SouthAfrica is going to get worse.

[Skukuza]

This is an e-mail doing the rounds at the moment and seriously needs looking at.
For all SouthAfricans we need to be worried at the way things are going.

Guys,



Is this the NEW SA we voted for????

We need to do something now!!!!



APPEAL FOR ALL SOUTH AFRICAN PEOPLE TO BOYCOTT THE SOCCER WORLD CUP
In every way possible.
23 March 2010

Attachment: URGENT APPEAL (7k bytes) Open (http://mail.manx.net/wm/eml/genimage/URGENT%20APPEAL?sessionid=6139e569831a50a7f26942cbe3b3e452b&uid=13482&off=7665&len=6278&enc=1&type=APPLICATION&sub=OCTET-STREAM&mbox=user.warthog)




Attachment: URGENT APPEAL (7k bytes) Open (http://mail.manx.net/wm/eml/genimage/URGENT%20APPEAL?sessionid=6139e569831a50a7f26942cbe3b3e452b&uid=13482&off=14707&len=6278&enc=1&type=APPLICATION&sub=OCTET-STREAM&mbox=user.warthog)
This is an appeal to stop Julius Malema and his gangsters to turn South Africa into a blood bath!
Please forward this massage world wide and warn visitors planning to visit South Africa during the World Cup.
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE WAS PUBLISHED ON JULIUS MALEMAS’S FB PAGE BY ONE OF HIS SUPPORTERS.
“You ****ing white pigs. Malema is our leader. He will kill Zume within the next 6 weeks. Look ahead my fellow black people. We will then take our land, and every trespasser, namely white whores, we will rape them and rape them till the last breath is out. White kidds will be burned, specially those in Pretoria and Vrystaat. Men will be tortured while I take a video clip and spread it on You Tube.
Collen, we will stand together and rape those ****ers. It’s true what Malema said, silently we shall kill them......Police will stand together...our leader will lead us to take our land over.
Mandela will smike again.
White naaiers, we coming for you!!!!!!! Households will be broken into and families will be slaughtered.
Daniel Dekker likes this.
As published on FB by Thato Mbateti Mbateti
Steve Hofmeyer posted a letter to Malema on his blog, this is most probably how many South Africans feel right now.
Dear Julius
As of today I withdraw my former World Cup enthusiasm with active endorsements of all warnings to potential visitors until your leadership rebuke you as we see fit.
Tomorrow, after you’ve shot the Boere you will still be a pitiful black African living in denial of your own impotence parading as a fake achiever without contributing to the world a single original idea.
Yours is mere envy disguised as hatred as nothing you say, wear, drive and steal alas, even your idiocy, is a luxury born of this continent.


You must appeal to base sentiment as Africa has yet to yield a single intellectual, a single thought school, a single intellectual thought not inspired by the very West you and Mugabe detest.
You have been a phony from the day you set out to champion a defiance from a period you we not even born.
You are still consuming from that productive era living in the lap of luxury thanks to the taxes of the very people you want to shoot, the only tribe to sacrifice a third of its population to breath in the African air.
In history South Africans will choose to forget you when the only thing you should be remembered for is you share in the falling short of a brilliant idea: a working South Africa.
You are a black man. To be proud you must pander to white ideas: you must drive cars, live in expensive hotels, wear suits, be Christian, do unions, be Communist, wear wigs, speak English and play soccer.
Although I know better, you will enforce the stereotype of how Africans are globally viewed... with pity.
Steve Hofmeyr

YOUR SUPPORT WILL HOPEFULLY FORCE PRESIDENT ZUMA AND GOVERNMENT TO SHUT MALEMA DOWN FOR GOOD AND SAVE THE WORLD CUP AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA.
Willie Viljoen.

[playtym]

APPEAL FOR ALL SOUTH AFRICAN PEOPLE TO BOYCOTT THE SOCCER WORLD CUP


Boycott the world cup?

Pfff..... there's no need for emails like this. Chris Mahlangu and a minor, who cannot be named, have done enough to scupper the whole bloody thing almost single handedly I think. http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j130/playtym/Smileys/Sundry/8769.gif



Crime fears cripple SWC sales


Johannesburg - World Cup organisers launched a drive on Friday to persuade South Africans to buy up 500 000 unsold match tickets, after European demand for the soccer spectacular fell short of expectations.
Fears of crime and high costs have sapped demand in several European countries, especially Germany, and organisers said a "significant number" of tickets had been returned, including by corporate sponsors.http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/WorldCup/Crime-fears-cripple-SWC-sales-20100409




PS: This Soccer Wolrd Cup message is brought to you courtesy of Chris Mahlangu, and a minor, who cannot be named.

[Mastermind]

Wow! That "Kill Whitey" stuff is pretty powerful. I wonder when that happens if the white world will take notice...I mean, I thought it was only whites who were racist.

[Horizon]

I hope the World Cup will be fine and that the white men wearing baklava and baseball bat will not derail the fun of this world event.

[deagle]

its gonna get worse if ppl like that come into power.

[Skukuza]

Wow! That "Kill Whitey" stuff is pretty powerful. I wonder when that happens if the white world will take notice...I mean, I thought it was only whites who were racist.
How can you say that?
Do you think that only white folk are racist?
You seriously need to do some research.

[ASHISH67]

How can you say that?
Do you think that only white folk are racist?
You seriously need to do some research.

I think he was joking p-)

[playtym]

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/3741/theboer.jpg

In an attempt to ensure the safety of World Cup tourists these T-shirts are available from www.don'tkillthetourist.co.za (http://www.don%27tkillthetourist.co.za) for $19.99. There's no gaurantee that you won't be mistaken for a boer by one of the illiterate masses but seeing as you're going to need all the help you can get it wouldn't hurt to wear one! p-)

[BlackHigh]

we need the world cup, it will help our economy and when some of them will "boycott" it ... who cares... but as same as i was a enemy of the apartheit im a supportet of the boer, ther is anti-white rascism and we must fight it it radialy for the sake of our country

[Solvent]

we need the world cup, it will help our economy and when some of them will "boycott" it ... who cares... but as same as i was a enemy of the apartheit im a supportet of the boer, ther is anti-white rascism and we must fight it it radialy for the sake of our country

"Boycott world cup?" Not the same Bull sh*t again. The world cup is wonderful event. I hope SA has the best world cup.

[Mordoror]

well i am not afraid for the world cup supporters (someholligans would be a hard nut shell to crack and the result of any "kill the whitey" attempt on such kind of brainless fighting machines would be hum interesting to see)
i am more afraid for after the world cup when a lot of money would have flown in some pockets but when average people ("the illiterate masses") would see that they are still living in a junk yard
guess who they will blame

[Dinges]

but as same as i was a enemy of the apartheit im a supportet of the boer, ther is anti-white rascism and we must fight it it radialy for the sake of our country

Quoted for truth

[Stefan850]

It just occurred to me that most easter european football fan/hooligan groups are very, very racist, right wing, some all out nazi etc.

I hope south african police/crowd control will be up to the task.
Who knows how many innocent south africans and football fans that came to enjoy themselfs will get hurt in the mess that that situation can become.

[BlackHigh]

It just occurred to me that most easter european football fan/hooligan groups are very, very racist, right wing, some all out nazi etc.

I hope south african police/crowd control will be up to the task.
Who knows how many innocent south africans and football fans that came to enjoy themselfs will get hurt in the mess that that situation can become.

ther is a problem... our police are cowards, toooo cowardly to fight an even too shoot

i already see it in front of my eyes how they would run if they would fell threatened, against our police the "runing" kyrgyz police were like brave man standing too the bitter end

[Mastermind]

I think he was joking p-)
Yes...I was being sarcastic....I thought the sarcasim of that comment was so obvious, I would not need to place a {s} behind it. My bad...

[Maktab]

The recent talk within ANC circles is that Malema is on his way out. Virtually every senior leader, including the president who called an unprecedented news conference just to denounce his actions, have come out against him recently. His own supporters are starting to revolt against him. I think the guy miscalculated badly, not only was the ANC shaken by Terre'Blanche's murder and the tense situation that followed but Malema went too far in Zim and when insulting that British journalist.

Personally, I hope the World Cup is a success. It would be nice to prove the naysayers wrong and it should I hope restore a lot of business confidence. A huge amount of work has gone into being ready for it and it seems like all the important things will be in place. The stadiums are finished, the electricity supply looks like it will hold out, the road upgrades and BRT are beginning to reach completion and the Gauride initiative worked fairly well during the Confed Cup. Unfortunately, the number of foreign visitors are way down from what was hoped for, but that's something that can't be fixed now.

The security plan looks decent. There is a Joint Command linking the SAPS, SANDF and the various intelligence agencies and a number of large-scale exercises have been carried out to prove both the organisational and operational plans. In areas where the country's security services were deemed to be lacking, international assistance and training was sought. For example, the SAPS knew it was weak in handling large crowds and riot situations, so it enlisted the help of the French in upping its game. The SAPS Special Task Force and SANDF Special Forces Brigade have also received refresher training in hostage-rescue scenarios and urban operations and a new skilled tactical unit, the Tactical Response Team, has been created. I watched a hostage rescue scenario earlier this year involving the SA Air Force, Task Force, 5 Special Forces Regiment and the Pretoria TRT and they all seemed pretty competent. And having watched a few marches by striking workers recently, the police seem to have become quite a bit better at handling those too. The proof will be the World Cup, of course, but things look solid so far.

The airspace will been locked down for each game. In coastal cities the SA Navy will be responsible for creating an intelligence picture on potential waterborne threats while its frigates will use their radars to assist in creating an air picture which will be bolstered by both fixed and mobile SA Air Force and Army radars and fed using the Link-ZA protocol into the SA Air Force's Air Picture Display System to create a comprehensive integrated view of all air traffic over a given city from dozens of kilometres out. The data will be data-linked directly to the SA Air Force's Hawk Mk120s and JAS-39C/D Gripens which will be conducting combat air patrols over each city where a game is being played. Other offensive options, if needed, include the SA Army's Starstreak missiles and the SAN's Umkhonto SAMs on the Valour-class frigates. It's likely that none of this will be necessary, of course, but it has been considered. There are a lot of extremely competent people behind the country's security plan for the World Cup.

To be honest, I'm growing increasingly uncomfortable at how many of my fellow white South Africans seem to want the World Cup to be a blood-soaked disaster. I've read and heard far too many emails and comments that speak with ill-disguised glee about warning foreign visitors off, ruining the World Cup and hopefully plunging the country into economic despair at the same time. The reasons given for bringing about this disastrous state of affairs seldom stand up to much scrutiny on further examination (guys like Malema will get stronger, not weaker, if SA has that sort of a crisis), instead most of these people just want it to fail so as to prove something. Exactly what it's meant to prove is not clear. Maybe they want to prove that they're right to be unceasing pessimists? Perhaps some want to prove that a black government can't handle something of this magnitude? Maybe some just aren't thinking about the implications and just see an opportunity to strike out and have some influence? I don't know. All I do know is that it's getting pretty tiresome.

[baboon6]

T
To be honest, I'm growing increasingly uncomfortable at how many of my fellow white South Africans seem to want the World Cup to be a blood-soaked disaster. I've read and heard far too many emails and comments that speak with ill-disguised glee about warning foreign visitors off, ruining the World Cup and hopefully plunging the country into economic despair at the same time. The reasons given for bringing about this disastrous state of affairs seldom stand up to much scrutiny on further examination (guys like Malema will get stronger, not weaker, if SA has that sort of a crisis), instead most of these people just want it to fail so as to prove something. Exactly what it's meant to prove is not clear. Maybe they want to prove that they're right to be unceasing pessimists? Perhaps some want to prove that a black government can't handle something of this magnitude? Maybe some just aren't thinking about the implications and just see an opportunity to strike out and have some influence? I don't know. All I do know is that it's getting pretty tiresome.

Couldn't agree with you more.

[playtym]

It just occurred to me that most easter european football fan/hooligan groups are very, very racist, right wing, some all out nazi etc.

I hope south african police/crowd control will be up to the task.
Who knows how many innocent south africans and football fans that came to enjoy themselfs will get hurt in the mess that that situation can become.

You're worried that our football fans will come off second best against a bunch of imported racist, right wing all out nazi football hooligans?!? rofl

Our football fans carry AK's, and knock over CIT vans on their off days. p-)

[playtym]

we need the world cup, it will help our economy

Looking at the restrictions that FIFA are insisting on with regard to businesses I think a lot of them are going to end up losing out on trade because of the world cup, rather than being boosted by it.

[Stefan850]

You're worried that our football fans will come off second best against a bunch of imported racist, right wing all out nazi football hooligans?!? rofl

Our football fans carry AK's, and knock over CIT vans on their off days. p-)

You have no idea what I said, do you?

[coltfan111]

It just occurred to me that most easter european football fan/hooligan groups are very, very racist, right wing, some all out nazi etc.

I hope south african police/crowd control will be up to the task.
Who knows how many innocent south africans and football fans that came to enjoy themselfs will get hurt in the mess that that situation can become.

I do not imagine most hools will be able to afford to go to SA for 8 weeks. I know I can't. :P

[playtym]

You have no idea what I said, do you?

It thought it was pretty understandable, but I could be wrong.


It just occurred to me that most easter european football fan/hooligan groups are very, very racist, right wing, some all out nazi etc.

I hope south african police/crowd control will be up to the task.
Who knows how many innocent south africans and football fans that came to enjoy themselfs will get hurt in the mess that that situation can become.

You stated that eastern European football fans were hooligans etc. etc.
You wondered whether South African police would be up to the task of controlling them.
You further wondered how many South African football fans would get hurt in the Mêlée that you expect to ensue.

Please be so kind as to point out any misconceptions on my part.

[Stefan850]

It thought it was pretty understandable, but I could be wrong.



You stated that eastern European football fans were hooligans etc. etc.
You wondered whether South African police would be up to the task of controlling them.
You further wondered how many South African football fans would get hurt in the Mêlée that you expect to ensue.

Please be so kind as to point out any misconceptions on my part.

All that you said is true and then you responded with


You're worried that our football fans will come off second best against a bunch of imported racist, right wing all out nazi football hooligans?!?...etc

When what I wanted to say is I worry about regular people/normal football fans or regular tourists/football fans getting caught between south african hooligans, which unfortunately SA is not short off and football europes nazi hooligans that will I can imagine come in great numbers.

No big deal, it's just you flipped it around like I'm some guy that cant wait to watch fights between retards on youtube.

[playtym]

To be honest, I'm growing increasingly uncomfortable at how many of my fellow white South Africans seem to want the World Cup to be a blood-soaked disaster. I've read and heard far too many emails and comments that speak with ill-disguised glee about warning foreign visitors off, ruining the World Cup and hopefully plunging the country into economic despair at the same time. The reasons given for bringing about this disastrous state of affairs seldom stand up to much scrutiny on further examination (guys like Malema will get stronger, not weaker, if SA has that sort of a crisis), instead most of these people just want it to fail so as to prove something. Exactly what it's meant to prove is not clear. Maybe they want to prove that they're right to be unceasing pessimists? Perhaps some want to prove that a black government can't handle something of this magnitude? Maybe some just aren't thinking about the implications and just see an opportunity to strike out and have some influence? I don't know. All I do know is that it's getting pretty tiresome.


we need the world cup, it will help our economy


Looking at the restrictions that FIFA are insisting on with regard to businesses I think a lot of them are going to end up losing out on trade because of the world cup, rather than being boosted by it.

I don't think it was that we wanted the World Cup to fail, it's that we didn't think it was economically viable to host it considering the capital outlay that would be required, the revenue it bring in and the other, more pressing, demands that there are on our economy.

We need R 75 billion to fix our roads (http://www.wheels24.co.za/News/General_News/SAs-roads-a-concern-minister-20100525) which cause over 300 deaths a year (http://www.wheels24.co.za/News/General_News/Bad-roads-costing-SA-billions-20100316-2) due to poor maintenance yet we can find money to build uneccessary stadiums.

What did hosting the event get us?

The government says the benefits are 'incalculable' (http://fin24.com/Economy/Benefits-of-SWC-incalculable-20100628?pageNo=1) - which I assume means you can't calculate them, or to state it more simply, you can't work it out - which is what I've been saying all along.
But maybe that's because I'm not taking into account the "kick-backs" that were no doubt given in return for awarding building contracts?

They estimate the shortfall will be R 27 billion! (http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/WorldCup/NationalNews/SWC-income-shortfall-R27bn-20100628-2)

Hotel occupancy's are down (http://fin24.com/Business/Glut-of-5-star-hotel-rooms-in-SA-20100624) (Cape Town hotels are only 40% full (http://fin24.com/Business/Cape-Town-hotels-40-full-20100625)), rental cars are being sold off (http://www.fin24.com/Business/Cup-letdown-for-car-rentals-20100624) and businesses such as game farms have been burned by the World Cup (http://fin24.com/Economy/Eco-tourism-burned-by-SWC-20100404)

There was a temporary short-term benefit to employment in the construction industry, but now that the stadiums are finished employment has also fallen (http://fin24.com/Economy/Employment-falls-as-cup-projects-end-20100622)

Some are calling this an unaffordable extravagance (http://www.fin24.com/Columnists/Comment-And-Analysis/Unaffordable-extravagance-20100608-2) where the only winners seem to be FIFA (http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/WorldCup/NationalNews/FIFAs-great-SA-rip-off-20100607)

The one positive thing I thought that would come out of this was that it would unite all South Africans, as a country, behind a common goal, until I read this article. :|


Rainbow-nation patriotism, pah!

We are a funny people, we South Africans. We really are. We are an economically and racially divided country.

About 5% of our population, who are white, own roughly 95% of the country's wealth while the majority of black people live in poverty. The black population is made up of about 13 different nationalities but have enough in common to be grouped as one -- "darkies". The whites, we are learning, are quite disparate.

Look at the flags, our limp attempt at nationhood, stuck on cars. Very revealing indeed. A lot of whites have two flags on their cars, a South African flag and a European one -- their head sensibly in Africa, where they enjoy a first-world lifestyle at cut-rate third-world prices, and their hearts in the land of their ancestors: Greece, Spain, England, Portugal, France, Germany and the like.

The poor Boers dress their cars with two South African flags. Shame. This relatively small minority is all united in the stupendous privilege of their skin colour and the benefits thereof.

The darkies … don't really have cars. The few that do choose to fly one South African flag, although secretly many of us do support another team -- for two reasons. The first is about logic. It's likely we won't reach the second-round knockout stage, so we need another horse to sustain our interest in the remainder of the spectacle. (That's like someone hosting a spectacular party in your backyard and then asking you, the host, to leave.) The second reason is this: before 1994 we didn't have a country to support and many of us supported other countries, usually Brazil (simply because they were the best), and still harbour tender feelings for our previous love.

It is safe to conclude that we South Africans are not really one united nation. The Americans are American; arrogant and obscene about it. The Brits can't quite believe that the sun did finally set. The French like the finer things in life, Tanzanians are warm and friendly, Nigerians are industrious, Jamaicans are irie and the Swedes have the highest standard of living in the world yet have the highest rate of suicide.

The Germans are the Germans; the Japs are fanatically disciplined and organised. (Isn't it odd? Both Germany and Japan were destroyed after World War II yet, 50 years later, they are the world's second- and third-strongest economies respectively. Maybe we should have taken the Armageddon scenario.)

While all other nations have clear defining national characteristics, we dear South Africans remain two distinct groups, divided by race, wealth and class, but all united by a brutal history, fear of violence and this breathtakingly beautiful land we all call home.

Where are we going? Nowhere -- literally and metaphorically. I believe our leaders have taken a leaf out of the books of the Roman Empire. Caesar would be proud!

The citizens of Rome were famed for their restlessness. They complained bitterly about service delivery: open sewage, high taxes, corruption and unequal wealth distribution. The only reason they didn't riot over electricity is because electricity hadn't been invented. The emperors and the senate devised an ingenious scheme to keep citizens from open rebellion: Games.

In 1994 the citizens of South Africa had just triumphed over a brutal and oppressive regime. The majority black population (with a tendency towards forgiveness bordering on criminal neglect) was restless and eager for meaningful change. They toyi-toyied against the government, rioting against the lack of services: open sewage, high taxes, corruption and unequal wealth distribution. What did the leaders do? Games.

One year after liberation, the Rugby World Cup was hosted in South Africa, and who should win? The Springboks. The irony! The Springboks had just returned from international banishment through the political victory, a year earlier, of the very black majority their white state had oppressed and exploited for so long.
That World Cup victory peddled the mischievous lie that centuries of racial hatred, economic exploitation and racial discrimination had been miraculously wiped away, in one fell swoop. Somehow, white people canonised Nelson Mandela and a saint was born. And us? We lost one of Africa's greatest revolutionaries.

Fast-forward to 2010. Our leaders, like the Romans, have, at monumental expense, built grand and magnificent arenas, not unlike the grand amphitheatres of ancient Rome. They, our leaders, like the emperors, have gathered gladiators from across the globe. Not just any old gladiators: They have assembled the finest exponents of the world's most-loved sport.

Unlike in the Roman amphitheatres, no blood will be spilled (except maybe our own), no lions will tear men limb from limb. (What a pity. We have enough lions. Wouldn't it be great to see Messi and co take on a super-pride?) But the outcome will be the same: To divert the attention of the masses while a tiny elite amasses huge fortunes and corruption runs wild, while poverty and non-delivery are the order of the day. All this as the masses are overcome by one month of delirious flag-waving and patriotism (kiss the Boer!) before returning to our neatly separate and unequal lives. One month of fake nationhood; one month of nauseating "unity".

The government's total contribution to infrastructure development and stadiums stands at R17,4-billion. Of this, R9-billion has gone towards transport and supporting infrastructure and R8,4-billion has built five stadiums and upgraded another five. (Why are African leaders obsessed with two consenting males who chose to sodomise each other, but they allow and assist -- in fact, they provide the Vaseline for -- imperialism to sodomise generations and generations of Africa's children? R17,4-billion for one month's entertainment. Wow!)

Wouldn't it be meaningful to use just R1billion on ourselves, on a national effort called nation-building? Wouldn't it be something to see 80 000 white South Africans go into the township and plant some trees? Or just sit and drink with their countrymen. No rugby. Just sharing, listening and understanding.

Destiny has placed South Africans in a situation never before experienced in the history of humanity. We are an experiment. Humanity looks upon us to resolve one of the most brutal and oppressive ideas of our species: Racism. Now that's something worth waving a flag for! Hell, you can even blow the vuvuzela if you so desire.

The fact that our colonisers did not leave (could not leave -- that's why they wave two flags!) has never confronted humanity. This is our uniqueness, this is our power, this is our very destiny.

But where will our new leaders come from? Leaders with a true vision for this country: A vision that unites us, black and white; a vision that we can all commit to; a vision for us? Where are the leaders who can rally this whole country behind a single articulate vision, something that will galvanise and inspire the entire nation? Nations are conceived, created, moulded and nurtured. Nations are cherished. Nations instil pride, unity and, most importantly, provide a sense of belonging. *Nationhood is an ideal that is earned.

History will look back on us one day and the spectacular Soccer City, like the magnificent Colosseum in Rome, will remind them of a great, lost civilisation. They will wonder what happened to this civilisation and they will learn that it suffered the same fate as that of the Roman Empire.

Zola Maseko is a member of the ANC and an independent filmmaker, based in Johannesburg http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-06-21-rainbownation-patriotism-pah

Oh, and did I mention the continual drone of those fvcking vuvuzela's?

[IconOfEvi]

I was going to say, vuvuzela dealers made a fortune this year

[playtym]

Here's an interesting take on the economic benefits of the World Cup.


World Cup benefits some way off

Jul 13 2010 15:57

Johannesburg - It will take three to five years to see the economic benefits of the World Cup, a Human Sciences Research Council academic said on Tuesday. It was however too early to tell how great these benefits would be, Dr Udesh Pillay, head of research on service delivery at the HSRC, told Sapa in a telephonic interview.
However, he added that the economic benefits had been overstated.
"When compared to the economic benefits that government projected three to four years ago, figures have definitely been overstated."
However, Pillay, who has edited a book about the legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, said the tournament's legacy in social terms provided a very good foundation for SA to address its development challenges as a nation "in a more, rather than less, unified way".
South Africa had entered the World Cup as a divided and fractured nation, evident in service delivery protests, high unemployment and crime.
"The FIFA World Cup was a rallying point for us to come together and be proud."
However, Pillay warned that politicians should make sure this unique moment in the country's history was not lost due to political squabbling and ideological differences.
He noted that President Jacob Zuma (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/user/927) had said he would use the tournament to accelerate service delivery.
"There is a feel-good factor in the country now ... there is pride, nation building and that gives SA a good basis to address challenges like service delivery.
"There is a goodwill factor here, and we must use this as a springboard when it comes to service delivery - no momentum must be lost."

Xenophobic attacks

Pillay said he had failed to understand press reports that equated the end of the World Cup with an outbreak of xenophobia. However, he said lack of service delivery did result in xenophobic attacks if foreigners coexisted with locals and had access to livelihoods locals did not.
Foreigners may have been "more entrepreneurial" before and during the event by selling World Cup-related merchandise.
"The local people may think that they've missed an opportunity and maybe retribution may take place."
Turning to job creation, he said figures indicated the soccer spectacle had created 120 000 employment opportunities.
"Most of these jobs were in construction and were short-term and workers were eventually retrenched ... but in the context of our employment challenges, the creation of 120 000 jobs is not insignificant."
However, there had been "big and bold" expectations a few years ago that the tournament would help alleviate employment, Pillay said.
"Once again, economic benefits were overstated."
He put the tournament's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) at between 0.2% and 0.4%.
"This seems to be the emerging consensus."

Crime down

However, economists had predicted a contribution to GDP of over 3% four years ago.
Pillay estimated that 250 000 to 300 000 people had entered the country to attend the World Cup.
"Foreign arrivals in terms of tourism probably contributed R12bn at an average spend of R12 000."
He acknowledged that not everyone had had a profitable World Cup.
"The event was governed by FIFA regulations... SA had to enter into all sorts of agreements and those small-scale entrepreneurs who expected to participate in the mainstream economy were marginalised."
This, he said, included not only food vendors, but bed and breakfast establishments too.
"Some didn't cash in as expected and some are feeling terrible about it."
Pillay said crime had definitely decreased during the tournament.
"We had 45 000 additional police officers, and if we can make crime go down for the World Cup, then we can at least reach some midpoint where we can continue to sustain this high level of security."http://www.fin24.com/Economy/World-Cup-benefits-some-way-off-20100713





However, he added that the economic benefits had been overstated.This comes as no surprise.



Pillay said he had failed to understand press reports that equated the end of the World Cup with an outbreak of xenophobia. However, he said lack of service delivery did result in xenophobic attacks if foreigners coexisted with locals and had access to livelihoods locals did not.
Foreigners may have been "more entrepreneurial" before and during the event by selling World Cup-related merchandise.What's not to understand?


People threatened foreigners.
Foreigners took the threats seriously.
Some left the country.
These threats were reported to the authorities and the media.
The threats were reported on in the media.
The government dismissed the threats as rumours.
Some people made good on these threats, for whatever reason.




However, Pillay, who has edited a book about the legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, said the tournament's legacy in social terms provided a very good foundation for SA to address its development challenges as a nation "in a more, rather than less, unified way". South Africa had entered the World Cup as a divided and fractured nation, evident in service delivery protests, high unemployment and crime.
"The FIFA World Cup was a rallying point for us to come together and be proud."
However, Pillay warned that politicians should make sure this unique moment in the country's history was not lost due to political squabbling and ideological differences.
He noted that President Jacob Zuma (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/user/927) had said he would use the tournament to accelerate service delivery.
"There is a feel-good factor in the country now ... there is pride, nation building and that gives SA a good basis to address challenges like service delivery.
"There is a goodwill factor here, and we must use this as a springboard when it comes to service delivery - no momentum must be lost."While having been outspoken on the economic reasons for not hosting the event this is the one benefit that I had hoped would come out of the World Cup. It seems that we're not off to such a good start with using this goodwill though. Nineteen schools were closed yesterday due to arson attacks related to service delivery protests. (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Arson-closes-19-schools-20100713)

I'm also curious as to how widely held the opinions stated by Zola Maseko in his "Rainbow-nation patriotism, pah!" article are held. Are they representative of what the average man in the street feels? Did the World Cup really generate as much goodwill as Pillay thinks, and I'd hoped for, or are we still a nation divided?

I feel that the government has again disappointed with their response to the latest "xenophobic attacks" on foreigners. They try to pass it off as a rumour, say that the foreigners are displacing themselves, and try to write the attacks off to random criminal acts. The reality on the ground however is that foreigners were threatened and attacked, as promised, after the event. Where and why these threats started should be the subject of investigation, rather than just dismissing them as rumour.

When will the government realise that they can't continue with the approach they've used so far? When you allow your members to sing hateful songs, when you go to court to protect their right to sing hateful songs, when you dismiss xenophobic threats and violence as rumours; this is what you get. This is not the way forward. If they cannot see that then I fear that any, and all, goodwill and unity created by the World Cup will be lost. Why can they not see that?

[playtym]

85% of SA positive after SWC

2010-07-15 07:44

Johannesburg - Almost all South Africans watched a 2010 FIFA World Cup game on television, a survey has found.

Twenty-six percent attended a game at a stadium and 34% went to a fan festival, according to a telephonic Ipsos Markinor poll of 400 South Africans in metropolitan areas, conducted on Monday and Tuesday.

The survey found that 85% of respondents had more hope for a happy future for all South Africans after the football tournament than before the tournament.

Profound effect on South Africans

"The World Cup thus had a profound effect on South Africans and our view of the future and, perhaps more importantly, on our view of ourselves," researchers said.

According to the poll, more men than women attended matches at stadiums and fan festivals, but there was no gender difference among television viewers.

"As expected, a larger proportion of those in higher income groups attended a match, with 43% of them earning between R10 000 and R15 999 a month and 49% earning more than R16 000 a month," the survey found.

Ipsos Markinor had previously indicated that ticket prices could deter many South Africans from attending matches.

'One month of happiness in SA'

Many participants told researchers the World Cup "was a success and it brought a lot of unity to people in the country", "was excellent, it changed my view of soccer because I was not a soccer fan" and "was one month of happiness in South Africa".

Eleven percent of respondents said the tournament had made no difference to their feelings about the future, and only four percent said they now had less hope for a happy future.

"This small pessimistic group included more males than females, but included people from all race and age groups."

Researchers said almost two-thirds of respondents had indicated that they owned a vuvuzela - which was one of the main features of the World Cup, attracting both positive and negative comments in the worldwide media.http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/WorldCup/NationalNews/85-of-SA-positive-after-SWC-20100714

Promising results although, having polled "400 South Africans in metropolitan areas," I doubt it can be called "representative" of the "average" South African.

