Johannesburg – Public Service Minister and African National Congress NEC member Collins Chabane on Thursday appealed to ANC members to fill the void left by three senior members who died recently.

The party lost Limpopo education MEC Thembi Nwendamutswu, struggle veteran Nelson Diale and former army general Gabriel Ramushwana within five days.

Chabane said the province was covered by dark clouds and pleaded for ANC members to rebuild the party.

Speaking at the memorial service of Nwendamutswu, Chabane told leaders to “build a stronger ANC to fill the void which has been left by these gallant fighters”.

Nwendamutswu, Swazi-born who became South African by marriage, joined the struggle against apartheid when her family was in solidarity with the ANC cause and provided refuge for freedom fighters.

Chabane described her as “a woman who was dedicated to the struggle of people of South Africa”.

He said her contribution to the party had earned her votes from ANC members in the branches, which led her to occupying a senior position in the party and government. Nwendamutswu and her biological family had helped South Africa to gain freedom.

“Comrade Thembi achieved something that not many women have achieved. She might be the only one, and people wonder why. It is achieved by few and most probably she might be the only one,” he said.

Members of the ANC, government leaders, education department officials, political leaders and others described Nwendamutswu as a “courageous and humble” leader.

Nwendamutswu died last week Friday after she missed what was to be her first matric results announcement.

Earlier on Thursday, dignitaries, government employees, struggle veterans and members of the ANC lined to join others inside the packed Jack Botes Hall in Polokwane.

President Jacob Zuma declared a provincial official funeral for Nwendamutswu.

She will be buried on Saturday in Thohoyandou.

Johannesburg – A man accused of lying to the police appeared in the Marikana Periodical Court on Thursday, North West police said.

Police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone said Dingaan Makola, 21, opened a business robbery case at the Marikana police station on Saturday, claiming that his tavern at Rankelenyane village was robbed.

He informed the police that a gun was pointed at him.

He was forced into the house where a safe containing an undisclosed amount of cash was taken.

He further alleged that he was tied up and left inside the tavern.

“Police investigation began immediately after the case was registered and it was discovered that the complainant faked the robbery,” said Mokgwabone.

“He allegedly took the police to the place where he dropped the safe. The safe was found together with approximately R500 cash inside.”

Makola was granted R800 bail and his case was postponed to 19 January.

Johannesburg – The Congress of SA Trade Unions is opposed to the naming of Cape Town’s Table Bay Boulevard after former president FW de Klerk, the federation said on Thursday.

Provincial secretary of Cosatu in the Western Cape, Tony Ehrenreich, said the City of Cape Town compared De Klerk and former president Nelson Mandela, insisting that his public exposure around street names was the same as Mandela’s.

“The reality is that Mandela was a liberator of the people of South Africa and a man who aspired to undo the legacy of apartheid… De Klerk on the other hand was an architect of apartheid and responsible for implementing a system that brutally oppressed the majority.”

The city said on Wednesday that Table Bay Boulevard may be renamed FW de Klerk Boulevard if the Cape Town council accepted a proposal by the city’s naming committee.

“This proposal complies with the city’s naming policy which states that citizens of Cape Town and South Africa may be considered in their lifetime if they have received international recognition of the highest kind,” councillor Brett Herron said in a statement.

Herron said the former president fell within that category.

Frederik Willem de Klerk, 79, was president from September 1989 to May 1994. He was the last head of state of South Africa under the apartheid era.

In 1993 he won the Nobel Peace Prize along with struggle icon Mandela for their role in ending apartheid.

De Klerk was in favour of the idea provided the street that was to be named after him had a neutral name, his foundation reportedly told the committee.

Herron said the final decision was up to the council.

“Residents, roleplayers, interested parties and community organisations were invited to air their views,” Herron said.

This was done over 30 days, from 1 October to 31 October 2014, he said.

The decision to propose De Klerk’s name followed a written request by prominent residents of Cape Town to mayor Patricia De Lille and the city council in June last year.

The 27 signatories included Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Western Cape Premier Helen Zille.

According to the proposal it was opportune for the city to recognise De Klerk’s role in the transition to a new dispensation in South Africa.

Ehrenreich said De Klerk was “an accident of history”, who just happened to be the leader of the National Party and was forced to negotiate with the ANC.

He said the city should focus on improving service delivery, rather than wasting time and money elevating De Klerk and the Democratic Alliance.

De Klerk on Wednesday said he was honoured that Table Bay Boulevard may be renamed FW de Klerk Boulevard.

“I am honoured and touched by the decision of the City of Cape Town’s naming committee to recommend the renaming of Table Bay Boulevard in my honour,” he said in a statement.

“I would sincerely like to thank all those – including many prominent residents of the Cape – who have supported this initiative.”

Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma‘s office on Thursday denied that he had not been in Parliament since he was heckled by EFF members on 21 August.

“The president attended the delivery of the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nhlanhla Nene on 24 October 2014, in the National Assembly,” said spokesperson Mac Maharaj in a statement.

“President Zuma also delivered his annual address to the National Council of Provinces on 6 November 2014 which included a debate of the speech by all parties in the NCOP, in Parliament.”

Maharaj highlighted that Zuma was not a Member of Parliament and only went to the National Assembly when he was invited or for scheduled formal engagements.

In August, EFF caused pandemonium, banging on their desks and chanting “pay back the money”.

While Zuma had since attended Parliament, he has not returned to answer questions regarding the multi-million rand upgrades at his Nkandla homestead.

He was expected back in Parliament on 12 February where he was to deliver the State of the Nation address.

Members of the EFF have vowed to disrupt Zuma’s speech, following National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete‘s refusal to schedule a session prior to the official opening of Parliament, for Zuma to explain when he would the pay back the money.

“We are scared that if we don’t hold Zuma accountable on the 12th of February, we are likely to see him again in 2016,” EFF leader Julius Malema said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

“He may not come back after the state of the nation because he has proved that he doesn’t take Parliament seriously,” said Malema.