Johannesburg – The Electoral Court’s recommendation on Wednesday that IEC chair Pansy Tlakula be removed from her position was welcomed by three of the parties who brought the application.

The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC), however, said in a statement it noted the ruling, but could not immediately comment further as it needed to study it.

United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said: “We welcome the decision by the Electoral Court. It is long overdue. She has been wasting everybody’s time.”

Economic Freedom Fighters spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said: “The South African people can rest assured that EFF will support her removal in order to restore dignity and confidence in the office of the IEC.”

Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele said in a statement that her party felt vindicated and believed the ruling bolstered democracy.

In a written judgment on Wednesday, Judge Lotter Wepener recommended Tlakula be removed from her post. He concluded Tlakula had committed misconduct to an extent warranting her removal from office.

The relevant committee of the National Assembly would consider the court’s recommendation and decide on further steps.

Holomisa said: “She [Tlakula] should have read the signal from the word go when the public protector found she was involved in a conflict of interest transaction.”

Holomisa said Tlakula’s arrogance did not help her.

“She flatly refused to co-operate with forensic auditors.”

Behaved improperly

The UDM, EFF, Agang SA, Christian Democratic Party, and the Congress of the People approached the court seeking Tlakula’s removal from office.

They believed Tlakula had behaved improperly over the leasing of the Electoral Commission of SA’s (IEC) headquarters in Centurion in 2009.

Ndlozi said in a statement the IEC’s integrity needed to be defended at all costs, as such institutions were the cornerstone of democracy.

“It is regrettable that a court had to rule on such an obvious matter in order for the political leadership to act… The coming local government elections will indeed be safe without Pansy Tlakula at the helm.”

Ramphele said in a statement that Agang SA awaited action from Parliament following the court’s recommendation.

She questioned why the two largest parties, the ruling African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance, had not joined the application.

Tlakula’s lawyers could not be reached for comment.

Romantic relationship

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela last year recommended that Parliament consider action against Tlakula for her “grossly irregular” role in the building’s procurement.

Madonsela found, among other things, that Tlakula had a relationship -possibly of a romantic nature – with the then chair of Parliament’s finance portfolio committee Thaba Mufamadi.

Mufamadi was a shareholder in Abland, which owns the building and was awarded the R320m contract to lease it.

The Electoral Court found Tlakula had compromised the IEC and that her actions could have detracted from public confidence in it.

“In my view, the respondent compromised the independence and integrity of the commission to such an extent that her actions complained of constitute misconduct within the meaning of the Electoral Commission Act,” Wepener said in the written ruling.

The ANC noted reports on the judgment and that the court’s recommendation would be referred to Parliament.

“The ANC will await the outcome of these processes before making any statements on this matter,” spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said in a statement.

SAPA

Johannesburg – The debate on President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address was characterised by the contrasting debuts of the young leaders of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, and Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane in the National Assembly, City Press reports.
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Rio de Janeiro  – Defending champions Spain have slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Chile and crashed out of the World Cup on Wednesday after their second defeat in five days.

As it happened: Chile v Spain

Chile’s victory — through goals from Eduardo Vargas and Charles Arranguiz — made the South Americans and the Netherlands the first teams to go through to the second round.

After a golden era that saw them win the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup in 2010, Spain have suffered a dramatic fall from grace. They equalled Italy’s unwanted record in 1950 of being booted out of the World Cup after just two games.

It was Chile’s first win over the Spanish in 11 meetings.

Spain’s confidence seemed to have evaporated after their 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands in their first Group B game on Friday.

Coach Vicente del Bosque dropped established stars Gerard Pique and Xavi Hernandez but it had no impact in the charged atmosphere of Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium.

Chile pressed forward from the start. Vargas’ shot in the second minute was narrowly deflected wide of the goal by a defender.

Spain also pushed up, but errors soon proved costly.

Xabi Alonso gave the ball away in the 20th minute and the ball reached Arranguiz in the penalty area who slipped it inside to Vargas who smashed the ball past Spain’s captain Iker Casillas, making a Spanish record 17th appearance in a World Cup finals match.

Spain’s defence was in disarray.

The game carried on at a furious pace as the defending champions sought a way back into the game.

But in the 43rd minute, Casillas clumsily punched away a free kick by Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez. The ball went straight to Arranguiz who struck it into the net.

Casilllas seemed shell-shocked as he walked off at half-time. Defender Sergio Ramos and other Spanish players also shook their heads in disbelief.

Spain’s pitiful state seemed to be epitomized by misses in the second half. Diego Costa had a shot deflected wide and in the 53rd minute Sergio Busquets’s was clear in front of goal but a seemingly simple tap in went wide.

Chile’s goalkeeper Claudio Bravo pulled off a brilliant reflex save to stop an Andres Iniesta shot in the 84th minute.

The historic Maracana stadium erupted into a riot of red and blue as Chilean supporters started noisy celebrations. Thousands crossed the Andes in special convoys to watch Chile’s games.

Chile play Netherlands to decide top place in Group B on June 23. Spain play their final game against Australia on the same day.

– AFP

Johannesburg – Charges were dropped on Wednesday against a Daily Sun journalist who was accused of sending intimidating SMSes to himself, his lawyers said.

Ricky Dire was arrested in March and charged with intimidation and resisting arrest, said his lawyer Andrew Boerner, of Jurgens Bekker Attorneys.

The charges against him were withdrawn.

In January, Dire was arrested and assaulted in Tlhabane near Rustenburg after taking photos of police allegedly accepting bribes from shop owners.

The shop owners had called Dire complaining that police had been harassing them and asking for bribes.

After his arrest, Dire received SMSes threatening to kill his family unless he withdrew his disclosure to the Daily Sun and the police that he had been harassed, assaulted, and arrested.

Boerner said police investigated the matter and Dire was re-arrested and accused of sending the SMSes to himself and resisting arrest.

“It is clear that the police in this instance attempted to use any means necessary to intimidate him. They failed to observe and protect the freedom of the press.”

SAPA

Johannesburg – Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) needs access to key evidence in the Seriti Commission of Inquiry to help the commission, it said on Wednesday.

“It is important to note that these documents are vital in enabling us to prepare properly to give our evidence during phase II of the hearings, expected to begin in July,” LHR said in a statement.

“The commission should be leading the struggle for openness and transparency to ensure it fulfils its mandate and get to the bottom of the controversial arms deal, something it has so far failed to do, undermining the public’s right to know the truth.”

It said requests for documents from the commission had been ignored for the past 17 months. LHR said the commission should obtain, examine and make the documents available.

“It is not enough to rely exclusively on interested parties to produce the documents they wish the commission to consider,” it said.

“This leads to fundamental unfairness and may prevent the truth from emerging if these documents are not produced and made available to us ahead of our evidence and cross-examination.”

Outstanding documents include some held by the trade and industry department, minutes of meetings of committees, and reports by law enforcement agencies.

Commission spokesperson William Baloyi said commission chair, judge Willie Seriti, told LHR on 12 June to compile a list of outstanding documents.

“The commission received the list today. An internal team is going to go through that list and we will respond accordingly,” Baloyi said.

He said a list of witnesses for the second phase of the commission would be sent to the media before the weekend with the next start date.

LHR said it handed in the full list on Tuesday.

President Jacob Zuma appointed the commission in 2011 to investigate alleged corruption in the multi-billion rand deal.

Government acquired, among other hardware, 26 Gripen fighter aircraft and 24 Hawk lead-in fighter trainer aircraft for the air force, and frigates and submarines for the navy.

SAPA

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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