Daily Sun

National

6 hours ago

FAMILIES’ MURDER HORROR!

By  Zimbili Vilakazi Tuesday, February 14, 2017 11:01

Dead gogo Cecilia Chiliza (69).  ~ 

TWO families from KZN have been ripped apart by brutal murders that left seven people dead.
Cops have launched a manhunt for the suspects who struck in two separate incidents on Saturday.
In the one incident, the Chiliza family had gathered on Saturday night to prepare for a family traditional ceremony on Sunday when gunmen stormed their house.
The family’s happy cheers turned to screams of horror as the unknown killers opened fire on people in the rondavel. Neighbours of the family from Esilahla in Richmond, KZN Midlands, later said they had seen a white Toyota Tazz parked near the house for about two hours before the incident.
Family member Brenda Mngadi (32) told Daily Sun the murderers allegedly first switched off the power before storming into the rondavel and starting to shoot.
Gogo Cecilia Chiliza (69), her son Dumisani Chiliza (43) and her grandchildren Noxolo Dawood (12) and Nkosi Ndlovu (27) died instantly, while three other members escaped with minor injuries.
Brenda said it looked as if the gunmen knew that the family would be holding a gathering.

• In the other incident, three brothers from Matimatolo, north of Durban were ambushed and shot dead on Saturday. They were allegedly returning from a traditional ceremony in the area when they were attacked by unknown suspects who then fled the scene.

KZN police spokeswoman Colonel Thembeka Mbhele confirmed both incidents. No one has been arrested yet. She urged anyone with information to come forward.

Daily Sun

National

2 hours ago

'NEARLY 70% OF SOUTH AFRICANS FEEL UNSAFE AT NIGHT'

By  News24.comTuesday, February 14, 2017 14:44

 ~ 

Almost 70% of South Africans feel unsafe at night, even though their experiences of crime have declined, Statistician General Pali Lehohla said today.
"The crime, although declining in their experiences, is probably not reaching the threshold where they feel safe and secure," said Lehohla.
The survey found that in 2011, 931 000 people said they had experienced at least one incident of housebreaking, burglary or home robbery. This dropped to 807 000 for 2015/16, but it was not enough to make them feel safer.
The Statistician General said researchers had also found that, apart from murder and car theft, crime was under-reported because people felt it was either not serious enough, or that the police could or would not do anything about it.
Housebreaking or burglary was named as the most common crime in South Africa, with murder perceived as the least common among those surveyed.
Crime reporting rates also varied depending on the type of crime. Murder was the most reported, at 95%, while stock theft was the least reported, at 17.3%.
Drugs blamed
The researchers found there had been a decline in the number of people (89.2% to 83.7%) who said they felt safe walking in their area of residence during the day. The percentage of people who felt safe walking around their community at night had dropped from 36.9% in 2001 to 30.7% for 2015/16.
Thirty-three percent of people surveyed for 2015/16 said the fear of crime stopped them from going to parks and open spaces, compared to 32.3% in 2011.
Of those surveyed, 77.5% blamed drug-related needs as the reason for committing crimes.
About half of the 30 000 households surveyed said they took physical protection measures to protect themselves against crime and, said Lehohla, a further study was needed to establish how much money people were spending on this. He said that at last count, the government had spent R30bn, while private households had spent R45bn.
Murder and car theft topped the list of crimes that were reported to police.
Researchers also noted public satisfaction with police had dropped to 58.8% for 2015/16, compared with 64.2% in 2011.
Police statistics
"It is a very serious indictment that that people have lost hope that the police can do something about it," said Lehohla.
During the question-and-answer session, he said a further study could establish whether leadership changes within the police had something to do with this.
Lehohla urged people to report any crime to the police, as these statistics were vital to the police's planning and the government's policies and strategies on crime prevention.
He said Statistics SA was currently helping the police improve their own crime statistics gathering and presentation process.
Statistics SA did not consider the police's statistics as official and aimed to eventually take over this function.
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/nearly-70-of-south-africans-feel-unsafe-at-night-stats-sa-20170214

SA first black owned bank on the cards

THANDISIZWE MGUDLWA

A whooly black-owned bank could be what is needed to jumpstart total economic transformation in South Africa.

At the very least, such an initiative could go a long way in ending banking apartheid that still characterises the fiancial services sector of the country 22 years after freedom.

Well then, what is the hallabollu all about?

