Category Archives: South African News

eNCA | Moyane must be held to account and face prison time: Corruption Watch

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JOHANNESBURG – Corruption Watch says it will not let SARS boss Tom Moyane fade into the distance.

The corruption fighting NGO said that, if the National Prosecuting Authority failed to charge Moyane, they would pursue a private prosecution against him.

WATCH: Tom Moyane flouted law to appease Guptas: report

SARS Commissioner Moyane has been suspended by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“Moyane’s done countless things that are sufficient for an investigation. There’s the VAT issue with the Guptas; the Makwakwa issue; there’s the rogue unit issue, which arguably was the most damaging single event that South Africa has experienced, that led to the destruction of SARS, that led to the then hounding of the minister of finance, and that was a plan concocted between KPMG and Moyane to bascially cause absolute havoc in the country,” said David Lewis of Corruption Watch.

“This cannot be somone who can just be let go. Pleasureable as that may be, he’s got to be held to account for it and I’m afraid in this case, account is prison.”

eNCA

News24.com | Bereaved father starts drive to fix Limpopo schools

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Polokwane – The father of Michael Komape, the child who drowned in a pit toilet at school at the age of five, is determined to “fix” the poor condition of schools in Limpopo.

James Komape has started with school libraries, GroundUp reports.

“This is something that I am doing, not only to help the children, but I am also doing it in honour of Michael,” Komape said, speaking in Sepedi.

“I don’t want my son to be forgotten, I want his name and memory to live on… Even before he died, we had planned to do this library initiative together, so I am continuing it. Once we manage to build a library, it will be named after him.”

“Our community needs development… I approached the local chief here at Chebeng [Village]… I was granted a piece of land, but now I am seeking donations to help me build the library.”

“In the meantime, I have started the library drive at Hosea Ntsoane Primary School in Chebeng,” Komape added.

“Books and desks were donated to us, with most of the donations coming from Section27.”

The library is already almost fully stocked and is open from 06:00 to 20:00 every day. It caters for grades 5 to 7.

He said it pained him deeply that, since his son’s death, there has been no visible development or improvement in terms of toilets in the schools in their area.

Komape, his wife Rosina, son Lucas and daughter Lydia were all present at the Eastern Cape High Court in Bhisho last week to observe the case Equal Education had lodged as part of its Fix Our Schools campaign.

At a round table meeting held before the court case, Komape passionately expressed his disappointment and pain about what had happened to his son and the lack of school infrastructure, not only in Limpopo, but the Eastern Cape as well.

“I am a person who loves children and education. It absolutely hurt me when I visited one primary school in Limpopo and the whole class was sharing a textbook because they did not have any [books]. The schools and classes are overcrowded. I wish the government would build toilets, [and] libraries and provide water in schools,” Komape told the meeting.

The day before the court case, another five-year-old, Lumka Mketwa, died in a pit latrine at Luna Primary School in Bizana in the Eastern Cape.

eNCA | SA Rugby supports inclusivity on Human Rights Day with Jozi Cats

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JOHANNESBURG – SA Rugby has proudly endorsed a TAG rugby exhibition match between the Jozi Cats – South Africa’s first gay and inclusive competitive rugby team – and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Wednesday in celebration of Human Rights Day as the sport strives to achieve equality for all on and off the field.
 

The match will form part of the #PrideInRugby tournament at Diggers Rugby Club in Randburg, Johannesburg, and is one of several activities endorsed by the SAHRC throughout the country during human rights month to emphasise the value of respect for human rights in the country.

READ: Gay rugby team heading to game heartland

Through the clash, the participants hope to raise awareness about inequality on and off the rugby field, educate against homophobia and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and advocate for acceptance and respect for human rights in general.

“SA Rugby whole-heartedly supports this initiative by the Jozi Cats and South African Human Rights Commission, and we would like to congratulate them on the initative,” said SA Rugby president, Mr Mark Alexander.

“Rugby is all-inclusive, and everyone participating in the game should be treated equally and should feel free to be themselves on and off the field, regardless of their gender, race and sexual orientation. There is no place for discrimination in the game.”

Alexander added: “I would like to thank the Jozi Cats for the role they are playing in changing the face of the game and for their determination to show that there is a place for everyone in rugby.”

Jozi Cats chairperson, Chris Verrijdt, said: “To date, there have been no openly gay rugby players or officials in high-level rugby in the country.

“The participation of Jozi Cats in formal rugby structures can, therefore, play a role in reducing damaging stereotypes, encouraging greater participation of LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) people in rugby and fostering goodwill in the sport which can reduce discrimination in the future.”

The #PrideInRugby tournament will run from 07h30 on Wednesday, to 15h00 and members of the public are invited to participate.

African News Agency

News24.com | Expropriation: Constitutional Review Committee will visit every province

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Cape Town – Is section 25 of the Constitution an impediment to land reform?

This is the question that people from around the country will be able to answer when Parliament’s Constitutional Review Committee takes its show on the road in May.

