Das neue Südafrika

The South African Union Solidarity has demanded an 18% wage increase from the world’s biggest platinum producer Angloplat. The official consumer inflation rate is 5.5%. Angloplat employs 42,600 workers.
As we have said over and over you cannot deal with Marxists and any South African investment is doomed.

Lucky, Ich lese gerade das man den Finanzminister von RSA Mr. Trevor Manuel zu Chef der IMF anstatt Wolfowitz vorgeschlagen hat.
Trevor ist ein bekannter Marxist, help us God !...wenn er es wird.

South Africa

Cape Town tackles shacks

2007-5-23 20:14

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town on Wednesday unveiled a two-year plan to provide essential services to all 222 informal settlements within its boundary.

The plan, which would see every household given access to water, sanitation and area lighting, would cost R63.4m, mayor Helen Zille told a media briefing.

She also announced that the city's metro police were forming a unit to combat land invasions.

"The city will adopt a policy of zero tolerance on land invasions," she said.

The city has priority-ranked every settlement in terms of factors including length of settlement, flooding and fire risk, and the availability of water and sanitation.

The list shows that 47 166 of the 135 693 households need to the relocated, some of them because shacks are so closely packed that there is no way to provide services.

At the top of the list is Kanana, partly located in what Zille said was a "swamp" in Gugulethu.

The plan calls for relocation of the whole settlement to homes already earmarked in the N2 Gateway project.

Waiting lists for homes

Controversial Hout Bay settlement Imizamo Yethu is 27th on the list.

The plan calls for it to be "de-densified" by 3 064 of its current 5 460 dwellings :).. but Zille said this would be accomplished by consultation, in a process "completely different" from forced removals.

She said a later phase of the plan would involve fully formalising the settlements by providing security of tenure and assisting with the completion of homes.

When it came to homes, those who had been waiting the longest would get helped first.

"In this regard, we are developing a policy to give preference in new developments to backyarders who have not tried to jump the housing waiting list by invading land," she said.

"And those people who do try to jump the housing queue by invading land in future will be dropped to the bottom of the waiting list."

Land needed

The city says it needs some 1 000 hectares of land for the relocations.

Mayco member for housing Dan Plato told the briefing the Western Cape provincial government and national government would have to release the large tracts of land they controlled in the city.

They would also have to provide funding.

The city's manager for housing and land, Basil Davidson, said farmland on the urban fringe was going for about R1m a hectare before improvements were factored in, which was ten times Gauteng prices and 14 times those around Durban.

Some 50 000 to 60 000 people migrate to Cape Town every year, many from the Eastern Cape, but internal growth also places a demand on housing.

The housing backlog in the city at the moment is 400 000 units.

SAPA

Land reform threatens SA's food

2007-5-24 20:37

Cape Town

Failed land reform projects threaten food security in South Africa, warns a study by the FW de Klerk Foundation, launched in Cape Town on Thursday.

The document - titled Land Reform: A Contextual Analysis - says the country's food security is already under pressure.

"Ten years ago [South Africa] exported agricultural products to the value of R2.40 for every one rand imported, compared to current levels of R1.40 of exports for every one rand imported."

The country could therefore not afford the non- or under-utilisation of arable land.

"Failed land reform projects threaten food security... A land reform policy in which land is pro-actively acquired by the State and only transferred to black South Africans once potential beneficiaries have been identified could place even more arable land outside the sphere of the commercial agricultural sector."

The study says that, according to AgriSA, a total of 71 land reform projects in Limpopo had already failed as a result of "inadequate support" for emerging farmers.

"It was also found in a survey of reform projects in the Western Cape that [they] were often unsuccessful because the skills of the beneficiaries had not been timeously upgraded."

Production decreased drastically

Further, a University of Pretoria analysis of progress on farms transferred to black farmers had found, among other things, that on 44% of them production had decreased drastically, and on 24% there had been no production since transfer to the new owners.

The foundation's study says one of the challenges facing land reform was farming had become increasingly knowledge driven.

"Inexperienced participants should accordingly enjoy comprehensive support from the State, or via mentorship from existing farmers. However, it is not clear whether the Department of Land Affairs is in a position to provide such support effectively."

Land reform beneficiaries also needed access to considerable credit, especially in the initial stages of projects.

Work with white farmers

The study also notes there is a lack of capacity at land affairs, and suggests the department work with existing white farmers.

"In the absence of state capacity to support emerging farmers one must look to alternative channels through which support could be offered."

It suggests one such mechanism would be to offer incentives to white farmers who help emerging black farmers, but observes that "in the current political climate, it seems unlikely that such an initiative will enjoy positive consideration".

