Johannesburg – Miners in the North West platinum belt were given the false promise of a R12 500 salary, SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande said on Saturday.

“Everyone can see that it was a lie. We do not support the exploitation of workers’ genuine demands,” Nzimande said at a National Union of Mineworkers’ shop stewards’ council in Boksburg, on the East Rand.

“The NUM was not stupid, it knew and understood [the situation]. The problem was not with the NUM, it was with the false promise…We hope workers will learn a lesson after this.”

During his address, Nzimande made reference to defectors who joined the rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) in recent years.

“What is happening in the Rustenburg platinum belt is a typical example of what happens when workers are divided,” he said.

Amcu has been involved in wage negotiations in the sector with workers downing tools at Lonmin, Anglo American Platinum, and Impala Platinum in January. They are demanding a R12 00 basic monthly salary.

Nzimande said striking miners had still not received the R12 500 basic salary.

In August 2012, 34 people, mostly striking miners, were shot dead and 78 were wounded when police fired on a group gathered near Lonmin.

In the preceding week, 10 people, including the two policemen and two security guards, were killed in strike-related violence.

Many members of NUM had joined Amcu at the time.

SAPA

Johannesburg – An independent investigation would be held into service delivery in Leeuwfontein informal settlement in Tshwane, the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs said on Saturday.

A meeting between the department, the community, the SA Communist Party in Gauteng and the City of Tshwane agreed at a meeting on Saturday that the probe was needed, spokesperson Tsakani Baloyi said in a statement.

“The investigation, which must involve participation by affected members of the community, must be completed within a month from 15 April 2014 and … a report thereon be presented to the community by the end of May 2014.”

Temporary measures, including an increase in water supply and chemical ablution facilities, would be put in place while the investigation continued.
SAPA

Johannesburg – Economic growth in the Western Cape has been reversed under the DA leadership, ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said on Saturday.

In the last four years Gauteng had, under the ANC, created 442 000 jobs while the Democratic Alliance created 92 000 jobs in the Western Cape, Mantashe said at an election rally in Eldorado Park in Soweto.

He claimed that most of the Western Cape jobs were for white people.

“That is how racist the DA is, it’s a wolf coming in sheep skin,” he said.

“It wants to get us, once it arrives it’s going to squander us.”

Mantashe said Eldorado Park was in the hands of the DA by default.

“It is our fault. ..we must rescue Eldos from being an area that survives on complaining,” he said.

Mantashe added that the mentality that coloured people were a minority group needed to be broken.-Sapa

Kuruman- Police were called in after an armed robbery that took place on at Cardington in Bothithong area, next to Kuruman.

Lieutenant Donald Mdhuli said It is alleged that three male suspects entered a business premises with a firearm to commit robbery.

“It is alleged that the business owner was robbed of his several items, including an undisclosed amount of cash, Laptop, Hairclips, Cigarettes, Airtime, as well as a vehicle which the suspects allegedly used as a get-away car” Mdhluli said.

Several Units in the police were immediately activated, which included the Highway Patrol in Kuruman, Public Order Police from Kimberley, Kimberley Air-wing, and Detectives in Bothithong. The community of Cardington assisted the police a lot as they kept an eye on the whereabouts as well as the direction taken by suspects and informed Police about it.

“The police’s chase forced the suspects to abandon the vehicle and ran into the bush. The three suspects, aged between 33 and 41, were eventually arrested. Several items, allegedly stolen during the armed robbery were also recovered.

A firearm was also recovered not far from the scene where the suspects were arrested.

The three are facing a charge of Armed Robbery and possession of suspected stolen property.

“Whilst the police were busy at the scene, two community members try to help themselves with some items, suspected to have been stolen during the armed robbery” he said.

Police managed to apprehend the two, aged between 25 and 33. All these suspects are expected to appear before the Bothithong Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

The Police Management would like to thank the community of Cardington for their help with information, as well as Police members’ swift response and cooperation.

The combination of these efforts has led to the arrest of the suspects.-TDN
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North West Premier Thandi Modise has condemned in the strongest terms the torching of the Bahurutshe Ba-Ga Moiloa Tribal Office and a Ramotshere Moiloa councillor’s house in Khunotswane village outside Zeerust.
“The destruction of private and public properties is not a solution to addressing whatever concerns the community might have. Our disappointment is that the violence occurred after attempts earlier in the day by my office to receive a memorandum from the community,” Premier Modise said.  

Modise has called on communities not to be misled to participate in illegal matches, burn properties or allow themselves to used by those who seek to exploit their genuine concerns to create an environment for chaos in order to further their personal interests.

She has called on members of the community to assist police with information that will lead to the arrest of those behind the nefarious acts.

According to police, it is alleged that a group of people gathered next to the tribal office at around 19:15 on Friday evening burning tyres and signing struggle songs.

“The group split themselves in two to execute attack at around 20:00. Some of the people burned the Tribal office while the other proceeded to the councillor’s yard and burned the two-roomed house and broke windows of her newly build house,” Brigadier Thulane Ngubane said.

