It was a “minor setback” that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is no longer the majority union at Impala Platinum, the union has said.

NUM spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said they would do everything in their power to claw back the recognition from rival union, Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU).

The NUM’s recognition agreement with Implats reportedly came to end on Saturday, with the union blaming the violence that accompanied the industrial action last year when thousands of mineworkers downed tools demanding higher wages.

“With all the violent strike action and threats against our members, we don’t expect to be in the majority,” said Seshoka.

“This is a minor set-back. We’re going to get our members back once the violence and threats cease.”

Johannesburg – Despite Gordon Igesund falling short of his semi-final mandate, 1996 Africa Cup of Nations-winner Andre Arendse believes the 56-year-old remains the best man to lead Bafana Bafana.

According to the football411.com

website

, South Africa saw their AFCON 2013 adventure come to an end at the quarter-final stage after going down on penalties to Mali, with some expecting SAFA to axe the coach after having initially set him a target of a last-four finish.

Arendse, though, believes that would have been a mistake, telling Football411: “Some people suggested that being on home soil Bafana should have won the tournament, but I believe that was completely unrealistic.

“South African football has been in steady decline since 1996, but Bafana’s display at AFCON 2013 was an absolute improvement and step in the right direction.”

Having won a PSL title under Igesund, Arendse is not surprised the former Santos coach has breathed new life into the national set-up after a mere seven months at the helm.

“I see much more fighting spirit, team cohesion and confidence among the players. Gordon has brought back a winning mentality,” noted the current Bidvest Wits assistant coach.

While the former goalkeeper – capped 67 times for Bafana – regards Itumeleng Khune as one of Africa’s premier shot-stoppers, Bafana’s defensive fragility has him concerned.

“Khune was indeed a standout, but largely because we saw him making saves way outside his 18-yard area to cover for the back four’s mistakes,” he added.

“Bafana fell short in central defence and were at times exposed. There was a lack of cohesion between Bongani Khumalo and Siyabonga Sangweni – for me that combination just didn’t work.”

Since crashing out to Mali in the quarters, Khumalo’s leadership credentials have been called into question. Arendse, he0owever, was quick to jump to his former team-mate’s defence.

“The criticism is grossly unfair. He always gives maximum effort, wears his heart on his sleeve and is a real team player,” he said.

“While he was at times a little reserved, we must not forget he is a young captain. I have no doubt he will grow in stature and that his leadership qualities will skyrocket,” he concluded.

Football411

Durban – A funeral parlour owner wanted by the police for her part in a suspected R6 million life insurance scam was shot dead on Sunday night, prompting suspicions that she had been silenced to stop her from exposing her accomplices.

Faith Msibi was driving to her home in Driefontein, near Ladysmith, at 8pm when she was killed.

The day before her murder the Durban commercial crime unit arrested four people, all known to Msibi, and charged them with fraud. The police had been on the verge of question Msibi when she was killed.

Captain Thulani Zwane said that detectives had been investigating two fraudulent insurance claims. The first was for R3m paid to a group, including Msibi, in October last year. The second, also for R3m, had been lodged by the same people but was unpaid.

Zwane would not confirm whether Msibi’s murder was linked to the suspected fraud.

Mbongileni Miya, Msibi’s cousin, said yesterday that Msibi had been killed to “eliminate the evidence”.

“It is clear that she was being silenced,” Miya said.

“She had come to show us her new car and see our grandmother. She mentioned she thought people were following her.”

Zwane said the police had found that a Bergville family, the Nenes, of Mazizini, had buried their son, Themba, in March 2011 but had not been able to register his death because Msibi’s funeral parlour had misplaced his identity document.

In January last year a death certificate, the identity document and R15 000 in cash had been taken to the Nene family.

“Mrs Nene asked what the money was for, but the response was that the funeral parlour was thanking the Nene family for not rushing them when their son’s identity document went missing,” said Zwane. The date of death on the certificate was September last year.

