Johannesburg – ANC stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is shocked by comments from the NPA that she might be prosecuted for the deaths of two men, her lawyer said on Saturday.

“Mrs Mandela wishes to express her surprise and shock at the statement issued by one Phindi Louw on behalf of the National Prosecuting Authority in which she asserts that there are processes currently underway which will lead to her prosecution for the deaths of the late Lolo Sono and Siboniso Tshabalala,” attorney Pops Templeton Mageza said in a statement.

“To her knowledge, these are matters that have already been comprehensively dealt with in open transparent televised public hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).”

Louw could not be immediately reached for comment.

The remains of two men were exhumed on Tuesday, 25 years after they went missing.

The bodies were found in Avalon Cemetery, in Soweto.

Mageza said Madikizela-Mandela had offered to present herself at the TRC.

“The TRC subpoenaed and called before it all persons who could assist it in arriving at a determination as regards how the two cadres whose bodies have now been identified had been murdered,” he said.

“These witnesses included the late Xoliswa Falati, Jerry Richardson and Mr Sono father of late Lolo Sono.”

He said the TRC issued a final report on the disappearance of the two. It determined that Sono and Tshabalala were murdered by Richardson.

“According to Jerry Richardson, at the time of his trial, he did so as the deceased had passed information to apartheid police on the presence of two MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe) cadres – Tebogo Maluleke and Sipho Mbenenge.”

Richardson applied for amnesty at the TRC on the basis that he received orders to murder the two from Madikizela-Mandela.

The TRC found that there was no evidence to support his claims.

“In so far as Mrs Mandela all that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission observed was that: ‘… Madikizela-Mandela was negligent in that she failed to institute enquiries into the deaths of the two cadres at the time…’,” Mageza said.

TRC investigator, Piers Pigou, using information from the National Intelligence Agency said at the time Richardson was paid R10 000 by police for information about the whereabouts of the bodies of Sono and Tshabalala.

Former national police commissioner George Fivaz said that Richardson would not give the information unless police paid R10 000 for his informing activities.

Richardson was sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime and later died in prison.

“It is difficult to legally imagine how and what new evidence is contemplated, if the TRC confronted with so much diverse testimony, some of which possibly inadmissible in the courts, courts could come to a finding different to that of the TRC,” Mageza said. – Sapa

The ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) will discuss the progress made in certain provinces, including work by the ANCYL, during a meeting in Pretoria, secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said on Saturday.

He said the national working committee (NWC) was giving the NEC updates on Limpopo, the North West, the Eastern Cape and the Free State.

“The NWC has been doing a lot of work in those provinces and in the league. So the NEC will get an updated report on the work we are doing there,” Mantashe told reporters.

He said branch general meetings had started in the Free State.

This comes after a task team was sent to the province in December when the provincial elective committee was disbanded by the party leadership.

The task team had until the end of March to hold a new Free State elective conference.

Mantashe said on Saturday that this deadline might be extended.

“From the report of the NEC team to the Free State we think that we will have to stretch the deadline to end of April.”

He said in the Eastern Cape the main problems were at local government level.

“There are quite a number of municipalities that are in trouble for one reason or another.”

He said the African National Congress’ NEC had been meeting in Pretoria since Friday and it would conclude the meeting on Sunday.

“We spent the last day up to now with the induction of the NEC,” Mantashe said.

“The induction of the NEC covers the main primary documents of the ANC, its constitution, strategy and tactics and we are now busy with the Freedom Charter.”

He said the reason for this was to ensure that the NEC had the same flow of understanding of policy position as the ANC.

The NEC was also expected to discuss whether to retain the ANC Youth League’s leadership, or place it under interim leadership.

The ANCYL has been led by its deputy president Ronald Lamola since its former president Julius Malema was expelled from the party.

In December, Malema sent the ANC conference in Mangaung a letter asking for his job back, but at the time Mantashe said it had been received too late, and that the programme had already been adopted.

The ANC and ANCYL have held two meetings this year to discuss weaknesses within the party’s youth wing, including its lack of a permanent leader.

Delegates at the ANC conference resolved that the incoming NEC should meet the ANCYL to sort out issues between the two.

In his organisational report at the conference, Mantashe said the ANCYL was acting in a similar manner to forces which were against the party.

Mantashe would not be drawn on whether the ANC Youth League would be disbanded.

“No I don’t know that. We are going to the NEC. We will give you the outcome of the NEC.”

Mantashe said the details of the NEC meeting would be given during a press briefing on Monday. – Sapa

Nedbank Cup: Kaizer Chiefs v Polokwane City

Venue: Moses Mabhida Stadium

Time: 20h30

Channel: SABC1, SS4

Absa Premiership log leaders, Kaizer Chiefs, will be looking to keep their Nedbank Cup campaign alive when they take on National First Division outfit, Polokwane City later today.

Chiefs haven’t won this trophy since before it was rebranded to the Nedbank Cup, their last victory came in 2006 when it was known as the ABSA Cup.

