Polokwane – Limpopo’s new Premier Stan Mathabatha will suspend some of his provincial heads of departments tomorrow after his predecessor, Cassel Mathale, failed to take action for more then seven months. Some staff members could also face criminal charges.

According to the Sunday Independent, charges have already been formulated against some staff. In the past two weeks, Mathabatha has met with Public Service and Administration director-general Mashwahle Diphofa and national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega to discuss the charges. These include fraud, corruption and maladministration.

Phiyega’s spokesperson Solomon Makgale confirmed that Phiyega had been in Limpopo and that the Hawks were part of the investigations.

Mathabatha’s spokesperson Kenny Mathivha would not confirm which heads of department would be suspended, but said: “Big fish would be charged.”

“We will be charging heads of departments who have flouted the rules, who have been found to have transgressed in a lot of things.”

“We are tightening the screws, when we charge them, if they have to go they have to go for good.”

Monday’s suspensions come just one month after Mathabatha fired eight of the province’s 10 MECs and reshuffled the remaining two. 

News24

Cape Town – Cape Town’s mayoral chief of safety and security, Jean-Pierre Smith, has vowed to throw the book at ANC NEC member Tony Yengeni  due to repeated transgressions on city roads.

Nicknamed the “Gucci socialist” for his expensive tastes, he was arrested last Sunday for allegedly driving his Maserati GranCabrio while under the influence of alcohol in Green Point. The vehicle also had no front number plate, reported the Sunday Times.

“Mr Yengeni breaks the law with impunity,” said Smith. “He is the worst offender you can find on the road.”

“This time the metro police are making sure that the book will be thrown at him,” he added.

Smith said there was surveillance video footage of the Maserati driving erratically. “I want to make it clear that Mr Yengeni was not targeted or set up by the metro police,” he said.

“He was caught by a metro police officer for swerving across the road and with no number plates. The officer had no idea who was in the car.”

News24

Service delivery in the Sol Plaatje municipality was brought to a total standstill when employees staged a sit-in at the municipal chambers yesterday.

The workers, who are members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), prompted the speaker of the municipality, Vincent Diraditsile, to postpone the proceedings of a special council meeting.

Hundreds of the workers, who are believed to be contract employees, wanted the council to address their concerns.

Last week, the workers marched to the municipal offices demanding that employees who were on contract be permanently employed.

Samwu branch chairperson Mane Moremi said they had given the municipality seven days to respond to their grievances. “Instead of dealing with our issues, they held their own special council meeting to protect their interests,” he said.

Moremi said they also demanded the reversal of a decision to dismiss their shop steward, Gilbert Gaolelelwe.

“That is why at our last protest march we requested the executive mayor, Agnes Ntlhangula, to review labour cases within the municipality, and to intervene on the issues, giving a political instruction to the administration to put all cases in abeyance until an internal review is completed”.

The spokesperson in the office of the speaker, Thakadu Sebeela, said the council’s meeting had been postponed until further notice.

“There were a couple of issues which were supposed to be dealt with, such as the reinstatement of the mayoral committee members who were fired by the mayor last week,” he said.

The New Age understands that the executive mayor was asked by the ANC in the region to reverse the decision because it was seen as “purging” those who did not support the current leadership of the Frances Baard region.

The ANC could not be reached for comment as they were locked in a meeting with the mayor

For more.www.thenewage.co.za

Angry residents went on the rampage and broke into shops owned by foreign nationals shortly after the news of Themi Might’s killing on Sunday.

About 20 businessmen, mostly from Bangladesh, were sent packing. According to eyewitnesses Might was not armed and he was not a threat to the police.

“He only wanted to explain something to the businessman while he was being chased by the police,” a witness said. It took the community about three hours to chase the foreigners out of their shops, saying they caused Might’s murder.

The story started on Saturday evening when a foreign businessman laid a charge of theft of a cellphone at Windsorton police station.

“Because Thembi is known as one of the notorious guys around he was fingered as a suspect,” a resident said.

“The police looked for him the whole of Saturday and he was only arrested on Sunday morning,” another source said.

“When he was taken to the police station for further questioning he escaped and went straight to the accuser to state his case. This is when the police came and shot him twice.”

The community reacted angrily to the incident and broke into about seven tuckshops belonging to foreigners.

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

Cape Town – There being no law against substitutes earning player-of-the-match mantles in ball games, the Sport24 choice for the Springboks in their 73-13 roasting of Argentina on Saturday goes to a mere 25-minute contributor … Fourie du Preez.

As it happened: Springboks v Argentina

The veteran Rugby World Cup-winning scrumhalf, making his first appearance for his country in almost two years, massively confirmed his pedigree as South Africa appeared to only go up into power-fifth gear following his entry to the fray in the Castle Rugby Championship match, part of the Nelson Mandela Sport and Culture Day at FNB Stadium.

For more http://www.news24.com

Johannesburg – Africa has a serious deficit in leadership, philanthropist Mo Ibrahim said on Saturday.

