Pre-trial conference for doctor’s murder


Cape Town – A fifth pre-trial conference will be held in the Western Cape High Court on Friday, for three men allegedly linked to the murder of paediatrician Dr Louis Heyns.

At their last appearance on May 23, lawyers for Malmesbury business owner Juan Liedeman and brothers Marthinus and Sarel van der Walt told the court the matter was not yet ready for trial.

In a pre-trial conference in April, prosecutor Samantha Raphels said a trial date for the three had been set down for August 4.

Raphels said a possible plea agreement was on the table for Liedeman, but that nothing had been finalised.

Judge President John Hlophe postponed the matter for another pre-trial conference.

Heyns, a University of Stellenbosch medical professor, went missing last May. His body was found in a shallow grave in Strand that month.

The brothers face charges of killing and robbing him.

Liedeman faces charges of being in possession of Heyns’s stolen vehicle.

The Director of Public Prosecutions decided to charge him with robbery as an accessory after the fact, and defeating the ends of justice.

He was released on R20,000 bail in June last year, after proving exceptional circumstances existed to warrant his release.

Liedeman said in a bail application affidavit that he had received threats from the Van der Walts before and after his arrest last year.

SAPA

Sisulu: Evictions should be humane


Johannesburg – Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu on Thursday called on land owners to be humane when enforcing evictions.

She said she was unhappy with evictions in winter when it was cold and while children were writing exams.

“I fail to understand why a property owner will receive a court order in summer and wait until winter to effect it,” she said in a statement.

“It is inhumane and it is bad timing. It is totally unacceptable.”

The Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act required that land and property owners act against illegal occupiers within six months of the illegal occupation.

“Should the owner fail to do so, they are required to provide temporary accommodation as part of the eviction plan,” she said.

Sisulu called on landowners to suspend evictions nationwide until such requirements were met.

Evictions recently took place in Lwandle, near Somerset West; Alexandra in Johannesburg; and Bokamoso near Phuthaditjhaba.

Last week families living in abandoned factories in Alexandra were evicted following a court order.

In Lwandle, about 800 people living on SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) land next to the N2 highway were evicted last week following an interim court order.

Their shacks were demolished and set alight. Many lost their personal possessions and were left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

The families were taken to alternative Sanral-owned land in Blackheath, largely an established residential area.

Residents of the area were reportedly outraged at the arrival of the families and demanded that the families leave.

On Wednesday, Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille announced the families would be moved back to Lwandle while they waited for a housing development project to accommodate them.

Sisulu has set up an inquiry into the Lwandle evictions.

SAPA

Premier Mahumapelo welcomes wage settlement in Marikana


Rustenburg- North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo has welcomed the news that Lonmin and AMCU have reached a wage settlement, thereby laying a firm ground for return to stability in Marikana.

“The Province of the North West is ready to work with all parties to implement a sustainable programme of unity, healing and reconciliation.  Equally, we call on all parties particularly the leadership of unions to work with law enforcement authorities to normalise the situation.
” Mahumapelo said.

Premier Mahumapelo has already invited AMCU,NUM, LONMIN AND BAPO BA MOGALE tribal authority to a meeting to discuss practical steps to be taken by all parties including Provincial Government as a contribution to lasting peace in Marikana. 

“Government extends its gratitude to all parties and role players whose tireless efforts over the months have contributed to the resolution of the wage dispute. 
Let peace reign in Marikana” he said. 
-TDN
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‘Sign, Mathunjwa, sign!’


MARIKANA – Shop stewards from the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) have urged their leader Joseph Mathunjwa to sign a wage deal at a dramatic mass rally crowning five months of industrial action on Thursday.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za

