Boksburg Edition
A FRESH APPROACH TO LOCAL NEWS 22 February 2022
www.tametimes.co.za
‘We Did The Best We Could’ Ayanda Dlodlo speaks at July Unrest Hearings
Minister Ayanda Dlodlo has admitted that the security cluster could have better responded to the violence which unfolded during the July unrest. Dlodlo was giving evidence at the SA Human Rights Commission’s national investigative hearing into the week-long riots which led to the deaths of more than 330 people. The chaos, which made international headlines, started out as semi-violent demonstrations demanding former president Jacob Zuma’s release from prison in KwaZulu-Natal. But they soon morphed into riots which saw shopping malls and other establishments being targeted. The unrest soon spread to parts of Gauteng after which the violence escalated. Dlodlo, who was State Security Minister at the time, is one of several government officials blamed for the poor response to the mayhem, more so now with the release of a damning report. J U L Y U N R E S T: DLODLO
ADMITS THEY HAD RECEIVED INTELLIGENCE Ayanda Dlodlo, now Public Administration Minister, also says State Security had received warnings about potential threats and this was shared with the security cluster at the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints). “The Natjoints was there. It’s constantly there and information is fed to the system constantly. The recommendation given by SSA, their implementation will depend on the SAPS. That is entirely on them,” said Dlodlo. This is contrary to what police
management told the same hearings just the day before on Monday. Regardless, Dlodlo says they did the best they could at the time of the violence. “I really want to assure south africans that, at the ssa, we have hardworking men and women. I wouldn’t want south africans to come out of all of this thinking they are not safe, that we will not be able to quell threats to the lives and livelihoods of south africans. There was work done. Could we have done better? The answer is always yes. We did the best we could at that
Covid-19 Vaccination Rules Changed: Here’s How SA’s health department is changing the Covid-19 vaccination rules to try to increase uptake as inoculations have slowed and the country has ample vaccine stocks. The government is shortening the interval between the first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine from 42 to 21 days and will allow people who have received two doses of Pfizer to get a booster dose three months after their second shot as opposed to six months previously. It will offer the option of “mixing and matching” booster jabs, with adults who were given one
dose of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) vaccine being offered either a J&J or Pfizer booster two months after their J&J shot. Adults who received two doses of Pfizer will be allowed J&J or Pfizer as a third dose. “The decision regarding which vaccine to administer as a booster should be guided by vaccine availability,” the health department said on Monday, adding that if both vaccines were available at a vaccination site, using the same vaccine was preferred. An exception could be made if the person being vaccinated requested a different booster dose or
had a history of experiencing an adverse event after immunisation. SA has recorded the most coronavirus infections and deaths on the African continent. It has so far fully vaccinated 28% of the roughly 60-million population, or 42% of its 40-million adults. That is a far greater percentage than many other African countries, but well short of government targets. Its vaccination campaign, using the J&J and Pfizer vaccines, got off to a slow start due to difficulties securing early supplies, but more recently it has been dogged by hesitancy.
Tell: 011 862 8500 - Fax: 086 241 5648
Budget Speech 2022:
MASSIVE Fuel Hikes On The Cards South Africans are eagerly waiting to find out what Finance Minister, Enoch Gondongwana has in store for them when he delivers his maiden Budget Speech on Wednesday. South Africans are currently grappling with record fuel prices, taxes and levies, many have been vocal about a much needed relief. The General Fuel Levy is currently pegged at R3.93 per litre (up from R3.77 in 2021) and the RAF levy at R2.18 per litre (up from R2.07 in 2021). Combined they add R6.11 to every litre of petrol and diesel sold in the country. Any adjustments that may be announced today will be implemented in April. Old Mutual Head of Financial Education John Manyike noted that an increase in the fuel levy will help bolster the Road Accident Fund which is currently facing massive financial shortfalls. Manyike said to ordinary South Africans this means that public transport will be more expensive as well as an average bag of groceries. “It’s tough, particularly when south africans, who aren’t known for their saving abilities, are already using more than 67% of their monthly incomes to pay off existing debt. At its simplest, this means that only 33 cents in every rand are available for families to live on- reducing these 33 cents means that living will become more challenging.” Meanwhile, the Automobile Association (AA) of South Africa has warned the government against any planned fuel tax increases in its 23 February budget, which it says will be particularly damaging following record-high increases. Gondongwana himself has also argued that the structure of South Africa’s fuel price should be re-assessed. AA WARNS AGAINST FUEL HIKES IN MARCH The Automobile Association said massive fuel hikes well above R1/l are on the cards for all grades of fuel going into March. The Association also said that given the current outlook, petrol prices will skyrocket above R21 for the first time. They foresee 95 octane petrol in Gauteng costing around R21.39/l and 93 octane petrol costing R21.13/l, outstripping the record high of R20.42/l in December last year.
