Only solution to gangsterism: Fix one broken neighbourhood at a time
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Associated Press
29 minutes ago
- Associated Press
South Africa dismisses U.S. human rights report as 'deeply flawed'
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The South African government on Wednesday dismissed the U.S. State Department's latest assessment of the country's human rights conditions as 'inaccurate and deeply flawed.' The Trump administration this week released human rights reports for countries worldwide, including South Africa, asserting that the state of human rights in South Africa had 'significantly worsened' in 2024. It cited the unjust treatment of white Afrikaners after the signing of significant land reforms, which the Trump administration has claimed discriminate against the group that ruled the nation during the apartheid era. South Africa's Foreign Ministry expressed 'profound disappointment' with the report, saying its reliance on out of context information and discredited accounts was highly concerning.f The ministry highlighted that the United Nations had hailed the country's Land Expropriation Act as an important step in resolving racially unequal land ownership, underscoring the integrity of constitutional and human rights-based legislative processes. It added that the report was 'ironic' given the U.S exit from the U.N. Human Rights Council. 'This is particularly striking given the significant and documented concerns about human rights within the United States, including the treatment of refugees and breaches in due process by its own agencies, such as ICE,' the ministry said. South Africa's government also dismissed as inaccurate the report's claims that it 'did not take credible steps to investigate, prosecute and punish officials who committed human rights abuses, including inflammatory racial rhetoric against Afrikaners and other racial minorities, or violence against racial minorities.' The U.S. criticism of South Africa's domestic affairs is the latest in a series of tense diplomatic exchanges between the two countries since President Donald Trump was elected to a second term. During a state visit to the White House in May, Trump confronted President Cyril Ramaphosa with false claims that South Africa had been illegally occupying the farms of white Afrikaner farmers. The administration even speeded up the visa application processes for Afrikaners who wanted to relocate to the U.S as refugees. Along with suspending financial aid and imposing 30% tariffs on South Africa's exports to the U.S., Trump has denounced the country's stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict. South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was expelled by the U.S. for his criticism of Trump, who has hinted that he may not attend the G20 summit of world leaders scheduled to take place in Johannesburg in November. The Afrikaans trade union Solidarieit, which was criticized by Ramaphosa over a recent visit to Washington, has announced new plans to visit the U.S. in September to meet with the Department of State and other parties to discuss abolishing racial-redress laws, reestablishing diplomatic ties, and creating a fair trade agreement between the two countries.
News24
3 hours ago
- News24
Bellville man sentenced to 5 years for hoax bomb threats
A Bellville man's attempt to avoid work backfired spectacularly, landing him in prison for five years. Nursing a hangover and unwilling to face his job, the man decided to make hoax bomb threats as an excuse to stay home. What seemed like a clever way to skip work turned into a costly mistake - instead of a day off, he earned himself a lengthy prison sentence. The case serves as a stark reminder that elaborate excuses can lead to serious legal consequences. The Bellville Regional Court has sentenced Ferdinand Fortuin to five years' direct imprisonment after he contacted the police, telling them that he had planted bombs at the Department of Water and Sanitation, Transnet Offices, and the Bellville taxi rank. According to the NPA, he gave the police hours to evacuate the premises. The accused made these threats following heavy drinking on Sunday, 10 November 2024, and decided that he did not want to go to work on Monday, 11 November 2024. He left his home in Mamre with the hope that the roads leading to Bellville would be closed because of his bomb threats. They were not, and he worked the whole day. The NPA further states that, in his plea and sentencing agreement, Fortuin confessed that he bought a cell phone from a drug user, which he used to make hoax calls to the police and a toll-free emergency number regarding the placement of explosive devices in the buildings, of which one was where he worked. The 50-year-old is said to have contacted the Bellville Police Station on 11 November 2024, informing officers that he had placed explosive devices at the Bellville Department of Water and Sanitation offices, the Transnet Park Building and the Bellville Taxi Rank. This resulted in the deployment of substantial state resources and the evacuation of thousands of people from the three sites. At the Water and Sanitation Department offices on Voortrekker Road, police assisted by three bomb disposal technicians, the K-9 Dog Unit, using explosive detection canines, and visible policing unit members, evacuated 164 people. Meanwhile, 151 people were evacuated from the department's Bellville South offices. Police, assisted by the same units, evacuated 250 people from the Transnet Park Building offices, and 3,000 people were evacuated from the taxi rank. The taxi rank was closed, and roads leading to and out of the taxi rank were closed, resulting in huge panic in the area. He was arrested and charged with four counts of contravention of the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities Act 33 of 2004 (POCDATARA) and for contravention of the Explosives Act 26 of 1956. The prescribed minimum sentence is 15 years' direct imprisonment unless the court finds substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed sentence. He was convicted on three counts of POCDATARA, and for purposes of sentencing, the charges were taken together, and he was sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment. The court found that he was a first offender, he had pleaded guilty, had strong personal circumstances, had shown remorse, and his acknowledgement of guilt made him a good candidate for a rehabilitative sentence. The NPA accepted the sentence of the court and warned that anyone who makes such threats will face tough consequences.
