ANC-run provinces lose R2,5bn grant

April 8 2011 

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has stopped the payment of nearly R2,5-billion to the eight ANC-run provinces because they failed to spend properly money intended for roads, schools and other vital infrastructure.

The DA-governed Western Cape is the only exception - it has received 100 percent of its provincial infrastructure grant.

The DA said this was testimony to the way the party managed public funds, but the withholding of funds was “a tragedy” for residents of the other provinces, whose governments had “let them down”. 

The Treasury’s announcement, gazetted this week, comes just weeks before the crucial local government elections are held across the country on May 18. 

Gordhan announced that R2,47bn in payments had been stopped in line with Section 17 of the Division of Revenue Act. 

This section allows the minister to block transfers to provinces and municipalities if he anticipates that they “will substantially underspend on that programme or allocation in the financial year”. 

By the end of the 2010/11 financial year on March 31, the Northern Cape had failed to spend R275,4 million, or 46 percent, of its grant, Mpumalanga (R439,3m) and Free State (R391,2m) 45 percent, Eastern Cape (R502,7m) 25 percent, North West (R194,6m) 20 percent, Limpopo (R261,5m) 15 percent, and KwaZulu-Natal (R119,8m) 5 percent. The Western Cape alone spent its entire allocation, of R794,8m. 

The DA’s federal executive chairman, James Selfe, said yesterday that “the failure of ANC-run provinces to spend this money” would affect service delivery to the “poorest of the poor in those provinces”. 

“While this bears testimony to the DA’s good stewardship of public funds and its ability to deliver infrastructure-led economic growth, it is a tragedy for residents of other provinces who are desperate for infrastructure development, maintenance and service delivery,” Selfe said. 

“Their governments have let them down, and there is no excuse for it.” 

The provincial infrastructure grants, according to the Treasury, are intended to “help accelerate construction, maintenance, upgrading and rehabilitation of new and existing infrastructure in education, roads, health and agriculture... to maximise job creation” and “enhance capacity to deliver infrastructure”. 

Treasury spokeswoman Lindani Mbunyuza said that all provinces had been warned about the looming problem of underspending, but “only one, the Western Cape, implemented the corrective measures such that the transfer was released”. 

“The most critical issues that must be addressed (by the other provinces) are the obstacles to spending that lead to delays in infrastructure projects,” Mbunyuza said. 

“The obstacles include poor supply chain management, poor contract management, ineffective financial controls and low skills capacity in implementing departments.” 

The Western Cape also received and spent its full hospital revitalisation community library services grants, while six provinces lost a combined R452,6m from their allocations for hospitals and five have to return R50,2m left from their libraries grants to the Treasury. 

In the Western Cape, former premier Lynne Brown (ANC) said instead of showing only that the allocation was being spent, the DA had to show where this money was being used. 

Cope Western Cape chairman Mbulelo Ncedana said although financial management in the province had improved under the DA administration, this was no proof that it was delivering to poorer communities. 

“That money is not going to the poor. The DA are window-dressing when they claim they are using the grants to deliver to the poor.” 

 http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/anc-run-provinces-lose-r2-5bn-grant-1.1054163

Minister Mum on Police Building Lease

Apr 8, 2011

Public works minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde on Friday said she would not comment on the controversial lease of a Pretoria building until the public protector had concluded her investigation. 

 

Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde

"There is nothing I am hiding. I just want the public protector to conclude her investigation and I will tell my side of the story after that," said Mahlangu-Nkabinde. 

                                                            Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde

She was addressing journalists during a workshop for public works MECs at Sibaya Casino outside Durban on Friday afternoon. 

In a report released in February, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela recommended that Cabinet demand an explanation from Mahlangu-Nkabinde about signing off on the deal, despite legal advice to the contrary. 

                                                      Public Protector Thuli Madonsela

In her report, Madonsela said the department of public works' decision to push ahead with the deal amounted to maladministration. 

She called on the National Treasury to determine steps to terminate the lease, and took aim at national police commissioner General Bheki Cele for signing the memorandum authorising funding for the deal. 

