Category Archives: South African News

News24.com | ANC, opposition parties condemn ‘proto-fascist’ EFF in SONA debate

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The “proto-fascist” EFF was roundly condemned on Tuesday as their disruptions at the start of Thursday evening’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) cast a pall on the SONA debate on Tuesday.

The debate of at least 10 hours started in the afternoon, introduced by ANC deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude.

She commended Thursday evening’s presiding officers – National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Amos Masondo – for “erring on the side of caution in the face of the utmost provocation”.

She also thanked the members of the House – “except [those] from one party” – for exercising discipline.

She said SONA was not a platform for the EFF to disrupt sittings and suggested a change of rules to make it harder for anyone to do so.

DA interim leader John Steenhuisen was the next speaker.

“You are not Maimane!” EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi cried, in reference to former DA leader Mmusi Maimane, when Steenhuisen started speaking.

Steenhuisen said South Africa was at a turning point and that everyone could feel it.

“But there can be no excuse for what transpired here in Parliament on Thursday night. I think most of us here were deeply embarrassed by what happened before the president’s speech,” Steenhuisen said.

He said they did not have to agree with each other, like each other, or be nice to each other as colleagues.

“But we do have to respect the rules of this House. Collectively, we represent 58 million South Africans – people who dream of a better life and a better country, people who need us to work together to find real solutions to their problems. Not grandstand for the television cameras. They demand better from us.”

Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu said most South Africans looked to Parliament to unpack the government’s plans “to create a better life for all”, but added that as parliamentary leaders, they had allowed “opportunistic elements to derail and defocus us”.

“The theatrics we witnessed here last week from the EFF will not transform society, will not create jobs and will not grow our economy. Instead of engaging in a battle of ideas, we were subjected to spurious points of order, childish antics and unruly behaviour,” Mthembu said.

“We agree with Father Michael Lapsley in his characterisation of the EFF’s behaviour in this House as anti-democratic, totally unacceptable and actually reprehensible. Their uncouth and disrespectful behaviour demonstrates the disdain they have for this august House and the people of South Africa.”

Mthembu said Ramaphosa was the one and only commander-in-chief in the country.

“It is you, in terms of our Constitution, who decides when to appoint or disappoint ministers in your Cabinet. Those who are seized by delusions of grandeur, fashion themselves as commanders-in-chief and instruct the head of state to fire a minister, need to have the state of their heads examined.”

After Mthembu, it was Malema’s turn.

He started off by thanking Modise and Masondo for understanding that Parliament was a democratic institution.

But proceedings quickly turned farcical.

READ | De Klerk’s apartheid denial slammed in SONA debate

Malema took the unusual step of allowing a question to be asked while he was delivering his speech. ANC MP Jacob Boy Mamabolo asked him if he abused his wife, but Malema did not immediately answer.

Several ANC MPs raised points of order. Some stood up even though Masondo did not recognise them and much shouting ensued.

“I’m in charge,” Malema declared.

“I’m standing here so I can irritate you.”

At the end of his speech – which took up almost all of the time allotted to the EFF for the debate – Malema left his typed speech behind and occasionally looked at his phone, which appeared to display a messaging app. He said he never laid a hand on his wife nor any of his previous partners.

‘You don’t want the truth!’

He then claimed that he had information that Ramaphosa abused his former wife, the late Nomazizi Mtshotshisa.

ANC MP Tandi Mahambehlala raised a point of order, saying Malema impugned Ramaphosa.

Amid much yelling from the ANC, Malema continued with his accusation, claiming that former president Jacob Zuma could confirm it. Masondo asked Malema to withdraw his remarks but he refused.

“You don’t want the truth!” he charged.

He left the podium and the chamber, with fellow EFF MPs falling in behind him and yelling at other MPs. EFF MP Primrose Sonti called someone “Satan”.

READ | Domestic abuse claims fly as Malema’s SONA debate speech marred by shouting match

Ramaphosa sat stone-faced throughout the imbroglio as he did through much of the debate.

After the EFF left, ANC MP Nompendulo Mkhatshwa and DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone decried the use of allegations of gender-based violence to score political points.