[wilhelm]

I'm awaiting with bated breath the first government official idiot to trot out the mythic "third force" or "right wing plot" excuses again regarding xenophobic attacks.

[playtym]

I'm awaiting with bated breath the first government official idiot to trot out the mythic "third force" or "right wing plot" excuses again regarding xenophobic attacks.

Have a look at this post. (http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?134455-Anti-foreigner-violence-spreads-in-South-Africa&p=5071692&viewfull=1#post5071692) p-)


Oh, and they're just rumoured xenophobic attacks - ignoring them seems to be the current approach.

[IconOfEvi]

Rumored xenophobic attacks by rumored mobs

Imagine if people couldnt spout bs for a day

[playtym]

What about the poverty?

Dear Editor,

There is a lot of talk going around that South Africa should now look at hosting the Olympic Games due to our successful hosting of the World Cup.

I really can’t seem to grasp this country's fixation with wanting to host large sporting events when in reality we have millions of citizens living below the poverty line.

I have always been taught by my parents that life is all about priorities and if you get the fundamentals right, life can become easier and more enjoyable.

The same should apply for South Africa. We should be focusing our efforts on getting the levels of poverty down to a point where we can focus on big sports tournaments. We should be focusing our efforts to getting our health and educations systems working properly before we spend billions on sport facilities that only a few can afford to use.

Socio-economic problems like high levels of crime have been plaguing this country for years and we should not delude ourselves into thinking that the month long World Cup solved this issue. We had nearly 200 000 policemen on the streets cracking down on crime yet when the tourists left they are nowhere to be seen.

Why is this? Are the tourists more important than the ordinary South Africans citizen? If the government prioritised crime fighting decades ago, we would not have the need to prove to the world time and time again that we are not a country of criminals.

Therefore, I think we need to clean up our backyard and prioritise, focus on and solve our problems before we go ahead and bid for further big sports tournaments.

Sipho Petrs Fingwalehttp://www.news24.com/MyNews24/Letters/What-about-the-poverty-20100719

[playtym]

Teenage tourist raped in Addo

Johannesburg - Two foreign nationals were raped in two separate incidents in the Eastern Cape, police said on Sunday.
A 15-year-old German girl was raped, allegedly by two armed men who broke into a chalet she was sharing with her 14-year-old brother at a bed and breakfast facility in Addo, said Captain Ernest Sigobe.
"The men allegedly gained entry by breaking the back window at 06:00 yesterday (Saturday)."
The two men allegedly raped the teenager while her brother watched helplessly.
They then ransacked the chalet and stole a camera and other personal belongings, Sigobe said.
Their parents were sleeping in another bed and breakfast nearby.
In the second incident, a 27-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly raped a 22-year-old woman from the Netherlands in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The woman was doing voluntary work in Storms River since July 15.
She was out walking when she was raped around 06:00.
The man is expected to appear in court soon.
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Teenage-tourist-raped-in-Addo-20100725


I guess now that the World Cup is over it's back to business as usual, and the tourists are no longer off lmits.

[IconOfEvi]

oh ffs, I am getting a gun no matter what if I go there.

**** this

[baboon6]

Very disturbing news:

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2010-07-26-mg-editor-says-the-proposed-information-bill-criminalises-journalism


Newspapers like the Mail & Guardian that expose corruption, mismanagement, hypocrisy and gross incompetence would not be able to do their work if the Protection of Information Bill came into force in its current form, says its editor-in-chief, Nic Dawes, who was in Parliament last week to testify at public hearings. The Daily Maverick spoke to Dawes on the damage the proposed bill could wreak on South African media.

“The Protection of Information Bill is the biggest legislative threat yet to freedom of information in general and to the work of journalists in particular,” says Dawes. “It criminalises some of the most basic and necessary things we do. What the bill envisages in many ways is that we would be allowed to publish press releases (issued) by the state. It would certainly make it very dangerous for us to pursue the big stories that we publish in the public interest around corruption, mismanagement and conflicts of interest.”
The South African media were alarmed by the first incarnation of The Protection of Information Bill which was introduced back in 2008 by the Mbeki regime. The new version of the bill, currently before Parliament, is infinitely worse in that it strengthens some of the more damaging provisions which are a threat to freedom of information and the effective functioning of a press that protects public interest in an open democracy.
Why has the bill been reintroduced? This needs to be seen in the context of a slew of government initiatives to curb critical reporting that includes the resurrection of a regulatory media tribunal, and amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act that would compel journalists to reveal confidential sources. “One has to see the Information Bill in the context of intense anxiety and anger within the governing party about the role the media plays in our society, and the discomfort with the principle of an open democracy clearly outlined in section 32 of the South African Constitution,” says Dawes.
Once public hearings have been finalised, changes to the Information Bill could be drafted and these amendments will be considered by the national assembly before the bill makes its way through to the national council of provinces, before ultimately being passed into law by President Jacob Zuma. Dawes believes though that, if the bill does go through in its current form, it will be vulnerable to Constitutional challenge.
Recent public statements by government and ANC party officials show that the media is viewed as a hostile enemy by the ruling party. What is being ignored is the central role the media plays in a democracy. “There are other statements that make it equally clear that the media is a helpful part of the accountability architecture and useful to state and security institutions,” says Dawes.
“The South African Revenue Service frequently scans the media for people who may be evading taxes, and there are reports based on interviews with intelligence services that say (they) use substantial media stories as a basis to begin investigating possible crimes. I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding that openness and security are antagonistic to each other. In fact, openness and security are mutually supportive. That mutual support would be seriously compromised if the bill had to go through, in fact it may break down almost entirely.”
Dawes details a number of serious problems with the Protection of Information Bill in its current incarnation. “For starters the basis on which documents can be classified is extremely broad, and includes in its ambit just about everything the government does. The bill also specifically includes commercial information, something that hitherto had never been covered by this kind of classification, and which would make it very hard to report on possible tender irregularities, financial misconduct and even possibly the financial performance of some of the state-related institutions,” said Dawes.
The bill criminalises the entire chain of custody of any leak of material that is classified in terms of its provisions, so it is not just the whistleblower who could be prosecuted, but journalists or society activists who receive documents and who don’t immediately take these to their nearest police station. Punishments are severe and can include jail sentences of up to 25 years, in terms of the proposed bill. “That is criminalising journalism. There is no public interest exception or defence if you do that. It would be a big step in the right direction if the bill included a defence that you had obtained the material in the public interest. In other words, if you were attempting to expose mismanagement, gross incompetence, corruption, fraud, or hypocrisy, you wouldn’t be guilty of an offence.”
Other problems with the bill include that it makes no provision for an independent body to monitor whether classification is appropriate or not, and the fact that there is no recourse other than through a minister delegated by the presidency. “There is no accountability and there is also no paper trail so you don’t have to give a written rational for the decision to classify something. An entire category of information can be classified, so you can say that everything that happens in a meeting of the board sub-committee under remuneration is classified. It is enormously dangerous legislation.”
Dawes says the proposed legislation needs major revisions to make it palatable to a free and independent media. “A few ameliorative paragraphs isn’t going to do it, it needs a complete overhaul if it is to be remotely in tune with constitutional and democratic principles.”

[playtym]

Questions over future use of World Cup stadiums

South Africa's World Cup stadiums are hunting for new business -- even professional wrestling -- but the country's most lucrative sports say they were sidelined long before kick-off.

The showcase Soccer City, now rebranded as FNB Stadium, will host a sold-out Springboks-All Blacks rugby Test on Saturday.

The other nine stadiums, which cost more than R16-billion to stage Africa's first Soccer World Cup, are looking for similar opportunities.

But failure by organisers to bring rugby and cricket on board ahead of the tournament has raised questions on future uses of some stadiums in the scramble to meet massive running costs.

"What we are discussing today should have been discussed before we built the new soccer stadiums. It's tragic for us as a nation that we have to act in reverse gear," said Oregan Hoskins, president of the South African Rugby Union.

The stadi ums are now competing for big sports fixtures while exploring naming rights and money-spinners like conferences, concerts, weddings and even BMX and wrestling in smaller towns like Port Elizabeth.

Like rugby, cricket faces pressure to shake off its white roots but has been forced to rule out all new stadiums because the pitches are too small, except for the 70 000-seater in Durban, which will host a match in January.

"Historically our game has not been played in some of the areas that some of these stadiums have been built, so we saw an opportunity," Gerald Majola, general manager of Cricket South Africa told parliament's sports committee.

"But unfortunately we have not been party to the designs of the stadiums."

This is despite a study showing that small host towns Nelspruit, Polokwane and Rustenburg have ideal weather to host an annual Indian Premier League-style (IPL) event amid the congested world calendar in August.

"If we had met before time and considered a lot of issues before then, we would have known that the stadiums should have been at least accommodating other sports as well," said Majola.

Major challenges
For rugby, Durban and Cape Town pose major challenges because the Sharks and Stormers already have successful home grounds nearby.

Other stadiums with top teams -- the Cheetahs, Bulls and Lions -- were revamped at a fraction of the cost in Bloemfontein, Pretoria and Johannesburg.

"If one looks at the whole country, eThekwini [Durban] and Cape Town are the only cities where you have the new stadiums almost alongside the existing rugby stadiums," Hoskins told the hearing this week.

"It's almost like one is seeing a mirror image of the way things have gone."

Tenant-free Cape Town stadium was built for R4,5-billion, and needs R46-million a year. It hosts a Premier Soccer League double-header next week and hopes the government will subsidise operating costs initially.

Despite a wave of football patriotism, even the South African Football Association and PSL are also disappointed.

The situation is compounded by current PSL ticket prices of R20 -- with 18 games equalling the revenue from one rugby play-off -- against high rents at venues where commercial rights like hospitality are not passed down.

"We were never party to the discussions to develop an understanding of what our programmes are going to be and what are the key challenges going forward," said Safa chief executive Leslie Sedibe. -- AFP http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-08-19-questions-over-future-use-of-world-cup-stadiums


Eish! You need money to run the stadiums after the World Cup? Who would have thought?!? :cantbeli:

http://a.imageshack.us/img686/2323/imgrn.jpg

The Sharks should stay right where they are and let the people who wasted the R3.4billion rand building that unnecessary 'shopping basket' across the road from them find another way to make it economically viable.

[Dinges]

Pupils hurt as strikers mob school





Three pupils from Bernadino Heights High School in Kraaifontein, north of Cape Town, needed urgent medical attention after a mob of about 300 striking teachers descended on their classes.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/template/html_v1-0/img/blockquote.gif Three children suffered anxiety attacks http://www.timeslive.co.za/template/html_v1-0/img/blockquote_close.gif Teachers, many believed to be from neighbouring schools in Wallacedene, stormed Bernadino Heights after midday.

Principal Henry Alexander said he tried to negotiate with the striking teachers, but they pushed through the gate.

"They ran into classrooms and threatened everyone with violence. They were screaming, singing and chanting. Three children became so stressed that they suffered anxiety attacks. One girl fainted. We had to rush them to the doctor," he said.

Alexander said: "Their behaviour was unacceptable. We had severely traumatised children in tears. Ironically, we support the union's demands to government. We don't have a problem if teachers decide to strike, but we had 97% of our children at school."

Down the road, Scottsdene High was also attacked.

Principal Karel Cupido said a mob of striking teachers tore down the fence, broke down classroom doors and shattered windows.

"About 75% of our teachers are Sadtu members, the rest belong to Naptosa. They support the unions' demands, but decided not to strike because it would not be in the best interests of the children," Cupido said. "The mob came in and chased children out of the school. They even physically grabbed two female teachers and threw them out of the classrooms."

He said children tried to rush to safety but several children were injured in the ensuing stampede.

Cupido said police watched as the mob rampaged through his school.
Kraaifontein police spokesman Captain Gerhard Niemand confirmed that police were there, but said officers prevented destruction.

"We are willing to investigate," he said.http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article612637.ece/Pupils-hurt-as-strikers-mob-school

This how to negotiate for better pay..........Okay.:roll:

[playtym]

Bidvest suffers soccer let-down

The 2010 FIFA World Cup turned out to be a let-down for The Bidvest Group [JSE:BVT] (http://www.fin24.com/dataproducts/Free.aspx?Ticker=BVT), touted by analysts as the JSE-listed company most likely to benefit from the tournament.

Bidvest, which reported annual results to end-June on Monday, had contracts for providing hospitality services at stadiums and printing tickets as well as offering tourism and car rental services to visitors.

However, the end result was just a 0.75% contribution to headline earnings per share (Heps), mostly from Bidvest's services divisions.

"We misread what was going to happen," said CEO Brian Joffe. "The country shut down, people stayed at home and there weren't as many overseas visitors as we expected."

http://www.fin24.com/Companies/Bidvest-suffers-soccer-let-down-20100830

Damn, was the only one who didn't misread what was going to happen? I must be a modern day Nostradamus, me.

[baboon6]

Besides the proposed media and internet censorship bills, the ANC is always thinking of new and interesting ways to screw us. Check this out:

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2010-08-31-green-tax-another-raid-is-coming



Green tax: another raid is coming


How can government make more money? Simple. Tax everything that moves. The latest "green tax" proposals are a thin cloak for bleeding the masses dry.

Although a discussion paper on carbon taxes has yet to be released, the government is steaming ahead with plans for another raid on the dwindling coffers of struggling consumers.
Tomorrow we'll get a tax on the sale price of new cars, depending on their carbon dioxide emissions rating. Anything over 120g/km, and you're liable to the tune of R75 a gram.
To put that into perspective, of you buy a little 1.4 litre petrol-driven VW Golf, you'll be done over for R4,125 before you've even got behind the wheel to start emitting plant-food. Want to pretend you're a cabinet minister in a Merc ML300 CDI Sport? That's R9,000 in green tax before you can get the key. A BMW 750i is worth R10,950 in green tax. Your sensible Volvo S60 or V70 will set you back R8,400. A little Ford Fiesta 1.4? Sorry. R2,550 too dirty. Even most 1.2 litre tin cans won't get you in under the limit.
In fact, 88% of all cars sold in the UK exceed the 120g/km emission standard our government is proposing as reasonable. (I couldn't find a local list, but I think one can safely assume "green" cars are no more common here than in Europe.


And that's not all. Another plan will tax all vehicles, new and old, via the vehicle licence system. This is expected to become law next year, once the formality of a "discussion document" has been completed.

There's so much wrong with these proposals that it's hard to know where to begin.
First, the poorer you are, the harder you'll get hit. If you've saved up to finally buy yourself a second-hand clunker, you'll be hit hard. Worse, your chances to upgrade that clunker to something more fuel-efficient and comfortable have just gone down a notch.
The luxury car brigade and the posers in swanky little fuel-sippers can afford a little extra tax, because they can always fire a marginal employee. But the millions of marginal employees are a different matter. Those who make their living commuting to work, or driving around as tradesmen or salespeople, can't afford this kind of luxury.

Second, your behaviour will not influence the tax you pay. You might only go shopping for bread and milk twice a week, and maybe visit your mother on Sundays. You might cycle to work most days. You might cancel your holiday because you can't afford the fuel. Think you'll be considered "green" by the government? No such luck.
You'll cough up as much as the plumber out on jobs five days a week. You'll spend no less than the taxi driver who puts a million clicks on an engine in three years. You pay the same as the immortal teenager who fits fat tackies and a drainpipe exhaust and does screaming burnouts because he can't pull chicks.
If you work from home, sorry for you. You pay as much as the guy who commutes to Cape Town from his wine farm outside Stellenbosch, or works in Johannesburg but lives in Pretoria. If you are able to take public transport, and you do, you're bang out of luck too. You'll still need your car in the evenings and it will still be taxed, either on the purchase price or when you renew your license every year, or both.

Third, it's not like the price of fuel is negligible. It has risen at a rate of 9% per year over the last eight years, which is well above both our economic growth rate and our inflation rate. Only public sector wages have any chance of keeping up with this kind of increase.
As a major input cost to the economy, the fuel price has a knock-on effect on almost every product and service we buy, so there is every reason for individuals and companies to economise. The monthly fuel price announcement is one of the most closely watched economic indicators. Ordinary South Africans are perfectly well aware of the rising cost of fuel, and most try to limit their expenses as much as possible, especially in tough economic times.
Punishing motorists even further will have little real impact on their consumption of fuel. It might whittle away at the margins, but at what massive cost to the productive economy? Is such inflationary policy really what the government wants?

Fourth, if the intention is to encourage fuel-efficient cars, surely the standard for tax purposes should be around the median for cars on the market today, rather than way at the low end? And surely those who buy cleaner cars than average should receive equivalent subsidies to encourage this behaviour?
That this is not so reveals the real intent. It is not to use tax as a policy tool – inadvisable and market-distorting though that is. The real aim is simply to raise more revenue in ever-more ingenious ways, no matter how badly this hurts the economy.
Fifth, does government really need this tax? It isn't exactly struggling to steal the money of productive members of society.
While GDP growth chugged along at half the rate an emerging market should expect, tax revenue increased at the astonishing rate of 15.2% per year between 2002/3 and 2007/8, according to the latest Tax Statistics document from the South African Revenue Service.
Well over half a trillion rand's worth of our money flows to the tax man. That's 29.1% of GDP, which puts us right up there in the top third of all countries, alongside wealthy first-world countries such as the United States, Australia and Switzerland.

One wonders why such an ill-conceived revenue plan with such far-reaching economic effects is even on the table in a developing country like ours.
Finally, and most importantly, what on earth does South Africa need a green tax for?

There's a logical basis for believing that measures such as these, if they really are intended to combat climate change, are perfectly pointless.
I summarised the reasons to reject climate alarmism (http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2010-03-02-ten-reasons-to-reject-climate-alarmism) in a column some months ago, listing ten points that all had to be true to support the notion of regulatory or tax-based intervention by governments. Each seems unlikely enough on its own. Taken together, the likelihood that there is a real crisis, and that we can solve it, becomes vanishingly small.
Of course, such arguments are like Benzedrine to ecobunnies. Let's try to avoid the madness.
Let us accept, for the sake of argument, all the climate change propaganda. Then, to make the required emissions cuts, we'd have to cut not just fat, but flesh and bone from the global economy. No matter how heavy a burden it is to consumers, the impact of this kind of "green tax" our climate will be, to within a rounding error, zero.
All it will achieve is to suck more money out of the productive economy. It will punish especially those who use transport and energy in order to generate new wealth through hard work. If poverty alleviation is what we want to encourage, then it would be smart if the tax man did not treat the means of production like cigarettes.
And if prosperity growth seems like a crass ambition to you who have everything you need, then consider this: if the climate really does turn out to pose problems at some time in the future, it would be nice if we were in the financial and technical position to do something about it.

Poor countries demonstrate time and again that they are least able to protect life, limb and property against nature's caprices. Permitting the state to impoverish our economy through unnecessary and rapacious taxes is the worst way to prepare for the uncertainty of a changing future.
Green tax is what the masses should be angry about. It isn't the first time, and it won't be the last, that people have blithely granted the state the power to exploit them, and have paid for it in blood, sweat and tears.

[playtym]

Strike ‘cancels out SWC benefits’

Johannesburg - The public service strike is diminishing the gains made by South Africa in hosting a successful World Cup, the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) said on Thursday.

"The benefits that South Africa should have gained from the successful hosting of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup are being seriously eroded by the current activities of labour," the chamber said in a statement.

The public service strike - in its 16th day - and labour action in other sectors were harming South Africa's economic productivity.

"There appears to be scant concern for the negative impact that the present tide of protest action has on the South African economy and the ripple effect that these actions are bound to have on economic growth, employment, job creation and both domestic and foreign direct investment," Sacci said.http://fin24.com/Economy/Strike-cancels-out-SWC-benefits-20100902


Doh! :cantbeli:

[baboon6]

NPA withdraws charges against Wa Afrika

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-09-07-npa-withdraws-charges-against-wa-afrika

Makes you wonder why they arrested him in the first place- scare tactics I suppose...and the charges could be reinstated.


The National Prosecuting Authority provisionally withdrew all charges against Sunday Times investigative journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika on Tuesday morning.

In a letter from state advocate Shaun Abrahams to Wa Afrika’s lawyer Eric van den Berg, Abrahams wrote that he had decided to withdraw all charges against the journalist.

“Police investigations will however continue and a decision whether or not to prosecute will be taken upon conclusion of such investigations,” Abrahams wrote.

Wa Afrika was arrested at the Sunday Times’s Rosebank office on August 4. After notebooks dating back 11 years, computers and cellphones were seized from his Johannesburg house, a handcuffed Wa Afrika was driven to Mpumalanga where he was detained in police custody.

On August 6 he appeared in the Nelspruit Regional Court with Mpumalanga government official Victor Mlimi on charges of fraud, forgery and uttering. The case relates to a forged resignation letter by Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza.

NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said in a statement on Tuesday evidential material was submitted by the police to the NPA. "After perusing the case docket we are of the view that it is desirable that the matter be fully investigated prior to taking a decision on whether or not to prosecute. We therefore deem it appropriate that the charges be provisionally withdrawn pending further investigations."

Once the investigations have been concluded, the docket will be re-submitted to the NPA.

The case against Wa Afrika will formally be withdrawn in Nelspruit on Wednesday.

In reaction, Wa Afrika said he was relieved. "This whole thing was just a gross abuse of power and of taxpayers’ money." Wa Afrika and his legal team are preparing a damages claim against the police for wrongful arrest.

[IconOfEvi]

Im seriously starting to wonder how things are still functioning in SA ;)

[baboon6]

Zuma tries again to justify the proposed media tribunal, saying, amongst other things, that it will aid the poor if they are defamed in the newspapers!

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-09-09-zuma-media-tribunal-to-complement-selfregulation


The proposed media appeals tribunal is intended to "strengthen, complement and support the current self-regulatory institutions", President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday.

Replying to questions in the National Assembly, he said the African National Congress's (ANC) resolution on a proposed media tribunal "promotes media freedom within the context of the human rights ethos" of the Constitution.

More on the link.

[Alfacentori]

Zuma tries again to justify the proposed media tribunal, saying, amongst other things, that it will aid the poor if they are defamed in the newspapers!

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-09-09-zuma-media-tribunal-to-complement-selfregulation

More on the link.

That's a case of TIA if ever I saw one :roll:

Alfa

[Dinges]

Baboon6 , from your link:



Zuma responded by saying many South Africans "are poor".

"They can't get a lawyer to go and defend themselves. What happens to them?"

The tribunal would be "able to act on their behalf".From the existing Press Council's ( which is also the Press Ombudsman ) website:



What if I have a complaint?

If you believe a newspaper or magazine has not lived up to the South African Press Code (http://www.presscouncil.org.za/pages/press-code.php), you may lodge a complaint by letter, fax or e-mail with the Press Ombudsman within 14 days of publication of the relevant story. The Ombudsman's office will assist those who require help to pen their complaints.
State the name and date of the publication and the reasons you believe it was out of line. It would speed up the process if you also sent us a copy of the article that gave rise to the complaint.

STEP 1. The Ombudsman will informally try and resolve the issue amicably between you and the publication.

STEP 2. If there is no resolution after Step 1, the Ombudsman and two members of the Press Appeals Panel – one a press representative and the other a public representative – will listen to both sides at a formal hearing. Decisions will be by majority vote.

STEP 3. If either party is not satisfied with the decision, it may take the matter on appeal to the chairperson of the Press Appeals Panel, Judge Ralph Zulman, formerly of the Supreme Court of Appeal. The judge also hears the appeal with a public representative and a press representative in the Appeals Panel. There is no appeal beyond this level.

NB:
We will not start the process until you assure us that you will not later take other legal steps against the publication – we don't want people who pretend to use the self-regulation system only to extract the defence of the publication and then try and use the information against it in the courts.
If there is a valid reason for laying the complaint later than the 14 days' deadline, we will accept it.
http://www.presscouncil.org.za/



And all this Tribunal nonsense and Protection Of Information bill sounds very familiar:


The Zimbabwean Official Secrets Act goes way beyond what should be accepted as legitimate and justifiable protection from disclosure of official information.

The Act covers any matter which the state may allege to be "prejudicial to the safety and interests of Zimbabwe". It does not define what is meant by the term "interests".

Its provisions are frighteningly wide in scope and make it a very serious criminal offence to disclose or receive even the most trivial information, the disclosure or receipt of which could not conceivably result in any harm to the public interest. http://www.fxi.org.za/pages/Publications/Medialaw/zim-fina.htm

[baboon6]

More bollocks from Malema re nationalisation of mines. He claims taxes are not bringing in enough money- yet if you read the article I posted here http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?177439-SouthAfrica-is-going-to-get-worse.&p=5168187&viewfull=1#post5168187 you will see that tax income in SA has gone up massively in the last few years.

Analysis: 1+2=12 - the mathematics of Malema's mine nationalisation fiction

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2010-09-09-analysis-the-1212-mathematics-of-malemas-mine-nationalisation-fiction


The economic argument behind the ANC Youth League's push for mine nationalisation, which it hopes to make into ANC-proper policy this month, makes absolutely no sense. There are easier, cheaper and safer ways to better achieve its stated objectives. But the plan does give Julius Malema a platform remarkably similar to the one Jacob Zuma used in ousting Thabo Mbeki. Article continues on link

EDIT: this comment from the link sums up nicely what is going on in SA:



Populism depends only on the logic of public appeal. The more simplistic the argument, the better. Facts don't matter. What matters is becoming part of the privileged kleptocracy while convincing the poor you're on their side. Unfortunately our beloved alliance, through its love affair with corrupt and defunct leadership, is opening the door far and wide to the simplest populism. One can only hope that Malema self-destructs under the burden of his own shortcomings, since there seems to be no-one to stop him.

[playtym]

Zuma tries again to justify the proposed media tribunal, saying, amongst other things, that it will aid the poor if they are defamed in the newspapers!

LOL! What poor South African has ever done anything newsworthy anyway? (And I'm not counting robbery, hijacking, rape or murder, ok. p-))
All you ever read about in the papers is a police commissioner fixing tenders, a politician involved in a travel scandal, a BEE deal gone sour, and the Boks getting beaten.

Come to think of it, I'd be better off not knowing about some of that stuff. p-)


Who saw the new term coined by the DA in parliament? ZEE. Zuma Economic Empowerment. :)


Which of you Saffie's have been watching Trevor Noah?
Man, that's some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen. rofl

[Dinges]

You don't need Trevor Noah to have a guffaw at Bheki Cele. He is a walking joke-a-thon.

According to his bio when he was MEC for Transport he was imprisoned on Robben Island and released only in 2001!! That is some serious struggle credentials!rofl

To quote him:


"It was the most amazing time of my life. I can proudly say that from 1984 to 2001, I never carried a cent in my pocket yet never went to bed without food, or stayed without clothes," he says.

http://www.kzntransport.gov.za/reading_room/prev_features/2004/b_cele.htm

[Dinges]

Gauteng ANC leaders condemned party members who blew the whistle on corruption by government officials without considering the party's image.

"We need to tighten our internal controls to discourage the leaking of information to the media by those within our ranks who have no interest in preserving and protecting the image and moral integrity of the ANC," the resolution said.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article655692.ece/ANC-ups-the-ante-in-its-war-on-the-media


Need I say more.

[baboon6]

Now these mongtards want to censor Facebook!

Article over fake Facebook page raises union's ire

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-09-17-article-over-fake-facebook-page-raises-unions-ire


A Cosatu-affiliated union has been left red-faced after releasing a media statement that construed a Mail & Guardian story about a fake Facebook profile for Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven as an "unlettered and unpalatable attack".

"Perhaps, it is ideal that we must accelerate the realisation of government instruments such as Media Appeal Tribunal to deal with media houses that may attempt to misuse their space for unsound and/or harmful writings," said the statement.

It stated that the article by M&G journalist Tarryn Harbour (http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-09-16-will-the-real-patrick-craven-please-stand-up) undermined the movement's efforts to address genuine issues that affect workers.

It seems Popcru itself is not entirely sure who to blame, only that blame must be apportioned. It was not clear from the statement whether the main subject of Popcru's ire was the M&G or Facebook, or how a media appeals tribunal would be effective in regulating a social media platform such as Facebook.

Popcru spokesperson Norman Mampane would not elaborate further on the statement but was adamant that Facebook should be regulated.

"They can't have their own rules. Such things should be regulated because we cannot allow an attack on our leaders," he said before ending the call.


More on the link

[Atlantic Friend]

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article655692.ece/ANC-ups-the-ante-in-its-war-on-the-media


Need I say more.

Honestly, you'd be hard taxed to find a political party that promotes leaking internal information to the press.

[B. Traven]

The wise thing to do is to ban soccer and facebook altogether.

[Dinges]

Honestly, you'd be hard taxed to find a political party that promotes leaking internal information to the press.

The problem here is not the leaking of internal ANC information. The ANC has a problem with the leaking of local and national government information where ANC members are exposed in corruption within government. And this information is supposed to be open to the public and press alike.

The ANC members are actively trying to hide corruption and nepotism , and are then caught with their hands in the cookie jar by the press and members of the public.

That is why they want to pass legislation likened to the Apartheid era censorship.

[playtym]

It seems that the final count is now in on the World Cup.


SA cashes in on World Cup (http://www.fin24.com/Economy/SA-cashes-in-on-World-Cup-20100923)

Johannesburg - The 2010 FIFA World Cup boosted the South African economy by R9.3bn, Local Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/user/2150) said on Thursday.So, let's see.

Moses Mabhida Stadium_________Durban__________3,400,000,000
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium______Port Elizabeth____2,050,000,000
Cape Town Stadium______________Cape Town_______4,400,000,000
Mbombela Stadium_______________Nelspruit________1,050,000,000
Peter Makaba Stadium___________Polokwane_______1,240,000,000

Cost of stadiums________________________________12,140,000,000

Boost to economy____________________________9,300,000,000

_______________________________________________2,840,000,000

That means that... wait, what, 12 is bigger than 9, isn't it? Eish! We lost money on hosting the World Cup? :cantbeli:

And we still need to come up with the funds to run these stadiums?

Seems like an awesome investment to me. http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j130/playtym/Smileys/638.gif

[baboon6]

Reports on the ANC's National General Council meeting in Durban; common sense prevails on health and education but some issues, such as nationalisation of the mines and the medial bill, still unresolved.

ANC NGC: Economics 1, old guard 1, Youth League 0, nationalisation of mines gets sandbagged

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2010-09-24-anc-ngc-economics-1-old-guard-1-youth-league-0-nationalisation-of-mines-gets-sandbagged


The ANC Youth League won a famous victory at the battle of the Durban national general council. Not! The youngsters, so confident of their power coming in, left with not a single important concession. That makes for an easy scoreline: Julius Malema lost, and ally Fikile Mbalula lost, and Jacob Zuma and Gwede Mantashe came out stronger, as did the media and miners. Not that everybody agrees with us on that – most notably the Youth League. By STEPHEN GROOTES and PHILLIP DE WET.

