Pretoria – There has been no word from Kenyan officials on the South African passport of the fugitive Briton dubbed the “white widow”, Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor said on Thursday.

“We have not had communication from Kenyan officials that a South African passport was used. Of course we co-operate with the government of Kenya and have sent condolences,” she told reporters in Pretoria.

The woman is wanted by Kenyan authorities over alleged involvement in a plot to bomb holiday resorts there.

News media speculated about her possible involvement in last week’s attack on a Nairobi mall after a Kenyan minister said a British woman was in the group.

Pandor said a South African passport belonging to the woman was fraudulently issued.

“It [the passport] was investigated and reported on in 2011. It was cancelled at the time as it was found to be acquired fraudulently.”

Pandor said further investigations had to be done into how the passport was issued to a woman named Natalie Faye Webb.

“What we need to do is look at the applications office and check who processed it and how that person met the requirements to be granted a passport.”

Passport issued in Durban

Pandor said the passport was issued in Durban and last used in February 2012.

Since then it had not been used as the person was classified as a terrorist.

The minister said she did not think it was easy to get a South African passport, adding “it might have been easy at the time”.

She said officials would have to talk to the real Webb, who had a South African mother and a British father, which made it possible for her to obtain a South African passport.

Deputy director general of emigration services Jacky Mckay said the identities of those related to the “white widow” would be investigated.

“All identities related to that passport will be put on the stop list to ensure no travelling because they were acquired under assumed identities,” he said.

– SAPA

Cape Town – A court ruling overturning the withdrawal of charges against former police crime intelligence head Richard Mdluli has implications for President Jacob Zuma, an expert said on Thursday.

The judgment, which also ordered national police commissioner Riah Phiyega to restore disciplinary proceedings against Mdluli, was made on Monday by Judge John Murphy in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

Mdluli was suspended amid charges of fraud and corruption, and charges relating to the murder of his former lover’s husband.

An inquest cleared him of any involvement in the murder.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) later withdrew charges of fraud and corruption. He was reinstated, but was suspended again in 2012 pending Freedom Under Law’s (FUL) court application.

Political analyst Richard Calland told the Cape Town Press Club on Thursday: “Justice John Murphy’s judgment in the Mdluli case is extremely important for its extrication of the law.

“If Justice Murphy’s approach is affirmed, then the outcome of the review case from the Democratic Alliance of Zuma is likely to go the same way, which means the charges will be reinstated.”

Calland was referring to the DA’s application to access “spy tapes”, transcripts, and other documents that relate to a 2009 NPA decision to drop corruption charges against Zuma.

‘Spy tapes’

Last month, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ordered acting national director of public prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba to lodge a copy of the tapes with the registrar of the court within five days.

Zuma lodged an application for leave to appeal the following day, and this was subsequently granted by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.

Calland said that should charges eventually be reinstated against Zuma, the ANC might deem it inappropriate to have him in a leadership position and might manufacture a “relatively graceful departure”.

He said Zuma might resist such a move and this could make him vulnerable.

– SAPA

Pretoria – The miners wounded and arrested in Marikana last year were not victims of unfair discrimination, the government contended on Thursday.

Advocate Marius Oosthuizen, for President Jacob Zuma and Justice Minister Jeff Radebe, asked the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to dismiss an application by the miners for state-funded private legal representation before the Farlam Commission of Inquiry.

The miners contended they were being denied the right to a fair public hearing.

They argued they were unfairly discriminated against when the government refused to provide state funds to pay for their lawyer Dali Mpofu at the commission.

The state provides the funding to enable the families of the men who died at Marikana to attend the hearing.

Zuma established the commission, which is chaired by retired Judge Ian Farlam, to investigate incidents at the Lonmin Platinum Mine in Marikana, North West, between 11 and 16 August last year. Forty-four people were killed more than 70 were injured.

Mpofu earlier withdrew from the inquiry because of a lack of funding, pending a review application to set aside the minister of justice and the Legal Aid Board’s decision to refuse state funding to the miners.

