A TOP Walter Sisulu University official was forced to flee under police escort on Friday after a meeting over funding at the institution’s Potsdam campus turned ugly.

Police escorted vice-chancellor and principal, Professor Marcus Balintulo out of the Great Hall after a meeting with some 1000 students spiralled out of control. The drama came in the wake of a student strike which ended last Tuesday. Students and WSU’s management were involved in a dispute over the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding, residence and transport subsidies and cases of public violence against 33 students. Balintulo’s appearance at Potsdam came at the request of the Buffalo City campus student representative council (SRC), who asked him to listen to their grievances following marathon meetings between students and management last week. Balintulo had told the SRC that he would address students at the Potsdam campus provided his safety was guaranteed. But during the meeting, students – who were bused in from residences in East London and King William’s Town – started calling for Balintulo’s resignation, while others were hurling personal insults at him. “The crowd became rowdy and he had to leave,” said WSU spokesperson Tania Smith. “Police were called and he was escorted out,” she added. But Smith denied that Balintulo’s life was ever in danger. “He wasn’t in danger, it was just a large crowd and the VC had to leave under the supervision of police,” she said. A student present at the meeting said personal insults were being hurled at Balintulo and that he was called a “liar”. The student, who asked not to be named, said that when Balintulo attempted to flee the Great Hall where the meeting was held, students blocked the gate with stadium chairs and would not let him out, and eventually police were called. “Students were not satisfied with the answers he gave them. Students raised issues.

“The students became angry because Balintulo could not answer their questions. “He was making other people answer for him,” the student said. Balintulo was accompanied by his special assistant Phumzile Mfazwe and Dr Mokgadi Mkhonza, the student affairs executive director. Police spokesperson Mluleki Mbi yesterday confirmed that police were called out to the Potsdam campus where Balintulo was involved in a stand-off with students. “They would not let him leave the premises and police were forced to intervene,” Mbi said. The latest incident comes amid weeks of turmoil on the WSU campus at Potsdam over funding which saw at least 400 students not graduating earlier this month. Of the 5000 students who applied for NSFAS funding this year, only about 866 received funding, the WSU’s SRC has said.

Yesterday , Buffalo City campus premier Vuyolwethu Mditshwa said the SRC had tried as best as they could to calm students down at the meeting but did not succeed. Mditshwa now said he foresaw more strike action after management announced that exams would start on Thursday, May 27, instead of May 31 as agreed upon with Balintulo. “ We think management should meet students halfway on this. Students say they need more time to prepare. Promises made should be stuck to,” Mditshwa said. - By ASA SOKOPO Education Reporter (a href>mailto:asas@dispatch.co.za$) asas@dispatch.co.za

A SECRET recording obtained by the Saturday Dispatch reveals how the head of one of southern Africa’s fastest-growing churches plotted to ditch his wife for the wife of his brother-in- law, who was also a fellow pastor.

The recordings expose as a lie his sermons preaching marital fidelity and Christian values.

“Apostle Prophet” Andile Myemane, 49, is the head of the Mdantsane-based and rapidly expanding Jesus Christ Family Church, which claims to have ministered to up to 18000 worshippers in a single service.

Myemane is still married to his wife Pumza but also lives with the woman the recordings show he planned to take as a second wife – despite his own teachings and claims to his congregation.

The recording was made by Hazel Ngcanga who, at the time – in November 2008 – was one of the pastors in the church.

She told the Dispatch she had recorded the conversation when she heard with disbelief him denying in public in church the rumours that he was considering taking a second wife.

In the four-hour-long recording the two can be heard discussing the idea that God had told Myemane to marry his sister-in-law Nombuzo “Buzo” Sisilana.

Sisilana was married to Myemane’s wife’s younger brother, Parks Sisilana, who died mysteriously in June 2008. Shortly after his death, Myemane approached church elders with his idea that God had instructed him to marry the widow.

His plan stunned some elders, especially since Myemane is well known among the Eastern Cape Christian community through his “Couples of Heaven” ministry and his teachings about good behaviour in marriage on the television network TBN.

Together with his wife, Pumza, whom he married in the 1980s, Myemane has also been teaching and counselling young married couples.

His intention to marry a second wife came as a shock to many, including some within his church, who viewed it as gross hypocrisy.

In the tape, Myemane can be heard discussing “God’s instruction” that he should marry Sisilana.

In the recording, he admits many were opposed to his plan, among them his deputy Lubanga Lubanga, who has since left the church because of it.

Myemane also reveals that both his wife and Sisilana, to whom he refers as “Buzo”, were aware of his feelings, but that his wife was against the plan and had rejected it. Despite this, Myemane, Pumza and Nombuzo today share a luxurious double-storey home in Blue Bend , East London, and the three are often seen driving around or dining at restaurants together.

Justifying why he needed to take a second wife, Myemane can be heard on the recording saying that God had told him that his wife had “finished running her race” and that, whatever happens, God would see to it that he marries Sisilana. Towards the end of the conversation, Ngcanga asks him if he had ever “been close to Nombuzo” and Myemane said that he had. “There have been some occasions lately where I have been very close to her ... I am being honest to you. I am telling you the truth. I cannot lie,” Myemane said. “ In consoling her I found myself sometimes holding her tight, tight, in a manner that I felt I should not have been with someone who I am not married to,” he is recorded saying. He denied they had been more intimate.

