Tag: president

No pics allowed at Mandela grandson hearing

A stern message was issued on Friday morning to the media in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court not to take photos inside or outside the court in the matter of a struggle icon’s grandson’s appearance on charges of rape.

Magistrate Paul du Plessis reminded the media that these are preliminary investigations and ordered that no pictures be taken inside or outside the court for the purpose of identifying the parties.

The magistrate made the order after the family complained.

He said the order was made in terms of Sexual Offences and Related Matters Act 32 of 2007 which prohibits the identification of an accused person before he pleads on charges against him.

The accused made a brief appearance and seemed composed.

After this, prosecutor Komos Mbhele told the magistrate the accused was facing a Schedule 6 offence which means the onus is on him to show exceptional circumstances which would allow him to be released on bail.

A spokesman for the family of the girl said Winnie Madikizela-Mandela tried to derail a complaint.

The spokesman said that Madikizela-Mandela, the late Mandela’s divorced wife, sent her bodyguard to the 15-year-old girl’s home. The spokesman said the bodyguard posed as a policeman but had no badge.

The spokesman, who refused to allow his name to be used by any of the media, said the bodyguard then revealed that he was there on behalf of Madikizela-Mandela.

The spokesman said Madikizela-Mandela promised to ask the provincial police commissioner to handle the case. The family reported the rape when they did not hear from Madikizela-Mandela again.

Madikizela-Mandela’s office has not responded to questions.

Source: The Star

Zuma’s pilot found guilty of murder

Former presidential pilot Pule Ramolefi was sentenced on Tuesday in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg to 15 years in prison for murder.

The court heard that Ramolefi, who joined the South African Civil Aviation Authority in 2003, has been pilot to “the country’s dignitaries… as well as the number one citizen of South Africa [President Jacob Zuma]”.

He stabbed and killed Sibusiso Buthelezi, who had an affair with his wife.

Ramolefi offered several alternatives to evade prison time, including offering the Buthelezis compensation for their loss, paying a fine and establishing a trust fund in the deceased man’s name.

He also committed to offering aviation training to underprivileged young people.

These offers were turned down by Nqobi Buthelezi, who told the court how the “brutal death” of his younger brother still haunted his elderly parents.

After the sentence was handed down, the Buthelezis showed signs of relief. The case was postponed to Thursday when Ramolefi is expected to apply for leave to appeal.

Pandor acting president

Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor will be acting president until Tuesday while Jacob Zuma is away on a working trip this week, the presidency said.

Zuma was travelling to Algeria to meet President Abdelaziz Bouteflika for a South Africa-Algeria binational commission meeting, spokesman Mac Maharaj said on Monday.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was in Lesotho in his capacity as Southern African Development Community facilitator, for the closure of the body’s facilitation office in the region following successful elections.

The SADC facilitation mission to Lesotho, led by Ramaphosa, will end on Monday, his office said.

Ramaphosa was in Maseru to close the Southern African Development Community (SADC) offices, where an official ceremony would take place, his spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said in statement.

“The closing ceremony marks the end of the facilitation mission following the successful SADC intervention which culminated in the recently held elections declared credible, free and fair by elections observers,” Mamoepa said.

“The elections arose from provisions of the Maseru Facilitation Accord signed by all Lesotho’s political parties and facilitated by deputy president Ramaphosa as part of efforts to create political stability in the country.”

During this period, law enforcement agencies signed the Maseru Security Accord which resulted in three senior defence and police officers taking a leave of absence. This helped stabilise the security situation in Lesotho.

Ramaphosa hoped Lesotho’s political role-players would continue to focus on constitutional and security sector reforms, Mamoepa said. He was expected back in the country on Tuesday.

Zambia gets a white president, a first in Africa

Zambian Vice-President Guy Scott has been named acting head of state following the death of President Michael Sata, making him Africa’s first white leader since South Africa’s FW de Klerk.

“Dr Scott will act as president of the Republic of Zambia until the country goes for a presidential by-election,” said Defence and Justice Minister Edgar Lungu on Wednesday. This is likely to take place within 90 days.

The announcement averts a possible constitutional crisis that could have seen Lungu and Scott vie for power.

