Das neue Südafrika

South Africa Hurry ! ... You have 4 seconds...

2007-7-30 18:11

Johannesburg - Opposition parties in the Johannesburg city council are furious at the ruling ANC limiting their speaking time to four seconds per councillor.

Parties objecting on Monday included the Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Independent Democrats, African Christian Democratic Party, and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania.

In a statement, the parties quoted the ANC's Chief Whip in the council,

Bafana Sithole, saying in a rules committee meeting: "If a party cannot say what they want to say in eight seconds it is not worth saying".

The DA's Manny de Freitas said: "This is an unprecedented move. Opposition parties... are united in their resolve to oppose the ANC in its bid to enforce an absurd process to effectively prevent freedom of speech."

Opposition parties 'gagged'

He said a report was tabled at a council meeting this month, the effect of which was to gag all opposition parties.

"This has been done under the guise of proportional speaking time in council meetings proportional to parties' numerical representation in the chamber."

The calculation was done on the basis of four seconds per councillor.

"All opposition parties are opposing this clamp-down on freedom of speech."

The resolution passed by council ensures that opposition parties will collectively have only four minutes to speak while the ANC will have 11 minutes.

"This is clearly out of line with the purported proportional nature of the speaking time allocation," said De Freitas.

SAPA

:(Oje, das Tor ist offen, jetzt kommt die grosse Einwanderung aus Zimbabwe, die Jungs haben schon vorher die weissen vertrieben und das land wird noch krimineller und armer werden, der ANC gibt gruenes Licht fuer die Illegalen.

Illegals: Police threaten farmers

2007-8-1 22:51

Musina - Farmers are not allowed to carry out citizens' arrests on illegal Zimbabwean refugees who cross the border into South Africa and wander around on their farms, unless they've committed crimes such as rape, robbery or farm attacks.

Limpopo Police Commissioner Calvin Sengani said on Wednesday that Zimbabweans who crossed the borders onto farms were not guilty of any crime.

There had also not been an increase in the number of "border prowlers", he said.

However, Beeld was assured by police officers at the town and at the Beit Bridge border post that there had been a considerable increase in the past month.

Sengani said that in some parts of Limpopo such as Tolwe, Massisi and Alldays, the number of illegal immigrants had in fact decreased.

But he declined to give any statistics.

'There's not a crisis at present'

"There's not a crisis in Limpopo or the country's northern border with Zimbabwe as reported in the media recently."

"When there's an increase in the number of attacks on farms, or robberies, then there's a crisis, but not at present."

Rounding up illegal immigrants is a job for the police.

Farmers are allowed to round them up and hand them over to police only when they cut game fences or commit crimes.

"We'll take action against people who arrest illegals who've not committed any crimes, because anyone who does so is in fact guilty of a crime," Sengani said.

"If an illegal immigrant (wants to) complain of having their hands and feet tied when they're rounded up by farmers they can lay an assault charge with the police."

The chairperson of the Soutpansberg District Agricultural Union, Gideon Meiring, said on Wednesday that Sengani didn't know what he was talking about.

"We're not going to stop patrolling, rounding up illegals or protecting our property. The minister (Charles Nqakula, Minister of Safety and Security) said we should do something ourselves to curb crime and we're doing that now," Meiring added.

He said the patrols by the farmers were an honest effort by them to protect their property.

In any case, farmers suffered damage running into thousands of rand when border fences were cut and game escaped. A kudu had to be shot on the N1 freeway last month when it broke through a game fence that had been cut.

It cost farmers a lot to repair damaged fences and there had also been cases in the area where tourists came face-to-face with illegal immigrants on the farms.

Farmers were trying to protect their property

Sengani said he didn't know why the media "focused" on illegal Zimbabwean immigrants, when there were also illegal immigrants from Mozambique, Zambia, Somali and Pakistan in South Africa.

MeanwhileAP quoted the manager of safety and security for the Transvaal Agriculture Union Chris van Zyl as saying farmers were trying to protect their property and help stabilise the situation.

"What must these guys do? Just sit back and do nothing, where in that kind of rural area there is no police presence," he said.

