Johannesburg – Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi apologised on Friday to its members and the country following recent allegations that he raped a colleague.

“I have erred and in the process embarrassed my family and disappointed many South Africans who looked to me to provide moral leadership,” he said in a speech prepared for delivery at an SA Democratic Teachers’ Union biennial general meeting in Port Elizabeth.

He said he regretted making headlines for the wrong reasons.

“I have decided to come to your meeting to apologise to each one of you and through you, to all Cosatu members and every South African, for letting them down,” said Vavi.

News of the alleged rape surfaced last week in reports that Vavi was being accused by a 26-year-old married woman, whom he claimed had tried to extort R2m from him.

Vavi denied raping the woman, but admitted to having consensual sex with her.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions held a hearing about the matter on Monday and it ended when the woman withdrew her grievance.

On Friday, Vavi said he had no one but himself to blame for the incident.

“I am only human and not a perfect saint. I have learnt so much from the mistake and I commit to never repeat the same, and in the process hand over to the enemies of the working class a victory on a silver platter.”

He said he would work hard to regain the lost trust of both his family and the nation.

“I am back on my feet. I have a mandate to fulfil,” he said.

After the hearing on Monday, Vavi said he would consult with his lawyers to consider action against the woman.

SAPA

Harare – Zimbabwe’s election was credible and fair, the chief of the African Union observer mission said Friday, but the bloc’s report noted some problems with the voters’ roll and of people being turned away from polling booths.

President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF appeared confident of a sweeping victory, while the rival Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said the “sham” polls would plunge the country into crisis.

“We are very happy this morning. We are very confident and excited. We think there is a sense of victory for us,” Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said.

He said the party expected to get between 130 and 140 seats in the 210-member parliament.

Results from about 30% of seats in parliament showed Zanu-PF taking a strong early lead, with 52 to the MDC’s 10.

Mugabe’s party managed to wrest control of some urban constituencies previously held by the rival MDC.

The final results of Wednesday’s election must be announced by Monday.

Local elections observers noted there were serious problems with the voters’ roll in urban areas – long considered MDC strongholds.

Vote rigging

Tsvangirai has declared the elections to be “null and void” because of allegations of vote rigging.

Zanu-PF insists the polls were conducted in a “free and fair” manner, as does the Zimbabwe Election Commission.

In the 2008 election that was marred by violence, Tsvangirai won the first round but did not get enough votes to avoid a run-off. Widespread intimidation, including the deaths of some 200 of his supporters, forced him to pull out of the runoff.

The presidential poll results are only expected in the coming days. If no candidate gets at least 50% of the vote, a second round will be held September 11.

The 89-year-old Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since 1980, has vowed to step down if he loses.

Africa’s oldest head of state presided over a decade-long economic collapse, in part blamed on his policy of grabbing white-owned farms without compensation and fuelling hyper inflation.

SAPA

Johannesburg – South Africa’s rand fell through the psychologically important level of R10/$ in Friday’s early trade, with upbeat expectations about US jobs data that comes out later in the session bolstering the greenback.

The rand had weakened to R10.0145/$ and later gained some ground.

By 08:44 on Friday, the local currency had come back slightly to R9.9970, but still extended five days of losses that also dragged bonds lower.

“This move has been spurred by dollar strength, rather than rand weakness, although there is little domestically to offer traders any reason to go against greenback strength,” said Christopher Shiells of Informa Global Markets.

However, the rand was looking oversold and dealers said it could trade sideways until the release of US jobs data at 14:30, which will give an indication on the health of the world’s biggest economy, and in turn clues about quantitative easing.

Markets have been on edge on when the US Federal Reserve will slow the taps on monetary stimulus that has supported emerging markets.

Investors were also expecting an upbeat US non-farm payrolls number, which will lend further support to dollar bulls and support views than the Federal Reserve may start to withdraw stimulus as early as September.

“We are not expecting the dollar-rand to see any upside beyond R10.100 at the moment,” Shiells said.

The rand should find some support in the R10.07/08 region- a low hit on July 12.

Government bonds played catch up with the rand’s fall, with the yield on the benchmark 2026 paper up 8.5 basis points to 8.26%.

The government is expected to announce higher fuel prices later in the session, drawing further focus on the weak exchange rate.

National Treasury will hold a sale of inflation-linked bonds at 11:00, where demand is expected on the longer-dated paper, and Treasury Bills at 12:00.

The detrimental effects of bullying are a harsh reality and urgent action is needed, writes Retha Kruger.

