The SA Human Rights Commission (Sahrc) has found a Zapiro cartoon depicting President Jacob Zuma about to rape "Lady Justice" did not constitute hate speech, unfair discrimination or a violation of any human right enshrined in the Constitution, the Mail&Guardian reported on Friday.
The commission dismissed a complaint on the cartoon lodged by the Young Communist League and its national secretary Buti Manamela, that cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro had defamed Zuma or violated his right to dignity in the cartoon, published in the Sunday Times in September 2008. It depicted Zuma undoing his trousers while alliance leaders hold down the woman.
They found that it expressed a level of free, open, robust and even unrestrained criticism of politicians by a journalist and had stimulated valuable political debate. "Although the SAHRC finds the cartoon and the words used in relation thereto probably offensive and distasteful, same falls short of and does not constitute hate speech, unfair discrimination under Promotion of Equality and the Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act or a violation of any fundamental human right contained in the Constitution," the commission's finding reads.
Manamela and the league found it depicted Zuma as a rapist, was distasteful, deplorable and bordered on defamation of character. But, Zapiro believed Zuma and the others depicted in the cartoon had threatened the justice system. In a written submission to the commission, Zapiro argued he was exercising his right to freedom of expression.
He said Malema had threatened to kill for Zuma if the case relating to his corruption charges went ahead. Vavi, depicted in the cartoon, had echoed Malema's pledge and Mantashe said there would be anarchy if the case continued. Judges of the Constitutional Court were also called "counter-revolutionary".
Shapiro felt that the "very real intimidation of the judiciary and of individual judges" justified his use of the metaphor.
The commission said it was common knowledge that Zuma's allies in the tripartite alliance were calling for a political solution to Zuma's corruption charges and that Shapiro had acted with bona fide artistic creativity, in the public interest. The right to freedom of expression therefore outweighed Zuma's right to dignity.
Manamela said the league welcomed the findings, "particularly where it concedes that the cartoon was offensive and distasteful". But, they still believed he could have expressed himself in a way less offensive to Zuma and other alliance leaders.
Source: IoL
Friday, June 25, 2010
Scorpions sting colliery
Senior sources in the Department of Environmental Affairs have revealed that the department cracked down on controversial coal mining near the world heritage site of Mapungubwe last week, ordering the mining company, Coal of Africa, to stop all "illegal" building activities immediately. But Coal of Africa denied receiving an order, saying that the company instead "received regular visits from a number of government departments", including environmental affairs and mineral resources. "Characterising such a visit by the Department of Environmental Affairs as a raid is unjustified," said Riaan van der Merwe, Coal of Africa's chief operating officer. But environmental department spokesperson Roopah Singh confirmed on Thursday a "pre-compliance notice" was issued on June 18. She said Coal of Africa now has to make representations to the department about the mine's transgressions.
The development has again highlighted tensions between environmental affairs and the mineral resources department over mining in this sensitive area of Limpopo. The mining department issued mining rights to Coal of Africa at the beginning of this year. The Mail & Guardian understands that the directive, relating to building at the Vele mine that the department has not approved, followed a raid by the environmental police unit, the Green Scorpions, at the mine earlier this month.
The unit moved in to check whether Coal of Africa had built roads and other structures without the necessary environmental impact assessments. Sources in the department said that the Green Scorpions found several instances where Coal of Africa had ignored departmental regulations. They were also concerned about the clearing of bush on colliery property. In a statement on Thursday Van der Merwe said the company had the necessary authorisation for bush clearing in the area covered by the mining rights. In addition, the necessary permits had been obtained from the national departments of agriculture and forestry and the Limpopo environmental affairs department. He also said that, although the company had not received permission from environmental affairs to build access roads, it was using the existing main road.
The Australian-owned company received a permit earlier this year for its Vele Colliery project next to the Mapungubwe National Park, where the world-famous 800-year-old gold rhino statuette was unearthed in 1933. Though it has not yet started mining, it is constructing the infrastructure required to begin operations later this year.
In May the M&G reported that Coal of Africa had been clearing bush that contained baobab trees. The colliery is 7km from the park's boundaries. The coal-processing plant would be 27km from the world heritage site, Mapungubwe Hill.
Buyelwa Sonjica, the minister of environmental affairs, has openly declared her opposition to the mine and her department has refused to approve the environmental impact assessments for roads and fuel storage sites associated with the mine. The company has signed a letter of intent to supply up to 5-million tonnes of coal annually from Vele and its sister project, Makhado, to steel giant ArcelorMittal. Opponents of the mining claim that the coal will be used to drive a coal-fired power station, Mulilo, that is planned for the region.
The department of mining did not respond to questions.
Source: Mail & Guardian
Also see the Save Mapungubwe website
The development has again highlighted tensions between environmental affairs and the mineral resources department over mining in this sensitive area of Limpopo. The mining department issued mining rights to Coal of Africa at the beginning of this year. The Mail & Guardian understands that the directive, relating to building at the Vele mine that the department has not approved, followed a raid by the environmental police unit, the Green Scorpions, at the mine earlier this month.
The unit moved in to check whether Coal of Africa had built roads and other structures without the necessary environmental impact assessments. Sources in the department said that the Green Scorpions found several instances where Coal of Africa had ignored departmental regulations. They were also concerned about the clearing of bush on colliery property. In a statement on Thursday Van der Merwe said the company had the necessary authorisation for bush clearing in the area covered by the mining rights. In addition, the necessary permits had been obtained from the national departments of agriculture and forestry and the Limpopo environmental affairs department. He also said that, although the company had not received permission from environmental affairs to build access roads, it was using the existing main road.
The Australian-owned company received a permit earlier this year for its Vele Colliery project next to the Mapungubwe National Park, where the world-famous 800-year-old gold rhino statuette was unearthed in 1933. Though it has not yet started mining, it is constructing the infrastructure required to begin operations later this year.
In May the M&G reported that Coal of Africa had been clearing bush that contained baobab trees. The colliery is 7km from the park's boundaries. The coal-processing plant would be 27km from the world heritage site, Mapungubwe Hill.
