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Africa Day all over the world ...................................................................................... 3 SA welcomes Nigerias switch to back Dlamini-Zuma ............................................. 4 'Root out dependence'.................................................................................................. 5 Progress is good: The billions of rands that the government has pumped into the massive infrastructure has turned South Africa into an industrial site while at the same time ensuring that the state improves the social and economic conditions of its people, said President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday. ..................... 6 Murrays The Spear to be classified by end of the week .......................................... 8 Enough us enough, Blade tells whites ........................................................................ 9 ANC will take to the streets Mantashe ................................................................ 10 Mokaba region wants Motlanthe: report ................................................................ 12 Uproar as MPS lock horns over Zuma .................................................................... 13 Blade: destroy 'Spear' painting ................................................................................ 15 Young people fancy Motlanthe ................................................................................. 16 NUMs proposals for mining sector echo ANCs research paper ......................... 17 NUM retains Zuma ally in top position ................................................................... 19 SA government sees no reason to condemn Syria over massacre ......................... 20 Spear march sets ANC on new path ......................................................................... 21 More in the kitty for MeerKAT and SKA ............................................................... 24 The president who became a joke............................................................................. 25 Malema doesn't support boycott .............................................................................. 27 SKA is about ground-breaking science, not egos .................................................... 28 ANC policies will increase poverty, says Mbeki ...................................................... 29 Calls to boycott City Press over Spear ..................................................................... 30 Child grant helps break cycle of poverty study ................................................. 32 Top lawyer cries foul as Zuma appoints judges ...................................................... 33 'I'm no racist: Artist Brett Murray, in his affidavit, explains why he painted 'The Spear' .......................................................................................................................... 35 Mdluli 'a security risk'............................................................................................... 37 Mandela book hits shelves again ........................................................................... 38 Lekota blasts fascist ANC: report.......................................................................... 39 NUM wants delinquent directors blacklisted .......................................................... 40 DA calls on Zuma to decline new term .................................................................... 41 Molefe warns of risks to Transnets investment plan ............................................. 43 SAA pleads poverty to Parliament ........................................................................... 44 Sisulu Berates Mps Over Poor Laws, Lack Of Scrutiny ..................................... 45 Mine union turf war hammers SAs GDP ............................................................ 47 ANC boycott call 'backfires' ..................................................................................... 48 Mdluli feels squeeze ................................................................................................... 49 Gauteng slams Zuma allies ....................................................................................... 51
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Impatience and politics lead to SKA site split ......................................................... 52 Suffer the children ..................................................................................................... 54 ANC ponders new role for 'Cele the liar' ................................................................ 56 Bid to shut Manyi's mouth ........................................................................................ 59 How we nailed Cele: Reporters were illegally bugged as they pursued the story 60 Planned protest keeps Spear in spotlight ................................................................. 62 ANC interference prompts Pikoli sacking ............................................................... 64
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Large-scale Africa events will be held in Ireland, England and the US 25 May 2012 Business Day Page 3 Sam Mkokeli
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But the South African government has not given up on persuading Kenya, officials say. The SADC campaign is premised mainly on the argument that the post should be rotated among the regional blocs. Southern African and North African countries have yet to have their citizens occupy the position. If Dr Dlamini-Zuma wins, it could pave the way for North Africa to push its candidate after the five-year term. Egypt has its sights on the term after Dr Dlamini-Zuma, hence its support for SAs rotation principle based bid, said an official. 25 May 2012 The Times Page 9 Canaan Mdletshe
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united entity, poised to improve its global status through cooperation and partnerships," said Ndebele. KwaZulu-Natal Premier ZweliMkhize said the time had arrived for Africans to create a better future for future generations. "With good governance, the African continent could become a land of prosperity. What has crippled the continent historically - apart from colonialism - has been the culture of dependence." "For too long we, as a continent, the cradle of humankind, have been entrapped in a mindset of dependence, allowing others to dictate terms and to shape our destination. The culture of dependence should be replaced by that of independence," he said. "We have minerals and natural resources in abundance and what we need is to harness the right kinds of skills to process the resources in a uniquely African way," Mkhize said. "Experience has shown that world markets are ready to accept our distinctive artistry. Only when we embrace one another as brothers and sisters, working together and combining our technical skills, will we add value to the primary products." He said Africa should focus on improving the provision of water, sanitation, roads, electrification and other infrastructure to be part of growing the economy to enable the creation of jobs and eradicate poverty. "Africa needs to focus on investment in gross fixed formation that creates concrete jobs as opposed to the bonds and financial market where the wealth leaves the country with the purchaser having never set foot on the soil where the transaction occurs. "Revival and strengthening of agriculture must be intensified to ensure that starvation no longer claims so many lives," he said. 31 May 2012 The New Age Siyabonga Mkhwanazi
Progress is good: The billions of rands that the government has pumped into the massive infrastructure has turned South Africa into an industrial site while at the same time ensuring that the state improves the social and economic conditions of its people, said President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday.
Speaking in Parliament, Zuma said that the government continues to clamp down on crime and corruption.
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Tabling his budget vote, Zuma said following the announcement he made in his State of the Nation Address in February, work had started to implement infrastructure projects in various provinces. The government has invested more than R845bn in infrastructure development in the next three years. Since the announcement, the government has launched four strategic infrastructure projects, he said. The first project, which is driven by Public Works Minister ThulasNxesi, was launched in April and it involves three provinces in integrating rail, road, water and energy. Another project involves 12 urban centres and focuses on urban planning and an efficient public transport system. The Saldanha and Northern Cape Development Corridor, which was launched two weeks ago, will incorporate mining, industrial and energy projects, said Zuma. The government was focusing on improving the delivery of basic services in 23 poor district municipalities. He also told MPs that government provides social grants to more than 10 million children to fight poverty, which was impressive for a developing nation. The government has made considerable progress in the fight against HIV/Aids, said Zuma, adding that the mother to child transmission has declined saving 30000 lives of babies a year. The battle against crime has led to the probe against 1529 officials involved in corruption within the criminal justice system over the last three years. As a result of the investigations 192 officials were charged for corruption resulting in 86 being convicted. A further 296 officials were charged by their departments. Zuma has called on government departments to settle billions of rands they owe to municipalities for services. The call by Zuma comes a week after the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs told parliament that departments owed local councils R3.5bn. The debt was sitting at R3.9bn in September last year, but following intervention by the task team, that was set up by the government, the debt was brought down to R3.5bn in December 2011. Officials warned that if the debt was not settled it would cripple the functioning of municipalities. Zuma also announced that steps would be undertaken to speed up disciplinary cases against officials.
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In terms of the law cases need to be concluded within 60 days, but this rarely happens. It is all about good governance and serving the people, said Zuma. 30 May 2012 Business Day Page 3 Karl Gernetzky
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As such it fell outside the jurisdiction of the FPB, which had obligations to classify content that was being published, he said. But Ms Fisha said the gallery continued to display the painting on its website "as we speak". Ms Fisha then rejected AdvWelzs argument that the formal complaint which served as the basis of the hearing had made no mention of the gallerys website, saying its display there "cannot be looked at in isolation" from the exhibition. AdvWelz also expressed concern that the issue of the painting on the gallerys website "had not been on the table" until after the boards decision to proceed. He then reiterated that the committee should refrain from placing an age-related warning on the painting, saying it was in the public interest. AdvWelz referred to legal precedent where rulings were not made if judged to have no effect, and could therefore undermine the authority of the court, saying that if the committee "wants to make a show of being ineffective, it will classify this painting". The applicants reserved the right to appeal against the ruling, which Ms Fisha said should happen "within two days". AdvWelz requested that the board submit in writing its reasons why it had jurisdiction in the matter, along with the classification committees decision. 30 May 2012 Sowetan Hlengiwe Nhlabathi
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Yesterday De Klerk's spokesman Dave Steward said: "First of all, Mr Dlamini is from an organisation that holds principles that are completely irreconcilable with the constitution. All South Africans in constitutional democracy, including former president FW de Klerk, have a right to comment on developments." The march was led by ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, flanked by Dlamini, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, Higher Education Minister and also SACP leader Blade Nzimande, Deputy Health Minister Gwen Ramokgopa and ANC NEC member Tony Yengeni. Dlamini and Vavi ditched their central executive committee meeting, which was under way at Cosatu House, to be at the march. Vavi read out the memorandum that was delivered at the gallery. Mantashe said their mission was complete after Murray and the gallery owners apologised in a letter for the hurt and pain caused, and verbally agreed to remove the website version of the painting. The original painting that had been booked for display until next month was destroyed last week when two men - businessman Barend la Grange and Polokwane taxi driver Louis Mabokela - defaced it. Nzimande said the painting should not be allowed to leave the country. "It must not leave here. It must be destroyed once and for all," he said. It is understood the German collector who bought the painting for R136,000 wants it as it is. Nzimande also condemned what he said were "liberals who are disrespecting us. To whites, we are saying enough is enough." Thousands of people who were bused by the ANC from provinces including Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape walked from nearby Zoo Lake to the gallery. 30 May 2012 Business Day Page 3 Natasha Marrian
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march to the Goodman Gallery over the controversial painting, The Spear, a "mission accomplished". Against the backdrop of the ANCs loss in court over the right to sing a struggle song and an unresolved court interdict against the painting, his comments could be viewed as a populist approach to tackling the countrys problems. The now-defaced painting depicting President Jacob Zuma with his penis exposed was removed from the City Press website and from the walls of the gallery and will also be removed from its website. That followed a week of protests, talks and compromise. The artwork whipped up the emotions of South Africans across colour lines, with some condemning it as insulting and vile, and others dismissing criticism of it as intolerant and undemocratic. "They have not been interdicted by the courts, they have been interdicted by you," Mr Mantashe told thousands of ANC members who marched in defence of Mr Zuma. "That is your power." The thousand-strong march kicked off at the Zoo Lake, with poster-carrying protesters bused in from as far afield as Mpumalanga. It snaked its way through the suburb of Parkview, up Jan Smuts Avenue, which was closed to traffic for its duration, and halted outside the gallery in Rosebank. Protesters sang and danced as they approached. Some took the opportunity to campaign for Mr Zuma ahead of his battle for a second term at the head of the ANC. "Naked or not, Zuma for second term: Mpumalanga," read one placard. The Goodman Gallery, in its response to the ANC memorandum, said it never intended causing hurt or harm to the dignity of anyone. The gallery had removed the painting from its walls and "looked forward to continue engaging with the ANC". It gave Mr Mantashe an assurance that it would also remove the painting from its website. The leadership of the ANC and its alliance partners, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Communist Party (SACP), addressed the crowd from the back of a truck. Mr Mantashe said there was a "very strong liberal offensive" under way against the movement, an "offensive on people excluded from the political system for many years". He said the ANC had the right to defend itself, the country and African values and culture, referring to critics who accused the party of bullying the gallery into submission. He said "papering over the cracks of racial tension" was not going to help the process of unifying SA. Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, the general secretary of the SACP, called for the complete destruction of the painting.
