Cape Times 2022-06-27

EFF PRESIDENT Julius Malema has blasted both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s state capture report, saying it must be “flushed down the toilet” as it was not worth the paper it was written on. He also accused Ramaphosa of taking bribes from white business people. Malema was addressing scores of party supporters on the 67th anniversary of the Freedom Charter at Freedom Square in Kliptown, Soweto, yesterday. Taking a swipe at Justice Zondo’s probe into state capture, Malema called it gossip more than a report. “Zondo was not addressing state capture … He just came in to fight every black man taking business from white people.” The commission was to uncover the relationship between Zuma and the Guptas, but instead investigated black businessmen, Malema said. “We are…

The Minister of Police has been ordered to pay a woman who was unlawfully arrested and detained R120 000 in damages and cumulative interest on the amount. Avril Diljan was arrested on September 18, 2015, after police had responded to a malicious damage to property complaint in Eldorado Park. According to information, “Peace officers constables Ntombela and Tsile were on patrol duty when they received a call from the Community Service Centre (CSC) informing them that Diljan had thrown stones and rubbish on her neighbour’s carport from her first floor window. “The officers were unanimous in their view that an offence of malicious damage to property had been committed by the appellant. As a result, they immediately arrested and subsequently detained her in the holding cells at the Eldorado police…

FORMER President Jacob Zuma has asserted that he would not bow to recommendations made by the state capture report penned by its commission chairperson Chief Justice Raymond Zondo because it was “illegal”, “unlawful” and “irrational”. Zuma also announced his intentions to review parts of the commission report, in which he was directly implicated. He also wants the courts and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to look into his purported personal relationship with Zondo while looking into the chief justice’s refusal to recuse himself from the commission to be investigated. Zuma responded through the Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson, Mzwanele Manyi, to the six-part-report at a press briefing on Saturday. His legal team, led by advocate Dali Mpofu and daughter Duduzile Zuma, was also present at the briefing. The chief justice handed…

POLICE Minister Bheki Cele says multi-disciplinary specialist task teams are being set up and piloted in 18 identified districts across the country to clamp down on theft of economic infrastructure and illegal mining. Cele revealed this in reply to parliamentary questions from Freedom Front Plus leader Piet Groenewald who asked if the SAPS intended to establish specialist units to protect infrastructure in the light of cable theft. Cele said specialised multi-disciplinary economic units would be set up upon completion of a work study investigation that will determine placement, responsibilities and resources. It is expected to be concluded at the end of this year and implemented in the following financial year. In the meanwhile task teams will be established, “piloted for a period not exceeding two years and reviewed after…

THE ANC was facing a number of daunting challenges that required resolve and leadership to address them, Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo said yesterday. Addressing the 67th anniversary of the Freedom Charter in Alice, Mahlobo said rampant corruption was one of the big issues the movement should be able to address without any fear, favour or prejudice. “We must be able to address the issue of hollowing of state institutions. We must also be able to address the issue of state capture,” he said. Mahlobo, who is also head of the ANC’s peace and stability subcommittee, said the ANC should address the issue of a lack of economic growth. “Our economy has stagnated over time and a number of young men and women are not at work. The…

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa continues to remain tight-lipped about the details of the theft of $4 million (R61m at the time) on his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo, ducking several parliamentary questions on the matter. Instead, Ramaphosa chose to give a standard response to specific questions from both DA leader John Steenhuisen and EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu. In one set of questions, Shivambu asked whether Ramaphosa would take the public into his confidence by providing the evidence that the money that he stored at his farm was the proceeds of the game auction. He also asked whether the president ordinarily stored large amounts of money at his properties other than his farm. Ramaphosa said he would answer whatever questions investigators asked of him, saying the law must be allowed to…