The EFF now has the licence to lead a charge, and it finally feels like the mythology around Malema the doomed, wandering alone through his rows of cabbages, has imploded, writes Janet Smith.

Johannesburg – The elderly white man jumps from his seat behind the till, pushing his chair back in a bit of a clatter. It’s taken him a moment to register. “Julius!” he shouts out, pushing his spectacles up before launching himself towards the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you.”

His arms are wide open as he skins the counter.
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Johannesburg – Next year’s elections will have 22 264 voting stations compared to the 20 859 in 2011, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said on Wednesday.

“[The IEC] has worked hard to increase its voting station network by 9.4% as compared to the 2011 local government elections,” chief electoral officer Mosotho Moepya said in Midrand.

This was in line with the settlement development patterns across the country.

Moepya was speaking at the IEC’s media launch for the 2014 national elections. Next year, the country will celebrate 20 years of democracy.

The official logo, with the slogan “I vote South Africa”, was also launched.

IEC chairperson Pansy Tlakula announced that registration for next year’s election would take place on 9 and 10 November.

“All our voting stations in the country will be open for the purposes of voter registration from 08:00 to 17:00,” she said.

“The commission invites all eligible citizens who are not yet registered as voters to use this opportunity to join the millions of South Africans who are already on the national voters’ roll.”

Moepya said the number of people on the voters’ roll had risen by 21.3% since it was first compiled in 1998.

“The South African voters’ roll remains a fundamental contributor to the credibility of the country’s elections.

“It is regularly updated against the national population register [at least once a month].”

The IEC had also maintained audit trails of all voters since the first voters’ roll.

Registration gap

Moepya said the IEC had consistently attained registration of 80% of the voting age population.

Following the release of the 2011 census, the IEC had established a potential registration gap of about 8.3 million.

“This census data places our current registered voting age population at 73.6%.

“In keeping with our trend of maintaining the voting age population in the 80% region, it is clear that our registration efforts will be targeting 2 006 229 new registered voters,” he said.

The greatest registration gap was in the age categories of 18 to 19 and 20 to 29. The current registrations stood at 8.4% and 49.4% respectively.

Moepya said from the IEC’s analysis of the registration gap it was clear that its communication campaign needed to be more “youthful, fun and engaging”. This would be done without alienating other age groups.

Young people urged to register

Tlakula urged young people, especially those who would be voting for the first time, to register.

She said the youth belonged to a special generation – the first to be born in a democratic country.

“Democracy and freedom came at a great price and cannot be taken for granted.

“We should therefore treasure and use the opportunity to exercise this right,” Tlakula said.

She said although a date for the elections had not yet been proclaimed, the IEC planned to be ready at the earliest possible date within the legislative framework.

The DA said it was pleased that the IEC preparations for next year’s elections were on track.

It urged all unregistered South Africans of voting age to register to vote during the IEC’s registration weekend, DA MP James Selfe said in a statement.

“We also urge all registered voters to ensure they are registered in the province where they live if they have moved since the previous election.”

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Crime statistics for the past two financial years can be trusted despite claims that they are incorrect, police said on Wednesday.

National spokesperson Solomon Makgale said analysts first criticised the police for using ratios in the statistics, then later argued that the ratios were important but incorrect.

“When we released the latest crime statistics… some of the so-called analysts and experts said crime ratios were not important, and alleged that we were using them to conceal the real crime situation in our country,” he said in a statement.

“It is now argued by the same analysts and experts that crime ratios are crucial, and that the population estimates we used for 2011/12 crime ratios are wrong, outdated, and incorrect. This is not true at all.”

He said this argument was interpreted by some to mean the crime statistics of the past two financial years could not be trusted.

“Such interpretation is equally untrue.”

Makgale said the 2011/12 ratios were based on a population estimate of 50.6 million people.

However, according to the Statistics SA 2011 census results, released in October 2012, the estimated population for 2011 was 51.6 million.

“The argument is that we should have used this restated, estimated figure. This would have required us to adjust the crime ratios of 2011/12,” he said.

“Based on our approach, this is not necessary… We should only apply the new population estimates, which are based on the 2011 census results, from the 2012/13 financial period onwards.”

Questions around the results

The crime statistics were released by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa on 19 September.

Since then some political parties, experts, and media questioned the use of ratios and the calculations used to determine the results.

Mthethwa said the number of murders increased by 0.6% in the past financial year. However, it was down 16.6% over the past four years, and 27.2% over the past nine years.

