Monday, May 2, 2011

Meet Mrs Zuma No 5

2011-05-01

Jacob Zuma, president of the Republic of South Africa goes abroad on a state visit and is introduced by his hosts. ‘’The president of South Africa, President Zuma and Mrs Zuma ... and Mrs Zuma ... and Mrs Zuma ... and Mrs Zuma.’’
Durban - It looks like wedding bells are set to ring once more for President Jacob Zuma, though he denied it on Saturday.

Pietermaritzburg businesswoman Nonkululeko Mhlongo,  Zumas mistress accused of tender violation the mother of two of his children, made a surprise public appearance – along with Zuma’s three wives, ­fiancée and ex-wife – at the traditional wedding of his daughter Duduzile in Mthatha.




President Jacob Zuma's wives. From left, MaNtuli, Mabhija, MaNgema and MaMhlongo – who may or may not be engaged to the President .

MaMhlongo sat in a row of presidential spouses headed by first wife, Sizakhele ­Khumalo, followed by Nompumelelo Ntuli, Thobeka Mabhija and fiancée Gloria Bongi Ngema. Then came Mhlongo, a divorcee, followed by the president’s former wife and Cabinet colleague, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.


                               Former Wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

The women left their chairs and sat flat on the ground when the ­president’s brother, Michael, introduced Duduzile to the Sambudla family.

Michael explained that in Zulu ­custom, wives should genuflect or sit on their buttocks as a sign of respect whenever they are communicating with the ancestors.

Asked why ­MaMhlongo had done so along with Zuma’s wives, he said: “She is ­ingoduso (fiancée) and soon to be part of the family formally, but these are family matters not to be ­discussed in the media. She has two lovely ­daughters.”

Just rumours


But presidential spokesperson Zizi Kodwa last night said rumours that Zuma and Mhlongo were engaged and preparing to marry were ­“mischievous and baseless.


                                                      Zizi Kodwa
“Miss Mhlongo is the mother of the president’s two children. She regularly attends family gatherings, in Nkandla and other areas accompanying the children and has been doing so for many years.

"She remains close to the family.”

The Presidency said she did not get any state support.

Michael, who acts as a family spokesperson, said no lobola had been paid to her family yet.

MaMhlongo was also present at Zuma’s Nkandla homestead the week before for Duduzile’s umemulo (coming-of-age ceremony).

One of Zuma’s daughters with MaMhlongo acted as umakotshana (a young girl who accompanies and ­assists the bride through lobola negotiations into marriage) for Duduzile.

Personal beliefs

Zuma and MaMhlongo are understood to have met after his return from exile. Their daughters were born in 1998 and 2000.

Zuma was MEC for economic development in KwaZulu-Natal and the party’s KwaZulu-Natal ­chairperson at the time.

A source close to the Zuma family said Mhlongo met the president before he became involved with MaNtuli, but had not carried out a traditional wedding at the time ­because of his personal beliefs.

“The president believes that a woman cannot be dotted with gall bladder (part of the ritual of traditional marriage) twice in her lifetime. So Mhlongo may have to live with that,” the source said.

MaMhlongo, who owns several businesses, lives with her children in Pietermaritzburg. She was unwilling to discuss her relationship with ­Zuma.

No bodyguards


“Mike speaks on behalf of the ­family and if he said I am ingoduso then I am,” she said.

But at Duduzile’s wedding, ­MaMhlongo was not, unlike the ­president’s other wives and Ngema, accompanied by bodyguards.

Zanele Mngadi, communications director in the presidency, said that the spousal policy that applied to ­Zuma’s three wives and Ngema did not cover MaMhlongo.

Last year, after Ngema accompanied Zuma on a state visit to China, Zuma’s spokesperson, Zizi Kodwa, said the presidency had extended the spousal policy to give traditional marriage and the payment of lobola the same status as Western marriage.