Van Zyl noted that there had been a noticeable increase in illegal immigrants as well as reports of thefts of stock, game and private property.

"There are many hungry people coming from Zimbabwe and when you have hungry people who are put in a tight spot, property is not secure," he said.

Van Zyl said the union had taken legal advice and did not believe any of their members were acting against the law.

Beeld

Intervening on rand is 'folly'

2007-8-3 11:23

Cape Town - South African Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni on Friday dismissed proposals from international advisers for the country to try weaken the currency to boost exports.

"Any attempts to weaken the exchange rate, I think is folly," he told parliament's finance committee.

"If today you want to weaken the exchange rate what happens when it gets too weak, what are you going to do? You should also be able to move on the other side and this is not a good idea."

An international panel, known as the Harvard Group, have suggested the rand currency may be overvalued and have suggested a weaker unit would boost exports and economic growth.

Mboweni also said he would not make any statement that the rand was "strong".

'It feels like Zimbabwe'

2007-8-3 17:30

Cape Town - Petrol stations ran dry and long lines formed at the few that still had supplies on Friday as a five-day old strike by fuel sector workers gripped many parts of the country.

Johannesburg was hardest hit; panic buying by motorists before the weekend worsened the situation.

"It feels like Zimbabwe," said motorcyclist David Marsh in an oft-repeated reference to the daily shortages afflicting South Africa's neighbour.

Members of the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood, and Allied Workers' Union (Ceppawu) went on strike Monday to press their claims for a 9.5% wage increase. Employers are offering between 6.5% and 8%.

Hundreds of strikers demonstrated in downtown Johannesburg to express their anger at the high salaries paid to company bosses.

Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said that since 1994 workers had not benefited from the country's booming economy.

'No more peanuts

Vavi said: "The apartheid wage gap continues to grow. We will no longer accept peanuts for our workers. We demand a living wage."

Union leaders and employers in the pharmaceutical sector on Thursday settled on an 8.5% wage increase, averting feared shortages in the production and distribution of key drugs including anti-AIDS medication.

The union said it would meet the National Petroleum Employers Association on Saturday.

"We are hopeful that this meeting will bring about an amicable solution to the current strike," it said in a statement.

But industrial action is looming in other sectors. Three trade unions representing workers in the gold-mining sector earlier this week declared a wage dispute - a precursor to full strike action - with the Chamber of Mines.

Miners want a 15% pay rise and the Chamber of Mines, which negotiates of the industry, has offered just under 8%.

Tax officials to strike

The union representing tax officials on Friday said its members would strike starting August 13 after talks broke down, with management offering 7.5% and the union holding out for 13%.

Tax officials feel particularly aggrieved because they say that their diligence in improving tax collection and clamping down on tax dodgers has increased tax returns by 17% for the past three years and boosted government revenue to such an extent that the country posted a budget surplus last year.

The government fears the spate of pay increases will boost inflation, which has already topped its 6% target because of higher petrol and food prices.

But the unions insist that the ANC has betrayed the cause of workers and done too little to improve living standards since it was swept to power in 1994.

The union movement has taken heart from the relative success of the month-long public servants' strike, who forced the government to up its initial 6.5% pay increase offer to 7.5%.

There were no immediate estimates of the cost to the economy of the current strike.

Feeling the pinch

But individual fuel station managers said they were feeling the pinch and were losing thousands of rands a day.

Radio stations were flooded with calls giving advice on which stations had petrol and which ones were dry.

Mashudu Sinthumule, manager of a BP petrol station in Johannesburg, said that about 100 motorists lined up after a fuel tanker arrived with a new delivery.

"I don't think the supplies will last even the next hour," he said. He said his station had run out of petrol on Wednesday and he had no idea when the next delivery would be made.

The Automobile Association urged motorists to leave their tanks at least a quarter full.

The Department of Minerals and Energy said it would not intervene.

"It is a huge problem and we are not happy with it, but our hands are tied. It is a very tough one ... it is an in-house issue," spokesperson Sputnik Ratau told SAPA.

Egal wie die Situation war man bekommt hier als Weisser sofort eine Moerder Anklage und geht in den Knast.

