The presidency urged Nelson Mandela’s family on Friday to solve an increasingly bitter dispute “amicably”, weighing in for the first time on a feud over the ailing former president’s final resting place.

“It is regrettable that there is a dispute going on among family members and we’d like that dispute to be resolved as amicably and as soon as possible,” President Jacob Zuma’s spokesperson Mac Maharaj told AFP in an interview.

After a heated court battle, 15 Mandela relatives, including his three daughters and wife Graça Machel, won a court order to rebury the remains of his three deceased children on Wednesday.

His oldest grandson Mandla, 39, had moved the graves from Mandela’s childhood village Qunu to his own nearby homestead in Mvezo two years ago, without the family’s permission.

Following the ruling Mandla launched a tirade at his relatives.

In a nationally televised news conference on Thursday he accused one of his brothers of impregnating his wife, and said others were born out of wedlock.

Mandla also accused other close relatives of money-grabbing and said Mandela’s daughter Makaziwe was trying to “sow divisions and destruction” in her family.

Maharaj refused to comment on a nine-day-old court document, which said the 94-year-old former president was judged to be in a “permanent vegetative state” and that his doctors had recommended switching off his life-support machines.

“We did not file any document and we are not saying that it’s true or not true,” he said.

Burial place

The filing was produced by a Mandela family lawyer last Wednesday and argued for an urgent court hearing, so that a burial place for the critically ill Mandela could be finalised.

Mandela has indicated in the past he wanted to be buried with his family.

The moved graves meant there was confusion about his final resting place.

Since the court document was published, the presidency as well as Mandela’s family and friends have said his condition has improved.

But Maharaj would not confirm if the document described Mandela’s health accurately.

Mandela remained in a “critical but stable” condition, Maharaj said, but did not elaborate, citing doctor-patient confidentiality.

– AFP

By Obakeng Maje

Potchefstroom-The DA has served legal papers on former Tlokwe Mayor Maphetle Maphetle and other councillors currently refusing to vacate the municipal offices.

Officials have also been allegedly instructed by the ANC not to allow the new DA administration access to these offices.

Mr Maphetle has requested a meeting on Monday to resolve matters.

“The DA is prepared to attend this meeting but is also equally prepared to do what is necessary to bring immediate stability to the municipality” DA Chris Hattingh said.

DA remains the only political party that can bring stability to the municipality given the deep and seemingly intractable divisions within the ANC caucus said Hattingh.

ANC announced that those councillors who voted against them to unseat embattled Maphetle were expelled from the party.

Some ANC members who were in support of ousted councillors were seen burning their membership cards and t-shirts depicted with ANC logo.

“It is likely that we will soon see the ANC suspend their 14 ANC councillors who voted against corruption in Tlokwe this week.

This will leave the DA with both an outright majority and a quorum in council to get started with our delivery agenda” DA said.

Democratic Allience said they are intent on acting immediately to deal with key delivery issues such as housing which is being affected by unsafe dolomite rocks beneath the surface threatening to collapse and endanger residents.

“We will also move to deal with the findings of corruption in the forensic audit commissioned by the DA during our last tenure in charge” he said.

The DA remains focused on delivery in Tlokwe and ensuring stability in the municipality’s administration said Hattingh.

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

By Obakeng Maje

Taung-The family of the deceased Pontsho Mogapi at Manokwane village in Greater Taung Local Municipality is heaving a sigh of relief after receiving social assistance from North West newly appointed MEC for Social Development, Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Collen Maine.

Yesterday Maine visited the family following a gruesome death of Pontsho Mogapi, 35 who was allegedly killed by her husband over a heated argument on the June 26.

“Maine has, since the incident deployed social workers to provide social relief of distress in the form of food parcels, blankets and hygienic packs” departmental spokesperson Vuyisile Ngesi said.

“This is very sad and painful. Such behaviour should not be tolerated in our communities. I make an appeal to the local municipality and other government departments to work together with our department to ensure that the deceased daughter who even witnessed the killing of her mother is being taken to school and receive all the necessary care,” Maine said. 

He added that the family should allow the law to take its cause over the case.

The deceased daughter, a 17 year old Grade 11 learner who spoke on condition of anonymity said she wants to follow in the footsteps of her mother and become a nurse to emulate her mother who was a nurse at the time of her untimely death.

According to the police report, the suspect allegedly stabbed the victim with a knife on the head and set their 3 roomed house alight and fled the scene. He later handed himself to police and charged with murder and arson.

The deceased will be buried on Sunday at Manokwane village in Greater Taung Local Municipality.

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Over seven hundred and six million has been allocated to address sanitation backlog within the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality, the Executive Mayor, Councillor Louis Diremelo reported at the North West Provincial Basic Services Acceleration Summit that commenced in Rustenburg on Thursday.

According to Diremelo’s report presented on the first day of the two- day summit, 

5485 households in Moretele Local Municipality are beneficiaries of theR255 million sanitation projects that are under construction in eleven wards.Six thousand VIP’s and 4000 waterborne toilets project is to be rolled out in Klipgat in Madibeng Local Municipality. The intervention includes the rehabilitation of 4 waste treatment works funded through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant. Two hundred and forty-four million rand has been allocated for the project.

