Liberation before education

South African schools are dysfunctional
Nearly 80% of South African high schools are dysfunctional, provide poor quality education, and in need of external intervention. The majority of children in the poorly performing schools are black and poor. The substandard education they get constitutes an obstacle to social and economic development. A report calls for principals to be removed and for strategies to improve performance to be developed.
I won't apologise
Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana insisted that he would not apologise for errors in a "name-and-shame" campaign. Mdladlana said that those companies that submitted equity reports under different names were at fault. He issued a stern warning to 1 296 employers he claimed had not submitted equity reports for 2005. "Clear your house before we come," he said.
Nice work if you can get it
The regime paid the Gautrain preferred bidder Bombela R86m to keep design engineers and other experts on its payroll for the past five years while negotiations on the final contract continued. Of this, R21m was paid to the consortium’s empowerment arm, Strategic Partners Group. This amount does not include the undisclosed monthly retainer paid to runner-up Gauliwe until this April to ensure it did not take on any contracts until the deal with Bombela had been finalised.
Constitutional dispute could paralyse city
Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi is to intervene in the battle between the ANC provincial government and DA mayor Helen Zille in a bid to head off a damaging constitutional dispute that could paralyse the city. It seems like Mufamadi wants to avoid the provincial and city governments slugging it out all the way to the Constitutional Court, to the detriment of service delivery and preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
Scorpions get stung
Two top figures at the Scorpions handed themselves over to police stationed in the elite Serious Economic Offences Unit (SEOU) in Pretoria. The two accused appeared later in the day in the Pretoria Special Commercial Crimes Court on charges of theft, fraud and corruption.
Fly-by-night drug rehab centres
Children as young as 10 are using drugs. While alcohol and tobacco are the most commonly abused substances, many South Africans are also addicted to marijuana, a mixture of marijuana and mandrax, heroin, cocaine, and, increasingly, to methamphetamine, or tik. Alcohol abuse is linked to half of all traffic accidents according to the report — costing the SA economy billions every year. Marijuanais used by an estimated 5,5-million people. Methamphetamine abuse is the fastest-growing drug of choice among addicts seeking treatment.
Key facilities are constantly close to failure
More South Africans than ever before have electricity, water and sanitation -- but local government is failing to run these services properly. Local government has proved to be a most unreliable custodian of existing infrastructure. Maintenance is neglected and planned capital expenditure is delayed to such an extent that expensive replacement of infrastructure becomes necessary.

New elite emerging

About 100 people form the core of South Africa’s new elite network which combines economic and political leverage, said the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation (IJR).

IJR director Dr Charles Villa-Vicencio said all societies had such groups and these were not in themselves problematic. However the new South African elite was perceived as closed, leading to anger by those who had expected to benefit from democracy but were still excluded.

“If there is a growing economy largely within this connected group that does not allow anyone else in, then of course they are going to get richer and there is going to be growing discontent.”

Villa-Vicencio was speaking in Johannesburg at the release of the IJR’s 2006 transformation audit, titled “Money and morality”.

The list of 118 includes politicians, their spouses, ambassadors, senior civil servants and business people. On the list are: politicians President Thabo Mbeki, not listed as having business connections, former deputy president Jacob Zuma, and ANC Youth League president Fikile Mbalula; former premiers-turned-business executives Manne Dipico, Tokyo Sexwale, Popo Molefe and Mathews Phosa; current or former civil servants such as Director-General in the Presidency Frank Chikane, former CE of SA Tourism Cheryl Carolus, Mbeki’s political advisor Titus Mafolo, and foreign affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa.

Former politicians turned businessmen Popo Molefe and Chris Nissen and businessman Sharif Pandor, married to Education Minister Naledi Pandor, are listed as recipients of loans or payments from Brett Kebble.

MPs Mbulelo Goniwe and Ngoako Ramathlodi and Deputy Minister of Safety and Security Susan Shabangu are listed, with a note of business interests which they did not disclose in the parliamentary register.
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SA citizens are fed up

South Africans are angry about growing corruption and that the politically well-connected seem to be the main beneficiaries of democracy, researchers said. "It is a season of grievance," the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation's (IJR) Susan Brown said. The report is titled "Money and Morality".

There was huge anger among citizens over a perceived lack of delivery and lack of access to a closed elite.

"They (this elite) look perhaps to the next election but never to the next generation," said Brown. Corruption was identified as a key problem.

