Sunday Independent Sunday, October 11, 2020

NATION Angry protesters warn white farmers They threaten to give violent Senekal rioters “war” if they want it AMANDA MALIBA and MANYANE MANYANE In what has the potential to turn into a full-blown racial clash, angry protesters have warned white farmers who stormed a court building and set alight a police vehicle in the Free State that they would be ‘given war if they wanted it’. The protesters at a march organised by the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the eastern Free State town of Senekal – where hundreds of people marched and gave the police 48 hours to arrest the culprits – accused the farmers of using crime as an excuse to undermine a democratically elected government. Speaking outside the Senekal police station, Free State ANCYL activist Sizophila Mkhize…

BOGUS Mystery of doctor hailed by Ramaphosa MZILIKAZI WA AFRIKA THOBILE MATHONTSI African News Agency (ANA) A MYSTERIOUS doctor who President Cyril Ramaphosa had recommended Health Minister Zweli Mkhize appoint to the ministerial advisory committee on Covid-19 is believed to have bogus qualifications and no medical experience. Three independent sources have told this publication that Ramaphosa recommended Dr Lindiwe Ntombiyesizwe Ringane ka Seme to Mkhize. The 51-strong member committee, which was headed by Professor Salim Abdool Karim, was formed early this year to advise Mkhize on matters relating to the pandemic. When Mkhize announced the advisory committee members, Dr Ringane ka Seme was named as “external advisory” on “Health and Presidency.” A whistle-blower tipped off the department of health about Ringane ka Seme’s bogus qualifications shortly after the committee was…

BATTLE SIU probe a ‘vendetta’ – Hlaudi MZILIKAZI WA AFRIKA THE Special Investigation Unit (SIU) is gunning for former SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng to recoup all the monies the national broadcaster spent on his legal fees when he was still employed at Auckland Park. The Sunday Independent has established that Motsoeneng and the SIU are heading for a titanic court battle in an effort to recoup legal fees as well as the commission he received from the controversial Multi-Choice deal. Motsoeneng yesterday said the SIU’s investigation was motivated by something else and is politically orchestrated more than criminal. “They have taken a view that they must deal with certain people like myself to settle political scores. This is a vendetta,” said Motsoeneng. He confirmed that he was served…

PPE Dead man’s sister claims PPE tender THE Sunday Independent reported last month how a company called Thulatshepo General Trading was awarded personal protective equipment (PPE) tenders by the Mpumalanga government after its sole director Tshepo Ngwenyama died in October last year. Ngwenyama’s father, Pilatu, told the Sunday Independent that his son passed away last year and that he knew nothing about the tenders that were awarded to his company. “My son owned this company alone and he was single. “He left behind children who are still very young to run a company. As his father, I know nothing about these contracts,” he said. Now Ngwenyama’s younger sister, Palesa Ngwenyama, through her lawyers, claims she took ownership of the company in March just before the country went into lock-down and…

WELL-BEING Struggle of living with depression One in three adults will experience mental illness AMANDA MALIBA amanda.maliba@inl.co.za MASEGO Panyane, a 28-year-old communications specialist from Joburg, has been living and dealing with depression for the past two years after she sought help in March 2018 when she felt overwhelmed by everything and found even the most mundane tasks very difficult to execute. “It got to a point where I couldn’t even sit and laugh with my friends because a day would not pass without me wanting to sit and bawl my eyes out.” And while she’s been in and out of therapy, she says the fact that she is where she is now is largely due to the help of her family – especially her mother, who has provided her with…

NATION Ramaphosa is under pressure President needs to desperately save sinking economy SIYABONGA MKHWANAZI PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa is facing mounting pressure to fix the country’s ailing economy ahead of his special address to Parliament on Thursday where he will table the economic recovery plan. But economists and political parties yesterday warned the country does not need a new plan as it already has many policies in place which the government needs to implement. The Cabinet will meet on Wednesday to finalise the plan before Ramaphosa announces it in Parliament the next day. Mike Schussler, the chief economist at Economist.co.za, said there was no need for a new plan. He maintained that the government would have to cut spending and stop living beyond its means. “We don’t need any more plans.…