The rainbow Bantustan

mandela222

by Albert Brenner

The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. (Dante Alighieri)

In a recent interview with MNBC, the black Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson had the following to say in lieu of the Trayvon Martin case:

“White people will not understand racism until their children are murdered… Not until, and unless, the number of white kids die that approximate the numbers of black and other kids who have died will America see it is beyond logic, it is beyond rationality…”

And right he has. It is indeed “beyond logic and rationality” why so many blacks are killed in America – the supposed multi-culti paradise on planet Earth.

The only problem is that it is blacks killing blacks… not whites killing blacks!

Of the 7000 black Americans who died violently in 2012, 92% died at the hands of fellow blacks. This is just a fact. This is not a “racist” fact.

As is the fact that black Americans kill other Americans at a rate 10 times higher than that of white and Hispanic Americans combined. As is the fact that black Americans commit 50% of all the murders in America, although they only comprise 12% of the total population of America.

These are just facts. They are not “racist” facts!

What is indeed “racist” about these facts, is the fact that white Americans don’t kill white Americans at the same rate as black Americans kill black Americans – or Hispanic Americans kill Hispanic Americans, for that matter.

And the exact same applies to South Africa. It is black South Africans killing black South Africans at a world-record rate… and black South Africans killing white South Africans at the exact same world-record rate – and even at a higher rate when it comes to white farmers.

Meaning that there is one (easily identifiable and scientifically verifiable) common denominator when it comes to determining which race is responsible for the above-mentioned horror.

Blacks.

And this is exactly why Dyson is right when he stated that “… it is beyond logic, it is beyond rationality (that)…White people will not understand racism until their children are murdered”.

For white people living in 21st-century Western countries are indeed flabbergasted by this wanton slaughter of blacks by blacks… in 21st-century Western countries!

Let us be brutally honest here; white areas during Apartheid had the same murder-rate as (comparable) Western countries at the time. I.e. it was just as safe in white areas during Apartheid as it was in, for example, white areas in England, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Germany, America, et cetera.

Ergo, you cannot compare apples to pears… hence Dyson`s despair.

For if you see everything through the prismon of equality (see my previous column), you will, inevitably, stub your toes bloody on the border separating that which is “logical and rational” from that which is “illogical and irrational”.

And this is exactly why the notion of (a) White Genocide is derided in Mandelatopia. For we (whites) are being killed at the exact same rate as blacks killing blacks. Meaning we are all truly equal now in Mandelatopia… even in (violent) Death.

As if being slaughtered at the same rate as blacks – slaughtered by fellow blacks – is somehow “positive”… because we are all being slaughtered equally now – all according to that multi-culti (moral) dictum which has elevated the Xhosa goat herder called Mandela to (a) God in South Africa…and globally.

All equal in life and death – precisely as god-man Mandela wanted it. All precisely according to Dyson`s despair… his desperate cry of “racism”.

For “racism” has become a metonym for come-down-to-our-level. Dyson`s cry is, in effect, nothing more than a desperate call (on the part of blacks, worldwide) to accept their brutally primitive pre-Neolithic (moral) dictates.

Be that as it may; it suffices to say that I, for one, will not heed this call!

I, as a Child of the Enlightenment, deserve and demand, more from Life.

Just ask yourself the following simple question; who brought/enacted democracy and human rights to/in South Africa… or America, England, Sweden, Australia, et cetera.

We, the Westerners, did. Nobody else.

Be that as it may; we Westerners are definitely not perfect – a fact none of us can ever plausibly deny. But we sure as hell do not deserve that which is being dealt out by blacks, globally, at our expense!

South Africa (Mandelatopia) has become a Bantustan. We have been (psychologically) socially-engineered to simply accept being “equal” in every aspect… be it (in) Life or Death. There is no denying this fact. The prismon of equality is merciless.

We, as Westerners in Mandelatopia, can therefore either integrate (i.e. become black), or demand our God-given right to live according to the (moral) dictates that have characterized our (absolutely unique) civilization.

