Three people were killed following a taxi crash that occurred on the N12 near Potchefstroom on the Gauteng’s west rand.

Eight others have been injured and were transported to nearby hospitals.

It is alleged that the taxi driver lost control of the vehicle causing it to roll several times.

This is the second taxi accident in the west rand over the long weekend after a gruesome accident claimed 14 lives in Randfontein on Friday.

ER24 spokesperson Pieter Rossouw says among those who were killed were two children under the age of twelve.

“The taxi collision occurred on the N12 about ten kilometres from Potchefstroom in the direction of Klerksdorp. When ER24 paramedics arrived on scene they found that over and above the deceased patients, there were eight other patients, six of which had critical injuries.”

Courtesy: sabc

The Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has given SA Express the green light to resume flying after grounding the airline over safety issues on Saturday. The CAA says it’s lifted the suspensionof Express’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC).

This means that the airline may, with immediate effect, resume operating their fleet of 26 aircraft.

The CAA suspended SA Express’s AOC privileges on Saturday, saying its recent inspections and audits had revealed deficiencies relating to the operator’s safety monitoring systems.

The CAA’s Simon Segwabe explains why they’re now allowing SA Express’s fleet of 26 aircraft to resume flying:

“From yesterday’s suspension we had had subsequent engagements with SA Express. This afternoon (Sunday) the submission they had made to us the South African CAA found it acceptable. We had therefore undertaking to uplift the suspension. The upliftment of the suspension implies that the airline can now commence with operations.”

Courtesy: sabc

Witbank – Two people died in a collision between two cars on the N12 near Witbank, near the Kendal/Balmoral off-ramp, in Mpumalanga on Sunday morning, paramedics said.

ER24 spokesman Pieter Rossouw said when paramedics arrived on the scene they found one car on its roof, badly damaged.

The driver of the car had sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead on the scene.

The other car had two occupants.

The passenger sustained fatal injuries while the driver was treated for serious injuries and transported by ER24 to Cosmos Hospital for further treatment.

The cause of the accident was unknown and local authorities were on the scene to investigate, Rossouw said.

– African News Agency

Pretoria – Voting for the African National Congress is a contribution to the maintenance of peace and unity in South Africa, President Jacob Zuma said on Sunday.

“Remember that a vote for the ANC is a vote for peace and unity in our country. The vote for the ANC is a vote for a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, and prosperous South Africa,” Zuma told thousands of people at a Workers Day rally in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria.

Also Read: ANC must not leave power, says Zuma

“A vote for the ANC is a vote for a better life for all and improved quality of life for our people. Our vote has a meaning. I don’t know about other votes. Let us celebrate this day of the workers with this understanding.”

Zuma said it was only the ANC-led alliance that could advance South Africa towards being prosperous.

On the August 3 local government elections, Zuma said councillors should be held accountable for non-delivery.

“Councillors will be accessible to the community. We don’t want councillors that are not accessible to the communities. We want councillors that must know that they have been elected and must report to communities on a regular basis. We believe that our councillors must sign performance agreements to commit themselves,” he said.

“We are going to give time frames on how often they report. People should not see the councillor for the first time when we do door-to-door [campaigns]. They must see them, know them, and raise issues with them. This will give power to the people in holding their representatives accountable. We are the ones that must control our councils.”

Zuma said if the ANC lost power in South Africa anarchists would take over.

“Democracy allows that in every five years, we shake and evaluate power to see where power goes. We must not leave power. If we leave power this country will be in the hands of chaotic people, anarchists, and we will be in trouble,” he said.

“There will be no forward movement. We must know that in every country the majority is the working people. It is the workers who must understand this.”

As the ANC intensified the campaign for the tightly-contested August 3 local government elections, Zuma said the party would be “dealing with people who talk too much”.

“And [we will] explain to the country who they are. What are they trying to do. We are going to deal with everything that has been said. Today we are celebrating but a campaign is going to move throughout the country. Opportunists and reactionaries are going to be explained.

“Our country is faced with a difficulty today, of counter-revolution disguised in many guises. We have got to expose them for the people to know who they are. Our task for now is to mobilise for elections,” Zuma said.

Numerous leaders of the governing tripartite alliance were in attendance.

The gathering was also addressed by SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande and Congress of SA Trade Unions president Sdumo Dlamini.