On the future of land reform in South Africa, the study calls on government to acknowledge the agricultural sector has limited capacity to serve as a catalyst for socio-economic development.

"There should be greater focus on urban land reform - where the demand for land and housing is greater."

It says land reform targets that "simply require the transfer of a particular quantity of land to black South Africans, without taking into account other factors that can influence the sustainability of the projects, have to be reconsidered".

Government aims to transfer a third of agricultural land in South Africa to black farmers by 2014.

Progress towards this target has been very slow, with only about four percent transferred to date.

Zimbabwe-style land invasions

Speaking at the launch, AgriSA land affairs policy advisor Annelize Crosby said growing frustration among black South Africans over the slow pace of land reform should not be underestimated.

Responding to a question, she ruled out any immediate threat of Zimbabwe-style land invasions however, saying South Africa was very different to its northern neighbour.

"We have a clear Constitution, good policy and good regulations. The problem is with people getting frustrated.

While Zimbabwe-style land invasions are not an immediate threat, we should not underestimate not doing land reform," Cosby said.

Also speaking at the launch, the foundation's executive director, Dave Steward, said land reform in South Africa was one of the most "difficult, delicate and important topics in the national debate".

Such transformation was "emotional and complicated".

"It is crucially important that land reform is something that we all do together - transformation 'with' rather than 'against'," he said.

SAPA

South Africa

6% is like toilet paper

2007-5-25 12:45

More than 10 000 public service workers started marching in Pretoria on Friday demanding better pay and working conditions.

They marched down Vermeulen Street towards the Union Buildings where they planned to hand over a memorandum demanding a 12% wage increase.

Much of the protester's anger was aimed at Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi.

Some were carrying posters saying: "Fraser let's exchange salaries" and "Moleketi, wil jy moelikheid sien".

Protesters sang songs blaming her for the breakdown in pay talks between the unions and government.

In Cape Town, about 8 000 public service workers started marching shortly before noon on Friday to the provincial legislature and Parliament.

"Today we are sending a resounding message that the time has come for government to take care of the people," Congress of SA Trade Unions Western Cape provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich told the crowd.

'My take home pay doesn't even take me home'

The good spirited crowd displayed a vast array of posters and banners bearing the legends among others "6% is like toilet paper - to hell with it" and "my take home pay doesn't even take me home".

A general assistant at Tygerberg Hospital, who was acting as a marshal helping to keep order, said he expected more than 60 000 people but that the march would be "peaceful".

He said: "We will be striking to ask for better living wages".

Principal of Dr Joubert Primary School, Desmond Robyn was joined by several of his teachers, most of whom had amassed more than 30 years of teaching.

Robyn said he had been teaching for 32 years and was still not being paid at the maximum wage level.

"How much longer yet?"

Another teacher from the school said they were doing multiple jobs as "a teacher, social worker, psychiatrist, doctor..." and were exposed to abuse by pupils and parents.

Metro ambulance worker Amara Kippie was joined by colleagues from emergency medical services.

She said they needed a 12% wage increase because "managers are sitting in nice restaurants but we can't go to restaurants".

She said: "We are on the march to try to show we mean business".

Parliamentarians getting 56% increase

One of her colleagues said it was unfair that parliamentarians were getting a 56% increase and they only wanted 12% because "most of them [parliamentarians] are sleeping in Parliament and we have to do the work".

The emergency service workers said they would be willing to strike for an indefinite amount of time.

Numerous armed police vehicles were in evidence with many police officers gathering around to keep order in what is widely expected to be a peaceful protest.

The SA Police Service was being assisted by the Cape Town metro police.

The protesters already at the starting point in District Six appeared in good spirits and were singing songs from early on.

South Africa

Shoot-out in Jo'burg CBD

2007-5-28 14:50

Johannesburg - Eight people were wounded when gunmen opened fire at the Bree Street taxi rank in central Johannesburg on Monday, police said.

Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini of the SAPS couldn't elaborate on the motive for the shooting, but could confirm there was a shooting between police and unknown men.

Traffic had been badly affected on the street leading to the taxi rank, he said.

Taxis with windows broken by gunfire could be seen.

Metro police spokesperson Inspector Edna Mamonyane said the shooting started soon after metro police arrived at the Metro Mall taxi rank.

Road blockaded

The metro officers were responding to reports that taxis had blockaded the road.

The taxi drivers appeared to be shooting at each other, she said.

"One officer returned fire because some commuters had been hit.

"Paramedics were fighting to save some of the people's lives," Mamonyane said.

A Sapa photographer who was driving past the rank said: "Shots rang out and I saw two taxis' windows shattered and six people wounded."