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"Dont sell it, it must remain in this country and be destroyed if it is allowed to go to Germany they are making our president the second Sara Baartman," he said. Baartman was a Khoisan woman taken to Europe in the 1800s and displayed because of her physical features. The painting by artist Brett Murray has already been sold to a German collector for R136000. The rank and file of the ANC had taken the matter to heart, with workers forgoing a days wage to protest. Gauteng businessman and ANC member John Ndlovu said he empathised with Mr Zuma. "Zumas got children, I just imagined what the children were thinking. I had to put myself in his shoes, Ive got kids," he said.
28 May 2012 The New Age Sapa
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whose faith in him had been shaken due to lack of progress on jobs, economic growth and fighting corruption. South Africa is facing a crisis of leadership The national government is teetering under the weight of mismanagement and poor decision-making, Mazibuko claimed. She challenged Zuma to release the report of the judicial inquiry into the arms deal at the same time that he receives it and asked why SAPS crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli was suspended only after an NGO went to court. The president has time and again failed the constitutional test of accountability that our entire system of government is built upon, Mazibuko said. The president should be using the full powers of his executive office to shine the bright light of forensic investigation into suspected criminal activity Instead of using his power to investigate a titanic power struggle engulfing the security services, Zuma continued to preside over a sinister state within the state His problem is that he must constantly reshuffle the security services like a deck of cards in order to stay on top, Mazibuko said. A true leader led his party, while Zuma simply follows his. He is forced to bow before unelected Cosatu and others. He is unable to drive policy that runs counter to the disparate factions that brought him to power and he will never be able to stamp his authority on his government because these factions do not share a common purpose. Zuma had promised jobs, but the only job we seem to hear about is his: Will he keep it? Will he lose it? Who might challenge him? Mazibuko said, urging him to look deep within his heart and not stand for re-election at the ANCs elective conference in Mangaung in December. This is what the people of South Africa want, and what many people in his own party want, Mazibuko said. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said there were signs Zumas office was losing its dignity and authority. Citing the e-tolling debacle, Holomisa said: There is a clear conflict of interest when the party that governs is first in the line for government tenders. He suggested his party might approach the courts on the matter. Zuma is expected to reply to the debate today.
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But the gallery's legal representatives said: "The statements made by the ANC spokesman during the march on the Goodman Gallery do not reflect the proposals made by the Goodman Gallery to the ANC in confidential negotiations which did not result in a settlement." Mantashe later called off the boycott of City Press. ANC supporters, many of whom were bused in from other provinces, gathered at Zoo Lake, Johannesburg, from the early hours of yesterday, with some displaying placards that read "Naked or not, Zuma for second term". There was a heavy police presence prior to the march. Zuma's son, Duduzane, 28, refused to speak to the media before he was whisked away in a black Mercedes Benz. Emily Tollo, from Brits, in North West, was adamant that Brett Murray did not deserve forgiveness - even if he "repented". "We're supporting Zuma because he's like our father, and the country's father. The portrait was inappropriate and [Murray] must get on a ship and go back to Europe, or wherever he's from," she said. Before the march started, a small crowd of ANC supporters burned posters that had been pasted outside the gallery featuring a rhino painted in a style similar to that of The Spear but with the animal's horn replaced by a penis. MmapulaFisha, the Film and Publication Board's COO, said the board's classification committee would end its deliberations on the classification of The Spear.
27 May 2012 Sunday Times Page 13 Monica Laganparsad
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More than 3500 South Africans under the age of 35 took part in the survey, which gave them the choice of four candidates. Butch Rice from Pondering Panda said he found it startling that Motlanthe was more popular than Zuma, saying it was an indication of how young South Africans viewed the president's leadership. ''Also, Malema should not be overlooked. In our work we found that he had consistent support in the 15 to 20 age group." Rice said support for Malema was so strong that he could potentially run his own political party with a ''very strong support base". ''There are 6.5million users on Mxit in South Africa compared to just 4.5million on Facebook. What we do is engage users to find out what they think about the important issues of the day - and they want their opinion to be heard," he said. CEO Shirley Wakefield said Zuma was the least popular choice by race and age, whereas Motlanthe was the most popular among black youth, with 33.5% of the votes. ''This should be of particular concern to [Zuma] as the youth vote will be very important in the next election," said Wakefield. 28 May 2012 Business Day Page 1 Carol Paton
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The NUM also calls for a Presidential Mineral Sector Council (similar to the Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordinating Committee) to coordinate the work of different government departments that have a role in the minerals sector. This is a variation on the ANC papers suggestion of a super-ministry to play the role. Discussions at next months ANC policy conference are being closely watched by investors and follow nearly two years of uncertainty since nationalisation was put on the agenda by the ANC Youth League. The ANCs research paper, published in February, will form the basis of discussions on the mining sector. While it opposes nationalisation, many of its proposals will have far-reaching implications for companies doing business in the sector. Other developments at the NUM congress such as the re-election of general secretary Frans Baleni can also seen as important indicators for likely events at the ANCs national conference in December. Mr Baleni was viewed as a supporter of President Jacob Zuma and the status quo, while his challenger, Oupa Komane, was identified with those who would like to see Mr Zuma replaced. While Mr Balenis victory can be seen as translating into general satisfaction with Mr Zuma at the head of the ANC, the union stopped short of formally endorsing him for another term. Although a draft resolution to the congress had proposed the NUM should lobby other Cosatu unions to support Mr Zumas re-election in December, this was toned down and in the end did not explicitly state this support. Instead it was agreed Mr Zuma and his leadership team should be supported for the rest of their term. Thereafter, the general principle of continuity and the need to evaluate the skills and capacity of leadership should be taken into account when considering leadership choices. "We said we Polokwane," performance progress in support the leadership collective that emerged at Mr Baleni said. "We also said we have assessed their against the resolutions made there and realised there is some areas and disappointment in others."
The cautiously phrased debate around the resolution left many delegates confused. Many believed the congress had in the end supported Mr Zuma for a second term and several news reports were carried to this effect. The NUM leadership election was the most highly contested in the unions 30-years. Mr Baleni, who will serve his third term as general secretary, won about 60% of the vote after unprecedented scenes in which opposing groups rallied on the congress floor. All national office bearers were re-elected, including NUM president Senzeni Zokwana.
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Mr Baleni said yesterday the NUMs vision was to build a unified and growing union. "You can only lead when there is unity. Those who have lost must now be led by those who have won, and those who have won should never purge those who have lost." 28 May 2012 Business Day Page 4 Natasha Marrian
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although the leadership battle has left the union divided. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union another large Cosatu affiliate is understood to back Mr Zuma, while the South African Democratic Teachers Union is divided. It was a tight contest between Mr Baleni and Mr Komane, with the incumbent winning by a small margin. NUM president Senzeni Zokwana retained his post, as did his deputy, Piet Matosa. Mr Komane was replaced by Northern Cape secretary Tshimane Montoedi. The union leadership had complained about "dirty campaigning" ahead of the election and during the four-day congress including the eliciting of aid from employers for certain campaigns. They also complained about phone-tapping, and e-mails and faxes being monitored. The NUM also resolved on sorting out a longstanding fight with Numsa over membership. The leadership of the NUM is to request assistance from Cosatu House to have its members from Eskom "returned" to it. Numsa was also "encroaching" on the NUMs territory in mining and construction. During the plenary session, workers were told about regional NUM leaders who, shortly after being ousted from their posts, were found recruiting members for Numsa. Numsa is believed to be the second-largest Cosatu affiliate and is more militant in its approach to both union and ANC politics.
