Johannesburg- The African National Congress has lambasted who misinterpreted President Jacob Zuma statement when he said “We should not think like Africans in Africa” at the Gauteng ANC Manifesto Forum last night.

Zuma uttered the words and according to ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu, this has been blown out of proportion.

Zuma said “we should not think like Africans in Africa, this is not some national road in Malawi” during his keynote address.

“The African National Congress places it on record that both the organisation and the President hold the people of Malawi and elsewhere on the continent in high regard. The context in which the statement was made must be clarified in order to understand how the President`s comment, which has been mischievously been singled out, arose. In the President`s input on the tolling of roads in Gauteng, the President spoke at length about the unique space that Gauteng occupies in South Africa and Africa. To this end, the President drew parallels between Johannesburg and Polokwane, Rustenburg, Umngungundlovu, Danhauser and many other parts of the country” said ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu.

The ANC said president further called for the residents of Gauteng to appreciate the central role they and their roads play in the country and the continent, linking goods, people and development.

“It was within this context that the President called on residents of this province to not think and act like others in the country and continent who do not have the unique responsibility and critical role Gauteng has as a gateway to Africa and the industrial and economic hub of South Africa. Registering to pay toll fees on the newly built roads becomes part of this burden and honour Gauteng is bestowed with as the economic heartland of our country and continent” he said.

The African National Congress said they welcomes the role played by traditional and social media in national discourse, but it is important therefore that those privileged to form opinion on these networks do so with the intention of promoting fair and balanced reporting.

“A call we believe would not have arisen had the President`s comments were placed in context” Mthembu concludes.-TDN

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By Obakeng Maje
North West- The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West province has noted with appreciation that the Auditor General has recommended that there be investigation into the business dealings of the Amalgamated Logistics and the Department of Health in Mpumalanga.

“As COSATU in the North West we welcome this action but we also feel that it will be very important to the country that the investigation be extended to all the provinces where the company has had a similar business arrangement with the Department of Health” Cosatu North West spokesperson Solly Phetoe said.

In this province Amalgamated had a contract which ran for many years and extensions were given without following the correct procurement processes.

“We feel that there could have been some elements of financial irregularities which must be investigated. When poor workers were dismissed in 2010/2011 it was publicly announced that the company had won the tender procedurally from the former MEC of Health in 2007 and the contract was then extended by the current MEC with his officials while our members were dismissed for fighting for their rights” Phetoe said.

COSATU pleads with the Auditor General to look at the business activities of the company in the NW province in the same way that they have done in Mpumalanga.

“We are also calling the Department of Health in the NW to reinstate all workers who were employed by Amalgamated and dismissed unfairly by the same labour broker that continues to steal from the poor people of the NW for allegedly providing medication to our clinics and hospitals. We are also calling for the Department of Labour to do a full inspection at the exploiter’s company today, not tomorrow, as workers are facing challenges now” Phetoe concludes. –TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Johannesburg- The South African Football Players Union send its deepest and heartfelt condolences to the family of former Manning Rangers and Bafana Bafana striker Keryn Jordan.
Jordan passed on yesterday after a long battle with cancer at the age of 37.

Keryn was one of the lethal strikers our country has ever produced. He also played for Moroka Swallows and Supersport United before moving to New Zealand nine years ago.

“Jordan was a member of the Manning Rangers team that won the first Premier Soccer League title in 1997 and is one of the few South Africans to ever play at the Fifa Club World Cup” Safpu said in a statement.
Keryn’s sudden death is not only a loss to his family but to the entire football fraternity, says Safpu.

“As the South African Football Players Union we feel that we have lost the valuable member and comrade of the beautiful game. He was the legend and the Icon of the South African football and a great ambassador for our country” the union said.
Jrodan will be remembered by all the football loving nation of our country and abroad.

“You have been the great Ambassador for our South African Football to the rest of the world. Rest in peace our leader, Comrade Keryn. – TDN
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The court case involving 270 Marikana miners has been postponed until next year. The miners are charged with public violence and illegal possession of dangerous weapons.

The case was postponed to allow the Marikana Commission to conclude its work.

The accused appeared briefly in groups of 12 at the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrate’s Court, north of Pretoria. They were arrested after the August 16 Marikana police shooting which left 34 mine workers dead.

They were initially accused of killing their 34 colleagues, but those charges were withdrawn last year.