With the EFF out, calm resumed.

IFP parliamentary leader and president emeritus Mangosuthu Buthelezi said that the EFF ironically gave the House a valuable lesson on Thursday.

“They proved that diverse people can be united when faced with a shared problem. I agree with our chief whip that the joint rules need to be revisited to close the door to the kind of embarrassing display we endured last week.”

‘When is the circus starting?’

ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe said he was extremely disappointed by the “toxic atmosphere that some presiding officers allowed to prevail in the House” and complained that rulings were not enforced.

“The dignity and decorum of this House need to be restored as a matter of priority,” he said.

“We are tired of people on the ground saying: ‘When is the circus starting?'”

ANC MP Fikile Masiko described the EFF as the “enemy of the people” and the “axis of evil”.

She said they claimed to advance young people’s interests.

“How can they champion anyone’s plight when they themselves need help?” she asked.

She also said one of the bottles EFF MPs threw as they left the House during the SONA hit her.

“Who knew the first time I would experience violence as a woman would be from an honourable member?”

ANC MP Mikateko Mahlaule said fascists always liked uniforms and gave themselves quasi-military names such as “commander-in-chief” and “commissar” even if they had never seen a battle.

He said the EFF was a “proto-fascist organisation” and Malema’s speeches resembled those of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Idi Amin.

The debate is expected to continue on Wednesday and Ramaphosa is expected to respond on Thursday.

News24.com | Crashed plane was supposed to be replaced in 2018. Did aviation authority drop the ball?

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May the souls of Captain Thabiso Tolo, First Officer Tebogo Lekalakala and flight inspector Gugu Comfort Mnguni, the South African Civil Aviation Authority officials who perished in a plane crash on January 23 rest in eternal peace.

I can only imagine the anguish that you, the friends and families of Captain Tolo, Lekalakala and Mnguni are going through.

Your wounds are raw, fresh and suppurating.

You are enraged, bewildered and desperate for answers.

You want to know: was it an accident?

Could it have been prevented? Was there negligence from the pilot or the CAA?

Was the aircraft properly maintained? What was going on in the minds of the three officials when they realised that they are going down?

Some of these questions will be answered by the investigation into what led to the crash. Or so I hope.

Read: Aviation authority ‘can’t investigate itself’

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula and the CAA’s chief executive Poppy Khoza have probably attempted to assure you that they will get to the bottom of what happened.

It is all little comfort though, as whatever the outcome of the probe, Captain Tolo, Lekalakala and Mnguni are dead.

But as you seek answers, I want to tell you things that Mbalula and Khoza will probably not have the courage to tell you.

I want to tell you that the calibration aircraft that killed Captain Tolo, Lekalakala and Mnguni should have been replaced in 2018 sometime.

I hope Mbalula and Khoza have told you this.

I hope Mbalula and Khoza have told you that in 2018 the CAA advertised a tender to have the crashed aircraft replaced.

By they way, that aircraft had been flying since 1986.

Three companies submitted bids but the CAA withdrew the tender on the last minute.

I asked the CAA for the reasons why that tender was withdrawn.

The organisation’s spokesperson Pappie Maja told me the tender was withdrawn because “the bidders’ submissions did not meet the minimum tender specifications”.

Sometime last year the CAA advertised another tender for the replacement of the calibration aircraft.

The organisation withdrew the tender for the second time.

I asked Maja why the tender was withdrawn for the second time and again he told me that “the bidders for the first two tenders did not meet the minimum requirements of the specifications”.

In November last year the CAA advertised a third tender, whose validity expires this week.

Officials will probably extend the tender’s validity. Whether or not the tender will be awarded this time around is anyone’s guess.

A source close to the CAA told me that the organisation’s Flight Inspection Unit (FIU) had declared the aircraft unfit to fly, at least twice in recent years.

But a bright spark in the CAA vetoed the decision and gave it a clean bill of health.

Your departed loved ones may have told you that in November last year the 12-seater Cessna had to abort a takeoff from Lanseria after smoke started billowing from the cockpit.