The public protector was also investigation another police lease deal in Durban. 

"I believe that we have to allow her to complete her investigation. I hope she will finish very soon. She asked to be allowed to complete it. I don't want get into her space." 

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article1010443.ece/Minister-mum-on-police-building-lease 

Life Prisoners Given Parole

Apr 8, 2011 

Correctional Services minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula announced that 30 prisoners sentenced to life prison terms before March 1994 will be released. 

                                         Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula

She said another 18 would be granted day parole. 

Her announcement follows a Constitutional Court ruling last September that offenders sentenced to life imprisonment before March 1, 1994 could be considered for parole after serving 15 years of their sentence. 

Currently inmates sentenced to life imprisonment must serve at least serve 20 years of their sentence, but prior to March 1994 the minimum sentence before parole consideration was 15 years. 

She said 64 prisoners had been considered for parole and 30 had been refused parole. 

She said ultimately there were 385 inmates affected by the ruling. She hoped to have adjudicated on 95 inmates by next week Tuesday. 

She declined to name any of the inmates who had been considered for parole or go into any detail about the crimes for which they were convicted. 

She said some had been convicted of common crimes while others had been convicted of crimes they had committed during the political violence of the 1980s and early 1990s.

She urged the public to remain calm. 

"We should not go into a state of panic because 385 people are eligible for parole," she said. 

 http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article1010412.ece/Life-prisoners-given-parole

 

McBride guilty of drunk driving

April 8 2011

Former Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride was on Friday convicted of drunken driving and defeating the ends of justice, SABC news reported. 

McBride: I prefer Irish whiskey......

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/mcbride-i-prefer-irish-whiskey-1.877568 

The Pretoria Magistrate's Court acquitted him on a count of fraud. 

The judgment brought to an end a trial that began in 2006 when McBride crashed a state-owned car on the R511 following a Christmas party. 

He testified that he was not drunk on the night but suffering from medication side-effects. He had also claimed that a colleague, Stanley Sagathevan, was driving his car that night. 

Magistrate Peet Johnson extended McBride's bail pending his sentencing on July 15.

Earlier, the Constitutional Court upheld the Citizen newspaper's appeal in a defamation case brought by McBride. 

In the majority judgment the court held that the Reconciliation Act did not make the fact that McBride committed murder untrue. 

The court found that the act did not prohibit frank public discussion of his act as “murderer” and did not prevent his being described as a “criminal”. 

The Citizen's main appeal was upheld and the court dismissed McBride's cross-appeal, but nevertheless found that the newspaper had defamed McBride by claiming falsely that he was not remorseful. 

McBride was afforded R50,000 for this, reducing his damages awarded by the lower court from R150,000. 

The case concerned mainly editorial comment by acting editor Martin Williams, and opinion in a column by freelancer Andrew Kenny in September and October 2003. The articles queried his suitability for the position of metro police chief. 

 http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/mcbride-guilty-of-drunk-driving-1.1054324

ANC and Voting

A vote for ... is a vote for Heaven

Zuma's Promise of Heaven... EISH !!!!!
A vote for ANC is a vote for Heaven...

ANC membership card GUARANTEES an automatic pass to HEAVEN!
We HEAVEN GOT electricity, we HEAVEN GOT water, we HEAVEN GOT jobs, we HEAVEN GOT money AND we HEAVEN GOT roads... eish!!!

http://southafrica-pig.blogspot.com/2011/03/vote-for-is-vote-for-heaven.html 
 

South Africa

The video, posted to YouTube on March 18, 

........over the last six years, more people have been murdred in South Africa than in the Iraq War; and how crime runs rampant “while the police are rendered impotent by the very laws that govern South Africa.”

“Throughout all of this, Jacob Zuma and the rest of the South African government are telling the rest of the world that South Africa is a Rainbow Democracy.