Farmer kills two robbers

2007-8-3 21:13

Middleburg - Two intruders were shot dead on a farm near Greylingstad on Friday, Mpumalanga police said.

Superintendent Abie Khoabane said the farmer, Gerhardus van der Merwe, returned home between 08:00 and 09:00. He noticed that part of the garage roof had been bent open.

On going to investigate, Van der Merwe found two men in the garage, one of them armed with an iron rod.

The men attacked Van der Merwe, who drew his pistol. In the scuffle, both intruders were shot dead.

The suspects were aged about 18 or 20, Khoabane said.

Police were investigating a case of murder, and were trying to establish the identity of the dead men.

Nothing was stolen, and no one else was at home

Lucky

Und das wissen sie.... darum steigt die Gewalt und Verbrechen.
Frueher gab es die Todesstrafe als Abschreckung und genuegend Platz im Gefaengnis, heute lachen sie ueber die Justiz.
Wenn man dann eingesperrt wird ist man oft beim naechsten Geburtstag von Mandela wieder raus.
Eventuell kommt auch ein alter Kumpel der nun fuer die Polizei arbeitet und schon faellt die Sache unter den Tisch, es war ja nur ein Weisser dem man Leid angetan hat.
Btw, meine Schusswaffe die man mir abgenommen hat ist nicht auffindbar und wahrscheinlich schon im Umlauf oder im Gebrauch.
Ab 2008 nur mehr 10% weisse Polizisten wegen Affirmative Action.

MfG

XEX

Harmony Boss quits, price drops

2007-8-6 15:55

Sherilee Bridge

Johannesburg - In a surprise move, Harmony Gold Mining (HAR) announced on Monday that CEO Bernard Swanepoel has resigned from the company with immediate effect.

Swanepoel has led Harmony for the past 12 years.

The announcement comes on the same day as a trading update that warned that the company would report a headline loss.

Shareholders were advised that Harmony expected to post a headline loss per share of between 130 and 160c for the June 2007 quarter, compared with the March 2007 quarter headline profit of 58c per share.

But it said it expected a headline profit of between 20c and 30c per share for the 2007 financial year compared with a headline loss of 269c per share for the 2006 financial year.

Swanepoel joined Harmony in 1995 and was responsible for growing the company from a single mine to the fifth largest gold mining company in the world with a market capitalisation of US$5.5bn.

Graham Briggs, managing director of Harmony Australasia, has been appointed as acting Chief Executive with immediate effect.

The board also appointed Andre Wilkens as non-executive director of the company.

"I am confident that Harmony will continue to grow under new leadership and benefit from the strategy that we have developed over the past few years," Swanepoel said.

Swanepoel was not immediately available for comment and the company declined to elaborate, saying it was in a closed period.

Harmony's shares were hit hard. At 15:25, 25 minutes after the announcement was published, its shares were trading 9.19% lower at R87.

- I-Net Bridge

Finweek's Greta Steyn asks should the Reserve Bank not buy more dollars and try to push the rand to R7.50/$?

'THE Reserve Bank has sent a strong message with its latest release of gold and foreign exchange reserves figures. Bank Governor Tito Mboweni is telling the markets that the Bank doesn't like to see the rand dipping below R7/$.

'For once, I can say: Well done, Tito.

'The Bank's figures are for July, when the rand caught attention by at times trading below R6.80/$, which raised speculation that the currency could be heading for R6.50/$. During July, the Bank's international liquidity position increased by more than $1bn. This is close to the highest monthly increase ever recorded, and a significant hike on the previous month's rise of $458m. (Even the latter number isn't insubstantial, by past Reserve Bank standards.)

'However, the international liquidity position also includes gold, which distorts the picture on the amount of foreign exchange actually purch ased by the Bank. The figure for foreign exchange reserves alone provides a better indication. This rose by a substantial $984m. Clearly, the Bank was active in the market.'

Bloodshed on the JSE

2007-8-10 14:34

Johannesburg - The JSE plunged over 5% as global credit woes continued to cause a sharp retreat on global equity markets, spilling over onto the local bourse.
By 14:02, the JSE Top-40 index was down 5.13% to 24 250.93 point, its biggest one-day percentage fall since June 2006.

