Daily Archives: June 24, 2014

Battle for R12 500 not over, says Mathunjwa


Johannesburg – No platinum worker will earn less than R8 000 as a basic salary, Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa said in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
“No worker in the platinum sector will earn less than R8 000 as a basic salary which is a breakthrough… Back pay will be paid in seven days,” he told reporters.
Mathunjwa said Amcu would continue the fight for R12 500 which it believed each member would earn by 2017.
“[This] is the highest wage increase achieved, with entry-level workers receiving up to 18% increase.
“Amcu is committed to make sure R12 500 minimum wage is reached by 2017.”
When asked how he felt about being called a communist by some, Mathunjwa said: “As long as it brings food on the table, that is what is important”.
Workers were expected to return to work on Wednesday at Anglo Platinum (Amplats) [JSE:AMS], Impala Platinum (Implats) [JSE:IMP] and Lonmin [JSE:LON].
“The platinum sector workers have fought a good fight. It has transformed the sector to be worker-driven [and] has improved the socio-economic conditions of our members.”
Mathunjwa said no workers would be retrenched and the union would not strike on any of the matters included in the three agreements.
“[The companies] cannot embark on a restructuring process because they need to bring the mine [back] into productivity.”
He said the union had not received anything from the companies about restructuring.
All workers who had been dismissed would be reinstated, including 235 essential services workers Lonmin fired in May.
A task team would be set up to address all issues not concluded during negotiations.
On January 23, Amcu members at Lonmin, Amplats, and Implats downed tools, demanding a monthly basic salary of R12 500.
Amcu announced on Monday that the platinum strike was officially over. It signed a wage agreement on Tuesday.
SAPA

Strikers killed cops during confrontation – Mr X


Pretoria – Two policemen were killed and one was injured during a confrontation with strikers in Marikana in the North West during a platinum miners’ strike, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Tuesday.

Police fired rubber bullets after the strikers refused to leave their weapons, a witness identified as “Mr X” said.

One of the police officers was hit with a gun on his forehead and the other was chopped on the back of his head with a panga.

Mr X may not be identified to protect his identity, and is testifying via video link from an undisclosed location.

One of the police officers was still alive when the strikers left him.

Mr X said he chased a third police officer who ran towards a car and hit him on his left leg.

He was testifying about a confrontation the strikers had with the police on 13 August 2012.

The strikers were asked by police to leave their weapons but they refused. The strikers were armed with spears, firearms and pangas.

Police fired rubber bullets and used teargas on the strikers.

Mr X said the police’s firearms, cellphones and a radio were taken by the strikers after they were attacked. He said when the strikers met the police they were going to an informal settlement to kill people.

When the strikers were walking towards the informal settlement they were singing, ululating, hitting their weapons and were in a crouching position to make the muti work faster.

Mr X said they were singing, “tighten your balls young man, otherwise you won’t come right”.

He said the strikers knew that police could not harm them.

After the police were attacked, the strikers went back to the mountain where they were told to join the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).

They were told to destroy red T-shirts because they didn’t want to be associated with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

“I was forced to join Amcu, otherwise I was going to be injured,” he said.

Mr X said the strikers were told to fill in a form to join Amcu.

When Mr X was testifying a video of the strikers’ encounter with the police was shown.

Mob attack

Earlier, the inquiry heard that Julius Langa was killed because he was going to work.

“We stabbed the man. I also took part in it. I used my panga to strike him,” Mr X said.

Langa was killed around 04:00 on 13 August 2012 near a railway line in Marikana, near Rustenburg in the North West.

He was stabbed 18 times, his post-mortem showed.

The inquiry is investigating the deaths of 44 people during strike-related violence at Lonmin’s platinum mining operations at Marikana.

Thirty-four people, mostly striking mineworkers, were shot dead in a clash with police, over 70 were wounded, and another 250 arrested on 16 August 2012.

Police were apparently trying to disarm and disperse them.

In the preceding week, 10 people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed.

The commission was postponed early on Tuesday because Mr X was feeling tired.

SAPA

SA U17 goes into camp to prepare for AYC qualifiers


The South African Men’s Under-17 National Team (Amajimbos) will face Tanzania in a 2015 African Youth Championship (AYC) qualifier on Friday, 18 July 2014.

