Pretoria – Former president Nelson Mandela’s family must be given the privacy to resolve their internal differences, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said on Wednesday.

“I would rather not comment on the issue. The family must be given the space to resolve it,” she told reporters outside the Medi-Clinic Heart hospital in Pretoria.

Mandela was admitted to the hospital for a recurring lung infection on 8 June. He is in a critical but stable condition.

Zille said while she was in Pretoria she saw it fit to make a turn at the hospital where Mandela was being treated, to lay down flowers and wish him a speedy recovery.

“I could not drive past the hospital without doing anything. The DA supports the father of the nation, Nelson Mandela,” she said.

Zille said wanted to come to the hospital once his condition had improved. She said Mandela had created a great legacy for himself in South Africa and around the world. The Mandela family would decide on his final resting place.

“Wherever his final place will be I hope the whole nation will embrace it.”

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Mthatha – Members of the Mandela family were said to be “ecstatic” after a court ruled that the remains of three of Nelson Mandela’s children must be exhumed and reburied in Qunu.

The Eastern Cape High Court upheld last week’s court ruling in favour of Mandela’s eldest daughter Makaziwe Mandela and over a dozen other family members, who challenged Madiba’s eldest grandson Mandla Mandela.

They claimed he moved the graves from Qunu to Mvezo in 2011 without the knowledge or consent of his relatives. The remains must be exhumed at Mvezo at 15:00 on Wednesday.

‘Private matter’

Journalists mobbed Makaziwe Mandela, her niece Ndileka Mandela and nephew Ndaba Mandela after the ruling.

“It will remain a private matter,” Makaziwe Mandela said as she left the court.

Counsel for the applicants Wesley Hayes said they were ecstatic about the judgment.

“We are delighted with the outcome,” he said outside the courthouse.

Mandla Mandela, who was not present, was ordered to pay the costs of the case.

Dozens of journalists from news organisations around the world sped off soon after the ruling to photograph and film the exhumations at Mandla Mandela’s home in Mvezo.

The graves are that of Mandla’s father, Makgatho Mandela, who died in 2005; Mandela’s first daughter Makaziwe Mandela, who died as an infant in 1948; and Mandela’s second son Madiba Thembekile Mandela, who died in a car accident in 1969.

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By Obakeng Maje

Former Tlokwe mayor Maphetle Maphetle and his Mayoral Committee members are attempting to destabilise the Council by refusing to vacate their offices in the Tlokwe municipality Democratic Alliance said.

The DA is consulting its legal team on the possibility of an interdict to end the illegal occupation and bring immediate stability to the municipality.

“The ANC’s is refusing to accept the outcome of democratic processes that removed former Mayor Maphetle yesterday through a no confidence motion, despite unanimous support for it from all 29 councillors yesterday including the representatives of the ANC” DA Chris Hattingh said.

Hattingh said Parties formed a united front against corruption in the municipality due to Mayor Maphetle’s refusal to deal with forensic audit findings of corruption against him relating to the abuse of the municipality’s Disaster Management and Poverty Relief Funds.

Yesterday’s council meeting was legally constituted despite attempts by some within the ANC to postpone the meeting.

ANC councillors were summoned to a meeting in Mahikeng yesterday by ANC leaders,but chose to attend the Tlokwe council meeting where the no confidence motion was passed instead.

“An acting Speaker was duly elected in accordance with the council rules and the meeting was held on a 100% legal basis” he said.

ANC North West vows to fight to the bitter end. Kenny Morolong said the party will get to the bottom of this and see what prompted their members to voted against Maphetle told Sabc Radio.

“The DA is the only political party that can bring stability to the municipality given the deep and seemingly intractable divisions within the ANC caucus” Hattingh outlines.

Democratic Alliance said they intend to end the illegal occupation by the former Mayor without delay after which the DA will act immediately to deal with key delivery issues such as housing, safety and the filling of vacancies.

“The DA assures residents that we are doing everything possible to ensure stability in the municipality and delivery for all” said DA.

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By Obakeng Maje

Ventersdorp-Five suspects appeared briefly before Ventersdorp Magistrate Court yestersday for charge of murder.