“Never, not that one, never, 100 percent. That thing I do not know how to tell you. There have been opportunities, to see that this thing could happen any time, but we never did it. We were never that close so as to sleep. This is something that I have prayed about and I have said to God I must never sleep with someone that I am not married to. But there have been opportunities.”

Ngcanga said she made the recording after Myemane’s denial to his congregation. “I was shocked when he told the congregation that there is a rumour that he wanted to marry someone else. He blatantly said that it’s a lie. He claimed to be a man of discipline and said he can’t do that, for God has given him the ministry to reconcile marriages,” she said.

Former church deputy Lubanga yesterday confirmed that he stopped attending the church as a result of Myemane’s belief that God had instructed him to take a second wife. He was later expelled. “I told Myemane that as long as I am at JCF, he will never marry that girl. That could be the reason why he expelled me from the church,” Lubanga said. In February last year, Myemane served Lubanga with a summons accusing him of defamation and for “continuously spreading false rumours about (Myemane) to other pastors and church members ... you have alleged that he was having an affair with his sister-in- law ... and was intending ... marrying her”. Myemane, his wife Pumza and Sisilana declined to comment this week. l Go to http://blogs.dispatch.co.za/dispatchnow or www.dispatch.co.za to listen to excerpts from the recording. (a href>mailto:xoliswam@dispatch.co.za$) xoliswam@dispatch.co.za (a href>mailto:kathrynp@dispatch.co.za$) kathrynp@dispatch.co.za

IN LITTLE more than a decade “Apostle Prophet” Andile Myemane built a church from a humble classroom into what now claims to be the fastest growing church in southern Africa.

The rise of Myemane from humble roots to head of the Mdantsane-based Jesus Christ Family Church, which claims to have held services for up to 18000 people at a time, has amazed and startled many. Today, Myemane, 49, is regarded as one of the region’s most controversial pastors – and as his church has grown so has his personal success, which now includes several properties across East London and a fleet of luxury vehicles.

His Sunday sermons before thousands in Mdantsane are famous for his mocking attacks on senior members who have left his church. He is also known for motivating congregants to give up medical aid and funeral policies – urging them to rather donate this money to the church. And the donations have poured in. Myemane and his wife are known for their displays of wealth, from fine clothes to expensive jewellery and luxury cars with personalised number plates and drivers to ferry them around. He boasts a posse of bodyguards – among them the seven men in court this week accused of the attempted murder of a dissident former church member.

But Myemane’s roots in the JCF have less glamorous beginnings.

The story goes back to 1994 in a small classroom at Masixole Secondary School in Mdantsane where Myemane preached. His move to found the JCF came after he left the Assemblies of God (AOG) Church where he had preached in the late 1980s for a four-year stint. Even then he was controversial – and ambitious. A pastor who worked closely with him at AOG said Myemane’s decision to leave came as a result of a bitter dispute. “He wanted a senior position in the church, but he was told to wait ... that he is not yet ready. But he was impatient,” said the pastor, who asked not to be named. The pastor, who first met Myemane in 1985, said Myemane was “a good man when he was at Assemblies of God but money and power changed him”. He added: “I don’t have a personal problem with him, I have a problem with his doctrine ... his teachings.” At the AOG, insiders said, Myemane invested a lot of time in a project he called “Couples in Heaven”. A former AOG congregant and at the time a loyal Myemane follower, who also asked not to be named, said it was when the AOG refused to adopt the project that Myemane upped and left. The man explained that Myemane wrote a letter to the church elders to announce that he was leaving. “When Myemane moved out of the Assemblies of God, he said he was going where God wanted him to be – to mend broken families and marriages through his Couples in Heaven Ministry,” the man told the Dispatch. In 1994, in the early days of what was to become JCF Church, Myemane teamed up with pastors Vuyani Twalo, Ntobeko Camagu and Lucas Ndongeni to form a small church, then known as Christ Family, the precursor to the empire he heads today with ministries across the Eastern and Western Cape. By 1996, the church was growing slowly with no more than 25 members when the relationship between Myemane and his three fellow pastors broke down over a misunderstanding “which concerned adultery”, the former loyalist said. “They moved out of the church, leaving Myemane behind.” However, undeterred, Myemane strode on, this time under the banner of JCF Church as he ditched the Christ Family association. Over a decade later his following had become considerably larger – and, some would argue, so had his notoriety. Concerns over Myemane’s teachings are rife amongst senior church leaders. The self-proclaimed “apostle prophet” was even kicked off Christian television channel TBN Africa after producers began questioning his knowledge of the Bible after Myemane claimed during one of his sermons that “Jesus and Christ are two different people”. He was accused of “confusing” congregants. Aubrey Silinyana, a former member of the church and a TBN presenter at the time, said producers on the Christian network questioned Myemane’s teachings. In 2005, Silinyana was given an ultimatum. He was asked to choose between JCF and his job at TBN. “I chose JCF and was asked to leave the network. Myemane was no longer permitted to preach on TBN,” said Silinyana, who has since fallen out with Myemane. The Dispatch presented Myemane with all the allegations made against him. However, he refused to comment. (a href>mailto:xoliswam@dispatch.co.za$) xoliswam@dispatch.co.za (a href>mailto:kathrynp@dispatch.co.za$) kathrynp@dispatch.co.za

MEMBERS of the JCF Church were arrested last week after they allegedly broke into an ex-congregant’s home and assaulted him and his wife. Enoch Qutywa sustained minor injuries, while Koliswa is still undergoing hospital treatment.

