The ANC is correct to point out that in principle, it is not illegal or in contravention of any code of conduct for a company in which Julius Malema is involved, to receive government tenders. Malema is not an elected member of any legislature and neither is he a member of the executive. He is “merely” the President of the ANC Youth League and if he happens to be a director of a company that has been awarded lucrative government tenders, so be it. It might be unwise, but it is not illegal.
As Malema has often pointed out, some of the criticism aimed at him and other black South Africans who have become rich overnight, must surely be based on envy and on a racially-based double standard which holds that black people are not entitled to the same ostentatious lifestyle and love of bling than white people.
One hardly reads any negative comments about the manner in which rich white South Africans splurge money on cars, holidays and designer labels and nights of drinking at hip hotspots. Nor does one hear anyone questions being posed about where this money comes from and whether it was made with the help of an old school tie network of friends and family (which, after all, is a kind of affirmative action for whites).
However, recognising this fact does not mean that we should ignore allegations that Malema has been involved in a company that has received more than R130 million in tenders from impoverished Limpopo municipalities. First, if this is true, it would expose Julius as a blatant liar. He told Debora Patta in a recent interview that he had no business interests. “I am not even rich,” he said “I am poor. I am paid by the ANC… I do not have any business interests.” When Patta asked him “Do you only get money from ANC?” he answered “yes.” The video is on You Tube, so one might want to check it out.
If Julius is indeed involved in a company who has received such lucrative tenders from Limpopo municipalities, a second set of questions arise. Were these contracts legally awarded after an open and transparent tendering process? On what basis was the company Julius is allegedly involved in awarded the tenders and did his Presidency of the ANC Youth League play any role in the awarding of the contracts?
Were these contracts competitively priced or were prices inflated and already impoverished municipalities required to pay far more for the work than they ought to have done? Was the quality of the work up to scratch and did the contractors actually do what they were contracted to do? Did the company and Julius pay taxes on the profits?
Today Julius said that he had resigned from all companies he was involved in when he assumed his position as president of the ANCYL in 2008, and has not been involved in any illegal tender processes. He did not say that he does not receive money from these companies or from anyone else. Someone should ask him.
However, if it is correct that he has resigned from the companies and do not benefit financially from them or from any other payments, another set of questions arise. If he is merely paid by the ANC, how can he afford a R250 000 watch and R50 000 repayments to the bank? Surely the ANC cannot pay him more than we pay the President of the country? If it does, why would it pay him so much?
Clearly, there are still far more questions than answers.
Another set of questions comes to mind. How did the newspapers get hold of the information about his lifestyle? Who tipped them off and why? Do they have anything to hide or are they gunning for Julius because of principled reasons?
Julius has now dared the journalists to find some answers to these questions. Could it be the beginning of the end for him?
PS: The important point here is not that Julius might be rich, that he lives a lavish lifestyle and wears expensive clothes. In a capitalist country such things are allowed and even celebrated. The issue is whether his money comes from crooked contracts. Such contracts – while upsetting members of the chattering classes – are really a kind of theft from the poor. This is because where government contracts are inflated and handed out to people without expertise it leads to a lack of service delivery.
While many people might therefore think that there is not that much wrong with corruption because it is a victimless crime, they are dead wrong. The victims of corruption are the citizens of the country – especially the poor – who rely on the state to provide it with basic services and to help improve their lives. Where a contract is given to a crony at inflated prices that crony in effect steals from the poor. Roads are not built; houses leak or fall down, water is never purified, pavements are not upgraded, refuse not removed: and our quality of life suffer. All while well-connected individuals drive around in expensive cars, wearing R250 000 watches, while living in huge houses where they throw lavish parties for their friends.
I do not think we are about to see the end of this story. The stakes are high and battle lines are drawn.
Anyway if you select any company that has won 20 tenders from government yu will find some dirt. Our record is all out there to see that in the last 15 yrs govt failed on many occasions to contract efficiently and manage the deliverables from arms deal, gautrain right down to procurement of bread, transport for school kids. Sewrage and construction tenders are riddled with shortcomings and are more complicated to manage than counting loaves of bread. The quality of municipal officials in Limpompo of all places will make this an interesting one.
@ Pierre
“Nor does one hear anyone questions being posed about where [white people's] money comes from and whether it was made with the help of an old school tie network of friends and family.”
Could not have put it better myself.
Inviting you (white) school buddy to join your law firm is just as bad as state procurement corruption! In fact, capitalism itself is inherently corrupt. So why do the Zille-like hypocites target Cmd Malema?
RACISM, that’s why!
