ANC Newsbrief 5 February 1999
ANC Department of Information and Publicity
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A N C D A I L Y N E W S B R I E F I N G
FRIDAY 5 FEBRUARY 1999
PLEASE NOTE: This News Briefing is a compilation of items from South
African press agencies and as such does not reflect the views of the
ANC. It is for reading and information only, and strictly not for
publication or broadcast.
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@ CRIME-PAGAD
CAPE TOWN Feb 4 Sapa
FIVE PAGAD MEMBERS ARRESTED IN THE KAROO
Five men, believed to be members of People Against Gangsterism
and Drugs, were arrested outside Prince Albert in the Karoo on
Wednesday, police said.
Spokeswoman Captain Anine de Beer on Thursday said the men were
arrested on the N1 highway at about 8am.
De Beer said the arrests had been kept quiet for some time for
obvious reasons. She declined to elaborate.
Police confiscated several firearms. The suspects were being
held in the Cape Peninsula.
Charges relating to the Arms and Ammunition Act were being
investigated.
On Monday six Pagad members were arrested on the Eastern
Boulevard freeway in Cape Town. Police confiscated firearms and
video material. These men are expected to appear in court on
Thursday on charges of being in possession of illegal weapons.
- A thunder flash exploded in front of an old age home in
Wandel Street, Cape Town, early on Thursday.
De Beer said the device had been placed in a dustbin. No one
was injured.
@ CRIME-PAGAD
CAPE TOWN Feb 4 Sapa
PAGAD MEMBERS ABUSED, CLAIMS NATIONAL SECRETARY
Five members of People Against Gangsterism and Drugs who were
arrested near Prince Albert in the Karoo on Wednesday were verbally
and physically abused, Pagad's national secretary Abidah Roberts
claimed on Thursday.
Police spokeswoman Captain Anine de Beer confirmed that the men
were arrested on the N1 at 8am. She said the arrests had been kept
quiet for some time for "obvious reasons", but she declined to
elaborate what the reasons were.
Police were investigating charges relating to the Arms and
Ammunition Act, De Beer said.
Roberts said Pagad members were bringing Yacoob Jacobs, brother
of Yusuf Jacobs who was shot dead after an anti-Tony Blair
demonstration near the Castle last month, from Johannesburg to Cape
Town.
She said their car was pulled off the road by a heavy police
contingent, including Casspirs.
"They were pulled out of the car and made to lie down on the
ground in the hot sun for five hours. They were verbally and
physically abused.
"They were put in a helicopter and brought to an undisclosed
venue in Cape Town."
Roberts claimed police had raided the men's houses, breaking
down doors and assaulting family members.
"We are very concerned about the way the police have been
acting and we have lodged a complaint with the Independent
Complaints Directorate."
Roberts said Pagad's legal team had not had access to the
arrested men.
Responding to the claims, De Beer said Pagad could lay charges
against the police and everything would be investigated.
@ DEPUTY PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI'S SCHEDULE
Issued by: Office of the Executive Deputy President T.M. Mbeki
DEPUTY PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI'S SCHEDULE
3-28 FEBRUARY 1999
Wednesday, 3 February
08h30-13h00
Attends Cabinet meeting, Cape Town
15h00-16h00
Metting with Chancellor and Mrs. Klima of Austria
Friday, 5 February
11h00-18h00
Attends opening of parliament and related functions
Saturday, 6 February
Elections mobilisation-Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape Province, more info
Thabo Masebe at 082-575-3978
Sunday, 7 February
11h00
Tentative arrangements for a visit to Katlehong St. John's Church in
the Gauteng Province
Monday, 8 February
10h00-13h00
Attends ANC NWC/PWC meeting in the Western Cape, more info contact
Thabo Masebe at 082-575-3978
14h00-18h00
Attends Parliamentary debate on President Mandela's speech
Tuesday, 9 February
09h00-10h45
Attends Conference on World Organisation for Women Science and
Technology
14h00-18h00
Attends continuing debate on the President's speech
Wednesday, 10 February
08h30-13h00
Attends Cabinet committee meetings on Economic Affairs and Social
and Administrative Affairs
14h00-18h00
Parliament
Thursday, 11 February
08h00-10h00
Attends a cabinet committee meeting on Security and Intelligence
10h00-13h00
Attends ANC caucus meeting, Cape Town
19h30-21h30
Tentative arrangements to attend SA Conference on Developing
Political and Administrative Leadership Gala Dinner in Mafeking,
North West Province.
Friday, 12-14 February
Tentative arrangements to attend a Special ANC NEC meeting, more
info Thabo Masebe.
Monday, 15 February
10h50
Deputy President and President Mandela to receive His Majesty King
Carlos I and Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain, Tuynhuys
12h20
Attends Parliamentary address by His Majesty King Carlos
Tuesday, 16 February
11h30-12h00
Metting with Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene of Belgium, Cape Town
14h00-18h00
Attends parliamentary session
Wednesday, 17 February
08h00
Cabinet Photo Session, Cape Town
08h30-12h00
Attends cabinet meeting, Cape Town
14h00-18h00
Attends parliamentary session on the budget
Wednesday-Thursday, 18 February
Tentative arrangements for a SA/US Bi-National Commission meeting
between Deputy President Mbeki and Vice President Al Gore
Monday, 22 February
09h00-17h00
Attends ANC officials ad NWC meeting, more info contact Thabo Masebe
Tuesday, 23 February
08h30-10h30
Attends Inter-Ministerial Committee meeting on Aids, Pretoria
14H00-18H00
Attends a Parliamentary session
Wednesday, 24 February
08h30-13h00
Attends Cabinet sub-committee meetings, Cape Town
15h00-18h00
Attends a Parliamentary session re Division of Revenue Bill
Thursday, 25 February
08h00-10h30
Attends cabinet sub-committee meeting
10h00-13h00
Attends ANC caucus meeting, more info Thabo Masebe
14h00-18h00
Attends parliamentary session on the budget
Friday, 26 February
09h00-13h00
Attends parliamentary session on the Budget Debate
Sunday, 28 February
Attends an ANC rally in Upington
For more information contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853
For radio/audio clips call office information line at 012-324-2219
or 3283626
Issued by: Communications Division
Office of Deputy President T.M. Mbeki
P/Bag X9146
Cape Town
8000
@ TRC REFUSED AMNESTY TO AN IFP MEMBER
Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
STATEMENT BY THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION AMNESTY
DECISION
The Amnesty Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
today refused amnesty to an Inkatha Freedom Party member Anthony
Mhletshwa Ndlangamandla.
Ndlangamandla was seeking amnesty for the murder of Mr. Ben
Nkosi at Piet Retief in 1993. He was sentenced to an effective ten
years imprisonment for the incident.
In its decision the Committee said: "... he was not a very good
witness, his testimony was fraught with numerous inconsistencies and
contradictions."
Inquiries : Vuyani Green, Media Liaison Officer. 082 458 7858
@ TRAFFIC-WCAPE
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
LASER SPEED TESTING EQUIPMENT ACCEPTED AS EVIDENCE IN COURT
Laser speed testing and breathalyser equipment will be accepted
as evidence in court with immediate effect, Western Cape transport
and works MEC Piet Meyer said on Thursday.
The decision followed discussions over a long period of time
between the Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Frank
Kahn, and provincial traffic chief Sherman Amos.
"This decision is a step forward for road safety in combating
driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding on our roads,"
Meyer said.
- On Wednesday the traffic safety awareness organisation Drive
Alive demanded that Western Cape traffic authorities release a list
of convicted drunk drivers for publication, as has been done in
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
It was time to make public the names, addresses and sentences
handed down to drunk drivers for their families and friends to know
the danger they posed to other road users, a Drive Alive spokesman
said.
@ BILL-RESTITUTION
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
LAND RESTITUTION AMENDMENTS BILL TABLED
Draft legislation aimed at speeding up the process of land
restitution and rectifying various shortcomings of the Restitution
of Land Rights Act was tabled in Parliament on Thursday.
According to a memorandum attached to the Land Restitution and
Reform Laws Amendment Bill, the most important of the proposed
changes are those which aim to move away from the present judicial
process - where virtually every claim must be dealt with through
the Land Claims Court - to a more streamlined administrative
process which will allow for mass processing of claims.
The rights of claimants and other affected parties will not be
affected by the amendments, and they will retain the right to have
the court decide on matters.
The memorandum said the experience of the past four years had
brought to light legislative and institutional shortcomings in the
structure of the current land restitution process.
These had led to undue delays, with negative implications for
claimants, landowners and the property market in general, it said.
@ NNP-MUNICIPAL
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
NNP `ON THE ROLL' IN WCAPE, SAYS MORKEL
The New National Party's recent victory in two Western Cape
municipal by-elections was a clear indication that the party's
legendary organisational machine was on the roll, NNP provincial
leader Gerald Morkel said on Thursday.
The party on Wednesday won the Calitzdorp and Helderberg
municipal by-elections.
The Calitzdorp victory was the twentieth former ANC ward to
have fallen into NNP hands over the past two years, Morkel said in
a statement issued by NNP media director Juli Kilian.
The NP candidate in Calitzdorp, Andries Johannes, won the seat
by three votes against an independent.
The party also defeated another independent candidate in
Helderberg, Somerset West, when Boudewijn de Vries beat Johannes
Barnard by 1074 votes to 124.
@ FORTHARE
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR FOR FORT HARE
The education ministry is to send a special investigator to
troubled Fort Hare University to probe claims of financial
mismanagement, Education Minister Sibusiso Bengu announced on
Thursday.
He said the investigator, who has not been named yet, would go
there "almost immediately".
Fort Hare vice chancellor Prof Mbulelo Mzamane told university
staff last week that the institution would be about R70 million in
the red by the time it received its government subsidy in April.
Bengu told journalists on Thursday that the assessor would be
additional to the detailed audits which had been ordered for Fort
Hare and several other universities.
Director-general of education Chabani Manganyi said the
decision to send in the assessor followed a visit to the university
on Wednesday by an official of the department's higher education
branch.
This official had spoke to university management, the
transformation forum, and deans, and these discussions had
indicated that there was a "very severe crisis" on the campus.
Manganyi said the assessor would be drawn from a panel of
experts established by the Council for Higher Education.
It is understood that the panel includes names such as former
University of the Western Cape principal Prof Jaap Durand, and
former University of Cape Town vice chancellor Dr Stuart Saunders.
At last week's Fort Hare meeting, staff adopted a motion of no
confidence in management, and called for the appointment of an
independent assessor.
Staff have complained that they are being paid late and that
many of the university's creditors are not being paid.
@ SA LAW COMMISSION INVESTIGATION PROJECT 115
Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
MEDIA STATEMENT BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN LAW COMMISSION CONCERNING ITS
INVESTIGATION INTO ADMINISTRATIVE LAW (PROJECT 115)
The Working Committee of the Commission has approved the
publication of Discussion Paper 81 for general information and
comment. The paper relates to the Commission's investigation into
the adoption of an Administrative Justice Act, to give effect to the
provisions of section 33 of the Constitution of 1996.
The project is an urgent one. The Constitution requires an
Administrative Justice Act to be in place before 4 February 2000.
The Discussion Paper contains the following main
recommendations:
* The key concept "administrative action" in the draft Bill
determines its application. The intention is a wide application to
public powers. The only proposed exclusions are the actions of
Parliament and the provincial legislatures and the local government
functions listed in section 160(2) of the Constitution, namely the
passing of by-laws, the approval of budgets, the imposition of rates
and taxes and the raising of loans. Administrative action by natural
or juristic persons contemplated in section 8(2) of the Constitution
and exercising a public power or performing a public function (e.g.
non-statutory bodies controlling national sports codes), is
included. On what follows natural and juristic persons of this sort
will be referred to as section 8(2) persons".
* It is recommended that the Bill applies to all "organs of
state" and to all section 8(2) persons, and that its provisions
prevail over the provisions of any other law other than the
Constitution and any provincial Constitution.
* The imposition of a duty on all organs of state to give effect
to the rights in section 33(1) and (2) of the Constitution and
provision for the review of administrative action by the courts, are
recommended.
* It is recommended that the Magistrates' Courts power of review
be extended. Until now, that power has been the preserve of the High
Courts.
* The Bill sets out the grounds on which a court may review
administrative action and the procedure for written reasons for
administrative action. It tries to do so in wide and plain terms. It
deals with the authorisation of the organ of state or section 8(2)
person to take administrative action, the procedure followed, the
reasoning process leading to the administrative action and the
lawfulness, attributes and impact of the administrative action
itself.
* Consecutive periods of 90 days during which a person adversely
affected by administrative action may apply or written reasons and
the duty of an organ of state or section 8(2) person to furnish
those reasons are recommended as well as remedies for non-compliance
with the duty to funrish reasons.
* A period of 90 days during which proceedings for review must
be instituted is recommended and provision is made for the adoption
and implementation of new rules for applications for review.
* Courts in proceedings for review are required to grant
appropriate relief, and provision is made for an "openlist" of the
remedies in proceedings for review, the aim of which is to structure
the way in which reviewing courts approach the question of remedies.
* The parties are allowed (by agreement) and the courts (on
application) to extend the 90-day periods during which reasons must
be sought and supplied and proceedings for review may be instituted.
* The Bill provides procedures in terms of which organs of state
make "rules" and "standards". "Rules" are defined to mean statements
designed to have the force of law, and include subordinate
legislation. "Standards" are defined to mean norms, guidelines,
policies, general instructions or other similar statements about the
way in which a public power or public function should be interpreted
or exercised or performed.
* Provision is made for two types of registers of rules and
standards, namely registers to be held and kept up to date by all
organs of state regarding the rules and standards under their aegis
and a central register to be held and kept up to date by the
Administrative Review Council. The aim of these registers is to
improve access to the many rules and standards made and administered
by organs of state.
* The establishment of a Central Drafting Office within the
Department of Justice is recommended, the main task of which will be
to consider and approve the text of rules (but not standards) which
organs of state intend making, to complie and establish protocols
for the drafting of rules and standards and, in conjunction with the
Administrative Review Council, to provide training to the drafters
of rules and standards. The aim of these provisions is to improve
and standardise the drafting of rules and standards.
* A notice-and-comment procedure for the making of rules which
impose material burdens or disadvantages or confer material benefits
on any person or group is laid down. Departures from the prescribed
procedure are permitted in emergencies.
* Provision is made for the publication in newspapers of a
concise description of the contents of a rule and a statement of the
reasons for it.
* The Bill is designed to ensure that published rules and
standards are up to date and hence, it contains two "sursetting
provisions". The first provides for the automatic lapsing of all
rules and standards in force on the date of commencement of the
draft Bill five years after that date. The second compels all organs
of state periodically to review the rules and standards under their
aegis by providing that all rules and standards made after the
commencement of the draft Bill will be valid for at most 10 years
and must reflect the date on which they will lapse.
* Two special administrative procedures, namely public enquiries
and administrative investigations are recommended. In terms of the
Bill, public enquiries must be held by organs of state or section
8(2) persons which intend to take administrative action the object
of which is to determine a matter of wide public interest and
consequences and in respect of which they have a wide discretion.
Administrative investigations must be held whenever and organ of
state is required to take administrative action the object of which
is to determine the status, rights or duties of a person. An
investigation need not to be formal, but the organ of state or
section 8(2) person must afford the person concerned proper notice
and a proper opportunity to be heard. The reasons for the
administratie action and detailss of any right of appeal and of the
right to apply for review must also be given.