News24
4 hours ago
- News24
Stalwarts Foundation Forum rallies for National Convention amid exodus drama
The Stalwarts Foundations Forum supports the National Convention amid widespread withdrawals by foundations and political parties. Legacy foundations cited government control and rushed planning, and Afrikaner advocacy organisations and political parties announced a boycott. The forum has urged honest, inclusive dialogues aligned with Batho Pele principles. Amid the mounting withdrawal of foundations and political parties from the National Convention and National Dialogue, the Stalwarts Foundations Forum has stepped forward in full support of the initiative. The forum, representing the Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke Institute, and the Duma Nokwe, Moses Kotane, Saul Msane, Lilian Ngoyi, Ronnie Mamoepa, Baleka Mbete, June and Andrew Mlangeni Foundations, as well as the Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre, admitted on Tuesday that the government and its leaders had lost touch with reality. As several crises continue to plague communities, they said: 'We owe it to ourselves - and future generations - to get this initiative right. At the end of the day, we must be able to say with one voice: 'We, the people, can lead together.'' The forum's support comes amid growing rejection and squabbles about the National Convention, which is set for Friday and Saturday at Unisa in Pretoria. Headlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa, it will bring together 1 000 delegates from several industries and sectors to kick off and lay the groundwork for the National Dialogue, which is expected to start in September. This week, notable Afrikaner advocacy groups, including the Solidarity Movement, AfriForum, and Solidarity, announced their boycott of the National Dialogue. They alleged that the initiative had been 'hijacked' by the ANC and, in a joint statement on Tuesday, said they would not participate. The institutions also supported legacy foundation organisations, such as the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, which made the same decision. Last week, News24 reported on legacy foundations, including the Thabo Mbeki, Desmond and Leah Tutu, Steve Biko, and FW de Klerk foundations' withdrawal from the National Dialogue's preparatory task team (PTT) and the National Convention. The foundations cited government control and rushed planning, and called for the convention's postponement. The PTT is responsible for organising the convention and preparing for the public dialogues that will take place afterwards. On Monday, Boichoko Ditlhake, chairperson of the convention's organising committee, told the media the withdrawal of some foundations would have no impact on the convention. Previously, the DA previously withdrew from the National Dialogue after Ramaphosa axed Andrew Whitfield as the Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition. News24 reported on Tuesday that the FF Plus had also announced that it would not participate in the National Convention. On Wednesday, ActionSA MP Athol Trollip announced that his party would not send a formal delegation from its national leadership. Instead, the party plans to deploy two senior MPs on an observation brief. They will monitor the convention over the weekend. He said: 'ActionSA remains unconvinced that any of the concerns raised by key stakeholders, organisers and the broader public have been addressed. There is an insistence on forging ahead despite serious, unresolved questions, particularly regarding the lawful appropriation of the Budget, a matter on which no parliamentary committee has been duly engaged. Consequently, ActionSA will not participate in or lend legitimacy to a process under these circumstances.' Meanwhile, the Stalwarts Foundations Forum, which was established two years ago, said foundations should remember that they carry the names of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. It noted that there was resistance to the convention and the talks. 'We must recognise that we, too, may hold different opinions about how to move forward as a country. But this clarion call for National Dialogues may well be the right starting point for building lasting solutions for South Africa. 'The forum of stalwarts foundations will participate in the upcoming National Convention as a step towards preparing and launching the citizens-led National Dialogues.' They also called for Batho Pele principles to be revisited and placed at the heart of the engagements, as well as for an inclusive approach with civic organisations to be placed at the forefront. They said: The dialogue engagements should be brutally honest, not scripted or 'managed' narratives. There should be a ground-up approach – giving ordinary South Africans the freedom to express themselves openly. There should be recognition that lived experiences carry as much weight as research findings. Government representatives should also make a renewed effort to truly listen to the people and ensure transparency, accountability, and a commitment to lasting solutions. The discussions should also be a genuinely citizen-led process that paves the way for a united and prosperous South Africa.
