An alarming number of people continue to be arrested for drug trafficking in South Africa, despite the recent severe Chinese sanction, where a South African woman was executed for her alleged role as a drug mule in Beijing.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) on Thursday revealed that in 2011 in Cape Town International Airport alone 34 drug mules were arrested after search dogs detected their loads of illegal substances (like cocaine, tik and khat) estimated at street value of ZAR 7.5 million.

The general public are still questioning the government authorities role in cracking down on illegal drug trafficking after Sheryl Cwele (50), spouse of Siyabonga Cwele South Africa’s Minister of State Security, was received a 12-year jail sentence after a court convicted her for recruiting young women as drug mules to smuggle cocaine from South America into the South Africa. This has sparked calls for the minister’s resignation, but the government has swept the issue under the carpet, political experts said.

She has been let out on bail (ZAR 100,000) and is appealing her ruling, while South African Broadcasting Company (SABC) reported that a frantic mother is doing all she can to help free her duped drug mule daughter (31-year-old Tessa Beetge) who was arrested in Brasil after she was caught with 10kg of cocaine. Beetge received an 8-year jail sentence in Soa Paulo

The daughter claims that she was recruited by Sheryl Cwele. Ironically Sheryl Cwele was immediately suspended from her job as director of the health service of a local municipality, but nevertheless she is allegedly still receiving a hefty monthly salary (allegedly ZAR 30,000/month), after a labour court ruled in her favour and reinstated her full salary following her dismissal.

Independent weather soothsayers will allegedly be given a jail sentence under a new law amendment to be passed in the Republic of South Africa.

This was revealed by Gareth Morgan, spokesperson for the Democratic Alliance (DA) environmental faculty. He claims that the current government wishes to amend the South African Weather Service Law in an attempt to illegally gain an monopoly over other independent commercial weather services available to the population.

Morgan says that members of the general public and municipalities could also be threatened by the law amendment as it would be prohibited to issue warnings of thunderstorms or even air pollution unless they obtain permission in writing from the National Weather Service. Even if it is in the best interest of the population an “offender” could receive ZAR 10 million penalty or even up to 10 years jail. Morgan argues that the amendment is unclear as it doesn’t define certain definitions, like ‘severe weather event’.

So the national weather service is practically discouraging citizens who encounter natural phenomena like hurricanes to report them to public radio stations and other media for warning broadcasts. “Nobody, not even the Weather Service, has real time weather knowledge or knows what’s going to happen at a given moment as the weather changes,” he said. “We says the DA wants the offences clause, in the amendment, to be removed.”

It is an acceptable joke that people are dying to get into cemeteries, but it is no joke that just recently the late entry into a local university led to a stampede of students and caused the death of a person.

Police are still investigating the cause that led to a stampede ate the University of Johannesburg (UJ) causing the death of one person and the critical injury of 20 others during the late enrolment application on Monday (Jan 9, 2012). The UJ was draped in grief, flying a black flag of mourning, as the empty corridors revealed that late applications had been suspended due to the crisis.

Marie Muller, a spokesperson for UJ, said that contrary to general belief it was a parent (47-year-old Gloria Sekwena) and not a student who had died in the tragic incident. She explained that the mother had been killed after she was stampeded by thousands of other people wanting to arrange registration at the university for the new academic year.
Some student applicants, who preferred not to be named, claimed that UJ should have organised the application properly and more orderly and not just collect non-refundable application fees whether admittance was granted or not.

One student said that she believes the stampede took place after applicants at the entrance had heard that the UJ office was closing late applications because their 17,500 head-count annual quota had already been met. Allegedly 7,000 people had tried to submit their late applications on the day of the stampede.

“Many applicants disregarded security and simply bashed the gates open and everything and everybody was just pushed by the disorderly crowd,” she said.

Another witness claims that after the person had been announced dead, UJ called paramedics to remove the body, wrapped up in a blanket. It took more than an hour before authorities restored some order, another witness said.

The interest group Higher Education for South Africa (HESA) said it was sorry to hear of the tragedy. It claimed that the late application was most probably due to the fact that many high-school graduates may have opted for late application to the lower entrance requirement institution of UJ after realising that other tertiary options required much higher entrance prerequisites.

Engineering factory owner Johan Odendaal, says he is in general disgusted with the deteriorating low standard national curriculum and claims that since the African National Congress (ANC)-led government has ruled South Africa science and mathematics in higher education has been forced to give way to subjects like Marxism and other ideologies that do not require strong academic performances.