Thapelo Poleng 32, Johannes Yona 21, Michael Montwedi 18 and other two minors,17 were remanded in custody and will appear again before court on the 02nd of August 2013.

“Five accused were arrested amid Lesego Cassias Goliath’s murder in Doorepan, near Ventersdorp” colonel Lesego Metsi said.

Police said Goliath was allegedly brutally beaten and murdered at initiation school by school surgeon who was assisted by other four boys.

Goliath’s body was discovered burried in a shallow grave next to the initiation school by Police Dog Unit.

“Five accused were arrested and appeared before magistrate where their case has been postponed for further investigations” Metsi outlines.

The three suspects were initially moved to Potchefstroom Correctional Service where they will await their trial.

Police investigations continue.

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Durban – Burry Stander’s family was in shock on Tuesday after the State was forced to drop its charges against the taxi driver involved in the 25-year-old Olympic cyclist’s death earlier this year.

“The system is failing us, I don’t know what to do,” said Stander’s wife, Cherise.

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

New Information Communication Technologies (ICT) Strategies that will put the North West Province on an economic and social development trajectory and ensure that citizens have access to universal access to services and information should be implemented, Premier Thandi Modise asserted on Tuesday.

“ICTs need to be fully explored and exploited for the benefit of citizens and communities as they provide an ideal catalyst to create an enabling environment for sustainable development,” Premier Modise told members of the Premier Advisory Council on Innovation and Information Communication Technology in Rustenburg.In her address to members of the revived council, Modise said the province was ready to take the lead in the Innovation and ICT project to improve the quality of life of the people of the province in pursuit of the vision of the National Development that by 2030 all South Africans will be able to use core ICT services and enjoy access to a wide range of entertainment, information and educational services.“The Executive Council has resolved to uplift the role of the ICT in the province to create a centre of excellence and the need to identify key projects and initiatives that the province should concentrate on to ensure that we are not left behind on the role that ICT can play for Socio-Economic Development.” she said.

The Premier said that ICT could also assist to reduce tender documentation that gets lost in municipalities.

The first meeting of the Council provided a platform for council members to make inputs on major strategies to assist the province to address and solve socio-economic challenges through harnessing ICT’s.IT Business Executive from the Auditor General Jabulile Nkosi urged Heads of Departments and Senior Managers to view IT as an enabler that can be used to solve problems beyond passwords, backup and connectivity issues. She highlighted that defining the IT strategy for the province, capacitating the PGITO, developing transversal policies, defining roles and responsibilities and management buy-in for implementation will improve audit outcomes.  Microsoft SA’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Maureen Mphatsoe who serves as a member of the Premier Advisory Council said her organisation has identified skills development, education, SMME development and the use of ICT to fight crimeas areas that her organisation could assist the province with.Mphatsoe said Microsoft has a good relationship with industry and thus they were able to train people and place them with the relevant employers.

Ntokozo Mthabela from the Department of Trade and Industry also highlighted some of the opportunities available for the province to maximise economic growth and sustainability. Amongst these opportunities is the Talent Development Programme also referred to as Monyetla Work Readiness Programme.

Mthabela said the programme was able to fund employers to train unemployed people with the condition that the company employs at least 70% at the end of the training for a minimum period of 12 months.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) is demanding that Anglo Platinum (Amplats) [JSE:AMS] more than double the monthly pay of underground workers to R12 500, according to a document seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Platinum companies do not reveal salary data for individual categories of worker, but analysts say most entry-level underground miners earn a basic wage of R5 000 a month.

Amcu has emerged as the dominant union on the platinum belt after a violent turf war last year with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in which more than 50 people were killed.

Its first wage submission to platinum producers is likely to set the tone for salary demands across a sector still reeling from the unrest, which cost billions of rands in lost output and led to credit downgrades.

Replicating demands submitted to gold producers at the end of June, Amcu said that “on a daily basis workers experience a declining standard of living and the dream of sharing in the wealth of the country remains a pipe dream”.

“We believe therefore that the minerals of this country must now benefit the people,” it said in the preamble.