Gwebecimele says:
February 22, 2010 at 12:45 pm
“Anyway if you select any company that has won 20 tenders from government yu will find some dirt.”
It seems this is about to blow open.
“Malema rounded on the media, accusing it of accepting brown envelopes, sleeping with people and drinking with politicians to get information.
“We know who receives brown envelopes where, who sleeps with who, who drinks with who until seven in the morning revealing everything,” he said.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20100222144107627C305319
And Gwebe, in the face of all these Malema-Lipompo tender case, Nyanda-Transnet saga, Zuma-Nkandla facelift matter, jobs for pals as opposed to 500 000 job opportunities for the nation, the Jeff Radebe-JSC-Hlophe, -Simelane, -Mpse saga; the Zuma-Sonono love story, the flashy cars for Ministers and the Zuma-Maxwele road rage case – which are some of the real reasons the Polokwane brigade seized power in the shameful manner they did under the guise of entrenching democracy and improving service delivery for all – do you still hold that by the end of JZ’s first term, this administration would emerge as the best compared to Mbeki’s 2 and half terms put together as previously maintained?
By the way Gwebs, did you hear Mathole Motshega laying down the rule of the new administration that Ministers are not accountable for the failures of the DGs and therefore that they are not going to waste their time flying to Cape Town to answer questions that are supposed to be answered by the DG?
Under Mbeki, while no action was taken against the under- and non-performing Ministers, according to the book they were responsible for the failures of their DGs.
Now, what is the difference between the TM and JZ,s admin? Which one is committing the lack of accountability `crime’ with despicable aggravating circumstances of blatant arrogance and abuse of ruling party power?
I see you too, Pierre, have a racial chip on your shoulder.
It’s really amusing how so many people of colour seem to know what whites think and say and then spread the lie as if it’s gospel.
Nobody (whites include) have any complaints about Patrice Motsepe, Jomo Sono, Irvin Khoza, Tokyo Sexwale and on and on so get over it already.
Because at the relevant times their portfolio was business. They run big companies that employ lot’s of people and their bona-fides are not in question (not even by whites)
Had Malema achieved his wealth outside of government contracts then there could be no complaints. Not even from whites.
Perhaps whites are just more curious than blacks ? Don’t black people wonder how a man who failed matric math now has the engineering ability to upgrade the CBD of Tzaneen ? And with a company with 2 employees ? That’s not jealousy … it’s fucking common sense man.
And the black journalists ? Aaah I suppose they are just serving white interests.
Quite frankly, your statement is pathetic.
Mikhail Dworkin Fassbinder
February 22, 2010 at 13:46 pm
“Inviting you (white) school buddy to join your law firm is just as bad as state procurement corruption!”
Is it OK if I invite my black school buddy to join my firm?
The word you’re looking for is “nepotism”. It’s not the same as racism. And it’s nothing remotely like corruption.
Do you imagine that companies start up by random people glomming together? I find the idea hard to swallow. Much more likely, companies are started up by people who know each other. You know, friends, colleagues.
We have been using our social networks to find other people since before we evolved speech.
Just a question, Pierre.
Are you suggesting that the press now start asking questions about and digging into the wealth of private white individuals ? (So much for the constitution !)
Or should it be just the very few white individuals who hold public office ? Which is it ? Why don’t you name a few that you think are suspect ? In fact why not name a few rich black private individuals that you know whites are jealous of and ask questions about ?
Just so we know you’re not reactionary and biased.
Prof,
As I have opined somewhere else, for me unless there is proof that Julius Malema’s Co (which he now says he’s no longer actively involved in – whatever that means) received tenders it should not have received BECAUSE Juilus Malema unduly used his so-called influence, there really is nothing to make noise about. If there was an open tendering process and the Co in question successfully tendered I really do not see what the noise is about.
If the officials in the various departments did not do their job properly and approved a tender they should not have approved, let the authorities deal with them. If the Co in question or Julius or whoever did not pay their taxes, SARS should get off their behind and do their job. However, you cannot blame the person submitting a tender for apparent mismanagement/incompetencies in government departments. It is for the government to ensure that there is a limit on how many times a Co can benefit from these tenders – if there is no limit, why should it be an issue that I happen to receive so many tenders?
I doubt this is simply about “how did he manage to get so rich so soon” because if that was the issue, I’m sure someone would have asked Patrice Motsepe and Tokyo how exactly did they become billionaires in such short space of time. If you think these two and the Kersner’s / Oppenheimers of this world got tehir wealth simply because “they work hard” and not because of their contacts, then you live in a different island.
