Zuma Honours Ethiopia Leader Meles

South African President Jacob Zuma Pays Tribute To Meles

President Zuma today paid tribute to late Ethiopian leader Meles Zenawi who died at the age of 57.

President Zuma called Meles Zenawi a "great leader" who had contributed much to Ethiopia and Africa as a whole.

Was President Zuma talking about the same Meles Zenawi, the dictator of an impoverished 10th world nation with no viable economy, no modern infrastructure, rampant starvation, and whose citizens flood South Africa as "Economic Refugees". If he was, then Jacob Zuma either doesn't keep himself up to date on what is happening in the real world, or he is living in a dream.

The Spear Painting | Winners and Losers

Jacob Zuma The Spear | Success of the Century

Controversy has been the order of the day for the past two weeks after a painting by an obscure artist .... named Zuma - The Spear was exhibited in a Johannesburg, South Africa, art gallery. The Spear portrayed the South African president, the honourable Jacob Zuma, with idealised exposed genitalia.

There have been winners and losers created by this whole episode. The artist, the gallery, the buyer and even the constitution are clearly winners, while the ANC emerges as the only loser with egg on their faces.

ANC Objects to The Spear

The ruling political party, the African National Congress and their cohorts in the tripartite alliance (COSATU and SACP) took exception to the painting, claiming it dishonoured and insulted the president and stated it was unacceptable to black African culture for a leader to be portrayed in this manner. The ANC and allied parties demanded the painting be removed from display and destroyed. A protest march was organised for Tuesday this weeks to deliver the demands to the gallery, and a court case initiated to obtain a court order for the painting's removal.

Apartheid Lives in South Africa in 2012

Legislated Apartheid Continues in South Africa Today

Apartheid in 2012

Eighteen years after the fascist National Party government of South Africa was removed from power, their policies of apartheid continue under the rule of the previous 'freedom fighters' organisation, the African National Congress.

Apart from a brief hiatus from 1990 to 1994 after President de Klerk scrapped all apartheid legislation, and from 1994 to 1999 when the rule of common sense and decency held sway under the guidance of President Nelson Mandela, apartheid continues as an entrenched policy supported and practised by the government of today...

DA and Cosatu Lock Horns

Discord and Violence Over Youth Wage Subsidy

Tuesday's DA led demonstration against government's proposed wage subsidy for young citizens resulted in violence on the streets of Braamfontein when Cosatu members objected to the demonstration.

Violence at wage subsidy protest - image courtesy Mail & Guardian

The DA supports the wage subsidy, believing it will help young people get employed and gain essential experience in the workplace, while Cosatu believes it will lead to currently employed workers losing their jobs, further exploitation of the labour force and lower wages (as if workers wages aren't poor already).

Unfortunately both sides have good, valid points. From Cosatu's side, they are likely correct to believe the subsidy will lead to reduced earnings and exploitation, while the DA is right to support any means to create employment in South Africa. 

Agriculture Minister Too Busy to Do Her Job

Tina Joemat-Pettersson Too Busy or Too Lazy?

Tina Joemat-Pettersson, South Africa's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries told parliament yesterday May 07 2012 she could not possibly meet with all the agricultural organisations in south Africa as there were too many (around 550) because she would have to work every day of the year for 5 years to do so!

Image from Business Day

Well Minister, that's what we (the taxpayers) pay you to do. We do not pay you to drive around the country in luxury vehicles, fly all over the place, stay in expensive houses and up-market hotels when you are travelling for business.

It's part of your job. If it's to much work for you, resign and let someone who is not so bloody lazy take over (if there is any member of your party that actually knows what the concept "Work Ethic" means).

South Africa Budget 2012 in Brief

2012 South African Budget Overview

Presented to parliament and the nation by South Africa's Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan

• South Africa’s finances are in good health. A budget deficit of 4.6 per cent of GDP is projected in 2012/13. We plan to reduce the deficit to 3 per cent of GDP in 2014/15, and public debt will stabilise at about 38 percent of GDP.
• An expansion in infrastructure investment is one of the central priorities of the 2012 Budget.
• Special emphasis is given to improving competitiveness in industry, investment in technology, encouragement of enterprise development and support for agriculture.
• Total spending will reach R1.1 trillion next year, representing some 32 per cent of GDP.
• Education, health and social assistance will remain the largest categories of expenditure, sustaining and expanding the social wage over the MTEF period ahead. Investment in people is at the centre of our growth and development strategy.
• The budget continues to support job creation, with a particular focus on unemployed youth.
• The budget provides for personal income tax relief of R9.5 billion, with further measures to increase tax compliance.
• Measures are proposed to invigorate household savings.
• We will strengthen financial management in the public sector, pursue value for money with the greatest possible vigour and ensure that taxpayers’ money is well used.
• Fraud and corruption will be combated through changes to procurement policies and practices and tough enforcement of the law.