“We are Anonymous and we support you. We are Black and we are White, we are Coloured and we are Indian.” http://southafrica-pig.blogspot.com/2011/04/promise-to-south-african-government.html

Emigration

If I move overseas, must I shut my mouth?

Thursday, April 7, 2011

It seems there is a prevailing opinion that once you have emigrated, you lose your right to read the news in South Africa. And God forbid you dare comment, which has become a popular feature of most news websites. Should you do so, you are frequently met with hostility, ridicule, threats and insults which range from the hilarious to the downright disturbing.

Now, why does one leave a country? Is it because you’re a coward? Is it because it is easy? Is it because it is financially advantageous? Who knows?

Leaving, for me, was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. And I say “had to do”, because I have this very well honed sense of self-preservation. I no longer felt safe in SA. I didn’t like living in a prison called home. The hijackings of cyclists really put me off. Erratic bills from the Joburg City Council and zero recourse (I had to pay R32 000 for a “clearance certificate” on selling the house, promised a refund, nothing six months on), we’ve been victims of crime too many times, crumbling roads, deteriorating water quality (we used to wakeboard on the Vaal river – no more), absurd police force, even more outrageous and absurd “government”. You know all the reasons; having experienced them in person, and increasingly understanding that there was a gaping chasm in my personal moral and ethical makeup and that of South African society, it was clear that getting out was the only option.

Why is it hard? Emigrating is very disruptive. More than that, it is a mountain of admin and paperwork. And it is expensive. It requires commitment, perseverance and nerves of steel. And lots of money.

Once you arrive on the other side, you want to look forward and get on with it. However, if you are someone who likes being informed, plugging in takes time. The political landscape is murky, the issues are almost trivial compared to what we have become accustomed to in SA, the personalities are unknown. And, frankly, the news here lacks entertainment value - it is comparatively boring.

Add to that the fact that no matter who you are, you will have plenty of friends and family in South Africa. If you are like me, you feel strongly about why you had to leave (you’d have to – see the paragraph about why it is hard). When I feel strongly about something, I tend to want to proselytise others into my way of thinking. To me, getting out was a matter of life and death.

So if I think it is in your interests to look at emigration because it might improve your chances of living to be an old coffin dodger, believe me I will try and convince you to do it.

Then there is the issue of confirming to oneself that the right decision has been made (who wouldn’t want to, right?) Well, that’s not difficult, now is it? Look at top stories in SA news right now: TheTimes, News24, Moneyweb, City Press. You get the idea – hell, of course you do, you live there.

And this is before we start digging into the shenanigans of government, you know, Bheki and the lease, Jacob and the 783 charges, Schabir and the “terminal illness”, Nomvula and her now deceased son, Shiceka and the fake degree, Motshekga and whatever the hell she is doing with education, Kgalema and the dodgy deals, the Guptas, Radovan Krejcir, Lolly Jackson, Joey Mabasa, and on and on it goes.

And yes, it is a psychological reality that individuals will seek out information which confirms their world view (and their drastic decisions). It is comforting. There, I admit it.

People, what you are accepting IS NOT NORMAL. It is NOT ACCEPTABLE. None of it. But it becomes the norm and acceptable in SA. You are a part of that society which permits it, like it or not. I am no longer, because I found myself incompatible with that society. Are you compatible with it? Do you like what you are becoming as a consequence of being a member of that society?

Anyway. What are your thoughts? Now that I have left, is reading and commenting on SA news verboten? Should we prevent people from commenting on, say, USA news if they aren’t resident? Should I not share with the world, in this age of social media, the things that I find here which I find strange and wondrous? (You know, like getting your phone line connected in less than two hours, electricity connected in a two minute visit to the power company, having no fence or burglar bars around my house, and, yes, having to do my own dishes and mow the lawn.)

Or should I refrain from comparing, shut the hell up, and let the South Africans I love carry on thinking that they have it the best in the world.

Go on then. Over to you.

http://southafrica-pig.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B02%3A00&updated-max=2012-01-01T00%3A00%3A00%2B02%3A00&max-results=37 

SA Stats Annual Report 2008

 

Did you know that between April 2007 and March 2008 nearly 4000 South Africans reported their groceries being stolen?