“In relation to, for example the issue of possession of dangerous weapons, the police have also confirmed that no specific weapon could be linked to any of these people,” says the miners’ representative, advocate Dali Mpofu.

Family members of those killed came to give them support while the case was postponed to May 20, 2014. However, an optimistic Mpofu believes the charges will be withdrawn before that time.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Experts are concerned about the spike in acts of Satanism. They say the youth are easily drawn into cults due to various social pressures.

The murder of 15-year-old Lee Adams on the Cape Flats last week has sent shock waves across the country.

His decapitated body was found in an abandoned school near his home.

According to Auksano trauma centre director Johan de Beer, more than three cases of satanism and devil worship are reported in the Western Cape alone every week. Auksano counsels people involved in sub-cults, including Satanism and devil worshiping.

De Beer says there is a strong link between occult activities and gangsterism.

The SABC’s Newsroom programme, aired live every weekday at 9am on channel 404, spoke to De Beer on Tuesday.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Tuesday called on politicians to lead by example and get circumcised.

“Medical male circumcision services are also available for those who want access to this service and honourable members, those who need to do it and [have] not yet done it, we are inviting them, and I can also help you because I’m involved in that sector also,” Motsoaledi told the National Assembly.

He was speaking after the launch of the HIV, counselling and testing (HCT) campaign in Parliament. The politicians joined over 18 000 South Africans who have been tested since President Jacob Zuma launched the HCT campaign in April 2010.

Motsoaledi had been calling for politicians and other powerful individuals to lead by example by undergoing the tests, hopefully prompting other South Africans to do the same.

“It gives me great pleasure to be here today at this extremely powerful place in the country to launch the HCT campaign for members of Parliament of the Republic of South Africa as well as all who work here,” he said.

It emerged Zuma would re-launch the campaign on World Aids Day on December 1 at the Gert Sibande district in Mpumalanga, the area with the country’s highest HIV/Aids prevalence rate.

At the same time, a medical male circumcision campaign would be announced.

Every South African should test annually

“Medical male circumcision is a critical strategy to decrease the HIV/Aids pandemic as demonstrated by the number of clinical trials in South Africa and other countries on the continent,” Motsoaledi said.

If MPs and other prominent individuals did annual HIV tests and underwent medical male circumcision it would contribute to the reduction of the stigma and discrimination attached to the pandemic.

“Every South African should test annually… regardless of age, regardless of your status or your station in life,” he said.

“Today’s event will contribute significantly towards the scaling up of HCT in the country by showing everyone that there’s strong political leadership in the country that supports the war against HIV and Aids.”
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

The Betty’s Haven orphanage in Nelsville outside Nelspruit is on the brink of closure as it doesn’t have sufficient funds to continue.

The home, a brainchild of Betty Mandlazi, for orphans and vulnerable children has operated for the past 18 years. Madlazi quit her job to care for the children.

She says, “There is a shortage of food. People give me food sometimes, not always. People from America come twice a year to give some money.”

According to Mandlazi, the provincial government is aware of the orphanage’s existence, but it never registered with the Social Development Department.

Mpumalanga Social Development Department spokesperson Ronnie Masilela says, “The reason why we are not funding them now is the fact that they want to remain private and they don’t comply at this stage with the set norms and standards for centres. We have been engaging management for years now, but they want to remain private.”

25-year-old Sharon Macamo, who went to the home at the age of six, says that it was the gift of a new life.

“There was no family whatsoever, and back in the days you couldn’t even run to your neighbour. It was just an informal settlement and everybody is concentrating on their own staff, so we did not get any assistance,” adds Macamo.

The future of the children is dependent on the existence of the home.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

The so called Youth Wage Subsidy Bill does not need National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) approval, National Treasury officials told Parliament’s finance standing committee today.

“Parliament is the only supreme body here and it approves or rejects or amends Bills,” Treasury deputy director general Ismail Momoniat said.

Treasury was reporting back on last week’s submissions by, among others, trade unions, businesses and churches. Both the Federation of Unions of SA and the Congress of SA Trade Unions rejected the draft Employment Tax Incentive Bill, saying there was a lack of consultation over the Bill at Nedlac.