Buyelwa Sonjica, the minister of environmental affairs, has openly declared her opposition to the mine and her department has refused to approve the environmental impact assessments for roads and fuel storage sites associated with the mine. The company has signed a letter of intent to supply up to 5-million tonnes of coal annually from Vele and its sister project, Makhado, to steel giant ArcelorMittal. Opponents of the mining claim that the coal will be used to drive a coal-fired power station, Mulilo, that is planned for the region.
The department of mining did not respond to questions.
Source: Mail & Guardian
Also see the Save Mapungubwe website
Monday, June 14, 2010
Taxi 'executions' on the rise in KZN
Hunger for a dominant position in the public transport industry and greed have led to a rise in execution-style taxi-related killings in KwaZulu-Natal. This is according to an affidavit by Warrant Officer Sibusiso Ntshangase, submitted to oppose a bail application by three men arrested in connection with taxi-related murders in the province.
Sifiso Mfeka, Dumisa Khumalo and Sonny Boy Mbele were applying for bail in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Friday. The men were arrested earlier this year on suspicion of the murders of two men, Derrick Mlethi and B Mvela, in March 2009 at Amanzimtoti. Mlethi was a member of the Vulamehlo Taxi Association and Mvela was the chairman of the Durban Liner Taxi Association and also had ties with the Umzinto Taxi Association and the Long Distance Taxi Association.
Ntshangase said the men were also suspected of links to the murder of Umzinto taxi owner Dan Cele, the attempted murder of two policemen and the murder of one of the officer's sons. Other accomplices who were allegedly involved in the crimes are still at large. He said Khumalo, who is a primary school principal, allegedly hired hitmen to kill rival taxi owners and Mfeka was said to be a known killer for the industry.
He said Mlethi and Mvela had been travelling on the N2 highway near Amanzimtoti when the suspects, driving in a stolen Toyota Yaris and a Honda, approached the car from the driver's side. The men allegedly opened fire on the car, the driver lost control and the car went into the oncoming lane. "The accused then got out of their vehicles and took the deceased out of their car and fired several shots into them. They both died instantly. AK47 assault rifles were used in the shootings and several empty cartridges were found at the scene."
He added that Cele was allegedly killed in a similar fashion and prominent relatives of Cele now feared for their lives. The police officers were shot in drive-by attacks. AK47 assault rifles were used in all the incidents. In November 2009, one of the officers had been driving with his son on the South Coast when shots were fired at his car. The officer returned fire trying to protect himself and his son. He was wounded and his son was killed.
In March this year the other Umkomaas officer was attacked while with a friend. He sustained spinal injuries and could no longer walk. He said taxi violence had become a serious problem. "Taxi violence is prevalent and is resulting in execution-style murders. These incidents were well planned and and in all cases high-calibre weapons were used." He said if the accused were released on bail they would kill the state witnesses. "A plan to kill witnesses to the double murder was made in April this year but the witnesses were tipped off and managed to survive. These men are dangerous to society."
The bail application continues next week.
Source: IoL
Sifiso Mfeka, Dumisa Khumalo and Sonny Boy Mbele were applying for bail in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Friday. The men were arrested earlier this year on suspicion of the murders of two men, Derrick Mlethi and B Mvela, in March 2009 at Amanzimtoti. Mlethi was a member of the Vulamehlo Taxi Association and Mvela was the chairman of the Durban Liner Taxi Association and also had ties with the Umzinto Taxi Association and the Long Distance Taxi Association.
Ntshangase said the men were also suspected of links to the murder of Umzinto taxi owner Dan Cele, the attempted murder of two policemen and the murder of one of the officer's sons. Other accomplices who were allegedly involved in the crimes are still at large. He said Khumalo, who is a primary school principal, allegedly hired hitmen to kill rival taxi owners and Mfeka was said to be a known killer for the industry.
He said Mlethi and Mvela had been travelling on the N2 highway near Amanzimtoti when the suspects, driving in a stolen Toyota Yaris and a Honda, approached the car from the driver's side. The men allegedly opened fire on the car, the driver lost control and the car went into the oncoming lane. "The accused then got out of their vehicles and took the deceased out of their car and fired several shots into them. They both died instantly. AK47 assault rifles were used in the shootings and several empty cartridges were found at the scene."
He added that Cele was allegedly killed in a similar fashion and prominent relatives of Cele now feared for their lives. The police officers were shot in drive-by attacks. AK47 assault rifles were used in all the incidents. In November 2009, one of the officers had been driving with his son on the South Coast when shots were fired at his car. The officer returned fire trying to protect himself and his son. He was wounded and his son was killed.
In March this year the other Umkomaas officer was attacked while with a friend. He sustained spinal injuries and could no longer walk. He said taxi violence had become a serious problem. "Taxi violence is prevalent and is resulting in execution-style murders. These incidents were well planned and and in all cases high-calibre weapons were used." He said if the accused were released on bail they would kill the state witnesses. "A plan to kill witnesses to the double murder was made in April this year but the witnesses were tipped off and managed to survive. These men are dangerous to society."
The bail application continues next week.
Source: IoL
Friday, June 11, 2010
Aurora mine’s toxic water crisis
The East Rand was an hour away from an environmental disaster this week, when acid mine water started to flood the Grootvlei mine owned by the embattled empowerment company, Aurora Empowerment Systems. Workers angered by months of working without pay had downed tools, bringing the 10 pump stations at the mine to a standstill for the first time in 75 years. The toxic water would have led to the contamination of the East Rand’s groundwater resources within three years and potentially caused sinkholes near Nigel and Springs. Underground water must be pumped out continually for mining to continue. When it flows over the mined rocks, it becomes toxic.
General maintenance has not been conducted at the mine since March, when most Grootvlei workers went on strike over non-payment of wages and the mine’s insurance for their workers had also lapsed.