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The US, France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, the Netherlands and Bulgaria have given Syrias envoys notice to leave their capitals in a move that underlined Syrian President Bashar al-Assads diplomatic isolation. But Department of International Relations and Co-operation spokesman Clayson Monyela said yesterday the massacre was no reason to change the relationship between SA and Syria. "We are complacent in our relationship with Syria and we have condemned the violence that has taken place there." The department had encouraged "civilised discussion" with the Arab republic. He said he did not see why the actions of western nations should influence SA. "We have put a statement on the departments website expressing our concern about the amount of people who have died and how the violence concerns us," he said. The statement was published on April 14 in support of UN joint special envoy Kofi Annan and called for a "balanced resolution" to Syrias problems. There has been no condemnation from SA of the killings in the town of Houla. The UN said entire families were killed in their homes on Friday, some by army tanks and others probably by pro-Assad militia. Mr Annan said yesterday that Syria, suffering from persistent killings and abuses, was at a "tipping point" and he had appealed to Mr al-Assad to act immediately to halt the violence. He said in his talks in Damascus with Mr al-Assad he had "conveyed in frank terms the grave concern of the international community about the violence in Syria, including the recent shocking events in Houla." He said Mr al-Assad had also condemned the killings, denied any role and blamed Islamist "terrorists". French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said yesterday Mr al-Assad was "the murderer of his people" and called on him to relinquish power. US state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called the Houla attack "the most unambiguous indictment to date" of Damascuss refusal to implement UN resolutions. "We hold the Syrian government responsible for this slaughter of innocent lives," she said. 30 May 2012 Business Day Page 1 Sam Mkokeli
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THE African National Congress (ANC) protest against a painting of President Jacob Zuma is a catalyst for its new and populist posture, as it seeks to mute the power of the courts, where its government has been losing cases. The partys change in tactics succeeded yesterday, allowing its secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe, to gloat "mission accomplished!" Brett Murrays painting, titled The Spear, of Mr Zuma with his genitals exposed, was in effect banned. It was defaced last week, by people Mr Mantashe said deserved an award. As the party celebrated, its members showing the nation the power they wield, the likely consequence is that institutions such as the courts will be short-circuited by the power of the people in the streets. The North Gauteng High Court has not yet ruled on whether the painting infringes any law or the constitution, but the ANCs march has removed it from the public gaze. The ANCs legal and constitutional affairs head, Ngoako Ramatlhodi, says the march is the "beginning of the second transition", where the "constitution was given life in the streets". The "second transition" is the ANCs attempt to push up by a notch its drive to consolidate power and transform society. Early drafts of the strategy and tactics document to be discussed at next months policy conference raised eyebrows, with calls for unconstitutional methods to transfer land ownership to black South Africans and to transform the judiciary. The partys march was successful, but it could also be seen as an admission that it lacks the ability to transform the country, despite its electoral majority, which is just below the two-thirds mark. This new tactic could backfire if used by communities angry about poor services. The ruling party can hardly complain about residents marching on it, if it encourages members to take to the streets. Mr Ramatlhodi says the ANC has committed a "fatal error" since coming to power, by relying on the state to transform society. "We dont control the state," he says, referring to stumbling blocks like the judiciary. He is among leaders pushing the ANC to "bring out the masses whenever the need arises". "Gone are the days where you have an ANC that relies exclusively on its presence in government," Mr Ramatlhodi says. Yesterdays march blamed everybody but the ANC for the slow transformation of SA. It led the eyes of the "masses" away from ANC failures, branding liberals, ungrateful whites and the oppositionist media as the enemy. South African Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande went further, calling Mr Murray and those who did not back the ANC protests as "imidlwembe" (sellouts) a powerful insult during the struggle against apartheid. The march provided a huge relief for Mr Zuma, whose presidency has become a matter of putting out fires, and survival.
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Now that the Goodman Gallery and City Press have acceded to the ANCs demands, it is expected Mr Zuma will withdraw his court application. This will leave unresolved the pertinent question of competing rights: freedom of expression versus the right to dignity. The masses and their leaders, in their wisdom, decided on the streets yesterday which is more important. Who will dare disagree with them ?
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In the 1990s, then American president Bill Clinton was followed by a sexual scandal involving Monica Lewinsky. The story was covered by every paper and news outlet 24/7. Even Chris Rock made a rather crude joke inferring that then first lady Hillary Clinton hadnt done what she was supposed to do, which is how Bill strayed. The joke was of course very shocking. Yet Chris Rock was not sued nor threatened for making such a joke. Clinton became a butt of jokes. Later, he would say that the way he survived the scandal was listening to Nelson Mandelas advice, who told him to focus on the work he was elected to do, not on the scandal. Today, president Bill Clinton is remembered as one of Americas really good modern presidents because he focused on what needed to be done for the American people. He presided over one of Americas most prosperous times, he even left the country in surplus. He focused on the work at hand, not personal affronts. Earlier this year, a painting of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper by Margaret Sutherland shows him reclining on a chair, completely naked. A dog rests at his feet. The prime ministers office simply responded, On the Sutherland painting: were not impressed. Everyone knows the PM is a cat person. They responded with humour. And please nobody start with the unAfrican argument because it is has no leg to stand on. There are some who want to reduce the painting to race and call it racist. Of course it is not. It is just distasteful. Despite its distasteful nature, I will defend the artists right to paint it and the gallerys right to display it. Personal feelings on the matter aside. The great thing about the country though is that the president, like anybody else, has the right to approach the courts about the painting. The race card argument says that the president has been reduced to nothing but a sexual being, which is how white people see black men. Sometimes I dread the race card because its often brought up situations where people are too lazy to think of a proper argument. They gravitate towards what is easy and fail to apply their minds in order to win a harder argument based on real factors for they know that no one will try to debate the race card. There is nothing racist about that painting. What of the atrocious 2010 painting by Ayanda Mabulu which portrays Desmond Tutu naked, with the Popes hand resting on his thigh? The same painting exhibits Jacob Zumas penis as well. Is it racist too? There has been no outrage about it, of course. The only thing that I find outrageous about that painting is that it is so outrageously bad, it shouldnt even be called art. In the US, the presidential communications department is trained on how to dominate the message of the day, how not to let a story run away. They learn to control the message quickly. A story runs away when you dont own it. If you dont own it, you cant control it. The president became a victim instead of owning the story. He has been painted as a victim. People dont believe that a powerful man like him is a victim or can be. Just because ordinary people on the street are angered by the
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painting doesnt mean that they think he is a victim. In their minds, he is too powerful to be one. When he was running for the presidency of the ANC, it was easy to see how he could be a victim. Personally, I dont want my president to become a joke, but I do want my president to take a joke. I dont want my president to be treated as a man without dignity, but I do want him to be dignified when he is treated without dignity. I dont want my president to be overly sensitive, but I do want him to navigate around difficult issues with sensitivity and wisdom. Mr President, take the advice Nelson Mandela gave to Bill Clinton. Focus on the job at hand and ignore the distraction and create a legacy so great we cant ignore.
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that 70% of the SKA will be built in Africa. It shows great confidence in Africa," he says. Bear in mind that SA was the dark horse in the race for the SKA. The country was initially an observing country and only decided to bid to host the telescope in the mid-2000s, whereas Australia was a driving force from the start and was involved in the conceptualisation of the mammoth radio telescope. Australia has been one of the world leaders in radio astronomy since the discipline began to develop in the post-World War Two period. In fact, in the 1960s it was decided that SA should not develop its radio astronomy capacity because of the high cost and because Australia had such an impressive head start. In the past decade, SA has played catch-up and the recommendation by the site advisory committee shows that we are now a global radio astronomy player, but we should not become so drunk on competitive fervour that we forget Australia has skills and expertise. In the 21st century, scientific research is about collaboration, and the SKA whatever guise it took was always going to be a collaborative effort by several countries. The telescope will be better for having Australian scientists and engineers included in the project, and opens the doors for a better exchange of skills and engagement. "The more countries that participate, the better," Dr Fanaroff says.
Having both Australia and SA on board will enable the SKA to perform the best science possible. That should be the focus, not our egos. FinanceMedia LISTEN THINK TALK
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On the other hand, the large size of welfare payments made to 15,3million out of a population of about 50-million bought off the poor, but worsened their poverty. Last year Mr Mbeki, who has become a strong critic of the ANC, caused an uproar in the party when he said the ANC would face a "Tunisia Day" civil revolt around 2020. "We are a country that is deindustralising, yet the welfare state is growing," he said yesterday. The increasing welfare expenditure was an "effort to buy off the vote of the black poor". The country needed new politics, with labour and business firmly at the centre of political decision making, he said. "As long as they are out, there will never be economic growth that is meaningful these two groups control productive assets." A class of indigenous entrepreneurs was also needed, he said. Mr Mbeki said public servants were drawing huge salaries, which meant that resources were not going to a productive sector of the economy. "The ANC government is about consumption, not production. Production is secondary to them." Even the infrastructure drive meant to boost economic growth and create jobs was doomed, he said, because there were no domestic savings to pay for it.
