Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

The ANC’s peace and security committee will meet at the party’s headquarters today, ahead of Cabinet’s expected approval this week of a controversial bill disbanding the Scorpions and next Monday’s release of the full Khampepe report.

The committee, headed by former SANDF chief Siphiwe Nyanda, will include the chairpersons of the parliamentary committees that will jointly process the bill, which the ANC now hopes will be law by July.

It is understood that the General Laws Amendment Bill is expected to be approved by Cabinet tomorrow and will be tabled in Parliament soon afterwards.

This will pave the way for President Thabo Mbeki to release the long-awaited Khampepe report into the location of the Scorpions, which has been kept under wraps since February 2006, except for an edited version of its recommendations.

The commission’s recommendations included that the Scorpions should remain within the National Prosecuting Authority and not relocated to the police as urged by its detractors.

However, Judge Sisi Khampepe recommended that the unit’s prosecutors should fall under the justice department, while Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula should be politically accountable for the unit’s investigators.

This was approved by Cabinet, but draft legislation to put this into effect took months to finalise and was eventually shelved after the ANC’s national conference resolved in December that the unit should rather be disbanded and its investigators transferred to the police.

Mbeki will gazette the full Khampepe report on May 5, a day before MPs return for the second term of the parliamentary year.

Mbeki told Parliament in February that the elite crime fighting unit would be merged with the police’s organised crime unit to form a new super body, although it would not be allowed to initiate investigations as was the case with the Scorpions, and would only have cases referred to it.

The bill will be processed by the National Assembly’s committees on justice and safety and security – sitting jointly – according to ANC parliamentary caucus spokesman Khotso Khumalo.

Public hearings would be held, he said.

Yesterday, DA leader Helen Zille said her party’s Promotion of Access to Information Act application to the presidency had resulted in the release of the entire Khampepe Report.

“From what we know of it, the report sets out the case to retain the Scorpions in the NPA. Its publication will make it even harder for the ANC to justify dissolving the unit,” Zille said.

South Africa's international land borders are as porous as the proverbial sieve, with tens of thousands of refugees streaming into the country each week, alongside gun smugglers, drug traffickers and stock thieves, says the Democratic Alliance.

The party has called for the deployment of SA National Defence Force troops to the worst-affected border regions to bring the situation under control.

"There is a security vacuum in our border and rural areas," DA safety and security spokeswoman Dianne Kohler-Barnard told a media briefing at Parliament on Tuesday.

The Border Control Co-ordinating Committee (BCOCC), the body established to oversee border security, was not doing its job, and the SA Police Service -- tasked with the actual patrols -- was seriously under-equipped.

"Despite having been created in 2001, the BCOCC still has no complete overall strategic plan relating to borderline policing, as well as no divisional policy relating to borderline operations," she said.

South Africa was experiencing a "flood of refugees", who were entering the country at the rate of 28,000 a week. Besides Zimbabweans fleeing the troubles in their country, there were also "huge numbers" of Nigerians, Kenyans and Congolese.

DA defence spokesman Rafeek Shah called for the urgent creation of a specialised SANDF unit, "paramilitary in nature", to police South Africa's long land borders, as well as the establishment of permanent border monitoring posts in high-risk areas.

Referring to cross-border criminal activity, he singled out the 491km Mozambique and 225km Zimbabwe borders as the main "culprit areas", while noting the high incidence of stock theft around landlocked Lesotho's 909km border.

"When it comes to guns and weapons, it's most likely the Mozambique

border... human trafficking as well. We know a lot of illegal
immigrants, especially from the Asian sub-continent... come through
[this] border.

   "Smuggling of goods takes place mainly across the Zimbabwe border."

   "I would say the two main culprit areas are Mozambique and
Zimbabwe," he said.

   Kohler-Barnard noted there was high traffic in stolen vehicles
across South Africa's borders with Namibia and Botswana.

   According to a DA document distributed at the briefing -- titled

"Sealing our Borders" -- land border patrols are operating at 71 percent under capacity. There are also no permanent staff allocated to air patrols along South Africa's land borders.

Further, the SA Police Service faced serious equipment shortages.

"There are frequently no fences in place and no compensating equipment such as helicopters, horses or quad bikes to patrol borders in areas not accessible by conventional vehicles."

There were between three and five million illegal foreigners in South Africa.

The document calls for the role of the SANDF in borderline security to be looked at again.

"The DA believes that if the SAPS is going to retain responsibility for maintaining our borderline security, than not only must the SAPS border activities be overhauled, but the support role of the SANDF needs to be revisited," it states.

The controversial bill that will signal the death knell of the Scorpions is expected to be approved by the cabinet tomorrow and finally tabled in parliament ahead of MPs returning from their constituency break next week.

It will be accompanied on Monday by the long-awaited release of the full Khampepe Commission report, which the presidency has kept under wraps since February 2006.

The DA believes that its publication will make it even harder for the ANC to justify dissolving the unit.

The presidency’s decision to make the full Khampepe report public follows its statement in late March that it would do so, but only after the General Laws Amendment Bill – which deals with the disbanding of the Scorpions – had been tabled in parliament.

The presidency initially refused the DA application’s to have the report made public, saying it would compromise the country’s “defence, security and international relations”.

The report would now be published in the Government Gazette no. 31014 of May 5, Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad said.

DA leader Helen Zille yesterday said the report would be a crucial source of information for MPs and citizens during the legislative process to decide on the Scorpions’ future.

“From what we know of it, the report sets out the case to retain the Scorpions in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).”

The ANC had been unable to motivate why the disbanding of the Scorpions would be in the public interest, she said

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe had conceded in a meeting with her that the ruling party was motivated to disband the unit because of high-profile investigations into ANC members, Zille said

The ANC’s national working committee (NWC) in March proposed a controversial strategy that would see the public hearings in parliament packed with submissions by those in favour of the party’s policy on disbanding the unit.

The ANC claims the Scorpions is full of former apartheid policemen.

Judge Sisi Khampepe recommended in February 2006 that the Scorpions be retained in the NPA and not relocated to the police.

However, she did recommend that the justice minister be politically accountable for the Scorpions’ prosecutors, while her safety and security counterpart should be accountable for the unit’s investigators.

This was accepted by the cabinet, but the ANC’s national conference in December last year put paid to that, calling for the disbanding of the unit and its relocation to the police.

President Thabo Mbeki announced in February that the unit would be merged into a super unit with the police’s organised crime unit.

The ANC’s peace and security committee was to meet today at the party’s headquarters to discuss the Scorpion’s future and the impact of disbanding it.

The committee, headed by former SANDF chief Siphiwe Nyanda, will include the chairmen of the parliamentary committees that will jointly process the bill, which the ANC now hopes will be law by July.

ANC parliamentary caucus spokesperson Khotso Khumalo said that public hearings would be held.

He denied allegations that the NWC would try to pack the hearing with people in favour of disbanding the Scorpions.

The party merely wanted its members, alliance partners and NGOs to also make their voices heard during the public hearings, as was the case with the bills on cross-boundary municipalities, Khumalo said.

They were once among the most feared soldiers in southern Africa. Now they have been reduced to living a hand-to-mouth existence in the dusty streets of a forgotten mining town in the North West province.

The former 32 Battalion soldiers were moved to Pomfret when the former government had no more use for them.

South African Defence Force (SADF) generals promised to look after them, but the new government is set on relocating them from the only home they have known for more than a decade.

While some have “voluntarily” left the town, the bulk are refusing to go.

But the government is reportedly making their lives miserable by cutting them off from all basic services, and demolishing the homes of those who have already left.

Pretoria lawyer Adriaan Vorster is set on fighting for their rights.

Although the Pretoria high court earlier issued an interim interdict prohibiting the SADF from forcefully relocating these people, the order was lifted a week later and the matter was removed from the roll on a technical point.

Vorster has given notice to 21 government bodies, including various ministers – of his intention to approach the Mafikeng high court for an order to protect the rights of the people of Pomfret.

The case will be placed on the normal court roll, but Vorster said he would file an urgent application if government persisted in “driving” the people out of Pomfret.

Vorster will ask that government be ordered to stop the “unlawful” relocation of the civilian population of Pomfret.

He will also ask that government be ordered to reinstate the water supply to the households, repair the sewerage network, and restore basic health care service to the little town.

Other orders will include that government restore basic welfare services, effective policing and security services and normalise the administration of the town.

Vorster will also ask that government submit a report to court within a month of the order being issued regarding the functioning of these services.

Comprised mostly of Angolans, 32 Battalion built up a formidable reputation and the SADF came to rely on them. They were mainly deployed in southern Angola, acting as a buffer between the SADF’s regular forces and its enemies.

The unit was used to assist the Angolan anti-communist movement, Unita. When Namibia gained independence in 1989 the SA army withdrew and the 32 Battalion had to move.

They were given SA citizenship by the SADF and settled in Pomfret – an old asbestos mine. The SADF had the mine rehabilitated and built a base and houses.

They had just settled in when they were called to duty to quell faction fights between the ANC and IFP in the early 90s.

Local school principal Domingos Sebastiao, said in a statement filed in the latest application that working in the townships on the orders of their National Party bosses sounded the death knell for 32 Battalion.

“They were soon to be part of what became known as apartheid’s destabilising Third Force,” he said.

Sebastiao said not surprisingly the incoming ANC government wanted the unit disbanded, as it was in March 1993.

Soon after this the defence force withdrew from Pomfret, leaving a community of ill-adjusted, isolated civilians to fend for themselves. For more than a decade the veterans and their families have been relying on each other and social grants.

In January 2005 General Bobo Moerane from the then SANDF arrived in Pomfret and told the residents they would be moved and the town demolished.

The reason given was asbestos contamination.

Sebastiao said Moerane would not answer questions and insisted that the decision had been taken by cabinet, and he had the backing of the police and the military.

“Moerane said it was time for the community of Pomfret to go out and experience the suffering of their fellow South African people. He reportedly said they would leave Pomfret and ‘go out and find their coffins’.”

The community has refused to budge, arguing that they would leave their members – especially the old and disabled – vulnerable. Many lost their families between 1961 to 2002 when Angola was in a state of civil war. Pomfret is a close-knit community where the people look out for each other.

Sebastiao said things deteriorated from 2005 as service delivery was scaled down, even the police station and local clinic closed and the water deteriorated.

The community appealed to the Human Rights Commission, the Red Cross and the SA Council of Churches for help. So far they have received nothing.

The former soldiers believe their “forced” relocation has nothing to do with asbestos contamination, but a political decision following the “unpopular work they did in the townships in the early 90s and because government perceived Pomfret as a cesspool of mercenary activity”, Sebastiao said.

Meanwhile, armed forces have moved into the town and the community says it feels under siege. Sebastiao said government was terrorising the community, to prompt more people to leave.

Sebastiao said as soon as someone left, government agencies moved in and broke down their homes.

“For government to make such a mockery of the rule of law is a travesty which should be remedied without delay,” he said.

IT’s not every couple who work and travel together, wear the same clothes – complete with the same names above the pockets – and have the same rank.

So when Warrant Officer-1 Scheepers and Warrant Officer-1 Major Scheepers got out of their car at the Lord’s Ground Military Base in Durban on Friday, there were some raised eyebrows.

“Yes, we are married,” confirmed WO-1 Sheron Scheepers, who is the Sergeant-Major of the SANDF’s Joint Operations Division, which was established after the integ-ration process for operations in and out of the country.

Her husband, WO-1 Johan Scheepers, is the SergeantMajor of the SANDF, and he was in town to talk to the leadership of 10 KwaZulu-Natal Reserve Force regiments.

His wife was part of the “A” team which he brought with him to be on hand to answer questions that cropped up.

