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Est 2009 Tel : 011 023-7588 / 011 402 - 1977 Inner-City Gazette

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Issue 23 - 2019

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072 824 3014

13 - 20 June 2019

Website : www.inner-city-gazette.com Inner City Gazette

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Foundation implores minister to reopen apartheid inquests A 1972 inquest found that Timol had committed suicide, however, after the family disputed this, it was reopened in 2017 and it was found that he was murdered

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola

Johannesburg - The Imam Haron Foundation (IHF) has appealed to Justice Minister Ronald Lamola and related structures to open all previous apartheid managed inquests and unresolved cases. This follows the ruling that was handed down at the Gauteng High Court earlier this month in which the court dismissed apartheid-era cop Joao Roderigues’ application for a permanent stay of his prosecution. Roderigues is accused of involvement in anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Timol’s murder in 1971. Officers who interrogated him, including Roderigues, claimed that he threw himself out of a window from the 10th floor of John Vorster Square, now the Johannesburg Central police station. A 1972 inquest found that Timol had committed suicide, however, after the family disputed this, it was reopened in 2017 and it was found that he was murdered. In a statement the foundation said: “The IHF wishes to state that it always maintained the firm opinion that all those individuals who were detained and who died

while in custody during the apartheid era, were cruelly tortured and brutally murdered at the hands of the apartheid regime’s Security Branch (SB) members. And IHF is also of the view that this is a position that should have been recorded in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission TRC Report that was eventually made public; this sadly was, however, not to be.” The IHF said it was pleased that the court unanimously decided to reject and waive Rodrigues’ request for stay of prosecution. “Secondly, as IHF entered the 50th year memorialising Imam Haron’s martyrdom while he was kept incommunicado for 123 days for his pursuit of social justice against the inhumane apartheid system, we honestly hope that the newly appointed members of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will not only bring Rodrigues to book, but that the NPA will also seek to prosecute the abductors and killers, despite the TRC amnesty that was granted of Nokuthula Simelane.” On June 6, the Gauteng High Court de-

clared Simelane deceased, though her body has never been found; the finding was, however, based on the belief that those who had applied for amnesty were directly responsible for her disappearance and her subsequent murder. “We plead with our Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola and related structures that they open all the previous apartheid-managed inquests and all unresolved cases expeditiously without families having to knock on the doors of the ministry. We would want the minister and associated government officials to act proactively in the interest of all of these families that have encountered decades of trauma, and rule fairly in their as well as the nation’s interest for they have severely suffered in different ways; all of these was as a result of their cases not having been given any serious attention despite the extant evidence that had been around during these many years,” it said. Imam Abdullah Haron was a Muslim cleric and anti-apartheid activist who was detained and killed by security police in 1969.

Inner-city Gazette

News

For further information contact Boston on 011 551 2000 Email: info@boston.co.za Visit www.boston.co.za, or Facebook

Pretty

much everyone who undertakes a journey to university

is thinking about the amazing career prospects they will have once they complete their bachelor’s degree.

In recent years the graduate job market has become increasingly fierce, and standing out amongst all the other recent graduates is tough. It is likely to take some years to climb the career ladder, and a mindset of continuous learning is an advantage. “Tomorrow’s leaders must be equipped with new-age competencies in order to have successful careers.” So says Ari Katz, CEO of Boston City Campus & Business College. “This will ensure that graduates will be in demand by employers” he says. Accredited by the Council on Higher Education, at level 8, the Boston Postgraduate Diploma in Management (PG Dip) provides prospective graduates, (with or without work experience), with a unique postgraduate opportunity to gain advanced knowledge of business and general management. According to Dr Hendrik Botha, Head of Institution at Boston, “this qualification incorporates the core management competencies for emerging and aspiring leaders in our rapidly evolving societies. Students will acquire skills and values such as adaptability, assertiveness, conflict resolution, integrity, interpersonal, professional etiquette, leadership, communication, time management and frustration tolerance.” The qualification further focusses on vital management practices, such as quantitative competencies for data driven management and decision making in the digital era, including operations, people management, and others. “The accounting and finance fields offer wonderful prospects for those who have a passion for numbers, detail and analysing information. The industry expects that an accountant has integrity, killer time management skills, great organisational and communication skills