25 May 2012 Business Day Page 3 Ernest Mabuza and Natasha Marrian
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The South African National Editors Forum said it was "alarmed" at the call to boycott City Press. It said this was "tantamount to intimidation and abuse of power" and was " unbecoming of a party that functions in an open democratic stage and especially one which leads the national government". South African Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande also called for a boycott of City Press, beginning this Sunday. City Press editor-in-chief Ferial Haffajee said yesterday: "As an editor one tries ones best to be first with the news and to maximise ones newspapers impact. "No one wants a boycott." During a hearing at the South Gauteng High Court yesterday on the application that the painting be removed, the parties decided to postpone the matter indefinitely to allow for a reconstitution of the bench to continue the hearing. The judges had spent the morning questioning whether Mr Zumas request could be enforceable if the court granted the order. Although the painting was defaced by two men at the gallery on Tuesday, there were a number of other sources where the image of the portrait could be viewed. Judges NeelsClaassen, FayeezaKathree-Setiloane and Lucy Mailula were concerned that, given that the image was all over the internet, it would be difficult for the court to monitor a ban if it granted Mr Zumas application. "What if the portrait is downloaded from other websites? Is that a violation of the interdict? " JudgeClaassen asked. Mr Zumas counsel, GcinaMalindi SC, asked the judges to give him time to consider the courts interrogation of the remedy that Mr Zuma sought. He said the portrait infringed on Mr Zumas right to dignity. Mr Malindi said the fact that the image was publicised was no bar to the declaration of unlawfulness that Mr Zuma sought. T he constitutional right to dignity was not in competition with any right, he said. "No one can limit it. If we succeed with that, then all evidence before the court is irrelevant," he said. He broke down in tears while arguing the case for Mr Zuma. The court ordered that a TV clip which showed Mr Malindi crying should not be televised further.
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Mr Malindi said after the court adjourned that he had suddenly been overcome by emotion when he broke down. " There is a history to it as a former activist," he said after the case had been postponed. Hundreds of people had gathered outside the court. After the hearing, ANC secretary-general GwedeMantashe addressed the crowd outside the court and asked them to march on the Goodman Gallery on Tuesday. DuduzileZuma thanked the crowd for supporting his father. UmkhontoweSizwe national chairman Kenny Mapatswe said the ANCs military wing would come to court "again and again to defend dignity".
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It was also found that receipt of the child support grant varied over different age groups. Take-up rates peaked for children aged seven to 10, while that for infants was relatively low. But the social grant system has been bedevilled by a number of problems in the past, not least of which is corruption. Last month, Ms Dlamini told Parliament that public servants had illegally received more than R40bn in fraudulent social grant claims between August 2009 and December 2011. Earlier this year, Ms Dlamini said Sassa would reregister more than 15-million social grant beneficiaries in a bid to rid the system of corruption and ensure that social grants were paid to the right people. Speaking at the launch of the study in Gugulethu yesterday, Ms Dlamini said the findings of the study were crucial as they proved that the African National Congressled government was "committed to improving the wellbeing of our children". However, Democratic Alliance social development spokesman Mike Waters said the fact that 10-million children were dependent on social grants was an "indictment" of the ANC government. "If they were taking care of people, these children would not be dependent on social grants. Their parents would be employed and able to take care of their families," Mr Waters said. He further said social grants were a short-term measure that would alleviate but not eradicate poverty. The government needed to create more job opportunities. 25 May 2012 The Times Page 6 Nivashni Nair
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In March, the commission was unable to shortlist candidates for a position in the Constitutional Court because it received an "insufficient number of appropriate nominations". Four candidates - Supreme Court of Appeal justices Robert Nugent, Mandisa Maya and Lebotsang Bosielo and North Gauteng High Court judge Raymond Zondo - have since been shortlisted and will be interviewed next month. Acting on the JSC's recommendation, Zuma appointed Xola Mlungisi Petse and Ronnie Pillay as justices of the Supreme Court of Appeal. Advocate WimTrengove SC said, however, that he was disappointed that Eastern Cape judge Clive Plasket, an expert in administrative law with 58 reported judgments, had not been appointed to the Supreme Court of Appeal bench. Many lawyers felt Plasket was overlooked in favour of Judge Pillay. Trengove said Plasket was just one of many suitable candidates who had not been considered. He said the commission's call for competent and appropriately qualified candidates to apply for positions would go unheard until it gave a credible answer as to why suitable candidates were overlooked in the past. "I don't think the problem will be solved until the commission gives a credible answer on the failure to recommend other suitable candidates," he said. Trengove said he did not believe the JSC was desperate for good judges. He said "the quality and the image of the bench suffers as a result" of its actions. Fourie said the commission always appointed suitable candidates to help create a strong judiciary. He said unfilled positions did not affect the workings of the courts and that most often acting appointments were made to fill the gaps. Former public protector advocate Selby Baqwa, whose office oversaw one aspect of the arms deal probe when former president Thabo Mbeki was in office, has been appointed as a judge in the Pretoria High Court.
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'I'm no racist: Artist Brett Murray, in his affidavit, explains why he painted 'The Spear'
"At the outset, I would like to say that I am a proud South African and a former supporter of the ANC. I am not a racist. I do not produce art with an intention to hurt, humiliate or insult, and that includes the painting that has caused this controversy. I emphatically deny that any such intention motivated the painting or exhibiting of The Spear. This will be borne out by my explanation as to the background and context of my work. The Spear has a dual purpose: it is a work of protest or resistance art, and it is a satirical piece. I would like to explain my history to give a context to my work. I was born in South Africa and raised, in the 1970s and 1980s, in a society that was perverted, controlled by corrupt, morally bereft politicians who treated South Africa my country - as a personal fiefdom of their racist elite. To preserve their position of illegitimate power, tactics of intimidation, coercion, violence, manipulation, and misuse of intelligence and police forces, were the norm. Censorship prevailed and freedom of expression was severely curtailed. White men, such as me, were conscripted into the army to take up arms against fellow South Africans, to fight a war we did not believe in against enemies that we considered to be friends. I [therefore], in order to avoid conscription, studied for 10 years, and thereafter went into self-imposed exile in London until the ANC was unbanned and I returned to South Africa. While I was studying, I was involved in anti-apartheid activities in the trade union movement, church groups, youth groups, and the End Conscription Campaign. As an artist, I produced and designed banners, posters, stickers, protest worker diaries and the like in support of the struggle. It was growing up in this apartheid society that caused me, from an early age, to think about issues of power, race, politics, patriarchy, oppression and the manipulation of the media. Indeed, these themes have by and large prevailed through my work as an artist over many years. When I studied for my master's in fine arts, I reflected satirically on the apartheid regime. The works consisted of satirical figures describing policemen with dynamite in their ears, pigs as soldiers.
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Like many other South Africans, I embraced the dawn of a new South Africa. I was teaching art at Stellenbosch University in 1994 when South Africa's first democratic election was held and, as a supporter of the ANC, I proudly cast my ballot on April 27 1994. That day signified hope, freedom, an end to tyranny and the dawn of a new era for me, my countrymen and the whole world. South Africa moved from being a pariah state to being the proudest nation in the world. As our democracy developed, cracks began to show in the way that the ruling elite was implementing the ideals of the Freedom Charter and our constitution. From my perspective as an artist I felt a sense of betrayal, where heroes of the struggle now appeared to be corrupt, power-hungry and greedy, or where ideals that many had died or made sacrifices for were abandoned on the altar of expedience. Over the past few years one ongoing narrative in our society has been the story of the first applicant [President Jacob Zuma]. For instance, in a judgment implicating the first applicant, a court found that the first applicant was closely linked to his former financial adviser, SchabirShaik, who was found guilty of corruption. Another controversial feature of the first applicant's public life was the failure by the prosecuting authorities to proceed with corruption charges against him, notwithstanding the apparent existence of evidence to sustain such charges. Details of the first applicant's sex life have been well documented in the public domain. Notwithstanding the fact that he has four wives, he has engaged in extramarital sex on at least two occasions. For me, satire is critical entertainment. While I might be attacking and ridiculing specific targets, what I am actually doing is articulating my vision of an ideal world in which I want to live . In this instance, that preferred ideal in the South African context is the Freedom Charter. What satire can do in a political context is that it can be seen as a political contestation as it opens political debate. The resulting debate that has surrounded this work is in itself evidence that this does happen and that artwork can provoke these debates, however unsettling they might be. There is therefore no reason for artists to be censored, however uncomfortable this might be for individuals and for society at large. For me, The Spear has a far broader meaning than some of the public discourse on its meaning, including the first applicant's interpretation. It is a metaphor for power, greed and patriarchy."