The police were later informed about the matter.

Upon arrival, some members of the community threw stones at the police and also at the shop of the Bangladesh National.

Police are confident that more arrests would be made after arresting three people.-TDN
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Mamelodi Sundowns coach insists he side gave everything in their 2-1 loss to Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals.
Elias Pelembe cancelled out Oupa Manyisa’s sixth minute penalty, before Daine Klate sealed the win for Pirates in the 61st minute but Pitso was not happy with the forced substitutions he had to make.
“I Think the challenge for us was a forced substitution of Mzikayisa Mashaba and the penalty in the third minutes,” said Mosimane.
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Johannesburg – The DA was the only political party that could deliver the vision of South Africa enshrined in the Constitution, parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said on Saturday.

“The Democratic Alliance carries with it the promise of the new South Africa enshrined in our Constitution,” she said in Upington, in the Northern Cape.

“This promise is within the reach of the people of the Northern Cape…Many political parties talk about diversity but the DA is the only party that walks the talk of diversity.”

She said that her party was the most racially diverse in South Africa.

Mazibuko took aim at the African National Congress over President Jacob Zuma’s comment that South Africa had a “good story to tell”.

She said the people of the Northern Cape were all too familiar with the ANC’s ‘good story’.

“It is the ‘good story’ of John Block, the ANC’s provincial chairperson – a man who is facing charges of corruption, fraud and money-laundering to the value of R49m.

“It is the ‘good story’ of president Zuma, who allowed R246m of public money to be spent upgrading his private home at Nkandla.”

Mazibuko said that these were indications of the ANC’s arrogance and how the ruling party had forgotten the voters who put it in power.

“A vote for the DA will improve our ability to fight corruption in our government. A vote for the DA will change the Northern Cape.”

– SAPA

Johannesburg – George Lebese’s injury time brace saw holders Kaizer Chiefs beat SuperSport United 2-0 to advance to the Nedbank Cup semi-finals at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Both teams had chances but the two goalkeepers, Itumeleng Khune and Ronwen Williams, were on high alert to thwart any danger.

The match’s first real chance fell to Chiefs in the seventh minute when Tefu Mashamaite rose above the United defenders to head a Siphiwe Tshabalala corner, but his effort missed the target.

Sibusiso Khumalo played a long ball forward for United but Khune was quick off his line to clear the danger under pressure from Thuso Phala in the 16th minute.

Tshabalala came close to opening the scoring for Chiefs in the 22nd minute as he turned Thato Mokeke inside-out and pulled the trigger, but Williams was equal to the task.

Khumalo conceded a free kick in the 42nd minute but George Maluleka’s attempt at goal was gangly collected by Williams.

On the stroke of half-time, United striker Bradley Grobler watched in agony as his piledriver flew inches wide of Khune’s upright.

In the 49th minute, Edwin Gyimah came to United’s rescue as he made a timely challenge block to thwart Tshabalala’s cross into the box.

The visitors had a chance to take the lead in the 54th minute, but Mashamaite miscued his clearance and the ball fell kindly for Phala, who rifled the ball wide of the target.

Matsantsantsa came close again in the 58th minute, but this time Khumalo’s grass-cutter from a free kick on the edge of the box missed the target.

In the 73rd minute Lebese was hacked down by Thabo Moloi and Bernard Parker took the resultant free kick but Williams, at the top of his game, made a great stop.

In the 86th minute Lebese found himself unmarked inside the box but opted to round the goalkeeper instead of taking a shot but Williams scrambled the ball off the Chiefs player’s feet.

Lebese’s persistence finally paid off in the 90th minute as he buried a pass from Siboniso Gaxa to give Chiefs the lead.

Lebese was not done yet and came back to haunt United with another wonder goal in the 93rd minute to seal a semi-final place for Amakhosi.

SAPA

Johannesburg – The DA and EFF must be taught a powerful lesson, SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande said on Saturday.

“Use May 7 to teach the Democratic Alliance a powerful lesson. They say they are for jobs but were against farm workers in the Western Cape,” he told the National Union of Minewokers’ national shop stewards’ council conference in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.

He described the DA as a party of “political labour brokers”.

“When the DA marches to Cosatu house and Luthuli house, [the party] is black but in Parliament it is white.”

He described the Economic Freedom Fighters as a party full of “corrupt tenderpreneurs”.

“If you owe the SA Revenue Services R16m, do you know how many millions you’ve chowed? They chowed more than R100m,” said Nzimande.

“Some people wear expensive watches and clothes but have never worked a day in their lives.”

According to court documents, EFF leader Julius Malema owed R16m plus interest after failing to submit tax returns between 2006 and 2010.

In 2010, the Sars contacted Malema about his failure to submit tax returns.

It took Malema 18 months, after many attempts by the Sars, to file his outstanding returns.

Malema also failed to register the Ratanang Trust for tax purposes, and Sars had to do this on his behalf.

His legal team asked the High Court in Pretoria in February to postpone his sequestration case. Sars opposed it.

– SAPA