* The establishment of the Administrative Review Council is
recommended. The composition of the Council is recommended as
follows, namely a Chairperson nominated by the Chief Justice
officials in the Department of Justice and Department for Public
Service and Administration nominated by the relevant Ministers; the
Public Protector or a member of his or her staff; and between three
and nine other persons appointed by the President, after consulation
with the National Council of Provinces.
* The functions of the Council are recommended as follows,
namely:
+ to investigate and report on review of administrative action
and any improvements in the law, rules and standards for
administrative action that might be made to ensure that it is
efficient and conforms to the Constitution;
+ to investigate the viability of independent review tribunals
and the efficacy of administrative appeals, including the
prossibility of specialised administrative appeals tribunals; and
+ to initiate, conduct and co-ordinate programmes for educating
the public at large and the members and employees of organs of state
or section 8(2) persons regarding the contents of the Bill and the
provisions of the Constitution relevant to administrative action.
* Consequential matters arisinng from the establishment of the
council are also dealt with, such as the meetings, committees and
staff of the Council, the engagement of persons to perform services
in specific areas, and expenditure and reporting by the Council.
The Commission invites the comments of all parties who feel that
they have an interest in the topic. Individuals, organisations and
institutions should participate in this debate and are invited to
indicate what their concerns are and what solutions they are able to
propose. Based on the outcome of these comments and discussions, a
report containing the Commission's final recommendations and an
amendment Bill will be prepared and presented to the Minister of
Justice. Written comments or suggestions must reach the Commission
by 31 March 1999 at the address given below.
Correspondence should be addressed to:
The Secretary
South African Law Commission
Private Bag X668
PRETORIA
0001
e-mail: pv...@salawcom.org.za
Fax: (012) 320 0936
Requests for hard copies of the discussion paper telephone:
(012) 322-6440 (Mr J Kabini) E-mail: pko...@salawcom.org.za
The discussion paper will be made available on the Internet at
the following site:
http://www.law.wits.ac.za/salc/discussn/discussn.htm
ISSUED BY THE SECRETARY, SA LAW COMMISSION, PRETORIA
DATE: 4 FEBRUARY 1999
CONTACT FOR ENQUIRIES IN RESPECT OF MEDIA STATEMENT: MR P A VAN WYK
(012) 322 6440
@ FOUR UMKHONTO WESIZWE MEMBERS APPLIED FOR AMNESTY
Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission
STATEMENT BY THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
Four Umkhonto weSizwe members have applied for amnesty for the
killing of a prominent student leader, Sicelo Dlomo. At the time of
Dlomo's death he was the leader of the Congress of South African
Students (Cosas).
The applicants are John Dube, Sipho Tshabalala, Wiseman Zungu
and Nhlaula Makhubu. The four were MK Unit members operating inside
the country and their Comamander was Dube.
In their applications they claimed that Dlomo was killed because
he was a police spy. At one stage the applicants found a police
detector in Dlomo's possession.
Another matter to be heard by the Amnesty Committee is the Ellis
Park car bomb incident involving four applicants. They are Eddie
Shoke, Harold Matshididi, Lester Dumakude and John Dube.
Their applications were partly heard last year and it was
postponed. The incident happened on July 2, 1988 where two people
were killed and many injured.
The hearing will be held at the Boksburg City Hall from February
15 to 19.
Inquiries : Phila Ngqumba - 082 458 8463
@ MANDELA-DP
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
MANDELA MUST PUT SA FIRST: LEON
President Nelson Mandela's final opening of Parliament speech
on Friday would be a test of the African National Congress
government's commitment to the long-term future of South Africa,
Democratic Party Leader Tony Leon said on Thursday.
Mandela should use the opportunity to put South Africa first,
he said in a statement.
"Will President Mandela demonstrate such commitment, or will he
trade our future for the short-term prize of votes in the 1999
election?"
Among other things, Mandela should acknowledge the need to
review all labour legislation with the aim of boosting job creation
and economic growth, and commit his government to act on this.
He should also recognise that the fear of crime was a
legitimate concern affecting all South Africans, and should take
corrective steps in this regard, Leon said.
@ CONGO-REBELS
KIGALI, Rwanda 4 February 1999 Sapa-AP
CONGO REBELS QUESTION ZAMBIA'S MEDIATION, SAY NO TRUCE WITHOUT
THEM
Congolese rebels, excluded from the latest round of cease-fire
talks, on Thursday questioned Zambian President Frederick Chiluba's
mediation in Congo's six-month civil war and warned no peace is
possible without them.
Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, leader of the rebel Congolese
Democratic Coalition, said he was not convinced by President
Laurent Kabila's statement Wednesday in Chad that he was ready to
negotiate.
So far, Kabila has refused to talk to rebels who took up arms
in August and swept through the eastern half of Congo. He has
instead demanded to talk only to Rwanda and Uganda, who are backing
the rebels.
After meeting with his ally, Chadian President Idriss Deby, in
N'Djamena, Kabila said in a joint statement that he was ready to
sign a cease-fire and open talks, either in or outside Congo.
It wasn't clear whether he meant with the rebels.
Earlier this week, Kabila reiterated his invitation to the
rebels to come to the capital, Kinshasa. Wamba said the venue, too,
should be subject to negotiation.
"We have to agree on a venue. He suggested Kinshasa, we
suggested Kisangani," Wamba told The Associated Press. Kisangani,
the Congo River port about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) northeast
of Kinshasa, is the largest city under rebel control.
Wamba blamed Chiluba, charged by the Southern African
Development Community to mediate an end to war in Congo, for
excluding the rebels from cease-fire talks.
On Thursday, representatives from Congo, Rwanda, Uganda,
Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia and other African mediators
met in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, to draft agreements on
implementation of a cease-fire and security concerns of the five
foreign powers fighting in Congo.
The rebels were not invited.
"Chiluba promised to send somebody for consultations. He
didn't. Nobody came to see us. We have not received any documents
yet. We cannot continue these proximity talks and have to
participate in plenary meetings concerning peace in our country,"
Wamba said.
"We want to know if he is a mediator, or not. What does he
mean if he is a mediator? For us, our principle is clear: As long
as we are not associated in discussions, we cannot be bound by
whatever is being discussed," Wamba said. "They cannot make peace
without us."
Kabila is receiving support in arms and troops from Angola,
Zimbabwe, Namibia and Chad. So far, the governments backing one
side or another have been unable to agree whether - or when - to
invite the rebels, who have been calling for recognition and direct
talks with Kabila.
In December, Wamba led a rebel team to the Libyan capital,
Tripoli where they met for the first time with a Kabila
representative - his top aide Abdoulayi Ndombasi Yerodia.
But Wamba said talks were hampered by Yerodia's insistence that
he only came to listen, not negotiate.
Wamba said there had been no subsequent contacts.
@ NGUBANE
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
NGUBANE TO BE SWORN IN AS CABINET MINISTER ON FRIDAY
Dr Ben Ngubane will be sworn in as Arts, Culture, Science and
Technology Minister in a ceremony at Tuynhuys after the opening of
Parliament on Friday, a presidential spokesman said.
@ MUNICIPAL-JHB
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
JHB CITY COUNCIL TAKES ACTION AGAINST SUSPECTED SCAMSTERS
The Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council on Thursday began
disciplinary hearings against four management employees allegedly
involved in irregularities running to millions of rands last year.
The alleged scam was first made public when the accused's
colleagues reported to authorities suspicious operating procedures
within the logistics workshop of the public safety and emergency
services.
Subsequent internal audit investigations allegedly uncovered
irregularities involving the over-pricing of goods and services in
the workshop.
In a statement on Thursday the council's acting chief executive
officer Mavela Dlhamini denied earlier media reports that some
councillors had been involved in identifying the scam.
He would not divulge the amount of money involved, citing a
civil claim that the council would pursue against the four and the
amount that was being claimed for damages.
"Should the disciplinary case go against the staff in question,
we are considering the harshest punishment possible which will
serve as a deterrent to others," he said.
@ STATEMENT BY LPHM MTSHALI PREMIER-DESIGNATE
Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
STATEMENT BY LPHM MTSHALI PREMIER-DESIGNATE OF KWAZULU NATAL
FEBRUARY 4 1999
I welcome my appointment to the premiership of my beloved
Province of KwaZulu Natal. I am aware of the enormous challenges
awaiting me but I believe that if I receive the support of all the
people of goodwill of KwaZulu Natal irrespective of existing
political, social or cultural divides, together we can triumph in
making our Province the finest place for anyone to live, raise a
family and prosper anywhere in the country.
I do not promise miracles but only m dedicated commitment and
hard work. I do promise a style of governance in which political
statements are assessed against the yardstick of tangible results.
My paramount priority is to get the KwaZulu Natal government to work
and to become an efficient machinery that delivers what the people
require, I have no other priority but that of meeting the priorities
of the people.
Education, the fight against crime, the development of new job
opportunities and economic and social growth through the
liberalization of market forces are not just my own priorities but I
indeed believe them to be the priorities of all KwaZulu Natalians of
goodwill.
I intend to consolidate and complete the work and many
outstanding agenda items attended to during the capable leadership
of my predecessor, Dr B S Ngubane. It is not my intention to
re-invent the wheel, but to make it spin better and faster. I am a
down-to-earth family man and a man of the people to whom KwaZulu
Natal is more important than anything else in life. It will be easy
for me to find commonality with those who feel that their roots are
solidly grounded in our Province and want to make a long term
investment to make it succeed.
This is not the time for divisions. This is the time to build
national consensus and reconciliation by rolling up our sleeves. I
want my premiership to be characterised by the goodwill of people
who choose to compete on how to best serve our citizens rather than
to oppose one another for mere opposition sake. We must reconcile
and work together because the Province can no longer afford spurious
political wrangling and private agendas.
For this reason I look forward to working together with my ANC
colleagues in the Government of Provincial Unity and with all the
other political parties. I was the leader of the IFP team which
negotiated the Constitution of KwaZulu Natal. On that occasion we
reached unanimity even though the Constitution was not certified. If
people care about our Province as much as I do, we can reach the
same unanimity in working for its long-term economic prosperity and
social stability.
@ MANDELA-PREVIEW
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
MANDELA MOVES CLOSER TO FREEDOM
When President Nelson Mandela walks from his Tuynhuys office to
the National Assembly to open Parliament for the last time on
Friday, he will be a step closer to true freedom.
His state-of-the-nation address will be the first of three
major speeches to wind down his term of office and a hectic public
life serving his people.
The 80-year-old statesman, who spent 27 years as the world's
most famous political prisoner, has made no bones about his wish to
retire to the peace and quiet of rural Qunu.
It is not clear whether Mandela will address the National
Council of Provinces later in the year, but he is scheduled to
speak at a special parliamentary debate in February on the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission's final report, and his Budget vote
in March.
Aides have ruled out a special farewell address to Parliament
at this stage.
While Friday's speech will be a celebration of five years of
democracy, it will also set the tone for the presidency of his
successor, Deputy President Thabo Mbeki.
Mbeki has played a pivotal role in the drafting of the speech,
a process that began six months ago.
Insiders said the address would be upbeat and positive,
focusing on the government's successes since 1994.
"The record of government is very, very positive in our view,"
one official said.
Mandela would also not shy away from government's shortcomings,
such as the failure to provide jobs and crime, and would outline
the challenges still facing South Africa.
"The foundation has been laid, now the process must move to a
higher gear," an official said.
This is in line with Mbeki's own view that the Mandela
presidency has laid a firm foundation, and that his task is to
implement and deliver at a much faster pace.
Mandela is expected to refer to the need for clarity on the
election date, and will urge MPs to resolve their differences over
a constitutional amendment, which will allow the president to
announce the date of elections before Parliament dissolves.
Insiders have ruled out any hint at an election date, fearing
that this may scupper the legislative process.
Next week will be spent debating Mandela's state of the nation
address, and with the election around the corner, opposition
parties will capitalise on the opportunity to take the ANC
government to task.
On the eve of his address, two political parties set the ball
rolling.
The Democratic Party urged Mandela to avoid in his speech the
temptation "to pillage the pockets" of South African taxpayers to
buy off disillusioned voters.
Instead, Mandela should use the opportunity to put South Africa
first, he said in a statement.
"This speech will be the test of the ANC government's
commitment to the long-term future of the country. Will President
Mandela demonstrate such commitment, or will he trade our future
for the short-term prize of votes in the 1999 election?"
Among other things, Mandela should acknowledge the need to
review all labour legislation with the aim of boosting job creation
and economic growth, and commit his government to act on this in
1999, DP leader Tony Leon said.
He should also recognise that the fear of crime was a
legitimate concern affecting all South Africans and take corrective
steps in this regard.
Freedom Front leader Constand Viljoen said his party would
strive to limit the ANC's interference in almost every sphere of
life.
"On the eve of the opening of parliament, the Freedom Front
realises this year - as in others - that the party will be at the
mercy of the majority."
The FF would continue to aim for the creation of a democracy
which could accommodate territorial and cultural self determination
for the Afrikaner.
@ COURT-PAGAD
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
PAGAD SIX IN COURT
Six members of People Against Gangsterims and Drugs appeared in
the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Thursday, following their
arrest in the city's Eastern Boulevard on Monday night.
Magistrate Karen Scheepers remanded them for a week, when their
bail application is expected to be heard.
Defence counsel Paul Eia's objected to the state's request for
a postponement, saying he wanted to launch a bail application
immediately. Prosecutor Pedro van Wyk said he needed time to
prepare for the application.
The magistrate ruled that the state's request was reasonable
and postponed the case until February 11.
The six accused are Loegmaannoergakiem Sapat, 36, Faisel
Kossain, 37, Faizel Steyn, 22, Moegammat Isaacs, 23, Nasardien
Gamieldien, 35, and Christian Ahrands, 21, all of Belhar on the
Cape Flats.
They face charges of being in possession of unlicenced firearms
and ammunition, as well as possession of a stolen firearm.
Defence counsel asked that the men be held at the Sea Point or
Cape Town police cells for easier access to them. However, the
prosecutor asked that they be remanded to Pollsmoor Prison instead
for security reasons.
The magistrate ordered their continued detention at Pollsmoor
Prison.
@ AMENDMENTS TO THE RESTITUTION ACT
Issued by: Department of Land Affairs
INVITATION TO A PRESS BRIEFING
Following the conclusion of the Restitution Land Claim Lodgement
period, a full Press briefing on the latest and final amounts of and
claims received and counted will held as follows:
Date: Tuesday February 9
Time: 9:30 am
Venue: Minister Hanekom's Boardroom, Old Building
184 Jacob Mare (cnr. Jacob Mare and Paul Kruger)
Pretoria
The 5 Regional Commissioners and the Acting Chief Land Claims
Commissioner will be available to give a regional and national
prognosis about Restitution. Issues they will elaborate upon include
the Amendments to the Restitution Act due to be passed in Parliament
shortly, the 42D process of resolving claims as well as the planned
integration of the Commission into the Department of Land Affairs.
Your pressence is looked forward to.
Enquiries: L N Segale (012) 312-9113/9561 - 083-518-4497
Kotli Molise (012) 312-9488
@ CONDOMWEEK By Daisy Jones
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
FREE CONDOMS AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY FROM CONDOM WEEK ONWARDS
The Department of Health is pulling out all the stops to ensure
that free condoms will be available 24 hours a day by the start of
National Condom Week next Monday.
>From Monday to Sunday events all over the country will promote
the use of condoms as one of the best ways to dodge the killer
HI-virus that causes Aids.
>From next week, free condoms will be up for grabs at taxi ranks
and all-night garages - as well as at hospitals, clinics,
government facilities and workplaces, departmental spokeswoman Dr
Nono Simelela told a news conference on Thursday.