02
22 February t2022
New SA Draft Law: ALL Videos Posted On Social Media Face ‘Age Restrictions’
‘SA Would Be UNGOVERNABLE Without ANC’ – Thabo Mbeki Sparks Backlash It’s just not true is it, Mr. Mbeki? The former president has been roundly mocked over the last 24 hours, after he claimed that the collapse of the ANC would render South Africa as an ‘ungovernable state’.
It has been described as a ‘radical proposal’ which would have ‘far-reaching implications’. But the South African Film and Publication Board has drafted a new set of laws aiming to tackle harmful content posted online – which would expand to regulating all videos posted on social media. AGE RESTRICTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEOS? IT COULD HAPPEN… The proposal was first submitted at the start of February, and although these rules are a long way off becoming ratified legislation, they do indicate the intentions of the FPB going forward. SOCIAL MEDIA USERS COULD BE CLASSED AS ‘FILM DISTRIBUTORS’ Webber Wentzel, a Johannesburg-based law firm, are advising anyone who feels their business may be impacted by these draft laws to get in touch with them immediately. The legal experts are concerned that the definition of a ‘film distributor’ could be changed, to include members of the public with social media accounts. Under these changes, an ordinary civilian posting a video online could be subjected to age restrictions on their content. “The Film and Publication Board has now published draft guidelines for public comment on the classification of films, games and certain publications. These guidelines would amend the existing classification guidelines. Some of the changes proposed in the draft guidelines have far-reaching implications.” The proposals are still open for public comment, and it’s unclear just how far down the line we’ll get with this. However, should President Ramaphosa sign off on these amendments, it would revolutionise the way millions of South Africans use their social media channels – and Webber Wentzel remain cautious: “Persons classed as ‘distributors’ of a film, game, publication or online content will explicitly include those who stream content through the internet, social media or other electronic media. This would seemingly include an individual posting a personal video on social media, for non-commercial purposes.” “Stricter measures are envisioned for classifying content that appears online. For example, the proposals aim to enhance the decision-making capability of adults (for themselves and their children) when consuming content, by providing them with the tools to make an informed choice.”
THABO MBEKI SAYS SOUTH AFRICA IS ‘UNGOVERNABLE’ WITHOUT ANC Thabo Mbeki, who served as Mzansi’s president for nine years after replacing Nelson Mandela, was addressing ANC delegates at a conference in Free State when he made the now-infamous utterance. His argument is that the party has a major influence on government, at both a national and provincial level. If the ANC ceased to exist, Mbeki reasons that the void would be too big to fill… “If the anc collapsed today, ceased to exist, this country would become ungovernable simply because of the influence of the party. Three provincial governments are anc, the national government is anc. Therefore, this party owes it to the nation to sort its affairs out.” Thabo mbeki Critics have a field day with ex-president’s bold claims However, his statement has become a big talking point in the last 24 hours – especially amongst politicians. A plethora of opposition figures have queued up to take pot-shots at thabo mbeki, and it’s fair to say that these guys certainly wouldn’t miss the anc, should the
party simply ‘disappear’: Action sa leader herman mashaba slammed the former president for his ‘inflammatory’ words… “Is thabo mbeki planning to destabilize and render the country ungovernable in the event of the collapse of the anc? A prosperous south africa and the anc cannot coexist in one space. One has to die, and it cannot be south africa – whether thabo mbeki likes it or not.” Herman mashaba Meanwhile, western cape minister david
maynier was on hand to tell thabo mbeki some home truths… “It’s probably worth remembering that the anc collapsed in the western cape already [with no adverse affects]. First it lost its power, and then it collapsed…” DAVID MAYNIER Shadow Trade Minister Dean Macpherson also chimed in… “Mbeki is wrong. South africa’s success is directly linked to the anc’s collapse. The sooner the better.”
Scores Treated After Suspected Gas Leak At Varsity Residence In Johannesburg
Paramedics assessed approximately 170 people after a suspected gas leak at a student residence of a university in Parktown, Johannesburg, on Sunday evening.
At least 60 students were hospitalised, said ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring. ER24, City of Johannesburg emergency
NuDebt is a thriving, preferred debt collection and payment solutions company in South Africa. WE STRIVE TO WORK HARDER AND SMARTER
Tel: 011 724 5702 | Fax: 086 688 2002 | info@nudebt.co.za
medical services and other services were called to the scene shortly before 6pm after many students complained of shortness of breath, he said. “On arrival, emergency workers found many students aged 18 and upwards had already evacuated the buildings and were crowding the pavement and street. “Medics set up a triage area and began to tend to the patients, assessing approximately 170 people. “After the assessments, medics transported about 60 patients to nearby hospitals in the area. The remaining patients declined further treatment or transportation to hospital.” The exact details surrounding the incident are unknown, but local authorities were on the scene for further investigations, said Meiring.