Another source with knowledge of the aviation industry told me that there was actually fire in one of the engines.

But Maja disputed this, saying it was just a “smoke incident”.

“The smoke incident was reported to the Aircraft Accident and Investigation Division (AIID) during the month of November 2019. That investigation is still ongoing, however, a preliminary report was issued in December 2019. The SACAA (South African Civil Aviation Authority) aircraft was maintained by an accredited Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO). The AMO conducted its own assessment relating to the cause of the smoke and discovered that there was an oil leakage in one of the engines. The engine was replaced before the aircraft was released to service.”

There are also allegations that the tender was withdrawn twice because the bidder that officials wanted had not made the cut.

These are just untested allegations that will be close to impossible to prove.

But the allegations should be investigated. This is because the likelihood that all bidders failed to meet the specifications twice are quite remote.

In the event that bidders simply didn’t meet critical specifications, Khoza could have requested Treasury to procure the calibration aircraft through a deviation.

But on balance, it appears that the CAA, Africa’s premier civil aviation authority, dropped the ball.

Had the CAA replaced the crashed aircraft in 2018, Captain Tolo, Lekalakala and Mnguni may not have died.

If there was gross negligence on the part of the CAA, Khoza and her executive should be charged with manslaughter.

Let us hope that the CAA’s incompetence does not lead to the crash of an airbus.

The last time that South Africa had a fatal air crash was in 1987 when a SAA aircraft crashed, killing all 159 passengers on board.

I hope Mbalula will appoint an independent body to investigate the CAA’s crash.

In the normal course of business, the CAA investigates all aircraft crashes in the country.

But since the CAA is involved in this particular case, it would be inappropriate for the organisation to conduct the investigation.

Mbalula’s spokesperson Ayanda Allie-Paine said the crash was unfortunate.

“As South African law requires, an investigation has to be undertaken by the competent authority. The law adjoins the South African Civil Aviation Authority to investigate all accidents and that a preliminary report be issued within 30 days of the accident having taken place. The minister has impressed upon SACAA to comply with the law. Beyond this, the minister has directed that an independent inquiry be undertaken seeing that the aircraft belonged to SACAA and in order to be compliant with the legal principle of nemo iudex in re sua causa (no person can judge a case in which they have an interest).”

 

News24.com | EFF suspends Nelson Mandela Bay councillor accused of rape

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An EFF councillor in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has been suspended from the party and will resign from the council following his appearance in court on a rape charge, the party said on Monday.

“We welcome his move to resign,” said EFF spokesperson Vuyani Pambo.

The Herald reported that the councillor handed himself over to police on Monday morning before briefly appearing in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court.

He is accused of raping a 22-year-old Nelson Mandela University student at a flat in Central in the early hours of Saturday. He was released on bail of R2 000.

He is a member of the EFF’s central command team (CCT) but his membership of the CCT has been suspended in the wake of the allegation.

Pambo said the accused councillor appeared in court on Monday and will send a letter of resignation to the council.

“We have suspended his participation in the activities of the organisation as a member of the CCT until he further clears his name,” said Pambo. 

He said the councillor made it clear that he did not take the allegation lightly.

“So, he needs to first clear his name and must also be exemplary in dealing with matters of such a nature.”

“It is not an easy thing to receive such information, to receive such news, but we welcome his move,” said Pambo.

“We know about the scourge of gender-based violence in this country, let alone rape, so we need to let the courts deal with this independently.” 

Sport24.co.za | Springboks win Laureus World Team of the Year award

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Cape Town – The Springboks have won the prestigious World Team of the Year award at the 2020 Laureus Awards in Berlin with the Academy stating that their “incredible Rugby World Cup triumph showed the unique power of sport to unite.”

The 2019 Rugby World Cup world champions were against tough competition for the award including Jürgen Klopp’s Champions League-winning Liverpool side, the USA women’s football team who won the women’s World Cup, six-time Formula One world champions Mercedes-AMG Petronas, the first Canadian team to win the NBA Championship, the Toronto Raptors, and two-time FIBA World Cup winners, Spain’s men’s basketball team.