“Today any Tom, Dick and Harry can get into a university, especially if they are black.” Said Odendaal. “I struggle to find decent qualified engineers. When I applied to university some 30 years ago, I had to work hard and pay a fortune to complete my studies. Now quality has been diluted and the nation has a major shortage of quality engineer training.”

“Not all school leavers should be accommodated in the current public tertiary education system especially if their high school grades are low. South Africa’s dire national education system needs to a complete restructure if politicians want the economy to remain competitive in the new Millenium,” he said.

But the ANC Women’s League disagrees and says that even applicants who don’t have the required grades should be encouraged to apply to universities. It claims that the stampede at UJ was merely another manifestation of how desperate black youth are to obtain a higher education to secure better paying jobs. The league urged: “don’t give up, try again next year.”

Instead of waiting for legal action UJ came forward with a notion. Muller said that it would waive the tuition cost of the dead parent’s 19-year-old son, Kgositsile, should he win entrance.

Minister of Tertiary Education, Blade Nzimande, had promised to visit the family of the deceased mother to formally express his condolences. On the contrary the youth league of political party Pan African Congress (PAC) has called for the minister’s resignation due to the unnecessary demise. PAC also blames the current government for what it calls “shambles in the education system.”

In reply Nzimande said in the foreseeable future he hopes to see at least 4.5 million students studying in the nation’s tertiary education system by 2030. In a statement he said that in 2011 some 900,000 students were studying at 23 universities. He expects this to increase to at least 1.5 million by 2030.

The difference would be absorbed via 50 so-called Further Education and Training (FET) colleges after the merger of 152 technikons. FET colleges would be connected to the job market, while offer and demand would be based on market requirements.
Nzimande has asked for public debate on his so-called green paper before April 30, 2012.

An increasing number of beaches along the South African coastline are claimed to be unsafe – from uncontrolled dogs.

South African law enforcement and special services on Thursday warned that they will take stricter measures against dog owners walking their canines on the nation’s so-called ‘blue flag’ beaches.

Cape Town Assistant Police Chief Neil Arendse said that more stringent measures are now required as bathers on the nation’s beaches are not safe.

He said that the latest (Jan 11, 2012) incident of a toddler mauled by a Rottweiler was just the tip of the ice-berg.

Luckily the girl was rushed to hospital and after life-saving surgery is now in a satisfactory condition, police said.

This unfortunate incident was the “result of the dog being walked on Clifton (beach), a blue flag beach not intended for animals,” he said. The dog was impounded as soon as law enforcers arrived to the scene. It will be handed over to the SPCA animal shelter, until police investigations have been completed.

Arendse believes that several dog-owners suffering from what has been dubbed “main-man syndrome” are intentionally negligent, declining to accept the fact that their pets are prohibited from the nation’s blue flag beaches.

Surfer Richard van der Merver told Budapest Report that many surfers on Clifton Beach have had bad experiences with unruly dogs and claim to be more afraid of the treacherous dogs than a possible shark attack.

Arendse said that in his jurisdiction alone some two-dozen dogs have been impounded after members of the public on blue-flag beaches alerted police.

The Republic of South Africa on Sunday (June 12, 2011) announced the establishment of a brand new, African continental Free Trade Area (FTA).

The country’s 69-year-old Zulu president Jacob Zuma told reporters that the new trading bloc would be the biggest ever from Cape-to-Cairo (a term first coined by British colonialist Cecil John Rhodes in the end of the the 19th Century) consist of African 26 countries with a population exceeding 700-mil, many of which are under-developed impoverished nation’s that heavily rely on South Africa’s help.

Zuma called for international and African unity claiming that no single nation on the black continent was capable of prospering in the 21st Century by its own. He said at the launch that the new initiative would see the Southern African Development Community; Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and East African Community could generate an annual trade value of USD 875-bil.

The president also said that he believes the free trade area would “help and accelerate regional integration” to ensure that African nations are not exploited globally by more developed capitalist nations.

Zuma told the 24 heads of state who were present that the new agreement was initiated in 2008 and now with its inception would be another “major step towards achieving economic freedom in our lifetime on the continent.” He also expressed that the continent must also continue building unity to get rid of poverty, disease, deprivation and conflicts.

African leaders however expressed concerns about the seriousness of the new announcement following major political turmoil and human rights violations by various African dictatorships including Libya, Madagascar, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Participants also warned of major stumbling obstacles including import restrictions, national competitivemenss and other burning issues like illegal diamond trade, rhino poaching, human trafficking slave trade and drug smuggling.

The rich have grown richer and the poorer are even more poor, according to an independent survey carried out by South African street vendors to review one year after the 2010 South African Football World Cup, to which FIFA had all rights of sales and merchandise. Mpho Tshabalala, a street Vendor in Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD) says he had had high hopes of making some real money and help secure a prosperous a future for his family, via the football spectacle.

