South Africa P.I.G.

Wikileaks: the South African files

<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghN6_7n-4Q1Ohf8IRdeHjPmLqJU1-1Pmtkk5IzuWqKHt_MNToDPh3FVhs0v58zbY64pcJPawLfMhbGpCovx97GGz5kjmGTsInlmtUxNipA91lh5WQ-iOiyOlL5nGWU4QuR3V4VHFJ6bmA-/s1600/MANDELABUSH.jpg"></a> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZG_G6h3fv5OQj7NBH94OLpgRl9T4o_NF6Hwzkp3ifGqo14rYh2DXI5DhhMNG0trURAU6Xb8yEfGGQf7EJRYgecNkhzK0wy6W7ty0UdLOqGIY9zV_b5pn7_UfC5ty_Hk5yPXnenMk__8Z/s1600/MANDELABUSH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZG_G6h3fv5OQj7NBH94OLpgRl9T4o_NF6Hwzkp3ifGqo14rYh2DXI5DhhMNG0trURAU6Xb8yEfGGQf7EJRYgecNkhzK0wy6W7ty0UdLOqGIY9zV_b5pn7_UfC5ty_Hk5yPXnenMk__8Z/s640/MANDELABUSH.jpg" width="152" /></a>Wikileaks is currently in the process of publishing 250 000 documents that discloses classified communication between the US State department and it’s 270 embassies worldwide. It’s causing some serious political drama worldwide and there’s a South African connection involving US critisism of Mandela.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here’s a quick rundown of how South Africa features in the Wikileaks documents so far:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div></div> <ul><li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Winnie Madikizela-Mandela helped US officials gain access to Madiba</div></li> <li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Nelson Mandela criticised for his opposition to the US led invasion of Iraq</div></li> <li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">ANC co-operated with US intelligence services and gave confidential info before 1994 elections</div></li> <li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Planned De Klerk speech that changed South Africa and paved the way for Nelson Mandela to be released from prison</div></li> <li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Nelson Mandela was “furious” when a top adviser stopped him meeting Margaret Thatcher</div></li> <li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">SA International Affairs minister called Robert Mugabe a” crazy old man”</div></li> </ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div></div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Only a fraction of the 250 000 documents have been released so expect more later. <h2 class="sectiontitle"> </h2><h2 class="sectiontitle">African countries and thier leaders referenced in WikiLeaks</h2><div class="ruler"></div><div class="entry"><div class="metadata"> Posted on November 28, 2010 under <a href="http://www.myweku.com/tag/africa-wikileak-cables/" rel="tag">africa wikileak cables</a>, <a href="http://www.myweku.com/tag/african-leaders-in-the-great-lakes-region-wikileaks/" rel="tag">African leaders in the great lakes region wikileaks</a>, <a href="http://www.myweku.com/tag/cablegate-and-africa/" rel="tag">cablegate and africa</a>, <a href="http://www.myweku.com/tag/cablegate-and-egypt/" rel="tag">cablegate and egypt</a>, <a href="http://www.myweku.com/tag/cablegate-and-mugabe/" rel="tag">cablegate and Mugabe</a>, <a href="http://www.myweku.com/tag/cablegate-and-south-africa/" rel="tag">cablegate and south africa</a>, <a href="http://www.myweku.com/tag/mandela-and-thatcher-wikileaks/" rel="tag">mandela and thatcher wikileaks</a>, <a href="http://www.myweku.com/tag/wikileaks-and-african-countries/" rel="tag">wikileaks and african countries</a>, <a href="http://www.myweku.com/tag/wikileaks-and-egypt/" rel="tag">wikileaks and Egypt</a>, <a href="http://www.myweku.com/tag/wikileaks-and-gaddaffi-the-libyan-leader/" rel="tag">wikileaks and Gaddaffi the Libyan leader</a>, <a href="http://www.myweku.com/tag/wikileaks-and-mugabe/" rel="tag">wikileaks and mugabe</a> </div></div> In total there are 251,287 dispatches providing us with <a href="http://www.myweku.com/2010/11/a-superpowers-view-of-africa/" target="_blank">a superpower’s view of Africa</a> and the rest of the world • The state department sent the most cables in this set, followed by Ankara in Turkey, then Baghdad and Tokyo • 97,070 of the documents were classified as ‘Confidential’ • 28,760 of them were given the tag ‘PTER’ which stands for prevention of terrorism </div></div> • The earliest of the cables is from 1966 – with most, 56,813, from 2009.<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/nov/29/wikileaks-cables-data" target="_blank"> </a> <div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">See the entire Data Blog and facts here at the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/nov/29/wikileaks-cables-data" modo="false" target="_blank">Guardian</a> Links to Africa Cables</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><ul><li><h2>Mandela’s release and what he thought of De klerk: <a href="http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/cable/1990/01/90CAPETOWN97.html" modo="false" target="_blank">Viewing cable 90CAPETOWN97</a></h2></li> </ul></div><ul><li><h2>A glimpse into Libyan Leader Qadhafi’s eccentricties:<a href="http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/09/09TRIPOLI771.html" modo="false" target="_blank"> Viewing cable 09TRIPOLI771</a></h2></li> </ul><ul><li><h2>President Mubarak of Egypt quote “The British were behind this “big fuss” and that the pressure from other African leaders was sufficiently soft that Mugabe can do what he wants.”: <a href="http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/cable/2008/07/08CAIRO1637.html" modo="false" target="_blank">Viewing cable 08CAIRO1637</a></h2></li> </ul><ul><li><h2>Washington wants diplomats to send DNA and iris scans for African leaders in the great lakes region: <a href="http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/04/09STATE37561.html" modo="false" target="_blank">Viewing cable 09STATE37561</a></h2></li> </ul><ul><li><h2>Washington launches intelligence trawl on West Sahara States: <a href="http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/04/09STATE37566.html" modo="false" target="_blank">Viewing cable 09STATE37566</a></h2></li> </ul><h2> </h2>

Wikileaks: the South African files

Wikileaks is currently in the process of publishing 250 000 documents that discloses classified communication between the US State department and it’s 270 embassies worldwide. It’s causing some serious political drama worldwide and there’s a South African connection involving US critisism of Mandela…

29Nov2010

The Amazing Race

The Amazing Race

…

22Nov2010

Disney World SA is proud to present ...