The former, i.e. becoming pre-Neolithic – plastered (over) with a Zeitgeist-bound feel-good MSM/-popular culture-driven bling bling White Guilt white-liberal The End of History neo-liberal Western façade – has never been an option for me… for, as a famous French thinker said:

Everyone has a limit, beyond which she or he will no longer acquiesce in their own oppression. (Albert Camus)

Zwelenzima Vavi’s rape victim writes to Sunday Times

Zwelinzima Vavi
Zwelinzima Vavi

A woman who apparently accused Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi of raping her wrote an open letter to the Sunday Times about her encounter with him.

“Vavi…came down from the ninth floor…to see me in my office in a quiet area of the building. I was sitting at my desk and he came up behind me,” she said.

“He is a big man. When I got up, he grabbed me and then kissed me. Then he locked the door. I still have the dress I wore on that day, ” she said without giving more details about the incident.

Vavi on Saturday released documents to the media, including an internal complaint by the woman in which she accuses him of rape.

The police could not confirm that a charge of rape had been laid against him.

The mother of two said she first met Vavi at a check-in counter at OR Tambo International Airport in 2011. She helped him sort out a problem with his ticket and was allegedly told Cosatu could use “someone like me”. She said Vavi took her telephone number and later offered her a job.

She said she was hired without going through proper procedures.

“There wasn’t even an interview.”

Vavi admitted to having an extramarital affair with the woman, adding that she later attempted to extort R2 million from him.

He denied raping her, saying they had consensual sex. – Sapa

Malema’s EFF gets 1000 new members

Malema's rally in Soweto on Saturday
Malema’s rally in Soweto on Saturday

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have secured over 1000 new members, it said on Saturday.

“We received 1 100 new members on the first day of recruiting,” said party leader Julius Malema at a press briefing in Soweto.

“If this becomes a trend then we will be getting 1 000 member[s] every day. It is going to be bigger than what we expected.”

This exceeded their expectations, he said.

The EFF — which had gathered at the the Uncle Tom community hall for a two day national assembly — plans to contest next year’s general election.

Malema said the EFF would be officially registered with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Monday after a few amendments had been made, including changes to its logo.

The EFF logo depicted an arrow instead of a spear, and this was to be changed.

Malema said the party would register with double the required number of members needed to contest the election.

“I was told by the IEC that we should have 500 members to register but we are going register with 1 100 new members,” the former ANC Youth League leader said.

Malema is facing corruption charges in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court. He is accused of making nearly R4-million from corrupt activities, and is out on bail of R10,000.

He faces charges of fraud, corruption, money-laundering, and racketeering.

On Saturday, Malema acknowledged that intimidation was part of politics, but expressed concern about the alleged intimidation of his members.

He said “people with pangas” had intimidated his members during an EFF meeting in the Vaal, but did not say when this happened. He noted that intimidation tactics were worse in Mpumalanga.

“I am more worried about Mpumalanga because they have the potential to kill,” he said.

Malema also encouraged Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and his wife to stay strong amid the rape allegations against him.

Vavi’s lawyer Dup de Bruyn said earlier that a case of extortion was opened against a woman who allegedly tried to blackmail Vavi. He said the case was opened at the Sandton police station on Thursday evening. Police spokeswoman Captain Kym Cloete verified this.

In a statement, Vavi denied the rape of a Cosatu colleague, saying he had been in a consensual extramarital affair with the woman.

Malema said he expected Vavi’s wife to stick by his side and not allow “his detractors any room for joy”. – sapa

Brumbies beat Bulls for final berth

brumbies_bullsA last minute try by Brumbies centre Tevita Kuridrani and a number of dubious decisions saw the Bulls go down 26-23 in their Super Rugby semi-final at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

The battle among the forwards was always going to be the deciding factor in the match, with the tourists enjoying the upper-hand in this department for most of the match.

The first 10 minutes belonged to the Brumbies as they put 10 points on the board in this period to leave the Bulls reeling.

The Australians fired the opening salvo as inside centre Christian Leali’ifano succeeding with a penalty three minutes into the match.

The visitors further showed their intent to dominate the set phases as they out-muscled the Bulls in the first scrum of the match in the fifth minute, enforcing a penalty from a kickable position.