On Monday 100 remaining workers Grootvlei mine’s care and maintenance unit went on strike. The unit is responsible for pumping acid water out of Shaft 3 to prevent the flooding of the East Basin on the East Rand. On Wednesday water began flooding the underground pump station room. With an hour to go until the station became inaccessible to workers, management pleaded with workers to return to work, offering them 25% of their May wages. “We decided to go back again, because it was the ethical thing to do,” said one employee. A small band of workers ventured down Shaft 3 again to restart pumping. The mine is incredibly unsafe and basically a time bomb,” said Gideon du Plessis, Solidarity deputy general secretary. “The workers are on a suicide mission. They are true heroes for risking their lives.”
Michael Hulley, Aurora non-executive director, has promised in a letter that the worker’s full May salaries will be paid by June 21 and that third party insurance will be reinstated on June 16. Du Plessis said the workers would quit on June 21 if the latest promises were broken. Khulubuse Zuma, President Jacob Zuma’s nephew, Hulley, Zuma’s lawyer, and Zondwa Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, feature on the Aurora board, giving the company heavy political clout.
Aurora has a management agreement with the liquidators to operate its East Rand and Orkney assets, after its bid to buy the liquidated Pamodzi mines was accepted. But the cashstrapped company had been running into trouble amid allegations of asset stripping, mismanagement and questionable financial transfers. Aurora’s first investor withdrew, while a second investor will release funds only once it lists on the JSE. It is expected to do so only in August. This week a Chinese consortium put in a new bid of $51-million for the Pamodzi assets, but sources close to the deal are worried that there may soon be no mine to operate.
Environmental reports on the East Rand’s East Basin have warned of acid water bubbling into the street of Nigel and Springs within three years and destroying the East Rand’s groundwater resources. The Vaal River barrage could also be at risk. The Grootvlei pumps are the last operating in mostly abandoned mines on the East Rand and carry responsibility for all the East Basin’s acid mine water. Marius Keet, deputy director of water quality management at the department of water affairs, said his department was extremely concerned about the situation at Grootvlei and would have to intervene if pumping ceased again. “Although it’s the mine’s responsibility to ensure that the pumps are all operational, the department will not allow the mine to flood the pumps as this will result in the flooding of the basin and subsequently the decanting of acid mine drainage,” he said. “Apart from the negative impact on the environment, sinkhole formation is not excluded.” He said Aurora would be held accountable for any future environmental disaster if pumping stopped. It already faces criminal charges for pumping acid water into the Blesbokspruit.
But Enver Motala, the Pamodzi liquidator, played down the pump station fiasco. “We had heard about the threats that the pump stations would be switched off, but Aurora assured us that pumping was continuing,” he said. “As far as we’re concerned, the situation is under control.” Thulani Ngubane, Aurora director and spokesperson, did not respond to questions.
Source: Mail & Guardian
General maintenance has not been conducted at the mine since March, when most Grootvlei workers went on strike over non-payment of wages and the mine’s insurance for their workers had also lapsed.
On Monday 100 remaining workers Grootvlei mine’s care and maintenance unit went on strike. The unit is responsible for pumping acid water out of Shaft 3 to prevent the flooding of the East Basin on the East Rand. On Wednesday water began flooding the underground pump station room. With an hour to go until the station became inaccessible to workers, management pleaded with workers to return to work, offering them 25% of their May wages. “We decided to go back again, because it was the ethical thing to do,” said one employee. A small band of workers ventured down Shaft 3 again to restart pumping. The mine is incredibly unsafe and basically a time bomb,” said Gideon du Plessis, Solidarity deputy general secretary. “The workers are on a suicide mission. They are true heroes for risking their lives.”
Michael Hulley, Aurora non-executive director, has promised in a letter that the worker’s full May salaries will be paid by June 21 and that third party insurance will be reinstated on June 16. Du Plessis said the workers would quit on June 21 if the latest promises were broken. Khulubuse Zuma, President Jacob Zuma’s nephew, Hulley, Zuma’s lawyer, and Zondwa Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, feature on the Aurora board, giving the company heavy political clout.
Aurora has a management agreement with the liquidators to operate its East Rand and Orkney assets, after its bid to buy the liquidated Pamodzi mines was accepted. But the cashstrapped company had been running into trouble amid allegations of asset stripping, mismanagement and questionable financial transfers. Aurora’s first investor withdrew, while a second investor will release funds only once it lists on the JSE. It is expected to do so only in August. This week a Chinese consortium put in a new bid of $51-million for the Pamodzi assets, but sources close to the deal are worried that there may soon be no mine to operate.
Environmental reports on the East Rand’s East Basin have warned of acid water bubbling into the street of Nigel and Springs within three years and destroying the East Rand’s groundwater resources. The Vaal River barrage could also be at risk. The Grootvlei pumps are the last operating in mostly abandoned mines on the East Rand and carry responsibility for all the East Basin’s acid mine water. Marius Keet, deputy director of water quality management at the department of water affairs, said his department was extremely concerned about the situation at Grootvlei and would have to intervene if pumping ceased again. “Although it’s the mine’s responsibility to ensure that the pumps are all operational, the department will not allow the mine to flood the pumps as this will result in the flooding of the basin and subsequently the decanting of acid mine drainage,” he said. “Apart from the negative impact on the environment, sinkhole formation is not excluded.” He said Aurora would be held accountable for any future environmental disaster if pumping stopped. It already faces criminal charges for pumping acid water into the Blesbokspruit.
But Enver Motala, the Pamodzi liquidator, played down the pump station fiasco. “We had heard about the threats that the pump stations would be switched off, but Aurora assured us that pumping was continuing,” he said. “As far as we’re concerned, the situation is under control.” Thulani Ngubane, Aurora director and spokesperson, did not respond to questions.
Source: Mail & Guardian
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Promise and Unfulfilled Potential of South Africa’s President
President Jacob Zuma, the son of a widowed maid, tried to reason with the rowdy crowd in this restive township. He had come to fix their broken public services, he assured them, but their angry heckling kept drowning him out. Finally, like a glowering patriarch, he lectured and scolded them, threatening to leave. “This means you will live forever in poverty!” he exclaimed. “If we do not listen to each other, how can we fix anything?”