A police helicopter and police dogs were on the scene.

The area around the taxi rank was cordoned off.

SAPA

Mit was soll man sich hier noch wehren, am besten gleich das Opfer sein damit man noch mehr Kriminelle hat in dem Land.

Burglar hacked to death

2007-6-5 12:44

Mokopane

A suspected burglar was hacked to death with an axe when he allegedly tried to break into a house in Limpopo early on Monday morning.

The 23-year-old man was caught in a house in Sehlabeng village near Mokopane at about 02:00.

The 53-year-old woman who lived there woke up to the sound of breaking glass as a window pane was smashed.

She shouted a warning and her 32-year-old son and a 64-year-old neighbour came to her rescue.

The man was hacked several times with an axe and died on the scene.

The woman, her son and neighbour appeared in the Mokopane's regional court on Monday.

They were not asked to plead to charges of murder and were remained in custody until Wednesday, when they will appear again.

African Eye

Mad rush could empty pumps

2007-6-5 11:27

Johannesburg

Motorists should not put "pressure on the pumps" ahead of Wednesday's fuel price hike as some filling stations may run dry, the SA Petroleum Retailers Association said.

Spokesperson Peter Noke said Gauteng has been experiencing fuel shortages, and on Monday 23 Engen petrol stations were without fuel for the entire day.

"The reason for these shortages resides with logistics and marketing, who are not effectively doing their job," he said.

Fuel, which was supposed to be transported from a Durban refinery, had been delayed.

Noke urged all service station owners experiencing the shortages to come forward, as the association would assist in solving the shortage.

Petrol will rise by 23 cents per litre to R7.24 per litre of unleaded 95 octane at midnight on Tuesday night.

The price of 93 octane unleaded as well as lead replacement petrol will increase to R7.11.

At the coast, a litre of petrol will cost R7.00.

SAPA

Pta woman's 9-hour jail ordeal

2007-6-6 08:08

Pretoria:

A woman who lives in Clydesdale near Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria spent nine hours in jail after a metro police officer accused her of wanting to park illegally during the rugby Test match between South Africa and England.

"And all I wanted to do was to get home," an upset Tammy Bulkin, 28, said on Tuesday.

She damaged a nerve and a sinew in her right arm, and a small bone in the same arm was dislodged when the policeman apparently manhandled her while trying to handcuff her.

She appeared in Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Monday on a charge of crimen injuria, but the case was struck from the roll.

"I underwent an operation on the same arm in January and it was just healing nicely, before this incident."

Had an operation

The drama began at 11:30 in Park Street near Loftus Versfeld when Bulkin was on her way home.

"When I wanted to get past the police roadblock, a metro policeman refused to let me through.

"I showed him my resident's pass, which we have to carry with us when there are rugby matches, but he said it wasn't valid because it was past the expiry date."

"I still wanted to explain, but he didn't want to listen."

The metro policeman requested her to move her vehicle out of the way, but she refused and phoned her mother.

While she was talking to her mother, the metro policeman banged on her car's bonnet with his hands.

"I told my mother the fucking bastard was hitting my car"".

Then he grabbed my keys and put them into his pocket.
He dragged me through the window of the car by my sore arm."

"I kept screaming at him that I had just had an operation on the arm and that it was painful."

Bulkin opened the car door quickly.

He said: " 'Now I'm going to teach you a lesson' and he cuffed my hands behind my back. ""He told me to shut up, bitch !."

Her mother and her brother, Kyle, arrived at the scene just before she was "shoved" into a metro police car and taken to Sunnyside police station.

"They locked her up in a cell with seven other women for nine hours and refused to let our attorney see her. Tammy was only released at 20:45 with a warning," said her mother.

I'm emotionally exhausted.

They treated me like an absolute criminal, Tammy said.

She intends to lodge a civil claim against the metro police officer and the Tshwane Metro Council.

William Baloyi, spokesperson for the metro police, said they were not aware of the incident.

He encouraged Bulkin to contact the metro police so that it could be investigated.

Beeld

Johannesburg

A parliamentary committee has heard that visitors to South Africa would have to register with a local service provider before enjoying "international roaming" on their cellphones, Business Day reported on Wednesday.

The measures come as part of the Regulation of Interception of Communication Amendment bill being discussed by the justice committee.

The bill's aim is to help fight against organised crime and the use of cellphones to commit crimes. It requires that personal details of every cellphone user be recorded.

A clause in the bill says that a non-South African would have to supply full names, passport number and address before getting access to roaming from a local provider.