A Magic Kingdom of our own, on the banks of the Loskop Dam By Ben Trovato : <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAqctjnGvOnUJ1iKl6x5IFqZlyOzUK8v8H0HF5yNG2N_zExSULbilU3OKIICe6UXT2qVqzRo3BB2oLjwDLGTcoe2lWkdQ7XWpGd6XBXadukTNnsWtUFt9sgFazNcfDgQEFVAdZuRJCf9R/s1600/disneyland%25286%2529.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541933108919124098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAqctjnGvOnUJ1iKl6x5IFqZlyOzUK8v8H0HF5yNG2N_zExSULbilU3OKIICe6UXT2qVqzRo3BB2oLjwDLGTcoe2lWkdQ7XWpGd6XBXadukTNnsWtUFt9sgFazNcfDgQEFVAdZuRJCf9R/s400/disneyland%25286%2529.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 296px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>Free State and Mpumalanga are in a race to build the first Disney World theme park in Africa. Officials from the Free State have already held talks with Disney World in Florida, US. The park is expected to cost about R25-billion. 'Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck do not fit in with the ideals of the national democratic revolution. We have our own famous characters, like comrades Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu' Free State provincial spokesman Rollercoaster Walazi confirmed that a delegation, which included Premier Ace Magashule, had visited Disney World earlier this month to "investigate" the park as well as to raise money for Operation Hlasela, a fund to fast-track service delivery in the province. Asked how much had been raised, Walazi said: "You people must learn that money can't make you happy. Going on the Humunga Kowabunga at Typhoon Lagoon, however, can. You should have seen my face afterwards!" Pressed on the issue of Operation Hlasela, Walazi said he was particularly impressed with Shark Reef. "Hammerhead Fred showed me how to snorkel and I saw leopard sharks and stingrays and millions of pretty fish!" Walazi was quick to point out that the premier had not snorkelled. "We could not allow Premier Magashule to risk his life so we rented him a private Beachcomber Shack." Walazi said the delegation was "blown away" by the fact that the Beachcomber Shack came with its own personal attendant and waiter. "This is exactly the kind of thing that poor people in the Free State need." He predicted that, by 2015, everyone in the province would own a beachcomber shack. Economic affairs MEC Goofy Ngobeni described the trip as "highly beneficial". He said two members of the delegation were meant to be on sick leave but after a day in Florida they were "ready for anything". "The climate really is quite spectacular and we will be investigating ways of duplicating that in the Free State." Asked about highlights of the trip, Ngobeni said he had lived in Bloemfontein all his life and found it difficult to relate to the ocean. "Blizzard Beach? Not really my thing. Apparently it started out as a ski resort after a freak snow storm hit Florida, then everything melted in a heat wave and it became a water park. That's their story, anyway. I find it hard to believe a talking crocodile that walks around on its hind legs shouting, 'Yahoo!' every few minutes." He said he had rented a Polar Patio when the others went on the Slush Gusher. Epcot Magau, an ANC official who accompanied the delegation, said the ruling party would "bend over backwards" to ensure that Africa's first Disney World was built in the Free State. "Disney World in America has things like Adventureland and Fantasyland. We will build our own attractions, like Raceland, where white people go through a separate entrance and are restricted to certain parts of the park. If there is anything left in the budget, we might give them some sort of disenchanted garden to walk through. Benches will be provided but they won't be allowed to sit on them." Magau said that instead of having Disney characters wandering around, she would like to see a more indigenous approach. "Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck do not fit in with the ideals of the national democratic revolution. We have our own famous characters, like comrades Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu." Meanwhile, a spokesman for Mpumalanga's tourism department, Dumbo Oliphant, said his province's plan to build its own Disney World was "streaks ahead" of its rival. "I've never even heard of the Free State. But us, we already have a site picked out. It's there by the Loskop Dam." He said it was an ideal location because it had "water and grass and stuff". Oliphant said the national government had been informed of the project and would "probably divert R25-billion from education and housing" so the park could be built. He predicted that it would become more popular than the one in Florida. "They had to build a Magic Kingdom but we already are one. People will come from all over so that sangomas and inyangas can give them love spells and cure them of cancer and make their penises bigger with muti," he said. "Orlando has the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad; we will have the Big Stop/Go Mountain Roadworks. They have the Frontierland Shooting Arcade; we will have the Cash In Transit Shooting Arcade. They have a ride called The Many Adventures of Pooh Bear; we will offer rides in a bullet-proof Mercedes and call it The Many Adventures of David Mabuza. They have Pleasure Island; we have Nelspruit. They have Dinoland, where you can see artificial dinosaurs; we will have Tenderland, where you can see artificial entrepreneurs. You get the picture." Provincial economics consultant Rafiki "Buzz" Lightyear, said the theme park was a guaranteed money-spinner. "All it would take is a million people, each spending R1000 a day, visiting the park every year. With those kind of figures, Disney World Resort at Loskop Dam would break even in no time at all - say, 25 years tops." When it was pointed out that Ratanga Junction is a ghost town for most of the year, he said: "That's Cape Town. Nobody lives there." <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqhF9-cn4ObU2iMbDoZX4YBW7YhFWo98eLbmlepd6wj_VO_4jZh9tfEQ0c7ldzN3t7lmGCe5XbRG94jLf4gwi7H2VrFqY-sOHg84y6nMxLqZL8XdHhlGHOytqFzUktpjHUHlFTmwo_K8I/s1600/disneyland01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541936200366396658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqhF9-cn4ObU2iMbDoZX4YBW7YhFWo98eLbmlepd6wj_VO_4jZh9tfEQ0c7ldzN3t7lmGCe5XbRG94jLf4gwi7H2VrFqY-sOHg84y6nMxLqZL8XdHhlGHOytqFzUktpjHUHlFTmwo_K8I/s400/disneyland01.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 355px; CURSOR: hand" /></a> Disney World SA is proud to present ... The Haunted Castle •Climb aboard the Gloom Buggy and be scared out of your wits by the ghosts of dead SARS officials, Metro police and SAA staff. Farmville •Travel through lush dagga plantations to witness cool techniques such as hydroponics that farmers are using to meet the country's drug needs. Concrete Jungle Cruise •Ride in an unroadworthy taxi through the back streets of Joburgland and try to survive. Hijackings! Drunk drivers! Corrupt cops! Fun for the whole family! MK Mania •It's a race against time as you go back to 1986 to sabotage fuel depots and set off car bombs without being caught by security police. Test your pain threshold! Vlakplaas Safari •Buckle up and take a wild ride through the old home of South Africa's death squads. Hold your breath for a thrilling waterboarding encounter with the legendary Eugene de Kock! Metrorail Express •Stand on a rundown railway platform and wait for a train that never comes. Suitable for all ages. Up The Creek •A lazy, winding river of raw sewage where big kids and teens can take a leisurely raft ride around the neglected perimeter of the park. Crush-a-Gush •Get high and plummet down a slide featuring a vertical 15-storey drop into a pool that is empty because the council cut off the water. <a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/">http://www.timeslive.co.za/</a>

Disney World SA is proud to present ...

A Magic Kingdom of our own, on the banks of the Loskop DamBy Ben Trovato : Free State and Mpumalanga are in a race to build the first Disney World theme park in Africa. Officials from the Free State have already held talks with Disney World in Florida, US. The park is expected to cost about R25-bill…

21Nov2010

World Communist Youth Front to Meet in South Africa

The old Soviet front <a href="http://www.keywiki.org/index.php/World_Federation_of_Democratic_Youth">World Federation of Democratic Youth</a> has been organizing international youth festivals every three to four years since the 1940s. The last three festivals were held in Venezuela (2005), Algeria (2001) and Cuba (1997). The <a href="http://www.wfdy.org/17wfys/">Seventeenth Festival</a> is to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa in December. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541036727239879842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitR-1GDQpvCHZ4Nn5CiPBSHEW27Ut5lR4Y3DPXZtMbHBR5zV5TUfisMJX1ceUQa7OjnI4Fmj3yniilpBtMB9m3_Hk3gOVeTTK_tNFVoicy7et6Y3HJJt-WB3mojTWasNUI0EtPUq0xiXWb/s400/NYDA-Festival.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 86px; CURSOR: hand" /> Here is Jesus Mora, Secretary-General of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, being interviewed regarding the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students. Unfortunately this is in Spanish, but the graphics are explicitly communist. <object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FVlHJ_-dz1k?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FVlHJ_-dz1k?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> According to the news site <a href="http://www.peoplesworld.org/world-youth-festival-to-be-held-in-south-africa/">Peoples World</a>; <blockquote>Thousands of youth and students from countries across the globe will convene in South Africa Dec. 13-21, to participate in the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students. The festival will take place in Johannesburg.</blockquote> World Communist Youth Festival for young totalitarians to cost SA taxpayer R29-million and legitimise radical causes. The SA presidency has granted an extra R29-million to the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) for the hosting of a nine-day ‘World Festival of Youth and Students' event themed “Let's defeat imperialism”. <a href="http://www.nyda.gov.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=363:south-africa-to-host-the-largest-international-youth-festival-in-johannesburg&catid=38:news&Itemid=220">The National Youth Development Agency</a> is a public entity, mandated to act in an impartial manner, to advance the interests of all of South Africa's youth. Instead, it is now going to be spending nearly R30 million on a conference being hosted by a radical global youth organisation, of which the ANC Youth League are members. This is a conference that has repeatedly been held in radical, oppressive states - in recent years, host cities have included Pyongyang, North Korea; Havana, Cuba; and Caracas, Venezuela. Member parties who make up this organisation include the ZANU-PF Youth League from Zimbabwe, and the youth league of the Workers Party of North Korea. The theme of this year's conference is "Let's defeat imperialism", and topics for seminars include "The builders of the anti-imperialist media are fighters against lies and manipulation!" and "Solidarity with [North] Korea". According to the event's programme, President Zuma will be attending activities on day four of the event. That the state, the Presidency, and President Zuma himself, should be legitimising an event of this nature, and ploughing state resources into it, beggars belief and constitutes electioneering at the state's expense. The National Youth Development Agency should be spending every cent available to it to promote opportunities for all South Africans, and not on lavish banquets and radical gatherings that in no way advance the cause of the nation's youth. The Agency's continued existence has resulted in a significant opportunity cost for the three million unemployed young South Africans. The NYDA's R400 million annual budget could be used to fund initiatives that promise to make a much greater impact on youth development. The NYDA, however, has become terminally compromised. The NYDA was increasingly becoming an employment agency for Julius Malema's ANC Youth League, following revelations that its provincial boards have been filled with youth league cadres. President Zuma should disband this R400-million entity, whose only purpose seems to be to placate the ruling party's Youth League.

World Communist Youth Front to Meet in South Africa

The old Soviet front World Federation of Democratic Youth has been organizing international youth festivals every three to four years since the 1940s.The last three festivals were held in Venezuela (2005), Algeria (2001) and Cuba (1997).The Seventeenth Festival is to be held in Johannesburg, South A…

18Nov2010

SA taxpayer to "support" Zimbabwean refugees

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9nKyytdCIoXGViTyhyphenhyphenoW7w6hlgekPIfMpjsVLRSxKQfaujVYSaCxFMkoBXcFkN36EGuz6nncmvnwIthbBNWYj9w-afpzYFAvesuD3hyOtRV7QGKzKdMv4vr5VRiiWsSg_cr9MsG-Z_0D/s1600/ZAF.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540646255935377170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9nKyytdCIoXGViTyhyphenhyphenoW7w6hlgekPIfMpjsVLRSxKQfaujVYSaCxFMkoBXcFkN36EGuz6nncmvnwIthbBNWYj9w-afpzYFAvesuD3hyOtRV7QGKzKdMv4vr5VRiiWsSg_cr9MsG-Z_0D/s400/ZAF.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 310px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>The Department of Home Affairs yesterday announced that "refugees" and asylum permit holders can now open bank accounts. That is great but what is not great is that the tax payers of South Africa will now have to feed or "support" another few thousand people as the South African government also gave the refugees access to social services. Now what does that mean? Well it means that they can get disability grants, old age grands, child support grants. It means that the few tax payers left in the country now have more weight on their shoulders. (pic right) World Refugee Survey 2009 - South Africa The Department of Home affairs director general, Mkuseli Apleni said that "This would be in line with international practice and conventions to help create a climate in which refugees and asylum permit holders can live their lives in dignity while engaging in economic activities to lead normal lives like the rest of the citizenry." "once you are granted a refugee or asylum status you qualify for all the rights in the country except the right to vote". Now if these were normal refugees maybe the citizens of South Africa would feel different but they are mostly Zimbabweans, that of which Jacob Zuma and their dictating "president" held hands and looked like two school children on a secret date. South Africa supports Robert Mugabe's regime, now we all support his dictatorship whether we like it or not. Will this move encourage even more xenophobia? ***South Africa hosts more than 256,000 refugees and asylum seekers, including about 116,000 Zimbabweans, 33,000 Kinshasa Congolese, 27,000 Somalis, 11,000 Ethiopians, and about 15,000 from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India.