She said there had been problems previously with free condoms
only being available during working hours.
In time, condoms will also be free at educational institutions,
spaza shops, nightclubs and shebeens.
The Partnership Against Aids campaign, a collaborative
initiative between various sectors, said it was expanding its
distribution network for this purpose.
Simelela said the Departments of Health and Education were
currently discussing the possibility of distributing free condoms
in schools.
"This is a very sensitive issue. We need parents to buy in and
support the idea," she said.
Other stakeholders would also need to be consulted.
"There is a feeling that it would encourage promiscuity,"
Simelela said.
Bafana Bafana vice captain and Orlando Pirates midfield maestro
John Moeti threw his weight behind the campaign, saying the spread
of the deadly virus could only be halted if people used condoms.
But the best strategy to avoid the virus was fidelity.
"As a soccer player and family man, my advice to all couples is
to remain faithful and committed to your partner," he said.
"Families have been destroyed by unfaithfulness."
The spread of HIV/Aids had also brought suffering and death to
communities, Moeti said.
National Health and Allied Workers' Union member and labour
sector representative Lindelwa Dunjwa said the problem of HIV/Aids
was about more than people not wearing condoms.
She said health workers were also addressing the problem of
discrimination against those who had HIV/Aids.
People did not talk enough about the deadly virus, according to
radio personality Vinolia Mashego.
"For so many years we have been trying to turn a blind eye and
a deaf ear. Now the silent killer is knocking on all our doors."
Mashego appealed to those who said wearing a condom was like
wearing a plastic bag in a shower, to change their attitude.
"If you don't use a condom your future will be very short."
Multi-lingual pamphlets and posters available at condom
distribution points would make it clear how to correctly use
condoms, said Partnership Against Aids campaign manager Mtholephi
Mthimkhulu.
He added that members of the public who wanted more information
about the virus should call the Aids Helpline: 0800-012-322.
@ MANDELA-KLIMA
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
KLIMA DONATES R1M TO NELSON MANDELA CHILDREN'S FUND
President Nelson Mandela was full of smiles on Thursday
afternoon thanks to a R1 million donation, by visiting Austrian
Chancellor Viktor Klima, to the children's fund he initiated in
1995.
Klima announced the donation to the Nelson Mandela Children's
Fund after meeting the president at Tuynhuys in Cape Town, where
the two men held discussions on a number of issues, including
conflict areas of the world.
"This is just a small donation which we believe is important in
giving the young generation hope. We must continue to give them
education... as education is always important," he said.
Mandela told Klima his support of the project was well
appreciated, and said the government was committed to ensuring
better education for South African children.
On conflict areas in Africa, Mandela said that South African
leaders, together with those from other parts of the continent,
would continue to pursue the peaceful settlement of disputes
wherever they occurred.
"I am convinced that we have capable leaders... who have risen
to the challenge of addressing these problems," he said.
Klima said there was a need for countries of the world,
especially members of the European Union, to support efforts by
South Africa to bring about peace and stability in war-ravaged
countries in Africa.
South Africa was a beacon of hope for the world, he said.
Mandela said he had used the meeting to thank the Austrian head
of government for his country's support during the dark days of
apartheid.
Asked what he would do after stepping down as South African
president in a few months time, Mandela jokingly replied: "I will
stand next to the road, carrying a placard which reads, `I am
unemployed, with a new wife and a big family... please help'."
@ TERRORISM
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
SPECIAL CABINET COMMITTEE LOOKS AT URBAN TERRORISM
A special Cabinet committee looking at urban terrorism met in
Cape Town on Thursday morning, but made no decisions, Safety and
Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi's office said.
Describing the meeting as confidential, Mufamadi's spokesman,
Andre Martin, said the committee had looked at "operational and
legislative capacity". He declied to elaborate.
It is understood the committee received a progress report on
the Western Cape's anti-terrorism campaign, Operation Good Hope.
Last week Mufamadi told reporters the meeting would hear a
report, compiled after consultations with detectives, intelligence
operatives and members of the prosecuting authority.
The presentation would look at what had been done to deal with
urban terror, the difficulties experienced by those combating it,
and remedial steps.
There might ultimately also be a need to review legislation, he
said.
The committee comprises ministers and their deputies dealing
with security and foreign affairs.
Western Cape MEC for community safety, Mark Wiley, was also
present.
@ SALC-ADMINLAW
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
DRAFT LAW ON ADMINISTRATIVE JUSTICE RELEASED
The South African Law Commission (SALC) on Wednesday released a
discussion paper on legislation aimed at giving effect to the
constitutional right to administrative action that is lawful,
reasonable and procedurally fair.
The Constitution says that such legislation needs to be in
place before Feburary 4, 2000.
The SALC has called for public comment by March 31 so that it
can make final recommendations and prepare an amendment bill for
tabling by Justice Minister Dullah Omar.
Copies of the discussion paper are available on the internet at
http://www.law.wits.ac.za/salc/discussn/discussn.htm.
Requests for hard copies can be made to Mr J Kabini on (012)
322-6440 or e-mailed to pko...@salawcom.org.za.
Comments should be addressed to: The Secretary, South African
Law Commission, Private Bag X668, PRETORIA, 0001, or e-mailed to
pv...@salawcom.org.za, or faxed to (012) 320 0936
@ COURT-MBULI
PRETORIA 4 February 1999 Sapa
SA LEADERS INVOLVED IN DRUG TRAFFICKING, CLAIMS MBULI
"People's Poet" Mzwakhe Mbuli on Thursday told the Pretoria
Regional Court he had yet to convey information to President Nelson
Mandela about top South African leaders' involvement in drug
trafficking.
Mbuli was testifying for a second day in his trial on armed
robbery charges related to the First National Bank robbery in
Waverley, Pretoria in October 1997.
Mbuli said he had met former Gauteng Safety and Security MEC
Jessie Duarte about the allegations about a month before his
arrest.
He said he had a message that he had to convey to the President
that there were "leaders in this country that are involved in drug
trafficking".
He claimed he received the information from a royal Swazi
police spokesman during an anti-drugs festival held in Swaziland in
1996.
During his meeting with Duarte and others she told him the
matter was too big for her to handle and suggested that he speak to
the president.
Because Mandela was in Libya at the time, she gave Mbuli
telephone numbers for a certain Rochelle at the president's office.
He contacted Rochelle and she said he could meet the president when
andela rturned from Libya, the court heard.
Mbuli was however arrested.
He said several people he trusted visited him in prison but he
had never told them about the message because he had been asked to
convey it personally.
When he was being held at the Moot police cells, the Reverend
Frank Chikane, Director-General in the Deputy President's office,
had been to see him.
On January 20 this year Mandela's advisor Ahmed Kathrada came
to see him, Mbuli testified.
He said he told Kathrada he had a message from Swaziland for
the President.
He said if the president had been to see him in prison he would
have personally given him the message. The trial continues.
@ COURT-GAMING
BLOEMFONTEIN 4 February 1999 Sapa
NO APPEAL IN NORTH WEST GAMING MACHINE DISPUTE
An application by Hotel Slots (Pty) Ltd and Stephen Anthony
Gossayn, of Krugersdorp, for leave to appeal in a dispute on gaming
machine permits has been refused by the Supreme Court of Appeal in
Bloemfontein.
In the Bophuthatswana High Court on June 18, 1998 Judge JJ
Chulu dismissed a point "in limine" that they had raised in their
application for a declaration that an agreement had been concluded
between them and the Premier of the North West Province
(represented by Nico Jagga) to permit them to operate gaming
machines in North West Province for six months and which could be
extended for a further period.
Jagga's answering affidavit denied that there was any
agreement, whereupon the company and Gossayn took the point "in
limine" that Jagga did not have the authority to act on behalf of
the premier.
Jagga, a law adviser to the North West Province, was assisting
the province with gambling legislation.
On August 27, 1998 a full bench of the Bophuthatswana court
dismissed, with costs, an appeal against Chulu's judgment. The
matter was remitted to the lower court so that the merits of the
application could be adjudicated.
@ NNP-PRISONERS
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
NNP WELCOMES DECISION ON PRISONER VOTES
The New National Party on Thursday welcomed Cabinet's decision
not to allow prisoners to vote in the 1999 general election.
NNP correctional services spokesman Gert Oosthuizen said his
party's position on the eligibility of convicted criminals to vote
had always been one of strong opposition.
"In our view, the argument that the withholding of the
franchise from prisoners would constitute an infringement of their
human rights, is not valid," he said.
The NNP was of the view that prisoners had disqualified
themselves by infringing their victims' rights, and they should
therefore not be allowed to have a say in the country's future.
The Federal Alliance also welcomed the decision, and said it
was amazed that after 4-and-a-half years in government, the ANC had
finally managed to do something right.
"Convicts forfeit the right to vote the day they commit a crime
against the community," FA spokesman Jan Bosman said.
Cabinet decisions should be valid for every election and should
be legislated, he said.
@ FEATURE-ZIM-OILFRAUD By Michael Hartnack
HARARE 4 February 1999 Sapa-dpa
ZIMBABWE OIL MONOPOLY DEFRAUDED OF 35 MILLION US DOLLARS
Transport and Energy minister Enos Chikowore has unveiled a
report in the Zimbabwe capital of Harare admitting corruption
losses of 35 million US dollars at Zimbabwe's state-owned National
Oil Company.
"Tankers left Sasolburg in South Africa fully laden, and
returned without discharging their contents. At times they came
back empty but with their seals intact," Chikowore told a briefing
to which only state-controlled media were invited.
Zimbabwe's independent media, currently locked in a
confrontation with the government over the detention and torture of
an editor and reporter, have been alleging massive corruption at
Noczim for many years.
Employees of the monopoly were accused by compilers of the
report of colluding with drivers to steal fuel, especially at
Zimbabwe's southern border town of Beit Bridge.
Persons with criminal records were employed in "critical"
positions while financial controllers "seemed not capable of
producing sound budgets".
Tension continued Thursday around Harare as traffic police
issued tickets to bus drivers who wish to impose fare hikes of
between 20 and 40 percent following last year's 67 percent fuel
price rises and recent escalation of spares prices.
With some drivers remaining off their routes, riot squads
patrolled in case of a repetition of stoning incidents by stranded
township dwellers.
Chikowore conceded fuel prices would be substantially lower had
Noczim's abuses been curbed, but he showed no sign of retreat from
President Robert Mugabe's insistence that the "strategic" monopoly
must be retained.
Shortly before suffering a stroke in 1992, former finance
Minister Bernard Chidzero declared the Noczim needed to be "cleaned
out" because it was continuing to impose pump price increases and
make losses at a time of falling world oil prices. However, a probe
was not ordered until last year, when the dollar began a 100
percent nosedive against all major currencies.
Unveiling a report compiled by the National Economic Conduct
Inspectorate, Chikowore said senior managers and workers were
suspected of "playing a major part" in the accumulation of 23
million dollars in uncollected debts and of 5.9 million dollars in
deliveries of unreceipted products to clients.
Most managers have already been sent on leave and Chikowore
said legal action would be taken to recoup fraud losses from those
with conspicuously lavish assets that could not have been afforded
on their salaries.
Noczim, which has luxury eight storey offices in central
Harare, grew out of the top secret Rhodesia Oil Procurement Office,
which defeated United Nations Sanctions from 1965 to 1979 with a
staff of eight. Mugabe intended the monopoly's profits - described
by economists as a concealed tax - to be a source of funding for
black empowerment and "indigenisation' of foreign shareholdings.
Zimbabwe Investment Centre director Nicholas Ncube has been
asked to act as Noczim's MD with Deloitte and Touche consultancy
section managing director Rob Evans acting as company secretary.
Noczim has estimated losses of 100 million dollars stemming
from the government's hesitancy to raise fuel prices last year
following the dollar's plunge, triggered by 330 million dollars in
unbudgeted payments to ex-guerillas and uncertainty over planned
seizures of white owned farms.
@ TRUTH-MK
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
AMNESTY HEARING CONTINUES FOR MK CADRES WHO KILLED COSAS LEADER
The amnesty hearing for four former Umkhonto weSizwe members
who killed a prominent Soweto student leader in January 1988 after
claiming he was a police spy resumes in Johannesburg in 10 days.
The hearing would have been held in Boksburg, but would now
take place in Johannesburg, a Truth and Reconciliation statement
said on Thursday.
The MK operatives were John Dube, Sipho Tshabalala, Wiseman
Zungu and Nhlaula Makhubu. Dube was the unit commander.
They are applying for amnesty for the killing of Congress of SA
Students' leader Sicelo Dlomo. The 18-year-old Dlomo was killed
just after he played a starring role in the documentary "Children
of Apartheid", made by US broadcaster CBS.
The four men said Dlomo had police bugging equipment.
Earlier Dlomo's death was blamed on the police and last year it
was alleged before the TRC that African National Congress Women's
League chairwoman Winnie Madikizela-Mandela had ordered his
killing.
The amnesty applications of the four MK cadres were partly
heard last year, but were postponed to between February 15 and 19
this year. The hearing will be at Methodist House in Rissik Street,
Johannesburg.
The amnesty committee would also hear an application from four
former MK cadres for the Ellis Park car bomb in July 1988 that
killed two people and injured scores more, TRC spokesman Phila
Ngqumba said.
These applicants are Eddie Shoke, Harold Matshididi, Lester
Dumakude and John Dube.
@ REGISTER-IEC
PRETORIA 4 February 1999 Sapa
SA MAY HAVE FEWER ELIGIBLE VOTERS THAN ASSUMED SO FAR: IEC
South Africa might have fewer eligible voters than had been
assumed so far, Chief Electoral Officer Mandla Mchunu said in
Pretoria on Thursday.
He said the supposed total of about 26 million, based on last
year's census, could include 16 and 17-year-olds not qualified to
vote yet.
"Some analysis will have to be undertaken to fix the exact
number of people who can vote in the election," Mchunu told
reporters in Pretoria.
This would be done by using the population register, and would
go hand in hand with an audit of the voters' roll compiled so far.
Mchunu said only a precise total would enable the IEC to
reliably determine the extent to which it had achieved its target
in registering voters.
Last weekend four million people registered for the upcoming
election, bringing to 13762271 the total entered on the voters'
roll so far. The number was still rising as not all figures had yet
been received.
Expressing satisfaction with the turnout, Mchunu said: "I truly
believe that South Africans did go out to register."
The number of youths entering the voters' roll remained low
throughout the country. Among those aged 16 and 17, who can
register now for later elections, only about six percent turned up.
About 26 percent of voters between 18 and 20 years of age had
registered.
In the six voting districts of the KwaZulu-Natal town of
Richmond, where registration was held on Monday and Tuesday after
last week's violence, a registration figure of 60 percent was
recorded.
Mchunu said the auditing of the voters' roll would be completed
as soon as possible to give people ample notice of rejections.
The exercise would entail checking the population register, and
reconciling the IEC's data with that of local electoral officers.
People who are not citizens or entered the voters' roll in a
fraudulent way would be eliminated in this way.
Making available a preliminary roll for public inspection would
form part of the audit, Mchunu said.
@ AGRIC-LANGUAGE
BLOEMFONTEIN 4 February 1999 Sapa
FSAU CALLS ON AFRIKAANS MEMBERS TO STAND UP FOR LANGUAGE
The Free State Agricultural Union has called on its
Afrikaans-speaking members to make a stand for their language.
President of the FSAU Dr Pieter Gous said in Bloemfontein on
Thursday that its Afrikaans-speaking membership comprised about 95
percent of the Free State's commercial farmers, yet all official
documentation and correspondence was now in English.