22 February 2022
03
VW Driver Crashes Straight Off Dealership Property Social media users have been left absolutely shook after photos of a one-car accident were shared online. In the photos, it appears a new driver mistakenly drove her brand new car straight out of the dealership, into a fence, and over a small hill. Many people have shared their thoughts about what could’ve caused the accident. Vw driver drives brand new car off a hill! One person’s joy of buying a new car quickly turned to dismay after an unfortunate accident resulted in the car hanging halfway off an embankment. In snaps that were shared on facebook by a page called south africa daily on 20 february this year, a vw polo can be seen hanging off a small cliff on which the volkswagen dealership stood. The photo was sarcastically captioned: “She was driving out of the dealership, having taken delivery of her brand new car. Long story short, an idea occurred to take a shortcut.” Here in south africa, vw drivers are seemingly always at center of driving jokes so it wasn’t a surprise that many people headed to the comment section to laugh and joke at this vw driver. Many locals also remarked that the driver may
or may not have “bought” her licence hence the lack of experience and skill. Read some of their comments about the accident below: Leon van rensburg wrote: “Licence was bought not obtained.” Portia canavan said: “Guys, maybe she had a stroke .. Maybe she couldn’t believe she bought her own car. Shame
maybe she didn’t buy her license. Cause you have to be on another level of stupid to do that.” Gavin sandeman said: “Did the dealer let her take it out on a test drive or at least go over the controls? Reminds me of a us case when the owner of a new porsche was paralysed in the same way, the dealer was held liable for all costs.”
Limpho Hani Stands Firm On Janusz Walus Parole Bid Limpho Hani said that all she wanted was justice for her husband’s death. On Tuesday, Chris Hani’s assassin Janusz Walus challenged a decision denying him parole and the Constitutional Court has reserved judgment. He’s been serving a life sentence for killing the SACP leader in 1993. Waluś has been trying to get parole for almost 10 years now. Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane, representing the Hani family and the South African Communist Party (SACP), said that Hani’s assassination was not just a murder, it was the murder of a person that symbolised the future. “The nature of this crime is such that it cannot be mooted as the murder of a person. It’s the murder of a country, the murder of a society, the murder its democratic dream and it’s the murder of his family,” Sikhakhane said.
Lawyer Roelof du Plessis has questioned what the minister would do if the matter is referred back to him. “Our learned friend Mr Sikhakhane puts to you that political circumstances may change, this is not a political decision, this is a legal decision, the law is applicable.” Lawyer Roelof du Plessis said that Walus had again apologised. “I have instructions to again apologise before this court to the public to Mrs. Hani, in particular to the South African Communist Party and to South Africa. He has sincere remorse,” Du Plessis said. However, Limpho Hani said that she would never forgive Walus. “He didn’t talk to me, he said he’s sorry to you the media. In any case, I’d never forgive him. He took my husband’s life, my children’s father,” she said.
Suspects arrested in deadly Johannesburg shootout Police Minister Bheki Cele said eight suspects have been shot and killed during a shootout with police in Rosettenville, Johannesburg. At least four police officers were critically wounded on Monday afternoon and are receiving urgent medical care in hospital. Speaking to the media at the scene, Cele said the gang of 25 was on its way to rob a cash van when police pounced on them. Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela said: “Our team was monitoring them from last week but they didn’t commit their crime then. They decided that today they will commit that crime and our team was just behind them.” He said nine of them are still on the run. “We’ve counted about eight illegal rifles.” Mawela said they’ve also recovered five stolen vehicles at the same house in The Hill. The suspects who were arrested by police have pleaded poverty as a reason for their unlawful activities. Eight men were killed and eight others arrested after the gang of 25 was cornered by the Crime Intelligence Unit. In recent weeks there has been an apparent surge in cash-in-transit crimes, with a police officer and member of the defence force linked to a heist last week on the West Rand. Police Minister Bheki Cele said that members of the gang were from parts of KwaZuluNatal, Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and one was from Botswana. “We are working with heartless people that are prepared to kill. One of the suspects said they were doing this because of poverty,” the minister said. Cele added that one of the rifles carried by the gang was the same type of weapon used by the national defence force. Cele said that ballistic testing must be conducted on each of the rifles used by the gang. “Most of the rifles here are AK-47s. But there are explosives here. There’s one R4, which is used by the defence force mostly, so those will be taken for ballistics, even found with the AKs to see if they’ve come from the SP13,” Cele explained. Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela said that the Crime Intelligence Unit had been keeping a close eye on the gang recently. Police are now searching for the nine gang members who got away via a nearby highway.