Another South African up for an award, former Paralympian swimmer Natalie du Toit was nominated in the Laureus Sporting Moment 2000 – 2020 which was won by Sachin Tendulkar and the 2011 Indian Cricket World Cup winning team.

Laureus Awards 2020 Winners

Sportsman of the Year: Lewis Hamilton and Lionel Messi

Sportswoman of the Year: Simone Biles

Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Oksana Masters

Laureus Sporting Moment 2000 – 2020: Sachin Tendulkar and the 2011 Indian Cricket World Cup winning team

World Team of the Year: Springboks

Exceptional Achievement Award: Spanish Basketball Federation

Action Sportsperson of the Year: Chloe Kim

Breakthrough of the Year: Egan Bernal

Laureus Comeback of the Year: Sophia Florsch

Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award: Dirk Nowitzki

– Compiled by Craig Taylor

News24.com | Mbeki says De Klerk told him he wasn’t aware apartheid had been declared a crime against humanity – report

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As the heat continues surrounding apartheid’s last president FW De Klerk’s statements about the system, former president Thabo Mbeki has said that De Klerk was not aware of United Nation’s declaration that apartheid was a crime against humanity. 

According to IOL, Mbeki said he had interacted with De Klerk, who had said he “actually did not know” about the UN declaration. 

Mbeki, who served as the second democratically elected president of South Africa, shared the details to the media in Durban on Sunday after addressing a political school of the ANC. 

The publication also reported that the Mbeki had said he would be sharing the UN document with De Klerk to enlighten him on the matter. 

De Klerk has come under fire following his statement that he believed apartheid was not a crime against humanity, during interviews commemorating 30 years since he unbanned liberation movements in the country, which saw the release of among others, late former president Nelson Mandela.

After EFF leader Julius Malema demanded that De Klerk be removed from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, and labelling him an “unrepentant apologist of apartheid”, the former president’s foundation released a statement labelling the notion that apartheid was a crime against humanity “soviet agitprop” – propaganda meant to agitate.

The statement saw further backlash from the likes of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, ANC and other organisations who have called on the foundation to retract it. 

There is also a planned protest for Wednesday in Cape Town against De Klerk and his foundation, News24 reported. 

Convener of the #DeKlerkMustFall protest Songezo Mazizi told News24 that they were expecting a number of citizens and activists who were concerned about the foundation’s recent statement about apartheid to take part and would be handing down a memorandum calling for the foundation to apologise.

Compiled by Sesona Ngqakamba

News24.com | Daycare owner, four other men arrested in big child porn bust in Gauteng

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Five men – including a daycare centre owner – have been arrested for allegedly being in possession of explicit child abuse images and videos, police said on Sunday. 

The men, aged between 30 and 62, were arrested between February 10 and Valentine’s Day following the execution of search warrants, police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili said. 

‘Operation Moonlight’ was conducted by national and Gauteng members of a specialised section within the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, along with United States Department of Homeland Security officers – who assisted with their expertise in crime scene forensic analysis.

Murildili said teams acted on information from the Crime Intelligence Cyber Crime Unit.

“Several personal computers, hard drives, flash drives, tablets and cellphones which contain explicit child abuse material (child pornography) were seized during the operation for further investigation and as exhibits.”

Muridili said a 30-year-old living with his parents in Rietfontein was arrested first on February 10, while a 42-year-old married father of three was arrested in Claremont, Pretoria, on the same day. 

A 62-year-old pensioner who owns a daycare centre managed by his wife was arrested a day later and, on Thursday, a 42-year-old living with his parents was arrested in Daspoort, Pretoria.

The last man to be arrested, a 34-year-old from Kempton Park, had a previous conviction for rape and sexual assault – for which he received a five-year suspended sentence that will end on March 15. 

Muridili said another search warrant was executed in Garsfontein, Pretoria, but the suspect was not arrested. 

“The suspect was not arrested as there was no material found on his premises, but his electronic equipment was seized for further investigation.”

She said the man had a pending 2012 case of bestiality and possession of child pornography due for judgment on April 20. 

