Johannesburg – There is no food shortage at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg, the Gauteng health department said on Friday.

“Patients are getting their three meals a day,” spokesperson Simon Zwane said.

“Charlotte Maxeke does not keep food on site. They get ready-prepared food from the state-owned food supplier… They have sufficient food.”

Zwane was responding to a joint press statement issued by Section27 and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) that companies contracted to supply food and bread to the hospital had stopped all deliveries due to the non-payment of outstanding accounts.

Zwane said this was not true.

“There is no food supply company that is owed. I was in discussion with [hospital] management this morning [Friday] and last night. Patients are receiving hot meals.”

Section27 and the TAC said it received “disturbing” reports on Thursday about the food shortages.

“… Over the last few days, the hospital department responsible for food services has rationed food, providing patients with [a] small portion of plain soup with no bread, as a substitute for certain meals,” the two groups said in the statement.

“… No mention was made of breakfast or tea… we are… informed that some patients received no breakfast this morning [Friday] and that food stocks are likely to be exhausted soon.”

The two organisations said they were “extremely concerned” about human rights violations at the hospital.

“The situation is unacceptable and must be addressed… as a matter of extreme urgency. We will continue to monitor the situation.”

SAPA

Johannesburg – The SA Policing Union on Friday demanded an apology from Gauteng police chief Lieutenant General Mzwandile Petros for purported sexist remarks.

“To say women have themselves to blame for not being promoted because they are concentrating on their husbands and children is the worst insult to women in a democratic dispensation,” Sapu general secretary Oscar Skommere said.

Skommere said Petros made the comment this week while briefing the media on the appointment of 14 station commanders. Eight of the commanders were promoted to the rank of colonel and the other six to that of brigadier.

Police spokesperson Neville Malila said 15 of the 24 officers promoted were women. Malila said if Petros indeed made the remarks, it was strange journalists at the briefing had not picked them up immediately.

“At least seven different media house[s] were present; they would not miss something like this.”

He said there would be no apology from the general.

Sapu said Petros’s comments were unacceptable and uncalled-for and the union expected an apology in seven days.

“We call upon General Petros to withdraw this statement and apologise unconditionally to women officers and women in the country in general.”

Sapu challenged gender activists to call the general to order.

SAPA

Johannesburg – Trade unions say they will fight the planned 6 000 job cuts at Anglo Platinum (Amplats) [JSE:AMS], with one saying it is a declaration of war, while another plans its next move.

Trade union Amcu will consult its members over the weekend on the announcement that Amplats could cut 6 000 jobs instead of the 14 000 it predicted earlier, its spokesperson told Sapa on Friday.

Jo-Mangaliso Mdhlela said that workers were not officially informed but that the meeting would hopefully take place over the weekend.

Amplats on Friday announced that it will cut 6 000 jobs, less than half the 14 000 initially proposed, as it strives to restore profits.

The company is expected to have talks with unions and chief executive Chris Griffith said this process was expected to take an additional two to three months.

“Declaration of war”

“This is a declaration of war,” said National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka after the company’s announcement.

“They have always known they were going to retrench 6 000. It was a big lie that it was 14 000.”

Seshoka said NUM had told the company on Thursday that it was “totally opposed” to the planned job cuts.

The union intended approaching the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration to declare a dispute, and it would strike.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions expressed outrage over the announcement and said it would support the NUM in whatever action they decided to take to save jobs. 

“Thousands of families face losing their only breadwinner and communities… will be devastated by the impact of such heavy job losses,” Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said.

“This illustrates why Cosatu has consistently called for the nationalisation of the mining industry, so that it can be run for the benefit of the workers… and not for the profit of shareholders.”

Franz Sterhing, divisional manager for mineral resources at Uasa, said it needed some time to process the news.

“Yes, we have received the revised plan, we will take a look at it, and give us some time to go and discuss it with our branches.”

“Tooth and nail”

But it would fight job reductions “tooth and nail”.

“How can you agree that someone loses his job? But [one] must get to a point where [you] agree that this is the only way out,” he said.

Sterhing said a meeting with the company was planned for Monday. 

It would also prefer to resolve the matter by avoiding court action and other legal challenges, he said.