Zwane said: “Investigations revealed that the missing identity document had two life cover policies from two different insurance companies valued at R6m linked to it. Both policies were taken out after Themba was buried.”

The policies had been taken out on Themba by a funeral parlour employee, he added.

Among those arrested was a 51-year-old taxi owner who allegedly bought a coffin for a funeral which never took place.

The four fraud suspects appeared in Durban’s commercial crime court yesterday. No arrests have been made in connection with the murder.

The Mercury

The alleged misuse of state funds on legal fees in North West will be investigated, the province’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) concluded on Tuesday.

Chairman Hlomane Chauke said the probe would focus on the misuse of state funds by the former finance MEC Louisa Mabe, current MEC Paul Sebegoe, and acting finance department head Geo Paul.

“The three failed to give the committee a clear account of procurement processes followed in appointing Morake Attorneys, a company that has been paid over R15.4 million for a disciplinary hearing,” he said.

The hearing was that of the finance department’s suspended head Johannes Mohlala, chief financial officer Harriet Kasirivu and chief director Peter Mogoane.

Sebegoe said the committee felt an investigation was needed because public money had been spent, for which those involved had failed to account.

The Hawks, the Auditor General’s office, the Public Service Commissioner and the Public Protector would conduct the investigation.

Chauke said that although it would be one investigation, each team would have a different focal area.

“The Hawks will be focusing on the criminal nature of the case, and if the outcome shows that indeed state funds have been misused, the committee will also look at ways of recovering that money,” he said.

“We expect that the committee will be furnished with a preliminary report of the investigation within 30 days, and after that the committee will sanction action that has to be taken.”

The province’s finance department has a R26 billion budget, of which, R10bn was for the education department, for which Mabe was responsible, Chauke said. – Sapa

Durban – Four men and a woman linked to a mob justice attack in which the victims were beaten and forced to drink acid, have been granted bail.

Philani Zungu (age not confirmed), Mthobeli Mchunu, 23, Mthokozisi Radebe, 25, Xolani Radebe, 23, and Nokwazi Mthembu, 24, were facing two counts of murder and one of kidnapping at the Umlazi Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Two young Umlazi men,

Njabulo Mwandla, 20, and Ngcebo Dube, 22, were assaulted for about 10 hours by men who suspected them of stealing a braai stand and boots from one of their yards.

Reading from the five’s affidavits in court, their attorney, Griffiths Madonsela, said his clients had co-operated with the police during their arrests and were not flight risks.

He said that they had all handed themselves over to the police on January 25.

Madonsela also said that all five accused intended pleading not guilty to all charges and would reserve their reasons for the “appropriate time”.

Reading from the affidavit, Madonsela said that Zungu was a businessman and the survival of his close corporation depended on him being granted bail.

Mchunu was getting ready to write his supplementary exams and needed to be granted bail.

Mthokozisi Radebe had heard he was being sought by the police and had gone to the nearest police station, where he had been arrested, Madonsela said.

Each of the accused was granted R2 000 bail on condition they have no communication with any of the state witnesses, that they report to their nearest police station twice a week and that they do not change their address without permission from the investigating officer.

The matter was adjourned to February 22 for further investigation.

Daily News

Cape Town – South Africa moved on Tuesday to assure mining executives that the country remains a safe destination for investment in the wake of deadly wildcat strikes, profit plunges and lay-off plans.

“We stand ready to work with all of you to ensure that we build a mining industry that is resurgent, resilient and is able to function successfully to its full realisable potential,” Mining Minister Susan Shabangu told thousands of delegates at the African Mining Indaba conference.

Shabangu’s speech was welcomed by the unrest-weary sector which saw strikes cripple mines last year, but executives present stressed an urgent need for an investor-friendly climate.

“South Africa will only succeed if it fosters an environment that is conducive for business and attractive to international investors,” said Cynthia Carroll, mining giant Anglo American’s outgoing chief executive.