South Africa needed to step up and play a better role in the continent, he said.

“Leadership is not about bossing people around…it is not about securing a seat in the UN Security Council on behalf of Africa, or chairing the African Union,” he said.

“Leadership is true engagement with Africa. You [South Africa] have a role to play.” Problems such as climate change, transparency, tax evasion and illicit transfers of funds needed the serious voice of leadership.

Ibrahim was delivering the annual Nelson Mandela Lecture in Pretoria.

Women, youth

He said women and youth were an important part of social cohesion.

Seventy percent of the population depended on women because they were in charge of the agriculture.

“Women play very important roles but they are denied the dignity they deserve in our society,” he said.

“Rape is widespread in Africa, and that is not acceptable. We cannot afford to lose what is vital for our society.”

Ibrahim said that half of the continent’s population was below the age of 19, and that African youth could become the best in the future in terms of production.

This was because the population of countries such as China and many European countries were ageing.

“But to do that, we need good education and training to equip these youngsters for the future. Through that, Africa can become the future factory of the world.”

SAPA

CAF Champions League

Result: Pirates 4-1 Zamalek

Date: 17 August 2013

Venue: Orlando Stadium

Orlando Pirates continued their Egyptian demolition by hammering Zamalek 4-1 in their CAF Champions League clash on Saturday night at the Orlando Stadium.

The Sea Robbers suffered an early blow as Andile Jali had to come off injured but the brilliant Lennox Bacela boosted their morale with a superb finish in the 27th minute. Mahmoud Shikabala took just two minutes to respond though as they ensured that the game remained deadlocked at the interval.

Pirates turned up the heat in the second period though with goals from Tlou Segolela, Sifiso Myeni and Daine Klate wrapping up an emphatic win.

The game got off to a scrappy start but Happy Jele would get the first real chance when he latched onto a free-kick from Klate but saw his header go wide.

Jele then produced a weak effort in the 13th minute before Gaber’s long-range strike was turned around the post by Senzo Meyiwa.

Jali took a knock and tried to run it off but he was unable to do so and was swiftly replaced by Lehlogonolo Maselesa.

Bacela was looking lively and saw a shot blocked in the 24th minute but would not be denied three minutes later when he was found by Klate and he turned his defender to thump home an emphatic finish.

Their joy lasted just two minutes though as Shikabala got free of Rooi Mahamutsa at the other end and produced a clinical finish to restore parity.

Segolela worked the goalkeeper moments later before Klate was denied by the Zamalek stopper as Pirates looked to get back in front.

Oupa Manyisa was teed up late in the half by Klate but his effort was wide of the target as the score remained at 1-1.

Seven minutes after the break Pirates would restore their advantage in spectacular fashion. Bacela slipped an inch-perfect pass to Segolela who curled a delicious finish past the goalkeeper with the outside of his foot.

The White Knights struggled to create chances as Pirates were composed on the ball but the visitors were still in the game and Meyiwa had to make a brave run off his line to smother the danger in the 69th minute.

The hosts launched the ball up to the other end quickly and Klate curled a pass into Myeni who killed the ball with a superb touch before calmly picking out the bottom corner with 19 minutes to go.

Pirates were now well in control and a fourth would duly arrive when Segolela took the ball to the by-line before lashing in a low cross which Klate put in off of the goalkeeper.

The Buccaneers popped the ball around in the final few minutes to see out a comfortable win as they moved three points clear at the top of Group A after Al Ahly beat AC Leopared in Dolisie on the same day.

Pirates: Senzo Meyiwa, Happy Jele, Rooi Mahamutsa, Lucky Lekgwathi, Thabo Matlaba, Daine Klate, Andile Jali, Oupa Manyisa, Sifiso Myeni, Tlou Segolela, Lennox Bacela.

For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Pretoria – The gap between rich and poor in South Africa is of great concern, philanthropist Mo Ibrahim said on Saturday.

“After [nearly] 20 years of independence, one can ask ‘what is going on here?’. South Africa is the most unequal country in the whole world,” he said.

Ibrahim was delivering an annual Nelson Mandela Lecture in Pretoria.

He said the country’s land policy and the willing seller willing buyer principle should be revisited.

“Isn’t it time to find an equitable solution within the Constitution? This is an important issue that needs serious attention.”

BEE policy

It was also time to re-visit the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy to see whether it had achieved what it had set out to do.

“Did it [BEE] bridge the gap between the rich and the poor? We need to have a conversation on that for the sake of social cohesion.”

Ibrahim said that half of the continent’s population was below the age of 19.

African youth could become the best in the future in terms of production.

This was because the population of countries such as China and many European countries were ageing, Ibrahim said.

“But to do that, we need good education and training to equip these youngsters for the future. Through that, Africa can become the future factory of the world.”

The African Index of Governance published by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, showed that South Africa moved from 31st position out of 54 African countries in 2000 to 22 last year.

The index measures the African countries’ performance in terms of governance.

South Africa showed great improvement, but still needed to do more, he said.

SAPA