Late on Thursday night the rumours were still flying thick. The Youth League had made a comeback, Julius Malema had rallied the troops and won the day, an ANC that is committed to the nationalisation of mines would be the real legacy of this conference. But on Friday morning those rumours were proven false, unless you have the extraordinary ability to read victory into getting people to talk about stuff, but in the end disagreeing with you and actually pushing your issues backwards.


Trevor Manuel walked into the NGC media briefing room and delivered the final stinging blow the Youth League agenda, declaring that mine nationalisation was a very important issue. So important that it will have to be studied for the next two years, and then revisited at a policy-making congress in 2012.

More on the link

Analysis: The post-NGC ANC, the wisdom of crowds and policy wonks

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2010-09-27-analysis-the-post-ngc-anc-the-wisdom-of-crowds-and-policy-wonks



With a new week starting, the ANC looks rather different from just a week ago. We take a good look at the council's decisions and how they may influence South Africa in the years to come. By STEPHEN GROOTES.



The last few months have understandably led to a public perception that the ANC is obsessed with issues of leadership and nationalisation. It makes complete sense when you look at what some of the big issues of the last few months have been. And so there was an expectation that these would come to dominate the national general council. On one level they absolutely did. But on another, the commission meetings were really dominated by thought and a desire (from an ANC point of view) to improve the country. There is evidence of deep thought, of contemplation and of the need for change.

[playtym]

ANC: Stop using term service delivery (http://www.fin24.com/Economy/ANC-Stop-using-term-service-delivery-20100923)

Durban - Delegates attending the ANC national general council feel that the use of the term "service delivery" should be stopped because it inculcated a sense of entitlement among people.

"Delegates raised concerns that the term should no longer be used because it encourages dependency. The term makes people believe that they will get everything from government,"said Bathabile Dlamini (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/user/8975), African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee member.

She was addressing the media on the resolutions of the ANC's social transformation commission at the NGC in Durban on Thursday evening.

"South Africans were mobilised people before 1994. They were hard workers but that has changed. They are now demobilised because they think that government will do everything for them. They don't contribute anything. They destroy what they have when they demand
something," she said.

Dlamini said they had been tasked by delegates to come up with a new term which would replace "service delivery".

There were also concerns that social grants created dependency.

"It was suggested that economic activity should be created through co-operatives to ensure that we ease pressure on social grants," she said.

Delegates had also raised concerns about the growing number of informal settlements in towns and cities.

"It was said that they should be discouraged at all costs so that we can deal with housing backlogs," said Phumulo Masaule, member of the social transformation committee.

"Although we have made significant progress in the profession of housing but the challenge never stops because there is an influx of people to towns and cities," he said.

Action was needed against the illegal occupiers of land as soon as they occupied land, he said. "They said as soon as it happens it should be acted upon," said Masaule.

Delegates had also raised concerns that people sold or rented out houses they received from government.

"They leave houses and go back to informal settlements."

The NGC also accepted the draft Gender Equity Bill, intended to ensure a 50/50 representation in key positions.

The bill would enforce gender parity measures across all sectors. They stopped the actual delivery a long time ago, they may as well stop using the term now too.

We wouldn't want people to be inculcated with a sense that they're entitled to stuff like running water and sanitation, housing or health care, would we? :roll:

[playtym]

SA economic policy wrong-headed

A MAJOR difference between South Africa and China was that the South African government had focused mainly on social transformation while China had concentrated on growing its economy. That’s according to Mike Rossouw, an executive director of Xstrata Alloys and chairman of the Energy Intensive Users Group of South Africa.
Addressing a seminar on “Strategies for an uncertain future” at the Gordon Institute of Business in Johannesburg on Tuesday Rossouw commented: “It’s a no-brainer that we must have a strong economy because from a strong economy you can transform the country but you cannot do it the other way round.”
Describing the agenda of the mining charter as “not balanced”, Rossouw said a question to be asked was “are we not transforming at any price?”
Rossouw said the world was headed for another bout of massive growth in demand for commodities and it was essential that South Africa not lose out this time around the way it had during the previous cycle.
“The fundamentals of the commodity business are that demand is continuing to rise at a massive rate because of growth in China and India but mining capacity is stagnant because there has not been enough investment in new capacity to produce the metals needed.”
Rossouw pointed out that in the period 2001 to 2008 the global mining sector grew at an annual rate of 5% but South Africa’s mining sector had actually declined by 1%. Said Rossouw: “Had South Africa’s mining industry grown at that same rate of 5% per annum as the rest of the world it would have created another 45,000 jobs in the sector.”
Rossouw attacked commentators who believed that South Africa should leave its minerals in the ground and instead diversify away from mining taking the “Singapore value added approach.”
“That makes no sense. South Africa still has significant geological potential and we are still a major mining player.”
Rossouw singled out manganese as one example where South Africa hosted 80% of the world’s manganese reserves but had only a 15% share in world production.
“By contrast China has less than 5% of the world’s manganese reserves but accounts for more than 30% of global manganese production. Clearly, there’s a very different economic strategy being followed here.”
Rossouw identified three key issues holding development of South Africa’s mining industry back. These were shortages of human capital and skills; insufficient infrastructure and insufficient capacity in the regulatory environment.
He paid tribute to the government for the revolution that had taken place in the country over the past 15 years where huge changes had been made through legislation.
“We now live in a wonderful country we should be proud of,” he said adding that he felt the government initiative had “run out of petrol” and was now “severely stressed”.

Power crisis
Turning to the country’s power supply crisis, Rossouw said the solution had to be found through closer collaboration between government, Eskom and the private sector.
“We have to take a more holistic, integrated approach. I fully believe in the concept of collaboration and I believe it’s taking place.”
Queried on the specific issue of the introduction of independent power producers (IPPs) into the electricity supply system, Rossouw said he believed government was listening to the private sector.
He commented all the factors which had constrained the development of IPP in South Africa should be removed in the coming months. http://www.miningmx.com/news/markets/SA-economic-policy-wrong-headed.htm

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j130/playtym/Smileys/hmm.gif

[playtym]

If I see someone stealing, can I call him a thief? (http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-10-01-if-i-see-someone-stealing-can-call-him-a-thief)

If a person commits a crime and is later granted amnesty for his or her actions, does this mean the crime never happened? This was the argument put before the Constitutional Court on Thursday.
The court heard an appeal by the Citizen newspaper against an award of damages for defamation granted to former Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride.

McBride, who was a member of the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto weSizwe, during apartheid was responsible for a 1986 car bomb attack outside Magoo's Bar and the Why Not Restaurant in Durban. Three women were killed in the bombing. McBride was convicted of murder and sentenced to death but was later granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

In 2003, when McBride was running for the office of metro police chief, the Citizen published a series of articles questioning McBride's suitability for the job. Among other things, the articles referred to McBride as a "murderer". His lawyers have argued that because he received amnesty he cannot be called a murderer.

This complex case deals with not only with the amnesty process and TRC legislation but also with the law of defamation. It hinges largely on the interpretation of Section 20 (10) of the TRC Act, which governs the granting of amnesty in the context of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

It states: "Where any person has been convicted of any offence constituted by an act or omission associated with a political objective in respect of which amnesty has been granted in terms of this Act, any entry or record of the conviction shall be deemed to be expunged from all official documents or records and the conviction shall for all purposes, including the application of any Act of Parliament or any other law, be deemed not to have taken place".

McBride's lawyers say this section of the Act is the "lynchpin" of their argument.

In what appeared to be a case of splitting hairs, McBride's lawyer Daniel Berger argued that an act, such as murder, rape or theft, is only unlawful if a court determines it to be so. "If a person has not been convicted then a person cannot be called a murderer," he said. With his records expunged, McBride could not be said to have been convicted of murder, he said.

'If I see someone stealing, can I call him a thief?'
Judge AJ Brand countered, asking "If I see someone stealing, can I call him a thief or do I have to wait for him to be convicted in court?"

Under further questioning from the judges, Berger was forced to concede that there was a difference between a conviction deemed not to have taken place and a crime deemed never to have taken place.

Advocate Wim Trengrove, acting for the Citizen, argued that: "There is nothing in [the Act] to suggest that, to give effect to its purpose, one has to regard past gross human rights violations not to have occurred at all."

He held that there is nothing in the law that requires us to speak in euphemisms. "Saying he [McBride] unlawfully and intentionally killed three women but not to say he is a murderer does not match up to the law of defamation," said Trengrove.

Media law expert Dario Milo said the other interesting issue that the court would have to resolve was whether, when defending fair comment, one could rely on a fact that has been given to the public in an earlier article for purposes of justifying a later article.

McBride's lawyers claim that the newspaper deliberately failed to mention that McBride had been granted amnesty and that they did not do enough to ensure that readers could judge the value of the newspapers comment for themselves.

Berger said that while the media can report on the murders, they had a responsibility to ensure that readers understand the context and are aware that he had been granted amnesty.

He refuted Trengrove's argument that newspaper readers were well-informed and the idea that people interested in the topic would avidly follow the McBride case week to week. "Not everybody is obsessed with Robert McBride and not everybody has followed his amnesty application," said Berger.

According to Milo, this issue concerning fair comment point was unprecedented in South Africa since the advent of the new Constitution.

"Do you look at a whole series of articles on a particular issue? In this case, in its earlier articles the Citizen mentions the amnesty that was granted to McBride. Now the question is, do they have to mention that in every other article when they comment on his suitability for office and they call him a murderer? Or can they assume that the reasonable reader has knowledge of that previous article?" he asked.

"It will be very interesting to see how the court resolves it," he said. However, Milo estimated that it would be at least a few months before judgement was handed down. I can't believe that this *expletive deleted* is using this as an argument. You blow up a bar/restaurant killing 3, and injuring another 69, innocent civilians, and then use some legislation to try and make the whole thing go away?!?
Murder's only illegal if the court says so? Where in the fvck does that argument even sound logical?!?
It's at times like this that I think the apartheid government was too lenient - they should have hung this *expletive deleted* when they caught him.

[playtym]

LMAO! Zapiro hit the nail on the head with this one!

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/4830/05mar10xzapiro.gif

[baboon6]

http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page72308?oid=202397&sn=Marketingweb+detail&pid=90389


Sisulu covers up: Zuma's flights now classified

The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that it is problematic that the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, has decided that details about President Jacob Zuma's flights are now classified.
The fact is that this information has been made public in the past and raises questions about why the minister is now covering up details about flights undertaken by President Jacob Zuma.
In a reply to a parliamentary question, released this morning, the minister revealed that President Jacob Zuma undertook 27 international flights and 133 domestic flights since 09 May 2009. The president did not use any commercial airline and all flights were on aircraft operated by the defence department. However, the minister refuses to reveal details about the routing and costs of the flights. She suggested in the reply to the question that the matter be raised in the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (JSCDMV).
The parliamentary question was part of a series of similar questions posed to Deputy President Kgalema Mothlanthe and Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu.
The ministers reply is deeply problematic for the following reasons:
* detailed information about presidential flights has always been provided in the past including details about routing and costs. For example in 2005 replies to similar parliamentary questions resulted in detailed information being provided including spreadsheets containing detailed information on the departure date, arrival date, routeing, passenger names, passenger numbers, distance flown, hours flown as well as the total cost including a breakdown of costs of accommodation meals, daily allowances, fuel costs, handling fees, navigation and landing fees, the costs of catering in respect of each flight; and
* the minister knows very well that the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Military Veterans does not meet and therefore the matter cannot be taken further in Parliament.
The fact is that the minister's refusal to provide full information on flights undertaken by President Jacob Zuma is part of a trend of defence department resistance to being properly accountable to Parliament.
The real question is what is the minister trying to cover up. Is she trying to cover up details of the routing of the aircraft, the names of the passengers or the exorbitant costs of operating the aircraft?
The bottom line is that South Africans have a right to know how public money is being spent by the defence department on domestic and international flights for President Jacob Zuma.


More on the link

[playtym]

I read that article in the Business Day this morning. It's just a small taste of what's to come if they push the Protection of Information Act through.

[baboon6]

The ANC did not set us free

http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/columnists/article687980.ece/The-ANC-did-not-set-us-free


Justice Malala: ANC leader Pallo Jordan, writing in this newspaper last week, asserted that because of the struggles of his comrades I am able to write my "wordy, self-righteous columns in The Times, certain that he (I) won't spend that night in prison."

I am not sure that I won't spend tonight or any other night in prison. I am also not certain that the leaders of the ANC won't throw me in jail. Because, as outlined by ANC veteran Oyama Mabandla in an article in African Affairs in 1990, large chunks of the ANC hates free speech and hates people who speak truth to power.

More on the link

[playtym]

SURPRISE!!!!! http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/2320/surprisef.jpg

No for everyone though! p-)


Ratepayers could end up paying for Cape Town stadium's operating costs after Sail Stadefrance walked out on a 30-year lease to manage the property.

"We do not have final numbers on what this will cost the ratepayer. In the end it will be up to the citizens of Cape Town on whether they come to the stadium to support the teams and events," the city's acting mayor Ian Neilson told reporters on Wednesday.

The city will take over management of the R4,4-billion stadium.

Sail Stadefrance said it had projected "substantial losses" if it took up the project.

Sail Stadefrance Operating Company (SSOC) chief executive Morne du Plessis said "unresolved matters" affecting the viability of the lease, due to start on November 1, and "severe operating constraints" had caused the company to withdraw from the lease.

"The operating cost was surprising," he said. "The maintenance costs were way above expectations.

"In the light of unresolved matters that materially affected the viability of the lease and severe operating constraints, we have advised the city that SSOC would not be in a position to enter the lease on 1 November 2010, as the shareholders were not prepared to enter the lease under circumstances that projected substantial losses."

Du Plessis said the company had indicated that it was willing to accept an amendment to the management contract that would include a risk and reward structure.

"Unfortunately the city and ourselves were not able to reach agreement on these amended terms," he said.

'Business constraints'
The chief factors leading SSOC to withdraw were high costs of maintaining the stadium, the failure to secure anchor tenants and "business constraints".

Du Plessis said the running of Green Point Park, next to the stadium, was proving to be a major cost.

Neilson said the national government, which invested R10-billion in Cape Town's infrastructure before the Soccer World Cup, had to carry some of the responsibility for managing the stadium.

The city, which invested about R2-billion of its own money before the tournament, had no choice but to build its World Cup stadium in Greenpoint as cheaper sites at Athlone and Newlands were "not suitable" to soccer's governing body, Fifa.

"We had no choice. It was Greenpoint or don't be involved in the World Cup. In the end hundreds of thousands of people came to Cape Town during the tournament and saw what we can make happen. You can't put a number on that.

"It is national government who put the stadia up. It must take some of the responsibility."

Neilson said the city was still to hold discussions with Western Province Rugby about whether it would move from Newlands and host its games at the stadium.

One of Western Province Rugby's main concerns about the stadium had been its lack of corporate suits.

Neilson said the city was prepared to look at expanding the number of suites in the stadium.

"Boxes would be an issue, but there are solutions to that."

The city would take over the management of the stadium "for the foreseeable future", he said.

"We will manage the stadium until we see a way forward.

"It is not our vision to take over the permanent running of the stadium."

In a briefing to Parliament earlier this year, director of the city's 2010 operations Lesley De Reuck said the current operational and maintenance costs, including management of the adjacent Green Point Park, were about R46,5-million a year. - Sapa http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-10-07-surprising-cost-of-running-cape-town-stadium

Here's another surprise - Sail Stadefrance is much better at projectioneering than the ANC. :roll:

"Sail Stadefrance said it had projected "substantial losses" if it took up the project."

[playtym]

Pretoria - Dissatisfaction is brewing among the approximately 9 700 soldiers who have found out that their allowances for the soccer World Cup will not be paid into their bank accounts next week.

This is despite the repeated written and verbal promises by highest authority in this regard.

Apparently the failure to make the payments is due to a lack of money to finance the defence force's entire expense account for the tournament of approximately R365m.

So far the defence force has only received R200m in addition to its budget to cover these expenses, while the soldiers' allowances alone amount to R245m.

The last police officials to receive their allowances got their money in September.

Lindiwe Sisulu, minister of defence, announced shortly before the Cup that soldiers would receive an increased "unique" allowance of R720 per day, just like their counterparts in the police.

In addition to this, soldiers would receive a daily inconvenience allowance of R80. Most of the soldiers were deployed for between 44 and 52 days for Operation Kgwele, while soldiers who guarded borders during this period qualified for the same allowances.

Beeld has seen internal bulletins and letters about the matter, which confirmed that the money would be in their bank accounts this month (October).

The pay sheets for this month have been available since Wednesday, which showed for the first time that there's no sign of these payments.

One commander who spoke to Beeld said the non-payment has massive implications for his credibility among his subordinates.

These are not the only soldiers waiting in vain for payments.

About 300 soldiers who were deployed at airports and elsewhere to receive VIPs for President Jacob Zuma's inauguration in May last year are still waiting for their promised overtime pay.

These soldiers were assured ahead of time in their deployment orders that they would be compensated.

The department of international relations and co-operation would initially have paid the approximately R500 000 that the overtime would cost.

Later, however, this was modified and each defence force unit had to find the money in its own budget.http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Soldiers-fuming-over-WC-cash-20101007

But... um... I thought we'd made bucket loads of money off of this World Cup. You mean to say they don't have a measly R245m lying around to pay these guys what's owed to them? :roll:

[playtym]

Durban – Apparently “teenage fun” is the reason behind a young woman’s death from multiple internal injuries. Three boys threw objects from a bridge onto vehicles on the N3 highway, just outside the CBD.

This emerged after the three boys, aged between 14 and 15, were arrested on the same day that 24-year-old Siphesihle Zuma died, said police spokesperson Thulani Zwane.

Zuma died in the early morning hours on Wednesday at the St Augustine hospital.

Less than three hours earlier, on Tuesday at about 22:00, a piece of concrete thrown from the Candella Road bridge onto the N3 fell onto her lower body. She was sitting in the front passenger seat of a car driven by a family member.

Shortly thereafter, another piece of concrete was thrown at a car carrying a mother and her children, but this time the concrete bounced off the vehicle.

A malicious property damage docket has been opened in connection with the incident, Zwane said.

The woman driving the car in which Zuma was a passenger only reported the incident at the Westville police station late on Wednesday afternoon, while the family were making funeral arrangements.

The docket was later sent to the Sydenham police station.

That very same night, after following up on clues, detectives from the Cato Manor police station arrested the three boys on charges of murder and malicious property damage.

“It looks like the tragedy started off as fun,” Zwane said.

Candella Road runs through the area where the boys live: the Bonela neighbourhood right next to the N3.

According to police spokesperson Vincent Mdunge, the police are taking these incidents very seriously and the local police station has already started taking steps to prevent a repeat. This includes more patrols.

According to Mdunge, the N3 is monitored by CCTV cameras between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

Three years ago there were two incidents within 24 hours, when criminals stacked concrete blocks in the road – also in the area of the Candella Road bridge - to force vehicles to a stop.

According to Zwane, the boys will appear in court soon.http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Teenagers-kill-woman-for-fun-20101104

[Uche Africanus]

This seems like much ado about nothing.

[baboon6]

Yet another proposed new media law in South Africa- public broadcasters will now apparently have to be "aligned with the developmental goals of the Republic", whatever that means. Not that the SABC wasn't already to a large extent a mouthpiece for the ANC, but this would make it official.

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2010-11-16-of-superman-ministers-and-developmentally-aligned-broadcasters


There seems to be a lot of frightening legislation doing the rounds, which naturally means some drafts don't get the attention they deserve. But, not to be alarmist or anything, you need to have a look at the proposed new law on public broadcasting. Seriously. By STEPHEN GROOTES.

A rough reading of the Draft Public Services Broadcasting Bill is one of those exercises that makes one wonder who writes these things. How is it actually done? Does a minister say, “I want to do this and this, now you go and put it into legal language”? Is there a brainstorming session with a whiteboard and shouted ideas? Is there a process; is there any kind of thought at all?


At a recent press conference, Cabinet spokesperson Themba Maseko was asked how some clauses get into bills. It was a question really aimed at the “Protection” of Information Bill. His answer, clearly put, was that “no clause gets into a Bill by accident”, it’s there for a reason. Well, dear reader, if that is the case, the following is going to make for some chilling reading.
The NGOs, bless them, have done their homework on this Bill, and their first issue is right up front, in the statement of aim. This Bill, it says, will repeal the current Act that governs public broadcasting “so as to align the broadcasting system to the developmental goals of the Republic”. That’s right, the first unconstitutional piece is right at the top of the Bill. Because this surely means that broadcasters need to work to “develop” the country. And who defines “development”? Well, we’re not sure, but we can bet it’ll put Snuki Zikalala’s “developmental journalism” into a cocked hat.


As the legal people from the Centre for Constitutional Rights put it, this clause is an expression “of the government of the day, of a political party”, and thus cannot be included.
Here’s the kicker. The new communications minister, Roy Padayachie, who was thought to be a new broom, used exactly that phrase “align with the developmental goals of the republic”, in his prepared media statement, during his press conference last week.
More on the link

[playtym]

More than one in three South African men questioned in a survey admitted to rape, the latest evidence in the country of a violent culture of patriarchy.

Researchers found that more than three in four men said they had perpetrated violence against women.

Nearly nine in 10 men believe that a woman should obey her husband -- and almost six in 10 women also agreed with the statement.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of rape in the world. Last year a survey by the Medical Research Council (MRC) found that 28% of men in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces said they had raped a woman or girl.

A new MRC study in Gauteng, the country's wealthiest province, found that 37,4% of men admitted having committed a rape, while 25,3% of women said they had been raped.

The survey questioned 511 women and 487 men, of whom 90% were black and 10% white.http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-11-26-one-in-three-sa-men-admit-to-rape-survey-finds

[drevil5000]

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-11-26-one-in-three-sa-men-admit-to-rape-survey-finds

I call bullsh$t on these stats. ****** assaults are much more common here than most other countries but are nowhere near as bad as this report is trying to claim.

[playtym]

Please share your statistics with us.

[baboon6]

Please share your statistics with us.

+1. Those numbers are probably, if anything, too low.

[drevil5000]

Please share your statistics with us.

I've lived in SA my entire life and have never known anyone who has ever been raped nor have I known anyone who has raped someone. If these stats were true I would have known many people like this.

[curious george]

I've lived in SA my entire life and have never known anyone who has ever been raped nor have I known anyone who has raped someone. If these stats were true I would have known many people like this.

I am involved with an NGO (since 2001)that does lots of councelling,etc-trust me rape/crimes of a ****** nature are pretty much under-reported,thats the sad reality!The system is not victim-friendly,from the SAPS,care/truama centres,etc.There have been some improvements over time.

It takes avery brave person to go through what the system requires him/her to do....,you'll soon understand if you had experience in this field!

And from my own experience a very significant portion of people I have personally seen,will/would never disclose this type of trauma to anyone close to themselves,or even officially report any incident.

This is a tradegy in itself,but we'll leave it there as we'll be going off topic.

[drevil5000]

I am involved with an NGO that does lots of councelling,etc-trust me rape/crimes of a ****** nature are pretty much under-reported,thats the sad reality!

And from my own experience a very significant portion of people I have personally seen,will/would never disclose this type of trauma to anyone close to themselves.This is a tradegy in itself,but we'll leave it there as we'll be going off topic.

Like I said, there are very many ****** assaults but there's no way they are as common as this report claims. Also, the sample size of of 998 is far too small to be representative of the whole country.

[baboon6]

South Africa: Only a matter of time before the bomb explodes

by Moeletsi Mbeki: Author, political commentator and entrepreneur.

I can predict when SA’s "Tunisia Day" will arrive. Tunisia Day is when the masses rise against the powers that be, as happened recently in Tunisia. The year will be 2020, give or take a couple of years. The year 2020 is when China estimates that its current minerals-intensive industrialisation phase will be concluded.

http://www.leader.co.za/article.aspx?s=23&f=1&a=2571


For SA, this will mean the African National Congress (ANC) government will have to cut back on social grants, which it uses to placate the black poor and to get their votes. China’s current industrialisation phase has forced up the prices of SA’s minerals, which has enabled the government to finance social welfare programmes.

The ANC inherited a flawed, complex society it barely understood; its tinkerings with it are turning it into an explosive cocktail. The ANC leaders are like a group of children playing with a hand grenade. One day one of them will figure out how to pull out the pin and everyone will be killed.

A famous African liberation movement, the National Liberation Front of Algeria, after tinkering for 30 years, pulled the grenade pin by cancelling an election in 1991 that was won by the opposition Islamic Salvation Front. In the civil war that ensued, 200000 people were killed.

The former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, once commented that whoever thought that the ANC could rule SA was living in Cloud Cuckoo Land. Why was Thatcher right? In the 16 years of ANC rule, all the symptoms of a government out of its depth have grown worse.

Life expectancy has declined from 65 years to 53 years since the ANC came to power;
In 2007, SA became a net food importer for the first time in its history;
The elimination of agricultural subsidies by the government led to the loss of 600000 farm workers’ jobs and the eviction from the commercial farming sector of about 2,4-million people between 1997 and 2007; and
The ANC stopped controlling the borders, leading to a flood of poor people into SA, which has led to conflicts between SA’s poor and foreign African migrants.

What should the ANC have done, or be doing?

The answer is quite straightforward. When they took control of the government in 1994, ANC leaders should have: identified what SA’s strengths were; identified what SA’s weaknesses were; and decided how to use the strengths to minimise and/or rectify the weaknesses.

A wise government would have persuaded the skilled white and Indian population to devote some of their time — even an hour a week — to train the black and coloured population to raise their skill levels.

What the ANC did instead when it came to power was to identify what its leaders and supporters wanted. It then used SA’s strengths to satisfy the short-term consumption demands of its supporters. In essence, this is what is called black economic empowerment (BEE).

BEE promotes a number of extremely negative socioeconomic trends in our country. It promotes a class of politicians dependent on big business and therefore promotes big business’s interests in the upper echelons of government. Second, BEE promotes an anti-entrepreneurial culture among the black middle class by legitimising an environment of entitlement. Third, affirmative action, a subset of BEE, promotes incompetence and corruption in the public sector by using ruling party allegiance and connections as the criteria for entry and promotion in the public service, instead of having tough public service entry examinations.

Let’s see where BEE, as we know it today, actually comes from. I first came across the concept of BEE from a company, which no longer exists, called Sankor. Sankor was the industrial division of Sanlam and it invented the concept of BEE.

The first purpose of BEE was to create a buffer group among the black political class that would become an ally of big business in SA. This buffer group would use its newfound power as controllers of the government to protect the assets of big business.

The buffer group would also protect the modus operandi of big business and thereby maintain the status quo in which South African business operates. That was the design of the big conglomerates.

Sanlam was soon followed by Anglo American. Sanlam established BEE vehicle Nail; Anglo established Real Africa, Johnnic and so forth. The conglomerates took their marginal assets, and gave them to politically influential black people, with the purpose, in my view, not to transform the economy but to create a black political class that is in alliance with the conglomerates and therefore wants to maintain the status quo of our economy and the way in which it operates.

But what is wrong with protecting SA’s conglomerates?

Well, there are many things wrong with how conglomerates operate and how they have structured our economy.


The economy has a strong built-in dependence on cheap labour;
It has a strong built-in dependence on the exploitation of primary resources;
It is strongly unfavourable to the development of skills in our general population;
It has a strong bias towards importing technology and economic solutions; and
It promotes inequality between citizens by creating a large, marginalised underclass.

Conglomerates are a vehicle, not for creating development in SA but for exploiting natural resources without creating in-depth, inclusive social and economic development, which is what SA needs. That is what is wrong with protecting conglomerates.

The second problem with the formula of BEE is that it does not create entrepreneurs. You are taking political leaders and politically connected people and giving them assets which, in the first instance, they don’t know how to manage. So you are not adding value. You are faced with the threat of undermining value by taking assets from people who were managing them and giving them to people who cannot manage them. BEE thus creates a class of idle rich ANC politicos.

My quarrel with BEE is that what the conglomerates are doing is developing a new culture in SA — not a culture of entrepreneurship, but an entitlement culture, whereby black people who want to go into business think that they should acquire assets free, and that somebody is there to make them rich, rather than that they should build enterprises from the ground.

But we cannot build black companies if what black entrepreneurs look forward to is the distribution of already existing assets from the conglomerates in return for becoming lobbyists for the conglomerates.

The third worrying trend is that the ANC-controlled state has now internalised the BEE model. We are now seeing the state trying to implement the same model that the conglomerates developed.

What is the state distributing? It is distributing jobs to party faithful and social welfare to the poor. This is a recipe for incompetence and corruption, both of which are endemic in SA. This is what explains the service delivery upheavals that are becoming a normal part of our environment.

So what is the correct road SA should be travelling?

We all accept that a socialist model, along the lines of the Soviet Union, is not workable for SA today. The creation of a state-owned economy is not a formula that is an option for SA or for many parts of the world. Therefore, if we want to develop SA instead of shuffling pre-existing wealth, we have to create new entrepreneurs, and we need to support existing entrepreneurs to diversify into new economic sectors.

Mbeki is the author of Architects of Poverty: Why African Capitalism Needs Changing. This article forms part of a series on transformation supplied by the Centre for Development and Enterprise.

[baboon6]

Toll roads - Highway robbery

by Barney Mthombothi: Editor of Financial Mail.

There is something particularly offensive and utterly distasteful about the manner in which roads authorities seem intent on mugging motorists on the country’s motorways. It is extortion of the worst kind, and it has major implications not only for individual motorists, but for business and the economy as a whole. The mere thought of what is proposed makes one’s blood boil. It will destroy livelihoods if it’s allowed to go ahead. If President Jacob Zuma is serious about creating jobs, he will have to make sure this scheme is canned forthwith.

http://www.leader.co.za/article.aspx?s=23&f=1&a=2568


The upgrading of the freeway network and the introduction of the Gautrain were sold to us as some of the benefits of hosting the soccer World Cup. We bought into it. But there was a sting in the tail. Suddenly freeways aren’t free anymore. Overhead structures started appearing on the freeways. We now know that this structure is called a gantry. It’s something we’ll come to hate with a passion. It’s going to hit our pockets.

Last week the public were shocked when the SA National Roads Agency Ltd (Sanral) unveiled its fee structure for the Gauteng freeway network. Stripped of all the jargon and PR spin, it comes down to this: it will cost motorists 66c for every kilometre travelled on the province’s freeways. A person travelling to work between Johannesburg and Pretoria, for instance, will pay in excess of R1000/month. That’s criminal. There should be something in the constitution against this sort of daylight robbery. And the system is obviously going to be installed in the rest of the country.

Sanral CEO Nazir Alli was on radio the other day, his voice dripping with contempt. He said, in a nutshell, if you want good roads, you have to pay for them. As if taxpayers have not already paid for the roads from which he’s to make a killing!

