Johannesburg – Government must prioritise hunger alleviation, a study recommends.

“We are proposing a national act that will put hunger at the heart of government policies,” Oxfam’s economic justice campaign manager Rashmi Mistry said.

“All government departments must come together so that it is not just one department, like agriculture, that will be responsible for food security. It also involves rural development, social development…all government departments.”

Mistry was speaking following the release of the study, titled “Hidden hunger in South Africa”, which was intended to expose what hunger meant in South Africa and the fact that not enough was being done to address the issue.

The study found that a quarter of South Africans regularly suffered from hunger.

“South Africa is supposed to be a food secure nation, producing enough food to adequately feed everyone but the reality is that one in four people currently suffers hunger on a regular basis,” Mistry said.

Risk of hunger

She said hunger stripped away people’s dignity and perpetuated people’s problems. More needed to be done for change to be effective in the country.

She called on the government to intervene and come up with legislation to help fight hunger.

According to the study, one in four people in the country suffered from hunger and an additional 28.3% were at risk of hunger.

It was undertaken in nine different municipalities in three provinces – Limpopo, Western Cape and Eastern Cape. The choice of provinces was based on the national poverty statistics from Stats SA in 2012.

SA Human Rights Commission deputy chair Pregs Govender echoed the sentiments and challenged government to take action. She said the government was aware of the statistics but had done nothing about the problem.
SAPA

Johannesburg – Three children died when their shack caught alight in Kagiso, on the West Rand on Thursday morning, Gauteng police said.

The brothers, one aged four and twins aged 1, were “burnt beyond recognition and were confirmed dead at the scene”, said police spokesperson Solomon Sibiya.

The landlord of the shack the boys lived in with their parents discovered it was in flames and alerted her neighbours.

“She screamed for help and her neighbour arrived with water and sand in an attempt to extinguish the fire,” said Sibiya.

However, the neighbours and firefighters called to the scene were unable to extinguish the fire in time to save the children.

The boys were alone in the shack at the time.

The cause of the fire was unknown and an inquest docket had been opened.

SAPA

Durban – Corruption involving more than R30.8m saw 746 KwaZulu-Natal civil servants reported to the police, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu said on Thursday.

Mchunu, speaking at a meeting of the province’s head of departments and supply chain managers in Cedara, north of Pietermaritzburg, said these figures were for the 2012/13 financial year.

During the same period, 546 civil servants were convicted and sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment.

“Fraud and corruption are a cancer which, if not arrested, has potential to irreparably harm the standing of our province and its reputation among its citizens, making our people lose faith in the future of our democratic country.”

The cases were taken to the police by the provincial treasury’s integrity unit, which was tasked with fighting corruption.

“In the first quarter of 2014 [April to June], 274 public servants were subjected to disciplinary hearings for grant-related fraud and 78 for fraud and theft. The hearings continue.”

He said that unlike the apartheid era when government’s dealings were shrouded in secrecy, the current government was prepared to lay bare the problems it faced. “Ours is a government that is declaring war openly against corruption and we invite the public to join us in the fight,” he said.

He said that during the provincial government’s previous term (2009 to 2014) cyber crime cost the government R179m.

SAPA

Pretoria – Judge Thokozile Masipa on Thursday reproached Oscar Pistorius’s lawyer Barry Roux for a sarcastic comment to prosecutor Gerry Nel.

When court resumed after lunch, she addressed both Nel and Roux.

“You made an objection against the way Mr Nel was arguing,” she said, looking at Roux.

“You had every right to do so, but it was not the correct way to do so.”

Roux, speaking softly, apologised.

Before lunch Nel was addressing acting national correctional services commissioner Zach Modise about prison conditions, during sentencing proceedings for Pistorius, when Roux got to his feet.

“I think Mr Nel must just take the oath because he’s giving evidence,” Roux snapped. He sat down just as quickly as he had leapt up, leaned back in his chair, propped one foot on his thigh and looked irritated.

There were “oooohs” and ripples of laughter from the public gallery.

Nel, who had sat down, got up again.

“My Lady I don’t find that funny. I could make the same sarcastic remark but I decided not to.”

Roux’s comment was made while Nel was re-examining Modise.

“Like in every department in the country you have people that don’t follow the rules,” Nel told Modise.

“Like in any organisation in this country you have people that don’t follow the rules,” he added.

“But you deal with that?” Nel asked.

“That is correct,” Modise replied. This prompted Roux’s sarcasm.

Closing arguments will be heard on Friday.

