Marange – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe accused his political rivals Saturday of wanting to bring back “white people” and took a swipe at gay rights as campaigning gears up ahead of the 31 July election.

Mugabe, 89, clad in a white church robe and holding a biblical staff, appealed to thousands of members of an indigenous church in eastern Marange to support his bid for re-election after 33 years in power.

“We made a mistake in 2008 to vote for the people who love the white people. Voting for people who want to bring back the white people and thinking that there won’t be any development without white people,” he said.

The veteran leader will go head to head at the ballot box with longtime rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, 61.

The vote will end the pair’s tense power-sharing government that was forced by the chaotic 2008 polls.

Speaking in the diamond rich area, about 200km east of the capital Harare, Mugabe pushed his message of indigenisation of the economy.

“The rich resources that our country is endowed with are for the black people, this is our country. And those who must rule this country must be black people,” he said.

Mugabe also attacked gay marriage, saying it was alien to Africa and criticised US President Barack Obama for urging Africa to respect gay rights on a recent visit to the continent.

“You heard it when Obama came to Africa saying Africa must allow gay marriages even women to marry each other so they can wed if they want,” he said.

“God destroyed the earth because of these sins. Weddings are for a man and a woman, who when married they bear children,” he said.

Mugabe who once said gays and lesbians are worse than pigs and dogs, said animals are better off because they know their sexual orientation.

AFP

Cosafa Cup

Result: Bafana 2-1 Namibia

Date: 13 July 2013

Bafana Bafana moved into the semi-finals of the Cosafa Cup with a 2-1 win over Namibia on Saturday afternoon.

The opening 45 minutes were played at a frantic pace but neither side was really able to carve out decent chances to take the lead.

For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Cape Town – Amid souring relations between Zimbabwe and South Africa, a report on Saturday claims that an apparently secret document alleges an outlandish plot by President Robert Mugabe to assassinate President Jacob Zuma, and a top diplomat.

The Guardian reports that Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party has clashed with the rival Movement for Democratic Change over the document, said to be from intelligence sources, which claims a plan to hire a Lebanese murder squad to assassinate Zuma, and his chief mediator in Zimbabwe, Lindiwe Zulu.

The Zanu-PF party has dismissed the document as ” hogwash”, while the MDC said the threats should be taken seriously.

According to the Guardian, the report, of unknown authorship, is persuasively detailed but at times written in excitable language strewn with grammatical and spelling errors.

It comes after Mugabe last week branded Zuma’s chief mediator Zulu, as “some stupid, idiotic woman” and a “little street woman” after her failed attempt to force a postponement of elections.

The Guardian report said the supposedly leaked document contains a paragraph headed: “Lebonese assasins” (sic), and reads: “On Monday this week Mugabe hired six Lebanese nationals to try and assassinate Lindiwe Zulu, who is Zuma’s advisor. 

“The six met clandestinely with Mugabe yesterday to be briefed by him on the details of their mission … The six were told they must not concentrate on Zulu only, but should also pay attention to Zuma himself, and if they get a chance to do so they must assassinate him as well – but everything must appear as an accident.”

It further adds: “Mugabe promised the six Lebonese [sic] an undisclosed fortune in cash if they succeed in getting rid of the two who [sic] South Africa senior officials who are giving him a lot of trouble.”

But, a Zanu-PF spokesperson insisted it was a “set-up”. “To be frank with you, it’s all rubbish and hogwash to think a head of state like president Mugabe would set up something like that. 

“We have a disagreement with Lindiwe Zulu but it would not go to that extent.” 

Asked about the alleged plot against Zuma, “You should not take it seriously. It’s a typical set-up in Zimbabwe to try and cause some confusion before the election because we are going ahead with our election according to our laws whether they like it or not,” the Guardian reported Rugare Gumbo as saying.

News24

Sebokeng – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will become the new ruling party in South Africa, leader Julius Malema said on Saturday.

“We are going to take this government and once we take it, we are not going to negotiate, we are going to take our land,” he said at an EFF rally in Sebokeng, south of Johannesburg.

“We are going to take it because its our land.”

He told a cheering crowd that he would not be intimidated by anyone.

“They will say all sorts of things about us, but they will never shake us,” he said.

“If they want to disrupt our meetings, we are waiting.”

Malema urged residents not to be scared.

“We must never be intimidated. We all have a right to be involved in politics.”

He told residents that the EFF was there to defend them.

“There is no one who is going to tell us this is a no-go area. We can go anywhere in South Africa,” he said.

“There is no one who’s going to take your pension. We are here to defend you.”

Malema was at the rally with businessman Kenny Kunene, and expelled ANC Youth League spokesperson Floyd Shivambu.

Arrogant

He said earlier that the African National Congress needed Jesus to return to earth, because the party had become arrogant.

“They [said they] were going to rule until Jesus comes back. What kind of statement is that?” he asked.

