Pietermaritzburg – David Ntombela invites us in from the sniping wind. He is 91 now, his eyes rheumy and his gait pained. Gnarled toes poke out of plastic sandals as he eases into a faux leather couch, and night falls on the hills outside.
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Johannesburg – Icasa’s complaints and compliance committee ruled in the SABC’s favour on Saturday by upholding the broadcaster’s decision not to flight the EFF’s advert.

“The CCC ruled that the [advert] may be perceived as condoning or lending support to unlawful acts, in that, it talks about destroying e-tolls which would be perceived as damage to property,” Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) spokesperson Paseka Maleka said.

He said the committee made its ruling on Saturday around 11:30.

The Economic Freedom Fighters rejected the ruling and said it would march to the SABC offices in Auckland Park on Tuesday.

“Icasa by its ruling has confirmed that it is working together with all undemocratic interest groups that imposed e-tolls on the people of Gauteng,” spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said in a statement.

“These interest groups do not want e-tolls to be on top of the agenda for the elections out of fear of costing the ANC votes.”

Late complaint

On Friday night, Terry Motau, for SABC, told the committee that the broadcaster had advised the party on 16 April that its advert had been rejected. The EFF lodged a complaint on 22 April.

Motau asked the committee to dismiss the EFF’s complaint for being late, and on the merits of his case.

He said the language used to discuss e-tolls in the EFF’s manifesto was not the same as that used in the advert.

The advert, mostly in black and white, is entitled “Now is the time for economic freedom”. It was posted on YouTube a week ago and had been viewed over 159,033 times by Saturday afternoon.

It starts with a woman, identified as Mrs Zameka Nungu, talking in Xhosa about how she was left heartbroken when her husband was killed during the Marikana shooting in August 2012.

This is followed by a slideshow of photos of police officers pointing their guns at mineworkers in Marikana, and at Bekkersdal residents.

I know your pain – Malema

Malema then introduces himself and urges people to vote for the EFF.

“I know your pain and suffering. Let us vote against empty promises of the last 20 years, vote for economic freedom in our lifetime. Let us restore the dignity of the African child. Vote EFF,” he says.

The advert ends with images of posters with Malema’s face on them and slogans such as “let’s stop Nkandla corruption” and “destroy e-tolls physically!”

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said on Saturday that SABC rejected the advert because it contravened section 4(12)(b) of Icasa’s regulations on party election broadcasts (PEB) in that the advert contained words which were likely to provoke or incite unlawful, illegal or criminal acts.

“The SABC, in terms of the regulations, gave the EFF the opportunity to remove the offending words from the PEB, the EFF refused to do so but instead elected to refer a complaint to the CCC.”

The SABC had also presented its case to the CCC last week on why it had rejected a television advert by the Democratic Alliance stating that an image used in it would incite violence against police.

The broadcaster then changed its legal team and asked that the matter be adjourned until further notice.

DA ad ‘incites violence against police’

On Saturday, Kganyago said the broadcaster would no longer pursue its case against the advert.

He said the CCC’s ruling on Friday between the DA and the South African Police Service (SAPS) had dealt with the issues which were the basis of the SABC withdrawing the advert initially.

CCC chairperson Wandile Tutani decided to uphold the SAPS’s complaint on Friday night.

The SAPS contended the advert would incite violence against the police.

The televised advert shows DA’s Gauteng premier candidate Mmusi Maimane standing in front of a mirror talking about the current state of the country.

At one point he states that “the police are killing our people”. This is accompanied by a photo of a police officer firing rubber bullets at two unarmed people.

“The election period tends to bring about a lot of volatility. The police should not be seen as a threat to the community,” Tutani said.

“The offending part of the advert [must] be excised. That is our decision.”

Maimane, who was present at the ruling, disagreed, stating it was not right that conversation and commentary be restrained.

“It’s an injustice and in fact we will be taking this decision under review at the high court.”

Amend ads – SABC

SABC’s Acting Chief Operations Officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng said in a statement he was pleased with both rulings.

“These decisions nullify the allegations made that the SABC was not partial in its decision making and was not compelled by external parties.

“This is also an indication that the SABC upholds its editorial independence and editorial policies,” Motsoeneng said.

The broadcaster urged both parties to amend their adverts if they wished to have them flighted.-Sapa

Cape Town – When the EFF takes over the running of the Western Cape government it will be a drug free province, Economic Freedom Fighter leader Julius Malema said on Saturday.

Addressing hundreds of supporters at an election rally in Mitchells Plain, Malema blamed the increase in drug abuse in the province on capitalists.

“When you are buying drugs, you are actually enriching those people who want to make more money at the expense of the lives of the black majority,” Malema said.

“Gangsterism does not have a home in our country. The people must reclaim the streets.”

Swipe at McKenzie

During his address, Malema took a swipe at Gayton McKenzie – the Patriotic Alliance leader who wrote a scathing open letter to the EFF leader earlier in the week.

McKenzie, a convicted bank robber and self confessed former gangster, described Malema as the “biggest thief” he had ever met.

“You get two kinds of politicians in this country – the ones who come from prison and those who must still go to prison. You belong to the latter,” McKenzie wrote.

Malema responded in kind.

“We cannot have communities led by gangsters. Gangsters, if they want to be leaders, they must contest elections like their friends who have formed a party,” Malema told supporters.

“We will never be led by an ex-con. We will never be led by an ex-gangster…”

‘Apartheid DA govt’

The ANC and the Democratic Alliance were not spared during Malema’s attacks on his political rivals.

