Mahikeng-“As the movement that bears the singular historic responsibility to unite all our people, the ANC’s first responsibility is itself to be united so that it can lead society as a “powerful and effective instrument” this was uttered by ANC North West Oupa Matla. Matla said ANC in the Province want to achieve 80% for the coming 2014 National and Provincial Election and ensure that its membership is united towards that goal.

“The ability by the Provincial Executive Committee of the ANC in the North West to embarked on a such ground-breaking programme must be applauded, having assessed the public discourse in the recent times amongst some members of the ANC, the initiative is a must have programme” he said.

Sepedi idiom says “Tloga tloga e tswa natso modisa wa dikgomo o tswa natso sakeng”,Setswana idiom further says “Diporogwana tsa pula di baakangwa e sale gale” he said. 

ANC chairperson in the province Supra Mahumapelo uttered the same words as he said Unity and internal cohesion is central to effective organization and ANC North West is no exception to this fact. 

“Many liberation movements and revolutionary parties that failed to manage their internal contradictions fell by the way-side, leaving their noble ideals unaccomplished. 

Hence the ANC NEC has declared 2013 as year of unity towards socio-economic freedom” he said.

ANC NW said Unity is built on basic principles of what the movement stands for and how it should operate in carrying out its mission. 

“Unity cannot and should not be equated with an absence of differences within structures of the organisation. However the ANC in the North West have provided platforms to resolve such Contradictions and differences in forums like consistent BEC`s monthly political Schools,REC`s quarterly political classes, monthly political classes for all council caucuses, Forum for festival of Ideas(FFI) after every PEC meeting and Setsokotsane on Mondays after every Provincial Working Committee(PWC)meeting” Matla said.

Contractions and differences will always arise in any organization as big as the ANC but they should not be confused with ill-discipline. 

The challenge is to manage and turn contradictions into a source of strength, rather than a source of cabals and factions. 

Over 101 years, the ANC has been able to manage contradictions effectively because it has encouraged and nurtured it. The ANC is not Machine nor a conveyer belt.

The PEC has demonstrated a culture of collective leadership, understanding that no single individual, however committed or experienced, has the ability or wisdom to bring about social change on their own. 

Leaders have to function as collectives that constantly exchange views and share organisational tasks and get guidance from the membership and involve them in the work of the organisation. 

Through collective decision-making and implementation, individual leaders influence one another’s views and perspectives, share experiences on dealing with organisational and political matters and therefore gain confidence that improves the performance and effectiveness of the organisation.

“This lays the basis for unity of purpose, one of the main ingredients of internal cohesion. Encouraging a culture of criticism and self-criticism helps the cadreship of the movement to approach questions and practical problems of social transformation with critical minds rather than with dogma” Oupa Matla said. “This culture lays the basis for cadres and leaders to constantly reflect on and learn from their daily experience and methods of work, thus creating a possibility to become even better agents for change”.

He said The PEC must be applauded because this is indeed Unity in action, recognising that ideological unity is necessary but insufficient. It must be matched by unity through the disciplined implementation of an agreed programme of action. 

Unity only becomes a material force or “powerful and effective instrument” for revolutionary change when it is translated into action. However they must be mindful of the fact that, if you are sent to the river to fetch water you must not listen to frogs making lot of noise because the intention is to distract you. 

This article is written by Oupa Matla in his own personal capacity.

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Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Jabu Mahlangu says he was impressed with how his former club clinched their first League title since 2004/05.

Mahlangu made his Kaizer Chiefs debut during the 1999/00 campaign and went on to win his first championship with the club in 2003/04.

But when Chiefs defended their title a year title, Mahlangu had already left to join Muhsin Ertugral’s SV Mattersburg in Austria.

“Kaizer Chiefs had a great squad this season,” he tells KickOff.com.

“They were not relying on certain individuals; they had quality players in all departments and that is important if you want to win the League.