"The head of the executive (President Thabo Mbeki) is not holding the executive (the ministers) accountable," said Brown. "Ministers who year after year have dirty departments should lose their jobs. That's accountability," she said.

She named the home affairs and correctional services departments and the provincial premiers as some of the worst problems.

Citizens' anger was due to the income gap, their exclusion from the elite, corruption and maladministration. Government should prioritise the key issues of battling crime and corruption, and delivering on education and transport.
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Mbeki gets fired

Mbeki's indecent activism and bias revolting
Leaders in the West African regional bloc Ecowas (Economic Community of West African States) have decided to end the mediation role of South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki in Côte d'Ivoire, seen to be aligned to President Laurent Gbagbo. The leaders in Ecowas "decided to set aside the South African mediation" said Ivorian New Forces rebel leader Guillaume Soro. The Ecowas recommendations are firm.
Just mischief
South African President Thabo Mbeki has dismissed as "mischief" suggestions that he was involved in arms-deal corruption.
The age of uncertainty
South Africa has entered an age of both political and economic uncertainty, Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon warned. The darkening political situation has lately been exacerbated by economic factors. Former deputy president JacobÆ Zuma’s corruption trial being struck off the roll has not only unleashed all but open warfare over the presidential succession; it has sent tremors through an overheated economy, and dented investor confidence.
Renaming to be re-examined
The ANC, without prior consultation, proposes that names of towns, which have huge historical and emotional value for the Afrikaner unilaterally be changed. The renaming of Pretoria, Potchefstroom and Lydenburg to Tshwane, Tlokwe and Mashishing respectively, has been approved by the government. President Thabo Mbeki said he would discuss the matter with Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan.
Dealing from the bottom of the deck
South Africa and China are set to sign an agreement to further develop trade relations between the two countries, with focus on creating employment. How can you further trade relations when you are about to impose import quotas on clothing from the same nation?
Silence is golden
There is no reasonable explanation for the failure thus far of the board of the SABC to release the report into the blacklisting of certain commentators by its news division. The report finds that SABC news head Snuki Zikalala on at least eight occasions broke the broadcaster’s code of conduct by banning commentators his editors and producers wanted to use. SABC boss Dali Mpofu is on record as saying that heads would roll if the inquiry found precisely what has been found. We won’t hold our breath waiting for him to keep that promise.
The film is shocking
A South African trade union leader said she would urge President Thabo Mbeki to break his silence on Zimbabwe. Mary Malete, leader of the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) said she would try and give Mbeki a copy of a film showing leaders of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) being beaten and arrested by police.
Regimes backs down on mining royalties
A sigh of relief greeted the revised Minerals and Petroleum Resources Royalty Bill, in which Finance Minister Trevor Manuel proposed lowering the amount of royalties that will be levied on mining companies, and introduced breaks for marginal mines.
Carnage on the raods
THE current level of lawlessness on South African roads is unacceptably high, with 95% of accidents taking place as a direct result of one or more traffic offences. There are more than 14000 road deaths a year in SA while an additional 40000 people are seriously injured and 7000 are permanently disabled. Deaths and injuries related to road accidents cost the economy R43bn annually.
Sonjica delves into mining decline
The mining industry has blamed government policies for the 33% decline in investment since 2004 that has resulted in the loss of about 20000 jobs. Minerals and Energy Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica is getting the sense that the industry is using the low investment to avoid their charter obligations.
No room for the mentally ill
Hundreds of awaiting-trial prisoners in need of psychiatric assessment are languishing in prison as short-staffed state hospitals battle to determine if they are mentally capable of standing trial. This means the mentally ill are at risk of not getting appropriate medical treatment. The bottleneck also compounds delays within the already strained judicial system. The delays were caused by shortages of nurses and doctors trained in forensic psychiatry, which limited the number of beds facilities could provide.
Criminals exploiting freedom
More words of wisdom from the man who advised people to stop whinging or leave the country. It is because we are so free that we have so much crime. Criminals were exploiting South Africa’s liberation for their own gain and therefore the battle to curb crime needs full community participation, like the liberation struggle, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said.

