Daily Archives: April 22, 2014

Malema defends lavish lifestyle


Johannesburg – EFF leader Julius Malema on Tuesday claimed he could not inspire the poor if he was living in a shack himself.
“We don’t want them to stay in shacks, that’s why we can’t stay in shacks,” he told reporters in Johannesburg.

“How are you going to inspire them when you are also going to stay in a shack?”

Malema said it was stupid to think otherwise.

“We don’t have to stay in Alexandra [north of Johannesburg] to liberate people of Alexandra.

“They want to get out [of] that situation, they don’t want people to come and join them. That’s stupidity to think like that,” he said.
Malema has been criticised for his lavish lifestyle despite claiming to be the voice of the poor.

According to reports over the weekend, Malema stood on the back of an old truck addressing supporters while the silver buckles of his Louis Vuitton shoes gleamed in the sun.

A pair of Louis Vuitton men’s loafers can cost almost R7 000.

During his days as ANC Youth League leader, Malema was known for his expensive watches, cars and designer clothing.

Malema has since found himself in financial trouble over the non-payment of his tax.

In February, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria provisionally sequestrated him. He has until 26 May to give reasons as to why this should not be finalised.

According to court documents, Malema owed R16m plus interest after failing to submit tax returns between 2006 and 2010. In 2010, the SA Revenue Service (Sars) contacted Malema about his failure to submit tax returns.

Outstanding returns

It took Malema 18 months, after many attempts by Sars, to file his outstanding returns. He also failed to register the Ratanang Trust for tax purposes, and Sars had to do this on his behalf. Sars attached some of Malema’s property to recoup the taxes he owed.

Earlier this month, a trust was launched to collect funds to settle his tax bill.

Five trustees, all EFF members, launched the trust, referred to as the JSM Trust.

The trust was formed in consultation with a team of professionals, including qualified attorneys, accountants and tax practitioners, who offered their services to the trust free of charge, trust chairperson Mandisa Mashego said at the time.

If Malema is sequestrated, he will not be able to go to Parliament should his party get enough votes in the election.

Malema on Tuesday said the clothes he wore were not an indication of his commitment to helping the poor.

“We’ll never stop wearing anything, because your commitment doesn’t derive out of what you wear.”
“It’s about the heart. We have the heart for the poor.”-Sapa

Giggs takes over at United


Manchester – Veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs was on Tuesday appointed interim manager of Manchester United, shortly after the club announced the sacking of David Moyes.

“Following the departure of David Moyes as manager, Manchester United has announced that Ryan Giggs, the club’s most decorated player, will assume responsibility for the first team until a permanent appointment can be made,” read a statement on the United website.

“The club will make no further comment on this process until it is concluded.”

Giggs, 40, made his United debut in March 1991 and has made a record 962 appearances for the club, winning 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups, four League Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup.

He has no previous managerial experience, but has combined his role as a player with a position on United’s coaching staff since the start of the current campaign.

The Welshman, Britain’s most decorated player, was informed of the news after arriving at United’s Carrington training ground on Tuesday morning.

His first game at the helm will be a home fixture against Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday, which will be followed by matches against Sunderland, Hull City and Southampton.

Louis van Gaal, the current Netherlands coach, has been installed as the favourite to succeed Moyes on a permanent basis by British bookmakers.

However, Jurgen Klopp of Borussia Dortmund, another rumoured contender, has already ruled himself out of the running.

Klopp told British newspaper The Guardian: “Man United is a great club and I feel very familiar with their wonderful fans. But my commitment to Borussia Dortmund and the people is not breakable.”

Moyes was dismissed earlier on Tuesday after a desperate debut campaign at United, who have fallen 23 points below league leaders Liverpool and can no longer qualify for next season’s Champions League.

AFP

Man kills girlfriend after argument


Johannesburg – A 29-year-old man allegedly shot dead his girlfriend in Zola, Soweto, after an argument, Gauteng police said on Tuesday.

The man allegedly shot his girlfriend in the head and several times in the upper body, spokesperson Kay Makhubela said.

The shooting took place at the boyfriend’s home.

“The boyfriend later turned the gun on himself but did not die. He was taken to [Chris Hani] Baragwanath Hospital where he is under police guard.”