Leali’ifano pulled his penalty attempt to the right that would have given his team a psychological six-point lead early in the match.

The missed opportunity, however, came at a small price as they found their way over the whitewash three minutes later to score the first try of the evening.

Danger man Henry Speight lived up to his reputation as playmaker and showed up the Bulls’ defence.

When he was finally chased down, he managed to offload to fullback Jesse Mogg to score the try, with Leali’ifano converting, to extend their lead to 10 points.

The Bulls’ plight was further complicated with Steyn missing his first attempt at goal in the 14th minute.

Two minutes later the Bulls reduced the deficit when outside centre JJ Engelbrecht powered his way over the tryline, with Steyn’s attempt going wide of the posts.

The Bulls flyhalf finally found the target in the 22nd minute to bring his side within two points of the Brumbies.

However, the visitors pulled back another three points with Leali’ifano succeeding with his attempt, while the Bulls responded with three points of their own 10 minutes from the half-time break.

Leali’ifano had the final say in the first half with Leali’ifano bringing an end to the tit-for-tat kicking to hand his side a five-point lead going into the break.

The Bulls started the second period with great intent and came painstakingly close to scoring shortly after the kickoff with Grant Hattingh being held up over the line.

Steyn, however, gathered the three points through a penalty conversion to again get his side within two points of the Brumbies.

The Bulls flyhalf and Leali’ifano continued to exchange kicking duties two more times until the hosts took the lead for the first time in the match in the 51st minute when Steyn landed his sixth penalty of the game.

The plot, however, reached farcical levels as Bulls captain Dewald Potgieter opted to go for the sideline rather than going for the points on three occasions.

All three times the Bulls failed in their attempt to score from the lineout and it ultimately backfired for the Pretoria side.

Potgieter’s earlier doubtful decisions, however, came back to haunt him as Brumbies outside centre Tevita Kuridrani crossed the whitewash to silence the Loftus faithful, with Leali’ifano ending the match as he started it, with a conversion.

Scorers:

Bulls 23 (11): Tries: JJ Engelbrecht. Penalties: Morne Steyn (6).

Brumbies 26 (16): Tries: Jesse Mogg, Tevita Kuridani. Conversions: Christian Leali’ifano (2). Penalties: Leali’ifano (4). – sapa

Lewis Hamilton takes pole for Hungarian GP

Lewis Hamilton on the track
Lewis Hamilton on the track

by Jerome Pugmire

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will start from pole position for the fourth time this season after setting the fastest time in qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday.

The Briton beat three-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel right at the end of the session.

“I’m really surprised,” said Hamilton, who is looking for his first race win of the season. “We’ve got a steep hill to climb tomorrow with these tires and these conditions.”

Hamilton clocked 1 minute, 19.388 seconds, just ahead of Vettel’s best lap of 1:19.426.

“There wasn’t much missing. Lewis did a really good job,” said Vettel, who has never won in Hungary. “It’s stupid to sit here and say ‘We should have done this and we should have done that.’ I could be on pole, but still I think it puts us in a great place for tomorrow.”

Vettel, the defending champion, remains confident however that he can follow up his success at the German GP three weeks ago and clinch his fifth win of the campaign.

“We should have a good race because the car feels fine,” said Vettel, who has 39 career poles compared to 30 for Hamilton.

Lotus driver Romain Grosjean, who was fastest in the final practice session, qualified third in 1:19.595 for his best grid position of the season.

Red Bull and Mercedes have combined to take all 10 poles this season -with Vettel getting all three for Red Bull. But Mercedes has a low conversion rate from the front of the grid.

“Pole definitely helps, of course, because it’s very difficult to follow here, but it is a long way down to turn one,” Hamilton said. “If you can hold pole into turn one then it will be advantageous, but as always the race is going to be about the tires and trying to hold on to them.”

Nico Rosberg has won two races, while Hamilton is still looking to finish higher than third in a Mercedes that has great speed but lacks durability over a whole race.

“It’s been the same for a long time. It’s not a surprise for us,” Hamilton said. “It’s great to have the pole position but it doesn’t mean anything, it’s in the race where we score points.”

