Guardian, Zuma did not talk

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Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma has not had an interview with British newspaper The Guardian on the Oscar Pistorius trial or any other matter this week, the Presidency said on Tuesday.

“A Guardian reporter created an impression that he may have had an exclusive interview with the President on the Pistorius trial,” said spokesperson Mac Maharaj.

He said the journalist reported on a matter raised during the informal networking session as part of the media freedom luncheon on Sunday.

The Guardian reported that Zuma had criticised Oscar Pistorius’s defence team for arguing the paralympian should be spared prison because he was disabled and “had money”.

Pistorius’s lawyers called expert witnesses last week to testify that South African jails were ill-equipped to accommodate disabled people because, for example, the showers lacked handrails.

SAPA

All eyes on Nene for mini budge

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Cape Town – Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene has little room to manoeuvre in his maiden mini budget (Medium Term Budget Policy Statement) and may have to get tough on state-owned entities and civil servants in a way that will earn him little political popularity, observers predicted.

Economists Annabel Bishop and Mike Schussler agreed that Nene would have to keep a tight rein on spending, given lower revenue intake and warnings of further credit down-ratings.

Schussler said this would mean the minister getting stricter still with parastatals and making good on his predecessor Pravin Gordhan’s warning to state employees to prepare for an end to salary increases above the inflation rate.

“It is going to be difficult in the political climate that is still leaning to the left but he is going to have to say we need to control our costs. It is difficult when it is your first MTBP statement,” Schussler added.

But he cautioned that the continual cost of bailing out stricken state-owned entities, notably South African Airways, was untenable and said they should expect “some hard words” from the Treasury chief.

In the poor growth and revenue climate, Schussler said, Nene could be expected to sell off state assets where he could without steering into the politically troubled waters of privatisation.

He predicted that Nene would go ahead with selling the state’s Vodacom stake, and cut grants to areas such as basic education.

The much-trumpeted infrastructure drive would not be immune either, he said, since existing projects such as Eskom’s two new coal plants had gone way over time and budget, leaving less funding for other components of the plan.

Schussler, like Investec chief economist Bishop, predicted Nene would cut National Treasury’s February forecast of year-on-year GDP growth of 2.7% to around 1.5%, and said he believed that Nene would also be compelled to adjust the growth forecast for next year downwards.

Bishop said Nene had to exercise caution against direct debt rising as Moody’s rating agency had warned South Africa risked a further downgrade if there was any sign of unsustainability.

“Should the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement deliver higher net debt ratio projections, or fiscal slippage with the fiscal deficit projected to reach 3.0% of GDP after 2016/17, then SA could receive a further credit rating downgrade, which would then cause the rand to weaken closer to our down case.”

But Bishop said communication from Treasury ahead of Wednesday’s mini budget had signalled a commitment to fiscal efforts to avoid this scenario.

She said as the 2014/15 financial year reached its halfway mark, government spending was slightly higher than budgeted compared to 2013/14, and revenue collection somewhat lower.

Nene could therefore give pointers to potential tax changes to be implemented come the main budget in February, though income tax changes would cost the government political points.

The Democratic Alliance said South Africans were facing the toughest economic conditions since 2009, and Nene was facing the hard choice of budget cuts or a bigger deficit.

The party called for an end to wasteful expenditure and “hand-outs” to state-owned enterprises, cuts to the public sector wage bill, and the cutting of what it calls unnecessary government ministries.

DA parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane told reporters: “I think we should not deceive ourselves into believing everything is well… South Africa’s economy is stuck in low gear. Slow economic growth and high levels of unemployment, coupled with high inflation, are likely to continue for some time,” he said.

The party’s finance spokesperson Dion George said the economic picture now was very different to the one sketched by Gordhan in February this year.

At that time, predicted economic growth for 2014 was 2.7%.

“This figure has recently been slashed to almost half of that, with revised predictions by the International Monetary Fund and the SA Reserve Bank at 1.4% and 1.5% respectively.

“We might not even see that level of growth for this year,” he said.