The committee, which was tasked by the National Assembly last month to look into amending the Constitution to allow expropriation without compensation, met on Tuesday afternoon to compile a programme for its activities.

At the start of next month, the committee will publish advertisements for oral and written submissions from the public. The public will have a month to respond, committee co-chairperson Vincent Smith told journalists after the meeting.

Then, in May, the committee will split in two, with one group visiting each of the inland provinces, and the other each of the coastal provinces.

Smith said the plan was to spend at least three days in each province, with a bias towards weekends so that working people can also attend.

“[The committee] is going to ask the question: ‘Does section 25 cause any impediment to what we want to do?'” said Smith. 

‘No law may permit arbitrary deprivation of property’

He said the committee would also ask what mechanisms South Africans would like to see for the implementation of land reform.

By March 28 committee members will come back with suggestions on which towns or cities the committee will visit. 

Smith said he hoped the committee could spend more than three days in each province and that people could be bused to the venues, but this would depend on what their budget allows.

Also read: Land expropriation: Farmers stuck in limbo as investor uncertainty mounts

He said once the committee’s programme was finalised it would be referred to Parliament to assign a budget.

On February 27 the National Assembly passed a motion brought by the EFF to review section 25 of the Constitution – also called the property clause – to see if it should be amended to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation. 

In its current form, section 25 states that “no law may permit arbitrary deprivation of property” and that “[property] may be expropriated only in terms of law of general application (a) for a public purpose or in the public interest; and (b) subject to compensation, the amount of which and the time and manner of payment of which have either been agreed to by those affected or decided or approved by a court”.

Section 25 also says the “state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to foster conditions which enable citizens to gain access to land on an equitable basis”.

eNCA | President Ramaphosa suspends stubborn Moyane

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JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that he has suspended SARS commissioner Thomas Moyane, effective immediately.

The president stated that the ‘disciplinary proceedings’ that have been pending against Moyane hinder the credibility of SARS.

Moyane has been accused of dodging channels to assist the Guptas, which implicates Moyane in money laundering and fraud.

READ: Taxing times ahead for Makwakwa, despite resignation

It is alleged that he pressured SARS officials to make three VAT payments to the Guptas.

Moyane is expected to appear before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Finance, to explain his handling of the Jonas Makwakwa matter.

Former President Jacob Zuma appointed Moyane as the commissioner of SARS on 27 September 2014.

eNCA

News24.com | SARS’ Tom Moyane suspended with ‘immediate effect’

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Cape Town – SARS commissioner Tom Moyane has been suspended with immediate effect on Monday. 

“I can confirm that the president has informed Mr Tom Moyane of his suspension with immediate effect,”President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko told News24.

“This is pending the institution of disciplinary proceedings against him.”

Details of the disciplinary are not available yet.

“What the president did say though, and he will issue a statement shortly, is that he did say that he believes it is in the public interest that we restore the credibility of SARS without delay,” she said.

READ: SARS decries ‘attack’ on Moyane, urges Ramaphosa to fast track inquiry

A statement released by the Presidency on Monday night said that Ramaphosa told Moyane in a letter: “Developments at the SARS under your leadership have resulted in a deterioration in public confidence in the institution and in public finances being compromised. For the sake of the country and the economy, this situation cannot be allowed to continue, or to worsen.”
 
Diko said concern was raised in particular about the manner in which Moyane handled the matter of Jonas Makwakwa, who resigned last week, “his treatment of the report given to him by the Financial Intelligence Centre, and his failure to immediately report this to the Minister of Finance”.
 
Diko said another concern Ramaphosa raised was the management of VAT refunds, which had brought the SARS into “serious disrepute” and potentially jeopardised the integrity of the SARS as collector of revenue and adversely affected tax morality among tax payers.
 
“The decision to suspend Mr Moyane follows a meeting in which President Ramaphosa informed Mr Moyane that he had lost confidence in his ability to lead SARS and offered him an opportunity to resign with immediate effect, which Mr Moyane declined.”

READ: Ramaphosa must clean up SARS, NPA and PP office – Malala

Ramaphosa indicated that as SARS Commissioner, Moyane holds a high position of trust in the management of the country’s public finances, and necessary to act “urgently and immediately”. 
 
The Minister of Finance will announce the appointment of an Acting Commissioner for SARS.

This comes after the tax agency called on Ramaphosa to fast track the establishment of a commission into its leadership, as it lamented what it called an “ongoing media onslaught” focused on Moyane, Fin24 reported. 

Ramaphosa had announced a commission of inquiry into SARS leadership during his State of the Nation Address in mid-February. 

READ: SARS denies Moyane acted unlawfully in Gupta VAT repayments

Moyane has been under the media spotlight recently for his role in handling millions of rands in VAT refunds to a Gupta-linked company via a third party.

On Friday afternoon, the revenue service released a statement arguing that Moyane’s actions had been consistent with the law, and the refund was above board.

