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Item model number EX155AP/R INTERNATIONAL: News from South Africa - Page 11 - Stormfront
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07-11-2005, 02:46 PM #101
SA backs Iran on nuke power
Pretoria - South Africa backed Iran's stance on the right of a country to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes, said deputy foreign minister Aziz Pahad on Monday.
"South Africa will not accept any prevention of the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes.
"It is a demand we make and we support Iran in that regard," he told journalists in Pretoria on the first day of the SA-Iran deputy ministerial working group's meeting.
"The right (to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes) is something logical and in line with the international community's intentions," said Ahmad Azizi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, who is co-chairing the meeting with Pahad.
07-11-2005, 02:50 PM #102
Geen amnestie vir sterwende Nieuwoudt
JOHANNESBURG. - Gideon Nieuwoudt, gewese veiligheidspolisieman van die Baai wat vier mense se dood in die berugte Motherwell-bomontploffing in 1989 veroorsaak het, is "kritiek siek en hy het 'n beperkte tyd oor om te leef".
Nieuwoudt het longkanker wat volgens 'n ingeligte na aan die familie reeds na sy lewer, niere en brein versprei het. Hy is twee weke gelede in 'n hospitaal in Port Elizabeth opgeneem.
Die nuus oor sy siekte is die naweek aan Die Burger bevestig saam met bevestigings dat Nieuwoudt nié amnestie gaan kry vir die Motherwell-moorde nie. Sy twee gewese veiligheidskollegas wat saam met hom om amnestie aansoek gedoen het, Wahl du Toit en Marthinus Ras, gaan egter wel amnestie kry, is die naweek deur 'n hoë amptenaar in die departement van justisie bevestig.
"Die uitspraak van die amnestiekomitee is reeds klaar geskryf en onderteken. Dit verbaas my dat die aankondiging nie al verlede week gedoen is nie."
Nieuwoudt se prokureur, mnr. Jan Wagener, het by navraag bevestig dat Nieuwoudt in 'n uiters kritieke toestand in die hospitaal is. Hy wou geen nader kommentaar lewer nie. Oor die uitspraak in die amnestieaansoek sê hy hy het ook "uit 'n paar oorde" verneem dat Nieuwoudt nie amnestie gaan kry nie, "maar die departement van justisie het my nog nie amptelik daarvan in kennis gestel nie".
Die familievriend sê: "Ek kan Gideon se toestand net beskryf as baie ernstig. Dit gaan erg beroerd met hom. Menslik gesproke het hy bitter min tyd oor."
Die justisie-amptenaar sê in reaksie daarop beslissings oor amnestie-aansoeke word "suiwer om juridiese redes geneem en nie om humanitêre redes nie".
Nieuwoudt het self die bom geaktiveer wat tot die dood van drie polisiemanne - ao. Glen Mgoduka, konst. Desmond Mapipa en sers. Amos Faku - en 'n askari, Charles Jack, gelei het. Hy het voor die amnestiekomitee aangevoer dat hy dit gedoen het omdat vasgestel is dat hulle kontak met die toe verbode ANC gehad het en dat hulle sensitiewe inligting aan die ANC verskaf het wat lewens kon bedreig en die veiligheidspolisie se netwerk kon blootlê.
Die slagoffers se families het dit egter aan Nieuwoudt gestel dat hy die vier vermoor het om hulle stil te maak omdat hulle gedreig het om inligting oor die 1985-moorde op die sogenaamde Cradock-vier - onder andere mnr. Matthew Goniwe - uit te lap.
07-11-2005, 03:13 PM #103
Syfers wys inkomste is skerp af
Die netto inkomste in die landbou het in die jaar tot Maart 2005 met bykans R3,5 miljard (21 %) gedaal. Dit is desnieteenstaande die feit dat die omset redelik konstant gebly het. Dit wys dat die landbou ernstig gekniehalter word deur hoë produksiekoste.
Die koste van brandstof en arbeid plaas al hoe meer druk op boere. Die beraamde koste van landbouproduksie wys dat die koste in die jaar tot Maart vanjaar met 5,6 % (sowat R3 miljard) gestyg het.
Daar word die laaste tyd baie gepraat oor die mededingendheid van die landbou en die sake wat dit beïnvloed. Die Nasionale Bemarkingsraad se verslag oor die mededingendheid van die landbou word op heelwat byeenkomste van boere bespreek.