Investec plc was the biggest loser. Shares in the investment and asset management group shed over 10%, hit by subprime concerns after a French bank froze three funds that are invested in US subprime mortgages.

"The majority of South African banks have very little exposure to US subprime market, but Investec has the biggest exposure to the market," a Johannesburg-based trader said.

At 14:01, Investec's South African listed shares were trading 9.79% lower at R78.75, the biggest decliner on the JSE.

The JSE banking index was trading 5.84% weaker, with resources tumbling 6.04%, the gold mining index losing 4.21% and the platinum mining index falling 4.31%.

Investec spokesperson, Ursula Nobrega said the group was exposed to the tune of less than GBP30m to the US subprime market, representing 0.1% of assets.

Investec has GBP26bn in assets in total, Nobrega said..

"It is minor and it is not something that we are concerned about. Most of our activity takes place in the United Kingdom and not in the US," she told Reuters. falling 9.86 percent to 78.60 rand.

The rand was sharply weaker at lunchtime, quoted at R7.22/US$ from R7.01 when the JSE closed on Wednesday, while gold was quoted at US$658.90 a troy ounce from $676.10/oz at the JSE's last close.

Reuters

Man zeigte heute abend auf Carte Blance wie verseucht die Landschaft und Wasser von den kleinen Seen rum um die Goldminen sind.
Viele Fluesse sind betroffen und absolut gefaerlich fuer viele in Gauteng.
Voll mit Uran und Schwermetallen so acid wie Batteriesaure mit PH von 2.2 und viele Lebensmittel sind gefaehrlich das mit dem Wasser versorgt wurde.
Ein riesen Skandal wuerde ich mal sagen, einiges Uran ist schon im Trinkwasser gefunden worden mit sehr gefaehrlichen Werten.
Das ganze gibt sicher ein Nachspiel, die ersten Klagen sind am laufen, abgesehen von den Umweltschutzmassnahmen und Aufraeumungsarbeiten werden Harmony, DRD, Anglo-Ashanti und GFI bald zur Kasse gebeten was die Produktionskosten steigern wird.
Ein See nahe der Harmony ist total verseucht und das Wetland herum auch. Wenn mal einer erwischt wird das tailing wasser in die falsche Gegend fliesst gab es kleine Strafen von 5000 Euro und so machte man halt weiter.
Man hat das seit Jahrzenten verschwiegen wegen der vielen Arbeitsplaetze bei den Goldminen und sich wegen Umweltschaeden nicht gekuemmert hat.
Jetzt tickt die ganze Gegend wo eine Mine in der Naehe ist und nun kam es raus.
Vielleicht haben die beiden CEO's von Harmony und Anglo-Ashanti das schon vorher ticken gehoert neben den schlechten Bilanzen ????

Um Kebble's Minen waren die schlimmten Resultate aber den kann man auch nicht mehr zur Rechenschaft ziehen.

Mit dem hat schon einer abgerechnet.

Wie sagt mein Freund immer, das ist ein Land der Gangster.

Mittlerweile kommen pro Tag 7 tausend illegale aus Zimbabwe nach RSA, da muss der Rand ja stark bleiben..

Die Fussball WM 2010 muss stattfinden, hoffentlich sonst sind wir schon frueher im A......... frika .
Bei mir spaetesten 2009/10, den letzten beissen die Hunde.
Mit viel Glueck aber hohen risiko rechnen einige max. 2012 dann ist es aus fuer die weissen wie in Zimbabwe wo sich auch keiner kuemmert.

XEX

Kebble, others 'stole billions'

2006-06-13 14:48:54

Johannesburg - Brett Kebble and some other directors at Randgold & Exploration misappropriated R1.421bn in assets and issued incorrect reports and statements totalling another R2.5bn, miningmx.com reported on Tuesday.

Referring to a forensic investigation report, miningmx.com said the R1.42bn was made up by the illegal movement and sale of shares held by RG&E in London-listed Randgold Resources, DRDGOLD and the former Afrikander Lease.