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"The renewal process takes longer but as the minister indicated, General Mdluli has applied for renewal," he said. Asked how long it would take to renew it, Mnisi said it varied. "Once an application is made, it is not in the hands of the applicant, but in the hands of those who approve it. It is similar when one applies for an ID. For some it could take three months, for others it could take a year," he said. Pretoria University criminologist Professor Christiaan Bezuidenhout said as soon as a person's security clearance lapsed or was revoked, they were immediately deemed a security risk. "Being the crime intelligence head means the person has top security clearance, giving them carte blanche on all information," said Bezuidenhout. "What is happening is a worldwide phenomenon. It is a way of putting a lid on someone who knows absolutely everything about a country - from government ministers' indiscretions, the handling of service delivery protests, crime, rhino poaching to having intimate knowledge of the 2008 xenophobic attacks." Bezuidenhout said Mdluli and the controversy surrounding him were causing huge problems. "Where there is a political issue [and] where an individual poses a risk, they will be ousted in whatever way possible," he said. He said the strategy was used against people "not playing the game" or those suddenly deemed to be unfit for their position. "It is clear Mdluli's alleged actions are bringing individuals, government and the ruling party into disrepute," he said. 31 May 2012 The Times Page 3 AndileNdlovu
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After releasing the 172-page (and 128 pictures) authorised biography on the 93-yearold, Smith said on her website that she would be giving Americans a talk in Maryland on Madiba's relationship with their country. The talk would be held on July 15 - a mere three days before Madiba celebrates his 94th birthday in his homestead of Qunu in the Eastern Cape. The book, which will be published via Random House Struik, covers Mandela's early years, student days, incarceration, years as a statesman and life since retirement, according to a synopsis. It will also come with interviews with "friends and fellow leaders". Some of the pictures include one of the mass funeral for the 69 victims of the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, one of Madiba burning his ID book in protest of the Sharpeville shootings, and a powerful one of children in Phola Park, near Thokoza on the East Rand, throwing rocks beside a fire during pre-election violence in 1994. In the chapter titled "A Clash of Values", Smith writes: "Courts failed to operate properly, and criminal activity, thus obscured, thrived. This would create the deepest wounds within the future democratic state. "Faction fighting, a centuries-old scourge that saw African clans pit themselves against each other, often for decades-old grievances, was allowed to flourish and develop new forms under the haze of violence." During a speech to the ANC conference in December 1997, drafted by his then deputy Thabo Mbeki, Mandela attacked the press and international donors for failing to deliver on their promises. He also criticised white people for failing to reform. The speech did not sit too well with many listeners, but in the book Smith quotes one party insider who said: "Mandela was not happy with the speech, although he agreed with some of its content. But he also knew that if Mbeki delivered the speech, it would cause the country grave damage, but because of Mandela's stature the speech could be carried off." 30 May 2012 The New Age Sandile Hlangani
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For the ANC to call on City Press and the Goodman Gallery to remove images of the painting from their websites it had expunged section 16 (1) and (2) from the constitution, IOL News reported. Lekota told the site that freedom of artistic creativity which is articulated in 16(1) (c) became a casualty. Specifically the freedom of the press and other media provided for in 16(1) (a) and freedom of artistic creativity articulated in 16(1) (c) became casualties, Lekota was quoted as saying. 31 May 2012 Business Day Page 3 Paul Vecchiatto
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winning an oil-field concession in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2010, when the deterioration at the mine had already set in. Mr Gona said Mr Sambatha should point out sections of the Companies Act that should be changed so the mineral resources committee members could liaise with their trade and industry counterparts. Parliaments labour committee chairman, Elleck Nchabaleng, said the rights of workers during a liquidation were part of the overhaul the Basic Conditions of Employment Act now under way. Mr Sambatha expressed his unions "frustration" in getting information from the liquidators and the new buyers, Chinese Africa Precious Minerals. 31 May 2012 Business Day Page 3 Wyndham Hartley
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Congress of the People leader MosiuoaLekota charged that Mr Zuma had betrayed his oath of office to protect the constitution. Referring to the furore around The Spear painting he said "the president, as the main defender of the constitution, failed Brett Murray, Ferial Haffajee, LizaEssers, who were exercising their constitutionally entrenched right. He thus also failed the nation, the controversy surrounding The Spear did not justify a dereliction of the presidents solemn duty to the Constitution." Mr Zuma remained silent while "the secretary-general of the ruling party, its official spokesman and the Minister of Higher Education resorted to extrajudicial measures to whip up emotions, manifestly trample on the constitutionally guaranteed rights, create fear among citizens, call for the boycott of a newspaper and divide the nation. This, I submit, was incitement to disregard constitutionalism in our democracy and to undermine the judiciary." United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa told Mr Zuma there were signs his office was losing its dignity and authority. "It is puzzling how your party outside government and its tripartite alliance partners were allowed to undermine the Cabinets decision on the e-tolling fiasco. Cabinet took a decision to proceed with the e-tolling system, which received the support of most political parties during the finance ministers budget vote. "However, after leaks to the media linking the ANCs and Cosatus investment arms to the e-tolling system, and in an apparent move by tripartite alliance partners to conceal their dodgy dealings, the Cabinets decision on e-tolling was reversed by a few leaders who met outside government," Mr Holomisa said. This situation was made worse when Mr Zuma and Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe contradicted each other on the role of the ANCs Chancellor House in getting access to government tenders. "For instance, early this year, Mr Motlanthe said in this house it was wrong for the investment arms of the alliance partners to access government tenders. However, in the same house last week you said exactly the opposite, despite the glaring conflict of interest," Mr Holomisa said. "Given the fact that you, Mr President, see nothing wrong with this form of institutionalised corruption, (my party) is left with no choice but to seek legal opinion and establish whether it cannot approach courts for redress as we did when we took the floor-crossing legislation to the Constitutional Court. There is a clear conflict of interest when the party that governs is first in the line for government tenders." Mr Zuma will reply today.
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based on higher volumes and only "moderate" increases in tariffs, he said. If the company was unable to achieve the desired volumes, due to global conditions and macroeconomic shocks or capacity problems, the investment programme would be jeopardised. Revenue growth was based on a 44% increase in coal volumes; a 57% escalation in iron ore and a 113% rise in general freight business. Restructuring the general freight business to be more customer oriented was one of the key priorities if volumes were to be achieved, Mr Molefe said. 30 May 2012 Business Day Page 2 Linda Ensor
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recovery of the fuel levy. On the plus side, however, passenger revenue had risen by 20% in the last quarter of 2011-12. The future outlook was not any brighter, with airline profits globally set to decline even further in 2012-13. Nevertheless SAA was planning to extend its network of destinations, with two new ones in Africa to be added this year. SAA was engaged in an aggressive programme to reduce its non-fuel costs, Ms Mzimela said, with the aim being to achieve cost reductions and "cost compressions" of more than R1bn in 2012-13. This was critical to the sustainability of the airline. A significant investment in new fuel-efficient aircraft was also needed. She said SAA expected to finalise a major aircraft order by year-end to replace the current nonefficient long-haul aircraft. Over the next five years it would also take delivery of 20 new fuel-efficient Airbus 320s to replace the existing short-haul fleet. Ms Mzimela reported an 87% achievement for on-time performance of SAA flights the best performance in 12 years and utilisation of the fleet had also improved significantly. Mishandled baggage had declined 8%. In a separate briefing to the committee, the Department of Public Enterprises acting deputy director-general, Weekend Bangane, allayed concerns of MPs over the risk posed to Denel Aerostructures of having only one major client, Airbus, for which it is producing components for its A400M programme. He said this years R700m state grant had enhanced the sustainability of the company in the eyes of other customers as was the commitment of Airbus to the company. Mr Bangane conceded, however, there were risks to the Airbus contract as Denel had to ensure it retained its highly skilled staff. Denel Aerostructures has forecast reporting a loss of about R200m in 2012-13 and to break even in about 2016-17. 30 May 2012 Business Day Page 1 Wyndham Hartley
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National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu yesterday became one of the most senior members of the African National Congress to criticise the poor standard of legislation emerging from Parliament. Several pieces of legislation have been rejected by the courts in recent years, and controversial bills such as the Protection of State Information Bill, the Film and Publications Amendment Bill, the Traditional Courts Bill and the Legal Practice Bill have been withdrawn from Parliament and returned with warnings that they remain unconstitutional. Introducing the debate on his budget vote, Mr Sisulu expressed "deep concern" over the volume of legislation that was being returned to the National Assembly for correction after the National Council of Provinces or the courts found it to be unconstitutional. "This speaks both to the constitutionality of the legislation passed, as well as its quality." He reminded MPs that, because SA was a constitutional state, all laws had to pass the test of constitutionality. "The poor quality of legislation is often the consequence of inadequate scrutiny," Mr Sisulu said. "As the subject matter of legislation becomes more sophisticated and highly technical, our Parliament and members must become more professional." He said a report of the Independent Panel Assessment of Parliament noted it did not have sufficient capacity for drafting and amending legislation. The constitutional and l egal s ervices o ffice was instructed to establish a legal drafting unit, which was under way. Democratic Alliance chief whip Watty Watson criticised the way Parliament was managed. "The National Assemblys arteries are clogged. Its processes and procedures stifle free-flowing engagement between us and the government, between us as nonexecutive members. And most importantly, between us and the South African people," he said. Freedom Front Plus chief whip Corn Mulder said Parliament had become "boring, dull and a place of mediocrity. We the politicians operating in our parties and within the structures of Parliament should take full responsibility for this unfortunate state of affairs".
