Picture: Former Bafana Bafana coach, Thabo Senong/Supplied
By REGINALD KANYANE
Following the conclusion of the Western Cape leg of the Engen Knockout Challenge, renowned youth football coach, Thabo Senong, serving as an ambassador, shared his insights on the impressive coaching acumen and trends seen in the Cape Town edition.
Senong, who is travelling with Engen across the country as part of his ambassadorial role of guiding and mentoring young coaches at the tournament, heaped praise on the exceptional coaching displayed by the young tacticians so far.
“I was deeply impressed by the strategic acumen and leadership displayed by the coaches. Their ability to adapt tactics, motivate players, and make decisive decisions under pressure was truly commendable.
“I was thoroughly impressed with the ladies’ football teams. Their conditioning was exceptional and they displayed incredible mobility and lightness on the field”, he said.
Commenting on the final of the boys section, former Bafana Bafana assistant coach and U-20 Men’s head coach also highlighted the coaches’ ability to adapt to situations, while also using the players’ talent to their respective advantage.
“Both Stellenbosch FC and Cape Town City demonstrated remarkable cohesion as teams, executing their tactics with precision. Additionally, their players showcased remarkable individual skills that contributed to their teams’ success.
“The tournament provided a platform for coaches and players to showcase their tactical brilliance. It was inspiring to witness the strategic depth and innovation displayed by teams across the board,” said Senong.
Picture: ANC member in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Region, Orapeleng Matshidiso/Supplied
By ORAPELENG MATSHIDISO
First and foremost, I would like to congratulate all comrades of the ANC, who have been deployed to Provincial Legislatures, National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and National Parliament. Comrades, few days or weeks to come, some of you might be deployed as President, Deputy President, Chairpersons of Portfolios, Premiers, MECs, Speakers, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and others would serve in various executives within the state and state entities.
So, I profoundly urge you to recall that the ANC at its 2017 Policy Conference stated that “It is foreign to our movement (ANC) for comrades to see deployment as a source of material benefit rather than the reason to serve the people”.
You should always be “analytically alert” because you would be serving under a completely different environment compared to the previous six administrations. It is a difficult period for the ANC, therefore, now or never, ANC needs deployed cadres who could concretely analyse the political situation in the country and comprehensively interpret the current moment and the challenges confronting both county and the ANC as they prosecute their assigned tasks.
There is a need for an emergence of cadre who can internalise and put in practice the principles of service to the people within the context of Government of National Unity (GNU) or possibly Coalition government (CG).
Comrades, your actions and characters will either affirm or dismiss what former President Thabo Mbeki said in 2005 that: “The matter of the cadres of the movement has always been an important part of what constitutes the ANC, of what defines the ANC. And those cadres have changed over time”.
And indeed, when the ANC was formed in 1912, it needed and had cadres such as Pixley ka Isaka Seme and the collective leadership to articulate the bigger picture (vision) and the reasons for ANC’s existence to the delegates and South Africans. After that conference, the movement needed cadres who could entrench the ANC into the society and make it a true “instrument of liberation in the hands of the people”.
Cadre Solomon Plaatje and the then President John Dube, emerged as cadres of the epoch to lead the collective in executing that daunting task. In fact, at different epochs the ANC has faced set-backs, betrayals to the revolution and compromises to the interest of disenfranchised masses, along the way there were challenges, failures and successes as cadres executed the tasks of different moments.
Again, the ANC adopted the 1949 Programme of Action that came up as a result of the emergence of new radical cadres within the ANC Youth league (ANCYL) in 1940s. Yet again, that programme of action required new cadres of the time in a form of volunteers to effectively implement it. Despite the apartheid repression, the ANC’s successful implementation of the 1949 programme led to 1952 defiance campaign and massive involvement of the people in the activities and the work of the ANC.
I contend that, the rigorous involvement of the masses particularly the working class and the poor into the ANC at that time, assisted to entrench it into the political psychology of the people as a trusted leader of the society and the dependable discipline force of the left. After the ANC was banned in 1960s, there was a need for cadres of a particular type to rise within the ranks and files of congress movement, and those cadres rose to the occasion with courage and determination to die or be arrested in defence of the people’s movement and revolution.
In 1970s and 80s when many of the cadres of the people’s revolution were killed, banned, exiled and arrested, there was a need for a new cadre that could mobilise and carry a torch of hope for freedom. Those cadres emerged through the formation of United Democratic Front (UDF) in 1983. Subsequent to the unbanning of political parties and the negotiations known as CODESA that led to the formation of the then GNU. The organisation needed yet its cadres who could carefully read the political atmosphere of that time. Those comrades had to manage the transition through the application of “strategic consistency and tactical flexibility”, which led to ANC’s ascendancy to the position of being a major governing party in South Africa.
Thereafter, new cadres were need in a form of genuine midwives of social transformation for the prosecution of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR). The revolution that was and still envisaged to ensure that the previously disenfranchised masses of the people whom in the main are the working class and the poor become the primary beneficiaries of the revolutionary victory after the democratic breakthrough of 1994.
Today it is sad that, the ANC’s electoral support has declined to below 50% because of the range of issues known to all of us, including, the failure of the leaders and deployed comrades of the ANC to concretely understand the 2017 policy conference statement that, “When our people protest against unethical behaviour of our leadership (and deployed cadres), they do so not out of hatred but from feeling betrayed as they expect better and higher standards from revolutionaries (cadres)”.