The battle for Zambia’s top job was under way before long-ailing Sata died on Tuesday, but looked to become messier and more intense in the wake of his death.

When Sata left the country for medical treatment in Britain last week, he named Lungu –- a powerful figure in the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) – as acting president.

Scott and Lungu belong to rival factions within the ruling party. But Scott (70) is not eligible to become president because of foreign parentage rules in Zambia’s 1996 Constitution; his parents are from Scotland.

“The government remains intact and so does the Patriotic Front as a party. We shall update on each decision made in this regard,” said Lungu.

The PF secretary general was among the favourites to take over as leader of the major copper-producing country of 15-million people.

Lungu leads one of two main camps that formed this year within the PF leadership when it became clear that Sata was in poor health, although this was denied regularly by the government.

Lungu was likely to enjoy the backing of a majority Bemba-speaking group as the presidential candidate, despite it not being his ethnic language.

Other candidates included Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda, former defence minister Geoffrey Mwamba and Sata’s son, Mulenga, who is the mayor of Lusaka and PF chairperson for Lusaka province.

Chikwanda, a veteran finance minister, was given presidential powers at times when Sata was out of the country.

Zuma victory is in the bag

President Jacob Zuma’s supporters should focus on life after Mangaung because his victory at the ANC national conference was “sealed”, Cosatu president S’dumo Dlamini boldly claimed in Durban on Sunday.

“It is obvious that Zuma will win at Mangaung. This victory is now sealed. But some people are already plotting to make his life a living hell after Mangaung. And if you lower your guard, those people will be ahead of you.”

Dlamini said Cosatu had taken a decision to support Zuma as president, Kgalema Motlanthe as deputy president and Gwede Mantashe as secretary-general.

He admitted that Cosatu leaders had been asked to engage Motlanthe so that he should not contest against Zuma, but said “that matter may have to resolve itself politically”.

Addressing the provincial shop stewards’ council, Dlamini said members of the ANC and Cosatu should be “combat-ready” to defend Zuma and Cosatu unions after Mangaung.

“We are faced with a serious problem where we are under attack from all quarters… We understand that the battle ahead will be tough. The ANC needs to be on its toes.”

Dlamini said the attack on Cosatu affiliates such as the National Union of Mineworkers was part of a bigger plot by some organisations and individuals who wanted to destroy the ANC. “They realise that the ANC keeps on winning the elections, but they want to take over, so now they are trying to destroy the ANC by destroying Cosatu first.”

Dlamini applauded the ANC members who blocked DA leader Helen Zille’s visit to Nkandla.

He said some organisations like the Friends of the Youth League had exploited some genuine demands by the workers for their own gains.

Themba Mthembu, the provincial secretary of the SACP, agreed, saying there was an “antimajoritarian offensive” being waged by parties like the DA against the ANC-led government.

“This hate campaign seeks to undermine the majority rule and the privileges that should be reaped by the majority party.”

Also speaking at the gathering, Senzo Mkhize, a member of the provincial executive committee of the ANC, was also confident Zuma would win at Mangaung, saying that he would be the one delivering the January 8 statement next year. “We will come back from Mangaung with a Zuma moment.”

Mkhize was at pains to explain that the province was not backing Zuma because he was a Zulu.

He said there had been many achievements under the Zuma-led ANC and government and that these included improving relations with alliance partners and providing clear leadership on the issue of HIV/Aids.

At the weekend, the eThekwini region also nominated ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa with regional chairman Sibongiseni Dhlomo, saying the ANC was spoilt for choice as it had many capable leaders who could fill the post.

Dhlomo said, however, the region would be willing to be “influenced” on its list of preferred candidates.

This is an indication that the pro-Zuma supporters can still back Motlanthe for re-election as deputy president, only if he does not contest the position of president.

The region also nominated Zweli Mkhize for the position of treasurer-general, Mantashe for secretary-general, Jessie Duarte for deputy secretary-general and Baleka Mbete for national chairwoman.

Meanwhile, the provincial nominations conference of the ANC Youth League could not decide on its preferred leaders at a meeting on Saturday after a quorum could not be reached. – Daily News