Hamilton, the 2008 F1 champion, will hope that the Hungaroring helps him end his winless run. He won here last year for his third victory on the track but has not won a race since winning the United States GP last November.

“I’ve been fortunate to have a good car for quite a few years with McLaren,” Hamilton said. “These guys (Vettel and Grosjean) are going to be ridiculously fast, so trying to keep in front or hold onto them is going to be the challenge.”

Grosjean has found his form recently, finishing third at the German GP three weeks ago to end a miserable run in which he failed to place inside the top 15 for four Formula One races.

“I quite like this circuit, but it doesn’t mean much unfortunately. The last lap was a pretty good lap,” said Grosjean, who was third in Hungary last year. “I’m happy to be back in the top three in qualifying. It was a good lap and we’re happy with that.”

The track temperature on the Hungaroring circuit reached 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit), and similarly stifling temperatures are expected for Sunday’s race with tire degradation expected to play a key part in the result.

Rosberg will start fourth ahead of the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, who trails Vettel by 34 points and has not won since his 32nd career GP in front of his home fans in Barcelona in May.

The pressure will be on tire manufacturer Pirelli.

Last week, the teams held in-season testing sessions at Silverstone to assess new tires provided by Pirelli, after several spectacular blowouts on the same circuit at the British Grand Prix in June prompted a furious response and even a boycott threat from drivers.

Pirelli decided that from this race until the end of the season, it will revert to last year’s tires combined with the current compounds from this season.

Soft and medium tires will be available for the race, with two or three pit stops expected.

“Good tire management and a flexible strategic approach will definitely pay off,” Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said.

Red Bull’s Mark Webber did not make a run in Q3 because of a problem with KERS, which can boost acceleration, and will start from 10th.

“That was a massively disappointing qualifying session,” the Australian said. “We had no KERS, and a basic gearbox setting that we couldn’t get out of.” – AP

Petition: Free speech for Sunette Bridges! Spraakvryheid vir Sunette!

Sunette Bridges
Sunette Bridges

Petition in support of Sunette Bridges. Fill in your name and e-mail, then click on “Sign Now”. Also tweet and share on Facebook by using the buttons on the far left of this page.

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My verklaring oor Cancervive

deur Sunette Bridges

Hierdie is seker een van die moeilikste skrywes wat ek nog ooit moes doen. Ek het baie tyd spandeer daaraan om mooi te dink en hard gebid vir leiding oor die saak.

Ek het eergister op FB gemeld dat ek vandag in Naboomspruit optree ten bate van Cancervive. Ek is deur ‘n Boervrou in die gemeenskap genader op die optrede vir haar te doen om te help met die kaartjieverkope. Ek het ingestem om gratis vir haar te gaan optree. Hierdie vrou het self die pad van Kanker gestap en wou graag ‘n bydrae maak om dit vir ander moontlik te maak om behandeling te ontvang. Soos baie van julle seker weet, het my Pa ook Kanker gehad en is dit een van die sake wat ek al vir baie jare met graagte ondersteun.

Gistermiddag het ek ‘n oproep van my kliënt ontvang om my mee te deel dat Cancervive haar versoek het om onmiddelik my optrede vandag te kanselleer omdat hulle nie met my politieke oortuigings vereenselwig wil word nie. Die arme vrou was ongelooflik ontsteld en geweldig bekommerd oor wat sy vandag vir die mense gaan se oor hoekom ek nie by die funksie is nie. Ek was hartseer, maar het vir haar gese dat sy nie bekommerd moet wees nie en dat ek op enige ander datum in die toekoms gratis vir die mense sal kom sing. Ek het die saak daar gelaat.

‘n Rukkie later is ek meegedeel dat die besluit van Cancervive ‘n direkte uitvloeisel is van ‘n e-pos van deur ‘n ene Johan Pienaar aan Cancervive se publisiteitsmaatskappy gestuur is. In die e-pos deel Pienaar Cancervive mee dat hy geskok is om te verneem dat hulle geassosieer word met ‘n RASSIS soos ek wat deur die MRK aangekla word vir rassisme en voeg hy ook by dat hy ontevrede is met die feit dat die funksie in die AP-Kerk in Naboomsptuit se kerksaal gehou word aangesien die ook ‘n Rassistiese instansie is. Cancervive het egter gekies om nie kapsie te maak oor die saal nie, maar wel oor my optrede daar.