Both were appointed to their present jobs on the same day in October 2006, the same year they “got together”, said Scheepers (the wife, that is).

She calls her husband “Sergeant-Major” at work, while he addresses her by her first name.

While her husband is not her direct boss, she does report to him on certain aspects.

“There is a closer liaison on discipline issues than operations,” she explained.

Working together made life easier as “we both understand the situation and what the job involves”.

But who was the boss at home?

“Well, you know the answer to that,” grinned her husband.

She had to get her husband’s permission for our picture, but of course, there could be no hand-holding in uniform.

W0-1 Ken Gillings of the KZN Reserve Force Division told Scheepers that the regiments at the briefing represented almost 1 000 years of service to South Africa and that this was “nothing short of amazing”.

Sacrifice

Scheepers said defending one’s country was the highest commitment someone could have, and that a soldier might have to make the ultimate sacrifice and die for his country.

“If you are not prepared to die for this country, you are not a soldier,” he said.

Former Robben Island prisoner Andrew Masondo, a retired soldier, mathematician and traditional healer, was given a military send-off in Soweto at a colourful funeral ceremony yesterday, attended by ANC top brass.

President Thabo Mbeki, his wife Zanele, Kgalema Motlanthe, the ANC deputy president, Amos Masondo, the mayor of Johannesburg, and Essop Pahad, the minister in the presidency, were among the mourners at the service held at the Soweto campus of the University of Johannesburg (formerly Vista).

Speakers paid tribute to Masondo’s role in transforming the army, where he held the rank of lieutenant-general in the post-apartheid South African National Defence Force. His funeral service was a celebration of a life in the struggle that began in 1959 when Masondo joined the ANC and was put in charge of the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Eastern Cape high command, responsible for decoding coded messages.

Appearing before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he said: “I’d sabotaged pylons, electric pylons because, according to the regulations of MK, I couldn’t shoot people, so I had to deal with the pylons. You know, when we started, we were not supposed to kill people.”

Masondo, who grew up in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, had a tough childhood and told the commission why he joined the struggle.

“I grew up in the location. I remember sometimes the police would come there. A vivid picture I still have is one of an old lady who was hit with a … and she had a baby on her back, she fell. I have seen people arrested for a pass … not serious offences, just a pass.

“Secondly, I am a teacher at heart and I think a good one, too, as I was taught by one of the best applied mathematicians in this country. I go to Fort Hare and I teach and when I want to take people to learn from the same man, suddenly blacks can’t go and do senior degrees at Wits.

“I think that life needed to be changed. This country was losing some of its best people.”

South Africa lost one of its best when Masondo died last Sunday after a long illness. Comrades and traditional leaders who worked with him sang and celebrated his life yesterday.

Siphiwe Nyanda, the former SANDF chief and now a member of the ANC national executive committee, said earlier this week that Robben Island interns remembered Masondo as a stubborn man who had endured spells of solitary confinement because of his unbending spirit of defiance and resistance.

“The entire body of the ANC and its leadership will remember Masondo as a man who was prepared to serve the movement in any position. A man for all seasons, he straddled different generations of the liberation movement.”

After the ceremony at Vista, the coffin, draped in the South African flag with Masondo’s cap and medals on it, was carried outside the hall and placed on a gun carriage that led the convoy to Avalon cemetery.

The military and navy band performed at the cemetery while guests in two large tents watched as the last rites were performed and Masondo was laid in his final resting place.

WITH just over two years to go before the 2010 Fifa World Cup kicks off, the South African Police Service (SAPS) is on track with its planning to provide security for the event and has a R1 billion budget for this.

Deputy Police Commissioner Andre Pruis said security forces would provide Fifa with a security concept plan for the World Cup by June 30 and a detailed security plan by June 2009.

“About 90% of the planning is completed. We are working on the broad framework and tactical details,” he said.

The plan for 2010 safety covers security (issues such as terrorist threats), law enforcement, event-specific plans, local, regional and national plans, stadium plans and VIP protection – with elements “ranging from the international community to the soccer pitch”.

The intelligence community is also working on a plan for 2010, looking at hooliganism, terrorism, transport and labour issues, with a threat analysis for the event.

Pruis said police had asked for a list of undesirable people and were seeking bilateral agreements to prevent them from being allowed to leave their countries – a measure implemented for other world cup events.

Border security will also be tackled, with the focus on fixed points of entry, airports, harbour and land borders used by visitors.

Police will obtain satellite images of the border to check for illegal crossings, while ports and harbours will be patrolled.

Contingency plans and non-terror threats such as fire and flooding were also being taken into account.

Transport security formed a key part of the security plan, with 66 BMWs bought for patrols on major transport hubs and helicopters to be deployed.

Each city would be divided into sectors with different police teams to patrol streets, restaurants and pubs. These teams would interact with private security services to ensure a “blanket of security”, said Pruis.

To ensure stadium safety, precincts would be divided into concentric rings with different security and Fifa zones.

The 2010 Fifa World Cup Organising Committee (OC) is primarily responsible for security within the stadium, but the SAPS will be available to deal with illegal activity and crowd control.

“Exercises such as Operation Green Point are a good statement of the state of readiness of our country to deal with potentially major security incidents. The collaboration between the country’s various security arms in particular was very good and shows they can respond in a professional and efficient manner.

“Our security concept document for the FIFA Confederations Cup is at an advanced stage and is informed by the concept document for the 2010 World Cup. Our planning is at an advanced stage,” said the OC’s Chief Officer for Safety and Security, Commissioner Linda Mti.

During the World Cup, most police will be deployed outside the stadium precinct, with more than 700 on patrol to deal with potential hooliganism and crowd control during games.

The SAPS budget of R1 billion for the 2010 Fifa World Cup has been split between procurement and deployment. Items to be bought include water cannons, command vehicles, aircraft with cameras (to be deployed on the border afterwards) and body armour.

The deployment aspect deals with having 41 000 members on duty for the duration of the World Cup, and having a command and control system up and running.

Joint operational exercises, such as Operation Green Point, will also be carried out ahead of 2010.

“We can do it – I’ve been to Germany and other places that staged major events to look at how they did it and their track records. From where we are, in terms of our planning, we will have a very successful 2010 World Cup,” Pruis said.A simulated security exercise unfolds in Cape TownAndré PruisWHAT was Operation Green Point? Held between March 13 and 19, it was a joint exercise by the South African Police Service (SAPS), South African National Defence Force (SANDF), 2010 Fifa World Cup Organising Committee, South Africa’s security directorate and other government agencies such as the Civil Aviation Authority and Air Traffic and Navigation Services.

The exercise was designed to sharpen the skills of the security forces in working together to neutralise any form of aerial threat, given the security importance of the airspace above the Green Point stadium during the Fifa World Cup.

An area of 50 nautical miles (just under 100km) around Cape Town International Airport was identified, and during the exercise any perceived threat in the air (apart from normal aviation traffic) was identified, intercepted and interrogated if necessary.

“We proclaimed a temporary restricted airspace, then managed that airspace. The more we can do and interact now, the better it will be in 2010,” said Brigadier-General Anton Kriegler. “It’s a learning curve for all of us, and we need to train a lot of people.”

The exercise was designed to test the country’s safety procedures, by flying combat air patrols. Two teams participated, with one team having no contact with the other and therefore no idea of what the other was doing.

“We played all the different scenarios – from Greenpeace activists to hijackers and terrorists, to fully run through each of these.”

The highlight of the exercise was the simulated hijacking of a plane and hostage-taking of its passengers, and its intrusion into restricted air space.

On the weekend of March 15-16, Operation Green Point included vetting flight plans. A total of 651 flights were vetted, of which 247 were normal scheduled flights.

And while 650 of the flights had clearance to be where they were, one aircraft went off its flight path and was not responding to the control tower – and heading directly for the Green Point Stadium.

Air Force Cheetah pilots intercepted the aircraft and forced it to land at Ysterplaat Air Force Base, where it was escorted to a safe holding area and SAPS hostage negotiators persuaded the “hijackers” to surrender to the Special Task Force.

A smaller exercise was carried out in Polokwane last year, and there will be more exercises in Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein in July and Nelspruit in November, as well as in Gauteng.

“We are doing this so that we can be professional and safe, and have a secure area around Green Point Stadium in 2010,” Kriegler said.

“Operation Green Point was an essential exercise to allow our security forces to merge their expertise to ensure that every South African can be proud of their country and their security forces during any major event, but especially during the 2010 Fifa World Cup,” said police spokeswoman, Director Sally de Beer.

SOUTH Africa is determined to assist conflict-ravaged countries and in keeping with this approach we will move to advance a more rigorous debate and dynamic interaction between members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), on ways to secure predictable, sustainable and flexible resources for regional organisations such as the African Union (AU), to bolster the core mandate of the UNSC in maintaining international security and peace. In the same vein, South Africa will endeavour to marshal the collective will of the UN to co- operate constructively in the areas of conflict prevention, resolution and management, mediation support, early warning and support for the Panel of the Wise as well as the utilisation of the good offices of the Secretary-General.

Ultimately, South Africa's commitment to the greater objective of international peace and security in fulfilment of our international obligations and as a key cornerstone of our foreign policy, is manifested by the deployment of members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in northern Uganda as part of the AU Mission, as well as under the aegis of the UN in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nepal, Darfur, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Our engagement and co- operation with Australia finds constructive expression in the broader framework of South- South co-operation. We anticipate that our bilateral political and economic relations with Australia will assume a greater strategic and practical focus on issues of common interest and concern. In concert with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's declaration that Australia will adopt an ambitious new 'activist' stance on international issues, committing the country to ''creative, middle power diplomacy as the best means of enhancing Australia's national interests'', we envisage that our future relations with Australia will be informed by robust multilateral engagement in such areas as UN Reform, Human Rights, WTO- DOHA, Climate Change and global security. Consequently, we will encourage Prime Minister Rudd and his Government to pursue a more constructive and meaningful engagement with South Africa and Africa in general. In this regard, we will work tirelessly to ensure that key ministers visit South Africa and indeed other African countries in the course of 2008 and beyond, to build their knowledge and understanding of the African political landscape and socio-economic dynamic. We are also confident that the revitalisation of such important bilateral political and economic co-operation mechanisms as the Joint Ministerial Commission and the senior officials consultations between our two countries, will continue to anchor our growing trade, investment and commercial partnerships in areas such as manufacturing, services and mining, as well burgeoning academic, science, research, knowledge transfer, cultural and sports linkages within the framework of people-to-people co-operation. In keeping with our primary objective to support the expansion of trade, investment and commercial linkages with Australia, the High Commission in conjunction with South African Tourism and South African Airways hosted a trade and investment conference in Brisbane on March 28, 2008. The conference was a follow-up to the highly successful inaugural conference in Sydney in March 2007 as part of our ongoing efforts to engender among Australian government and business leaders a greater understanding and enhanced

awareness of South Africa's challenges and opportunities, also from a continental perspective.As such, we were particularly pleased to welcome our Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Elizabeth Thabethe as our keynote speaker, where she had the opportunity to address an influential government and business audience on South Africa's economic policy environment, programs, incentives, SME development and other areas of interest to the Australian business and investment sectors. Apart from her participation at the conference, the Deputy Minister was hosted on an official program from March 24 to 27 2008 by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, as a further demonstration of the deepening relations between South Africa and the State of Queensland. A common thread characterising South Africa's co-operation with Australian stakeholders at federal, state, local government, business and people-to-people levels has focussed on skills development and training, in support of South Africa's Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA) program. Consequently, in the year ahead we will work towards identifying and sourcing of skills development and capacity building opportunities for South African graduates by way of placements, internships and other human resources development interventions in Australia. The South African Government, in tandem with the African continent has acknowledged the importance of the global African Diaspora to the development of the continent. In recognition of the need to constructively engage the African Diaspora in dialogue and partnership in support of the continent's economic, social and cultural rebirth, the African Union in 2006 mandated South Africa to host a global Africa- African Diaspora Summit in 2008, with the objective of producing a shared vision of sustainable development for both the African continent and the Diaspora. In the lead up to this event, six Regional African Diaspora Consultative Conferences have been held in London, Brazil, Barbados, Paris, South Africa and Addis Ababa in preparing for this landmark Summit. At the very heart of this initiative, is the desire by African Governments to unite Africa and its Diaspora in sustainable and enduring dialogue and partnerships for the advancement and betterment of the continent in all aspects of human endeavour. Within this context, we are proud of the significant contribution that continues to be made by the large and highly skilled South African expatriate community to Australia's expanding economic development and prosperity. Indeed, we are hopeful that through an ongoing

process of dialogue and interaction, the South African Diaspora will generously embrace the Summit Program of Action by assisting the South African Government to meet its skills development targets under the Deputy President's JIPSA program. Undoubtedly, we will prevail on the goodwill and loyalty of the South African Diaspora in Australia that it may be harnessed in support of our singular quest to build a better life and a shared prosperity for all South Africans. Collectively and in partnership with all South Africans, we shall ensure that this dream is realised. Therefore, let us fully embrace and rally to the President's call of a 'Business Unusual' approach and attitude, towards successfully meeting the aspirations and dreams of all South Africans in striving for a better South Africa in a better Africa and a better world.