Gous said the South African farming community was assailed,
probably more than any other such community in the world, with a
mass of official assessments, forms, letters and other documents
that required written responses.
Most Free State commercial farmers operated family concerns and
did not have secretaries or other officials to deal with the
documentation, he said. Mainly the farmers handled this themselves.
The situation was aggravated by documentation in English whereas
the departments concerned were fully aware that the farmer was
Afrikaans-speaking.
This attitude of government institutions was unacceptable. The
FSAU had asked its Afrikaans-speakers to respond only in Afrikaans
to official assessments/forms/correspondence.
Those who felt stronger about the matter should return such
documentation with a request for a translation, said Gous.
He added that if the authorities in this "so-called democratic
country" wanted money and information from Afrikaans-speaking
farmers it was logical that they should respect their rights and
have the decency to correspond with them in Afrikaans.
@ MONUMENTS
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
MANDELA'S SOWETO HOME, ONE OF 29 NATIONAL MONUMENTS
President Nelson Mandela's former Orlando-West home in Soweto,
Ladybrand's Rose Cottage Cave with its San rock art, and the
Robberg Nature Reserve at Plettenberg Bay are among 29 new national
monuments declared by former Arts and Culture Minister Lionel
Mtshali.
Other new monuments include the Cradock Pass over the Outeniqua
Mountains, the Cape St Blaize Cave at Mossel Bay, and the Robben
Island embarkation building and the portion of the quay on which it
is situated at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.
The Great Synagogue in Paul Kruger Street, Pretoria, which
doubled up as a venue for the 1958 treason trial - with 156
accused, including Mandela and Steve Biko - has also been declared
a national monument.
Mandela's house at 8115 Ngakane Street was his home during the
most active years of his early political life, the department of
arts and culture said in a statement on Thursday.
It said the archaeological excavations at Rose Cottage Cave had
produced a wealth of stone tools, and the collection of Late Stone
Age artifacts was one of the largest from a single Southern African
site.
"Because of its deep deposits and long and detailed sequence of
Stone Age industries, the Rose Cottage Cave is a rare site and of
great significance."
The Cape St Blaize Cave was an important link in the history of
the indigenous people of the southern Cape Coast, the statement
said.
It was first occupied at least 120,000 years ago by Middle Stone
Age hunter gatherers. Although much of the evidence of human
occupation was removed by guano diggers at the end of last century,
some original deposit still remained.
@ SWORNIN
PARLIAMENT 4 February 1999 Sapa
NNP MEMBERS SWORN INTO PARLIAMENT
Three New National Party members were sworn in as members of
the National Assembly during a special ceremony conducted by
Speaker Dr Frene Ginwala at Parliament on Thursday.
They are former Democratic Party deputy leader and member of
the National Council of Provinces, William Mnisi, and Sipho Mkhize
and Johannes Schippers.
The three are expected to take their places in the National
Assembly during Friday's opening address by President Nelson
Mandela.
@ DEKLERK
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
SA NEEDS NON-RACE-BASED REALIGNMENT, SAYS FW
South Africa needed a new kind of political realignment which
moved away from being race-based, former state president FW de
Klerk said on Thursday.
Within it there should be a "normal division" between a
left-of-centre party and a right-of-centre one, with radicals being
marginalised, he told the Cape Town Press Club at a lunch to mark
the launch of his autobiography "The Last Trek - A New Beginning".
He did not believe a "so-called coalition of moderates" would
be achieved in time for this year's general election, but moderate
parties should start co-operating rather than "just playing muical
chairs".
De Klerk said South Africans should shake off their apathy and
become involved with the party of their choice - one which
reflected their values.
The two most fundamental issues civil society had to address
were reconciliation and the plight of the majority of South
Africans who lived below the breadline.
De Klerk, who is also a former National Party leader,
reiterated that he had no intention of re-entering party politics.
The Centre for Reconciliation he was launching would work hand
in hand with government to get the country's different communities
around a table.
Apart from promoting reconciliation and fighting poverty, the
centre would focus on furthering multi-party democracy in Southern
and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Asked about the future of the New National Party, De Klerk said
it was a rejuvenated party - "that's why I'll still vote for my
old party".
@ POLICE-TOWING
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
TOWING SERVICE LEADER WILL PUNISH OPERATORS IF HE CAN
The head of the association for towing service operators on
Thursday said he would fine, suspend and possibly ban the further
operation of those responsible for colluding with the police.
News reports on Thursday reported that five members of the
Johannesburg flying squad were dismissed, and others were under
investigation for taking pay-offs and telling private towing
services about accidents before ambulances.
Three people allegedly died because the arrival of ambulances
was delayed to allow tow trucks to be first at accidents.
Metropolitan Accident Recovery Association (Mara) chairman
Charles Byrne said he did not on Thursday know the names of those
responsible for making deals with the police - but if they were
members of the association he would take the strongest possible
action against them.
Byrne said he could not deny that tow truck drivers colluded to
delay the arrival of ambulances at accident scenes by up to ten
minutes.
"I can only control to a point," he said. It's an industry that
is ungovernable at the moment."
Byrne said he had approached the Traffic Department, the Flying
Squad, the SA Bureau of Standards and the Ministry of Transport in
an effort to regulate the industry.
"We want it to be governed by the government; we want
legislation on it," he said.
Byrne said he had had "many a meeting" with the Traffic
Department and Flying Squad to discuss putting an association
member in the Flying Squad's control room 24 hours a day.
This member would transmit information to all association
members on a paid-for channel, ensuring fair competition.
Byrne said this system was already working in Pretoria, with a
member of a towing company in the Flying Squad's control room in
Pretoria 24 hours a day.
"We want to work with traffic and the police to clean up this
whole story," he said.
Byrne partly blamed the authorities for the deaths of the three
accident victims: "We have told them what to do and they have
dragged their feet."
Private towing was big business, Byrne said.
Most operators barely needed the police frequency as they were
tending to rely on cell phone calls from service stations, security
companies and vegetable sellers.
Companies were also charging increasingly colossal fees.
Byrne said he met representatives of an insurance company on
Wednesday. They wanted to restrict payment for towing to certain
companies, as towers were charging up to R913 to release vehicles.
The Automobile Association released a statement on Thursday
saying collusion between police and towing service operators was
dangerous and unacceptable.
"The 'golden hour' following an accident is a critical period
during which the life of an accident victim can often be saved,"
said AA spokeswoman Petro Kruger.
She said the AA believed the policemen dismissed were justly
punished and the tow operators responsible for collusion should be
prosecuted.
Superintendent Chris Wilken, head of police communications in
Johannesburg, said suspension of the 12 civilian employees involved
in the collusion would start from Thursday.
The police were also looking at suspending additional flying
squad members, he said.
@ MANDELA-UDM
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
UDM CALLS ON MANDELA TO ANNOUNCE ELECTION DATE
President Nelson Mandela should use his final opening of
Parliament address on Friday to announce a time frame for the
upcoming elections, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu
Holomisa said on Thursday.
This announcement should include the cut-off date for voter
registration lists and the date of the election, Holomisa said in a
statement.
"This we call on him to do on behalf of the voters of South
Africa."
Ensuring that issues vital to South Africa, such as crime and
unemployment, were confronted and a smooth electoral path was
provided, would ensure an orderly transition.
"Such an orderly transition would only serve to enhance the
already notable legacy of Nelson Mandela," Holomisa said.
@ WATER-TOXIC
PRETORIA Jan 4 Sapa
WATER IN DAM CONTAINS A TOXIC ALGAE
Water in the Boschpoort Dam outside Rustenburg in the North
West should not be swallowed because a toxic algae was recently
discovered in the dam, the Water Affairs and Forestry Department
said on Thursday.
"The toxins can cause skin rashes, eye irritation, vomiting,
fever and muscle pains," it said in a statement in Pretoria.
"Long term ingestion (of the water) may also promote liver
diseases."
The department said livestock should also not drink the dam's
water because they could die.
"There is documented evidence of animal deaths associated with
algal toxins."
It said sewage that ran into dams was a major cause of an
increased amount of algae, and when the algae died and started
decomposing the toxin was usually produced.
Departmental spokesman Zeth Setenane said the toxic algae was
also discovered at another dam in the Rustenburg area, the Bospoort
Dam (CORRECT).
The same type of algae was also found during a routine sampling
in the Hartbeespoort Dam in North West on January 12, and in the
Roodeplaat Dam in December.
@ POLICE-DEMO By Simon Nare
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
ORLANDO EAST RESIDENTS WANT POLICE STATION COMMANDER REMOVED
The community of Orlando East in Soweto on Thursday staged a
protest at the local police station demanding its station
commissioner be removed from office.
They claim the commissioner, Senior Superintendent Fred Kekana,
is incompetent.
The demonstrators, led by members of the SA National Civic
Organisation, chanted outside the station, accusing Kekana of an
unpopular management style, running the station with an iron-fist
and undermining the community's role in the fight against crime.
Sanco spokesman Bejile Ntlanjewi told reporters that on
numerous occasions Kekana turned down invitations to attend
community meetings where residents expressed their concerns about
the crime situation.
He said Kekana did not recognise the community policing forum
which, according to Ntlanjewi, played a role in the fight against
crime. He even went further and took the forum's vehicles,
Ntlanjewi alleged.
Ntlanjewi said the organisation, with the backing of the
community, last week handed in a memorandum demanding Kekana's
removal.
In the memorandum Sanco argued that since Kekana was appointed
station commander about three years ago, many cases remained
unsolved. Due to shortage of staff and lack of resources, residents
coming to report cases were either sent away or spent hours trying
to open cases.
The policing in the area was almost non-existent because of
shortage of staff, the memorandum stated.
Sanco said it was supposed to get feedback from area
commissioner Ephraim Betha on Thursday on what steps the management
would take against Kekana.
However, there was confusion at the protest about whether Betha
knew about the demonstration. Another date for the meeting between
Betha and Sanco was set.
Kekana would not comment, and referred Sapa to Soweto police
spokesman Superintendent Govindsamy Mariemuthoo.
According to Mariemuthoo the crime situation in the area was
not out of control. Some types of violent crimes had decreased
while others had increased.
Mariemuthoo said police management were studying the
community's grievances.
The area commissioner had not yet received the Sanco
memorandum, he said.
@ COMPBOARD-INVESTIGATION
PRETORIA 4 February 1999 Sapa
MEDICAL SUPPLY FIRMS TO BE PROBED BY COMPTETITION BOARD
A major probe into the activities of "certain phamaceutical
manufacturers" which could affect prices of prescription medicines
is to be carried out by the Competition Board, it was announced in
Pretoria on Thursday.
Board chairman David Lewis said a complaint had been lodged
concerning distribution agreements which some unnamed
pharmaceutical manufacturers had with Healtyh Care Distributors
(IHD) or proposed having with Synergistic Alliance Investments
(SAI).
Lewis stated: "Prima facie evidence suggests that these
agreements and the refusal by those manufacturers, who are
contracted to IHD or who intend contracting with SAI to deal with
pharmaceutical wholesale distributores, either now or in the
future, constitute restrictive practices as defined in section 1 of
the Maintenance and Promotion of Competition Act, 1979."
He said: "In view of the potentially serious impact which
restrictive practices in this industry may have on the prices of
prescription medicines, the board has decided to undertake an
investigation in terms of section 10(1)(a) of the Act"
Lewis said notice of the proposed board action would appear in
this week's Government Gazette and all interested parties were
invited to submit comments within 30 days to the Competition Board
in Pretoria.
In an unrelated pharmaceutical issue, the Competition Board
announced on Wednesday it had turned down the proposed acquisition
of Pharmacare, a sudsidiary of South African Druggists (SAD) by
rival company Adcock Ingram.
It said a merger would significantly restrict competition in
key therapeutic categories.
The board's decision virtually scuttled a R2,6-billion bid by
Fedsure for SAD.
@ MAYATULA SAYS HE NEVER HAD THE TOP 20 NAMES IN JAN
Issued by: East Cape News (Ecn)
BISHO (ECN) - The names of the top twenty Eastern Cape 1998
matriculants were (SUBS: Thurs) officiallly announced yesterday by
East Cape Education MEC Shepherd Mayatula at a press conference in
Bisho.
The announcement comes more than a week after Die Burger
attacked Mayatula for gagging their release and discovered that the
majority of the top pupils were white Afrikaners from former Model C
schools.
This also led to a storm of protest from opposition parties.
Mayatula said that it had been difficult for the department at their
initial press conference on January 7 to give an "all encompassing"
picture of the provincial results as they were still being
consolidated.
Mayatula congratulated the top 20 pupils and wished them the
"best of luck" for the future. "We take pride that because of the
credibility of the examinations, they can take their place at
tertiary institutions locally and nationally." Mayatula also made
mention of 43 provincial schools which obtained a 100 percent pass
rate.
"We are saying to them, congratulations, keep up the good work!
We would, however, like them to reach out to their neighbouring
schools that are under-achieving and become a source of inspiration
to those teachers and learners who, because of constant
under-achievement, tend to lose hope."
Mayatula said that 48 schools achieved a pass rate of between 90
and 99 percent pass rate. "It is most encouraging to notice that
included amongst these schools is a good number of schools that are
servicing disadvantaged communities." Mayatula also praised the
Bisho High School for achieving a 95 percent pass rate, even though
last year was its first ever class of matrics.
In his speech, Mayatula said: "You have blown the covers of yet
another myth that when a school is presenting its matric candidates
for the first time it must of necessity expect a high failure rate."
"Another myth that you have dealt a body blow to, is that
achieving 90 percent and above is a preserve for the ex-model C
schools." Mayatula also praised other formerly disadvantaged schools
for managing to turn the tables round and improving greatly on
dismal results from the previous year.
He congragulated Sandi Senior Secondary School and Tudor Ndamase
for their pass rate of 82 and 85 percent respectively. Both schools
had dismal results with a pass rate of well below 10 percent in
1997.
Asked by the press about the power cuts in many schools in the
Transkei and Border region, Mayatula said the money for accounts was
available, but the new centralised financial system had created
delays because of the size of the department. He said that the
centralised financial system was important in creating proper
financial control.
However, the system required the use of different administration
forms be used. Because, the department was spread out across the
province, information about the process had to be conveyed through
circulars and memorandums.
He said that ideally, a workshop should be held, but the
distances and size of the department prevented this. Mayatula also
appealed to the media to help the department in improving the matric
results next year by mentioning the names of schools which did well.
These schools would act as models for schools which had not
faired that well.
@ COURT-PAGAD
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
BOMB SCARE AT COURT AFTER PAGAD SIX APPEAR
The Cape Town Magistrate's Court was on Thursday evacuated for
a bomb scare soon after six members of People Against Gangsterism
and Drugs' G-force were remanded for a week in Pollsmoor Prison.
The appearance of the six men, before Magistrate Karin
Scheepers, followed their arrest on Cape Town's Eastern Boulevard
when police intercepted their vehicle on Monday.
The bomb scare resulted from a suspicious parcel seen in the
men's cloakroom, metres from the court's security desk.
A source said a police court orderly as well as a correctional
services official declined a request by court security personnel to
examine the object, and the Peninsula's dog unit was called in.
The parcel was found to be harmless but it was not known what
it contained.
In court, the six accused shouted slogans to a packed courtroom
before being led to holding cells below after their legal
representative, Paul Eia, failed to secure a bail hearing.
Eia opposed a postponement application by prosecutor Pedro van
Wyk, who said he needed a week to prepare.
Eia contended the accused had a constitutional right to their
liberty and to know what charges they faced, but all they had was a
blank charge sheet, he said.