The match will take place at the 7 000-capacity Azam Stadium (which is an artificial pitch) in the capital Dar es Salaam.

Kick-off is at 16h00 local time in Tanzania (15h00 SA time).

The second leg takes place two weeks later in South Africa.

Amajimbos coach Molefi Ntseki has put together a squad of 22 players to start preparations for that match, and they go into camp on Thursday, 26 June in Johannesburg.

He has already held two training camps where he identified his future players to feature in the campaign

The African Youth Championships tournament will be played from 12 – 30 April 2015 in Niger.

To prepare for the clash against Tanzania, Amajimbos will travel to Botswana on Tuesday, 1 July to play two international friendly matches on 3 and 6 July 2014.

Upon return from Botswana, they travel to Lesotho for two more international friendly matches. These will take place on Thursday, 10 July and on Sunday, 13 July.

Amajimbos will then return home on Monday, 14 July in preparation for travel to Tanzania the next day.

They will be back in South Africa on Saturday, 19 July.

South Africa received a bye in the first round.

Egypt defeated Sudan 4-2 in the first round (14 June 2014) and will face Congo in the second round – this encounter will determine the opponents for South Africa or Tanzania in the third and final round of qualification which are scheduled for September this year.

SA U17 confirmed Fixtures:

Thursday, 3 July vs Botswana (away) (friendly)

Sunday, 6 July vs Botswana (away) (friendly)

Thursday, 10 July vs Lesotho (away) (friendly)

Sunday, 13 July vs Lesotho (away) (friendly)

Friday, 18 July vs Tanzania (away) (qualifier, 1st leg)

Sat/Sun, 1/2 August vs Tanzania (home) (qualifier, 2nd leg)
-TDN
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‘House of horrors’ wife appears in court


Johannesburg – The wife of the man accused of abusing her and their five children and holding them captive appeared in the Springs Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, Beeld reported.

The matter was postponed to 1 July for a formal bail application, according to the report.

She was arrested for defeating the ends of justice on Monday when she decided not to co-operate with police and reportedly refused to testify against her husband.

Magistrate Roy le Roux told the woman she was the second accused in the case.

In addition to defeating the ends of justice she faces the same charges as her husband – attempted murder, child abuse, and assault.

The woman’s 36-year-old husband, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his family members, was arrested last month after allegedly assaulting his wife and five children and keeping them captive.

He was denied bail by the court earlier this month. His case was postponed to 25 July.

The man was arrested in May after his badly beaten 11-year-old son fled the family’s house in Springs and ran to a neighbour to beg for help. The neighbour called police.

The man allegedly kept his wife and five children, aged between two and 16, captive in the house for several years and assaulted them.

SAPA

Gift Of The Givers Cater For Street Kids In Northern Cape


Kimberley- As the country marked the end of the Child Protection Week, the Department of Social Development turned its focus to children living on the streets by extending their winter relief campaign to them.

“It is not always that I get to be fully on the ground and directly engage with social security work, but this morning afforded me an opportunity to engage with the Children Living in the Streets to get first hand information of their lives and what we as a department can do to assist them” MEC for Social Development Sokatshana said.

MEC Sokatsha also stated that children living and working in the streets are a manifestation of the problems, which children and families experience in communities as a result of social and economic factors, leading to their marginalisation.

While some vulnerable children may be protected through social assistance and child care services provided by government and non-governmental organisations, other children are not detected.

He noted that the phenomenon of children living and working in the streets is worldwide, however, the precise number of these children is difficult to quantify accurately due to constant changes in the status of affected children.

“The extension of the winter relief program is a temporary measure to provide assistance to the children living on the streets, while we are in the process of re-uniting them with their families. The Department is also embarking on a process where all the children living on the streets will be profiled in order for us to have a comprehensive database of them” he said.

The Department of Social Development will be providing the children with a daily meal from Monday to Friday until the end of July and have given each child a pair of running shoes, a thick warm jacket, a blanket and a beanie to help them against bitter cold Highveld winter.

“As mentioned earlier we are in the process of attempting to re-unite them with their families and the clothing items we provided them is just temporary and the ideal situation is get them off the streets.”