SA taxpayer to "support" Zimbabwean refugees

The Department of Home Affairs yesterday announced that "refugees" and asylum permit holders can now open bank accounts. That is great but what is not great is that the tax payers of South Africa will now have to feed or "support" another few thousand people as the South African government also gave…

17Nov2010

Why are SA cops “shocked” at murder and hijacking of British tourist?

<div align="center">Over 700 people have been murdered in Gugulethu since 2005</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540319033938058642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcnYYJzd6GAShaP95pCb4Jx959La22si0lRkcpz6_2GZtmNBnhzVGK1hVJREnA8n1J8vhm4LNOQmQJNF9QH8W0SI9GYqOeMaMBBhjIaRgv6LRLwGVzr9pPai32kKR6UENH6-tEbhuh7Ns/s400/cape-gugulethu.gif" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 173px; CURSOR: hand" /> <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540315875350663730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5bf1FFmUJmLLSshLkw0YZcz_NAcz0xxGnewNtU0QTXcixTgkioyurx3ziX22L1X36ElHdUdUV0uzNnFKPBq5NPVE5lmeHh6PPwj0X4foAU0BizflxcIbj5NCqAkiEV3TokL55MQdE_rd/s400/mzoli-meat_1762191i.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 305px; CURSOR: hand" /> <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540321530760197650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBd9AO6CnaP4bBVZJer2Gkak5VaAmLSnHuWSyPil-csux5c6j9IChwgx3VwFoRUL0H94z1MSnlPIbEifg4le229mBr3lvnsTDySI8CFn9lafrgSIkVpVxZRsxtFPQ83WL6AfNNyJKQSMy/s400/MZOLI%2527S.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" /> Mzoli's - Gugulethu township in Cape Town an outdoor barbecue restaurant and bar which bills itself as an ‘authentic taste of township life’. Jamie Oliver visited it last year and in a seven-page spread in his magazine, described the food as ‘heaven’ and ‘totally sexy’. He added: ‘In this part of the world, fresh is where it’s at. Just kill it. Gut it. Skin it. Eat it.’ ‘When I go back to Cape Town, I am absolutely going to Mzoli’s.’ The <a href="http://www.sairr.org.za/media/media-releases/Police%20out%20of%20touch%20with%20reality%20over%20Gugulethu%20murder.pdf/view">SA Institute of Race Relations</a> questioned why the South African police were “shocked” at the murder and hijacking of a British tourist. As international and local media agencies have reported a British national and his wife were attacked in the township of Gugulethu on the urban periphery of Cape Town while honeymooning in the city. The couple were kidnapped by armed robbers and the wife was later found murdered. In response to media coverage the <a href="http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71656?oid=211229&sn=Detail&pid=71616">South African Police Force has released a statement</a> expressing "shock" at the murder. The police are out of touch with reality for expressing shock at the murder of a tourist in Gugulethu in Cape Town, the SA Institute of Race Relations said on Tuesday. "Data in the possession of the South African Institute of Race Relations shows that over 700 people have been murdered in Gugulethu since 2005. In the year to March 2010 some 110 murders occurred within the Gugulethu police precinct," the SAIRR said. "This amounts to one murder every two-and-a-half days for five consecutive years. How under such circumstances can the police claim to be ‘shocked’ or surprised at what happened to the British couple?" The SAIRR said if the police were truly shocked, then it suggested that "the police’s senior management is out of touch with the reality of life on the ground for people in areas such as Gugulethu who have been left to run the gauntlet of violent crime on a horrific scale". The institute said it was "revealing" that it took the murder of a foreign national for the police's senior management to take stock of the state of affairs in Gugulethu. 'This murder of a newlywed woman has become the symbol of our country' Many South Africans rightly deserve to feel deeply let down by the performance of their government and insulted when it feigns shock and surprise at violence that has become commonplace in South Africa. We live in a country where human life means absolutely nothing to violent thugs. But this one murder - of a beautiful young woman who had just married - has become the symbol of our country to the outside world. This is evidenced by the British media's coverage of the murder. The Daily Mail report on the tragic death of the British bride ended by concluding: "South Africa has one of the worst crime rates in the world." Similar observations have appeared in other publications with The Telegraph reporting that 46 murders are committed each day in South Africa, "a statistic that led to a substantial rise in security during the World Cup". South Africa is indeed a violent country and far too many South Africans are intimately acquainted with this knowledge. And this murder resurrects the doubts and prejudice that surfaced before the World Cup earlier this year. It also reinforces the idea that the safety foreign visitors enjoyed during the tournament in June was a mirage. This murder then shows how life has returned to normal after the soccer fans departed. Anni Dewani's body will be returned to her home and her widower will leave too. Life, as they say, will go on. But it is a life that has become frighteningly abnormal because of our acceptance of barbaric acts of cruelty and violence as a normal feature of South Africa. *Gugulethu made headlines in 1993 when an American exchange student, Amy Biehl, was stabbed and stoned to death. On August 25, 1993, she was driving black friends home to Guguletu township when the car was attacked by a group of youths chanting "one settler, one bullet" -- urging death to all white citizens. The youths stoned the car and struck Ms. Biehl on the head. She fled, bleeding, but the youths cornered her and stabbed and stoned her to death. She was 26 years old.

Why are SA cops “shocked” at murder and hijacking of British tourist?

Over 700 people have been murdered in Gugulethu since 2005 Mzoli's - Gugulethu township in Cape Town an outdoor barbecue restaurant and bar which bills itself as an ‘authentic taste of township life’. Jamie Oliver visited it last year and in a seven-page spread in his magazine, described the food as…

16Nov2010

British bride abducted and murdered by armed carjackers while on honeymoon in Cape Town - South Africa

UK tourist's killing makes world headlines<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539834008732707282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrvNVadz9JvrlOl7Q_8I8OrfMRa1v9W17mL8Uyx-Ptfsj8jIkimSXU0G_WFUVngXr-bdwHMXmBcKGjEUw5ZCZ7PgEFzYFAdkEkkOG9NuciZqeUhQZt4TfXRecVBMqRNUCoP9nh5mazyXn/s400/cara_south_af_1164497a.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 194px; CURSOR: hand" /><ul><li>SOUTH Africa is suffering a crime epidemic. </li><li>Last year there were 14,915 car-jackings, 41 a day, and 18,148 murders. </li><li>Most were in townships. </li><li>There were 50,000 rapes. </li><li>Thousands more went unreported. </li><li>And there were 200,000 cases of assault and more than 18,000 house break-ins. </li></ul>Brit newlywed's body found after honeymoon carjacking murderNews of the killing of a British tourist was all over the UK media this morning, with newspapers reminding readers of South Africa's high "carjacking" and murder rates.<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1329361/Newlywed-Britons-wife-shot-dead-robbers-hijack-South-Africa.html">The Daily Mail</a> website announced the story with the headline: "Honeymoon horror: Newlywed Briton's wife is killed after robbers hijack them in taxi".<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/14/woman-killed-honeymoon-south-africa">The Guardian</a> newspaper's website also reported on the story saying "South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, with an average of 46 murders a day. Last year, there were 13 902 carjackings in South Africa, down from 14 915 in 2008-09. The annual murder rate fell by 8.6% to dip below 17 000 for the first time since nationwide records began in 1995-96," Broadcaster <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11753933">BBC</a> , <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3227667/Bride-butchered-on-honeymoon-in-South-Africa.html#ixzz15NDwc2Cf">The Sun</a> and <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8133226/British-wife-of-a-millionaire-businessman-killed-in-South-Africa.html">The Telegraph</a> also reported on the incident, which drew many comments from online readers. <blockquote>"Jules", from California in the United States, said of South Africans on the Daily Mail website: "The bottom line is until these people decide to help themselves, nothing will change." "Austin", also from the United States, added: "Of all the beautiful places in the world, WHY would anyone in their right minds go for a honeymoon in such a vile, god-forsaken place?" Several expats commented out of Australia, saying they left South Africa to ensure safe lives for their children, and that the country was a "mess".</blockquote>Bride butchered on her honeymoon in South Africa A bride on honeymoon with her wealthy British husband has been murdered in a South Africa. Anni Dewani, 28, and hubby Shrien, 31, had just left a restaurant with a driver in a VW Sharan when they were hijacked by two gunmen. The driver was bundled out of the vehicle, which then drove off at speed with the newlyweds inside. An hour later — around 11 miles away — the killers stopped and threw Mr Dewani from the vehicle. He raised the alarm by flagging down a passing motorist. A police patrol later spotted the Sharan abandoned two miles away in the township of Khayelitsha near Cape Town. The blood-soaked body of Mrs Dewani was found on the back seat. She was covered in bruises and is feared to have been raped. Locals told police they had heard shots. It is believed she was hit in the head, but other reports last night said she may have been stabbed. Read more <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3227667/Bride-butchered-on-honeymoon-in-South-Africa.html">here</a> Related Articles <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8134109/South-African-townships-still-dangerous-post-apartheid.html">South African townships remain dangerous</a> 15 Nov 2010 <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8134265/South-African-murder-travel-advice.html">South African murder: travel advice</a> 15 Nov 2010 <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8133635/Police-report-of-South-African-honeymoon-killing.html">Police report of South African honeymoon killing</a> 15 Nov 2010 <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8132687/British-woman-on-honeymoon-in-Cape-Town-killed-by-carjackers.html">British woman on honeymoon in Cape Town killed by carjackers</a> 14 Nov 2010 <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8134397/South-African-murder-highlights-dangerous-side-of-Cape-Town.html">South African murder highlights dangerous side of Cape Town</a> 15 Nov 2010 <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/8133226/British-wife-of-a-millionaire-businessman-killed-in-South-Africa.html">British wife of a millionaire businessman killed in South Africa</a>