Establish some criminal conduct against Malema and then we can talk!!
Well Prof: the shit sure seems to be hitting the fan. I’m amazed at the comments.
There’s an old saying that the mud must be well stirred before settling.
South Africa remains one of the most complex and amazing countries in the world. So many variables, so many catch 22′s. Feels like being on the edge constantly. Anyone have trouble breathing?
Mzo
You can resign your directorship in a company and still remain a shareholder and share in the profits. You are really naive.
I don’t think you have ever seen a government tender form or know the legal process that needs to be followed.
Otherwise you wouldn’t be asking these questions.
It would have to be a gigantic coincidence that the municipalities awarding the tenders just happened to slip up on 20 tenders to the same small company without any of the requisite engineering bona-fides and in which Julius just happens to be a major shareholder.
This would be akin to giving you the contract to upgrade the Joburg CBD should you happen to apply by chance after registering a small cc.
There is a difference between legitimate business contacts and corrupt contacts.
Next you’ll be telling us Shaik’s company was the best to supply hitech warships and were awarded the contract based on their expertise ( unless of course the people awarding the contract “made a mistake”.)
Eish.
Fact of the matter is Malema gave us (through an interview with Debora Patta) the impression that the ANC is his sole source of income.
Why hide the other ‘legit’ business interests?
Ahh, this thing about innocent until proven guilty, yes, its important as it applies to murder cases, rape and much else. However, there is public perception, not something to be ignored, public awareness. Can we not give credit to the widom of the general public. I’m not suggesting guilty until proven innocent, not at all.
However, when you’ve had more than a mouthful of nonsense from an individual for aeons it seems, then you know the man, you know the crime.
Justice before the law is not the only arbitrator.
Frank Shearer asked:
“Is it OK if I invite my black school buddy to join my firm?”
Yes, that would be OK, because that would be a species of private affirmative action.
Just as it would be OK for a black person to hire his black school buddy.
What can never, ever, be OK is for a white person to hire a schoolmate who is also white.
Is that clear?
If Julius does not land in some seriously hot water due to his lavish lifestyle, then our investigative journalists and our cop-shops would have cause for great shame. And the reason for that is quite straightforward: in addition to being an irresponsible public figure, Julius is also a inept criminal. That is, he is pretty much wearing and driving the evidence of his unscrupulous and, dare I add, probably illicit, actions. One could look at a ball-park figure of how much he earns as youth league top-dog. And then one could ask whether that ball-park figure (even a generous estimation) could pssibly support his lifetstyle. If not, then we could quite safely conclude that this bloke has another source of income – which many could reasonably conclude is these companies he claims to have left. Then we could ask: ” Given the capacity of those companies, could they realistically do the kind, quality and scale of work that could enable Julius to live as large as he does?” These are pretty general questions to be sure. But they could be useful in that trying to answer could make it quite clear – as it should be – that JuJu has loads to hide and is merely employing the same cack-handed deflection that ANC figures typically do.
Pierre you said :
” must surely be based on envy and on a racially-based double standard which holds that black people are not entitled to the same ostentatious lifestyle and love of bling than white people.”
Must surely ? How sure ? Do you have proof or some classic examples ? What evidence do you have that leads to your deduction ? If you examine the history of this perception it goes back to Malema himself using this racial lie as a means of deflecting scrutiny into his affairs. That you have fallen for this lie is laughable. I know it’s a bitter pill for you to swallow, but most whites wish that blacks will succeed and pull themselves out of poverty. A better educated and more affluent society will lead to a better democracy and perhaps people will stop using the race card. A democracy of illiterate people is really a sham.
As for old school ties, I know it’s again a bitter pill to swallow but whites won’t give jobs to unqualified pals. Invariably their pals are highly capable of doing the job. Blacks on the other hand seem to find it OK when giving jobs to totally unqualified pals and pull the race card when normal decent people ask questions.
Unless you can provide some concrete proof of your statements I’ll just assume the racial devil has got to you (perhaps he’s always been there ?)
John Roberts says:
February 22, 2010 at 18:26 pm
“Unless you can provide some concrete proof of your statements I’ll just assume the racial devil has got to you (perhaps he’s always been there ?)”
Of course Pierre is racist – everyone knows that.
The devil made him do it!
I did not see the interview with Malema, but according to news reports he said that the ANC was his only source of income.
Now I see News24.com reports that this afternoon Malema was still listed as company director of SGL Engineering Projects, and his appointment came on 12 May 2009 – long after his election as ANCYL President. He is also still listed as director of 101 Junjus Trading, Blue Nightingale Trading 61 and Ever Roaring Investments.