“All the accused that have already appeared in court have been granted bail of R5 000. They cannot be named as the police are still conducting thorough investigations and cannot rule out the possibility that some of the children on the material that has been confiscated might be South African, and therefore their identity has to be protected.”

Muridili appealed to parents to exercise strict measures to ensure their children do not fall prey to sexual predators lurking on the net. 

“It is recommended that parents supervise their children’s access to the internet and social media.”

She pointed out that no children under the age of 13 could use WhatsApp and Facebook in respect of their terms of service.

News24.com | Free State man, 67, still missing after attempting to cross river on horseback

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A 67-year-old man has been reported missing after he left on horseback from his home in Virginia, Free State, and never returned. 

According to a friend of his family, Moroka Joseph Letuma would often cross the Sand River on horseback.

On February 8, he again went out to cross the river, which had swelled its banks owing to recent rain in the area.

His horse returned home by itself and Letuma has not been seen since. His cellphone had been switched off.

READ | Girl, 8, found alone on False Bay beach after dad goes missing while swimming

At the time of his disappearance, Letuma was wearing a two-piece denim work suit, green gumboots and a woolen hat. 

Police divers and a helicopter were deployed from Bloemfontein on Thursday, but no sign of Letuma could be found. 

The family has appealed to anyone who has seen him to contact Warrant Officer Ndade Mokone at the Fouriesburg SAPS on 058 223 8313 or 072 459 8152, or any of the following numbers: 081 511 0175, 064 242 7168, or 073 115 6420. 

News24.com | Jacob Zuma ‘too old to go to jail’, says Malema

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EFF leader Julius Malema believes that although former president Jacob Zuma must bring himself before a court of law on the charges he faces, he is too old to go to jail.

Speaking at the Cape Town Press Club on Friday, Malema, who was seen as a thorn on Zuma’s side in his last few years as head of state, said he didn’t necessarily believe the former leader should be jailed.

“If there are charges against him, he must go to court and answer to those charges,” said Malema.

Zuma faces 16 charges of fraud, money laundering, corruption and racketeering linked to 783 payments that French arms company Thales allegedly made to him in connection with the infamous arms deal in 1999. It saw Zuma’s former close associate Schabir Shaik sentenced to 15 years in jail for corruption.

READ | KwaZulu-Natal Bench defends judge in Jacob Zuma matter against ‘baseless’ public statements

Shaik was convicted of two counts of corruption and one of fraud, relating to his facilitation of a bribe, allegedly by the French arms company to Zuma.

After serving just over two years of his sentence, Shaik was released on medical parole on March 3, 2009.

“Jail time for an old person like that [referring Zuma] is not suitable. What kind of society have we become to jail such old people?” Malema asked.

On February 4, KwaZulu-Natal High Court Judge Dhaya Pillay acceded to a request from the State to issue an arrest warrant for Zuma over his non-attendance at his corruption trial.

Jacob Zuma sick note

Zuma’s legal team had submitted documents to the court, saying the former president was ill and had not been in the country since January 23.

READ | Zuma says NPA abuse of power reminiscent of apartheid – report

State prosecutor Billy Downer, however, requested information from the defence regarding Zuma’s ailments, which they were yet to receive. The State also raised questions over Zuma’s medical note submitted to the court.

The warrant has been suspended until his next court appearance in May.

“The purpose of jail is correctional, we correct you and send you back to society. What about Zuma is going to be corrected because he is an old man?” Malema asked, suggesting a different punishment might be more fitting.

During Zuma’s presidency, EFF MPs, including Malema himself, consistently challenged the former president in Parliament, calling for him to pay back money from his Nkandla homestead security upgrades and for him to be jailed for corruption.

Following a Constitutional Court judgment in 2016 which ruled that Zuma had failed to uphold the Constitution by not complying with then Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s remedial action regarding payment for the upgrades to his Nkandla homestead, the EFF had went through great lengths to seeking parliament to take action against the him, News24 reported.