Momoniat said legally government did not even have to table the Bill at Nedlac. “It’s a money Bill therefore we were not compelled to take it to Nedlac, but we have taken the idea to Nedlac…The consultation process may not be perfect but it has been done and you don’t always reach consensus, but it doesn’t mean government is not allowed to come up with a proposal and put it to Parliament,” he said.

On concerns by unions that employers would abuse the Bill by replacing workers with subsidised employees, Momoniat said significant penalties were in place to prevent this. “The Bill affects those who are not currently employed so perhaps if it does have some sort of economic impact it will not be on labour, it will be those outside of labour who will join the labour force.”

Momoniat suggested the incentive scheme could benefit trade unions by boosting their membership numbers. While many of those taking part in the public participation process had rejected the subsidy in principle, they had done little to offer as alternatives.

Treasury officials conceded the incentive scheme was experimental. “We are not saying this is a panacea, but this is one of many measures government uses to deal with the problem of youth unemployment,” Momoniat added.

Some of the concerns of the Bill’s opponents were accepted and would be included in the revised draft of the Bill to be presented on Wednesday.

The wages will be the same whether you are subsidised or not subsidised

“We’ve tried to listen carefully, so we took to heart a lot of the issues on incentive design, the whole issue to detect abuse like displacements, bringing penalties for abuse. People felt that we shouldn’t start it at too low an age range because you didn’t want young people to leave school and find work.”

The incentives would apply to workers earning between R4 000 and R6 000. Treasury said the incentive scheme would not lead to subsidised workers earning more than their unsubsidised colleagues.

“The wages will be the same whether you are subsidised or not subsidised. The difference is to the employer because the employer will presumably pay the same, but if you subsidise, the employer is getting something back for the subsidised worker.”

Unions’ concerns on deadweight loss were also dealt with, with Treasury conceding it was something it could do little to prevent. Deadweight loss occurs when a company would have employed a person anyway, without the subsidy. “Yes, for every incentive we have, there’s deadweight loss. You try to minimise that, but you can’t eliminate that,” Momoniat said.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in the Free State has been confirmed by Cabinet as the Host City for the African Nations Championship 2014 (Chan 2014), scheduled to commence on the 11th of January 2014.

The Chan 2014 is an official Confederation of African Football. The playing format is similar to the Afcon 2013 structure with a 16 team format and a total of 32 matches to be played.

Mangaung Metro spokesperson Qondile Khedama says that unlike the Afcon edition, the Chan 2014 tournament is designed exclusively for African footballers playing in their domestic or African continent leagues.

Khedama says the city has been selected to host a total of four teams from group matches and the teams which will participate in the quarter-final and semi-final matches.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

ABSA Premiership

Date: 22 October 2013

Venue: Free State Stadium

Result: Bloem Celtic 2-2 Swallows

Ernst Middendorp first game in charge of Bloemfontein Celtic ended in disappointment, as Siyabonga Nomvete inspired Moroka Swallows to a come from behind 2-2 draw in their Absa Premiership clash.

The visitors started brightly when Lerato Chabangu crossed the ball in from a free kick with just three minutes played, after Edward Mnqele had been fouled by Tsietsi Maho but it was well cleared by the Celtic defence.

The next real chance came just after 10 minutes in with a shot by Keagan Buchaman, but the Phunya Sele Sele midfielders attempt was well saved by Dube Birds goalkeeper Greg Etafia who got a fist to the ball.

The rest of the half was relatively stop start with not many clear-cut chances, until the game came to life with two goals within the final three minutes of the first 45 minutes.

Lerato Manzini opened the scoring for the hosts, with a well taken header from a cross by Vuyani Ntanga in the 42nd minute of the PSL clash.

The Birds responded almost immediately when veteran goal-poacher Siyabonga Nomvethe was played in by Luvhengo Mungomeni and the striker slotted home to draw level just before the end of the first-half.

The visitor’s striker Edward Mnqele had the first shot of the second-half but Celtic shot-stopper Patrick Tignyemb parried the ball away with 49 minutes played.

Nomvethe looked to have stole all three points for Swallows when the striker got on the end of a well whipped in Chabangu cross, and with just two minutes left to play only for Celtic substitute Frank Mhango to net a dramatic equaliser at the death.

The Bloemfontein side are struggling and are still without a first home win this season and have not picked up victories in their previous five games with the Dube Birds flying high at second spot behind Mamelodi Sundowns who top the table.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com