Johannesburg – While striking platinum mineworkers starve, the leader of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) is living in the lap of luxury, according to a report.
Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa owns three BMWs worth about R900 000 as well as three houses, including a guest house, The Star said.
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Bloemfontein – The trial of a man accused of taking part in a rightwing coup plot will resume in the Free State High Court on Monday.
On Thursday, the State closed its case against treason accused Johan Prinsloo.
Prosecutor Torie Pretorius handed a list of admissions to the court the accused had made, in agreement with his legal counsel Johann Nel.
Prinsloo, 51, of Springs in Gauteng, faces charges of treason, conspiracy to take part in terrorist acts, and possession of illegal ammunition.
Prinsloo, Martin Keevy, 49, and Mark Trollip, 48, were arrested for an alleged plan to attack the ANC’s Mangaung conference at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein in December 2012.
Prinsloo allegedly attempted, between July 2012 and 16 December 2012, to overthrow the government by trying to obtain mortar bombs and other weapons to attack President Jacob Zuma and Cabinet ministers during the conference. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Trollip pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy and was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment last year. Keevy was declared unfit to stand trial.
SAPA
Cape Town – A man has been arrested after allegedly severely assaulting his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son in Beaufort-West, Western Cape police said on Sunday.
The 28-year-old man was arrested on Saturday after a local community radio station appealed for help to find him, Captain Malcolm Pojie said.
This was after the man allegedly kept his girlfriend and her child captive in their home in Khanya Street, Mandela Square, on Thursday from the time they woke up until 14:45, when the woman escaped.
“Witness account by the mother reveals that the suspect slapped and kick[ed] the boy in the face, burned his feet with boiling water, put a cement brick on the boy’s chest and stamped his feet on it and also forced the boy to eat his own faeces,” Pojie said.
People outside the home heard the mother cry and one of them broke a window to get into the house and rescued the child. The man fled the scene.
“The child was transported to hospital by ambulance and immediately transferred to George hospital due to the severity of the injuries he sustained.
“The boy, who had undergone an emergency procedure at the George hospital, has shown satisfactory results although he is still in a serious condition.”
The arrested man would appear in court soon to face a charge of attempted murder.
SAPA
Cape Town – Vodacom Group [JSE:VOD] has advised shareholders that it has entered into an agreement with the shareholders of Neotel Proprietary Limited (Neotel) to acquire 100% of the company for R7bn.
Vodacom said it will fund the acquisition through available cash resources and existing credit facilities. The deal remains subject to the fulfilment of a number of conditions, in particular regulatory approvals.
Neotel is South Africa’s second-largest fixed telecommunications operator. It provides a range of value-added voice, internet and data services for businesses and retail customers.
Vodacom’s customer base will benefit from Neotel’s extensive fibre assets and enterprise capabilities, which will allow Vodacom to accelerate its fixed enterprise strategy and stimulate greater competition in South Africa’s fixed telecommunications sector.
The combined entity will be able to offer an expanded product range and, as a consequence, enhanced customer choice. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the current financial year, although the requisite regulatory approvals will play a role in this. SENS
Johannesburg – A fire swept through five shops in the Johannesburg city centre on Monday morning, the city’s emergency services said.
“No one was in the shops,” said spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi.
“We are still busy extinguishing it.”
The cause of the fire, which was reported at around 06:00, was unknown.
The five shops were situated along Bree and Mooi streets.
Mulaudzi said motorists should be cautious when driving in the vicinity.
Metro police spokesperson Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said traffic was being diverted.
He said the damage of the fire was extensive.
SAPA
Mahikeng- Cosatu North West on Friday condemned a shooting at provincial government offices, where two employees were killed and three were wounded.
“Cosatu calls on the departments to thoroughly investigate the root cause of this incident,” Cosatu provincial secretary Solly Phetoe said in a statement.
“Cosatu is also informed that this tragic incident happened after employee relations were not properly managed and the employee was not paid his salary…,” he said.
Police could not confirm this, and said the motive for the shooting was not known.
The shooting happened on Thursday at a building in Mmabatho, which houses several departments.
Police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone said a man entered the building and fired shots inside the offices of the human settlements department.
Two people were wounded by ricocheting bullets. A third suffered head injuries after being struck with a gun. They were taken to hospital.
Cosatu said violence would not be tolerated “irrespective of the circumstances”.
It also called on department managers to handle employee relations with sensitivity.
“We call on all workers to report all their challenges at work to the union or any other person to intervene and not to allow emotions to decide for your mind,” said Phetoe.
SAPA
Johannesburg – Gauteng ANC secretary David Makhura is headed to the provincial legislature, according to the party’s provincial list, which was released by the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) on Friday.
