Zimbabwe’s electoral commission has announced that the controversial run-off presidential election between President Robert Mugabe and opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, will take place on June 27. Mugabe and Tsvangirai are meant to be at it again after neither of them got over 50 percent of the votes needed for an outright win in the March elections.

It’s reported that ruling party militias are holding a nationwide campaign of vengeance attacks on MDC supporters and will terrorise Zimbabweans into voting for Mugabe in the run-off.

An MDC spokesperson was quoted as saying the next couple of days leading up to the run off will be filled with killing and destruction of property. Forty people have already been killed in the post-election criss and one thousand have had to be treated in hospital for injuries incurred from brutal beatings. This number excludes the victims that were too scared to take themselves to health centres.

 Foreign nationals in Alexandra, North of Jo’burg, are begging police to deport them back to their home countries following the recent outbreak of Xenophobia. According to Alexandra police, about a thousand refugees are being housed in tents at the police station whilst several organizations have donated blankets, food and other necessities. The situation in Alex was relatively calm throughout the evening, with no injuries reported.

In Diepsloot, just outside of Pretoria, five people were seriously injured overnight in sporadic xenophobic attacks while another 12 suspects were arrested, while another 9 suspects were arrested earlier yesterday in connection with the violence against foreign nationals. Some 40 people, mostly foreigners, were escorted to a place of safety under police guard after being victimized by attackers.
 
This morning, a Mozambiquean man was shot in the head at point-blank-range in Soweto while walking to work in Meadowlands. Soweto police did not want to link this  incident to Xenophobia yet, as investigations into the murder are still continuing. A large police contingent is still deployed in Alexandra and Diepsloot this morning and Parliament is holding an urgent debate on the the xenophobia. 

It has been confirmed that the student who was abducted at the Tygerburg Hospital in Cape Town and later raped by three men is Rene Burger. Rene is Springbok and Stormers rugby player, Schalk Burgers’ younger sister. According to Advocate But De Bruyn, the reason why Rene decided to reveal her identity was to put an end to speculations that were growing by the day, and also to send out a message to people who are in familiar position as hers, saying they must fight back and not let the perpetrators get away with what they have done.

Rene was abducted at a parking lot at the Tygerburg campus of the University of the Western Cape by three men last week. They took her to an empty house nearby where she was then raped.

 

A number of foreign nationals are still camped outside the Alexandra police station after the township saw several xenophobic attacks since Sunday night. Another five people were arrested last night for public violence, after police had to use rubber bullets to counter more attacks on foreigners. There are new claims saying the attacks have escalated to tribalism, but there hasn’t been an official confirmation of this.
Today the situation in Alexandra was reportedly calm until three foreign teenagers including a fourteen year old, were attacked.
The South African Communist Party has warned that if government does not intervene in this situation, then there is a danger of having “many Alexandras” following suit.

Do you think some of these foreigners will get the point and actually leave South Africa?
Or do you think they would rather tolerate xenophobia, instead of heading back to Zimbabwe or wherever else they might come from?

Hundreds of people gathered at Pretoria’s Church Square this morning to celebrate and witness the bestowal of the Freedom of the City award on former president Nelson Mandela via satellite. Tshwane Mayor, Gwen Ramokgopa presented the award to Mandela during a private ceremony at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg.

  “Remember the horror from which we come from. Never forget the greatness of a nation that has overcome its division. Let us never descend into destructive divisiveness,” Madiba said shorty after receiving the Freedom of the City from the City of Tshwane. Mayor Ramokgopa previously indicated that it is fitting that the capital city, where Madiba both worked and lived during his term as the first president of the democratic republic of South Africa, should bestow this honour onto him. The Freedom of the City is the highest recognition of a person’s contribution to the welfar of the city and its people. Madiba already holds the freedom of various cities including London, Glasglow, Harare, Bleomfontein, Cape Town and Johannesburg.

 The conferment of the award was also broadcasted at the City Hall and along with Church Square a hive of activity. Local Entertainers, including Mafikizolo wowed the crowd who were singing, dancing and chanting Mandela’s name. However, a group of striking SA Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) disrupted the proceedings. Six of its members were injured at City Hall today after Metro Police fired rubber bullets at the group. According to reports the group are considering legal action.

                                                          

It’s not clear what caused this mornings’ fire at one of the country’s oldest hostels. The second and third floors of House Cummings, at the

Hugenote

College in

Wellington was severely damaged and the ground floor was water damaged. No one was hurt.  

Photos : Sunette Le Roux

The SA Municipal Workers Union says it won’t disrupt the proceedings in the Pretoria CBD as former president, Nelson Mandela will receive the Freedom of the City later today.

The strike by SAMWU members continue but the Union confirmed that they are closer to an agreement with the Tshwane Metro Council. The Tshwane Metro Council’s Gabriel Twhala has replied by also confirming that a task team has been established to find a solution to the stale mate. Twhala added that all the city’s trucks have been dispatched to clean up the streets for today’s ceremony and that the city is ready to honor former president later today. 

Several streets leading to Church Square will be closed in the Pretoria CBD from this hour to this afternoon. The Freedom of the City will be handed to Madiba on Church Square and there will be several parades and performances by artists.  A Jacaranda 94.2 listener sent us this photo taken yesterday.

Due to suspected xenophobia attacks, one person has died and at least 40 more have been injured after they were attacked by an angry mob in the Alexandra township, north of

Johannesburg, last night. A South African was also killed and the circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated. 

Foreign nationals staying in Alexander are currently packing their bags after they were stoned, shot at, whipped with sjamboks and even robbed of their belongings. While some foreigners are seeking refuge in the local police station, others desperately want to leave the country in fear of being killed. 

The residents of Alexander took it upon themselves to punish the foreign nationals that they believe are responsible for robbing them whenever the residents are headed to and from work. They say they don’t want any more illegal immigrants. According to police, most of these foreigners are from Mozambique and

Zimbabwe. 

Do you believe that all the foreign nationals in Alexandra are involved in criminal activity?Will South Africans ever learn to share their country with fellow Africans?

Mpumalanga police are searching for a 17 000-litre watertank truck that was stolen from the Bethal Roads construction site near Bethal in Mpumalanga. According to the police, the water in the truck was emptied on the scene and replaced with some 14 000 litre diesel, also from the construction site. A security guard at the construction site was blindfolded by the gang who arrived in a car, and kidnapped after the truck was filled.  He was later found next to the road to Witbank.

Police spokesperson, Lemmi Mtsweni, says the watertank truck was used to sprinkle water on the road while construction continues.

 

CPIX inflation is set to peak at an even higher level than previously forecast and that is likley to lead to more interest rate hikes of another 150 basis points. Economists say food and oil price increases have been factored in to their forecast as its a global reality.

Finance Minister Trevor Manuel warned in parliament yesterday against “quick-fix” measures like price controls to curb rising food prices. He told parliament that the current food situation is a global trend and that supply and demand combined with the draught in Australia contributed to the increase. According to the Ministery, South Africa is not among the 50 worst affected countries at the moment. 

Two companies have been referred to the Competitions Tribunal for their alleged role in a bread price fixing cartel. Pioneer Foods and Foodcorp could be fined 10% of their annual tunover in the last financial year for their role in the alleged price-fixing scandal. Tiger Brands has already been fined a R 90 million fine, and another company, Premier Foods, was acquited for co-operating with the Commission.

The international oil price is still on a path of record breaking highs, smashing $124 a barrel on the Asian markets this morning. The price is expected to reach $200 within the next six months. FNB economist, Cees Bruggemans agrees and says it could go even further.