The idea of tolling the country’s road network, with its adverse impact on people’s income, was never canvassed with the public and was never a popular one. It was introduced by the National Party government in its death throes. It survived a legal challenge, and at one point was given up for dead after the bill giving rise to toll roads was withdrawn from parliament. But the ANC has taken to toll roads like a duck to water.

Two critical concessions were made to the public when toll roads were introduced. First, only new roads were going to be tolled. Second, where a road has been tolled, an alternative route should be available for those unable or unwilling to pay toll fees.

The other significant concession was that only long-haul, or national, roads were to be tolled. What Sanral is doing in Gauteng is tolling what is essentially a suburban road network which is critical to ordinary people’s livelihood. They use the roads to go to work, to the shops and to ferry children to school.

It was on the basis that the local authority had not been consulted, that in 1988 Francois “Obie” Oberholzer, chairman of the Johannesburg management committee, won an interdict against the national transport commission and the department of transport who wanted to install a toll plaza on the N13 in Johannesburg. The matter was taken all the way to the supreme court of appeal where a full bench ruled in Johannesburg’s favour in May 1991. The judgment, delivered by Mr Justice Milne, is interesting and relevant to the current predicament. There is no evidence, for instance, that Sanral has consulted affected local authorities in Gauteng before installing its money-making gadgets.

Motorists have become the modern-day cash cows. It’s money for jam. But a car is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. Government has run down what was left of public transport.

The legality of toll roads needs to be tested. A class action on this matter stands a good chance of success. Motorists are literally being taken for a ride.

[baboon6]

Perhaps some good news for once:

Info bill could be stopped in its tracks

http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/info-bill-could-be-stopped-in-its-tracks-1.1030372?showComments=true


The controversial Protection of Information Bill is vulnerable to a Constitutional Court challenge as the ad hoc committee processing it is defunct, opposition parties have warned. The Freedom Front Plus yesterday joined a chorus from the opposition benches who have been warning that the committee is illegally constituted and should not continue work on the draft bill until it has been “revived” by a resolution taken in the National Assembly.
In a statement, FF+ chief whip Corné Mulder said the bill would most probably not only be disputed in the Constitutional Court, but could also be referred back to Parliament on a technical point.
He said without even considering the merits of the controversial bill, the Constitutional Court would probably declare the legislation unconstitutional as a result of this basic technical oversight by the ANC government.
Last Tuesday, the DA, African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) and the IFP walked out of a meeting of the committee, charging that its lifespan had ended on January 28, the date approved by a previous sitting of the National Assembly.
Deputy Speaker Nomaindia Mfeketo, while acting as Speaker, extended the committee’s term on January 28, but opposition MPs claim this was a “procedural travesty” as only a sitting of Parliament could extend the life of an ad hoc committee.
Rule 214 of the National Assembly says an ad hoc committee ceases to exist if it has not completed its task by its deadline.
A meeting of the chief whips’ forum last week failed to resolve the issue.
However, the ANC is expected to bring a motion during today’s sitting to either ratify Mfeketo’s extension or to call for the committee to be reconstituted. ANC parliamentary spokesman Moloto Mothapo said the chief whips’ forum had agreed to “further engagements” on the issue.
But DA chief whip Ian Davidson said the party expected the matter to be on today’s order paper.
As far as the DA was aware, there was no rule allowing for the committee’s lifespan to be further extended.
“It will depend on the wording of the motion; if they re-appoint the committee with the same terms, we’ll support it, but we’ll see,” he said.
ACDP MP Steve Swart also expected the issue to be on the agenda for today’s sitting.
The proper route forward was for Parliament to appoint a new committee, he said.
“I understand that there’s been a digging in of heels and Parliament will be asked to ratify the decision of the deputy Speaker.
“We won’t support it, believing it amounts to abuse of parliamentary rules by the Speaker,” said Swart.
Swart has on several occasions warned on the constitutionality of the bill and the processes followed, saying there is a possibility of constitutional litigation. - Political Bureau

[playtym]

Just desserts

A COUNTRY and its people get the government they deserve.


South Africa has so many issues with obvious solutions, but the government simply has neither the will nor the resolve to do anything about them. This reminds one of the old adage: for a politician it is safest to just talk.
This has for many years applied to what former president Thabo Mbeki (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/thabo-mbeki-895) and his then deputy, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, singled out as South Africa's most important obstacle shortly after the 2004 election.
Mbeki, of course, declared the intention of raising the country's economic growth rate to above 6% a year. To this end he drew up the accelerated shared growth initiative for South Africa (Asgisa) – described in a brochure with a colourful cover and clever plans in elaborate wording.
It was Mbeki’s version of industrial strategy and a development plan focused on microeconomic issues.

But this would clearly serve no purpose because of the country’s lack of skills – professional skills, particularly in engineering, finance (such as accountants and auditors) and the health sector.
For the first time government acknowledged South Africa’s acute shortage of artisans – backbone professions for a country wanting to develop its infrastructure - as well as a culture of entrepreneurship in the manufacturing sector.
During the apartheid years the trades were probably the professions in which work reservation took the most scandalous toll of Coloured people. Today this is something that could reduce one to tears.
Had we created pride in artisanship among our Coloured people, had there been proper realisation of the value of skills in which people could use their hands creatively, our problems would have been far smaller.
But tears are to no avail.
What would help is to get enough skilled people into occupations that create jobs. To that end, an Asgisa subdivision was specially created with yet another acronym ending in "sa": the joint initiative for priority skills acquisition, or Jipsa.

State-entrenched xenophobia
If we could recruit the correct skills from abroad in this way, investment would also be attracted to the country. We would be able to turn technology to better account, build the infrastructure that we need, and even improve our schools and hospitals – as well as create jobs.
Jipsa made provision for importing the skills we were unable to find domestically.
Because a dysfunctional education system simply cannot produce the skills we require, it is virtually impossible to get them unless they are imported.
It's a good plan – except that the social manipulators have given themselves the tremendous responsibility of seeing to it that no foreigner who could possibly take work out of South African hands may enter the country.
Xenophobia is not limited to underdeveloped communities – it's a reality within state bureaucracy, which has a complex and practically impenetrable system of quotas limiting work permits.
In 2008 the department of labour reckoned that the country had a shortage of 502 000 skilled workers –which was probably an underestimate, said the Centre for Development and Enterprise, the research organisation funded by the private sector which has maybe carried out more research on skills development than any other body in South Africa.
The centre has taken great care to calculate the size of the quota set by the department of home affairs in 2008 for skilled foreigners permitted to enter the country. This department somehow or other came up with the figure of 36 000.
How many skilled foreigners then used the privilege of coming to work here? Exactly 1 133.

Deadly lethargy to poison man and beast
It's difficult to believe that a government appointed by its voters with an overwhelming majority is unable to exercise better control over state bureaucrats and thus avoid sabotaging its economic objectives.
And what should one make of the impending acid mine water disaster which has now become unavoidable, and which the mining industry scientifically and with incredible accuracy predicted many years ago? For 18 months a rational, logical and affordable solution lay on the table.
Could a government be so hopeless as not to grab this opportunity?
The government was adequately warned that the acid mine effluent streaming from the old Swartrif shaft in Randfontein in the Western Wi****ersrand basin would cause an ecological disaster.
The officials took no notice. Today the results are there for all to see – just take a look at the Krugersdorp Game Reserve or speak to farmers on the West Rand.
One has to accept that the same fate inevitably lies in store for the rest of the Wi****ersrand basin – but on a scale four times the size.
Despite everything, government will blame the mining industry. If the voters believe this, they deserve the government they get.
In 2004, former president Thabo Mbeki already identified a shortage of skills as South Africa's principal problem, and six years later government has still done nothing about it.http://www.fin24.com/Opinion/Columnists/Jan-de-Lange/Just-desserts-20101125


EDIT: LOL! You've got to love the censorship on the post!! rofl

When t_w_a_t appears as part of the name Wi_t_w_a_t_ersrand it's not a 'bad' word. I promise.

[curious george]

http://longwalksincefreedom.blogspot.com/2011/02/police-carry-out-brutal-raid-on-catz.html

This is another blog for those interested in all things South African,politics aside,it offers something away from the mainstream pc crap thats normally dished up.

http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.com/

[baboon6]

More taxpayers money down the drain...

Not satisfied with just owning this country’s biggest broadcaster, the state is set to launch what will be South Africa’s biggest circulation newspaper at a print price tag of well above R1 million an issue. Critics warn of printing for pulp, of a government that has not done its homework, but also of a state that’s knee-jerking politically and seriously damaging media diversity in the process. By MANDY DE WAAL.

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-03-29-government-sas-most-ambitious-media-baron

[IconOfEvi]

ANC obviously needs more outlets for its 'message'

[baboon6]

Oh this is funny! If only it were true....

ANCYL Website Hit By Hackers

The ANC Youth League's website was hacked on Wednesday, with the attackers leaving a message in the name of league president Julius Malema, iafrica news reported.


http://news.za.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=156805915


The fake post said Malema was stepping down as ANCYL leader.
In response to questions about the alleged hacking of the website, youth league spokeswoman Magdelene Moonsamy said: "There is nothing that we are aware of at this point and there is nothing on our website.
"We do not have time for things like this."
The hoax message gave a number of reasons for Malema's resignation.
"I promote Nationalisation even though I have no concept (sic) of how it works or its blacklash (sic) to the economy," one reason read.
"I have disrespected my elders and have made a fool out of myself," read another.
The message ended with: "It is with great hope that I step down and welcome a new era in the ANCYL, one where thought and vision inspire our country rather then racism and personal ambition destroy it".
According to the ANCYL site, the post was made by the "{Blah Blah} Protest group".

[baboon6]

As if we're not being screwed enough already...

http://news.za.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=156810223

Public to have say on rate hike

Proposed municipal rates and services tariff hikes for this year will put Johannesburg residents under more pressure.







AMUKELANI CHAUKE
PROPOSED municipal rates and services tariff hikes for this year will put Johannesburg residents under more pressure, pushing already indebted consumers into a tighter corner.
From tomorrow, ratepayers will have a month in which to comment on the City of Johannesburg’s proposed tariffs.
Should the proposals go through after public participation, residents will from July 1 pay 27.7% more for electricity, 14% more for water, 6.7% more for refuse collection and 6.7% more on their property rates.
Gerald Dumas, the municipality’s newly appointed acting director of finance, said in a statement last night that the tariffs would be finalised after extensive public consultation.
“The city believes that the current tariff structure is fair and the intention is to support consumers in their efforts to adjust their consumption and utilise resources responsibly,” he said.
“There is still an urgent need for consumers to reassess their consumption of scarce natural resources and to make a contribution to the global initiatives on climate change,” he said.
•City residents can comment on the proposals at the municipality’s regional offices, or on its website, www.joburg.org.za

[baboon6]

Mandela and Zuma gold mine 'exploiting workers'

A South African gold mining company owned by members of the Mandela and Zuma families is accused of exploiting its political connections to avoid punishment over its abuse of workers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13275704


The company is also accused of profiting from selling mine assets it does not own - a claim it vehemently denies.
"I'm drowning in debts at the moment, and I don't have any food because I have no income," says Primrose Javu.
"We're living in a very, very bad condition here."
She is standing in the kitchen of her small three-room flat, proud of the furniture, TV and hi-fi she bought herself when she was getting paid for working hundreds of metres underground, in a gold mine.
But she knows it will not be long before the debt collectors come and take it all away.
"They can come to fetch it any time, because I am not getting any salary. This company called Aurora, they just ran away with our pay. We don't get anything."
Ms Javu's employer, Aurora Empowerment Systems, took control of two gold mines just outside of Johannesburg around 18 months ago.
Today, South Africa's mining unions claim the company owes its workers more than 12m rand (£1.1m; $1.8m) in unpaid salaries.



Famous families Continue reading the main story (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13275704#story_continues_2) “Start Quote

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/52536000/jpg/_52536984_img_8270.jpg
Because of the names which are associated with this saga, we have got a barrier. ”
End Quote Frans Baleni NUM General Secretary
The managing director of Aurora is Zondwa Gadaffi Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela. The chairman is Khulubuse Zuma, nephew of President Jacob Zuma. Another board member, Michael Hulley, is the personal legal advisor to the president.
Despite having no previous experience in the mining industry, a high court-appointed liquidator gave Aurora control of two gold mines after the previous owner went bust. Aurora outbid seasoned mining firms with an offer of 605m rand (£55.5m; $92m).
Since then, the company has been at the centre of huge controversy in South Africa, with critics claiming that the company has committed multiple legal and regulatory infringements, but has escaped any kind of sanction because of the significant political connections of its senior management.
When Aurora took over the gold mines in October 2009, it promised steady jobs, decent housing and education bursaries for the children of its workers.
"All these things, all these beautiful promises - that worried me," reflects Frans Baleni, secretary general of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) - South Africa's largest, most powerful union, and a close political ally of the ruling African National Congress (ANC). \




"They started to seriously default on the payment of salaries in December 2009, and in the following year, 2010, for the first three months, they were not paying workers' salaries at all."
The BBC has repeatedly approached Aurora to request an interview with the company's senior management, but they declined to speak or issue a statement.
Food for votes? Many of the 5,200 mine workers employed at the two mines in Orkney and Grootvlei - to the south-west and east of Johannesburg respectively - have since been living on donations and food parcels provided by the unions.



Mamosa Nonyane was a former surveyor working on the Orkney mine.
"It's very painful to live on charity," she says.
Recently, the ANC also delivered food parcels to the workers at the Orkney mine. Ms Nonyane holds a plastic bag of maize meal, cooking oil and sugar, given to her by the party, but she is cynical about their motives.
"They are not helping us… they just want us to vote for them," she says, referring to the local elections taking place later this month.
It was recently revealed that Aurora's chairman had made a private donation of 1m rand (£91,400, $151,000) to the ANC, when his company is yet to pay outstanding wages to its workers.
The NUM has demanded the money be handed to the destitute miners, but the ANC has refused.


Former mine worker Primrose Javu is furious.
"Khulubuse Zuma gave one million rand to the ANC. For what reason? He gave it to them just to shut [them] up. They must shut their mouths. They mustn't say anything about these conditions," she says.
And indeed the ANC has been silent. Mr Baleni says there is one clear reason for this.
"Because of the names which are associated with this saga, we have got a barrier. The ANC has been very silent on this - not a single word, not a single statement."
'Daylight robbery' At Aurora's Grootvlei operation there is an open hole in the ground, 400 metres deep, at the mine's Ndlovu shaft.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/52537000/jpg/_52537383_p1040611.jpg This 400m shaft is no longer operational after the mining equipment was scrapped and sold
It is all that is left of what was one of the country's most modern mines, opened in 2008 at a cost of 40m rand (£3.6m; $6m) - a year before Aurora took control of it.
The mine has since been stripped bare and its headgear and machinery sold off for scrap, it is claimed, by Aurora themselves.
"What you see here is the best description of daylight robbery, because Aurora don't actually own the mine," says Gideon du Plessis, deputy general secretary of Solidarity - the union representing mainly white and skilled mine workers.






Since taking over operations in 2009, Aurora has never secured the financing to buy the mines outright as it had planned.
This is despite company chairman, Khulubuse Zuma, boasting to South African media that the company had "deep pockets" promising profits of "5 to 10 billion dollars" in the first 10 years of business.
"Some people believe Aurora were never interested in running a gold mine, and that from the beginning they realised there's a lot of money to be made in selling scrap and mining equipment," said Mr du Plessis.
The company has strongly denied they stripped the mines, and says the equipment was stolen by illegal miners - a significant problem in South Africa.
Mr du Plessis thinks it highly unlikely illegal miners would have had the trucks and equipment to completely dismantle a mine shaft, let alone do so without being caught.
Tragic ending The closure of the shafts at Grootvlei has severely affected the local economy in the nearby town of Springs, where local pawn shops are full of furniture, TVs, fridges, and even clothes, sold by former Aurora workers - black and white - struggling to make ends meet.
"We had to sell some of our curtains, our crockery, a lot of stuff," Susan Ferreira says, forlornly.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/52474000/jpg/_52474812_p1010006.jpg Susan Ferreira's husband, Marius, (in photograph)committed suicide over the unpaid wages
"It's things you get over the years, and it breaks your heart to do a thing like that, just to get some food on the table."
Mrs Ferreira's husband, Marius, worked at the Grootvlei mine, and like many others, saw his pay packet dry up over a year ago.
The Solidarity union says the company owed Mr Ferreira approximately 170,000 rand (£15,500; $25,600).
"He stressed a lot, and said he couldn't go on any more. And my husband took his life - he's gone."
Tears stream down Mrs Ferreira's cheeks.
"He said he's tired of life and he can't look after me like he did before, and he drank some poison. I didn't ever believe he'd do a thing like that. I was shocked."
Over the past couple of years, Aurora have made repeated public statements declaring a finance deal was 'imminent', and the problems will be resolved, but the money has never materialised.
The latest suggestion is that a Chinese state-owned company, Shandong Mining & Exploration, is to invest $100m (£60.6m) in the two gold mines.
While the mining unions and its members hope that this proposal comes to fruition in order to restore jobs, it will come too late for former miners like Mr Ferreira.

[curious george]

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-05-06-analysis-south-africas-road-to-bananadom

Analysis: South Africa's road to bananadom
http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/photo/resize/2011-05-06-cwele-01/618/408
Zwelinzima Vavi put it well this week. The conviction of the wife of the state security minister Siyabonga Cwele for dealing in drugs “is the kind of thing that can only happen in a country that is close to becoming a banana republic”. He is absolutely right. By STEPHEN GROOTES (with some help from Frederick Forsyth).


Some might quibble with the “close to becoming” part. So let’s add some fuel to Vavi’s fire. Tokyo Sexwale yesterday came out fighting against the head of police intelligence, Richard Mdluli, who’s allegedly behind a report claiming he’s trying to unseat President Jacob Zuma. It may well be time to feel the first sense of panic.
The silence is deafening. Sheryl Cwele was convicted yesterday, along with her accomplice Frank Nabolisa, of “dealing in dependency-producing drugs”. And let’s be clear. It was the white powder, cocaine, not some strong brand of cough mixture. And it wasn’t that she was a small cog in a big machine. She was trying to get younger women to act as drug mules. One of them is already paying the price, an eight-year sentence in Brazil. We’re talking about one of the worst things a human being can do to another - smashing their moral compass. This is the act of scum. But the husband of this particular scum is the man politically in charge of keeping our country safe. The person in charge of our intelligence services. The one we’re supposed to trust with our most secret secrets.
He’s also the one behind the “Protection” of Information Act, better known as the “Protection from Investigative Journalism Act”.
And his response, in a democracy where the people are supposed to be able to hold their leaders to account. “The minister will not be issuing any statement or making any comment on this matter”, said his spokesman Brian Dube. President Jacob Zuma’s response, “We will not be commenting”. Right. That’s all nice and democratic. And transparent. And morally right, of course. And is all bound to set great examples. If you're keen on turning your country into a bananadom, that is.
So then we’re left to just sit in a corner and worry. And think. Did Cwele know what is wife was up to all along and just think “Stuff it! We need the cash”? Or did some more complicated crime go wrong and she’s somehow taking the fall. Or did they think they’d beat the system? And, we may have mentioned this before, but how alert, how awake is our chief securocrat? Surely he is not.
But then, there’s also the flip side. How on earth is it that our justice system is still strong enough to ensure that guilty means guilty, no matter who you are. And,this is not a crime with wriggle room. The minimum sentence is 15 years. Which is the same minimum sentence one Schabir Shaik received, and one Jackie Selebi. Except that drugs is simply a factual case, there’s no politics involved at all. Shaik, of course, was different. But it’s hard to see how Sheryl Cwele could even appeal, never mind try to wriggle out of serious jail time.
So what will Zuma do? At the moment, it appears he'll do nothing. No assurances to the worried citizens that the country is not becoming a gigantic crime enterprise, no statement on how morally wrong it is. If Zuma trusted Cwele enough to put him in charge of his security services, he is in a tough spot right now. And we don’t mean “trust” as in trust to protect you and me, we mean “trust” to protect Zuma. Maybe “loyal” is a better word. And if Cwele does, in some extraordinary feat of introspection, decide that he should resign, Zuma will have to toil through yet another cabinet reshuffle. Which means Zuma would inevitably create more enemies. Which means it’s a dangerous move. Which means Zuma probably won’t do it. For now.
Unfortunately, things are actually worse than that. Because Sexwale has pointed out again the complete and utter mess that is our intelligence services against crime. Richard Mdluli was the head of police intelligence, and arrested for murder, who, nonetheless, took time during his bail application to publicise an “intelligence” report about how Sexwale and many others (http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-04-11-analysis-tokyo-tsunami-20) were allegedly plotting against Zuma. It’s a rerun of the “Browse Mole” report that caused so much damage (and contributed to the sacking of then intelligence boss Billy Masethla by then President Thabo Mbeki) in the run-up to Polokwane. Sexwale has bided his time before coming out fighting, but has had a real go at the people behind it. Good luck to him, but with the best will in the world and plenty of resources, we still don’t think he’ll find who is/was ultimately responsible.
Some might say perhaps it was Siyabonga Cwele.
But that would read like some far-fetched novel where the criminals have actually taken over an entire fully functioning nation-state. It would sound too far-fetched. Impossible, don't you think? Are you going to say the chief of police was doing deals on the side over a new police headquarters? Add some real spark to your novel, chuck in a guy from the Czech Republic who arrives under an assumed name, with an Interpol warrant out for his arrest, and yet is allowed to live a normal free life. Or why not a police chief who was just friends “finish en klaar” with a gangland boss. And for your climax, write that the country’s president is the guy who gets to decide whether there should be an inquiry into the arms deal from which his party, the ruling party, and he himself, benefitted.
No one would believe that would they?
And in case your novel is starting to put you to sleep, let us remind you of something. Siyabonga Cwele is the man who can monitor your phone calls, your emails, pretty much your entire life. DM

[curious george]

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Sheryl-Cwele-to-keep-her-job-for-now-20110509


Sheryl Cwele to keep her job for now

Read more stories aboutsheryl cwele (http://www.news24.com/Tags/People/sheryl_cwele)


Sheryl Cwele to keep her job for now (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Sheryl-Cwele-to-keep-her-job-for-now-20110509) - 09 May
Minister Cwele urged to quit (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Minister-Cwele-urged-to-quit-20110506) - 06 May
Cwele to appeal conviction (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Cwele-to-appeal-conviction-20110506) - 06 May
Cwele gets 12-year sentence (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Cwele-gets-12-year-sentence-20110506) - 06 May
Sombre Cwele, loved ones at court (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Sombre-Cwele-loved-ones-at-court-20110506) - 06 May
Cwele conviction could help drug mule (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Cwele-conviction-could-help-drug-mule-20110506) - 06 May
Cwele will speak out on drug dealer wife (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Cwele-will-speak-out-on-drug-dealer-wife-20110506) - 06 May
Cwele facing 15 years behind bars (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Cwele-facing-15-years-behind-bars-20110505) - 05 May
Judge: Cwele clearly guilty (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Judge-Cwele-clearly-guilty-20110505) - 05 May













Rowan Sewchurran, The Witness

Durban – Despite a conviction and sentence for drug trafficking, Sheryl Cwele (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/sheryl-cwele-32866) will retain her job as director of health and community services at the Hibuscus Coast Municipality for now.

“We cannot act on emotion and at this stage she is expected to appeal. We have a temp to fill in for her in the interim,” said Hibuscus Coast Municipality spokesperson Simon Sobhoyisa.

Cwele, the wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/siyabonga-cwele-7505), was found guilty of international drug trafficking by the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg last Thursday. She and her Nigerian co-accused Frank Nabolisa were sentenced to 12 years for drug dealing.

Sobhoyisa said that only once things are finalised and an appeal has been lodged by Cwele, will his department be more vocal about the matter. “It is still a very sensitive issue, but we are making decisions internally at this stage,” he said.

The Witness has reported that Cwele’s alleged poor work record and unsuitability for her job was a previously subject for investigation. In April 2005 local media reported on a forensic investigation into alleged fraud and corruption in the municipality conducted by the Traditional and Local Government Affairs Department.

The investigation found that after the post of director of health and community services was advertised in the press with a closing date of November 8, 2002, Cwele responded to the advert, but none of the supporting documents in the application had been certified and there was no completed application form in her file.

Cwele has twice had her contract renewed although she did not meet the department’s competency profiles or the minimum competency levels specified in the Municipal Finance Management Act regulations required for officials at her level of seniority.

- The Witness (http://www.witness.co.za/)


*This is just such a joke,in SA political connection still trumps justice!Side bet she still draws a state salary even if she does actualy get to do time!*Must be careful, hubby might organise my emails,etc to be monitored as part some right wing imperialist plot or some shyte...*

[Tokamak]

Interesting articles.

[playtym]

‘Repackage’ damning report, Treasury told (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Local-Elections-2011/Repackage-damning-report-Cabinet-tells-Treasury-20110510-2)

Johannesburg - The Cabinet has rejected a damning report by the Treasury on the consequences of bad municipal management and told the compilers to “redo it”.

The report, which is said to have caused a stir when it was tabled at a Cabinet meeting, contains findings on the true state of affairs of local governments and identifies irregularities relating to tenders and the awarding of contracts as a key risk.

According to information, ministers were so worried about the impact of the report during its tabling, taking place as it was shortly before next week’s local government elections, that they told the Treasury to “repackage” the findings.

The confidential Cabinet document, of which Beeld has obtained a copy, paints a picture of municipalities where prescriptions of the Municipal Finance Management Act are largely ignored, where a definite lack of leadership exists and where irregularities pertaining to tenders are the order of the day.

Despite several attempts by the former department of provincial and local government and the turnaround strategy of the new department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs announced by the minister, Sicelo Shiceka (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/sicelo-shiceka-5689), in 2009, reporting has become worse.

The auditor-general (AG) is still waiting for the financial statements of 46 out of 283 municipalities for the 2009/10 financial year, compared with five outstanding audit reports for the previous year.

But it is the quality of the information supplied that is so worrying.

Leadership

Treasury explained to Cabinet that nearly 70% of reports by municipalities on the state of expenditure on service delivery projects are “not usable”.

Almost half of the reports to the treasury (48%) are “not reliable”.

This comes after ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/gwede-mantashe-5142-5142) said on Monday that the ruling party had not been aware of the existence of more than 1 600 exposed toilets at Viljoenskroon in the Free State.

The Cabinet also heard that the lack of efficient leadership meant that provincial government or the national department had to intervene in 68% of municipalities to provide leadership.

Intervention is already also taking place in 37% of councils to ensure proper compliance with financial management requirements, while a further 35% of councils are about to be subjected to external interventions.

While the report provides a broad overview of the state of municipal management and does not give details of financial losses, it does mention that unauthorised, unusual, fruitless and wasted expenditure had become an enormous problem within three years.

Whereas in 2007/8 this was given as reason for qualified audit reports in the case of 13% of municipalities, the figure had increased to 63% by 2009/10.

In awarding tenders, 210 out of 237 municipalities infringed laws and regulations.Those Baas-teds, those bloody agents, how dare they present a report saying that all the ANC run municipalities are badly managed?!? rofl

But come election time I guess it will be business as usual - put your cross next to Jacobs ugly mug. :cantbeli:

[playtym]

Those Baas-teds, those bloody agents, how dare they present a report saying that all the ANC run municipalities are badly managed?!? rofl

But come election time I guess it will be business as usual - put your cross next to Jacobs ugly mug. :cantbeli:


As predicted, they did.


Elections show local democracy 'not maturing' (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Elections-show-local-democracy-not-maturing-20110531)

Pretoria - People's voting behaviour is evidence that local democracy is not maturing as the same underperforming political parties are constantly voted back into power, a local government expert said on Tuesday.
The country had seen a sharp increase in the number of protests, most of which were accompanied by violence, but people had still remained loyal to their parties, said Professor Jaap de Visser, of the University of Western Cape's community law centre.
"The voting behaviour is not based on the same consideration as protest behaviour.
"We see underperformance and frustration in many municipalities, but that does not translate to a change in voting behavior," he said at a conference on municipal services and tax, hosted by lobby group AfriForum at the Centurion council chambers.
De Visser acknowledged the high spirits during the local government elections on May 18 but noted concern at a "very dire" situation on the ground.
According to research he presented, violent protests increased in frequency from 41.6% in 2007 to 54% in 2010.
Most of the protests were about housing, water, sanitation, electricity and poor service delivery, and most were in Gauteng.
De Visser said statements issued by government showed that it was aware of the problem and was taking it seriously.
"Improvements in municipal governance are necessary," he said.
I guess it doesn't matter how badly the government performs, or how much you've protested against them, you just go to the polls and vote for them anyway because it'll anger the ancestors if you don't, or because it's wrong to vote for a 'white party', or because you're scared you'll go to hell if you don't. Morons! :cantbeli:

[Fallap]

Do you South Africans think that SA would benefit for having a non-ANC goverment? And how? :)


Ps. No, I'm not the "ANC are heroes who liberated SA from the evil whites, and today milk and honey flow in the streets of SA" (Anymore (Thank you biased higschool education.))

