Johannesburg – Class inequality has become the greatest impediment to national reconciliation, a barometer survey by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) has found.

“It [the report] lists six overarching social issues, of which class was most commonly identified as the most divisive (27.9%), with race dropping to fourth place (14.6%),” it said in a statement on Wednesday.

The SA Reconciliation Barometer Survey (Sarb) proposed a renewed concept of “radical reconciliation” to highlight the link between the need for material transformation in conjunction with psychological bridge building.

“As South Africa moves into its 20th year of democracy and prepares for its fifth national election, the report focuses on current issues of social, political and economic exclusion,” the IJR said. The survey indicated that in 2013, citizens felt less trusting of national leaders.

Results showed a 10.8% decrease in citizens’ confidence in national government since 2012.

There had been a 13% increase in the proportion of citizens who believed the government did not care about “people like them”.

The survey found that ordinary citizens showed the highest confidence in religious institutions (67%) and the public protector (64.4%), and the lowest confidence in political parties (45.2%) and the police (47.9%).

The Sarb survey was conducted via face-to-face interviews in all nine provinces, using a questionnaire developed by the IJR that included around 100 survey items.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Two people were killed when their bakkie collided with a police vehicle in heavy rain in Standerton, a Mpumalanga government official said on Wednesday.

The accident happened on Tuesday on the R38 Standerton to Bethal Road near an overflowing bridge, said community safety spokesperson Joseph Mabuza.

Two bridges were temporarily closed because of damage caused by heavy rain in the Gert Sibande Region.

“The Blesbokspruit Bridge on R39 road between Morgenzon and Standerton and another between Bethal and Middelburg [on the] R35 road were damaged by heavy rainfall on Tuesday,” said Mabuza.

Motorists travelling between Standerton and Morgenzon were advised to use the R38 and R35 instead.

“The R544 Emalahleni Road should also be used as an alternative route for motorists travelling between Bethal and Middelburg,” he said.

Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe urged motorists not to try and cross submerged bridges.

– SAPA

Durban – A lack of ballistic tests on the bullet found in a dead IFP supporter seriously undermined the State’s case, the Durban Regional Court was told on Wednesday.

Simphiwe Moloi told the court that no ballistic tests had been carried out on the bullet found in Cebisile Shezi to link it to cartridges at the scene, or to his clients’ firearms.

“In the absence of any ballistic evidence, the accused ought to be released,” he submitted.

Moloi was speaking while making an application to have charges dropped against National Freedom Party councillor Mgezeni “Bhungu” Gwala and his son Celimpilo “Mjabelelwa” Gwala.

The Gwalas and security guard Skhumbuzo Nxumalo are accused of shooting Shezi dead on 6 October 2012, near the Thembalihle train station in KwaMashu, after Inkatha Freedom Party supporters converged on the Gwala home, near the station. She was wearing an IFP T-shirt at the time.

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa had addressed IFP supporters at a sports field in A-section, KwaMashu, earlier that day. He did so in an attempt to reduce tension in the area after the abduction of IFP councillor Themba Xulu. Xulu was out on bail after being arrested for allegedly trying to burn down Bhungu Gwala’s house.

Xulu’s body was found the next day. He had been shot.

Celimphilo Gwala and Nxumalo are in custody. Bhungu Gwala is out on bail of R20 000.

The court, which was packed to capacity with jovial NFP and IFP supporters, heard Moloi tell magistrate Trevor Levitt that the only evidence provided by the State had been to discount the possibility that Shezi was killed by a bullet fired into the air as a warning.

“There are no links between the bullets, the shell casings and the firearms that were recovered,” he said. Seventeen shell casings were found at the crime scene.

Nxumalo’s lawyer, Lungile Kheswa, argued that the case against his client should also be discharged, in the light of the contradictory evidence provided by State witnesses Hlengiwe Joyce Mzolo and Zamokwakhe Luthuli.

“The manner in which these witnesses gave evidence leaves much to be desired. We do not know from their evidence whether accused number five [Nxumalo] was there or not,” he submitted.

During their testimony, Mzolo and Luthuli gave different descriptions of a man they identified as doing the shooting.

Kheswa accused the State of pursuing the case in the hope that the accused would take the stand and implicate themselves.

He pointed out that the two State witnesses had put Gwala’s other son Bonginhlanhla Gwala and another security guard, Malusi Sibusiso Ncengwa, at the scene of the shooting.

Charges were withdrawn against them when closed-circuit television footage showed Bonginhlanhla was at his apartment in Umhlanga at the time, and Ncengwa proved he was working in Umbilo.

Kheswa also referred to the police’s failure to carry out ballistic tests.

“That was not done. This is a very poor state of affairs,” he said.

The SABC reported on Monday that the court heard testimony from the commander of the KwaMashu police station, Brigadier Zakhele Nzama.

He reportedly testified that Mgezeni Gwala was at the KwaMashu police station waiting to speak to Mthethwa at the time of the shooting.

