The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said it had agreed to a deal for wage hikes of up to 12% with the construction industry, ending a three-week strike.

“This is a major victory for us,” union official Issac Ntshangase said today in a statement.

The strike in the construction industry, one of several in a number of sectors, had appeared to have a relatively small impact, with many workers refusing to heed union demands to down tools and many building sites remaining active.

Major construction firms include Aveng, Murray & Roberts and Group Five.

Workers in the motor and gold industries have returned to work after strikes that crippled operations at some of the country’s biggest producers were resolved last week.

Airline technical workers also returned to work this week, while an ongoing strike by petrol station attendants has caused little disruption so far in Africa’s top economy.

With the unemployment rate stuck at about 25% for years and poverty gripping millions, many South Africans have said they are more concerned with securing a pay cheque than heeding the strike calls of union bosses.

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

A Kraaifontein man has been sentenced to 15 years for murdering Ge-Audrey Green, 19, whose body was found in a drawer under his bed.

Charlton Douw entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the State in the Western Cape High Court on Thursday. In the agreement, it emerged that Douw, 21, tried to kill another woman, Ester Sokupe, in Kotze Street, Scottsville, four months before he murdered Green, whose body was found under his bed in the flatlet behind his family home.

Douw said in the agreement that he had invited Green to his flat on February 7 and they had consensual sex. She started to scream.

“He became worried that his grandparents in the main house would be aware that he had someone in the flat, and (that he) would be chastised for his behaviour,” the agreement reads. “He strangled her in an effort to subdue her screams.”

Two days later, Douw’s mother, Magdeline Douw, and her niece, Mellisa Reiners, went to clean his room and found Green’s body.

On February 11, Douw admitted to Hawks Captain Paul Hendrickse that he had killed Green and had tried to kill Sokupe on October 20.

He had lured Sokupe from her home under the pretext of taking her to her son.

“Once outside her dwelling he… strangled her with his bare hands. A struggle ensued and when she managed to scream for help he ran away and left her,” the agreement reads.

The mitigating factors were that Douw was young, in custody for seven months and addicted to tik at the time of the offences .

Judge President John Hlophe sentenced Douw to 15 years for Green’s murder and 10 years for the attempted murder of Sokupe. The sentences will run concurrently.

Cape Argus

By Obakeng Maje

Potchefstroom-North West Social Development MEC Mokone Collen Maine, together with Minister Bathabile Dlamini, will today conduct a follow-up visit to Tlokwe, North West Province, in order to identify areas for further service delivery improvements in the municipality based on the challenges uncovered during her first visit to the area on August 2.

The visit forms part of Project Mikondzo – a service delivery improvement initiative aimed at improving access to the Department and its entities’ (the South African Social Security Agency and National Development Agency) services in the poorest wards of the country. According to the General Household Survey (GHS) of 2010, food access problems were most serious in North West Province where 33,3% of households had inadequate or severely inadequate food access. 

“This will be followed later during the day by an Imbizo where the MEC Maine and Minister Dlamini will interact with over 3000 community members” departmental spokesperson Vuyisile Ngesi said.-TDN

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Potchefstroom-Corruption allegations will still loom large over the Tlokwe local council following delaying tactics in the release of a graft-busting report.

North West MEC for local government and traditional affairs Manketsi Tlhape had yesterday been expected to release findings of the report into allegations that former ANC mayor Maphetle Maphetle engaged in corrupt activities while in office.

He was removed from office in July after 16 ANC councillors, along with opposition members in the council, passed a motion of no-confidence against Maphetle and voted in DA councillor Prof Annette Combrink as the new mayor.

That was Maphetle’s second ousting from office.

But Tlhape revealed the report will first have to be tabled in the council in a special sitting on September 20 – two days after crucial by-elections which will pit the ANC against its former members who have registered as independent candidates.

This latest report by Tlhape’s department brings to two the number of reports into corruption allegations against Maphetle.

Combrink commissioned a report to investigate Maphetle earlier this year – during her initial brief stint as mayor.

The report found the council irregularly bought a R736 000 customised Mercedes-Benz for Maphetle. It recommended formal disciplinary action against the mayor and council officials.

The report also alleged that the mayor was involved in fraudulently siphoning R300000 from the municipality’s Poverty Relief Fund to sponsor a jazz festival.

But attempts were made yesterday to discredit the Nexus report commissioned by Combrink.

Tlhape said supply chain management processes were not followed in the commissioning of that report but that it would not be nullified.

