London – Whenever I mention to people that I have seen ghosts, I can depend on one of two opposite reactions.
Some people will be fascinated and want to know more. Others will vehemently pooh-pooh the possibility of ghosts — either I’m deluded or I’m lying. There can be no such thing as ghosts!
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Polokwane – Bafana Bafana find themselves on the verge of qualifying for a major international tournament for the first time in six years ahead of Wednesday’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Congo in Polokwane.
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Mark Shuttleworth’s “war chest” appears to be driven by revenge against the State, says Nelson Kgwete.
Pretoria – We are fortunate as South African citizens to live in a country where freedom of opinion is guaranteed in the constitution – the highest law in the land – and protected by competent institutions of the state, including the judiciary, Chapter 9 organs and the government.
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Cape Town – President Jacob Zuma has taken aim at the private sector, warning them that abuse of public funds will not be tolerated and that action will be taken against business that commits fraud or corruption.
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Bloemhof – The North West MEC for Local Government and Human Settlement Collen Maine has ordered the council of Lekwa Teemane local municipality in Bloemhof to act on the recommendations of the forensic report within 30 days, failing which his office will step in. This follows the presentation of the damning report on investigations into the affairs of the municipality.
Early in the year, the community of Boitumelong township near Bloemhof in Lekwa Teemane local municipality leveled allegations of fraud, corruption, nepotism, and maladministration against the municipality and staged violent protests in demand for a full blown investigation. The forensic audit followed the issues raised by the community in a memorandum.
The forensic audit revealed that:
✓The appointment of one councilor was based on a reference letter despite the fact that the councilor was discharged from his job because of fraud
✓An employee of the municipality who is also the brother of the then Mayor, was involved in a car accident whilst on duty and never faced any disciplinary hearing for drunken driving. The same official was appointed to a management position despite the fact that he did not meet the requirements
✓Charges of fraud and corruption against the then Mayor, Municipal Manager and two other councilors were withdrawn due to lack of evidenceStandards were lowered during the appointment of certain officials who did not meet the requirements
✓Goods and services with a transaction values of below R200 000 were procured without obtaining the required price quotations as required by the supply chain management and treasury regulations
✓Goods and services with a transaction value above R200 000 were procured without inviting competitive bids as required by supply chain management regulations
✓Bids were not always evaluated by bid evaluations committees which were composed of officials from affected units nor supply chain management practitioner as required
✓Competences of middle managers were not assessed promptly in order to identify and address gaps and competency levels as required by the Municipal regulations on minimum competency levels regulation
✓All land that was sold in the last three years was sold at prices lower than valuation roll.The report recommends that a moratorium on disposal of land and that a disciplinary action be taken against officials who transgressed on disposal processes in accordance with the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA)
-TDN
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Mahikeng – The North West Department of Local Government and Human Settlements wishes to assure the residents of Ngaka Modiri Molema district municipality that to date, no traces of poison have been found in the drinking of water in the area. However, the residents are still advised to take the precautionary measure of first boiling the water before drinking.
This warning comes in the wake of rumours that have been spread in Mahikeng recently through social media networks that the water in Mahikeng, has allegedly been poisoned by officials of Ngaka Modiri Modiri Molema district municipality following the current impasse between the municipality and the Provincial Government.
The water samples are taken for testing on daily basis by specialists from Botshelo and the Department of Water and Sanitation to ensure that the water is safe for consumption and should the results be positive, the residents will be duly informed.
Members of the community are however; still advised to contact the Call Centre on 018-3883888 should they suspect any misdemeanour from the boreholes.-TDN
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JOHANNESBURG – Paramedics are treating several patients on a Gauteng highway after a fatal truck accident on the N12 near Alberton on Tuesday morning.
A tanker ploughed into several cars on the Voortrekker Road offramp during rush hour traffic resulting in the death of two people with 18 others injured.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za
By Obakeng Maje
Taung- A case against eight suspects who were arrested during a ‘witchcraft’ fiasco resumed on Monday in Taung Magistrate’s Court.
Eight people appeared before magistrate after they were arrested two months ago.
The suspects were arrested after Vinolia Sesing was beaten and injured during a scuffle against Mokassa 2 villagers.
Sesing was accused of killing and turning Boikie Nthutang,24, into a zombie and that forced the Mokgareng villagers to sent her packing.
She went to seek refugee at Mokassa 2 village, but that angered the locals too.
They allegedly attacked her and her family. They also threatened to burn her alive.
Sesing’s husband ploughed onto six residents with his car in an attempt to escape from enraged residents. Six people were injured and taken to local hospital for medical attention.
Police said the eight suspects are facing attempted murder, assault and malicious damage to property.
They were released on R300 bail each and the case will resume on 02 December 2014.
Police investigations continue.-TDN
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Johannesburg – The institutional autonomy of the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) is compromised after it retracted an agreement it had with the EFF, the party said on Monday.
“The Economic Freedom Fighters condemns VUT’s withdrawal of its decision to give EFF a venue for its national people’s assembly taking place in December this year,” spokesperson Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi said in a statement.
“VUT has retracted its agreement to give this venue to the EFF even after taking a deposit of R250 000 and taking the EFF leadership on a site visit for proper landscape planning.”
VUT spokesperson Mike Khuboni said the EFF’s allegations were inaccurate, as the university would not have accepted the money without the venue being confirmed.
“I remember the EFF representative who came to me to request the venue. The gentleman, he wanted the venue during the time when the university is closed,” Khuboni said.
“What we mentioned to him that normally the university, when it closes, there are no people who provide services such as cleaning, toiletries, security,… everything as required.”
With there being no university officials on campus at that time, the VUT could not let out the venue.
“We don’t hire venues out to the community when the university is closed because there is no staff available to adequately manage the venue. That was the main reason,” he said.
“We asked him to bring forward the conference, to say early December, just before the university closes, then the venue would be available. They [the EFF] declined that request.”
He said the VUT offered venues to whoever needed them because the community had the right to use them, and if the university could not provide a venue, it suggested alternatives.
Ndlozi said the VUT was under direct administration by the higher education department, and as such, was taking political instruction to deny the EFF access to its campus.
“This is despite the fact that the management has already, rightly, given the EFF a venue to hold its people’s assembly, thus compromising its institutional autonomy and academic independence,” he said.
“[The] VUT, by closing its ranks simply to satisfy the bully tactics of the ANC, has ceded its rights to institutional autonomy and rendered itself a mere ANC branch.”
The EFF had already spent millions of rands on merchandise and other conference material believing it had reached an agreement with the VUT.
“EFF will, therefore, take the university to court and make sure that the venue is given back for the people’s assembly,” Ndlozi said.
Should the venue not be given back to the EFF, the party would also go through the courts to ensure the money spent on merchandise and conference materials was fully replaced by the VUT, as it bore its name.
SAPA
Pretoria – Prosecutor Gerrie Nel tried to discredit two of the witnesses called by Oscar Pistorius’s defence in sentencing procedures in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday.
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The Guardian 