“The coloured people and the Africans must stand together because all of you are marginalised by the apartheid DA government in the Western Cape,” Malema said.

The feisty leader said the DA protected the interests of white monopoly in the country.

“We don’t want greedy white people. We don’t want greedy black people and that’s why we are not friends with Cyril Ramaphosa,” he said, referring to the ANC deputy president.

Malema also called on his supporters to stage a stay-away from 20 years of democracy celebrations.-Sapa 

Johannesburg – The presence of a man that was found dead at a Rhodes University residence will be investigated, it confirmed on Saturday.

The man’s body was found alongside a 21-year-old woman’s body in a room at Cullen Bowles male residence, earlier in the day.

The woman was a student from Rosa Parks residence.

“The other person is a man who is not a Rhodes student. His presence at Rhodes is being investigated,” the university said in a statement.

Eastern Cape’s police said the man’s body was found with a bullet wound to the head. They suspect the man shot himself.

No visible injuries were found on the woman’s body.

“A post mortem would be conducted to determine the cause of her death,” Lieutenant Luvuyo Mjekula said.

The university’s dean of students Vivian de Klerk posted on her Facebook page that the student’s name was Amanda Tweyi.

Rhodes vice-chancellor, Dr Saleem Badat said: “We extend our deepest condolences to her parents, family and friends and colleagues and the residents of Rosa Parks.”

Tweyi was in her second year of a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree and was from King Williamstown.

Mjekula said the man was also believed to be from King Williamstown.

The university said it would release updates related to the deaths as they were available by the police.
SAPA

Johannesburg – With two weeks to go until the general elections political parties campaigned around the country on Saturday in a bid to get people to vote for them on 7 May.

The Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters held rallies in Cape Town.

The DA held a slick rally at the Bellville Velodrome, where party leader Helen Zille sang and danced as sparklers were set off.

She urged the crowd of mostly coloured people to vote for the DA so that the party could retain the Western Cape.

“We will never allow the ANC to bring corruption back to the Western Cape.

“The ANC talks a lot at election time but they do nothing except steal your money in between elections.”

‘Every week is a step closer to Pretoria’

Zille said it was essential that the DA retain power in the province to show the rest of the country that it governs better than the ANC.

Retaining the province was a step towards claiming others and eventually governing South Africa.

“Every week is a step closer to Pretoria,” she said.

On the eve of Freedom Day, when South Africa will be celebrating 20 years of democracy, EFF leader Julius Malema asked his supporters in Mitchells Plain to stage a stay away from all celebrations.

“You don’t have freedom people of the Western Cape, therefore you have nothing to celebrate,” he said.

“For as long as you don’t have your dignity back, you have nothing to celebrate.”

United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa was well received in Freedom Park near Rustenburg, North West.

About 2 000 party supporters dressed in yellow T-shirts ululated and clapped hands as they welcomed him.

March for ANC

Most of the people living in Freedom Park near the platinum mines were believed to be from his home province of the Eastern Cape.

In Durban, SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande told the crowd oppositions parties’ campaigns were limited to reports by the public protector.

Nzimande made the comments after he had addressed supporters in Durban’s Gugu Dlamini Park following a march through the city centre in support of the ANC.

About 8 000 people marched from Durban’s Curries Fountain Stadium to the park in the midday heat.

The joint march saw a memorandum from the SACP and the Congress of SA Trade Unions being handed over to ANC national executive member Joe Phaahla.

Speaking to the media after addressing supporters, Nzimande said he was concerned at the “hypocrisy” of the opposition parties and “sections” of the media when it came to the office of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.

“They can’t say that eight years ago it was correct to attack the public protector, but today it is not correct to criticise the public protector.”

Buthelezi thanks loyal supporters

Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi was at a campaign rally in Lindelani township. He thanked members of the party for remaining loyal.

“Many of those who believed in the IFP are in this stadium today. You were faithful to the cause of the IFP. For that, I thank you. You are the strength of our party.

“But now we are seeing others coming back to the IFP. Those who were led astray or became confused are heading back home, disillusioned by the new party they followed based on empty promises and empty words.”

President Jacob Zuma met with ANC veterans in Johannesburg.

In Limpopo, members of Cope were expected to campaign in the Vhembe district in Makhado. Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele was also expected to campaign in the area.

ANC Women’s League President Angie Motshekga hosted a national prayer day in Tzaneen.-Sapa

Johannesburg – Archbishop Desmond Tutu is glad former president Nelson Mandela and other freedom fighters are not alive to witness the slow pace of transformation in South Africa, the Sunday Times reported.

“I’m glad that Madiba is dead. I’m glad that most of these people are no longer alive to see this,” Tutu was quoted as saying by the paper.

Tutu made the comments when he was interviewed ahead of the release of a book he wrote with his daughter, Reverend Mpho Tutu this week.

“I didn’t think there would be a disillusionment so soon,” he said.

ANC secretary Gwede Mantashe was quoted by the paper saying: “The problem in this country, in general, is everyone speaks for Nelson Mandela, but the people who speak for him do not do so efficiently.”

Tutu said at a briefing on Wednesday that he no longer supported the African National Congress’s leadership as he did when he first voted on 27 April 1994.

“I have sought to support a party that would be as close as possible to the sorts of things we would love to see. On the whole the ANC was that,” he said.

“Have you noticed the past tense?” he added.-Sapa

Cape Town -Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi has stopped just short of accusing Public Protector Thuli Madonsela of releasing her report on Nkandla on the eve of the elections in order to hand opposition parties ammunition to use against the ANC.
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