John Roberts says:
February 22, 2010 at 18:26 pm
“I know it’s a bitter pill for you to swallow, but most whites wish that blacks will succeed and pull themselves out of poverty.”
Nicely said, John Roberts.
It’s good that you are able to articulate what “most whites wish”.
Pierre and others need to know that straight from the voice of the voiceless.
John Roberts says: February 22, 2010 at 15:29 pm
Save for the unwarranted insults, I’m still unable to establish any criminal conduct (damn, even objectionable conduct) on the part of Malema.
By the way, if I’m not involved in the running of the business do I need to have specific expertise in engineering for a Co I hold shares in to successfully bid for anengineering job?
@ Mayimele
I have written on this blog before that I will not defend the mistakes of the new administration instead I am more likely to criticise them. Yes JZ and his govt are starting to make infamous decisions and you have listed some of them but that does not make him the worse of than TM. The magnitude of the damaged done by the previous admin is not about to be matched by JZ. Appointments and other incidents (including his sexual affairs) are not comparable to death of more than 300 000, Arms deal, Switching off the lights(Eskom), 1 million drop outs from school, Worsening poverty(Inequality), Pathetic health system etc. I hope this gives u idea how big the mess we are talking about here.
Lastly, I can agree with you that there many disappointing actions on JZ’s part including the state of the nation address. I agree with Cosatu that the budget came out of a Mbeki framework of policies and lacked any change that was promised. Unless the intention was to mislead the masses, we need follow through with actions on our promises at polokwane or vindicate Mbeki.
Mikhail Dworkin Fassbinder
February 22, 2010 at 17:38 pm
“What can never, ever, be OK is for a white person to hire a schoolmate who is also white.”
I guess that just speaks for itself. So either you’re completely lacking in self-awareness (read: you don’t read what you write), or you’re living proof of Poe’s Law (“Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won’t mistake for the real thing.”).
Now if we could just define what “white” and “black” meant again. Het jy ‘n potlood?
@Mzo
If a company consisting of only 2 people with no track record wins an engineering contract one would at least hope that the active partner has some expertise in this area. Not the case here.
Government tenders have around 8 pages devoted to company structure, expertise, no. of employees, past experience, shareholders, directors, references etc. It’s comprehensive. A company would have to lie to qualify when they didn’t or the tender would have to be rigged. There are no other possibilities save for fronting which is illegal.
Nobody is saying Malema did anything wrong (yet). But there is a strong suspiscion that he used his political influence to get government business (with taxpayers money) thus preventing legitimate BEE businesses from profiting. Would you be happy if Julius’ 2 man company won a state tender to manage our hospitals at the expense of an experienced company and your family ended up in one of those hospitals ?
Now if young Julius had a star-studded school career and a cum-laude B.SC Engineering after which he completed an MBA and had spent some years building his businesses I would have no objection. But the guy failed matric Math and barely passed woodwork. Stupid people shouldn’t be winning state engineering contracts. You can bet your bottom dollar that legitimate companies who actually employ engineering graduates and have a solid infrastructure and track record also tendered for this business (if they were even put out to tender at all). We are talking about a 2 man closed corporation here with one inactive partner ! If you are happy to trust the infrastructure of our country to such companies that’s your prerogative. But I don’t think the people voted for that.
Another question, what kind of example does Julius Malema set for the impressionable young people who blindly follow him? I wonder: for every one person who works hard academically and professionally to follow the example of a hardworking, talented wealthy role model, how many look at Julius Malema and think that they can become wealthy just by slothing in the ranks of the ruling party?
Gwebecimele says:
February 22, 2010 at 19:32 pm
It may well turn out that the current administration is doing better than previously.
JZ for example responded to the attack on his personal life with dignity rather than turning it into a mindless racial attack on those who raised it. Or we may point to this admin acknowledging that crime is a serious problem. Or many other things.
Doing better (or less badly) than others is not what we overwhelmingly supported the Zuma campaign on – it was fixing up the kak.
There’s not too much fixing up going on.
Hospital patients having to walk to a shopping centre to use the toilets is just not acceptable. And there’s silence over that.
Mars says:
February 22, 2010 at 19:56 pm
“Another question, what kind of example does Julius Malema set for the impressionable young people who blindly follow him?”
If the impression created is that people can rise above and out of poverty then it’s a good example.
Businesspeople all over the world associate with ruling political power – there’s nothing unusual about that.
Two things about this, however, stand out.
