Julius Malema's EFF a nation wrecking ball

Is Julius Malema's EFF a nation builder or a wrecking ball? 

 Mar 07 2018 06:02

  Solly Moeng

 MANY of us heaved a collective sigh of relief when the Zupta-commissioned Bell Pottinger racial campaign was outed about a year ago. 

 Sadly, the campaign had had a successful run of just over a year before it was unmasked for what it was. Much of the damage had already been done. A lot of fear had been sown in the lives of many South Africans, leaving some of them making enquiries about possible emigration to safer countries for the sake of their own lives and the future of their children - and our already fragile national unity was further weakened.

Now we have to deal with heightened levels of suspicion among different communities.
This is not good for South Africa.

 We had almost reached the edge of a precipice when we realised that all the racist slogans being bandied about by the Zupta apologists – we know who they are - were part of a well-orchestrated campaign to derail the South Africa we sought to build together in the early years of our democracy.

 At the time, many of us were persuaded that the Economic Freedom Fighters were on the side of national unity. After all, they too urged the ANC – which spent almost a decade defending the indefensible - to place the interests of South Africa ahead of its own.

 Now here folks, we obviously know that Julius Malema and the Economic Freedom Fighters we the reasons for the removal of our former president Jacob Zuma and also a threat to our newly elected president Mr Cyril Ramaphosa. This hasn't end there but the EFF has shown a lot of negative effects for this nation through it's actions in court.Truth must be told that Julius Malema and the EFF are nothing but nation's wrecking ball,but that was my opinion only out of mind...

Read more on:
https://www.fin24.com/Opinion/is-julius-malemas-eff-a-nation-builder-or-a-wrecking-ball-20180307

Budget 2018

SARS must take some blame for revenue shortfall - Treasury

 2018-03-02 12:59 - Lameez Omarjee

 

Cape Town – The tax revenue gap is not only due to the poor economic cycle as SARS has asserted, but also due to administration and governance issues at the tax authority, Parliament heard.

At a briefing by National Treasury on the public inputs of Budget 2018 at Parliament on Friday, Treasury’s deputy director general on tax and financial sector policy Ismail Momoniat addressed the issue of the revenue gap.
At the Budget Speech last Wednesday, former Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba said the revenue shortfall was projected to be R48.2 bn.

                                                    SARS building in Krugersdorp. (Website)

Momoniat told the standing committee of finance (Scof) that there are issues in the revenue administration. “It is not true to say it is only the economic cycle. There are administrative challenges. That is why there is a commission of inquiry.”
He was referring to the commission of inquiry announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa to look into administrative and governance challenges at SARS.

Read more:
https://www.fin24.com/Budget/sars-must-take-some-blame-for-revenue-shortfall-treasury-20180302

: Challenge for central banks to ensure independence not undermined

Kganyago: Challenge for central banks to ensure independence not undermined

Mar 02 2018 17:47

Carin Smith

 

 Cape Town - An independent central bank, with a clear mandate to maintain price stability and without the concerns of the electoral cycle, is better-placed to focus on and achieve price stability, according to SA Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago.
He spoke at the National Asset and Liability Management Conference in London on Friday.
"The policies that are available to achieve or maintain financial stability often require cooperation between various regulatory authorities. A challenge for central banks is ensuring that monetary-policy independence is not undermined in the process. This is particularly the case in the event of conflicts between competing objectives," said Kganyago

 

SARB governor Lesetja Kganyago.

 "If independence is to be maintained, central banks need to foster the political consensus that underpins independence. This requires even greater transparency and accountability than in the case of monetary policy."
In his view, central banks also need to have the courage and political backing to make tough calls.

 "There is always the danger that unhappiness with central-bank actions in the financial-stability field could undermine the credibility and legitimacy with respect to their core mandate of price stability," he said.
Kganyago pointed out that it is generally accepted among central bankers that, while monetary policy can affect cyclical growth, its ability to determine longer-term potential output is limited.

https://www.fin24.com/Economy/kganyago-challenge-for-central-banks-to-ensure-independence-not-undermined-20180302 

will close down KFC and McDonalds' if we don't get more teachers - Western Cape Cosas

'We will close down KFC and McDonalds' if we don't get more teachers - Western Cape Cosas

2018-03-02 16:45 

 Christina Pitt 

Cape Town – The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) has threatened to shut down businesses in the Cape Town CBD should the Western Cape Department of Education fail to appoint more teachers at township schools by Monday.
Cosas led a large group of high school pupils on a march to the provincial education department's offices on Friday, after they were informed that a number of schools in Khayelitsha did not have enough teachers for certain subjects, specifically mathematics.

"We will close down KFC and McDonalds because it’s their friends' businesses," said Cosas chairperson Michael Mayalo during the protest outside the department's offices.
"We can get enough attention and we will have enough learners.
"We are calling on our parents to boycott work on Monday and assist us with the goal of obtaining quality education."
The organisation also demanded that Education MEC Debbie Schafer be removed from office.
"Cosas wants the MEC herself to come and listen to the students because it seems that the message is not getting to her," said Cosas political department head Mphumzi Giwu.

Giwu said that the organisation had lost confidence in the MEC.
"It is clear that the MEC cares less about black students in the Western Cape in the township schools. We want her out of office."

                                                                                                (Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Read more:
https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/we-will-close-down-kfc-and-mcdonalds-if-we-dont-get-more-teachers-western-cape-cosas-20180302

DNA confirms burnt out body is that of missing Constantia woman

2018-03-02 11:59

Tammy Petersen

Cape Town - The charred remains found in the boot of a burnt out vehicle at the Diep River train station last week has been confirmed to be that of missing Constantia woman Gill Packham.
Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk said the identity was confirmed on Thursday by means of a forensic DNA comparison.
"Late [Thursday] night, a team of detectives attached to Diep River SAPS Detective Services, after working tirelessly for the past week, arrested a 57-year-old man at his residence in Constantia for the murder of Packham," he said.


                                            
                                                    SA police. (Duncan Alfreds, News24)
For more:
                                       
https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/dna-confirms-burnt-out-body-is-that-of-missing-constantia-woman-20180302

DUT wage talks impasse ends after govt steps in over protracted strike

2018-02-27 20:48

 

Durban – Durban University of Technology (DUT) is to reopen its doors after positive mediation between unions and management on Tuesday afternoon, government has said.
"The parties have agreed to resume with negotiations and reactivate the bargaining process," Deputy Minister for Higher Education Buti Manamela said.
The seven-week strike, staged by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), National Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and the Tertiary Education National Union of SA (Tenusa) saw a university come to a standstill.

Manamela said that unions and university
management have now agreed to go back to the negotiation table.
"My biggest worry was that, even though there was a strike, there were no negotiations at all. The parties were not talking to each other. I can happily say that tomorrow (Wednesday) negotiations will be resuming and the unions will be reporting back to their members."

Manamela said the CCMA would be mediating the process in the hope that negotiations would be completed by the end of the week.
"In the course of the week, we need to see the resumption of academic work at the university. That was the basic framework that was agreed upon."

 
Striking staff at the Durban University of Technology received a boost of support on Tuesday after a group of students marched in solidarity with them. (Kaveel Singh, News24)


 https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/dut-wage-talks-impasse-ends-after-govt-steps-in-over-protracted-strike-20180227