It has emerged that  the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has made a recommendation to the Treasury that Vardospan’s bid to create South Africa’s first 100% black-owned bank. This was reported by Bloomberg News.

Vardospan(Pty) Ltd is the acquisition vehicle that has been established for the acquisition of Habib Bank SA. It is led by businessman Hamza Farooqui.

According to Hamza Farooqui, "If Vardospan were to be successful in its bid to acquire Habib Overseas Bank, it would be a significant first step in ending the banking apartheid that plagues South Africa, almost a quarter of century after liberation.

Financial research reveals that South Africa’s financial services sector is still dominated by its Big Four banks and entry to this sector is controlled by SARB.


The financial services sector desperately lacks competition which is why so many South Africans – most of them black - cannot source capital to be entrepreneurial and escape grinding poverty."

Farooqui further notes, My dream is that a black entrepreneur can walk into a black-owned bank, and borrow capital from a black bank manager at a normal interest rate. The fact that is still a dream in 2017 is a national tragedy. Money and trade are forces that don’t discriminate by colour.

On 24 January, this country’s biggest business newspaper (Business Day), wrote:

“The public is aggrieved over the tight hold the banks and other large corporations have over an economy it believes should be more transformed.”

Farooqui states, The newspaper is correct."

"There is absolutely no reason why Vardospan’s bid should be rejected other than the privileged financial elite manoeuvring to protect its monopoly hold on banking services.

We will never end the economic apartheid in this country without ending banking apartheid first.

Vardospan remains committed to the creation of a robust, black-owned challenger bank. It is what our rainbow nation desperately needs,"concludes Farooqui.

Meanwhile, it was reported earlier in January that the purchase was approved by the Competition Commission without any conditions .

However, as the company is attempting to purchase a significant stake, the purchase has to be approved by the country’s finance minister,"the report added.

Sowetan

Ajay Gupta denies under oath he ever met Jonas

By Ernest Mabuza | Feb 10, 2017

Businessman Ajay Gupta has denied under oath ever meeting or speaking to Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas.

Gupta made this assertion in his affidavit dated February 9 in a Pretoria high court case involving Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and Gupta-owned Oakbay Investments.
Gordhan seeks an order declaring that he is not by law empowered or obliged to intervene in the relationship between Oakbay companies and the banks.
The allegation that Jonas met Gupta is contained in the public protector’s report on State Capture‚ which was prepared by the previous incumbent Thuli Madonsela but released by the current Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane in November last year.
Gordhan also mentioned the efforts allegedly made by Gupta to induce Jonas to commit an unlawful act in his replying affidavit in the present case‚ which was filed last month.
In that affidavit‚ Gordhan said the Public Protector report stated that Jonas was taken to the Saxonwold home of the Guptas where he was offered money and promotion as minister of finance.
The Public Protector report mentions that Jonas claimed President Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane and businessman Fana Hlongwane met Gupta at his home on October 23 2015.
In his affidavit accompanying a supplementary affidavit submitted by Oakbay‚ Gupta said his affidavit was meant to clarify a serious distortion of facts which caused him and his family severe hardship and negative publicity.
Gupta said he was disturbed by allegations Gordhan presented as fact without even attempting to obtain a confirmatory affidavit from Jonas‚ who was – in all likelihood – occupying an office right next to the minister.
Gupta said the “incident” with Jonas was created in order to support the wave of adverse media attention and to achieve the political advantage gained from creating a media hype from an incident which never occurred.
Gupta said it was important to deal with this allegation to ensure nobody could ever say he kept quiet when he was confronted with these allegations.
“Let me commence … to clearly and unambiguously state under oath that I have never met Mr Mcebisi Jonas‚ not as alleged or at all‚” Gupta said.
Gupta said Jonas was blatantly dishonest when he suggested he met with him.
“I have challenged Mr Jonas‚ and I do so again‚ to prove that he met with me as alleged.”
Gupta said to support his denial of ever meeting Jonas‚ he approached Duduzane Zuma and Hlongwane to depose affidavits regarding his involvement at the meeting in October 2015.
Both businessmen‚ in separate affidavits‚ said Gupta was not present at any time during the meeting with Jonas held on 25 October 2017.

Daily Sun

News

Yesterday

PUNANI MAGIC IN DEMAND!