No law or order

Bring back the commandos
Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula has been urged to re-introduce the commando system in rural areas to bring down crime before the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Recent warnings by police indicate that Mpumalanga would experience an increase in violent attacks and cash-in-transit heists.
Lies, damn lies and statistics
The lobby against gun ownership use and abuse statistics in order to prove their points. Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula and his national commissioner, Jackie Selebi, have done their annual Indian rope trick to prove to the nation that crime is not as bad as we thought. The Firearms Control Amendment Bill continues its insane concentration on legal ones.instead of changing the focus to illegal guns. African National Congress (ANC) MP Annelize van Wyk claimed that deaths through firearms had been substantially reduced. This reductions in gun deaths is supposedly related to the implementation of the Firearms Control Act.
Even the guards are scared
The Motor Transport Worker's Union representing the security guards said it wanted Charles Nqakula, the safety and security minister, to look into the problem of fly-by-night cash-in-transit companies. They union says they are jeopardising the lives of guards from legitimate companies. The union has threatened to strike next week in response to the recent spate of violent cash-in-transit heists.

No guarantees

No guarantee Gautrain will be ready for 2010
The Gautrain is expected to be ready for the 2010 Soccer World Cup but there are no guarantees, the project leader said.
Cape Town power grab
A bid by the African National Congress (ANC) to wrest back power in Cape Town, a lone bastion of opposition to South Africa's ruling party, has triggered a fierce backlash across the political spectrum.
Cement shortage holds back 2010 plans
The Gautrain and the refurbishment of stadiums for the soccer World Cup in 2010 will be held back by cement shortages as local manufacturers struggle to keep up with demand. Cement producers have effectively run out of supply. Imported cement is being sold at breakeven or at a small loss, but definitely not at a profit, because of transportation costs.
Rand's slide is likely to continue
The rand, which has lost close to 19 percent of its value against the greenback since the start of the year. This makes it the worst performing currency in a basket of 71 units monitored by Bloomberg Financial Services.
Zuma frontrunner to lead SA
ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma confirmed his frontrunner status in the race to succeed Thabo Mbeki when he won the backing of a majority in a poll as the best choice to lead South Africa. 57% of those polled said they wanted the veteran Zulu politician to succeed Mbeki.
Opposition to health Bill
Opposition parties remained vocal about their disapproval of the Health Professions Amendment Bill. It gives Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang the power to select the members of the Health Professions Council of South Africa and other professional boards. The Bill also allows the minister to appoint the registrar of the council, and opposition parties say this is a clear indication of her attempts to centralise power.
Kasrils's Nazi comment costs him
The Goethe Institute, cultural arm of the German government, cancelled a speech on its premises by Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils after he had likened Israel to the Nazis.
Paying millions to vice-chancellors
Education Minister Naledi Pandor accused universities of paying millions to vice-chancellors while neglecting facilities at the institutions. It was revealed earlier this year that the Mangosuthu Technikon vice-chancellor Professor Aaron Ndlovu was earning R3.2 million ($400 000) a year.
Home Affairs corruption
A Home Affairs official has been arrested for corruption and fraud at the department's offices in Durban. Five others were taken to the police station for questioning. The refugee section of the department closed down for the day as there were no officials left to staff the office.
Censorship bill on hold
The South African regime said it would defer the passing of proposed new legislation aimed at curbing child pornography to examine complaints that it could be used to gag the media. The bill, which is claimed to be aimed at curbing child pornography, scraps the news media's immunity from censorship.
Mufamadi's wife wins R5m tender
A senior Gauteng transport official has acknowledged that he failed to follow proper procedures in awarding a R5m tender. The contract given to the company of Nomusa Mufamadi, wife of Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi.
No outcome in probe
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is still investigating whether there are grounds to impeach Cape Judge President John Hlophe. This follows the revelation that Hlophe received a R10 000 monthly retainer for work he did for an asset management group while he was judge president.
The ANC condemns all forms of crime
Political leaders in Limpopo are calling for the resignation of former ANC chief whip Matshike Thobejane from the provincial legislature. The ANC said the law must first take its full course before steps against Thobejane would be considered. He has been given leave to appeal. Thobejane, still a member of the legislature, was found guilty of raping an under-aged relative two years ago.
This is ludicrous
The labour department had turned down the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of SA’s (Seifsa’s) request for funding to train 500 artisans. The regime is turning down legitimate funding requests for legitimate priority skills development programmes because of red tape, when money is available. There is a major shortage of artisans in SA.
Doctors to charge patients what they think they are worth
SA’s biggest doctor organisation has urged its members to ignore the health department’s advice to base their fees for next year on an inflation-linked increase to the 2006 National Health Reference Price List (NHRPL) published by the Council for Medical Schemes. An independent study suggested some specialists would be justified in increasing their fees by 18%-35% above the NHRPL. The NHRPL guide has been published by the council since competition authorities banned health-care providers from collectively setting fixed tariffs in 2003. It was intended as an interim measure until government was ready to take on the job under provisions in the National Health Act. The Health department spokesman has conceded that draft regulations would not be finalised this year.