Partnership with Gift of the Givers
The international organisation, Gift of the Givers, cemented a partnership with the Northern Cape Provincial Administration, when they handed over several goods to the Departments of Social Development and Sports, Arts & Culture, on Thursday.

Mr. Ikraam Omar, Head of Logistics: Gift of the Givers, handed over bales of blankets, sheeting, nappies, computer tables and food stuff, such as rice, samp, mayonnaise, soap etc. to the respective Departments, who will distribute these donations to the poorest of the poor within the Northern Cape Province.

The distribution of these donations will form part of the extended Winter Relief Campaign, of the Department of Social Development, launched on 3 May 2014 in Batlharos, in the Kuruman area.

The Winter Relief Campaign is an intensified campaign of social relief of distress, while social relief of distress is defined as the temporary provision of assistance intended for families who are experiencing undue hardship and are unable to meet their basic needs.

“Due to the poverty levels and unemployment in the Province the Department in 2010 embarked on the Balelapa Household Survey to identify poor and vulnerable families. Based on the outcomes of this survey one of the Strategic Goals for 2014/2015 is to migrate 2 000 families out of poverty to ensure that no one slips below a minimum standard of living” Mokatshana said.

Each of the five (5) districts will receive 100 blankets to distribute to the most vulnerable of the 2 000 no-income families, as identified through the Balelapa project. The break-down of these families throughout the province is as follows:

• John Taolo Gaetsewe: 453
• Frances Baard: 446
• ZF Mgcawu: 415
• Pixley ka Seme: 348
• Namaqua: 338
The Department would like to urge people, both organisations and individuals, to become involved in this programme. Interested parties can contact their local Department of Social Development offices.-TDN
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Amcu: Platinum deal signing imminent


Johannesburg – The signing of agreements to end the five-month strike in the platinum mining sector is believed to be imminent, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) said on Tuesday.
“Amcu will hold its press conference at Melrose Arch Hotel [in Johannesburg] at 1pm,” national treasurer Jimmy Gama said in an SMS.
Asked whether the agreements would be signed before the press conference, he said: “I believe so.”
Spokesperson for the producers Charmane Russell said the signing would take place around 13:00 in a closed ceremony.
“I think that the producers are pleased that they are reaching a negotiated settlement and are looking forward to actually signing the agreement.
“However, there is a long road ahead to rebuild the industry,” Russell said.
On January 23, Amcu members at Anglo American Platinum [JSE:AMS], Impala Platinum [JSE:IMP] and Lonmin [JSE:LON] downed tools, demanding a monthly basic salary of R12 500.
After five months of negotiations, Amcu announced on Monday that the platinum strike was officially over and that it would sign wage agreements with the platinum producers.

The union accepted wage settlements on Monday that would increase the basic salary of the lowest-paid worker by R1 000 over three years, excluding other benefits, union leader Joseph Mathunjwa told about 20 000 members at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Phokeng, near Rustenburg.
Some workers would receive R12 500 before the end of the agreement, he said.
Workers would receive back pay within seven days of returning to their jobs on Wednesday.
When Mathunjwa asked members whether the union should accept the offer, they chanted “yes, yes”, pointing their fingers upwards.
Mathunjwa said the agreements, which he hailed as a milestone in the history of mineworkers, would run for three years.
By Tuesday, the strike had cost the industry R24bn in lost revenue, while employees had forfeited earnings of around R10.6bn, according to a website set up by the companies.
SAPA

Two died in a fatal accident near Hartswater


By Obakeng Maje
Hartswater- Two people died in a fatala accident at Thagadi-pelajang, near Hartswater.

North Cape police said a court official’s car plunged on a electrical pole after he lost control of his car.

“Lebogang Mooketsi died on the scene and his female friend who was accompanied him suffered minor injuries and was taken to local hospital for medical attention” Hartswater police spokesperson Tong said.

The police said another victim died in the same accident after he tried to help victims.

Tebogo Moitsi who was a Drama student allegedly died on the scene after he walked towards the accident and tried to help.

Moitsi stumbled on a electrical wire that was suspended from an electrical pole.

He was electrocuted to death.

Police investigation continue and police confirmed that Lebogang Mooketsi was working for Department Of Justice.

The atrocity took place on Friday at around 21:00-TDN
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