"The forensic investigation indicates that material frauds were perpetrated by misappropriating investments in listed shares, or by listing new shares, issued for no value and then selling such shares and laundering the proceeds through a web of special purpose vehicles with trading and bank accounts," the report said.

The report found that Kebble and some of his fellow RG&E directors acted in concert with some directors from JCI Ltd that company's token treasury called Consolidated Mining Management Services (CMMS), as well as other parties.

CMMS is estimated to have processed about R3bn in cash and shares in the three and a half years to September 2005.

In April, it was revealed after a six-month forensic investigation by KPMG Forensics that Kebble had presided over the misappropriation of about R500m at JCI.

Umbono Financial Advisory Services conducted the RG&E investigation at the behest of RG&E's new board in mid-October last year. The board wanted to discover the whereabouts of 26.6 million Randgold Resources shares the company was said to have owned but that had disappeared in the tangle of transaction Kebble set up to enrich himself and create deals.

Kebble was shot dead under mysterious circumstances in September 2005 after he was ousted from the boards of RG&E and JCI. Both companies' shares were suspended on the JSE in August.

According to the miningmx.com report RG&E and JCI have both instituted claims of R165m and R172m respectively against Kebble's estate. The Cape High Court granted RG&E's sequestration application on the estate on Tuesday morning. However, Kebble's estate is thought to be worth about R70m.

RG&E's board has called for a general meeting on June 30 this year where shareholders can ask questions about the company a forensic investigation. They can also put forward nominations for non-executive directors for the board. The largest shareholders are fund managers Allan Gray, with 25%, JCI and Aflease with 12% each. American Depository Receipts make up 30%. - miningmx.com

Finance24

ich möchte nichts mehr wissen von Gold, total unsicheres Investment, ich trag mein Geld lieber auf die Bank dort bekomm ich Zinsen

Good Bye Frosch ;).....another bust the .... :(.... tough times !

Limpopo farmer denied bail

2007-8-15 12:54

Johannesburg - A Limpopo farmer charged with the murder of a 47-year-old man was denied bail in the Gravelotte Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, said police.

Senior Superintendent Motlafela Mojapelo said Johan van Niekerk, 69, of the farm Vygeboom near Gravelotte, and a 22-year-old man, a supervisor on another farm were in custody.

"Van Niekerk and Van Vuuren who are facing charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice were denied bail," he said.

Van Niekerk, who had been charged with kidnapping a trespasser on his property, was re-arrested and charged with murder when he reported to the Gravelotte police station to comply with his bail conditions on Tuesday.

Van Vuuren was arrested on a neighbouring farm, also on Tuesday.

This comes after residents found the badly decomposed body of Richard Mkhari on Van Niekerk's farm on Saturday.
He had apparently been hunting there illegally when he disappeared on July 15.

"A post mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of his death," said Mojapelo.

Van Niekerk previously appeared in court on July 26 where he was charged with kidnapping Mkhari. He was granted bail of R10 000.

"The kidnapping charge was withdrawn and his bail revoked," said Mojapelo.

The two will appear in the Phalaborwa Magistrate's Court on August 21.

SAPA

UK reviews Zim evacuation plans

2007-8-17 07:27

London - Military officials are reviewing evacuation plans for up to 22 000 British nationals in former colony Zimbabwe, The Times reported in its Friday paper.

A spokesperson for the defence ministry declined to comment on the validity of the report, saying: "As you would expect, the MOD constantly reviews contingency plans for troublespots around the world where Britons are living."

According to the newspaper, which cited unnamed diplomatic sources, the review was focused on a "civil contingency plan" which would rely on help from neighbouring countries.

The Times said that under current plans, Britons in Zimbabwe would be instructed to leave the country into South Africa and meet at a military base there.

At that point, they would either be airlifted to Britain by defence aircraft, or chartered commercial planes.

"At the last count, there were between 17 500 and 22 000 British nationals still living in Zimbabwe," an unidentified official told the daily.

"If there was an evacuation they would be entitled to bring their families and dependents with them, which is what happened when we evacuated British passport holders from Lebanon last year."