SARS argued that Moyane did not decide whether the payments should be made or not, also denying that Moyane had ever instructed any SARS employee to deal with the Oakbay complaint in one way or another.

News24.com | 7 armed men hold cleaner, guards at gunpoint before robbing Durban mall

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Durban – Police are investigating a case of business robbery after a group of armed men robbed two stores at the Westwood Mall in Westville, Durban, on Monday morning.

Seven armed men held two security guards and a cleaner at gunpoint after they forcefully gained entrance to the mall at about 01:30, said Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane.

“They then smashed open the glass doors of two stores inside the mall. They took jewellery, clothing, cellphones and perfumes, before fleeing the scene in their getaway vehicle,” said Zwane.

No arrests had been made yet, he said.

“A case of business robbery is being investigated by Westville SAPS,” Zwane said.

eNCA | Editor’s note: eNCA on Malema and white supremacy

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By: Mapi Mhlangu, eNCA MD and Editor-in-chief.

On Sunday 18 March 2018, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Julius Malema accused eNCA of protecting white privilege and white supremacy on Twitter. This accusation is disturbing given the values at the core of eNCA’s journalism over the last decade. Despite our relatively small size as a news organisation, we have consistently dedicated our limited resources to stories which have put justice, equality and human rights at the centre of our news, in line with our insistence that we offer news without fear or favour. Our staff have consistently told stories about what is broken in this country, how it can be fixed and how we can make each other accountable.

Mr Malema’s characterisation of eNCA is not supported by the factual record. The channel’s majority stakeholder is a Black empowerment company, Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI), and of that a significant share of eMedia is held by the South African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU). The ownership of eNCA through eMedia is therefore not as has often been alleged in public. Additionally, the staff members at eNCA are representative of the diversity of people who make up contemporary South Africa, who bring to their work divergent political views and social experiences, which inform our story-telling in ways which South Africans have appreciated to the extent of making us the most-watched channel among news viewers.

Mr Malema’s tweets have consequences, not least because he is the leader of a political party with substantial representation and support across South Africa. The first of these consequences have been threats to individual journalists in the wake of his online messages. At any other time in our country’s history this would have required a response from the editorial team, not least because it is a question of ensuring the safety of journalists in a democratic society. In the year ahead of what may be South Africa’s most important general elections since the abolition of legislated apartheid, the role of the news media and the safety of those who work in this crucial sector, cannot be overstated. We must remind ourselves the role that South Africa’s journalists and media organisations played in holding executive power to account and their key role in protecting the democratic order, which eventually saw the reinstitution of corruption charges against a former head of state.

Furthermore, eNCA operates in a highly regulated space governed by The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA). If political organisations or their leaders have concerns about news media organisations or their output, there are structures and processes in democratic South Africa available to them to pursue their complaints. The BCCSA is one avenue through which any person or organisation may pursue their complaint should direct engagement with that media organisation not be satisfactory. This is the democratic right assured all of us in democratic South Africa.

The legal and policy framework to which all news organisations are subject does not permit them to promulgate hatred or incite violence, or endorse such calls. We are strong supporters of this code, as is reflected in our editorial policy, which demand of our staff even more stringent commitment to the values of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. This is no small matter for eNCA; it is at the core of our ethos as a news organisation, and informs the work of all the people who work here on a daily basis.

Media freedom and the safety of journalists are under increasing threat around the world.  South Africans fought long and hard to guarantee this freedom as a pillar of the constitutional democracy.  Political parties, leaders and citizens have the freedom to criticise the media, but also have the responsibility to do so through the channels available to them in ways which contribute to strengthening democracy and accountability. eNCA is an organisation founded by people who opposed racist domination, and every day the hundreds of people who work incredibly hard to make eNCA the most watched news channel on satellite television in South Africa reaffirm that commitment to a democratic country in which we celebrate a plurality of views within the letter and spirit of constitutional democracy. We affirm that commitment to a democratic country in which we celebrate a plurality of views within the letter and spirit of constitutional democracy.

eNCA

News24.com | Theft and vandalism threatens Cape Town’s water security

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Cape Town – Theft and vandalism at aquifer drilling sites and of general water infrastructure in Cape Town is compromising water security, the City said on Sunday.

“The City of Cape Town has been informed that theft from aquifer drilling sites is making it difficult for contractors to bring more water online timeously,” said Xanthea Limberg, mayoral committee member for informal settlements, water and waste services and energy, in a statement.

She lamented the interference at these sites which were involved in “crucial work”, explaining that delays of “weeks at a time” were caused by such thefts.

“Furthermore, theft of other City infrastructure often results in water running to waste,” she added.

“It is not possible to reliably say how much water has been lost, but in this time of scarcity any water lost due to theft and vandalism is too much,” said Limberg.

Tools, batteries, vehicles and any materials which could be perceived to have scrap value are being targeted.

Since July 2017 more than R5m worth of hydrants, meters and valves have been stolen or damaged, she said.

An appeal was made for anyone with information about these crimes to report it.