The case "smacked of speculation, lies and video tapes", he
told the court.
The accused presently face charges of possession of firearms
and ammunition without a licence, and also possession of a firearm
stolen in Camps Bay.
Eia claimed that the firearms had been planted at the scene,
and told the court that police themselves were responsible for
delaying the case.
He said: "The police are responsible for creating these macabre
allegations and counter allegations."
The magistrate told him she was not interested in a political
address, and he should stick to the legalities of the case.
Eia contended that the onus was on the prosecution to give good
reason for the need for a seven-day postponement.
Van Wyk told the court further charges were possible, but to
include them the state first needed the results of ballistic tests
being carried out on the firearms, which would take about a week to
finalise.
The magistrate rejected a defence contention that the firearm
charges were not serious, and ruled that the week-long postponement
was reasonable. She remanded the accused to February 11.
At the request of the prosecution the magistrate also ordered
the accused to be held at Pollsmoor Prison for security reasons,
and refused a defence request for them to be kept at the Sea Point
or Caledon Square police cells, where Eia would have easier access
to them.
The accused are Loegmann Noergakiem Sapat, 36, Faisel Kossain,
37, Faizel Steyn, 22, Moegamat Isaacs, 23, Nasardien Gamieldien,
35, and Christian Ahrends, 21, all of Belhar.
@ ANC-PHOSA
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
ANC DENIES CANDIDATES LIST FOR PREMIERSHIPS EXIST
Mpumalanga premier Mathews Phosa's name had not been dropped
from an African National Congress list of candidates for
premierships, as no such list existed, party spokesman Thabo Masebe
said on Thursday.
He was reacting to a report in the Beeld newspaper speculating
about the premier's political future, in which it was claimed that
Phosa's name had been removed from the list by the ANC's national
leadership.
Masebe said no such list existed as the appointment of premiers
was the prerogative of the ANC's president.
Meanwhile, Phosa on Thursday described media reports that he
was intending to resign as unsubstantiated hype and part of a smear
campaign against him.
"I have a duty to fulfill to the people and the structures that
voted for me, and I intend to meet my obligations."
He confirmed that his name was on his province's candidates
list and said no one had contacted him to tell him otherwise.
@ KWANATAL-FINANCE
DURBAN 4 February 1999 Sapa
REDUDANT PUBLIC SERVANTS IN KZN MAY BE RETRENCHED
Redundant KwaZulu-Natal government employees may be retrenched
in order to reduce expenditure, finance MEC Peter Miller said on
Thursday.
Miller told reporters at a press conference in Durban national
government would release guidelines for the retrenchments and the
amount of money to be allocated fo severance packages.
He said the provincial government would be able to identify
employees to be retrenched after national government had finalised
the package in July.
Miller said job evaluation would be done in all departments to
identify employees who should be retrenched.
He said there were about 181000 public servants in the province
and the majority were in the departments of education and health.
"Too much is spent on personnel expenditure and we believe
there is a need to reduce the staff and their budget," he said.
About 83 percent of the 1998/99 budget was spent on salaries.
Miller declined to mention the departments and number of
employees who would be affected by the retrenchments.
He commended the provincial government for reducing its
expenditure from R19 billion to R17 billion in the 1998/99
financial year.
Government would save R250 million at the end of this financial
year and the saving would be used towards debt redemption, he said.
He said his department was planning to use a minimum of 85
percent from the next three years' budgets to fund the education,
health and welfare departments.
He said the department was also working hard to get value for
money spent and to eliminate fraud and corruption.
@ TRUTH-IFP
NELSPRUIT 4 February 1999 Sapa
IFP MEMBER DENIED AMNESTY IN NELSPRUIT
An Inkatha Freedom Party member who killed a childhood friend,
saying he did so to ensure the IFP won the 1994 general election,
was denied amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on
Thursday.
Denying Solomon Collen Mtambo amnesty, the TRC's amnesty
committee sitting in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, said there were too
many contradictions in his statement.
Mtambo, of Kwadela in Davel, is serving a 12-year sentence for
murdering African National Congress member Mshengu Phungwayo on May
29, 1993.
In his amnesty application, Mtambo said he wanted to eliminate
members of the ANC in Davel so the IFP would win the 1994 election.
He said Phungwayo, who he grew up with, was a stumbling block to
the the IFP's success in the region because Phungwayo was chairman
of the ANC Youth League.
Phungwayo's cousin, Trevor Phungwayo, said his cousin was an
ordinary ANC member, not one of its leaders. The amnesty committee
ruled that Mtambo had tried to create a political context to
justify killing Phungwayo.
@ CRIME-STOP
PRETORIA 4 February 1999 Sapa
CRIME STOP NUMBER HELPED POLICE ARREST 1200 SUSPECTS LAST YEAR
Telephone tips from the public last year helped police arrest
about 1200 criminal suspects and retrieve stolen goods valued at
more than R44 million, police said on Thursday.
A total of 1064 stolen vehicles were recovered in this way,
detective service head Commissioner Manie Schoeman said in a
statement in Pretoria.
He said police investigated about 13000 tips provided by the
public on the Crime Stop toll-free telephone number.
The Crime Stop project also brought a sharp rise in the number
of missing people traced by police.
"Since the inception of the national bureau for missing persons
in 1994 until December last year, 98995 individuals were reported
missing, of which 6464 were found and returned to their families,"
Schoeman said.
"Prior to this, the success rate of locating missing persons
was negligible."
Crime Stop had proved to be an excellent example of the
advantage of good relations between the police and community,
Schoeman said.
ven more use of the toll-free
number to report crimes or clues, and said many people were still
afraid or reluctant to do so.
Crime Stop guarantees callers anonymity and offers a financial
reward for information received. The number is 0800-11-12-13.
@ BRITAIN-LOCKERBIE
LONDON 4 February 1999 Sapa-AP
SAUDI ENVOY SEEKS DEAL ON HANDING OVER LOCKERBIE SUSPECTS
Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington has had new talks in
Libya to try to secure the handover for trial in The Netherlands of
two suspects in the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie,
Scotland, British officials said Thursday.
Western diplomats based in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, said
Prince Bandar bin Sultan arrived in Tripoli on Tuesday.
In London, Foreign Office Minister Derek Fatchett confirmed the
talks but refused to say if this was a last-ditch attempt before
the United States and Britain demand new sanctions against Libya.
The only outstanding dispute was over where the men would serve
jail sentences if convicted by Scottish judges sitting in a special
court in The Netherlands, said Fatchett.
Britain and the United States insist the men be jailed in
Scotland in connection with the disaster which killed 270 people,
mainly Britons and Americans. British officials say a Scottish
court has no authority to sentence anyone to prison in any other
country.
"There is irony in this," Fatchett told reporters. "... When
we have tried for the last 10 years to have these two people
indicted, we were told they were perfectly innocent."
The prince and a South African envoy met with Libyan leader
Col. Moammar Gadhafi last month and said afterward they believed
the suspects - Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah
- would be handed over within weeks.
The State Department said last month that unless Gadhafi hands
over the men in February, the United States will seek tougher
sanctions against Libya.
@ FREESTATE-CASH
BLOEMFONTEIN 4 February 1999 Sapa
FREE STATE WELFARE OWES R6,5m
The Free State department of social welfare had payments of
about R6,5 million outstanding after it settled 51 December claims
and all but three November claims in January.
According to a statement by the department in Bloemfontein on
Thursday, the outstanding three November claims were received late
from organisations.
In addition 228 December and 398 January payments were
outstanding. A meeting on January 25 with the consultative forum
for formal welfare organisations was followed up with a letter
regarding late payments to all organisations and facilities that
received funding from the department. The organisations have been
asked to inform the department by February 10 of their financial
positions and the difficulties being experienced.
The department said it planned close onitoring of payments to
non-governmental organisations, to gather information on the
implications of late payments, and to compile a report on this by
the end of February.
Where organisations were closing down, negotiations would be
held with organisations with similar aims to extend their services
if needed.
Three organisations were planning to close their offices, while
others curtailed their services in the rural areas. Some homes for
the aged were considering temporary closure, a creche had closed
and the department was aware of another contemplating closure.
Meanwhile, the department of health has reported that the
situation at most public health care hospitals and facilities in
the Free State remains unchanged.
There are still food shortages and threats of water and
electricity cuts. The situation had, however, stabilised and all
emergency and critical services were being delivered throughout the
province, said the department.
It had noted the decision of the cabinet to give financial
assistance to the Free State, and hoped to be able to meet its
commitments in the near future.
@ SESSION-PREVIEW by Dirk van Zyl
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
MPS PREPARING FOR HECTIC SESSION
MPs are gearing themselves up for a hectic schedule in the last
session of the current Parliament, which starts on Friday with
President Nelson Mandela's opening address.
With about 41 bills prioritised by the Cabinet for passage
during the next seven weeks, and a full Budget process to complete,
the politicians will be expected to attend numerous committee
meetings and plenary debates - the latter sometimes happening
simultaneously in what are called "extended public committees".
To meet the deadline for Parliament's scheduled adjournment on
March 26, a number of night sittings are also on the cards, African
National Congress chief whip Tony Yengeni said this week.
Special debates are expected to be held on a number of topics,
including one at a joint sitting between the National Assembly and
the National Council of Provinces on February 25 on the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission report.
Mandela will lead the government team in this debate.
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel is to deliver his Budget on
February 17, with a consideration of the various ministerial votes
to occupy most of March.
National Assembly Speaker Dr Frene Ginwala said on Thursday
that the final deadline for the submission of bills for
consideration in this session was February 19.
The emphasis this session would largely be on committee work,
she said.
Yengeni said MPs would be expected to be disciplined in
attending National Assembly sittings and portfolio committee
meetings so that the March 26 adjournment deadline could be met.
This would free the politicians to campaign for the forthcoming
general election.
Legislation expected to be dealt with includes the
controversial smoking, broadcasting and liquor bills, sent back to
the Assembly by Mandela last month, as well as three Constitutional
amendments and a number of justice and finance bills.
Highlights of the session are expected to include Mandela's
opening-of-Parliament address on Friday - the last he will make
before he retires - and the subsequent debate on it; debates on
Mandela's and Deputy President Thabo Mbeki's Budget votes; the
special debate on the TRC report; and an expected farewell address
by Mandela to the NCOP.
Yengeni said a smooth transition was being planned to the new
Parliament, with training manuals being compiled.
New MPs should be made to feel welcome in "this strange and
sometimes intimidating atmosphere".
@ REGISTER-PROVINCES
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
MOST PEOPLE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN MPUMULANGA AND GAUTENG
Mpumalanga and Gauteng are leading the country in the general
number of people registering to vote in the forthcoming election,
Independent Electoral Commission spokeswoman Lydia Young said on
Thursday.
Mpumalanga leads the country with 58,5 percent of citizens
having registered. Gauteng is a close second with 58 percent.
Still, the number of young people registering to vote remains
low throughout the country.
Young said in the 16 to 18-year-old group voter registration
had only increased from three percent to six.
This was less than the average 14 percent increase of
registered voters in general.
In the Eastern Cape, only 19 percent of the 18 to 20-year-old
group registered to vote.
This is below the average national percentage of youth
registrations.
Young advised voters whose names did not appear on the
registration list to give their personal details to their local
electoral officers.
Voters were advised to ask for special registration only if
they fell into the stipulated categories.
@ CRIME-GOODHOPE
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
OPERATION GOOD HOPE IN FULL SWING - COMMISSIONER
Operation Good Hope, launched to combat urban terrorism in the
Western Cape, was in full swing and police were satisfied with the
progress made so far, operations head assistant commissioner Ganief
Daniels said on Thursday.
"We have received our resources and the unit is up and running.
We are confident we will make inroads," Daniels said at a media
briefing at east metropole police headquarters in Bellville.
He said police were adopting a zero tolerance regarding urban
terrorism.
Daniels said the media should understand the sensitivity of the
operation. "We are planning on a daily basis and would like to give
the media as much information as possible, but obviously a lot of
it is of a sensitive nature."
He said the five People Against Gangsterism and Drugs members
arrested near Prince Albert in the Karoo on Wednesday, being held
under the Firearms Act, would appear in the Oudtshoorn Regional
Court on Thursday.
Asked to respond to claims by Pagad that the arrested men were
made to lie on the ground in the hot sun for five hours, Daniels
said: "That's not true."
Daniels said the success of the operation was to a large extent
dependent on the community and he appealed to anyone with
information to telephone the unit's hot line (021) 934-5959.
@ LABOUR-JOBS
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
LABOUR FEDERATIONS ANNOUNCE IMMINENT LAUNCH OF JOB CREATION
FUND
The Job Creation Fund announced by labour federations Cosatu,
Fedusa and Nactu at last year's Presidential Job Summit will be
launched in the next two weeks.
Announcing the impending launch, Congress of SA Trade Unions'
spokesman Charley Lewis said on Thursday: "This initiative has to
be seen against the background of an unemployment crisis which
currently stands at 37 percent. This is a desperate situation for
our people and one which requires bold measures."
The fund will receive its first financial injection on March 3
when members of Cosatu, the Federation of Unions of SA, and the
National Congress of Trade Unions hand over a day's wages. The
capital will subsequently be used for grants to job creation
projects.
"The universal slogan of working people - "An injury to one is
an injury to all" - means that workers are prepared to make
enormous sacrifices in order to pledge solidarity to one another,"
Lewis said.
But the federations are also calling on all employed South
Africans across the spectrum to donate the value of one day of
their labour to the initiative.
"South Africa faces imminent social disaster beyond the
capacity of government alone to redress. The time to act to create
jobs is now and not tomorrow," he said.
In addition, we challenge business at all levels to
demonstrate their commitment to job creation by donating a day's
profit to the job creation fund."
This would make a day's gross domestic product available for
appropriate projects.
While the primary mission of the fund was to raise
contributions and to filter these monies to job creation
programmes, its subsidiary objectives would be to make donations to
unemployment programs for youth; to projects targeted at women and
the rural poor, and to support literacy and health education
programmes, including HIV/AIDS programmes.
To achieve these aims, the fund's administrators would work in
partnership with government, other similar funds and international
organisations.
The 12 people nominated as the fund's trustees include Rabbi
Cyril Harris, Beyers Naude and Albertina Sisulu.
President Nelson Mandela, Deputy President Thabo Mbeki and
Minister of Trade and Industry Alec Erwin were expected to attend
the launch, the date of which would soon be announced, Lewis said.
@ REGISTER-KWANATAL
DURBAN 4 February 1999 Sapa
KZN ELECTORAL OFFICER CALLS FOR INTENSE VOTER EDUCATION
CAMPAIGN
KwaZulu-Natal needed an intense voter registration campaign
following a low turnout at registration stations, electoral officer
Christopher Mzoneli said on Thursday.
Mzoneli was speaking at a press conference in Durban attended
by local electoral officers and the provincial political liaison
committee.
He said the second round of registration in the province went
smoothly, but that he was concerned about a low turnout at voter
registration stations.
"Our assessment is that there is a need for an intense voter
education campaign by the Independent Electoral Commission as well
as other stakeholders."
Mzoneli said the IEC was prepared to make the necessary effort
to embark on the campaign.
Since December about 2664190 potential voters have registered
out of the 5494445 which were expected. Mzoneli said 683957 people
registered in the second round. However, the downloading process of
figures was still continuing.
Mzoneli added that there were strong indications that not
enough youth and working people had registered. He urged the public
to make use of the third round of registration, from March 5 to 6.
Special registration is currently taking place for the infirm,
the aged and hospitalised patients, Mzoneli said.
