Miners give team cold shoulder

Angry striking workers at Lonmin's Marikana mine shunned President Jacob Zuma's inter-ministerial committee yesterday, rejecting help in organising a memorial service for those killed last week.

They said Zuma's failure to address them after the killings showed he did not care about their struggle for better living conditions.

Zuma has called for an inquiry into the killing of more than 40 people, including two police officers, and Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane is leading an interministerial team to assist families affected by the massacre.

But Chabane's team received a hostile reception from the North West miners.

The striking workers vented their anger at the ministers and presented them with cartridges they had retrieved from the scene of the Thursdays' shooting.

Xolani Ndzuza, the leader of a committee set up to represent the striking workers, spat on the ground before telling workers to reject an offer for the ministers to be involved in preparations for the memorial service scheduled for tomorrow.

"The memorial service that you say you want to organise for us, we don't want it.

"We don't welcome your help. The person who helped us is Julius Malema [expelled ANC Youth League president]. He is the one who told us that Cyril Ramaphosa sits on the board and spends millions buying animals. We don't want the R2-million he said will assist with the burial services."

Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, speaking on behalf of the ministerial committee, had earlier defended Zuma's failure to address the crowd, saying he had visited injured workers in hospital and "it was too late" in the day for him to meet the other workers.

"We agree with you that blood was spilled. It is not what we would have wanted. As the government, we would like to assist you to organise [Thursday's] memorial service," she said.

The committee had set up a desk at Rustenburg's municipal offices to help families track down missing relatives, who were either dead or injured in hospital, she said.

The ministerial committee said 33 of the 34 bodies had been positively identified, with one being a citizen of Lesotho.

Addressing journalists at the Marikana police station earlier, Malema said the workers had opened two murder charges, the first against the NUM security guards who had allegedly shot dead several striking workers two weeks ago. The second was against the police for the slaying of 34 workers at the Marikana hill last week.

Malema said he had helped workers open cases because he did not have confidence in the commission of inquiry set up by Zuma.

"Opening a case at the police is a process that we believe in . it will not be manipulated by political processes. With a commission of inquiry, we don't know the terms of reference, the judges that are going to be appointed or the criteria ."

Malema said a group of lawyers who had volunteered to help with the case were considering applying for an interdict to secure the release of 259 workers from jail to allow them to mourn the death of colleagues.

Source: Times Live

Minister wants action on corruption “without fear or favour”

Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane on Friday said it is the duty of law enforcement agency’s to act on allegations of corruption without fear or favour.

Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda is at the centre of another tender storm. It is alleged Nyanda wants all tenders for the department to be cancelled until they have been discussed and approved by him. He is also said to have stripped his director general, Mamodupi Mohlala, of powers to administer tenders because she refused to sign off on tenders linked to him or people close to him. The Communications Ministry has denied the allegations.

Chabane said police need to look into claims and investigate. “We should avoid a situation where we as politicians would interfere with the normal work of the operations of the authorities who have been given responsibilities. Our task needs to be clearly defined in terms of what it is we need to do, law enforcement agencies need to continue doing their work without fear or favour,” said Chabane.

Source: Eye Witness News

'No crisis' as Presidency officials resign

The Presidency has announced three more departures by senior officials in its office but denied that there was a "crisis". "There is no exodus of staff, and there is no crisis or turmoil in the institution," the Presidency said in a statement posted on its website on Monday. "What is happening are normal staff movements as it happens in any organisation at any time," the Presidency said, adding it was concerned about "speculative reporting" on staff changes. The comments were contained in a statement entitled, "Staff changes in the Presidency", which confirmed weekend rumours of more departures by senior officials.

The statement said President Jacob Zuma's economic adviser Mandisi Mpahlwa and deputy director-general for communications Vusi Mona would move to other jobs. The presidency said that Mpahlwa had been appointed ambassador-designate to the Russian Federation. "Given the importance of Russia, we needed a seasoned cadre to represent the president and the national interest in that country," said the minister in the Presidency responsible for administration, Collins Chabane. Mpahlwa will assume the post in September.

Mona will move to the Government Communications and Information System. "The weekend media reports that Mr Mona has been asked to resign are incorrect," said the statement. "Meanwhile, President Zuma and Minister Chabane are currently in discussions with the Director-General, Mr Vusi Mavimbela regarding his role and this has not been finalised yet." The resignation of chief director for presidential support services Steyn Speed -- "who is leaving to undertake further studies" -- was also announced in the statement.

Zuma's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya resigned last week to "rejoin the corporate world". Chief operating officer Jessie Duarte resigned in April. At the time, the then deputy director-general in the Presidency -- and now chief of staff -- Lakela Kaunda, dismissed reports linking her to Jessie Duarte's resignation as "grossly incorrect" and "unfortunate". "I have never had a quarrel with Ms Jessie Duarte," said Kaunda at the time.

In February, it was reported that Duarte wrote an "emotional email" to ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, citing a "smear" campaign, "gossip" and "vilification" as reasons for intending to leave.

Source: Mail & Guardian