Johannesburg – Thousands of illegal firearms were destroyed on Wednesday in Isipingo, KwaZulu-Natal.

“A total of 17 746 firearms including pistols, revolvers, rifles, AK 47s, shotguns and home-made firearms were destroyed,” said police spokesperson Vincent Mdunge in a statement released after the event.

The SA Police Service (SAPS) held the 24th Destruction of Firearms, which was attended by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, his deputy Makhotso Sotyu, national police commissioner Riah Phiyega, and provincial commissioners.

Most of the destroyed guns were used during serious and violent crimes.

“Fifteen of [the guns] were handed in during an amnesty campaign, 474 were voluntarily handed over and 17 257 were seized during police operations,” Mdunge said.

The police would use all its resources to curb the proliferation of illegal firearms in society.

“[Most of the] firearms were lost negligently by licensed firearm owners, robbed from licensed firearm owners, robbed from members of SAPS and robbed from security firm personnel.”

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The DA’s two Gauteng premier candidates indicated racial tension within the party, the ANC in the province said on Wednesday.

“The fact that the Democratic Alliance has two premier candidates is a distinctly inauspicious sign that the party is in a state of mess, confusion and leadership squabbles,” ANC Gauteng chairperson Dumisa Ntuli claimed.

He was responding to the news that the DA’s Gauteng leader Jack Bloom and party spokesperson Mmusi Maimane would vie for selection as the party’s preferred candidate for premier.

“It is a clear indication that there are deeper fights taking place between blacks and whites because of greed, factional battles and rupture caused [by] lack of policies and identity. We know that the DA is a white party and always want to hides behind a faade of a black face.”

Maimane dismissed Ntuli’s comments as political rhetoric aimed at diverting public attention from the ANC’s failings.

“They have no delivery record and are losing credibility. All they want to argue is race,” he said.

Attempts to portray the DA as a white party contained the implication that the ANC was, therefore, a black party, Maimane said.

The focus on race issues showed the ANC had departed from the non-racial principles of its former president Albert Luthuli, he said.

– SAPA

A special committee to oversee implementation of resolutions adopted at the Provincial Social Cohesion and Moral Regeneration Summit and the establishment of a permanent Monitoring and Evaluation Unit in the Office of the Premier were announced by North West Premier Thandi Modise in Mahikeng on Tuesday.

Hailed as the trendsetter for other provinces, the provincial summit resolved among others to continue to fight any forms of discriminations, which are threats to social cohesion and nation building and to accelerate change in improving the quality of life of all people, with special attention to the needs of the youth, women and people with disability.

Delegates endorsed that the provincial government must continue to build capacity to drive the socio economic agenda in the province, including absorbing young people and women into economic activity, employing professionals, investing in skills required by the economy, and investing in research and development to respond to the demands of the knowledge economy.

They resolved to mobilise communities to work together to build a caring and proud society based on shared values and a vision informed by constitutional democracy, Ubuntu , human rights and equality, non-racialism, non-tribalism and non-sexism.

Inclusivity and social justice, redress and transformation, intercultural and community cooperation, social solidarity, empowered, fair, inclusive and active citizenship, Civic responsibility, unity in diversity, National consciousness and identity were adopted as guiding principles that should knot society together.

Stakeholders committed to work towards the implementation of the recommendations of the 2030 National Development Plan as a long term vision which should serve as a basis for partnerships across society to attain the South Africa and North West Province of their dreams, eloquently articulated in the constitution.

They also undertook to ensure that social cohesion and nation building underpins all provincial and local government strategic priorities, inclusive of integrated economic and social development, education, health, human settlement, land and rural development, safety and security, immigration policies and programmes, arts, culture, language and heritage development and preservation, technological innovation, research and development.

Delegates from across all sectors also agreed to promote and preserve all indigenous cultures and knowledge and further to accelerate change in improving the quality of life of all people, with special attention to the needs of the youth, women and people with disability.

In her closing address, Premier Modise reminded delegates that social cohesion is not about new concepts. Modise emphasised that it is about renewal of values and standards, respecting other people’s cultures and beliefs, being our brothers keepers and loving our neighbours.

She said that a lot still needs to be done to protect whistle blowers and that the public service should be intolerant to people who are unable to serve with a smile.

“Rural development is not about tractors or the number of fowls. It is about making the lives of people residing in those areas better by providing the kind of services and resources that are found in urban areas. It is not about the erosion of culture or values,” said Modise in proclaiming that Mahikeng and Taung are among areas that are targeted for development that should turn them into modern cities.

The Premier encouraged young people to take their studies seriously saying that there will be no place for the uneducated in the future. “There is absolutely no excuse for the youth of today not to be educated,” she stressed.
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Midfielder Sandile Zuke says Mpumalanga Black Aces cannot wait to kick off their Premiership campaign against defending champions Kaizer Chiefs on Friday evening.

