Latest news with #uMkhontoweSizwe
The Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Ex-Nelson Mandela bodyguard Andre Lincoln dies at 63
Lincoln passed away on Friday at the age of 63 after a long illness. Late former Nelson Mandela's bodyguard and anti-gang unit boss Major-General Andre Lincoln has been remembered for his tenacity in fighting crime. Lincoln passed away on Friday at the age of 63 after a long illness. Condolences Western Cape police oversight and community safety MEC Anroux Marais sent her condolences to the family of Lincoln and also to the law enforcement fraternity. Marais described Lincoln as a dedicated public servant whose contribution to policing would leave a lasting legacy. 'Major-General Lincoln's contribution to improving safety in the Western Cape will continue to form part of the legacy he leaves behind. My thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.' ALSO READ: Police officer accidentally shoots and kills colleague during KZN operation 'Strong and resilient' Lincoln's daughter Nikki expressed profound love for her dad. 'A part of me thought you would live forever. You were always so strong and so resilient, imagining life without you was so impossible, I let myself believe in the impossible. Rest in peace, daddy. 'I don't know how be a person without a father, I don't know how to navigate life without your wisdom. I love you forever. You took a piece of my heart with you, but I know a piece of yours will stay here with me,' Nikki said. Biography As a committed combatant in uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) during the liberation struggle, Lincoln operated as an intelligence officer working to dismantle apartheid's machinery of oppression. Lincoln was appointed by Nelson Mandela to head the Presidential Investigation Task Unit a key agency formed to fight organised crime and corruption. It was during this period that Lincoln's valour saved the life of Mandela, foiling an assassination attempt. Lincoln was appointed head of the anti-gang unit in 2018. Misconduct The top cop and besieged police Crime Intelligence (CI) boss Peter Jacobs were embroiled with former police boss Jeremey Veary in allegations of misconduct in an internal investigation centred on the murder of Anti-Gang Unit detective Charl Kinnear. The probe relates to what Jacobs did, or failed to do, when police received a warning of a threat on Kinnear's life. Kinnear was gunned down on 18 September, two weeks after police received credible information that his phone was being illegally tracked, with fears that the surveillance was a precursor to an attack. Malicious prosecution In 2020, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) threw out Lincoln's malicious prosecution claim against the state. In 1998, Lincoln, then the commander of the Presidential Investigative Task Unit, was brought up on a string of charges, including theft and fraud. Among the accusations was that known Sicilian mob boss Vito Palazzolo paid Lincoln's expenses on a trip to Angola. Lincoln was convicted on 17 of 47 counts and sentenced to nine years in prison. Both the conviction and sentence were overturned on appeal and Lincoln launched a civil suit against the police, claiming R15 million. The case was initially dismissed, but again he took it on appeal and was successful, with the majority judgment of a full bench of the Western Cape High Court finding no 'reasonable or probable cause to set the law in motion for the prosecution'. Retirement He retired in 2021. Lincoln is survived by his wife, Shereen, and their children. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. NOW READ: WATCH: How Olorato Mongale murder suspect 'confessed' [VIDEO]
Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
‘You have not abandoned me,' Maphisa-Nqakula tells uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association
Former parliamentary speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Thursday thanked the uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) for allowing her to speak at a public ANC event for the first time since her arrest last year. (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images via Getty Images) Former parliamentary speaker By being criminally charged, Mapisa-Nqakula was subjected to the ANC's She is facing 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering for receiving R2.5 million from December 2016 to July 2019 from a former She was speaking in Gauteng at the memorial lecture of Mapisa-Nqakula said: 'I want to thank you for that because you have not abandoned me, and at least you haven't judged me.' She also expressed her disappointment at some ANC leaders who left the party to join the Mapisa-Nqakula said she was 'very sad' to see that some of her comrades had decided to join the MK party, including one of her commanders in uMkhoto weSizwe, the military wing of the ANC during apartheid. 'I'm concerned; my view is that comrades, not everybody is there because they want to be there,' she said. 'There are generals there; don't give up on the many comrades who have gone to the MK party because they don't belong there; uMkhonto is here in the ANC.' Despite her problems in the ANC, she vowed to remain a member until her death. 'Even in my house, they know, Comrade SG [party secretary general 'Whatever I may be, my coffin must be draped in green, black and gold. I fought for this country, and I fought because I believe in what the ANC stands for.' Mbalula warned ANC members not to focus on those who have left the party and joined the MK party, accusing them of being people who 'don't exist and who stole our thing'. The MK party takes its name from the now-disbanded armed wing of the ANC, which had also accused the MK party of copyright infringement. Last year in March, the ANC failed in a legal bid to stop the MK party from contesting the 24 May elections after it argued that Zuma's party had not met the official registration criteria. This was dismissed by the electoral court but the ANC was granted an appeal. Mbalula said the more the ANC speaks about the MK party, the more they build it. 'Let's talk about what we do; uMkhonto weSizwe is not dead; it's still alive; let it show that it's alive. We must fix what needs to be fixed for war veterans of our uMkhonto weSizwe.' He said those people who had left the ANC to join the MK party would soon regret their decision. 'Let it be clear that we are leading the government, and we are not being led. Let it be clear that we are leading to improve the lives of our war veterans.' The ANC received 16.99% of the votes in KwaZulu-Natal in the 2024 elections, down from 54.22% in the 2019 general elections. Because of Zuma's popularity and support from traditional ANC voters, the MK party scored 45.35% of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal. ANC Veterans League deputy president 'That quantity moved across to form this thing, Zuma's party. Why did we allow this thing to be formed?', stating also that the MK name should not be associated with the likes of Zuma. The veterans league and MKMVA are separate organisations. ANC Women's League president 'Today we have to bear with liars, people who are not thankful, and today we are being insulted and called names because there are people who thought this movement was for them and their children.'