Cape Town – Bullying is rife in today’s school culture, with devastating consequences which negatively affect not only pupils and staff, but the broader neighbourhood community, the general school climate and the overall functioning of the school. Research shows that bullying can be a precursor to aggression, and if not addressed may lead to more serious acts of violence.

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

The remains of a man found in a shallow grave at a house in Riversdale, Ermelo will be exhumed on Friday, Mpumalanga police said.

It was discovered when a 26-year-old man went to police with information about a murder he committed in April, police spokesperson Leonard Hlathi said.

He told police that he murdered a man and buried him behind his house.

“They [police] set off to the scene on Thursday as directed by the man and on arrival, he pointed [out] to them the area where he claimed to have buried the victim.”

Officers started digging and, within an hour, found the corpse.

Residents told police the body could be that of the 26-year-old man’s friend who they believed had gone back to KwaZulu-Natal.

The man was arrested and expected to appear in the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

SAPA

The Department of Human Settlements,Public Safety and Liaison obtained an unqualified report for the financial year 2012/2013. 

This is according to the Auditor General’s report, which was officially released this morning in Mafikeng.

The two branches of Human Settlements and Public Safety and Liaison, are said to have leaped from qualified reports and disclaimer in the past years to an unqualified report, which the AG’s office described as a strategic and good move towards the 2014 target of a clean audit among government departments.

MEC Nono Maloyi, congratulated Departmental officials for the positive move and further appealed for an improvement and hard work towards a clean audit in this financial year. 

He said that his department should adopt a winning culture which will ensures compliance and adherence to legislations, governing Public Service. 

“The report simply says we are doing something right. I therefore appeal to you to keep the spirit and ensure compliance as you work towards delivering services to the North West communities,” said MEC Maloyi.

Handing over the report to the acting heads of department, the provincial Auditor General, Mr Liaquath Ally congratulated the department and called on others to work on those elements that lead to their qualification. 

“The Auditor General is committed to work with government departments and other entities in correcting the challenges facing them. My special message goes to the Department of Human Settlements Public Safety and Liaison for moving from qualified reports to unqualified” Ally said. Ally said that shows commitment and adherence to legislation.

Meanwhile MEC Maloyi assured the AG, that his department will pay attention on areas such as Human Resource Management, Supply Chain processes, and also avoid Unauthorized, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. 

He said they will continue and frequent engagement with the AG will greatly assist in achieving a clean audit in the current financial year 2013/2014.-TDN

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Pretoria – Two of four men accused of killing police Major General Tirhani Maswanganyi had different versions about the purchase of a firearm before the murder, a Pretoria court heard on Thursday.

This emerged during the evidence of Nditsheni Daniel Nefolovhodwe, 39, in the Pretoria North District Court in the four men’s bail application.

He said the purchase of a gun for R600 from co-accused Roger Godfrey Moseki, 33, and Tshepo Mosai, 30, was part of a “knocking game” involving the fourth accused, Ndaedzo Isaac Vele, 29.

He said the idea was to take R600 from Vele with the aim of giving it back to him at the end of the month.

The four men allegedly met on 12 June in Roodepoort, first at a petrol station, then at Moseki’s home.

Nefolovhodwe described a “knocking game” as a kind of joke they had played amongst themselves before, with Vele wanting the weapon due to unhappiness at work and possibly to “kill himself”.

He said he believed Vele was joking.

However, the defence for Moseki said he disagreed with Nefolovhodwe’s version of events, stating Moseki believed the transaction was of a serious nature.

Cross-examined by prosecutor Lucas Moseki, Nefolovhodwe indicated that a “knocking game” was also a means of stealing from a person through false promises.

Maswanganyi’s body was found on 17 June in a field near Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, with his hands and feet bound. This followed a search, launched after a police patrol found his Isuzu bakkie abandoned next to the R101.

A police uniform and police identification card were in the car.

Torture claims

The State opposed bail for all four accused. They face charges of premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and driving a vehicle without the owner’s permission.

Nefolovhodwe, Moseki and Vele are members of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF). Nefolovhodwe knew Moseki as a member of the infantry.

When asked by the State, Nefolovhodwe denied knowing Maswanganyi, the circumstances surrounding his death, or his home address.

Nditsheni earlier told the court police tortured him for six hours when he was arrested on 24 June. He was suffocated with a plastic bag, beaten, tied up and forced to urinate on himself.