“I think it [the possibility of recession] is very real, and I think if we don’t take steps now, we’re in very serious trouble.”

He said growth in the first and second quarters of this year – at minus 0.6% and 0.6% respectively – had essentially stood still.

“So there is a real threat. And also… if we don’t accelerate the economy fast enough, never mind being in recession, even if we grow at the projected rate as it originally was, just under three percent, it’s not fast enough.”

George said that while it was necessary that government cut spending, this should not apply to spending on infrastructure and transport, which should be increased to help drive the economy and attract foreign investors.

SAPA

Premier Mahumapelo takes Setsokotsane activities to Mantja, Moletsamongwe and Ramatlabama communities


Mahikeng – The Premier of Bokone Bophirima Province Supra Mahumapelo will on Wednesday, engage with communities in some of the prioritised wards in Mahikeng Local Municipality as part of the Setsokotsane Programme roll out plan. 

The Setsokotsane activities will unfold as follows:

09h00

Mantja village:

Community meeting and inspection of water sources in the area

12h00

Kgora Farmer Training Centre: Donation of vegetables to orphans in Ramatlabama village

14h00

Moletsamongwe village : Launching of a water treatment plant                 

Setsokotsane Programme was conceived with the view to improve delivery of services in the Province was initiated and is being led by Premier Supra Mahumapelo and MECs for all Provincial Departments.
-TDN
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Sentence not fair for Oscar- kenny Kunene


Businessperson Kenny Kunene said outside the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that his heart went out to Reeva Steenkamp’s family.

“I am sad for them,” he said.

He also lamented Oscar Pistorius’ five-year jail sentence.

“Look, it’s sad knowing prison conditions are what they are. I respect Judge [Thokozile] Masipa, but I think a custodial sentence was not fair for Oscar.”

Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said there was an “appetite” to appeal the sentence, but the facts needed to be examined.

“There is an appetite to appeal and we have 14 days to consider the law, and ensure the facts and the law allow us to appeal,” NPA spokesperson Nathi Mncube told reporters after proceedings were adjourned.

The NPA was not happy that Pistorius had been found guilty of culpable homicide and not murder, but he said it was a “consolation” that he would go to jail.

A reporter asked Mncube whether Pistorius would serve one-third of his sentence. He said that was a matter for the correctional services department to decide.

Speaking to reporters on the other side of the court room, one of the junior counsel who had been part of Pistorius’ defence team said he would serve one-sixth of his sentence. This meant Pistorius would spend 10 months in jail.

Photographers and members of the media gathered at the side of the court, waiting for Pistorius to be taken to prison in a police vehicle.

Two cameramen on an orange Harley Davidson motorcycle were ready to follow the police convoy.

“We are waiting for him to leave, then we [will] follow them and see where they are taking him.

People had their cellphones out in the hope of taking a photo of the Paralympian.

A woman asked her friend: “Can we see him? It’s good. He must go to jail.”

– Sapa

MEC Molapisi to strengthen road safety campaign at taxi ranks


Mahikeng- North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Gaoage Molapisi will lead safety ambassadors of the department who will be disseminating road safety messages to taxi and bus commuters aimed at enhancing road safety campaigns during this year’s Transport Month.

MEC Molapisi says road safety is everybody’s responsibility and there is a need to call on road users to become road safety ambassadors.

“Road safety requires individual commitment and self discipline, it is during this campaign when we will be interacting with all road users and encouraging them to be road safety ambassadors.” Molapisi said.

The event will be coupled with the accident simulation with the intention of showing the road users and communities in general about the repercussions of not obeying to the road rules.

MEC Molapisi will address hundreds of people who will be gathered at the taxi rank.

The campaign will be held as follows:

Venue: Brandford Park Taxi rank (Mahikeng)

Date: Wednesday 22 October 2014

Time: 09H00
-TDN
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Pistorius gets five years behind bars


10:42 – Both legal teams have two weeks to state whether they intend to appeal.

10:42 – Pistorius had a brief word with his Uncle Arnold, before being led downstairs. No indication at this stage of appeal.