This is how colleagues and friends described the life of ANC stalwart Andrew Masondo at his memorial service in Thaba Tshwane yesterday.

The service was attended by several dignitaries, including Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, first lady Zanele Mbeki and Tshwane executive mayor Dr Gwen Ramokgopa.

Masondo died after a long illness on Sunday in 1 Military Hospital.

Retired Lieutenant-General Lehlohonolo Moloi, a close friend of Masondo’s for many years, said the countrywould have a tough time creating democratic fighters who would be able to fill Masondo’s shoes.

“This man survived many atrocities during the struggle, yet he was firm in his belief in the non-racial society that we are aspiring for,” he said.

Moloi said part of Masondo’s legacy should be efforts to make sure that traditional healers are given the opportunity to participate in the medical industry and to contribute their indigenous expertise.

Masondo joined the ANC’s armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), in 1962 and became a commander of Victoria East MK group, activities for which he later spent 13 years on Robben Island.

An enthusiastic academic, he obtained a second BSc (honours) in mathematical statistics while on Robben Island, having obtained a BSc (honours) at Wits University a few years before he was arrested.

He joined the SANDF in 1994 and when he retired in 2001, being a trained traditional healer, he devoted his years to cultural matters, particularly focusing on indigenous knowledge systems.

Northern Flagship Institute’s Makgolo Makgolo said Masondo had been committed to preserving the tangible and non-tangible heritage of his people.

“This is why he should not just be remembered as a struggle veteran. He was also as a cultural activist,” he said.

Masondo’s funeral service will be held tomorrow at 8am at Vista College, Soweto.

Maj-Gen Barney Hlatshwayo of the joint operations division said the military would withdraw from borderline operations in Limpopo at the end of March next year. The responsibility w ould be handed to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

"The decision was taken that the mandate should be given to the police," said defence department head of communications Siphiwe Dlamini yesterday. This decision could be made by "political principals" only, he said.

Hlatshwayo said the handover of responsibility at the border was in line with the military's strategic requirements and constitutional obligations. Unlike the police, the army had no powers of arrest and could not use force when dealing with civilians.

Limpopo was the last area for military border operations since the military began transferring responsibility to the police in a programme that began four years ago. The SANDF ha s three companies of 500 soldiers in Limpopo but they will return to their regular bases next year.

While he said the number of Zimbabweans crossing into SA had increased since the country's elections last month, handover plans were in place. Sufficient warning had also been given to the police so as not to create a vacuum, and the military would continue to support the police, Hlatshwayo said.

The pending handover comes after a report by Auditor- general Terence Nombembe, pointed to gaping inadequacies in the management of the country's borders.

The report said there were vacancies of 70% in the SAPS border protection service. Nombembe also found that, since 2004, there was still no overall plan relating to border policing.

SAPS spokesman Phuti Setati said the police service was up to the task of managing SA's Zimbabwe border. "As soon as the SANDF go, we will increase capacity. Whatever challenge we meet, we will take it head on," he said.

Phuti maintained the police had the capacity to perform policing functions "along all border areas".

However, earlier this week Mpumalanga MEC for safety and security Fish Mahlalela appealed for the defence force to be brought back to patrol SA's borders with Mozambique and Swaziland. Police took over the function in the province early this month. Crime was rocketing because of the conditions on the border and there were no police officers to do the job, Mahlalela told Beeld .

After a recent tour , he found the task to be too big for the police. "The fence looks like a sieve. At certain places there aren't even fences," he said, adding that he would ask Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota to re-deploy the military.

The SANDF could not be drawn into revealing whether it had a contingency plan for the situation in Zimbabwe, the source of over 1-million migrants living in SA .

The area around Pretoria will play a pivotal role in the security of the Fifa 2010 World Cup tournament. This was announced by the South African National Defence Force during a high-level military media briefing in the capital yesterday.

The air force’s Mobile Deployment Wing, which is commonly known as Snake Valley, is to be used as the joint operations centre for the tournament because of its excellent military facilities.

Rear Admiral Philip Schoultz made the announcement while briefing the media about the SANDF’s joint operations division’s work and capabilities.

Explaining why the facility had been chosen, Schoultz said Snake Valley, which is situated next to Air Force Base Zwartkops, was central and thus allowed for a rapid response to any location in the country.

“As well as this, the facility also has good runways, which allow for quick aircraft take-offs for any reaction forces or security personnel responding to any threat,” he said.

Vowing to be alert for any security threat to the competition, Schoultz said they were “more than prepared”.

While precise security details are being kept under tight wraps, the defence force said it was leaving nothing to chance when it came to ensuring security.

“While the organising committee will be responsible for security inside the stadiums, it will be the SANDF and the South African Police Service which will be taking care of things around the event venues.

“Security preparations, which are unique in that they are for the first time being given jointly to a defence force and a police service, started more than a year ago,” he said.

Schoultz said the security arrangements entailed land, air and sea operations.

“When it comes to land we will be involved in establishing reaction forces which will assist at each venue with potential disasters, ranging from biochemical attacks to stampedes caused by possible stadium collapses.

“Mindful that criminals like to attack soft targets, we will also be providing protection along the country’s highways and will be involved in the establishment of advice centres for tourists and spectators.

“When it comes to maritime security we will be there to deal with any cruise ships and other vessels that arrive with tourists and spectators,” he said.

It is believed that maritime measures include stopping and searching ships out at sea before allowing them to dock.

With regards to air protection, Schoultz said there would be constant patrols by the air force to keep the skies above stadiums and other venues clear.

“We will also be dealing with the command and control centres in support of the police, who will be using specialised security monitoring equipment during the tournament,” he said.

Warning that they could not divulge too much about security preparations for fear of tipping off criminal organisations, the SANDF’s Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant-General Temba Matanzima, said the plans were still being finalised.

“These plans are not yet cast in stone and will grow as the event approaches,” he said.

AS the first results of the recount of some of the votes in Zimbabwe were released yesterday ANC president Jacob Zuma and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a joint statement from London condemning the “violence and intimidation” in Zimbabwe.

Zuma and Brown branded the situation a “crisis” and repeated calls for the results to be published.

“We call for an end to any violence and intimidation and stress the importance of respect for the sovereign people of Zimbabwe and the choice they have made at the ballot box.

“We have agreed on the importance of humanitarian aid and the need for international co-operation to support the recovery of the economy of Zimbabwe once all election processes have been fulfilled,” the joint statement reads.

Zuma is in Britain as part of a three-nation tour, which includes France and Germany, to meet with the heads of state of Europe’s biggest economies.

Brown also called for an arms embargo on Zimbabwe – a call echoed by Amnesty International – which warned further arms deliveries to Zimbabwe could boost “state-sponsored violence”.

Amnesty called for this ban to include the sale of all security equipment, such as tear gas, water cannons, and anti-riot equipment “which has been used in the past by the Zimbabwe police to suppress the right to peaceful protest”.

But Zuma disagreed, saying he didn’t think the stage had been reached where it was necessary to call for an arms embargo.

In Pretoria the SA National Defence Force yesterday reported a clear increase since the March 29 poll in the number of Zimbabweans trying to enter the country illegally.

The SANDF has more than 500 soldiers patrolling the border in support of the border police and has already apprehended 1 780 Zimbabwean trying to cross the border illegally.

The state-run Herald newspaper – a government mouthpiece – said it was clear that no side would win a majority in the presidential election on March 29 and the best way forward was to form a government of national unity.

But Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the proposal was not government policy: “Our position is very clear. We were approached for a government of national unity and we rejected that.”

While the election commission has yet to release the results of the presidential poll, the opposition had wrest control of the 210-seat parliament from the ruling Zanu-PF party.

But that result could be reversed as the election commission recounts votes in 23 constituencies, all but two of which were initially said to have returned an MDC candidate to parliament.

In the first constituency to complete its recount, , Zanu-PF was confirmed the winner and only needs to reverse the result in seven of the other seats under the microscope to regain control of parliament.

The opposition has denounced the recount as a ploy by Mugabe to steal back control of parliament and says the delay to the result of the presidential election is also intended to buy a defeated regime more time.

Former Mozambican leader Joaquim Chissano said yesterday that he would be willing to mediate in the crisis.

“We don’t want to see an explosion of violence. We don’t want another Matabeleland ,” he said, in reference to the so-called Gukurhundi massacre of the 1980s that claimed the lives of thousands.

In an interview yesterday, Chissano, as the incubment chairperson of the Africa Forum, said he would be willing to intervene immediately in the political deadlock should SADC decide to call on his services.

“We, the Forum, are available to do something. We don’t know what as yet,” the former Mozambican president said.

“But the matter is in the hands of the sitting presidents of the region right now. And we could not take initiatives without their blessing.”

On their return yesterday from a two-day visit to Zimbabwe, Reformed church leaders Allan Boesak and Braam Hanekom called on SADC to send a “peace force”.

“There is no doubt Zimbabwe is experiencing a severe crises characterised by large scale and blatant injustice.”

They said the delay in announcing the results of the election had left people with little hope, which in most cases had been replaced by “an intense fear”, with a large percentage sceptical about a re-run of elections.

Hundreds of elite South African parabat troops are manning areas around the South African/ Zimbabwe border.

The SANDF yesterday said the troops were conducting “routine” border operations.

It was quick to point out that it had no intentions of sending anymore troops to the border “for fear of sending the wrong signal”.

The three rifle companies currently in the border vicinity are from 44 Parachute Battalion.

The troops, due to be withdrawn by March next year as part of the handover of border control duties to the SAPS, have been involved in the arrest of thousands of illegal Zimbabwean immigrants fleeing Robert Mugabe’s forces since January.

SANDF Joint Operational Headquarters commander Major-General Barny Hlatswayo said the number of people crossing the border had increased since the elections in Zimbabwe last month.

Since January the 517 troops stationed near the border area have captured 10 160 Zimbabweans crossing illegally into South Africa.

Responding to questions as to whether the SANDF would deploy further troops to the South African-Zimbabwe border in light of the current crisis, Hlatswayo said: “The input from the commander on the ground in the area is that it is business as usual. He and his forces are not overstretched.