[IconOfEvi]

I must admit, the Saffies here have been insutmental in helping me realize that before, I never really knew what South Africa was like at all

[curious george]

*reality flash,example part 500:

http://www.peherald.com/news/article/1590
Shooting chaos at ANC protests 03 June 2011



Sabelo Skiti, David Macgregor and Loyolo Mkentane
FIVE women were arrested and an innocent bystander allegedly wounded when police opened fire on toyi-toyiing protesters in Port Alfred and Peddie yesterday.
The residents had gathered at the swearing in of the new leadership and councillors in Port Alfred’s Ndlambe Local Municipality and Peddie’s Ngqushwa Local Municipality to express their unhappiness with the mayors chosen by the provincial ANC leadership.
And in Port Elizabeth, ANC members from 47 Nelson Mandela Bay wards, unhappy with the ward councillors who were sworn in this week, protested outside Standard House, the ANC’s regional headquarters in Govan Mbeki Avenue.
In Port Alfred, emotions ran high as more than 500 angry residents packed the street outside the council chambers to protest against the swearing in of controversial ANC mayor Sipho Tandani.
More than 50 police officers – some wearing riot gear – prevented them from entering the building.
After the tense standoff, the group headed back to Nelson Mandela Township, where they sang and burnt tyres in a show of anger.
As the group mingled with residents returning from work and school at the entrance to the township, police in vans and unmarked cars descended on them, firing rubber bullets and tear-gas into the crowds, according to witnesses.
The area resembled a war zone last night as residents and police had running battles in the streets of the township.
Contract school transport driver Lu**** Coltman, 54, who was off- loading pupils, was shot in the leg in the chaos. He was admitted to hospital.
Themba Rala alleged that police had fired randomly from their vehicles, without any warning shots.
“People were singing and burning tyres when police came – they were shooting at us like animals, with no warning. Two women were arrested,” Rala said.
Port Alfred police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said the police had been forced to use rubber bullets and stun grenades when the group of about 150 protesters, who were burning tyres and blockading the road, refused to disperse. She did not know of anyone being wounded. Govender said two women had been arrested on charges of public violence.
In Peddie, police also fired rubber bullets to disperse protesters who had gathered on the N2. Three women were arrested and charged with public violence.
At the Amahlathi Local Municipality in Stutterheim, former mayor Mcekeleli Peter was re-appointed amid loud protests outside. But there was no violence and police maintained a heavy presence throughout the afternoon.
The ANC was hit by fights over councillor candidates in the run-up to the May 18 local government elections. Some ANC members and regional leaders launched failed high court bids to interdict the party from submitting its candidate lists. When reporters arrived in Peddie yesterday, the small town was almost at a standstill as at least 300 protesters gathered in front of the town hall.
Public order police in full riot gear stood between the crowd and the venue. Just moments before, the new council had been moved in a police Casspir to council chambers across the road, where they continued the meeting. During the second meeting, from which members of the public were barred, Solomzi Ndwanyana was appointed mayor and Zukisa Jovela the speaker.
During the protest, the crowds sang ANC struggle songs, including an adapted version of controversial song Dubula iBhulu (shoot the boer). But this time the target was Ndwanyana. Some residents questioned the decision to ban the public from the second meeting.
“How can you swear in councillors in a corner without the public? Who will these people serve?” they asked.
Others were unhappy with the election of SA Communist Party national treasurer Phumulo Masualle as ANC provincial chairperson.
“We are ANC members and refuse to be controlled by communists. Zuma must come to answer because he promised things would be fixed,” a middle-aged woman, who refused to give her name, shouted repeatedly.
Ngqushwa Ward 10 ANC leader Sonwabo Boqwana said people felt betrayed that the council had been sworn in after the ANC had urged them to vote and promised to “fix the wrong that was done immediately after the elections”.
“[ANC NEC member Nosiviwe) Mapisa- Nqakula came here on May 16 and told the people to vote because these problems would be fixed.”
Boqwana said all 13 wards were unhappy with their candidates. “They say these people were all elected at each other’s houses,” he said.
Peddie’s police spokesperson could not be reached for comment. Meanwhile, in Port Elizabeth, Zolani Dondashe, spokesperson for the Concerned Group, said they had written a letter on May 24 to Masualle, calling on him to look into the issue of the ward councillors, as they had been promised it would be addressed after the municipal elections. “When we came here at midday, Standard House was locked,” he said.
“We are discouraged that they closed us out. It shows the arrogance of ANC regional chairperson Nceba Faku towards us. If they don’t remove the councillors, we will ensure that we stop the new councillors from going to their offices. We are going to close them down. People are not happy at all.”
ANC provincial spokesperson Mlibo Qoboshiyane said they would attend to the matter.
Senior ANC official Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma had been appointed head of the task team which would investigate how the candidate lists were drawn up.
“We don’t really understand why they still visit Standard House with marches. Why do they keep fighting when they have won the battle of an investigation? As the province, we are going to assist the task team when it arrives,” Qoboshiyane said.


*there are almost now daily protest against the anc's lack of ......,every day ,all over the country.Sadly 20-30yrs ago the world's press would've gone ape about the apartheid security forces/evil whites,etc BUT today the silence is defining,so is ok when the "liberators" repress/oppress their own?What the difference then.....?*

[curious george]

AfriForum calls on SAHRC boss to quit 02 June 2011
Sapa
http://www.peherald.com/news/article/1587

AFRIFORUM today (June 2) called on advocate Lawrence Mushwana to quit as head of the SA Human Rights Commission saying his impartiality towards the ruling ANC had been placed in doubt following a recent Supreme Court of Appeals finding.
On Monday the court set aside a report by Mushwana — who was then the Public Protector — on an investigation into the misappropriation of public funds by PetroSA in the so-called Oilgate saga.
Alana Baily, AfriForum’s deputy chief executive, said: "Adv Lawrence Mushwana should resign as Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission." This was in response to the court’s findings that the probe into the Oilgate matter had been "so half-hearted and superficial, that in effect no investigation had been made at all".
AfriForum will ask the current protector adv Thuli Madonsela to launch a new investigation into the Oilgate scandal.
The scandal broke when the Mail&Guardian reported that South Africa’s state oil company, PetroSA, irregularly paid R15 million to Imvume Management, a company closely tied to the ANC, at a time when the party was desperate for election funds.
The Mail&Guardian brought review proceedings against public protector Mushwana in the High Court in Pretoria after the release of the report in July 2005.
The newspaper asked for orders setting aside the report and instructing the protector to investigate and report afresh.
While the SCA granted the former order, it did not grant the latter, with Judge Robert Nugent saying it was not the courts place to "supplant the public protector by directing with precision what is required for a proper investigation".
On Mushwana’s investigation, Nugent said: "The manner in which he then went about investigating the remainder narrowed it even further. In the end there was in truth no investigation of the substance of the various complaints."
Bailey said: "The fact that Adv Mushwana in his capacity as Public Protector had evidently protected the ANC, raises serious questions about the impartiality of the HRC. In the past AfriForum had lodged several complaints with the HRC which have not received any attention at all. This already creates doubts about the objectivity and the functionality of the HRC."
SAHRC spokesman Vincent Moaga said Mushwana needed more time to review the judgment before he would comment.




*also related to the malema hate speach thread*

[kalerab]

Question to our SA members - what is the real opposition party to ANC? Is there even a possibility of ANC loosing elections to some other parties, say, in next 10 years or is it something like United Russia party?

[Dinges]

Question to our SA members - what is the real opposition party to ANC? Is there even a possibility of ANC loosing elections to some other parties, say, in next 10 years or is it something like United Russia party?

The only real opposition is the Democratic Alliance which accounted for about 23% of the votes in the recent local government elections. That is a rise of about 7% since last elections. But the increase is more due to the taking votes from smaller parties than from the ANC. But this is significant in its own right , seeing that voters from previously so-called "black" political parties like COPE (offshoot of the ANC) and the ID are throwing their lot in with the DA by voting for them or forming alliances.

Now this is a very irritating problem for the ANC because the they like to paint the DA as a "white" party even though the majority of DA voters are in fact not. So it is generally believed that the urban voting public are not buying the ANC rhetoric so easily anymore. The rural vote however will remain pro-ANC for the foreseeable future.

And in the recent elections the ANC was routed in the Cape Town Metro by the DA and the DA is in control of the Western Cape Province which is to all intents and purposes regarded as the second most important province of the republic.

[curious george]

http://www.gunsite.co.za/forums/images/icons/icon1.png SA signs police agreement with China

http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/...e-to-cooperate (http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/en/east-coast-radio/east-coast-radio-news?oid=1214319&sn=Detail&pid=6028&SA--Chinese-police-to-cooperate) 30 July 2010 - 16:33
By Sapa

As part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between South Africa and China, Police Deputy Minister Fikile Mbalula has signed a police co-operation agreement with his Chinese counterpart, Chen Zhimin.

http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/action/media/downloadFile?media_fileid=61094&a=247&s=200x200 (http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/action/media/downloadFile?media_fileid=61094&a=247&s=800x600)
Addressing the media briefly before going into a closed meeting with Chen, Mbalula said: "We are going to have very important discussions about public safety and security in the two countries.

This is as relations between South African and China are evolving."

In a statement the ministries outlined various ways of consolidating and exchanging intelligence information on drug trafficking, illegal immigration, money laundering, arms smuggling and trafficking of women and children.

"We believe through the talks we will be able to work closely within the framework of enhanced policing," said Mbalula in the statement.

"This will result in providing assistance in case investigations and handing over of criminal suspects subject to the laws relating to mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and extradition."

Chen said the minutes of the talks included exchange visits of high level officials and experts as well as promoting friendly communication between the countries' law enforcement authorities.

"Both countries shall take within their own territory such measures as may be practical and feasible to ensure that institutions and persons from each country enjoy safety and security to the same extent as the inhabitants of the their respective countries," said Chen.




*Cynanical me:I commit a crime,then run off to China if I think I might get busted?yeah,RIGHT!


My personal fav,"arms smuggling"


"Crime" is/can be such a wide concept.....,



I am wondering if this mutual assistance implies chinese assistance in terms of the "how to" spying on your citizens,etc-kinda like the "assists" in zim works,not that I'm implying anything offcourse.Rhetorical,thinking out loud stuff....http://www.gunsite.co.za/forums/images/smilies/hmmmm.gif

Wild stretch here,or have I spent too much on the net today?http://www.gunsite.co.za/forums/images/smilies/grin.gif


Kinda something like these guys claim:


http://www.newrhodesian.net/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=1607

---------- Post added at 17:25 ---------- Previous post was at 16:45 ----------

*Ok,without rehashing the whole article:

They further committed to... enhance exchange of intelligence and information sharing in combating terrorist activities, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, money laundering, arms smuggling and trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and other transnational crimes."
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Ne...talks-20110530 (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/SA-Chinese-police-hold-talks-20110530)

*skills transfers from china will mostly likely incl:
Detaining activists,
Imprisoning opposition leaders.
detention without trial.
Closing down of social media.
Protection of the corrupt ruling elite.
How to arrest those who question the expolitation of natural resources,
and as someone wryly remarked-how to drive over unarmed protestors with tanks!*

[Rahlgd]

Has the ANC yet gotten around to trying to close down any media outlets that go against them? I know last time I was in SA the sister of my friend I was staying with was sayin g some part of the central government was trying to get a music/media channel taken down, KanaalMK I think. I don't know if this was the ANC or some other group but she was saying it was under government pressure to modify it's outlook.

[Dinges]

Has the ANC yet gotten around to trying to close down any media outlets that go against them? I know last time I was in SA the sister of my friend I was staying with was sayin g some part of the central government was trying to get a music/media channel taken down, KanaalMK I think. I don't know if this was the ANC or some other group but she was saying it was under government pressure to modify it's outlook.

Nope. The ANC would find it very hard floating that past the Constitutional Court. But that is why the ANC is pushing so hard to get the "Protection of Information" and "Media Tribunal" bills through parliament , to suppress dissent and whistleblowers.

[drevil5000]

Nope. The ANC would find it very hard floating that past the Constitutional Court. But that is why the ANC is pushing so hard to get the "Protection of Information" and "Media Tribunal" bills through parliament , to suppress dissent and whistleblowers.

Also the ANC's allies in the powerful trade unions are not happy with the secrecy bill so hopefully it will die before is gets passed through parliament.

[Dinges]

Also the ANC's allies in the powerful trade unions are not happy with the secrecy bill so hopefully it will die before is gets passed through parliament.

The bill wont pass the muster on constitutionality either.



And on another note to stay with the thread topic , when a public figure opens its mouth and utters these pearls:

Cue Mawethu Rune , Treasurer of the Young Communist League of SA.


"But for it knows that it does not enjoy support within structures then as its composition of political elites they have embarked in utilising the positions the working class have entrusted them within and outside the Communist Party organs to wage restless campaign to discredit the party and expose that it is only them who are genuine leaders of the party.


"We know that at hands of working class to be their own liberators is possible when their vanguard is coherent and strong with clear articulated mass orientated popular campaigns.


"We desist to ... be fixated with physicality with Cde Nzimande or Cronin or erratic ideological symposium that is revisionist but we must constantly learn and apply theory that seek to find solutions to arrogant material challenges of working class. We must continue to be found in realm of daily working class struggles that continue not to recite poverty and brunt and brutality of capitalism."

"We will only achieve the above if we do not mobilise all our forces, and devote all our energies to the struggle for the realisation of our South African Road to Socialism & Medium Term Vision." http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/article1101447.ece/Hogarth--05-June-2011

[playtym]

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/9909/e112bb1f84dc616538be406.jpg

[curious george]

Manyi turns the screw on media 10 June 2011
Thabo Mokone and Anna Majavu


http://www.peherald.com/images/cmsimages/thumb/news_1657_530.jpg (http://www.peherald.com/images/cmsimages/big/news_1657_530.jpg) Jimmy Manyi.

GOVERNMENT spokesperson Jimmy Manyi is taking control of the state’s massive R1-billion advertising budget – and where he spends it will depend on how well the media “tells the truth” about service delivery.
Media experts said yesterday it amounted to “economic censorship” and was “an unacceptable threat” to newspapers that were critical of the government.
Manyi said President Jacob Zuma’s Cabinet had approved a new communication strategy on Wednesday that would include “a return to government’s centralised approach to media buying”.
He said the plan was not designed to penalise critical mainstream news media, but that placement would be influenced by the extent to which they carried the government’s message.
“Government has the truth to communicate ... So the people who are going to pass on our content much more effectively to the public are the people we will focus on. I can tell you this right now.”
Manyi, who succeeded popular government spokesperson Themba Maseko in February after being suspended as director-general of Labour, complained that the mainstream media focused on criticising the government and did not adequately report its successes.
“This government has been busy doing very good work. Now, this government would like the citizens to know the truth. So all the people who want to work with government to make sure the people of this country know the truth about service delivery, clearly we will work with [them].”
Manyi said the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), of which he is chief executive, would control all departments’ advertising budgets and decide where to place its business.
Jane Duncan, professor of journalism at Rhodes University, said the move appeared to be an attempt to influence editorial decisions of independent media. “This amounts to economic censorship,” she said.
SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) chairperson Mondli Makhanya, who is the editor-in-chief of Avusa – which owns The Herald and the Weekend Post – said Manyi’s “incredible plan” amounted to a scheme to bribe the media to write favourably about the government. “Sanef calls on the government to drop this scheme immediately and to revert to accepted professional principles in the placing of advertising before further harm is done.”
Raymond Louw, deputy chairperson of Sanef’s media freedom committee, said the move was an act of intimidation of newspapers critical of government. “That is an unacceptable threat against newspapers. It is in fact similar to the government deciding to withdraw advertising from newspapers which it doesn’t agree with or which are critical of it,” he said.
In 2007, when relations between the government and the media were at a low, then-minister in the presidency Essop Pahad threatened to withdraw government advertising from the Sunday Times after it revealed that then- minister of health Manto Thabalala- Msimang was convicted of theft while working as a doctor in Botswana.
Pahad did not publicly formalise his position, but government jobs advertised in the Sunday Times plunged for several months, fuelling the backlog in senior government appointments.
Currently, each of the 34 government departments determines how much they spend and which media they use to advertise their activities.
Manyi said the government spent about R1-billion a year on media advertising, but media analysts have put that figure at more than R1.5-billion.
Manyi said the decision to put the GCIS in charge of all state advertising expenditure was taken back in 1998, but had never been implemented.
He said the mainstream media would still get a “fair share” of government adspend and GCIS would adopt a “scientific approach” in deciding where to place government adverts.
“Even if you write badly about government we will still do work with you. The criteria is not to write good about government. is to report on government work [and], once you’ve reported on [that], you can do what you like to criticise it,” he said.
[I]However, he later said government would only do more business with media who wrote “the truth” about government. “To the extent that the government’s information passes on then obviously we will work with those people,” he said.
Duncan said Avusa was likely to be hit hard due to a history of tension with government. “This is deeply problematic from an editorial independence perspective, as it means government will attempt to impose decisions on the media about what to carry, and withdraw adspend if they do not comply.”


http://www.peherald.com/news/article/1657

[curious george]

*Ps:this manyi clown also stars in a few other posts on this forum.*

[Dinges]

*Ps:this manyi clown also stars in a few other posts on this forum.*

This is so an obvious attempt at muzzling the media expose's on corruption and maladministration. The government has at its disposal the SABC and all it's public radio stations that has a far greater saturation than any local or national newspaper.

Plus the fact that due to the ANC's diabolical disaster which is primary and secondary education , most people in the rural areas are functionally illiterate , so these independent papers has no bearing on what the majority views. But here the the SABC has cornered the market , and yet still they want to control what the populace reads. It is clear as day that press freedom is in the sights of the ANC.

[curious george]

*Ps:this manyi clown also stars in a few other posts on this forum.*

He was also closely involved with the drafting of proposed race-based "labour" legislation,that if/when implimented,will have consequences equal to the apartheid-era forced removals but by stealth,but making those look like a kindergarten party in comparison!

[Dinges]

He was also closely involved with the drafting of proposed race-based "labour" legislation,that if/when implimented,will have consequences equal to the apartheid-era forced removals but by stealth,but making those look like a kindergarten party in comparison!

That is why some joke that ANC is an abbreviation for Apartheid's New Chapter.

[curious george]

ANC Youth League president Julius Malema yesterday said the league had no interest in befriending white people as they were against its policy proposals, which were aimed at ensuring that the black majority took control of the country's economy.

Speaking in Thaba Nchu, Free State, at the league's provincial general council meeting, Malema said "everything is going to change" and that the country's mines and banks would be nationalised. Failure to do so would render the youth league an organisation of "losers", something that would please certain sections of the white community.

"[Whites] never have a problem with black-on-black fighting over tenders and over who is going to be the receptionist. That is why we will never be friends with [them].

"We are going to get this freedom and whatever gets in our way, we will resolve it because we have the power," he said.

He hailed former president Nelson Mandela for helping to attain political freedom "for black people", adding that it was now the youth league's job to attain economic freedom.

"We want land to educate the African child and they say we must buy that land. Madiba agreed to 'sunset clauses' to get us political freedom, now we should develop 'sunrise clauses' because the sun cannot set forever," Malema said.

He blamed President Jacob Zuma's government for reassuring "the Queen" that the country's economic policies would remain the same.

He said the government should desist from buttering up Western forces, but instead start preparing them for changes in the country's economic policy structure.

"We're entering a very difficult terrain in the struggle. [The banks] will close the taps. Some of them have friends abroad who have no manners. If they disagree with you, they may bomb you," Malema said in relation to the Nato strikes in Libya aimed at strongman Muammar Gaddafi's military targets.

"The coloniser is still in London. Everything must change and the Queen must be told that 'it looks like everything is going to change'."

Malema cited Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as an example of the kind of treatment one was likely to receive from the West on policies they did not agree with.

"Mugabe used to be very nice and they honoured him with all manner of awards and doctorates because he was not talking about economic emancipation. But when he started dealing with the real issues of land and ownership of industries, then you are touching [a raw nerve]," he said.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/Politics/article1114284.ece/Malema-on-warpath

[kalerab]

Malema cited Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as an example of the kind of treatment one was likely to receive from the West on policies they did not agree with.

Wow, so economy of Zimbabwe is in ruins not because of Mugabe, but because of conspiracy?

[curious george]

http://www.news24.com/Galleries/Video/Videos/South%20Africa/Mob%20murder%20in%20Diepsloot/0210ab51d67e469f9b3cbae65c6d7394/Mob-murder

Surrounded by a jeering mob, 26-year-old Farai Kujirichita was bludgeoned to death in Diepsloot. This video contains graphic violence which may upset sensitive viewers.

[Rahlgd]

http://www.news24.com/Galleries/Video/Videos/South%20Africa/Mob%20murder%20in%20Diepsloot/0210ab51d67e469f9b3cbae65c6d7394/Mob-murder

Surrounded by a jeering mob, 26-year-old Farai Kujirichita was bludgeoned to death in Diepsloot. This video contains graphic violence which may upset sensitive viewers.

Hope all the fvckers involved get appropriate punishments. RIP

[baboon6]

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-06-14-analysis-another-commission-another-report-another-candle-in-the-wind

Analysis: Another commission, another report, another candle in the wind


South Africa’s current political discourse is littered with “big ideas”. The National Planning Commission's Diagnostic Report is one of them, a powerful and honest document. Pity that no-one will make any effort to communicate it to the people of South Africa – let alone effectively. By CHRIS VICK.


Remember the recent Dinokeng Scenarios, expensive egghead fest which triggered an impressive array of opinion articles for the opinionated? As a result the informed were re-informed -- and little else.
Then there was the department of trade and industry’s Industrial Policy, which went through more rewrites than a Mpumalanga matric exam and still hasn’t made a dent in shape of the South African economy.
More recently, there was the National Growth Path, which gave economic planning minister Ebrahim Patel exactly two minutes in the media sunshine -- and now has pride of place on every minister’s coffee table.
The latest addition to the line-up is the National Planning Commission (NPC), whose first Diagnostic Report was published last week with less impact on public discourse than the latest episode of “Big Brother”.
One of the few media outlets to give a hearing to national planning minister Trevor Manuel’s report was etv’s Justice Malala, who described Manuel’s first edition as “one of the most depressing documents I have ever read”.
This is probably because the NPC’s diagnosis is the most honest reflection to date on the achievements and shortcomings of our post-apartheid democracy, and contains the germination of some very honest solutions to the challenges we face as a nation. It’s not an easy read, but it’s a very honest one.
The NPC report outlines the very serious obstacles to delivery, in particular, and highlights the potential consequences of government’s current economic “trajectory”. It is a serious intervention into South African thinking, and should be internalised, even if ultimately it is to be rejected, by anyone who is conscious of our own future.
Given its significance, where is the roll-out plan for the latest of these “big ideas”? How are the NPC’s ideas being communicated and sold to South Africans? Where and how is it going to find intellectual traction? What is the commission’s plan to get some serious public participation and commentary around its analysis? How are we to better understand its diagnosis, so that, as citizens, we can help to play a role in choosing and shaping the future?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Manuel told Malala that a series of “provincial hearings” were planned to get discussion going. Some media commentators have hinted at the prospect of a “festival of ideas” further down the line. But unless you still have the “Talk to Trevor” email address from when he was finance minister, it may be hard to find a way to get the NPC conversation rolling.
Maybe it’s useful, at this point, to get nostalgic about how the movement used to communicate big ideas differently.
Let’s start by looking at how the ANC told the world about its first “really big idea” -- the Freedom Charter.
Adopted at the Congress of the People in 1955, and formalised by the movement at is national conference in 1956, the Freedom Charter remains the lodestar for the ANC. As we approach the 56th anniversary of the Charter’s drafting (on 26 June), ANC leaders still quote its contents willy-nilly. You may, for example, have heard contemporary ANC Youth League leaders use the following phrase: “The national wealth of our country, the heritage of South Africans, shall be restored to the people; the mineral wealth beneath the soil, the banks and monopoly industry shall be transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole…”
How do today’s leaders know this? How does a document – a national planning charter, in essence – drawn up 56 years ago become so embedded in public discourse?
History tells us there were two phases in getting that big idea into the national psyche:
Crafting the Charter, and
Communicating the Charter.
The crafting process was elaborate, and involved 50,000 freedom volunteers (yes, 50,000), who were sent across the countryside to collect “freedom demands” from the people of South Africa. These were distilled by committees of volunteers into the document that was ultimately adopted at Kliptown and which we today know as the Freedom Charter.
The Congress of the People itself was described by the ANC’s own historians as consisting of “workers, peasants, intellectuals, women, youth and students of all races and colours”. It was probably the ultimate participative process, the think-tank of think-tanks.
The communications process post-Congress of the People was equally elaborate. According to the movement’s own history books, “the Freedom Charter was not adopted immediately by the ANC. The executives of the four organisations of the Congress Alliance met at the beginning of August 1955 and agreed to recommend the adoption of the document by each respective congress. A ‘million signature campaign’ was conceived to popularise the Charter and 10,000 freedom volunteers succeeded in collecting hundreds of thousands of signatures for the Charter.”
Let’s not forget what conditions were like for the ANC in 1955. At the time, the movement was being bitten in the face every day by the apartheid regime and its members were under constant threat of banning, arrest and repression.
The public broadcaster treated the ANC as a terrorist organisation. The print media was reactionary, to say the least. There was no Twitter, no Facebook, no SMSes, no fax machines, no Internet.
The ANC had no state resources at its disposal. It had no advertising spend largesse to throw at media institutions which reported positively on its progress.
All it had were hard-working people committed to bringing about positive change.
Okay, the NPC’s Diagnostic Report is not the Freedom Charter – not by any stretch of the imagination, at least not yet. But like the Dinokeng scenarios, the industrial policy and the new growth path, it is an invaluable contribution to our own understanding of what may be wrong in South Africa. And it provides some extremely useful pointers as to what could be done to correct these wrongs.
We can assume the NPC’s final report will be a fairly definitive outline of South Africa’s options and could, if its authors get it right, become the 21st century’s Freedom Charter, and a new lodestar for the ruling party. Maybe.
But where, we wonder, is the rollout plan? Where are the big ideas around getting “The Big Ideas” discussed? What is the plan for getting South Africans to shape it, embrace it and propagate its contents?
A week after the launch of the commission’s first missive, its first thud into the sands of public discourse, we have to wonder: What impact have the thinkers in the NPC had on the public psyche?
If the commission’s deliberations are important enough to consume the minds of some of South Africa’s best thinkers – Manuel, Cyril Ramaphosa, Bobby Godsell, Vincent Maphai, Miriam Altman, Chris Malikane and Vivienne Taylor, for example – surely it is important enough to merit a decent communications campaign to tell its story to the maximum number of South Africans?
So why is government so bad at selling its big ideas?
Option 1 is that the decision-makers are so far up themselves that they don’t see the need to take public participation seriously. A press conference, a few interviews and the occasional slot on SAfm are probably enough of a public campaign for now. Just leave us alone to think, guys.
Option 2 is that GCIS’ bulk-buying department is still searching for the right “tenderpreneurs” to roll-out the communications campaign. If it’s the same people who blew R36 million on the police commissioner’s national police day, we can expect little more than seriously expensive entertainment and a branded squeegee bottle full of good ideas.
Option 3 is that maybe there are just too many big ideas out there right now, and there is just too much of a mismatch between them for government to deal with. The new growth path takes us down a different route to National Planning Commission’s. The DTI’s industrial policy isn’t exactly aligned to either. So rather than roll out all these ideas and deal with their contradictions, let’s keep the conversation muted.
Option 4 is the most worrying -- the ruling party isn’t serious about any of these new policy initiatives. Maybe the view is that the party structures responsible for shaping policy changes within the ANC – the economic transformation committees, the social development transformation committees, and other Luthuli House organs – are where the real thinking happens. And maybe they don’t want that to be contaminated by a decent conversation in government and civil society about future options.
As you consider these options, maybe there’s space for one last look over the shoulder. It’s ironic, with all the recent chattering around Ma Albertina Sisulu’s passing, that some of the key qualities which made the heart and soul of the organisation she represented – the United Democratic Front – have been forgotten. Those qualities were mobilisation and participation, best captured in the UDF propaganda theory which we then called “Poem”: Popularise, Organise, Educate and Mobilise.
What a joy it would be to see a true festival of ideas around all the new thinking that seems to be emerging in the NGP and the NPC. To have communities sit down and hear these new visions for South Africa; to internalize them; to discuss them and to hear people’s comments. And to then have the machinery in place – the new age freedom volunteers – who distil, process and package those ideas into acceptable forms. So that they shape their future together with those intellectuals – on community radio, on Facebook and Twitter, in newspapers and in conversations in bars.
Sadly, at a time when government wants so hard to try to communicate, the true notion of propaganda – media which focuses on popularisation, organisation, education and mobilisation - is absent.
So the best you can hope for is an advert with the mayor’s photo in your local newspaper. Or a tedious 5,000-word advertorial from the minister of public services. Or some hack’s hackneyed delivery statistics in a government magazine. Or The New Age.
So you don’t popularise anything. You don’t organise anybody. You don’t educate anyone. And you mobilise nothing. DM

[playtym]

Analysis: Another commission, another report, another candle in the wind

At least they're tackling the important stuff, suck as the salt content of our food (http://www.fin24.com/Companies/Agribusiness/New-rules-on-salt-in-SA-food-20110601) and ridding us of those evil incandescent light bulbs (http://www.property24.com/articles/incandescent-bulbs-to-be-banned/13626). Talk about fiddling while Rome burns! :roll:


Julie-ass is as vocal as ever. At a recent meeting investors wanted to know about SA's policy on land ownership (http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Investors-query-SA-land-policy-tenders-20110614).
And the response that no doubt drowned out all others?
"Take back land without paying." (http://www.moneyweb.co.za/mw/view/mw/en/page292525?oid=545183&sn=2009+Detail&pid=287226)

[baboon6]

Jane Duncan on the ever-increasing power of SA's security cabal

When you make promises and you can’t deliver, you need to ensure government’s warlords have got your back. We talk to Jane Duncan on why the media may be merely collateral damage in the battle for secrecy, and why it looks like things in South Africa will get a whole lot worse before they get better - if they ever do. By MANDY DE WAAL.

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-06-16-jane-duncan-on-the-ever-increasing-menace-of-sas-security-cabal


To understand the onslaught against media and information freedoms one must appreciate Mbeki’s legacy, Zuma’s “Catch-22” and the growing prominence of South Africa’s security power cluster in politics, says Jane Duncan, the former head of the Freedom of Expression Institute and now Highway Africa Chair of Media and Information Society in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University. Remember the days when the politicians who governed South Africa’s economic cluster where the kings of the hill? Trevor Manuel was riding high and Tito Mboweni used to dress in those natty suits, buttons straining at the seams, as he mouthed off at dissenters at Reserve Bank meetings.
“In those days Trevor Manuel was king. Now the political heads of security are the kings and queens of Zuma’s administration,” says Duncan. As Zuma’s term in office is maturing, he has been increasingly unable to deliver on promises made, and because of this Duncan says there have been significant attempts to strengthen the political security cluster. “What distinguishes Zuma from Mbeki is the growth of the security cluster in policy making in government,” she says.


When Zuma made his bid for the throne many people genuinely believed he would change the balance of class forces within the tripartite alliance. “Many within the alliance threw their lot in with Zuma because they believed he would bring a better life for all.” Thanks to mismanagement, corruption, recession and other factors, Zuma has found it increasingly difficult to fulfil his mandate. “Zuma’s support base is fragmenting, as can be seen in the tensions within the ANC and ongoing war of words with Cosatu, which is very worried about Zuma’s administration and his political will to deliver.”


Duncan says people shouldn’t have been surprised by the murder of Andries Tatane. “The police have strayed from their post-1994 mandate when they were supposed to be rooted in communities. The police have increasingly become a service that attacks people. It is alienated from the communities it is meant to serve. The police have become the enemies of the people in many communities. This is evidence of a further shift in the role of the security system in society and indicates we are moving into a climate of heightened repression.”
“The police have been militarised with the reintroduction of the military ranking system which has re-introduced a culture where orders must be followed blindly and without question,” says Duncan. Another clear sign of the rise of security power is the might wielded by defence minister Lindiwe Sisulu, who cannot be held to account and governs her department under a shroud of secrecy.
There’s been a long-standing and very public battle between DA shadow minister of defence David Maynier and Sisulu over access to information and do***ents. Sisulu regularly refuses to answer questions in Parliament or to furnish military do***ents that were accessible to opposition parties during past regimes. Sisulu is intransigent even to the point of the threat of discipline (http://mg.co.za/article/2010-09-15-defence-committee-concedes-battle-with-sisulu) by Parliament's portfolio committee on defence. The lack of action in the face of Sisulu’s inexorability shows she has become “an untouchable”.