Daar is ‘n blad op FB wat jou al vir presies 11 maande ‘n smeerveldtog teen my voer en ek het verneem dat die e-pos op die blad gepubliseer is en hul hul lesers aangemoedig het om ook almal aan Cancervive te skryf om hul te versoek om nie met my te assosieer nie. Enkele lede van die blad het dit ook goedgedink om dieselfde skrywes op Cancervive se FB blad te gaan maak. Cancervive se eerste amptelike reaksie was om die persone mee te deel dat hulle A-polities is en ondersteuning van enigeen verwelkom. Dis nou blykbaar enigeen behalwe ek.

Die spreker van Cancervive het intussen in Naboomsruit opgedaag en dit was aan haar verduidelik dat my kliënt in ‘n reuse verknorsing was agv hul houding jeens my. Die dame, by name Frieda Henning, het my toe gekontak. Sy het vreeslik hard probeer om vir my te verduidelik dat Cancervive nie omgee van watter geloofs- of politiese oortuiging hul bydraers is nie, maar dat my deelname vir hulle in ‘n moeilike posisie plaas. Ek het aan haar verduidelik dat ek reeds ‘n e-pos aan Cancervive oor die situasie gestuur het en dat ek ‘n amptelike verklaring van hulle versoek oor hoekom my optrede gekanselleer is. Cancervive het egter alles in hul vermoeë gedoen om ‘n amptelike uitlating te vermy en my sowaar vesoek om steeds maar die vertoning te kom doen so in die stilligheid sonder dat hulle skriftelik hoef te reageer oor die insident. Dit terwyl hulle personeel reeds e-posse van die Smeerblad se lede geantwoord het waarin hulle die mense meegedeel het dat dit EK was wat my optrede gekanselleer het. Ek stel dit onomwonde dat ek op geen stadium my optrede daar gekanselleer het nie, maar dat die versoek vir my om nie daar te wees nie, ‘n direkte opdrag aan my kliënt van Cancervive af was.

Wat my stomslaan is dat Cancervive blykbaar GEEN probleem het daarmee om WIT mense in Naboomspruit, boonop lede van die APKerk, se geld te vat vir hul organisasie nie, maar nie die rugraat het om ‘n stadpunt in te neem teen ‘n ooglopende kwaadwillige smeerveldtog nie. Ek sou graag die optrede van die Smeerblad se lede as laakbaar wou beskryf, maar dit sou beteken dat ‘n mense beter van hulle sou verwag en dit is nie die geval nie. Wat ek wel laakbaar vind is die optrede van Cancervive.

Op geen stadium het ek navraag gedoen oor wie sou baat by my optrede nie. Vir my het dit oor die SAAK gegaan. Ek het ook besluit om nou eers hierdie skrywe te doen om sodoende nie vir Marinda, my kliënt in Naboomspruit enige skade te berokken of haar funksie in die wiele te ry nie, maar voel dat dit nou belangrik is om ‘n standpunt in te neem teen hierdie organisasie se optrede en die publiek in te lig oor die aangeleentheid. Ons velkleur is verkeerd vir hierdie BEE instansie. Ons politiek is verkeerd vir hierdie BEE instansie, maar duidelik is die kleur van ons geld vir hulle geen probleem nie. Dit is tyd ons ons begin om SLEGS Volkseie aksies te ondersteun en na ons eie mense om moet sien en, soos in die geval van Naspers, moet PRAAT met ons geld!

Die R25 000 wat Cancervive uit Naboomspruit se Blanke mense maak, behoort in totaal aan die gemeenskap terugbetaal te word!

Ek dank die Vader dat ek NIE afhanklik is van my sangloopbaan om te oorleef nie en dat ek dus nooit nodig sal he om my beginsels prys te gee om my siel te verkoop om te oorleef nie.