“While the arrests of immigrants have increased, it does not yet warrant a need to send more troops, especially as this could be seen as sending the ‘wrong signal’, which we don’t want to do.”

Defence Department spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said the situation in Zimbabwe was being dealt with at a multilateral level, with the UN and the Southern African Development Community and President Thabo Mbeki continuing to mediate.

“Until such time as the SANDF receives an instruction, we are going to continue with our business as usual.

“Like any other government department, we are watching how the events are playing themselves out,” he said.

Asked if there were any contingency plans for military intervention in Zimbabwe should the need arise, Dlamini said: “We have not received such instructions. The mediations and negotiations aren’t over yet.”

Chief Director Operations Rear Admiral Philip Schöultz said the constitution contained the legal framework allowing the president to deploy the military internally.

The SANDF has gradually been handing over its borderline control duties to the SAPS since last year.

Eight border bases in Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Eastern Cape and Limpopo manned by 1 160 soldiers have been handed over to 435 SAPS members.

Hlatswayo said that while they were winding down their borderline control responsibilities, they would continue to support the SAPS.

“We have a rapid response force, which has limited powers, but can and will be used if and when needed,” he said.

Explaining the handover of borderline control to the SAPS Hlatswayo said: “The policy decision was based on the SANDF’s mandate and the constitution.

“The principals involved in the decision felt that the SAPS were better able to do border duty.

“But given that the SANDF’s mandate is to protect the integrity of South Africa during both peace and war, the defence force will continuously support the police whenever the need arises.”

There has been a clear increase in the number of Zimbabweans trying to cross the border illegally into South Africa since the March 29 election, the SA National Defence Force said on Wednesday.

The Defence Force have three companies of more than 500 soldiers patrolling the border in support of police operations and have already up to the start of the week apprehended 1780 Zimbabwean trying to cross the border illegally.

"There is a clear increase in foreigners crossing the border," Major General Barny Hlatshwayo said.

He was briefing the media in Pretoria about internal and external operations of the SANDF.

A senior SANDF administration clerk yesterday pleaded guilty to 251 charges of defrauding her employer.

Zelda Wolmarans, of Clubview, admitted in the Pretoria specialised commercial crimes court that she had helped herself to more than R1.1 million over several years until her arrest in April 2006.

Wolmarans was a civilian working for the SANDF.

Part of her duties was to key in information on the SANDF’s salary system.

She captured false information on the salary system and approved payments for reserve force members, of which some did not even do duty.

She then had these payments paid into her own bank accounts.

Magistrate Dawie Jacobs found her guilty as charged.

The case was postponed to July 7 for pre-sentencing reports.

According to the SANDF Head of Communications Siphiwe Dlamini, the SANDF would continue to provide support service at a request.

Speaking at a media briefing, Mr Dlamini said the decision to withdraw troops at border posts was taken at a higher level.

"It was decided that border control was better placed with the South African Police Service [SAPS].

"As the SANDF, we do not have arresting powers but we will continue to support the police in patrolling the borders," he said.

Currently, the SANDF and SAPS are jointly monitoring the country's borders. He indicated that the SANDF will continue with its partnership with the SAPS.

South Africa's border posts are Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana.

With regard to the staging of the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa, SANDF Chief of Joint Operations LT General Themba Matanzima assured soccer fans that the SANDF would be on standby to ensure safety of all soccer fans.

South Africa will host 2010 FIFA World Cup games at ten stadia in nine cities, in what is said to be a truly African world cup and the best FIFA World Cup ever.

LT General Matanzima indicated that should there be a need for establishing a Special Force; the SANDF would gladly support the idea.

"We are prepared to provide security for heads of states who will be visiting the country during the 2010 Soccer World Cup," he said.

The SANDF is currently supporting the police in terms of crime operations and force preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

LT General Matanzima said that the SAPS were playing a leading role in security issues pertaining to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"Should a request be made for a Reaction Force, the SANDF will assist," he said.

Massive security exercises to prepare for the 2010 World Cup will be held in Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and the northern provinces before the end of the year, the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) said on Wednesday.

Briefing reporters on the work of the Joint Operations Division of the SANDF, Rear Admiral Philip Schöultz said the Army, Navy, Air Force and Medical Health Services would take part in the exercises in the host cities.

"2010 is not just during 2010, it started a year ago and there are a series of (security) events," Schöultz said.

The police were responsible for securing the World Cup but would be relying heavily on the defence force to provide support.

Most of planning and training were done jointly.

The exercises planned this year for Port Elisabeth, Bloemfontein, Gauteng the North West and Limpopo and next year for KwaZulu-Natal would be similar to Exercise Green point which saw hundreds of security personnel, ground, air and sea, dealing with a variety of simulated threats around Cape Town.

In the meantime, the defence force was finalising its plans for the actual event which included the possibility that all ships entering South African waters would be searched 10 nautical miles off the coast, the deployment of standby reaction forces near every World Cup venue and manned posts along the major routes on which visitors would travel.

SANDF plans also included strategies on how to deal with chemical and biological attacks and planning for constant air patrols by the Air Force.

"I still don't think people realise just how massive a thing the World Cup is," Schöultz said.

There has been a clear increase in the number of Zimbabweans trying to cross the border illegally into South Africa since the March 29 election, the SA National Defence Force said on Wednesday.

The Defence Force have three companies which total more than 500 soldiers patrolling the border in support of police border operations and have already up to the start of the week apprehended 1780 Zimbabwean trying to cross the border illegally.

"There is a clear increase in foreigners crossing the border," Major General Barny Hlatshwayo said in Pretoria during a briefing on the internal and external operations of the SANDF.

The SANDF said it was not planning to send more soldiers to the area.

"The situation doesn't warrant, at present, to deploy more forces," department of defence head of communication Siphiwe Dlamini said.

Hlatshwayo said the commander in Limpopo responsible for the border operations had indicated that he was satisfied that no additional troops were needed.

"He is happy to conduct business as usual," Hlatshwayo said. He added that the defence force was monitoring the situation in co-operation with the police.

The responsibility of securing the borders have been taken over by police and the SANDF expected to stand down the last three companies patrolling the Zimbabwean border by March next year.

On a question whether there were any contingency plans for military intervention in Zimbabwe, should the situation decline rapidly, Dlamini said no instruction had been received from government for such a contingency.

"The political processes have not been exhausted," he said.

The SA navy could not stop a Chinese ship carrying arms up the west coast and destined for Zimbabwe as it was not in South African territorial waters as claimed, the defence force said last night.

SANDF spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini was reacting to a statement by the Southern African Litigation Centre that the ship was passing through South Africa’s territorial waters in violation of Friday’s court order and that by failing to stop it, the navy would be in contempt.

The Litigation Centre’s director, Nicole Fritz, said in a statement yesterday that the centre had received confirmation on Sunday afternoon that the An Yue Jiang had been spotted off the coast of South Africa and was en route to Lobito, Angola.

It was believed that the ship was close enough to St Francis Bay and Mossel Bay to have been within South Africa’s jurisdiction.

However, Dlamini said the information at his disposal was that the ship was not in South Africa’s territorial waters.

A disappointed Fritz said the centre would have to explore legal avenues in Namibia, where the ship was expected to refuel, and would also use diplomatic channels, which had proved effective in Mozambique at the weekend.

Namibia and Angola are allies of President Robert Mugabe and activists are not hopeful that their efforts to stop the arms from reaching Zimbabwe will succeed.

Wessels Feris, acting manager for marketing and strategic business development at Namport, which operates the ports of Walvis Bay and Luderitz, said: “We have not had any request (to dock) and there is no indication that she will come here.”

Fritz said the Litigation Centre’s maritime experts had indicated that the ship, if it had refuelled in Singapore, would have enough fuel to make it to Luanda in Angola without having to stop in Namibia. If this was the case, the arms and ammunition would probably be transported by air to Zimbabwe once it reached Lobito, she said.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance has written to SADC chairman Levy Mwanawasa asking that he use his influence to ensure that no member state of the regional bloc allows the cargo of arms and ammunition to be transported through its territory to Zimbabwe, to signal the region’s unequivocal commitment to democracy, non-violence and human rights.

In its reaction, Cosatu yesterday called for an international boycott of the arms ship. It was writing to labour federations elswhere, including Angola and China, to enlist their support.

Cosatu fully supported the SA Transport and allied Workers’ Union’s call on:

q African transport workers in the maritime and road freight industries not to allow the vessel to dock or to handle or transport its cargo;

q All African governments and port authorities not to allow entry of the vessel into any of its ports; and

q All employers not to use “scab” (replacement) labour when trade union members refused to handle the container or its cargo.

Afriforum, the civil society organisation established by the mostly white Solidarity trade union, also did its bit for worker solidarity yesterday.

Joined by students, members protested outside the Zimbabwean and Chinese embassies in Pretoria.

q After media reports that the ship might have sunk, based on information provided on its website, Lloyd’s Maritime Intelligence Unit yesterday clarified what it had meant by listing the An Yue Jiang as a “casualty”.

“We called it a casualty as it failed to discharge its cargo in the manner it expected.

“We supply a lot of data to the insurance market and this type of information is of use to them,” LLoyd’s MIU managing director Mark Hankey said.

An administration clerk pleaded guilty in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday of defrauding the SA National Defence Force out of more than R1 million over several years.

Clubview resident Zelda Wolmarans said in her plea explanation she worked as a civilian at the SANDF's reserve force administration department.

Her duties entailed capturing information on the salary system. She was later promoted to a position entailing approving this information as captured by others.

However, by using the access codes of officials, Wolmarans captured false information on the salary system and had monies paid into several bank accounts she had opened for this purpose.

She was arrested in April 2006.

Wolmarans's case was postponed on Tuesday to July 7 for pre-sentencing reports and her bail of R20,000 was extended.

The South African National Defence Force [SANDF] has denied claims that it has sent a navy refueling vessel to aid a ship carrying arms apparently destined for Zimbabwe.

The Chinese ship fled South African waters last week after a high court judge ruled the weapons onboard could not be transported through South African territory.

It's been speculated the SANDF had sent a refueling vessel to aid the ship, which is believed to be running low on fuel.

But the defence force's Themba Radebe says it's not assisting the ship in any way.

Denel’s much-vaunted contract to design and build fuselage sections for the new Airbus A400M military transport plane will lose the company money unless fresh orders are forthcoming, says exiting chief executive Shaun Liebenberg.

The high cost of gearing up to build the fuselage sections and a level of complexity for which Denel was unprepared have complicated the project from the outset.

Government is to spend more than R8-billion on eight A400Ms in a controversial deal that was not put out to tender and was driven by the ministries of transport and public enterprises rather than the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

The main reason for this approach, according to government officials at the time, was that buying the planes was a “unique opportunity” to help Denel by guaranteeing work for its aerostructures division.

Instead it seems the parastatal has spent heavily to prepare for the project, despite virtually non-existent cash resources and with no clarity on orders beyond the launch.

Liebenberg is reluctant to discuss precise figures, citing commercial confidentiality, but his remarks make it clear that revenues from this contract would not cover Denel’s initial investment unless Airbus Military is able to convince more buyers of the merits of the aircraft.

That may take time and a series of delays in the expected launch date has not helped the company make progress on sales.

Apart from the South African consignment, Airbus has firm orders for 180 A400Ms in its European home market and four for Malaysia.

When the deal was first agreed in late 2004, it caused serious jitters at Denel. Government put Liebenberg’s predecessor, Victor Moche, under intense pressure to sign off quickly on the design and manufacturing deal before a Christmas deadline set by Airbus, despite his concerns that the pricing of the contract was a losing proposition for Denel.