Stuart Baxter’s side are well on the way to claiming their first Absa Premiership title for nearly a decade, and the coach will be keen to try and help earn his side a league and cup double this campaign.

The Amakhosi have been in formidable league form so far this season, losing just one game of their campaign so far and scoring 39 goals along the way.

Their last encounter saw them play out a drab 0-0 draw with arch-rivals, Orlando Pirates, in the Soweto Derby, and they will now be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on lower league opposition in today’s game.

Baxter, who is looking for his first piece of South African silverware, told the Siya crew, “It’s not a question of making the league more important. There are no guarantees in any competition, we have to concentrate fully on every game we play. For us it’s the next game, and the next game is always the most important, so it’s going to get our full attention.”

Last year:

Chiefs: Lost 1-0 in the quarterfinals v Free State Stars

Polokwane: Lost 2-0 in the Round of 16 to Roses United

Players to watch:

Chiefs: Bernard Parker

Polokwane: Koketso Mmotong

For more details go to http://www.soccerladuma.com

By Obakeng Maje

Taung-North West Department of Health MEC, Dr. Magome Masike officially opened Taung Hospital’s Multi Drug Resistance (MDR) TB Unit on Friday at 10h00 as part of World TB Commemoration activities. The unit is a component of the Department’s MDR TB decentralisation model that seeks to treat patients next to their home. 

The culmination went well with massive turnout.

The opening of the Unit was followed by a TB Indaba aimed at improving TB treatment outcome and infection control. 

“Taung hospital is the only hospital in the province successfully treated TB thus far” Dr Masike said.

Teams of healthcare workers, Directly Observed Therapy Supporters and developmental partners are currently busy with Intensified Tuberculosis (TB) Case Finding in villages around Taung. 

The major component of Intensified TB Case Finding is TB screening and those found to have TB symptoms will be referred to the nearest health facility.

Intensified TB Case Finding has been identified as one of the key priority areas critical to the success of Department’s effort to promote greater community involvement in disease management, community development, and empowerment to deal with own health issues and promote an integrated healthcare management system.

“Seven patients cured thus far since it opened in 210. We will need more expertise to subjugate against the scourge” said Dr Masike.

TB case finding proved to be the most effective method to intensify community education on Tuberculosis, improve treatment adherence of all diagnosed patients, solicit treatment support for all patients on treatment by their immediate family members, and improve TB outcomes when it was piloted in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District in January 2011.

“It takes fully 24 months to completely cure TB patient” MEC outlines.

MEC of Finance in the province mr Paul Sebegoe has allocated over R7,6 billion to continue improving health of people and health infrastructure.

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By Obakeng Maje

Taung-Vaaltar Fm will held its community reports details how the station has performed against its key commitments and identifies its source of income and expenditure since 2010.

As radio station is not-for-profit radio service designed to operate on a small scale and to deliver community benefits, known as ‘social gain’. 

The event will take place at Reikagile Middle School in Mokasa 2, West of Taung.

The management will report back to Taung community about the financial aspect the station came across and also the community will have to elect new Board of Directors(BoDs). 

“The financial aspect of the report enables Vaaltar Fm to check whether the station has stayed within the legislative restrictions on funding” Management told Vaaltar FM news.

Issues to be dealt with

• Financial Reports

•Elections of new Board of Directors

Board of Directors (BoDs)

The Board of Directors responsibility is to oversee the vision and mission of the entity,compliance to the licence conditions and advocancy over funding and good representation.

The BoD with powers vested in them appoint the Station Manager to execute administrative policies and the strategic planning of the entity,organize,evaluate,monitor and be directive on day-by-day running of the station.

Challenges

Vaaltar FM has become one of the best community radio stations across South Africa.

Even though it relinguish its number one spot few years ago it has been more sturdy.

The station is reigning champion as Best community radio station in North West thus far.

Their content has the merits of simplicity,euphony and precision.

The station urges all community members to join th event.

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The DA says it is shocked by the latest case of alleged police brutality in which a court interpreter was dragged alongside a car for 100m in Setlopo Village, Mahikeng, in North West.

Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard said on Friday that President Jacob Zuma and Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa had failed to show leadership on the issue.

“The [SA Police Service] is past crisis point, and the South African public must know that the president and the SAPS leadership take this matter seriously.”

She said there had been no response from Zuma on a call for the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry into police brutality.

“Since our request for this commission more than a week ago, there has been no action from the president.”

Earlier on Friday, Mthethwa’s spokesman Zweli Mnisi told SABC radio news that the incident was embarrassing and disgusting.

He said the “issue of command and control” at police stations needed to be looked at.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) said on Thursday that a North West police officer had been arrested for allegedly assaulting a man in Setlopo Village in Mahikeng, and dragging him alongside a police vehicle.

The man, a court interpreter at Molopo Magistrate’s Court, was called over to the police vehicle after speaking to a boy who had allegedly been harassed by the same officers moments earlier.

A 36-year-old sergeant was arrested on Wednesday, and was due to appear in court on Friday, said Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini.

Sapa