Oosthuizen argued that the decision was neither discriminatory nor irrational.

He said the miners were the authors of their own misfortune because they did not properly apply for legal aid.

As a general rule, no private person was legally entitled as a matter of right to any public funding for his legal representation before a commission and no provision was made for it.

Oosthuizen pointed out that the president did not have to accept the commission’s factual findings or follow its recommendations, and that the commission, therefore, operated within the executive branch of government.

Testifying

The miners could also not refuse to testify before the commission, he said.

“For the applicants it is a simple comparison between poor ‘us’ and rich ‘them’ before the Marikana Commission, but that is an over-simplification and ignores the statutory framework in which the spending power of the state is regulated.

“This is not an issue within the narrow scope of public funding only before the Marikana Commission, but an issue within the broader scope of public funding before any commission that brings the whole system of public finance management into play,” he said.

The applicants were not the victims of unfair discrimination, he said.

“… Their own subjective perspective and the blatant attempts to gain the sympathy of the court are not a key to the national purse, which has been entrusted by the Constitution to the elected holders of high public office.

“Public financial resources are not there for the asking nor can a relatively small group of people ask for preferential treatment when those public financial resources are to be carefully allocated to, and balanced between, the various pressing needs and challenges facing a developing country such as ours,” Oosthuizen said.

Legal Aid Board

Viwe Notshe, for Legal Aid SA, argued that the court could at most order the Legal Aid Board to consider legal aid for the miners.

He said everyone in court had been “dancing around the elephant in the room” and it was a fallacy that the version of the miners would not be placed before the commission if they did not get financial assistance.

He said their cause would be taken up by the unions and their evidence would be led by the evidence leaders before the commission.

“The Commissions Act authorises the commission to summons witnesses, but it cannot summons the widows of the deceased.

“The function of the evidence leaders is to assist the commission. Their role is more important than the applicants make out. They’re there to assist everyone,” he said.

Judge Tati Makgoka reserved judgment.

– SAPA

Final touches ahead of the much-anticipated Kimberley Diamond Cup presented by Kumba Iron Ore were under way at the Kimberley Skate Plaza yesterday.

The event, which is expected to be electrifying, will feature an amazing line-up of South African artists during live concerts at the Skate Plaza tomorrow and Saturday.

Tomorrow there will be free entry to the skate plaza for the opening ceremony and concert.

Actor turned rapper and music producer Sipho Ngwenya, known as Psyfo, will be the master of ceremonies.

The performance line-up includes dance crews, DJs and performances by Fruits and Veggies, Psyfo, Cape Town brothers Bfake, Talibun, Proph and Kimberley’s Bingle Dimera.

When The New Age visited the place yesterday, international and local media outside broadcast units were unpacking their equipment.

Kimberley-based signwriter Titch Markham was putting final touches on his paintings on the floors and walls.

“It took me one and a half weeks to paint the logo. This is absolutely new, totally different from the previous one of the Maloof Cup.”

Skate park manager, Mike Koroczynsky, said they were expecting scores of skateboarding fans at the weekend.

“We will be giving away 20 skateboards to our young skateboarding fans.”

Award-winning Toya De Lazy and hip hop artist Da Les will warm up the crowds even more before headline act AKA takes to the stage just after midnight on Saturday.

The three-day spectacular features professional and amateur contests as well as an All Cities team contest.

Tickets are on sale now from Computicket. Saturday’s concert tickets are R80 and R120 for Golden Circle tickets. Daily entry tickets to the Kumba Skate Plaza are R50 while a weekend pass costs R80. A weekend pass plus a concert ticket costs R120 and a weekend pass with a Golden Circle ticket costs R160.

Most of the newly graduated nurses shed tears of joy after receiving their certificates in Mmabatho on Friday and vowed to give their best in improving the welfare of patients.

A total of 545 nurses from the Mmabatho and Excelsius nursing colleges graduated in different areas of nursing sciences and would be deployed to various health centres for a one year community service programme.

However, some of the graduates were already working as nurses and would just continue at their various centres.