22 February 2022
Etzebeth Opens Up On Sharks Move Through To 2027
On Sunday, reports first emerged that the Sharks were set to pull off the massive signing of Etzebeth from French club Toulon, and this deal was officially confirmed on Thursday. In an interview that the Sharks have now published, Etzebeth said he was looking forward to returning to South Africa. “A big factor is family, to be closer to home back in South Africa, and to represent a great team like the Sharks. I can obviously see great things are happening. Siya is there, we’ve been friends since U19 level and now we are going to play together for the Sharks. Obviously there are other guys I know
like Bongi (Mbonambi), Lukhanyo (Am), (Makazole) Mapimpi, Thomas (du Toit) and then I’m also excited to meet a few new guys.” YOU CAN WATCH THE INTERVIEW WITH ETZEBETH BELOW: Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview, Sharks CEO Eduard Coetzee has revealed how they managed to lure Springbok superstar Eben Etzebeth to Durban. The powerful second rower has been on an incredibly lucrative contract with his French club, and he will have to take a pay cut at the Sharks, particularly considering that SA franchises have a R65.5m player salary cap this year.
Many outsiders may wonder how the starstudded Sharks managed to secure the signature of another high-profile player of this calibre, but in a one-on-one interview with The South African, CEO Eduard Coetzee has revealed some of the factors that led to the successful completion of this deal. “For one, eben wanted to come back to south africa, and we presented a plan that incorporated what he can hope to achieve both on and off the field at the sharks. It was a holistic plan that i think counted in our favour. And of course there are a few of his national teammates at the sharks, and i’m sure that helped as well,” coetzee added. The sharks in fact now have seven world cup winners on their pay roll: siya kolisi, lukhanyo am, makazole mapimpi, bongi mbonambi, sbu nkosi, thomas du toit and etzebeth. The deal with etzebeth was always expected to hinge on how badly the sa rugby player of the year nominee wanted to return to south africa, while his close relationship with bok captain and good friend kolisi is certain to have been another factor in favour of the sharks. When asked if kolisi had perhaps helped in twisting etzebeth’s arm, coetzee just laughed and said: “i’m sure they’ve had some chats.” The sharks ceo added that they didn’t want to publicise the length of the contract at this point, but it is understood that etzebeth has committed in the “long term” through to 2027, while coetzee reiterated that they had completed the signing within all salary cap constraints.“Of course he’s not earning nearly the same as what he was in france, but there were lots of other reasons that he has agreed to join us.” With the south african sides in the united rugby championship set to be eligible to qualify for the heineken champions cup from the 2022/23 season, coetzee has already made it clear that the durban-based franchise will target the ultimate prize in due course. “We do not just want to survive and rebuild all the time. Mvm holdings (the american consortium that has acquired a majority share in the sharks) has given us faith in how far we can go, and they have the attitude that we must strive to be the best. With this in mind, we do want to win the heineken cup eventually, and i do not say that arrogantly. It is just part of our vision.” These sort of ambitions would have surely appealed to etzebeth, while the sharks also recently launched a ‘players first programme’, aimed at providing various opportunities and support to holistically prepare players for life after rugby. It was a factor, for example, that Mbonambi has confirmed played a big role in his decision to join the Sharks.
Pitso Mosimane’s big career advice from Irvin Khoza
This could be the reason why Pitso Mosimane has confessed love for Orlando Pirates. Bucs’ big boss Irvin Khoza has relieved what he told a young ‘Jingles.’ Following the Al Ahly coach’s fast legendary success of five DStv Premiership titles, two CAF Champions League titles, the Egyptian league as well as two bronze medals at the FIFA Club World Cup, Khoza is not so surprise. According to Khoza, Pitso Mosimane showed the signs of long term success while he was still a footballer. “Pitso wanted to win, he didn’t want to lose, he was hard at training. I always talk about people who have succeeded in the transition from being a player to an administrator,” Khoza said on Ultimate Sports Show, as quoted by iDiskiTimes. Khoza also took the moment to compare ‘Jingles’ to local icons like Kaizer Motaung and Jomo Sono, a duo that went on to create iconic clubs after their playing days. “If you look what happened to Kaizer Motaung and Jomo Sono, when they were players they used to go for roadwork and working hard before they go to training at the club. “So Pitso is that kind of pedigree, that kind of quality. The man who was destined for great things. Khoza added to highlight the exact words of wisdom he passed on to Pitso Mosimane, which is a clear sentence of nine simple words. “I’m saying, for anybody who wants to succeed, it should not be a question of mine or whatever, it must be a question of passion. When I spoke to him, I said Pitso ‘work hard in silence, let success be your noise’. “There are not too many coaches good coaches around the world. That’s why there must be a demand for Pep Guardiola, Pitso Mosimane, and Jürgen Klopp because they are not easy to get.”