Uasa is the majority union within the supervisors’ unit at the company, with NUM representing the balance in that unit.

Mine workers at the company reportedly did not expect any retrenchments, Reuters reported on Friday.

“Everyone is surprised”

“Everyone is surprised”, Sphamandla Makhanya, a worker committee member at Amplats told the news angency.

“We were not expecting any retrenchment at all. We can’t allow this.”

“But before we do anything, we are going to have a mass meeting with the workers to decide what to do next,” Makhanya said.

For Amplats, reining in costs and cutting production enough to raise the global price of platinum, which is used for emissions-capping catalytic converters in motor vehicles, is crucial to getting back to profit.

The company said it would now aim to produce 2.2 to 2.4 million ounces a year, up from the 2.1 to 2.3 million ounces targeted in the original plan.

The revisions should deliver R3.8bn ($423m) in savings by 2015.

-SAPA

By Obakeng Maje

Roodepan-Police are investigating a murder and attempted murder which allegedly took place in Kimberley at approximately 17:00pm. 

“It is alleged that a male suspect, aged 25, stabbed a 53 year old physically disabled man 10 times in his face, neck and chest while he was walking down 15th Street in Homevale Extension” Lieutenant Sergio Kock said. 

“The suspect then ran down the street to his sister’s house where he stabbed his sister twice in the chest too” Kock said. 

The suspect’s sister ran from the shanty into the house and collapsed in one of the bedrooms. The sister’s body was found half naked, as it is alleged that she was busy bathing when the atrocity happened. 

“The suspect’s sister died on the scene and the 53 year old male was rushed to hospital where he is said to be in a very serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit” he said. 

The deceased is known as a 27 year-old Anna Griekwa. 

The Kimberley Visible Policing unit members managed to arrest the fleeing suspect in Nobengula Street in Galeshewe, approximately an hour after the incident occurred. 

The police also confiscated the knife and blood-stained clothes from the suspect. These will be sent for forensic tests and utilised as evidence in the court of law said police. 

The exact motive behind the stabbing is unknown and is being investigated.  

The police request that anyone with information regarding the incidents to please call Detective Warrant Officer Godfrey Williams at 082 495 4625 or 053 807 5500. 

The suspect should be appearing before the Kimberley Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 13th May 2013. 

The investigation continues.

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North West Premier Thandi Modise has called on public representatives and senior managers at all levels of government, including public entities and municipalities to do everything in their power to overcome instances of significant wastage of public funds, inefficiencies and corruption which she says has a potential to obliterate public confidence in the state and undermine the 1994 democratic gains that have thus far been made.

 Premier Modise made an appeal to leaders in the province to act in unison to change the lives of the people in the province for the better despite their political differences or preferences in her keynote address delivered at the Provincial 2014 Clean Audit Indaba held at the Mmabatho Civic Centre on Thursday.

The Premier, 

Members of the Executive Council, Heads of Departments, Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officer of public entities, Chief Financial Officers and members of the Provincial Audit Committees and Municipal Public Accounts Committees adopted a clean audit outcome commitment charter committing to good governance and achievement of clean audits by 2014.Modise said that corruption poses a challenge to clean governance within the state and must be confronted with great vigour and courage as it continues to eat institutions of governance like cancer.

“The greatest threat to our effort is fraud and corruption and if it is left unabated, it will obliterate the democratic gains we have made, the masses of our people will lose confidence in us and anarchy will prevail over good and we shall all perish and chaos will rise,” the Premier warned.

Her call to Heads of Department, Municipal Managers and Chief Financial Officers to insist on written instructions from politicians who want to interfere in awarding of tenders was met with a thunderous applause.

Premier Modise said that reporting such corrupt individuals is a patriotic duty of every senior manager who is put under undue pressure to do wrong things. She reminded senior managers that they should deliver quality service to communities and be loyal to the electorate above anyone else.

 Modise said that those who thrive on corruption will do everything in their power to destabilise and undermine efforts to achieve clean governance and administration as it does not serve their interests. 

 “However difficult it may be, those of us who call ourselves revolutionaries must continue to wage the battle against the scourge of corruption and defend the democratic gains we have made, for we are merely servants of the people,” she emphasised.