Aces were promoted to the elite League after winning the promotional play-offs at the expense of Chippa United and Santos, and Zuke will be up against the club that introduced him to professional football.

“There is no denying that Kaizer Chiefs made me who I am today, they developed me and groomed to the player I am today,” he tells KickOff.com.

“I have no personal agenda or anything of that sort against them. This time I have to do the talking for my employers, Aces.
For more http://www.kickoff.com

The former Bafana Bafana captain joins from Tottenham Hotspur, where he has fallen way down the pecking order.

“I’m really pleased to be here. I’m very happy that things have worked out and I’m just looking forward to the start of the season,” Khumalo says.

The former SuperSport United defender joins Bafana teammate Dean Furman at the club, with the midfielder having recently signed a two-year deal.
For more http://www.kickoff.com

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) are adamant the Champions League clash between Al-Ahly and Orlando Pirates in Egypt this weekend will go ahead as planned.

The South African Football Association submitted a letter to CAF yesterday to voice concerns over the volatile political situation in the north African country, where mass protests have left many citizens dead.

However, CAF insist that all the necessary precautions have been made and that the match will go ahead on Sunday.

“We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 29 July 2013 regarding your request to move the match of the Orange CAF Champions League (El Ahly v Orlando Pirates) to a neutral venue,” CAF’s reply read.

“Kindly note that while the political situation is still volatile, CAF can confirm that the organisation of football matches does not pose any threat to the security of officials nor any other party involved in such matches. We received the required guarantees from the authorities to ensure that the match will be secured properly.”

CAF also confirm that the match will be played behind closed doors given previous sanctions against Al-Ahly.

“This would make sure both teams are far away from any potential trouble.”
For more http://www.kickoff.com

KickOff.com can reveal that CAF turned down Orlando Pirates’ attempts to have new signing Kermit Erasmus registered for the Champions League.

The Buccaneers signed the striker from SuperSport United on July 23 and sent a mail to CAF the next day to request his registration.

However, four days later the to-be-expected reply came back where the continent’s governing body explained that as Erasmus had turned out for Matsatsantsa in the CAF Confederations Cup this season, he would not be permitted to feature for another club in the Champions League.

According to Article 26, Para 9: “During the same year a player is in principle only eligible to play for one and the same club in the CAF inter-club competitions. However, a player, even though registered on the list of a club who has not been fielded in any match of inter clubs competitions, will be authorized to play for another participating club in the inter-clubs competitions during the same year so long as all the regulations are complied with.”
For more http://www.kickoff.com

Johannesburg – They lived in a secure complex in a gated community, but they were murdered in their home.

The bodies of the two women, a mother and daughter aged 84 and 64, were found in the bath in their home in Beverly Hills Manor in Beryl Street, Bruma on Tuesday.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Johannesburg – The number of alleged rhino poachers arrested in South Africa this year now stands at 147, the environmental affairs department said on Wednesday.

Sixty-four were caught in the Kruger National Park, spokeswoman Eleanor Momberg said. The most arrests, 33, were made in April.

At the end of 2012, 267 arrests were recorded, 73 of them in the Kruger National Park.

Since the start of the year, 536 rhino had been killed for their horns, with the park remaining the main target.

“A total of 334 rhino have been poached in the Kruger National Park in the past seven months…, 56 rhino have been poached in Limpopo.”

In the North West, 55 offences were recorded, and in KwaZulu-Natal, 47.

According to research released on July 24 South Africa’s rhino population would rapidly decline in the next three years if it was not protected and poaching was not eradicated.

At current poaching levels, rhino numbers would significantly decline by 2016, and possibly earlier in the Kruger National Park, said SA National Parks former CEO Mavuso Msimang, who headed the research.

Msimang said although live birth rates exceeded death rates, more stringent measures should be introduced to protect rhino.

The report, titled Rhino Issue Management Process, recommended greater political will from authorities, a central funding mechanism to fight poaching, harsher sentences to deter criminals, and evaluating the rhino horn trade with other countries, especially in Asia, where the horn was in demand.

Sapa

Johannesburg – Two Witwatersrand University staffers were fired on Wednesday after being found guilty of sexual harassment, the institution said.

The dismissals followed disciplinary hearings, chaired by independent senior counsel, rector Adam Habib said in a statement in Johannesburg.

The university received the outcome on Wednesday.

“The staff members have been found guilty of sexual harassment and misconduct, and one of them has also been found guilty of sexual/indecent assault.”

The university apologised to the students who were harassed and said it would not tolerate any form of sexual harassment.

“There are two cases still running at the moment, and the university will announce the outcomes of these two cases in the next few weeks, as the outcomes become available.”

A campus-wide probe into sexual harassment, assessing existing policies and procedures to prevent further sexual harassment, was expected to be completed within two weeks.

Sapa