Makhubela said the man would appear in court once he recovered.
SAPA

Wage offer ‘not the final one’ – Amcu


Johannesburg – As far as Amcu is concerned, the employers’ latest package offer was “not the final offer” and so it did not immediately plan to take it to members for a vote, Amcu shop steward Siphamandla Makhanya told Reuters on Tuesday.

Chief executives of the world’s top platinum producers were to again meet the leaders of Amcu on Tuesday for wage talks in a bid to find an agreement to end the longest and most costly strike on South Africa’s mines in living memory.

“They will be meeting this morning, but at an undisclosed location,” said a spokesperson for the producers.

Around 70 000 members of the hardline Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) downed tools 13 weeks ago at Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum and Lonmin.

Initially Amcu demanded an immediate doubling of the basic wage – the salary before various allowances are added such as housing – for entry-level workers to R12 500 a month.

Amcu has since said it would accept annual increases of around 30% that would reach this goal in three years’ time.

The producers’ latest offer, made last Thursday, was for wage hikes of up to 10% and other increases, which would take the minimum pay package – the basic wage including the allowances – to R12 500 rand a month by July 2017.

“That is as much as we can reasonably afford at this time,” Implats spokesperson Johan Theron told Reuters.

The companies have been struggling to maintain margins in the face of steeply rising costs on one hand and stubbornly depressed prices on the other for the precious metal, used to build emissions-capping catalytic converters in automobiles.

Tuesday’s talks were being facilitated by the department of labour, but there has been little political intervention to resolve the dispute, even though it is a headache for President Jacob Zuma and the ANC with a general election looming on May 7.

Price woes

Exacerbating the industry’s woes is the muted price reaction to the stoppage despite its scale, with around 40% of global platinum production idled at the moment, according to estimates by Thomson Reuters’ GFMS.
 
Traders have bet there are adequate above-ground stocks and demand remains far from robust in key markets such as Europe, where diesel engines which require high platinum content in converters are favoured.
 
The metal’s spot price is currently fetching about 1 408.00 an ounce, around 3% lower than it was on the eve of the walk out, which began on January 23.

At the same time, the producers’ viability is being shaken by the strike.

The producers have lost R14.2bn to date and counting since it began, according to an industry web site which constantly updates the tally.

This state of affairs is seen hastening a painful restructuring in the sector, which could see thousands of jobs cut and more platinum taken out of production, with much of the focus on Amplats’ operations around the mining town of Rustenburg northwest of Johannesburg.

Workers have lost around R6.3bn in wages so far and their resolve could be weakening as they go their third consecutive month without a pay check.
 
Mineworkers in South Africa on average support eight dependants. This fuels their wage demands, but also makes it hard for their households to go for long without their income.

Arrest

A member of Amcu has been arrested in connection with strike-related violence in Rustenburg, police said on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old man had been on the run from police since last month, said spokesperson Brigadier Thulani Ngubane.
“According to police reports, on Friday, March 28… at about 18:00, the suspect and a group of other Amcu members allegedly attacked two fellow Impala workers outside a scrapyard in Boitekong,” said Ngubane.
A 35-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man were stabbed with spears.
Ngubane said police arrested Khayalethu Mzimela at Sunrise View in Boitekong on April 15.
“On April 17, Mzimela made a brief appearance at the Bafokeng Magistrate’s Court, facing charges of attempted murder. The case was postponed to Thursday April 24 for further investigation.”
Reuters

Krejcir charged with murder


Johannesburg – Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir and three co-accused face a charge of murder, the Alexander Magistrate’s Court heard on Tuesday.

“I am adding another charge, of the murder of Phumlani Ncube, to the case,” said prosecutor Lawrence Gcaba.

“The murder charge is against accused one, five, six and seven.”

Krejcir, Siboniso Miya, police sergeant Nandi Nkosi and Nkanyiso Mafunda are accused of the murder of Ncube.

Ncube was killed in July last year. His body was found dumped in Heidelberg.

Krejcir, Miya, Zoduma Biyela, Jacob Nare, Mafunda, Nkosi and Owen Serero appeared before Magistrate Reiner Boshoff on charges of conspiring to commit murder.

Postponed for further investigating

They are all alleged to have been part of a group that conspired to kill police Colonel Nkosana Ximba and investigator Paul O’Sullivan.