In werksessies met boere oor die aanpassings wat in die landbou plaasvind, kom daar gewoonlik 'n paar oorsake van talle probleme na vore. Dikwels word die rand se wisselkoers genoem. Die sterk en, volgens sommige mense, oorgewaardeerde rand beïnvloed die meeste boere se inkomste regstreeks. Hierop volg arbeidskoste wat oor die laaste drie jaar met meer as 30 % gestyg het (myns insiens weens die voorskrifte oor minimum lone) en dan die immer stygende brandstofpryse.
Boere meen dat landbou-ondernemings nie aangepas het by die druk waaronder boerderymarges verkeer nie. Landbou-ondernemings se marges het nie gedaal nie en daar is steeds bestuurslui wat duur motors gebruik of groot bonusse kry. Daar is 'n groeiende gevoel dat agribesighede hul rieme na die vel moet begin sny.
Die netto inkomste van die landbou het vir die jaar tot Maart 2005 met sowat 21 % gedaal vanaf R16,5 miljard die vorige jaar tot R13,02 miljard. Dit is volgens die jongste statistieke wat deur die Departement van Landbou gepubliseer is. Volgens die ontleding het die bruto inkomste van die landbou redelik stabiel gebly en slegs met 0,6 % afgeneem, terwyl die koste van produksie met bykans 6 % toegeneem het. Dit is die rede vir die skerp daling in die netto inkomste.
Die daling is op die oog af nie so erg nie. Dit lyk egter anders as die groter prentjie bekyk word. Dit is dat die landbou se netto inkomste vir die jaar 2002 sowat R19,97 miljard beloop het. Dit beteken dat die landbou se netto inkomste, waarmee skuld betaal en nuwe beleggings gedoen moet word, binne twee jaar met R7 000 miljoen gedaal het. Dit is 'n afname van sowat 35 %.
Dit verg nie veel insig om te besef dat dit 'n drastiese aanpassing verg nie.
Die dalende winsmarge van die landbou het 'n groot invloed op die plattelandse ekonomie. Navorsing deur die Universiteit van Pretoria het bevestig dat die landbou 'n belangrike sektor is en dat dit werk verskaf aan nagenoeg 1 miljoen mense en sowat 12,7 % tot die ekonomie bydra. Uiteindelik sal die ongunstige verhoudings deursyfer na die totale ekonomie se groei.
Die navorsing dui ook daarop dat die beleidsaanpassings ten opsigte van die landbou dinge soos deregulering, grondhervorming en handelsooreenkomste hoofsaaklik die verbruikers bevoordeel het, terwyl dit die mededingendheid van die plaaslike landbou erg benadeel het.
Die lae vertroue van beleggers in die landbou word ook as 'n ernstige knelpunt gesien. Die voorkoms van misdaad dra ongetwyfeld by tot hierdie siening.
Die grafiek wys dat die omset redelik konstant gebly het. Sedert 2002 het dit vanaf sowat R70 miljard tot die huidige sowat R68 miljard gedaal.
Die statistieke dui daarop dat een van die groot knelpunte die koste van produksiemiddele is. Die landbou se uitgawes het in die jaar met R3 miljard gestyg.
Grafiek 2 wys die verloop van produsentepryse teenoor die koste van produksiemiddele. Dit wys duidelik hoe landbouprodukpryse in die afgelope twee jaar teen negatiewe koerse aangepas het, terwyl die pryse van produksiemiddele fluks bly styg het.
Veral die akker- en tuinbou leef swaar omdat pryse aansienlik gedaal het. Met die veeboere gaan dit redelik goed. In geval van akker- en tuinbouprodukte word die pryse meestal regstreeks deur die internasionale markte bepaal. Die wisselkoers speel ook 'n groot rol.
Die probleem van produksiekoste: Ons weet almal dat die rand in die jaar van die statistieke (Maart 2004 tot Maart 2005) heelwat versterk het. Die argument was meestal dat die pryse van produksiemiddele deur die wisselkoers bepaal word omdat die meeste (of komponente daarvan) ingevoer word. Hierdie argument oortuig my deesdae nie meer nie.
Die tabel toon dat die pryse van produksiemiddele maar traag is om te daal. Dit is die eerste keer sedert die wisselkoers begin versterk het dat van die pryse effens daal.
