Mandela grave tampering charges dropped

South Africa National Prosecuting Authority  on Tuesday dropped  two charges against former president Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela.

NPA spokesperson  Luxolo Tyali said  on Tuesday that these related to alleged bigamy and grave tampering.

“Both cases were submitted to us a long time ago. We looked at the dockets and referred them back to the police for further investigation.”

When the dockets were returned, the NPA considered them and found there was insufficient evidence that would be admissible in court, Tyali said.

In July, 16 members of the Mandela family laid charges against Mandla Mandela after he admitted to exhuming the graves two years ago.

The remains were those of former president Nelson Mandela's eldest son Madiba Thembekile, who died in a car accident in 1969; Mandla Mandela's father Makgatho Mandela, who died in 2005; and Mandela's first daughter Makaziwe Mandela, who died as an infant in 1948.

On July 3, the three sets of remains were exhumed from Mandla Mandela's home village of Mvezo, in accordance with a court order, and reburied at Nelson Mandela's home in Qunu the following day.

The second matter arose in December 2011 when the Mvezo chief's first wife Thando Mabuna-Mandela laid a charge of bigamy against Mandla Mandela.

This was after he defied a court order not to marry a Pietermaritzburg woman Mbali Makhathini. The pair began divorce proceedings in 2008, after marrying in community of property in 2004.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Mandla Mandela's lawyers began legal proceedings against him to recover unpaid fees of almost R500 000.

Randall Titus & Associates Attorneys would no longer represent Mandla Mandela and court documents revealed that the firm was demanding R467 400 and interest of 15.5 percent.

The fees were reportedly for the period between May last year and May 2013.

President Zuma visits former President Mandela. STATEMENT

18 November 2013

President Jacob Zuma has this morning, 18 November 2013, visited former President Nelson Mandela at home in Houghton, where he continues to recover.

The health of the former President remains much the same as it was when President Zuma last visited him, which is stable but critical while Madiba continues to respond to treatment.

President Zuma conveyed the well wishes of all South Africans and those of the peoples of the world to the Mandela family and assured them that nations are united in their thoughts and prayers for him. In addition, President Zuma expressed the good wishes of the leaders of the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government Meeting (CHOGM) from which he returned last night.

The President used the opportunity to personally present Madiba with the Lifetime Award for Global Peace from the Mahathir Global Peace Foundation which he received on his behalf in Malaysia. President Zuma also informed Madiba that he was looking forward to officially opening the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory Public Facility and the Permanent Exhibition on the Life and Times of Nelson Mandela in Houghton later tonight.

Zuma visits Mandela Houghton home

Presidency confirms that South Africa president Jacob Zuma visited Nelson Mandela this morning at his Houghton home

The visit comes amidst reports that the world icon is still is still in a critical condition and he's unable to speak, but usus facial expressions to communicate 

Mandela's  former wife  , Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, told to the local media that the 95-year-old remained "quite ill", but she dismissed speculation that he was on a life support machine.

Nelson Mandela is no longer talking "because of all the tubes that are in his mouth to clear [fluid from] the lungs", Ms. Madikizela-Mandela told South Africa's Sunday Independent newspaper.

"He can't actually articulate anything. He communicates with the face, you see. But the doctors have told us they hope to recover his voice.

 "I have heard this nonsense that he is on life support - he is not."It is difficult for him. He remains very sensitive to any germs, so he has to be kept literally sterile. The bedroom there is like an ICU [intensive care unit] ward," she told.

In September Mandela returned home after nearly three months in hospital with a recurring lung infection. 

The government has said his condition is critical and sometimes unstable. The South African presidency has been keen to reassure not just the Mandela family but the nation that he is no more vulnerable at home than in hospital. It has called for Mr. Mandela's privacy and dignity to be respected.

Nelson Mandela has been receiving intensive care at his home in a suburb of Johannesburg, which has been specially adapted for his care. 

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is revered around the world for leading the fight against white minority rule and preaching reconciliation with the white community despite being imprisoned for 27 years.