There was also a 6.5% increase in attempted murder in the year under review. This was in contrast to the 16.8% decline over the past four years and the 51.7% decline over the past nine years.

Makgale said the police had a particular approach to the statistics, while analysts had their own.

“We don’t agree on the approach and there is no policy to guide either of us. In other words, in 10 years’ time, the country could be subjected to the same confusing debate.”

– SAPA

Cape Town – The creation of a specialised gang unit for the Free State should set an example for the Western Cape, the province’s Community Safety MEC Dan Plato said on Wednesday.

Plato said he wanted to ask provincial police commissioner Lieutenant Genearl Arno Lamoer why he still refused to set up a gang unit for the Western Cape, which had 13 times more drug-related crimes than the Free State.

“The latest crime statistics [2012/13] reveal that there were 6 168 drug-related crimes in the Free State, whereas in the Western Cape there were 82 062 drug crimes for the same period,” he said.

“Despite this, Lamoer has responded to my calls for these units by saying they are not necessary… With this latest development, the commissioner will have a lot of explaining to do.”

Plato said Lamoer would have to “explain himself” at a provincial executive meeting in a week’s time.

Lamoer was not immediately available to comment.

Gang unit

On Friday, Free State police commissioner Thabetha Mpembe said a gang unit was being created because of the gang activities that had plagued Bloemfontein, Virginia, Welkom, Botshabelo and rural towns in recent years.

Youth gang activities in Botshabelo had also led to school closures.

Mpembe said gangs and gang activities had been identified as an issue to be addressed by the local police.

The focus on gangs would also lead to measures against drug use, drug smuggling and illegal firearms.

Plato said the National Development Plan (NDP) recommended the re-establishment of specialised units to respond to changing crime trends.

“The best way to make the people of the Western Cape safe from drugs and gangs is through targeted, sustained and specialised interventions.”

– SAPA

Cape Town – Developments in the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) tribunal on allegations against Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe constitute a crisis, DA leader Helen Zille said on Wednesday.

In her weekly newsletter, Zille said the delay in the tribunal’s proceedings had left the Bench divided.

On Tuesday, the tribunal postponed the hearing into misconduct allegations against Hlophe.

The postponement followed a request by the advocate representing Constitutional Court judges Chris Jafta and Bess Nkabinde – the two who alleged in 2008 that Hlophe had sought to unduly influence them in a corruption case against President Jacob Zuma.

Jafta and Nkabinde have indicated they will approach the high court for a review of the decision to continue with the hearing.

They want to be excused from appearing and testifying pending the finalisation of the review, despite tribunal chairperson, retired Judge Joop Labuschagne’s ruling that Hlophe has a case to answer to.

Zille said Tuesday’s postponement and the pending court case meant the tribunal hearings could drag on for a few more years.

“Until it is cleared up, none of the judges involved can regain credibility and public trust. This includes a judge president, and many of the judges of the Constitutional Court, as well as some retired judges,” she said.

The Hlophe case would be the biggest test of the credibility of South Africa’s courts.

“It is not possible for judges to adjudicate cases with authority and public respect if there is a possibility that they may have lied in a case that could result in the impeachment of a colleague,” Zille said.

“It is equally untenable that a judge president may have committed an impeachable offence, which his judicial colleagues agree to cover up.”

– SAPA

Bloemfontein – Management of the privately-run maximum security Mangaung Correctional Centre, outside Bloemfontein, was on Wednesday taken over by the department of correctional services.

Acting national commissioner Nontsikelelo Jolingana said a special management team, under the leadership of Gauteng correctional services deputy commissioner Zacharia Modise, to run the facility.

Jolingana said the management of the facility were informed on Wednesday morning that they would take over the management of the prison.

Inmates and staff members were also told of the change.

The main reason for the intervention was concern for the safety of inmates and workers, she said.

Last week a number of prison staff were stabbed and last Wednesday, four inmates held an official hostage for 13-hours at the prison.

– SAPA

Cape Town – The ANC on Wednesday ruled out a comprehensive rewrite of the protection of state information bill.

The party said it confined itself to correcting two technical errors in the draft law.

It took this position after state law adviser Enver Daniels said President Jacob Zuma had effectively ruled out far-reaching changes when he sent the bill back to Parliament last month.

“No room exists in the referral for issues not raised by the president,” Daniels told the National Assembly’s ad hoc committee reviewing the contested draft law.

Daniels proposed changes to sections 42 and 45.