Arrested were: Luvuyo Ngwatha, Mazangwa Kalani, Mxolisi Stemper, Msondezi Maxatana, Bulelani Papiyane, Mkhululi Dlevu and Thanduxolo “Shoes” Koni . Believed to be Pastor Andile Myemane’s bodyguards, they are out on warning and will appear again in the city’s magistrate’s court on July 14. Three of them have featured in JCF’s monthly magazine Intlangulabantu (“The rescue for the people”): l Bulelani Papiyane used to mug and steal, according to the magazine. He admits he smoked and sold dagga at school and used to supply drugs to teachers. Housebreaking became second nature to him. He was introduced to JCF one day by his sister. “When I entered that door, I was amazed by the whole set-up – it was like I am on TV ... I thought they were the Mafia. I noticed one man giving the orders and thought he is the boss ... I wanted to be close to this guy so that he can involve me in his schemes.” Papiyane said the following day he roped his friend in to join him in robbing congregants. “We could not execute our plan (to rob) … we were amazed … seeing miracles … people were being set free from various (debts).”

l Mazangwa Kalani, a dagga smoker, said his life changed when he found a firearm hidden in the bathroom at home. He admits to having murdered at least two people: “If someone cracked a joke about me, I would stab him.” In 2005, while running away from gang members, Kalani hid in the JCF Worship Centre . He said once he had joined the church, some of his court cases were “miraculously cancelled”.

l Msondezi Maxatana said he accepted God as his Saviour in 2005 when he accompanied a friend to JCF.

Church members allege that Maxatana made death threats to Lubanga Lubanga, after he resigned as a JCF pastor. Lubanga has since opened a case of intimidation against him. (a href>mailto:xoliswam@dispatch.co.za$) xoliswam@dispatch.co.za (a href>mailto:kathrynp@dispatch.co.za$) kathrynp@dispatch.co.za

PASTOR Andile Myemane has refused to confirm or deny any of the allegations made in today’s exposé.

Nombuzo Sisilana, who Myemane allegedly planned to marry, also refused to comment. Myemane, his wife Pumza and Sisilana were all informed of the explosive tape where Myemane implicates himself in a love triangle. On Thursday, reporter Xolisa Mgwatyu phoned Sisilana to discuss her relationship with Myemane. But Sisilana declined to comment, saying: “I owe the Dispatch nothing … you can publish whatever information you have against me.” Reporter Kathryn Parkes attempted to contact Myemane. But his personal assistant, who would not reveal his name, told her Myemane would not be interested in speaking to the newspaper. He asked for her questions via e-mail. Mgwatyu then sent an e-mail making it clear that it would be in Myemane’s best interest to comment. That evening, when the Dispatch had still not received a response, the reporter again attempted to contact Myemane. This time, however, a woman who the reporter believes was Pumza, answered the call and told him: “You are not right. We don’t know what to do about you.” Before going to print yesterday Myemane and Sisilana were given a final opportunity to comment. Both refused. (CHURCH MEMBERS) Luvuyo Ngwatha was allegedly a petty thief who was kicked out of his parents’ home on numerous occasions as a youngster. He allegedly got into trouble after being caught stealing Telkom cables. l (CHURCH MEMBERS) Mkhululi Dlevu – A pastor who grew very close to Dlevu said he was not comfortable about revealing his past. However, the pastor from Cape Town did say “put it this way, I was not at all surprised to see that he was part of the group of thugs involved in the alleged abuse”. l (CHURCH MEMBERS) Former church members were surprised to learn Mxolisi Stemper and Thanduxolo “Shoes” Koni were part of this group. “This is probably their first run in with the law,” a former church-goer said. (a href>mailto:xoliswam@dispatch.co.za$) xoliswam@dispatch.co.za (a href>mailto:kathrynp@dispatch.co.za$) kathrynp@dispatch.co.za

THE appointment of acting SABC news head Phil Molefe to a permanent position has caused an outcry in civil society, with opposition parties and even ANC- aligned unions objecting to procedural “irregularities”. “We need assurance that this is not another political appointment,” said IFP spokesperson Reverend Musa Zondi yesterday. He said the party was “concerned” that the public broadcaster was again making the news for “all the wrong reasons”. “Reports that Molefe was appointed under illegitimate and irregular circumstances causes great concern to the IFP.” “SABC chairperson Ben Ngubane needs to come clean on the latest crisis within the SABC,” he said. The Democratic Alliance said it would write to Parliament’s portfolio committee on communications to request the summoning of the SABC board to appear urgently before the committee to account for the events of the past four days. Spokesperson Lindiwe Mazibuko said: “If reports about Molefe’s appointment are accurate, then it is clear that due process has not been followed. “The SABC board needs to move swiftly to avert a leadership crisis...” It was also unacceptable that board members were kept so much in the dark that they first heard about the appointment in the press, she said. The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said the appointment raised fears that the public broadcaster was being turned into a propaganda machine. “We are deeply concerned about this seemingly unprocedural and flawed appointment of Molefe as the head of news,” Numsa said in a statement. “This appointment raises serious suspicions that the GCEO (SABC group chief executive Solly Mokoetle) acted to appease certain individuals who want to use the SABC as their propaganda spewing machine.” The union demanded that the appointment of a new news chief to fill the long-vacant post of Snuki Zikalala be done “through a transparent and open process”.