Malawi top lawyer arrested with conspiracy to murder

Malawi police have arrested former Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara, National police deputy spokesperson Kelvin Maigwa has confirmed.

Police spokesperson  Maigwa told local media that  Kasambara was arrested as “a suspect in the shooting of Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo.”

The arrest  comes amidst the withhold of finacial aid by one of the country's major donor Britain.

Recently British High Commissioner Michael Nevin announced that it has withold £27 million of financial aid to Malawi following its disappointment in the looting and plundering of public funds at Capital Hill.

Nevin told Journalist in the capital Lilongwe that the amount would be part of about £115 million of annual aid pakage for Malawi

Malawi President Joyce Banda last month axed Kasambara in a cabinet reshuffle beside former Finance Minister Ken Lipenga, former Labour Minister Eunice Makangala and Minister of Disability and the Elderly Reen Kachere.

Police were yet to officially come out with the charges against Kasambara

South Africa Government send an envoy to apologies to Malawi

South Africa deputy International Relations Minister Marius Fransman is expected to meet Malawian President Joyce Banda today to try smother the flames between South Africa and Malawi.RELATED STORIES

The meeting follows President Jacob Zuma’s comment that was seen by many as a diplomatic gaffe

“We can't think like Africans in Africa, generally. We are in Johannesburg. This is Johannesburg. It's not some national road in Malawi,” said Zuma as he tried to defend e-tolling in Gauteng.

Zuma's spokesperson, Mac Maharaj, has apologised on his behalf, saying Zuma was misunderstood.

International Relations minister Maite Nkoana Mashabane had to field questions about Zuma’s comment while hosting her Nigerian counterpart on Wednesday.

“We cannot be proud of Sandton, Sandhurst and Midrand. We want to create more of such hubs in Niger, in Malawi and many. 

"It's not only about words. Where does president Zuma spend most of his time not in South Africa? On the continent, talking issues development in practice,” said Mashabane.

But in a telephone intervie International Relations spokesperson Cleyson Monyela denied the deputy such a development saying Fransman visisted Malawi to attend a SADC meeting  

" I don't know where you got this but what I know is that the deputy minister is in Malawi to attend a SADC meeting and not to discuss Zuma's remarks" said Monyela

MPHWIYO IMPLICATED IN CASH-GATE SCANDAL

 Leonard kalonga appeared before the acb for a recorded interviewon friday. where he heavily implicated Paul Mphwiyo on the cash-gate saga.

 Leonard told the ACB that it is mphwiyo who approached him to find companies that they could use to siphon out money.

He confessed that he  found the companies and disclosed that money was being siphoned out as a syndicate . He said Mphwiyo gave him the pin codes to ifms .

 ACB is expected to use the recorded revelation in court.

Presidency backed Zuma for insulting Malawi

 The South Africa government has backed its president, Jacob Zuma, for referring to Malawi as one of the poorest nations with bad roads infrastructure in Africa.

The presidency claimed on Tuesday said President Jacob Zuma’s remarks on Gauteng e-tolls were distorted by the media.

Zuma on Monday evening said, “We can’t think like Africans in Africa generally. We’re in Johannesburg, this is Johannesburg. It’s not some national road in Malawi.”

Zuma made the comments at the Gauteng ANC Manifesto Forum at the University of the Witwatersrand in the commercial city of  Johannesburg.

Presidency spokesperson Mac Maharaj defended the address.

 In a telephone interview  presidency spokesperson Mac Maharaj  clarified Zuma's remarks by  saying   what the president means is that Gauteng roads can’t be compared to roads in other countries or towns.

“The words have regrettably been taken out of context and blown completely out of proportion.”
Maharaj says Zuma means comparisons shouldn’t be made as Gauteng is “the heartbeat of South Africa’s economy.”

“The remarks were made in the broader context of South Africa.”

Zuma defended e-tolls, saying Gauteng motorists should bear the brunt of the extra costs necessary to keep the province running.

“The roads are to be tolled to pay back the money we borrowed to build the freeways – to make the economy flow in Johannesburg.”