British bride abducted and murdered by armed carjackers while on honeymoon in Cape Town - South Africa

UK tourist's killing makes world headlinesSOUTH Africa is suffering a crime epidemic. Last year there were 14,915 car-jackings, 41 a day, and 18,148 murders. Most were in townships. There were 50,000 rapes. Thousands more went unreported. And there were 200,000 cases of assault and more than 18,000 …

15Nov2010

South Africans living abroad

Ireland 'better than SA' by Melony Pinto <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-hzYIB1gNB9IfabrBhUa-5pOHWHFA0TsHiJ0fjiaisWa1zm6oFllV6mH_dHGFmsuXK4rvU3s7uZG-WvqQ-neRgLI1BuSXs9MGN7lhzZC91oa0oQRVyzVSQT06xDl7CmLKme86RDhoVlN/s1600/south-africans.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27XgDes6mWW98YQz3UTKoz-kEcaXyoZyWAjRxicQ8tGf-0m3MrhfXu9d_WkDj1ePht6vC3UjbyztTuFz-JkdcHvrF67_srgKckRqUbRwCsPNMj6QI1Wz5AzZpiGnoL9On6-_EWgpnSBZY/s1600/south-africans.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539099795230863138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27XgDes6mWW98YQz3UTKoz-kEcaXyoZyWAjRxicQ8tGf-0m3MrhfXu9d_WkDj1ePht6vC3UjbyztTuFz-JkdcHvrF67_srgKckRqUbRwCsPNMj6QI1Wz5AzZpiGnoL9On6-_EWgpnSBZY/s320/south-africans.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 193px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>I have been living in Ireland for over 2 years. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzymhJ7gY47-5U7m8QuQjFJQF_2toPhHUuE30B4PHFfbonc6eDSCF6YfzjnAzi3q7KacisX7u-Q5Z6ssndx2dxf8yJ6K7YtODZSSOle7zf9FvE6fNW2mU1b2kcdtVpfmjVrnYT_-rTLZ_/s1600/bigfoot.jpg"></a>The attitude I have found towards us is diverse. My children have had only joy in their school environment and have never once had the misfortune of bullies as they had in SA. The children are open and accepting to all people. The school system is far superior to that of SA. The teachers are far superior to SA and they are doing the jobs they get paid to. Not once have the boys complained about teachers who refuse to help as was the case there. Their marks went from average to outstanding. Their work is far superior and harder too. I have had trouble with the government’s policies in getting residency, but they have not been shy in helping our finances when we were on hard times. SA refuses to help one live and eat, but here, we are foreigners, hardly contributed, but they help us. So keep your South Africa. I don't want to be part of the hatred and lie. I will take rain and cold any day over the life that we were forced to live, in our own prisons. I ride my bike at 21:00 in winter. I walk at 23:00. No one can understand what a horrible place that is until you don't have to put up with it anymore. Loving life in Australia by Chris <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs45b9gLttb8HH3jGr0z8QZVNBdrH0kkBQdwbh3jufXukLiHlhDBZxRV-NV6pegqpbi7tzvJTaGITN8p8TbEV2eISIyKE2esMUlLpablpB0ktTPfsCzo4Eg6gvQ9y3_UOP8lHZXK31cVC-/s1600/south-africans.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539100104987549538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs45b9gLttb8HH3jGr0z8QZVNBdrH0kkBQdwbh3jufXukLiHlhDBZxRV-NV6pegqpbi7tzvJTaGITN8p8TbEV2eISIyKE2esMUlLpablpB0ktTPfsCzo4Eg6gvQ9y3_UOP8lHZXK31cVC-/s200/south-africans.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 121px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>I have been here for almost three years now and South Africa remains forever in my heart. Yes, it has been really difficult having to re-learn everything from getting a drivers licence to opening a bank account, the weather, the people just to name a few changes. I know this sounds cheesy by now but I really do not have a fence at all and we have decided not to get a fence as it reminds us of the way we grew up as kids. None of my neighbours have fences either. Given I live in smallish town of 60 000 people but have to add that I have everything that we need here including public and private schools, University, Tafe, all the main shops, and all the government departments that we need should we require anything. Post comes in a day. Government departments, licencing departments all work remarkably well. I have yet to find any department to be slack. Australia may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The gum trees grow on you and so do all the beautiful parrots, kangaroos and unusual animals and landscape. Public schooling: well to be honest, I have given it a try and in the beginning found children to have longer hair, scruffier uniforms and it was quite an eye opener. But what really was the real eye opener was the fantastic resources the school has and the learning environment, the teaching and the happiness of the kids. At $250 per year I can tell you it is an absolute bargain and I do not regret it for one minute. <a href="http://www.news24.com/">http://www.news24.com/</a>

South Africans living abroad

Ireland 'better than SA'by Melony PintoI have been living in Ireland for over 2 years.The attitude I have found towards us is diverse.My children have had only joy in their school environment and have never once had the misfortune of bullies as they had in SA. The children are open and accepting to …

