Herman Mashaba, the newly elected major of Johannesburg, and the Democratic Alliance (DA) are making a difference.
This photo taken on March 11, 2016 shows the state of a Johannesburg city center street.
Now the next photo taken on October 6, 2016 of the exact same street.
At least the DA are making a difference.
Let us hope they continue to transform Johannesburg into a decent city again. I think the next big project the DA should focus on is the public hospitals. Some of the hospital are in a dreadful state.
Zuma is now playing a very dangerous game. What is he scared of?
Perhaps it is the urgency of not keeping the Russians waiting. Yes, the
Russians are in town to sign the nuclear deal. While the Russians are in
town, it would not be appropriate for the President to be cited in a
state capture report. Perhaps it would be embarrassing for Zuma if
Pravin Gordhan refuses to sign a deal that will sink South Africa.
State capture is a game of chance for Zuma
In a surprise move today, President Jacob Zuma served a notice of
intention to apply for an interdict. It is an interdict to stop the
outgoing public protector Thuli Madonsela from releasing the interim
report on state capture. The interdict to stop the report being released
can only mean one thing, that the state is captured.
The charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan once again
confirm that the Zuma administration is devious and under immense
pressure. The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation says it considers the charges
against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan as nothing more than an attempt
to remove him from his post.
Zuma has strategically placed his people in all the relevant
departments and the crown jewel would be capturing SARS and Treasury.
Well, I guess if he does get this right, we will certainly be in for a
rough time. Let’s hope Gordhan uses all the resources he has to prevent
the Zuma conquest becoming a reality. Let us hope that Gordhan remains
honorable and does not bow down to corruption and bribery.
Besides the #FeesMustFall protests that seem to have no end. There
are no leadership strategies in place to stop the spiraling criminal
elements behind these protests. Julius Malema was summonsed today for
two charges are in contravention of section 18 (2) (b) of the Riotous
Assemblies Act. The summons alleges that on the December 16, during the
party’s elective conference, Malema incited party members to commit a
crime, by occupying any vacant land they came across. A second summons
indicated that he has been charged a second time for a similar
transgression for making the same call in Newcastle on the June 26.
It is public knowledge that Madonsela is investigating the Gupta
family and its alleged attempts to appoint ministers in President Zuma’s
cabinet. Earlier this year – in a press statement, Jonas openly
admitted that the Gupta family offered him the position of Minister of
Finance, a few weeks before Minister Nene was removed. Jonas rejected
the offer and believed that it makes a mockery of the democracy.
President Jacob Zuma is the person responsible for appointing ministers.
It is constitutionally unethical to allow the Gupta family to make a
decision about whom to appoint. This is especially true in the Ministry
of Finance where corruption and apparent state capture is particularly
vulnerable.
It is an aggressive, threatening move, yet the ANC respects the
decision of President Zuma. The ANC will always rally behind Zuma, even
if the decisions are detrimental to the stability of South Africa. It is
an aggressive abuse of power by Zuma, who is sending a negative message
to the people of South Africa and the international community.
Perhaps what Julius Malema the leader of the Economic Freedom
Fighters (EFF) said sums up the entire saga? “Expecting the ANC to act
against Gupta is like expecting a pig to eat a pudding”.
Student protesters at Vaal University of Technology set mattresses and bins alight today. - image - Groundup
In photos: Violence at Vaal University of Technology. Deputy
vice-chancellor says institution will stay open and only shut down as a
last resort.
There were clashes between police and student protesters at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) in Vanderbijlpark today.
Last
night a makeshift storage room, once an office, in the residence
administration building was torched. Dr Segopane Seroka the acting
deputy vice chancellor indicated that they are still assessing the
extent of the damage.
The storage and maintenance shed was burnt down last night. – Image – Groundup
On Tuesday a group of students who were disciplined for a protest in
May of this year received their letters of suspension. Seroka indicated
that these students have mobilised support and are leading this protest.
He said that the seven expelled student leaders could still appeal. He
said the university remains officially opened and will only shut down as
a last resort.
“We are having a heavy police presence and have beefed up our private security,” he said.
Students continued their protest by blocking the roads surrounding
the campus. They intended to march to the main campus from the residence
next door.
Police met them in the road and gave them ten minutes to disperse.
Students ignored the warning and began to make their way to the main
campus entrance. Police launched stun grenades and rubber bullets as
students fled back into the residence. Students and police were then
engaged in running battles with the police intent on keeping protesting
students inside the property of the residence. Students attempted to
launch attacks by using mattresses as shields and a fire hydrant to
douse the teargas which was aimed at them by police.
“We are in support of the national call for free and quality
education,” said Mosoane Kgaogelo the deputy chair of the EFF Student
command. “Management has paralysed our SRC by expelling our members.