The political liaison committee said political parties had done
their best to motivate their supporters to register. The committee
said some parties had raised concerns about the lack of funding for
the elections by the national government.
The committee also raised concern about bar-coded identity
documents and called for the used of mobile stations to help rural
dwellers apply for temporary registration certificates.
"South Africans need to question their participation in the
governance of the country and actively participate in the electoral
process," Mzoneli said.
@ AFRICA IS IN CRISIS TODAY
Issued by: Church of the Province
MEDIA RELEASE BY THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH OF THE PROVINCE
OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (ANGLICAN), GEORGE, THURSDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 1999.
The Synod of Bishops of the Anglican Church has issued a
statement on the situation in Africa, in which they raise several
concerns about the state of the continent. The full text of the
statement is as follows:
Africa is in crisis today.
Wars in the Sudan, Sierra Leone, Angola and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo have repercussions in every corner of the
continent. There is even armed conflict over the possible secession
of the Caprivi. In our southern African region we know that these
wars are causing grief, destruction and misery. People are
displaced, children orphaned, and lands made uninhabitable. Nation
states engage in military adventures and their people know nothing
until the coffins start coming home. Weapon sales proliferate and
scarce resources are wasted.
As always, war bears most heavily on the poorest and most
vulnerable people.
Crime and violence are a serious affliction in our countries,
aggravated not only by poverty and need, but by the vicious legacy
of apartheid and the urge to revenge, the presence of international
criminal organisations and disaffected groups in possession of arms.
Physical cruelty and abuse are experienced not only by affluent
targets of criminal activity but by women and children in our
neediest communities.
We continue to rejoice in new freedom and real accomplishments
in many of the nations of southern Africa, especially since the
ending of apartheid. We thank God for all those who have worked with
integrity, self-sacrifice and a co-operative spirit to achieve this
progress.
Yet various uncertainties surround planned elections in Angola,
Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa. All these pose a
threat to democracy. Widespread disillusion with democratic
processes - and in some contexts, concern for democracy itself -
seem to have been reflected in low turnouts for registration and
voting. Such developments could deprive citizens of a part in
framing their own lives, foster corruption and even open a door to
dictatorship.
All around us, poverty and unemployment have been viciously
twisted by international economic developments, and by unpayable
debt manipulated by outside forces. Sovereign governments, for
example in Mozambique, are unable to care for their people because
of their interest payment obligations.
Disease of every kind, exacerbated by the HIV virus, feeds on
malnourished, under-resourced and displaced populations. Mosquito
spraying has been disrupted by civil strife and malaria is
consequently spreading. TB and even measles are on the increase.
AIDS orphans present new challenges to the adult populations of
southern Africa.
In many of our countries, effective governance is undermined not
only by international pressures but by gross corruption at many
levels. The poor especially experience government as insensitive,
out of touch and unresponsive.
This Synod of Bishops therefore calls on our members and our
ecumenical partners to support all efforts to stamp out corruption,
and to establish good government and peace in the region. We urge
our people to pray earnestly against the spirit of hatred and
revenge which hovers threateningly over our nations. We Christians
are called to live and proclaim good news. Our churches need to be
active in care and education in the face of disease. We must
persevere in our opposition to firearms at the personal level and
inappropriate arms trade at the national level. We must not give up
on democracy but engage in political processes at local and other
levels. We must pursue peace and reconciliation and urge our
governments to do the same.
All of us in the churches must remain steadfastly committed to
the establishment of just and compassionate societies in southern
Africa."
Media contact: Ruth Coggin (011) 487-0026 or Susan Wynne
Cell: 082-900-0168
Quo Vadis Communications achieves astounding marketing
communications success for a wide range of clients. Make your
marketing communications sparkle with our award-winning
professional
input.
Tel: (011) 648-5461; (011) 487-0026
Fax: (011) 487-1994
Cell: 082-900-0168
e-mail: cog...@sn.apc.org
@ VASSEN-DP
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
WHY WAS VASSEN NOT CHARGED, ASKS DP
If the African National Congress wanted to send a clear message
to criminals, they should charge former attorney and aspiring
diplomat Ramesh Vassen and prove that everyone was equal before the
law, Democratic Party justice spokesman Douglas Gibson said on
Thursday.
He was commenting following a decision not to annul Vassen's
recent appointment as consul-general to India. Vassen, a former law
partner of Justice Minister Dullah Omar, was struck from the roll
of attorneys in 1996 after the Cape High Court found him guilty of
misuse and theft of trust moneys, including R61763,55 from a
deceased estate.
"Why have criminal charges never been brought against disgraced
attorney and aspiring diplomat Mr Ramesh Vassen?
"If criminal charges were laid by the Law Society, who took the
decision not to bring the case to court?" Gibson said in a
statement.
"If charges were not brought, who exerted pressure on the Law
Society to depart from the customary procedure of charging the
person involved?"
Gibson said Vassen appeared to be living a "charmed life" under
the ANC government, where his "struggle credentials" and
connections to the justice minister had granted him an immunity
from the prosecution faced by other disgraced attorneys.
Vassen's appointment was confirmed this week by Foreign Affairs
Minister Alfred Nzo, who said the former attorney deserved a
"second chance".
@ THAI-SA
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
THAI PRINCESS VISITS SA
A Thai princess and chemistry professor, Chulabhorn Mahidol,
will be a keynote speaker at a science conference at the University
of Cape Town next week, the Thai embassy announced on Thursday.
The princess, youngest daughter of Thailand's King Bhumibol and
Queen Sirikit, is professor of organic chemistry at Mahidol
University in Bangkok and president of the Chulabhorn Research
Institute.
She will be speaking at a conference of the Third World
Organisation for Women in Science.
During her nine-day stay she will also hold talks with
President Nelson Mandela and Science and Technology Minister Ben
Ngubane.
@ SAHRC-TERRORISM
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
SAHRC URGES ACTION ON WCAPE URBAN TERRORISM: WESSELS
South Africa's law enforcement agencies needed to work hard to
eradicate urban terrorism in the Western Cape because it impacted
negatively on the rights of people in the province, SA Human Rights
Commission member Leon Wessels said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters in Cape Town after a tour of the
province, he said he had impressed upon Western Cape police
commissioner Leon Wessels the need to deal with the problem
urgently because it affected the right to freedom of association.
"We encouraged them to enforce the law meticulously and to get
to the bottom of it.
Wessels, recently apponted to the SAHRC and who will be
responsible for the Western Cape, said he was saddened by the fact
that people in the province did not know the human rights chapter
as enshrined in the constitution.
SAHRC chairman Dr Barney Pityana echoed Wessels' concerns,
saying advancing equality for all in South Africa would be the
SAHRC's priority for 1999.
"Fundamental to everything we fought for... struggled for and
seek to achieve is equality and social justice," he said, adding
that if "we advance equality for all South Africans, we shall have
done a lot... we shall have done 80 percent of what the people of
our country seek out of the changes that were ushered in in 1994".
Pityana said uprooting racism within all sectors of society
remained a priority for the commission as well.
Four years after the introduction of democratic rule, more than
80 percent of South Africans were still subjected to racism and
discrimination, and Pityana said that was unacceptable.
This was mostly experienced in the housing, health and travel
fields and workplaces.
"If you can have an issue that affects at least 80 percent of
the population of our country with devastating and painful
results... then that has to be a priority. It just has to be a
priority."
@ REGISTER-BISHOPS
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
ANGLICAN BISHOPS CALL ON VOTERS TO REGISTER
Anglican bishops on Thursday called on eligible voters to
register and vote in the upcoming general election.
The bishops said in a statement released in Johannesburg: "We
the Bishops of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa affirm
the constitutional right of every eligible person to register and
vote.
"We call upon all people who are eligible to vote to be calm
and to register as advised by the Independent Electoral Commission.
We believe that elections have the potential to influence
democratic government and effective governance that will improve
the quality of life for all South Africans."
The bishops also called on the government to urgently resolve
the bar-coded identity document issue and urged the IEC to ensure
all people above 18 years have the opportunity to register and
vote.
The bishops encouraged voters to consider carefully the
exercise of their vote. Church leaders and political parties were
urged to develop a code of conduct that would be monitored by all
participating parties.
@ TRUTH-THOKOZA By Ken Daniels
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
AMNESTY COMMITTEE HEARS OF CYCLE OF REVENGE IN EAST RAND WAR
The cycle of violence during the East Rand war in the early
1990s was recalled during the Truth and Reconcilition Commission's
amnesty hearings in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The TRC's Amnesty Committe heard testimony from former members
of the self defence units of the African National Congress who are
applying for amnesty for their part in the violence that beset the
East Rand townships in the early 199's.
A member of the Thokoza SDU, Jethro Mtshali, 23, told the
committee that he was at school at the time violence broke out in
his area. He said he realised it was his duty to defend his
community from attacks by Inkatha Freedom Party supporters so he
joined the local SDU.
Mtshali described how he and other SDU members attacked the
home of Gonabe Dube who he believed to be an IFP supporter and
collaborator. He said that when SDU members knocked on the door,
Dube hid in a back room but they broke a window and entered the
house. He said he fired shots at Dube and believed he killed him
but it subsequently emerged that his victim had survived.
Mtshali said that one of the members who had taken part in the
attack was later killed in the ensuing violence in the area. He
said he believed that the man died in a revenge attack by Dube's
family.
Mtshali said he regretted the attack and asked Dube fr
forgiveness. He is one of 56 former Thokoza SDU members who are
applying for amnesty for their part in the violence.
Mtshali along with many other SDU members was never charged
with murders resulting from the violence.
The hearing continues on Monday.
@ ANGOLA-PLANECRASH
LISBON 4 February 1999 Sapa-AP
ANTONOV CARGO PLANE CRASHES IN NORTHEASTERN ANGOLA
An Antonov cargo plane crashed Thursday in northeastern Angola,
news reports said, the second Antonov aircraft in a week to go down
in the southwest African country.
The Antonov-26 overshot the runway as it landed in bad weather
at Luzamba, some 600 kilometers (370 miles) east of the capital
Luanda, the Portuguese radio station TSF reported.
The number of crew members and passengers was not immediately
available, but a Civil Aviation official in Luanda said there were
"many wounded," who were flown to the capital, according to the
Portuguese news agency Lusa.
The aircraft, owned by the private Angolan company AirAngol,
had taken off from Luanda.
No further information was immediately available. Thursday was
a public holiday in Angola.
An Antonov-12 cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff from
Luanda international airport Tuesday, smashing into a shantytown in
the suburbs of the Angolan capital and killing 28 people.
Since 1996, five Russian-built Antonov aircraft have crashed in
Angola, killing 39 people. Officials blamed poor maintenance for
previous accidents.
@ MANDELA-OPPOSITION
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
OPPOSITION PARTIES URGE MANDELA TO CLARIFY ELECTION DATE
At least two opposition parties on Thursday urged President
Nelson Mandela to give clarity on the election date in his opening
of Parliament address, with the New National Party saying it would
be irresponsible not to do so.
The United Democratic Movement echoed the call.
The argument that Mandela could not announce a date at this
stage was invalid as it was only the proclamation of the election
which could not be done without the necessary amendment to the
constitution, NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk said.
The reason behind set dates for the elections was that the
government and opposition were placed on a level playing field, he
said.
"At the moment the ANC has an unfair advantage because it is
only they who know when the election will be."
Van Schalkwyk said it would be Mandela's last opportunity to
fully account to Parliament for his government's performance and
the fulfillment of the African National Congress' 1994 election
promises.
"It has become quite clear over time that the ANC was not
`ready to govern' as they claimed in 1994."
Violent crime was much worse than in 1994, while 1997 saw the
worst matric pass rate in the history of the country, excluding the
Western Cape, he said.
Hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost during the ANC's
governance and job creation levels in the country were at an
18-year low.
The million houses that the ANC promised to build never
materialised, and its promises about good governance had only
resulted in a dramatic increase in corruption.
Mandela had two options, either to admit the ANC's failure in
key areas or to announce a dramatic plan to fast track the
government's previous undertaking, Van Schalkwyk said.
The Democratic Party said Mandela's speech would be a test of
the ANC government's commitment to the long-term future of South
Africa.
Mandela should use the opportunity to put South Africa first,
DP leader Tony Leon said in a statement.
"Will President Mandela demonstrate such commitment, or will he
trade our future for the short-term prize of votes in the 1999
election?"
Among other things, Mandela should acknowledge the need to
review all labour legislation with the aim of boosting job creation
and economic growth, and commit his government to act on this.
He should also recognise that the fear of crime was a
legitimate concern affecting all South Africans, and should take
corrective steps in this regard, Leon said.
Freedom Front leader Constand Viljoen said his party would
strive to limit the ANC's interference in almost every sphere of
life.
"On the eve of the opening of Parliament, the Freedom Front
realises this year - as in others - that the party will be at the
mercy of the majority."
The FF would continue to aim for the creation of a democracy
which could accommodate territorial and cultural self-determination
for the Afrikaner.
Ensuring that issues vital to South Africa, such as crime and
unemployment, were confronted and a smooth electoral path was
provided, would ensure an orderly transition, UDM president Bantu
Holomisa said.
"Such an orderly transition would only serve to enhance the
already notable legacy of Nelson Mandela."
@ LOCAL-Y2K
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO SPEARHEAD DRIVE TO OVERCOME Y2K BUG
Local authorities and provincial governments are to take a more
direct responsibility for monitoring compliance with Y2K - the
computer malfunction relating to the year 2000 - in their areas,
the Government Communications and Information Services said in a
statement on Thursday.
The need for local authorities to step up their Y2K
assessments, compliance and testing was highlighted at a meeting of
ministers and MECs for local government in Cape Town this week.
The meeting was attended by Posts, Telecommunications and
Broadcasting Minister Jay Naidoo, Constitutional Affairs Minister
Valli Moosa, local government MECs from the nine provinces and the
acting head of the National Y2K Decision Support Centre, Tsietsi
Maleho.
The meeting accepted the following action plan:
- MECs would take political responsibility for promoting Y2K
programmes in municipalities;
- local authorities would take part in the auditing and
monitoring surveys of the Y2K centre and this would be gazetted
into law;
- MECs would support the Y2K leadership conference to be held
at the end of February; and
- the Y2K centre would hold workshops in all provinces to
assist local authorities with their Y2K programmes.
Moosa said local authorities were taking the Y2K issue
seriously, but constraints of funding and skills had affected
progress in getting mission critical systems compliant,
particularly in outlying areas.
"The ripple effect of not being Y2K compliant - at least in
mission critical systems - is significant," Moosa said.
"For example, local authorities that are already cash-strapped
could lose revenues if they are not able to upgrade their
administrative and technical systems which are vulnerable to the
Y2K bug."
Administrative systems included billing systems for services
and consumption, account generation and receipts for payments made,
general ledger systems, creditors systems, payrolls and leave
records.
Technical systems included prepayment systems, metering and
measuring systems used for electricity billing, and systems that
use programmable logic controllers to provide control or have data
acquisition capabilities.
Naidoo said he welcomed the commitment by MECs to ensure the
least disruption in services.
He said one of the major obstacles faced by the Y2K centre was
the failure by local authorities to disclose their Y2K problems.
"It is vital that we get accurate information from local
authorities, otherwise we will not be able to come up with adequate
contingency plans," he said.
Naidoo said consumers should begin questioning their local
authorities about Y2K compliance to ensure that key services were
not disrupted.
@ REDCROSS-CLOSURE
UMTATA 4 February 1999 Sapa
UMTATA BRANCH OF RED CROSS CLOSED
The Umtata branch of the South African Red Cross Society closed
last Friday because it owes the national office R300000, society
director general Keith Gower said on Thursday.
