged people to dedicate 67 minutes of their time to charity or helping others. The time symbolised the 67 years the statesman dedicated to serving others.

Madiba is currently receiving treatment in the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria. He was admitted to the facility on 8 June for a recurring lung infection.

This is his fourth hospital visit since December when he received treatment for the same condition.

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

Cape Town – President Jacob Zuma has rejected the notion of South Africa lacking policy certainty and investor confidence.

“I think there is leadership in this country, very clear leadership. There is certainty on policy, there is certainty on economic policy. I would not accept the fact that there is no certainty,” he told the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Zuma was responding to a question by Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko.

She said labour unrest had contributed to a “break-down in investor confidence”, triggering warnings that South Africa’s platinum could decline by 60% in coming years.

She asked where Zuma stood on the issue of strike balloting, and argued that ANC MPs had undermined government’s efforts to improve the economy by removing a provision requiring a pre-strike vote from the labour relations amendment bill.

The president said labour strife at mines was a complex issue because of the emergence of rival trade unions, and it was vital that all roleplayers co-operate to resolve it.

“The difficulty has come in the manner in which the recent problems have emerged,” he said.

Praise

He praised Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe for his mediation efforts between unions and mining companies.

“I think they are working very closely to agree on the matters that have to be addressed in terms of addressing the problems at the mining level,” he said.

Zuma said negative headlines were largely to blame on negative views expressed by the political opposition.

“Generally, people are saying we are doing very well. I have just come back from Japan. They are full of praises of South Africa… key investors. So it is not like a perception that is thrown around that investors are worried, not at all.”

He said the economy was well-balanced and aimed at dealing with the country’s specific challenges, including imbalances created by its apartheid past.

“Therefore, I confirm, the policies of the ruling party are absolutely correct, no-one could argue against them. Whoever argues against them does not understand the South African sentiment.”