Unlike previous court appearances, when there was a heavy police presence, there was only one court orderly present on Wednesday.

The prosecution was expected to present its case opposing the applications by Moloi and Kheswa.

– SAPA

Pretoria – Striking Marikana mineworkers did not attack the police before the shootings on 16 August last year, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Wednesday.

“We want to dispute all that evidence that has been put before this commission by police to suggest that they acted in self-defence. They [police officers] were not under attack,” Dumisa Ntsebeza SC, told the commission. He is appearing for the families of the deceased mineworkers.

Ntsebeza argued that because Brigadier Adriaan Calitz had previously testified that he did not see the shootings at the Marikana hill near Lonmin’s platinum operations in North West, he could not say with certainty whether his charges had acted in self-defence.

“I would like to be satisfied that your two weeks of being on the [witness] stand has not been in support of a case that the police acted in self-defence, because you were not there,” said Ntsebeza.

“For all the time you have been on the stand, you are not alleging that the police acted in self-defence? Whatever you have been saying does not support the theory that the police were justified in shooting my clients.”

Calitz said he was not certain what prompted the police to shoot.

“I can only say I cannot be certain of what happened because I was not there. As far as the TRT [tactical response team] shooting is concerned, I cannot help,” he said.

Ntsebeza said it was important for the commission to differentiate which of Calitz’s testimony was based on facts and which was based on circumstantial evidence.

“I am careful to put to you something which you can help us with. You are not able, on the basis of your presence as the operational commander on 16 August, [to say] whether the police were being attacked.

“You don’t know that they were being attacked so you can’t say they acted in self defence,” said Ntsebeza.

Communication gap

Previously, Calitz testified that he was unaware that the mineworkers “lying around” after the clash with police were dead.

In a statement submitted to the commission, Calitz testified that, because of the noise around the hill, he had not heard the police tactical response team firing live ammunition at the strikers.

“I contacted Lieutenant Colonel [Solomon] Vermaak on radio and inquired from him why the TRT was not following our dispersal action. He said he would go and check, and later reported that the TRT were at the kraal and there were bodies lying around.

“I thought, given my experience and the absence of such a report to me, that the bodies referred to people who were injured by the dispersion action or lying down to be arrested,” Calitz said in his statement.

On 16 August 2012, 34 people, mostly striking miners, were shot dead in a clash with police who were trying to disperse and disarm them. Seventy eight were wounded.

The Farlam Commission of Inquiry was appointed later that month to investigate the circumstances surrounding these deaths and those of 10 people, including two policemen and two security guards, during the preceding week.

– SAPA

Pretoria – Public Protector Thuli Madonsela on Wednesday defended herself against claims that her office leaked the Nkandla provisional report.

“The article itself said two senior officials from the cluster of security ministers had informed the author I had cleared the president,” Thuli Madonsela told reporters in Pretoria on Wednesday.

She was referring to a recent news report.

She explained there were two versions of the report in the media’s possession.

“What are the chances that I have two versions of the report? Five provisional reports were handed to the ministers [electronically] and one was given a password to share with others. It was also given to a judge on a confidential basis.

“The report was also handed to court. It was the ministers who said they had given the report to a team of experts,” Madonsela said.

The report deals with her investigation into the R206m security upgrade at President Jacob Zuma’s private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir accused the State of assault whenever he had to face the law, the Palm Ridge Regional Court heard on Wednesday.

“His allegations of assault are not new. The accused has a trend that upon arrest he goes and claims assault in court,” prosecutor Louis Mashiane said.

Krejcir and three others were applying for bail on Wednesday. His co-accused are estate agent Desai Luphondo and Hawks members warrant officers Samuel Modise Maropeng and George Jeff Nthoroane.

They were arrested last month and face charges of assault, kidnapping, and attempted murder.

Krejcir claimed he was tortured after his arrest and told the court earlier that he had laid charges against the police.

Mashiane said on Wednesday Krejcir made similar claims during his application to oppose his extradition in 2007.

He said because Krejcir indicated in his affidavit that he recognised one of the officers who allegedly assaulted him, he wondered why the police would blindfold him if they were aware he knew them.

Krejcir sat rubbing his hands and looking at Mashiane.

He occasionally shook his head at Mashiane and sometimes smiled. His three co-accused kept turning their heads and looking at relatives seated in the public gallery behind them.

Krejcir’s wife Katerina Krejcirova whispered to their son Dennis as they listened to Mashiane.

Armed tactical response team members kept an eye on the four accused during proceedings.

Luphondo kept writing in a notebook he brought with him, and kept quiet most of the time, speaking to Krejcir only occasionally.

The bail hearing continues.

– SAPA

Basetsana believe tough mental attitude is key in overcoming Tanzania in the second round of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

The South African U20 Women’s National team will take on Tanzania in the first leg match to be played at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Saturday, 7 December 2013. Kick-off is at 16h00, local time in Tanzania (15h00 SA Time).