Amcu members gather at Wonderkop


Rustenburg – Hundreds of Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) members sang liberation songs in Marikana on Thursday afternoon, awaiting the arrival of their leaders.
Amcu leader Joseph Mathunjwa and others were scheduled to brief members on the latest developments in wage negotiations.
About 2 000 workers sat on the lawn of the Wonderkop Stadium while others moved in five groups singing struggle song around the stadium.
Fourteen buses were parked outside the stadium. Police in two nyalas and a van kept watch from a distance.
“I heard in Bleskop [Anglo American Platinum] they have accepted a R1 600 increase and mandated the union to negotiate the R12 500 while they return to work,” Lonmin worker Aubrey Matamo told Sapa.
“We want to go to work, but we need money. The company can afford to pay us R12 500.”
He was one of many men sitting on pipes, waiting for Mathunjwa.
The marathon strike had been difficult, said Matamo.
“I cannot recall when did I have had a decent meal.”
Amcu members have been on strike at Lonmin, Anglo American Platinum, and Impala Platinum since January 23, demanding a basic monthly salary of R12 500.
They have rejected the companies’ offer that would bring their cash remuneration to R12 500 by July 2017.
Platinum producers said earlier in the day an agreement in principle had been reached with Amcu that its leadership would discuss some proposals with its members.
“The principles that underpin the proposals seek to achieve a sustainable future for the three platinum companies for the benefit of all stakeholders and to afford employees the best possible increase under the current financial circumstances, said Charmane Russell on behalf of producers.
“Thereafter, and should an agreement be reached, the companies will be assisting employees to ensure a safe return to a normal working environment.”
Amcu would report back to the companies on Friday.
SAPA

Strike is hitting SA hard, warns Mantashe


Cape Town – The platinum strike was putting the country’s credit rating at risk, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe warned on Thursday.

“We are still by and large a mining economy. Now, if your platinum sector is not producing for five months, that will impact on the overall performance of the economy,” he told reporters at Parliament.
“So that strike needs to be attended to.”

Mantashe said the strike had contributed to the negative growth of 0.6% for the first quarter and cautioned that if credit ratings fell “our borrowing costs will increase” – a key concern for the state’s ambitious infrastructure drive.
He repeated his claim that foreigners were actively involved in the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union’s (Amcu) negotiations with mining houses, but declined to mention names or nationalities.

“Four people from foreign countries are actually right in the negotiations of Amcu and basically articulate the position of Amcu in public. That is a worrying situation,” he said.

“If you allow a free-for-all, the risk of economic sabotage becomes real, because you will have people of all political persuasions come into the country and you will begin to see agitation in a country.”
Mantashe said South Africans were naive to think they were the beneficiaries of global goodwill and that the country was immune to foreign meddling.

“South Africans only are naive enough to believe that they are darlings of the world. People have our interests at heart, they are not interested in actually sabotaging our economy.

“We always think it can happen in Egypt, it can happen in Tunisia, it can happen everywhere, it will never happen to us,” he said.

“It will happen to us if we are reckless and we allow things to go as they can and people to do as they wish.”

Mantashe said the ruling party was concerned that the Economic Freedom Fighters were playing an active role in platinum mine wage talks.

“The second issue that worries us… that made us to describe that strike as turning into a political strike is the direct participation of the EFF in the negotiations.”

Mantashe was speaking as strikers were waiting in Marikana for union leaders to brief them on the latest developments in wage negotiations after mining companies said an agreement in principal had been reached that they would propose to workers.
He stressed that, since 34 mineworkers were shot dead at Marikana in August 2012, another 17 people had died there in violence related to the lingering labour unrest.
“Our view is that state security must actually deal with the fact that… people feel so frightened that they can’t go back to work even if they are starving,” Mantashe said.
“There must be security and safety in the area so that people can make decisions, whether they want to continue to strike or they want to go back to work and not be frightened that you will go to work and may not see the sun the following day as death will be the case.”
It has been widely reported that the foreigners Mantashe reproach for talking to strikers include Liv Shange, a Swedish national and deputy general secretary of the Workers and Socialist Party (Wasp), who has termed Mantashe’s remarks xenophobic.
Shange told the media it was outrageous that Mantashe was blaming the strike on a “third force”.
The strike began on January 23 and saw the SA Reserve Bank warn this week that it would drive down export figures as platinum stocks began running out.
SAPA

Section 139(1) (b) intervention in Maquassi Hills Municipality terminated


North West Department of Local Government and Human Settlements has withdrawn the Section 139(1) (b) intervention at Maquassi Hills municipality.

