Hawks not investigating Nkandla: spokesman

Police on Tuesday dismissed reports that suspended Hawks boss Anwa Dramat was asked to provide information about the Nkandla investigation to police commissioner Riah Phiyega.

"Phiyega and... Dramat never discussed the Hawks' investigations into Nkandla," said the elite police unit's spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko in a statement.

"The Hawks is not investigating the Nkandla matter."

Instead, said Ramaloko, the National Investigation Unit, under Lt-Gen Vinesh Moonoo, was looking into the R246 million spent on upgrades to President Jacob Zuma's private homestead in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.

On Tuesday, Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler Barnard said her party believed Dramat's suspension -- ordered by Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko on December 23 -- was linked to Nkandla.

"The suspension of General Dramat came the day after he focused on the Nkandla files... She [Phiyega] has demanded that General Dramat hand over the files on Nkandla," she said in a statement.

Kohler Barnard said she had heard allegations that Phiyega had asked for files on a number of other high-profile investigations, including one into alleged fraud involving Northern Cape ANC chairman John Block, and another into alleged corruption between MECs and businessman Toshan Panday in KwaZulu-Natal.

Ramaloko dismissed these claims, saying: "At no point did General Phiyega request Lt-Gen Dramat to submit any files to her."

Earlier, during an interview with Radio 702, Dramat's advocate Johan Nortje mentioned Nkandla as a possible reason behind the suspension.

"One has to look at the timing of the so-called suspension out of the blue... It's exactly the time when the KZN investigations, and obviously the Nkandla investigation are at a very crucial point," he told the broadcaster.

"It's quite clear that there are politics that are involved here."

Nortje said the reason given in a letter by Nhleko and Phiyega for Dramat's suspension -- that he was facing allegations into illegal rendition of Zimbabweans in 2010 -- was "baseless".

He said a report into the matter had cleared Dramat months ago.

Nortje said that, according to a recent court ruling, the suspension was unconstitutional.

"The most important aspect of the Constitutional Court judgment on November 27 is that the suspension clause has been deleted."

Yet, said Nortje, "10 days later, the minister used that suspension power".

The ruling was part of a larger judgment dealing with the constitutionality of legislation to establish the Hawks.

The court found certain defects in the laws -- such as the "untrammelled" power given to the police minister to dismiss the head of the hawks --had to be "severed".

Dramat's lawyers have given Nhleko until January 5 to lift the suspension.

- Timeslive

6000 kids at Zuma Nkandla party

More than 6000 children and youth attended President Jacob Zuma's RDP education trust party in KwaNxamalala, Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal, the presidency said on Monday.

This was Zuma's 13th year hosting the annual Christmas party.

"Every year, we look forward to this day when we do something for the many orphans and children who come from the poorest of backgrounds yet have this thirst for knowledge and education," Zuma said in a statement.

Since its establishment the education trust had educated 24,000 students, Zuma said.

Those in attendance came from KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.

The children received Christmas gifts, which included lunch packs, school bags, vanity bags, and an undertaking from the SA Social Security Agency to follow up and deliver books to needy and disadvantaged pupils, Zuma said.

What Zuma was doing through the trust was building on the work he had done for education since becoming president, said Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande.

- Sowetan

Nkandla officials seek a deal

The 11 Public Works officials charged for rampant overspending and flouting of tender regulations on Nkandla may now all plead guilty, seeking to protect their pensions and avoid protracted hearings. Earlier, they had indicated they would plead not guilty.

It emerged at the weekend that Pretoria director of projects Itumeleng Molosi was let off with a two-month suspension without pay and a final written warning after pleading guilty to irregularly appointing contractors and flouting procurement procedures.

Had Molosi been found guilty rather than signing a plea deal he would have forfeited his pension.

Opposition parties have reacted strongly, calling for the officials to stick to their original not guilty stance, and saying the guilty plea would not exonerate President Jacob Zuma.

On Monday Public Servants’ Association labour officer Roshan Lil-Ruthan said he thought Molosi’s penalty was harsh because “none of the employees benefited financially from the project and they told the Special Investigating Unit that they were pressured by their supervisors to fast-track the project”.

The disciplinary hearings began in Durban in September and Molosi’s case was the first to be concluded.

T

he SIU report found that Molosi and his colleagues Rakesh Dhaniram, Bheki Dlamini and Thuli Ngubane approved the appointment of contractor E Magubane CC in June 2011.