As a result, the spousal policy was applied to Ngema, who, like Zuma’s wives, receives perks, including “reasonable administrative, logistical and other support” to “enable (the wives) to meet the expectations related to the nature of the office of the president”, according to the Ministerial Handbook.
Picks up the tab

Because they do not have any constitutionally defined roles, obligations or responsibilities, the spouses are not paid by the state.

In addition to the support for his wives, all Zuma’s children under the age of 18, and all those aged between 18 and 27 who are unmarried and studying at secondary or tertiary institutions, are classified as “financially dependent” on the state.

The presidency picks up the tab for 60 one-way economy class domestic flights for each of them every year, with those of them who are under eight years of age being accompanied by a child minder. However, the ­minder’s flights are deducted from the 60 allocated to each child.

Apart from his three current wives, Zuma has had two previous marriages. He divorced Dlamini-Zuma in 1998.

Kate Mantsho, mother of Duduzile and her twin brother, Duduzane, committed suicide in 2000.

Zuma met MaKhumalo in 1959 and married her shortly after his release from prison in 1973.

He married MaNtuli – with whom he has three children – in 2008 and KaMabhija – with whom he has one child – last year.

Zuma has paid ilobolo for ­MaNgema.



http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Meet-Mrs-Zuma-nr-5-20110501 

http://donnette.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/meet-jacob-zuma-south-africas-president-whatagem-images-more-if-youre-sitting-down-first/ 

http://www.timeslive.co.za/news/article250044.ece  Wives at war.


http://southafrica-pig.blogspot.com/2009/02/all-presidents-expenses.html




Bring Down Helen Zille



ANC Youth League president Julius Malema on Friday encouraged supporters outside the Western Cape High Court to "bring down Helen Zille" and vote the ANC into power in the city.


                                                                    Julius Malema


"Down with Helen Zille. Away with Helen Zille. Viva ANC, Viva.

Helen Zille

"Spread the message. We are here today to bring down Helen Zille. Convince everybody here to vote for the ANC," Malema said.

He was addressing some 70 people shortly after judgment was handed down in the so-called open-toilet saga in Khayelitsha.


The court ruled that the City of Cape Town had violated the dignity of residents there and ordered the city to enclose 1 000 toilets in Makhaza, Khayelitsha.

Malema: ANC must win

Judge Nathan Erasmus also found that police failed to comply with a court order to investigate vandalism of open air toilets.

Malema said the judgment indicated that the ANC had won.

He said the people of Cape Town must enclose the toilets because "Helen Zille and Cape Town will not adhere to the judgment".

Voting for the ANC and ensuring that party candidate Tony Ehrenreich became mayor would ensure that the people of Cape Town had their dignity restored, he said.

The people who had gathered outside the court since 10:30 awaiting the judgment, danced and cheered as Malema addressed them.

Wearing "Vote ANC" t-shirts bearing President Jacob Zuma's face, the protesters did not want to speak to media, except to say they were from Khayelitsha.

One of them carried a placard saying: "Helen Zille go to hell, rest in shit", referring to the leader of the Democratic Alliance.

Others carried small portable toilets. One woman lifted her skirt up and sat on the toilet posing for photographs.

Complaint lodged with SAHRC

Curious tourists gathered around, taking photographs.

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula was also at the court.

                                                                     Fikile Mbalul
 
The DA-led City of Cape Town was accused of violating residents' right to human dignity after 51 toilets were erected without enclosures in Makhaza, Khayelitsha in December 2009.

The ANCYL, on behalf of community members, lodged a complaint about the open toilets with the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in January last year.

The SAHRC recommended to the City that it reinstall the 51 toilets, but the city appealed against the SAHRC finding.

This was when the ANCYL decided to launch a court application on behalf of the residents.

‘Hate-Speech’ turns into ‘Hate-Crime’

Malema wants proof that the singing of his favorite song, causes harm – Well, here it is!

