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.

Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Buti Manamela, says there’s a need for a skilled labour force to steer the country onto a higher developmental platform.

Manamela was speaking at the launch of the consultative process for the National Youth Policy in Pretoria on Wednesday. He says the policy will be adopted in March and will respond to youth challenges.

For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged learners of Soshanguve South Secondary School, north of Pretoria, not to indulge in risky behavior such as taking drugs or engaging in unprotected sex. The school is reportedly facing challenges of substance abuse among its learners.

Ramaphosa was visiting the school to instill a culture of learning on the first day of the new school year for the inland provinces and had advices for them.

For more http://www.sabc.co.za

The Gauteng Provincial Government will on Thursday release to the public the findings of the e-toll review panel’s report.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura appointed the panel in July to examine the economic and social impact of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project and the electronic-tolling system set up to fund it.

For more http://www.sabc.co.za

The Helen Suzman Foundation will on Thursday launch an urgent application in the High Court in Pretoria to overturn the suspension of the Hawks boss Anwar Dramat.

Police Minister, Nathi Nhleko suspended Dramat in December last year based on allegations that Dramat was involved in the illegal rendition of Zimbabwean nationals in 2010.

For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Johannesburg – Communications Minister Faith Muthambi is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the board of the SABC, she said on Wednesday.

“… In terms of the signed Memorandum of Incorporation [MoI], the minister is the sole shareholder in the corporation acting on behalf of the South African government,” she said in a statement.

“The minister, therefore, has the responsibility to ensure effective and efficient functioning of the board and ultimately the corporation as a whole in her capacity as the executive authority.”

Muthambi was responding to DA MP Gavin Davis who said she sent certain members of the SABC board letters, requesting that they give her reasons why they should not be suspended.

“The DA understands from several sources that Minister Faith Muthambi has written to certain SABC board members requesting that they give her reasons why they should not be suspended.

“They have been given until the 15 January to respond,” Davis said in a statement released on Tuesday.

He said board member Professor Bongani Khumalo, had reportedly resigned as a result of this.

Khumalo’s resignation came less than a month after SABC board chairperson Ellen Tshabalala resigned.

Tshabalala had been under fire for not providing proof of her academic qualifications, as requested by a parliamentary committee.

Last year, the public broadcaster’s CEO Lulama Mokhobo resigned, while chief financial officer, Gugu Duda was fired for misconduct.

Muthambi’s interference ‘unlawful’

Davis said Muthambi’s interference in the SABC was unlawful according to the Broadcasting Act.

“It is the president who appoints the board on the recommendation of the portfolio committee. The Minister has no lawful role in the appointment or removal of board members and therefore has no right to threaten board members with suspension,” Davis said.

He wrote a letter to communications portfolio committee chairperson Joyce Moloi-Moropa to request that Muthambi be called to explain herself.

On Tuesday, Muthambi’s spokesperson Ayanda Hollow had denied that she was in the process of suspending “certain” board members of the SABC.

Hollow said Muthambi treated her communication in such cases strictly private and confidential.

“… Save to say that minister would not ordinarily write a letter to call upon directors of the SABC to give reasons why they should not be suspended since she does not have powers to suspend them,” he said at the time.

On Wednesday, Muthambi said she was working hard to stabilise the management team and the board of directors of the SABC.

“The success and failure of the corporation is accounted for by the minister of communications.

“As a result the minister through her political oversight role has the responsibility to ensure implementation of good corporate governance at all times.”

Part of her oversight responsibilities included interrogating the conduct of board members, processes and systems on the governance of the corporation, she said.

Davis said Muthambi’s statements proved she had written the letters.

“This is a tacit admission that the minister has indeed written to certain board members regarding their conduct and continued employment at the SABC.

“The DA maintains that such interference in the SABC board is unlawful,” he said.

He said that was the communications portfolio committee’s function, just as it was done with respect to Tshabalala.

Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma has arrived in Maputo in Mozambique ahead of the inauguration of Mozambique President-elect Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, the presidency said on Thursday.

“South Africa and Mozambique enjoy strong historical ties based on geographical proximity and the role played by Mozambique in providing solidarity during the struggle against apartheid and colonial oppression,” spokesperson Mac Maharaj said.

Nyusi, candidate for the Frelimo party, won 57% of the vote in the October presidential election.

BY STAFF REPORTER

MATLAPANENG- The residents of Matlapaneng were up in arms and insist that their plans to depose the current ward councillor Kedumetse Sephonono Tyalimpi are underway and gaining momentum. Matlapaneng Youth Forum chairperson Modiseotsile Lebitse said the community agreed to sign a petition to dethrone Tyalimpi before the end of this year.

According to Lebitse, the ward councillor Tyalimpi does not heed the community grievances while they continue to suffer with water, electricity and RDP houses.

“We can assure you that the current councillor will be deposed before the end of this year. We do not want Tyalimpi anymore as she does not co-operate. We continue to suffer with water in the area, electricity is a concern and RDP houses. There are RDP houses that were allocated to wrong beneficiaries. The councillor does not involve the chief into any meetings she hold in the area” Lebise said.

However the councillor refutes the claims and said she always update the community and the chief alike if there are any projects aligned. She said the electric and water issues were cleared.

“It is so surprising to see people like Lebitse being so ill-informed. I gave the community and the chief the report regarding water and electricity issues. The RDP houses issue is been handled by our provincial department” Tyalimpi said.

She also said the people are making rigorous statement to score cheap political stunt.

The resident s of Matalapaneng, Maganenng and Choseng villages have been struggling with water recently and that cause uproar.

-TDN

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