News Specials 3 - 5 Oct 2008

Say it with a sting.....

Saturday, October 4, 2008
Spies block critical report


Spies block critical report
SAM SOLE | DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - Oct 03 2008 00:00



The ministry of intelligence is continuing to block official release of the ministerial review commission report into the intelligence services commissioned by former minister of intelligence Ronnie Kasrils.

Despite the fact that the full report has been available on the Mail & Guardian website for the past week, intelligence spokesperson Lorna Daniels would say only that the report was "being processed" and that she could make no further comment.

The report, written by former deputy minister Joe Matthews, former National Assembly speaker Frene Ginwala and academic Laurie Nathan, recommends significant reforms to the civilian intelligence services.

In particular it calls for an end to the wide National Intelligence Agency (NIA) mandate to gather domestic political and economic intelligence, which has been open to abuse.

Kasrils gave the go-ahead for its release shortly before his resignation and tabled the report at then president Thabo Mbeki's last Cabinet meeting, where its publication was endorsed.

Kasrils appears to have been concerned that the report might be suppressed by his successor. If so, his fears seem to have been justified.

The report (PDF)


Read the NIA report



The M&G has been told that attempts last week to have the report placed on the ministry website were blocked by NIA director general Manala Manzini.Manzini also attempted to have the copy given to the M&G "recalled".

Matthews said Manzini phoned him and "launched into a tirade against the previous minister".

"He claimed Cabinet had never declassified the report … but I don't know what Mr Manzini's problem is. We have a letter from the [previous] minister authorising its release."

Matthews said Manzini had initially based his response on an earlier draft of the report, which had already been revised: "I told him: 'But Mr Manzini, this was being finalised by your office!'"

"Anyway, a lot of the criticisms [in the report] come from NIA's own submissions … Maybe it's the culture that is wrong. People are afraid of transparency and democracy. They are sticking to old habits of secrecy, which do nothing more than encourage inefficiency and corruption."

Comments by Sonny

Spies will be spies and boyz will be boyz....
Posted by Sonny Cox at 10:48 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Murky world of spying.
US President George W Bush Calls South African President from Air Force One to congratulate him!




Bush calls Motlanthe
04/10/2008 07:29 - (SA)

Waco, Texas - US President George W Bush called President Kgalema Motlanthe to congratulate him on becoming South Africa's new leader, the White House said on Friday.

Motlanthe was sworn in as president on September 25, following the unceremonious ousting of Thabo Mbeki, who had led the country since 1999.

Bush made the call from Air Force One en route to an event in Missouri after signing into law the $700bn financial system bailout package in Washington, White House spokesperson Scott Stanzel said.

Motlanthe said on Friday that South Africa's budget surplus has sheltered the country from the full impact of the US financial crisis that is taking a global toll.

In July, Washington launched a scathing attack on then-president Mbeki after Pretoria's UN envoy voted against targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.

(News 24)
Posted by Tango at 8:13 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Labels: US President George W Bush South African President Kgalema Motlanthe
Former President Nelson Mandela congratulates Paralympic heroes !




EYEWITNESS NEWS

Madiba congratulates Paralympics heroes
Former president Nelson Mandela has lauded the country's Paralympic team for its performance at the Beijing games.

Madiba met all the medalists at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton in northern Johannesburg.

South Africa bagged 30 medals, including 21 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze.

He congratulated all the gold, silver and bronze winners at this year's games, including Natalie du Toit and Oscar Pistorius.

Long jumper Kgotso Mokoena was also there.

He took silver at the Olympics.

All the athletes agree it was an inspiring encounter meeting Madiba.

Paralympics Champions 2008

'Dedicated to Natalie, Madiba and SA'

Natalie you carried our flag with honour
Nobody was aware of the fact that you are disabled.
You performed amongst the best
You put your aching limbs to the test.
The competition was rough
You remained determined and tough

Then you were given a second chance
Again you carried our flag into the arena
Again you were our shining angel of achievement
Again you did your best
Again putting your body to the supreme test
You came out tops

You were our team leader
An inspiration to the rest
They all came out at their best
You all showed the viewing world
Your wills again commanded your bodies
Your bodies did not want to quit.
They all did their utmost part

Yes, we were victorious
God bless you all!

(C) 2008 WEC
Posted by Tango at 5:27 AM 3 comments Links to this post
Labels: Madiba Nelson Mandela The Champ with our champions of the world Sport Rules
Friday, October 3, 2008
ANC Party to buy back Travelgate voucher claims

October 03 2008 at 01:51PM

An offer to buy back voucher claims at the centre of the Travelgate scandal is considered the best option for dealing with the matter, Parliament says.