He said the same thing happened again after being taken to a building in Germiston on either 28 or 29 June. His legs were tied to his hands behind his back, causing him much pain. He said he was throttled with a plastic tube.

“I felt at that stage I was going to die,” he told the full courtroom.

He said he was not read his rights during his detention and would plead not guilty to the charges.

In an affidavit Vele submitted police tortured him.

“I’ve been brutally assaulted by [the SA Police Service]…[and] tortured severely.”

He said that were he not to get bail, he would lose his income, and believed the State did not have any evidence linking him to the crime scene.

The matter was postponed to 14 August.

SAPA

Johannesburg – Eastern Cape police are searching for a man accused of murder and armed robbery.

Zimasa Diniso, 30, also known as Camel, disappeared after he was granted bail, police spokesperson Marinda Mills said on Thursday.

The Elliotdale Magistrate’s Court issued a warrant for his arrest on 14 June.

Diniso, believed to be in Mthatha or Mqanduli, was described as armed and dangerous.

He was being sought for several crimes in Mthatha and East London.

SAPA

Johannesburg – The parents of 3-year-old Olivia van Voeght have been arrested for child neglect, Western Cape police said on Thursday.

Colonel Thembinkosi Kinana told Eyewitness News that Olivia’s parents were arrested after they were taken in for questioning following her death.

She disappeared on Tuesday after her mother left her at home for two hours.

He said the arrests were made on suspicion of neglect. Western Cape Social Development MEC Albert Fritz said he was saddened, and at the same time angered, by the discovery of Olivia’s body.

“…saddened by her untimely and unnecessary death and angered by the fact that there now seems to be an alleged situation of child neglect,” he said.

He said he learned that police had arrested the parents on allegations of child neglect. Fritz said he assigned social workers to the matter.

“Too often children fall prey to criminals in our society, because the very people who must love, care for and protect them, have abandoned their responsibilities,” said Fritz.

He promised to investigate the full circumstances around her death and would co-operate with police and the department of justice to ensure that, if found guilty, the parents and perpetrators were brought to book.

“Let this be a lesson to all parents. The safety and protection of your child is firstly your responsibility and parents whose negligence places their children’s lives in danger, will have to face the full force of the law,” he said.

SAPA

Pietermaritzburg – A doctor at Pietermaritzburg’s Edendale Hospital on Thursday said staff tried their best to save a man admitted, after a fitness test for Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) job applicants.

“We try our best to get good care for patients with the resources we have. Health care is always limited by resources. There’s always more we’d like to do that we can’t do,” head of internal medicine Dr Douglas Wilson, told an inquiry into the deaths of eight people following the test.

Advocate Ravenda Padayachee, for the transport department, asked Wilson if he was suggesting the hospital’s lack of capacity was being used as an excuse for the man’s death.

Wilson was testifying in Pietermaritzburg before a commission probing the deaths of the eight, who took part in a 4km run at the city’s Harry Gwala Stadium in December.

More than 34 000 people qualified to apply.

A total of 15 600 applicants attended a fitness test on 27 December and a similar number on 28 December.

Wilson was being questioned about the treatment of Xolani Gumede, who died in the hospital five days after he took part in the test.

According to Gumede’s blood tests, conducted on 27 and 28 December, his potassium levels were low. Potassium levels that are too high or low could affect the heart rate.

On 31 December, a doctor prescribed potassium for Gumede without having the results of his blood analysis. Padayachee said this was a mistake.

Blood tests were only done again on 31 December but doctors did not check the results because of staff constraints.

Gumede died on 1 January.

Emergency

Padayachee asked Wilson why the hospital’s laboratory did not call the ward to raise the alarm that his potassium levels were too high.

Wilson said he did not know if the hospital had the capacity to phone the ward in an emergency.

If the hospital’s ward had the results on 31 December, it would have detected that Gumede’s potassium had gone up and treated him.

“We tried our best to help him with the team we had. Gumede’s kidney failed, his potassium went up. The pace of the illness exceeded capacity to respond,” Wilson said.

Padayachee said if the hospital had taken blood tests on 29 and 30 December it would have also have picked up that Gumede had renal failure.

Wilson said the hospital was aware of the renal failure and tried its best to help him.

Wilson said Gumede’s death could have been caused by his left thigh being swollen.

The swelling was caused by blood clots which went into his lungs.

Another likely cause was the fluctuation of potassium levels which may have caused cardiac arrest.

The inquiry continues on Monday.

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