Or that 24 police officers were found guilty of taking unauthorised naps? And what about the 147 shoe-prints analysed in police laboratories?

These are some of the countless - and at times useless - statistics scattered inside the police's latest annual report.

The 250-page document was tabled in parliament last week, and opened with acting national commissioner Tim Williams saying officers could "safely pat ourselves on the back" despite a year filled with "complexities".

One of the "complexities" is probably the reason why Williams is signing the report in the first place. His boss, Jackie Selebi, was charged for corruption and placed on special leave.

ATM bombings rocketed, overall crime statistics bounced up and down and the massive restructuring process pushed ahead.

The 2008 report covers everything, from how much money police spent on "plant, flowers and other decorations" - which was R449 000 - to how many operations members of the Special Task Force conducted (184, including 37 hostage negotiations).

The statistics reported in this article were chosen randomly. For context and comparative figures, the full report should be read.

The South African Police Service has 173 241 officers - a fair share of whom are administrative workers. By March 2011 they hope to break through the 200 000 barrier. There are currently 30 596 detectives in the service.

To make it all work, a budget of R36-billion is available, or R36 386 105 000, if you want to be exact, which the top brass has no difficulty spending, down to the last R43.

To "shoot the bastards", as deputy minister of Safety and Security Suzan Shabangu encourages our officers to do, officers have 207 323 firearms and R62,8-million to spend on ammunition.

To make sure the "bastards" don't kill them, they have 165 505 bullet-proof vests. However, 107 officers still fell in the line of duty.

There are 40 509 cars, of which 11 394 are new, while 8 206 have done more than 200 000km. In Gauteng, there are 7 957 police cars.

But police cars are useless if officers aren't at work. According to the report, the total days taken by members as sick leave in 2007 stands at 1 071 682, with each officer taking an average of 10 days.

The number of officers who took sick leave during the year is 102 550, which cost an estimated R427,2-million. (The total number of days taken in leave works out to more than 3 000 years, which is longer than humanity has been recording calendar days).

To help those who are healthy, the police bought 5 576 computers, 322 printers, 312 laptops and 162 digital cameras and video cameras.

More than 64 000 firearms were destroyed and 14 650 new officers recruited (against the 3 240 who left, including 36 dismissals). The total number of reservists - to help our men and women in blue - stands at 66 394.

There were 664 escapes from custody (141 in Gauteng) and over 2,3-million people were taken into custody (but not necessarily charged). A total of 199 officers were suspended for corruption-related offences.

Unruly protests saw 3 386 people arrested; 126 825kg of dagga worth R177-million was seized (excluding the amounts taken at borders); police pilots spent 10 393 hours in the air; 76 003 crime scenes were photo-graphed; 6 332 facial compositions (identity kits) were drawn; 7 557 DNA investigations took place (out of a total of 53 536 biological tests); and 80 people were arrested for "skimming" credit cards. For shoplifting, 37 759 people were arrested.

A new unit was set up to look after foreign diplomats in Pretoria and "follow the appropriate etiquette" when dealing with them. Embassies, homes and the offices of international organisations received special attention, but didn't stop 243 complaints (resulting in 135 dockets) being reported.

Diplomats were involved in 75 car accidents.

The homes of our own VIPs saw nine security breaches, and none while they were being transported. There was also a 100% "safe delivery" of high-profile/dangerous/psychotic prisoners.

On the finance front, the police spent R32-million on advertising; R37 000 on catering; R14,7-million on entertainment and R75,4-million on legal fees.
And finally, in case you were wondering, of the 147 shoe-print investigations, 74 came out "positive" and aided detectives' investigations.

McBride 'can be called a murderer'

April 8 2011

 Robert McBride can be called a murderer despite his being granted amnesty for the apartheid-era bomb that killed three people.

The Constitutional Court on Friday ruled that despite the Citizen newspaper's “vengeful and distasteful” series of articles, it was entitled to “protected comment”. 