The decision, advised by senior legal counsel, was agreed to by the parliamentary oversight authority committee, it said on Thursday.

It said the offer to buy back the travel voucher claims from Bathong Travel liquidators had followed a thorough consideration of all factors, including a cost benefit analysis.

The committee had decided to withdraw the mandate of the liquidators of Bathong Travel to recover the debt owed to Parliament.

The only option left was to sell the claims
This decision was based on information that only R50 000 remained in the Bathong liquidation account and that the legal costs of pursing any claims, including Parliament's, would far exceed this amount.

If the liquidators accepted Parliament's offer, all viable legal claims would still be pursued by Parliament.

Should the liquidators drop the matter because of lack of funds, they would be liable for the legal costs of all creditors they had brought claims against.

The only option left was to sell the claims.

Earlier this year Parliament tried to withdraw its mandate to the liquidators of Bathong Travel to recover outstanding monies from MPs implicated in the travel voucher fraud.

This move was met with opposition from Bathong's other creditors and was subsequently abandoned.

Parliament then requested a report from legal advisers which indicated that certain claims had been proscribed.

As a result, Parliament decided to withdraw its mandate to the liquidators to recover the debt. To prevent other entities from purchasing that claim and proceeding against MPs, Parliament decided to buy back the claim, which exceeded R3 ;200 000, at reduced cost of R200 000.

Sapa


This article was originally published on page 5 of Cape Argus on October 03, 2008

Comments by Sonny

The NPA and Scorpions should never have entered into plea bargains with criminals.

Look where it has got them.
Posted by Sonny Cox at 8:55 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: MP criminals., parliament, Travelgate
Mboweni denies shareholder's allegations


JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Oct 03 2008 17:35

South African Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni did not apologise on Friday for an allegedly racist jibe he is accused of making to a shareholder at the bank's September 18 annual general meeting.

Instead, he denied the allegations in a letter written by his lawyers to shareholder Mario Pretorius.

Earlier this week, Pretorius threatened to institute a R1-million claim against Mboweni and the bank should he not make a public apology by Friday.

"We're going to go and fight Goliath," he said on Friday after receiving the response from Mboweni's lawyers.

Pretorius claims he twice asked to bring a point of order at the AGM. When his request was not acknowledged by Mboweni, he said "shocking".

"I shall not permit you to talk to me like whites used to talk to blacks," Mboweni allegedly retorted.

In their letter to Pretorius on Friday, attorneys for the bank and Mboweni said they did not intend to deal with the allegations Pretorius had raised "at this time".

They reserved the right to do so "in the future, should the need arise".

However, they said their clients denied the allegations, in particular the "construction of events" Pretorius wanted to "attach to the events" at the AGM.

They denied that there was "any basis" for Pretorius to demand or require an apology from Mboweni and the bank.

"It therefore follows that any action instituted by your client against our clients will be opposed," the attorneys wrote.

Pretorius said the options he was now considering were approaching the South African Human Rights Commission and the Constitutional Court, and bringing claims for crimen injuria and defamation.

"I am going to do everything in my power to set this thing right," he said, adding that his aim was to clear his name.

In a statement replying to Mboweni's letter, Pretorius described his refusal to apologise as a "milestone in disappointment" for every South African "cruelly branded with the shameful and divisive word 'racist'".

He had tried to keep the spirit of reconciliation alive in the past two weeks, "but it now seems to be dying".

"Soon expensive lawyers will be picking over its bones and pronouncing on the dry legalities of the events and the mechanics of law.

"It is still my hope that good sense will prevail and that national interest will take precedence over personal ego.

"I have also examined and re-examined my own motives and I am clear that with this small stand against racism and abuse I am saluting the many and varied South Africans who had taken an often difficult stand on principle."

Sapa

Comments by Sonny

This 'fat cat arrogant obese Dude' is an embarrassment to the Reserve Bank and the rest of SA.

He is a contemptuous racist of the same calibre of Toni Yengeni who ripped Brett Kebble off before he was murdered.
Posted by Sonny Cox at 8:33 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: embarrassment., Tito Yengeni, Toni Mboweni
Beyond 2009 with Helen Zille


A weekly letter from the Leader of the Democratic Alliance 3 October 2008
2009 and beyond


(SA Today this week is based on a speech delivered by Helen Zille at the South African Business Club in London on 2 October 2008)

In the last fortnight, we saw the recall of President Thabo Mbeki by his own party; his subsequent resignation; the resignation of the Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo- Ngcuka; the resignation of several senior Ministers; and the swearing in of a new President, Kgalema Motlanthe. Rumours of an ANC split now abound.