There was considerable confusion on Friday as to whether he had indeed been appointed on a permanent basis. Mokoetle on Thursday issued a statement saying: “The board and I are happy that this matter has been brought to finality as promised as this was a key vacant position that needed to be filled to stabilise the corporation.” But newspapers reported on Friday that Felleng Sekha, the deputy chairperson of the SABC board and head of the board’s news subcommittee, said the board had yet to take a decision. The Cape Times said Sekha recorded an interview for SABC’s PM Live radio programme in which she distanced herself from the executive’s decision but it was never aired. The newspaper quoted fellow board member David Niddrie as saying: “I was surprised to learn of the appointment. “There was a panel delegated to consider and recommend to the board ... We have not received those recommendations.” Ngubane said on Saturday that there was no “breach of corporate governance” in Molefe’s appointment. “I believe that all processes were followed and there was no breach of corporate governance.” The controversy became public after board member Pippa Green told the media that Molefe’s appointment was not approved by them. Ngubane said he authorised the appointment because he felt that Molefe satisfied all requirements for the position. “After considering all the factors before me that necessitated the speedy finalisation of this process, and after going to the SABC booklet on criteria for interviews, I made the decision ... because he satisfied all the requirements as agreed to by all board members,” he said. Molefe was appointed on Thursday after a year of acting in the position. According to the Sunday Independent, Ngubane snubbed an emergency board meeting that was scheduled for Saturday to discuss the matter. — Sapa

ANC Youth League President Julius Malema told delegates at the league’s KwaZulu-Natal conference on Saturday that they needed to sort out registration problems because it was making the organisation look chaotic.

“You must improve the way things are done. “We have systems in place and young people have companies who can do the registering.” He said this problem had occurred in all provinces where conferences were held. The conference finally began at around 4pm after it had been delayed for more than five hours on Saturday. The process had been scheduled to start at 7am on Friday but it was delayed for over 10 hours. Efforts to complete it overnight were unsuccessful and by midday on Saturday, it was still not finalised. Delegates arrived early on Friday but were forced to camp at the venue overnight occupying themselves with singing and drinking. Slindile Mkhize from Pongola said she had arrived at 6am on Friday. “I only registered at 2am. I did not sleep the whole night.” The college was littered with liquor bottles, papers and cans. “There was a reason for the delay. We wanted to make sure that we captured all the information correctly and that all delegates’ credentials were correct,” said outgoing chairman Mxolisi Kaunda. Thorough checks during registration were crucial so that people did not complain that the provincial elections had been rigged, he said. Problems arose at conferences in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo recently as members competed for top positions ahead of the national conference next year. It has divided branches into those supporting Malema, and those who want him replaced by his deputy, Andile Lungisa. — Sapa

Malema does a U-turn with the ‘boer’ song and dance act ANC Youth League president Julius Malema remixed his controversial “shoot the boer” song at a league conference in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday. “Kiss the boer, kiss the boer,” sang Malema. He went on to sing “Dubula igwala” (shoot the coward). Delegates sang along excitedly as Malema danced around the stage at the university’s Howard College, repeating the riff “kiss the boer”.

A hate speech complaint regarding the “shoot the boer” lyrics, which the ANC believes is part of their struggle history, was referred to the High Court in Johannesburg on Thursday and is expected to be heard later this year. — Sapa

Focus on private hospitals THE private hospital industry on Friday welcomed the possibility of regulations for private medical care costs. “The private hospital industry welcomes engagement and looks forward to discussing the issue with (Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi),” the Hospital Association of SA (Hasa) said in a statement. On Wednesday, Business Day reported that Motsoaledi was quietly consulting with the private health industry to roll out an independent commission that would set costs for private health care. In an interview, Motsoaledi said health care was “not an ordinary commodity”. “It can’t be that the sky is the limit. There need to be caps – really clear caps.” — Sapa

CPF member killed FIVE members of the Ngqeleni village Community Policing Forum (CPF) were attacked on Friday evening at a local tavern near Mthatha. One member was killed and another is in hospital with critical injuries. Nine people were arrested on the scene. Police Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said the CPF members went to the tavern to negotiate its closure as it was identified by the CPF as a point for crime in the area. While discussions were being held, the CPF members were allegedly attacked by the bar’s patrons. The suspects will appear in the Ngqeleni Magistrate’s court today. In another tavern incident, a 23-year-old man was shot and killed after a fight outside a tavern in Ngcobo. A case of murder has been opened but no arrests have been made as yet, Fatyela said. — Michelle Solomon

Car crashes in block of flats A MAN crashed his car into a wall of a block of flats in Somerset West yesterday while speeding away from police, ER24 paramedics said. Spokesman Derrick Banks said the man, 29, was trapped inside the overturned car. “Jaws of life were used to free him. The man sustained injuries to his shoulder and right arm,” he said. — Sapa Father accused of killing child THE case against a man accused of electrocuting his 16-year-old daughter for wearing a tongue ring was postponed in the Durban High Court on Friday. Sphiwe Morgan Dlangisa, 38, appeared briefly before Judge Linus Phoswa who postponed the case to August 16. Court papers say in the early hours of November 1 last year Dlangisa allegedly tied Nonkululeko to an electric pole and electrocuted her. He had apparently noticed that his daughter had a stud pierced through her tongue and had became angry and starting assaulting her the previous day. — Sapa

THE civil war in the Congress of the People (Cope) continued to rage on Saturday as party leader Mosiuoa Lekota and his estranged deputy Mbhazima Shilowa addressed separate meetings in Cape Town.