One is that Malema’s political downfall has started and, it seems, by people close to him – the lesson for young people may be that there are limits to political power, clout and goodwill – abusing it is unwise. Really powerful political leaders including Mandela, Biko, Hani, Tambo and others understood that. Malema does not – but then he’s dispensable.
The other is the notion of transparency and accountability that is oft spoken about but difficult to achieve – the media reports, often in his own words, contradict what is now uncovered. More importantly, did his companies get the tenders on a fair and proper basis.
“No question now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
He played the Race card eventually , Racial profiling >> was wondering when that was goin to rear its bacon bits? Now it has !!!
Can we now get back to the Nationalization debate PLs.
I hope everyone listened to Malema this morning on SAFM. According to him, he does not receive any benefit from the entity in question; he has never been inside an Austin Martin; does not own a Range Rover; he has a house in Polokwane which he invested in when he was the Limpopo Prov Chairperson; when he was elected President of the YL (with the increased salary) he then purchased his property in Sandton; SARS is free to come and audit him anytime; he is fully behind the lifestyle audits.
This is the summary of his interview with Tim Modise this morning.
When I balance this with the glaring discrepancies in the reports, my faith in the media (or should I say, the lack thereof) gets even more eroded. The reports say he’s been seen driving an Austin Martin; they say the Co got tenders between 2007/2008 and yet we here that the entity in question was only registered last year…someone is clealry not doing their job!!
Yes, the investigative journalists need to put their heads to the grindstone before rushing and gushing to the front pages of national newspapers. Who cares how many directors there are in the company, its shareholders that count. Why has nobody been on the ground to see the roads that were built and to ask the people on the front line whether Julius Malema is a crook or not. Did the services get delivered. Were they what was called for. Is the Limpopo province happy with what they paid for? Have you verified that the tender process was(n’t) adhered to.
In the Tim Modise interview he also said that there would be no politicians in the world if they were prohibited from doing business. All politicians are bussinessmen as well as politicians.
@ EGG
“All politicians are businessmen as well as politicians.”
EGG is right.
Someone told me that, contrary to popular belief, Nelson Mandela while in office ran a massive business empire, selling t-shirts, coffee mugs, etc, bearing his, name or likeness.
Also, Obama — HUGE business interests. (I forget what business he is in, though. Could you remind us please, EGG.)
Mikhail Dworkin Fassbinder says:
February 23, 2010 at 20:16 pm
“EGG is right.”
Hey Dworky – always the contradiction.
You getting in Egg’s face!
I think we have a troll here. Dworky, how do you justify saying this –
…..
“Just as it would be OK for a black person to hire his black school buddy.
What can never, ever, be OK is for a white person to hire a schoolmate who is also white.
Is that clear?”
Unless I am completely missing your attempt at humour, you leave me dumbfounded and a little worried.
Much as I like Madiba and Obama, I am not going to pretend to believe that they are so saintly as to not have their fingers in many financial pies. Yes, I do believe that all politicians are businessmen and that like nappies, they should be changed regularly. Unfortunately I even suspect that Madiba might well have been tainted by receiving funds from the arms deal.
Mikhail Dworkin Fassbinder says:
February 23, 2010 at 20:16 pm
Well, at least we all know what kind of business Jacob Zuma is in – that must be the building industry, building a LARGE family.
For what it’s worth here’s an interesting article (unrelated to the topic on hand).
—————————————————————————————————————
“Shipwreck
You don’t hear so much about the wonders of corporate globalization now. During 2008 and 2009 world trade slumped for the first time in living memory, silencing the corporate mantra that it could only ever expand. General Motors, once the world’s biggest transnational corporation, is bankrupt. The incurable Japanese disease has become a pandemic. China is spending $500 billion just to sustain its choking domestic economy. Indeed, the whole wreck is kept afloat only by heresy – national government support.4
However, the price being paid to financial markets is, by almost any measure, far too high. They are being repaid at a premium – yet these are the very same funds that were used (or printed) to bail them out virtually for free. No wonder they are irrationally exuberant again. Self-proclaimed ‘prisoners of the market’, even larger too-big-to-fail banks reward themselves lavishly once more, as if to flaunt their growing myopia.
No-one will openly admit to knowing quite how much bad debt has been dumped on the public and remains to be redeemed. The same venal ‘credit-rating’ and accounting corporations that authorized the shipwreck still presume to discipline the financial behaviour of governments. By their measure, the governments of some 16 countries, including Ireland, Iceland, Greece, Estonia and Hungary, are already bankrupt; many others have effectively been so for years, and most of the remainder will doubtless become so soon enough. If the wreck is ever refloated, who then will save the banks from themselves and everyone else from the banks?
http://www.newint.org/features/2010/03/01/keynote-globalization/
Julius will always be held up to ridicule and the subject of attack, as will other self righteous people, when they do not practise what they preach.