The launch delays at Airbus have provided Denel with breathing space after a technically troubled beginning. “The delays take a bit of pressure off us,” Liebenberg says. “We were not ready to take on this project.”

Potentially mitigating the losses, he says, are the new capabilities Denel has gained in the process. “If we come through the next six to 12 months we will be one of the few players in the wing-to-fuselage [component] market,” he says.

Airbus insists that 320 of the aircraft could be sold in the next 20 years. “There is no competitor to the A400M,” a company spokesperson says.

As for Denel’s losses on the project, the spokesperson says that prime contractors and suppliers in aviation can generally expect to break even during the launch phase and would make a profit once the aircraft was in serial production.

Of more serious concern to Liebenberg than the A400M programme, however, is securing the final R1,7billion tranche of R5,2billion in recapitalisation funds that Denel has requested from the government.

“We need that money this financial year,” he told the Mail & Guardian . “The government has just put in R3,5-billion and they need to protect that investment.”

In appreciation for the apprehension of eight armed robbers in Irene in 2007, Inspector Thinus le Roux and Constable Johan Nel, were awarded certificates and cash awards to the value of R15 000 each.

Eight other police officers and three SANDF members received R10 000 each for their assistance in the same incident.

Three members of the Special Task Force and two members of the police's Air Wing were awarded Certificates of Commendation for their contributions to the successful apprehension of suspects.

Deputy National Commissioner Andre Pruis said the brave actions of these members, who reacted in a professional, calm and restrained manner during a fierce shoot-out, demands recognition.

"Too often the heroic actions of police officials - both men and women - pass unnoticed and unrewarded.

"By rewarding their diligence in this small way, after they risked their lives in order to bring this gang to book, top management is sending out a clear message that we acknowledge and respect our members' dedication and sacrifices."

The police and the SANDF enjoy an exceptionally cooperative relationship.

The SANDF regularly supports the police in terms of crime operations and force preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Recent combined exercises aimed at securing the national airspace from airborne threats have proved to be invaluable for evaluating our readiness for the world cup and the South African Air Force in particular has participated with enthusiasm and professionalism.

Certificates of appreciation were, therefore, awarded to Brigadier General Anton Kriegler, Brigadier General Lesley Lombard, Colonel Lukas Delport and Lieutenant Colonel Amigo Bertal Louw of the South African Air Force.

"I would like to personally thank the SANDF for their continued support and assistance in terms of crime operations and major events," said Commissioner Pruis during the ceremony.

"We know that we can always count on our defense force to make their resources available to assist in the fight against crime and to cooperate with us to ensure that major events - such as general elections and the upcoming world cup - take place without any major security breach," he concluded.

African National Congress veteran Andrew Masondo died on Sunday, the ANC said on Monday.

"Masondo dedicated his life to the cause of the South African people, having served as a soldier since the early years of Umkhonto we Sizwe.

"A dedicated freedom fighter, Masondo played a central role in the formation of the [SANDF] as an integrated force serving the democratic state," the party said.

"The country owes much to his undying commitment to a free and democratic society at peace with itself and the world."

According to Truth and Reconciliation Commission documents, Masondo was also associated with the Morris Seabelo Rehabilitation Centre in Angola, known also as Quatro, and was censured after reports of human rights abuses and inhumane treatment at the camp surfaced.

The camp was formed to deal with undisciplined ANC cadres and those suspected of involvement in passing intelligence to apartheid agents.

Top-secret military intelligence reports about Robert Mugabe's political rivals are among a stash of documents handed over to his regime by the South African National Defence Force - shortly before the signing of a military pact between the two countries.

A detailed index of the documents - of which the Sunday Times has a copy - is contained in papers before the Pretoria High Court, where a prominent human rights organization is fighting for access to them.

The classified documents were handed back to Zimbabwe in December 2004 shortly after a Johannesburg academic applied to view them.

The transfer was authorised by the then head of the armed forces, General Siphiwe Nyanda, on the grounds that the documents had been illegally obtained - and were therefore not South African property. No copies were made, according to an affidavit submitted to court.

The transferred documents - entitled Afdeling Militere Inligting Group 4 ('the Group 4 records') - include files on informants who worked against Mugabe's liberation movement, the Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu), as well as a file entitled "Zanu Propaganda".

There are also dozens of files on the Zimbabwean African People's Union (Zapu), which was Mugabe's main rival in the south of Zimbabwe before independence.

Other files cover operational matters ranging from interrogation to military manoeuvres. They originate from Rhodesian Military Intelligence records and cover a period from the early 1960s to the late 1970s.

Piers Pigou, director of the South African History Archive, who lodged the High Court application, said some of the files were "potentially deadly" if named informants were still alive. He said it was unclear where the files had ended up because there was no sign of them at the Zimbabwean national archives. He also asked why no copies had been made when similar documents returned to Namibia had been copied and stored on microfilm.

"We believe the politics of this is more about an attempt to curry favour with the Zimbabwe security and intelligence establishment," Pigou said.

In its affidavit, his organization says the Defence Department subverted "constitutional and legislative obligations" by transferring the documents - in part because they form part of South Africa's archival heritage: "These records are valuable tools in researching and understanding the history of destabilisation in the region."

The Department of Defence declined to comment this week, saying the matter was sub judice.

However, a court affidavit authorised by Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota claims the documents were handed over to avoid diplomatic "embarrassment" to South Africa and "in keeping with the archival principle that official government records remain the property of the originating country and its people".

"The records ... had been obtained unofficially by the military intelligence division of the South African Defence Force in 1980. These records were transferred to the department's archives in 1993 along with a large number of military intelligence files for safekeeping," the affidavit said.

The files were handed over to officials at the Zimbabwean embassy in Pretoria.

University of Cape Town historian Professor Chris Saunders said the files should never have been sent back without a copy being made.

"While most are about Zimbabwe's history . .. there are also files relating to South Africa and Namibia. Among the latter are files on Swapo and the Caprivi," Saunders said.

In the midst of the mostly spruced-up gravestones inscribed with Portuguese names, a small headstone sticks out like a sore thumb.

It is the Afrikaans surname of Major Harper Martin Geldenhuys, finely etched on the thick headstone, that attracts the attention of the curious.

Geldenhuys is known as the “white man” who was killed in 1991 when a helicopter take-off went wrong in 1991 in Pomfret, in the far-flung north-western corner of the North West province – very close to the Kalahari region.

The graveyard in which his remains and those of other fallen combatants of the disbanded 32 Battalion and their families lie would probably be the only site to survive the planned demolition of Pomfret.

Everything else, including more than 800 houses and lots of mining and military infrastructure, will most likely be razed.

This decaying former military town has been declared “uninhabitable” by the government, averring potential health hazards from the traces of crocidolite asbestos from previous mining activities there.

The government has already begun demolishing houses of families who have agreed to be relocated to the North West capital, Mafikeng.

If everyone could just give in and agree that there is an asbestos threat then the entire infrastructure would be levelled to the ground – but some residents remain defiant.

Pomfret’s story dates back to decades ago when, despite the known asbestos health hazard, the former mining town was inherited by the army.

It became home to the apartheid government’s notorious army unit – 32 Battalion.

Established in 1975, the unit was made up mostly of Angolans displaced by the war back home, who found themselves in what was to become one of apartheid South Africa’s formidable battalions – also known as “The Terrible Ones” or the “Buffalo Soldiers”.

To complete Pomfret as an army base in 1989, strong and proper houses were built for the Portuguese-speaking soldiers and their families.

The “Buffalo Soldiers” were later thrown into violence-marred townships for counter insurgency operations.

Their presence in the township became controversial and was drawn into the negotiations between the apartheid government and the ANC.

The unit was disbanded on March 26 1993 with some of its members being incorporated into the SANDF.

With nowhere else to go, they were given South African citizenship and retreated to Pomfret, where they were to live normal family lives.

After the army had withdrawn from Pomfret the standard of living in this isolated town started to fall.

Residents were left to fend for themselves in a town with no noticeable development, service delivery or any other activities that would have created employment for them.

And then it was revealed that the area had been built on an asbestos mine, which the North West government insisted posed a serious health hazard.

“Cases of asbestosis have been reported and treated by our health facilities. I am informed that, between 2000 and 2006, at least 10 deaths were reported as a result of asbestos-related conditions,” said government spokesperson Cornelius Monama.

This is hard to believe for the local community who choose to live on in Pomfret, despite all the challenges.

They don’t want to trade their large houses for tiny RDP houses in Mafikeng about 320km away.

Those who have already moved are seen as sell-outs back in Pomfret.

It has also been alleged that they moved due to unbearable pressure, threats and intimidation by government officials.

There have also been unconfirmed reports of xenophobia at Mafikeng’s Extension 39 but Paulo Koliego (79) insisted they were settling in just fine.

A former 32 Battalion warrior, Koliego said life was better in Mafikeng than in Pomfret.

“The houses are smaller … but it’s nice because we’re going to own them. There is no electricity yet but I’m glad the university is a walking distance away: very convenient for my daughter,” he said.

Back in Pomfret, a strict order was out for the community to avoid talking to any strangers, including the media.

Leaders of the former soldiers’ veterans association cancelled a scheduled interview with The Star at the eleventh hour.

A community member, who asked not to be identified, agreed that Pomfret was not worth living in but said everyone loved it.

“Why does the asbestos story come only now after the army has left? Pomfret is the only place most of us have ever known in South Africa. Life was wonderful when soldiers were here and a little while thereafter but soon everything slowly disappeared,” he said.

He would like to live all his life in Pomfret but he needs to find a better life for his family.

“Most of us would probably follow suit and move to Mafikeng. We have no choice as life has become unbearable here. We, however, still doubt the asbestos stories and we will until it has been proven that someone we know has died from it,” he said.

“Our wish is for Pomfret to remain as it is. Can’t they at least think of rehabilitating the town and start thinking of building us hospitals and other essentials? The money being wasted on relocations could probably be used in other fruitful ways for us.”

Residents who remain are seeking legal help to stop the relocations.

Their lawyer, Adrian Vorster, wants the government to provide “credible reasons” and proof that there are traces of asbestos in Pomfret.

Vorster calls the asbestos claims “a smokescreen and not a credible reason at all.

“A government report that we have states proper rehabilitation was done in Pomfret.

“If there still is asbestos why can’t it be rehabilitated because it is cheaper than the relocation costs.”

Vorster said those already relocated to Mafikeng had been moved against their will and had had their old houses demolished so they could not go back.

“Some people were intimidated and threatened by government officials,” he said.

“We want to stop these relocations completely. Unless it is proved otherwise, Pomfret is liveable for its residents. Part of the interdict will ask the government to normalise administration of Pomfret so that there’d be service delivery and employment opportunities for the community.”

The government, though, is adamant Pomfret is doomed.

“We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that we finalise the relocation process as soon as possible,” Monama said.

Liberation troops live in desperate hardship, 14 years after democracy was attained, writes Janet Smith

There was no contrivance in the message of ex-combatants as they warned they could do something “undesirable” if the government does not do an immediate audit of state-controlled land and farms. They were talking about land, but the subtext was far more powerful.

The sentiment – expressed at a meeting of the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) in Durban last weekend – was not simply a reflection of the long years of collateral damage MK cadres have experienced. At last, the old soldiers say, the time has come for explicit recognition and support from the ANC and government. There can be no further delay.

After all, this is the month in 1979 in which Solomon Mahlangu, a remarkable soldier, walked, head held high, to the gallows. Although he was to die for the murders of white civilians that he did not commit, the 23-year-old cadre faced apartheid’s noose with his fist raised in salute.