10:41

#OscarPistorius after sentencing.. pic.twitter.com/16QUHEMEKA

— POWER987 News (@POWER987News) October 21, 2014

10:41 – Pistorius’s continue to speak among themselves, as do the Steenkamps.

10:40 – Court adjourns.

10:39 – I wish to thank the gallery, it wasn’t an easy matter. In general, I was very pleased with the conduct of all involved.

10:39 – Masipa thanks court officials. All staff.

10:38 – “June Steenkamp looks over to see OP’s reaction. Seems v stoic as usual,” tweets Alex Crawford. 

10:37 – Brother Carl shoots a stricken, wide-eyed look at his sister Aimee, says Nastasya Tay.

10:37 – Prosecutor Gerrie Nel notes firearms controls act states OP will automatically be declared unfit to own firearm.

10:37 – OP’s head bent slightly down. Barry Steenkamp leans on the bench in front of him.

10:35 – On count 2: OP gets three years wholly suspended for five years on condition that OP isn’t found guilty of similar crime.

10:34 – On count one: maximum imprisonment of five years.

10:33 – OP asked to stand

10:33 – Masipa on firearm in restaurant: “I have taken into account that no one was hurt, although the offence was a serious one.”

10:33 – A court orderly has walked to the stairs down to the holding cells – preparing for the accused. – Barry Bateman tweets.

10:32 – Non-custodial sentence would send the wrong message but a long sentence would also be inappropriate as it would be without mercy – TM

10:31 – Particular circumstances of OP taken into account too – TM

10:31 – Taken into account seriousness of the offence which led to death of Reeva. – TM

10:30 – TM says she has weighed all the relevant factors.

10:30 –

Masipa: A sentence should not be too light or too severe.

So it’s a balancing act for her.

10:30 – TM stresses that toilet door was not opened prior to OP shooting at it. Contrasts with other case.

10:29 – TM pauses for a drink of water. She sure needs it.

10:28 – Man who shot and killed wife did plea deal with NPA – he pleaded guilty to culpable homicide, got suspended sentence

10:27 – TM turns to another past case. “Startled and afraid for his life, he discharged his firearm.” Person was not an intruder but his wife.

10:27 – TM – find degree of negligence in this matter is too severe for sentence suggested by defence

10:25 – Sentence suggested by defence witnesses NOT APPROPRIATE.

10:25 – Voster only fired one shot, aimed above, not into the door. OP deliberately fired four shots into the door. OP aimed to shoot intruder, unlike Voster. If there had been an intruder in Voster case, he could have run away whereas in OP case, the intruder wouldn’t have been able to because the space was small. OP is also trained in use of firearms. – TM

10:23 – OP KNEW there was someone behind the door. Voster did not.

10:23 – Masipa: The facts are “dissimilar” to the facts in the present case. “There are a number of important distinguishing features.”

10:22 – TM sees SOME similarities with past case but not entirely.

10:21 – Masipa: in that particular case, the individual (Voster) was sentenced to correctional supervision for 3 years.

10:21 – TM quoting sentence given to Voster, not OP. She hasn’t asked him to stand yet.

10:19 – Judge says one should strive to keep people out of prison (if they not serial criminals).

10:19 – Masipa: important factors – extent of deviation from reasonable person (gross) and consequences of conduct (severe).

10:17 – Masipa spending considerable time on the Voster case and the remorse of the accused in that matter.

10:16 – Masipa dealing with case law related to culpable homicide.

10:15 – Judge refers to case mentioned by defence where bullet fired by another who also believed there was intruder, killed child.

10:15 – TM more impressed by case presented by State.

10:14 – Masipa also points out that the ability of the accused to foresee the result of his action must also be considered.

10:13 – TM quotes case law on the degree of blame and negligence. Consequences of negligence cannot be disregarded

10:12 – Judge stresses degree of “culpability” as deciding factor for sentencing.