When ‘Hate-Speech’ turns into ‘Hate-Crime’

By: J Mare
Pretoria, South Africa
1 May 2011

This is a transcript of an interview with a victim of a vicious racist attack.
The victim Leon Koekemoer and his wife Annelie Koekemoer recalls the horrific scene one year ago, when they woke up to face their  black racists attackers in the bedroom of the farmhouse.


This is their story:

Interviewer: “24 April 2011, interview with Leon Koekemoer, Pretoria. Leon, you are about to recall the events that occurred during an attack on your family on the farm …. What is the name of the farm and when did this happen?”

Koekemoer: ” Look this happened a week after Terre’Blances murder. The farm is in Bynespoort.The name of the farm is Nooitgedacht.”
“I recall that it was a Saturday morning round 05:00 am. My wife woke me and told me that she’d heard something in the house”

Interviewer: ” Sorry for interrupting, but can we just establish the exact date…..this happened on the 5th of April 2010? You mentioned a week after Terre’ Blances murder, so that means it must’ve been around the 10th of April, then?”

Koekemoer: ” It was on the 10th”

Interviewer: “Ok, continue..”
The Afrikaner Journal can confirm the date of the 10th of April 2010
Source:  Die Beeld – Newspaper: 4 val gesin aan en gil: ‘Sterf! Viva, Malema!’

Koekemoer: “….05:00 that morning, my wife woke me and told me that she’d heard ‘something strange in the house’ (a strange noise). She then got up and went to the bedroom door.
“At the very same time, two black men tried to force themselves into the room. One of the attackers managed to slip past her into the room. She did keep her wits about her and kept on pushing the door shut to prevent the others from also entering. The attacker inside the room then turned on her and started to beat her.”
“I then jumped up to help her, but in my haste to get to her, I accidentally knocked the bedside table over, which plunged the room into darkness.”
“This of course meant that I’d lost track of my weapon, luckily I remembered the axe I’d left in the corner of the room, and promptly made for it in the darkness.”
“I grabbed it and made for the door to aid my wife who was by now, in a fully fledged battle for survival”

Interviewer: ” Just for the record, you were both in the same room, with the attacker, at that point – right?”

Koekemoer: “Yes all of this happened in the main bedroom”

Interviewer: “Ok, and then?”

Koekemoer: ” We had a lodger living with us at the time, and he was asleep in the bedroom next to ours,  and as I ran to assist my wife, I heard shouting coming from that room.
“The words were very clear and unmistakable. The attacker shouted:
” Viva Malema…die, Mlungu!” – (Viva Malema,  die white man!),  followed by several shots fired.
“In the confusion that followed, I tried to pull the attacker away from my wife… it was difficult to identify the attacker from my wife -  in early morning light”
“I then hacked at him, with the axe  – he then turned to defend himself, by grabbing the axe and attempted to pull it away “
“We then struggled for control of the axe. During the struggle, I noticed that the attacker was considerably larger and taller than me”
“My wife kept the door shut through-out the fight.”
“At one point during the struggle we  fell across the bed – fortunately, I landed on top of him.”
“My wife then managed to find the light switch in the meantime, and suddenly I could see this black man – his eyes were wild….”

Interviewer: “Do you think he was intoxicated or high at the time?”
Koekemoer: “It did come across as though he was high”

Interviewer: ” uhhum…”

Koekemoer: ” Neither of us wanted to let go of the axe, because the one who’d win control”…..*Interrupted*

Interviewer: “……because it was a fight for survival?”