“Creating that environment starts with the need for stable labour relations and the maintenance of law and order,” she said.

More than 50 people were killed last year when production at shuttered mines nose-dived and companies struggled to implement hefty pay hikes.

“Violence and criminality are always unacceptable and they must never be tolerated by society. We must never go back to those days again,” said Carroll.

Anglo American Platinum, the world’s largest platinum producer, on Monday reported a huge operating loss of R6.3-billion for 2012 and the unit was recently slammed over its restructuring plans which could see 14 000 jobs cut and two mines mothballed.

Peter Leon, head of African mining and energy at law firm Webber Wentzel, appreciated the minister’s speech and welcomed South African President Jacob Zuma’s words at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos stressing that South Africa was open for business.

“But of course, what investors want to see now is reality,” said Leon.

“Is government going to not just talk, (but) actually going to walk these issues and deal with them in and effective and substantial way?”

The wage agreement negotiated for Lonmin workers last year has been implemented, Lonmin Platinum said on Tuesday.

“Lonmin honoured the wage agreement of 18 September 2012 and implemented all its provisions in October 2012,” Abey Kgotle, Lonmin’s executive manager for human capital, said in a statement.

“As wages are complex and staff have slightly different packages, we have established a range of mechanisms to engage staff and explain their payslips.”

Kgotle was responding to an open letter to Lonmin by United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa, who said some Lonmin workers had complained that they had not received their full pay rise.

“Mineworkers claim that they are still paid in accordance with the old salary agreement,” Holomisa wrote in the letter.

Lonmin miners reportedly negotiated a 22 percent pay rise last year after labour unrest, which culminated in the shooting of 34 strikers in August.

Holomisa said: “Nearly four months since this agreement was reached, I am inundated with calls from the mineworkers complaining about the fact the 22 percent salary increase is yet to reflect on their payslips.”

Kgotle said the agreement included a signing bonus of R2000 for employees who returned to work, and an average rise of between 11 and 22 percent for employees in the total package of workers in the “category four to nine bargaining unit”.

It also included an increased basic salary, medical, housing and holiday allowances, and an increased contribution to workers’ pension funds. – Sapa

Johannesburg – White beggars in South Africa earn between R50 and R500 a day, the trade union Solidarity said on Tuesday.

A study conducted by Solidarity’s Helping Hand revealed that most beggars would like to work, but do not have the necessary education.

About 78 percent of beggars interviewed said they would like to work and 19 percent said they had not worked before.

The study conducted in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape was of perceptions and the reality of the lives of beggars.

Field workers interviewed beggars in November and December 2012.

Solidarity researcher Nicolien Welthagen said public comments on the union’s Facebook page showed that people believed beggars did not want to work.

“Many people wrote that they had offered beggars work, but that they had not wanted to do demeaning work,” said Welthagen.

“Furthermore, one or two of the beggars who did accept work had quit almost immediately, sometimes within a few days, and had started begging again.”

Almost 60 percent of the beggars had not passed matric.

A small group of 6.6 percent claimed they possessed a diploma and 13 percent said they had some form of a certificate.

Most of the beggars (57 percent) indicated that they were not married. A third (31 percent) were married and 12 percent were divorced. There were also couples (33 percent) who begged together even though they were not married.

Most beggars (83 percent) did not receive an allowance or any assistance from welfare or other organisations.

Sixty-three percent belonged to a church.

About half (51 percent) said they did not have any children, while a third (32 percent) had one child.

Only four percent received a children’s allowance and 94 percent of female beggars with children did not receive any allowance.

Most of the beggars indicated they had been begging for less than a year, while approximately 12 percent had been begging for more than 10 years.

Welthagen said the public believed that beggars were not interested in the work offered to them “because they can earn much more on the streets”.