13 - 20 June 2019

Bleak status

of children

‘In SA 63% of children do not have access to early childhood development; 80 percent of children in Grade 4 cannot read’ Tammy Petersen

Charmari Wolmarans

Dr Linda Meyer

and a strong sense of ethics. I see an accountant as someone who is focussed, driven, committed, determined, and a go-getter. An accountant has a hunger for knowledge, continuously develops her/his skills and strives for success” says Charmari Wolmarans CA (SA), Academic and Quality Manager at Boston City Campus & Business College. Maintaining discretion is essential, and you will need to be the kind of person that can integrate information and from that draw conclusions. If this is the career for you, enrol for the Bachelor of Accounting at Boston. Would you like to join an elite group of Commerce graduates with acumen in both Business, Finance; and Law?. Consider a career in commerce with a focus on the legal aspect of this exciting industry. Prepare for a dynamic legal future, in the public or commercial sector. According to Barry Schwartz, Attorney at Law as well as consultant to Boston, “With a BCom in Law you will master the theory, principles and applications of law and commerce, including business, mercantile law, financial management and human resources management. Using these skills and the knowledge you gain in the degree, you will be able to participate in legal aspects of commerce required by

Barry Schwartz

your company.” Schwartz says that “running and operating a business these days is a minefield in terms of what you have to know, what you can say, how you can advertise, what the implications are for opening a new business, handling competitors – a whole host of issues arise. We realised that there is a business in running a business!” Dr Linda Meyer, Dean: Institutional Advancement at Boston is a fan of degrees in Social Science. Meyer says that, “your social science degree prepares you for many careers in many fields. Social science is a powerful academic foundation that provides you with the opportunity to develop skilled employees. These include: oral and written communication, interpersonal, teamwork, technical, analytical, critical thinking, organizational, and problem solving skills. While a social science major does not provide a profession, it does open employment opportunities in fourth Industrial Revolution thinking and specific skills development.” The Boston Degrees can be done part time, full time as well as through online lectures in order to accommodate the training needs of students. *The Boston B.Soc.Sci is awaiting Registration outcomes from SAQA and the DHET

With almost 1 000 children murdered in the last financial year and as many as 500 dying as a result of abuse and neglect, the status of children in the country is bleak, according to the Connect Network NPO. Its director Dee Moskoff said the drafters of the SA Constitution and the Bill of Rights prioritised the rights of children, placing their best interests ahead of any others. “But while South Africa has 213 000 registered NPOs, which focus on the needs of children, young people remain exposed to abuse and neglect. By the age of five, almost 90% of a child’s brain will be developed, yet 63% of children in SA do not have access to early childhood development. Eighty percent of children in Grade 4 cannot read,” Moskoff said. She added that it is estimated that around 3 500 babies are abandoned every year in SA; and about 3.5 million children are orphans; yet last year only 1 033 were adopted. According to the Children’s Institute, as many as 500 children die annually of abuse and neglect, while crime statistics show that 985 children were murdered in 2017/2018. Most of these murders took place in the Western Cape. The organisation is also lobbying for a complete overhaul of the Children’s Amendment Bill of 2019, which was submitted to Parliament in February this year. Debbie Wybrow, the founder of

Connect Network director Dee Moskoff

social and legal advocacy organisation, The Bayakhanya Foundation, said the bill does not go far enough to protect vulnerable children. “Instead of entrenching children’s rights to be cared for within families, certain provisions denigrate those rights. Examples include sections relating to assessing the best interests of children, interim safe care, foster care, permanency planning and adoption,” she said. Furthermore, children who were differently abled, those who are displaced or “non-South African” have not been sufficiently provided for, Wybrow said. “Abandonment is a growing concern, yet no provisions are made for parents in crisis to safely relinquish children. Most concerning, the explanatory memorandum filed with the bill suggests that children should rather be institutionalised than grow up in the care of families who are not of the same colour or background.” Wybrow maintained that the bill needed to be rewritten with the input of all stakeholders, as well as the children themselves. Wybrow believed an “Afrocentric approach” is needed, focusing on what worked in other African countries and incorporating those strengths into legislation in South Africa.