One of the top performing students, Doreen Ontatile Magada, 39, from Kuruman said she was happy to finally receive her midwifery certificate.

“I have always wanted to be a nurse. I chose this profession not because of money but because I have always wanted to help people. My plans are to continue with my studies and I would like to focus on intensive eye care as an area of speciality,” she said.

Another student Mpya Jeffrey Madimetsa, 36, from Letlhabile in Brits said his qualification in comprehensive nursing would allow him to plough back to his community. “Nursing is a calling to me because I had to leave my previous job to study. After this I will be going back to Brits where I will be doing my community service at Letlhabille health centre and I promise that I will serve my community with pride,” he said.

Health MEC Dr Magome Masike congratulated the graduates and said their success was also a victory for the communities they would serve.

“I call upon the nurses who have graduated to understand that it is tough out there. You are going to save lives and deliver new lives into this world.

“When you take the oath today, you much remember that you are joining a massive movement for zero percent maternal and infant mortality.”

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

Durban – Orlando Pirates assistant coach Teboho Moloi has taken a swipe at some of the country’s top teams ahead of the MTN8 final this weekend.

The Buccaneers, fresh from their semi-final aggregate 2-1 victory over rivals Kaizer Chiefs and reaching the last four of the CAF Champions League, play Platinum Stars in the first domestic final of the season in Durban on Saturday.

“Platinum Stars have been scoring against teams that are not of championship material. We are champs, we know how to defend so we’re not worried (by their free-scoring record),” Moloi said on Tuesday.

“Teams can’t score against us. And for us not to score, as you’ve seen when we played Zamalek and Al Ahly, it’s because teams are afraid of us. They are afraid to play an open game. So they park the bus and you now come up with ideas of going around a bus that has been parked in the field of play.

“Like we did against Kaizer Chiefs. In the second half they parked the bus and they paid the price, that’s why they are not here.”

Moloi’s reference was to Tuesday’s semi-final second leg which ended in a 1-1 draw after a late goal for the Buccaneers.

Roger da Sa’s number two also played down suggestions that they were currently going through a scoring crisis after netting just four times in their last six outings.

“The goal-scoring problem that everyone is talking about is not there.

“The goals are being shared amongst our players.”

Despite their woes in front of goal, the Soweto giants have made a solid start to the 2013-14 season after a poor previous campaign when they ended trophyless.

The former midfielder also promised fans that the players were ready to bounce back from those disappointments.

“All the trophies that have been engraved with the Orlando Pirates name on them, we are claiming them back,” he said.

“The shelf is empty and everyone in the team knows that on the cup, it has been engraved Orlando Pirates.

“So you must know we will be regaining our trophy.”

In contrast to Pirates’ scoring woes, Stars have been doing well in front of goal, netting nine times already in the competition, while their last six games have yielded seven strikes.

“It’s been hard work and discipline to maintain those levels,” assistant Willem Jackson said.

The former Pirates favourite, who played over 100 times for the club between 1996 and 2004, also felt there was little that could be learnt about their final opponents from his time spent in Soweto.

“That was a long time ago, things have changed, they’ve got different coaches, different style of play,” Jackson added.

“We’ve seen how they play in the last couple of games and we’ll play our game according to that.”

Over 30,000 tickets have been sold for the clash at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, where a sell-out 45,000 fans are expected.

SAPA

Deposed United Christian Democratic Party leader Lucas Mangope has suffered a political blow in the North West High Court which was dismissed and  cost him his application to have the leadership of the party charged with contempt of court.

The application was his lifeline to regain control of the party after he lost out to the Sipho Mfundisi-led executive that was elected at the in 2011.

The imposing brass statue of former strongman at the party headquarters in Mahikeng, will remain as the only permanent feature of a man whose long-running political career seems to be ending unceremoniously.

The UCDP elected a new leadership after a huge fallout with Mangope. The new leadership decided to expel him but that was reversed by a court ruling.

However, that only restored the former leader’s party membership, not his previous position as leader.