The research was not intended to provide final answers or solutions to the issue of beggars, but to create more questions which could lead to further research, said Welthagen. – Sapa

By Obakeng Maje

Mmakau-A case of a 41 year-old man who allegedly kidnapped and kills a 11 year-old girl in Mmakau village near Brits was postponed.

Strike Paulos Thulore,41 appeared briefly at Brits Magistrate Court for kidnapping and murdering Ofentse mogale,11 on saturday.

The gruesome incident took place on saturday night when Thulore allegedly entered their neighbour’s house and kidnap a 11 year old girl police said.

“Police were called after Strike Paulos Thulore allegedly forcefully gain entry through the window at neighbour’s house” Captain Adele Myburgh said.

“He allegedly snatched a 11 year-old girl while sleeping in their room with her siblings. The mother of a victim was asleep with her boyfriend in another bedroom” Myburg said.

The parent of a victim realised that she was kidnapped and called the police.

Ofentse Mogale’s body was discovered by police later at her neighbour shack stashed under the bed.

Subsequently the man was arrested and he appeared before magistrate today at Brits Magistrate Court.

“His case has been postponed and he will remains in custody until 12 february 2013 where he will appear for bail applications” captain Adele Myburgh said.

Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), the world’s largest producer of the metal, has to be restructured to make it viable for the future, outgoing Anglo CEO Cynthia Carroll said on Tuesday.

The platinum sector was in crisis, facing enormous economic challenges, she told delegates at the Mining Indaba 2013 in Cape Town.

On Monday, Amplats reported a headline loss of R1.47 billion for 2012, a fall of 141 percent from the year before. It also announced it would not be paying a dividend.

The loss has been attributed to, among other things, the unprotected wage strikes that rocked the company’s mines last year.

Amplats has announced plans to retrench 14,000 workers, but recently postponed these to holds talks with government and labour.

Referring to “government and political parties” as partners, Carroll said a “defining context for the relationship between Anglo American and its partners in the months ahead will clearly be the consultation process in relation to our platinum restructuring proposals”.

While a conference platform was not the place to conduct such consultation, she wished to “make the position clear” on a topic that had attracted so much media coverage.

“The critical starting point is that the boards of Anglo American and Anglo American Platinum are totally committed to ensuring a sustainable platinum business for the future for the benefit of all stakeholders.”

It was a business in which Anglo planned to invest R100 billion over the next decade.

“But to do that we must make the changes necessary to make the business sustainable. We need to recognise and tackle the enormous economic challenges the platinum sector faces. This is an industry in crisis.”

Demand for platinum had dropped, and there was no sign of respite in the near-term future. At the same time, labour, energy costs, and other input costs had continued to rise relentlessly.

“As a result, margins have been squeezed dramatically and the sector has not been earning adequate returns. This is an unsustainable position.

“In the case of Anglo American Platinum, we have to restructure the business to make it viable for the future and in doing so to protect over forty-five thousand jobs.”

The question of how to restructure was one that required consultation with all stakeholders.

“As you know, we have made our proposals public as we are required to do as a listed company.

“We are targeting to create at least as many jobs as the 14,000 that may be affected by the restructuring. And that is on top of a target to re-deploy nine thousand of the employees who may be affected.”

Carroll said Anglo was “totally serious” in its intent to create jobs.

“We will provide high-quality training, as soon as it is needed, to enable employees to benefit from the re-deployment (sic) and new job opportunities we will create.”

She said restructuring was always painful and difficult.

“We value the opportunity to engage with our partners. Over the next sixty days, we will work collaboratively with the department of mineral resources and the trade unions to explore the way forward.

“And after that, the formal Section 189 consultation will resume for the following sixty days.

“In addition, we will continue to be active participants in the MIGDETT [the mining growth, development and employment task team] discussions about the challenges facing the platinum sector as a whole.

“These are all important processes, which we are approaching with good faith and with serious intent,” Carroll said.

– Sapa