Die groot sondaar is natuurlik brandstof. Ongelukkig het ek nie goeie nuus hieroor nie die prys kan selfs nog styg.
Intussen is daar heelwat kritiek uit die vakbonde en verbruikersorganisasies dat hulle nie tevrede is met die manier waarop die brandstofprys vasgestel word nie. Hulle voer aan dat die brandstofmaatskappye bevoordeel word tot nadeel van die verbruikers.
Hoewel die landbou 'n rabat kry (danksy Agri SA se harde werk), is stygende brandstofkoste 'n probleem.
Myns insiens sal boere al hoe meer kyk na produksiemetodes wat minder van energie afhanklik is. Net so sal die produksie van hernubare energie en biobrandstof uit landbouprodukte al hoe aantrekliker word. Diegene wat aandele in Sasol besit, sal goed beloon word . . .
Een van die grootste kostekomponente by veral intensiewe boerderybedrywe is die aansienlike styging in arbeidskoste oor die laaste drie jaar. Dit het tyd geword dat dié kostekomponent, wat in sommige boerderye tot soveel as 40 % van die produksiekoste is, ook gemonitor moet word. Daarby wil ek ook die produktiwiteit van arbeid insluit.
Elke boer weet dat die inkomste die laaste twee jaar skerp gedaal het en dat die landbou onder druk verkeer. As hy dit nie aan sy eie bas voel nie, sien hy dit of lees daaroor. Die syfers van die Departement van Landbou bevestig dit. Hierdie gegewens behoort egter wyer gepubliseer te word - ook deur middel van advertensies, want dit is kommerwekkend as swart vakbondleiers nog die mening uitspreek dat die landbou se winste styg en dit daar voor die wind gaan.
Hierdie inligting moet ook aan die Kabinet oorgedra word. Die Minister van Finansies het enkele weke gelede 'n opmerking oor die landbou se geldsake gemaak wat van onkunde spreek.
Die Minister van Arbeid en die ANC moet ook ingelig word.
Die feit wat al hoe meer in gesprekke na vore tree, is dat die Regering ernstig sal moet nadink oor die manier waarop nuwe boere gevestig word. Die landbou-omgewing is deesdae hoegenaamd nie meer vriendelik nie. Net dié boere met die skerpste sakesin sal dit maak.
07-11-2005, 03:15 PM #104
Eastern Cape to spend R1,3bn on land restitution over 3 years
The Eastern Cape has been allocated R1,3-billion from the national budget to settle all outstanding land claims in the next three years.
This was revealed during the provincial land summit held at Regent Hotel in East London this week.
The provincial land summit is a prelude to the national land summit to be held later this month.
Speaking at the summit, provincial Land Commissioner, L Faleni, said Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, in his budget speech earlier this year, indicated an amount of R6-billion had been allocated to provinces to complete the land restitution process in the next three years.
She said in terms of the land policy framework all outstanding restitution claims should be finalised by the end of March 2008.
"Over 15 000 claims have been settled in the Eastern Cape and we are left with just below 2 000 claims to finalise," said Faleni.
Commissioner Faleni said the majority of claims to be finalised shortly, that is, by the end of December 2005, were rural claims.
"Urban claims are to be finalised in the next three years," she said.
Settled claims in the urban areas included the east and west banks of East London and Kabahlanga, claims in the rural areas include areas of Mkhambathi, Dwesa-Cwebe and Guba, while family claims settled include those of Kattoo and Casojee.
Ms Faleni said the three-year period for lodging claims ended in December 1998.
"It took five years for the land claims commission and the land claims court to finalise all claims ending December 31 this year," she said.
Faleni also raised concerns about challenges facing land restitution, including "willing seller and willing buyer" scheme where, she said, land owners sold their land or farms at exhorbitant prices to the buyers regardless of market prices.
Meanwhile preparations are underway in the Northern Cape for the provincial two-day land summit starting next Wednesday.
More than 500 delegates representing the landless, farm workers, land reform beneficiaries, land activists, organized agriculture, provincial and national government, business, political parties, federations and trade unions, decision makers and academics are expected to attend the summit.
According to the provincial department of Agriculture, the Summit would assist in expanding decision making within the land reform.
"It would also assist in raising the profile of South Africa's land and agrarian reform as a yardstick of economic growth and poverty eradication, " the department said.