They are refusing to engage us on important matters and so the protest
continues.”
Expelled SRC president Troy Mathebula said the students want to “sit
down” with management. He said that the students have asked for a
neutral person to mediate between them, because there is a “deadlock” at
the moment, contributed to by the fact that the student leaders were
expelled.
Police inform a protest leader that they cannot enter the VUT campus. – Image – Groundup
A police officer gets ready to fire a teargas cannister. – Image – Groundup
A protester uses a rock to block a road. – Image – Groundup
A protester uses a “katty” to launch stones at the police while a colleague shields him with a bin. – Image – Groundup
Students threw rocks at the police and protected themselves with a mattress. – Image – Groundup
Protesters flee as police open fire with rubber bullets. – Image – Groundup
Students used a water hydrant to douse the teargas. – Image – Groundup
Protesters set mattresses and bins alight. – Image – Groundup
Students fled through the streets and a canal near the university. – Image – Groundup
The situation had calmed down at the time of publication.
By Ihsaan Haffejee
Published on South Africa Today – South Africa News
South Africa get ready for chaos! The Gupta’s are determined to push
the nuclear deal through so they can export uranium from their mines.
Uranium is not only used in nuclear energy, it is also used in atomic
warfare.
South African must wake up, there is so much happening and the country is like a ticking time bomb ready to explode.
President Jacob Zuma has placed the nation on a self-destruct roller
coaster ride and an economic crash is inevitable. It is no secret that
Zuma always retaliates when confronted with the truth and this time is
no different.
Thuli Madonsela’s term ends on Friday and the new Public Protector
has already stated that the state capture probe will not be a priority.
The president wrote to Madonsela and said he would not take part in the
investigation until a list of all the informants who had implicated him
in the state capture probe was passed to his attorney. Let us hope that
Madonsela does not give into the demands of Zuma.
Today, the rand is taking a hammering after news that Finance
Minister Pravin Gordhan has been ordered by the National Prosecuting
Authority (NPA) to appear in court on a charge of fraud over the SARS
spy unit. The rand is more than four percent down from this morning.
The summons against the Finance Minister was announced at a media
briefing by NPA head, Shaun Abrahams. According to Abrahams, Gordhan
told the Hawks that the so-called rogue unit was established in a legal
way. However, Gordhan says it was assembled in a strange and convert
manner and operated from homes and coffee shops to conduct what he
termed their clandestine and covert operations.
The NPA is trying to deflect attention away from the state capture
investigation. Are the gloves coming off? It would seem so, and South
Africa is on the verge of a major catastrophe. It looks as though the
president and the NPA do not worry about their actions and how the
public are affected as long as self-interest is satisfied. Gordhan must
be sitting on a lot of explosive information and let us hope he does not
keep quiet but fight the rogues who are trying to destroy the country.
We all know that Gordhan is an obstacle to the state looting and state
capture.
South Africa get ready for chaos as Rand tumbles
Total state capture and dictatorship is now inevitable. Economic
collapse is inevitable. The president’s behavior in allowing this chaos
to continue is indeed a catastrophe and it will get worse.
South Africans who believe that Zuma cares for the country are only
fooling themselves, it is clear the president does not give a hoot about
South Africa. At the end of the day, we must believe that the truth
will be told for the sake of our future and the future of our children.
Protesting students continued with their plan to shut down WITS. Classes resumed and the demonstrators moved to disrupt classes.
Police moved in and arrested two students who were carrying sticks.
Students could face suspension if they carried sticks or concealed their
faces.
Wits violent student protest. Screen-grab: EWN YouTube video
After a few minutes, the students demanded access to the Great Hall to hold a meeting.
Private security did not budge trying to prevent the students from moving into the hall.
The students started pelting the security with stones and this led to
a confrontation. Police moved in and fired stun grenades, rubber
bullets and used a water cannon to dispel the protesters.
After a running battle with the police, the students were pushed out
into the streets of Braamfontein, where they continued to block off
roads.
Cars that wanted to pass were pelted with stones and rocks. Some of
the students moved up to Jorrison Street and a bus that tried to pass
was stoned. When the bus stopped, the students forced the driver and
passengers off the bus and set it alight.
After the bus was torched, police continued to move through the
streets of Braamfontein firing rubber bullets at the protesting
students.
The students pelted one of the shops in Braamfontein with stones,
leaving all the windows shattered. It appeared as though the students
were looting the store. However, a handful of non-Wits students joined
the demonstration and complicated the matter. The police brought in more
reinforcement to curb the violence. The students continued to protest
late into the night.
The students want the government to hear their voice and it is clear
they will stop at nothing until government acknowledges their
grievances. Until the government addresses the students, they will
continue to burn down the city.
YOU MUST WATCH THE VIDEO - PLEASE VIEW ON THIS LINK - VIDEO