Koekemoer: ” Yes it was a fight for survival – I then changed tactics and jabbed him in the eyes -  he panicked, let go of the axe and tried to escape. He then attacked Annelie again – presumably to get her out of his way and away from the door and  his escape route.  She,  however – tried desperately to keep the door shut to prevent him not only from escaping, but from getting to the children.”
“I then chopped him with the axe in the back – he then wrenched the door open and darted down the passage, with me in close pursuit.”
“My lodger then cried out a warning, he shouted: “Be careful! – They’re armed!”
“As I passed his room I noticed that the door to the room, was shut.
“In the passage I jumped over a prostrate figure in my pursuit of the fleeing attacker.”
” Unfortunately he found an open window, launched himself through it – and escaped”
“I then turned back and discovered that the other attacker (on the floor in the passage), was also a young black male in the throes of death – in his hand, he was still clutching a firearm”
“In the bedroom I discovered another fire-arm, a CZ100 – full magazine, on the floor.
According to the police one round was fired in the bedroom.”
Interviewer: ” Who did this weapon belong to?”

Koekemoer:” That firearm belonged to the attacker – they seem to be very well armed”

Interviewer: “uhhum…”

Koekemoer: ” I think we caught them off guard – when my wife discovered them at the door.”
” One thing is clear, I think my wife put up a brave fight. If it hadn’t been for her vigilance – they could very well have overpowered us in bed – in which case, we would’ve been utterly helpless and completely at their mercy.”
“The lodger afterward told me, that when they overpowered him in bed, he quickly  grabbed his weapon (that he kept under his pillow) and fired several shots at them. We noticed the bullet holes in the door after the fact – we also assume that it was one of his bullets that killed the attacker that died in the passage.”
“We immediately informed the police about the incident – this was at around 05:00AM in the morning, and at 07:00AM two black policemen arrived on the scene – yawning and looking decidedly disinterested in providing the service they get paid for.”
“Through out the morning, more police arrived on the scene – they were from the Cullinan SAPS. They then set up a barrier, some of my friends also arrived at that point.”
“The police were, at that point, informed of a media contingent gathering at the farm gate. The Police refused them access to the farm – presumably in the light of what the attackers shouted during the attack: “Viva Malema – die Mlungu!”.
“I thought that the exercise of refusing the media access to the farm was ludicrous, because the house was the crime scene in my opinion – not the entire farm.”
“The SABC was also present. They did conduct an interview, but they informed me later that they won’t broadcast it, to prevent….um…. how shall I put this…”further conflict”.
” This is utter nonsense in my opinion, because this a blatant attempt to hide the motive for farm attacks (in my opinion) it isn’t greed (robbery), but  it has a  genocidal undertone – they want to exterminate all white farmers.”

Interviewer: ” So, according to you there is a direct link between, the wording of the hate speech song:
‘Kill the Boer, Kill the farmer’ and farm attacks?”

Koekemoer: ” It is a very clear connection, because this song was sung just before the killing of Mr. Eugene Terre’ Blanche. I think that this ‘was the reason why he was killed’. I think this song is used to incite blacks to attack farmers and – not to rob them, because in the Terre’ Blanche case the reason given at the time, was that it had been a wage dispute – ‘but to kill them’.
“In our case, the above cannot be said, because we did not make use of black labour – we did everything ourselves, the attack could not have been due to a “wage-dispute”.
Interviewer:” So you can prove that this could not have been due to outstanding wages, outstanding overtime, outstanding bonuses and the like… or anything related to the above?”

Koekemoer:” No, nothing of that nature – but I do feel that the motive for the attack was most definitely, to kill us because of the words, “viva Malema – die, Mlungu!” uttered during the attack. As far as I know there is different interpretations of the word: ‘mlungu’ – sometimes it means ‘white man’ and it is also used to show contempt and then takes on the meaning of ‘white scum’.
“Another reason I think that the motive for this attack could not have been robbery, is that they ignored all the valuables in the living room and seemed to be more interested in getting to the occupants, of the house. They could’ve cleaned us out without going through the trouble of confronting us.”

Interviewer: “Leon just as a matter of interest, did these attackers have any containers with them – like bags to haul away their loot in, or where they armed only? Alternatively, did it look  as though they came ready to rob?

Koekemoer:” No I don’t think so – the motive was clearly to attack and to kill. They were both wearing gloves, so they did come prepared, but not to rob. The one attacker lost his glove in the bedroom where we fought for control of the axe. They had ties with them – presumably to restrain us, and to torture us.

