The need for political parties to encourage their supporters to participate in elections came to the fore during last week’s by-elections.

The province had by-elections in the Rustenburg and Tswaing local municipalities where the ruling ANC and the DA retained their seats.

However, low voter turnout was witnessed, signalling the need for more engagement between parties and their supporters.

Independent Electoral Commission figures show that in Ward 9, Rustenburg, a paltry 17.69% voter turn-out was recorded while Ward 14, Tswaing, posted an equally low 28.13%.

ANC candidate Glen Michael Mutle got 879 of the 974 cast votes, showing 90% support. The ward has 5506 registered voters. Mutle was contesting Kgosi Walter Montoedi of the African People’s Convention (APC), Mojalefa Dyke Sekosana of Cope and Tshekisho Andrew Sebati of the UCDP.

The seat fell vacant after the death of an ANC councillor. In Tswaing, Paul Stephanus Bam of the DA scored 832 of the 861 votes cast. Representing a 96% support and convincingly beating his APC competitor Mojalefa Skosana to retain the city that was left vacant after the then DA councillor resigned.

A total of 3118 people are registered to vote in this particular ward.

Provincial ANC elections leader Hlomane Chauke said though the ruling party did not field a candidate in Tswaing, they were happy with the outcome of the by-election in Rustenburg.

“People have continued to show confidence in the ANC and we want to congratulate the newly elected councillor and impress upon him that the need to account and deliver services to the people is what makes ANC identify with the masses,” he said.

Chauke said that preparations were under way for the 2014 elections and party supporters need to be encouraged to participate in elections.

Provincial DA leader Chris Hattingh said retaining ward 14 in Tswaing was a huge achievement for his party.

“Despite the low turn-out, we managed to increase our support in some areas. For instance, in one zone, we recorded more than 100 new votes from the 11 we got in 2011. We are confident the party is progressing in our intended direction,” he said.

Hattingh said more work needed to be done to encourage people to go out and vote because democracy thrives on numbers.

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

The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) praised provincial social grant beneficiaries for “playing by the book”.

During a radio interview in Kimberley recently, Sassa national spokesperson Kgomoco Diseko said among all the provinces in the country, the Northern Cape had the least reports of corruption and fraud on grants allocations.

“Grant fraud is rife in other provinces. For example, a parent would instead of registering one child for a child support grant give false information that she had triplets or twins and she would register them under false names and IDs. In this province you hardly ever come across such reports – people here play by the book,” Diseko said.

Diseko advised social grant beneficiaries who have re-registered for their grant and obtained the new chip-and-pin Sassa payment card to ignore belated letters requesting them to re-register.

“The post office strike delayed the sending out of these letters and they are currently being delivered in an effort to clear the postal backlog.”

Diseko said the Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, had extended re-registration deadline by a month until today. “Everyone who has not re-registered any type of grant by now and is not in possession of the new card needs to present themselves and their children receiving child grants, if applicable,” he said.

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

A man found guilty of raping his sister was sentenced to 20 years in jail by the Eshowe Regional Court on Monday, KwaZulu-Natal police said.

The 21-year-old man raped his three-year-old sister in December 2011, Captain Thulani Zwane said.

The girl reported the matter and a case was opened at the Eshowe police station.

“He appeared several times in court until he pleaded guilty of raping his sister and convicted,” said Zwane. – Sapa

The SABC broadcast exclusive footage of ailing former president Nelson Mandela on Monday evening, showing him sitting impassively with a blanket over his legs.

Although the state broadcaster said he was in good health and good spirits, many viewers questioned this on Twitter.

President Jacob Zuma told the state broadcaster that Mandela was “up and about” but the former president showed little emotion while being filmed with Zuma seated next to him.

The ANC’s top leaders visited Mandela at his Houghton home in Johannesburg earlier on Monday.

The SABC accompanied the ANC on its visit, tweeting on social networking site Twitter about its exclusive from early afternoon.

“We had some conversation with him, shook hands, he was smiling,” Zuma told the SABC.