Hier is die skakel na die fotoalbum met al die detail oor hierdie siek mense se optrede… Sx

Lions victorious in away game against Kings

Last night's match between the Lions (in red) and the Kings
Last night’s match between the Lions (in red) and the Kings

Lions captain JC Janse van Rensburg praised the courage and character of his team as they registered a crucial away win in the first leg of their Super Rugby promotion-relegation series against the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

The visiting side, who lost their Super Rugby status this year to the Kings, beat them 26-19 to take a massive advantage into the second leg in Johannesburg next Saturday.

The Kings, though, picked up one bonus point for ending within seven points of the Lions’ score.

Van Rensburg, whose team have not had many tough matches recently, said it was the most physical game they had played this season.

“Yes, it was definitely a tough, physical game and we made a lot of mistakes in the first half, but hats off to our team for the guts they showed tonight (Friday),” Janse van Rensburg said.

The Lions tested the Kings’ defence, one of the Eastern Cape franchise’s outstanding assets this season, he said.

“We worked hard to attack their defence because we knew it was very good and in the second half it went well.

“We showed a lot of character and we fought for each other.

“Now we are looking forward to Ellis Park, which suits our game, and we will have 40 000 fans behind us this time.”

For Kings skipper Darron Nell, it was a tough pill to swallow, but he took some solace from the fact they had earned a bonus point.

“That bonus point was the at least something,” Nell said, “and now we know what we have to do — win by more than seven points — and we must plan accordingly.”

He paid tribute to the Lions for their efforts, while adding that the Kings’ attacking moves were not as clinical as they should have been.

“The Lions did very well, they kept the ball better than we did and we didn’t get our set phases right to get into the game. So that is something we need to get work on and get right for next week,” Nell said.

“I think we can just look at where we went wrong and work on those things, and that should help our game massively. I thought the guys played well at stages but there were times, on attack, when we weren’t great.” – sapa

Blacks impose English on coloured children of N. Cape

languageMr. Zolile Prusente is the curriculum specialist with the regional education department in Upington. Recently, he sent a complaint to the South African Human Rights Commission regarding a problematic shift in language policy in the past year.

He alleges that the school principal and the school management team implemented a language policy that designated English as the first language of instruction for all subjects against the advice of the law or parental preference. Afrikaans, isiXhosa and Setswana were set aside and offered as alternative languages. The decision was an abrupt change from the former policy which provided for instruction in the students’ first languages rather than English.

For Prusente, the shift in policy is most harmful for the students. “[This situation] clearly shows that the SGB [school governing board] is not in control of language policy and that language policy is dictated by educators to suit their needs,” he wrote in his statement to the Human Rights Commision. Prusente believes that the students’ constitutional rights are violated by the “one-way” decision to teach primarily in English. Those responsible, he said, acted “without… taking cognisance of the additive bilingual approach promoted by the language-in-education policy.” In his statement, he refers to the Northern Cape Education Department circular 37 which also highlights “the importance of mother tongue instruction in the Foundation phase.” In their response, the principal, Ms. AB Silwana, and the chairperson of the SGB, Mr. Themba Smith, denied Prusente’s claims and said that the “overwhelming majority of parents” voted for their children to be taught in English.

While most teachers have agreed to the change, there are some who doubt the validity of the vote and who have consequently received “warning letters” from Silwana. Mrs. Thembisa Magodi, who is an SGB member and one of the two grade two teachers who refused to implement the English-only medium, said she and her colleague were not aware of any parents meeting or voting. They have refused to acknowledge Silwana’s warnings and stated that any policy “that [asks] us to teach in a foreign language [English] is not reasonable [and] unlawful because the Law encourages mother tongue teaching.”

Magodi and her colleague point to the 2007 whole school evaluation report that “has shown that learners do not understand English” as further proof that the new policy is not beneficial to students. Both teachers have announced that, ignoring the new policy, they “will continue in the third quarter to teach in the home language of learners and English only as an additional language.”

Silwana and Smith contend that the South African schools act No. 84 of 1996 gives the SGB the power to determine the language policy. They state that, since 2009, the SGB has engaged in thoughtful deliberations regarding “the complexity of formulating a language policy” for a “multi-cultural and multi-lingual learner population.” Furthermore, they maintain that the adoption of English-only policy is based on a “research/survey” taken during the 2011-2012 year that demonstrated that “parents preferred English as the language of learning and teaching.”