Interviewer:  “mmm…okay – tell me, Leon,  you are aware that this interview will be translated into English, to make it more accessable for the international community to read about what we, as Afrikaners have to endure at the hands of the ANC regime and how we are treated as second-hand citizens, in our own country. What message do you have for the international community reading this story?

Koekemoer: All I want, is for the international community to take note of plight of this very small nation – betrayed by the world. Please, do not turn a blind eye – we are being exterminated by the very same people who you supported during Apartheid. This is how they want to effect reconciliation.
I think that now is a very opportune time, for the international community to support our cause, because they (the ANC) are busy with an extermination policy.

Interviewer: ” Do you think that this qualifies as genocide?”

Koekemoer: “This is most definitely, genocide”

Interviewer: ” Thank you so much sharing your story”

Koekemoer: ” It was my pleasure”

The Koekemoer couple were lucky to escape with their lives, and with those of their children.  

 Other farmers are not so lucky and die horrible deaths at the hands of these black racists.

Malema claims that white farmers should not have to fear farm attacks,  if they willingly give some of their land away to the landless.

This statement immediately begs the following question:
Why should farmers have to fear at all – if they (as the producers of the food that all South Africans consume) are already suffering the consequences of expropriation of their land, their property and their rights by the ANC-regime?

Why is there a need for violence and/or a threat of violence, when the government is already employing the judiciary, to address the matter ?

It is also very noticeable that this threat by Malema – yes, a threat (because this is the only way one can interpret such a statement) – is published in the Afrikaans media only, thereby preventing the rest of the world from access to this information.

Related News:

In related news,  the Journal can report another vicious attack on a farmer.

News 24 reports the attack and murder of a white farmer in the North West Province of South Africa.

“Johannesburg – A farmer was murdered and his corpse dragged behind his bakkie outside Ottosdal on Saturday night, North West police said.

This story is in English, and can be read here:
Source: Farmer killed – corpse dragged behind pickup

For more stories on this and other related topics, follow these links below, in the Afrikaner Journal Archive:

Farmer killed, dragged behind bakkie

2011-05-01

Johannesburg - A farmer was murdered and his corpse dragged behind his bakkie outside Ottosdal on Saturday night, North West police said.

                                                             André van der Merwe



 
"At about 20:00 three suspects entered a 49-year-old farmer's house... They held him at gunpoint while they ransacked the house for money," Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said on Sunday.

"They shot him in the chest, the back, and in the head, then used (the farmer's) bakkie to drag him for about 1.2km before the bakkie rolled."

The farmer's body was still tied to the vehicle when police arrived on the scene.

One of the alleged murderers was arrested at the scene and led police to his two accomplices.

Ngubane said although the brutality of the attack might suggest an "ulterior motive", possibly related to "previous issues with the farmer", he could not confirm whether the suspects were known to the farmer, who lived alone.

"This will all form part of the investigation and it is too early to speculate at the moment."

- SAPA
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Murdered-farmer-named-20110501http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Murdered-farmer-named-20110501

1 000 Pitch for Cape May Day Rally

2011-05-01 

Cape Town - Criticism of the Democratic Alliance and the media featured strongly in speeches at the Congress of South African Trade Unions May Day rally in the Athlone Stadium here on Sunday.



                                                                 Jacob Zuma
Present at the rally were African National Congress president Jacob Zuma, Cape Town’s ANC mayoral candidate Tony Ehrenreich, SA Communist Party (SACP) secretary general Blade Nzimande as well as several ministers.