The pride of his comrades in Mahlangu and in their own heroism remains real and true. And, set against the backdrop of last month’s 20th commemoration of the Cuito Canavale battle – which elevated the courage of our liberation troops attached to Angolan, Cuban and Soviet brigades – the soldiers should be feeling strong.

But the inevitability of post-Polokwane attrition, with promises made but not enough progress yet, has intensified their impatience. Although the veterans went to the ANC’s fraught national conference in December with optimism, backing their preferred candidate, Jacob Zuma, throughout the year, too many say they can wait no longer.

They live in desperate hardship, and their warning at the Durban meeting may offer prescience to the current ANC leadership in whom the former fighters have placed their trust, many claiming they were all but eviscerated under the “aloofness” of the old leadership.

The MVA, which has its headquarters at Chief Albert Luthuli House in Johannesburg, has demanded “visible action” that will improve the lives of its members. Certainly, they want land. But more than anything, they urgently seek hope, and help. And, as the association’s secretary, Nonkonzo Molai, summarised at the Durban gathering, although it remains the duty of former soldiers to defend “until death” the ANC and its government, it demands “speedy implementation of resolutions taken by the ANC before we are forced to take actions that might be interpreted as undesirable”.

“The ANC and its government has [a] duty to take care of our needs. We, however, do not see ... commitment from them.”

For many veterans, the route to this point has been tortuous, the journey exhausting. There is simply too much that is outstanding for them, 14 years after the first democratic election. And it is not only at a socioeconomic level that the pain resides. On an emotional, if not spiritual level, the soldiers hurt too.

They want the remains of fighters who died in other countries returned home, rejecting the view that individual South African families should sort out the repatriation and burial of those who died for liberation. And although the National Heritage Council spearheaded the issue back into serious debate at an international conference last month, it also argues that a paucity of coherent policy from within government renders good efforts, at best, sporadic.

There are hints at correction. When ANC president Jacob Zuma visited Angola for the Cuito Cuanavale meeting in March, he vowed to champion monuments for fallen MK cadres. And as Zuma has more than an edge with the veterans, his words were close to poetic for them.

The first time he burst out with Umshini Wam’ – under the complex political circumstances of his personal challenges some three years ago – he was transformed into an MK soldier all over again. It was a theme thick with the militancy of nostalgia. Zuma’s jocular theatre was a smash hit among many whose glinting medals and Soviet camouflage had been packed away in the years of disappointment after the battle was won at the ballot box in 1994.

So they flanked their man all the way to Polokwane, where they declared their ambition for a ministry of military affairs and a presidential commission to deal with their welfare. Umshini Wam’ – “Bring me my machine gun, don’t make me wait” – was apt as their mantra, most of them having occupied a precarious social position since the early 1990s.

Although delegates at Polokwane warmly embraced the veterans in programmes and structures, the MVA was denied its dream of being a voting bloc like the ANC Women’s League and Youth League. But if this was a signal from the party, it did not deter the soldiers.

The MVA’s new national general secretary, Ayanda Dlodlo, is deeply empathic to the veterans’ continued struggles, although she urges that they must prioritise their own issues, “ensuring we play an active role in the ANC”. Under her leadership, intentions for the association are ambitious, and, importantly, extend outwards.

Honours, for instance, are planned for the Angolans and, specifically, their first post-independence president Agostinho Neto, who gave MK refuge for so long. Assassinated MK commander Chris Hani is to receive the highest award. Symbolism can stave off the moral tone of disintegration, but it is not enough, and Dlodlo refuses to wallow.

Until now, the affairs of veterans have largely fallen under the office of the deputy defence minister. But many believe it has been an unsatisfactory relationship with no specific efforts to deal with their issues. “Suitable models” on how to deal with the turmoil growing around them were once discussed, with a view to conducting an international investigation of countries where war veterans are a feature of society.

None has been ratified, so the MVA’s own renewal drive is intense.

Close to a thousand veterans arrived at its third national conference held last year, held three months before Polokwane. Soldiers opted strongly for the political mainstream, operating from within the revolutionary alliance. But they want their own identity, with constitutional powers. Lobbying goes on.

Yet some observers, such as political analyst Prince Mashele of the Institute for Security Studies, are vexed by the point of this argument. “If you try and project to, say, 50 years from now ... will there be a need for an MK veterans league?” he asks.

“What is the wisdom of creating a league that is not going to last forever? I cannot see the wisdom myself, although you could argue that, until the end of time, we will have women in society, or youth. In principle, this will not hold for veterans.”

Dlodlo understands the veterans’ quest for recognition, herself a former fighter and a survivor of the war in Southern Africa. But, as with Zola Skweyiya, the minister of social development, and Siphiwe Nyanda, the former head of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), she wants to pluck justice out of the ruin of post-demobilisation in the late 1990s.

“So many veterans went through so much – they never even experienced their childhood and youth,” she explains.

“They were so politically mature even as children that eventually they only knew what it was like to be in those camps and in a state of war by the time they came home around 1990. We have to bring real meaning to their lives now.”

As enthusiasm appears to be waning in the ranks with Polokwane moving further into the distance, many now look back on controversies, mostly riven by political alignment, which have sought to divide MK veterans.

This has been particularly the case in the Western Cape, where a veterans conference hosted in December 2006 by premier Ebrahim Rasool to establish an MVA in the region still riles. It was regarded as illegitimate by the ANC’s provincial office, although many of the veterans argued that they were concerned only with having their suffering alleviated.

Dubbed factional fighting, the debacle spun out into open criticism of years of inaction in improving the lives of veterans. Two years before, in 2005, splits in allegiance were already being discussed vociferously at a veterans’ conference in Johannesburg. At that time, calls were made for government to establish projects veterans could run. Many waited in vain.

It’s been a difficult 14 years for MK, with some formerly illustrious members denigrated. Chief among these are former commander Joe Modise and ex-cadre Shamin “Chippy” Shaik. And allegations of fraud within the MVA further shattered the association’s confidence in its leadership a few years ago when former chairperson Deacon Mathe and former treasurer Dumisani Khoza were accused of embezzling millions in investments that effectively belonged to the cadres.

Mashele agrees that a top-to-bottom reassessment of MK is critical as the new ANC leadership may at last facilitate its vision. “But one needs to be clear. In terms of MK, can certain proposals for their future fit in with the political parties concerned or society or government?

“The authority that deals with matters related to veterans could be Freedom Park, for example. It deals with a range of issues related to the liberation war. But there is very little coordination between it and other government agencies on the question of how to deal with veterans.

“The main question is: to what extent is the MVA able to exert influence within the ANC so that the ANC prioritises their needs and takes up their issues within government?”

The MVA has certainly not lost heart. It has called on the department of agriculture to allocate appropriate land to veterans, just as was done decades ago for Boer military veterans. It has also asked for training, particularly from the department of education. It has requested a verifiable database to assist with reintegration. It pleads for the department of social welfare to embrace the destitute. There is not a single member who would not take up a chance to be part of society, the MVA says.

“We vow to make sure sacrifices were not in vain,” says Molai. But there may be wisdom in interpreting the undeniable message in Dlodlo’s steadfastness: “We haven’t forgotten we come from war. This chapter has not yet been closed.”

Le tribunal a donné son aval au déchargement de la cargaison du navire An Yue Jiang dans le port de Durban, mais a interdit son transit par l'Afrique du Sud vers le Zimbabwe, selon Sapa.

Vendredi soir, le navire a quitté le port de Durban entre 18H00 et 19H00 heure locale (16H00 et 17H00 GMT) à la suite de cette décision de justice pour une destination inconnue, selon la même source.

La justice avait été saisie en référé par le South African Litigation Centre (organisation de juristes spécialisée dans les droits de l'Homme).

L'organisation avait invoqué la loi sur le contrôle des armes pour demander la suspension du transfert de la cargaison.

Le tribunal a accédé à la requête pour des raisons techniques en attendant un jugement sur le fond.

Le navire chinois An Yue Jiang, ancré depuis le début de la semaine au large de Durban, transporte trois millions de cartouches pour des AK-47, 1.500 RPG, et plus de 3.000 mortiers, selon une copie de l'inventaire du navire publiée vendredi par le quotidien Beeld.

Les armes sont destinées au Zimbabwe, avait confirmé mercredi Transnet, la société gestionnaire du port de Durban.

La révélation de la présence de ce navire et de sa cargaison a soulevé une polémique en Afrique du Sud, où de nombreuses voix se sont interrogées sur l'opportunité de laisser livrer des armes au Zimbabwe, plongé dans la crise.

Le principal syndicat sud-africain des transports Satawu a appelé les dockers de Durban à refuser de décharger la cargaison du navire, jugeant "irresponsable" de laisser des armes parvenir au Zimbabwe.

Selon la chef du principal parti d'opposition sud-africain Alliance démocratique (DA), Helen Zille, la loi sud-africaine interdit la livraison d'armes à des pays où un conflit est engagé et la paix menacée, et le Zimbabwe "répond à ces deux critères".

Le pays est plongé dans une crise sans précédent depuis les élections générales du 29 mars. L'opposition accuse le régime du président Robert Mugabe d'avoir lancé une campagne de répression et de "préparer une guerre" en réarmant ses milices.

Twenty four members of the police and the SA National Defence Force were honoured at an awards ceremony in Pretoria on Friday.

Director in the office of the police commissioner, Sally de Beer, said 17 SA Police Service (SAPS) members and seven SANDF members received awards at the SAPS Commendation awards ceremony held in Pretoria.

"Two policemen -- Inspector Thinus le Roux and Constable Johan Nel --were awarded certificates and cash awards to the value of R15,000 each," said De Beer.

The two helped apprehend eight armed robbers, fatally wounding three of them, following a bank robbery in Irene in 2007.

Eight other police officers and three SANDF members received R10,000 each for their assistance in the same incident.

"By rewarding their diligence in this small way, after they risked their lives in order to bring this gang to book, top management is sending out a clear message that we acknowledge and respect our members' dedication and sacrifices," said police deputy national commissioner André Pruis.

Pruis also thanked the SANDF for its support in crime operations.

"We know that we can always count on our defence force to make their resources available to assist in the fight against crime and to co-operate with us to ensure that major events such as general elections and the upcoming 2010 World Cup take place without any major security breach", said Prius.

The father of one of the Justice Department’s most powerful officials says he will end up sleeping on the street if his son’s department does not urgently grant him amnesty for defrauding a paralysed woman.

But former SANDF Colonel Bhekumndeni Simelane’s hopes of clearing his name have been dealt a blow by the internal disputes that have pitted his son, Justice Department Director-General Menzi Simelane, against suspended National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Vusi Pikoli.

Simelane (62) yesterday said his amnesty application had been postponed indefinitely because the State advocate chosen by Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla to lead evidence during his amnesty hearing, Mokotedi Mpshe, could not do so because he had taken over as NPA head after Pikoli was suspended.

Menzi has argued for Pikoli’s permanent axing.

Simelane said the government’s continued failure to hear his amnesty application – despite the Cape high court ordering it to do so nearly two years ago – was killing him.

He misappropriated R50 000 from Martha Mandlovu Mkhize’s car accident settlement to bankroll the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (Apla) more than 20 years ago, when he was a young attorney. He had used the money to finance the ferrying of arms for Apla forces and to pay for their accommodation and expenses. He did not believe the withdrawal of Mkhize’s R50 000 would be discovered, because he had planned to repay it with Apla funds from another account.

He said his politically motivated actions hurt him every day.

“It’s like I’m dying. Without amnesty, I will never be able to practise as an attorney again,” he said.

“It’s not acceptable that the Justice Department took well over a year before it announced the sub-committee that would hear my case and complied with the Cape High Court’s judgment.”