It is one thing to champion the cause of the masses and claim to be one of them and yet have a lifestyle that is opposite of what you profess it to be.
The leaders of the ANC claim to represent the “poorest of the poor” but never fail to pitch at official openings in designer suits and dresses with assorted bling.
@ Mayimele
Motshekga said Ministers are responsible for policy while DG’s are responsible day to day operations and are accounting officers. Having said that I do not support the move to make ministers less accountable to parliament.
Don’t you think the Ministers are feeling the new found energy in parliament that was suppresed in the past. DG’s cry in parliament these days and some are sent packing if they cant provide decent answers? These changes need to be manged properly so that we bring our 3 arms of govt to the same level. Those who have ulterior motives must be defeated irrespective of which camp or faction they support.
The recent service delivery protests are a simple message that we cannot continue on this route. Gone are the days of promises and stage managed imbizo’s.
The greedy, exploiters and fat cats must also be exposed.
Phambili ngomzabalazo wabantu!!!!!!!!
The Malema issue is actually a mood issue, it just reflect the fundamental issue of the capatalist system. It is very clear that the democratic leadership of SA has the same agenda of the then apartheid government. They being schooled very good. The masses in SA, just like those in any other socalled 3rd world country, is downpressed just to benefit the few that controls the economy. Only know its done under the comradeship and prospective promises.
Down with capatilism so that we all can be free.
http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1117530
No more comments on this matter, says ANCYL.
Gwebecimele says:
February 25, 2010 at 9:12 am
I raised that in response to Shakira http://constitutionallyspeaking.co.za/sue-nah-never/ Maggs Naidu says: February 23, 2010 at 10:49 am
The media seems to have been slow to check that out.
Unless they are doing what someone suggested and are releasing bits and pieces to prolong the agony or to let people step deeper into the mess by lies and more lies before exposing it.
“Enrichment of few individuals will never assist majority of our people (sic),” it (ANCYL) said.
http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5367309
Maggs quoted
“Enrichment of few individuals will never assist majority of our people.”
Maggs, it grieves me to see you quoting sentiments like this — exactly what one expect to hear from a white liberal, bitter and twisted at the success of black men.
And yes, economic transformation begins with a relatively few individuals. (The tide does not raise all boats at once.) Those who make it first serve as role-models, inspiration, if you will. Where they lead, the rest will follow. Just watch.
Mikhail Dworkin Fassbinder says:
February 25, 2010 at 11:53 am
Dworky again you misread my comment. See below.
“Tito Mboweni’s appointment into a mining corporation is not at all surprising and reflects the reactionary, nonsensical and backward views he expressed when he was the mis-Governor of the South African Reserve Bank that mines will not be nationalised in South Africa,” it said in a statement.
“There is no doubt that Tito Mboweni was speaking the views of white capitalists, like those who did in the recent past, which controls the South African economy… particularly the extraction, processing and trade of minerals.”
http://www.timeslive.co.za/incoming/article325775.ece
And we need proper role models and inspiration.
“I’m going to start doing business now. I must lead the youth in the business world,” Malema said in an interview with Vuyo Mbuli on the SABC programme Morning Live.
http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/e23f55310d1e4f86adedd86dd55ef48a/25-02-2010-09-39/Malema_eyes_business_world
@ Maggs
Apologies for minderestimating you; I see that we are very much on the same page.
Reminds me of Henri’s acute Darwinist observation, on another thread, re Mr Simelane.
Evolutionists say I am about 41 million years removed from the common mammalian ancestor I share my cat, Yasmin Shu-Shu,
If that be true, that may explain her sense of justice, when it comes to the treatment of mice/ birds, etc., seems so incompatible with the values that underpin our Constitution.
Mikhail Dworkin Fassbinder says:
February 25, 2010 at 13:28 pm
I was hoping for commentary from Richard Dawkins, but Prof Jansen seems to be quicker.
“President Jacob Zuma initiating a national dialogue on morals is like the AWB calling for a country-wide debate on racism, said Professor Jonathan Jansen, vice-chancellor of the University of the Free State”
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-02-25-jansen-warns-sa-is-on-the-precipice
Ouch!