13Nov2010

Self-delusion and denialism within SA’s ruling and BEE classes

It is dawning on South Africa that there are two very separate and distinct mindsets at work in the country, and it seems never the twain will meet. Newspaper columns and letter pages, as well as talk shows and phone-ins, are replete with what “should be done” and ”why is this not done?” and the now over-used word “unbelievable”, from citizens aghast at the unfathomable behaviour of the ruling classes. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWSiqc_Vkja2A8XUCS2__cSyJQoNlzG4TZ8n5H_QwdoVPCEAEIwfRrPcsNMVBD3hYxyt3Y33oVsTNOodr_4gpegsFSIaOLZz2ppRJ4jrEg1x-23Pzth8C8gVv5Q1HGLZYy54CF-uQ48xw/s1600/incompetence01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538844529326576226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWSiqc_Vkja2A8XUCS2__cSyJQoNlzG4TZ8n5H_QwdoVPCEAEIwfRrPcsNMVBD3hYxyt3Y33oVsTNOodr_4gpegsFSIaOLZz2ppRJ4jrEg1x-23Pzth8C8gVv5Q1HGLZYy54CF-uQ48xw/s400/incompetence01.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 115px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 115px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>The logic of one mindset is not the logic of the other. Who would think that after the abysmal failure of the South African land redistribution programme, the government would continue with it, albeit under different guises? Who would believe that after wantonly destroying Zimbabwe and rendering his people to grinding penury, the South African government would ask the United Nations to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe’s president, a perpetrator of human rights atrocities? Who can fathom a government that month after month - indeed year after year - places advertisements for desperately-needed municipal staff, stipulating that they are “equal opportunity employers”, meaning skilled whites need not apply? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvENGzy20c2PemX-p2ZqdK3nqdQqfzecIac-ndgjZhHnQ8z3010hSXQk9NHJwOOBiISFKr4gI5kUMI2yVNvS1ZacLCyfBXJEBauoZ9OmithsM9TF7JVj2W8H_SwLZyUavuSGT5pLt3ht6/s1600/incompetence02.jpg"></a>How is it that despite embarrassing service delivery failures, the wholesale plunder of taxpayers’ money by tenderpreneurs and government employees, the nepotism, the lowering of standards in health and education, the failing feeding schemes and the abuse of the social welfare system, the miscreants simply carry on as if nothing happened. There is no shame, no sense of accountability to those who pay them and indeed to South Africa as a nation. Indeed, when many are fired for incompetence, mismanagement or fraud, or all three, they go to court to demand huge payouts that they believe are their due! Denialism is at work here, and this brings us to an interesting explanation of this phenomenon now doing the Wikipedia rounds: the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect">Dunning-Kruger effect</a>. THE D K EFFECT <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538849613055124050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wqjPYscBsBra90QiVogpW9sfqYkB_fWGdiJwwSC8kIyocCdBA7Vkux54JWEqxIaTRrqShEf-bY8Fyw1NX0sUmv2KFtHQ8Kl5_4V-XX5RQHR-bcr_sasc5VC7u1rpoudR1ms9REwtZp8e/s400/dunning-krugereffectwikipedia.png" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 372px; CURSOR: hand" /> The Dunning-Kruger effect is the phenomenon wherein people who have little knowledge (or skill) tend to think they know more (or have more skill) than they do. Wikipedia reports that Justin Kruger and David Dunning of the USA’s Cornell University first performed a series of experiments in 1999 which suggested that ignorance of standards of performance is behind a great deal of incompetence. One of their 2000 reports was entitled “<a href="http://www.damninteresting.com/unskilled-and-unaware-of-it">Unskilled and Unaware of it</a> : How difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments”. They say that, <ul><li>Incompetent individuals tend to overestimate their own level of skill. </li><li>Incompetent individuals fail to recognize genuine skill in others. </li><li>Incompetent individuals fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy. </li></ul>They conclude that poor performers do not learn from feedback that suggests a need to improve. Wikipedia gives numerous examples of others who have completed works in this field, including Bertrand Russell’s “The Triumph of Stupidity” (1933) and other more current academic writings about “the absence of self-insight among the incompetent” (Ehrlinger) and “among the inept, researchers discover ignorance is bliss” (Goode). Many of these findings have been widely published in the US national media, including the New York Times. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538845405602465522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLB5AJySz4kDsvK9X4AjDd8AfFbWT557IAZfRHRWJ7UDVOFIIAqjMnbB5KnsWZCor3vLn55pLHgFopeNb9RVDCQBW3OkcYB4qJLfv0bEnKwXHrvPmHbx9w-I6Un62puI56KQsz9Y9wkkH/s400/incompetence02.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" />These syndromes of denialism and self-delusion are pervasive within SA’s ruling and BEE classes. People blithely take on a job that everyone knows they cannot do, but which they themselves don’t seem to realize they cannot do! We see this in the land redistribution policy where beneficiaries agree to run productive farms when they know they are incapable of doing so. They then blame the government, or mentors, or each other. We see someone in an expensive suit perched on the corner of an expensive desk being photographed as the new CEO, or the incoming “human resources manager”, or the new chairman of an organization. In many cases, this person is a token, it is well known that he is a token, but the subject himself seems to think he’s entitled to be there! Self-delusion and denialism are not new in South Africa. A report in the magazine YOU of 12 October 1995 revealed the degradation of small towns that had once thrived in the erstwhile Transkei. After the ANC took over in 1994, the decay set in and the town of Butterworth, for example, was described as “a wreck, with littered garbage in the streets and potholed roads. The century old town hall is neglected and the parks are overrun with weeds and rubbish.” Corruption, bad management and political infighting had taken their toll, said the article. Municipal management was “abysmal” and a debt of R50 million had already accrued. Nobody was paying for municipal services. Shortly after he arrived, the town clerk gave himself a salary raise R126,000 a year - from R20 000. (This pattern of deterioration repeated itself all over the old Transkei, and has been replayed all over South Africa since then). SHAME AND APOLOGIES? Was there any public acknowledgement by the ANC that it was not on top of the job, any requests for help, any promises to mend its corrupt ways? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyGyzTrCOnhop7mcZuZLQiFMU4Ljd9pxQhjqzq6IZ-nlZuHrrdEw4BwZ2Y3FbtCLJ14EEb9f_yqQtGFu_y4BG0U5wuK38an8s-LZtZxylZcVMY2qTPU1NwmtZBpTBXkkvuP8G4W9Z0yQh/s1600/denial-eyes-pants.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538846866618249186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyGyzTrCOnhop7mcZuZLQiFMU4Ljd9pxQhjqzq6IZ-nlZuHrrdEw4BwZ2Y3FbtCLJ14EEb9f_yqQtGFu_y4BG0U5wuK38an8s-LZtZxylZcVMY2qTPU1NwmtZBpTBXkkvuP8G4W9Z0yQh/s400/denial-eyes-pants.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 256px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>On the contrary, denialism was the aggrieved reaction. Then President Nelson Mandela declared there was “no crisis” in the Eastern Cape. After a two-hour meeting with officials on 10 September 1995, Mandela declared there was “no crisis” and that in fact the problems of civil servants “were not discussed”, nor was a report to the parliamentary finance committee on the situation in the former Transkei. Provincial premier Raymond Mhlaba was “totally trustworthy”, declared Mandela - “Mahlaba had been involved in the struggle for more than 40 years”. So that was that! Problems in the Transkei were due to “untrained staff”, said another provincial report, despite evidence that there was wholesale theft of funds. (How do you train someone not to steal?) This was the mindset then, and this is the mindset now! (Interestingly, the Eastern Cape from where the ANC’s chosen emanates, is the most decrepit, corrupt and incompetent province in the country. They even steal from their own children – from the budget to feed 1,42 million E.Cape children, the government department involved cannot account for more than R180 million of this budget!) Even the most accommodating liberal supporter of the ANC’s South Africa has turned, and they have turned with a vengeance. Noseweek’s editor says SA’s leadership is “corrupt and delusional and irrational”. Others say the government is “out of touch” and a “bunch of mental midgets”. CABINET RESHUFFLE President Jacob Zuma’s recent cabinet reshuffle was simply a ploy to enhance his chances of being re-elected in 2012 by removing political antagonists and replacing them with acolytes. (Citizen editorial 2.11.10) His administration has now been further bloated by extra appointments, and really incompetent persons such as Lulu Xingwana have remained as they are loyalists. Zuma is simply re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic! The implications of this denialism are far-reaching. Erstwhile honest taxpayers are now finding ways to avoid paying tax for more wives, more overseas trips, higher salaries, larger luxury vehicles and summits at Sun City! Our farmers are under siege, farmland is being destroyed by coal mining because top-level ANC friends have shares in coal companies, BEE has resulted in nothing more than the self-enrichment of a few, our health services will be destroyed by delusional dreams of a national health service underpinned by a shrinking tax base, threats to nationalize mining are taken seriously by investors, school and university certificates are in many cases not worth the paper they’re written on, farmers are accused of shooting labour inspectors without a shred of evidence, our water is polluted, our police force is corrupt and untrustworthy, our defence force a shadow of its former self, but the denialism is so entrenched that no advice is taken by government to alleviate the problems, and none is sought.. On the contrary, those who speak up are racists who don’t want to see blacks succeed! If present-day South Africa is an ANC success, then their failures are too terrible to contemplate!Source:- <a href="http://www.tlu.co.za/">http://www.tlu.co.za/</a>

Self-delusion and denialism within SA’s ruling and BEE classes

It is dawning on South Africa that there are two very separate and distinct mindsets at work in the country, and it seems never the twain will meet. Newspaper columns and letter pages, as well as talk shows and phone-ins, are replete with what “should be done” and ”why is this not done?” and the now…