In a majority judgement delivered by Justice Edwin Cameron, with five of the eight Constitutional Court judges agreeing, the Citzen was ordered to pay McBride R50 000 for defamation. 

This was because of the false claim by the newspaper that McBride was contrite. 

McBride, a former director in the foreign affairs department and former Umkhonto weSizwe operative, was granted amnesty in April 2001 for all his activities which claimed the lives of people. 

He was involved in bomb explosions in and around Durban between 1981 and 1986. 

One of the explosions was at the Wentworth electrical substation on January 9, 1986, in which Durban security branch policeman Robert Welman died. However, McBride was most known for his role in the Magoo's Bar bombing. 

Three people died and 73 other people were injured when a car bomb exploded at Magoo's Bar on June 14, 1986. 

He spent seven years in jail for his activities. He was at the time a member of the ANC's special operations unit under the command of Aboobaker Ismail, who was in charge of the special operations unit. 

Ekurhuleni metro police chief, Robert McBride involved in at least three court cases and reportedly at the centre of 18 police investigations, was sacked this week for allegedly violating a direct order when he returned to work recently while on special leave pending the outcome of his drunk driving trial. 

McBride’s career, first as political activist and later as law enforcement official, has made news headlines repeatedly, starting with his detention in 1998 by Mozambican authorities on gun running charges. 

Two years ago, McBride crashed his state-owned vehicle after a year-end function. He is to go on trial in Pretoria's High Court on October 16.

Michele Clarke, the Democratic Alliance spokesperson on community safety, said Ekurhuleni council's city manager, Patrick Flusk, was only allowed to pay up to R10 000 of an employee's legal costs, if the actions of the employee occurred while on duty. "Flusk was in breach of his delegated powers by spending money not approved by council. Further expenses had to be approved by council. No such item was ever raised.

"In addition, a quarterly report then had to be presented to the council if the limit was exceeded," Clarke charged.

"Despite this, more than R4,9-million has already been spent on McBride's defence, and there is another R2,69-million on the cards...

"If we should consent to an open-ended agreement to pay for his legal fees, the ratepayers of Ekurhuleni could end up paying about R10-million or more towards this man's court case."

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/mcbride-can-be-called-a-murderer-1.1054175 

DA wants Johannesburg

Apr 7, 2011 

The Democratic Alliance is making a bid to take over South Africa's most powerful city, Johannesburg, and they reckon they can do a better job than the current ANC administration. 

 “We say this is a world class city, we have to provide world class services,” said Democratic Alliance (DA) mayoral candidate, Mmusi Maimane.

As part of its election campaign, the party today launched its manifesto for Johannesburg. They outlined their envisaged transformation and rehabilitation of the city’s image. Priority issues would be reducing poverty, job creation and the delivery of basic services. 

Citing the current power outage in some parts of the city, Maimane said: “All of it is about maintenance. There is a need for preventative measures to be put in place within the municipality, there is no effective forecasting.” 

Regarding the ongoing billing crisis and the incorrect logging of complaints, Maimane said the root of the problem was that information was not being translated into the system correctly. 

“Call centre staff training is inadequate. In any billing system, there’ll always be mistakes but good monitoring control will increase efficiency,” he said. 

 

Mmusi Maimane

The DA also stressed the importance of good relations between the city council and the business fraternity. 

“Power going out in the middle of Johannesburg is unattractive to investors,” said DA spokesperson Lindiwe Mazibuko.

She said that the government needed to create an environment that would attract investors.

Maimane said: “Investment is based on predictability. If the electricity goes out, a business will not be able to function effectively. If the robots are dead, deliveries will not be made on time, this increases costs. On a macro-level, investor confidence decreases.” 

He said there was a need for accountability within municipalities and the monitoring and evaluation of performance contracts. 