Tanzania progressed to the second round of the qualifiers on a 15-1 aggregate score over Mozambique.

Seasoned campaigner Nomvula Kgoale believes going to Tanzania with the right mental attitude is what is needed for the team to come out with a positive result.

“We faced Tanzania when I travelled with Banyana Banyana to the All Africa Games in Maputo in 2011 and if my memory serves me right, they are a very useful side. Our mission is to go there and score as many goals without conceding to put us at an advantage going into the second leg.

“We don’t have any information on how they play or if their playing style has changed from the last time we played them in 2011 but we want to be ready for any game. They must be a strong side considering how they massacred Mozambique,” said Kgoale.

High Performance Centre based midfielder; Meagan Newman says they have been working hard at training this week and the practice match against Croesus Ladies allowed them to put into practice what the head coach has been drilling on them since they started training.

“We have been working hard and our 5-0 win over Croesus Ladies yesterday has given us an idea on where we are as far as mental preparedness is concerned. We don’t know what we are up against when we face Tanzania this weekend but we’ve been working on how to tackle any possibilities,” said Newman.

Newman was among the Bantwana squad that travelled to Trinidad and Tobago for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in 2010.

“Qualifying for the World Cup is any player’s dream. We took part in the U17 World Cup in 2010 and it would be great experience for us to play in the World Cup again,” added Newman.

Basetsana will have their last training session at Edenvale Football grounds this afternoon before their departure for Tanzania on Thursday, 5 December.

The 2014 edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup will be staged in Canada from 5-24 August.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

By Obakeng Maje
The Tswaing Local Municipality (TLM) this week started to disconnect electricity in Sannieshof without following legal processes or the reconciliation of payments received the last 4 months, say DA in the province.

It is alleged that the Municipal Finance Management Act and credit control policy explicitly states the processes of disconnection to be followed. However, no official notice was sent out to consumers in this regard.

“Legally no discrimination against account holders is allowed. But it seems that disconnection of electricity is done selectively” DA spokesperson Tiaan Kotze said.
Tswaing’s Outstanding Debtors account accumulated to R168 million.
Debt control must be enforced but only in accordance to the legally prescriptive processes, says Kotze.

DA said the financial management of Tswaing Municipality is failing in all departments by nurturing fraud and corruption within the system.

‘Illegal disconnecting electricity and threatening consumers to also disconnect their water supply will not improve the cash flow of the administration”.
Threatening the Consumer to disconnect their water is the infringement of a Constitutional Human Right, said Kotze.

“TLM is currently labelled by the North West Province as one of the municipalities in NW not complying with their Constitutional obligations. On a recent visit of the Legislature Tswaing was accused being the worst governing municipality in NW’ he said.

“It was brought to my attention that the residents approached a civic organization to legally assist them with the illegal disconnection of electricity. I will continue to fight to restore power to the people of Tswaing” concludes Kotze.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

The alleged rapes of a child minder and a mentally ill at the time when the country is busy with the 16-day of activism campaign on no violence against women and children denote the seriousness of the scourge of rape in this country, North West Premier said in condemning the two incidents.

“We are calling for no bail for the suspects and for the stiffest sentence possible if found guilty of these despicable acts. Something drastic needs to happen in this country to curb the scourge of rape,” said Premier Modise, who had previously called for chemical castration for repeat rapists.

In the first incident which reportedly took place in Delareyville, it is alleged that the suspect gained entry through the window, tied the 34 year old nanny and raped her.

Police say the child was not harmed.

The second incident took place at Helenia farm near Lichtenburg, where a 25-year-old man allegedly raped his mentally ill cousin.

Police say the 22-year-old victim was home when she was grabbed by the suspect and forced into a nearby field where she was raped.

The suspect was arrested on Saturday and he will appear at the Lichtenburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

The North West Provincial government priority of education was made a reality for children of farm workers with the unveiling of 80-million rand mega farm school by North West Premier Thandi Modise at a sod-turning ceremony in Lykso near Vryburg earlier in the week.

Premier Modise said the move is part of the broader strategy of the ANC-led government of giving farm learners access to quality education by building the mega farm school.

“The ANC led government has made a commitment to ensure that all learners receive quality education in a conducive learning environment. In fact education is one of the key priorities that the ANC-government has identified for the next few years,” said Premier Modise.

Together with the creation of decent work and sustainable livelihoods, Health, Rural development, food security and land reform, and the fight against crime and corruption, education remain top on the list of priorities of the ANC-led government.

Premier Modise, who was accompanied by North West MEC for Education Mmaphefo Matsemela and the Mayor of Greater Taung Local Municipality,Councillor Kaone Lebelo said she was satisfied that the Province which has been rated as the best performing province in house delivery and in the provisioning of ARV and Tuberculosis drugswould replicate those successes in the area of Education.

The mega school will have hostel facilities and all the necessary amenities needed for conducive teaching and learning.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_