13 - 20 June 2019

Inner-city Gazette

Urgent need to address youth

News

HIV infection

‘There are looming perceptions that the HIV epidemic is almost over, while we all know we have unacceptably high levels of HIV/Aids in South Africa and new infections are also high’ Own Correspondent

T Part of the scene during the raids

Cops raid Hillbrow buildings Johannesburg - On Wednesday SAPS and JMPD officers raided buildings in the Joburg CBD, Joubert Park and Hillbrow. JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the targeted buildings were considered to be sources of criminal activity, and some were believed to be hijacked. That included the Eastgate and Vanin buildings in Hillbrow. Minnaar said among the many

who were arrested three people were arrested for possession of home-made guns and illegal ammunition. “The raids began at Vanin Court in Quartz Street, where weapons and other goods were confiscated. Those included an axe, a machete, and police issued bulletproof plates, the raids then continued to Stensby Hoff and Eastgate apartment buildings,” Minnaar said.

he Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has said more work is needed to address the HIV/ Aids epidemic among South African youth. The executive director of the social aspects of public health programme at the HSRC, Professor Khangelani Zuma, told the ninth South African Aids Conference in Durban on Tuesday that there were an estimated 231 000 new HIV infections in 2017 among people aged two and above. “The incidents are higher among females compared to males, with 122 000 females infected, compared to 109 000 males. However, a particular area of concern is youth between 15 and 24 years of age. This group needs a lot of attention and focus. In this group, it is

estimated that there were 88 000 new cases of infection, three times higher in girls than boys in the age group. One third of the cases of new HIV infections came from girls who are 15 to 24 years. We really need to do a lot more work to deal with the HIV epidemic among the youth,” said Zuma. He added that while there had been a 17% decline in incidents from 2012 to 2017, there had been an 11% increase of HIV infections among young boys, while the incident rate among young girls was declining. “Only 39 percent of the country’s youth living with HIV are on ARV,” said Zuma. Conference chairperson Professor Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya said response to the HIV epidemic was slowly weakening. “Political will seems to be declin-

Professor Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya

ing. A sense of urgency seems to have gotten lost. This conference is happening at a time when there are looming perceptions that the HIV epidemic is almost over, while we all know we have unacceptably high levels of HIV/Aids in South Africa and new infections are also high,” said Phaswana-Mafuya. She said this was a conundrum and that the country could not afford to be complacent. “We have to take a bold, fearless stance to moving the epidemic control agenda forward,” she said. The conference at Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre is the second-largest HIV conference in the world, attended by about 3 000 delegates, about a quarter from SADC, Europe, the USA and other parts of the world; to end on Friday.

News

Inner-city Gazette

13 - 20 June 2019

City fires employees for bid manipulation ‘The dismissals followed a lengthy disciplinary process which revealed that the R54 million budget to fund a 2016 event, COP17, a world wildlife conference that seeks to combat illegal trade in animals and fauna, had resulted in actual spending of close to R66 million’

MMC Leah Knott

Johannesburg - The City of Joburg has announced the dismissal of eight employees who were found guilty of manipulating a bid evaluation process and authorising additional unjustified payments to a service provider. Economic Development MMC Leah Knott said the dismissals followed a lengthy disciplinary

process which revealed that the R54 million budget to fund a 2016 event, COP17, a world wildlife conference that seeks to combat illegal trade in animals and fauna, had resulted in actual spending of close to R66 million. “It was found that various unjustified and unauthorised additional payments were made to the service

provider above and beyond the R54 million,” she said. MMC Knott added that the employees involved in the deliberate manipulation of the bid evaluation process and the illegal payments were based in the City’s departments of economic development, group legal, finance, and environment and infrastructure services.

“The multiparty administration in the city has zero tolerance for corruption and the abuse of ratepayers’ money. The city will continue to act against corruption and continue to dismiss employees who violate the trust and responsibility bestowed upon them to uphold good governance and serve residents with honesty and dedication,” Knott said.