Officials deemed to be inefficient should be removed.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article1008544.ece/DA-wants-to-take-over-Johannesburg

Train Surfing to Jozi

08 April 2011

A school exam question paper is used to crush mandrax pills which the young trainsurfers take before their stunts.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/trainsurfing-to-jozi-in-pictures-1.1053745?image=0 

DA Delivery

March 31, 2011

 

 
From 2006 onwards, the DA tuned round the proportion of Cape Town’s capital budget spent, from around just 60% under the previous administration to as high as 96% in 2009. In practical terms: The DA administration used more of the money budgeted for Cape Town to deliver more services, for more people.

The Evidence:

City of Cape Town: Capital Expenditure 2002-2010

• 2002/03: Budget: R1.97 billion (Proportion of Budget Spent: 67.8%)
• 2003/04: R1.36 billion (66.5%)
• 2004/05: R1.51 billion (63.2%)
• 2005/06: R2.13 billion (71.4%)
• 2006/07: R2.55 billion (77.4%)
• 2007/08: R4.00 billion (78.0%)
• 2008/09: R4.00 billion (96.5%)
• 2009/10: R6.20 billion (83.0%)

The figures outlined above tell a remarkable story. They demonstrate that, under the previous administration, the proportion of Cape Town’s capital budget actually being spent was declining, from 67.8% in 2003 to 63.3% in 2005. Not only that, but because the actual amount allocated in the budget to Cape Town also declined over that period (R1.9 billion to R1.5 billion) it meant much less was being spent in real terms – because not only was there less money, but less of it was being used. Less money spent means less services. When the DA came to power in 2006, Cape Town’s budget increased dramatically (from R2 billion in 2006 to R6.2 billion in 2010). The DA cannot take credit for that, the money is allocated by the National Treasury and largely had to do with the World Cup. But it did manage to spend a far greater proportion of it – never less than 70% and as much as 96% in 2009. One thing is for sure, from the evidence it is quite clear the DA reversed a damaging trend, made government more efficient, dramatically increased the proportion of Cape Town’s budget spent and, in turn, was able to deliver more services, to more people.

http://thedadeliverydaily.com/2011/03/31/da-delivery-daily-fact-3/

Table Mountain Security to be Beefed Up

2011-04-06 

Security measures at Table Mountain National Park are to be beefed up, SA National Parks (SANParks) said on Wednesday.

"SANParks is aiming at making a significant dent in the incidence of crime on Table Mountain," said chief executive officer David Mabunda.

This would see the number of patrolling rangers increase by 50.

The rangers would be trained to the same level as Kruger Park rangers and would be responsible for safety, rescue and disaster management at Table Mountain.

"...We want both our domestic and international visitors to be able to enjoy the Park to its fullest without any fear," Mbunda said.

The number of dogs used for security operations would also be increased.

The park would maintain its relationship with the SA Police Service, Metro Police and other stakeholders despite the increase in internal security measures.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Table-Mountain-security-to-be-beefed-up-20110406 

Johannesburg Stinks

Joburgers told to take own refuse to a dump

Apr 7, 2011 

Johannesburg residents will have to handle their own refuse for now as there is no end in sight to the strike that has left a stink over the city. 

Pikitup spokesman Pansy Oyedele asked residents Thursday to take their rubbish to the city's four dumping sites.

"The primary objective of Pikitup is to ensure the earliest possible resumption of refuse removal services in the interest of Johannesburg residents and businesses," said Oyedele. 

She could not say when the strike would end.

Pikitup refuse collection workers began a series of protests yesterday from Joubert Park, Johannesburg, to their Selby depot, protesting at Pikitup management "corruption and nepotism". 

South African Municipal Workers' Union spokesman Tahir Sema said the workers were unhappy about "corruption and irregular tenders that were awarded".

Sema demanded the suspension of the company's MD. "We are also demanding that management look into wage disparities," he said. The protests would go on indefinitely.

Samwu discussed its concerns with the Johannesburg city manager, Mavela Dlamini.

The unions yesterday prohibited strikers from speaking to the media.

However, one protestor, who asked to remain anonymous, passionately described his feelings about Pikitup management. "People get more than you and we work the same job, how would you feel? That's why we are here," he said.