However, there are fears that this could result in lengthy queues at ports of entry and of costly administrative delays for cellphone companies. It could also lead to problems with the arrival of foreigners during the 2010 Fifa World Cup who would have queue up to register their phones before leaving international airports.

Representatives of cellphone companies said these measures would be difficult for their operations. They expected delays at airports.

Its gone be a nightmare if it will ever happen, Lucky.

Zitat

Original von Eldorado
Its gone be a nightmare if it will ever happen, Lucky.

@Eldo & Lucky..

Ich glaube zwar, dass die WM stattfinden wird, aber ich mache mir Sorgen, in welchem Zustand.... Meine Familie in SA hat keine guten Geschichten über die Vorbereitungen zu erzählen...

Habe übrigens letztens gelesen, dass die FIFA und die WM-OK in SA ihren Angestellten "verboten" hat, schlecht über die Vorbereitungen der WM zu reden
Wenn das mal kein schlechter Indikator ist

Übrigens, wo ich mir am meisten Sorgen mache ist der Zustand der "Infrastruktur" - es gibt definitiv zu wenig Betten, Bussse, Bahnen und Mietwagen (ist ja jetzt schon immer eine Katastrophe in Season ein Auto in CPT zu mieten...). Und wer will schon immer Fliegen, bei den derzeitigen Regeln und der Effizienz von ACSA. Und wer sich mal Gedanken über "public viewing" im Stil von der WM06 in Deutschland macht - na dann gute Nacht!

White staff want to leave Eskom

2007-6-7 14:07

Cape Town

In a damning report on Eskom's skills situation, trade union Solidarity on Thursday revealed that 75% of Eskom's 5 000 white staff are considering quitting the company.

In an attempt to stop the skills rot, Solidarity called for a moratorium on affirmative action for five years at the state power utility.

Solidarity's deputy general secretary Dirk Hermann said Eskom can impose the affirmative action moratorium without abandoning its commitment to transformation.

He said Eskom already achieved in March 2006 the 2014 black economic empowerment targets of 64% black managerial representation.

In addition, Eskom is close to reaching its own 64% black managerial representation target by 2010.

Findings from his Phd in the alienation of the non-designated group, Hermann found that:

Workers show understanding for affirmative action, but 80% feel that it is not being implemented correctly.

93% feel that promotion through hard work is out of the question.

73% feel that affirmative action prevent them from achieving their personal goals.

99% feel that they cannot influence Eskom's affirmative action policy.

95% feel that promotion is not based on merit.

93% feel that promotion is determined by affirmative action.

77% feel that there is no future for them in Eskom.

74% do not feel that they are part of Eskom.

85% feel that they do not form part of Eskom's future plans.

75% feel that they cannot determine their own career path.

75% are thinking of leaving the company.

64% feel that their relationship with black colleagues has deteriorated.

Finance24

SMS crimeline launched

Johannesburg

A safe way for the public to report suspected crime - anonymously by SMS - was announced in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Citizens suspecting crime can send an SMS from their cellphones to the number 32211 and remain anonymous.

Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi said police would do everything in their power to make this initiative - called "Crime Line" - work.

"I think the crime we need to concentrate on is housebreaking, because [that crime is associated with] a number of other offences, such as murder, rape and crime."

Crime Line was a joint venture between the SA Police Service and Primedia.

Last year the public was asked to SMS a Johannesburg radio station if they suspected criminal activities taking place. This led to many arrests.

Sixty finger print identification scanners, costing R45 000 each, were also presented to the police at Thursday's launch. The money was raised by radio listeners.

The scanner allows the police to identify people with their thumb prints, and gives access to information such as criminal records.

Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, who was also present, said he was very optimistic about the venture.

"We have to deal with the criminals in this country and through this initiative, I see a much brighter country."

Primedia's project co-ordinator Yusuf Abramjee said the idea came about because the public were becoming too scared to report any crime.

"We need to break the silence in order to make the country a safer place to live in. I am a hundred percent confident that this will work."

A data centre was opened in Sandton, and the captured information will be sent directly to the police.

The service is available 24 hours a day and each SMS cost R1.

Lucky, die Neger jammern jetzt schon das die weissen nicht kuendigen sollen sonst geht gar nichts mehr.

Bin gespannt wie oft der Strom diesen Winter ausfallen wird.

Zum Glueck bin ich im Juli in Europa, falls zu oft passiert dann bleibe ich laenger.

Just in case, bring batteries to the WM in 2010 that you can see the ball in the stadium.

Servus

XEX

was man hier über Schwarze schreibt kann ich persönlich nachvollziehen und ich stimme auch zu.
In Deutschland würde man dafür 12 Monate wegen Volksverhetzung kassieren.