The list has 40 candidates for the legislature. It includes Premier Nomvula Mokonyane, former MECs, and several ordinary ANC MPLs.
The top 10 on the list are Makhura, Barbara Creecy (education), Ntombi Mekgwe (human settlements), Mandla Nkomfe (finance), Faith Mazibuko (safety), Lebogang Maile (sport), Hope Papo (health), Brian Hlongwa, Qedani Mahlangu (economic development), and Andrek Lesufi.
Mokonyane is number 11 on the list.
It was reported that she was being overlooked in favour of Makhura, former education MEC Barbara Creecy, and former finance MEC Mandla Nkomfe.
The ANC’s head of provincial executive committee (PEC) communications Nkenke Kekana said Nkomfe would be released from the list.
“His name will be removed from that list as he would not be involved in the parliamentary processes of the legislature,” he said on Friday.
Kekana said Nkomfe asked for his name to be removed after he decided to serve the ANC as a researcher instead.
– SAPA
ISASA is offering prospective Foundation Phase, Intermediate and FET teachers the opportunity to win bursaries to study for a four year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) or a one year post graduate (PGCE) degree at UNISA.
Learn from and be mentored by experienced independent school teachers
Access to excellent teaching, learning resources and technology
Training in ISASA schools
The cost of the bursary will fully cover UNISA fees and textbooks.
Requirements
A certified copy of your ID document or birth certificate.
Application Form
http://www.careersportal.co.za/bursaries/3421-isasa-teaching-bursaries-2015.html
For school leavers: A certified copy of your mid-year or latest report that is available.
For University students / Graduates: A certified copy of your Senior Certificate and transcripts of your complete academic record to date.
A one- page personal statement explaining why you should be considered as a future teacher of mathematics and why you will be an asset to the Programme.
How To Apply
Email: mathsenglish@isasa.org or
Post to: ISASA, PO Box 87430, Houghton, 2041 or
Hand deliver to: ISASA, 16 St David Road, Houghton, 2198
Closing Date: 14 July 2014
-TDN
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Johannesburg- The African National Congress Women’s League, under the leadership of its President, Angie Motshekga will this Saturday in Johannesburg provide a platform for all interested parties and women’s NGO’s to come together and discuss what actions South African women can undertake to bring back the kidnapped Nigerian Schools girls.
“The kidnapping of these girls is a travesty of human rights and justice
and as women of the African continent we need to come together and combine our efforts until these girls are home in the arms of their parents and loved ones.” Motshekga said.
The ANCWL will also invite the Department of International Relations and Cooperation(DIRCO) to brief the meeting to ensure we are making plans using the most updated information.
Out of this joint meeting, the ANCWL will also be sending a delegation of
South African women to Nigeria to meet with women’s organizations in that country and assist the situation in whatever way they can.
“We are hoping that if we put our heads together as women we can come up with solutions or ways to assist Nigerian women in their efforts. These are our daughters and we need to come together in times like these.” She said.
The ANCWL have also called on all its structures throughout the country to join women in their Thursday women’s prayer meetings and pray for the girls.
Motshekgoa said they are pleased as the Women’s League that the girls are still alive based on the video clip released by Boko Haram. They do not leave their thoughts or prayers.
“We call on all women’s NGO’s and interested parties to join us at this platform and participate.
We are calling on the media to assist in spreading the message to those interested to come on board and support this cause.
Time: 09h00 -14h00
Venue: Johannesburg City Hall
Date: 17th May 2014 (Saturday)
-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_
Cape Town – President Jacob Zuma’s office on Friday declined to comment on a report alleging that he had a hand in securing an investment for his nephew’s mining company in 2010.
“No, no, there is no comment, as you can see from the story itself,” said his spokesperson Mac Maharaj.
He was referring to a Mail&Guardian report on Friday that Zuma allegedly helped secure a $2m investment for Khulubuse Zuma’s Aurora Empowerment Systems company.
Meeting
In the report, Maharaj confirmed he had received detailed questions about the allegations but later indicated there was no response from the presidency.
Global Emerging Markets (Gem) director Chris Brown told the newspaper he had been treated to a face-to-face meeting with Zuma on the morning of the Fifa World Cup final on 11 July 2010.
He alleged in the report that Zuma “thanked him many times” for helping to bail out the flailing company during their meeting in Zuma’s living room.
Evidence
At the time of the claimed meeting, Aurora was desperately trying to raise funds to follow through on its bid to buy the Pamodzi gold mines out of liquidation.
The newspaper stated Brown’s claims were buttressed by circumstantial evidence.
Gem launched legal action against First National Bank after the investment it paid into an account was later transferred and disappeared.
A bank employee has reportedly resigned, and FNB said it intended defending itself against claim against the bank.
SAPA
The Guardian 