                                                          Tony Ehrenreich
 

 

                                                                  Blade Nzimande 


A low turnout of just more than 1 000 people at the 40 000-seater stadium did not seem to worry the speakers who took to the stage and condemned the DA for not doing enough for the poor people living in Cape Town.
Ehrenreich said the DA failed to provide proper public transport, health and education facilities for the poor.
The DA had in fact built them open air toilets, while the party took care of the rich, he said.
As mayor if the ANC won the upcoming local government election, he said he would ensure better health, education and housing in places like Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain and Gugulethu.
He also promised to build houses for the poor in Constantia should the ANC win.
Challenges
"The first thing to do is build homes for our people in Constantia where government owns land," he said to cheers from the crowd.
While the ANC was aware of the gap between the promises in the Freedom Charter and what was actually being done, the party had "done much for the people" and would continue to do so, he said.
He added that the ANC will win Cape Town and declare it a “decent work city”.
Nzimande agreed that the ANC would win Cape Town on May 18 and accused the opposition and the media of working together against the ANC.
He said the good that the ANC did was never written about instead the “bosses and their media” spread messages of “despair”.
“Yes there are many challenges… but the capitalist bosses and their media want us to lose trust in our vote and hope in our democracy.
“They want us lose confidence in the government we’ve voted for.”
Divide alliance
Nzimande said the “bosses and their media” also continually tried to get Cosatu or the SACP to fight elections on their own because “they” wanted to divide majority power.
“Everytime we have an election, there is a whole media industry that clicks into action, supporting anything that is anti-ANC, anti-alliance.”
He described the DA as “two stooges and a madam” and urged people not to take them seriously as Cape Town was “the most unequal city” in the country.
It’s a city where the “rich are very rich and the majority are poor”.
Nzimande went on to urge people to vote for the ANC to place the economy onto a new job-creating growth path.
He said the new national growth path and industrial policy action plan would ensure a focus on job creation, decent work and sustainable livelihoods.
New beginning
Zuma, who spoke to a much smaller audience as many people began to trickle out of the stadium by late afternoon, said that election provided an opportunity for the people of Cape Town and the province to make a new beginning.
“The elections provide an opportunity to make new choices that will take the province back to its proud non-racial and inclusive Congress tradition.
"This we can do by giving the ANC an overwhelming majority that would make it impossible for other parties to repeat what they did in the past, of ganging up against the ANC in Cape Town and the Western Cape.
“On the 18th of May, we must declare that the time has come to free Cape Town and the Western Cape.”
Zuma said the ANC had done much in terms of job creation, housing, education and of providing water and electricity to the poor, but he said the party was aware that much more needed to be done.
He said Cape Town was also a priority for the party and promised development in all sectors.
Alliance
Zuma also assured that the alliance was strong and unified.
He said Workers' Day was a celebration of the alliance between the national liberation movement the ANC, the trade union movement and the vanguard of the working class, the SACP.
“The three components of the alliance work together in a special relationship, aimed at liberating our people initially from apartheid and colonial oppression, and from poverty, deprivation and general underdevelopment.
“We reaffirm this alliance, and commit ourselves to continue working together… On this day we renew our call for the unity of the Alliance, which was forged in struggle.”
Zuma also introduced 13 new members to the ANC from other political parties.
One of whom was the leader of the Twelve Apostles Church in Cape Town and a former member of the United Democratic Movement, Dumisani Ximbi.

                                                                    Dumisani Ximbi

Zuma said Ximbi’s followers at church, which numbered one million, were sure to follow him to the ANC and vote for the party on May 18.
Zuma, who had been in Cape Town since Saturday campaigning ahead of the local government election, would return to the city before May 18, spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said.
Wonder what happened to the other 39 000????

Think they have had enough BULLSH!T from the ANC...???

Certainly looks like it!


Now Zuma is relying on one person from a church to bring in the voters... did he promise him a "JAWB" in the Provincial Govt, should the ANC win (haha)????

ANC are STUFFED... they have "COOKED THEIR GOOSE"... you can fool SOME of the people SOME of the time.... but you CANNOT FOOL ALL the people ALL the time!

I agree!!!!! Stupid with capital letters. I guess he forgot to mention the squalor the rest of the country under his watch is living in.