Wheelchair bound woman found with R500 000 heroin Johannesburg - Last Thursday an elderly wheelchair-bound traveller was found with heroine hidden in her handbag at OR Tambo Airport; according to the South African Revenue Service (SARS). SARS spokesperson Sicelo Mkosi said the 74-year-old woman was on her way to a central

European country when customs officers intercepted the stash. “They found a powdery substance concealed in hidden stashes in her bag, which later tested positive for heroin. It had an estimated street value of almost R500 000. She was arrested on charges of drug possession and attempted smuggling,” Mkosi said. Part of a recent accident scene in Johannesburg

Traffic agency calls for safer driving ‘Many of the children die as pedestrians, which indicates that parents fail to exercise proper control over them. There is also a high level of reckless and negligent driving in residential areas’ Johannesburg - The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) says an unacceptably high number of children are dying on SA roads, due to reckless drivers and negligence of parents. In a statement on Sunday the agency said an analysis of road fatalities statistics shows that a total of 995 children under the age of 12 died as a result of road crashes last year. The majority, 600, of those who died were boys. Girls accounted for 382 of the fatalities, with the gender of the remaining children unclear on the available data.

“Many of the children die as pedestrians, which indicates that parents fail to exercise proper control over them. There is also a high level of reckless and negligent driving in residential areas,” RTMC said. The agency referred to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report in 2018, which stated that use of child restraints can reduce the risk of death by at least 60%. “South Africa has legislation requiring children to be put on child restraints, however more needs to be done to enforce the law,” the world body added in the report.

Man linked to 18 rapes arrested Johannesburg - A suspected serial rapist who allegedly terrorised Soweto communities for over 10 years was arrested over the weekend, according to police. The man is linked to 18 rape cases committed since 2009 in Meadowlands, Orlando, and other parts of Soweto. Police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said the man was arrested in connection with a taxi-related murder that was reported at the Evaton police station in February. “The suspect is linked to 18 rape cases committed in a period of 10 years since 2009 in Meadowlands, Orlando and other parts of Soweto,” Peters said.

She added that the multi-disciplinary operation was conducted by a task team that was set up to specifically look into taxi violence, public violence, police killings, high profile cases, ATM-bombings and truck hijackings. “Gauteng police have since liaised with KwaZulu Natal police to also establish possible linkage to violent incidents of crime reported in Madadeni, Bergville, Harrismith and Estcourt between 2018 and 2019,” Peters said. She said further investigations are underway and will continue until police are satisfied that all possibilities of links to previous crimes have been exhausted.

13 - 20 June 2019

Inner-city Gazette

Mother mourns child’s ‘mysterious’ death

News

“I hope to find justice. I think I will be okay if I know what actually happened to him” Hillbrow - A mother is in mourning after the death of her five-monthold baby, and she wants closure. The mother, Nothando Mabuza, said her baby Kganya was healthy when she dropped him off at Little Stars Edu-Care and After-care creche before work. She said however later that day she received a call to meet caregivers at the Hillbrow clinic. “I hope to find justice, and most significantly, justice. I think I will

be okay if I know what actually happened to him,” she said. She added that she had made a video that morning before taking him to school. “It’s something I did every day, where we take pictures and videos. But there’s something that just pushed me to make a video that morning, and I did. He was perfectly fine,” said Mabuza. But according to what she adds there seems to be conflicting stories about what happened to the child.

“When my husband went to the clinic that afternoon, one of the nurses pulled him aside and said when they received the child he was already dead; while the day-care centre said the child did not die. At first they said he died there inside his cot, and then later they changed their story,” she said. Police say they are investigating the matter, and waiting for the postmortem results, which could take up to three months to be available.

Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said: “We have started with our investigation; we are now waiting for the post-mortem results which will establish the real cause of death. After that we will decide on the next step of the investigation. No one has been arrested yet but we have started with our investigation.” Comment on the matter from the daycare centre had not been obtained by the time of going to press.