Mail & Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Calls for Shivambu's head a result of ‘tribalism', say his supporters
MK party secretary general Floyd Shivambu. (Photo: Luba Lesolle/Gallo Images) A faction in the uMkhonto weSizwe party aligned to traditional leaders is calling for a leadership change that could affect not only Floyd Shivambu This content is restricted to subscribers only . Join the M&G Community Our commitment at the Mail & Guardian is to ensure every reader enjoys the finest experience. Join the M&G community and support us in delivering in-depth news to you consistently. Subscription enables: - M&G community membership - independent journalism - access to all premium articles & features - a digital version of the weekly newspaper - invites to subscriber-only events - the opportunity to test new online features first Already a subscriber?
The Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald
'It's a chant': Former president Thabo Mbeki defends 'kill the Boer' song
Former president Thabo Mbeki has defended the controversial 'kill the Boer' song, saying it's a struggle song and not meant to be taken literally. The song, which originated during the apartheid era as a liberation song, has resurfaced with the EFF singing it at their rallies. The song has sparked a controversy with white Afrikaner groups interpreting it as promoting violence against them. 'It was a chant during the days of struggle,' Mbeki said in an interview with SABC News. 'Chants of that kind in our tradition, in the African tradition, you don't take them literally.' He drew parallels with another song, 'Ngeke ngiye kwaZulu, kwa feli umama,' which translates to 'I won't go to Zululand because my mother died there', emphasising that such songs are not meant to be taken at face value. 'You don't mean that,' he said. Mbeki said the ANC policy has always been against the killing of civilians, and there's no evidence to suggest that uMkhonto we Sizwe soldiers were instructed to kill farmers. 'There's no uMkhonto we Sizwe soldier who went and killed a farmer. It's a chant to motivate people. It was never taken literally. Even during the course of the struggle, it was not literal. It's an exaggeration to take this as an instruction to go and kill. The people who are exaggerating know that they are exaggerating because they are trying to achieve some political purpose.' The song's controversy resurfaced recently when US President Donald Trump called for EFF leader Julius Malema's arrest, saying the song incites violence. During a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump played a video of Malema singing the song and presented articles on farm murders to support his narrative that white farmers are being persecuted in South Africa. 'It's puzzling to me that you've got a president who believes absolute lies,' Mbeki said. However, he emphasised the importance of mending ties with the US. 'We have a task to make sure that we get the people of the US on our side.' Earlier this year, the Constitutional Court dismissed a bid by AfriForum to have the song declared hate speech. The court denied AfriForum leave to appeal against the 2022 Equality Court ruling which found the song does not constitute hate speech and is protected under freedom of expression. TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
5 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
'It's a chant': Former president Thabo Mbeki defends 'kill the Boer' song
Former president Thabo Mbeki has defended the controversial 'kill the Boer' song, saying it's a struggle song and not meant to be taken literally. The song, which originated during the apartheid era as a liberation song, has resurfaced with the EFF singing it at their rallies. The song has sparked a controversy with white Afrikaner groups interpreting it as promoting violence against them. 'It was a chant during the days of struggle,' Mbeki said in an interview with SABC News. 'Chants of that kind in our tradition, in the African tradition, you don't take them literally.' He drew parallels with another song, 'Ngeke ngiye kwaZulu, kwa feli umama,' which translates to 'I won't go to Zululand because my mother died there', emphasising that such songs are not meant to be taken at face value. 'You don't mean that,' he said. Mbeki said the ANC policy has always been against the killing of civilians, and there's no evidence to suggest that uMkhonto we Sizwe soldiers were instructed to kill farmers. 'There's no uMkhonto we Sizwe soldier who went and killed a farmer. It's a chant to motivate people. It was never taken literally. Even during the course of the struggle, it was not literal. It's an exaggeration to take this as an instruction to go and kill. The people who are exaggerating know that they are exaggerating because they are trying to achieve some political purpose.' The song's controversy resurfaced recently when US President Donald Trump called for EFF leader Julius Malema's arrest, saying the song incites violence. During a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump played a video of Malema singing the song and presented articles on farm murders to support his narrative that white farmers are being persecuted in South Africa. 'It's puzzling to me that you've got a president who believes absolute lies,' Mbeki said. However, he emphasised the importance of mending ties with the US. 'We have a task to make sure that we get the people of the US on our side.' Earlier this year, the Constitutional Court dismissed a bid by AfriForum to have the song declared hate speech. The court denied AfriForum leave to appeal against the 2022 Equality Court ruling which found the song does not constitute hate speech and is protected under freedom of expression.