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The process of withdrawing the NUMs recognition and giving it time to try to reclaim its majority could take up to four months, but Implats was keen to bring the unions into talks to set up a new recognition structure for two or three unions. This would be to avoid a "winner takes it all" situation that could lead to further disruptions, Mr Brown said. "Platinum mining in SA has rarely, if ever, been more challenging for management and shareholders, in our view," Mr Shepherd and Mr Cooke said.
28 May 2012 The Times Page 2 Nivashni Nair and Katharine Child
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City Press editor Ferial Haffajee said it was too early to determine the impact of the boycott, but added she was aware that posters had been put up at a few shops calling for customers not to buy the paper. Tweeters posted photographs of their copies of the newspaper in a show of support. Some said they had bought up to five copies each. Talk Radio 702 presenter David O'Sullivan tweeted that the boycott call had made him a subscriber. "I always buy #City Press at the shop, but it took Gwede Mantashe to persuade me to get a subscription instead," he tweeted. Johannesburg resident Nikki Heyman went to three shops, only to find the newspaper sold out. Pick 'n Pay Rosebank manager David Pitso said the paper was sold out in his store for the first time yesterday. "We normally don't sell out City Press, only today," he said. 28 May 2012 The Times Page 3 Graeme Hosken
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One of the allegations being investigated is that several top policemen conspired to prevent Mdluli from becoming national police commissioner and to remove him from the police. Mdluli included these allegations in a letter to President Jacob Zuma in which he promised to help Zuma in his re-election campaign. In the past two months Mdluli has narrowly escaped criminal prosecution for abuse of state resources, murder, defeating the ends of justice, and fraud and corruption. Police spokesman Brigadier Lindela Mashigo confirmed the internal inquiry. "It stems from serious allegations which recently emerged from the inquest," he said. Mashigo declined to elaborate. "All I can say is that they [the allegations] have grave consequences." Mashigo said the summary suspension notice was served on Mdluli's lawyer after Mdluli disappeared. "The suspension was enforced because, after receiving the type of information he did from the inquest, the national commissioner could not sit back and close his eyes and ears." National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said the inquest was being heard in the Boksburg Magistrate's Court. "The police have declined Mdluli's request for financial assistance," said Mashigo. Asked if Mdluli had deliberately ignored the order, Mashigo said: "You can put it that way. The national commissioner was left with no choice but to sign the suspension notice. "The national commissioner has responsibilities and he is exercising them. "These include the reorganisation of the crime intelligence division to deal with maladministration." Jay Govender, legal adviser to the inspector-general of intelligence, commenting on the inspector-general's investigation, said: "The investigation is under way. Due to its wide terms of reference it is difficult to estimate its completion date. Once finalised, a report will follow containing findings and recommendations which will be submitted to the minister of police and to the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence." 27 May 2012 Sunday Times Page 13
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Sibongakonke Shoba
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"Some of our branches have raised this concern that they are being put under pressure to attend secret meetings. "These are bad habits that emerged before Polokwane. And we have discouraged that and indicated that any evaluation of the performance of the leaders of the ANC belongs to our branches and our structures. Any person who feels they need to discuss this thing with our branches should go to their branches or raise them within the structures of the ANC," said Kekana. The Gauteng PEC, under the leadership of Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile, is known to be hostile to Zuma's second-term campaign. It is expected to endorse an "Anything But Zuma" campaign. According to an ANC insider, Gauteng leaders are, however, unlikely to back Fikile Mbalula's campaign to remove secretary-general Gwede Mantashe. A Gauteng leader said Zuma's lobbyists were failing in their attempts to sway the province in Zuma's favour. "People are telling them, 'On what basis are you calling us to secret meetings? It is the same approach towards Polokwane when ministers moved around (campaigning for former president Thabo Mbeki). The NEC said you can't do these things." However, a youth league leader in the province said the Gauteng PEC was itself campaigning for Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe. "People are obviously campaigning. Why are they complaining about the same thing that they themselves are doing?" said the youth leader. Gauteng is scheduled to hold a provincial general council in the next two weeks, when the succession issue is expected to be discussed. 27 May 2012 Sunday Times Page 5 Candice Bailey
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The SKA radio telescope, which will be completed by 2024, will be the world's largest and most sensitive, able to probe deep into space. South Africa had been working on its bid since 2003 and was widely tipped as the frontrunner. The decision on the host site should have been announced in April, but it was delayed after a report by the advisory committee recommending South Africa was leaked to the media. The announcement was made after a meeting of members of the SKA consortium at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. Residents of Carnarvon in the Karoo were yesterday overjoyed at the announcement. Liz McKinnon, owner of the Lemon Tree Coffee Shop, said: "I listened to the news over the radio ...I think it is absolutely fantastic because this is a very poor community." Esau Hoorn, owner of Jumani Funerals, said: "It is exciting, but the community is unsure how it will affect their lives." He hoped the telescope would find new planets so that one could be named after the town. Jonas said scientists and politicians would have grown impatient over further delays in the decision-making process. The split means that one of the three SKA receivers will be set up in Australia and two in South Africa. The project will proceed in two phases. The first will set up about 10% of the entire SKA project and use the MeerKAT telescope being built in the Karoo by South African scientists and engineers, as well as a similar telescope in Australia, as its basis. Phase two will result in about 4000 dishes being erected in Africa. Jonas said 10% would be split among the eight partner countries in Africa, namely Ghana, Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Zambia, Namibia and Mozambique. Of those remaining, 50% would be placed in the Karoo and 40% in the rest of South Africa. Jonas said if there was a technical justification for preferring South Africa, it was because the Karoo had a 1000m elevation, much higher than the Australian site . Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor said she was ecstatic that South Africa had been awarded the majority of the project, and accepted the compromise in the interest of its progress. 27 May 2012 Sunday Times Page 1 Prega Govender
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Two of the teachers have diplomas. Most of the others have a matric qualification. Community members produced written correspondence from as far back as October 2010 in which a department official indicated his support for the building of a school. A chief environmental officer who inspected the proposed site said it was suitable for a school. But according to minutes of a meeting between the department and Seanego in April, the department said: "Currently there are no resources to establish such a school." Pupils and volunteer teachers this week pleaded with the department to provide desks, chairs, textbooks, stationery and qualified teachers. Phuti Mahlakgane, 12, said he liked attending his new school because it was close to home. "But we want to be promoted to the next grade at the end of this year. We attend class every day like everyone else and we should be promoted," he said. Fellow pupil Koena Papola, 12, said: "It's getting very cold now and we can't sit on the cold, hard ground because it's very uncomfortable." Grade 2 teacher Francina Maphakela said she spent R16 a day on taxi fare. "Yes, we know these children won't be promoted to the next grade at the end of the year and our work is in vain. But I am prepared to teach here, even for 10 years without pay, until the government recognises this school," she said. Her colleague Margaret Hlako said she wanted to help change the children's lives. "I feel for them. Some of them don't even have shoes, yet they come to school. It will be heartbreaking if they have to remain in the same grade next year." Education department spokes-man Pat Kgomo, who said the schooling issue at Silvermine was a "crisis", was adamant pupils would not be promoted because "to us, there's no school there". "Nobody is assessing their work; those are not qualified teachers. We want it solved so we can see what catch-up programme we can put in place." Kgomo said that the department had given the community an undertaking that it would provide a temporary structure next year. 27 May 2012 Sunday Times Page 1 Mzilikazi Wa Afrika, Rob Rose, Stephan Hofstatter and Sibusiso Ngalwa
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Crucially, the findings suggest Zuma should initiate a criminal probe into Cele to determine exactly why he broke the rules to benefit Shabangu. "It is recommended that these relationships [between Cele, Shabangu and public works officials] be referred to competent authorities for further investigation ... on account of the board's lack of powers to subpoena witnesses or conduct searches and seizures." It said the evidence "proved abundantly that there was a questionable relationship" between Cele, Shabangu and public works officials, but because of the limits on its powers, it could not probe deeper. Mkhize told the Sunday Times that the call for "further investigation" was "devious" and "dishonest", but said Cele would "definitely" accept a criminal probe if it came to that. Zuma is now facing intense lobbying from Cele, whose lawyers gave the president a 23-page document on Friday calling on him "not to accept" the "inappropriate" recommendations. That legal response, now in the Sunday Times's possession, says Judge Moloi's panel was "cavalier and impermissibly selective in the treatment of the relevant evidence" and reached "absurd findings". On Friday, Cele's spin team said that, irrespective of Zuma's decision, he planned to go to court to "review" the "scandalous" report and also possibly sue the panel for defamation. "The president is entitled to make any [decision], and whatever decision that he may [make] is justified. Our desire is to see this report certified as the fraud that it is," said Mkhize. Zuma, meanwhile, is biding his time on making a decision. Zuma's spokesman, Mac Maharaj, said he "can't go into processes and put a time frame on [when he will act], but I can say the president is aware that this is an urgent and serious matter, and he'll make known his response as soon as possible". The panel's report clinically dismantles Cele's argument against the Sunday Times expos . "The grave misconduct by the national commissioner and his lack of appreciating his unlawful conduct, despite overwhelming evidence, proved unquestionably that he is not fit to hold office and that he is unable to execute his official duties efficiently." The report says Cele was effectively Shabangu's puppet, finding that he "grossly misconducted" himself and "was bent on ensuring that Shabangu secured the Durban lease at all costs". "[Cele's] resolve to ensure, at all costs, that the SAPS was going to rent buildings belonging or linked to Shabangu, at demonstrably exorbitant rates, when he clearly knew Shabangu, indicates that he acted with an undeclared conflict of interest."
