Former African National Congress (ANC) treasurer general Matthews Phosa has called for ANC structures in Mpumalanga to unite ahead of the 2016 local government elections.
He warned that the ANC in its current form in the province would lose support because of glaring divisions within the party.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za
BY REGINALD KANYANE
TAUNG- A Dryharts resident who is a livestock owner is furious at the Pudimoe police. A 44 year-old man went to the police station with trust that he will receive help, but instead he is pointing fingers at the police and accuses them with incompetence.
Tshiamiso Goitsemodimo’s five goats were stolen and slaughtered near Choseng village in 2014. The suspects allegedly loaded the carcasses into a hearse.
They were arrested on N18 road near Vryburg and a case of stock-theft was launched and Goitsemodimo came forward to receive the carcasses of his goats and expect justice to prevails at the end, but that was the beginning of his nightmare.
“I opened a case after I positively identified that those slaughtered goats belongs to me. A case was opened against the suspects, but until now I haven’t received a case number. I just heard from the corridors that my case was struck off then roll, how I do not know” Goitsemodimo explains.
He said he tried to contact stock-theft unit in Vryburg but it seems no one could help him.
“I spoke with to the police there, but they were not co-operative and what I received was the carcasses of my goats and how the case was struck off the roll no one explained that to me” he outlines.
However North West police spokesperson colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said the case was opened and the case number was handed over to the victim.
“The victim was given a paper that confirmed him as the owner of the goats and on that paper, there was a case number. We will look into the matter and we would like to advice the victim to go and see station commander to ask his case to be put back on the roll. According to my understanding, the case was struck off the roll because there was no DNA that can identify that he was the rightful owner of the goats” Mokgwabone said.
According to Goitsemodimo, police handed over only four slaughtered goats even though they found five in the hearse, since they promised him to bring the fifth one.
He also said his two sheep were taken from him by police, but until now he never received them back a year later.
Police always promise to bring them back, but it seems that remains as such.
-TDN
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BY LESEDI SETLHODI
TAUNG- Two suspects aged between 30 and 50 were arrested by community of Morokweng village, Taung in Baga-Maidi area on Thursday at around 03:00am, North West police said.
Sergeant Kelebogile Moleko said two men were arrested by community members after they allegedly stole more than 30 goats. One of the community members allegedly saw two men loading goats into a white bakkie with Kwazulu-Natal plate numbers.
The community beat them up before handing them over to the police.
Sergeant Kelebogile Moleko said the suspects appeared at Taung Magistrate Court on Friday.
“We can confirm that two men were arrested in connection of stock-theft in Morokweng village near Taung on Thursday. They were arrested by community members after they saw them loading goats into a bakkie at around 03:00am in the morning” sergeant Kelebogile Moleko said.
Thabang Sapele(27) said stock-theft is very rife in their area. He said they’re losing their livestock through theft.
“Stock-theft is very rife in the area and livestock is our life. We arrested two people trying to steal our goats and the sad part is that most people we arrest here, are from Kwazulu-Natal province” Sapele said.
Matlhogonolo Katong who almost lost 18 goats said his goats were stolen while in the veld on Wednesday.
“I am very happy to find my goats here. They were stolen last night(Wednesday) in Manthe village and I received a call on Thursday morning from one on my friends telling me that my goats were here. On my arrival, indeed I found my goats loading in a bakkie. We want to see justice prevails” Katong said.
The suspects were beaten up before being handed over to police and they briefly appeared at Taung Magistrate Court on Friday for stock-theft.
Their case was postponed until 24 February 2015 and they were remanded in custody.
-TDN
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BY LESEDI SETLHODI
PUDIMOE- THE residents of Pudimoe and other neighbourhoods were up in arms on Friday after they took their grievances to the streets. The residents barricaded the national road (N18) between Taung and Vryburg at around 06:00am.
They were picketing over a community hall that was supposed to be built at Matlhako 1, but according to some of the residents their ward councillor did not fulfil her promises.
Olebogeng Lencwe said the community barricaded the road with burning tyres and tree branches after there was a disagreement between them and the ward councillor.
“The community was gatvol after the ward councillor Deliwe Zethi promised them to build a community hall at a certain stand, but as we speak now the stand was trimmed into a smaller space” Olebogeng Lencwe said.
Another concerned resident said the councillor does not work together with them. “We want the ward councillor to step down as there are many issues that need her full attention, but she does not want to have none of that. The stand was there long time ago, but she let people built on that stand and now it is too small for a community hall to be built on” Modisaotsile Lebitse said.
More than ten people were apprehended by police for public violence including the chairperson of Young Communist League, Thapelo Sambatha-Galeboe.
North West police spokeperson sergeant Kelebogile Moleko said the police cleared the N18 road and the situation was back to normal.
“We can confirm that a 25 year-old man was arrested for public violence at Pudimoe location, near Taung after community members embarked on illegal protests. Police cleared the road and situation is calm so far” Moleko said.
The picketing took place on Friday and it is alleged that Greater Taung Municipal Mayor Kaone Lobelo and Speaker Deliwe Zethi were engaged with community members in a meeting on Thursday to find common ground regarding the stand allocated for a new community hall to be built in the area.
The meeting was futile as that precipitated into picketing and there community vowed not to back-off on their quest to dethrone their ward councillor from her position.
-TDN
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Mahikeng Ministers Fellowship(MMF) has expressed shock that a Zeerust pastor has been arrested in connection with an elderly woman’s rape ordeal.
“Although we subscribe to the principle of innocent until proven guilty, we wish to condemn in the strongest terms possible the despicable act allegedly committed by one we expected to be at the forefront of the fight against the scourge of rape and gender based violence,” Chairperson of MMF( an interdenominational pastors fellowship),Apostle Zandisile Reginald Mpame underscored on Friday.