Mangope lodged the latest application against the party, Mfundisi and another party official, Pemla Motsuenyane, after he was barred from the party’s offices earlier this year.

Together with his supporters, Mangope had sought to regain control of the party.

In her ruling, acting judge Tebogo Djaje said that Mangope had never contested the leadership of Mfundisi and his fight had been about getting his membership restored and not his leadership of the UCDP.

“The applicant’s contention and argument that the respondents refused to allow him access to the offices of the first respondent (UCDP) as a leader cannot, therefore, be sustained. Consequently, I am not persuaded to find that the respondents are in contempt of the court order dated May 17, 2012,” Djaje said

She ordered that Mangope also pay the costs of the application, which caused celebration in the Mfundisi- led executive.

Party spokesperson Estelle Green said they were relieved at the outcome.

“The UCDP has never denied or tried to erase the role Mangope played in his time as leader. We respected a previous ruling that was in his favour granting him membership.

“We even extended an olive branch to Mangope but all to no avail. The court has confirmed what we have been saying all along that Kgosi Mangope is a member of and not the leader of the UCDP,” Green said.

She said that Sipho Mfundisi is the elected leader and the rank and file of the party would rally behind him.

“The current leader will lead the UCDP’s quest to regain its position on the political radar. We will continue to stand up and speak out, guarding democracy from tyrants who are in politics for themselves and not for the people,” Green said.

Efforts to get comment from Mangope were unsuccessful.

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

All roads lead to Klerksdorp as tourism stakeholders gather to mark World Tourism Day tomorrow.

The province was chosen as this year’s host province and build-up activities to the big day started with a student seminar in Potchefstroom yesterday.

World Tourism Day is commemorated under the auspices of the UN World Tourism Organisation annually, to celebrate the socio-economic milestones of tourism under a particular theme.

This year’s activities will focus around tourism and water, and protecting our common future and comes as a result of the UN declaration of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation.

Provincial economic development and tourism spokesperson Dumisa Seshabela said the event seeks to address environmental sustainability.

“Environmental sustainability is one of the millennium development goals and water is a major resource towards this.

“Besides the fun aspect water provides, activities lined up will also highlight the tourism sector’s responsibility to the wider sustainability objectives.

“This sector uses a significant amount of water and the idea is to encourage all South Africans and tourism stakeholders to play a role in contributing to responsible water use through the implementation of responsible tourism practices and fostering water conservation,” Seshabela said.

She added that the student seminar that took place this week targeted final year and postgraduate students from various universities to present their research findings on tourism-related topics.

“Today, Minister for Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk will host a business breakfast event with the provincial tourism industry players to engage on how the tourism sector can remain competitive and sustainable through the implementation of sustainable water management practices.

“This will be followed by a public lecture the minister will deliver in Klerksdorp later in the day. The subject of the lecture is informed by this year’s theme,” Seshabela said.

The main celebrations will be held at Water Paradise tomorrow to cap off what Seshabela said had been a busy tourism month.

“The day’s activities will include a formal event where the Minister will launch a legacy project before people engage in a variety of water activities,” she said.

At the opening of Tourism Month on August 28, van Schalkwyk said: “As we proceed to the last leg of our tourism month activities in the province, we encourage all South Africans to take a short-left and have fun with water as they explore our beautiful country.”

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

Johannesburg – The chairperson of Azaadville’s community policing forum, west of Johannesburg, has been shot dead, Kagiso police said on Thursday.

“Yesterday [Wednesday] at about 1pm a chairperson of the Azaadville Community Policing Forum was robbed and shot in a business robbery at his shop in Chamdor next to Kagiso,” Warrant Officer Solomon Sibiya said in a statement.

Sibiya identified the man as Ishmael Shaik.

Eye witnesses were said to have seen more than six men arriving in two cars.

It was believed four people entered a shop on Jacob Street, Chamdor near Kagiso on Wednesday, and demanded money from the shop owner at gun point, Sibiya said.

