Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma appeared touched by the reception he received from residents of Danville, Pretoria West, on Thursday.

He was showing them around their new homes as part of the launch of the new, low-cost housing settlement.

“This is what we want to see… [a situation] where no one feels like they are orphans in a country of their own,” he told residents.

“It is only here that I see a mixed crowd with different races… as one. It is with ordinary people that this feeling of oneness exists.”

The settlement would provide homes for low-income black and white families and was being launched to mark Mandela Day, the presidency said on Wednesday.

‘I thought they were all doing so well’

Zuma said on Thursday he visited the area several years ago to see where “poor whites are staying”.

“I saw conditions I never thought I would ever see. I thought they were all doing well,” he said.

He was also there to honour former president Nelson Mandela on his 95th birthday.

“We have come to do what is being done by everyone. We are here to take some time and do things to honour Madiba.

“I always feel happy with people like you, because you don’t have artificial problems,” he said.

Zuma said one of the new homeowners, who was quite large, had been straightforward with him and asked him whether he expected her to fit in the new home’s bathtub.

“I agreed that I would buy her a new bathtub,” he said.

“I also promised one [resident] that I would come one day for a cup of tea.”

He said one resident had told him the last time he was there that he needed an identity document.

“I delivered the ID to him today. He can now apply for his pension,” Zuma said.

“He was with his sister and brother-in-law and they all started crying.”

‘Bring me my machine gun’

Children from the Siyabonga Early Learning centre, led by their teachers, sang happy birthday to Madiba when Zuma arrived. Some of the children wore the South African flag as capes.

Zuma applauded and waved to them. He then led several of the new owners around their homes, joking and pointing out each of the new rooms.

A group of ANC supporters stood nearby, singing his trademark song Awalethu Mshini Wam (bring me my machine gun).

He was accompanied by Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane.

Zuma spoke at a large truck parked opposite the newly-built houses and decorated with pictures of him.
A poster on the truck read: “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black or white”.
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Pretoria – A top South African diplomat said on Thursday that preparations for an election in Zimbabwe at the end of the month were “not looking good”, unusually strong criticism of President Robert Mugabe from his powerful neighbour.

Lindiwe Zulu, President Jacob Zuma’s special adviser on Zimbabwe, said Zuma had called Mugabe to tell him he was not pleased with the run-up to the poll on 31 July, a date fixed by Mugabe after a Constitutional Court ruling.

It had been criticised by Mugabe’s opponents and South Africa’s government as too soon.

“We are concerned because things on the ground are not looking good,” said Zulu.

The election is supposed to end five years of fractious unity government under a deal brokered by South Africa following violent and disputed polls in 2008. With the credibility of the poll already called into question, those hopes are now waning.

South Africa wants to avoid a repeat of the 2008 violence, which brought a flood of refugees into the country and added a further burden on stretched state finances.

Zulu’s comments are likely to infuriate the 89-year-old Mugabe, who labelled Zulu “stupid and idiotic” at a campaign rally this month after she repeated South Africa’s call to delay the polling date by a few weeks to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible.

Two days of advance voting for 70 000 police officers and soldiers on Sunday and Monday suggested the fears of a chaotic election will be borne out, raising the prospect of a disputed result and civil unrest in a country with a history of election violence.

Transparency

In the special voting, long lines formed at polling stations and some people were unable to vote because ballot papers did not turn up at all – one of several logistical challenges acknowledged by the Election Commission.
In addition to smooth logistics, South Africa wants cast-iron guarantees that the army and police will end their open support of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party.

The South African government’s verdict as to the quality of the vote has added significance because election observers from the European Union and United States are barred from entering Zimbabwe.

There have been no formal opinion polls but most analysts see ZANU-PF as the favourite given its monopoly of state media and the problems with voter registration encountered by many young, urban Zimbabweans – the support base of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe’s main challenger.

The United States said on Tuesday it was deeply concerned by a lack of transparency in the run-up to the vote, suggesting Washington was in no mood to ease sanctions against a victorious Mugabe and his inner circle even if he wins without violence.

– Reuters

Johannesburg – The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has dismissed an application for the state to fund legal representation for the victims of the Marikana shootings.

“I agree with the state that the application cannot succeed,” Judge Joseph Raulinga said on Thursday.

“The application is dismissed. 

“I need to say that nothing prevents the parties from settling this matter outside the courts.”

Dali Mpofu, acting for the wounded and arrested Marikana miners at the hearings of the Farlam Commission of Inquiry, brought the urgent application for the state to fund their legal representation.

Mpofu wanted President Jacob Zuma and Justice Minister Jeff Radebe to approve state payment of the mineworkers’ legal team.

Miners and their families packing the courtroom grunted in disapproval when Raulinga made his ruling.

The judge found the application had been urgent and “class action” for the case had been certified.

There was no order as to costs.

“They [the applicants] say the separation of powers is not implicated in this matter, but I disagree,” he said.

“The duty of determining how public resources are to be drawn upon… lies in the heartland of the executive.”

Representation

He said he could only grant such an order if there was proof of unlawfulness, fraud or corruption.

“I do not find any in this case,” he said.

Raulinga said it was the prerogative of the executive to decide how to fund commissions.

After Raulinga read the judgment into the record, Mpofu asked him to indicate when the typed judgment would be available so that he could launch an urgent application at the Constitutional Court.

The application was urgent as it would have implications for the commission.

Raulinga said he would try his best to make sure it was available “as soon as possible”.

Last Thursday, Mpofu told the court the miners wounded and arrested at Marikana last year were entitled to legal representation at the State’s expense.

He told the court the legal team had not received any funding from June to October and that the commission was unlikely to finish its work by its extended deadline of 31 October.

The commission is investigating the deaths of 34 striking mineworkers, shot by police at Marikana in North West on 16 August last year and the deaths of 10 people in strike-related violence the previous week.

Mpofu on Monday provisionally withdrew from the commission pending the outcome of the court case.

Two other parties participating in the commission – the Legal Resources Centre and the families of the miners killed – also provisionally withdrew.

SAPA

Johannesburg – Lolly Jackson’s alleged killer George Louca has failed in his final bid to avoid extradition, eNCA reported on Thursday afternoon.

Louca will be bought back from Cyprus to South Africa to stand trial, the TV news channel added.

He’s denied killing strip-club boss Jackson – but says he will never reveal who did because doing so could get him killed.

Louca fled South Africa soon after Jackson was gunned down.

Katlego Mphela’s agent says the Mamelodi Sundowns striker will not be signing a new contract as they look to finally secure him a move overseas.

‘Killer’ has in the past been frustrated in his efforts to win a move abroad, with the Brazilians turning down a few lucrative offers from Russia a couple of years ago.

And despite missing most of last season through injury and a lack of form and fitness, Glyn Binkin says Mphela is still in high demand in Europe, with “interest from two clubs in Turkey and another in Israel”.

However, he insists that reported interest from Hull was media sensation.

“The Hull City thing … I’m not sure where it came from, but it’s not official. My partners in the UK have spoken to Steve Bruce himself and although he likes the player, he is not on their wanted list at the moment,” he tells KickOff.com.