Gower told Sapa he would travel to Umtata on Friday to lock the
offices and to close a feeding programme for 128000 school pupils.
The nutrition project would be taken over by an as yet unnamed
non governmental organisation while disaster relief would be
managed by other offices in the region and volunteers.
"They have been doing a good job but if every branch went into
debt the national society would close," Gower said.
"They are not financially viable and though they serve a
vulnerable community, (their debt) would pull the whole national
society into the red. We have to make reports to our donors and to
the general public.
"If we can't account for every single cent then we have a
problem. They are not providing monthly reports."
Gower said the closure of the Umtata office did not mean the
Red Cross was withdrawing from the Transkei.
They would retain satellite offices in Port St Johns and Mt
Ayliff.
Staff members would also continue working on a commission
basis.
However, Peter Madasa, chairman of the Umtata branch, pleaded
for the branch to remain open and for its programmes to continue.
He said the viability of the Umtata branch should be seen in
the context of its position in an area with no industry or big
business liberal enough to support it.
The supposed non-viability came from abruptly terminated
partnership projects which led to a situation where the branch
incurred costs in the belief that it would be remunerated, he said.
"It is an open secret that all non-profit organisations worth
their name are currently going through a financial squeeze in South
Africa," Madasa said in a statement.
Madasa said the Umtata office also felt neglected by the
national office and lacked financial and managerial support from
them.
However, they decided that they would be proactive and not
dwell on the negative, he said.
They had already secured a R300,000 first aid training contract
and were waiting for news on a funding proposal submitted to
Telkom.
"We are convinced and determined that the survival and
financial viability of this branch is to be attained through
sacrifice and hard work. Donor funding is but a means to an end,"
Madasa said.
Umtata and surrounding areas have been hit by severe storms
over the last few months leaving many people dead and hundreds
homeless.
@ BUSINESS-BOOK
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
BOOK OUTLINES ROLE OF BUSINESS IN SA
Business deals should in future be struck in the "public market
place" rather than behind closed doors as in the past, Centre for
Development and Enterprise (CDE) executive director Ann Bernstein
said on Thursday.
Speaking in Johannesburg at the launch of a book she co-edited,
"Business and Democracy - Cohabitation or Contradiction?",
Bernstein said business should also play a greater role in
influencing government policy.
Deputy President Thabo Mbeki knew the country needed a strong
business sector because it was the sector that created wealth, she
said.
Bernstein said business was lumbered with a legitimacy problem
because of its past links with the apartheid regime.
AngloGold chief-executive officer Bobby Godsell, who
contributed to the book, did not speak at the launch because he was
said to be in London.
The publication highlights the role of business in "transitions
to democracy and socio-economic development."
Several countries were covered in the research, including
Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Indonesia, the Philippines, Nigeria and
South Africa. The racial transition of Atlanta was also studied.
CDE is an "independent policy think-tank" based in South
Africa.
@ THE LAUNCH OF THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE PARTNERSHIP
Issued by: Ministry for Provincial Affairs
MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE LAUNCH OF THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE
PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME
The Department of Constitutional Development is involved in the
production of the Municipal Service Partnership policy framework. On
Monday the 8th February 1999 a capacity programme on this subject
will be Launched by the Director-General of the Department Mr Zam
Titus. This launch will take place at the University of Durban
Westville in the Senate chambers.
After extensive consultation the Department has developed a
second draft of the regulatory framework. Two consultative workshops
were held in 1997 with municipalities, NGO's and the business
sector. The Department's MSP programme has two main components.
These are the actual regulatory framework for MSP policy document,
and the MSP capacity building programme aimed at strengthening of
capacity at municipal level. The capacity building programme is
scheduled to start on 8 February 1999 in Durban and is expected to
contribute towards the building of capacity of the local government
leadership on municipal service partnerships. The training modules
will focus on techniques and best management practices in
structuring municipal service delivery partnerships.
This programme will take over five months and will begin in
Durban from 8 February 1999 in Cape Town 16 February 1999 and East
London 23 February 1999. The purpose of the programme is to assist
the local government leadership, Chief Executive Officers, Senior
Managers and Line-workers to manage and monitor municipal service
partnerships. Besides this initiative the Department will produce a
citizen's guide to municipal service partnerships. On the other hand
negotiations are already at an advanced stage with universities to
incorporate MSP as part of their long-term strategy to sustain the
MSP Capacity Building Programme.
We are confident that initiatives such as these will go a long
way in empowering our municipalities to cope with the challenges of
developmental local government. We have a vision that one day our
municipalities will also be able to sustain the infrastructure
challenges that face us. We call on all participants in the MSP
Programme to attend the capacity building session and become fully
involved in this all important programme.
Details of the programme will be made available at the launch
and will be available from the Department thereafter. Persons
requiring more information or wishing to participate in any one of
these programmes can contact Ms Gugu Moloi at (012) 334 0600.
Issued by the Ministry for Provincial Affairs and Constitutional
Development On 4 February 1999
Contact Person: JJ (Onkgopotse) Tabane at (021) 462 1441 or
08204656166
@ NORTHPROV-DAMS
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
THREE BIG DAMS IN LETABA CATCHMENT AREA OVERFLOWING
All three big dams in the Letaba catchment area in Northern
Province were overflowing on Thursday and emergency workers in the
region were again on full alert following a storm that wreaked
havoc at the weekend.
Mudslides and floods in the Ga-Sekororo region near Tzaneen
killed at least six people and injured four others on Sunday night.
Eleven homes were destroyed and rescue operations were mounted
throughout the week.
Emergency workers in the area on Thursday were expecting more
trouble.
A rescue organiser said a sniffer dog had indicated there could
be another body under rubble in the Drakensberg. However, a
front-end loader could not move in because heavy rain had started
and there was concern that a cyclone was on the way.
"The dams in the Letaba catchment area are starting to
overflow. The water levels are rising throughout the system, and
there could be floods downstream as far as Phalaborwa," he said.
"We are expecting trouble. The sky has gone black."
The emergency manager said the Tzaneen Dam was 102 percent
full, the Ebenezer Dam 101 percent full and Magoebaskloof Dam 102
percent full.
@ COURT-MERCURY
PIETERMARITZBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
TOXIC WASTE CASE AGAINST US COMPANY EXTENDED
A criminal case against American company Borden Chemicals and
Plastics for allegedly illegally sending toxic mercury-bearing
waste to South Africa has been extended until next week.
United States attorney Mary Ellen Dugan obtained the extension
in a last-minute move last week following appeals from an
environmental alliance including the Environmental Justice
Networking Forum (EJNF), the South African Exchange Programme,
Greenpeace, the Mercury Policy Project, the Asia Pacific
Environmental Exchange and the Base Action Network.
>From 1991 to 1994, Borden allegedly shipped more than 2500
drums of waste containing mercury to the Thor Chemicals plant in
Cato Ridge for "recycling" but the waste allegedly remained
stockpiled, a continual threat to workers and the environment.
While South African officials mull over what to do about this,
the steel barrels are said to be leaking hazardous toxins which
could further contaminate the soil and a nearby river used for
fishing and swimming by local residents.
This week Thor was denied permission to appeal against
compensation claims brought by Cato Ridge workers who allege that
they were poisoned by mercury at the Cato Ridge factory.
According to solicitor Richard Meeran, Thor workers had secured
the right to sue English parent company, Thor Chemicals Holdings
Ltd.
The previous cases were settled in April 1997 for UK1,3 million
before the lawsuit commenced.
@ MOKGOATLENG
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
MOTSHEKGA ACCEPTS FINDINGS OF THE MOKGOATLENG INQUIRY
Gauteng premier Mathole Motshekga on Thursday accepted certain
findings and recommendations of the Mokgoatleng commission of
inquiry into irregularities at the Kempton Park/Tembisa Council on
the East Rand.
In a statement his office said Motshekga on Thursday referred
the report to the council for consideration, comment and
implementation of certain of the findings.
The commission found that - among others - certain provisions
of the Local Government Transition Act were contravened and
recommended that disciplinary action be taken against some
officials.
The statement said Motshekga would further submit the report to
the Gauteng Legislature through the Speaker who would deal with it
in terms of the Provincial Commissions Act of 1997.
The report would also be referred to the SA Revenue Services
and director of public prosecutions for their consideration.
Meanwhile, Motshekga's office is to intervene in the crisis in
the delivery of emergency services in western Gauteng.
This followed a request by the Western Gauteng Services Council
for Motshekga to intervene in a bid to end the crisis.
The premier's legal advisor, Modidima Mannya, is to hold urgent
discussions on Thursday with the representative of the councils to
obtain further details of the request and a report of an
investigation conducted by the councils.
Motshekga is expected to receive a report on the matter on
Friday.
The ambulance services were restored following a resolution by
the Western Gauteng Services Council.
@ TRUTH-PMB
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
THIRTEEN TO SEEK AMNESTY FOR KWAZULU-NATAL KILLINGS
An African National Congress supporter who participated in the
massacre of 13 people at a night vigil in Verulam in 1990, and an
Inkatha Freedom Party official who killed seven people and tried to
kill four others in Imbali in the late 1980s, are among 13 people
who will appear before the Amnesty Committee of the Truth and
Reconciliation Committee in Pietermaritzburg next week.
The TRC said in a statement on Thursday that the hearing would
be held from Monday February 8 to Friday February 12 at the Marian
Centre in central Pietermaritzburg and would start at 9am each day.
The applicants are to appear before a three-member panel
chaired by Judge Hassan Mall of the Durban High Court.
Bongani Gilbert Ngobese, 43, an ANC member currently serving a
45-year prison term, has applied for amnesty for the killing of 13
people at the home of IFP chairman Dingindawo Xulu in Conttonlands
near Verulam during February 1993.
He also applied for amnesty for the murder of a Thulani
Mzikayifani Mthembu in Cottonlands on 26 December 1991. A group of
ANC supporters led by Ngobese attacked Mthembu at his home where he
was viciously assaulted before being killed.
Five other people who applied for amnesty for Mthembu's murder
are Lucky Christopher Mnembe, 27, Bheki Elliot Mgenge, Sibusiso
Mhlongo, Orient Khambule and Philani Luthuli.
Phumlani Derrick Mweli, 25, who says he was deputy chairman of
the IFP youth brigade in Imbali and is presently serving a life
sentence, has applied for the murder of seven people and attempts
on the lives of four others in Imbali between October 27 1988 and
January 16 1989.
The other applicants are Sibusiso Mbi Dladla, 29, who says he
was IFP youth organiser and leader of the self-protection unit in
the Emahhashini Section of Estcourt. He is applying for killing a
local school teacher, Mduduzi Owen Mabizela, on August 27 1993.
Linda Geodfrey Xaba, 40, an MK soldier who was trained in Cuba,
has applied for amnesty for the murder of Frederick Sydney Baxter,
a fellow ANC member whom he suspected of being a spy who had
infiltrated the ANC.
He shot him dead in Mount Ayliff in November 1993.
The last applicant is Sikhulu Patrick Hlengwa, an ANC member
who killed a fellow ANC member, Hlakaniphani John Mbeko, in Mfume
in the early 1990s.
@ UWC-DEBT
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
UWC AND SRC REACH AGREEMENT ON STUDENT DEBT
The University of the Western Cape has reached an amicable
agreement with students towards alleviating its staggering student
debt which was before Thursday in excess of R45-million.
The Registrar: Finance informed Rector Cecil Abrahams that the
university had managed to bring the amount down t about
R40-million after receiving some payments.
Members of the Student Representative Council and UWC
management held meetings over the past few weeks to try and resolve
the financial crisis and said on Thursday they would try to ensure
that the university was able to recoup much of the monies owed by
students.
In a joint statement, the parties said that if the debt was not
properly managed, the university would find it difficult to sustain
its normal operations.
In order to register for the 1999 academic year, new resident
students are required to pay R2500 up front, while non-resident
students will be required to pay R2000. A sliding scale of payments
has been agreed upon by the SRC and management for returning
students.
"Despite our desperate financial situation, we are prepared to
employ measures to assist the destitute to further their
education," said the statement.
Abrahams said the university was well-known for assisting
students from historically disadvantaged communities, because 90
percent of the students at UWC came from such backgrounds.
"It is the government's view, and (the view of) many others,
that students make a contribution towards paying for their
education, and we accept this.
"While we appreciate the increase in government funding for
higher education, we still implore government to process the
redress fund as a means of alleviating the burden of historically
disadvantaged institutions.
"Notwithstanding governmental intervention, students must
contribute towards their own education," he said.
The university also plans to launch a Masakhane campaign by the
end of this month. It will serve to enhance students' understanding
of the university's desperate financial situation and will also
approach the government for decisive action in the resolution of
this situation.
SRC president Ntsie Netshitomboni said the council was
committed towards securing UWC's future and ensuring that students
honour their debts.
"We are assured that UWC will move with peace this year rather
than the riots which plagued the campus last year," Netshitomboni
said.
A debt collection unit, which was formed last year, will keep
track of payments and ensure nobody defaults. Students who do not
have the full minimum contribution will be subject to a stringent
interview process to determine the factors affecting payment.
In the event of the parent or surety defaulting on the payment
plan and after sufficient warnings have been given, food credits
will be frozen, residence access will be denied in the second
semester and, finally, students will be de-registered after
consultation with the SRC.
Netshitomboni said: "If student debts continue to escalate, UWC
will have to close. I am appealing to those who care about their
university to get down on their knees and help in whatever way they
can."
@ CRIME-WOMEN
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
NEW COP STATION SENSITIVE TO CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN
The new police station due to open in Diepkloof, Soweto, later
this month will place greater emphasis on crimes committed against
women and children, Gauteng premier Mathole Motshekga said on SABC
television news on Thursday.
Soweto police spokesman Superintendent Govindsamy Mariemuthoo
said policemen at the station would be trained to be sensitive to
women and children reporting rape, child abuse and domestic
violence.
"Child abuse and violence against women have become national
priority crimes and police would be more sensitive to the victims,"
he said.
The new Diepkloof police station will open officially on
February 23.
@ FARMERS REJECT CLAIMS THAT WORKERS PREVENTED FOR
REGISTER
Issued by: East Cape News (Ecn)
GRAHAMSTOWN (ECN) - A leading Alexandria farmer has reacted
angrily to ANC claims that 700 farmworkers were prevented from
registering to vote and were threatened with sjambokking and
dismissal. Executive member of the Alexandria Agricultural
Association (AAA), Mr Morrice (Subs Morrice) Lavin said claims by
Albany ANC executive committee member Mr Thandisizwe Kimberly were
"utter hogwash".
Lavin said his members "were very positive" about the
registration process. "The claims by the ANC that any farmworker was
threatened is completely without substance." "None of our 55 member
farmers are against the registration process and many actively
assist their workers by providing transport during and after working
hours."
However, Lavin said some farmers would not allow their workers
to register during working time, but had no objection to staff
registering after hours as registration stations were open until
9pm. "Other farmers took their staff in bakkies and tractors during
working hours and waited at the registration stations until their
labour had registered, then brought them back."
Other farmers had made vehicles available after hours so their
staff could go and register. "No farmer that I know of has ever
prevented is staff from leaving the farms on Saturdays and Sundays
after hours."
Referring to the incident where Geelhout farmer Mr Rohan (subs:
Rohan) Landman to have locked a gate after he discovered an IEC
representative and two other officials on his property, Lavin was
emphatic they were "trespassing". "I have spoken with Mr Landman and
the family had given permission for IEC officials to utilise the
Geelhoutboom Farm School as a registration point. "Mr Landman told
me he saw a strange vehicle on Sunday in a camp where he runs cattle
and, in view of the high incidence of stock theft in the area,
locked the gate and summonsed the police."