The events have been described by some commentators as the biggest political crisis to hit South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. And the present turmoil will last for a while yet, just like the turbulence in the international banking system.

But if we look below the bubbling surface, we will see the real hope, indeed far more than a possibility, that over the next five years, South Africa’s constitutionalists will win the struggle for our country’s soul. We will survive our Constitution’s adolescence, and the crises this phase inevitably brings, to emerge a more mature, stable and consolidated democracy to take our country to the next level.

The events of the past few months have exposed and revealed what is really going on, and what danger this entails for our country. This is a much healthier situation than the state of denial we have been in for so long.

More and more people understand what we mean when we talk about constitutionalism, and the need for institutions to limit the power of the ruling party. This new awareness, which has permeated the consciousness of our society’s opinion makers on all fronts, provides fertile ground for the next crucial step in the evolution of our democracy.

The Nicholson judgment has reverberated through our institutions of state, alerting incumbents, from the police to the public broadcaster and the Independent Electoral Commission that their role is to serve the people – not the party – and that there is a distinction between the two. This may seem trite in a longstanding constitutional democracy like Britain. But we easily forget that these insights evolved here over centuries. In South Africa these lessons must be learnt in the space of a few short years, if our transition is to succeed. And all indications are that we are learning them.

But the greatest cause for optimism is that the foundations have been laid for the next crucial step in the evolution of our democracy. We are moving away from the current configuration with one single dominant party and a fragmented opposition. The dominant party is beginning to fracture and the opposition is beginning to coalesce around common core values.

This process started in 2006 when the Democratic Alliance emerged as the largest party in Cape Town and managed to come to power in a six party coalition, securing a majority of a single seat in the 210-seat Council. Against all odds, this coalition has worked extremely well, and facilitated a convergence around the DA’s policies for an open, opportunity-driven society. The events in Cape Town had national significance. They were, in effect, the start of the realignment of politics.

Our next major step is about nine months away, at the general election of 2009. In this crucial benchmark election, we must seek to hold the ANC below a 2/3 majority nationally, and we must win power in at least one province, either on our own or in a coalition with other opposition parties. There is a distinct likelihood that we will succeed in the Western Cape.

This task will be made easier if the ANC splits before the next election, but this development is not a foregone conclusion. Last week an ANC breakaway seemed a certainty. This week the probability is retreating, and is now just a possibility, as Kgalema Motlanthe moves to rally his disaffected forces, and allay the ANC’s internal tensions; and as the enormous difficulties of launching a new party so close to an election dawn on the major proponents of the initiative. But whether there is a breakaway now or not, one thing is certain: the ANC’s divisions will deepen in the years ahead and its disintegration, from a position of almost complete hegemony for the past 14 years, has begun.

If we succeed in our 2009 electoral objectives, we will show that the DA’s policies to promote an open, opportunity-driven society for all produce better results than the ANC’s closed, patronage-driven society. We will demonstrate that our talk about constitutionalism has real practical implications for people who aren’t interested in political theory, but want homes, decent education and health care for their families.

If we can demonstrate progress, step by step, (as we have been doing in Cape Town), by the time the 2011 local government election is upon us, the realignment will be well advanced. It could take different forms, either as a growing coalition of various component parties, or preferably, as a new political entity, free of the baggage of the past, to take on the challenge of the future.

The possibilities of the 2011 election are even more exciting than those of 2009 because we have the real prospect of winning power in South Africa’s major cities. Already the urban electorate is showing encouraging signs of breaking the political logjam. Just last week an Ipsos Markinor poll of urban voters with landline telephones showed the ANC and the DA neck and neck in the major cities – 27% of respondents said they would vote for the ANC, 26% said they would vote for the DA and 27% were undecided.

This is significant, and as the realignment progresses, and the move from the ANC continues, this trend will escalate. And the DA will be the core of the alternative, either because we progressively extend our voter support base, or because events trigger a more dramatic series of events that shape the realignment. No-one can predict exactly how this will happen, but the trend is crystal clear.

By the next general election in 2014 – just five and a half years from now – a new political entity will be a pillar of the political landscape, with real prospects of winning the national election. Some key names of South African politics – currently scattered across many parties or outside of politics altogether – will find the same political home, and we will nominate a presidential candidate and shadow cabinet that can carry us through the real test of any emerging democracy – a peaceful change of power through the ballot box.