These were singled out by Zuma as problematic when he sent the bill back to the legislature instead of signing it into law, saying he believed it was unconstitutional.

Due to the way the president phrased his referral to Parliament, there has been confusion for the past four weeks as to whether he had instructed MPs to review all of the bill or merely rewrite those two sections.

DA wants clarity

DA MP Dene Smuts said this made it impossible for the committee to proceed with the review and asked that the chairperson write to Zuma to ask for clarity.

The ANC rejected the call as an insult to the president and agreed to the changes put forward by Daniels.

Smuts and African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) MP Steve Swart said though they not only agreed with these amendments, but had in fact requested them in a letter to Zuma, they could not support them.

“Even though we asked for these changes we cannot agree to them because the process is so flawed,” Smuts said.

The ANC is expected to adopt the amendments by vote when the committee meets on Thursday, for possibly the last time, before referring the amended bill back to the National Assembly.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – An in-loco inspection of a pub in Bredasdorp, Western Cape, was conducted on Wednesday as part of the rape and murder trial of Johannes Kana, the SABC reported.

The pub was the last place 17-year-old Anene Booysen was seen before she was raped and disembowelled in February. She died in the Tygerberg Hospital on the afternoon of Saturday, 2 February.

Kana’s trial began in the Swellendam Circuit Court on Monday.

According to the broadcaster, witness Chrisna Mentoor pointed out areas outside the pub where Kana and Booysen were seen before leaving together.

There was reportedly a strong police presence as the court contingent, which included Kana, his lawyer, Judge Patricia Goliath, and the prosecution, made its way around the scene.

The Star reported that the State rejected Kana’s plea on Monday, in which he had admitted leaving the pub with Booysen, hitting her and raping her, but denied killing her.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Sharing information about a military tribunal’s preliminary probe into the landing of private jet at Waterkloof Air Force Base is against the law, the SANDF said on Wednesday.

“In accordance with… the Military Discipline Supplementary Measures Act 16 of 1999, the proceedings at a preliminary investigation are held in camera,” SA National Defence Force (SANDF) spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said in a statement.

“Those who are responsible for discussing in the media the preliminary investigation proceedings must refrain from such as it is in contravention of the… act. The SANDF military courts regard this matter as sub judice.”

It was reported at the weekend that seven helicopters carrying Gupta family wedding guests were authorised to fly from the base to Pilanesberg to meet President Jacob Zuma,

This was reportedly contained in the tribunal’s preliminary investigation report.

The tribunal is investigating five SANDF members in connection with the landing.

Zuma implicated

Beeld reported on Thursday that two of the five members had implicated Zuma in affidavits.

According to the newspaper, an excerpt from Lieutenant Colonel Christine Anderson’s statement read: “On or about 17 April 2013, Mr [Bruce] Koloane phoned me and he informed me that he had returned from the president and that the president wanted to know ‘if everything is still on track for the flight’.”

Koloane has since been demoted.

Anderson reportedly confirmed that Zuma was referred to as “number one” for security reasons.

A chartered commercial aircraft, Jet Airways flight JAI 9900 from India, ferrying more than 200 guests to the wedding of Vega Gupta and Indian-born Aakash Jahajgarhia, landed at the base in April.

The landing sparked widespread criticism and several investigations were launched.

A government investigation exonerated Zuma and his ministers, and found that the landing was the result of “collusion by officials”.

– SAPA

Orlando Pirates coach Roger de Sa says he is glad Lennox Bacela got his name on the scoresheet at last again last night.

Bucs beat Mpumalanga Black Aces 3-1 to make their way to the quarter-final of the Telkom Knockout, with De Sa bagging a brace, and Oupa Manyisa getting a third in injury time.

“I am glad Lennox could score two goals – it is good for him as the goals had dried up a bit for him. Let us hope we can maintain this form – it was a good match in my opinion,” ‘RDS’ tells Bucs’ official website.

The coach says his team’s concentration was not where he wanted it to be in the first half, adding that a stern half-time talk brought them back into the game.

“Like I said last week – we want to go far in this tournament and after starting the game well, we conceded a goal which got us again on the back foot.

“Going to half time with the score at 1-1, gave us a chance to talk to the guys. The attitude was right from the second half – we pushed hard and forced them to make mistakes in their half and fortunately for us we got the win.

“Now we will have some rest and prepare for the upcoming games.”

Pirates face Golden Arrows in the last 8, at a date still to be confirmed.
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