The contractor was to be paid R9.6 million but ended up receiving R10.8m for installing electronic security systems at Zuma’s rural KwaZulu-Natal home.

In September Lil-Ruthan told The Mercury that all the officials intended pleading not guilty and that the disciplinary hearings were nothing more than the department looking for “scapegoats” to blame for the scandal.

But on Monday he said this could change.

“I’m not sure whether some of them will choose to plead guilty because I haven’t met them recently since we (the PSA) closed for the holidays,” he said.

Lil-Ruthan said Molosi’s plea was a “brave step” and he thought the co-accused might consider the same route to fast-track their cases.

“These hearings have brought tension and anxiety to our members. They obviously want the whole thing to be over, but it is also important to consider the future implications of either pleading guilty or being found guilty,” he said.

The PSA would now analyse transcripts of Molosi’s case to see if the remaining officials were implicated in his plea and if they needed to re-strategise their defence.

The EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said it was “a travesty” that Zuma was being “protected” through the charges brought against the officials. He urged the remaining 11 officials not to plead guilty, pledging the support of the EFF and other opposition parties.

“In the end, Zuma will not be held accountable. The issue is being buried by destroying people’s careers. We reaffirm our position that the officials must not stand down and instead stand their ground. The opposition parties, including the EFF, are willing to stand by them; they do not have to be scared. They must stand up for the truth.”

His sentiments were echoed by the IFP’s Narend Singh, who said the guilty plea did not exonerate Zuma from paying for non-security upgrades.

“Not all the work that was done was part of the security upgrades and the president must do the right thing and acknowledge that he unduly benefited from the project and pay back some of the taxpayers’ money,” he said.

The DA’s spokesman on public works, James Masango, said while the party acknowledged the findings of the SIU, it wanted the recommendations in the initial report issued by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to be adhered to.

“The junior officials’ guilty plea will be for not following open tender processes and obviously that was against the regulations. However, we want Zuma to take responsibility for the money that was spent on things like the swimming pool, kraal and chicken run which had nothing to do with security,” he said.

ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said Molosi’s suspension was welcomed and dealt with what the party viewed as the unlawful escalation of costs.

“The suspension of an official, or officials, is what we called for. Someone must be responsible for the unexpected escalation,” Kodwa said.

- The Mercury

Teen dies in freak electric shock

Cape Town - A 14-year-old Khayelitsha teen was electrocuted to death in a freak accident at the TR informal Settlement over the weekend.

Amahle Masala, a Grade 9 pupil at Ntlanganiso High School, was killed when she held on to a metal wire connected to a shack which had an electric cable running through the zinc roof. The incident took place on Saturday at around 11am.

According to witness Lungile Jungwana, Amahle was stretching her arms out when she held on to the metal wire, used as a washing line, for support.

“We had just been joking around when she stood and held the wire. The next thing I saw was her body shaking and she was screaming for her friend Wendy to help her.”

Jungwana said at first he was so shocked that he stayed rooted to the spot. But he was triggered into action by the sight of flashing sparks coming from the wire near the roof.

“I quickly grabbed a wooden rake and tried hitting her away from the wire. We tried moving her with the rake several times until the wire broke.”

Jungwana said when the wire broke it got tangled around Amahle’s body causing her to choke even more.

“It lasted for a few minutes, but when we managed to set her loose from the wire she had already lost so much strength.”

Amahle collapsed and, according to Jungwana, her mouth and tongue had turned white. Neighbours arrived and threw water on her.

She was taken to the nearby fire station as the area’s clinics were closed for the weekend. Amahle died at the fire station.

Amahle’s sister Babalwa Masala, 19, said this was not the first time someone in their neighbourhood had been shocked.

“Our neighbour who lives in the shack directly beneath the electric pole where the cable runs through was also shocked, but survived. I thought my sister would survive it too.”

Babalwa said at the time of the incident she was inside their home cleaning the bedroom. Amahle had just finished doing the washing and was about to wash the dishes.

She said she heard her sister’s cry for help and when she went outside, she saw her sister dangling from the wire.

“I feel very hurt and shocked by the incident. It scares me because we have been living here since birth and we never imagined something of this nature would happen. Not to my sister, of all people.”

Babalwa said Amahle wanted to study tourism. She said her sister was also a good singer and was part of the high school choir.

“Amahle used to sing for us here at home and was a very humorous person who loved entertaining people. I’m not sure how this house will be now that she is gone.

Eskom spokesman Andrew Etzinger confirmed the incident. He said Eskom management was deeply saddened.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family.”