On Saturday afternoon Lekota spoke to about 250 supporters at a hall in Langa township while Shilowa earlier addressed several hundred delegates to what was billed as the first-ever Western Cape provincial congress of the party, in the city centre.

A last-minute bid by the Lekota faction to block the provincial congress through a high court interdict, which involved late-night calls to a judge on Friday, was abandoned. Lekota told his supporters in Langa that democracy required self discipline. “If your ideas, your wishes, are not supported by the majority, you are duty bound to respect the view of the majority. Because tomorrow we will discuss a different issue and then the majority will support your view,” he said. As Lekota was speaking, people in his audience were being asked to sign their support for a “Cope 2010 minute”, a four-page document condemning the Shilowa grouping for waging a “factionalist agenda”. “The supporters of Mbhazima Shilowa have waged an explicit campaign to denigrate ... Lekota and to call for an early congress,” it said. “As part of this agenda they have fraudulently prepared lists of membership and branches that are non- existent.”

Shilowa told several hundred delegates at the provincial congress that no leader should stand in the way of Cope building an alternative South African political party. “We are going to the congress next week.... There will be a congress,” he said . — Sapa

THE South African economy isn’t exactly at its strongest level at the moment, which is why so many employees are worried about the recession and what it means for their job security. Retrenchment is something that many people will have to go through in their lives, but with the appropriate career planning you can in the end surface with a better regard for your career and your skills.

Career coaching can make all the difference at a time when your emotions are likely to be running high. You may have been in your job for many years and, if this is the case, you would be forgiven for feeling as if there is no future for you in the current job market. There are people, though, who I have interviewed and who in retrospect have a different view. Confiding in me: “The retrenchment was actually a good thing. That’s not to say that it wasn’t stressful or upsetting at the time. However, it was the catalyst which got me out of my comfort zone and a job that no longer inspired me”. It is a good time to evaluate whether you want to stay in the same career and perhaps progress to a different company. Or would you prefer to opt for a complete career change? Many people find that working with a career coach helps them to assess the possibilities and make an informed decision on whether their current skills could be put to better use elsewhere. If you do decide on a career change you may find you need to obtain some fresh qualifications or training, which will give you a better chance of getting the job you want. Proper career planning can also identify other possibilities such as self-employment – perhaps even using the years of experience you have already gained in the job you are about to leave. Many people use some of their retrenchment packages to set up a business, which enables them to be true to themselves, as well as bring in an income which comes from creating something that is truly their’s. Whatever you decide to do, it is vital that you get the help and advice you need as soon as you know that retrenchment is on the cards. This will enable you to move forward with much more confidence. Services Seta has run a valuable one-day workshop titled “Between Jobs” accompanied by The Retrenched Person’s Handbook, which I found highly informative and helpful. Pam Kerr is a career coach in private practice at EnvisionSA and can be contacted via e-mail at EnvisionSA@mweb.co.za

THE ghost of apartheid-past still hung over South Africa, President Jacob Zuma said at a Freedom Day celebration yesterday.

While apartheid laws may have disappeared from the statute books, the effects of the Group Areas Act lingered, he said. “Our people still have to daily confront the impact of the law,” Zuma told thousands of people at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. He said the Act – which marked the institutionalising of racial partitioning of cities and towns – was still in existence 20 years after it was repealed. “Many still live in areas once designated for black people … away from economic opportunities and civic services,” he said. “Freedom imposes on us a responsibility to work together in the process of changing such conditions.” Zuma said the cost of transport alone took a heavy toll on the lives of the poor. This was one example among many which needed to be addressed to ensure people “enjoy the fruits of freedom”. In just four years, South Africa would have been free for 20 years. Government would have no sympathy for any reasons advanced to explain any failure to make a difference in people’s lives, said Zuma. For this reason, government was working on increasing the pace and quality of delivery. Zuma emphasised that the country has passed the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people without sustainable water. As of March 2009, over 10 million households had access to sanitation compared with five million in 1994. “We don’t deny that there is still much to be done, but a lot has also been achieved already,” he said. Zuma plans a special presidential co-ordinating council meeting with all nine provincial premiers on May 18 to stop all shoddy housing developments. “There is a need for habitable human settlements throughout the country.” He acknowledged problems surrounding the Presidential Hotline, saying government was working hard to deal with them. Zuma reiterated the need for South Africans across racial lines and political divides to engage on issues of heritage and culture to help to reach a common understanding on the changing of certain geographical names, the singing of struggle songs and the slaughtering of animals to appease ancestors, which is practised in some cultures. The crowd broke into song as Zuma started delivering his speech, singing Umshini Wam in the hope the president would join in. Sitting behind Zuma, Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture Paul Mashatile tried to quieten the crowd with hand signals. The crowd was predominantly black but there was a group of tourists from England. One of them, Hayley Thorpe, said she would take good memories when she returned home. “This is a great country and the people are marvellous,” she said.