Other projects to address the sanitation backlog are underway in Moses Kotane, Kgetleng Rivier and Rustenburg Local Municipalities.

The Siya crew can reveal that Lennox Bacela has passed his medical at Orlando Pirates and looks set to join the Soweto giants!

It was revealed by the crew yesterday morning that the Bloemfontein Celtic striker was in Mayfair undergoing a medical, after the club had expressed an interest in signing him.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

According to a Siya crew source, Lebogang Manyama’s potential move to Kaizer Chiefs could be back on, with Ajax Cape Town waiting on Mabhudi Khenyeza’s appeal.

There were rumours circulating in recent months that the Amakhosi were keen to land the 22-year-old from Ajax, although his agent, Alfred Phiri, moved to quell the rumours, insisting that he was going nowhere.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Platinum Stars has confirmed that they have appointed Senzo Mazingiza as Football Manager at the club.

Soccer-Laduma reported yesterday that Mazingiza had left Orlando Pirates, with the official stating that it was simply his “time to leave”.

He had joined the Buccaneers back in September 2011 after his contract as Project Manager at the Premier Soccer League had expired.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

The Johannesburg Housing Company has unleashed the Red-Ants on residents of Newtown Housing Village in Fordsburg.

This is the second group to be evicted following a similar incident over a week ago.

Gauteng South African Communist Party (SACP) secretary Jacob Mamabolo says the evictions are acts of corruption in which residents are supposed to be co-owners of the building.

He says they will be working with residents to make an urgent application in court. At least 150 people are said to have become victims.

Mamabolo says, “We are seriously disturbed by this. We strongly condemn the conduct, action of the Johannesburg housing corporation. We believe that they are very much insensitive and inhuman in their conduct. There are women and children, people with disabilities and we think this conduct is a violation of a basic human right of our people.”
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Former president Nelson Mandela’s wife Graca Machel left his bedside on Thursday to thank South Africans for showing their love for the ailing statesman.

“I want to take this opportunity in the presence of ministers and the sport fraternity to again thank you for the outpouring and humbling demonstration of love, the care and the support of hope,” Machel said.

“We have taken it into our hearts every single day. It is important to find the occasion to tell every person that humbled himself to pray for us that God is listening, but we are also taking note.”

Machel was speaking at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg, where ministers and members of the sporting fraternity delivered a pledge and messages of support for Mandela.

Ministers of Human Settlements Tokyo Sexwale, Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile, and Sport Fikile Mbalula were among the dignitaries.

Earlier, Mbalula launched the Nelson Mandela Sports Day at a breakfast in Sandton.

“As we continue to soldier on to celebrate his legacy, these are the things he lives for, like the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital,” Mbalula said.

“He did not do those things for himself, he did them to make a difference for others and that is what we must carry on as a people.”

Machel said the initiative stood for everything Mandela symbolised.

“Although Madiba sometimes may be uncomfortable, a very few times he is in pain, but he is fine,” she said.

“The best gift which he has given to this nation again is unity. At the beginning he offered South Africa the gift of reconciliation, of bringing together all people of all races and of all ages to rally around a dream of a South Africa which belongs to all.”

The legacy which is going to be tangible, it is going to be everlasting

Machel said this dream might have faded over the last few years, but while Mandela lay in hospital he offered the nation the opportunity to once again be united.

She said sport also played its role in uniting the nation.

Machel said Mandela was touched by the plight of children in the country, which led to the dream of building the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital.

“I thought it was fitting that while we all pray and wish him well we should also think of the future,” Machel said.

“The legacy which is going to be tangible, it is going to be everlasting and with a multiplying effect as a hospital.”

Mandela’s grandson Zodwa Mandela thanked South Africans and the world for their support and prayers for his grandfather.

“The gestures from South African children have been inspirational. Please continue to keep our grandfather in your prayers and keep positive,” Zodwa Mandela said.

The Nelson Mandela Sports Day, a brainchild of the sport and recreation department, will see the Springboks and Bafana Bafana playing against Argentina and Burkina Faso respectively at the FNB Stadium on August 17.

Mbalula revealed that the proceeds from the day, which would also include a concert after the Springbok’s match, would go towards the hospital.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

LONDON – Extraditing Shrien Dewani to South Africa would be the lawful, logical, clinically sensible and the right thing to do, the Westminster Magistrate’s Court heard on Thursday.

The 32-year-old is accused of masterminding the murder of his bride Anni in Cape Town back in November 2010.

Prosecutors have been summing up why they believe Dewani should returned to South Africa, with the judge’s decision being sent to the British government to be rubber stamped.

Hugo Keith, acting on behalf of South African authorities, told the court since the successful appeal against Dewani’s extradition his health has significantly improved.

He told the court a lot had changed and Dewani was no longer in danger of committing suicide.

The British businessman denies any involvement in his wife’s murder.

Earlier this week, he was excused from court to continue with treatment.

On Wednesday, Dewani’s legal team asked for a further six-month delay before a final decision on his extradition was taken.

He is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

South African authorities say he will be allowed to continue with his treatment if extradited.

Three South African men are serving lengthy jail sentences after being convicted for the crime.
Xolile Mngeni is serving a life sentence for firing the gun that killed Anni, while Mziwamadoda Qwabe was jailed for 25 years and taxi driver Zola Tongo was sentenced to 18 years.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za