He said whatever happened then was between the police and the
"trespassers". "The point to be emphasised here is that private
property is private property and not even the police can enter my
farm without my permission or a valid search warrant." Eastern
Province Agricultural Union (EPAU) manager Mr Rory O'Moore said: "We
have encouraged farmers to assist with the registration of their
farmworkers. "But we cannot take responsibility for farmers who are
not members of our union.
"The mention of hostile farmers is very strange as only one is
named and at this stage I can not determine whether he is a member
or not." O'Moore said if any IEC officials wanted to register
workers on farms they were compelled to make appointments well in
advance. "In the light of the crime situation on farms, farmers are
reluctant to accept strangers on their lands without prior
arrangements being made. "The EPAU ... would like to appeal to to
all our members to co-operate and help their labour forces get
registered."
The farmer in the middle of the row, Mr Rohan (subs: Rohan)
Landman, 30, said many farmers had been murdered returning home from
church - just like had been on Sunday when he saw the ANC official's
bakkie heading towards his labourer's homes. He confirmed that he
locked the men in and went to call Sergeant Gordon Hendricks of the
Alexandria police.
The two men had found the ANC official at the registration
station at the school on his farm and that "he was fined". He denied
that he had prevented "them or anybody" from from registering.
"There is no racial element in this." "Any bakkie on my land without
my permission will be locked in. I once even locked a police van
into my camp."
"Even if President Mandela went into my land without my
persmission, I would arrest him." "These chaps think the whole of
South Africa belongs to them." He denied there was anyone either too
old to walk or paralysed on his farm, as the ANC claimed.
"There could be an old person on the farm, but for any black
person, to walk 500m is bugger all for them." "Everybody is getting
murdered on farms on Sundays as they come home from church. They'll
just walk all over you."
@ COURT-MONCHERIE
PRETORIA 4 February 1999 Sapa
ESCORT AGENCY MAN SAYS RESTRICTIONS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
The owner of a Pretoria escort agency on Thursday applied for a
High Court order against the Pretoria council and the South African
Narcotics Bureau, who he claims are depriving him of making a
living and placing unconstitutional restrictions on his business.
Wilhelm Oosthuizen, who has run Mon Cherie in Pretoria for the
past three years, said he was granted a trading licence, but under
certain conditions.
His escorts had to accompany clients solely to public places,
he could not advertise the agency by means of neon lighting or
signs and that he had to keep a register with the full names and
residential addresses of all clients.
He could not employ anyone without at least a standard eight
certificate, anyone who has been convicted under the Sexual
Offences Act or any other offence containing an element of sexual
indecency.
He could also not employ anyone under the age of 18, any
married woman or any officially enrolled student.
In terms of the conditions, police were permitted to inspect
his premises at any time without having to obtain a search warrant.
Anyone who sought employment from the agency had to furnish
their fingerprints, a recent photograph and address to SANAB.
The application was postponed indefinitely by Judge FC
Kirk-Cohen to await the outcome of a Constitutional Court
application about the legality of prostitution and keeping
brothels.
Oosthuizen has filed an affidavit supporting the Constitutional
Court application.
@ COMMUNITY POLICING STRUCTURES "HIJACKED - NEER
Issued by: East Cape News (Ecn)
BISHO (ECN) - A lack of guidance, leadership and broader
community involvement in Community Policing structures had led to
them being hijacked by certain elements. This was said by Eastern
Cape MEC for Safety and Security Dennis Neer at a workshop for the
R6m British Department for International Development (DFID) and
European Union (EU) Community Policing Project.
The workshop, titled "Partners in Policing", was held at the
Amatola Sun Hotel in Bisho. It aimed to work out how to strengthen
provincial community policing and bring together the relevant role
players.
These include the Department of Safety and Security, the
Provincial Community Police Board, Business Against Crime, the SAPS,
NGOs and local government structures. The workshop focused on needs
analysis, how to develop a Community Policing Forum (CPF) manual and
instituting a public awareness campaign.
The last and major phase of the project would be the training of
local communities and SAPS members in all areas around existing
provincial police stations.
Neer said the lack of finance earmarked for Community Policing
had thwarted capacity building programmes that could have improved
the performance and effectiveness of these structures. "It is
against this background that the intervention of the DFID/EU should
be seen."
However, Neer said the Partners in Policing Project had a
daunting task of lobbying communities by using effective means of
communication.
He said: "We need to move away from passive means of
communication and ... draw broader participation of our different
communities." Neer said there was a need to use simple but effective
communication means to "popularise the need to improve relationships
between the police and communities ".
He said attention had to be given to basic skills such as
organisation and report writing.
@ EXAMS
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
CLAMPDOWN ON FREE EDUCATION PROPOSED
The state should stop giving free education to children over
15, and students should pay a fee to write the senior certificate
(SC) exam, a government-appointed committee has recommended.
Its report, released on Thursday, also proposed a new exit exam
be established at the Grade 9 level to mark the end of free and
compulsory schooling, and that a new body be formed to oversee SC
exam standards.
The report said there was a "generally diminished culture of
learning" in South Africa, and noted that among the reasons for
appalling matric results at some schools was that textbooks reached
pupils only days before the exam was written, or not at all.
Another cause of poor performance was erratic attendance by
pupils and teachers, while it appeared that many schools routinely
began their day haphazardly.
Inadequately trained and uncommitted chief examiners "add to
the general disillusionment and lack of motivation surrounding the
examination", the report said.
The committee, consisting of eight educationalists and chaired
by KwaZulu-Natal exams expert Dr Morgan Naidoo, was set up in the
wake of a national outcry over the 1997 senior certificate results,
which only 47 percent of candidates passed.
The SC system has been criticised for preparing pupils only for
higher education, and not helping them map out non-academic
alternatives and career paths after leaving school.
Education Minister Sibusiso Bengu told journalists in Cape Town
on Thursday that the committee's recommendations were "reasonable
and realistic". However, he was not prepared to say whether he
would accept them.
They would be canvassed with interest groups and referred to
the National Assembly's education committee before any decisions
were taken.
The report said that given the lack of alternatives to
traditional secondary schooling, the state not surprisingly
hesitated to implement its policy of providing free compulsory
education only up to 15.
Annually, thousands of candidates still studied and wrote the
SC at state expense, even though they were well over 20 years old.
The committee recommended that a clear date should be set this
year for implementing 15 as the end of compulsory free education.
The committee suggested that a general education and training
certificate exam be instituted at the Grade 9 level, which should
be followed up by providing alternative pathways for learning, to
give a qualification for students who were not necessarily going on
to traditional senior secondary schooling or higher education.
This would take some pressure off the SC.
The SC itself should be gradually replaced by a further
education and training certificate which would meet the
requirements of school-leaving, work-readiness and access to higher
education.
The committee found that the South African Certification
Council - the body which moderates all SC exams, sets general
standards and issues the actual certificates - was performing
poorly, and it and the Matriculation Board should be gradually
replaced by a new body, the Further Education and Training Quality
Assurer.
The report urged that the higher and standard grades of
subjects be combined "in the context of a genuine standards-setting
process".
Chairman of the education portfolio committee Dr Blade Nzimande
said he was excited by the report, which responded to some of the
issues raised in the committee. The SC exam was a "relic of the
past", he said.
@ WHAT LOW YOUTH TURNOUT
Issued by: East Cape News (Ecn)
BISHO (ECN) - The provincial ANC Youth League yesterday (SUBS:
Thurs) said it was surprise at the dismal turnout of youth at
registration stations in the Eastern Cape.
It blamed the difficulty of reaching youth in rural areas. The
IEC yesterday (subs: thurs) revealed that only 19 percent of the
province's youth in the 18 to 20 age group registered during the
second round of registration.
These figures were much lower than the national average.
However, Provincial Youth Commission chairman Thembicile Macelesi
said: "I think that the 19 percent is an improvement from the last
round of registration. The first round of registration saw only 8,1
percent of the 18 to 20 age group registering." Provincial ANC Youth
League chairman Bulumko Nelana told ECN: "We're suprised by the low
percentage because there was a lot of work done for the second round
of registration."
However, he said the league would target universities and
colleges and encourage more people to register and vote. Macelesi
was confident that the perentage would improve because of the five
days-a-week registration which was announced by the IEC at the
weekend.
"We are going to intensify our strategies. We will be visiting
schools, churches and where ever we can reach young people and
encourage them to register."
@ INDEPENDANT ASSESSOR TO PROBE FORT HARE
Issued by: East Cape News (Ecn)
GRAHAMSTOWN (ECN) - Education Minister Sibusiso Bengu has
announced the appointment of an independent assessor to probe
allegations of mismanagement at the near-bankrupt Fort Hare
university.
The announcement was made by Bengu at a press conference in Cape
Town yesterday. (subs:thurs) It will be the third probe into
historically black education institutions in less than a year. The
other universities are the University of Transkei and the
Vaal-Triangle Technikon.
The announcement follows a visit to the university by higher
education chief director Ahmed Essop where he met with workers,
academics and management.
Bengu's spokesman Bheki Khumalo said that after being briefed by
Essop the minister had decided to appoint the independent assessor.
He said the minister had indicated his concern about the
allegations.
Khumalo said: "What this means is that Fort Hare will be
formally notified and the minister will decide who the independent
assessor will be." There was no indication yet who the assessor
would be.
Khumalo said although earlier statements had been made by the
department that a probe was "not even being considered", later
information received "could not be taken lightly". The memorandum
charged widespread fraud and corruption and demanded the resignation
of vice-chancellor Professor Mbulelo Mzamane and two other
management members - Theo Maqashalala and Dr Isaac Mabindisa. The
suspension of the entire university council was also demanded.
University registrar Isaac Mabindisa welcomed the announcement
but said the terms of reference had yet to be announced and he would
reserve comment until there was clarity.
Responding to demands that he should step down, Mabindisa said:
"I am an employee of the university council and it is up to the
council to tell me I am not doing a good job."
Khumalo said the independent assessor would be appointed over
and above the forensic audit which has already been announced. "We
must get to the bone of the problems at Fort Hare."
@ JOB-SUMMIT
CAPE TOWN 4 February 1999 Sapa
SUPERVISORY STRUCTURE OF JOB SUMMIT MEETS
The supervisory structure of the Presidential Job Summit met in
Cape Town on Thursday and received report backs on the
implementation of agreements reached at the summit in October last
year.
A statement in Johannesburg by the National Economic,
Development and Labour Council said the meeting noted that work was
proceeding on all the issues agreed upon.
A framework for the housing project was underway, a business
trust had been set up, a labour trust was being set up and an
indication of the financial allocations to special employment
programmes would be given in the budget on February 17.
Nedlac said further steps needed to implement job summit
projects were discussed and it was agreed that reporting procedures
needed to be tightened.
Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin, who chairs the
structure, said the existing Cabinet investment cluster - led by
the ministries of Labour, Public Works, Trade and Industry and
Housing - would oversee the implementation of agreements.
The next meeting of the supervisory structure will be on March
5.
@ MOKGOATLENG-DP
JOHANNESBURG 4 February 1999 Sapa
DP CALLS FOR REINSTATEMENT OF COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
The Democratic Party in Gauteng East on Thursday called for the
reinstatement of the chief executive officer of the Kempton
Park/Tembisa town council, Johan Leibbrandt, as well as a statement
from the council absolving him of any wrongdoing.
This followed a report from the Mokgoatleng commission of
inquiry into allegations that Leibbrandt had gainfully invested R5
billion of council funds in December 1997.
DP councillor, Mike Waters, said in a statement: "Having
finally read the report which the premier (Mathole Motshekga) has
had in his possession for two months, it is obvious that Mr
Leibbrandt did nothing dishonest or underhand whatsoever.
"His suspension, which was wrongfully executed, must be lifted
with official acknowledgement by council that he is innocent of the
charges against him."
Waters claimed the fact that commissioner Ratha Mokgoatlheng's
findings on the one hand exonerated Leibbrandt, and on the other,
his recommendations called for Leibbrandt to be charged, was
evident that the commissioner had come under intense pressure from
the African National Congress to provide reason for Leibbrandt to
be dismissed.
Waters said the commissioner's recommendations to the premier
to consider laying charges against Leibbrandt were based on two
points which had been addressed in the report.
"Firstly council's financial investment committee had full
delegated powers to appoint the broker in question. Secondly, the
same committee's failure to publish details of the investments has
already been condoned by the auditor-general and full council.
"It is inconceivable that the commissioner genuinely believes
that Leibbrandt was personally guilty of any offence in this
regard," claimed Walters
@ REGISTER-IEC
PRETORIA 4 February 1999 Sapa
IEC SAYS 50,66 PERCENT OF POTENTIAL VOTERS REGISTERED
About 50,66 percent of the country's potential voters had
registered by the end of last weekend's registration drive, the
Independent Electoral Commission announced on Thursday.
Mpumalanga had the highest percentage of registered voters with
56,66 of its 1,73896 million voters on the roll. Followed by
Gauteng with 55,98 percent of its 5,689764 million voters.
The Western Cape had the lowest registration rate with 39,20
percent of its 2,800464 million voters registering and the Eastern
Cape did not fare much better with 49,74 percent of its 3,863149
million voters registering.
The IEC estimated at least 13,658031 million of the 26 millon
potential voters had registered as it continued tallying figures
from the weekend at its headquarters in Pretoria.
The running total included more than 9,8 million people who
registered during the first round of registration in November and
December last year.
Chief electoral officer Mandla Mchunu on Thursday in Pretoria
said South Africa may have less eligible voters than previously
estimated which mde it difficult to estimate how close the IEC
was to its target of registering all eligible voters.
He said an anaylsis would have to be conducted using the
population register and the voter's roll compiled so far to enable
the IEC to establish whether it had reached its target.
The provincial breakdown of registered voters at 9pm on
Thursday by number of potential voters, registered voters and
percentage of registered voters is as follows:
- Eastern Cape: 3863149 (potential), 1899610 (registered),
49,17 percent
- Free State: 1786371 (potential), 945162 (registered), 52,91
percent
- Gauteng: 5689764 (potential,) 3185248 (registered), 55,98
percent
- KwaZulu-Natal: 5494445 (potential), 2664190 (registered),
48,49 percent
- Mpumalanga: 1738960 (potential), 985349 (registered), 56,66
percent
- Northern Cape: 560891 (potential), 294154 (registered),
52,44 percent
- Northern Province: 2813093 (potential), 1505136
(registered), 53,50 percent
- North-West: 2213080 (potential), 1090850 (registered), 49,29
percent
- Western Cape: 2800464 (potential), 1088332 (registered),
38,86 percent
- Countrywide: 26960217 (potential), 13658031 (registered),
50,66 percent.
@ FLOOD
DURBAN 4 February 1999 Sapa
SEVEN RESCUED AS TORRENTIAL RAINS FLOOD DURBAN
Seven Reservoir Hills people were rescued by the Durban Fire
Brigade on Thursday night when torrential rains flooded the city.
"A number of houses all over the city were flooded after 120mm
of rain fell in three hours," fire chief Mark Te Water said.
"So far we are working on 76 recorded incidents - rescues from
rivers and responding to people trapped by the water. Certain
sub-stations have been flooded and all the rivers are coming down."
The Durban City Police closed the M19 as it was partially
obstructed by fallen trees.
Homes were swept away in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday night when
heavy rain submerged parts of the city.
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