12Nov2010

SA – Big Question Time

By Iain Robertson South Africa is at a tipping point. We have a Government that seems to have lost the plot. It is fighting paper tigers in the media while we head towards an economic Armageddon with increasing rapidity. The rapacious plundering of the economy by the not-so-good in Government, their relatives and friends looks more and more like rats deserting the sinking ship. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538403977150930290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_F56Lvm1MSgYMWXq9-RcE6Tm9jF1XKjpkXRWN8t2nr6leXwP2JUnmK7_gyyqwoMPAVZAaS1OLc4SFTS3m4fMx5YzAIBcuFe2ovHzsQs_WlPZ_yfTCw1eRXvaPoXdZqwuVCg8zDYYUivB/s400/anc-fail.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 122px; CURSOR: hand" />But the real story is even worse. We do not have the skills to turn our economy around, we do not have an education system that can provide us with the skilled people in sufficient time, and even if we did, we do not have the warm bodies of a suitable age to receive that education. Point 1 – a people crisis: <ul><li>A population of 52 Million or so, plus an estimated 10 Million legal and illegal immigrants. </li><li>The official unemployment rate is given as around 25%. Unisa calculate 45%, and the advertising industry use a figure closer to 65%. </li><li>About 20 Million people are dependent on welfare grants </li><li>5.7 Million people are HIV positive, dying at a rate of about 1000 per day, mostly in the economically active 15-45 age group. </li><li>Average life expectancy has tumbled from 60 in 1990 to 40 today </li><li>Disengaged, functionally illiterate, innumerate and uneducable individuals in youth and middle age </li><li>By 2015, 32% of all children will be AIDS orphans </li><li>There are about 5.3Million registered taxpayers, of whom 1 Million or so are Government employees, thereby just moving tax income from one pocket to another. Of the remaining 4Million or so, about 1 Million provide 75% of the tax income. According to Mike Schussler and others, an unsustainable economy.</li></ul>Point 2 – an environment crisis <ul><li>Dysfunctional electricity reticulation and generation </li><li>An unmaintained and disintegrating physical infrastructure. Most roadway bridges have not been maintained for the last 15 years </li><li>Less than 5% of the sewage plants in the country (around 30 out of 930) operate correctly </li><li>Just over 10% of all municipalities (30 out of 280) can provide clean and safe drinking water </li><li>Water with the acidity of lemon juice will flood central Johannesburg and poison the Gauteng environment in about 18 months time, the legacy of gold mining.</li></ul>Point 3 – a governance crisis <ul><li>A wholesale loss of skills and expertise from 1994 onwards as experienced and competent civil servants were replaced with deployed ANC cadres. A simple replacement, no handover or skills transfer </li><li>The concept of “a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay” has gone out of the window. </li><li>Relocation (theft) of state funds by tampering with contracts, tenders and pay-offs has become an acceptable secondary income stream </li><li>The result - large areas of society are governed by thieves and incompetents</li></ul> What is suddenly different ? While the gradual erosion of government could be hidden a facade could be maintained, but as soon as the electricity crisis hit, followed by the admission of a forthcoming sewage and water crisis, the inadequacies in governance were literally brought home to citizens. Questions were then asked about missing RDP homes, RDP homes that fell apart after a very short period, and the general appalling level of service delivery. The Emperor then had no clothes. The outcome of the realisation that governance is failing is already being seen. Self-help is now the order of the day as citizens bypass formal government structures that are unable to deliver. Communities repair roads themselves, pay for additional teaching and medical staff in their schools and hospitals. Black communities are demonstrating and physically attacking local and national government buildings. Voices are arising in all communities that they are paying at least twice for everything, once as tax, and a second time to provide paid-for services that are not delivered. At some point very soon, they will stop paying the first time and let the Revenue know in no uncertain terms. We are now beginning to see Government react. It is trying to close down avenues of information, by preventing the media reporting on it, by attempting to close off areas of the Internet, and by adopting the philosophy that everything is secret unless deemed otherwise. Local Government is becoming increasingly dysfunctional and irrelevant. Where do we go from here ? Towards an increasingly autocratic society as we slip into the “African” model of a polarised economy of an ultra rich minority and a subsistence level majority. Unless something changes that is what will happen. It all depends on how we manage our Human Capital as individuals and as small businesses. Without adequate intellectual and human capital in ourselves, our businesses and our customers, we will not be able to regenerate our society. The next year is critical.

SA – Big Question Time

By Iain RobertsonSouth Africa is at a tipping point. We have a Government that seems to have lost the plot. It is fighting paper tigers in the media while we head towards an economic Armageddon with increasing rapidity. The rapacious plundering of the economy by the not-so-good in Government, their …

11Nov2010

Super Roadblocks a flagrant abuse of State Power

By Iain Robertson Super Roadblocks are our gift from Government over the Holiday Season. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0F_K0pO-QoPHdDaRrKsVkXkhy0lGR9GsAlUi-62JJNZr_rwHgrGldKYmeSSGQ6K3VeZPEtmSFB9hLN8TRwLfp8IiweisA8ZoY__smOpSU_o87N04dpBdfC-EbauQNUfiMCo2Oa1OmpbBV/s1600/Totalitarian-Demotivational.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcB1NupHpDUGq-vDKUi9dG5wa827ykxwRIJrkQQbiCVo7VJE1WjxTAHi5IhEZRiJbhv7Bd9fZWmcf_NuMuONUstIMptmTYaLxR63LdJgiFaNN4LWn0MQ__AgODmgsrOSpjVC26AuoUrSAX/s1600/police_state.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539000546045902802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcB1NupHpDUGq-vDKUi9dG5wa827ykxwRIJrkQQbiCVo7VJE1WjxTAHi5IhEZRiJbhv7Bd9fZWmcf_NuMuONUstIMptmTYaLxR63LdJgiFaNN4LWn0MQ__AgODmgsrOSpjVC26AuoUrSAX/s320/police_state.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>As usual drivers and their vehicles are liable to be checked, but this time passengers are to be checked as well. The roadblocks will be manned by the SAP and by other State Agencies looking for amongst other things tax evaders, illegal immigrants and dangerous goods. Is this a good thing in that a much broader spectrum of criminals will be arrested, or is it a flagrant abuse of State Power? General Bheki “Rambo” Cele told parliament last Friday that roadblocks are to be manned by combined teams from up to ten Government Agencies including the SAP, SARS, Home Affairs and Nature Conservation. The programme is unofficially set to start in Gauteng early next month and nationwide from December 4th. He has warned that tax dodgers, illegal immigrants and carriers of dangerous and illegal goods should brace themselves for a hard time. Another new concept he has introduced is that travellers without an acceptable ID will be fingerprinted, and the fingerprints used to check for any outstanding issues. I thought he might mellow after his honeymoon. No such luck. We normally expect an increase in roadblocks at holiday times, but this announcement takes the concept a whole yard further – longer traffic queues, lots more vehicles, lots more flashing lights, uniformed SAP officers strutting their stuff, pulling you over and interrogating you and your passengers, perhaps demanding fingerprints, certainly demanding ID books or proof of ID. Several groups of people dressed in civilian clothes in the background tapping your ID number into laptops. People searching your vehicle and rummaging around in your possessions. Scary. Especially at night. In the rain. If you are a woman alone. Road blocks are pretty inefficient in catching criminals. They are highly efficient at catching drivers with outstanding fines. That however, is not law enforcement or crime prevention, that’s revenue generation. Roadblocks on steroids will be no different, just longer queues and more aggravation. So why the upgrade of SAP vehicle focussed roadblocks to fully-fledged State fishing expeditions ? To be kind, it smacks of the usual government kneejerk reaction that something must be done, someone having what they think is a brilliant idea to do it, and some suit behind a desk not thinking through all the implications of implementing the brilliant idea. Not to be kind, it is a PR exercise, pure and simple. We will see Rambo grand-standing sometime in January or February showing what a fine fellow he is by catching so many criminals in December. To the cynical mind, it has the unholy stench of an impending totalitarian police state. Part of the insidious progression this Government is making towards total dictatorship and removal of basic human rights. Look at the Media Tribunal Bill and the Protection of Information Act as part of the same package. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for genuine criminals being caught. But I don’t think this is the way to do it. There are a few practical problems. Several of the activities are probably unconstitutional and will be challenged in court. Dennis Jackson of the Justice Project of South Africa says that there must be “reasonable suspicion” before any action can be taken against motorists or passengers at the roadside. Durban attorney Saber Jazbhay said the roadblocks would not be “constitutionally sound”. First, there is no easy definition of what constitutes reasonable suspicion. For example, are Home Affairs officials allowed to assess whether someone is potentially an illegal immigrant by the colour of their skin. There will be many claims against the State for unlawful arrest and detention if that is the level of criteria used as a definition of “reasonable suspicion”. Assuming that reasonable suspicion exists, what are the lawful grounds for arrest at a roadblock by the various Agencies. Are they in fact allowed to arrest you, or do they have to ask the SAP to do so ? Recently the Government inserted Sections 4A and 4B into the Customs and Excise Act conferring the power of arrest on Customs Officials and authorising the carrying of firearms for the purposes of enforcing the Customs Act. In other words, a Customs Officer can be deemed to be a Peace Officer as defined in the Criminal Procedures Act. Customs are part of SARS, so take that sports lovers. You can be arrested at gunpoint at a road block for not submitting a tax return. It will be a brave one who insists that only the original copy of a court issued arrest warrant is sufficient. Western Cape Transport MEC Robin Carlisle attempted to justify the involvement of highly specialised groups like SARS by stating that they had emergency vehicles and officials with powers of arrest. They therefore would help in targeting people who caused road fatalities. It’s the first time I hear that a major cause of our road carnage is not having a tax clearance form. Smooth tyres perhaps, drunk certainly, but irregularities in your tax affairs. Give me a break. I suspect the biggest problem, and there this is where M’Learned friends will make hay while the sun shines is that most Government databases are not accurate and not up to date, and probably not set up with the immediate updates necessary for use in this environment. As a result incorrect information will make the innocent look guilty and the guilty look innocent. Court cases will follow as surely as lawyers will hang around roadblocks. The second big problem is that with a few notable exceptions, the people involved do not have the qualifications or intention to act in a professional and impartial manner. It’ll be holiday bonus time. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess the option a father will take when presented with the two options of seeing his family spend Christmas in jail or coughing up some folding money. He may even suggest the spot fine option. Other officials, flushed with their temporary power will go on a cosmic ego trip and really make some people’s holiday. In summary, this looks once again like applying First World principles and policies with African precision. Whatever the real answer is, applying State Resources in this ham-fisted and heavy-handed way tramples on all the rights that those dear folk fought so long and so hard for.