Resolutions to be taken at the provincial summit will be tabled at the National Land Summit.
07-12-2005, 02:37 AM #105
If they had more people like Dr Ron Paul in the American government, the world would be a far better place. Most of the billions in African aid that was pumped into the bottomless pit of Africa over more than seventy years. The corrupt, thieving, scavenging, African leaders, have pocketed most the money destined for the starving masses. Sixty years ago Africa was starving and sixty years from now, they will still be starving! There is no record of any African leader who ever created even a semblance of wealth for his country and his people.
The White House attempted to quell criticism that America is “not doing enough” to save Africa by announcing that the U.S. would double its economic aid to the continent, from $4.3 billion to $8.6 billion, over the next few years. Neither Congress nor the American people were consulted prior to this pronouncement, I might add. I think the public might not share the administration’s generous mood, especially as we spend billions in Iraq and face single year deficits of $500 billion. Frankly, a federal government with nearly $8 trillion in debt has no business giving money to anybody.
Despite this reality, western political leaders who offer to increase aid are always praised for their compassionate and progressive policies. But what about the people who are suffering here at home, whether from hunger, illness, or poverty? Are their lives and well being less important? Where is the constitutional provision allowing American tax dollars to be sent overseas?
07-12-2005, 02:45 AM #106
London cops close in on bombers
London - British police are on the verge of identifying one person they believe was involved in the bomb attacks which killed at least 52 people in London, a report said on Tuesday.
The Financial Times, which cited an unnamed European official involved in international efforts to find the bombers, said progress had been made towards naming who was responsible for a blast on a bus on Thursday morning.
The bus explosion was one of four co-ordinated bombings, the others on London Underground subway trains, which caused carnage in the morning rush hour.
"I think we are going to see photographs of one or more suspects being posted within days," the official told the paper.
Separately, The Times newspaper reported that forensic pathologists are paying particularly close attention to two bodies found inside the wrecked bus to see whether one of them might have been the bomber.
"There are two bodies which have to be examined in great detail because they appear to have been holding the bomb or sitting on top of it," a "senior police source" told the paper.
"One of those might turn out to be the bomber."
Some experts have speculated that the bus bomb might have gone off accidentally as the terrorist carried it, possibly to another Underground station.
Another report in the Daily Mirror said that police had placed up to 100 suspects considered the "most likely" to have been involved in the attack under surveillance.
An unnamed intelligence source told the paper that among these were British residents known to have trained in al-Qaeda-type camps overseas.
Up to 100 "will be vigorously looked at in a serious surveillance operation", the source was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile in the United States, NBC television reported that British investigators have found fingerprints on bomb materials from the London attacks, adding that at least four operatives are believed to have been involved.
British intelligence told United States counterparts that investigators have picked up fingerprints from bomb materials.
Law enforcement officials said investigators suspect the bombers congregated at the King's Cross Tube station, then set out to plant the devices, NBC said.
According to The Times, a single bomb maker using military-grade explosives was most likely responsible for manufacturing all the bombs used in the attacks.
Similar components have been found by police at all four bomb sites, the newspaper said without citing a source.
Investigators believe that the materials used to make the rucksack-based bombs were manufactured using smuggled, military-grade explosives, possibly brought in from the Balkans, the paper said.
"The nature of the explosives appears to be military, which is very worrying," Superintendent Christophe Chaboud, head of France's anti-terrorism police, who is helping the London inquiry, was quoted as saying.
07-12-2005, 02:48 AM #107
Mandela 'acted out of character'
Johannesburg - The Nelson Mandela who allegedly wanted to ask up to R10 000 for an autographed photograph and would have sold signed copies of his autobiography to a company "was contradictory to the character of the man he (his former lawyer, Ismail Ayob) had come to know and respect through the years".
In Ayob's sworn statement submitted to Johannesburg High Court, this confidant of many years of the former president said he told Mandela's office staff that the collection of these fees would lead to "negative publicity" for Mandela.
According to Ayob, the former president wanted payment to autograph "books, T-shirts, baseball caps, photographs, and so forth, which had been sent to him from time to time by members of the public".
However, he advised Mandela to rather send signed photos of himself to these people "to save time and money".
"He followed my advice for a little while. Then he started asking R500 a photo.