Mikhail Dworkin Fassbinder says:
February 25, 2010 at 13:28 pm
To add to the conversation :
“It said there was no such thing as a ‘tenderpreneur’, and defended the government’s tender system as ‘transparent’”
http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/Politics/1057/f433f4f90349426f9102f80e42b83794/25-02-2010-05-06/ANCYL_reopens_Malema_chapter
So it seems that the Polokwane resolution was just a waste of time : “That our accumulated weaknesses include inability to effectively deal with new tendencies arising from being a ruling party, such as social distance, patronage, careerism, corruption and abuse of powers”
As is the relevant ANC election manifesto : “Step up measures in the fight against corruption within society, the state and private sector, including measures to to ensure politicians do not tamper with the adjudication of tenders. Measures will also be taken to ensure transparent process of the tendering system as well as ensuring much stronger accountability of the public servants involved in tendering process.”
And that the establishment of an interministerial committee by President Zuma to deal with corruption is just a sheer waste of time and public resources!
Gwebecimele says:
February 25, 2010 at 9:12 am
“No more comments on this matter, says ANCYL.”
—————————————————————————————————–
Juju’s dodgy R27m bridges
2010-02-28 14:00
By Piet Rampedi
AT LEAST three of several multi-million-rand bridges and roads built by Julius Malema’s company in Limpopo were washed away within weeks of their completion.
Now affected communities are demanding that authorities force SGL Engineering Projects to repair the shoddily built projects or take legal steps to recoup money spent on them.
Apart from what appears to be poor workmanship in some cases, a section of locals employed to work on the projects complained that they were not paid for their services.
At Lebowakgomo Zone A, 60km south-east of Polokwane, one of the roads SGL built in 2008 was washed away by rain within days of completion, according to residents.
http://www.citypress.co.za/Content/SouthAfrica/News/2168/39468c96d5f54d0da7ed5ef47d4416b4/28-02-2010-02-00/Juju%E2%80%99s_dodgy_R27m_bridges_
Maggs Naidu says:
February 25, 2010 at 9:24 am
Well, it looks as if the media is releasing bits and pieces to prolong the agony. They surely know how to sell newspapers!
I hold no particular brief for Cmd Malema.
But I cannot help feeling that some of the criticism one hears (see Chris Barron’s column in the ST today), resonates with a species of RACISM. The not so subtle subtext: That neither Cmd Malema, nor the companies in which he holds interests, have the so-called “experience” to build roads and bridges for the people of Limpopo.
What nonsense! Any good buinessman will subcontract technical work to qualified engineers!
Chris says:
February 28, 2010 at 21:15 pm
It seems that the worms will come out the woodwork as rats abandon the sinking ship.
Young Juju it seems is going to have his political corpse fed to the vultures.
” Julius Malema doesn’t have a valid driving licence and has several unpaid traffic fines.”
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20100301071457967C753961&page_number=1
Mikhail Dworkin Fassbinder says:
February 28, 2010 at 21:37 pm
“What nonsense! Any good buinessman will subcontract technical work to qualified engineers!”
There’s specialist facility at a prestigious private hospital that is owned by a very highly qualified specialist running on the license of an even more qualified specialist (subcontracted if you will) – these parties have much more than the 15 years flying time that you reckoned was the minimum needed.
A scandal has developed to the point where patients, whose very lives depend on the facility, that have traveled from far and wide, including SADC countries are not able to get the services of the facility because bills have not been paid (patients I am told pay upfront for the services which run to tens of thousands of rand) despite their positive cash flow.
There’s all manner of covering up going on.
This has not made the media – probably because the culprits are neither Black nor connected with the ANC.
Had they been, I can only imagine what the media reports would have been like – and you would have had a field day (maybe month) too pointing out how very bad, incompetent, selfish, greedy, lazy, useless Black people are.
@ Maggs
“[Tender abuse] has not made the media – probably because the culprits are neither Black nor connected with the ANC.”
Maggs, I could not agree with you more.
I think there is a conspiracy.
What a tragedy that self-hating “black” editors like Ferial Hafegee are going along with it!
Mikhail Dworkin Fassbinder says:
March 1, 2010 at 11:55 am
Hey Dworky – when did Ferial Haffajee call for more than 15 years commercial passenger plane flying experience to qualify for leadership positions?
Maggs, I not sure Ferial writes much about pilots and their skills.
What I do know is that, week after week, the M&G under her helm would be full of stories on so-called “corruption.”
And guess what: Almost all targets would be black and/or ANC.
That’s what I call racist bias.
Mikhail Dworkin Fassbinder says:
March 1, 2010 at 12:26 pm
“Almost all targets would be black and/or ANC.
That’s what I call racist bias.”
True dat.
BTW – I had a conversation with someone affected at that specialist facility who is flummoxed by the extent of covering up and counter covering up that is going on. “Some among us” sure have a way to close ranks and keep the dirty linen inside.