Dimpho Mopedi, 19, who braved the cold and rain, said they now enjoyed certain freedoms which their parents were not able to enjoy at their age, “thanks to all the hard work of our freedom fighters”. “We are now able to go to multi-racial schools and have white friends, but most importantly, enjoy the same benefits.” — Sapa

NEW information regarding a top ANC official who allegedly used a dodgy document to secure a senior position in the provincial Department of Social Development proves he had been recommended for the position.

Earlier this year, the Daily Dispatch reported how ANC Ward 28 Qinirha branch deputy chairperson Mzodumo Dliwayo had allegedly drafted a fraudulent appointment letter for a bogus senior position in the provincial Department of Health to get a senior post in the Social Development Department.

According to a Social Development Department internal memo dated June 29, 2008, of which the Dispatch was in possession at the time, the job earned Dliwayo a salary of well over R1.5 million . Also in the possession of the Dispatch was an affidavit detailing how Dliwayo attempted to pay himself a bonus of R50000 in December – in addition to paying his wife ( also an employee of the department) R15000 as a further bonus.

But new information reveals that the document Dliwayo had was correct and that he was interviewed and recommended for the deputy director position at the provincial Health Department. The Dispatch is in possession of a document detailing where the position was advertised and who was interviewed and recommended.

A happy Dliwayo said he had always maintained he got the job legitimately. “Like I said, these are fabrications made to tarnish my name all because I had disagreements with BCM mayor (Zukisa Faku),” he said. Earlier, the Dispatch reported how Dliwayo, with former BCM mayor Lulamile Nazo and BCM councillor Sonny du Plessis, formed a trio intent on ousting Faku. Provincial spokesperson Gcobani Maswana said the department would reserve comment until investigations were complete. Dliwayo said his hearing was to be held on Friday. - By SIBONGILE MKANI-MPOLWENI Political Reporter — sibongilem@dispatch.co.za

BEACHGOERS at Gonubie enjoying warm holiday weather scattered yesterday after a shark scare at the popular beach closed it to swimming.

The shark alert was raised after beachgoers spotted it and informed lifeguards on duty. The lifeguards immediately ordered those who were swimming to get out of the water, then closed the beach off.

When the Dispatch arrived at the scene, a shark-alert flag had been raised while lifeguards were cautioning people not to swim.

Beachgoer Serena Schutte told the Dispatch that after the guards blew the whistle, people who were taking advantage of the warmer weather swam in, fearing for their lives. “People immediately dispersed and took off because the beach had to be closed,” Schutte said.

Another beachgoer, Michael Brownlee , said he saw a shark and used his binoculars to get a closer look. “It was not that big, but one could see that it was indeed a shark,” said Brownlee.

He added that he was about to swim when the alert flag was raised.

BCM amenities programme manager Keshav Panday confirmed that a shark was sighted which resulted in officials closing the beach immediately.

However, Panday could not confirm what type of shark was spotted. “As soon as we are satisfied that the shark has moved from the area, we will open the beach but for now it would remain closed,” he said.

Panday advised beachgoers not to swim. Staff would keep a closer watch at the beach as the shark might still be around, he said. — xolisani@dispatch.co.za l Picture, page 7

HUMAN Settlements minister Tokyo Sexwale yesterday urged people to blow the whistle on corrupt government officials and report contractors who build shoddy RDP houses in the Eastern Cape.

Sexwale was speaking at Freedom Day celebrations in Bethelsdorp, Port Elizabeth. “Government vacant posts are not for sale and people should blow the whistle if there’s any government official pushing corruption,” he said. Sexwale said since he took over as the minister, his department had arrested more than 4000 contractors and 3000 were presently in jail for fraud in the building of RDP houses in the country.

Among those who attended the celebrations were Premier Noxolo Kiviet, members of the Provincial Legislature, kings from the House of Traditional Leaders, and ministers from various churches. The Democratic Alliance refused to take part because the podium at the event was draped in ANC flags. “I refused to speak under an ANC flag on Freedom Day because this was supposed to be a nation-building exercise,” provincial DA spokesperson for Education and Public Works Athol van Vuuren said. “This is shocking abuse of taxpayers’ money as it was an ANC rally sponsored by either the municipal or the provincial government.”

The DA was very disappointed because “they wanted their people to be part of nation-building”. “We want an audit as to what money was spent and who was on the planning committee,” Van Vuuren said.

Sexwale chanted a revolutionary song praising former struggle icon Chris Hani that said, “How can we (black people) live a peaceful life after the white people killed our Chris Hani”.

“We’ve paid a high price for this freedom and therefore it comes with responsibilities,” he said. Leadership must respect ordinary people and not take people for granted. Freedom was fought for by all South Africans, regardless of colour. “Non-racialism is something that we must remember when we celebrate this day and when the 2010 Fifa World visitors arrive here, they must find us undivided.” He said the government planned to use the same effort, money and stamina that was used in building stadiums and constructing roads for the 2010 Fifa World Cup even beyond the tournament.