Through a translator the 55-year-old Tswana man said, “I have helped my three kids through high school and now they all want to go to college, but I can’t afford it. Local council members promised that we will be able to make some real money during the football spectacle, but then withdrew their promises saying that FIFA has all the rights to sales in the vicinity of the stadiums and other football related merchandise.” He added, “I am in a worse situation than before the world cup as South Africans have continuing inflation, high unemployment, increasing petrol prices. A year ago I purchased quality beef mince meat for ZAR 35 per kilo, now I’m paying ZAR 45 per kilo at the wholesaler.” He argues that while in the UK the minimum wages are about GBP 6 (or ZAR 60)/hour; his wife Themba- who has been working as a teller at a local Checkers retail supermarket for 20 years – is earning only ZAR 16/hour.

Mpho says that he is speaking for thousands of other street vendors who have all complained that the 2010 soccer spectacle did not help reduce poverty and was merely another FIFA stunt to make billions, by exploiting the good will of the South African nation. “I’m a local South African, but I couldn’t even afford a ticket to one of the 2010 matches, said Tshabalala, pointing towards the revamped Ellis Park football stadium, almost a stone’s throw from his struggling micro business.

Vendors like Mpho have questioned why their own government is capable of squandering billions for a sporting event, but unable to help micro businesses and alleviate poverty stricken South Africans, almost 20 years after the fall of the dreaded Apartheid regime. Another vendor Simphiwe Golele says, “We are reportedly sending millions of Rands in aid for Japan, one of the world’s richest countries, when we have millions of South Africa living in shanty towns that also look like they had been in an earthquake.” He added, “We can’t always use the Apartheid regime as an excuse for poverty in South Africa, when thousands of black politicians are living like the American and European elite neglecting the poor.” Golele was shocked to learn that despite the growing poverty in South Africa, the national government has done nothing to promote industry. He exclaimed “While there is high unemployment in the textile industry all South African national football jerseys for the 2010 FIFA World Cup were being made in China, while we had the means of producing them locally just as cheaply. Now I hear that all the Springbok rugby jerseys for our team in the 2011 Rugby World Cup are now also being manufactured in China.”

Some financial experts say that it may be too soon to say but the legacy of 2010 spectacle may easily contribute to South Africa becoming another “Greek tragedy” after the country’s economy collapsed in the aftermath of the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Joe Public enjoyed no financial benefits of the hype that was marketed by FIFA, they said. It is believed that South Africa had estimated that the soccer spectacle would help create 400,000-700,000 new jobs and generate at least USD 6-bil for the local economy. But the political promises and ephemeral figures brought nothing for some 60% of the 49 million South Africans who are still living below the poverty line.

While the black government of South Africa is looking for a single insignia to unite all sports under one umbrella it is in fact causing a greater divide in the population, where Rugby players and supporters are allegedly boycotting the purchases of the overpriced (recomended retail price of ZAR 600!! -when the minimum monthly wage is about ZAR 1,600) IRB 2011 Rugby World Cup national “Springbok” jersey -simply because it does not have their beloved Springbok (national animal) emblem on the chest near the heart. Instead it now has the king protea (the national flower of South Africa).of their team.

“This is supposed to be the gear of our twice world champion Springbok team and instead only a klein springbok emblem has been placed on the left arm sleeve,” said 56-year-old Morne van der Merwe, who has supported the Springboks since he remembers. “It’s all about politics. The black government believes that the Springbok is the symbol of Apartheid, that utter rubbish.” He added, “Apartheid didn’t even exist when the Springbok name and emblem were embraced by captain Paul Roos (see black and white insert- with Springbok insignia on chest) and his boys in 1906 on tour of the British Isles.” He said that he has started a campaign to boycott purchases of the new rugby jersey, calling for real Springbok to don their old jerseys, where the Springbok is still located on the front. “The Protea has already been adopted by the cricket world but rugby is a different genre,” says van der Merwe.

The fate of the 2011 New Zealand Rugby World Cup (due in September this year) version of the myrtle green and gold collar South African jersey was decided by the South African Rugby Union (SARU). In a statement SARU said “Government guidelines determine that the official South African sports emblem – the protea (note there is no mention of the springbok!!!) – be placed on the left side of the chest on national sports jerseys. The decision pushed the beloved springbok away from the chest to the left arm sleeve (see picture.