Super Roadblocks a flagrant abuse of State Power

By Iain Robertson Super Roadblocks are our gift from Government over the Holiday Season. As usual drivers and their vehicles are liable to be checked, but this time passengers are to be checked as well. The roadblocks will be manned by the SAP and by other State Agencies looking for amongst other th…

09Nov2010

SA's Chief Bully threatens to bring down Twitter Empire

Think David and Goliath. Except David was clever! By Daniel Howden, Africa correspondentA score of new Twitter accounts lampooning Julius Malema are popping up online after the leader of the youth league of South Africa's ruling ANC called for the micro-blogging service to be closed. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536180396624564882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5m77IiNLwypN0kZYmhVi5daZ9UTwF49ZCWfMsL_h6m7MsfFs1JTEMVVpQ3C716uNQldoji3Q4x569-_q8-4g-EVC67Li8QBPQRL0aQ3Dqs5Nd1IAhbBfwN6DKkH3ymSNLqDuFGe_xX4X/s400/malema-twitter.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 273px; CURSOR: hand" />The serial controversialist complained this week that he was being targeted by Twitter impersonators who were distorting his image. The ANC youth league issued a grammatically bizarre statement calling for the "closer" of Twitter on Wednesday, which was quickly filleted by critics who then distributed it online. The league's notoriously bad spelling led one reporter Malema had called "bloody bastard" at a news conference, to reply on the blogging site: "ANCYL statement called for 'closer of Twitter' following 'cretation' of fake accounts. Was that so we'd know it was the real Malema?" Fake accounts of famous people offering phoney Tweets known as "Phweets" have become a mainstay of Twitter, prompting the blogging service to offer the option of officially verifying who's who. But the sensitive ANCYL launched a tirade signed by the league's spokesman Floyd Shuvambu. Floyd the Maverick lashed out at all the online Juju-haters. "There are computer hackers who have created twitter accounts in the name of the President [the prince-ling not HRH Msholozi] and recurrently posting misleading messages [sic]." "The ANCYL has in [sic] more than one occasion reported these impersonators and hackers, yet no action has been taken against them by the Twitter administrators. [What? Bloody agents!] We will now approach the relevant authorities to report these hackers and call for the closer [Closure, perhaps? Or do you really want Twitter closer?] of Twitter, if its administrators are not able to administer reports for violation of basic human rights and integrity." Ah yes, because it worked so well when you tried to shut down Nando's. And Nedbank. And "the cockroach" Zille. The mockery that followed online prompted @Floyd_Shivambu's to tweet back: "Stop mocking my spelling. When we close Twitter you won't be laughing anymore." This was replied to by @TheJuliusMalema, who tweeted: "Don't you come heer to my internet with your white tendencies." After which Mr Shivambu replied: "I will tell our President it is worse than we thought." "We'll trace them… that is very possible to do," said the guy who couldn't seem to understand that an email address is all it takes to set up a Twitter account. "We don't want to expose our strategy on how we will get them [largely because we haven't figured it out yet]. But we will get them and we are going to report them to the police."Ah, yes, because that worked so well with <a href="http://www.wheels24.co.za/News/General_News/SAPS-on-the-hunt-for-Pigspotter-20100915">PigSpotter.</a> Of course, a little tongue-lashing never did deter the kiddies club. Their retort on discovering that angry threats were followed by even more online mocking was… well… predictable. Followed by the obligatory racism: "We are sure, when they get exposed, you will see it is white people. Reactionary, rightwing, white people." Floyd sees white people. It's a sixth sense. It goes without saying that they are all rightwing racists. Unfortunately it prevents him from seeing blacks also use computers and laugh at antics of bumbling idiots. By yesterday, new Malema accounts were flourishing online. "Juju Malema" was fairly typical of the tone, introducing its author by asking: "Who do you think you are? Are you not aware that I am Julius, the president of the ANC Youth League? I know some of you hate me." Malema's abrasive manner and brash lifestyle –his luxury cars and exclusive night-clubbing are routinely dismissed as evidence of continuing racism – has made him a hero to some in South Africa and a jester to many. Press freedom is under serious attack in the Rainbow Nation. Two major pieces of legislation are being considered which would give the government sweeping powers to silence outlets it does not like and criminalise much investigative journalism. Malema's political importance has been underlined recently as the leadership backed down over its effort to discipline him for publicly contradicting party positions. Zuma faces a possible leadership challenge in the next year and seems unwilling to offend the youth wing or its outspoken leader. The fake tweets @Julius_Malema Not doing anything today because I am still babalaas. Eish. @Julius_Malema @Floyd_Shivambu we need to change the words to "shoot the tweeter" in our favourite song! @JMalema_TWIT_iR Zuma want me to go to political school, mmm let me think NO I hate doing wood work!!Source - <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/">www.independent.co.uk/</a> <a href="http://news.iafrica.com/">http://news.iafrica.com/</a>

SA's Chief Bully threatens to bring down Twitter Empire

Think David and Goliath. Except David was clever!By Daniel Howden, Africa correspondentA score of new Twitter accounts lampooning Julius Malema are popping up online after the leader of the youth league of South Africa's ruling ANC called for the micro-blogging service to be closed. The serial contr…

05Nov2010

The chief of police who stirs up trouble

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgedd9765_wi6BKL2ghqYHH6-2lkm-fH7gcTwMKt-EawPDPKP0PFvmKYdrVutPaTXC2F6GPuNgxkA0k-AoZmhoVOQDtKgEdK2W6FXTB3r6IVFebAdx8D_qAa4mBNBzxFzlQ5o6FuTavIi/s1600/cele-pic-getty.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536163625269376546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgedd9765_wi6BKL2ghqYHH6-2lkm-fH7gcTwMKt-EawPDPKP0PFvmKYdrVutPaTXC2F6GPuNgxkA0k-AoZmhoVOQDtKgEdK2W6FXTB3r6IVFebAdx8D_qAa4mBNBzxFzlQ5o6FuTavIi/s400/cele-pic-getty.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 375px; CURSOR: hand" /></a> By Mike Hamilton - Mirror.co.uk Blundering police chief Bheki Cele - who lied to the world in a bid to convict UK newspaper journalist Simon Wright (Who was arrested, jailed and put on trial after embarrassing South African police) - has earned a reputation as a motormouth over slurs, inaccuracies and insults. He sparked a diplomatic row before The World Cup by saying he hoped America would not get too far in the tournament so President Barack Obama would not visit South Africa. Cele, 58, was ticked off by government officials after telling parliament that hosting the world's most powerful leader would pose a major headache for police. In May he came under fire after claiming Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke had been "almost in tears" because he was under so much pressure to withdraw the World Cup from South Africa. Baffled Mr Valcke issued a statement to confirm he had never been told to move the tournament, and added: "Mr Cele made a big mistake." Other gaffes include his admission last August that he would happily suppress statistics on South Africa's crime rate. The loose-tongued police boss was slammed by opposition MPs for the mistake just days after being sworn in. Cele - who took control of the 180,000-strong force a year ago - said: "I will support whatever we do that gives us an upper edge to fight the crime. If releasing stats helps us to fight crime better, I will support that. If a moratorium helps us better, I will support that." The self-styled "general" - ridiculed for bringing in military ranks for officers - was accused of ramping up his role when he ordered MPs to address him with his Army rank in March. Former South African cabinet minister Kader Asmal accused the police chief of being "idiotic" and "whimsical". Cele had caused trouble even before he became police chief. In 2007 he was caught in a convoy doing than 100 mph - apparently because he was late for a meeting. And he has faced claims his ex-girlfriend bombarded him with texts vowing to destroy him after he ended their relationship last year. Read more: <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/07/18/the-chief-of-police-who-stirs-up-trouble-115875-22421113/#ixzz14ROz4bqh">http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/07/18/the-chief-of-police-who-stirs-up-trouble-115875-22421113/#ixzz14ROz4bqh</a>

The chief of police who stirs up trouble

By Mike Hamilton - Mirror.co.uk Blundering police chief Bheki Cele - who lied to the world in a bid to convict UK newspaper journalist Simon Wright (Who was arrested, jailed and put on trial after embarrassing South African police) - has earned a reputation as a motormouth over slurs, inaccuracies a…