That is the vision. And it is not wishful thinking. The political currents, growing stronger below the surface, are propitious. We have to row extremely hard, sometimes with the current (and sometimes across it) to extend our support base, continue the dialogue already underway behind the scenes, win power wherever we can, and then govern well to demonstrate the alternative in practice to change people’s lives.

As long as we keep faith in our project, the prospects for South Africa are good and the future is bright. I have little doubt that if we read it right, make the right moves and work hard enough, history will show that the events of the past fortnight were a catalyst for positive change in our country.



Best Wishes



Signed : Helen Zille


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A behind the scenes look at SA POLITICS


This newsletter is available on request in Afrikaans from the DA.
Posted by Sonny Cox at 6:30 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Democratic Alliance., Helen Zille Zuma
Paralympics Athletes -We are proud of you ! Midrand photo's taken at Vodaworld today

















The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games September 6-17, 2008 COMPETITION INFORMATIONSchedules & Results Medals Athletes & Teams Records Search NPC: Please selectAFG - AfghanistanALB - AlbaniaALG - AlgeriaAND - AndorraANG - AngolaARG - ArgentinaARM - ArmeniaAUS - AustraliaAUT - AustriaAZE - AzerbaijanBAN - BangladeshBAR - BarbadosBDI - BurundiBEL - BelgiumBEN - BeninBER - BermudaBIH - Bosnia/HerzegovBLR - BelarusBOT - BotswanaBRA - BrazilBRN - BahrainBUL - BulgariaBUR - Burkina FasoCAF - Centr Afric RepCAM - CambodiaCAN - CanadaCGO - CongoCHI - ChileCHN - ChinaCIV - Ivory CoastCOL - ColombiaCPV - Cape VerdeCRC - Costa RicaCRO - CroatiaCUB - CubaCYP - CyprusCZE - Czech RepublicDEN - DenmarkDOM - Dominican Rep.ECU - EcuadorEGY - EgyptESA - El SalvadorESP - SpainEST - EstoniaETH - EthiopiaFIJ - FijiFIN - FinlandFRA - FranceFRO - Faroe IslandsGAB - GabonGAM - GambiaGBR - Great BritainGEO - GeorgiaGER - GermanyGHA - GhanaGRE - GreeceGUA - GuatemalaGUI - GuineaHAI - HaitiHKG - Hong Kong,ChinaHON - HondurasHUN - HungaryINA - IndonesiaIND - IndiaIRI - IranIRL - IrelandIRQ - IraqISL - IcelandISR - IsraelITA - ItalyJAM - JamaicaJOR - JordanJPN - JapanKAZ - KazakhstanKEN - KenyaKGZ - KyrgyzstanKOR - KoreaKSA - Saudi ArabiaKUW - KuwaitLAO - Lao PDRLAT - LatviaLBA - Libyan AJLBR - LiberiaLES - LesothoLIB - LebanonLIE - LiechtensteinLTU - LithuaniaLUX - LuxembourgMAC - Macao, ChinaMAD - MadagascarMAR - MoroccoMAS - MalaysiaMDA - Rep. of MoldovaMEX - MexicoMGL - MongoliaMKD - FYR MacedoniaMLI - MaliMLT - MaltaMNE - MontenegroMRI - MauritiusMTN - MauritaniaMYA - MyanmarNAM - NamibiaNCA - NicaraguaNED - NetherlandsNEP - NepalNGR - NigeriaNIG - NigerNOR - NorwayNZL - New ZealandOMA - OmanPAK - PakistanPAN - PanamaPER - PeruPHI - PhilippinesPLE - PalestinePNG - Papua N GuineaPOL - PolandPOR - PortugalPUR - Puerto RicoQAT - QatarROU - RomaniaRSA - South AfricaRUS - Russian Fed.RWA - RwandaSAM - SamoaSEN - SenegalSIN - SingaporeSLE - Sierra LeoneSLO - SloveniaSRB - SerbiaSRI - Sri LankaSUD - SudanSUI - SwitzerlandSUR - SurinameSVK - SlovakiaSWE - SwedenSYR - Syrian ARTAN - UR TanzaniaTGA - TongaTHA - ThailandTJK - TajikistanTKM - TurkmenistanTLS - Timor-LesteTOG - TogoTPE - Chinese TaipeiTUN - TunisiaTUR - TurkeyUAE - UA EmiratesUGA - UgandaUKR - UkraineURU - UruguayUSA - United StatesUZB - UzbekistanVAN - VanuatuVEN - VenezuelaVIE - VietnamZAM - ZambiaZIM - Zimbabwe Search Athletes: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Medal Standings
Medallists
RSA - South Africa
Medal Standings Discipline Event Medal Name