An investigation into the commissioning of the Nexus report was likely, she said.

Seeking to lend credibility to her department’s “independent” probe into Maphetle’s conduct, Tlhape said it was imperative for her to intervene in the interests of service delivery.

Though the full findings will only be revealed next week, there may be misgivings that the investigations by Tlhape’s department represent a government whitewash. According to the department’s statement, there seems to have been only one finding – that “the allegations that have been levelled against the then executive mayor Maphetle are being investigated by the Hawks branch in Klerksdorp”.

The DA formally laid criminal charges in May with Potchefstroom police and the matter was handed to the Hawks.

The department would allow the Hawks to continue investigating “and will observe the processes”.

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

Emotions ran high at the commemoration of North West police officers who died in the line of duty between April 2012 and March 2013. Families cried uncontrollably remembering their loved ones who were honored for their bravery.

Petunia Lepaaku whose husband Sello Lepaaku died during the marikana massacre said she is happy that their loved ones haven’t been forgotten and they are remembered for the heroes that they were.

“After everything that happened I have seen that the South African Police service loves us and that the country is behind us,” said Lepaaku The provincial commissioner Zukiswa Mbombo said with sadness and bereave at the commemoration of the fallen heroes

“We did not just lose colleagues we lost heroes and the families have lost their pillars of strength. I want to convey my heartfelt condolences and say the officers did it with pride and bravery,” said Mbombo.
For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

The ANC Youth League regional task team (RTT) in Ngaka Modiri Molema has pledged its support to candidates aligned with ANC provincial chairperson Supra Mahumapelo, as the party’s provincial general council (PGC) draws close.

The PGC will choose new leadership that will constitute the provincial executive committee and early indications are that Mahumapelo could emerge even stronger than before.

RTT spokesperson Bongile Mokhoanatsi said the youth league would rally behind Mahumapelo to lead the province for another two-year term.

“As we approach the elective PGC of the North West province we align ourselves with the ANCYL PTT on its call to support cde Dakota Legoate as ANC provincial secretary.

“We believe that he is one of our own; he is swelling from the ranks of the ANCYL in the province. Cde Legoate is a former youth league leader in the province and we want to believe he understands the ANC better and he will be able to assist the ANC in the province,” Mokhoanatsi said.

Legoate is closely linked to Mahumapelo and if he succeeds, he would take a position once occupied by Kabelo Mataboge, neutralising potential opposition in the process.

“We also call for the support of cde Suzan Tsebe for the treasurer’s post. Her track record in the organisation speaks for itself. She has been instrumental in the women’s league in the province,” Mokhoanatsi added.

Tsebe is the current ANC Women’s league Leader in the province. She will replace Philemon Mapulane, who joined the party’s national executive council.

On the two remaining members of the incumbent PEC, Mokhoanatsi said: “Once again we pledge our unwavering support to the chairperson of the ANC in North West, Ntate Supra Mahumapelo to steer this ship until 2015, and we support cde Gordon Kegakilwe as the deputy secretary until the end of office term.”

The RTT castigated ANC councillors at Ngaka Modiri Molema district municipality for defying leadership.

“We firmly believe that the ANC should take a stand on its members who continue to defy its decisions and seek to bring the name of the party into disrepute.”

The youth league in the region will engage with the IEC regarding public representatives who were deployed to Ngaka Modiri Molema by the ANCYL in the region, with a view to recall those individuals serving their own interests,” Bongile said.

The hardening of attitudes to those opposed to the leadership of Mahumapelo would likely continue and the absence of members from the provincial executive council could also increase tension between party and government.

The PGC will take place towards the end of this month at a venue still to be confirmed.
For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

Fifty youths received their certificates after completing a one-year construction course in which they majored in different trades.

The course came as part of the provincial social development department’s implementation of the national youth service programme directed at reducing unemployment among young people in impoverished villages in the province.

The department paid about R3m for the duration of the programme and youths who benefitted were drawn from Koffiekraal, Brakkuil and Uitkyk in the Moses Kotane local municipality.

The young people attained NQF Level 3 certificates in building and civil construction. They took up trades like brick making, brick laying, plastering, painting, paving, tiling and carpentry.

Business-related courses that will help the youth join the construction industry as service providers were also offered on the course.

Courses in enterprise development and construction contracting were offered where the youth were trained on how to meet tendering and legal requirements, financial management, business management and understanding the construction environment.

At their graduation ceremony held in Mogwase on Monday most of the beneficiaries thanked the government for giving them a chance to learn skills that would help them find and create employment.