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The inquiry found that he pushed for the police to lease 25301m worth of space, far more than was needed. And, five months before the Pretoria lease was struck at an exorbitant price of R125.40/m, the police were offered the lease at a price of R85/m. But the panel went far beyond Cele, painting a picture of rampant dishonesty in the police and corruption in the Department of Public Works. This includes findings that: Senior police officials - including SAPS chief operations officer Christina Mgwenya and Kwazulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Mmamonnye Ngobeni - lied to protect Cele. The inquiry said "for them to mislead the board, and do so under oath, is disturbing"; There was "sufficient evidence of corrupt activities taking place" in the Department of Public Works to benefit cronies of public officials. The panel said public works deputy director Mokhaetji Tlolane was a "pathetic witness" and her testimony only proved that "irregularities are committed as a matter of course"; Shabangu himself was asked to testify, but "flatly turned down the invitation" and did not co-operate with the board of inquiry; and The inquiry found that many of the "public submissions" supporting Cele were part of a orchestrated propaganda campaign. "Unfortunately, most such submissions were clearly typed by the same person, and were identical word for word, except for the names ... of the people making them". A turning point in the commission was evidence given that Cele summoned police supply-chain head General Hamilton Hlela to a car park in Boksburg after a police gala event on March 24 2010, where he said cryptically that "someone" would call him about renting the buildings to the police. It was Shabangu who called Hlela soon after to negotiate the lease of his Pretoria building. Though Cele denied it, the inquiry said the only logical conclusion was that Cele "knew Shabangu and that he gave him Hlela's contact number [and] consequently had an interest in Shabangu securing the lease". Cele's lawyers have accused the inquiry of taking a "lop-sided" view, ignoring evidence and incorrectly branding Cele's witnesses as "dishonest". "The board's recommendation simply rests on the erroneous conclusions that [Cele] acted unlawfully in relation to the procurement of the leases. [Cele] gave an account of how he relied on the experts in the [police supply-chain office] to deal with the [leases]. The error on his part was to trust them and their expertise. By any standard, this cannot amount to misconduct." But the panel said Cele's insistence that his subordinates should carry the blame showed that he failed to appreciate that "the ultimate responsibility rests with him". 27 May 2012 Sunday Times Page 2 Thabo Mokone and Caiphus Kgosana
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Harold Maloka, spokesman for Chabane, said yesterday: "The minister does not discuss matters relating to employees' employment conditions in the media. "The minister does, in the normal course of executing his duties as the executive authority, from time-to-time meet with heads of all entities that report to his office to discuss work-related matters." Those with intimate knowledge of the matter said Chabane would write to Manyi in coming weeks to inform him that his contract would not be renewed, in line with public service regulations that a head of department be given three months' notice. Chabane is also planning to act on the recommendations of the Public Service Commission which found that Manyi had violated the Public Services Act by failing to obtain written approval to continue in his post as a director of the Black Management Forum's investment arm while he was director-general of the Department of Labour. The commission report, released in February, recommended that Chabane take "appropriate disciplinary steps" against Manyi. When he was appointed in 2010, several government communicators questioned Manyi's suitability for the job, arguing that he had no experience of dealing with the media. 27 May 2012 Sunday Times Page 4 Staff
How we nailed Cele: Reporters were illegally bugged as they pursued the story
A two-page document leaked to the Sunday Times in 2010 started it all. The document suggested that national police commissioner General Bheki Cele wanted to move the SA Police Service head office into a building owned by businessman Roux Shabangu - without following proper procedure. After the Sunday Times broke the story on August 1 2010, a blustering Cele called a press conference to deny any wrongdoing. In typical cowboy style, the police boss, who is now facing the axe, called our reporters, who wrote the story, "shady". Two days later, one of the authors of the original report, Mzilikazi wa Afrika, was arrested on spurious charges that were later withdrawn. He was held without bail, interrogated about his political leanings and denied access to his lawyers for several hours. It was reminiscent of the bad old days of detention without trial.
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Wa Afrika has since filed a lawsuit for wrongful arrest and the matter is scheduled to go on trial in November. The Sunday Times has also filed a suit to claim costs relating to his unlawful arrest. A day before Wa Afrika was detained, advocate Paul Hoffman, director of the Institute for Accountability, had lodged a complaint with the public protector asking her to probe Cele. The dirty tricks intensified. As our reporters continued investigating the police lease scandal, they became targets of smear campaigns, their movements were monitored and their cellphone communications intercepted. The inspector-general of intelligence, Faith Radebe, has since confirmed that the Hawks bugged Wa Afrika's cellphone. Later that year, two more cellphones, used by Wa Afrika and his colleague Stephan Hofstatter, were illegally bugged for about three months. This has been confirmed by police investigating the matter. As a result, the head of crime intelligence in KwaZulu-Natal, MajorGeneral Deena Moodley, has been suspended from his job. But the pressure on Cele continued to mount. Shortly after our expos in August 2010, former public works minister Geoff Doidge suspended the lease for the Sanlam Middestad building in Pretoria - owned by Shabangu - based on a damning legal opinion by law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. President Jacob Zuma fired Doidge two months later and replaced him with Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde. Mahlangu-Nkabinde wasted no time reinstating the Pretoria lease, despite receiving two legal opinions in December 2010, telling her the agreement was unlawful Separately, the Sunday Times exposed Shabangu again in another shady police lease tender, worth R1-billion, for the relocation of the provincial SAPS in Durban. Following our report, that deal was stopped. In February 2011, public protector Thuli Madonsela released her first report into the Middestad building lease, which found that Cele's conduct was "improper, unlawful and amounted to maladministration". Madonsela released her second report into both the Durban and Pretoria police lease deals, now calculated to be worth R1.7-billion, and found Cele and Mahlangu-Nkabinde guilty of improper conduct and maladministration for their roles in driving both deals in July 2011. It took Zuma almost four months to act on Madonsela's report. He fired Mahlangu-Nkabinde and suspended Cele in October.
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A month later, Zuma appointed a board of inquiry to probe Cele's fitness to hold office. The inquiry started on March 5 and submitted its report last Sunday. Cele-lies v The Board's findings: CELE: I do not know who identified that building. BOARD: The buildings were identified by the national commissioner personally. He favoured the buildings owned by Shabangu. CELE: The reports that I know the owner of the building [are] completely not true. BOARD: The national commissioner clearly knew Shabangu. CELE: The needs assessment by the SAPS was duly signed off by me. That is where my role as accounting officer for the SAPS ends. THE BOARD: Cele pushed for the entire building in both Pretoria and Durban to be leased by the SAPS, even when the needs analysis showed that a lesser amount of space was required. CELE: The Department of Public Works has issued a media statement that absolves me of any wrongdoing. BOARD: The conduct of all those involved in the deals in the DPW is sufficient evidence of corrupt activities taking place in it, indicative of the rot that has set in and the promotion of favoured parties to the detriment of the state. CELE: The police pushed the urgency of the matter. Yes, those two floors were urgent. BOARD: No urgency existed. The purported urgency was thus unjustified and was of their own making.