10:11 – TM moves onto conclusion…

10:11 – Hopefully, sentence can provide some form of closure – TM

10:11 – TM: The loss of life cannot be reversed. Nothing I say or do today can reverse what happened on 14 Feb 2013.

10:10 – Masipa: At the time the deceased met her death she was young, vivacious and full of life.

10:09 – TM: It is not wrong that the natural indignation of interested persons and community should receive some recognition.

10:08 – TM: South Africa has a constitution which applies to everyone and protects everyone including those who transgress.

10:07 – However, retribution not the same as venegance – TM

10:07 – SA has long moved from an era of dark ages of “ab eye for an eye”.

News24

Oscar’s date with destiny


Johannesburg – After a seven-month trial, Paralympian Oscar Pistorius will be sentenced on Tuesday in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria for the death of his model and law-graduate girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Judge Thokozile Masipa is expected to hand down her sentence at 09:30, after finding him guilty last month of culpable homicide.

On Monday, the correctional services department denied reports that it had already prepared a cell for Pistorius at the Kgosi Mampuru II prison.

“Any insinuation that the department has prepared a cell to incarcerate anyone who has not yet been sentenced to a jail term is both malicious and irresponsible,” spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said.

He was reacting to an Eyewitness News report that a cell had been prepared for Pistorius at the prison.

During the trial Steenkamp’s parents June and Barry were present on some days, along with family and friends. Barry Steenkamp broke down in court as his niece Kim Martin told the court last week she was Reeva’s voice.

Martin was the only Steenkamp family member to take the stand. She said Barry Steenkamp had said he would “lose it” if he had to testify.

Pistorius’s sister Aimee, brother Carl, uncle Arnold and aunt Lois were in court almost every day. His father Henke has come to court since judgment in September.

Aimee and Carl often consoled the athlete during lunch and tea breaks, after he cried during proceedings. The pair also gave interviews to television broadcasters CNN and eNCA on the day before sentencing, talking about how “very taxing” the past few months had been.

The siblings said they could not speculate what the sentencing would be, adding that they had a string faith and would support each other.

“It’s been a taxing 20 months for us… The landscape of our lives remains forever changed,” Carl said during thin interview.

He continued: “Tomorrow will be very difficult. This is a weight we all have to carry.”

When pressed on what their prayers were for Pistorius, Aimee refused to comment.

Closing arguments

During sentencing closing arguments on Friday, prosecutor Gerrie Nel argued that the negligence Pistorius had been found guilty of was so serious only a jail sentence would suffice.

“The only, but only reasonable sentence would be long-term incarceration,” he said.

Nel argued that by giving the Steenkamps R6 000 a month for 18 months and offering them another R375 000, Pistorius had tried to influence his sentence.

He said Pistorius should not use his disability to avoid jail.

“I find it disturbing that a man with a disability, that competed with able-bodied athletes would now shamelessly use this as an argument,” Nel said.

Presenting closing arguments for sentencing, Barry Roux, SC, for Pistorius, said the principles of ubuntu and restorative justice should be applied to the case.

“Serious regard should be given to a community-based sentence, to restorative justice,” he told the court.

Roux argued that Pistorius was not a cold-blooded murderer, but a vulnerable person who used excessive force.

On Monday, the Mail Online reported that Steenkamp’s sister, Simone Cowburn, said Pistorius should be given a harsh sentence and did not deserve special treatment because of his disability.

“So as far as I am concerned, he knew she was in there. It is all lies. He lost his temper and shot her. He wanted to own her, but he couldn’t. She was very independent,” Cowburn was quoted as saying.

“I am still in shock that he got off. He fired the first shot, stopped and then realised he had to shoot again to finish it… Even if it had been a burglar, he had no right to shoot through that door with those bullets. You wouldn’t even shoot an animal with those bullets.”

She said Pistorius was guilty of domestic violence at its most extreme and that a “soft punishment” would be a blow to the Steenkamps.

The trial started on 3 March after the State charged the athlete with premeditated murder.

Difficult decision for judge

Legal experts are divided on which way Judge Masipa will swing.