By  Mavi NgcoboThursday, February 09, 2017 06:02

Nomthi Gcwensa shows her punani warmers. Photo by Jabulani Langa  ~ 

WHEN SunGirl Mavi Ngcobo needed to pee on Tuesday she rushed into a women’s toilet – only to find there was a long, slow queue.
But the women weren’t waiting to use the toilet!
As Mavi was standing in the queue for the toilet in Isipingo, KZN, a woman told her: “This is for punani warmers, not to pee.”
Another woman was sitting at a table in a corner of the room. The table was covered in powders, pills and some tablets that looked like sweets.
As Mavi approached the table, a woman stopped her.
“Sorry sisi, it is not your turn. I’m here to buy the powder that saved me from losing boyfriends.
“I will buy extra today, as Valentine’s Day is near. I want my boyfriend to have it hotter.”
The hawker, Nomthi Gcwensa (30) from Umbumbulu, said: “These are punani warmers.
“They help women to keep their punanis hot and dry during sex. Some women have wet
punanis that drive men away.”
She said she sold her products from the toilet because it is private and restricted to women only.
“I don’t want men to see women buying these products.”
Nomthi said she heard that men love hot punanis.
“Not every woman has that.”
She mixes traditional herbs she gets in rural Umbumbulu, and gets the sweets and pills from Chinese shops.
A happy 32-year-old customer said the warmers really work.
“I can sleep with two men in one day and both will be happy,” she said.

Daily Sun

Sport

An hour ago

SEMENYA SET FOR OLYMPIC GOLD AFTER RIVAL BANNED

By  AFPFriday, February 10, 2017 15:46

Caster Semenya (Supplied)  ~ 

South Africa's Caster Semenya could receive her second Olympic gold medal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripped Russia's Mariya Savinova-Farnosova of her title.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday stripped Savinova-Farnosova of her 2012 London Olympics 800m gold medal and banned her for four years for doping.
The women's 800m race was won by Savinova-Farnosova in 1:56.19 with Semenya finishing second with a time of 1:57.23. Another Russian, Ekaterina Poistogova was third.
However, in November 2015, after an investigation, a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recommended that Poistogova be given a life-time ban.
If the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decides to reallocate the medals from the 2012 final, Semenya will receive the gold medal, to go along with her gold from Rio in 2016.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport said there was "clear evidence" that Savinova was involved in doping from the eve of the European Championship in Barcelona in 2010 until the 2013 world championships in Moscow - including the 2012 London Games.
The ban was back-dated to start on August 24, 2015. CAS said all prizes won between July 26, 2010 and August 19, 2013, are forfeited.
The CAS acted as the main tribunal in the case as the Russian athletics federation is suspended by the world body, the International Association of Athletics Federations because of its doping controversy.

Daily Sun

National

Yesterday

WATCH: SANGOMA TEACHER IN CLASSROOM!

By  Kgalalelo TlhoaeleThursday, February 09, 2017 13:31

A screen grab from a video shows a teacher at Ikeleng Primary School pretending to throw the bones in the classroom. Screenshot from supplied video  ~ 

THE VIDEO clip lasts only a few seconds, but it has caused a huge stir.
Parents whose children attend Ikeleng Primary School in Tshwane are angry because a video of a teacher pretending to be a sangoma in class started doing the rounds. In the video, the teacher is seen kneeling on the floor, making actions, with the children responding.
Nobody knows who started circulating the video but it has prompted parents to demand disciplinary action.
The teacher from the school in Lebanon, Mabopane, is seen bending over, pretending to throw sangoma bones.
Then she starts shouting: “Vumani bo! Vumani bo!”
The pupils respond: “Siyavuma!”
She repeats it three times and then she stands up, laughing and someone gives a high five to the kids. The person taking the video also laughs back and says to the teacher: “O bosepa wena.”
The video was trending on WhatsApp, opening fresh debate about religion in the classroom on the social network.
Parents are not happy. One of them said the teacher not only insulted their tradition but used their children for her jokes.
“Our kids are not toys. We send them to school to study the curriculum, not to learn about sangoma things.”
She said the children listened to everything their teachers told them.
“They trust the teachers more than us. When they are taught curtain things at school they also want to do them at home,” she said.
Another parent said the teacher should be disciplined.
“If we want our children to learn such things there are proper ways to do that.
“She should also have taken into consideration that some children’s families don’t believe in such practices,” he said.
Oupa Bodibe, Gauteng Department of Education acting spokesman, said they were aware of the matter.
“We strongly condemn the alleged conduct of the teacher. The district has been requested to investigate.
“The outcome will determine the action to be taken against the teacher.”