Quotas, empowerment and transformation

Attempt to contact Hamas
Diplomatic officials in Jerusalem are sharply criticizing South Africa for attempting to open a dialogue with the Hamas government, and receive President Mahmoud Abbas’ approval for the meeting.
BEE is a mockery of Mandela's dream
When a black man tells the world that white people are not doing enough to make him rich, what message is he sending to future generations of black South Africans? The current black economic empowerment (BEE) state of mind is to opt for the easy way to wealth: buy small portions of companies owned or run by white people, sit back and voila! In a few years' time you become a millionaire.
Whistle-blower violated confidentiality
The Gauteng Shared Services Centre (GSSC), which was established to improve service delivery in the province, suspended 25 staff members in just more than a year for irregularities involving purchases for other departments and fraud. Pascalis Mokupo, the whistle-blower who leaked a report he wrote for the GSSC exposing tender irregularities involving the housing department, was fired for undisclosed “dishonesty”.
Minister to meet owners of gutted taxis
Jeff Radebe, the minister of transport, has indicated that he would like to meet with the taxi owners whose vehicles were gutted by fire at the Nyanga taxi rank. Colin Msibi, the ministerial spokesperson, says the minister's invitation should not be interpreted as a guarantee for financial assistance nor any precondition to the taxi recapitalisation programme.
Housing quota go ahead
Apparently exclusive neighbourhoods are too exclusive. The regime is concocting a scheme to impose racial quotas on housing developments.
Drug tests will make schools less dangerous
After introducing metal detectors and security guards in schools, the government said it also could resort to random drug tests to stem playground violence. Education Minister Naledi Pandor is seriously considering it.
TB programme a failure
Government’s TB programme is failing because it has not bothered to educate patients about their treatment in the way that HIV patients have been educated.
Mobilise the civil society
South African Minister of Intelligence Services, Ronnie Kasrils castigated as flimsy the reason put foward by Israel that it attacked Lebanon as a way of seeking release for captured Israeli soldiers.
Judges slam poor appointments
Two high court judges yesterday criticised poor judicial appointments and the increasing number of reserved judgments that drag on for months, and in some cases years, saying this was an increasing feature of court rolls. The criticism follows persistent reports that inexperienced [black] judges are clogging up high court rolls by taking months to deliver judgments.
Transforming the electricity sector
Government’s contentious electricity restructuring programme hit another snag yesterday when the Chamber of Mines, Eskom and major industrial electricity consumers raised serious objections to a bill dealing with reticulation. The bill is highly sensitive as it circumscribes municipal electricity provision. It also assigns powers to Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica to set national reticulation norms and standards while limiting the powers of the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa).
Cosatu should visit China
SA’s trade unionists should go to China and see for themselves “the brilliant experience that country has had in achieving its integration on its own terms into the global economy”, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said.
The plot thickens
During ferocious lobbying to influence the outcome of Cosatu's leadership poll, South African Communist Party (SACP) general-secretary Blade Nzimande was central to the plot to oust Cosatu president Willie Madisha and to hijack the labour federation and so influence the ANC and change the composition its leadership. He was the target of President Thabo Mbeki's caustic personal attack at the ANC's national executive committee (NEC) meeting. Nzimande's attack on Mbeki's presidency forced an ANC delegation to walk out so as to caucus and strategise a response.