Etzinger said based on an initial investigation, it appeared that Amahle held on to a washing line for support as she stood up from her seat and was subsequently electrocuted.

He said Eskom technical staff arrived on the scene and inspected the area.

“There was no apparent indication as to how the washing line had been electrified. The incident is under investigation.”

zodidi.dano@inl.co.za

- Cape Argus

Civil servant suspended over Nkandla

A senior public works department employee has become the first official involved in the upgrades of President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla homestead to take the fall for the R246 million project, City Press reported on Sunday.

Itumeleng Molosi, 58, director of projects, pleaded guilty to irregularly appointing contractors and flouting procurement procedures, the newspaper reported, according to information from "department insiders".

Molosi would keep his job after the department imposed a two-month suspension without pay and a final written warning.

Molosi signed the deal last Monday after writing to the department about his intention to plead guilty.

Molosi reportedly blamed officials, including himself, who felt pressured into cutting corners and taking short cuts because the project involved the president's home.

Eleven other officials, all represented by the Public Servants Association (PSA), may sign similar deals to avoid lengthy hearings, the newspaper reported.

Roshan Lil-Ruthan, the PSA labour officer representing the officials, said his clients intended to tell the hearings they also felt pressured into speeding up the Nkandla upgrades.

- Timeslive

SHACK FIRES: 150 CAPETONIANS SPEND CHRISTMAS WITHOUT SHELTER

Blazes gutted informal dwellings in the Cape last night & in the early hours of this morning.

CAPE TOWN - About 150 Capetonians are spending Christmas day without shelter after their informal dwellings were gutted by fires last night and in the early hours of Christmas morning.

A total of 39 shacks and a house has been gutted in areas including Philippi, Khayelitsha and Gugulethu.

City of Cape Town disaster risk management's Wilfred Solomon’s-Johannes says, Disaster response teams have been deployed at first light this morning to provide the necessary aid to the victims that lost everything in the fires.”

He says an investigation into the cause of the fires is underway.

The city's Fire and Rescue Services says it has a full complement of fire fighters to deal with blazes across the peninsula.

Strong winds and faulty electrical equipment are some of the main causes of fires.

The city's Theo Lane says human error is to blame in many cases.

“We have seasonal firefighters about 120 of them. We have the recruits that have just finished training then we have the reserve firefighters, 19 of them, and they will be deployed to various fire stations.”

At the same time in the Eastern Cape, four boys have died after the hut they were sleeping in burnt down in Willow Vale.

They boys, aged between 14 and 17 apparently made a fire before falling asleep.

No foul play is suspected.

The Police's Jackson Manatha says, “At this point in time, the police are not suspecting any foul play and have opened an inquest docket for further investigation.”

- EWN

A South African Xmas

On-going violent protests worry Zuma

President Jacob Zuma has voiced concern about the on-going violent protests South Africans engage in when raising their grievances to government.

He was addressing the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) gala dinner at the International Convention Centre in Durban Friday night.  

Zuma has called on the ANC and its alliance partners - the South African Communist Party, the Congress of South African Trade Unions and Sanco, to work together on common programmes of addressing the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality.  

"There are things that we have not done. We have not for example dealt with South Africans to move away from the mind set of saying if you demand something you need to break things."

He says the manner in which South Africans deal with their democratically elected government has to be different from how the oppressive regime was confronted.

"We certainly need to meet and discuss that change of mind as a broader movement and therefore identify the steps we need to undertake to build this country because we could not change South Africa overnight."

Zuma commended Sanco for managing to strengthen itself after years of infighting

Meanwhile, Zuma called on Sanco to ensure that it monitors the progress the ANC is making on the commitments it made in its election manifesto.

He says it must continue to constructively engage the ruling-party on action to take to speed up service delivery. The President commended Sanco for managing to strengthen itself after years of infighting in the organisation.

"Sanco is a civic movement which is supposed to be where the people are as well as the branches of the ANC, we ought to know if there was dissatisfaction in any part of the country and act first to address that matter so that we do not create an impression that this beautiful democracy is a problem."

He called on all alliance partners to unite and work together.

"No one will help us to do so but ourselves. If we are to achieve all of this we need to work for unity of the progressive forces particularly because the reactionary forces are trying their best to disrupt the process of building this country."

Zuma says in the next five years they need to build on the achievements of the past 20 years and fulfil the commitment made to grow the economy to create jobs.

