Wednesday 20 July 2016

DAILY SUN

INTERNATIONAL
2 HOURS AGO
MUGABE STOLE BILLIONS, MUJURU CLAIMS
Wednesday, July 20, 2016 14:30
    ADDIS ABABA/ETHIOPIA, 09-11 MAY 2012 - Erastus J. O. Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson, African Union, Addis Ababa, captured during the Market Integration Session at the World Economic Forum on Africa held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 9-11 May, 2012.Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe at the SADC summit in Johannesburg.Photo:Leon Sadiki.16-08-2008 Photo by  ~ 
    MUTARE, ZIMBABWE 
    FORMER Zimbabwe deputy president Joice Mujuru has blamed the alleged disappearance of R225 billion in state money on President Robert Mugabe.
    Mujuru accused the veteran leader of conniving with former mines minister Obert Mpofu and stashing the money, said to be revenues from diamonds, in offshore accounts.
    Addressing about 10 000 supporters of her Zimbabwe People First at Sakubva Stadium in the eastern city of Mutare, Mujuru called on Mugabe (92) to account for the funds and step down after 36 years in power.
    Mujuru (61) blamed the rampant corruption in Zimbabwe on Mugabe, saying the country always started to rot at the head.
    “It’s about time President Mugabe conceded that he has failed. He should also call for early polls to pave the way for those with fresh ideas to turn around the fortunes of the economy, and avert further suffering of the people.”
    She spoke at an event attended by former prominent figures who were fired with her from the ruling Zanu PF in 2014.
    They were fired for allegedly plotting to topple Mugabe.
    They are now members of the ZPF, formed earlier this year in the hope of challenging Mugabe and his Zanu PF in the 2018 general election.
    The opposition party is pinning its hopes on millions that have fled the economic and political crises in the Southern African country.
    “As People First, we would want all the educated citizens in the diaspora to come back so that we can rebuild our country. The country has big brains which are developing other nations. We want them back,” said Mujuru. – CAJ NEWS
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    DAILY SUN

    NATIONAL
    3 HOURS AGO
    SCHOOLS FALLING BEHIND ON CURRICULUM - MOTSHEKGA
    By  News24.com Wednesday, July 20, 2016 13:30
      Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga arrives at Marhulana Primary School in Tembisa. Photo from Twitter 9@educationGP) ~ 
      SCHOOLS are falling behind in getting through this year’s curriculum, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said today.
      Only 40% of the curriculum had been covered, meaning schools would not complete it before the end of the year, she told parents in Tembisa.
      Motshekga, President Jacob Zuma, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi were visiting one of the oldest schools in the country, Marhulana Primary School in Tembisa, Kempton Park, as part of Mandela Month.
      They inspected conditions at the school and spoke to pupils.
      Motshekga said she was worried by this trend. The problem of not finishing the curriculum affected primary school pupils when they got to high school.
      "That's why our children don't cope in high school and drop out. This is a major problem because they have to be put in microwaves and we have to hold Saturday classes to help the learners catch up with what they have missed," she said.
      By "microwaving", she meant that pupils had to be quickly taught the previous grades’ work before they could get on with the current year’s work.
      Motshekga said most South Africans did not read.
      "Our people are not reading. We have have a report that says 85% of our people don't read. People are watching soapies with their children and no one reads. Parents, please let's make sure that our children read," she said.
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      DAILY SUN

      YOUTH DEMAND CONDOMS AND PADS!
      By  News24.comWednesday, July 20, 2016 16:00
        Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi. Photo from Gallo images  ~ 
        YOUNG people hijacked Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s address to the AIDS2016 plenary this morning, demanding that he accept a declaration advocating for condoms and sanitary pads in schools.
        Around 30 young people bearing placards jumped onto the stage, and a young woman took the microphone to read part of the declaration.
        “Every week in South Africa over 2 500 young people acquire HIV, that is over 350 every day,” she said. “According to a 2012 National Survey on HIV, 37.5% of learners reported having had sex, with 12.6% indicating that their first sexual encounter occurred before the age of 14. But the use of condoms for people between the ages of 18 and 24 is on the decrease.”
        To applause, she continued: “Seven million girl learners are missing school every month due to the lack of access to sanitary wear, which means they miss out on 25 percent of learning during the school year. Girls are forced to use unhygienic substitutes to sanitary pads, newspaper, leaves or even sand, putting them at an even higher risk of infection.”
        An irritated Motsoaledi told the protestors that the plenary “is not about this” and did not engage with them.
        Some 92 organisations and individuals attending the conference signed the Youth Declaration, which appeals to Motsoaledi to implement of these steps “to that ensure that our youth are educated, protected and respected”. 
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        DAILY SUN