Nothando Mabuza

Shock as rat poison kills two preschool children

MMC Mpho Phalatse

Westdene - Two children have died after apparently ingesting rat poison at a preschool, according to the City’s health department. Joburg Health and Social Development MMC Mpho Phalatse said it is believed that the children were under the care of a

private preschool, which did not have the necessary permits. The exact circumstances leading to the deaths were still unclear, but a case has been opened with the police. Phalatse said the government is investigating the incident. The MMC’s spokesperson Si-

yanda Makhubo said the local councillor informed that this is rife in the area. “So this is Ward 69 in Westdene and we understand that there are a number of facilities being illegally run. The MMC will also launch a blitz to ensure that the early childhood development

centres without the right permits are shut down. We will ensure that those responsible do face the full might of the law. We understand a case of murder has been opened with the Sophiatown police. We will also be visiting the families of the two deceased children,” Makhubo said.

Inner-city Gazette

13 - 20 June 2019

Inner-city Gazette

The Arts

Frontieres actor Busisiwe Lurayi and director Mmabatho Montsho

Market’s Theatre kicks off continental season The production interrogates the ‘authenticity of voice’, as actors re-tell the personal testimonies collected and told to the writer by migrants from Zimbabwe, the DRC, Cameroon and Somalia Lusanda Zokufa

he Market Theatre in Newtown is producing two distinctively creative masterpieces to mark a Continental Season. Frontières written and mentored by Bobby Rodwell is directed by Mmabatho Montsho, and The Fisherman was written by Chigozie Obieme, and is directed by James Ngcobo. Based on personal testimonies of people from other parts of Africa who have come to South Africa, Frontières paints a picture of why people leave their countries. What impact does this have on their lives? On young people across the continent? How are they received in South Africa? The production interrogates the ‘authenticity of voice’, as actors re-tell the personal testimonies collected and told to the writer by migrants from Zimbabwe, the DRC, Cameroon and Somalia. Frontières is essentially a Pan African perspective on migration and coloniality; giving intimate voice to people as individuals, far removed from the images of hundreds of thousands of people, walking, on sea, crossing rivers, the faceless and nameless. African economies have recently shown a growth but that has not filtered down to the youth population which leads to high numbers of youth migrants. Frontières looks at how people respond to migration within the continent. Frontières speaks to the borders, both physical and metaphorical that divide our continent. The production is supported by a

grant from the Department of Arts & Culture’s Incubator Funds. The production will be directed by first-time theatre director Mmabatho Montsho who has created a name for herself as a television actress and film director. She is mentored by visionary theatre veteran Bobby Rodwell, who has a long list of productions under her belt. The Department of Arts and Culture’s Incubator Fund supports a series of programmes designed to boost the level of fresh young talent in the theatre industry, and have more local content brought to the stage. The Fisherman is the Cain and Abel-esque story of a childhood in Nigeria, in the small town of Akure. When their father has to travel to a distant city for work, the brothers take advantage of his absence to skip school and go fishing. At the forbidden nearby river, they meet a madman who persuades the oldest of the boys that he is destined to be killed by one of his siblings. What happens next is an almost mythic event whose impact, both tragic and redemptive, will transcend the lives and imaginations of the book’s characters and readers. Dazzling and viscerally powerful, The Fisherman is adapted from an essential novel about Africa, seen through the prism of one family’s destiny. The season for Frontières is 14 June to 7 July 2019. For The Fisherman it is 14 July to 4 August. For more information visit www.markettheatre.co.za.

Part of a Youth Month commemoration performance at Sibikwa arts centre.

