Hundreds of Westbury residents convened a meeting calling on President Jacob Zuma to join the local community in fighting notorious drug lords in the impoverished neighbourhood on the West Rand on Sunday.
“How many more meetings are we going to have until the president comes,” asked a woman who could not be named.
For more http://www.thenewage.co.za
Cape Town – An increase in the petrol price will no doubt have a huge impact on already over-indebted households, experts have warned.
BDLive reported on Wednesday that consumers should not get too used to the lower fuel price because the petrol price could once again breach the R13/l mark. According to the Automobile Association (AA) the price of petrol might go up by 90c/l.
This does not bode well for already over-indebted consumers.
According to Friedl Kreuser, debt expert at 6cents.co.za, a division of Summit Financial Partners, consumers must prioritise their debt so that they don’t fall behind on monthly payments and end up with tarnished credit records, court judgments, garnishee orders and repossessed assets.
Kreuser, one of Fin24’s debt experts, was responding to recent reports that the petrol price is putting enormous pressure on already indebted consumers.
He urged consumers to make paying their debt a priority. This would prevent them falling behind on monthly debt repayments.
South Africa has over 19 million credit-active consumers. Of them, nearly 10 million have impaired credit records.
Consumers are already struggling and an increase in the petrol price will no doubt have a huge impact on already over-indebted households.
While many struggling consumers will look to debt counselling as their saviour – even debt counsellors are urging consumers to look at basic means of reigning in out of control finances.
Roger Brown, chief executive of national debt counselling firm Credit Matters has warned of tough times to come.
“A substantial rise in the petrol price will have huge short term and long term effects.”
To start with, people will immediately have less disposable income, Brown said.
“Many South Africans already live below the breadline so the poor will once again be most negatively affected.
“In the long run, there will definitely be a knock-on effect and a price increase on food, transport, electricity and other necessities.
Brown maintains that one of the main reasons people are so hard hit by changes in the economy, is that they are still clueless about their true financial position.
“There is no longer an excuse for consumers to be uninformed about their finances,” he said.
“There is no magic wand which will make a bad debt situation disappear. Consumers should become pro-active and take control of their financial lives.”
As a debt counsellor, Brown has some tips for consumers:
* Don’t panic
* Never ignore letters of demand, final notices or a summons
* Make the time to go through your statements and learn exactly who your creditors are and what your balances owing, your installments, your interest rates and your credit agreement terms are
* Draw up a realistic household budget on paper – clearly defining the differences between luxuries and necessities
* Be assertive and approach their creditors and /or a debt counsellor if they see that they are struggling with repayments
* Change your lifestyle and cut down on unnecessary spending.
For more http://www.news24.com
Black Leopards are willing to listen to offers for their defender, Humphrey Khoza, according to a Soccer-Laduma source close to the club.
The 25-year-old was one of the club’s regular starters this season in what was a disastrous campaign for Lidoda Duvha, and it is believed that PSL outfits have now been alerted that his club are willing to let him go at the right price.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com
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Free State Stars have exercised their one-year option on the contract of Tshepo Motsoeneng for him to stay with the club.
Motsoeneng did fairly well in his first season with Ea Lla Koto, despite the strong competition for the number one jersey in the team’s goalkeeping department.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com
Johannesburg – ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to stop whining about problems in the country, the Sunday Times reported.
“South African must move away from being the biggest whiners,” Ramaphosa was quoted as saying during an address to the Black Management Forum in Johannesburg on Friday.
“We must move away from being the biggest complainers.”
Ramaphosa said South Africans had a right to criticise, but that if they were going to do so, they should also offer solutions.
“Do not become an armchair critic, get into the scrum and show us what you can do.”
Ramaphosa said often big business would complain about matters such as the current unrest in the mining industry, but not acknowledge their role in this.
“Quite often the strikes that we have are a result of the breakdown of relations between workers and business, but quite often fingers are pointed at workers only.”
Ramaphosa said it was not solely government who needed to be responsible for solving these kinds of problems.
“I say business wake up. Wake up and ensure that this country moves forward.”
People had a right to criticise the national development plan.
“There are no NDP police out there waiting to arrest anyone. It is not a plan cast in stone. It has gaps like any other plan.”
Nevertheless, critics should also offer alternatives.
SAPA
Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund showered his charges with praises after an impressive showing against the Central African Republic (CAR) on Saturday where the national team ran away 3-0 winners to keep alive the chances of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
“The CAR team is really a tough side. They showed it both in Cape Town, and again today (Saturday). But I am proud of my boys; they had so much belief and worked for each other.
“I like the team spirit. The guys on the bench were celebrating with the players on the field – and that is what builds true camaraderie which I believe we had today. I just want to celebrate this win tonight (Saturday) and tomorrow I will start thinking about Ethiopia,” said Igesund.
“I am proud of the players because between our match with Lesotho last weekend, we had only one training session due to some setbacks we do not want talk about again. Winning 3-0 away from home shows some character. I am happy with the score line though we dropped a bit in the second half. We can build the momentum from this result going to Ethiopia.”