- SABC

Zuma: Nkandla upgrades not my fault

President Jacob Zuma says none of the Nkandla reports, including the public protector's, found him at fault for upgrades at the compound.

President Jacob Zuma on Sunday said all three reports conducted on security upgrades at his Nkandla homestead found no fault in him.

In a pre-recorded interview with the SABC, Zuma said initially, the allegations were that he had abused R250-million of taxpayers money.

“The reality is, the president did absolutely nothing wrong. “There is not a single one [report] that found anything wrong that the president had done,” Zuma said, referring to himself in third person. He said even the report compiled by public protector Thuli Madonsela found no fault in him.

Undue benefits

Madonsela’s report had stated that Zuma and his family had unduly benefited from some of the upgrades at his home and suggested that he pay back some of the money.

“But the president did not ask for any benefits from anyone,” Zuma told the SABC, He was still awaiting a report back from an ad hoc committee which was tasked to look into Madonsela’s report before deciding on a way forward. 

Public spending on security upgrades at Zuma’s home have turned into one of the major controversies of the Zuma presidency, as costs escalated to R246-million. It emerged the project included a pool (dubbed a “fire pool” by government), an amphitheatre, and a chicken run.

In August, Zuma’s personal architect Minenhle Makhanya was served with a R155-million civil claim by the Special Investigating Unit for the R246-million upgrades at Nkandla.

Makahanya later opposed the claim.

Differences in the reports of the public protector and the interministerial task team has cast doubts on the latter’s work. – Sapa, Staff reporter.

CTN fires leave hundreds homeless

A total of 118 people have been left homeless after 30 shacks burned down in various parts of Cape Town, the City's Disaster Operations Centre said on Saturday.

“No injuries were reported,” said the Centre's acting head Wilfred Solomons-Johannes.

In the most devastating of the five fires that had broken out since Friday night, 80 people were displaced and 20 shacks were destroyed when a fire broke out at the Imizamo Yethu informal settlement in Hout Bay.

In Ravensmead, two adults and a child were left homeless after their backyard dwelling was destroyed in a fire, while in Khayelitsha, another shack burnt down, leaving two people displaced.

In the early hours of Saturday morning, two fires broke out: one in Fizantekraal and the other in Kraaifontein.

Eighteen people were left displaced in the Fizantekraal fire that destroyed six shacks.

In Kraaifontein, 15 people lost their homes after two shacks were burned down.

Solomons-Johannes said those affected were receiving food, clothing, toiletries blankets and building materials.

“The cause of these fires is undetermined at this stage,” he said, adding an investigation would, however, take place. - Sapa

Two girls die in shack blaze

Cape Town - Two little girls burnt to death after they were trapped inside their burning shack early on Tuesday morning.

Lithabo, 2, and Kwakhanya, 5, were fast asleep in their Philippi East home when the fire broke out.

Their mother, Vuyokazi Gcilitshane, managed to escape. She ran for help, screaming: “The children are inside.”

Gcilitshane was taken to hospital with burns, according to City of Cape Town fire chief Theo Layne.

Her neighbour, Douglas Gungqisa, was home on Tuesday morning to recount the horrifying night.

Gungqisa owns the formal house and property on which the backyard shack was built. The Gcilitshane family had lived there since last year.

“I was woken at 1am by a woman who came running to tell me the shack is on fire,” he said. “I jumped up and ran. I was so confused. Then we went to fetch water in buckets to throw on the fire.”

Gungqisa said the blaze only grew as they poured water over it, as if the water was paraffin.

“I heard the screams of the mother saying the children are in there,” he said. “The mother couldn’t say what caused the fire, she was just crying. All she could say was ‘the children are inside’.”

Soon community members came to help, and a security van called the fire brigade.

When the neighbours managed to put out the flames, they set about searching for the girls.

“We didn’t hear the screams of the children,” Gungqisa said. “It was just quiet.”

He found their charred bodies under a sheet of collapsed corrugated sheeting.

On Tuesday morning, the blackened site was home only to twisted metal, burnt plates and the soggy remains of a tiny girls’ T-shirts and pink shoes.

Gungqisa’s house in Apile Crescent was slightly damaged by smoke, but not burnt.

Layne said that a man had died in a separate fire last night. “There was also a fire in Kosovo informal settlement. One adult male sustained fatal burns.”

The cause of both fires was not known and details were unclear as formal reports had not yet been filed on Tuesday morning.