Arts centre hosts Youth Month commemorations The Inclusive Creative Arts Programme focuses on young people living with disabilities, out-of-school out-of-work youth, and children from previously disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds, providing learners, aged 7 – 30, with the access and opportunity for personal and professional development through the arts. Bongani Yende

arking the beginning of a new era, the 1976 Soweto uprisings rightly occupy a central place in the story of national liberation. The costs were high for the black school children leading the protests, but the youth held a united front and gathered for a common purpose; courageously proving that it is possible for young people to bring change in our country. Since 1995, when the South African Government officially declared 16 June a national public holiday, in recognition of the sacrifices and contributions of the youth in the struggle against apartheid, June 16, now known as Youth Day, has been remembered, commemorated, and memorialised as public history in different ways and forms. For Sibikwa’s Saturday Arts Academy and Inclusive Creative Arts Programme learners, #June 16 is an opportunity to learn about our history, to showcase their dedications and talents, and to imagine their place and future in our country. The #June 16 Concert for the Saturday Arts Academy learners will be on Youth Day, Sunday 16 June

Registered or Enrolled Nurse A Corporate crèche is looking for registered or enrolled Nurse with updated 2019 SANC. To start asap, send CV to info@pccconsultant.co.za

2019. The day will begin with performances by primary school learners at 11am, followed by secondary school learners in the afternoon. The #June 16 Concert for the Inclusive Creative Arts Programme out-of-school out-of-work youth, will take place the following Sunday, 23 June at 11am. The Inclusive Creative Arts Programme focuses on young people living with disabilities, out-ofschool out-of-work youth, and children from previously disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds, providing learners, aged 7 – 30, with the access and oppor-

tunity for personal and professional development through the arts. Performances by the Inclusive Creative Arts Programme learners from Actonville Training Centre: School for the Disabled and Sibonile School for the Visually Impaired will take place in July at their schools, kicking off the third term for their peers and teachers with drumming and dance performances. The Sibikwa Arts Centre is situated at 13 Liverpool Road, Benoni. For more information call telephone number 011 422 4359 or email to projects@sibikwa.co.za.

Bafana off for Afcon Johannesburg - Bafana have departed for a second leg of their 2019 Afcon finals preparations in a camp in Dubai. This follows coach Stuart Baxter’s final selection for the team to compete at the Afcon finals in Egypt starting next week. From an original 28-man squad‚ Keagan Dolly withdrew injured and Rivaldo Coetzee did not arrive‚ saying his mother was critically ill and then being unable to be contacted again. Kermit Erasmus‚ Ben Motshwari and Fortune Makaringe were also excluded from the final 23-man squad Bafana meet Ghana in a friendly warmup game on Friday, and also play Angola in Egypt on Wednesday June 19. That will be two days before the 2019 Afcon finals kick-off, with the game between the hosts and Zimbabwe at Cairo International Stadium on June 21. Bafana are in Group D with Ivory Coast‚ Morocco and Namibia. They open their campaign against Cote d’Ivoire in Cairo on Monday‚ 24 June; then meet Morocco on 28 June‚ and Namibia on 1 July. All Bafana group matches will be at the 30 000-seater Al Salam Stadium‚ also known as Cairo Military Stadium.

The top two teams and four best thirdplaced progress to the last-16. Bafana Afcon squad: Goalkeepers: Darren Keet (Bidvest Wits)‚ Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United)‚ Bruce Bvuma (Kaizer Chiefs) Defenders: Daniel Cardoso (Chiefs)‚ Ramahlwe Mphahlele (Chiefs)‚ Thulani Hlatshwayo (Wits)‚ Innocent Maela (Orlando Pirates)‚ Sifiso Hlanti (Wits)‚ Buhle Mkhwanazi (Wits)‚ Thamsanqa Mkhize (Cape Town City) Midfielders: Bongani Zungu (Amiens SC‚ France) ‚ Hlompho Kekana (Sundowns)‚ Dean Furman (Supersport United) ‚ Kamohelo Mokotjo (Brentford‚ England)‚ Tiyani Mabunda (Sundowns)‚ Thulani Serero (Vitesse‚ Netherlands)‚ Thembinkosi Lorch (Pirates)‚ Themba Zwane (Sundowns) Strikers: Lebogang Mothiba (Strasbourg‚ France, Percy Tau (Saint-Gilloise‚ Belgium)‚ Lars Veldwijk (Sparta Rotterdam‚ Netherlands)‚ Lebohang Maboe (Sundowns)‚ Sibusiso Vilakazi (Sundowns)

Bafana and Ivory Coast action in a previous encounter.