Igesund said despite his side remaining on second position after Ethiopia defeated Botswana 2-1 in Lobatse, Bafana Bafana were still masters of their own destiny.
“We are not interested in what happened in the other match, we have to play both sides and we will be looking forward to the challenge. We do not expect favours from anyone. We must do all the work ourselves,” added the Bafana Bafana mentor.
Igesund also had time to wish former South African State President Nelson Mandela well.
“First of all, I would like to thank the people of Cameroon for being great hosts and making us feel at home. Secondly, and on behalf of the entire Bafana Bafana squad, I would like to wish former President Nelson Mandela a speedy recovery as we heard he was rushed to hospital in the early hours of Saturday morning. Our prayers are with him and we ask the whole world to also pray with us during these difficult times for Madiba,” concluded Igesund.
Captain Itumeleng Khune said he was impressed by the way his side were gelling.
“I am a big fan of team effort. This is not about me or anyone else but Bafana Bafana. Three goals and a clean sheet, we could not have asked for anything better. We showed mental strength out there. The approach to the game was positive that is why we came out tops. For now, we need to enjoy the victory but must quickly remember that we still have a mountain to climb in Addis Ababa. Both teams have won their matches and they will go into this clash high in spirits. But I am positive we can complete this mission,” said Khune.
Bafana Bafana next play Ethiopia in Addis Ababa on Sunday, 16 June.
World Cup Qualifier
Result: CAR 0-3 Bafana
Date: 8 June 2013
Bafana Bafana recorded an impressive 3-0 win in their crucial 2014 World Cup qualifier against Central African Republic on Saturday.
The game was played at a neutral venue in Cameroon due to political unrest in the CAR but it was Bafana who looked composed and made the most of their chances.
The South Africans took just 26 minutes to take the advantage in the game when Bernard Parker rattled the back of the net. Siphiwe Tshabalala sliced the defence open with a pass for Parker who raced onto it and poked it through the legs of the goalkeeper who had rushed out.
Bafana continued to press as they looked to kill off CAR’s fight and went close in the 40th minute when Reneilwe Letsholonyane was played in with a ball over the top but the on-rushing goalkeeper managed to slide the ball clear.
South Africa’s pressure would pay off just moments later though when Tshabalala played a one-two at the edge of the area to burst through and he calmly skipped around the goalkeeper before rolling his finish into the empty net.
Bafana went close to adding a third just moments after the break when Parker got some space but his shot was well saved by the goalkeeper.
CAR looked to turn up the heat though and enjoyed some good possession but after twice lifting the ball over the South African defence, their touches were poor and the alert Itumeleng Khune prevented shots on goal.
Eric Mathoho was superb in the air as he snuffed out chances from set-pieces while coach Gordon Igesund brought in Oupa Manyisa and Katlego Mashego around the hour mark – before giving Thandani Ntshumayelo a late run.
Bafana looked to be comfortably running down the clock but the Premier Soccer League’s top goalscorer this season, Mashego, would cap off an impressive win when he nodded in Oupa Manyisa’s cross at the start of stoppage time.
South Africa will now be looking to move to the top of Group A should they manage a victory away in Ethiopia next week.
Bafana: Itumeleng Khune, Anele Ngcongca, Ricardo Nunes, Thabo Nthethe, Eric Mathoho, Dean Furman, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siphiwe Tshabalala, May Mahlangu, Bernard Parker, Tokelo Rantie.
Source: http://www.soccerladuma.com
Johannesburg – A young boy delivered a bouquet of flowers for former president Nelson Mandela at his Houghton residence on Saturday.
Police shortly deliberated with a man, presumed to be the boy’s father before allowing his son to make the delivery.
The boy, who was not older than 5 years old, was carried by his father as he went to hand over the flowers at the gate.
He is one of several children who have expressed well-wishes for the ailing former statesman since news of his hospitalisation.
Earlier, the presidency said Mandela was in a “serious but stable” condition.
He was admitted to hospital due to a recurring lung infection.
Children
“This morning at about 01:30 his condition deteriorated and he was transferred to a Pretoria hospital,” spokesperson Mac Maharaj said in a statement.
He said doctors were doing everything they could to make Mandela “better and comfortable”.
“President Jacob Zuma, on behalf of government and the nation, wishes Madiba a speedy recovery and requests the media and the public to respect the privacy of Madiba and his family,” Maharaj said.
Children returning from a synagogue earlier on Saturday stopped outside Mandela’s house to wish him well.
Sisters Lila Nossel, 7, Avia Nossel, 3, and their friend Hannah-Sophie Sindelman, 6, said they wished Mandela a speedy recovery.
“We wish him well… He must get better soon,” they said.
Other than a small contingent of both local and international media camped outside the house, there was hardly any activity.
Earlier, two black cars were seen driving out of the property. It was unclear who was inside the cars.
Security was tight, with police officials refusing to let the media come too close to the house.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has suffered lung ailments before.
On 6 April, he was discharged from hospital after spending nine days receiving treatment for recurring lung problems.
Early in March, he was admitted to a Pretoria hospital for a scheduled check-up and was discharged the following day.