Duncan says other untouchables are police chief Bheki Cele, minister of state security Siyabonga Cwele and the head of national intelligence, Mo Shaik. These untouchables call the shots because, as Duncan says: “In the future, Zuma is going to have to contain the level of expectation he has raised. If he cannot meet expectations through delivery, he will have to maintain it through repression and containment.”
Zuma is a military man, his existence in office is closely tied to the security cluster and is in part why he has appointed his former MK nearest and dearest to surround and protect him in government. “During the recent government shake up the security cluster was untouched. These are the people that form the tent pole of Zuma’s power. It is in their interest to make sure they maintain as tight a grip as possible. This is why we have measures such as the Protection of Information Bill on the table. It is all about ensuring the transformation of South Africa into a security state.”
It is not uncommon for a nation under threat to call its hawks closer to the centre of power. This was evident in the US when George Bush was tightly surrounded by his security cluster. Post 9/11 it was the security cluster that drove the decision to take the US to war against Iraq.
“The growing threat to media freedoms cannot be seen in isolation to the growing power of the security cluster in this country. The POIB is not about the media, it is about shutting off the state from scrutiny.”


As the power of the security cluster grows, media freedoms may well be collateral damage in the larger battle to freeze or control information to stem dissent.
“It is not a war against the media; it is war against free flow of information. The POIB is being driven by the security cluster and this is another indication of its growing power and of the fact that the security cluster calls the shots,” says Duncan. If the security cluster gets its way this threat to freedom will extend beyond media to academic, civic society and to the right of people to protest and make themselves heard.
Duncan says the ANC is losing support incrementally, as evidenced by election results for the past years. “Once the ANC falls below the 60% mark we will see real problems. The measures we are seeing now to contain media freedoms and the free flow of information, together with the growing crack down of against protesters by police, is going to get much worse.”
Following the bad news that was the local elections, the media appeals tribunal has come back on to the Parliamentary agenda. “I have heard that the hearings may be as early as next month,” says Duncan. “If one reads the terrain and looks at the bigger picture these are the reasons why I say things are going to worsen before they get better.


Duncan says the POIB will definitely return and that both the POIB and appeals tribunal could go to the Constitutional Court before sanity prevails. Then there’s the matter of the media and empowerment. “In the coming months there is going to be a major face-off between the print media and the ANC around transformation. This is an issue that will be brought before Parliament during the hearing focused on the tribunal. I believe the objective will be to achieve a transformation charter for the print media sector. It is going to be a difficult few months because the print media groups are weak on various aspects of transformation.”


The weakness is that most media companies are underperforming on their scorecards and the ANC will no doubt milk this. “Only Avusa is a level-three contributor, which is the minimum score government expects from industry. The other media groups are level-four or level-five contributors, which is hugely problematic for print media. Independent Newspapers has 100% white ownership, which makes them very vulnerable to attack.”
This obviously opens up space for government to argue that print media haven’t transformed sufficiently and to argue that a transformation charter is required. “This lack of transformation will further be used for the formation of the appeals tribunal. Print media groups need to attend to the problematic performance of scorecards because it is their Achilles' heel and can be used as a reason to withdraw advertising in future.”
The print media would do well to reconsider its own position as it gears for the next round of battle with government and “The Untouchables” whose rise in power seems one constant that is persistently inevitable. Perhaps more than anything, media in South Africa needs to rekindle the lost relationship of trust and understanding with South African people. As things stand, while media has a big ally in this country's Constitution, the other big constituency of truth, public opinion, may be much more difficult to win over. Just the right environment in which securocrats thrive and become true, permanent Untouchables. DM

[curious george]

Jane Duncan on the ever-increasing power of SA's security cabal

When you make promises and you can’t deliver, you need to ensure government’s warlords have got your back. We talk to Jane Duncan on why the media may be merely collateral damage in the battle for secrecy, and why it looks like things in South Africa will get a whole lot worse before they get better - if they ever do. By MANDY DE WAAL.

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-06-16-jane-duncan-on-the-ever-increasing-menace-of-sas-security-cabal

*yep,also note how all these bods have been implicated either directly,or indirectly,or have very close family members,that have been caught on the wrong side of criminal procedings.Talk about the ultimate "mafia" setup geez.....*

[curious george]

*so looking at this bunch of hoodlums,does the following surprise you?(remember these are guys who blame apartheid,the "west",corrupt officials,santa claus,etc for everything......its NEVER them!*

Terrorists exploit SA corruption

2011-06-15 22:30

Related Links




FF Plus criticises fake passport reports (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/FF-Plus-criticises-fake-passport-reports-20110614)
Home affairs facing fraud crisis (http://www.news24.com/World/News/Home-affairs-facing-fraud-crisis-20090706)
Al-Qaeda man's SA passport a fake (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Al-Qaeda-mans-SA-passport-a-fake-20110615-3)




(http://etrader.kalahari.net/referral.asp?linkid=1869&partnerid=9113)







Pretoria - When an alleged mastermind of al-Qaeda attacks on US embassies was killed in East Africa, officials said he was carrying a fake South African passport - refocusing attention on warnings that corruption in South Africa is being exploited by terrorists.

Security experts have been warning for years that corruption in South Africa is allowing terrorists to get do***ents to hide their identities and make it easier to travel.

Home affairs director general Mkuseli Apleni told reporters on Wednesday there have been improvements, but said more needs to be done.

He said the passport found with terror suspect Fazul Abdullah Mohammed is a copy of the easily forged passport South Africa no longer produces, but which many South Africans still carry.

Apleni and a security aide who appeared with him at a news conference on Wednesday said it was unclear where the fake passport was produced, or whether Mohammed had ever been in South Africa.

Mohammed, a native of the Comoros, was killed last week in Somalia. US officials had offered a $5m reward for his capture, accusing him of planning the August 7 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 people.

Scott Stewart, a former intelligence agent with the US state department, said South Africa is a place where "you could show up, give the right guy several hundred dollars, and walk away with ... a passport.

"Terrorists will take advantage of the corruption," Stewart said in a telephone interview.

‘No fake new passports’

Stewart, now with the US-based global intelligence company Stratfor, said terrorists who plotted in 2006 to blow up trans-Atlantic airliners leaving London's Heathrow airport used fake South African passports to enter Britain from Pakistan, even though they were British.

The fake passports allowed them to hide visits to Pakistan that could have raised suspicions, Stewart said. In 2009, three Britons were sentenced to at least 30 years in jail in the Heathrow plot.

Also in 2009, Britain started requiring visas from South Africans, saying terrorists and criminals were exploiting the easy availability of stolen or forged South African passports.

Apleni said Britain's visa decision led to changes in South Africa, including a switch to passports implanted with electronic chips and other hard-to-fake features.

"Our new passport has never been faked," Apleni said.

He said as a barrier against corruption, officials who issue passports have not been told all of its new features. He said officials have not seen "our people selling our new passports".

‘Corruption is our weakest link’

But Apleni said it will be two to three years before all South Africans are issued with new passports. He also said steps to ensure the authenticity of birth certificates and other do***ents used to apply for the new passport are still in their early stages.

Anneli Botha, a counter-terrorism researcher with South Africa's independent Institute for Security Studies, said corruption, not sympathy for terrorists, was behind the problem in South Africa.

"You can have the most sophisticated measures in place, but you're only as strong as your weakest link," she said in an interview. "And corruption is our weakest link."

Botha commended Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/nkosazana-dlamini-zuma-919) for making it clear that corruption would not be tolerated. Dlamini-Zuma has suspended dozens of officials accused of issuing fake do***ents and staged surprise raids on passport offices.

Stratfor's Stewart recommended conducting background checks on people with the authority to issue passports, and following up on any suspicions.

"What kind of assets do they have? Do they have unexplained wealth?" Stewart said. "It's almost like taking a counter-intelligence approach."

- AP

*is it such a stretch,or is anything and everything beginning to look possible........*

[curious george]

Protest at ANC offices crushed 16 June 2011
http://www.peherald.com/news/article/1733


Luyolo Mkentane mkentanel@avusa.co.za
CHAOS broke out at the ANC’s regional headquarters in Nelson Mandela Bay yesterday when hundreds of protesters were thrown out of Standard House in North End and allegedly sprayed with pepper-spray and tear- gas and beaten by police.
The group of more than 300 people, representing 47 wards, had been staging a sit-in demanding that ANC regional chairperson Nceba Faku and his leadership be fired.
The latest scuffle comes after Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini told the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union national congress in Bloemfontein on Tuesday it must ensure police stop treating protesters as criminals.
The group has been waiting for a national task team – as promised by President Jacob Zuma – to address their concerns about the election of councillors who were not their preferred candidates. It has yet to arrive.
Although police denied using tear- gas or pepper-spray yesterday, a Herald team that arrived at Standard House at about 3.45pm saw several protesters washing out their inflamed and swollen eyes with water.
ANC member Sindiswa Bonci, 41, from KwaLanga, said she had been assaulted by police when she witnessed them assaulting a fellow comrade.
“I was on my way out of the building [Standard House]. My only sin was to look at a police officer who was assaulting another comrade. He pepper- sprayed and threw me out. My ribs are hurting. I was shoved down the stairs.
“We want Zuma to come and solve the problem. The elections are over now. He said we should go and vote for the candidates we don’t like, assuring us they would solve the issue after elections. We don’t want these candidates.”
Unathi Mahlaka, of Ward 33, said: “I was sprayed with pepper-spray and thrown out of the building when I said Standard House is ANC property and does not belong to an individual.”
George Sampson, from Ward 31, said: “The cops just came in and started assaulting people without provocation. That’s when I was pepper- sprayed. I will consult my branch on whether to press charges.” Zolani Dondashe, chairperson of the Concerned Group representing the 47 wards, said they wanted the ANC regional executive committee (REC), led by Faku, to be removed because “he [Faku] only communicates with the top five [officials]”.
“We want the NEC [national executive committee] and PEC [provincial executive committee] to respond before the end of this week ... [otherwise] we’ll lose patience.
“We don’t want to see a situation where ANC offices are burnt down. We were promised by [NEC member] Nyamie Booi and [ANC provincial chairperson] Phumulo Masualle that the REC issue would be attended to after the elections.”
Dondashe said if the issue of ward candidates was not addressed within 100 days they would make the city ungovernable.
ANC regional secretary Zandisile Qupe said: “We are waiting for the task team to arrive. Their [47 wards] grievances were passed on to the PEC, which in turn passed them on to the NEC. Their grievances will be attended to by the task team.”
On allegations members were teargassed, pepper-sprayed and beaten by police, Qupe said: “I hear that from you. There were no ANC structures in Standard House who addressed those members. They were there by themselves. And I did not get any report saying they were beaten by cops.”
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said: “The task team is in KZN [KwaZulu-Natal] now. It won’t leave what it is doing there because there’s a sit-in in PE. All provinces are as important as the [Eastern Cape’s] Nelson Mandela Bay.”
He would not say when the task team would visit the Bay.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Alwin Labans said he had not received any reports of teargas or pepper-spray being used at Standard House. He said police would investigate the allegations.

*......and these are their own supporters,VERY democratic isnt it?*

*this is the guy they want out:http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?198429-Almost-all-votes-counted-in-South-African-elections&p=5658326&viewfull=1#post5658326

[Dinges]

"Our new passport has never been faked," Apleni said.



But for around R500 you can buy an ID book , get citizenship , vote and wait for it ..................apply for an unfakeable passport.

[curious george]

ZAR500 = bout 50poundsGP/ just over $70 USD!Thats what it takes folks!

[ingletonr]

But for around R500 you can buy an ID book , get citizenship , vote and wait for it ..................apply for an unfakeable passport.

Indeed, which is why the UK now requires a visa from SA'n passport holders simply because of the readily available supply of SA'n passports on the black market. Such a pity.. when 1994 came around, I was full of hope that that the stigma of SA'n passport holders traveling internationally would be removed. In retrospect how short-sighted I was to believe that...

Thankfully I hold dual-citizenship so that I could escape the madness.. but now I am sitting ringside, watching everything fall apart.

Sorry - long time lurker, rare poster. Hope that's okay :)

[Rahlgd]

But for around R500 you can buy an ID book , get citizenship , vote and wait for it ..................apply for an unfakeable passport.

You can apply for citizenship in South Africa for $70?!?!

[curious george]

You can apply for citizenship in South Africa for $70?!?!

Apply? No,lol/pmsl,find the right official and BUY it for that!!

[baboon6]

‘Hotel drama’, Malema madness and more

http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/hotel-drama-malema-madness-and-more-1.1085000


The ANC Youth League started the third day of its national congress on Saturday with a closed session after re-electing Julius Malema as its leader the night before.
The morning session, from 9am to 2pm, was closed to the media.
The 24th ANCYL congress, attended by some 5500 delegates, was taking place at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, where Malema was re-elected unopposed on Friday evening.
Ronald Lamola, the league's Mpumalanga spokesman, was elected deputy president and Kenetswe Mosenogi, a member of the league's national executive committee, deputy secretary. Lamola is also Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza's spokesman.
KwaZulu-Natal ANCYL leader Sindiso Magaqa was elected league general secretary. Phule Mabe was re-elected treasurer.
Nothing came of Lebogang Maile's ambitions to challenge Malema. The Gauteng sport MEC and youth league chairman declined a nomination to stand for the position.
This decision came after he failed to get any provinces to endorse his candidacy.
On Saturday afternoon, ANCYL spokesman Floyd Shivambu was expected to present a “programme for economic freedom in our lifetime”, while ANCYL national executive committee member Kabelo Mataboge would present a report on organisation renewal.
In the morning, treasurer general Pule Mabe and former secretary general Vuyisa Tulelo were expected to address delegates.
The conference was also expected to nominate and vote for national executive committee members on Saturday.
The congress started on Thursday, with the Saturday Star newspaper reporting that rival factions of Malema and Maile supporters trashed the Don Suite Hotel in Kempton Park.
The newspaper said rivals threw chairs, tables and sofas into the swimming pool of the hotel in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Apparently, Maile supporters form Sedibeng, the only Gauteng region that nominated him, were angry because they had allegedly not been given rooms. -
Sapa

Typical...

[curious george]

1000s of foreigners flee murderous mobs

2011-06-19 10:00



http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1358/9d87a52d26f34023bab133a2f7821d44.jpg Zimbabwean refugee Christine Tarusikirwa collects the remains of her belongings from the fire that destroyed her home in Seshoga township, outside Polokwane. Picture: Lebogang Makwela
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Read more stories about

Xenophobia (http://www.news24.com/Tags/Topics/xenophobia)


1000s of foreigners flee murderous mobs (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Thousands-of-foreigners-flee-murderous-mobs-20110618-2) - 19 Jun
ANC councillor arrested over attack (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/ANC-councillor-arrested-over-attack-20110617) - 17 Jun
Zim killing disgusting - organisations (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Zim-killing-disgusting-organisations-20110614) - 14 Jun
Horror of a mob murder (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Horror-of-a-mob-murder-20110612) - 12 Jun
Women defend foreign shopkeepers (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Women-defend-foreign-shopkeepers-20110602) - 02 Jun
Fearful Somalis camping at cop station (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Fearful-Somalis-camping-at-cop-station-20110527) - 27 May
Cops slam looting of spaza shops (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Shops-looted-burnt-in-Eastern-Cape-20110526) - 26 May
Somali shops looted, burnt in PE (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Somali-shops-looted-burnt-in-PE-20110526) - 26 May













Gcina Ntsaluba, City Press

Polokwane - Thousands of Zimbabweans *living in a township outside Polokwane, Limpopo, fled last week following the most serious wave of xenophobic violence to hit South Africa in recent months.

The purge included the killing of Zimbabwean Godfrey Sibanda, who was *cornered by a mob and stoned to death on Monday night in Extension 75 of *Seshoga township, northwest of Polokwane, while walking home from work.

Six RDP houses in Extension 71 which had been rented to Zimbabweans were *also torched by large mobs.

More than 3 000 other Zimbabweans fled to hide in nearby bushes.

Sibanda was accused of raping a five-year-old girl and for being behind other criminal acts in the area, which included the murder of a couple last week and *robbing a security guard.

The police said they had heard of the incidents, but had no record of these *alleged crimes being reported to them.

The day after Sibanda was killed, more Zimbabweans were attacked and evicted from their homes by locals who dumped their blankets, bags and other belongings on the street.

3 000 displaced

Those who escaped unharmed were *being sheltered at the *Seshego police station with their families. They said that more than 3 000 of their fellow countrymen were displaced.

They were scared to go to the police *because they thought the police were working with the community, said Christopher Manyanhaire, 27.

He was evicted from his home with his sister, three-year-old nephew and brother-in-law.

He said that the mob caught his sister, Locadia, after she tried to escape through the window.

"They were at the door trying to kick it down but I was holding it while my sister tried to escape, but they caught her and beat her until the police arrived,” he said.

Manyanhaire, whose family was among those at Seshego police station, said *locals had complained about Zimbabweans getting state houses cheaply from owners who rented them out.

“They have no right to be living in an RDP house because it’s for us South Africans,” said Paulina Makokwane, a South African whose house is surrounded by three Zimbabwean-occupied houses that were torched on Tuesday.

House-to-house search

On Tuesday evening, City Press *witnessed a group of close to 200 people *going from house-to-house looking for *Zimbabweans.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said one person was *arrested for arson and they were still *investigating the murder case.

Fungai Chingorivo, who was part of the evicted group at the police station, said she and her husband had lost everything they had worked for since coming to South Africa in 2008.

“We don’t know what to do now. We have no money and going back home to Zimbabwe empty-handed is pointless because our children and families are suffering,” she said.

By Thursday morning, there were 20 displaced families at the police station with some of their belongings which they had managed to save.

More were expected to arrive and the police have called in local disaster-management officials to help with shelter.

ANC Limpopo spokesperson David Masondo said the party was “disappointed” at what had happened and that it was symptomatic of economic stress in both Limpopo and Zimbabwe.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Thousands-of-foreigners-flee-murderous-mobs-20110618-2

[playtym]

So they at it again. What's this now, Xenophobia Round Number 3?

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j130/playtym/immigrants.png

[curious george]

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Po...aders-20110619 (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Malema-warns-ANC-leaders-20110619)

Malema warns ANC leaders

2011-06-19 18:13




Johannesburg - ANC youth leader Julius Malema warned the ruling party's leaders on Sunday to "lead with the people" or face removal from office.
Malema was speaking about "white monopoly capital" being the "real enemy", at the closing ceremony of the African National Congress Youth League's conference in Midrand, Johannesburg, which re-elected him as leader.
"The real enemy is white monopoly capital. They are the ones we are fighting against.... it's not racism. It's written in every do***ent of the ANC... transfer of power from minorities."
Malema called on delegates to "intensify" this struggle against white monopoly capital.
"There's nobody who is going to stand before us. Nobody is going to stand before this moving tree of economic freedom fighters.
"They want to change the material conditions of South Africa and they are not asking for permission," said Malema.
He said that if the "leadership of the ANC" did "not join us" then the masses would take over.
"If you are not careful, you will be led by the masses," said Malema.
"The ANC must lead the people. The ANC must lead with the people. We are asking for leadership.
"We don't want to remove anybody.

"We don't want to remove you."
- SAPA

*the emporer has spoken......*

[IconOfEvi]

Wow he really is seeming to make a power play now

[playtym]

Here's another report on what an awesome deal the World Cup was for South Africa.

Not only will we have to subsidise the white-elephant stadiums, but we're going to have to subsidise the Gautrain now as well! :cantbeli:


Taxpayers subsidise Gautrain: report (http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Taxpayers-subsidise-Gautrain-report-20110621-2)

Johannesburg - About R360m a year of taxpayers' money was promised as a subsidy - termed as a "patronage guarantee"- for the Gautrain if there are not enough commuters, The Star reported on Tuesday.

The Gauteng department of roads and transport's budget for 2011/12 includes R259m in "patronage guarantee costs" for the Gautrain project.

This is what the province promised to pay Gautrain concessionaire Bombela consortium if there were not enough passengers.

Next year's guarantee was expected to be R360m, as this year's payment takes into account that the Gautrain would only be fully operational only next month.

On Monday, Deputy Minister of Transport Jeremy Cronin (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/jeremy-cronin-2646) said such a guarantee had been on the cards but said he had not been aware of the size of it.

"We were never told at what level they were guaranteeing... We certainly asked that question a great deal.

"Let's hope it's 'in case', or at worst transitional," he said.

Cronin said a huge guarantee would "absolutely not" be considered for other projects.

The provincial department referred queries to the Gautrain Management Agency (GMA).

The GMA on Monday confirmed to the daily newspaper that the R259m quoted was for part of the year but would not say how much the full annual guarantee was.

[playtym]

SA snubbed by Bric investors (http://www.fin24.com/Economy/SA-snubbed-by-Bric-investors-20110623)

Johannesburg - Brazil, Russia, India, China and the Middle Eastern countries all prefer to invest in African countries other than South Africa.

The so-called Brics countries regard investments in other African countries as more viable and sustainable than in South Africa. Countries that the Brics nations favour as investment destinations above South Africa include Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Botswana.

The catalogue of problems scaring off potential investors in South Africa includes irresponsible ****ouncements on nationalisation.

Robert Appelbaum, head of trade with India at Webber Wentzel, said an Indian strategist hurriedly left for home last week – having been persuaded with difficulty to return later if nationalisation is not on the agenda.

For 20 years Appelbaum has been involved in trade relations between South Africa and India, and he said India is increasingly aware of the benefits of investing in Africa.

But South Africa is no longer the preferred gateway to Africa, he said.

The eyes of the world are on South Africa and ****ouncements on nationalisation are a big problem.

South Africa does not appear to realise that countries south of the Sahara are strong competitors as investment destinations, he added.

In what was described as the “second scramble for Africa” at the African Union summit in Ethiopia earlier this month, South Africa was overlooked as an investment destination for several reasons.

Appelbaum said if South Africa wanted to attract more investments from India and its Brics partners it would rapidly have to upgrade its ports and rail lines.

Indian companies are descending on the Waterberg coal deposits, and the big question is how to export the coal.

Unfortunately for South Africa, the export route will be via Mozambique rather than Richards Bay.

Appelbaum said Mozambique is establishing active rail corridors and is making huge investments to attract exports to its ports.

It's critical for South Africa to upgrade its ports and rail systems. They are currently inadequate and hampering export.

Prospective investors from India and other Brics countries are also daunted by the high cost of labour in South Africa relative to costs in their own countries. They find insufficient incentives to establish their companies here and to train the local population in the necessary skills.

Foreign investors find it a problem that the requisite skills are not available here and that incentives to train staff are scarce and complicated.

Black economic empowerment also frightens off foreign investors. Appelbaum said companies regard it as a big expense because funding is scarce and empowerment partners do not themselves come with the required finance.

He said the companies are not unwilling to comply with empowerment requirements, but they regard them as an additional expense which handicaps investment.

Safiyya Patel, a partner for mergers and acquisitions at Webber Wentzel, said a pact between South Africa and India was necessary to handle legal decisions. India does not currently accept decisions by South African courts and it can take up to 15 years for legal disputes to be resolved.

Appelbaum said that as a consequence South African companies invest in India through intermediaries in countries that do have legal agreements with South Africa, and the converse.

Foreign investment could help to start solving the unemployment problem. Appelbaum said Indian companies had already created thousands of jobs in this country.

The investments by the Mahindra and Tata automobile companies have led to Indian component manufacturers taking an interest in investing here. But the lack of incentives puts them off. What a ****ing misleading title!!

The investors didn't snub us, they were scared off by the rantings of a semi-literate woodworker about his plans for nationalising the banks, nationalising the mines and taking land without paying for it! :roll:

[playtym]

Zim wants SA rescue package (http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Zim-wants-SA-rescue-package-20110617)

Johannesburg - Zimbabwe has asked South Africa for a $50m rescue package for struggling companies in Bulawayo, The Herald in Harare reported on Friday.

It said the matter was raised in a meeting between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/robert-mugabe-3562) and President Jacob Zuma (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/jacob-zuma-927) in Johannesburg last Friday.

Zimbabwean presidential spokesperson George Charamba confirmed the request, saying Zuma had agreed to look into ways his government could assist.

Charamba said a figure of $50m had been mentioned as a possible rescue package for ailing companies in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's industrial hub.

The firms were failing to access cheap finance for recapitalisation, causing many of them to close down or scale down operations.

As a result, thousands of workers were losing their jobs to the street.

Mugabe told Zuma some of the firms required as little as $500 000 to revive operations, Charamba told The Herald.
Swaziland asks SA for bailout (http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Swaziland-asks-SA-for-bailout-20110623)

Cape Town - Swaziland, Africa’s last absolute monarchy, has asked South Africa for a bailout to remedy a fiscal crisis that has sparked rare political protests, South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/pravin-gordhan-2200) said on Thursday.

Swazi dissident groups have reported that King Mswati III (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/makhosetive-mswati-iii-5802) was looking for a R10bn loan from Pretoria, although deputy South African Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/nhlanhla-nene-7647) told ******* this figure was probably too high.
"I'm not sure where the R10bn figure comes from and I don't foresee assistance amounting to that much," he told *******. "It is too early to put a figure to it until such time as the review and the assessment of Swaziland’s problems are done."

The sums of money are a drop in the ocean for South Africa, far and away the continent’s biggest economy, but, in a curiously African echo of the eurozone debt crisis, Pretoria fears it may be simply the first of a series of bailouts.

Like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), it will also baulk at lending anything to Swaziland, a landlocked nation of 1.4 million people, until the government takes the carving knife to what is Africa’s most bloated bureaucracy.

The IMF said last month the country was near financial collapse, with a budget deficit of 14.3% of gross domestic product (GDP) - similar to Greece - and an economy stuck in the doldrums. Swaziland’s public wage bill amounts to 18% of GDP, more than any other country in Africa.

The IMF said the government could dig up $87m in cuts "swiftly" to improve the health of its finances, but described the commitment to reform as "mixed", rendering immediate budgetary assistance impossible.

South African aid is also complicated by the loathing felt towards Mswati’s notoriously inept and unaccountable regime - cabinet posts are administered on the whim of the king - by the ANC’s union allies.

The country’s fiscal troubles stem from a sharp decline in revenues from the regional Southern African Customs Union (Sacu), which has historically accounted for two-thirds of the government’s budget.

The drop-off is equivalent to 11% of Swazi output, but the IMF also said the government had exacerbated its problems through profligate state spending.

So far, the government has managed to keep its head above water by eating into central bank reserves and running up $180m in domestic arrears.The South African government has seen how four million taxpayers can support a country of forty-nine million. I hope they're not going to try and make us support the whole continent now. :-|


Edit: Damn, this forum software if messed up!! When you type p.r.o.f.l.i.g.a.t.e, meaning "recklessly wasteful; wildly extravagant" you get profligate!! :cantbeli:

[playtym]

SA gets worst possible ratings - report

Johannesburg - South Africa received the worst possible rating on several governance aspects in an independent peer review report released on Tuesday.

The country's police "force" and the government's handling of xenophobia, crime and corruption are some of the criticisms in the document, entitled, "Implementing the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM): Views from Civil Society".

President Jacob Zuma (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/jacob-zuma-927) and Parliament also came under fire.

Threat to press freedom

Under a category on protection of the media, it warns of threats to press freedom.

"Recommendations frequently appeal for better implementation of existing legislation, acknowledge the need for participatory governance, and many call on civil society to accept its share of responsibility," reads a summary of the report.

It was released by the APRM monitoring project, which is jointly run by the SA Institute of International Affairs, the Centre for Policy Studies and the Africa Governance, Monitoring and Advocacy Project.

The report gives South Africa an "orange" rating in most categories, meaning that "some progress had been achieved on addressing the issue".

The report calls for a judicial inquiry into "allegations of criminality, corruption, inappropriate political interference, nepotism and maladministration occurring within the SAPS".

It warns that appeals by some politicians for the police to act forcefully against criminals were "tough, even unconstitutional rhetoric".

"Temper the hardline, militant rhetoric around crime, and emphasise the importance of the rule of law and the Bill of Rights in the Constitution," it suggests.

It calls for crime statistics to be released more regularly, instead of just once a year.

State and party lines are blurred

The government received the worst possible rating, red, for "an element of denialism" about xenophobia, state-party separation and relationships, cadre deployment and politicisation of institutions and regulating private funding to political parties.

A red rating means "no progress has been achieved on addressing the issue; or very little progress has been achieved and the government does not seem to be on track to complete it in the near future".

"The president should provide particular leadership in making party-state distinctions. Holding office for the entire country, the president needs to guard against the commandeering of state resources for party ends," the report reads.

"The distinction between the state and the political party has become blurred."

Poverty, unemployment and corruption also received red ratings.

"Given the perceptions of corruption in South Africa and that government did not follow through with the APRM’s recommendations on protecting whistleblowers, the evaluating group felt that a red rating was justified."

Parliament was asked to improve reports from committees and "upgrade the quality of debate". A policy on attendance for MPs was also needed.

Room for improvement

According to the report Parliament needed to be "more conscientious in evaluating and processing legislation".

"After passing legislation, Parliament needs to monitor its operation. As a part of this process, the objectives of the legislation need to be clearly spelled out to enable such monitoring."

Other contentious issues such as racism, land reform, black economic empowerment and service delivery received orange ratings, with warnings that there was room for improvement.

On land reform, the report notes: "Although much progress has been achieved, completion is still far away. The experts on land reform in the evaluating team felt that given the overall status of the issue, a red rating should be awarded.

"However, other participants argued that a green rating should be awarded, based on the progress achieved. Therefore, an orange rating was awarded as a compromise."

The only green rating was for holding successful elections.

Although there was a category called "access to information and protection of the media", no rating was given because the media had not been covered in previous reports.

It however notes that access to information and media freedom are threatened by plans to establish a media tribunal and the proposed protection of information bill.http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/SA-gets-worst-possible-ratings-report-20110628

[curious george]

http://www.news24.com/Columnists/MaxduPreez/The-sickening-smell-revolution-20110706

The sickening smell of 'revolution'

2011-07-06 08:15 [/URL]
(http://www.news24.com/Columnists/MaxduPreez/The-sickening-smell-revolution-20110706#) http://www.news24.com/images/vertline.png [URL="http://www.news24.com/sendToFriend.aspx?iframe&aid=68904db8-1109-43db-aa3e-a8e0d5f4955d&cid=1033"] (http://www.news24.com/Columnists/MaxduPreez/The-sickening-smell-revolution-20110706#)


http://cdn.24.com/files/Cms/General/d/177/f4ea65712e4f430b83699658c08723f2.jpgMax du Preez

South Africa hasn’t had its revolution yet. It is coming, a newspaper editor declared on Twitter this week, echoing the earlier stark warning by writer Peter Godwin (http://twitter.com/#%21/petergodwin).