- Cape Argus

Poo protesters off the hook

Cape Town - Nine men on trial for dumping human waste at the airport were discharged on all but one charge at the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Andile Lili, Loyiso Nkohla, Yanga Mjingwana, Ben Dyani, Jaji Diniso, Bongile Zanazo, Thembela Mabanjwa, Bantubakhe Mgobodiya and Wandisile Mkapa will have to answer a charge of contravening a section of the Civil Aviation Act – which carries a sentence of up to 30 years’ jail.

They are accused of dumping human faeces at the entrance of Cape Town International Airport’s departure terminal on June 25 last year.

They appeared at the Bellville Regional Court on Monday to hear the outcome of their section 174 application, which their lawyer, advocate Pearl Mathibela, had filed with the court in October.

This followed the State’s decision to close its case against the men.

They were charged with contravening the Civil Aviation Act with an alternative count, contravening the National Environment Management Act with an alternative count, and contravening the city’s environmental health by-laws.

They were cleared of all but the first count.

In dismissing counts two and three, magistrate Nonkosi Saba agreed with Mathibela on many aspects, including that “waste” as defined by the by-laws or acts did not mean faeces.

She said the State had not brought evidence before the court to prove the nine men had conspired to cause a riot.

Saba said their intention was to shame the City of Cape Town. “The intention of the accused was not aimed at the aircraft, crew or the navigation facilities of the airport,” she said.

Saba, however, said their actions had affected the operations of the airport, with the entrance having to be cordoned off, forcing some passengers to use an alternative access.

In this regard the men had a case to answer to because someone stepping on the dumped faeces could have slipped and injured themselves.

Their application for discharge was refused.

The nine accused displayed considerable relief, in particular Lili, who pumped his fist and smiled in the dock when the magistrate freed them on some of the charges.

Outside court Lili told his supporters that their lawyers were devising a strategy to deal with the remaining count.

“Now our lawyers are going to look at how they deal with that part that speaks about (possible) injuries to passengers. The one that speaks about injuries is true, because if one would have walked on the (faeces, they could have slipped),” Lili said.

“This is a serious indication that we must not take for granted what we are standing for; the issue of sanitation which has become a problem for all of us,” Nkohla said.

The case was postponed until Thursday.

xolani.koyana@inl.co.za

- Cape Times

Dunoon hit by sixth blaze this year

Cape Town - For the sixth time this year 160 residents of Dunoon, near Milnerton, watched in despair as a fire devastated the informal settlement - reducing all their possessions to ash and prompting the community to initiate a contingency plan.

The residents were among about 400 people who were displaced following fires in seven informal settlements across the peninsula at the weekend.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, mother-of-three Tokoza Xamlashe was woken by a cry for help as a fast-moving fire headed in her direction. “I woke my children, grabbed the baby and ran. There was no way that I was able to stop that fire. It was big and spreading very fast,” said Xamlashe.

“We rebuild, then lose our belongings. So the cycle continues. It is heartbreaking and terrible, especially because I know I am not responsible.”

City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said the cause was unknown.

At a meeting on Sunday, community leaders implored residents to be more careful about leaving fires unattended.

According to community leader Thembinkosi Janda, residents were considering establishing a night patrol to check whether residents had properly extinguished fires before they went to sleep.

“We will have meetings. The selected group will be responsible for ensuring that people kill their fires properly and report to me anyone who has fallen asleep with their candles still lit. This needs to end,” said Janda.

Residents of the informal settlement did not have access to electricity.

Janda said they had been occupying the land illegally for the past six years because there was no other place to stay.

Solomons-Johannes said the fire was one of eight at the weekend. On Saturday night, 63 people were displaced when fires swept through Masiphumelele, Philippi, Strand and Khayelitsha.

On Friday night, 118 people from Kanana informal settlement in Gugulethu and 41 people from Joe Slovo also lost their homes in shack fires.

Solomons-Johannes said on Sunday the causes of the fires were not yet known.

In another incident in Elsies River on Friday night, a 58-year-old woman died during a fire, leaving a male occupant displaced.

The cause of that fire was also being investigated.

francesca.villette@inl.co.za

- Cape Times

Over 150 people displaced in Cape Town fire

Over 100 people were displaced on Sunday, when a fire ravaged shacks in Du Noon, the city of Cape Town.

"It happened in the early hours of this morning. Thirty-eight shacks were burnt, 152 [people] were displaced," said spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes.

No injuries or fatalities were reported.

Many of the shacks had been rebuilt by Sunday afternoon, he said.

- SAPA