        NATIONAL
        2 HOURS AGO
        MAGOSHAS BOO MINISTER!
        By  Xolile NkosiWednesday, July 20, 2016 14:00
          Sex workers at the International Aids Conference in Durban were not impressed when deputy minister of justice and constitutional development, John Jeffery, said it was illegal to buy or sell sex in Mzansi. Photo by Nkosi Sibalukhulu  ~ 
          NOT everyone received a warm welcome from the audience at the 21st International Aids Conference.
          John Jeffery, deputy minister of justice and constitutional development, received a cold response at the conference held at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre in Durban.
          Jeffery was booed by sex workers when he delivered his speech on Monday.
          Various sex workers’ organisations discussed some of the challenges they face.
          “The buying and selling of sex is not legal in this country,” said Jeffery.
          This angered the workers, who stood up and booed him.
          In protest, they took out red umbrellas and held them up in the air, telling Jeffrey they were doing a job and demanding that it be legalised.
          The angry audience only calmed down after deputy minister of social development Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu said Jeffrey was trying to legalise their work.
          She said: “We are in full support of your work but we will not win the battle if we do not listen to possible solutions.
          “If we want to win this fight, we need to endure bumpy roads and pain.”
          Jeffery went on to deliver his speech, emphasising that sex work was illegal.
          He said: “Whether you agree or disagree with me, nothing will change. The fact is that sex work is illegal.
          “Legalising it is a very complicated matter, since this country is very religious.
          “As government, we are trying everything we can to come up with a win-win solution.”
          One disgruntled sex worker said: “This is not freedom – it is violation of our rights. The minister must go to hell if that’s all he had for us. Enough is enough. All we want is to do our job freely, just like other professions.”
          Another sex worker, Nomagugu Mlambo (34) from Durban, said: “I have to do this job to put bread on the table and send my little girl to school.”
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          DAILY SUN

          INTERNATIONAL
          1 HOURS AGO
          KING MSWATI 'TO BLAME' FOR WOMEN'S INEQUALITY
          By  News24Wednesday, July 20, 2016 15:00
            Photo by Gallo Images  ~ 
            King Mswati III, the absolute monarch of Swaziland, is to blame for the oppression of women within his kingdom, a new report has said, according to All Africa.
            Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) said that women in Swaziland continued to be oppressed and discriminated against despite claims indicating that the country was modern.
            In a briefing paper just released by the organisation, ACTSA described the country as a "deeply patriarchal society", with King Mswati remaining "unwilling to make any change".

            "The King has demonstrated he is unwilling to change the status quo and promotes multiple aspects of the patriarchal society," the report said. King Mswati has faced a barrage of criticism in recent times, with the monarch having been lambasted for sending his 13 wives on holiday while drought continued to cripple his country.
            The queens' holiday, which took place in Orlando, United States, saw an entourage of more than 100 being sent overseas at a cost of R14 million.

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            LABOUR LAW & UNIONS NEWS

            SA, Zambia sign MoU to safeguard migrant workers' rights

            Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant says the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will help South Africa and Zambia to ensure that migrant workers' rights are protected in the two countries.
            SA, Zambia sign MoU to safeguard migrant workers' rights
            © luzitanija – 123RF.com
            The Minister said this when she, along with her Zambian counterpart, signed a MoU across several areas of cooperation in Cape Town, on Tuesday, 19 July 2016.

            Minister Oliphant said the memorandum will also pave the way for officials from both countries to work together to ensure that migrant workers are assisted to claim from the respective unemployment insurance funds that are due to them without hassles, should they find themselves out of work.

            “I am happy that within your delegation, you have representatives of the [Zambian] National Pension Scheme Authority, who I believe should foster collaboration with our Unemployment Insurance Fund and Compensation Fund... Let us work together so workers [can] benefit from what belongs to them.

            “We have to share some ideas on how to deal with these challenges, particularly for migrant workers, whether you are here legally or illegally. We have to work together on these issues so... workers know they are protected by the legislation that we have as a country. In most cases, you will find that those workers are afraid to come forward and say ‘we have rights as workers that are here in South Africa’, even if they are coming from Zambia,” Minister Oliphant said.

            The MoU will seek to safeguard the rights of workers by ensuring that South African companies operating in Zambia, and vice versa, treat their workers equally and with dignity.

            The Minister said legislation also applies to businesspeople who own companies in either country. “We want businesspeople, who [have investments in either Zambia or South Africa] to comply with legislation... They have to treat workers the same (sic),” she said.

            The signing of the MoU will pave way for cooperation in several areas, including collective bargaining, dispute resolution systems, labour inspections, social dialogue, labour market information, occupational health and safety, HIV and Aids and wellness in the workplace, international labour cooperation issues, social security issues relating to unemployment insurance and compensation, and productivity issues.

            Zambia’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Fackson Shamenda, said the fact that a lot of South Africans are currently working in Zambia, and South Africa also hosts a lot of Zambian migrant workers, shows that there is mutual interest for the two countries to tackle these challenges. 

            “We have recently seen the emergence of a number of common challenges… transitioning from the informal to the formal economy and labour migration. These challenges have received international and regional attention as they affect us all in one way or another.

            “These challenges can only be overcome through strengthening cooperation, collaboration and team work and through initiatives such as the MoU,” he said.

            Minister Shamenda said there was a need to do a lot more in sectors such as agriculture, mining, commerce and trade because the sectors are interrelated.

            “Our policies must mutually complement each other through the various sectors,” he said.
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