SARU had the option from the International Rugby Board (IRB), to choose only one insignia as the IRB reserved the right side of the chest of the jersey for its own logo (almost sounds like FIFA) on all team jerseys at the 2011 games. The South African government reportedly found “no place” for the world’s allegedly most famous rugby badge, so they decided to reduce its size and send it to exile on the left arm.

In 1994 radical African National Congress party (ANC) members tried to convince President Nelson Mandela to abolish the Springbok because it “represents Apartheid.” The savvy Mandela declined their ridiculous request and by doing so helped build national unity in the newly established democratic South Africa where blacks and whites all supported the Springboks, who won the IRB World Cup in 1995. They repeated their victory in France in 2007 and are currently the reigning world champions.

The minister of police, national commissioner and divisional commissioner of crime intelligence of the Republic of South Africa have reportedly convinced the nation’s high court late Friday (29 Oct 2010) to stop the Sunday Independent newspaper from publishing information about dodgy appointments within the crime intelligence division, the periodical announced in a statement late Saturday (30 Oct 2010).

They added that it allegedly took the alleged biased Judge Ephriaim Makgoba “minutes” to rule on the application in the absence of the publication’s legal advisers. Under the censorship ruling the Sunday Independent has been gagged from publishing a follow-up story of alleged nepotism among top South African policemen, under the direct influence of the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

Reportedly the publication was ordered to submit all documents concerning the investigated police discrepancies and pay for the legal costs incurred. Ironically the South African Parliament has not yet passed its planned Protection of Information Bill or Media Censorship Bill, which is currently under discussion by a committee there. However it seems that the committee has not yet defined what “classified information” implies.

The summit participants agreed to boost partnership, in the areas of economic, cultural and people-to-people relations and a reciprocal visa waiver agreement. Jacob Zuma read, “I am very pleased that we share the objective to conclude, by the end of the year, a final Agreement that will enhance trade and economic relations between the EU and the SADC-EPA countries, and which supports development and regional integration in Southern Africa.

We emphasised the importance of an effective multilateral system and multilateral institutions, especially in pursuit of cooperation on development, peace and security, human rights and democracy.” The parties also discussed how South Africa could be instrumental in helping to resolve the undemocratic and conflict situations in Zimbabwe and Sudan.

Wal-Mart is reportedly convinced that it would strive in the African economic climate following the upwards surge from last year’s economic crisis. South Africa’s Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in a statement stressed its concerns of possible slave labour following a possible acquisition. COSATU has pledged to “oppose setting up any Wal-Mart stores.”

COSATU has allegedly accused Wal-Mart of being hostile, anti-union and violating workers’ rights and has reportedly already turned to the economic minister to veto the deal. Wall-Mart is not welcome in South Africa, the congress allegedly expressed. However Doug McMillon, President -CEO of Wal-Mart International denied any allegations of hostility and added, “We respect and honour pre-existing union relationships and are committed to abiding by South African labour laws.”

photo by Tamas S. Kiss

At least 11 people have been arrested on charges of illegal rhino hunting in South Africa, police in Pretoria confirmed to Budapest Report. They added that most of the alleged rhino-poaching syndicate members have been released on bail and will have to appear in court in April 2011.

Ironically rhino poaching has become the number one public enemy of South Africa after more than 200 rhinos have been savagely murdered in 2010 alone (double that of 2009) and their horns cut off with power saws. Police said that two of the accused were in fact veterinarians. They went on to elaborate that among the accused were alleged syndicate ring leader and game farm owner David Groenewald, who is believed to have paid a whopping ZAR 1-mil (about EUR 100,000 or HUF 30-mil) for his bail. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) African Rhino Programme director Joseph Okori reportedly said he was grateful for the news, but added that not enough was being done by the authorities to repel poaching.

He was reportedly especially worried about poachers getting away scot-free as April is so far away. Poaching has severely hurt the national economy as tourism is heavily dependent on the so-called “Big Five” wild animals, including the rhino. The syndicates are allegedly so close to government officials that they dare engage in illegal hunting, not shying away from using hard-to-access special sniper rifles, government authorised veterinarian drugs and even helicopters during broad daylight, one investigator said.

Generally poachers would tranquilise the rhino, but in many cases they just shoot them dead on the spot and relieve them of their precious cargo – the rhino horn, for which they allegedly receive a whopping price on the Southeast Asian black market, primarily in China and Vietnam. One game farmer has reportedly revealed he has injected cyanide into his rhinos horns and advertises this on his game farm fences, in his so-called innovative attempt to repel poachers.

“All we want is a fair, transparent and responsible media,” said Nzimande. “We would not like to see a tribunal that must punish journalists. We want to punish media houses or certain titles where they’ve transgressed, and then it is up to that title what is done to the journalist,” he added.