Britain evacuated thousands of nationals from Lebanon last summer in the midst of Israeli bombing of the country.

Britain has been accused of seeking regime change by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled the former British colony since independence in 1980.

Mugabe has blamed sanctions for his country's economic downspiral characterised by inflation exceeding 5 000%, 80% unemployment and a critical shortage of food, fuel and other basic commodities.

But critics say the problems started with his controversial land reforms in 2000, which saw the government seize at least 4 000 farms from white commercial farmers for reallocation to landless blacks and state cronies.

AFP

Jaja.... die Familie von meinem Schwager (Weiß, British / Zimbabwe dual nationality) sind schon von 6 Jahren kurz nach dem Start der Landreforms abgehauen. Konnten nur mitnehmen, was in die 3 Autos gepasst hat. Haus + Land konnten sie schon damals nicht zu einem Fairen Preis verkaufen - und das Geld (Zim-Dollars) mussten sie über die Grenze schmuggeln. Glücklicherweise hatten sie noch ein Ferienhaus in Hermanus... damals schon hat der Vater von meinem Schwager den Untergang von Zim vorhergesagt.

Sehr schade....!! Ich war ein paar mal da und habe sehr nette Erinnerungen an Matopos Nationalpark (Great Zimbabwe Ruinen - sehr beeindruckend!), Hwange National Park und natürlich Vic Falls...

Aber Onkel Bob (Mugabe) wirds machen...ein weiteres Land in Afrika welches von den ehemals Unterdrückten aus reiner Habgier und Idiotie zurück in die Steinzeit gewirtschaftet wird. Bob wird übrigens nachgesagt er leider seit Jahren an schwerer Syphilliserkrankung - greift ja bekannterweise stark das Hirn an

Grüße....

Heute Schlagzeile in der Cape Times:

Table Mountain not safe to go anymore, full with muggers.
Die Stadt wie die anderen auch wird immer krimineller, 3 ATM pro Tag werden in die Luft gesprengt und in einigen Shopping Centers und Strassen wird rumgeschossen. Bewaffneter Carhijack ganz normal hier, gehoert zur Tagesordnung in dem Affenstaat.

Das kann ja einen super Fussball WM geben
Wer ein Abenteuer liebt soll jetzt schon kommen.
Its wild West already....

...Cape Town - President Thabo Mbeki has taken issue with those elevating sacked deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge to "heroine" status.

Kids 'sold' for R390 (38 Euro)

Johannesburg

Roads and border posts between Maputo in Mozambique and Johannesburg were fast becoming a highway along which child slaves, who were sold for as little as R390, were brought in, Irin reported on Sunday. Irin is the news agency of the United Nations.
According to the report the smuggling of children as household or sex slaves gradually increased since the two governments decided in the early nineties to revive the trade route.

Management of the Amazing Grace Children's Home (AGCH), a child welfare organisation in Malelane near the Lebombo border post between the two countries, alleged nearly 100 children from Mozambique and Swaziland were smuggled to Johannesburg along this route every month.

Vusi Ndukuya, AGCH's specialist on child smuggling, said these children were sold to the local sex industry or taken to Europe.

Kids were 'easy to handle'

According to Ndukuya, human smuggling syndicates along this route included border post officials, members of the police, taxi and truck drivers and members of local communities.

"Every month at least 15 new children, who either escaped or were left along the road by the smugglers, are placed into AGCH's care. If so many slip away, there are many more who are actually sold," said Ndukuya.

As little information existed about this type of smuggling, Ndukuya himself looked into the matter during October this year.

He went to the border town of Lebombo with a colleague and pretended to be a bar owner from Johannesburg who was looking for young dancers and prostitutes.

After about 12 hours in two bars, he was approached by a woman who said she could find girls.

"I gave her my number and she left. Three days later she phoned to tell me that she had young girls ready to be sent to Johannesburg and that I can buy them for R390 each."

"I asked her whether the girls knew where they would be going to and what they would be expected to do. She said they were very young and knew nothing and should therefore be easy to handle," said Ndukuya.

News24/Beeld