– African News Agency

https://youtu.be/C1UVo66q_bI

Washington – US President Barack Obama on Saturday took aim at Democrats and Republicans alike in his final appearance headlining the star-studded White House correspondents’ dinner, but saved his sharpest barbs for Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

“The Republican establishment is incredulous that he’s their most likely nominee,” Obama told attendees at the black-tie event, which brought together journalists and media moguls with Hollywood stars and power brokers from Capitol Hill and beyond.

“They say Donald lacks the foreign policy experience to be president. But in fairness he has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world: Miss Sweden, Miss Argentina, Miss Azerbaijan,” the president said to howls of laughter, referring to contestants on the Miss Universe pageant that Trump formerly co-owned.

Courtesy: http://www.iol.co.za

The #PleaseCallMe ruling should cause us to reconfigure our business ethos as a society, says Victor Kgomoeswana.

Johannesburg – This is a shout-out to Nkosana Makate to please call me urgently to discuss pressing family business – I have always known he and I are cousin brothers.

We have simply not had a chance to get to know each other properly. Blame it on the hustle and bustle of living in the big city – you know, trying to make ends meet.

Things have just been, as they say, hectic, but I plan to fix that.

Sensation aside, the #PleaseCallMe ruling in favour of the young man who helped Vodacom launch its industry-changing reverse-call service should cause us to reconfigure our business ethos as a society.

It would be tragic to reduce it to a Vodacom story, because it personifies a paradigm shift that is long overdue. We all have our little Makate skeleton somewhere in our business cupboards, just that it may not be as big or as sensational.

First, we assume employees do not have any ambitions beyond earning a salary. Wrong. Employees understand their value to the business they work for, and would treasure sincere appreciation for their efforts, as well as genuine respect.

Entrepreneurs and business bosses miss this point all the time, somehow believing that workers have to be so grateful they are employed and stop whingeing for extras.

If they were so insignificant, entrepreneurs would not need them to bring their vision to life, now, would they?

The second myth is that money does not buy happiness. Trouble is, this is hard for someone who is broke to figure out. Well-paid bosses peddle this deliberate falsehood, just like the proverbial someone who likes to say: “May the best man win, because he inherited a shop.”

Money is not everything and professionals look for fulfilment in things other than material wealth; no, make that over and above material wealth. It’s easier to be loyal to the company’s vision or to appreciate literature and art when your bank balance is not too shabby.

Employees, particularly those who are young and skilled like Makate, know how much money they generate for their employers. They do not find it funny to watch the elite splurging on holidays on some exotic island or in Disneyland while they toil for 45 years to earn a token retirement watch, like our grandparents used to.

They want a share of the upside – and they want it now, or they will start their own businesses. The days of long service awards are gone and buried.

Pay your people what they deserve while they can put it to good use.

Bosses can be hypocritical. When they want to underpay hard-working employees, they will say: “Money is not everything”.

They will whip out all manner of research to justify exploiting their loyal servants, while they pocket huge salaries, share options and bonuses. On the other hand, they will recite that meaningless platitude of the corporate world: “Our people are our most valued asset.”

This brings me to the third lesson out of this landmark case. If people are the most valued asset of every business, why do we consider human resources (HR) or human capital management a support service?

I am willing to bet Vodacom did not involve its HR department in negotiating with Makate before promising him whatever it did when he pitched his idea to management.

Often, discussions about business strategy and expansion are hatched in discussions by chief executives, chief financial officers or marketers, with consultants in tow.

Plans are finalised, leaving only the need for HR to be briefed to find suitable candidates. Similarly, when the chief executive officer or the chairman wants to fire someone they do not like, they will invite HR only to structure the exit package and do the paperwork.

That is hardly a way to treat one’s most valued asset.

Human resources professionals ought to be involved from the beginning. Anything less and we are guaranteed to have more cases like Makate’s, probably bigger ones, too.

Now, who has Nkosana’s numbers? I really feel it is time for that Kgomoeswana-Makate reunion. Family ties are worth fighting for and restoring, you know!

* Kgomoeswana is author of Africa is Open for Business and anchor of Power Hour, which airs from Monday to Thursday on Power FM.

@VictorAfrica

* The views expressed here are not necessarily those of TDN Media.

Courtesy: IOL