Now he concentrates on one issue in Cape Town while the rest don't even have toilets never mind zink enclosures.

It seems as if people in SA are starting to wake up to the fact that gatherings like Freedom Day, Labour day and the like are just becoming a political platform for the ANC and their "cronies" and are getting sick and tired af empty promises.

Lets hope that when the DA takes over the country, they WILL put the ANC ELITE on TRIAL.... find out what happened to the missing Trillions...

Find those who "ENRICHED THEMSELVES" ILLEGALLY!!!!

That is the ANC's BIGGEST FEAR!!!!!!!
Wow this lack of crowd attendance is a huge slap in the face for all these thieves! I mean really we have the president who together with his motley crew can only get in 1000. So much for the coloured vote they talking about. They have very little to talk about in the way of solutions. I suppose they don't have solutions as they have brought the country down with regards to education, housing and healthcare. The only way they know how to react is to "slag off" the DA and the media. The reason why there is so much bad media is they as government are stealing the taxpayer blind. They (deployed cadres) live in luxury while the rest live in squalor! The ANC are not concerned with coloureds. They made this clear when it was revealed that Trevor Manuel was not black enough to run our country. Racist scumbags!!!





ANCYL wants the pill for 12-year-olds

2011-05-01 

Johannesburg - The ANCYL has proposed that the government give contraception to girls as young as 12 to stop teenage pregnancies, City Press reported on Sunday.

The league supports the "mandatory initiation into contraception for all adolescent girls from the age of 12 to curb teenage pregnancy", according to the organisation's education and health discussion paper for its 24th national congress in June.

It describes teenage pregnancy as a "perennial societal problem" that has reached alarming proportions.

Responding to the proposal, Katharine Hall, senior researcher for the Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town, was quoted by City Press as saying: “I suspect it would be in contravention of the new Children’s Act...

"It smacks of an authoritarian approach which is contrary to promoting safe sex behaviour that will not only curb teen pregnancies, but also HIV/Aids infections.”

Hall said data on teen pregnancies showed the phenomenon to be on the decline.
Other ANCYL proposals include raising the legal age for buying alcohol from 18 to 21 and looking "at all the pros and cons of legalising prostitution”.

And a short while ago Julius Malema, you were telling your followers to make babies....

Government Lax to Act against Irregularities

April 30 2011 

Civil servants steal, lose and abuse hundreds of millions of rand in public funds each year. 

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) – the agency of last resort for the investigation of corruption in the public sphere – earlier this year told Parliament it had launched major corruption probes in 16 government departments and entities. It had also extended the life of two long-running investigations into corruption at the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and the Department of Human Settlements. In the latter investigation, the scale of the problem has forced the SIU to focus on only the 20 worst cases, which alone amount to R2 billion in potential fraud. 

Preliminary investigations have also uncovered massive tender fraud in the SAPS and the Department of Public Works, which are estimated to have cost taxpayers about R330 million and R450m respectively.  

Other probes include the Tshwane Metro, where 65 officials are believed to have fraudulently approved procurements valued at more than R480m and the Ekurhuleni Metro, where ten waste management contracts worth more than R500m are under the spotlight. 

At the SABC, the unit is scrutinising business deals between the public broadcaster and its own staff which are believed to involve fraud and corruption amounting to a staggering R2.4bn. 

Despite more than a decade of repeated assurances from political leaders that no stone would be left unturned in the fight against graft, the latest corruption report by the Public Service Commission (PSC) paints a bleak picture of the government’s apparent inability to stop the rot within its ranks. 

Established as an independent entity by the constitution, the PSC is mandated to investigate, monitor and report on the state of public administration in South Africa. In March this year, the PSC published an analysis of corruption in a randomly selected group of nine national departments, three provincial governments and two public entities. 