Prusente believes that the policy change is rooted in the SGB’s biased aversion to multi-lingual education. He claims that the boards sees “many languages spoken by learners as a problem instead of a resource.” This leads them to favor English instruction, he explained, and makes them “guilty of killing [the home] languages of the learners and community.” He challenges the SGB to provide evidence of the minutes and attendance register where the language policy was decided upon.

Mrs. Miriam Gatyeni (54) is the grandmother of a grade two and grade three learner. She remembers the survey looking into language preferences, but denies that English was the overwhelming favorite. She, for one, chose Afrikaans. “Another parent chose isiXhosa and another man preferred English,” Gatyeni recalled.

The new language policy has forced her to consider different options for her grandchildren’s schooling. If the mother tongue of her grandchildren is not used to teach them, she will be forced to take them to an Afrikaans school in Blikkies, known as Progress, which is “far” from her home. “Home language is the best. It is [the] language [in which] I talk to them at home, just like it was with my mother,” said Gatyeni.

When asked for a copy of the language policy, Silvana referred this writer to Smith who said that while the policy “is not closed or classified information”, it has to be handled “carefully”. He also said that only the documents guiding the policy formulation process can be availed.

The site steward at Vela-Langa, Mr. Daniel Mokopi, said they reported the language policy chaos to the South African Democratic Teachers Union and decided that they “don’t want to interfere in individual school matters.”

The South African Human Rights Commission will hold a meeting regarding the matter today. – groundup.org.za

Child rape accused hangs himself, inquest opened

suicide_fingerPolice have opened an inquest docket after a man accused of raping 34 children and two women committed suicide in his prison cell, a prison official said on Thursday.

“The Mondeor police are investigating following his death in his cell. He was staying in a single cell, as he was a high risk offender,” said Gauteng correctional services spokesman Ofentswe Morwane.

Sifiso Makhubu, 42, was to have appeared on 122 charges in the High Court in Johannesburg, sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, on Thursday.

However, he hanged himself with a piece of blanket on Wednesday night. He was being held at Johannesburg prison, also known as Sun City.

“Prison officials found him hanging in his cell this morning [Thursday] when they went to fetch him to take him to court,” said Morwane

The charges he faced included rape, kidnapping, murder, robbery, and attempted murder by infecting his victims with HIV. The crimes took place in the Kathorus area, in Vosloorus, during 2006.

He was arrested in 2011. – Sapa

Robbers blow up ATM in Midrand

Scene of an ATM bombing
Scene of an ATM bombing

Robbers blew up an ATM and made off with an undisclosed amount of money in Midrand, Johannesburg police said on Thursday.

Captain Kym Cloete said three armed men held up workers at a petrol station in Noordwyk at around 2.20am.

“They pointed firearms at them and told them to lie down,” said Cloete.

The workers claimed they heard a loud bang outside, which was one of two ATMs being destroyed. The second one was not damaged.

The robbers fled. Cloete said it was not known if more than three robbers were involved.

No one was injured. – Sapa

Black South African raped 34 minors and 2 women

A rape_girls_feetman accused of raping 34 minors and two women will appear in the Johannesburg High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

The 42-year-old man was expected to plead to 122 charges against him, the National Prosecuting Authority said.

The charges ranged from rape, kidnapping, murder, and robbery to attempted murder through HIV-infection.

The crimes took place in Kathorus, east of Johannesburg, between 2006 and 2011, when the man was arrested. – Sapa

Mandela case might be struck off court roll

The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg
The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg

The legal battle between businessman Tokyo Sexwale, Bally Chuene and George Bizos, and the Mandela family might be further delayed or struck off the court roll, The New Age reported on Friday.

Michael Hart, representing Sexwale, Bizos and Chuene, will ask the court on Friday to request the Mandela family lawyers to file replying affidavits or to have the matter struck off the roll, the newspaper reported.