The world’s top platinum producer, a unit of Anglo American [JSE:AGL], is likely to oppose big hikes as it struggles to return its mines to profit after drops in the spot platinum price squeezed margins and forced it consider closing some shafts.

Amplats plans to cut 6 000 jobs and reduce platinum production by 10%, or 250 000 ounces, this year, with another 100 000 ounces to go in the medium term.

The demand for an entry-level wage of R12 500 for underground workers echoes the calls made by striking Marikana mineworkers at Lonmin [JSE:LON] in August last year.

It is much higher than the slightly-above-inflation increase reached between NUM and Aquarius Platinum last month. 

Spot platinum is down almost 20% this year to $1 380 an ounce, a level that makes many South African shafts barely profitable.

For more http://www.news24.com 

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The North West Department of Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison is in a process of unblocking seven previously blocked housing projects in the Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality.

The Departmental MEC Nono Maloyi announced this during the official handing over of 286 completed houses to beneficiaries of Utlwanang Extension 5 in Christiana. 

He said the unblocking processes of these projects will speed-up the housing delivery and ease backlog in the province.

“On his visit to the construction site, MEC encouraged the contracted developer to continue building quality houses. Maloyi further appreciated the good relations between the contractor and the municipality” departmental spokesperson Lesolang Mmope said. 

He said that the relations will go further in making sure that services are delivered and that there is good governance.

“In other areas we are faced with a challenge of conflicts between the contractor and the municipality and particularly with ward councilors but in this case it is different and this is exactly what we need for us to deliver quality houses” said Maloyi.

MEC further advised contractors to always ensure that the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) is always on site to ensure quality of houses built for the beneficiaries.

“Make sure that NHBRC is always on the ground because if you compromise quality, your relations with the department will be very short,” said Maloyi.

The first phase of this project is reported to have been completed within prescribed time frames and costs.

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By Obakeng Maje

Rustenburg-North West police arrested a 31 year old suspect for allegedly raping a 43 year-old woman in Photsaneng village on Sunday at about 03:30. 

“It is alleged that the woman was asleep when the suspect gained entry into the house by cutting the chain that was used to lock the door” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.   

Police said he allegedly threatened the woman with a firearm and demanded money from her.  

Colonel Mokgwabone said allegedly the lady refused to give him money and he allegedly raped her at gun-point.  

“The suspect fled the scene on foot after the ordeal and he allegedly handed himself to the police hours later after getting information that the police were looking for him” said police.

He was subsequently arrested and appeared  before Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday with charges of Rape and Pointing of Firearm. 

“A man was remanded in custody for further investigation and bail application. He will appear before the court again on Monday, 8 July 2013” concludes Mokgwabone.     

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The strides that the provincial government will make in the coming months will show its resolve to shift gear for faster delivery, North West Premier Thandi Modise said in dismissing criticism levelled by Provincial Democratic Alliance Leader Chris Hattingh against the cabinet reshuffle announced last week.  

Hattingh’s criticisms are a desperate attempt to distort and exaggerate the reasons that necessitated the changes in the Executive Council (Exco), the North West Provincial Government said in a statement issued on Monday.

In reaction to the criticisms, Premier Modise said that though it was expected that Hattingh would as a reactionary who opposes everything for the sake of opposing, the extent to which he stoops low for political mileage is pathetic.

“Political expediency and driving a wedge among ruling party members matter more to Hattingh than good governance and service delivery hence he is dead silent while we wage war against corruption syndicates. The people of our province do not have short memories and are not ignorant of the challenges we are facing as Hattingh thinks they do.

They and not Hattingh will hold us accountable to our commitment that where public funds are found to have been misappropriated, steps would be taken to recoup every cent.” emphasised Modise.

She said that eliminating hang ups that the DA wanted unresolved for it to use as ammunition in the coming elections has frustrated Hattingh’s party hence it is clutching for straws and targeting Exco members with speculative and untested allegations to remain relevant.

Premier Modise reiterated that the appointment of three new members to the Executive Council should not be misinterpreted to suggest that the recalled members were found guilty of any wrongdoing as matters they were allegedly involved in have not been concluded.

She stressed that all of them executed their tasks with distinction and that none of the allegations against them have been proved or disproved.

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