ALSO READ | EFF MPs to face Parliament conduct committee after SONA disruption 

Last year, however, speaking after a church service at the Apostolic Faith Mission River of Life in Soshanguve, Malema said the sermon, which was about forgiveness had moved him to forgive the former president. 

“I was even saying to the pastor that we’ve forgiven Zuma because of the sermon. So Zuma must thank the pastor, because we’ve got wisdom from the pastor,” Malema said then. 

– Additional reporting by Sesona Ngqakamba

News24.com | SONA 2020 | Groans, delays, an EFF walkout and a surprise vacant seat

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There were points of order, a rugby world champion and a Miss Universe in the public gallery, but as the State of the Nation Address got going, and the EFF left the House, someone else was no longer in her seat…

The EFF came into the National Assembly chamber singing, all wearing more or less the same outfits, led by their “commander-in-chief” Julius Malema. By that time most of the other MPs had already trickled in and taken selfies with their colleagues.

Also already seated were Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi and Miss Universe, Zozibini Tunzi, who was seated next to Sinoyolo Qumba, a Grade 11 pupil from Lenasia South, who helped President Cyril Ramaphosa write his speech. They were in the presidential box in the public gallery, which also included former finance minister Trevor Manuel.

Tunzi was on her phone, waving at somebody on the floor of the chamber. Also on her phone, and waving in Tunzi’s direction, was Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams.

Also in the public gallery were National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi, Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, and Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago.

Two of the EFF’s recent targets – former deputy president and last apartheid president FW de Klerk and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan – seemed rather nonplussed by the EFF’s singing. De Klerk was spotted chatting to former president Kgalema Motlanthe, while Gordhan was in conversation with ANC MP Yunus Carrim and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi. 

Points of order

The EFF continued singing while the processions with the premiers and speakers of the provincial legislatures entered the House, but they stopped their singing and stiid and applauded when the judiciary entered the chamber, led by a smiling Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.

The whole House, public gallery included, stood and applauded the judges, except what appeared to be Mkhwebane and the two seats next to her.

The EFF ensured that they applauded the judges the longest and then continued with their singing, even when the presidential procession entered.

Soon after National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise allowed the moment of reflection, Malema was on his feet, raising the first of many points of order from the EFF. They wanted De Klerk removed.

Ramaphosa was still in his seat, mostly scrolling through his cellphone while the EFF raised their points of order – expressionless. When Modise laid down the law, he looked up, in her direction, still expressionless.

It was impossible to discern De Klerk’s expression from the media gallery. But one thing was for sure, he didn’t budge while the EFF had a good go at him.

Seated not far from him was Baleka Mbete. She presided over many an EFF disturbance in the previous Parliament, but is now the former speaker of the National Assembly.

Attacks on De Klerk, Gordhan

Eventually, the EFF let the De Klerk matter go and Ramaphosa got behind the podium. He hardly had time to say hello, before EFF MP Vuyani Pambo got up on a point of order directed at Gordhan. The minster had a little smile.

As the EFF got going with their points of order, Ramaphosa took his seat and paged through a printed copy of, presumably, his speech. After a short suspension of the House, Malema made a speech, calling Gordhan “Jamnandas”. Gordhan shook his head.

As the EFF marched out of the chamber, some pointed in Gordhan’s direction while singing. He stared them down.

At least two EFF MPs threw bottles at other MPs as they left the chamber.

After short statements by every party condemning the EFF’s behaviour, Ramaphosa finally got into his speech.

As he greeted the long list of people, Gordhan was chatting to Police Minister Bheki Cele, who was seated in the bench next to him. With the EFF out, things took on a much more slumberous atmosphere.

Ramaphosa elicited a few cheers from the DA benches when he announced that municipalities would be allowed to procure electricity from independent power producers.

Every once in awhile, there was polite applause from the ANC benches.

“Oooooh,” groaned the DA on two occasions when Ramaphosa mentioned his deputy, David Mabuza. The first time Mabuza didn’t show any reaction, the second time he grinned at them.

When Ramaphosa spoke about state capture, Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane Zuma, who was seated in the public gallery, showed no emotion.

By this time, Mkhwebane was no longer seen in her spot in the public gallery.