“They need Jesus. So Jesus has come back they must go out. They are not the Alpha and Omega”.

He said the people of the country were the “Alpha and Omega”.

“You must exercise power. We can take over this government,” Malema said.

In March 2009 President Jacob Zuma told African National Congress supporters in Mpumalanga that the party would rule until Jesus returned.

Malema, who previously held the position of ANC Youth League president, was expelled from the party in 2012.

He launched the EFF “protest movement” on Thursday.

He said at the time that the EFF had a plan that included the non-negotiable principles of land expropriation and nationalisation of mines, both without compensation.

It was also strongly opposed to foreign land ownership.

“[There will] never be foreign ownership of land, that is what we will do when we take over.”

Malema warned South Africans on Thursday to prepare for the sacrifices that would come with the EFF’s envisaged revolution.

“There will be a day [when] we will wake up without bread on the shelves. We will learn to make our own bread.”

He said the EFF would have firm anti-corruption policies.

Malema is facing corruption charges in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court.

He 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.

SAPA

By Obakeng Maje

Mahikeng-North West police are investigating a murder case of a North West University student who was allegedly stabbed to death on Friday.

Katlego “Gutta” Rantlhane was allegedly bludgeoned yesterday at Lapalaka, in Mahikeng.

North West police spokesperson Kelebogile Moiloa could not confirm the incident, however promised to look at the matter.

“We have not yet received that incident report, however I will look into it and come back to you” sergeant Kelebogile Moiloa said.

According to other reports, Katlego Rantlhane was allegedly involved in squabble with other patron and that led to a fight.

He was allegedly stabbed to death, even though the full details of the incident are little bit sketchy.

Rantlhane was a third year student and studying Transport Economics(Bcom) at North West University in Mahikeng.

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Sebokeng –  Julius Malema says Nelson Mandela should be hospitalised at Chris Hani Baragwanath to show confidence in the public health system.

Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, was speaking at an EFF rally in Sebokeng, south of Johannesburg.

He also said the EFF will campaign at all corners of the country, even at Nkandla, the site of President Jacob Zuma’s controversial compound in KwaZulu-Natal.

The former ANC Youth League leader was sporting a red EFF cap. He was joined by businessman Kenny Kunene.

About 70 residents gathered to hear Malema speak, and cheered him on after he arrived. 

News24

Polokwane – Residents of the Diseteneng informal settlement near Polokwane, in Limpopo, want the government to repair their RDP houses, they said on Friday.

“I want to tell you, this cement is falling from the wall, and the roof shakes,” partially blind resident Evelyn Langa told African National Congress deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa was in Polokwane on an election campaign.

She said that when there was rain and wind, she and her four grandchildren slept standing upright.

Langa, who stays with the children, said that although she was happy with the house it was “scary and life-threatening”.

Some residents said they would not vote for the ANC unless they had toilets and houses.

New political party Agang and a new organisation formed by expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, who comes from Limpopo, are planning to contest the elections next year.

SAPA

ot

Cape Town – Plans to buy a new jet for President Jacob Zuma are in the “preliminary” stages, says Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and routine maintenance on the existing plane has cost upwards of R60 million.

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

New York – A rare 19th century 55-carat diamond has gone on temporary view at New York’s American Museum of Natural History.

The Kimberley Diamond gets its name from the mine in South Africa where it was found sometime before 1868.

It was cut from a 490-carat crystal. It was turned into a 70-carat gem in 1921 and recut to its present form in 1958 to improve its brilliance and proportions.

The champagne-colored, emerald-cut diamond will be on display through the end of June 2014.

Curator George Harlow says the rectangular diamond is about 1.25 inches in length and virtually flawless.

It is on loan from Bruce F. Stuart Trust. – Sapa-AP

Johannesburg – Following a plethora of withdrawals from the Bafana Bafana soccer squad due for duty in the Cosafa Cup in Zambia, coach Gordon Igesund says his troops are well prepared.

Bafana, after being given a bye into the knockout stages, face Namibia in a quarter-final clash at the Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka on Saturday.

As the tournament falls outside a FIFA sanctioned date, local clubs were not obliged to release players, and Igesund had to make changes to over half the original squad of 20.

“I am happy to be in this situation, because most players do well under pressure and this might be a good thing for us,” Igesund said on Friday.

“I am just hopeful that the selected players get to show the country what they are about,” he said.

“We have a group of very talented and hungry players who are ready to prove themselves.

“Even though we have had only two training sessions, I have seen the passion and determination in these players. I believe they can do it.”

South Africa comes up against a Namibian side which has scored six goals in two matches in the Cosafa Cup tournament so far.

Namibia defeated Mauritius 2-1 and downed the Seychelles 4-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

The two sides have met five times before. South Africa has won twice, Namibia once, and the other two matches were draws.

SAPA