Suddenly, the rage of the throng dissipated. There was a chorus of apologies. A voice shouted, “Sorry, Baba!” Then a cry arose for the president to sing his trademark song from the anti-apartheid struggle, “Bring Me My Machine Gun.” “You want it?” he asked. “Yes!” they shouted. And like an aging entertainer obliging with a golden oldie, Mr. Zuma, 68, crooned and boogied onstage.
It was a moment that encapsulated both the promise and the unfulfilled potential of Mr. Zuma, who has raised the hopes of the dispossessed but not yet delivered the better life they are demanding. Despite persistent corruption charges and the taint of extramarital affairs, he is a political survivor who has risen to lead the continent’s powerhouse nation and will soon step onto the international stage as South Africa holds Africa’s first World Cup. With his rumbling laugh and habit of dancing onstage, Mr. Zuma has a gift for connecting with the country’s impoverished black majority, who are impatient for the better life promised by the dawning of democratic rule 16 years ago. “I’ve never seen a president in Africa in direct dialogue with his citizens like Jacob Zuma,” said Zakhele Maya, 26, an activist in Siyathemba who, like most in the township, is jobless.
But that connection has not quelled the discontent. After an earlier visit, last year, Mr. Zuma ordered the government to improve the township’s health and housing services, yet frustrations continued to rise. In February, residents burned down the library. The books are now charred scraps, the library a pile of blackened rubble.
A year into his five-year term, Mr. Zuma recently signed performance contracts with his ministers, setting out specific results for them to achieve. But analysts are urging action, not aspirations, on South Africa’s core challenges: a failing education system, staggering levels of joblessness and the widening chasm between rich and poor. There is already open speculation about whether his party, the African National Congress, in power since the end of apartheid, will pick him for a second term. “By 2013, the questions arise: Who will govern beyond 2014?” asked Trevor Manuel, who heads the National Planning Commission in Mr. Zuma’s office and was finance minister for the previous 13 years. “And the intense period has to be 2011, 2012, into 2013. Those are the middle years of the term of government, and I think the foundation is now well laid. Now you’ve got to drive the change.”
Mr. Zuma’s highly personal, consensus-building style has helped him lead a sweeping new attack on AIDS after almost a decade of failed leadership under his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki. But even some in his party say that tackling the nation’s deep economic problems will probably require angering allies who put him in office, especially Cosatu — the powerful trade union federation that is part of the governing alliance — and the A.N.C.’s youth wing. It is led by the incendiary Julius Malema, 29, regarded by many here as a demagogue who plays on racial antagonisms and who was recently sent to anger management classes by the party. The dry kindling of resentment is here to be ignited. The ranks of the jobless have grown by more than a million in the past year and a half, and South Africa, population 49 million, already had among the highest rates of chronic unemployment in the world. More than a third of the work force, including those too discouraged to seek work, is jobless. Studies have found that most of the unemployed have never held a job.
Mr. Zuma announced in February that proposals would be put forward to subsidize the wages of inexperienced workers, to help them get a foot in the door. But Cosatu, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, which represents those who already have jobs, opposes the idea — and debate within the government continues.
Another point of tension is education. Last year, Mr. Zuma said teachers and principals — whose union is also part of Cosatu — must be held accountable for whether they show up and do their jobs. In an interview, Mr. Zuma reiterated the need for such a step and said it would be taken by the end of his second year in office. “There’s no teacher who’s going to hide behind the school,” he said.
But critics question whether Mr. Zuma has the support to follow through on these difficult decisions, the vision to address the country’s daunting challenges or the standing to root out corruption. Worries deepened when it surfaced that Mr. Zuma, who already had three wives and a fiancée, had fathered a child, his 20th, out of wedlock with the daughter of a family friend. “The biggest danger we face as a country is the use of office for personal gain, and it is becoming so, so normal, and nobody’s arresting that,” said Mondli Makhanya, a newspaper editor whose reporter broke the story about Mr. Zuma’s child in The Sunday Times. “He lacks the leadership strength at this point to turn against people who supported him, and he lacks the moral authority to say, ‘No, you can’t do that.’ ”
More fundamentally, making choices that would divide the governing alliance goes against Mr. Zuma’s instincts as an African traditionalist who seeks to settle conflicts by gathering his coalition under a metaphoric marula tree to talk for days or weeks until they reach a consensus, said Allister Sparks, a veteran commentator here. “Action dies in the process of eternal, everlasting debate,” Mr. Sparks said.
Mr. Manuel, the former finance minister, says the president’s style is to keep everyone in the tent, recalling Mr. Zuma’s efforts to mediate Burundi’s complex civil war. “He’d sit in Dar es Salaam for tens of days, and he has the most remarkable patience to do that kind of thing,” Mr. Manuel said. “So perhaps he needs the support of ministers who are going to push and shove and try to get things done.” On issues including teacher accountability, Mr. Manuel said, “Instinctively, I would take a much harder line on some of these things.”
Mr. Zuma’s political resilience should not be underestimated. After a decade as a political prisoner, he rose to lead the A.N.C.’s underground intelligence operation during the anti-apartheid struggle. As president, he has filled important police and prosecutorial posts with loyalists, making it unlikely he will face further corruption charges. In an interview, he told a story that suggested the roots of the cool calculation beneath his warm, amiable style. “If you are angry, you can’t think properly, and the other boys will really beat you up,” he said of his days learning stick fighting with other Zulu boys. “You’ve got to be sober so that you can be able to defend yourself and also hit the other boy.”
As the debate over Mr. Zuma swirls, the man himself has fun on the hustings. He recently basked in the adulation of a vast crowd at a township stadium in the Free State for a World Cup prayer service sponsored by the A.N.C. The event was an ecstatic, incantatory fusion of sports, religion and politics that would not have seemed out of place in Texas. Thousands of churchwomen ululated for him and the South African soccer team, Bafana Bafana. “Long live Jacob Zuma!” one cried. “Long live!” the crowd responded. A small smile flickered across Mr. Zuma’s face as the premier of the Free State said: “We are not talking succession. We are just saying the president should be president again and again and again!”
