Durban – A stolen trailer carrying a 12-metre shipping container with 24 tonnes of chicken, valued at about R400 000, has been recovered in Verulam, north of Durban, police and private security said.

Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said the trailer and container packed with chicken was spotted on the side of the road near Osindisweni Hospital in Verulam at about 06:00 on Tuesday.

“Police were alerted and the initial investigation revealed that they were stolen from Umbilo (Durban). The trailer and the container were handed back to their lawful owner,” she said.

No arrest has been made at this stage and police investigations are continuing.

Prem Balram, spokesperson for Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), said it was established that the stolen goods were valued at approximately R400 000.

“It is alleged that the contents of the shipping container were imported from Brazil… The contents of the container are generally used to manufacture processed chicken products such as polony, sausages and burgers,” he said.

He said it was believed that the suspects had stolen the wrong trailer as they had intended on stealing one containing dressed poultry.

The trailer carrying a container with chicken product was found abandoned in Verulam, Durban on Tuesday. (Image supplied by RUSA)

JOHANNESBURG – The ANC in the Free State has nominated Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as its preferred candidate for the ANC presidency.

She was nominated at the party’s contentious Provincial General Council.

Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza secured the deputy president nomination while Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa was nominated for National Chairperson.

WATCH: No one was left hanging in ANC nomination disputes: Duarte

ANC Free State chairman, Ace Magashule was nominated as Secretary General with Jessie Duarte as deputy.

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane was nominated as Treasurer General.

Provinces have been given until Sunday to finalise presidential nominations.

The party is pushing to complete the processes before its 54th National Conference in December.

BREAKING: Free State PGC outcome is NDZ as President, DD Mabuza as DP, Ace Magashule as SG, DSG Jessie Duarte, TG Maite Nkoana-Mashabane & Chairperson Nathi Mthethwa. #ANCFS

— Michael Appel (@TheMikeAppel) November 28, 2017

eNCA

Pretoria – Newly appointed national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole has vowed to serve the country with honour and courage. 

On Monday morning, Police Minister Fikile Mbalula presided over the ceremony to bestow the sword of command on Sitole. 

When Mbalula presented Sitole with the sword as a sign of his new power and authority – those in attendance cheered and ululated.

“General Sitole, it is your responsibility as the national police commissioner to ensure the safety of the citizens and inhabitants of this republic…” Mbalula said. 

However, speaking to reporters shortly after the ceremony, Sitole said he was one step ahead with his duties. 

He said his mandate was to ensure that economic growth was allowed to take place undisturbed. 

“I have a strong belief that, if there was economic stability, there would be no need for our communities to commit crime. Economic stability leads to social stability,” he said. 

Sitole added that he wanted to make things easier for himself, and had put plans into action to fight crime. 

“I don’t want to spend much time and resources hunting criminals that I may already know where they are,” he said. 

Sitole also said he would be beefing up policing in areas where crimes took place. 

Meanwhile, Mbalula said he was only expecting “simple” things from the newly appointed commissioner – including fighting corruption “without fear or favour”. 

“Our people are not asking much from him – they ask for honour,” he said. 

He said the power bestowed on Sitole was not “unfettered” by the democratic order and values.

On Thursday last week, after he was introduced as the new top cop, Sitole said he would not bow to political pressure or interference, adding that it was his duty to protect the integrity of the police. 

Sitole outlined his vision for SAPS and made it clear that there would be no political interference as he executed his vision. 

“Firstly, let me start by saying, it is my responsibility to orientate the minister on all operational policies that govern the police,” Sitole said at the time.

Sitole, as part of his vision for policing, includes a clampdown on gangsterism, reclaiming crime-infested areas that are a no-go zone for police, a dismantling of organised crime structures, as well as equipping police with resources and training to avoid cop killings.

Cape Town – The Western Cape ANC has called on their branch delegates to avoid potential vote buying as the party moves towards the national elective conference next month.

The Western Cape ANC held its provincial general council (PGC) on Sunday, where it was revealed that the majority of branches want Cyril Ramaphosa to be the party’s next president.

Ramaphosa beat all his rivals in the relatively small ANC province, with 121 out of 145 branch nominations. His closest rival, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, could only muster 13 nominations.

 – Read: Western Cape ANC branches choose Ramaphosa for president

Both the acting chairperson Khaya Magaxa and secretary Faiez Jacobs welcomed the results and urged those chosen to represent their branches next month to steer clear of potential temptation.

“There will be opportunities to influence or be influenced at the conference. We are saying quite clearly to the delegates that ‘you are in a fortunate position to represent the will of your branch’,” Jacobs told the media.

“We are calling on our comrades to be ethical, to have integrity and to ensure they express the will of their branches.”

They added that the party would do their best to insulate delegates from “the ugly head of vote buying”, but acknowledged it was important that delegates be given the freedom to make ethical decisions for themselves.

“What we will say is, if they take the money, then they don’t represent the will of their branch, and we will still have the core leadership challenges [we’ve always had].”

‘Checks and balances’

The “checks and balances” they have instituted include photographic evidence of each branch’s preferred nominations being sent to both provincial and national leaders.

The party will therefore have a general indication of which way their delegates should vote going into the secret ballot process in Johannesburg next month.

They will also hold “political education” talks with delegates over the next three weeks, Jacobs added.

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe also warned delegates earlier in the day of the pitfalls of selling their votes during his keynote address.

 – Read: ‘The ANC cannot be sold to the highest bidder’ – Mantashe

Acting provincial chairperson Khaya Magaxa said the process of collating all nominations through branch general meetings (BGMs) was a win for internal democracy.

The outcomes should thus represent the will of the branches and not vote buying.

“If we don’t do that, we will be undermining this whole process of BGMs,” Magaxa said.

Sisulu for deputy, Mantashe for chair

The Western Cape is the second province to complete its PGC and the second to support Ramaphosa after Northern Cape branches also chose to back the CR17 campaign.

It is the smallest province by branch delegates this year, a title previously held by the Northern Cape, and only represents 3.8% of the party’s total membership.

It will take 145 delegates to the national conference and another 27 provincial executive members to form part of its voting block.

Other results on Sunday include Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu receiving the most votes for the position of deputy president, with 98 branch nominations.

Incumbent secretary general Gwede Mantashe was chosen as the preferred candidate for the position of national chairperson, with 128 branch nominations.

Other key positions include: 

 – secretary general: Senzo Mchunu – 113
 – deputy secretary general: Zingiswa Losi – 60
 – treasurer general: Paul Mashatile – 127

Magaxa said earlier that the province still has around 10 disputes to resolve over select branch nominations, but their resolution would not affect the material results.

Their delegation will now try and lobby others to support Ramaphosa’s campaign going into the national conference next month, he said.

“Even those who have nominated otherwise, it will be our responsibility to convince them that the democratic will in the Western Cape is to support the name of comrade Cyril Ramaphosa as the president of the ANC.”

WATCH: ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe warns Western Cape ANC branch delegates of the dangers of members “selling their votes.” @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/Ye7t3lE3Nf

— Paul Herman (@PaulHermanCPT) November 26, 2017