The pronouncement follows the decision by the Provincial Executive Council in their recent meeting.

MEC for the Department Collen Maine said there is a need to institute a different intervention.

“This decision came after careful consideration and the realization that the intervention has run its course and that the Provincial government should provide support to the municipality in terms of Section 154 of the Constitution” departmental spokesperson Dineo Lolokwane.

Section 154 of the Constitution states that: “The national government and provincial government, by legislative and other measures, must support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs, to exercise their powers and perform their functions” Lolokwane said.

Section 139(1)(b) intervention instituted on the financial matters of Matlosana local municipality will end 30 June 2014. In Ditsobotla local municipality intervention continues, however the current team deployed will be replaced.

Section 139(1)(b) of the constitution was invoked last year April at 3 three municipalities namely Ditsobotla, Matlosana and Maquassi Hills local municipalities following the decision by the Provincial EXCO. The interventions were as a result of governance and administration problems in the municipalities which negatively affected service delivery.

“Other reasons included poor governance and management of council matters by the municipal councils, poor leadership and oversight by the councils, breach of code of conduct by councilors, poor relations between council and administration, deterioration of service delivery, poor administrative leadership and lack of administrative capacity within the municipal administrations” she said.
-TDN
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Amcu, platinum firms reach ‘in principle’ agreement


JOHANNESBURG – There are reports this afternoon that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has reached an “in principle” agreement with mine bosses.
Platinum producers Lonmin, Impala and Anglo American have announced that ‘in principle’ undertakings have been reached with leadership of the union in respect of wages and conditions of employment.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za

MEC Maine urges his department to tighten its support to municipalities


North West MEC for Local Government and Human Settlement Collen Maine has urged his department to strengthen their support as they strive to ensure viable and sustainable municipalities in the province.

Addressing a special management meeting recently, MEC Maine said that there is a dire need to address the horrendous state of municipalities in the province.

MEC Maine continued that the current state of municipalities in the province should become a thing of the past.

“The reports on the state of local government are that as a department entrusted with the constitutional mandate to support and ensure viable municipalities, we need to stabilize the state of our municipalities. We need to hit the ground running in assisting municipalities and shy away from planning forever and start implementing. My greatest concern is the slow rate at which we are moving” he said.

“We will continue with our interventions in municipalities where continuous support in terms of various constitutional interventions as legislated. We will also reconvene all municipalities and engage them on their challenges as we will further institute interventions in municipalities which desperately need our support in areas such as finance and planning or any other area where there is a need for such intervention. We need to work and operate as a team to rebrand, reposition and portray this province in a better light”, said MEC Maine.
-TDN
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NORTH WEST PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT TO STRENGTHEN AND IMPORVE SERVICE DELIVERY IN MUNICIPALITIES


The North West Executive Council at its meeting held on 3rd June 2014 reaffirmed its commitment to fulfil Provincial Government obligations in terms of Section 154 of the Constitution to support Municipalities, to meet their constitutional obligations of delivering services to the people.

In addition, EXCO received a report from the MEC for Local Government and Human Settlement, on the status and progress of on-going Section 139 (1) interventions in Municipalities in the Province.

Following the tabling and consideration of the report on Section 139(1) interventions; the Executive Council Resolved:

• To rescind its previous decision on the implementation of Section 139(1)(b) in Macquassie Hills Local Municipality, and replace the intervention with the invocation of Section 154 of the Constitution. As a consequence of this decision, the intervention team sent by Province to the municipality will therefore be withdrawn.• To continue with the intervention in Ditsobotla Local Municipality in terms of Section 139(1)(b), but the Administrator deployed by Provincial Government in Ditsobotla Local Municipality will be withdrawn and a new appointment will be made.• To mandate the Department of Local Government and Human Settlement to deploy a person to Act as Municipal Manager in Lekwa Teemane Local Municipality, once all consultation processes with the Municipal Council are concluded.
 
The Executive Council further resolved that a comprehensive report be commissioned on the state of

ALL Municipalities in the Province in order to inform future role/s of Provincial Government in supporting municipalities.-TDN
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