On September 12 Masipa found Pistorius guilty of the culpable homicide of model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp, but not guilty of her murder. Pistorius had claimed he thought there was a burglar in his toilet when he fired four shots through the locked door in the early hours of 14 February last year, killing Steenkamp.

Masipa found Pistorius guilty of discharging a firearm in public, when he shot from his friend Darren Fresco’s Glock pistol under a table at Tasha’s restaurant in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, in January 2013.

Pistorius was found not guilty on two firearms-related charges – illegal possession of ammunition, and shooting through the open sunroof of a car with his 9mm pistol while driving with friends in Modderfontein on 30 September 2012.

SAPA

Klerksdorp- The ANC Women’s League in the North West province condemns the brutal killing of Sipho Nhlahlo, a 20 year old boy who had a physical disability and whose body was left to rot on the open streets of Jouberton, Extention 7 in Klerksdorp in the early hours of Sunday morning, 12 October ANC Women’s League Condemns the Killing of a 20 year Old Disabled Boy

2014.

Nhlahlo who stayed with his siblings, was kidnapped from his home at the time of no supervision by alleged suspects who were later arrested for their crime.

“It is alleged that his decomposed body was mutilated for ritual purposes as it was found with no brains and private parts, including buttocks, later to be thrown at an area where commuters could see it” ANC North West Women’s League secretary Meokgo Matuba.

Since the 1913 anti-pass campaign in the Free State, South African women have remained resolute at the forefront of the struggle for the liberation and emancipation of our people as a whole, not only women. To this date women are still at the forefront on the struggle against a violent and crime infested society.

“We are distraught and disgusted by these inhumane acts of evil and we will make certain that we defend and fight against such, as the gallant fighters we are and always have been.

“We pay tribute and appreciate the work performed by our forces, our South African Police Service (SAPS) in whom we have placed our outmost trust to guard and protect the lives and rights of all human dignity as enshrined in our constitution, for a speedily response in handling this case” Matuba said.

ANCWL North West said women will never cease to exist, fight and ensure that all rights of people are protected, dignified and given equal opportunities as they pave way for the second phase of the transition towards a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society.-TDN
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Rustenburg – Going back to basics by making sure that street lights are operational, storm water drainage pipes are in good condition and approved building constructions follow the stipulated standards is one of the ways that municipalities can deal with disaster risk effectively.

This is the message by the Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance, Andries Nel, at the disaster risk reduction celebration that took place in Rustenburg yesterday.

Deputy Minister joined North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo, Local Government and Human Settlements MEC Collen Maine and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction representative Sharon Rasu to address the older persons of Bojanala Platinum district as part of this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction which is commemorated on 13 October.

In commemorating of the day the province of North West led by the Premier committed to adopt key principles for inclusive approach to disaster risk reduction. The province will ensure that:
Specific requirements of older persons are understood by policy makers in municipalities and are responded to within all disaster risk reduction activities.

Older persons’ capabilities and capacities are not overlooked due to their physical limitations but they are involved and encouraged to participation in community decision making.
Older person’s knowledge, skills and wisdom is acknowledged, valued and engaged by government as an invaluable asset in disaster risk reduction.

This year’s commemoration focuses on the older persons and the contribution they can make in the strategies to build disaster-resilient communities and general disaster risk mitigation.

According to the recent Census, 41% of the population in South Africa constitute older persons. General improvement of health care and access to government social services have resulted to improved life expectancy putting more pressure on governments to accommodate older persons in their policy development.

Disaster risk management practitioners in the country have recognised this as an opportunity to tap into the older persons’ experience and knowledge of disaster risk management – a call supported by the government.-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Postmasburg- Northern Cape police are investigating a case of sexual assault after an unknown man allegedly sexually assaulted two boys, says lieutenant Sergio Kock.

According to police, four boys aged 9 and 10 were allegedly playing in the streets at Postdene, in Postmasburg when unknown man in his twenties pounced on them. 

“Police are requesting assistance in the search for a suspected rapist. On 23 April 2014 at approximately 15:30 four boys(9 and 10) respectively were playing on the pavement in Postdene, Postmasburg when an unknown suspect approached them” Kock said.

The suspect allegedly requested the boys to go and buy him some cigarettes.

In their return, the suspect allegedly raped two of the victims. “He is in his mid-twenties, 1.7m tall, slender-built and dark in complexion” he said.

Police request anyone who could assist police with any information that could lead to any arrest, can forward it to Detective Constable David Mongake on 078 302 4353 or sms anonymously to 32211.

The investigation continues.   
-TDN
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