"If we don't cry, we don't get anything."

 

 http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article1009137.ece/Joburgers-told-to-take-own-refuse-to-a-dump

"Shoot the Boer",

Malema: I meant no harm by singing struggle song

2011-04-07

Johannesburg - ANC Youth League president Julius Malema meant no harm when he sang the struggle song with the words "shoot the boer", saying the word "boer" in liberation songs referred to the "system of white oppression", he said in court papers.

"Contrary to the sentiment expressed by some, which sentiment I believe is misplaced and unreasonable, I do not sing liberation songs with any intent to be hurtful... or propagate hatred," he said in a witness statement.

"Reference to 'boers' or 'ibhunu' in liberation songs are simply a reference to the system of white oppression from which every South African, both black and white, had to be liberated."

The hate speech case against Malema for singing the struggle song with the words "shoot the boers" on a number of occasions begins at the High Court in Johannesburg on Monday.

The ANC was earlier this year allowed to join the case, brought by AfriForum,

as a respondent stating that it owned the song and should be allowed to participate in any proceedings which sought to ban it.

AfriForum wants the "objectionable utterances" in the song to be declared hate speech, an unconditional apology from Malema and it wants Malema interdicted from "inciting, encouraging or promoting hostility to other ethnic groups".

It further wants him to pay an amount of R50 000 to the Transvaal Agricultural Union of SA (TAU) trauma fund, which provides financial aid for the victims of farm attacks and it wants Malema to bear the costs of the legal action against him.

http://www.polity.org.za/topic/transvaal-agricultural-union

Liberation song

AfriForum said the utterances caused Afrikaners and Afrikaner farmers to feel humiliated and degraded; they encouraged derision and hostility against the groups and negatively impacted on their self worth.

The utterances undermined their dignity and incited harm against them.

Malema said both white and Afrikaner members of the ANC always sung liberation songs - including the song in question.

"I also dispel as unfortunate the notion that when these songs are sung, they will in some way inspire others to hurt, harm or hate whites or 'boers'," he said.

"I believe that this notion can only be founded upon a belief that the majority of black people are so gullible to the extent that they would simply mistake a liberation song for a call to war against their fellow citizens.

"I am of the view that at the centre of the anxiety of the sort expressed in this complaint is unfortunate prejudice."

The ANC denies in its submission that AfriForum was acting on behalf of the Afrikaners of South Africa as stated in their complaint. It submitted that the "literal and contextual" interpretation of the song was "wholly unreasonable".

Malema further charged that the complaint was borne out of a "lack of understanding" of the role and the history of song in the anti-apartheid struggle.

The TAU was admitted as the second complainant. Its contribution to the case centres on the extent to which farmers and Afrikaners were victims of violent crime.

Apartheid

Malema has denied that his singing of the song brought harm to any individual or group.

http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.com/2011/01/farm-murders-victim-names-1994-2010.html 
"In all of the occasions which I sang the liberation song, it did not result in the killing, maiming or harming of any person or the Afrikaners purportedly represented by the complainant.

"I submit that the complaint is at best an unfortunate misconception of history... At worst, it is a manifestation of prejudice and a misplaced belief that black people have no capacity to distinguish between a song and a call to arms."

ANC national exectutive committee member and 
 
Deputy Minister of Science and Tecnology, Derek Hanekom, is expected to back up Malema's testimony.

Hanekom, also cited as a witness, sets out whether, as an Afrikaner, he ever felt threatened by the lyrics of the song. According to his statement the reference to "boer" became a reference to apartheid and its structures. I SAY BULLSHIT!
TAU is expected to call witness Leon Koekemoer who will testify that he and his family were attacked on their property about a week after the murder of AWB leader Eugene TerreBlanche and after Koekemoer was outspoken about the murder and in particular about Malema.

He alleges that one of the attackers had shouted "viva Malema die mhlungu".

The case is set down for ten days, starting on Monday.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Malema-I-meant-no-harm-by-singing-struggle-song-20110407