Johannesburg – Moments after pleading poverty in front of several thousands of his supporters, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema hit the skies in a helicopter, heading to his next rally, City Press reports.

Malema told EFF supporters at the University of Venda sports grounds in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, on Sunday that his party was broke.

“We’re an organisation with a zero balance in the bank but our rally looks like that of people with money. We live on donations, but our rallies are well attended.

“We don’t have money; we have nothing but imagine if we had resources and could afford to give all of you T-shirts and berets. This whole campus would be painted red,” he said.

“We’re an organisation of orphans; an organisation of poor but loving people.”

While he was addressing the rally, a helicopter hovered over the venue, preparing to land. Malema continued to speak despite the noise. He later apologised for the disturbance.

“I want to apologise for this chopper, which was disrupting out meeting. I think someone called these people to come here and that is disrespectful.

“Don’t call choppers to places where there is a meeting; you must learn to respect our meetings. So for that I am very sorry,” he said.

Malema said this, only to be seen boarding the aircraft minutes later, leaving dust on the ground as thousands watched it take off.

After his speech, Malema was taken to the sports stadium next to the open field where he was addressing the rally. Many flocked there and climbed walls to get a glimpse of Malema’s helicopter behind the stadium walls.

Perhaps trying to explain the helicopter even before it arrived, Malema had earlier apologised to his supporters explaining that he had been to church, still had to be in Sekhukhune, and in Joburg for an 18:00 meeting, saying the programme was being rushed because “we have to be everywhere like the Holy Spirit”.
For more http://www.news24.com

Mahikeng- North West MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison Nono Maloyi will be launching the North West Traffic College in Mahikeng.

The college is set to provide an appropriate training and development of traffic officers in order to ensure the delivery of professional road safety and law enforcement services in the province.

MEC Maloyi says students who will graduate from the college will be competent, confident, well trained and ready to serve the province and decisively deal with traffic law defaulters.

“The college will further provide a continuous training to the current traffic officers on refresher courses as per Legislation” departmental spokesperson Ben Bole said.

The significant launch which will be held as follows:

Date: 15 April 2014

Venue: Boitseanape Building (opposite Traffic Department) Mahikeng

Time: 10H00
-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Johannesburg – Miners in the North West platinum belt were given the false promise of a R12 500 salary, SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande said on Saturday.

“Everyone can see that it was a lie. We do not support the exploitation of workers’ genuine demands,” Nzimande said at a National Union of Mineworkers’ shop stewards’ council in Boksburg, on the East Rand.

“The NUM was not stupid, it knew and understood [the situation]. The problem was not with the NUM, it was with the false promise…We hope workers will learn a lesson after this.”

During his address, Nzimande made reference to defectors who joined the rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) in recent years.

“What is happening in the Rustenburg platinum belt is a typical example of what happens when workers are divided,” he said.

Amcu has been involved in wage negotiations in the sector with workers downing tools at Lonmin, Anglo American Platinum, and Impala Platinum in January. They are demanding a R12 00 basic monthly salary.

Nzimande said striking miners had still not received the R12 500 basic salary.

In August 2012, 34 people, mostly striking miners, were shot dead and 78 were wounded when police fired on a group gathered near Lonmin.

In the preceding week, 10 people, including the two policemen and two security guards, were killed in strike-related violence.

Many members of NUM had joined Amcu at the time.

SAPA

Johannesburg – An independent investigation would be held into service delivery in Leeuwfontein informal settlement in Tshwane, the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs said on Saturday.

A meeting between the department, the community, the SA Communist Party in Gauteng and the City of Tshwane agreed at a meeting on Saturday that the probe was needed, spokesperson Tsakani Baloyi said in a statement.

“The investigation, which must involve participation by affected members of the community, must be completed within a month from 15 April 2014 and … a report thereon be presented to the community by the end of May 2014.”

Temporary measures, including an increase in water supply and chemical ablution facilities, would be put in place while the investigation continued.
SAPA

Johannesburg – Economic growth in the Western Cape has been reversed under the DA leadership, ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said on Saturday.

In the last four years Gauteng had, under the ANC, created 442 000 jobs while the Democratic Alliance created 92 000 jobs in the Western Cape, Mantashe said at an election rally in Eldorado Park in Soweto.

He claimed that most of the Western Cape jobs were for white people.

“That is how racist the DA is, it’s a wolf coming in sheep skin,” he said.

“It wants to get us, once it arrives it’s going to squander us.”

Mantashe said Eldorado Park was in the hands of the DA by default.

“It is our fault. ..we must rescue Eldos from being an area that survives on complaining,” he said.

Mantashe added that the mentality that coloured people were a minority group needed to be broken.-Sapa

Kuruman- Police were called in after an armed robbery that took place on at Cardington in Bothithong area, next to Kuruman.

Lieutenant Donald Mdhuli said It is alleged that three male suspects entered a business premises with a firearm to commit robbery.

“It is alleged that the business owner was robbed of his several items, including an undisclosed amount of cash, Laptop, Hairclips, Cigarettes, Airtime, as well as a vehicle which the suspects allegedly used as a get-away car” Mdhluli said.

Several Units in the police were immediately activated, which included the Highway Patrol in Kuruman, Public Order Police from Kimberley, Kimberley Air-wing, and Detectives in Bothithong. The community of Cardington assisted the police a lot as they kept an eye on the whereabouts as well as the direction taken by suspects and informed Police about it.

“The police’s chase forced the suspects to abandon the vehicle and ran into the bush. The three suspects, aged between 33 and 41, were eventually arrested. Several items, allegedly stolen during the armed robbery were also recovered.

A firearm was also recovered not far from the scene where the suspects were arrested.

The three are facing a charge of Armed Robbery and possession of suspected stolen property.

“Whilst the police were busy at the scene, two community members try to help themselves with some items, suspected to have been stolen during the armed robbery” he said.

Police managed to apprehend the two, aged between 25 and 33. All these suspects are expected to appear before the Bothithong Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

The Police Management would like to thank the community of Cardington for their help with information, as well as Police members’ swift response and cooperation.

The combination of these efforts has led to the arrest of the suspects.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

North West Premier Thandi Modise has condemned in the strongest terms the torching of the Bahurutshe Ba-Ga Moiloa Tribal Office and a Ramotshere Moiloa councillor’s house in Khunotswane village outside Zeerust.
“The destruction of private and public properties is not a solution to addressing whatever concerns the community might have. Our disappointment is that the violence occurred after attempts earlier in the day by my office to receive a memorandum from the community,” Premier Modise said.  

Modise has called on communities not to be misled to participate in illegal matches, burn properties or allow themselves to used by those who seek to exploit their genuine concerns to create an environment for chaos in order to further their personal interests.

She has called on members of the community to assist police with information that will lead to the arrest of those behind the nefarious acts.

According to police, it is alleged that a group of people gathered next to the tribal office at around 19:15 on Friday evening burning tyres and signing struggle songs.

“The group split themselves in two to execute attack at around 20:00. Some of the people burned the Tribal office while the other proceeded to the councillor’s yard and burned the two-roomed house and broke windows of her newly build house,” Brigadier Thulane Ngubane said.

The police were later informed about the matter.

Upon arrival, some members of the community threw stones at the police and also at the shop of the Bangladesh National.

Police are confident that more arrests would be made after arresting three people.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_