“When the deceased resisted he was shot in the head and chest. An undisclosed amount of cash was stolen. The suspects thereafter fled the scene in two vehicles.”

The deceased, believed to be in his thirties, was rushed to the local hospital where he later died.

“One person was arrested and has been taken in for questioning,” Sibiya said.

Police were hunting for 10 people believed to be linked to the robbery and murder.

SAPA

Pretoria – Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema said on Thursday he realised his supporters would be severely punished if they took land without compensation.

“We know once we take this land forcefully, they will use the economy to fight us,” he said in Pretoria.

Malema was speaking outside the Theo van Wijk building at the University of SA (Unisa) after management denied him and his supporters access to the hall.

He told the large crowd which had gathered to listen to him that Africa was rich, while its occupants were poor.

He said the Europeans on the continent were richer than the natives.

“That has to change. If you take the land, you take everything that comes with it. You take the seed. It won’t be the Indian Ocean in Africa, it will be the African ocean,” he said.

He told followers to tell those who said they were punishing the wrong people that a wound did not rot in Sesotho.

He sought to assure white people that genocide would not be committed to get the land back, and said they were brothers who had a right to live in the country.

“No white men must leave their land because they are forced. You’re our brothers, but we can’t have greedy brothers. We want a peaceful process. Those who have taken our land must not be arrogant,” he said.

He encouraged whites to agree to land distribution without compensation, and not to listen to the African National Congress as it could not guarantee their safety.

Anger boiling

The safety of whites was in the hands of the black majority.

“Anger is boiling inside. One day, people will rise and claim the land and it will not be controllable,” he said.

He said the question of what the people would do with the land should not be an issue, as Africans had worked the land long before being colonised.

Whites had only brought ways of working the land faster.

“We were also mining in Mapungubwe and trading with Asians long before,” he said.

Malema criticised the university’s management for denying him entry into the hall, and said he was one of its registered students and had a right to be there.

He was not scared of anyone and if the university believed he was there illegally, he should be thrown out.

“There is no one in this campus who can stop me. I will never be scared to stand up for what I believe in. They must tell people the truth if I’m lying and not threaten me with death because I will never retreat.”

He said the actions of university management were irresponsible.

The cancellation was due to threats by members of the SA Students’ Congress to disrupt proceedings.

Manhandle them

Members of the two organisations insulted one another, and a scuffle resulted in Sasco members being injured. Malema encouraged his supporters to protect meetings.

“You must manhandle them if there is a need. Never behave like cowards. Protect meetings, do whatever it takes to ensure [the] meeting goes ahead,” he said, speaking through a loud-hailer.

National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) Unisa chair Ntsako Nombelani accused the EFF of provoking members of Nehawu and Sasco.

He said he did not understand how the meeting had gone ahead following communication with Unisa management about the cancellation.

“We were told yesterday [Wednesday] that the event was cancelled because the people who invited them no longer met the bargaining threshold,” he said.

Nombelani said charges would be laid against the EFF.

Unisa SRC president Brian Mphahlele accused Malema of destabilising education and of not having the best interests of students at heart.

Sasco’s Unisa chair Solly Nkuna said earlier only registered students would be allowed into the ZK Matthews Hall, where Malema had been expected to speak.

“We have vowed to disrupt any talk given by Malema,” said Nkuna.

“We took a position that non-students are not going to enter or participate. We will destabilise everything until such a point that students are the only ones left inside [the hall].”

Not another Zimbabwe

He accused university management of turning Unisa into a platform for unhappy former African National Congress members.

Malema, the ANC Youth League’s former leader, was expelled from the party in 2012.

Nkuna said Sasco had a duty to protect the “rainbow nation” and would not support an organisation that wanted to forcefully grab land.

“The issue must be addressed accordingly. We can’t allow our country to become like Zimbabwe,” he said.

“We won’t support Malema as he talks about grabbing land from the whites.”

EFF supporters sang: “One Zuma, one idiot”, while holding their hands above their heads to represent a showerhead.

“Malema is coming” and “Julius sent us because we are not afraid”, they sang.

SAPA