The 35-year-old pastor was denied bail after he appeared in the Motsedi Magistrate’s court on a charge of rape on Monday.
The pastor,Melusi Shepperd Lugalo allegedly raped a 68-year-old woman on Saturday morning.
He had given the woman a lift before he sexually molested her.
According to police,the incident happened in Radikhudu village at about 7am.
“It is alleged that the victim,who stays in Botswana,visited her relatives in Dinokana on the said date,she was at the hitch-hiking spot when a Volkswagen Polo stopped next to her to offer her a lift. She allegedly got inside the vehicle and the accused allegedly drove to a nearby bushes and raped the victim,”Captain Pelonomi Makau said.
Makau said that the victim later managed to escape and sought help from passing motorists.
“She was assisted and the accused was apprehended after police were called.”
The accused was remanded in custody and will appear in court again on Monday.
In expressing disappointment with the developments and sympathy with the victim, Apostle Mpame said that pastors as spiritual leaders are expected to play a crucial role in leading public advocacy to mobilise men in their communities to speak out against violence against vulnerable elderly,women and girls and to defy the destructive stereotypes that serve to normalise gender inequality.
“Silence is the best friend of impunity that needs to be broken for intensified united action to stamp out the scourge of rape and gender based violence,” Mpame stressed.
-TDN
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Cape Town – Students are again protesting at Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s Bellville campus on Friday, which was the scene of violent clashes between students on Thursday.
Students were said to be in “full force” outside the administration building in the centre of campus, News24 was told on Friday.
For more http://www.news24.com
Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma assured editors on Friday that the jamming of cellphone networks in Parliament will not happen again.
“Rest assured that will never happen again and we did not know about it and we are condemning it. It was uncalled for,” he said after a meeting with the SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) at the presidential guesthouse in Pretoria.
Zuma said it was important that he met editors to make sure it did not happen again.
On 12 February, before Zuma delivered his state-of-the-nation address, journalists and some MPs protested that cellphone signals were being blocked in Parliament.
The signals were restored after National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete asked Secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana to look into the matter.
On Thursday, State Security Minister David Mahlobo said glitches with “counter-surveillance tactical measures” had led to the mobile signal disruptions on the day.
Sanef chairman Mpumelelo Mkhabela said on Friday Zuma had expressed government’s regret at what happened.
Sanef also made the president aware that editors had tried to talk to government officials before the start of his address, but that they “didn’t get positive feedback”.
“He was not aware of that and made it very clear that that should be criticised,” Mkhabela said.
“Government should be able to respond when concerns are raised and… we agreed that things should always be resolved the South African way, through negotiations and conversations…”
He said Sanef was happy with its discussion with Zuma.
Sanef had also briefed him on issues encountered in Parliament about the broadcasting feed.
Sanef would meet Parliament’s presiding officers about this.
“There was no need for the president’s state-of-the-nation address to be disturbed, for the first time in history, because cellphone signals were not working,” Mkhabela said.
“It is an issue we could have addressed early, as he correctly pointed out, and it’s regrettable and will never happen again and we take his word for it.”
Zuma said the meeting also discussed the relationship between government and the media in general, and a number of issues were agreed on.
“We should better the relationship and be able to communicate as often as possible… We are all patriots of the country and we want to promote the country,” he said.
Cape Town – The state of the province address in the Western Cape legislature was suspended for two hours on Friday after the ANC raised a point of order on a ruling made last year.
African National Congress chief whip Pierre Uys stood up before premier Helen Zille was due to speak and addressed speaker Sharna Fernandez.
For more http://www.news24.com
Cape Town – The ANC will continue to defend minorities, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.
Responding to debate on his State of the Nation address, Zuma criticised Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder, who on Wednesday warned Zuma he was playing with fire by singling out minorities.
“I fight against those who suppress minorities,” Zuma told the joint sitting.
The president said the ANC remained bound to the principles espoused by the country’s first democratically-elected president, Nelson Mandela.
“When arrested by the white oppressor he [Mandela] told them in court: ‘I have fought against white domination. I have fought against black domination,” Zuma said.
“What we do in government is informed by those principles and policies.”
Pointing at Mulder, Zuma said the ANC would never chase white people out of the country.
At the same time Zuma remained unapologetic about remarks he made last month at an ANC fund-raiser in Cape Town, where he said “all the trouble began” in 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck landed at the Cape.
“Our children must know where we come from so that coming generations should not repeat the mistakes of the past,” he said.
During Wednesday’s debate Mulder accused Zuma and his party of resorting to “scapegoat politics” to stem their support losses.
“The honourable president says a man called Jan van Riebeeck arrived here, and that was the start of problems in the country. I can prove the president is wrong. But what did he say in plain language? He said, when white people arrived here the trouble started.
“What is the understanding of ordinary ANC supporters? They understand that if one gets rid of the white man, all problems are solved. Get rid of the cockroaches and all problems go away.”
He questioned the ANC’s commitment to the Constitution, and whether the ruling party would hand over power peacefully if it lost an election.
“Does the ANC really believe in the Constitution and democratic principles? I say no.”
He told Zuma: “You are currently the problem. Please leave scapegoat politics. Respect democratic values and stop attacking and driving me, as an Afrikaner, and other groups away.”
Cape Town – President Jacob Zuma was on a charm offensive in Parliament this afternoon while responding to a two-day debate on his state of the nation address, City Press reports.
Zuma was anything but a “broken man” as he was labelled by DA parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane in a fiery speech on Tuesday.
For more http://www.citypress.co.za
The Guardian 