Things are pear-shaped

Post still important despite technology
Here is another profound insight from the regime. Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri says postal services remain important, despite electronic methods of exchanging mail. "In the past, mail used to be transferred on horse-back. Now with modern technology, mail is transferred much faster," the minister said.
It’s quite thin
Education Minister Naledi Pandor’s new policy framework for teacher education has met with mixed reaction. There is a swathe of research which shows that many of SA’s teachers are simply not good enough to be teaching the 12-million pupils in SA schools.
Dam(n) the environment
Environmentalists expressed concern that the R4,1bn De Hoop Dam in Limpopo would deprive most of the animals in the Kruger National Park of their main water source and cut the water supply to thousands of people in Mozambique. At least 20 species of plants that occur nowhere else in the world are also in danger of being wiped out. Environmental affairs and tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk admitted that the dam would harm the environment, but said there was no other alternative.
Consumers are in way above their heads
When did things get so pear-shaped? One moment it was all smooth sailing — inflation was at benign levels, interest rates were low, the economy was growing, and the current account was the least of our concerns. Then, in the space of just a few months, it all seemed to collapse. Consumers are spending too much, sometimes money they do not even have. International investors have started to shy away from our financial markets, as risk aversion to emerging markets increases.
Bungling Mpahlwa's biggest mistake yet
There were many who thought Health Minister Manto Tshabalala- Msimang was too far ahead of the pack to be challenged for the title of "worst cabinet minister of 2006" but an elegant second-half hat trick by Trade Minister Mandisi Mpa-hlwa has kept the contest alive.
We can't have streets dirty at night and then in the morning it's suddenly clean
Striking cleaners return to work from today, ending a 57-day strike. Western Cape Satawu chairman Jerome Fortune said the strike had been called off because some of the union's demands had been met and because of the "lack of commitment" from strikers. "There has been a problem with moonlighting. We can't have the streets dirty at night and then in the morning it's suddenly clean. If everyone is not committed, what's the use of continuing the strike? They may as well go back to work."
IFP warns against one-party state
The Inkatha Freedom Party has warned against "the peril of complacence" in face of the danger of South Africa descending into a one-party State.

How to mess things up

How to blow R98-million
The Marine Living Resources Fund is R45-million in debt from having R53-million in its coffers by the end of March 2005. The fund is the operational budget of the Department of Environment and Tourism's Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) and is tasked with managing the country's multibillion-rand fishing industry.
School is a very dangerous place
Shocked pupils and teachers from Forest High School, in Forest Hill in the southern part of Johannesburg, had to receive counselling after finding the body of Simon Mbele, 19, who was stabbed to death on the sports field by another pupil.
School of shame
Fed up with the failure of the department of education to keep its promise to renovate a run-down Hammanskraal school, frustrated parents and teachers have opted to close down the school of 900 pupils.
Nuclear safety in the new South Africa
With the regime very keen on nuclear energy it's nice to know about existing projects. About 5 000 former employees of the Pelindaba nuclear facility may be suffering from diseases linked to chemical and radiation exposure.
We are the real Africans
The insinuation by Afrikaner youth that affirmative action was a racist and discriminatory ideology was a fallacy that needed to be rejected with contempt, the Young Communist League (YCL) said. They were reacting to the eleven white students who painted their faces black to get the government to recognise them as Africans.
The 2010 hysteria
Yes, we have known about 2010 for years. Yes, we know that we need people to cope with the enormity of the demands of the World Cup. Yes, we have also sat around, not quite knowing what to do, and hoping someone else would do it. And, yes, we can see that with our current capacity, we haven't a hope in hell of coping. No, we are not xenophobic by only reacting now that there is the threat of importing foreigners. So now we are going to train all the people needed. Yippee!
Premier‘s new office will cost us
Providing sufficient office space for the government at Bhisho would cost some R500-million. The new 6 000m² block for the Office of the Premier would cost between R35-million and R40-million.

Deliver or face the music

Deliver or else
Axed intelligence chief Billy Masetlha has warned the government to deliver on the ground or risk "a rising" of the masses.
Fast-tracking land reform
South Africa is set to seize two more white-owned farms to fast-track land reforms. The minister of agriculture and land affairs has signed the notices of expropriation. The owners have 30 days to respond, following which expropriation procedures will begin.
Misleading the public
The South African Police Service's claim that all Gauteng police stations have a family violence, child abuse and sexual offences (FCS) officer is a total untruth. In fact, 23 police stations throughout Gauteng alone have no FCS officers allocated to them.
BEE will bankrupt us
The difficulty and the costs of compliance with the black economic empowerment codes of good practice could put many local companies out of business. Several of SA’s industries have been awaiting the finalisation of the trade and industry department’s broad-based black economic empowerment codes of good practice.
Mothers and chilren in prison
Two of the problems contributing to overcrowding of prisons are convicted mothers and their children and petty criminals. In the South African prison system, convicted mothers were allowed to keep their children with them in prison until the age of six. Prisons are crowded with petty criminals and juveniles who could not pay R100 bail.
Spreading the message
Five Hollywood artists and a guitarist are visiting SA to experience some of the attractions and spread the good news about the country when they go back home. Good luck to them. May they not get mugged, hijacked or murdered and may their luggage not be stolen.
There is no acrimony
Political bickering and name-calling continued as the African National Congress (ANC) lashed out at a "malicious attack and hurling of insults" by the Young Communist League (YCL).
Science for dummies
The impression that science is only for the clever should be dismantled, Education Minister Naledi Pandor said. In SA, there is a shortage of black engineers and scientists.
She should take her own medicine
Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has been in hospital since Friday after being diagnosed with a lung infection. She should be in the ordinary section of the Johannesburg Hospital and not the private wing, experiencing at first hand the dire effects of the staff shortages caused by her policies.