I’m beginning to smell revolution too. Just a whiff, for now, but still.

But it isn’t the exciting, promising smell of the 1980s. The smell of freedom and possibility.

It’s the sickening smell of hatred, greed and revenge. The smell of rot.

Revolution fomented by greed

Look, I think there are ample reasons for a lot of people in this country to want to revolt.

I would too if I lived in a shack and had no hope of finding a job and improving my miserable life and those of my children.

But the revolution I fear is not one driven by a genuine desire for a decent life and dignity.

I fear the revolution fomented by greedy, fat cat demagogues lusting for more power, with insecure little men clinging to their coattails.

I don’t fear an uprising aimed at correcting imbalances and bringing justice.

I fear an uprising that will dump our constitution in the rubbish bin, rob us of our freedom, destroy our economy and put a nasty, super-wealthy bunch of despots in power.

Sense of unease

My sense of unease was not triggered when Julius Malema called a whole section of the nation a bunch of criminals.

It was triggered when he said it in front of our president, who said nothing to distance himself from such hate speech, and the ruling party praised Malema by its faint condemnation.

Malema’s unchallenged insults were a signal that it was open season. Columnists like Andile Mngxitama and Eric Myeni, Youth League leaders like Floyd Shivambu, writers of letters to newspapers and callers to radio talk shows started spewing racism like we last saw coming from the AWB.

The staid British magazine The Economist remarked, “It is becoming more acceptable for black South Africans to scorn and abuse whites openly as a racial group.”

Turn your head away from corruption, bad governance and abuse of power; it is time to find a new common enemy to divert the attention. It worked for Robert Mugabe, didn’t it?

Supporting economic freedom

The new populist madness dominating our political culture saw Malema’s demands for nationalisation of mines and banks and grabbing of land become mainstream thinking in the Tripartite Alliance within weeks, with Cosatu and the SACP backtracking on earlier reservations.

There is nothing wrong with a campaign for “economic freedom in our lifetime”. In fact, I support it.

But then fight for real solutions to poverty and unemployment, not for a system that can only lead to more misery, suffering and hunger.

I’m not sure about many things, but I’m very sure large-scale nationalisation and expropriation of agricultural land will not in the end benefit the poor at all.

The economic cake will simply shrink drastically and you will only be certain of a slice if you’re already very wealthy or you are an ANC insider.

I listen when a movement such as Abahlali baseMjondolo champions the cause of the destitute, not to the Johnny Walker Blue drinkers who wax on with their racist threats and over-simplifications.

There is no quick way to kill poverty and create millions of jobs, but there has to be a quicker way than the way we’re doing it right now.

We have to find that way, “we” meaning government, the business sector, the labour movement and the citizenry.

In need of a wake-up call

Mind you, I sometimes think white South Africans deserve a revolution. Too many of them live in complete denial, as if nothing had changed since the comfortable days when they were what Malema and Co now want to become.

Too many whites fooled themselves into thinking putting black faces in government and parliament would be the extent of their “sacrifice” after apartheid.

Their racism, although mostly uttered privately or anonymously, matches that of the new breed of black racists.

They need a rude wake-up call, or there will be a revolution and they will be its first victims.

As I said, it was just a whiff of revolution that I got. But a whiff that should jolt us all into action.

Don’t go stockpiling tinned food and bottled water yet. Rather help stop the madness.

*interesting take on SA today,Max du Preez wasnt very popular with the apartheid gov back in the day either,using his "Vrye Weekblad" newspaper to expose "hitsquads",etc in late 80's/early 90's before the advent of "democracy".*

[curious george]

Interesting Piece - Why ANC need never worry about losing


Over the last 200 years South Africa has been ruled by at least four types of political elite: indigenous African aristocracy, British imperialists, Afrikaner landowners and black upper class.
Each of these groups has had its own perspective on economic development.

The indigenous aristocracy was completely opposed to the introduction of private ownership of land. Private property is one of the key preconditions to economic development. The indigenous aristocracy was also opposed to many aspects of modern science, especially Western medicine, and it saw Christianity as a force that undermined its rule.

By contrast, during British imperialism's control of South Africa from 1795 to 1910, Britain was a leading industrial and military power in the world but saw no need to bring economic development to South Africa.

The British objective in South Africa was to control the Cape sea route. It was only when it was realised that South Africa had large deposits of diamonds and gold that the British took an interest in developing the South African economy, but its concept of South Africa's development did not extend beyond extracting these two minerals.

The Afrikaner nationalist landowners in most of South Africa were largely pastoralists who raised cattle, sheep and horses. There was a small group that grew wheat and grapes for wine-making.

So, until well into the 20th century, South Africa's agriculture remained underdeveloped. After this group took power from the British in 1910, it started to promote some economic development.

Their objective was to make the land they owned more profitable. Their first initiative after coming to power was to establish the Land Bank in 1910. The Afrikaner nationalist elite wanted to invest in the building of South Africa's transportation and communication infrastructure.

It also had to build educational institutions to provide white citizens with expertise in all aspects of agriculture.

As an incentive to investors, this elite group made available a dependable supply of cheap labour from South Africa's black population. All of these efforts culminated in the South African economy becoming the largest in Africa, generating almost a quarter of the continent's gross domestic product.

The black upper middle class that became South Africa's dominant political elite in 1994 was a class of intellectuals rather than of property owners. Its main objective in its pursuit of political power was not to protect or develop its property, because it did not have any.

Its main objective was to bring about equality among the races and redistribute some of the white-owned wealth to the blacks.

To achieve political equality, this elite fought for democracy, which was eventually achieved in 1994. To achieve economic equality, it adopted a policy of wealth redistribution.

There is, however, a downside to an economic strategy predominantly driven by wealth redistribution - it diverts resources from investment to consumption.

This is already beginning to show with the growing de-industrialisation of the country's economy. The scramble for wealth redistribution has also become a main driver of corruption.

The enclave economy that Hendrik Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid, was so eloquent about is thus perpetuated under the ANC government. To maintain its power, the ANC developed welfare programmes that appease the huge underclass.

There is no better-positioned organisation on the South African political landscape than the ANC.

If its voters remain poor, the ANC wins because they vote for it. In the very unlikely event that they become richer - for example, through "tenderpreneurship" - they will still vote for the ANC because they want to be on the list for the next tender.

Voters for the ANC do not vote for it for ideological or policy reasons; they vote for it primarily because of their material dependence on the ANC-controlled state.

A November 2009 Ipsos Markinor survey found that two-thirds of the people who vote for the ANC do not work. Of the one-third who do, slightly less than a quarter work full-time and about a tenth work part time.

Even more striking is the ANC voters' education levels:

Only 8% of ANC supporters have a higher-education qualification;
23% have graduated from high school; and
69% either have no education or have not completed high school.
The primary constituency of the ANC is poor blacks.

This is an edited extract from the introduction to Advocates for Change: How to Overcome Africa's Challenges, edited by Mbeki and published by Picador

*Moletsi Mbeki,brother of pres zuma's anc predessesor,Thabo Mbeki*

[baboon6]

Interesting Piece - Why ANC need never worry about losing




*Moletsi Mbeki,brother of pres zuma's anc predessesor,Thabo Mbeki*
[/I]

Always find Moeletsi Mbeki's articles very good.

[Rudolph]

^Yep, he's got a logical head on his shoulders, if only that could be said of the average ANC member...

[baboon6]

Podcast from Talk Radio 702: Jenny Crwys-Williams interviews Moeletsi Mbeki.

http://panmacmillan.book.co.za/blog/2011/07/08/podcast-jenny-crwys-williams-talks-to-moeletsi-mbeki-about-advocates-for-change/

[curious george]

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?171964-SA-Farm-Murders&p=5754803&viewfull=1#post5754803

[curious george]

http://www.fin24.com/Economy/DA-calls-for-tax-probe-into-Malema-20110717
DA calls for tax probe into Malema

Jul 17 2011 11:24 Sapa
Johannesburg - The Democratic Alliance will on Monday ask the SA Revenue Service to investigate ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/julius-malema-8930)'s finances, the party's police spokesperson Dianne Kohler Barnard (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/dianne-kohler-barnard-5950) said.

MP Kohler Barnard said the move has been prompted by reports that Malema was building a R16m mansion in the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Sandown.

"I will be writing a letter asking for an investigation into his finances. The time has come. It is inconceivable that someone who claims to live on a R25,000 salary from one of the ANC bodies can get a bank loan for R16m.

"One needs an investigation into where the money is coming from. If someone is handing out money to him we need to know who it is."

The Sunday Independent reported that Malema had torn down a house on a plot he bought in Sandown in 2009 and was building a modern new multi-storey home with a party deck and a secure basement where he could take refuge from attack.

Kohler Barnard said if reports of "an underground bunker" were true it showed that Malema had no confidence in government's efforts to fight crime.

The ANC Youth League has refused to comment on reports of Malema's new house.

The DA also called for an investigation into Malema earlier this year when reports surfaced that lucrative government tenders in Limpopo were awarded to companies linked to him.

*following the money would be quite enlightening,but somehow doubt that the corrupt clows in government will "out" one their main henchmen!*

*the wannabe dictator's paranoia's kicking in early,a bunker mind you!Someone should let him know that those bloodthirsty imperialist he mouths off about have got cool toys for such cool places lol*

[baboon6]

Analysis: Julius Malema's march towards SA's ultimate solution

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-07-19-analysis-julius-malemas-march-towards-the-final-solution


Julius Malema doesn’t believe in bringing numbers to a political fight. Especially when his chosen weapon is the insult. He’s used the ANC Youth League’s website to issue a “response” (http://www.ancyl.org.za/show.php?id=8045) to the response to the resolution of last month’s ANC Youth League conference that the mines and banks must be nationalised. It is not a pleasant or soothing read. However, it is very revealing. By STEPHEN GROOTES.


The said article's main claim is that no one has provided “an alternative” to the Youth League's own road to SA economic Nirvana. It is 1,099 words of pure Malema. Read it aloud and you can hear his voice.
Sometimes a politician does something that reveals the real agenda. It’s a moment when they’re caught almost off-guard, when something small can show so much. This is such a time. At the moment, Malema has all the momentum and the things that can really trip him up are mistakes of his own making. Those can be far more damaging for him that anything any of his opponents can do. This could be one such mistake. What it confirms is that this argument for mine nationalisation is not being driven by rationality, and that rational argument as a whole is not welcome at the ANCYL. Reading through Malema’s piece, it is obvious that it is simply a rant, a list of “we want, and we shall take” rather than any kind of reasoned thought.

Take his starting definition. The people who spoke about the League’s plans after its conference are defined as “sections of the media, analysts, right-wing propagandists, big-business and the questionable left”. By the way, “questionable left” is the latest in a fairly lengthy list of insults in the League’s political dictionary as part of its entry on the SACP. Having successfully tackled the man and left the ball, Malema then says the above, “casted(sic) aspersions, made alarmist remarks, spread lies and conspiracies and in most cases became petty and lost focus”.

Right.
So when Standard Bank CEO Sim Tshabalala penned a piece in the Business Day (http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=147755) on what bank nationalisation would mean for the economy (at 2,182 words, twice as long as Malema’s rant) that was simply “alarmist”. Tshabalala’s piece contains plenty of raw data and examples of where bank nationalisation ruined economies.
It is worth quoting from the article itself: “In Nigeria, the Federal Government took controlling interests in the major banks in the mid 1970s; more state banks were created in the 1980s. The entire Nigerian banking system was insolvent by 1994. In Ghana, the state took over the banking system in 1975. By 1984, bank deposits had fallen by 62%. By 1986, the amount of credit available to the private sector had fallen by 63%. It cost 4.4% of Ghana’s total national income in 1991 to recapitalise that country’s banks. Tanzania nationalised its banks in 1967. Just like in Ghana, saving declined sharply and the private sector found it almost impossible to obtain credit. Service fell apart: by the mid-1980s, Tanzania’s monopoly state bank had even lost the capacity to process cheques. It took 11% of GDP to recapitalise the bankrupt Tanzanian state bank in the early 1990s. There are many similar cheerless stories from the rest of the world: for example, the people of Brazil had to absorb an expense of 6% of GDP in 2001 when its two biggest state banks failed. In Uganda, the government created a state banking monopoly in 1972. By the early 1990s, this bank was struggling to provide even the most basic banking services; 75% of its loans had gone bad; and its monthly wage bill had to be paid directly from the Ministry of Finance. In 2002, as part of its programme of financial liberalisation, the government of Uganda sold this bank to Standard Bank .”
The amount of raw data in Malema’s piece? None. The total number of insults, (depending on your definition, is referring to someone’s argument as “waffling” insulting? If not, how about describing it as “hot air”?), to use his methodology, plenty.
So there’s no response to Tshabalala’s number that for “every 10% of the banking system owned by the state, a country’s annual growth rate fell by 0.25%”. It’s a crucial point and we presume we will never get an answer. Well, not from the League, and we certainly hope we don’t get to see a practical experiment anywhere near us.
Malema does make a very salient point when dealing with one his inner-alliance opponents, the SACP. You may remember that if “questionable left” refers to the SACP, they use the friendly sounding “right-wing demagogue” to refer to Malema. He says that if the SACP believes he is pushing nationalisation to bail out BEE elites, “the Party carries an obligation to propose to us a model which will not bail out black mining elites and see if we will disagree”. It’s a nice move. The SACP hasn’t proposed an alternative and this shows up that weakness rather well. It also puts the SACP under pressure to come up with an alternative. But the real cunning is in that it forces the SACP to treat mine nationalisation as a reality.
He may be insulting, but stupid Malema ain't.

There’s also a deft move when it relates to Cosatu. He says Cosatu “raised the bar” and didn’t “play the man” at its recent central committee meeting. That’s, of course, bollocks. There’s no real difference (http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-06-29-malema-20-meet-cosatu-20) between the SACP and Cosatu on “right-wing demagogues”. It could be the first public glimpse of a possible divide-and-conquer attempt by the Youth League to drive a wedge between Cosatu and the SACP. While in public they have very little in common at the moment, in private it would appear they have one person in common. Kgalema Motlanthe, or SA's Keyser Soze (http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-07-04-keyser-sze-or-peacemaker-dilemma-motlanthe-still-puzzles) if you prefer.
What we really learn from Malema in this document is that numbers, data and rational argument have nothing to do with his world. On his planet, it’s state-control and take-over without compensation that matter. His idea of a good debate is one in which he gets to shout louder than everyone else. The threat of physical violence is never far away, which was amply shown at the ANC’s national general council last year, when he and his henchmen tried to storm the stage because they didn’t like the final draft of the mine nationalisation policy.

So then, if this is all about emotion and rhetoric, backed up by threats, how does one oppose him? Malema claims in his piece that over the next few weeks he will be meeting with organized business, labour, communists and church groups, and that perhaps “from these forums we will hear and understand what is being said, since thus far lots of hot air was blown and we have not been told any alternative”. That is, of course, just a nonsense attempt to look as if the League really is “consulting” properly. The meetings will mean nothing. And you can imagine what will happen if at any moment, anyone dares try to bring numbers into what is really just a shout-fest.
In the past this proudly capitalist website has strongly advised capitalists, business, to get out there and argue back. Getting into a shouting match with Malema will not achieve much, so business will have to think cleverly. Tshabalala’s article was a great start by exposing a critical lack of thought on Malema’s part. Now business has to find a way to make that criticism stick with the wider audiences, ones that will decide ANC's policies in 2012. And it will have to bring numbers, and a loud, committed voice. Politics in South Africa? For sissies, it is not.

[Rahlgd]

Analysis: Julius Malema's march towards SA's ultimate solution

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-07-19-analysis-julius-malemas-march-towards-the-final-solution

Hmmm I remember Mexico tried to do the whole mass nationalization thing back in the 80's..... didn't go too well, exchange rate went from 10 pesos per dollar to about 2700. I certainly wouldn't want to trust a racially motivated consistantly inept party with the two largest driving sectors of the largest economy on the continent. Also i'd really like to see Malema try to hold a one on one debate with Tshabalala on the condition that he must back up his claims and prove his actions would turn out succesfull, of course I doubt he ever would, because he can't. All of his rhetoric would fall apart. I've never seen someone talk out of their ass so much. When is the government going to get around to finding capable owners for all those farms they seized from white farmers?

[Bushranger]

Please can somebody shoot Malema, there has to be so old AWB nut job will or someone run him over. I cant stand the rubbish he goes on about, he will destroy SA.

[Rahlgd]

I'd love for it too happen but if it were to be a white person that killed him there would be a huge backlash against the white community, probably a violent one at that. Now if say a visiting Japanese tourist were to accidently run him over then that'd be perfect. No internal community to backlash against.

[Lazer]

http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=243914&sn=Detail&pid=71619

The article is a good read, but also helps explain whats going on behind the scenes.

I find that the real politics in SA happens behind closed doors which makes people like juju very difficult to really pin down in terms of what he wants and how he intends on getting it.

Another good read was in the FM last year which postulated that mine nationalisation was primarily bout shifting debt from BEE benefactors onto the state.

[playtym]

Please can somebody shoot Malema

Now I know why he's building a bunker into his new R16m mansion. p-)
(http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2011/07/18/malema-building-a-r16-million-mansion)

[Dinges]

I'd love for it too happen but if it were to be a white person that killed him there would be a huge backlash against the white community, probably a violent one at that. Now if say a visiting Japanese tourist were to accidently run him over then that'd be perfect. No internal community to backlash against.

Do not think that for a minute. It would be construed immediately as a western colonial sponsored act. Proof or not. And somebody would have to pay.

[baboon6]

http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=243914&sn=Detail&pid=71619

The article is a good read, but also helps explain whats going on behind the scenes.

I find that the real politics in SA happens behind closed doors which makes people like juju very difficult to really pin down in terms of what he wants and how he intends on getting it.

Another good read was in the FM last year which postulated that mine nationalisation was primarily bout shifting debt from BEE benefactors onto the state.

Thanks that was most interesting.

[curious george]

Malema: My money is nobody's business

2011-07-20 14:42 [/URL]
[url]http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Malema-My-money-is-nobodys-business-20110720 (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Malema-My-money-is-nobodys-business-20110720#)


Johannesburg - It was nobody's business where he got his money from - and his supporters did not mind his lavish lifestyle, ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/julius-malema-8930) said on Wednesday.

"One of the things I've learnt in my short life in politics is the ability to live in the conditions of capitalism while fighting it and defeating it," he told reporters in Johannesburg.

Malema had called a media briefing to respond to a Sunday Independent report at the weekend that he was building himself a R16m house in the posh Johannesburg Sandown suburb.

First he said the news report only existed in "the imaginations of right-wing, narrow-minded and obsessed white people".

Then he told a journalist who asked where he got his money from: "It's none of your business... you must mind your own business."

'Not accountable to media'

He was a private citizen and not accountable to the media, said the African National Congress Youth League leader.

If the SA Revenue Service were to investigate him about the reported Sandown house, following a complaint from the Democratic Alliance, he would co-operate fully.

He added he was confident his taxes were in order, before launching into an attack against "ruthless capitalism".

"If you are a capitalist, you are an exploiter."

Asked how he justified his own expensive lifestyle - he lives in Sandton and drives a Mercedes Benz - Malema responded that poor people did not mind if their leaders were rich.

He boasted that he was "the only remaining leading political figure in the country who gets welcomed in the squatter camps".

"In this country, there are some amongst the poor who are saying Cyril Ramaphosa (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/cyril-ramaphosa-1113) must be the president. He's a multi-millionaire.

"Some amongst the masses are saying Tokyo Sexwale (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/tokyo-sexwale-1111) must be president. He's rich. They don't care about his money, our people don't care about our money. What they care about is political consciousness, the will to liberate them," said Malema.

‘I remain poor’

"It's not about where we stay. Our people know that very well. It's not about the type of shoes we wear. That is petty. Our people want the political will and the ability to act and that is what we are doing."

Malema said he considered himself to be poor, because his house in Sandton and his car were owned by the bank.

"My definition of rich is those who own the means of production, I do not own...

"Instead of being rich, I remain poor but I'm creditworthy...

"That house you [the media] always make a noise about in Sandton - not the one you allege I'm building - it's owned by Absa. And if I fail to pay it, for sure, Maria Ramos (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/maria-ramos-1023) [Absa group chief executive] would be very happy she's taking a house from a man who is leading a nationalisation campaign, because she does not want nationalisation."

Negative media coverage of him was all part of a drive to undermine the agenda he represented.

‘I would surrender my land’

"I represent nationalisation of mines, expropriation of land, decentralisation of development, free education, the liberation of the working class."

The ANCYL would only meet with the Chamber of Mines to discuss nationalisation if the chamber agreed to hold the meeting in a poor rural village, so that the mining bosses could "appreciate where we're coming from".

On land expropriation, Malema supported it if it happened in the public's interest.

He would even give up his Sandton house or his farm if land expropriation on those properties were to be taken in public interest.

"I've got a house here in Sandton. If tomorrow they say, that house, there is a need for a street to pass there and therefore they are expropriating it, I would not have a problem.

"I've got a farm with cattle... if I go home and they say they want to build a school, if it is in public interest, I would surrender it."

But if the government wanted to give the land to "an individual", Malema would not hand it over.

"We are talking about expropriation of land for public interest and public purpose. Not for individual benefit, not for political leadership benefits. That is anarchy. We will never allow that."

- SAPA

*blah blah*

[curious george]

Malema's secret fund

2011-07-24 10:33 [/URL]
(http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Malemas-secret-fund-20110724#) http://www.news24.com/images/vertline.png [URL="http://www.news24.com/sendToFriend.aspx?iframe&aid=a76f730e-5276-43e3-9c56-613ee6bfcdd9&cid=1059"] (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Malemas-secret-fund-20110724#)


Related Links




Malema: My money is nobody's business (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Malema-My-money-is-nobodys-business-20110720)
Malema forks out R78 000 in cash for 5-star break (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Malema-forks-out-R78-000-in-cash-for-5-star-break-20110711)
Malema denies building R16m house (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Malema-denies-building-R16m-house-20110720-2)







Adriaan Basson and Piet Rampedi

Johannesburg - A secret family trust of which ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/julius-malema-8930) is the sole trustee may explain how he has been *bankrolling his lavish lifestyle.
The Ratanang Family Trust, named after Malema’s five-year-old son, was registered at the Office of the Master of the High Court in Pretoria on May 13 2008, five weeks after he was elected president of the youth league.
City Press can further reveal that the trust owns a 3.5 hectare smallholding outside Polokwane, bought for R900 000 in cash in June last year. No bond was registered on the smallholding, which is part of the farm Palmietfontein.
Two independent, well-placed sources with knowledge of Malema’s financial dealings told City Press that the trust was a *vehicle used by the youth leader and his benefactors to fund his lifestyle. “Thousands of rands” are deposited into the *account on a regular basis, they say.
Said one source: “Frequent deposits are being made from different banks, especially in Limpopo.”

Government tender
The other source, a seasoned businessman who moves in Malema’s circle of friends and associates, told City Press he deposited R200 000 into the trust’s bank account after Malema facilitated a government tender for his benefit.
According to him, there are at least 20 other business people who do the same.
He said Malema sent him the number of the bank account via SMS. After depositing the money, Malema allegedly thanked him – also via an SMS.
Malema denied that the trust was being used to launder illicit funds, but declined to divulge its purpose or bank balance.
Malema on Saturday failed in his attempt to gag City Press from publishing details about his alleged use of the trust as a slush fund for corrupt payments. Malema’s legal team denied that their client was involved in criminal activity.
Viwe Notshe SC, Malema’s advocate, told the South Gauteng High Court that his *client did not deny receiving money into the trust, but denied that these payments were bribes.

Contributions

“He says (the payments) are contributions for this cause and that cause.”
Apart from denying that the trust was used for receiving bribes, Malema refused to answer any of City Press’ questions.

Judge Colin Lamont slammed Malema for this, saying it was in his power to set the record straight if the trust was clean.
“The applicant (Malema) dealt very *superficially with fairly detailed allegations made (by City Press), allegations he could understand. He could have dealt with them in more detail,” Lamont said.
The following questions remain *unanswered:
» Why did he register the trust?
» What is he using the trust for?
» Who are the beneficiaries of the trust?
» How extensively is the trust used in his business and private dealings?
» Why has he never publicly disclosed the existence of the trust when questioned about his wealth?
» When he says he is poor and the police won’t find millions in “my account”, does he also refer to the Ratanang Family Trust’s account?
» Has the trust declared income or assets to the SA Revenue Service?
» Does he use the trust to fund his *lifestyle?
» Is it true that contractors, individuals and politicians deposit money into the trust, as alleged by City Press’ sources, in exchange for securing tenders, political protection or their political agendas?

Media lambasted
Malema this week lambasted the media for enquiring into his mysteriously acquired wealth, saying his money was nobody’s business.
This came after reports that he is rebuilding and upgrading his R3.6million Sandown house, and *installing an underground bunker in the event of his security being threatened.
Malema has persistently claimed he is poor and doesn’t have millions in the bank when questioned about his wealth.
Queries escalated after City Press *revealed his link to government tenders in Limpopo last year.
In an interview with the Mail & Guardian in March last year, Malema said he lived on “hand-outs” most of the time.

Dared the police
He dared the police to “go to my account and find *millions. They must take those millions and put them into institutions that can help *children of the poor.”
Until now, the only public acknowledgment of the trust was at an October 2009 function in Malema’s hometown, Seshego, at which the newly built Seshego Baptist Church was unveiled.
It was reported after the event that *Malema himself funded the building of the church in honour of his late mother, *Mahlodi, who was a member.
President Jacob Zuma (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/jacob-zuma-927) and Limpopo *Premier Cassel Mathale (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/cassel-mathale-9016) attended the *function, at which Zuma made his controversial remark that Malema would be a *future ANC president.
A small bronze plate fixed to the church reveals it was built by the Ratanang Family Trust.

R50k salary?
Although his salary from the ANC has never been publicly confirmed, it is *rumoured to be about R50 000 a month.
According to records from the deed’s *office, Malema’s trust bought a portion of the Palmietfontein farm near the Silicon Smelters last June. It was registered three months later.
At least three of Malema’s neighbours at Palmietfontein said they knew he owned the plot. They said they had seen him at least three times at the farmhouse, which had been vacant for 10 months.
Said one man: “Personally, I have seen him two or three times. He just comes, walks around the property to see whether it is still fine and then leaves. Nobody stays here.”

Another plot owner, who said he was looking forward to living side by side with the youth leader, said: “The place has been vacant for 10 months. The previous owner left. The house has always been like this. No renovations have been done.”
A land claim was registered against the Palmietfontein farm by the Ga-Mothapo community in 1995. In September 2009, the claim was extended to include, among others, the portion Malema now owns.
Meanwhile, Malema on Saturday told thousands of villagers in Tshikondeni, Venda, that: “They can write their nonsense, we don’t care about them. They can say whatever they say about us, we don’t care.”


*oops julius,fingers in the till again?*

[curious george]

Well folks yet another reason why the anc-mafia needs to shut up the media(they'll try another approach soon no doubt),internal party positioning/jostling is in my mind the prime reason this info was "leaked"....

[curious george]

*oops julius,fingers in the till again?*
[/QUOTE]

Remember this for context:

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?197977-South-Africa-youth-leader-says-criminal-whites-stole-land-from-blacks&p=5636189&viewfull=1#post5636189

[baboon6]

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Malemas-R12m-car-20110724

Malema's R1.2m car



Johannesburg - ANC Youth League president Julius Malema (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/julius-malema-8930) has been roaring around in a R1.2m car - thanks to the generous boss of a construction company which has scored more than R200m in state contracts in Malema’s powerbase province of Limpopo.
And the man who gave him the luxury Range Rover, MPPJ Property Development boss Matome Hlabioa, boasted this week that he had given the high-living youth league leader other fancy cars before.
He also said he was a key funder of the league’s recent elective conference.
“He has been driving my cars long before he became president. If Julius wants something like a car I give it to him. I own more than 10 cars. If you look at the car he is driving which is (worth) about R1.2m, it is the cheapest car I own,” Hlabioa said.
But he denied claims by a company insider that the cars were a direct “thank you” for Malema’s help in swinging deals for Hlabioa’s Limpopo company.

Shared business interest

City Press has also established that Hlabioa and Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/cassel-mathale-9016) – accused by ANC opponents of allowing Malema to “run the province” – have had a shared business interest.
City Press has discovered official records which show that MPPJ’s success in housing tenders enjoyed a winning trajectory which mirrored that of Malema’s rise in political power from 2008, when he was first elected league president.
The Limpopo contracts MPPJ won include:
» A R115m housing tender to complete 2 981 low- cost houses in Mopani and Waterberg district municipalities in Limpopo in the 2007/08 financial year;
» A R15.4m tender in the Waterberg district municipality in 2007;
» A R3.35m tender from Public Works for work in the Greater Giyani district in 2008;
» A R11.6m housing tender for the Mogalakwena local municipality for 300 units in the 2008/09 financial year;
» A R12.9m tender for additions and renovations at a primary school last year; » A R15.9m tender for work at another primary school last year; and
» A R38.2m housing tender for 700 units in Greater Marble Hall local municipality, also during last year.

Lifestyle audit

This latest revelation comes amid calls for the SA Revenue Service (SARS) to scrutinise Malema’s financial affairs and subject him to a lifestyle audit. This as it emerged that he has flattened his R3.6m Sandton home to replace it with a new one at an estimated construction cost of between R7m and R16m.
This week a defiant Malema told those querying the source of his wealth: “It’s none of your business... you must mind your own business.



“One of the things I’ve learned in my short life in politics is the ability to live in the conditions of capitalism while fighting it and defeating it.”

The registration of the car in MPPJ’s name means it would not show up in any lifestyle audit and would not incur any tax liability for Malema.
SARS spokesperson Adrian Lackay said a person using a vehicle owned by another entity would only attract tax implications if the person was employed by the other party, and that it would then be viewed as a fringe benefit which would need to be declared.

Benefits


Malema has been driving the Range Rover (registration ZBM 223 GP) for several months already.
City Press understands that for the last three years he drove a similar model vehicle that was also registered to MPPJ.
An MPPJ insider said: “Hlabioa is a businessman who is benefitting from government tenders and he has to look after people like Malema with gifts because they support him to get those tenders.
“It is a mutually beneficial relationship. There is no other explanation for Malema driving his car while he is a businessman dealing with government.”

Lehlogonolo Masoga, Malema’s former friend and now ousted Limpopo youth league chairperson, said: “There is nothing called a free lunch in this world. What your investigation has discovered is sufficient”.

