Johannesburg – Authorities on Tuesday denied reports that two journalists were arrested at the scene of a military plane crash near Lydenburg, Mpumalanga.

SA National Defence Force (SANDF) spokesperson Xolani Mabanga said he was not in a position to comment because he was not aware of the arrests.

“I am not aware of any journalist trying to access the scene of the accident.”

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Selvy Mohlala said he did not know anything about the arrests.

“When were they arrested, by who? I don’t know anything about it,” he said.

SABC news reported on Tuesday that the SANDF had detained two journalists at the scene of the plane crash.

According to the report, the media was denied permission to film the wreckage.

Three people died and two were injured when a military plane crashed in Blystaanhoogte.

The aircraft, which took off from Waterkloof, Pretoria, had five people on board, including two pilots.

Both pilots and one of the passengers were killed.

The injured were airlifted to Nelspruit Medi-Clinic.

The SANDF said the aircraft was stationed at a training camp in the Lydenburg area.

SAPA

Fortaleza – Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has sensationally kept Brazil at bay to earn Mexico a 0-0 in World Cup Group A in Fortaleza on Tuesday.

As it happened: Brazil v Mexico

Brazil and Barcelona star Neymar twice came closest to breaking the deadlock in each half but both times was thwarted by point blank saves by man-of-the-match Ochoa.

The result pushed both sides a point closer to the last 16 as they now have a four-point lead over fellow Group A rivals Cameroon and Croatia, who meet in Manuas on Wednesday.

Mexico largely matched Brazil throughout a pulsating match, although the hosts created the more clear-cut openings.

Neymar had the first clear sight of goal on 26 minutes with a header from Dani Alves’s pinpoint cross but Ochoa plunged to his right to save one-handed.

A minute from the break a clever chest control by centre-back Thiago Silva teed up Paulinho, but Ochoa rushed out to block his close range effort.

Ochoa was the hero again on 69 minutes after Neymar controlled a pass from Bernard on his chest and lashed in a near post shot that the goalkeeper scrambled behind.

Five minutes from the end, Ochoa showed stunning reflexes to parry Thiago Silva’s bullet header from just five yards out.

Jose Vazquez, Hector Herrera and Andres Guardado came close for Mexico with thunderous strikes that just missed the target.

But their closest effort came from Raul Jimenez in the last minute as Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar just pushed his goalbound shot to safety.

to a frustdðÐrating 0-0 draw with Mexico in their World Cup Group A match in Fortaleza.
– AFP

Cape Town – President Jacob Zuma deviated from his usual routine of walking down the red carpet to the entrance of the National Assembly, and was driven there instead, City Press reports.
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Cape Town – Power constraints call for a “radical transformation” of the country’s energy sector, President Jacob Zuma told South Africans on Tuesday.
“We need to respond decisively to the country’s energy constraints, in order to create a conducive environment for growth,” he said in his State of the Nation address.
“[The] situation calls for a radical transformation of the energy sector, to develop a sustainable energy mix that comprises coal, solar, wind, hydro, gas, and nuclear energy.”
This would require structural changes in the manner in which government departments and state-owned companies and the industry as a whole addressed the energy problems.
The government also needed to identify innovative approaches to fast-track procurement and delivery by government in the energy sector.
A Cabinet sub-committee would be established to co-ordinate activities of the energy sector.
“It will also ensure Eskom receives the support it requires to fulfill its mandate.”
Zuma signalled a firm commitment to further developing nuclear power and exploiting shale gas reserves.
“Work needs to be done at a technical level on all forms of energy, especially nuclear energy and shale gas, with regards to funding, safety, exploitation and local manufacture of components.
“Nuclear has the possibility of generating well over 9 000 MW, while shale gas is recognised as a game-changer for our economy.”
He said shale gas options would be pursued “within the framework of our good environmental laws”.
Among the urgent short-term steps that would be taken was speeding up work on the Medupi coal-fired power station.
“There are also some urgent activities we are engaging in the short-term. Progress at Medupi… will be accelerated. Plans for advancing the next large coal-fired power station… will be speeded up so the procurement process can commence,” he said.

SAPA

Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma was responding too late to some of the country’s problems, DA parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane said on Tuesday.
“I’m concerned that President Zuma is living in one space while South Africans are living in very, very difficult space,” Maimane said after Zuma’s State of the Nation address in Parliament.

“The president had the opportunity to bring strong ideas, some very bold steps, and I didn’t see that forthcoming.”

Maimane said Zuma mentioned some of the things the DA had called for years and his response was “a bit too late”.

He said Zuma quoted initiatives from the National Development Plan and said it would take courage to implement these goals.

Zuma should have acted earlier and allowed legislation to help with energy procurement, he said.

“There could have been a lot more that the president could have done decisively and boldly; and I felt like he did not do that.”

FF Plus leader Pieter Mulder said Zuma seemed “muted” in his address.

“I experienced the president as muted a bit… [It was like] gas out of the bottle,” Mulder said.

Some positives which came out of Zuma’s address were infrastructure and corruption, Mulder said.

“Government’s job is to create infrastructure… we need that for economic growth.”

Pan Africanist Congress Leader Alton Mpheti said: “What the president said is what he said in the last State of the Nation.”

He said Zuma had reduced the number of jobs promised and brought up the issue of land claims again, but with no real solution.

“He didn’t do half the claims [promised]. I don’t know where he is taking us.”

He said Zuma was not moving the country in a better direction.

SAPA