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Bheki Cele in contracting R1,7bn worth of leases for police headquarters in Pretoria and Durban. The board recommended that Gen Cele be fired, but he rejected the findings and has vowed to take the matter to court. Under close scrutiny will be the fate of suspended head of the polices crime intelligence unit, Richard Mdluli. There is also the possible removal of acting police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Mr Zuma and Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe together with Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Minister Collins Chabane and National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel will be in the National Assembly on Wednesday and Thursday to participate in the budget debate on the Presidency. Measures to fight corruption and introduce greater accountability in the public service will be raised. So too will be the Presidencys bid to co-ordinate infrastructure planning across government and stateowned companies though the presidential infrastructure co-ordinating commission. Opposition parties could also question the cost of support for Mr Zuma and his family of wives and children, which has escalated over the past few years. The Presidency is expected to release its mid-term review, which is an assessment of the performance of government against targets. Members of Parliament will also discuss Parliaments own budget vote tomorrow. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatus) central executive committee meets for three days from today. It will finalise the federations position on crucial political questions ahead of its national congress in September, including whether or not Cosatus top leaders should sit on the ANCs national executive committee as ex officio members. E-tolling, labour brokers, education, youth unemployment, climate change, the energy crisis, retirement funds and national health insurance (NHI) are among the issues to be discussed. The Financial and Fiscal Commission will table its recommendations for 2013-2014 in Parliament today. Its report focuses on a number of issues impacting on governments fiscal policy and the way budgets are spent by the different spheres. Committee meetings of interest scheduled for the week include tomorrows progress with its turnaround plan. The ad hoc committee on the Protection of State Information Bill will be briefed by the State Security Agency on proposed amendments to the bill. The Democratic Alliance meanwhile, has a number of press conferences lined up.
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Today it will be on the partys proposals to protect children from sexual offences; tomorrow on its views on the governments labour bills. It will tackle harbour management on Friday.
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The first job Pikoli lost was as national director of public prosecutions at the NPA when he was controversially suspended on Heritage Day, September 24 2007 by thenpresident Thabo Mbeki and subsequently fired by then-president Kgalema Motlanthe (see A history of ruffling official feathers). Pikoli said about 90% of SNCs work came from the government. Gobodo told me [the awarding of] the Transnet contract is gathering dust on the [public enterprise] ministers desk because Im employed at SNG. She said that [the audit contract] had sat on the ministers desk for a long time and that the delay in the sign-off was because of me, Pikoli said. Private matter Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo is a large firm that employs more than 800 people. It has 45 directors and its biggest single contract is with Transnet a five-year contract worth an estimated R70-million a year. It was awarded the contract in February. The total value of the Transnet external auditing contract, R300-million, has never before been awarded to a 100% black-owned auditing firm. It is also the first time that one of the big four auditing firms PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, Ernst & Young and KPMG did not land the job. The firms chief executive, Victor Sekese, answering on behalf of Gobodo, said: The exit of Vusi Pikoli from Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo is a private matter between the two parties. We have not been instructed by anybody on this matter. We have no further comments. Sekese also denied any political interference: Transnet have their own procurement processes that they follow in the appointment of auditors and so does the government as a shareholder. In addition, we were never at any stage asked by either Transnet or the department of public enterprises to dismiss Vusi Pikoli. Both Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba and Transnet denied that Pikolis version of why he was asked to resign was correct. According to Transnet spokesperson MbonisoSigonyela, the awarding of the contract to Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo was already decided at a Transnet board meeting on November 24 last year. Yet the minister only decided on February 14 to appoint the firm and made the announcement on February 20. Under pressure Curiously, just days after the November 2011 Transnet board meeting, Pikoli got the first inkling that Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo was under pressure to get rid of him. I was first called at the end of last year and told of this pressure to get rid of me when Gobodo phoned, saying theres an issue with my employment at SNG. Days later I was told by Gobodo to ignore the conversation. But then, right after the announcement of SNG landing the Transnet contract, I was asked to resign, Pikoli said.
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Gigaba announced the awarding of the Transnet contract at a press conference on February 20. Barely a week later, Pikoli was paid six months salary and asked to leave with immediate effect. I was asked to finish the work I was busy with but asked to resign immediately. I left by the middle of March. My resignation was effective from the end of February, Pikoli said. According to his shareholders agreement, he had to be given three months notice. Amazing coincidence Pikoli refused to speculate about whether it was Gigaba himself who had pressed Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo to fire him. I dont know and I dont want to speculate. There was this amazing coincidence, though, Pikoli said. As the sole shareholder of Transnet, Gigaba, as the minister of public enterprises, had the final say on the awarding of the auditing contract. He held various meetings with the Transnet board about it. Gigabas spokesperson, Mayihlome Tshwete, said in a statement to the M&G that the minister had merely implemented the recommendation from the board of a stateowned enterprise. The minister did not set any conditions for SNG in its deliberations with Transnet, least of all that SNG should dissociate themselves from any of its employees or associates. Allegations to the contrary are false and malicious, Tshwete said. Sigonyela said: Transnet has never made it a requirement of the awarding of the contract that any employee of Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo must resign. We wish to state categorically that no one at Transnet required that advocate Pikoli leave his employ. He also said Transnet was not aware of hostility between advocate Pikoli and the ANC. Pikoli told the M&G that when Gobodo and Sekese called him to a meeting during which he was pressured to resign, Gobodo said she cant justify losing contracts because of one person. Losing business She said as chair it would be difficult to justify to directors losing government contracts and as the leadership she had to look after the more than 800 employees. She said SNG will not issue a statement announcing my resignation. So I resigned. If there was this feeling that Im causing them to lose business and Im working with people who are not happy with me, I cant work in that environment, Pikoli said. When Gigaba officially announced the Transnet contract, he said: The appointment of SNG takes place during a critical time for Transnet when it is rolling out a capital expenditure programme worth R300-billion to the economy, linking communities, towns, cities and provinces and creating sustainable economic development. We hope that the accounting firm will not only be focusing on number crunching for Transnet,
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but will become a strategic business adviser and support Transnet in meeting its national objectives. Gobodo appointed Pikoli as head of the forensic unit at Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo in August 2010. At the time, Gobodo, the first black female chartered accountant in South Africa, proudly issued a press statement stating how South Africas top prosecutor was head-hunted to run the forensics unit at the firm. Good governance and transparency have become increasingly crucial, Gobodo said. We believe that he is the right calibre of person to lead the strong forensics team he has excellent skills and training. It was a decision taken in the interests of the firm, although we knew that there could be political perceptions attached to it. Angry and frustrated He brings an enormous wealth of experience in the investigation and prosecution of serious financial and complex economic rimes, including fraud and corruption, she said. Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo declined to comment on reasons why Pikoli was asked to resign. Pikoli said he was angry and frustrated when he was asked to leave. Its important to jealously guard ones independence, professionalism and integrity. To be told what to do by a government is not acceptable in forensics. I could not and still cant believe that people in the ANC would deny me a means of a livelihood. Pikoli is an active branch member of the ANC. As member of the advisory council of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Pikoli was instrumental when it joined the Centre for Applied Legal Studies in litigation against the government. The two bodies took it to the Constitutional Court last year challenging the constitutionality, validity and legality of President Jacob Zumas decision to request Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo to continue to perform active service for a further period of five years. They won the case against government, arguing that Zumas decision would infringe on the principle of the separation of powers, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. A history of ruffling official feathers Vusumzi Pikoli (54) grew up in Port Elizabeth and joined the ANC while he was still in high school. Like most of my friends, we were guerrillas by night and students by day, he said. Pikoli went to school in Mtatha and obtained his masters degree in law from the University of Zimbabwe. He went into exile to receive military training as an UmkhontoweSizwe soldier in Angola in 1980 and also worked for the ANCs legal and constitutional department in exile.
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Pikoli returned to South Africa in 1990 and was in private practice until 1994, when he was appointed as special adviser to then-justice minister Dullah Omar. In 1997 he became deputy director general in the department of justice and constitutional development and two years later was promoted to the post of director general. In February 2005 he was appointed as national director of public prosecutions at the NPA. He was at its helm during the countrys most politically dramatic period: when criminal charges were instigated against the then South Africa police commissioner, Jackie Selebi and the ANCs president, Jacob Zuma. Then-president Thabo Mbeki suspended him Selebi was a close ally and friend of Mbeki. Pikoli was subsequently fired by then-president Kgalema Motlanthe, who was a Zuma ally. Political interference He ultimately lost his job because he refused to allow political interference with the work of the NPA. It was after his refusal to grant Mbeki a requested two-week period before issuing a warrant of arrest for Selebi that the then-president suspended him, hoping it would help him to beat the odds at Polokwane. He was suspended weeks before the ANCs Polokwane conference while Mbeki was fighting for his political life. At the time Zuma was still facing corruption charges, which were also dealt with by Pikolis office. The subsequent Ginwala commission, which was set up to determine Pikolis fitness to head the NPA, found him a person of unimpeachable integrity and a fit and proper person to hold office. Yet Motlanthe sacked him in what was seen as the governments insistence to punish insubordination to the ANC. Menzi Simelane, the man instrumental in Pikolis sacking, replaced him as the new head of the NPA in 2008. At the Ginwala commission Simelanes conduct was found to be highly irregular and left much to be desired. It was Simelane who drafted the letter that contained an unconstitutional instruction to Pikoli not to arrest Selebi. Pikoli disobeyed the instruction, precipitating the crisis that led to his suspension and firing. Pikoli contested his dismissal and on August 11 2009 was granted an interim interdict by the high court in Pretoria that prevented Zuma from appointing a successor to the position. On November 21 that year the government reached an out-of-court settlement with Pikoli to stop his legal bid for reinstatement. Part of the settlement was that Pikoli would be employed by government, but he declined. Pikoli was head-hunted by Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo 18 months ago but was asked to resign in February.
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