Athletics Men's 400m - T44 PISTORIUS Oscar
Swimming Women's 100m Freestyle - S9 du TOIT Natalie
Women's 400m Freestyle - S9 du TOIT Natalie
Cycling Road Men's Individual Road Race HC C van DYK Ernst
Swimming Women's 100m Backstroke - S10 SAPIRO Shireen
Athletics Men's Marathon - T54 van DYK Ernst
Men's Long Jump - F12 LANGENHOVEN Hilton
Men's Long Jump - F46 ROOS David
Cycling Road Mixed Individual Road Race CP 1/CP 2 NEL Riaan
Cycling Track Men's Sprint (B&VI 1-3) KILPATRICK Gavin, THOMSON Michael
Swimming Women's 100m Butterfly - S9 du TOIT Natalie
Athletics Men's Shot Put - F42 LOMBARD Fanie
Men's Discus Throw - F42 LOMBARD Fanie
Men's Javelin Throw - F35/36 NEWMAN Nicholas
Swimming Men's 400m Freestyle - S13 BOUWER Charl
Women's 200m Individual Medley - SM9 du TOIT Natalie
Athletics Men's Pentathlon - P12 LANGENHOVEN Hilton
Equestrian Individual Championship Test - Grade IV JOHNSON Philippa
Individual Freestyle Test - Grade IV JOHNSON Philippa
Athletics Women's 100m - T13 HAYES Ilse
Swimming Men's 100m Breaststroke - SB5 SLATTERY Tadhg
Men's 100m Breaststroke - SB9 PAUL Kevin
Athletics Men's 100m - T35 MOKGALAGADI Teboho
Men's 100m - T37 van der MERWE Fanie
Men's 100m - T44 PISTORIUS Oscar
Men's 200m - T12 LANGENHOVEN Hilton
Men's 200m - T37 van der MERWE Fanie
Men's 200m - T44 PISTORIUS Oscar
Swimming Women's 50m Freestyle - S9 du TOIT Natalie
Athletics Women's Long Jump - F13 HAYES Ilse
2008-09-17 15:51:49
GL0000000_92A 574.0
Set as Homepage | Sailing 2008 | Equestrian 2008 | Preliminary site | BOBICO | Site Map | Contact us | Suggestions | FAQCopyright The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
Posted by Tango at 2:54 PM 1 comments Links to this post
Labels: You are our hero's -Our Champions May God bless you all
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▼ 2008 (944)
▼ October (29)
Spies block critical report
US President George W Bush Calls South African Pre...
Former President Nelson Mandela congratulates Para...
ANC Party to buy back Travelgate voucher claims
Mboweni denies shareholder's allegations
Beyond 2009 with Helen Zille
Paralympics Athletes -We are proud of you ! Midran...
New faces at Sexpo 2008
No mercy for Hani killers
Reds moan about new Cabinet
Wake up! Wake up!
Sexpo 2008
SA Police Service / Scorpions agree on fundamental...
NPA misses pay deadline
Fear grips Scorpions staff amid transfer
Poverty and inequality still high in SA
Travelgate saga under the carpet
DA says disbanding Scorpions is unjustifiable
Scorpions wind-down begins
Mbeki's toughest test yet
Arms: How Mbeki meddled
Cosatu takes aim at Shilowa
Bank robbery just for fun
Land Bank skeletons exposed
The Beatles and Beach Boys
Commission calls for debate on intelligence
'You got it wrong, Judge'
NPA vs Zuma: the battle continues
"Why was this case swept under the carpet?"
► September (238)
Union vows to target CCMA
Now for the real battle
NPA: Zuma dismissal irrelevant
Executed/Murdered-Motive still unknown-Mbeki's bod...
Scorpions : 5 Models considered-'Improved" Scorpio...
Organised crime and corrupt police officers top pr...
Mafia- Have they moved to South Africa? (Organised...
Motherwell Four killer loses appeal
Zuma's star may be eclipsed
'I won't be gagged'
Oud -polisieman pak tien gewapende rowers,skiet ee...
NPA to file Zuma appeal next week
Cash- in-transit heist in Kagiso
Joburg hijack kingpin arrested -linked to 19 hijac...
Vula vs Mbeki's agents
SAPS smash 419 scam kidnapping ring-Six Nigerians ...
Thabo's Boys vs Vula's Boys- Investigators are und...
Lawmakers Reach Accord on Huge Financial Rescue
SARB shareholder takes issue with Mboweni comment
Crimes of the great denialist
Vavi must calm down or go