“It’s quite a difficult decision to make for any judge,” said William Booth, a criminal lawyer based in Cape Town.

“There is a strong argument to be made for certainly a period of direct imprisonment,” said Booth. “You do have to send a message to the public.”

Yet even if Pistorius does not get sentenced to time in jail, Booth says that does not mean he will not be punished.

“I think he’s not going to walk out scot-free,” said Booth, pointing out that “correctional supervision is recognised as a fairly severe sentence.”

The Pistorius defence did well to underscore alternative penalties to prison and show that Pistorius is not receiving special treatment because of his celebrity status, said Kelly Phelps, a law lecturer at the University of Cape Town.

Despite being unpalatable to many South Africans, a sentence of house arrest is fitting for Pistorius, believes Phelps.

“Prison comes at a huge expense to any society, not just monetary but the social damage left in the aftermath of imprisonment,” she said.

After the sentence is handed down, both the State and defence can appeal, a legal process that could drag out for years.

Phelps believes the defence is unlikely to appeal unless Pistorius is given a stiff sentence.

The State can also appeal against Judge Masipa’s culpable homicide verdict, suggests Phelps.

Whatever the outcome, Pistorius has lost his glittering sports career, with the international acclaim, lucrative contracts and – above all – his hero status, tarnished forever.

On 12 September, Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide for the Valentine’s Day 2013 shooting of his girlfriend Steenkamp. The court found him not guilty of murdering her.

Pistorius was found guilty of firing a shot from his friend Darren Fresco’s Glock pistol under a table at Tasha’s restaurant in Johannesburg in January 2013.

He was found not guilty of shooting through the open sunroof of a car in Modderfontein on 30 September 2012, and of illegal possession of ammunition.
SAPA

ANC Women’s League will vouch for NO BAIL for Brutal Murder Case


Klerksdorp- The ANC North West Women’s League will on Tuesday, attend the court case at Klerksdorp Magistrate Court at 08h30am, on the brutal murder of Sipho Nhlahlo, a 20 year old boy, whose body was found mutilated and left to rot on the streets of Jouberton early Sunday, morning on 12 October 2014.

“We, the ANC Women’s League vouch for NO BAIL in this matter, Sipho Nhlahlo was our brother, son, a future element that could have contributed positively to our society, we will not allow such heinous crimes to take place without our voices being heard, our role to defend and protect, fight and ensure that all rights of people are protected, dignified and given equal opportunities will be demonstrated clearly” ANC Women League North West provincial secretary Meokgo Matuba said.

ANC said The justice law needs to be strengthened. They said they are tired of cases being dropped and dockets lost on purpose. Criminals have the easy way out, and commit crime knowing very well that the justice system is lenient on them.

Such acts of lawlessness must come to an end.
-TDN
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Sandstorms sweep through social media


Kimberley – A massive sandstorm had residents here ducking for cover on Thursday and, according to reports, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg were also affected.

Videos and photographs of the dust storms dominated social media outlets as those affected shared what they were experiencing.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

MEC Masike to open Tlhabane Community Health Center


Rustenburg- North West Health MEC, Dr. Magome Masike will officially open Tlhabane Community Health Center on Tuesday.

The newly built 24 hour community health center services the community of Tlhabane in Rustenburg and surrounding villages.

“It also serves as a referral facility for various clinics within the Rustenburg Municipality for patients to receive treatment for hypertension, diabetes, TB and HIV, Male Medical Circumcision, and reproductive health service among others” departmental spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane said.

The population of Rustenburg has grown tremendously over the past five years. The new CHC will also bring much needed relief to Job Shimankana Tabane Hospital which has seen influx of patients from local communities who would normally be treated at clinics.

The department has put a lot of focus and resources into revitalizing Primary Health Care, through the building of clinics, health centers in order to improve access to healthcare.

The opening of Tlhabane Community Health Center will take place as follows:

 

Date   :    Tuesday, 21 October 2014

Venue:    Tlhabane Community Health Center, Rustenburg

Time  :    09h00
-TDN
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