Justice Department spokesperson Zolile Nqayi confirmed that Simelane’s hearing had been delayed by Mpshe’s appointment as acting NPA head and the death of the amnesty hearing’s secretary, Devigee Pillay.

He said they were replacing those two people.

Although unable to give a definite date for when the amnesty hearing would be held, Nqayi said it would not be delayed for long.

Simelane is also involved in a legal dispute with the SANDF, over its decision to order his retirement.

Next week Simelane will ask the Pretoria high court to order that the Department of Defence pay him his full salary from May last year until the dispute is resolved. The defence force is opposing his application.

Thousands of immigrants were terrorised for a third day in a row as thugs continued to attack, loot and burn their homes and businesses in Mamelodi.

As the violence continued, a Mozambican immigrant rights organisation called on the SANDF to be deployed to restore peace and stability to the area.

In the xenophobic attacks, believed to be fuelled by gangs of ordinary criminals, hundreds of people turned on immigrants throughout the township’s informal settlements, including Alaska, Phomolong, Lusaka and Phase 5 and its surrounding areas.

Mamelodi’s eastern informal settlements are home to the city’s biggest immigrant population.

Hundreds of heavily armed police and Tshwane Metro Police in armoured vehicles swarmed through the sprawling informal settlements, clashing repeatedly with stone-throwing residents.

Journalists were not spared either; several were threatened and stoned for trying to report on the situation.

A senior councillor said: “Our worst fears are being realised. If we don’t contain this, there will be more bloodshed.

“These people, whom I regard as terrorists, are determined to wipe out the immigrants. They won’t stop until they do so.”

Mozambican community leader Mathias Ngundo called for the army to be deployed.

“If they aren’t, there will be bloodshed. People will die if the soldiers don’t come to help the police.

“It’s chaos. What is happening is terrible. People’s homes and businesses are being destroyed. People are being hurt and killed.

“We need this to be stopped. The army and the police have to help us,” he said.

Responding to Ngundo’s calls for the SANDF to be deployed, Tshwane Metro Police spokesperson William Baloyi said although the situation was worrying, it had not reached the point where the army was needed.

“We aren’t there yet. We understand people’s concerns. We understand people are worried, but we have the situation under control.

“Our members are there. We’re ready for anything and won’t allow these thugs to continue with this.

“This will be brought to an end,” said Baloyi.

He said one of the biggest challenges was understanding how the “well co-ordinated” attacks were being organised.

“Those responsible are working in groups and are starting sporadic attacks. On top of this they create false alarms, forcing police to respond to non-existent ‘attacks’ in one section of the township while a genuine attack takes place in another.

“This is proving challenging. We condemn people taking advantage of such a serious situation,” Baloyi said, adding that there appeared to be a criminal element using the xenophobic attacks as a smokescreen.

Another challenge was containing the violence, preventing it from spreading to other areas and ultimately bringing it to an end.

“We have managed to keep it in the eastern sections,” Baloyi said.

He said foreigners who had lost their homes had been taken to shelters throughout the city where they were being provided with food and blankets.

Mamelodi East police station spokesperson Inspector Sam Mbewe condemned the attacks and said the violence was cause for concern.

He said several people had been arrested and charged with public violence and malicious damage to property.

n Hanti Otto reports that the Red Cross has sent representatives to the area to assess the situation.

Mbuso Mthembu, Red Cross provincial manager for Gauteng, said they had learned about the shacks being burnt down in Mamelodi.

“We sent someone there to identify who and how many people are affected and what help they need. As soon as this report is ready, we will be able to determine how we can assist. We already have some blankets ready that will be sent there,” he said.

SUMMARY

Violent crime is a major problem, and remains a serious concern for businesses and individuals. South Africa heads a number of international cross-country comparisons of crime, such as the number of murders per capita. Much of the crime is gratuitous: victims are often shot during a simple robbery, with no apparent motive. Car-jacking is also a major concern both in urban areas and when driving between cities. The security industry in South Africa is well-developed, and many foreign firms employ sophisticated monitoring and alarm systems. Aside from crime, there are few other major security risks in the country. South Africa is not engaged in armed conflict with any of its neighbours, and has no active secessionist movements.

SCENARIOS

Executives fall victim to violent crime (High risk)

The crime rate in South Africa has risen to high levels in recent years, and violent crimes against both expatriates and local residents are a major problem. The crime problem is exacerbated by poverty levels which run along racial lines. Although the government has stepped up its efforts to improve the country’s security environment, which also includes international assistance, progress to date has been slow. Many in the police are inexperienced, poorly trained and corrupt; the institution itself cannot be relied upon to enforce the law adequately and to protect the public. As a result, expatriates are strongly advised to take the necessary security precautions at home and at work. For instance, the use of electric fences and gates, high walls, and installation of security alarms, which are directly connected to private security companies with their own rapid response teams, are some of the measures available to both expatriates and local residents. Other measures for residential properties include security gates that separate sleeping and living areas; burglars are thereby restricted to areas of a house with obvious material possessions to steal, limiting the chance of a violent encounter with residents. Some expatriates may wish to rent houses in a guarded compound, an increasingly attractive option. Businesses should consider using video surveillance systems to identify criminals.

Executives are subject to crime while using the country’s motorways (High risk)

Car-jackings in South Africa are common and doors should be locked at all times when driving. The motorways are favoured targets: drivers, especially in remote areas, should never stop at accidents, which are often staged to carry out robberies. Companies should advise staff of “no-go" areas in major towns. It is advisable not to stop at red lights at certain notorious road junctions late at night (consult with a local security agency for locations). Businesses and individuals may also wish to install remote tracking devices in cars. Companies should implement appropriate training programmes for their staff on how best to react in a robbery or a car hijacking, and on how to avoid confrontation and violence.

Government will do more to tackle crime and security (Moderate risk)

Critics of the government's allegedly weak crime policies kept up the pressure in March with simultaneous anti-crime rallies in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban--led by the Victims in the Republic of South Africa (Virsa)--which attracted several thousand people, accompanied by the collection of a 200,000- signature (and rising) petition calling for firmer official action against insecurity. At the very least, it is positive that the government no longer views the crime debate as an irritant but as a serious policy issue. Citing overall crime statistics, Mr Mbeki pointed to steady improvement in crime levels, but closer analysis shows that violent crimes against the person have increased and official targets are nowhere near to being met. Both South Africans and foreign visitors are uneasy, with a recent tourism industry survey pointing to tens of thousands of potential visitors being deterred by the levels of crime. Unluckily for the president, his January comments coincided with the killing of several prominent people--including a famous historian, David Rattray (shot during an armed burglary) and, somewhat ironically, a leader of the Business Against Crime movement, Alan MacKenzie. These and other killings have sparked widespread shock. Moreover, the crime issue has expanded from being linked to the "white" racial group--after all, most victims of violent crime are black. Some data show that South Africa has the third-worst crime rate in the world, approximately 50 times worse than that of the UK and 13 times worse than that of the US. Mindful of the need to show a commitment to tackling crime in the build-up to the 2010 football World Cup, some progress is expected to be made, but will not be made overnight.

BACKGROUND

(Updated: September 14th, 2007)

Armed Conflict

There is currently little prospect of an external threat to South Africa's security. The challenge for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in recent years has been to integrate the former liberation movements while reducing its own manpower. As there is no foreign threat to South Africa, the future role of the SANDF is likely to be restricted to regional peacekeeping and emergency relief operations.

Terrorism

There are a number of militant Islamic groups in the Western Cape, including Qibla and an affiliate of PAGAD, Muslims against Illegitimate Leaders, some of which are reported to have links with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida international terrorist network. However, no incidents have occurred since the terrorist attacks in the US on September 11th 2001.

Civil Unrest

Political violence has decreased sharply. Most of the political violence of recent years has been in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, where conflict between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has claimed the lives of 14,000-20,000 people since 1984. There are still sporadic outbursts of political violence in KwaZulu-Natal, but these are quickly controlled.

Street Crime [you only took the first para of Violent crime from the CP? The 3 black paras below were updated also]

More than 300 murders and violent attacks take place daily in South Africa, making it, along with Iraq and Colombia, one of the three most dangerous countries in the world. Economic and social tensions are responsible for a high level of criminal violence in South Africa. Crime in Gauteng has adversely affected businesses, which have steadily moved away from Johannesburg's central business district into well-to-do suburbs such as Sandton. Organised business funds a body called Business Against Crime, which monitors and assists in combating crime at the local level. The high level of crime is perceived to be one of the obstacles to economic growth; however, studies of foreign investors' attitudes to crime present a mixed picture.

Crime in the Western Cape has centred mainly in the poorer Cape Flats region, which has been plagued by organised and armed gangs. A study by the World Health Organisation in 1995 showed that South Africa had one of the highest murder rates in the world, although this has declined recently. According to the 2003 edition of the Small Arms Survey, a report by a Geneva-based organisation, about 30m small arms are in circulation in Sub-Saharan Africa (one weapon for every 20 people). Rates of rape, robbery, hijacking and burglary are also extremely high, although kidnapping and extortion are rare. A sign that the government is not being complacent about crime is the increase in real terms of budget allocations: safety and security spending is earmarked to rise from R41m (US$6.7bn) for fiscal year 2005/06 (April-March) to R46.6bn. Although police statistics have become a political football, the official figures are corroborated by independent studies conducted by the Institute of Security Studies and the South African Insurance Association. According to claims submitted to insurance companies, crime increased between 1994 and 2002, stabilised in 2003 and decreased in 2004. The industry felt that generally there was a substantial improvement, but the Institute of Security Studies pointed out that certain types of crime (mainly sexual or aggravated assault) were normally under-reported.

The rate of politically motivated murder has fallen from the peak in 1993. Part of South Africa’s susceptibility to violence stems from the historical legacy of apartheid and the violent society that this created, as well as the high level of gun ownership. It also reflects the fact that crimes can be committed with a degree of impunity, as the chances of being caught are low. In addition, South Africa has one of the most unequal distributions of income in the world; on the one hand, it has the affluence and sophistication of gleaming shopping centres and, on the other, levels of poverty associated with developing countries.

Such inequality is an important factor behind crime in the new South Africa. So too are the rapid influx of people into urban areas since the early 1990s (including people from neighbouring countries), the high level of unemployment and the difficult transformation taking place in the police service and the criminal justice system. The challenges facing the 130,000-strong South African Police Service are formidable, and it is not uncommon for businesses and residents in more affluent suburbs to employ private armed security firms.

Drug Smuggling and Organised Crime

The opening up of South Africa to the global economy has caused an increase in the activities of domestic and international crime syndicates. Even though elite special forces (the Scorpions) have been created and have operated successfully in areas such as the Western Cape, the underlying tensions and constraints are difficult to resolve, and crime is unlikely to fall dramatically in the near future. There was a spate of bombings in Cape Town in 1999-2000, attributed to a vigilante group, People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (PAGAD), which was formed in response to the ineffectual policing of crime in the Cape Flats by the official authorities. However, PAGAD itself became involved in criminal activities and acts of criminal violence. The arrest of most of the leaders of the group put an end to its activities.

SUMMARY

The election of the controversial Jacob Zuma as the new African National Congress (ANC) president during a key five-yearly congress in December, in a clear-cut victory over Thabo Mbeki, means that he is now well placed to lead the country after the 2009 national elections (when Mr Mbeki is obliged to stand down, having served two terms). However, Mr Zuma's future has been newly clouded by the National Prosecuting Authority's reinstatement in December of several corruption charges against him, after a first trial collapsed in 2006. Pressure to tackle some of the socioeconomic problems, including pronounced income inequality, high unemployment, severe skills shortages, high crime rate, and the deepening HIV/AIDS crisis, is expected to mount in 2008.