05Nov2010

Tourists mugged on top of Table Mountain

Three South African expatriates and a Canadian were robbed at knifepoint at the top of Table Mountain. The Lewis family, originally of South Africa, moved to Canada in 1998 to avoid becoming victims of crime. However, their fears became a reality when they were attacked on top of the mountain during their brief return to South Africa for a family visit. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLcDwGYmUFxhUxrpXQLjGnQ60NRjpIAOpAsFP6wnGBLS3q1MHkz23hwLwyhMxbNXFAn7IqzOAxlwi8h4YokeO7da1BATQ7HI31ZfvLl2SDJWiJ0GY81Gpxmn-KgmlfgbUZn57ZSKArjDX/s1600/crime-T+Mountain.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536156741402873682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLcDwGYmUFxhUxrpXQLjGnQ60NRjpIAOpAsFP6wnGBLS3q1MHkz23hwLwyhMxbNXFAn7IqzOAxlwi8h4YokeO7da1BATQ7HI31ZfvLl2SDJWiJ0GY81Gpxmn-KgmlfgbUZn57ZSKArjDX/s400/crime-T+Mountain.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>(pic right) Richard Lewis, his daughter Bronwyn and her boyfriend Harrison Boyse recall how two men attacked them at knifepoint at the top of Table Mountain. “I know this could happen to anyone but what gets to me is that it was on a national heritage site, supposed to be one of the safest places in the country. It was brazen and during the day. It was on a walking trail with no warning and no security to prevent something like this. It is very disappointing,” Richard Lewis, the father of the family, told the Cape Argus. Lewis, his wife, Barbara, son Gareth, 24, daughter Bronwyn, 23, and her Canadian boyfriend, Harrison Boyse, 22, decided to take the cable car up Table Mountain early on Tuesday morning. At about 9am, Barbara decided to rest at a shop on top of the mountain while the rest of the group made their way towards Maclear’s Beacon, where two armed men attacked them. “They both carried switchblade knives which they kept waving around saying: ‘Do you want to die here?’, and ‘Don’t make us stab you’. We decided to just give them what they wanted instead of risking our lives,” Lewis said. The group handed over their backpacks, wallets, cellphones, watches and camera. Still not satisfied, the robbers searched their pockets and demanded their passports. Boyse said the thieves became agitated but were willing to return passports and a memory card if someone took it from the camera. "They were getting really edgy and as soon as we got the memory card we began running back to the cable car.” When the group looked back, the robbers were moving up the mountain and going through the backpacks. The family managed to alert police, park rangers began to search the area immediately and a helicopter scanned the area, but found no signs of the robbers. Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz described the incident as “absolutely absurd”, adding that the option of increasing security should be seriously considered. “We can’t have tourists coming and being mugged at a national heritage site.” Table Mountain National Park spokeswoman Merle Collins said that they were aware of, and disturbed by, the incident. This is an edited version of the article from the Cape Argus/IOL <a href="http://www.iol.co.za/">www.iol.co.za/</a> - 29 September 2010

Tourists mugged on top of Table Mountain

Three South African expatriates and a Canadian were robbed at knifepoint at the top of Table Mountain. The Lewis family, originally of South Africa, moved to Canada in 1998 to avoid becoming victims of crime. However, their fears became a reality when they were attacked on top of the mountain during…

05Nov2010

Violence top cause of death in Gauteng

Just under one third of recorded non-natural deaths in Gauteng are caused by violence, the SA Medical Research Council(MRC) said. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrk8RU7N9dFZQl0kWUCZhavP03nmMZAyaNrt4VeYwb7DRSr3Tf9wHfU5uj9HvS5sCm_tUvYdvDkJNd5Jkns3TVFFbLrBFRUhXbiVhSqA_T2tEDo-noR3Y4OyL1sHlUo_3SgAZYwRXml7HV/s1600/crime-blood.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535818413967767650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrk8RU7N9dFZQl0kWUCZhavP03nmMZAyaNrt4VeYwb7DRSr3Tf9wHfU5uj9HvS5sCm_tUvYdvDkJNd5Jkns3TVFFbLrBFRUhXbiVhSqA_T2tEDo-noR3Y4OyL1sHlUo_3SgAZYwRXml7HV/s400/crime-blood.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 281px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>Violence and homicide accounted for 32.4 percent of non-natural deaths caused by injury, with transport second at 28.7 percent and suicide third at 11.3 percent. The figures were part of a presentation on fatal injuries in Gauteng last year, an initiative by MRC and the University of Johannesburg, supported by the department of health. Of 10 528 non-natural deaths in Gauteng where the external cause was known, firearms were the top cause of death with 1 630 at 15.5%, followed by pedestrian injury at 12.7% and sharp objects resulted in 1 091 deaths at 10.4% and blunt force 1 064. In youth aged 15 and 29 years, adults (30-44 years) and older adults aged 45-59 years, firearms were the leading causes of death. Injuries were the second leading cause of death in South Africa, behind HIV. The figures were based on 11,329 non-natural deaths registered at nine medico-legal laboratories in Gauteng. source - <a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/">www.timeslive.co.za/</a>

Violence top cause of death in Gauteng

Just under one third of recorded non-natural deaths in Gauteng are caused by violence, the SA Medical Research Council(MRC) said.Violence and homicide accounted for 32.4 percent of non-natural deaths caused by injury, with transport second at 28.7 percent and suicide third at 11.3 percent.The figure…

04Nov2010

JMPD cops probed for bribery, assault, and, and, and ...

TWENTY percent of the Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) are corrupt, with cops soliciting bribes of R1 000, and others stealing R1 million. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEJWe3J9UDP1N2iWbT0iSPZ-fxxw4oqIGZQsoypOPOy_plRHoY02WAibA4q3VqZ_Bieas5gj0W68EaryegoZKk8pUm7rCmmqa3q5o1uz0TZszcLQjiz5FW8JxP7mPJ1T6wT_9FGoNB57K/s1600/cops-jmpd.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535857825488683458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEJWe3J9UDP1N2iWbT0iSPZ-fxxw4oqIGZQsoypOPOy_plRHoY02WAibA4q3VqZ_Bieas5gj0W68EaryegoZKk8pUm7rCmmqa3q5o1uz0TZszcLQjiz5FW8JxP7mPJ1T6wT_9FGoNB57K/s400/cops-jmpd.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 197px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 255px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>A REPORT before the City of Joburg shows that between April and June, 116 officers were investigated and though several cases have been concluded, not one officer has been dismissed or suspended. The charges include: officers insulting motorists; pointing a firearm at a motorist; and unnecessarily issuing fines; victimising, harassing and stalking motorists; and punishing motorists for not paying bribes. JMPD chief Chris Ngcobo has admitted the rampant problem in the ranks, and vowed that officers caught will be dismissed. Despite this, a report before the City of Joburg shows that charges brought against 116 JMPD members four months ago have not resulted in one dismissal or suspension. A report seen by The Star reveals that from April to June this year, 116 JMPD officers were probed by its internal affairs unit. Among the most serious complaints are allegations of bribery by on-duty metro police officers, soliciting kickbacks of between R200 and R4 000 from motorists. Other transgressions range from corruption to theft, fraud, negligence, assault and unbecoming behaviour, being drunk on duty, going Awol on a shift, negligence and causing damage to council vehicles....and, and, and In a status report, presented to it by the JMPD’s internal affairs director Abel Nkosi on October 6, the document states that of the 116 cases, 60 have been finalised, 31 were still under investigation, 16 were being prosecuted and six were unsubstantiated. A further three cases were registered under “duplication”, “undetected” and “referred to other municipalities”. There are 86 allegations of “unbecoming behaviour” against officers, making up the majority of the cases. 476 Metro Cops probed for bribery, assault MORE than 10 percent, or 476, of the Joburg metro police department’s (JMPD) staff complement have been investigated internally in the past year for allegations ranging from theft to bribery, assault and misconduct. But, of the 476 metro police officers probed by the service’s internal affairs unit, less than 4 percent – or a mere 19 officers – were dismissed. The disclosure by the City of Joburg policing service’s management follows exposés into what seems to amount to criminal conduct and abuses by JMPD officers. The cases were reported in the JMPD’s latest annual report. There are currently 4 326 JMPD staffers employed in the city. Of the 476 cases investigated, the majority of the allegations against the officers were of “unbecoming behaviour” (373 cases) and 20 cases of corruption and assault. The figures indicate that 205 of the cases had been resolved without the need for a disciplinary hearing. About 30 percent, or 149, of the cases initially laid with the JMPD were unsubstantiated when investigated further, and at least 10 cases were withdrawn. Of 43 officers who had gone through disciplinary procedures, 19 had been dismissed, charges against 12 had been withdrawn and four officers had been found not guilty. The remaining eight officers had received written warnings or an unpaid suspension ranging from two to 10 days. The offences covered in the annual report range from fraud to bribery, theft, assault, unbecoming conduct, going Awol, insubordination and damage to council property. The annual report covers the period from July last year to June this year. Ngcobo’s acknowledgement came just weeks after his internal affairs director, Abel Nkosi, reported to the council that at least 116 officers had been investigated internally between April and June this year. In the past year, the police’s internal complaints directorate had investigated nine cases of bribery, corruption, fraud, theft, assault and misconduct against the officers. About a month ago, members of the internal affairs division had handed a motorist a R4 000 bribe to drop corruption charges against a senior metro police officer. The motorist had gone to the JMPD’s Loveday Street offices in the Joburg CBD to complain formally about being forced to pay a R700 bribe to an officer at a roadblock – a conversation which he had recorded. The officers had then tried to make the case go away. In the latest case on October 10, Soweto resident Sibusiso Ntimba was allegedly beaten up and burnt on a hot engine by metro police officers because he had failed to produce his driving licence. Then, on July 28, a carpenter from Linden was allegedly assaulted and arrested by a group of metro officers after he had asked them why they were destroying a rock feature in his neighbourhood.

JMPD cops probed for bribery, assault, and, and, and ...

TWENTY percent of the Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) are corrupt, with cops soliciting bribes of R1 000, and others stealing R1 million.A REPORT before the City of Joburg shows that between April and June, 116 officers were investigated and though several cases have been concluded, not one of…

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