White dignitaries mounted the stage. A blanket imprinted with the South African flag was laid on the floor; Mr. Zuma knelt on it as preachers placed their hands on his head. People gathered around and raised their hands to God, a tableau of racial harmony. “Let us receive our visitors warmly with love,” Mr. Zuma said of the coming games. “Let us embrace them.” And with a mischievous glint, he added, “Those who at times are not good, let them for just four weeks be good.”
Source: New York Times
Suddenly, the rage of the throng dissipated. There was a chorus of apologies. A voice shouted, “Sorry, Baba!” Then a cry arose for the president to sing his trademark song from the anti-apartheid struggle, “Bring Me My Machine Gun.” “You want it?” he asked. “Yes!” they shouted. And like an aging entertainer obliging with a golden oldie, Mr. Zuma, 68, crooned and boogied onstage.
It was a moment that encapsulated both the promise and the unfulfilled potential of Mr. Zuma, who has raised the hopes of the dispossessed but not yet delivered the better life they are demanding. Despite persistent corruption charges and the taint of extramarital affairs, he is a political survivor who has risen to lead the continent’s powerhouse nation and will soon step onto the international stage as South Africa holds Africa’s first World Cup. With his rumbling laugh and habit of dancing onstage, Mr. Zuma has a gift for connecting with the country’s impoverished black majority, who are impatient for the better life promised by the dawning of democratic rule 16 years ago. “I’ve never seen a president in Africa in direct dialogue with his citizens like Jacob Zuma,” said Zakhele Maya, 26, an activist in Siyathemba who, like most in the township, is jobless.
But that connection has not quelled the discontent. After an earlier visit, last year, Mr. Zuma ordered the government to improve the township’s health and housing services, yet frustrations continued to rise. In February, residents burned down the library. The books are now charred scraps, the library a pile of blackened rubble.
A year into his five-year term, Mr. Zuma recently signed performance contracts with his ministers, setting out specific results for them to achieve. But analysts are urging action, not aspirations, on South Africa’s core challenges: a failing education system, staggering levels of joblessness and the widening chasm between rich and poor. There is already open speculation about whether his party, the African National Congress, in power since the end of apartheid, will pick him for a second term. “By 2013, the questions arise: Who will govern beyond 2014?” asked Trevor Manuel, who heads the National Planning Commission in Mr. Zuma’s office and was finance minister for the previous 13 years. “And the intense period has to be 2011, 2012, into 2013. Those are the middle years of the term of government, and I think the foundation is now well laid. Now you’ve got to drive the change.”
Mr. Zuma’s highly personal, consensus-building style has helped him lead a sweeping new attack on AIDS after almost a decade of failed leadership under his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki. But even some in his party say that tackling the nation’s deep economic problems will probably require angering allies who put him in office, especially Cosatu — the powerful trade union federation that is part of the governing alliance — and the A.N.C.’s youth wing. It is led by the incendiary Julius Malema, 29, regarded by many here as a demagogue who plays on racial antagonisms and who was recently sent to anger management classes by the party. The dry kindling of resentment is here to be ignited. The ranks of the jobless have grown by more than a million in the past year and a half, and South Africa, population 49 million, already had among the highest rates of chronic unemployment in the world. More than a third of the work force, including those too discouraged to seek work, is jobless. Studies have found that most of the unemployed have never held a job.
Mr. Zuma announced in February that proposals would be put forward to subsidize the wages of inexperienced workers, to help them get a foot in the door. But Cosatu, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, which represents those who already have jobs, opposes the idea — and debate within the government continues.
Another point of tension is education. Last year, Mr. Zuma said teachers and principals — whose union is also part of Cosatu — must be held accountable for whether they show up and do their jobs. In an interview, Mr. Zuma reiterated the need for such a step and said it would be taken by the end of his second year in office. “There’s no teacher who’s going to hide behind the school,” he said.
But critics question whether Mr. Zuma has the support to follow through on these difficult decisions, the vision to address the country’s daunting challenges or the standing to root out corruption. Worries deepened when it surfaced that Mr. Zuma, who already had three wives and a fiancée, had fathered a child, his 20th, out of wedlock with the daughter of a family friend. “The biggest danger we face as a country is the use of office for personal gain, and it is becoming so, so normal, and nobody’s arresting that,” said Mondli Makhanya, a newspaper editor whose reporter broke the story about Mr. Zuma’s child in The Sunday Times. “He lacks the leadership strength at this point to turn against people who supported him, and he lacks the moral authority to say, ‘No, you can’t do that.’ ”
More fundamentally, making choices that would divide the governing alliance goes against Mr. Zuma’s instincts as an African traditionalist who seeks to settle conflicts by gathering his coalition under a metaphoric marula tree to talk for days or weeks until they reach a consensus, said Allister Sparks, a veteran commentator here. “Action dies in the process of eternal, everlasting debate,” Mr. Sparks said.
Mr. Manuel, the former finance minister, says the president’s style is to keep everyone in the tent, recalling Mr. Zuma’s efforts to mediate Burundi’s complex civil war. “He’d sit in Dar es Salaam for tens of days, and he has the most remarkable patience to do that kind of thing,” Mr. Manuel said. “So perhaps he needs the support of ministers who are going to push and shove and try to get things done.” On issues including teacher accountability, Mr. Manuel said, “Instinctively, I would take a much harder line on some of these things.”
Mr. Zuma’s political resilience should not be underestimated. After a decade as a political prisoner, he rose to lead the A.N.C.’s underground intelligence operation during the anti-apartheid struggle. As president, he has filled important police and prosecutorial posts with loyalists, making it unlikely he will face further corruption charges. In an interview, he told a story that suggested the roots of the cool calculation beneath his warm, amiable style. “If you are angry, you can’t think properly, and the other boys will really beat you up,” he said of his days learning stick fighting with other Zulu boys. “You’ve got to be sober so that you can be able to defend yourself and also hit the other boy.”
As the debate over Mr. Zuma swirls, the man himself has fun on the hustings. He recently basked in the adulation of a vast crowd at a township stadium in the Free State for a World Cup prayer service sponsored by the A.N.C. The event was an ecstatic, incantatory fusion of sports, religion and politics that would not have seemed out of place in Texas. Thousands of churchwomen ululated for him and the South African soccer team, Bafana Bafana. “Long live Jacob Zuma!” one cried. “Long live!” the crowd responded. A small smile flickered across Mr. Zuma’s face as the premier of the Free State said: “We are not talking succession. We are just saying the president should be president again and again and again!”