Premier Noxolo Kiviet said Freedom Day should not be celebrated only by black people because the oppression of apartheid affected everyone who was a South African citizen before 1994. - By MTHETHO NDONI

THE young woman who lives on a farm near Kidd’s Beach and made headlines last year after she was raped by a man she thought was a Good Samaritan is finally getting her identity document.

The 23-year-old woman, who cannot be named because of the crimes committed against her, didn’t have an ID and could not get support grant for her child, who she conceived after her first rape ordeal in 2008.

The woman, her twin sister and their 52-year-old mother didn’t have IDs, making it difficult for them to apply for child grants.

But on Friday, through the help of Constable Thembisa Ngcamama , they managed to apply for IDs.

Last year, the sisters were allegedly turned away by Home Affairs because their mother didn’t have an ID or birth certificate. Through Ngcamama’s intervention, they have finally received help.

“I was touched by the pain the woman suffered after she was raped. She even conceived after she was raped by a stranger. “She was a victim, because she was coming from a farming community. She didn’t have the right people to assist her,” Ngcamama said. “When I looked at that home I found that all of them have nothing, but today I am very happy that they will finally receive their IDs.”

The woman’s mother, who was at home yesterday, said they were living under difficult conditions as they were all unemployed.

“Sometimes we sleep with water in our stomachs – there is no one supporting us. “I thank God for all those who were pillars of strength for us until we finally got proof that our IDs are being made at Home Affairs,” said the mother, who also cannot be named. In June last year, Daily Dispatch published the story of the 22-year-old woman who was raped while on her way to a shop.

Two men emerged from nearby bushes between two farms near Kidd’s Beach and raped her.

Eventually the men left, leaving her stunned and hurt.

She managed to drag herself from the bushes and on to the road, praying that a motorist would come past and help her, fearing all the time that her attackers would return.

After about 30 minutes a man outside an old house saw that she was in distress.

“He noticed that I was struggling to walk and visibly in pain. He offered me something to drink but all I wanted was help. He then offered me a plate of food and when I refused, he asked if he could sleep with me,” said the young woman at the time. The man raped her despite the fact that she had just been raped by two other men. “I told him what happened to me but he wouldn’t listen.”

The man then told her to leave.

She was later helped by a community member who called the police.

After the Daily Dispatch published the story, a number of people came forward to assist the woman’s family but couldn't do much as none of the family members had IDs.

Charity organisation Men For Change’s Xolamzi Sam, who last year assisted the family with clothes and food parcels, said it was heartwarming to hear that there were people still interested in assisting the family. “That is great work. I am so happy that the family will get this assistance,” Sam said. Home Affairs was not available to comment . — bonganif@dispatch.co.za

THE national leadership of Congress of the People (Cope) has moved to defuse tensions within the organisation following its youth wing leader’s attack on Mosiuoa Lekota this week.

Cope Youth Movement leader Anele Mda issued a statement on Monday accusing Lekota of being a “dictator and planting anarchy” within the party.

This followed the cancellation of a congress national committee (CNC) meeting scheduled for Monday. The meeting did not take place because Lekota and his deputy, Mbhazima Shilowa, were not present.

Speaking at the party’s Freedom Day rally in Ginsberg outside King William’s Town, the party’s general secretary Charlotte Lobe said there was no infighting, but only disagreements.

“Our fight is a fight for democracy and in that fight Cope must come first; interests of who must lead are not primary to the congress,” said Lobe.

Tensions have been cropping up in the province ahead of the national elective conference in May, as the party’s provincial leaders announced they would lobby to elect Shilowa for president.

This has angered some branches who want Lekota to remain in the position.

Lobe said there was nothing wrong with what the provinces were doing as they were allowed to lobby for leadership. “Any member can lobby for the leadership; the process of nominations has not yet opened but there is nothing wrong with lobbying,” she said.

Last week the party’s spokesperson, Phillip Dexter, said provinces were not allowed to announce their candidate lists yet. Lobe discouraged people from calling Cope “Shikota”, saying the congress belonged to the people.

“Cope will live further than individuals; today’s leaders will give way for tomorrow’s … but Cope will remain for the people,” said Lobe.

She said the party had been in wilderness because its leadership had not been elected by the people but chosen by a caucus.

“We must go to the conference and elect the leadership of Cope that will take the congress forward,” she said.

Lobe said the Eastern Cape was among the first of six provinces which had been declared ready for the party’s elective conference.

The province had more than 600 branches that met the requirements.

“In the King William’s Town cluster we have 42 branches and we have 89 branches in Buffalo City and more than 300 in Amathole,” she said.

Referring to the cancelled CNC meeting, she said it could not go ahead in the party president’s absence.

Meanwhile, the outspoken Mda confirmed to the Dispatch the statement she had sent to the media accusing Lekota of sending SMS messages urging people to boycott the meeting.

Mda said they were aware that Lekota had encouraged people not to attend the meeting, which was why Smuts Ngonyama and Dexter were also absent.

“Out of respect for the president we felt the meeting could not go ahead without him, just to give him the benefit of the doubt,” she said.

The statement read: “We are highly concerned and disappointed at the recent conduct of the president of Cope, comrade Lekota, who has made it his mission to entrench his dictatorial views and plant anarchy in our organisation.