Premier Modise said that leaders the moral and political obligation to lead society into the right direction as the people of the province have entrusted them with the mammoth task to carry forward their hopes and aspirations and they dare not fail them.

Modise pointed out that five municipalities achieved unqualified audit opinions for the 2012/2013 financial year compared to the two who had received unqualified audit opinions during the 2011/212 financial year and said that though there are challenges, this improvement illustrates that the province is on the right track.

She said that as part of its contribution towards the local government turn-around strategy, the provincial government will be assisting 8 municipalities with preparations of Annual Financial Statements for the 2012/2013 as well as audit support until audit is concluded in November. 

 MEC for Finance and Acting MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Paul Sebegoe called on municipalities to report instances of lost documents to the police for criminal investigations to be instituted.

MEC Sebegoe indicate that province has completed skills audit for Chief Financial Officers in provincial government departments, public entities and municipalities.

Sebegoe urged municipalities to strive to issue their bills before month end for households to budget for payment of municipal services.

In supporting the call by the auditor general and Premier Modise for suitably qualified individuals to be appointed in finance and supply chain management, Ramotshere Moiloa Mayor Afrika Thale said that clean audit 2014 would be pipedream if municipalities continued with appointing nurses and social workers in their finance departments.

South African Local Government Association Provincial Chairperson Councillor Kaone Lobelo and Deputy Chairperson Councillor Lenah Miga in expressing appreciation for the support they are receiving from the provincial government urged municipalities to attend sessions intended to assist them.

A total of twenty youth in Mathibestad and surrounding villages are set to benefit from the construction of the new R10.3m Tribal Offices of Kgosi Mathibe of Bahwaduba in Mathibestad, Moretele District. This ten month construction project commenced in April of this year, with an expected completion date of mid February 2014
According to Dieketseng Digwamaje, the youth will undergo three-month theoretical training offered by our Expanded Public Works Programme. Upon completion of their training, these beneficiaries will be placed at the site of the Bahwaduba Tribal Offices construction project.
The contractor will then offer practical training to the beneficiaries in their respective trades in the project. These beneficiaries will receive a R95.00 per day stipend.
During a recent site visit on 3 May, there was a hive of activity on the site.

“ We are using standard drawings for this project and similar projects will be built for other tribal communities across the province”, said Rose Segoe departmental project manager.
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There is tension in the mining sector as Anglo American Platinum prepares to unveil its job cuts plan on Friday. Amplats is expected to cut down on the number of jobs it intended to slash as it tries to balance out cost cuts and the threat of labour unrest.

The company had planned to cut 14 000 jobs and mothball two mines to pull back to profit.

Mining minister, Suzan Shabangu, furiously accused the company of betrayal. Amplats has been in talks with the government for months to hammer out the agreed plan.

Industry sources say the final plan would be pared back, with as few as 5 000 jobs cut.

The talks have been tough, but Amplats, which declined to comment on Thursday, has promised the market there will be a final outcome this week.

At the talks have been tough, but Amplats, which declined to comment on Thursday, has promised the market there will be a final outcome this week.

Mathunjwa also told a media briefing the AMCU would submit its wage demands to individual platinum companies in two weeks’ time but did not say what workers would push for

At the entrance to the Khuseleka operations – one of two mines near the platinum belt city of Rustenburg slated for closure – workers waited to hear their fate on a cool autumn day.

“We are all waiting to hear who is losing their job and who is keeping it,” a rockdriller from the Eastern Cape province, where much of the mine workforce is drawn from, told Reuters as he waited for a company bus to take him home after his shift.

He and others declined to have their names published. “Everyone is anxious about who will go and who will be left,” said another, who supports seven people on his salary, including his parents and a sister in university.

The average South African mineworker has eight dependants, so the social consequences of the lay-offs in a country with a jobless rate of over 25% will be far reaching.

Militant workers have signalled they will launch protest strikes, even if the job cuts fall far short of the initial target. Social tensions are running high after violence rooted in a labour turf war killed more than 50 people last year and sparked illegal strikes that hit production.