White dignitaries mounted the stage. A blanket imprinted with the South African flag was laid on the floor; Mr. Zuma knelt on it as preachers placed their hands on his head. People gathered around and raised their hands to God, a tableau of racial harmony. “Let us receive our visitors warmly with love,” Mr. Zuma said of the coming games. “Let us embrace them.” And with a mischievous glint, he added, “Those who at times are not good, let them for just four weeks be good.”
Source: New York Times
Monday, June 7, 2010
Remaining Aurora workers go on strike
The last remaining 100 workers or so have gone on strike at cash-strapped miner, Aurora’s Grootvlei Mine in Springs. Trade union Solidarity spokesman, Jaco Kleynhans, said workers responsible for carrying out care and maintenance at the mine had gone on a full-blown strike from today. “The workers are angry because they have not been paid their salaries for February,” Mr Kleynhans said.
Aurora Empowerment Systems bought the mine from Pamodzi Liquidators last year but they company has been unable to pay an owed amount of R207m to Pamodzi for months. There was a strike in April at Aurora’s mines over unpaid wages for January, February and March. The company has also failed to make unemployment insurance fund payments for its staff.
Solidarity has had notified Aurora’s management of the employee’s dissatisfaction in writing last week, but has not received any response from them yet. The 100-or-so remaining workers had stayed behind to carry out maintenance work after other 2900-odd workers left the company to work elsewhere.
General secretary of Solidarity, Gideon Du Plessis, said the workers were not being insured by Aurora. He said they worked under extremely dangerous circumstances and, in terms, of the Compensation for Occasional Injuries and Diseases Act of 1993, the mine was required to take out the necessary insurance for its employees. Du Plessis said the strike could have a negative impact on the environment and the mine itself. "If the pumping out of contaminated mine water is not resumed this week, the Grootvlei Mine as an asset could be destroyed as a whole,” he said.
Aurora spokesman Thulani Ngubane said only one worker had incited the others to strike. He said other workers would be employed to take care of the maintenance of the mine because it was such a valuable asset. "The Grootvlei mine is a national asset. So they must understand that if they strike they could cause over 3,000 jobs to be lost in the future," he said. Aurora has said it wants to list on the JSE by the end of August so that it can “open a channel for funding from Swiss investment firm, GEMS”.
Source: Business Day
Aurora Empowerment Systems bought the mine from Pamodzi Liquidators last year but they company has been unable to pay an owed amount of R207m to Pamodzi for months. There was a strike in April at Aurora’s mines over unpaid wages for January, February and March. The company has also failed to make unemployment insurance fund payments for its staff.
Solidarity has had notified Aurora’s management of the employee’s dissatisfaction in writing last week, but has not received any response from them yet. The 100-or-so remaining workers had stayed behind to carry out maintenance work after other 2900-odd workers left the company to work elsewhere.
General secretary of Solidarity, Gideon Du Plessis, said the workers were not being insured by Aurora. He said they worked under extremely dangerous circumstances and, in terms, of the Compensation for Occasional Injuries and Diseases Act of 1993, the mine was required to take out the necessary insurance for its employees. Du Plessis said the strike could have a negative impact on the environment and the mine itself. "If the pumping out of contaminated mine water is not resumed this week, the Grootvlei Mine as an asset could be destroyed as a whole,” he said.
Aurora spokesman Thulani Ngubane said only one worker had incited the others to strike. He said other workers would be employed to take care of the maintenance of the mine because it was such a valuable asset. "The Grootvlei mine is a national asset. So they must understand that if they strike they could cause over 3,000 jobs to be lost in the future," he said. Aurora has said it wants to list on the JSE by the end of August so that it can “open a channel for funding from Swiss investment firm, GEMS”.
Source: Business Day
Siyabonga Gama guilty, says Transnet
Former Transnet freight rail chief executive, Siyabonga Gama, has been found guilty of a serious breach of governance requirements in relation to two procurement contracts, the company said on Sunday. The findings by an independent chairman in an internal disciplinary hearing against Gama were delivered on Saturday, spokesperson John Dludlu said in a statement.
Gama was suspended in 2009 to face charges related to the allocation of a contract to refurbish 50 locomotives to Sibanye Trade Services, which allegedly lacks experience in the renovation of locomotives. Gama, who only had authority to sign off on contracts worth less than R10-million, also allegedly awarded a R19-million contract to a security firm with alleged links to Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda. "In a detailed 200-page finding, Mr Gama was found guilty of each of the charges brought against him including one of irretrievable breakdown in relationship with Transnet," Dludlu said. He said the hearing was in the final stage of completion where further submissions were expected before a request was made to its chairman for an appropriate sanction.
Source: Mail & Guardian
Gama was suspended in 2009 to face charges related to the allocation of a contract to refurbish 50 locomotives to Sibanye Trade Services, which allegedly lacks experience in the renovation of locomotives. Gama, who only had authority to sign off on contracts worth less than R10-million, also allegedly awarded a R19-million contract to a security firm with alleged links to Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda. "In a detailed 200-page finding, Mr Gama was found guilty of each of the charges brought against him including one of irretrievable breakdown in relationship with Transnet," Dludlu said. He said the hearing was in the final stage of completion where further submissions were expected before a request was made to its chairman for an appropriate sanction.
Source: Mail & Guardian
Friday, June 4, 2010
Manyi suspended as Labour Dept DG
Labour Department Director General Jimmy Manyi was suspended from his job on Friday, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana's spokesperson, Page Boikanyo, confirmed. Boikanyo declined to provide further details, saying the matter was "sub judice".
Manyi made headlines recently when Norway's ambassador to South Africa requested a meeting with Mdladlana to raise concerns about Manyi's conduct during an official meeting. "There were certain things discussed and the way in which they were brought up in that meeting that we did not appreciate," ambassador Tor Christian-Hilda told the South African Press Association last Thursday.