“They were consistent throughout the season and I had no doubt that they would win the title.”
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Senegalese striker Mame Niang has rejoined SuperSport United on a three-year deal.

Niang was deemed surplus to requirements by Matsatsantsa at the beginning of the 2012/13 season, but he went on to score some crucial goals for University of Pretoria and SuperSport United have changed their minds.

The 29-year-old scored 10 goals for AmaTuks.
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Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane says his players deserve the credit after he was named the best coach in Quarter Four.

‘Jingles’ accepted the award today at the PSL headquarters and heaped praise on his players, after they finished third in the last quarter of the 2012/13 season.

“I met the players in the morning and I told them I will receive the award on their behalf. They are the ones who played for me to be voted. It is encouraging. To be acknowledged makes me work harder – double my efforts. I’m honoured,” Mosimane says.

Mosimane admits he was not even aware Sundowns were in a good position to win Q4 prior to the last fixtures over the weekend.

“I was made aware by one of my players that we had a chance to win Q4 the day before the match against Bidvest Wits. We were just focused on trying to finish in the top eight,” he says.

Not only did Sundowns fail to win Q4, but they also had to settle for 10th place in the overall standings for the season.
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Johannesburg – A man trying to smuggle seven cellphone tower batteries into Zimbabwe, has been arrested at the Beitbridge border post, Limpopo police said on Monday.

“It is suspected that these batteries were stolen from cellphone towers at several places in South Africa,” said spokesperson Ronel Otto.

The batteries, worth R26 560, were the size of car batteries, she said.

They were seized with the man’s car on Sunday.

The 46-year-old Zimbabwean was arrested and would appear soon in the Musina Magistrate’s Court on charges of possession of suspected stolen property.

– SAPA

Rustenburg – Police did not believe Amcu leader Joseph Mathunjwa could persuade striking Marikana miners to give up their weapons, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Monday.

“Had you believed Mathunjwa would have been able to convince the people to lay down their arms, you wouldn’t have proceeded with the tactical plan?” asked Heidi Barnard, for the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).

She was cross-examining Major General Charl Annandale, who headed the police tactical response team during the wage-related unrest that unfolded in Marikana last year.

Report back

The commission, sitting in Rustenburg, heard how Brigadier Adriaan Calitz said Amcu had told miners they would come back with mine management to address the miners within half an hour.

Amcu reportedly made the announcement at 13:25.

“The Joint Operations Centre [JOC] knew about this, but had planned to continue with tactical response anyway,” said Annandale.

Barnard asked why police had not waited for Mathunjwa to report back to them.

Annandale said a decision to put into effect the tactical response team was taken at around 13:15.

Threats

Annandale said one of the reasons for going ahead with the plan was that police had received threats from the mineworkers.

He said Mathunjwa had confessed to a police official that he was not in control of the situation.

The mood of the protesters had also changed and they appeared more aggressive, he said.

Barnard concluded her cross-examination, and Dumisa Ntsebeza, for the families of the dead miners, began questioning Annandale.

The commission, chaired by retired Judge Ian Farlam, is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 44 people killed in the unrest last year.

Police shot dead 34 striking mineworkers in Marikana on 16 August.

Ten people, including two police officers, were killed in the preceding week.

– SAPA

Rustenburg – The police’s operational plan for the Marikana unrest was a compilation of the input of all the commanders, involved in the mission to disperse and disarm the striking workers, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Monday.

Major General Charl Annandale denied that the so-called “Scott plan” was the work of only one policeman, Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Scott.

However, Dumisa Ntsebeza, for the families of the deceased miners, put it to him that the reluctance to admit it was Scott’s plan was because “professionally, he wasn’t the person meant to formulate the plan for Marikana”.

“You decided on Scott because he had certain qualities… There’s nowhere [in Scott’s statement and plan] that says what input from [the police commanders] he used in the plan,” said Ntsebeza.

Scott had also frequently used the term “I” in the plan.

Annandale told the commission, which is sitting at the Rustenburg civic centre, he did not know why Scott had omitted to credit the commanders for their input.