In December last year, Mandela underwent an operation to remove gallstones and treat the recurring lung infection. He was discharged after an 18-day stay and placed under home-based high care at his Houghton home.
In January, the presidency said Mandela had made a full recovery from the surgery and continued to improve. In February last year he was admitted to hospital for a stomach ailment.
At the time, the presidency said Mandela underwent a diagnostic procedure to investigate the cause of a long-standing abdominal complaint.
In January 2011, Mandela was taken to Milpark Hospital for routine tests relating to respiratory problems.
Mandela’s last major public appearance was in July 2010, at the final of the FIFA World Cup at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.
Since then he had spent his time between Johannesburg and his ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape.
SAPA
Johannesburg – Former South African President Nelson Mandela is in “serious but stable” condition after being taken to a hospital to be treated for a lung infection, the government said Saturday, prompting an outpouring of concern from admirers of a man who helped to end white racist rule.
Mandela, who is 94 years old, was treated in a hospital several times in recent months, with the last discharge coming on April 6 after doctors drained fluid from his lung area after diagnosing him with pneumonia. He has been particularly vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during his 27-year imprisonment under apartheid.
“During the past few days, former President Nelson Mandela has had a recurrence of lung infection,” said a statement from the office of President Jacob Zuma. “This morning at about 01:30, his condition deteriorated and he was transferred to a Pretoria hospital.”
It said Mandela was receiving expert medical care and “doctors are doing everything possible to make him better and comfortable.”
Zuma wished Mandela a quick recovery on behalf of the government and the nation and requested that the media and the public respect the privacy of the former leader and his family, the statement said.
“We need to hold our thoughts and keep him in our minds,” said Mac Maharaj, the president’s spokesperson. “He is a fighter, he has recovered many times from very serious conditions and he will be with us. Let’s pray for him and help him to get better.”
The African National Congress, the ruling party that has dominated politics in South Africa since the end of apartheid, said it hoped Mandela, known affectionately by his clan name Madiba, would get better soon.
“He is going to survive”
“We will keep president Mandela and his family in our thoughts and prayers at this time and call upon South Africans and the peoples of the globe to do the same for our beloved statesman and icon, Madiba,” the party said in a statement.
On April 29, state television broadcast footage of a visit by Zuma and other ANC leaders to Mandela at his Johannesburg home. Zuma said at the time that Mandela was in good shape, but the footage – the first public images of Mandela in nearly a year – showed him silent and unresponsive, even when Zuma tried to hold his hand.
“Nelson Mandela is a father to South Africa and South Africans; every time he is admitted to hospital we feel saddened along with the rest of our country,” the Democratic Alliance, the main political opposition party, said in a statement.
South Africans expressed hope that Mandela would recover from his latest setback.
“He is going to survive,” said Willie Mokoena, a gardener in Johannesburg. “He’s a strong man.”
Another city resident, Martha Mawela, said she thought the former president would recover because: “Everybody loves Mandela.”
Mandela was robust during his decades as a public figure, endowed with charisma, a powerful memory and an extraordinary talent for articulating the aspirations of his people and winning over many of those who opposed him.
In recent years, however, he has become more frail and last made a public appearance at the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament, where he didn’t deliver an address and was bundled against the cold.
In another recent hospitalisation, Mandela was treated for a lung infection and had a procedure to remove gallstones in December. In March, he spent a night in a hospital for what authorities said was a scheduled medical test.
AP
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Pretoria – Media were stationed outside a Pretoria hospital on Saturday morning after the presidency announced former President Nelson Mandela was admitted in a “serious but stable” condition.
Photographers and journalists were monitoring cars entering and exiting the hospital.
There was no security apart from normal hospital guard stationed outside the building.
Early on Saturday morning presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj said Mandela was admitted due to a recurring lung infection.
“This morning at about 1.30am his condition deteriorated and he was transferred to a Pretoria hospital,” Maharaj said in a statement.
“He remains in a serious but stable condition.”
Maharaj said doctors were doing everything they could to make Mandela “better and comfortable”.
“President Jacob Zuma, on behalf of government and the nation, wishes Madiba a speedy recovery and requests the media and the public to respect the privacy of Madiba and his family,” Maharaj said.
On April 6, Mandela was discharged from hospital after spending nine days receiving treatment for recurring lung problems. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has suffered lung ailments before.
Early in March, he was admitted to a Pretoria hospital for a scheduled check-up and was discharged the following day.
In December last year, Mandela underwent an operation to remove gallstones and treat the recurring lung infection. He was discharged after an 18-day stay and placed under home-based high care at his Houghton home.
In January, the presidency said Mandela had made a full recovery from the surgery and continued to improve. In February last year he was admitted to hospital for a stomach ailment.
At the time, the presidency said Mandela underwent a diagnostic procedure to investigate the cause of a long-standing abdominal complaint.
In January 2011, Mandela was taken to Milpark Hospital for routine tests relating to respiratory problems.
Mandela’s last major public appearance was in July 2010, at the final of the Fifa World Cup at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.
Since then he had spent his time between Johannesburg and his ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape. – Sapa
The Guardian 