Christian-Hilda and two other senior diplomats from the Norwegian mission met Manyi in Pretoria in early March to discuss Norway's cooperation with South Africa's decent work programme through the International Labour Organisation. He said black economic empowerment (BEE) policies were discussed at the meeting, but declined to elaborate further on his reasons for sending a diplomatic note to International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, from where the matter was passed on to Mdladlana. "I do not want to go into the details of what happened," he said.
Manyi said last Thursday the meeting had turned to difficulties Norwegian companies were having with BEE, at which point he offered to brief them in detail about government's policies in this regard "As the discussion flowed, the issue came up of challenges Norwegians were having with BEE. This is why I offered to give them a presentation about BEE and how it works," he said.
Manyi, who is also president of the Black Management Forum (BMF), said he saw nothing untoward about his offer and was surprised that the diplomats took offence. Manyi was reportedly recently told by Mdladlana to choose between his job as director general and the presidency of the BMF. But he said he did not think this was necessary because he was already in charge of the BMF when he was appointed by the Labour Department last year. "So there is nothing in the process of me getting the job indicating that I have to renounce anything," Manyi said. -- Sapa
Source: Mail & Guardian
Manyi made headlines recently when Norway's ambassador to South Africa requested a meeting with Mdladlana to raise concerns about Manyi's conduct during an official meeting. "There were certain things discussed and the way in which they were brought up in that meeting that we did not appreciate," ambassador Tor Christian-Hilda told the South African Press Association last Thursday.
Christian-Hilda and two other senior diplomats from the Norwegian mission met Manyi in Pretoria in early March to discuss Norway's cooperation with South Africa's decent work programme through the International Labour Organisation. He said black economic empowerment (BEE) policies were discussed at the meeting, but declined to elaborate further on his reasons for sending a diplomatic note to International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, from where the matter was passed on to Mdladlana. "I do not want to go into the details of what happened," he said.
Manyi said last Thursday the meeting had turned to difficulties Norwegian companies were having with BEE, at which point he offered to brief them in detail about government's policies in this regard "As the discussion flowed, the issue came up of challenges Norwegians were having with BEE. This is why I offered to give them a presentation about BEE and how it works," he said.
Manyi, who is also president of the Black Management Forum (BMF), said he saw nothing untoward about his offer and was surprised that the diplomats took offence. Manyi was reportedly recently told by Mdladlana to choose between his job as director general and the presidency of the BMF. But he said he did not think this was necessary because he was already in charge of the BMF when he was appointed by the Labour Department last year. "So there is nothing in the process of me getting the job indicating that I have to renounce anything," Manyi said. -- Sapa
Source: Mail & Guardian
Blue Murder: Cops kill 3 brothers in night raid
THE situation remains tense in Mt Moria, north of Durban, after the killing of three Memela brothers by the police. Twins Xolisani and Mzothiswa Memela, 25, and their younger brother Zi-khaliphele , 22, died when police opened fire while they were sleeping. The trigger-happy police accused them of being criminals.
Mthetho’awukho Memela, 27, said police vehicles had been patrolling the area at midnight on Tuesday when he was walking home from work. The distraught man said the police officers asked him why he was out so late. “I was forced into the back of the van and driven home. When we arrived there they forced me to knock at the door and one of my brothers opened,” he said, sobbing. He was allegedly forced back into the police van. Moments later he heard shots. Two of the brothers were allegedly shot while they were sleeping. The police claimed they had been attacked by the deceased and had retaliated in self-defence.
The father, Silawuli Memela, said his family was struggling to come to terms with what had happened. “I never thought I’d lose my boys like this,” he said. “The police’s claim that there were guns in the house is not true.”
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent Mdunge said the case was being investigated by the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD). “The information we have is that the police retaliated when they were shot at by occupants of the house. “Two pistols were found. But if it is found that the police acted wrongly they will have to account fo it,” Mdunge said.
ICD spokesperson Moses Dlamini said: “We are investigating. Police weapons and those found on the scene will be taken for ballistic testing.” Angry residents have called on National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele to intervene by putting the officers involved behind bars. On Tuesday they blocked the highway leading to the city.
Resident Jomba Mtshali said community members had been victims of police brutality for far too long in the area. “We have lost innocent souls. These boys were very disciplined and we used to refer to them as good examples for other children because of their behaviour. “Even a blind person could bear testimony that these boys were killed in their sleep. Their bed is full of blood,” Mtshali said.
Source: The Sowetan
Mthetho’awukho Memela, 27, said police vehicles had been patrolling the area at midnight on Tuesday when he was walking home from work. The distraught man said the police officers asked him why he was out so late. “I was forced into the back of the van and driven home. When we arrived there they forced me to knock at the door and one of my brothers opened,” he said, sobbing. He was allegedly forced back into the police van. Moments later he heard shots. Two of the brothers were allegedly shot while they were sleeping. The police claimed they had been attacked by the deceased and had retaliated in self-defence.
The father, Silawuli Memela, said his family was struggling to come to terms with what had happened. “I never thought I’d lose my boys like this,” he said. “The police’s claim that there were guns in the house is not true.”
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent Mdunge said the case was being investigated by the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD). “The information we have is that the police retaliated when they were shot at by occupants of the house. “Two pistols were found. But if it is found that the police acted wrongly they will have to account fo it,” Mdunge said.
ICD spokesperson Moses Dlamini said: “We are investigating. Police weapons and those found on the scene will be taken for ballistic testing.” Angry residents have called on National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele to intervene by putting the officers involved behind bars. On Tuesday they blocked the highway leading to the city.
Resident Jomba Mtshali said community members had been victims of police brutality for far too long in the area. “We have lost innocent souls. These boys were very disciplined and we used to refer to them as good examples for other children because of their behaviour. “Even a blind person could bear testimony that these boys were killed in their sleep. Their bed is full of blood,” Mtshali said.
Source: The Sowetan
Thursday, June 3, 2010
SA recalls ambassador to Israel
South Africa will recall its ambassador to Israel following a deadly attack on a vessel attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, Deputy International Relations Minister Ebrahim Ebrahim said on Thursday.