My fellow comrades, as you would be deployed and assigned responsibilities in the state and government, know that the people of South Africa “expect better and higher standards” from you as cadres of the ANC. And as a consequence of the envisaged GNU or possibly CG, you are requested to trust the wisdom of the leadership and respect the decision of your organisation, wherever you are deployed please accept. This is a moment wherein the ANC more than ever needs disciplined and committed cadres who understand that the future of the nation and the ANC is at stake.
I vividly remember that in 2005, former President Thabo Mbeki once indicated that, he had a meeting with number of the then Director Generals (DGs), who were apparently complaining that as a President, he had appointed cadres who were political juniors as Ministers and Deputy Ministers, instead of them. In his response to those DGs, Mbeki said there must be an understanding that “As cadres of the movement (ANC), we are necessarily deployed in many different fields. The fact that somebody serves as MP, the other as a Minister and the other one as a DG does not mean that one is superior to the other.
“The challenges of leading the machinery of state are as important as the challenges of leading the legislatures. Therefore, the idea that you are a lesser cadre, a lesser comrade, lesser than the Minister if you are DG, represents a fundamental misunderstanding of what we are taking about”. Comrades go out there and represent the ANC and serve the people very well with a clearer understanding, that you are deployed by the ANC to serves its mandate as a dependable representative of the people and trusted leader of the society.
I also hope and trust that, the leadership of ANC, as they navigate through the uncharted paths of negotiating for the formation of GNU; will never enter into any agreement that would compromise the ANC’s historic position as the dependable ally of the working class and the poor, because any decision that stands to compromises the interests of the previously disenfranchised masses of our people and seek to preserve the white monopoly privileges, would possibly lead to the end of the tripartite plus one alliance of COSATU, ANC, SANCO and SACP. It’s a matter of historic fact the ANC without the alliance will be weaker and possibly to become a neo-liberal organisation that would abandon the working class and the poor.
I agree with Dr David Mohale and Prof Vusi Gumede in their article in the City Press of the past Sunday, that: “The future of desired stable and democratic South Africa depends primarily on the resolution of ownership patterns. Democracy should be understood in its relation to development, it must empower the people to live and lead lives they value, without which it becomes a farce”.
(Note: Orapeleng Matshediso is a member of the ANC in North West (Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Region. All views raised here remain of the author and Taung DailyNews and its associates do not agree nor disagree with the content of the article)
Picture: Some of the suspects arrested during Operation Vala Umgodi/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
More than 72 illegal immigrants were arrested during Operation Vala Umgodi in Kimberly on Sunday. The suspects that comprised of Zimbabwean, Lesotho, Nigerians and others, were arrested by the multi-disciplinary operation that includes the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the Department of Home Affairs Immigration Services.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Timothy Sam said the suspects will be processed and verified by the immigration officials before being formally charged and presented to court for deportation.
“The focus of the operation was to trace and raid illegal and undocumented immigrants that are suspected to be conducting illegal mining around Samaria Informal Settlement in Kimberley.
“The team’s actions and activities included visibility patrols, raids at specified addresses and stop and searches,” he said.
Sam further said the police through Operation Vala Umgodi remains committed to working with other stakeholders in addressing the scourge of illicit mining driven by undocumented and or illegal migrants.
Picture: The police conducting searches during Operation Shanela/Supplied
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
More than 242 suspects were arrested for various crimes during Operation Shanela in Northern Cape. Detectives traced and arrested 112 wanted suspects in connection with business robbery, murder, rape and assault GBH.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Colonel Cherelle Ehlers said multi-disciplinary teams also arrested 130 suspects for crimes such as dealing in drugs, illegal dealing in liquor, robbery, attempted murder, assault GBH and burglary.
“The police actions included the searching of premises, stop and search actions, high visibility patrols, compliance inspections, roadblocks and vehicle check points.
“The police also visited farms in rural areas to address crimes related to stock theft. The stock theft awareness campaigns were hosted in the Frances Baard and Pixley Ka Seme Districts,” she said.
Ehlers further said a total of 5 679 persons and 2 764 vehicles were stopped and searched. She added that five unlicensed liquor outlets were closed and a significant amount of alcohol was confiscated.
“A considerable amount of drugs and counterfeit goods were also seized. In support of Youth Month, an awareness campaigns, community engagements and school visits in conjunction with relevant external stakeholders were conducted in all districts, where several schools and communities were visited.
“Priority issues such as the prevention of human trafficking, bullying, sexual offences, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy and school discipline were addressed,” said Ehlers.
She said Operation Shanela will continue with disruptive actions during the next week to ensure that priority crimes are addressed in hotspot areas,” she said.
The Investigating Directorate (ID) has refuted allegations that it will charge the ANC bigwig, Gwede Mantashe. This comes after the Sunday World newspaper article alleging that Mantashe’s arrest is imminet.
The Investigating Directorate spokesperson, Henry Mamothame said the in normal circumstances, the ID does not comment on its investigations, it is important that a misstatement attributed to its office be corrected.
“The ID has not decided nor discussed “the imminent arrest” of Mantashe. It is unclear where these comments come from, but they are not from the ID.
“The ID will continue to do its work without fear, favour or prejudice and should be given the space to do so without any unnecessary and unwarranted speculations,” he said.
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