“He’s really up and about, (and) stabilised. We are very happy, we think he is fine.”

SABC news had footage of Mandela sitting in a chair flanked by Zuma, ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, party chairwoman Baleka Mbete and his medical team.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate looked blankly at the camera while everyone around him stood chatting and laughing.

This was the first footage of him in many months.

A frail Mandela was seen closing his eyes as someone’s camera flash light clearly affected his eyes.

Mandela is known to have sensitive eyes after years of working in a limestone quarry when he was imprisoned on Robben Island.

Some viewers took to Twitter voicing their displeasure at the footage of Mandela.

Ranjeni Munusamy said: “Who’s the idiot who took a picture of Madiba with flash during the visit by ANC officials? Don’t they know it hurts his eyes?!”.

Another Twitter user commented: “After everything the man has done for us this is how we treat him. Like an animal at the zoo. Shame on us.”

Another person said: “After months of attacking media for “invading” Mandela’s privacy, ANC today released an invasive video of a clearly ailing and grim Mandela.”

“SABC claims Mandela looks “relaxed” and “in good spirits” but the new video contradicts that claim,” wrote another user.

“They need to stop saying Mandela is doing well. Look at him,” another tweet said.

Another user wrote: “Mandela is not in a good shape, the government have the nerve to lie straight to our faces.”

Mandela was discharged from hospital earlier this month after spending nine days receiving treatment for recurring lung problems.

Early in March, he was admitted to a Pretoria hospital for a scheduled check-up. He was discharged the following day.

In December last year, Mandela underwent an operation to remove gallstones and treat the lung infection. He was discharged after an 18-day stay and placed under home-based high care at his Houghton home.

In January, the presidency said Mandela had made a full recovery from the surgery and continued to improve. In February last year he was admitted to hospital for a stomach ailment.

At the time, the presidency said Mandela underwent a diagnostic procedure to investigate the cause of a long-standing abdominal complaint.

In January 2011, Mandela was taken to Milpark Hospital for routine tests relating to respiratory problems.

Mandela’s last major public appearance was in July 2010, at the final of the Fifa World Cup at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.

Since then he has spent his time between Johannesburg and his ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape. – Sapa

A police captain appeared in the Lebowakgomo Magistrate’s Court on Monday for alleged corruption, fraud and theft, Limpopo police said.

Captain Mavis Maphula Tlooke was granted R500 bail and the matter was postponed to May 24 so that a date could be assigned in the regional court.

“Tlooke was arrested (last week) after she allegedly promised a police reservist at the Lebowakgomo police station that she will ensure permanent employment for him in the (police),” said Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi.

“ (This was) despite him not completing the psychometric testing successfully.”

Tlooke allegedly demanded R10 000 and it was agreed that the reservist constable could make the payment in several instalments.

When the reservist constable was not included on the lists of two separate intakes to the police training centre in Pretoria, he contacted police.

The matter was investigated by the organised crime unit until Tlooke’s arrest at her home last week. – Sapa

Human Settlement stakeholders and contractors who contributed towards the North West Province delivering 14331 housing units and being declared the best performing province in housing delivery across the country during the 2012/2013 financial year are to be honoured at the Provincial 2013 Govan Mbeki Housing Awards. Acting Premier Raymond Elisha is to deliver the keynote address at the annual event to be held at Rustenburg Civic Centre as from 6:00 pm tomorrow evening. 

 MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison, Nono Maloyi says that the objective of the awards is to motivate all stakeholders in the housing industry as well as harness human and other resources in accelerating housing delivery to improve the lives of the homeless.”The awards are a celebration of partnership and a recognition of the contribution of various stakeholders within the housing market. They provide a platform and opportunity for the applicants to share information, learnt lessons and ways of strengthening as well as developing new and old partnerships to advance the implementation of our plan to create vibrant and sustainable human settlements,” highlighted MEC Maloyi.

He added that they are also meant to motivate all stakeholders in the Human Settlements space to harness the human and other resources in accelerating delivery, such as eradication of informal settlements.