However, the government had no intention of expelling the Israeli ambassador to South Africa or of cutting diplomatic ties with that community. "The recall of ambassador Ishmael Coovadia for consultations is a way of protesting and a way of showing our strongest condemnation of the attack. This recent Israel aggression of attacking the aid flotilla severely impacts on finding a lasting solution to the problems of the region," Ebrahim told journalists in Pretoria. He could not say when Coovadia would return to Israel.
Nine people were killed during Monday's raid in international waters, an act which Ebrahim called "unacceptable". The vessel involved in the incident was part of a flotilla trying to break Israel's blockade on Gaza and deliver aid to the area.
Israel had since started releasing and deporting the activists arrested during the military attack, including a Cape Town-based journalist, Gadija Davids. Davids was flown out of Israel with others on Wednesday night by the Turkish government. She was currently in Istanbul with South Africa's ambassador and was expected to arrive home on Friday, said Ebrahim. South Africa had already added its voice to the increasing international condemnation of Israel's actions and had summoned the Israeli ambassador to a meeting.
This was the second time in 15 years that South Africa had recalled an ambassador from a foreign country. In 1995, former president Nelson Mandela recalled then high commissioner George Nene from Nigeria when the country executed the leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and eight others. The execution was carried out despite appeals for clemency by various governments, including South Africa.
Ebrahim said there had been no discussion about closing down South Africa's two embassies in Israel as these were important for monitoring purposes. "It could contribute to resolving some problems in the region," he said. The government had also joined the international community in its call for the siege of Gaza to be immediately lifted. "This siege, which has brought untold hardships to the ordinary people of Gaza and made their lives nightmarish, is unconscionable and unsustainable," said Ebrahim.
Ebrahim also spoke of the government's commitment to contributing towards finding peace in the region and ensuring an independent and viable Palestinian state. "A long-term solution to the region can only be achieved through negotiation. What is needed is the creation of a climate of mutual trust and peace." Ebrahim welcomed the decision by Egypt to open the border crossing between it and Palestinian-controlled Rafah.
Source: Mail & Guardian
However, the government had no intention of expelling the Israeli ambassador to South Africa or of cutting diplomatic ties with that community. "The recall of ambassador Ishmael Coovadia for consultations is a way of protesting and a way of showing our strongest condemnation of the attack. This recent Israel aggression of attacking the aid flotilla severely impacts on finding a lasting solution to the problems of the region," Ebrahim told journalists in Pretoria. He could not say when Coovadia would return to Israel.
Nine people were killed during Monday's raid in international waters, an act which Ebrahim called "unacceptable". The vessel involved in the incident was part of a flotilla trying to break Israel's blockade on Gaza and deliver aid to the area.
Israel had since started releasing and deporting the activists arrested during the military attack, including a Cape Town-based journalist, Gadija Davids. Davids was flown out of Israel with others on Wednesday night by the Turkish government. She was currently in Istanbul with South Africa's ambassador and was expected to arrive home on Friday, said Ebrahim. South Africa had already added its voice to the increasing international condemnation of Israel's actions and had summoned the Israeli ambassador to a meeting.
This was the second time in 15 years that South Africa had recalled an ambassador from a foreign country. In 1995, former president Nelson Mandela recalled then high commissioner George Nene from Nigeria when the country executed the leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and eight others. The execution was carried out despite appeals for clemency by various governments, including South Africa.
Ebrahim said there had been no discussion about closing down South Africa's two embassies in Israel as these were important for monitoring purposes. "It could contribute to resolving some problems in the region," he said. The government had also joined the international community in its call for the siege of Gaza to be immediately lifted. "This siege, which has brought untold hardships to the ordinary people of Gaza and made their lives nightmarish, is unconscionable and unsustainable," said Ebrahim.
Ebrahim also spoke of the government's commitment to contributing towards finding peace in the region and ensuring an independent and viable Palestinian state. "A long-term solution to the region can only be achieved through negotiation. What is needed is the creation of a climate of mutual trust and peace." Ebrahim welcomed the decision by Egypt to open the border crossing between it and Palestinian-controlled Rafah.
Source: Mail & Guardian
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Zuma strongly condemns Israeli attack
President Jacob Zuma has strongly condemned the Israeli naval raid on the humanitarian vessels destined for Gaza. On Monday Israeli troops stormed the aid flotilla in an attack that left nine people dead.
The aid convoy was seeking to overcome the Israeli blockade of the Gaza strip which has been imposed almost continuously since Hamas took control there three years ago. The incident forced the South African government to summon the Israeli Ambassador in South Africa Segev Steinberg to explain the raid incident.
Pretoria has described the Israeli government's action an unjustified military action, with Zuma expressing outrage at the incident. Zuma says from time to time the Middle-East issue exposes itself as one of the most serious issues. He says even the condemnations are subdued from other quarters and it reflects the kind of double standards.
In the absence of International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who is on an official visit to France, Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe summoned Steinberg to issue a Démarche, registering Government’s strongest possible protest to the Israeli government for its unjustified military action and resultant loss of life.
Van der Merwe stated that such a military attack was an aberration from acceptable behaviour on the part of a State party in dealing with civilians and that Israel must be held accountable for its actions under international law.
Source: Mail & Guardian
The aid convoy was seeking to overcome the Israeli blockade of the Gaza strip which has been imposed almost continuously since Hamas took control there three years ago. The incident forced the South African government to summon the Israeli Ambassador in South Africa Segev Steinberg to explain the raid incident.
Pretoria has described the Israeli government's action an unjustified military action, with Zuma expressing outrage at the incident. Zuma says from time to time the Middle-East issue exposes itself as one of the most serious issues. He says even the condemnations are subdued from other quarters and it reflects the kind of double standards.
In the absence of International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who is on an official visit to France, Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe summoned Steinberg to issue a Démarche, registering Government’s strongest possible protest to the Israeli government for its unjustified military action and resultant loss of life.
Van der Merwe stated that such a military attack was an aberration from acceptable behaviour on the part of a State party in dealing with civilians and that Israel must be held accountable for its actions under international law.
Source: Mail & Guardian
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