Zenani Mandela and Makaziwe Mandela, reportedly supported by 17 family members, filed an application at the High Court in Johannesburg to remove Bizos, Sexwale, and Chuene as directors in Harmonieux Investment Holdings and Magnifique Investment Holdings.

Former president Nelson Mandela entrusted the three with the two companies, but the family members argued that the appointment was improper.

The case hit another snag on Tuesday when Ismael Ayob withdrew as attorney for the Mandela family, the newspaper reported. – Sapa

Russia allows Snowden ‘to leave airport’

Police outside Sheremetyevo international airport in Moscow
Police outside Sheremetyevo international airport in Moscow

US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden was set Wednesday to leave the Moscow airport transit zone where he has been holed up for the last month after being provided with a document allowing him to officially enter Russia, reports said.

The state RIA Novosti news agency said the document confirms that his application for asylum in Russia is being considered and allows him to cross into Russia proper so long as border guards do not object, it said.

The news agency added that the document was initially given to the lawyer helping him, Anatoly Kucherena, who was now at Sheremetyevo airport and meeting Snowden in a secure zone.

A large crowd of media was already outside a door marked “staff only” on the lower floor of Terminal E at Sheremetyevo, with police and security guards keeping tight control, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.

The Interfax news agency said Snowden, who is wanted by the US on espionage charges for revealing a vast spying programme, could leave the airport in the “next hours”.

“The American is currently getting ready to leave. He is being provided with new clothes. The document will be given to him by Kucherena,” Interfax said.

RIA Novosti cited a source within the Russian border guards service as saying he would be allowed to leave the airport as soon as he presents the document.

He would not cross the border with regular passengers but through a special channel, the Interfax news agency reported.

The migration service declined to comment and there was no official confirmation that he was preparing to cross into Russian territory.

Snowden earlier this month applied for asylum in Russia, a process that could take up to three months.

Kucherena has said Snowden may even apply for Russian citizenship and is interested in looking for work in Russia.

Hosting Snowden risks further straining relations between Russia and the United States. But Russia has refused to hand Snowden over, saying it has no extradition treaty with Washington.

Snowden arrived in Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23.

The former contractor for the National Security Agency was checked-in to fly on to Cuba the next day but he never boarded the plane to Havana.

He ended up marooned at the Moscow airport after the United States revoked his passport.

With the help of Sarah Harrison, an employee of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, the 30-year-old applied for asylum in 27 countries but most of the nations denied him a safe haven under pressure from Washington.

Three countries in Latin America known for their anti-US stance –Nicaragua, Bolivia and Venezuela — have said they would be willing to give refuge to Snowden.

But there are doubts about whether the American will be able to travel on to Latin American after Bolivian President Evo Morales’s plane flying from Moscow earlier this month was forced to land in Vienna and searched amid suspicions Snowden was on board.

Breaking his silence for the first time since arriving from Hong Kong, Snowden on July 12 summoned several rights activists and Kremlin-friendly lawyers for a dramatic, closed-door meeting at Sheremetyevo airport.

He told them he would apply for asylum in Russia and asked them to petition President Vladimir Putin on his behalf.

On July 16, Snowden applied for temporary asylum with the help of Kucherena, a pro-Kremlin lawyer who participated in the airport meeting.

The Kremlin has sought to keep Snowden’s case at arm’s length but observers said the activists’ meeting at the state-controlled airport would have never been possible without government involvement. – AFP

Granny rape South African-style

stoprapeAn 80-year-old woman has been raped in her Esigodini home in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Wednesday.

The woman was resting in her bedroom on Monday when she was raped by an 18-year-old neighbour, Lieutenant Joey Jeevan said.

He and the woman’s grandson had been watching television, but he disappeared when the 15-year-old went to make tea.

“It is alleged that he then went into his grandmother’s bedroom and found the neighbour raping his grandmother,” Jeevan said. He called for help.

Neighbours assaulted the youth.

“During the assault, the suspect mentioned that he and the grandson previously raped the granny together,” said Jeevan.

Both were arrested and would appear soon in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court.

The youth was in a serious, but stable condition at a local hospital.

The woman was receiving counselling. – Sapa