Earlier, Ntsebeza asked Annandale whether he would have been prepared to reveal anything to the commission that would embarrass the police.

“Would you be prepared, since you are under oath and have vowed to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing else but the truth, to break rank and say [the video material does exist]?” asked Ntsebeza.

Video footage

He was referring to video footage he claimed police might have failed to hand in to the commission because they feared it would incriminate them.

Most of the video material used in the commission was taken from the media.

“It’s remarkable that all the material we have is from sources other than the police,” said Ntsebeza.

Annandale said he had indeed been true to the oath he made to the commission.

The commission, which is chaired by retired Judge Ian Farlam, is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 44 people killed in the unrest last year.

Police shot dead 34 striking mineworkers in Marikana on 16 August.

Ten people, including two police officers, were killed in the preceding week.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Teenager Kirsty Theologo paid for the petrol with which she was doused before being set alight in an apparent satanic ritual, the South Gauteng High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court heard on Monday.

“Lindon [Wagner] gave me money to buy petrol as we got up by the BP garage along the way to the mountain. He got the money from Kirsty… I think he asked her for the money,” Harvey Isha told the court.

Isha is on trial with Robin Harwood, Lindon Wagner and Courtney Daniels, for the murder of Theologo, the attempted murder of her 14-year-old friend, and for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

They have all pleaded not guilty.

Two other accused, Jeremy King and Lester Moody, confessed to the crime and were each sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment, five of them suspended.

Doused with petrol

Theologo, 18, and the other girl were tied up, doused with petrol, and set alight on a hill in Linmeyer, south of Johannesburg, on 21 October 2011.

Theologo died in hospital, but her friend survived.

“What an irony. She bought her own petrol,” Judge Geraldine Borchers said during the proceedings on Monday.

Isha said Wagner gave him a container he had picked up at a rubbish bin, and told him the petrol was for making a bush fire on the hill.

He, the other accused and Theologo’s friend had smoked dagga at Wagner’s flat while waiting for Theologo to arrive.

They had also bought vodka from a nearby liquor store.

“When Kirsty arrived she asked for the weed [dagga] as well. She then left with Jeremy to buy herself some zol [dagga],” said Isha.

Going up the hill

When Borchers asked him what the plan was for the night, Isha said he had believed they would sit and drink the vodka. They then left the flat.

“At that point, I didn’t know where were going.”

The group walked towards the hill, he said.

“When we reached the mountain, we started looking for sticks to make fire and gathered stones around to sit on. We then sat around the fire and started drinking.”

Asked to describe the mood around the fire, Isha said it “was alive, everyone was having a conversation with each other and laughing”.

He said he did not know about claims that brake fluid was consumed.

“I don’t know anything about the brake fluid. I know we were drinking the vodka. I remember that I was sharing a glass with Jeremy.”

His lawyer Chris Pillay asked him what the drink tasted like.

“It was mixed juice… It tasted lekker [nice],” he said with a smile.

The trial continues.

– SAPA

By Obakeng Maje

Zeerust- North West police are investigating a case of attempterd robbery and possible murder regarding the outcomes of the investigations.

Onthusitse Senosi(19) was shot dead by a 46 year-old on alleged self-defence after he entered the house of a man in Borakalo section, near Motswedi village.

Police said a 46 year-old man was asleep with his wife when they heard dogs barking.

“A 46 year-old went out to investigate after he also heard a kitchen door opens. He allegedly saw Senosi coming out of one of bedrooms with a gun in his hand” police said.

Senosi was shot in a leg and neck after a fight over a gun.

A will be robber died on the scene and police were called.

“A 19 year-old boy was taken to government motuary” Moiloa said. Investigation continues.

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Durban – The mother of the sangoma who was stoned to death in Welbedacht by a mob which wrongly believed she had abducted a child, has welcomed the 10-year sentences handed to the men who murdered her daughter.
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