Role players in the housing value chain, i.e. developers (including municipalities), building contractors, the banking sector, community based organisations and housing projects are nominated for the Best Accredited Municipality, Best Finance Linked Subsidy Project, Best Community Residential Units, Best People’s Housing Process Project (PHP), Best Informal Settlement Upgraded Project, Best Rural Project, Best Youth Contractor, and Best Woman Contractor.

Johannesburg – Former president Nelson Mandela is in good health and good spirits, the ANC said on Monday, in the first update on his condition since he was discharged from hospital in early April.

President Jacob Zuma and other party leaders visited the 94-year-old former president at his Johannesburg home.

“After receiving a briefing from the medical team, the national officials are satisfied that President Mandela is in good health and is receiving the very best medical care,” the ANC said.

Zuma and the other leaders had found “Mandela in good shape and in good spirits”, the party added in a statement.

Mandela spent more than a week in hospital being treated for pneumonia – the third health scare in four months for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

He stepped down as president in 1999 and has not been politically active for about a decade.

But he is still revered at home and abroad for leading the long campaign against apartheid and then championing racial reconciliation.

Mandela’s lung problems date from his time as a political prisoner when he contracted tuberculosis. He spent 27 years on Robben Island and in other jails for trying to oust the white-minority government. – Reuters

Mamelodi Sundowns have been charged by the PSL’s Disciplinary Committee (DC) for the fan violence that occurred last year, in their fixture with Maritzburg United.

Fans of the Brazilians turned nasty at the end of the game, which they lost 2-1, and sought to attack then coach Johan Neeskens after what they believed was a poor result.

A statement from the PSL’s DC has confirmed that Downs pleaded guilty to the charges and have since been handed a R100 000 fine by the league, R50 000 of which has been suspended for 12 months.

The conditions of the suspended amount are:

–    That the club is not found guilty of a similar offence within a period of 12 months of the date of sentence.

–    That the club complies with the direction given by the Disciplinary Committee that the club tenders a written apology to the League, SAFA, the sponsors and to the opposition, which apology is to be published on the League’s website within seven days of the sentence.

Meanwhile, the club have been ordered to pay for all of the court costs for the sitting.

For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

The Premier Soccer League today announced that the Absa Premiership trophy handover will only be done on the final day.

“We will hand over the trophy at the last fixture of the team that will emerge as champions of the Absa Premiership,” PSL general manager Derek Blanckensee says.

“This means that even if a club has mathematically won the championship before the end of the season, they will not be handed the trophy until their last match.”

Three teams are still in with a chance of lifting the trophy – Kaizer Chiefs, Platinum Stars and Orlando Pirates.

For more http://www.kickoff.com

Goalkeeper, Brilliant Khuzwayo lauded his teammates for the way they threw their weight behind him ahead of the important tie against Platinum Stars in Polokwane on Sunday, 28 April 2013. 

The Umlazi-born shot stopper joined the Glamour Boys at the start of the 2012/13 PSL season had a chance to make his debut in the gold and black following a suspension to Itumeleng Khune. 

The 23-year-old who has one cap for Bafana Bafana had only made one appearance for the Glamour Boys in the Macufe Cup and three appearances in the Premier League overall for his former Club AmaZulu between 2010-2012. 

Nicknamed, ‘Cassilas’, Khuzwayo did not disappoint between the sticks as he helped his side keep an important clean sheet as Amakhosi drew 0-0 with Platinum Stars. 

“It would not have been possible to do it on my own, the support from my teammates motivated me. 

“I was a bit nervous before the game but Sthembiso Ngcobo spoke to me again about the importance of focusing on the game. 

“The Technical Team in particular goalkeeper coach Rainer Dinkelacker was also very supportive. 

Khuzwayo was delighted with the point;” We came here to win but things did not work out our way. We just have to focus on our next game against Ajax Cape Town. 

“I will keep on learning from my fellow teammates and make sure when I get another chance I grab it with both hands,” added Khuzwayo.