For Amplats, reining in costs and cutting production to such an extent that it lifts the price of platinum, used for emissions-capping catalytic converters in motor vehicles, is absolutely crucial after it fell into a loss last year.

“From the point of view of Amplats itself, both numbers will be critical; how many ounces will you produce, but also how many people, because that impacts on the cost base,” said Alison Turner, an analyst at Panmure Gordon.

But AMCU leaders in Johannesburg said they would not endorse any illegal protest actions or strikes.

“We are not supporting anything like that. AMCU does not vouch for unprotected (illegal) industrial action,” AMCU president Joseph Mathunjwa said.

Militant workers have signalled they will launch protest strikes even if the job cuts fall far short of the initial target. They say even a scaled back proposal to cut 5,000 or so jobs would be seen as too many.

Mathunjwa also told a media briefing the AMCU would submit its wage demands to individual platinum companies in two weeks’ time but did not say what workers would push for. Additional reporting by Reuters

Mamelodi Sundowns will hope to improve their chances of finishing their troublesome season within the top-eight bracket on the PSL log when they face Orlando Pirates at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday.

But they will have their work cut-out against the Buccaneers side, who apart from their outside chance of winning the league championship, still hope to at least finish second on the log to secure a place in next years’ Caf Championship league.

Sundows go into the clash on the back of a morale-boosting 5-1 triumph over relegation-threatened Black Leopards on Tuesday while Pirates put up a sterling performance against TP Mazembe in the Caf Champions league last weekend. Despite losing the controversial match 1-0, Bucs advanced to the knockout stages of the tournament by virtue of a 3-2 aggregate score.

Lamontville Golden Arrows welcome title-chasers Platinum Stars to Durban this weekend in a Absa Premiership title decider.
A win for Dikwena will put them level with leaders Kaizer Chiefs who are on 56 points after 28 games. A loss, however, could be tantamount to handing the PSL title to Chiefs on a silver platter.

Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium will host the 2013 Nedbank Cup final on the 25th of May

At the Harry Gwala Stadium a win against struggling Maritzburg United could get Ajax Cape Town out of the relegation zone.

Moroka Swallows visit SuperSport United at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, while Bloemfontein Celtic takes on Free State Stars in a derby at the Free State Stadium.

Meanwhile, Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium will host the 2013 Nedbank Cup final on the 25th of May.

The 2012/13 Nedbank Cup final will feature Kaizer Chiefs and defending Nedbank Cup champions SuperSport United.

This world cup venue is regarded as the neutral venue for both Matsatsantsa and Amakhosi.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

The ANC NEC deployees have maintained that proper processes were followed in the run up to the re-run of the Free State elective conference.

The conference is set to begin with registration of delegates later on Friday.

Earlier, disgruntled ANC members calling themselves “Regime Change” charged that the procedures have been flouted again. The repeat conference follows a Constitutional Court ruling which nullified the previous provincial leadership structure which was elected in June last year.

The Regime Change has accused ANC NEC deployees as well as the Provincial Task Team appointed to oversee the re -run of the conference of undermining the Constitutional ruling which declared the June Parys Conference unlawful.

The leader of Regime Change Mpho Ramakatsa says: “The sense that some of the regions not in good standing continue to be recognised by the ANC deployees and the PTT is a surprise.”

However, task team member, Mathabo Leeto says all requirements for the province to go ahead with the conference have been met. “All the processes were followed to the latter.”
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Sifiso Myeni and Ayanda Gcaba will miss Orlando Pirates’ clash against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday, while Thulasizwe Mbuyane faces a late fitness test.

Gcaba received his fourth yellow card of the season against Chippa United, while Myeni was sent off.

‘Juju’ has been out for over two months, after injuring his thigh during the Soweto Derby in March, and the Bucs physiotherapist John Williams are to make a decision on his fitness levels today.

“I do not feel pain anymore … I am working hard to be in the team – I have been out for a very long time and obviously I have to take it easy with training and stuff,” the player tells Pirates’ official website.

“I still have a few sessions to go through as well as a late fitness test before the game, so ja, let us hope all goes well – I really want to make the team but I have to pass the test first.”
For more http://www.kickoff.com