And you sure have a way to deflect the impact of their deeds or is it misdeeds – as the saying goes some stuff is thicker than other stuff.
http://www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article.aspx?ArticleId=1518-1786_2574086
With Ramos at the helm and Hubby controlling the purse strings cheered by Oom Alec Erwin how did we get this one wrong.
Gwebecimele says:
March 1, 2010 at 17:52 pm
“With Ramos at the helm and Hubby controlling the purse strings cheered by Oom Alec Erwin how did we get this one wrong.”
The challenge is bigger than personalities and “massaging” of bottom lines that create the illusion of the marvels of individuals. The solution may lie in a broad, collective, long term approach. Here’s some interesting reading :
“The dominance of rail as a freight mode has shifted as the relative cost of road transport has fallen and as the quality of the rail service has declined. A further factor favouring faster, more reliable and flexible road transport is the shifting needs of the economy. There is now stronger emphasis on active supply chain management, with emphasis on reducing goods in transit or in inventory, and with greater emphasis on smaller volumes delivered more reliably to support “just-in-time” production techniques. The result has been a steady shift from rail to road over the last decade, as demonstrated in Figure 5. Figure 5: Tonnages of freight moved by road and by rail Source: Department of Transport, 2005b
“In illustration of this shift, finished goods moved over a distance of 775 km in 1991 were some 15 percent more expensive when moved by road rather than by rail. Six years later (1997), when the same goods were moved over the same distance, rail transport was 15 percent more expensive than road transport (Business Times, 18 July 1999). This rapid shift over a relatively short timeframe is a consequence of the following:
• An increase in the allowable road vehicle mass from 48 to 56 tonnes during this period. This was further compounded by vehicle overloading, which is continuously being monitored by the respective road agencies, and more recently, by private sector toll road operators.
• A vicious cycle within the rail environment of declining cash flows, which led to under-investment, and a reduction in demand which reduced asset utilisation and increased the unit cost of moving ever-declining freight tonnages.
“This situation is by no means unique to South Africa and is a worldwide phenomenon, exacerbated by railways that are often bloated and inefficient public sector monopolies that are unable to adjust to shifts in demand.”
http://www.dbsa.org/Research/Documents/Infrastructure%20Barometer.pdf
[...] Julius: Sο many qυеѕtіοnѕ аnԁ ѕο few аnn… [...]
Julius is not alone. What a said moment? A good enterprenuer can build a strong construction company on this order book.
By : Dispatch
“I can confirm that they (Ilima) are in liquidation. There are fairly substantial amounts of money outstanding. A series or string of creditors are owed huge amounts of money and we are trying to find out what happened to the money.”
It was expected to take months to complete a thorough investigation into what happened to Ilima, Van der Heever said.
Ilima’s troubles began about two years ago when many of its contracts with government departments were cancelled due to its failure to deliver the projects on time.
Over the past year different government departments and parastatals canned the contracts awarded to Ilima, including:
R456 million for the construction of a hospital in Brits, North West;
R137m for a government office complex in Vryburg, North West;
About R35m for the construction of a new mental hospital in Sterkfontein, Krugersdorp;
R16m for the construction of a taxi rank in Mabopane, north of Pretoria;
More than R60m for the construction of 1500 houses for the Mogale City Municipality in Rietvallei, Krugersdorp.
In September 2008 the Gauteng government canned a R692m contract awarded to Ilima for the construction of the Jabulani Hospital in Soweto. This was after it was revealed that the company had submitted a fraudulent tax document when it tendered for the construction of the 300-bed hospital.
Also in 2008 the Eastern Cape government cancelled construction work valued at R450 million awarded to Ilima after the company experienced financial problems and failed to deliver the projects on time.
Gwebecimele says:
June 30, 2010 at 14:36 pm
Ilima?
This one – http://groupfive.investoreports.com/group5_ar_2007/html/groupfive_ar_2007_96.php ???
Eish!
@ Maggs
I wonder if Mvela is still part of the deal with Group5. We will probably see more of these divorces especially in construction now that the 2010 PAYOLA is finished.
Did you see the ANCYL is calling for firing of our good friend in CABINET?
Gwebecimele says:
June 30, 2010 at 16:32 pm
Dunno about Ilima/Mvela – will check.
Re Min of Sport – that’s a great move on the part of the YL – I wonder if disciplinary action will be taken.
The portfolio committee members also need to get the boot (not Nike or Addidas).
Oxygen thieves!
malema wiil bring the liberty of this country into disrepute.