State Of The Nation - Jobs

The Presidents State of the Nation Address 2012

Sawubana boPresident Jacob Zuma, unjani boBaba. Once again you have delivered a well presented State of The Nation Address to the people of South Africa. Your State of The Nation Address was poignant, and addressed serious issues affecting our people, in an absorbing speech with well timed humorous remarks that broke the tension of an otherwise serious discussion. Congratulations, I applaud you.

However Mr President, you continue on a path that has failed since the early 1980's, of course I refer to the intended way forward on the road to job creation.

Tutu Calls ANC Government Disgusting

Desmond Tutu Condemns ANC government and President

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

In a public statement carried on National television, former Anglican Archbishop, and Nobel Peace Price winner Desmond Tutu tells president Zuma and government

“You do not represent me; you represent only your own interests”. You are worse than the Apartheid government, At least it was expected from the Apartheid government

Tutu, speaking in response to the failure of SA government to provide a Visa for the Dalai Lama to visit South Africa before the Dalai Lama decided to cancel his proposed visit to the country, likened the present ruling party to the Apartheid regime of the past.

Kill the Boer Song Banned

Court Bans Kill The Boer Song

Julius Malema's controversial singing of this old Umkhonto We'Sizwe song, 'Kill the Boer' must end. The  court ruled today that 'Kill the Boer'  constitutes hate speech, and it is no longer permissible to sing 'Kill the Boer' .

Umkhonto We'Sizwe spokesperson says MK will investigate appealing the ruling up to the constitutional court level. No doubt the ANC Youth League and their rabble rousing leader Mr Malema will be hard on their heels.

Personally I am in two minds regarding this ruling:

On the one hand, it is high time Mr Malema and his tsotsi brigade were brought to heel. Their conduct over the past few years has brought disrepute to this great nation, has created rifts in society and fermented hatred and intolerance. 

The other side of the coin, I grew up in a South Africa where Freedom of Speech did not exist. Many of us felt the old Apartheid Regime wanted to even deny us freedom of thought. Numerous South Africans suffered for the right to freedom of expression. Not least of those were some of our greatest, Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki, Walter Sisulu, Steven Biko among them, not to forget those less visible, Helen Joseph, Molly Blackburn, Sarah Duncan as well as many others who remained obscure and relatively unknown, myself included. Many were deprived of their liberty, and murdered at the hands of the powers that ruled.

The saga of 'Kill the Boer' not over

Definitely this saga is not over. Will the Constitutional Court uphold this ruling, for the good of the majority of South Africans as the constitution permits, or will it decide that freedom of speech is of greater importance than peace in our land?

Dear Mr Zuma

300 Years of Doing Nothing:

I listened with interest to your comments broadcast on SABC news at 19h30 today, Saturday 23 July 2011.

You are so right, in 300 years the people, who migrated southwards fleeing from the Zulu, of the eastern region of the Eastern Cape have done nothing to better their situation. Yes Sir, you are totally right; they have done nothing but sit outside their khayas, steal the odd head of cattle, mutilate their young men in barbaric primitive initiation rituals (and their young women too), and consume alcohol of dubious quality.

However Sir, you forgot to mention the 300 years of progress and development that took place just a little further to the south-west of what used to be the Transkei!

Is the Writing on the Wall?

Is the current ANC government heading down a path all too common in Africa in the past 100 years.

I mean: Totalitarian Rule, Detention Without Trial, Insurrection, Arbitrary Arrests, Police State, Racism. Didn't we have enough of this under the National Party Regime?

Zwelinzima Vavi

What is clear is the divide within the ranks of the ruling party. On Monday Cosatu Secretary General Zwelinzima Vavi agreed with President Jacob Zuma that the ANC was "in crisis". In comments made to the media he said that over the last 3 1/2 years a 

"powerful, corrupt, predatory elite combined with a conservative populist agenda to harness the ANC to advance their interests" had emerged.