“We note also that the helpless and clueless Hilda Ndude, Smuts Ngonyama and Phillip Dexter have respectively failed in executing their tasks, becoming champions of anarchy unleashed by Lekota to undermine the integrity of the general secretary of Cope, comrade Lobe and as the Youth Movement we will not tolerate this.”

Yesterday Mda chanted a slogan – “We know our leader is Shilowa”, to the applause of many who filled the hall. - By SIBONGILE MKANI-MPOLWENI Political Reporter — sibongilem@dispatch.co.za

May 3, 1994: Mandela tells nation: Let’s get down to work

PRESIDENT FW de Klerk, in his last major speech as South Africa’s Head of State, said he hoped to continue the relationship he had built with the ANC president, Nelson Mandela, over the past four years. Conceding defeat to the ANC shortly after 6pm, De Klerk told members of his Cabinet and party workers at a function in Pretoria that he would hand over the Presidency to Mandela on Tuesday next week. — DDC- Sapa

May 4, 1994: Slow counting delays election of premiers

A MAJOR snarl-up in the counting of votes last night forced the postponement of the election of the new State President and the prime ministers of the nine provinces. The ANC leader, Nelson Mandela, is now due to be formally elected President on Monday, instead of Friday, and to be sworn in on Tuesday in Pretoria. The election of the provincial prime ministers has been postponed from tomorrow to Saturday. The Transitional Executive Council committee, which announced the delays after an emergency meeting yesterday, said the decision was “based on information received from the Independent Electoral Commission”. — Daily Dispatch correspondent

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GRAHAMSTOWN is to lose the seat of the High Court to the province’s executive capital Bhisho, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe announced at the weekend.

The decision has stunned the Grahamstown legal and political community and renewed fears that, if it becomes law, it would rip the economic heart out of the small city. Radebe made the announcement at the weekend farewell function for retiring Judge President Cecil Somyalo. Justice spokesperson Tlali Tlali yesterday confirmed it had been decided that Bhisho would be the seat of the High Court. “It will obviously only be implemented once the (Superior Courts) Bill is enacted, but that is the intention.” He said the decision had followed “all the necessary consultation” and “stakeholders” had been involved. He said a decision had to be taken “at some point”. “Decisions are inevitably not always to the satisfaction of everyone, for whatever reasons.” But, if the decision is implemented, it is likely to result in the Grahamstown High Court losing most of its concurrent and appeal jurisdiction. It currently serves over two million people from East London, through the central region to Port Elizabeth. It would lose over 75 percent of that jurisdiction. In a memorandum drawn up in 2006 by the Grahamstown High Court Action Committee, it was pointed out that Grahamstown had all the necessary infrastructure to retain the seat of the High Court, which it had held for 141 years. The beautiful old High Court was refurbished at a cost of R6million in 2004. The city is home to judges’ chambers, advocates’ chambers, the Master’s Office, the Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, a large Legal Aid Justice Centre, the Legal Resource Centre, the Rhodes University Legal Aid Clinic and dozens of attorneys firms. Bhisho, on the other hand, has no such infrastructure and it would cost hundreds of millions of rands to bring it up to speed. Studies have shown that if the seat of the High Court is relocated or the jurisdiction of the Grahamstown High Court radically reduced, it would cause a severe reduction in the amount of legal work and a massive exodus of professionals as well as support staff, and consequent loss of jobs. The Master’s Office would move in its entirety, while the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and Justice Centre would, at the very least, be vastly reduced in size. The knock-on effect on other businesses would be severe and exacerbate the already severe unemployment situation in Grahamstown. “The city’s livelihood depends on the courts, the (Rhodes) university and the schools and has a fragile economic base,” said the memorandum. - By ADRIENNE CARLISLE

IN THE spirit of doing it for themselves, a group of unemployed Mdantsane women have found success turning discarded beer bottles into fashion accessories.

Their products range from earrings, necklaces and bracelets through to keyrings.

Seeing the plight of unemployed women in NU7, former social worker Nomaci Qabaka established Ikhwezi Empowerment and Tender Advice Centre over a decade ago. “I had attended a workshop in 2007 in Johannesburg about glass recycling and the idea was born to take my skill to the women who need it the most,” said Qabaka.

Ikhwezi started in 1999 as a project that involved sewing, but it struggled to get funding. “Things were difficult then, but with funding from the national lottery, the new recycling project was started late last year,” said Qabaka.

Today, 15 women are able to sustain their families with the money they earn from making and selling the jewellery.

Qabaka said the project had taught the women to be responsible citizens by recycling bottles and converting them into cash.

When the Dispatch team visited Qabaka’s house, which has been turned into a factory and showroom, the women were hard at work. They were using a range of different brands of beer bottles such as Heineken, Hansa Pilsener and Savanna, which they break into pieces before melting them into different shapes and sizes to make different products.

One of the women, Noncedo Ngxokela-Sibewu who joined the project in 2004, said: “This has been a great experience for me, to be able to make something out of nothing.” Ngxokela-Sibewu said she believed in the project’s “Triple H” slogan – that “with hands, heart and head” one could make a living.

Zoleka Mbadla, who joined last year after losing her job, said the project had enabled her to provide for her family. “My life has completely changed – I’m using my hands to earn a living.” Although the project has yet to find a big market it had the opportunity to hold an exhibition in Italy in December. — By XOLISA MGWATYU, xolisani@dispatch.co.za