The study identified fraud and bribery (19 percent), the abuse of government resources (13 percent), the mismanagement of public funds (11 percent), and procurement irregularities (9 percent) as the most commonly reported forms of corruption in the public service. This was based on data collected from the PSC’s toll-free National Anti-Corruption Hotline (0800 701 701), which has received 7 766 whistleblower complaints since it was launched in September 2004. 

The report suggests that government departments have either failed to act, been too slow to act, or applied lenient sanctions when they did take steps. 

The authors note that the problem begins with the fact that, despite recent efforts at strengthening anti-corruption tools, poor co-ordination leaves many departments battling it out on their own – often with poorly trained staff and with a lack of dedicated funds. 

For instance, the PSC found that only half of the organisations reviewed had “clearly written objectives of fighting corruption”. And it found that departments “tend to place little emphasis on investigating allegations of corruption”. 

Given the lack of clear anti-corruption mandates and powers at many state departments and institutions, the PSC said, it should come as “no surprise” that cases referred to these authorities “do not always yield the desired results”. 

Fraud awareness training also appears to be having little effect. While about 95 percent of respondents indicated that civil servants had attended anti-corruption awareness campaigns, the report also noted that training was not influencing “actual practice” to “improve the combating of corruption”. 

Part of the problem is a lack of data collection, management and analysis. Departments simply don’t gather adequate information about corrupt activities – and don’t follow up on complaints. 

Of the 7 766 cases that have been referred to the relevant departments and entities since 2004, feedback has been received for only 2 811 (36 percent) cases. For the remainder (64 percent), some dating back six years, whistleblowers have been left clueless about what progress, if any, has been made. 

“The PSC continues to be concerned that such a trend runs the risk of compromising the integrity of the (anti-corruption hotline) and diminishing public confidence in the government’s commitment towards fighting fraud and corruption,” the report warns. 

Reported cases of fraud and bribery include instances of officials claiming overtime without rendering any duties, fraudulent subsistence and travel claims, traffic officers soliciting or accepting bribes, tender rigging, and prison wardens taking bribes to facilitate escapes, among others. 

Abuse of government resources, which accounted for 985 complaints, related to officials driving state vehicles recklessly or at high speed, state vehicles serving as private taxis, and the fraudulent use of state-issued petrol cards. 

The mismanagement of state funds accounted for 870 complaints and included teachers and school principals misusing school funds, senior managers instructing juniors to unlawfully authorise expenditure and other forms of irregular and wasteful spending. 

Procurement irregularities (720 cases) included officials awarding government tenders without following policies and procedures, tenders being awarded to friends and family and tender rigging and bribery, according the PSC report. 

Other complaints received included RDP housing fraud (450 cases), appointment irregularities (627 cases), social grant fraud (420 cases), identity document fraud (781 cases), unethical behaviour – such as being absent from work without leave – (580 cases), and criminal conduct (512 cases), which included teachers stealing school property, nurses stealing medicines and officials stealing government computers. 

The report concludes that the government’s “poor record regarding feedback and the conclusion of cases” and the fact that “corruption is increasing” all combine to frustrate whistleblowers and will ultimately have a “negative impact on the credibility of the (anti-corruption hotline)”.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/government-lax-to-act-against-graft-1.1062952 

Education Boss Arrested for Speeding

2011-05-01

Johannesburg - Three people have been arrested for speeding on highways, the Gauteng traffic police's high speed unit said on Sunday.

A 47-year-old head of department for the department of education was caught on the Mabopane highway for travelling at 146km/h 80km zone, said spokesperson Wynand Kruger.

A 44-year-old businessman from Bebelegi, near Hammanskraal, was also arrested after being caught on the N4 Platinum highway near Akasia for travelling at 189km/h.

A 35-year-old taxi driver from Mabopane, North of Pretoria, was caught on the R566, between Medunsa and Rosslyn, travelling at 144km/h in an 80km/h zone. 

All three were released on R1 000 bail each and would appear in the Pretoria-North Magistrate's Court on Tuesday morning.

They were expected to be charged with exceeding the speed limit and reckless and/or negligent driving.