In recent weeks Blade Nzimande (SACP Secretary General) has been vocal in his criticism of Zwelinzima Vavi, however he refers to the SACP support for President Zuma as a "media created problem". Read more here

Perhaps this is in line with the many remarks made in the past few weeks on National Television have which may be perceived as critical of the President and the ANC.

ELECTION - FINAL RESULTS

We are now able to bring you the final results for the 2011 Elections

 Once again we must thank the Independent Electoral Commision and elections.org.co.za for providing these statistics.

NATIONAL RESULTS

National Results

NATIONAL PERCENTAGES

National Percentages

ADDITIONAL RESULTS STATISTICS

Additional Statistics

Finally, an update on our earlier news item: DA calls for recount:

After the recount, the DA has won outright control of Cape Town Metro with 61% of the vote. This story will be featured on AndNowComrade? in our post election coverage.

These stats bring our Special Edition coverage to an end. However, we have much more commentary coming very soon from our correspondents, covering the post election politicing among the various parties.


NOTE: If the links to the results documents do not work, please use the comment form to notify us. Some configuration changes to the site hosting these documents may have resulted in a broken link.

posted by: babasizwe

ELECTION RESULTS - WARD WINNERS

We are pleased to be able to bring you these results from the Independent Electoral Commision, of Ward Winners in the Metropolitan Regions of South Africa. We also provide links to an interactive map giving all the regional results:

WARD RESULTS FROM THE IEC

Bloemfontein (Mangaung)

Cape Town

Durban (e-Thekwini)

East London (Buffalo City)

East Rand (Ekerhuleni)

Johannesburg

Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Bay)

Pretoria (Tshwane)

Interactive Map

Election Map

"Interactive Local Election Map"

NOTE: If the links to the results documents do not work, please use the comment form to notify us. Some configuration changes to the site hosting these documents may have resulted in a broken link.

Unprecedented Voter Turnout

While we still await the final results from the IEC, We are now able to bring some statistics which are representative of the final outcome.

There are a number of outcomes worthy of comment:

Voter Turnout:

The impression given by analysts halfway through Wednesday polling was of extremely poor voter participation. How wrong can the analysts be;

Unprecedented turnout of almost 57% for the municipal elections; the highest ever for an election of this nature in South Africa - can be attributed to an exciting election campaign and the tight contests that were expected in key areas, analysts and politicians say.

Thanks to all for a memorable day!

Your correspondent would like to thank all who helped make yesterday, 18 May 2011 one to remember. Especially, thanks must go to our readers who endured all the update notifications; without you there would be no reason to write these articles.

I will still be around for a few more days while the various posts are edited (and just maybe a little longer thereafter), and will no doubt have a final say.

Babasizwe

SABC ELECTION RESULTS WEBSITE FEED CRASHES

The much promised live update from the SABC website on http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/news/pages/home Has crashed!!!

The page returns the following message:

Internal Server Error

The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

Please contact the server administrator, you@your.address and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

---

IBM_HTTP_Server Server at www.sabc.co.za Port 80

Could anything else have been expected!


Babasizwe, Johennesburg, South Africa

Up to 18% Dropoff of Voter Turnout

Political anlayst says us many as 18% fewer votes may have been cast in this election, with the biggest dropoff among black voters. From 48 percent voter participation in 2006, a little over 40% of the electorate may have cast the vote today.

via SABC TV2 Political Newscentre Cape Town

If so this would surely be a "vote" of no confidence in the performance of elected officials. More to follow on this item from this correspondent.

Babasizwe, from Johannesburg

Cape voters threaten to boycott future elections

Community members in poorer Cape Town communities said they will boycott future elections if no improvements made

Story at EWN

angasivukasizwe from Cape Town

Voting Still Continues

21h51 Johannesburg:
A handful of polling stations are still processing voters. Counting will start after all voters have finished..

Source: SABC TV2
Babasizwe

IEC official suspected of influencing voters

The Independent Electoral Commission has said it is investigating a report that one of its own officials has been trying to influence voters at a polling station in the Western Cape.

Provincial Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz claims the official has been asked to leave the station in Factreton after attempting to persuade voters in the queue to support the National Party South Africa.

Eyewitness News

Babasizwe....