Nzimande claims to have had his fair share of problems with the independent Press Ombudsman, whom he suggests wanted people to take the matter further after having lodged a complaint. At the same time some proponents for the new 22-page bill claim that it is necessary for a tribunal to crack down on alleged “international and domestic espionage.”

Experts claim that South Africa was on the top of Disney’s wish list after the production of the animated movie of “The Lion King.” Elton John, who sang the theme song, was reportedly accompanied by various South African artists during the rehearsals and production of the film.

The topic is also timely as experts said that Disney is planning to shoot a rhino-themed animated movie, answering the international call to bring rhino poaching to a stop.

Police Commissioner Mzwandile Petros said at an anti-crime summit (packed with delegates from community policing forums, NGOs and members of public) that under his command the South African Police Service (SAPS) will have to go back to the basics. He promised an increased police presence, but did not say how the cash strapped service would be compensated for overtime.

He also called for residents to play a more active role in helping police to crack down on criminals. Statistics claim that at least 50% of all crime in South Africa occurs in Gangster’s Paradise.

It was not mentioned whether the payments would include the national bank interest rate, on policemen’s delayed money used by the government. But it was mentioned that the state had to cough up some ZAR 650 million to satisfy payments. The SAPS’s feeble excuse was that the processing of the pay-outs was a “ logistical nightmare. ” Hundreds of non-police personnel, who were temporarily employed as security personnel at various stadiums throughout South Africa during the football matches, are reportedly also still waiting for their unpaid wages.

Temp workers claim that they had been offered far more than what the managements had wanted to pay out to them. They added that they were told they would receive less only after they had finished their assignments.

Just recently the police trade unions were banned from participating in strike actions during the nationwide public servant strike that lasted some three weeks, and is now in a stale-mate after the government declined to give teachers an 8.5% wage hike and ZAR 1,000/month housing allowance. The government went as far as to offer trade union leaders 7.5% and some ZAR 750/month housing allowance.

The Khoisan population of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) are demanding their own homeland with their own government and military, representatives told Budapest Report Wednesday. They added that the Khoisan people have already established their own defense force, despite the fact that RSA does not recognise their autonomy as yet.

The indigenous San people (better known as the Bushmen) are allegedly the first civilization to have set foot in South Africa, and according to history they then met up with the so-called Khoi nomads and over the centuries the Khoisan people came to be. However no colonial power nor any of the independent governments following them, have ever officially recognised them as an indigenous people.

It was after 1652 that the Khoisan people truly lost their independence and identity as a folk. They were deprived of their rights and land by the Dutch settlers, who were in turn deprived of their rights and land by the British. In the 20th Century political governments came and went, but the Khoisan people are still here and pledged to remain for a very long time to come.

The Khoisan have their own language that is not recognised by the current democratic regime, despite the fact that since 1994 the constitution promises to recognise all minority native languages as being official. Presently there are 11 official languages.

Currently the Khoisan people refer to their language as Khoi and Boesman – two hybred languages that are spoken by those who refer to themselves as the Khoisan people (these include the linage of blood line leaders, including the Boesman, Nama, Griqua, Korana and the Cape Colored or Cape Khoi). Ironically in during the Apartheid era (between 1922 and 1994) the Khoisan were referred to and registered as “ colored ” people, and were just as oppressed as the black and Indian (and other non-European) populations.

The term colored was branding on some 4 million people who were directly and indirectly associated with the first Dutch settlers and predominantly speak Afrikaans. Some 70% of the 4 million colored population claim to be descendents of the Khoi and san people. The representatives are now awaiting the restitution and laws that will permit them to establish their own homeland

Allegedly it is not the first time that the driver had avoided the booms and illegally crossed the tracks. Parents and teachers have called on the government to enforce more stringent rules and regulations as to who should be allowed to transport school chldren.

Reports said that the driver (an alleged Jacob Humphrey) appeared in court smiling and only minor bruises on his bald head revelaed that he had been in the accident. Police escorted the driver, covering his face with his jacket, to and from the Blue Downs Magistrate Court in the Cape Town region.

She claims that she had tried to complete her studies several times but was always interrupted by something. The former school teacher claims she was inspired to study psychology and criminology to earn a bachelors degree. Originally she had wanted to be a school psychologist as she enjoys working with kids. She allegedly has seven grand children and a great-grandchild.

Then came her master’s degree and now the doctorate. While she was not studying she is reported to have shared her time working and singing in her local Afrikaans church in Bloemfontein. Her reason for continuing to study at such a ripe old age was that she kept her mind young and fresh, while she was able to broaden her horizons.