One of the beneficiaries, Thapelo Mangena, 28, from Koffiekraal outside Zeerust said he felt indebted to the department for allowing him a lifetime opportunity to get construction skills.

Mangena, a father of one, has been depending on piece jobs to earn a living.

“We are now ready to enter the labour market. We are still awaiting registration of our cooperative. However, at the moment we are renovating two blocks of classes at Matiki Primary School here in Koffiekraal,” he said.

“This opportunity has made me appreciate that young people should start using their hands to do something meaningful and stop stealing.”

Provincial social development MEC Collen Maine, congratulated the graduating youths and said the programme would continue in other municipalities.

“Currently 50 young people from the Naledi local municipality are undergoing training on furniture making and construction. Another 50 young people from Tlokwe local municipality are being trained on building, civil construction and end user-computing. We are doing this so that our young people become future employers and be the change agents in the communities they come from.”

The national youth service programme is a government initiative aimed at empowering young people with skills to deliver developmental services to their respective communities.
For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

Some of the elderly people at Rotary Old People’s Home in Mahikeng shed tears in appreciation of a visit and gifts from children at the Montshiwa Seventh Day Adventist Church at the weekend.

Kids under the Adventurers and Pathfinders clubs visited the over 20 elderly men and women staying at the centre and held a special singing and prayer service.

Led by their leaders Rosie Sanders and Mpho Maimela, the children also donated toiletries to the elderly people.

Daphney Wrona, 80, said the visit was a special blessing. “Since I started staying here over a year ago, I have never seen such love.

“These kids have really given us a sense of belonging, a sense of reconnection with the outside world and I really appreciate it.”

Wrona also indicated that life at the centre was relatively good and they were happy with the food and care they received.

Another granny, Lene Zyl, 67, said she also appreciated the warmth the kids brought and indicated that such visits should be made more frequent.

“We are so blessed to have a community of church people who could spare their time to be with us. This should be done more often so that we revive the family memories we also used to have back in those days.”

One of the caregivers at the centre, Norah Oepeng thanked organisers of the visit and the donations. “We are very relieved today because some of these elderly people miss their families so much and a mere sight of children gives them great joy.

Some of them have been left here for a long time and their relatives either do not visit or when they do they don’t spend time with them.”

Oepeng added that some of the family members were not supportive enough and sometimes they spent time without sending toiletries for their parents.

“The gifts come in handy and they would give new purpose to most of our elderly people here. It is not every day that they get these things.”
For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

Johannesburg – A Namibian man was convicted of the murder of two police constables at the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town on Thursday, Western Cape police said.

Police spokesperson Tembinkosi Kinana said Fabianus Philipus was convicted for the murder of constables Pindiwe Nikani and Mandisi Nduku.

The two constables were shot and killed, while on duty at Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay in October last year.

Nikani died on the scene and Nduku, who was seriously injured, died later in hospital.

Philipus would be sentenced on 18 September.

“We have always maintained that an attack on police officers is an attack on the state. Police officials are there to ensure the safety and security of communities as mandated by the country’s Constitution and not to be targets of heartless killers,” said Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant General Arno Lamoer.

“Today’s court decision must serve as a good lesson that will send a strong message to other criminals, that the decision to kill our police is wrong on their part,” he said.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The Eastern Cape health department on Thursday dismissed allegations by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Section 27 that the province’s health system was collapsing.

“We have studied the report and it is full of deliberate distortions,” said the department’s spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo.

The TAC and Section 27 released a detailed report on the health system in the Eastern Cape, on Wednesday.

Kupelo said the report lied by presenting the public with old problems that had been resolved, particularly the drugs shortage issue.

“The issue of drugs was addressed,” he said.

Kupelo denied allegations that the province had a high staff vacancy rate.

He said the department continued producing nurses through its internal nursing college, and doctors were deployed where they were needed.

The report described hampered service delivery as a result of the poor state of health care facilities.

Six hospitals were being demolished to be rebuilt in Transkei, Kupelo said.

“We are building a gateway clinic at the cost of R38m in Madwaleni near Elliotdale.”

Over 50 officials who were found guilty of corruption were fired last year.

He said a list of officials doing business with the department had been handed over to the Treasury for investigation.

In the report, the organisations identified mismanagement of funds as an underlying problem.

In 2011/2012, the department overspent on its staffing budget by more than R1bn because of higher than inflation increase to salaries and poorly-managed employee benefits.

– SAPA