'Had earned R500 a copy for the signature'
"Shortly after this, this fee rose to R10 000 for an autographed photograph."
In his statement, Ayob claimed he came across "hundreds of copies of Long Walk to Freedom in Mandela's home and that Mandela "had autographed these books for a big company".
"His answer to me was that he had earned R500 a copy for the signature."
According to Ayob, Mandela started getting "highly suspicious" about his money matters in June last year because he was "anxious that he did not have control of his affairs".
Ayob apparently had to show photographs and visual material to Mandela to remind him that he had signed artworks, but sometimes, Mandela apparently denied, a couple of days later, that he had singed these artworks.
"For this reason, I decided that I could no longer act on his [Mandela's] behalf.
"During a meeting which was highly agonising to me, I explained to him that what had been demanded of me under the circumstances had strained our relationship."
During the meeting, he apparently suggested that Mandela should "consult a doctor independently without interference by any of his relatives".
Ayob claims the former president did, in fact, consciously sign his name and rights over to Tinancier Investment and Holdings.
Mandela Trust owns Tinancier
Ayob said this agreement was ratified by two subsequent documents.
Ayob said this was the case, despite the former president maintaining that he did not sign the agreement or was misled by Ayob to do so.
According to Ayob, the Mandela Trust owns Tinancier, and the directors of this company are Mandela's daughters, Makaziwe and Zenani.
He claims he did not benefit from the Tinancier agreement and that he received only R364.28 an hour in legal fees.
"Everything I had ever done in terms of my relationship with (Mandela), I did to the benefit of (Mandela) and the benefit of (his) family."
07-12-2005, 02:51 AM #108
Biker beheaded on breakfast run
Paterson - A woman from Port Elizabeth died gruesomely on Sunday afternoon after her motorbike left the road and a wire fence cut off her head.
The 28-year-old woman, whose name may not yet be revealed, and her husband were taking part in a "breakfast run", the term used by bikers for a Sunday-morning pleasure ride.
Captain Mali Govender, police spokesperson of the Grahamstown area, said the tragedy had taken place at about 12:30 on the R342, four kilometres outside Paterson.
"The woman possibly lost control of her Honda Fireblade motorbike and first hit a pole and then the wire fence at the side of the road.
"We have not been able to determine yet why she left the road,", said Govender.
Captain Willie Dorfling, station commander at the local police station, confirmed that the woman had lost control on a sharp bend.
"It seems she skidded, because she went through the lowest set of wires on the fence. The fence is about 1.2m high with wires strung 15cm apart," he said.
Dorfling said the couple were on their way home after they having breakfast at Addo.
07-12-2005, 02:55 AM #109
Seven SA 'missing' traced
London - Seven of 15 South Africans believed to be missing in London after last week's bomb blasts have been found, the SA Congregation said on Monday.
The names of the fifteen were read out during a church service in London on Sunday.
Dominee Dawie van Vuuren said the seven - Henk Goosen, Christene Govinder, Tania Anderson, Mark Anderson, Andre Apollos, Marina Chikh and Jhanet Thyssen - sent messages to friends and family to say they were safe.
Terrorist bombs targeting London's public transport system last week left 52 people dead and hundreds injured.
South Africans who are still missing are:
Jacobus Nel Visagie;
Ronel de Beer and
Van Vuuren said the church had been inundated with phone calls and e-mails of concerned relatives.
Among them were calls from a South African father in Tanzania who was looking for his child.
07-12-2005, 02:59 AM #110
Girl 'dead' for five minutes
East London - A six-year-old girl is fighting for her life in hospital after an asbestos umbrella fell on her head at the weekend.
Little Michaela Brown had been "dead" for about five minutes before ambulance staff managed to resuscitate her about 18:00 on Friday.
Her head was seriously injured in a freak accident when a garden umbrella at her home in Abale Street, Cambridge, fell on her head.
The umbrella apparently had broken off on its own and there had been no strong gusts to blow it over.
Adrian Trollip, chief of the Netcare ambulance service in East London, said Michaela had stopped breathing for about five minutes and ambulance staff had struggled to resuscitate her.
"She began breathing again, but did not regain consciousness. We took her to St Dominic's Hospital."
Isabella Peters, a matron at St Dominic's, said Michaela's condition was still critical and she was in an intensive-care unit.
A source said her parents were keeping a night-and-day vigil at their daughter's bedside.
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