The two men had been investigating Krejcir.

The first four suspects, Miya, Biyela, Nare and Serero, were arrested on 9 January.

Nkosi and Krejcir were subsequently arrested and charged in March.

Boshoff granted the State a request for a postponement for further investigation.

“The magnitude of this case, even at face value, indicates that this is a complex matter,” Boshoff said.

“I will grant the postponement so that the State finalises its investigation.”

Gcaba said fingerprint investigations from five vehicles and firearms involved in the case still needed to be completed.

Tight security

Another application would be brought against Mafunda at a later stage, he said.

Lawyers for each of the accused objected to the request for postponement.

Annelene van der Heeven, for Krejcir, said the request was an abuse of the justice system.

“The request is unreasonable, especially in the absence of further information from the State.”

There was tight security around the accused.

Relatives of the accused filled the public gallery. Ncube’s family sat quietly as they listened to the proceedings.

His mother kept wiping tears from her eyes after Gcaba announced her son’s name in court.

Krejcir’s wife, Katerina Krejcirova, arrived with their son Dennis and a lawyer.

Earlier, before proceedings started, she handed a suit for Krejcir to wear to one of the heavily-armed police officers at the court.

The case was postponed to 13 June.
SAPA

Data Capturers wanted at Department of Education


If you have matric or any equivalent qualification and you are looking for a job, then this opportunity is for you. The Gauteng Province Department of Education is looking for 30 Data Capturers within the HR Provisioning Directorate.

People to contact for hand deliveries or postal addresses:

http://www.careersportal.co.za/careers/careers/3343-data-capturers-wanted-at-department-of-education-gauteng.html

Closing Date: 09 May 2014
-TDN
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Television Archivist Internship at Mnet


M-Net seeks to appoint a qualified Employment Equity individual to assume responsibility as Television Archivist (Intern). This position is open to People with Disabilities. This person will report to the Manager: Television Archives and will be based at their offices in Randburg.

The Television Archivist (Internship) position will be responsible for the effective cataloguing of the M-Net content for retrieval and preservation purposes.

COMPETENCIES

Functional capabilities which are critical to the production of quality outputs are:

• The ability to write informative and descriptive abstracts

• Basic knowledge of copyright

• Good communication skills (verbal and written)

• Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines

• Ability to deal with detail for concentrated periods of time

• Ability to learn quickly

• Ability to be flexible and adapt to different situations

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• Relevant graduate and/or post-graduate degree in Information & Knowledge Management

• An excellent understanding of customer service/service excellence

• Passion for the media industry

Please forward copies of your comprehensive CV to Sameera.Balkissoon@mnet.co.za

Closing date: 25 April 2014

Please note that if you have not received any feedback by 30 May 2014 your application has been unsuccessful.
-TDN
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‘Amcu member arrested for attempted murder’


By Obakeng Maje
Rustenburg-An Impala employee and an Association of Mine and Construction Workers Union (AMCU) affiliate been arrested by the police for the strike-related violence in Rustenburg.

The 27 year-old man has been on the run from the police since March 2014.  According to police reports, on Friday at about 18: 00, the suspect and a group of other AMCU members allegedly attacked two fellow Impala workers outside a scrap yard at Extension 13 in Boitekong.

The victims, a 35-year-old woman and a 38 year-old male were severely assaulted and also stabbed with spears. They managed to escape and sought assistance.

“The group of striking AMCU members subsequently went into hiding after their senseless attack. On Tuesday police followed information and arrested Khayalethu Mzimela at Sunrise View in Boitekong” brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.

Some members of the group are still at large. However, the police are following leads and their arrest is imminent.

Mzimela made a brief appearance at the Bafokeng Magistrates’ Court last week Thursday facing charges of Attempted Murder.

The case was postponed to Thursday, 24 April 2014 for further investigation.

“He was denied bail and remanded into custody. The case is being investigated by the Platinum Belt Task Team” Ngubane said.

The North West Provincial Commissioner has commended the work of the Platinum Belt investigating task team.

“This is proof enough that mob psychology does not work, doing criminal activities within a group will end up with the actual perpetrators  being arrested” said Lieutenant General Mbombo. 

She further said the efforts to arrest those who continue to commit crime in the platinum belt will continue.-TDN
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