Inside jobs

Cops are gatvol
Police - from top brass to hands-on investigators - are "gatvol" (fed up) with the repeated granting of bail to serious and violent crime suspects. The major problem is institutional corruption - the bribing and intimidation of policemen, correctional services staff, court officers, prosecutors and sometimes even magistrates.
Not for all the money in the world
Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula’s plan to lure back mainly white retired policemen and judicial officers seems doomed to fail. Not for all the money in the world will they return to the judicial system, say former police officers and magistrates who left due to restructuring.
Struggle honed heist skills
Cash-in-transit heists in South Africa only became part of the crime scene in the early 1990s. Large numbers of robberies took place on banks and cash-in-transit vehicles before 1994 to raise funds for political coffers in preparing for the first democratic elections.
Another inside job
Heads are expected to roll after the investigation into the burglaries into the ministerial homes of Naledi Pandor, the education minister, and Ngconde Balfour, the correctional services minister. Investigations have shown that no forceful entry was gained into the homes. With the stringent security at the entrances of the complex, it is unlikely that it could be persons from outside.
Kicked out
A top South African diplomat has been kicked out of Britain after allegedly whisking one of his sons out of the country to shield him from a police investigation, according to diplomatic sources. Another son had earlier been sent home for alleged armed robbery.
Nurse exodus
President Thabo Mbeki said that the government was looking at further addressing the issues of remuneration and working conditions affecting nurses. The government was also addressing the migration of nurses.
ANC chief in get-rich-quick scheme
SMUTS Ngonyama, the ANC’s Head of the Presidency, has emerged as a central figure in the secret sale of a large chunk of Telkom shares. The shares are part of one of the country’s biggest empowerment deals.
Jobs for comrades
SEVENTEEN top directors ­ employed at Limpopo’s munici­palities are trained teachers with no management-related qualifications needed for mananging their underdeveloped areas.
Robbing the poor to help the rich
Officials have stolen millions from the government’s National Development Agency (NDA), which distributes money to organisations that serve the poor. It has also been discovered that R7.5-million donated by the European Union for poverty relief was used for “ineligible expenditures”.
An ode that wasn’t
South African President Mr Thabo Mbeki was embarrassed by the poor turnout at the centenary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha attended by Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Only about 150 people had turned up. People of Indian-origin were conspicuous by their absence. Some of those present sang a song in support of Jacob Zuma and were escorted out by police.
Zuma time and the living is easy
The Jacob Zuma lobby argue that the US has a democratically elected idiot for president and what is good for the US should be good for South Africa. It’s a persuasive argument that highlights one of the many flaws in democracy. If you give idiots a vote then they are quite likely to vote for idiots. The US may be able to afford the luxury of an idiot president but South Africa certainly can’t.
Back on the job
The national railway safety regulator yesterday appointed 12 retired railway engineers as safety inspectors in a bid to stem the recent tide of freight and commuter rail accidents. Although their race and age are not stated, they are probably white guys who were forced to retire at the ripe old age of 50 in order to make way for the "previously disadvantaged".
Airport boss grounded
The man central to Limpopo’s R25.6 million International Transport Convention (ITC) scandal, may be sacked as the managing director of Polokwane International Airport.
The runt of the litter
FROM darling of the investment world back to being runt of the litter in 18 very volatile weeks, the rand now finds itself languishing at the bottom of performance tables. Since May 11, the currency has lost 22% of its value against the US dollar.
Cultural robbers looting South Africa
Cultural robbers have stolen more than 14000 heritage objects stolen from museums, galleries, castles and even churches across South Africa in just four years. To combat the looting of the country’s treasures, no fewer than six government departments and cultural organisations have joined forces.
The death of media freedom
Media freedom is dying with a whimper. The Films and Publications Amendment Bill will forbid the free distribution of news and analysis about sexual activity, propaganda for war, the incitement of violence and hate speech. A three-person teams of censors paid by the government will have the right to judge what is fit to publish.