Political influence


But Hlabioa dismissed claims he was looking after Malema because of his political influence. “Malema is like a son to me, I have been looking after him for many years even before he became the president of the youth league. It is just a coincidence. There is no benefit for me in any way because he has no capacity to give tenders to anyone.”
Malema could not be reached for comment despite numerous attempts. But youth league spokesperson Floyd Shivambu (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/nyiko-floyd-shivambu-33663) said: “We are not going to comment anything about that. We only discuss political issues in the media, not personal matters.”
Mathale did not respond to requests for comment this week.

[Bushranger]

Check this out someone has hacked the ANCYL web site. Funny stuff

http://www.ancyl.org.za/

[IconOfEvi]

It must be back to normal :(

[Dinges]

It showed this:

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/4998/malemalaugh.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/8/malemalaugh.jpg/)

[Bushranger]

Thats it...................... funny stuff.

[baboon6]

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=149262


CAPE TOWN — Political analyst Moeletsi Mbeki says President Jacob Zuma does not have the will or the ability to steer SA out of its economic and political difficulties.



Mr Zuma labelled Mr Mbeki an "armchair critic" earlier this year when Mr Mbeki — a vocal critic of the government — predicted SA would face an uprising of the kind experienced in Tunisia.

Speaking at the Cape Town Press Club yesterday, Mr Mbeki said the African National Congress (ANC) was not the "future for us".



"The ANC is losing its voters. A few years ago it had 70% of the electorate and today it has 62%. Even (Julius) Malema — who finds it hard to do this kind of simple arithmetic — pointed out that Zuma is losing votes for the ANC," he said.



He criticised Mr Zuma for not taking action on the public protector’s report on the police’s dodgy office lease deal. "Mr Zuma has done nothing about it. He says he is studying it, but all of us know what is in the report..." Mr Mbeki said.



"We have to ask ourselves what is the future of SA. It is not the ANC any more. Like all liberation parties that have been in government, they (the ANC) are very corrupt and incompetent ... which is what you see every day."



He said SA’s future was grim under the ANC government because of its refusal to modernise the monetary system, or the labour force, to keep up with the times.



"We are able to survive because we are one of the best-endowed countries in terms of minerals, so we are living off our mineral wealth.



"In the past 10 years the South African mining sector has shrunk by 1% annually.... Now Mr Malema is going to add to our troubles by nationalising a declining sector."



Mr Mbeki said that until recently, the ANC had been headed by the leadership that came out of Fort Hare University in the 1940s. "You do not have that calibre of leadership any more.

"You get the song-and-dance brigade like Malema and Zuma, who say they are providing leadership."



ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said Mr Mbeki’s "hatred" of the ANC was expected. "I do not know how he comes to such conclusions when in fact in the past election the people gave us an overwhelming mandate to govern."

[baboon6]

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=149266

Now this is really worrying...


SA’s flows of foreign direct investment rank behind Burkina Faso by certain measures, despite the country being the largest outward investor in Africa.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s World Investment Report 2011, SA’s share of foreign direct investment fell 70% last year from 2009.

This comes as global foreign direct investment flows are hovering around historic lows because of the financial crisis. But Africa, which has been largely cushioned from the recession, has only seen intra-region investment of 5% of total foreign direct investment flows on the continent.







"SA did not do well in (foreign direct investment) terms, but these flows are not the end of the story," Prof Stephen Gelb of the University of Johannesburg’s department of economics and econometrics, who presented the report, said yesterday.



"SA attracts (funds) via mergers and acquisitions, rather than greenfield projects," he said.



But last year there were no deals the magnitude of the $5,6bn stake in Standard Bank bought by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in 2007, or this year’s R16,5bn Walmart deal.

Prof Gelb said SA was ranked 10th in African foreign investment flows for last year, behind oil and gas producers such as Angola, Nigeria and Libya, and Egypt . In 2009 SA was ranked fourth-best performer in Africa.

But it had 25% of the total foreign direct investment stock in Africa — the value of the share of capital and reserves, including retained profits, attributable to a foreign parent enterprise.



In line with the global performance, Africa’s foreign direct investment declined 8,5% from 2009 levels. Total foreign direct investment flows into Africa for last year was $55bn.



SA’s inward foreign direct investment flows plunged 70% from $5,36bn in 2009 to $1,55bn.





"In a year in which foreign direct investment flows to East Asia, Southeast Asia and South America increased, Africa experienced a decline — and SA a substantial decline," Jorge Maia, head of research and information at the Industrial Development Corporation, said yesterday.



He said SA had to focus on being globally competitive, despite being an easier investment destination in terms of bureaucracy than many of its peers.



Prof Gelb said global investment liberalisation was now happening at a much slower pace than before. He said investments in the transport and media sectors were the most restricted, followed by energy and telecoms, but flows through finance and minerals resources were much stronger.


But he said apart from the automotive industry, SA was out of the loop when it came to investments in industries that are part of global value chains, because of high costs related to industrial production and quality.



"It’s a big, big worry for SA," Prof Gelb said, despite SA’s sound legal system and intellectual property framework.



Skills transfer and enterprise development were priority areas of concern, he said.





allixm@bdfm.co.za

[playtym]

Man guilty of assault for spilling drink on Zuma (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Man-guilty-of-assault-for-spilling-drink-on-Zuma-20110727)

Cape Town - A betting agent was on Wednesday found guilty of assault for spilling his drink on President Jacob Zuma at the Vodacom Durban July last year.

Daryl Peense confirmed to News24 that he was found guilty but was not yet sentenced.Rather than taking a turn for the worse, I think we took a turn to the absurd this time. :roll:

[playtym]

Zuma files assault charges against nation’s pigeons for pooing on his car (http://www.hayibo.com/zuma-files-assault-charges-against-nation%E2%80%99s-pigeons-for-pooing-on-his-car/)

PRETORIA. Fresh off his legal victory over notorious drink-spiller Daryl Peense, President Jacob Zuma today laid charges of assault against pigeons and clouds, claiming that “large synchronised mobs of avian agents” had pelted his convoy with counter-revolutionary poo and that “rogue white masses in the sky” had maliciously dropped water onto his head on at least one occasion. The President, who survived imprisonment on Robben Island and dodged apartheid hit-men, apparently failed to evade Peense’s total onslaught at last year’s Durban July, becoming the victim of a walk-by splashing. However, this week he got his revenge, seeing the diabolical whiskey flinger convicted of assault.
This morning Zuma’s lawyer, Snakeoil Simenya, said that it was now time to target others who dared squirt damp things at the President.
“The pigeons are going to be smirking out of the other side of their beaks once we’re done with them,” he said. “I mean, this flagrant poo-flinging is utterly inappropriate outside of Parliament or News24′s comments section.”
While he acknowledged that the task of arresting every single pigeon in South Africa was “pretty intimidating”, he said that the Presidency had enlisted the full service of the South African Police Services, and hoped their “shoot first, shred the docket later” approach might work in bringing the airborne menace to heel.
Simenya would not be drawn on the pigeons’ motive, but said there was a worrying tendency for their poo to be white.
“We’re not saying this is racial,” he said. “But we’re not saying it’s not. White poo? What are the pigeons planning next? A coo d’etat? A poo d’etat? We just don’t know.”
He went on to explain that once the pigeons were dealt with, clouds would be next.
“These white masses inevitably precipitate disruptions,” said Simenya. “They are raining on Msholozi’s parade. Literally. At the last parade we had to use three chamois and Blade Nzimande’s silk boxer shorts just to get his cranial dome dry. It has to stop.”
Responding to criticisms that suing birds and clouds was petty and would tie up valuable resources, Simenya said that the prosecutions would take very little time.
“We’ve proved that in South Africa you’ve got a far better chance of nailing someone for chucking whiskey on the President than for rape, murder or corruption. We’re totally playing to our strengths.”http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/696/pigeon2158778.jpg rofl

[cbreedon]

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/696/pigeon2158778.jpg rofl
:lol: I thought this was real for a second...

[baboon6]

Hawks reveal Arms deal bombshell

http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2011/07/31/hawks-reveal-arms-deal-bombshell

The Hawks have taken the first step towards re-opening the multibillion-rand arms deal probe - which could expose those who took bribes to prosecution.


More on the link...

[Rahlgd]

Malema: My money is nobody's business

2011-07-20 14:42 [/URL]
[url]http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Malema-My-money-is-nobodys-business-20110720 (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Malema-My-money-is-nobodys-business-20110720#)


Johannesburg - It was nobody's business where he got his money from - and his supporters did not mind his lavish lifestyle, ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/julius-malema-8930) said on Wednesday.

"One of the things I've learnt in my short life in politics is the ability to live in the conditions of capitalism while fighting it and defeating it," he told reporters in Johannesburg.

Malema had called a media briefing to respond to a Sunday Independent report at the weekend that he was building himself a R16m house in the posh Johannesburg Sandown suburb.

First he said the news report only existed in "the imaginations of right-wing, narrow-minded and obsessed white people".

Then he told a journalist who asked where he got his money from: "It's none of your business... you must mind your own business."

'Not accountable to media'

He was a private citizen and not accountable to the media, said the African National Congress Youth League leader.

If the SA Revenue Service were to investigate him about the reported Sandown house, following a complaint from the Democratic Alliance, he would co-operate fully.

He added he was confident his taxes were in order, before launching into an attack against "ruthless capitalism".

"If you are a capitalist, you are an exploiter."

Asked how he justified his own expensive lifestyle - he lives in Sandton and drives a Mercedes Benz - Malema responded that poor people did not mind if their leaders were rich.

He boasted that he was "the only remaining leading political figure in the country who gets welcomed in the squatter camps".

"In this country, there are some amongst the poor who are saying Cyril Ramaphosa (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/cyril-ramaphosa-1113) must be the president. He's a multi-millionaire.

"Some amongst the masses are saying Tokyo Sexwale (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/tokyo-sexwale-1111) must be president. He's rich. They don't care about his money, our people don't care about our money. What they care about is political consciousness, the will to liberate them," said Malema.

‘I remain poor’

"It's not about where we stay. Our people know that very well. It's not about the type of shoes we wear. That is petty. Our people want the political will and the ability to act and that is what we are doing."

Malema said he considered himself to be poor, because his house in Sandton and his car were owned by the bank.

"My definition of rich is those who own the means of production, I do not own...

"Instead of being rich, I remain poor but I'm creditworthy...

"That house you [the media] always make a noise about in Sandton - not the one you allege I'm building - it's owned by Absa. And if I fail to pay it, for sure, Maria Ramos (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/maria-ramos-1023) [Absa group chief executive] would be very happy she's taking a house from a man who is leading a nationalisation campaign, because she does not want nationalisation."

Negative media coverage of him was all part of a drive to undermine the agenda he represented.

‘I would surrender my land’

"I represent nationalisation of mines, expropriation of land, decentralisation of development, free education, the liberation of the working class."

The ANCYL would only meet with the Chamber of Mines to discuss nationalisation if the chamber agreed to hold the meeting in a poor rural village, so that the mining bosses could "appreciate where we're coming from".

On land expropriation, Malema supported it if it happened in the public's interest.

He would even give up his Sandton house or his farm if land expropriation on those properties were to be taken in public interest.

"I've got a house here in Sandton. If tomorrow they say, that house, there is a need for a street to pass there and therefore they are expropriating it, I would not have a problem.

"I've got a farm with cattle... if I go home and they say they want to build a school, if it is in public interest, I would surrender it."

But if the government wanted to give the land to "an individual", Malema would not hand it over.

"We are talking about expropriation of land for public interest and public purpose. Not for individual benefit, not for political leadership benefits. That is anarchy. We will never allow that."

- SAPA

*blah blah*

WTF, I thought this was a joke.

[IconOfEvi]

Malema responded that poor people did not mind if their leaders were rich.


So...frank. Amazing really

[DanteXavier]

So...frank. Amazing really

Its almost refreshing.

[curious george]

Malema to teach Botswana how

2011-08-01 06:58
http://www.news24.com/images/vertline.png












Boksburg - The ANC Youth League's national executive committee is to send a team to Botswana to consolidate local opposition parties, its leader Julius Malema (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/julius-malema-8930) said on Sunday.

"Botswana is in full co-operation with imperialists...and the government is undermining the African agenda," he said at the committee's closing meeting in Boksburg.

"We are not going to sit with neighbours that conduct themselves like that."

Botswana needed a progressive government, and the current opposition was not consolidated "properly" enough to topple it, he said.

The team of NEC members would teach and train campaigners and volunteers of a possible "coalition party" that might be formed.

The youth league believed that since former president Thabo Mbeki (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/thabo-mbeki-895)'s departure as chair of the Southern African Development Community, the African agenda was no longer a priority.

"The ANCYL is of the view that there is a vacuum on the ideological and political leadership of Africa and the sub-regions, and this is reflected by how the issues of Libya and Ivory Coast were mishandled," he said.

The league planned to convene "progressive youth formations" across Africa to "re-assert" the need for the continent's independence and economic freedom.

The NEC said it would fight for economic freedom, particularly for the nationalisation of mines, the expropriation of land without compensation, and the provision of free quality education. Sapa


- SAPA


ANCYL has crossed the line, ANC says

2011-08-01 15:42
http://www.news24.com/images/vertline.png


Related Links




Zuma not disappointed at Botswana (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Zuma-not-disappointed-at-Botswana-20101005)
Malema to teach Botswana how (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Malema-to-teach-Botswana-how-20110731)









Johannesburg - The ANC Youth League has crossed the line in its comments on bringing out regime change in Botswana, the ANC said on Monday.
"The ANC would like to totally reject and publicly rebuke the ANCYL on its extremely thoughtless and embarrassing ****ouncements on 'regime change' in Botswana...," ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/jackson-mthembu-25814) said in a statement.
The ANC also distanced itself from the ANCYL's contention that the African Union and Southern African Development Community (SADC) had veered off the African agenda.
"This insult and disrespect to the President (Honourable Ian Khama), the government and the people of Botswana and a threat to destabilise and effect regime change in Botswana is a clear demonstration that the ANCYL's ill-discipline has clearly crossed the political line," said Mthembu
The ANCYL had announced that its national executive committee would send a team to Botswana to consolidate local opposition parties.
It believed the Botswana government was "in full co-operation with imperialists" and that the government was undermining the African agenda.
Strong democracy

Mthembu said this was a total deviation from and an affront to ANC policy.
"The ANC has no policy of effecting regime changes anywhere in the continent and or in the world, and therefore it is totally unimaginable that the Youth League of the ANC can even think of such, let alone lead and put such in the public domain."
He reminded ANCYL leaders and members that its constitution described it as a "mass organ of the ANC" which functioned as an "autonomous body (not independent) within the overall structure of the ANC".
"The ANCYL's life and body politic is based on the political and ideological objectives of the ANC," said Mthembu.
"It is not the political and ideological objective of the ANC to undermine any African leader, government or leadership institutions.
"The ANC has very good relations with the government and the people of Botswana, forged over many years of our liberation struggle and we continue strengthen these relations towards our common goals of reconstruction and development of our respective countries."
Mthembu said if it were not for Botswana and other countries in the region, South Africa would not be a democracy today.
"The ANC respects Botswana’s sovereignty and its strong democracy.
"We also respect the freedom and the right of the Batswana to elect their own government. We equally respect the choice of the people of Botswana to be governed by the Botswana Democratic Party."
Complexity

Mthembu dismissed the ANCYL's criticism of the AU and SADC, saying both bodies were "strong" and performed their functions "with distinction" particularly with regard to advancing the African agenda.
"Contrary to their [ANCYL] observations, these two organisations are not in decline; instead they remain in the forefront of continental peace and security efforts from Zimbabwe and Madagascar, to Somalia and Sudan, as well Libya and Ivory Coast."
Mthembu said the ANC regretted that the ANCYL did not understand the "complexity" and the differences between the situations in Libya and the Ivory Coast.
"We encourage the new leadership of the ANCYL to familiarise themselves with the facts relating to these two countries, especially the relevant UN resolutions, AU decisions, as well as government information that has been put at their disposal."
He said it was not in the "culture" of the ANC to "destabilise" its neighbours and the party respected their sovereignty.
ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu (http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/nyiko-floyd-shivambu-33663) could not immediately be reached for comment.


-SAPA

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/ANCYL-has-crossed-the-line-ANC-says-20110801

*good lord what a sad pathetic joke*

[curious george]

*so mr malema doesnt ONLY want to destroy SA,he believes that a sovereign state/region(thats actually healthier/wealthier in some repects) should be destabilised aswell,only because it doesnt conform to his simplistic/uneducated world view!will this be SA foreign policy when joker takes he throne he so desperately craves?*

[Algarvio]

Each day we learn something new.rofl

[curious george]

*so mr malema doesnt ONLY want to destroy SA,he believes that a sovereign state/region(thats actually healthier/wealthier in some repects) should be destabilised aswell,only because it doesnt conform to his simplistic/uneducated world view!will this be SA foreign policy when joker takes he throne he so desperately craves?*

AfriForum goes to court over youth training[/h] 2011-08-01 17:53
http://www.news24.com/images/vertline.png





ANCYL's military training - judge to rule (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/ANCYLs-military-training-judge-to-rule-20110131)










Cape Town - AfriForum Youth will bring a court application to force the department of defence, rural development and land reform, and the National Rural Youth Service Corps (Narysec) to publicise information about the youth training due to take place during this week at the Saldanha military base.

"AfriForum youth discovered that approximately 8 000 young people will receive training in the near future at military bases in, among other things, life skills and artisanship," spokesperson Charl Oberholzer said in a statement on Monday.

According to the organisers the young people would be trained in "patriotism" and "discipline", but they would not receive "military training", he said.

One group had already been trained at the De Brug military base in Bloemfontein and an intake of 1 000 young people would take place at Saldanha.

"A confidential source informed AfriForum Youth that the group which will be trained at Saldanha was recruited from the ranks of the ANC Youth League.

"However, this could not be confirmed yet," said Oberholzer.
Hostility

In 2010, the defence department announced it would start a programme called National Youth Service to train young people at military bases
Among others, the ANCYL and the Young Communist League would also have undergone training.

Using the Access to Information Act, AfriForum Youth had asked the minister of defence to answer various questions, Oberholzer said.
These included how members were recruited to take part in the training programmes, whether the individuals being training were affiliated to any political party or specific organisation, and how Narysec was composed and what was its function.

Others were on the constitutional documents or empowering legislation of this organisation, the programme content and learning material to be used for the training, and which subjects would be included in the training.
"AfriForum Youth was met with hostility when the request was submitted and no answers were provided to AfriForum Youth’s questions," said Oberholzer.

"AfriForum Youth will now continue to force abovementioned institutions, on the strength of a court order, to publicise the information as requested," he said.
The defence department had been "secretive" since the beginning.

Secrecy

"Initially it was announced that the programme will focus on the ANC Youth League and the Young Communist League, until we objected.

"It is now reported that it isn't military training, but the department of defence is still involved and the training is still taking place at military bases.

"Moreover, no invitation was sent to AfriForum Youth, despite our requests to be invited and that we even contacted the minister."
Oberholzer said AfriForum Youth had no objection against training programmes which provided young people with life skills, but a lot of unanswered questions still remained.
"The department of defence’s aggression and secrecy now compel us to force them with a court order to publicise the information.

"The possibility of further action will be considered as soon as the information, as requested, is publicised," he said.

*SAPA

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Po...ining-20110801 (http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/AfriForum-goes-to-court-over-youth-training-20110801)

*no comment*

[playtym]

They're going to become Malema's Fourth Force and invade Botswana. p-)

[Lazer]

Two interesting articles on the subject.

Firstly a bit of talk about the problems with focussing too much on Julius Malema himself and ignoring some of the bigger issues. (Not a defence of malema)

http://leadershiponline.co.za/articles/politics/1496-youth-crisis

And secondly, an article on understanding just how bad the Botswana comments are.

http://leadershiponline.co.za/articles/politics/1490-the-botswana-incident

[IconOfEvi]

What the ****?!?!?!? Are they ****ing training enforcers for the ANC/Communists?!? How the hell can they get away with this?!




They're going to become Malema's Fourth Force and invade Botswana

Well whitey's already got a Third Force, only fair in the name of diversity that blacks get their own p-)

[baboon6]

We do still have some decent politicians in SA...


Aloysias Mmusi Maimane was thrust rather suddenly into the political limelight during his run for mayor of Johannesburg for the DA. These days he is the leader of the party’s caucus in the city council. He says he is quite happy there, even if it means far less leverage than governing on the ruling party’s ticket. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

More on the link:

http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-08-10-das-maimane-on-race-identity-and-jobs

[baboon6]

Defiant voices in the ANC Youth League say they “don’t need no castigation”, but many adults in their mother body are now seriously fed-up with the kids. CARIEN DU PLESSIS looks at the precarious balance of forces and the options ANC leaders have.

More on the link. I think we might be in for an interesting couple of weeks...

http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-08-10-analysis-how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-malema

[playtym]

I don't think it was that we wanted the World Cup to fail, it's that we didn't think it was economically viable to host it considering the capital outlay that would be required, the revenue it would bring in and the other, more pressing, demands that there are on our economy.


Here's another dose of reality for the folks who said we were being too pessimistic in the run up too the world cup.


PE stadium 'most successful' (http://www.fin24.com/Economy/PE-stadium-most-successful-20110819)

Initial fears that the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium would become a white elephant have been allayed, with the stadium generating R11 million in revenue since the Fifa World Cup, The Herald Online has reported.

Despite the fact that the city had no PSL soccer team or top-level rugby franchise, officials said the stadium had become the most economically successful of the six stadiums built for the World Cup.

The facility - which cost R2.4 billion to build - costs ratepayers R21m to operate each year.

However, an investigation into the feasibility of the world-class stadium revealed that Access Management, appointed as the official operator in 2009, had helped generate R11m in revenue since then, more than halving the running costs for the municipality.

Municipal economic development and recreation services executive director Zolile Siswana confirmed the figures.

"In the first year of operation the stadium operators have reduced the maintenance cost to the municipality to R10m. But in its second year of operation, it is expected the cost will be reduced to a R4m shortfall."

Siswana said it was estimated the stadium would break even in the 2012/13 financial year.

"Following the SA Rugby Union’s confirmation that the Southern Kings will be part of Super Rugby in 2013, as well as partnerships with Maritzburg United FC and Jomo Cosmos, the operators have ensured both soccer and rugby are being played at the new stadium."So, the PE stadium is the most successful of those built for the world cup.
It's made R11m since the world cup last year.
It costs us R21m a year to run it though.
It might break even in the 2012/13 financial year.
I'm still waiting to see how hosting the world cup was beneficial to us.


PS: I'm not counting the people who benefited from the tender bribes that were no doubt paid.

[baboon6]

Here's another dose of reality for the folks who said we were being too pessimistic in the run up too the world cup.

So, the PE stadium is the most successful of those built for the world cup.
It's made R11m since the world cup last year.
It costs us R21m a year to run it though.
It might break even in the 2012/13 financial year.
I'm still waiting to see how hosting the world cup was beneficial to us.


PS: I'm not counting the people who benefited from the tender bribes that were no doubt paid.

Heh heh heh! But...the Southern Kings are definitely going to be part of Super Rugby in 2013? When did this happen? And the race for the bottom of the table begins...

[baboon6]

Idiocy....

http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-08-19-745-million-reasons-black-farmers-arent-thriving


The Land Bank isn't doing too badly, for a bank in the middle of a financial crisis, and not badly at all as a parastatal trying to claw its way back from rampant corruption. But as its annual results showed on Thursday, it's doing little to nothing for emergent black farmers, besides sitting on much-needed government development money instead of spending it. Even if the President doesn't realise it. BY PHILLIP DE WET.

More on the link...

[baboon6]

In this extract from their book on the arms deal, The Devil in the Detail: How the Arms Deal Changed Everything, Paul Holden and Hennie van Vuuren believe that South Africa is witnessing the creation of a Shadow State, in which politicians, intelligence officials and military figures and businessmen 'retain political power and profiteer from the carcass of the state'
http://www.timeslive.co.za/Feeds/2011/10/16/the-rise-of-the-shadow-state

[baboon6]

Cheers Julie baby!!!


http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-11-10-malema-ruling-the-what-the-how-and-the-why


We were all expecting some sort of sanctions against the ANC Youth League leaders, but nothing as drastic was announced by Derek Hanekom at Luthuli House on Monday. Julius Malema has been suspended from the ANC and the ANCYL for five years, and League’s Floyd Shivambu has been suspended for three years. That screeching sound you hear is the shifting of tectonic plates in South Africa’s political landscape. By SIPHO HLONGWANE.

More on the link...

[kalerab]

Does it mean that he wont become Zumas successor?

[ingletonr]

Does it mean that he wont become Zumas successor?

He was never going to be Zuma's successor in any case.

[IconOfEvi]

Yeah this was featured pretty prominently around the world, even in BBC front headline

Three cheers!

[baboon6]

‘Black Tuesday’ as vote on info bill loomshttp://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/black-tuesday-as-vote-on-info-bill-looms-1.1182903


Pickets, protests and a show of force by print and broadcast editors are on the cards for Tuesday when the bitterly contested Protection of State Information Bill comes before the National Assembly for a vote.

The National Assembly’s programming committee decided at a meeting on Thursday to schedule the bill for what is being dubbed “Black Tuesday”.
Calls have been made for people to wear black to show their opposition to the bill.
Numerous objectors have repeated their call on the ANC to “do the right thing” and introduce a public interest clause, to help protect civil society from the abuse of power.
The national co-ordinator of Right2Know, Murray Hunter, said that while the bill was now limited to core state security bodies, its long-term impact could include fuelling a culture of unaccountability, of secrecy being cited by different spheres of government as a reason for denying the public information.
“I’m particularly concerned about the long-term effects on service delivery and accountability,” he said.
Hunter said the bill left “every South African” vulnerable.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe promised earlier this month that the ANC would not use its majority to “ram through” a bill not aligned with the constitution.
While the ANC’s majority in the National Assembly is expected to see the bill pass this next hurdle on its way to becoming law, opposition parties are expected to make declarations during tomorrow’s sitting, setting out their reasons for opposing it.
Once approved by the National Assembly, the bill has to go before the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), which is entrusted with looking after provinces’ interests at a national level.
Pressure is expected to be applied on the NCOP to conduct its own round of public hearings on the bill, which could take the process into the new year.
It could set up its own ad hoc committee to deal with the bill or refer it to an existing committee, which could then hold provincial hearings and take submissions.


While the lack of a public interest defence is a major point of contention, it is not the only one.
The NCOP can pass the bill as it stands, subject to amendments proposed by it, or reject the bill.
If it passes the bill unchanged, it then goes to President Jacob Zuma for his signature to become law.
Should the NCOP – after its consultations and deliberations – make amendments to the bill, the new version will have to go back to the National Assembly again to be reconsidered.
The National Assembly can pass the bill again – either with or without the amendments – or decide not to proceed with the bill.
Once approved by the National Assembly, it will be sent to Zuma for his signature.

In terms of the constitution, Zuma can refer a bill back to the National Assembly for reconsideration if he has doubts about its constitutionality.

[baboon6]

Interesting...

With weak international economy, South Africans return

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2011/11/20/with-weak-international-economy-south-africans-return


After 10 years in London, the Short family packed their bags and moved back to South Africa, part of what experts say is a growing trend of white expatriates returning home.

More on the link...

[baboon6]

Black Tuesday: There's more where that came from

http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-11-23-black-tuesday-theres-more-where-that-came-from


Slowly but surely, a whole lot of people are coming to terms with the fact that the African National Congress just ain’t what it used to be. But, writes CHRIS VICK, that could be because their view is a nostalgic one hinged on the ANC of Mandela, Sisulu and Tambo, rather than the reality of what the 99-year-old ANC really is.

More on the link.

[drevil5000]

Interesting...

With weak international economy, South Africans return

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2011/11/20/with-weak-international-economy-south-africans-return



More on the link...

Although its good news saffas are coming home, whites are going to have trouble getting jobs. For example, my team at work is recruiting, but HR informed us that we may only interview black females and if no suitable candidates can be found then we can look at black males.

And to make things more annoying, my boss informed me that I will have to accept the fact that black people who report to me will earn more than me. Its company policy that a premium will be paid for blacks and that I will just have to get used to it.

But even though we have to deal with that kind of crap, the standard of living here is better than most places so at least there is some good in the situation.

[baboon6]

http://www.iol.co.za/news/special-features/the-zuma-era/judges-lash-zuma-1.1190901


President Jacob Zuma has been dealt a judicial hammer blow by the Supreme Court of Appeal’s finding, in favour of the DA, that the appointment of Menzi Simelane as national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) was unconstitutional and invalid.

And in a blistering condemnation of Zuma’s decision to appoint Simelane in November 2009 – amid an outcry from opposition parties and some in the legal fraternity – Judge Mahomed Navsa, delivering a unanimous decision, reminded the other arms of the state – the legislature and the executive – they were not above the law.

Along with Jackie Selebi's appeal being thrown out, last Friday was a day of good news in the South African courts.

[Dinges]

Along with Jackie Selebi's appeal being thrown out, last Friday was a day of good news in the South African courts.


Exactly why the executive has set its sights on the judiciary. The ANC wants the Judiciary and the constitution out of its way. Because it always burns them.

[dangamvura]

http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2012/02/08/we-won-t-engage-further-on-this
The anti-corruption prosecutor is victimized because she prosecuted corrupt ANC members. "beneficiaries include President Jacob Zuma's son Duduzane, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe's partner Gugu Mtshali"

[IconOfEvi]

Where's Rudolph, I'm worried about him :(

[dangamvura]

http://mg.co.za/article/2012-02-14-corruption-zuma-has-his-groundhog-day-in-court
where do you find a Prosecuting Authority going to court to OPPOSE prosecuting a criminal? In South Africa, of course. The High Court has already found that Shaik had a corrupt relationship with Zuma... let's hear the apologists defend this one

[baboon6]

Well this is some bull****....


Arguments for and against an Orwellian amendment to the Film and Publications Act are being heard in the Constitutional Court, in a case that could have far-reaching consequences on freedom of speech. The amendment means all publications that feature ****** content (bar the press) will have to be pre-approved. That means your tweets. Your blogs. And your chat room flirtations would need to be vetted prior to publication. Let’s face it, if the amendment isn’t declared unconstitutional, we may as well be living in a nanny state. By MANDY DE WAAL.



You’ve got a little pig in the yard and Sunday’s a very special day – an occasion that calls for a succulent, roasted piglet to feed friends and family coming from afar to join in a celebration.
Do you:
a. Try to find an oven big enough to fit a piglet in?
b. Hire a spit braai, fire up the charcoal and put that baby on the barbie?
c. Douse your house in petrol, herd the piglet inside, lock all the doors and strike a match?
If you are from Home Affairs it is likely you’d pick option “c”, because that’s exactly the logic that government department is using to deal with child ****ography in South Africa.

More on the link:

http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-03-15-and-now-for-the-home-affairs-main-attraction-the-nanny-state