Mr George was speaking at a public meeting at the Nokaneng Stadium in Nokaneng near Siyabuswa in Mpumalanga as part of government's Imbizo Week.

There are enormous opportunities made available by government and the youth need to learn about and take advantage of them, said Mr George.

The ministry and the Mpumalanga Department of Education are therefore going to help the youth access critical information about career opportunities in the SANDF.

He said this "career ammunition" would respond to the needs of the economy and other social issues.

The Military Skills Development System (MSDS) was developed in 2003 with an aim to recruit youth from around the country every year and rejuvenate the military system.

There are career opportunities for both men and women between the ages of 18 and 22, regardless of their race or background.

Almost 3 000 young people were absorbed into the SANDF in January this year, however, Mr George expressed concern at the lack of interest from Mpumalanga youth.

"After intense assessment, we found that there's little response from the learners of this province. This is primarily why we are here," said Mr George.

The MSDS is able to recruit 10 000 learners per financial year in the army, navy, air force and military health services.

Students begin with a six-month basic military training course where they earn a stipend. Following this they are able to specialise in various fields.

Those who choose the army will be trained in fields ranging from infantry to engineering, armour, artillery, air defense artillery and intelligence.

Other fields include technical service, signal and ammunition.

Mr George said most of the students would be selected for the infantry because it was the largest fighting corps in the army.

Navy members can be trained as combat officers, student engineers, student naval technical officers or support personnel.

Those in the air force are able to specialise in command and control, air traffic control, mission control, telecommunications and operation, technical assistance, as material support clerks, in protection services, catering, fire fighting, pilot training and military intelligence.

Physiotherapy, radiography, Bachelor of Science: Human Movement, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nursing and medicine are all fields in the military health services.

"We are building a SANDF with capabilities that will ensure that, working with our neighbours in the region, we contribute meaningfully to the objectives of the Southern African Development Community [SADC] and the African Union [AU] for the benefit of all who live in it."

He said the MSDS was in line with the national Accelerated Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGI-SA) in terms of providing skills development and job opportunities for the youth.

To qualify for the programme, applicants must have a matric.

Application forms were handed out at the imbizo and the response was positive.

Residents raised their concerns with Safety and Security MEC Fish Mahlalela who visited Dludluma, Mbuzini and Magogeni on Thursday as part of government's Imbizo Week.

"Our main reason for visiting these areas was to show the communities living along the borders know that they have to work hand in hand with the police because soldiers are no longer patrolling the border," said Safety and Security spokesperson Joseph Mabuza.

He said police took over the role of patrolling the borders on 1 March. The borders were previously managed by both the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) and SAPS.

The community expressed concern that the police did not have enough resources to patrol the borders properly.

Residents suggested that the community, especially herders who often grazed cattle along the border, also be allowed to play a watchdog role.

"Mobilisation of communities is expected to go a long way in assisting government to effectively reduce trans-national crimes around their areas," said Mr Mabuza.

The imbizo was attended by community members, officials from Home Affairs and the South African Revenue Service, as well as Station Commissioners from police stations in Mpumalanga's Nkomazi area.

The MEC will also attend an imbizo at the Glenmore community hall on Friday and at the Esizameleni stadium in Wakkerstroom on Saturday.

"In Wakkerstroom, the MEC and his entourage are also expected to respond to some of the unresolved cases involving former commandos who were reported to the Wakkerstroom police station by community members," said Mr Mabuza.

The SANDF has embarked on a programme to empower its members.

The programme is aimed at providing soldiers with a variety of career opportunities when they leave the army.

The SANDF’s new works regiment offers soldiers skills in construction, mechanical and electrical engineering. About 100 soldiers have enrolled for these courses at the Tshwane South College (TSC) in Atteridgeville.

Lieutenant-General Solly Shoke said the programme would not only empower the soldiers, but also address the skills shortage in the country.

He said many government facilities were being neglected because the skills gap was widening.

“With this programme, we can be assured that when the soldiers exit the army, they can be part of the various industries and help to develop this country further.”

A further 300 soldiers will enrol at further education and training colleges around Gauteng in July.

After their training at the colleges, the soldiers will be placed at various SANDF sites for three and a half years to get experience.

Shoke said qualified soldiers’ first project would be the construction of a hospice at the military base in Lenasia.

Eric Ledwaba, the project manager at TSC, said the college was impressed with the soldiers’ enthusiasm and how they quickly adapted to the learning environment.

“It shows that they were not forced into this and that they are eager to acquire the skills we offer here,” he said.

SANDF member David Makhambeni said he was looking forward to finishing the course as it would open doors for him.

“One can always open a business and secure some tenders to sustain oneself.

“This is going to benefit us a lot,” he said.

His sentiments were echoed by Madoda Mtshali, who said it was worrying that after leaving the army most soldiers were only qualified for being security guards.

“You can’t rely on military experience after you have exited the army. This will help us to get jobs in different industries,” he said.

MILITARY ACTION Toeing the line Transforming an organisation while amalgamating former enemies was never going to be easy. There have been morale problems and some race-based violent incidents. But the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has got a lot right. A unique aspect is that affirmative action quotas for whites as well as blacks has been policy for more than five years.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, the military was always miles ahead of other government departments in terms of overall racial representivity. At the moment about 70% of SANDF members are African, 20% white and 5% coloured.

But the problem has been the uneven distribution in the rank structure. Above the rank of major-general, more than half the officers are African, which is progress from a base of close to zero a decade ago. But many in crucial middle management majors, colonels, senior warrant officers are still white.

There are still career opportunities for white officers. Major-General Les Rudman, a former special forces operative from the old SADF and one of the outstanding soldiers of his generation, is now chief of staff in the army. The Defence Staff Council has three white generals: air force chief Carlo Gagiano, chief of staff Rinus Jansen van Rensburg and reserve force head Roy Andersen.

Of the 40 pilots who graduated last month at an SA Airforce passing-out parade in Pretoria, 13 were white.

In the Reserve Force (the old citizen force and the commandos), the Irish coffee syndrome white on top, black below has been actively addressed. Even so, most senior officers and non-commissioned officers are still white.

The greatest imbalance is at the level of private soldier, with very few whites in the regular force. There is a historical precedent for this, however: in the old SADF permanent force, private soldiers were nearly all black. White privates were drawn from the part-time units of the citizen force and commandos.

Five years ago the SANDF proposed in its Human Resource Strategy 2010 a recruitment system that would provide constant rapid throughput of young and fit personnel. The strategy was to attract more young whites, as well as Indians and coloureds, to normalise the composition at the lower levels.

This resulted in a minimum quota of 24% for white recruits in the lower ranks, while black recruitment would be the priority at junior officer ranks and specialist mustering like air force technician and navy engineer. But young whites did not respond, and the SANDF has now extended its recruitment to former model C schools.

SANDF A step ahead of the rest.

A Pretoria High Court judge on Thursday set aside an interim interdict, restraining the government from relocating people from the former Pomfret military base in North West or demolishing property in the town.

Judge Brian Southwood on March 25 granted an urgent court order to the 6,000-strong Pomfret community, giving the Ministers of Safety and

Security, Public Works and Defence until May 12 to supply reasons why a permanent order should not be granted against them.

Judge Willie Seriti, however, on Thursday set aside the interim order because the community had not given the respondents notice of their urgent application in terms of the General Law Amendment Act.

The order was granted after a further urgent application by the Ministers of Public Works and Defence.

The community still intends going ahead with legal action to stop the destruction of their unique community.

Pomfret, a former asbestos mining town, once housed the Defence Force's infamous 32 Battalion, but many old and infirm residents remained behind when the unit was disbanded in 1993 and most of its members integrated into the SANDF.

The community - many of them pensioners and children - is Portuguese speaking.

The responsibility for the town was handed over to the Public Works Department after the Defence Force left, although public enquiries were still regularly referred to the SANDF.

An SANDF delegation also informed the community in 2005 that they would be removed and the town demolished, purportedly because of asbestos contamination.

The community, however, denied that there had been any engagement with government authorities on the alleged asbestos threat.

One of the inhabitants, primary school principal Domingos Sebastiao, said in court papers that the dispersal of the community would leave its members alone and vulnerable to persecution and xenophobia.

He accused authorities of first using a "scorched-earth" tactic to make the town uninhabitable and thereafter going over to a "crowbar" campaign of harassment, intimidation and violence to force people to leave.

The Public Works Department's Director of Legal Services, Jairaj Singh, however, said in court papers only those persons willing to move had been relocated.

He said the properties belonged to the department and the government was therefore entitled to dispose of them in any manner it considered fit.

Free State Agriculture had to take government to court to ensure the safety of farmers and farm workers because government had failed them, the ACDP said on Thursday.

"Safety is a constitutional right. A constitution not being applied is not worth the paper it is written on," said the African Christian Democratic Party's provincial leader, Casper Nordier.

About 300 Free State farmers along the Lesotho border announced on Wednesday that they were taking legal action against the State.

Free State Agriculture has threatened government with court action for the past three years because of the deteriorating crime situation along the province's border with Lesotho.

"We will go to the Free State High Court to see what the courts have to say on the border situation, " said Louw Steytler, Free State Agriculture's president.

The ACDP said the Bill of Human Rights guaranteed the right to safety, and to achieve a viable economic existence, and that was all being undermined by "insufficient border safety".

"From court rulings in countries from which South Africa borrowed heavily for the compilation of the Bill of Human Rights, such as India, it is clear that the right to life is also interpreted as the right to a proper quality of life."

Nordier said statistics also revealed that the live stock of upcoming farmers was often cleaned out during raids.

"The problems now arising with the withdrawal of the SANDF from the borders as well as the disbandment of the Commandos had been brought to the attention of the government by relevant role players, including the ACDP, over and again."

The ACDP said it was "crying shame" that someone had to approach the courts to force government to do its duty.

The SANDF has appointed a high-profile independent team from the arms industry to investigate how a cannon ball from the Noon Gun overshot Table Bay and smashed a car in Table View.

Barbara Mueller had taken her German tourist friend, Jens Göttert, for a drive around the Peninsula and had stopped at a popular parking spot for a view of Table Mountain when they heard the Noon Gun fire yesterday.

“Obviously, it was at precisely midday that we heard the blast and Jens got a fright thinking it was a bomb,” a still shocked Mueller ex-plained.

“We were standing a short distance away from the car and I had just started explaining to him about the Noon Gun, when something struck the car with huge force, smashing through the bonnet.”

A large cannon ball was found buried in the ground under the car.

“This is a country that is mad,” Göttert said.

“If the criminals do not get you, you will be got by the military,” he said.

“I am going home now.”

A Defence Force spokesman, who did not want to be named, said it was believed a new young gunner on Signal Hill had loaded the gun with too large a charge.

n The lack of security at Joburg Hospital and free rein of criminals typify the escalation of crime countrywide. A corrupt ANC government remains in denial.

n This won’t impact those with medical aid but will result in less money for doctors, nurses and medical equipment. It is the responsibility of the police to guard our hospitals. The question is: Where are they? Hospitals are key points, so perhaps we should have the SANDF securing them. Crime in our country is a result of lack of decision-making from Selebi down. What a role model for the unfortunate, dedicated cops. – Neville

“Mr Bones” sequel caught in racisM poser

n The “whites only” sign would have stood out like a white sangoma from day one. Eish, ignorance isn’t always bliss. – Paul (rather Afrikaans) Bateman

n So we still have this type of barbarian. Mr H Pretorius, it is not the colour of a man’s skin that makes you a civilised person but how you relate to other human beings. We Africans are just too forgiving to a fault. Can he try this rubbish in Zimbabwe? – Ignatius