By Edwin Tshivhidzo

Diepsloot - The situation in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, is reported to be calm on Monday after violent protests broke out at the weekend.

Angry residents set vehicles on fire, damaged property and stoned passing motorists and police vehicles. They also barricaded roads with burning rubble and portable toilets.

In a bid to save motorists from the angry mob, police closed the R511 and advised motorists to use the N14 to Roodeport as an alternative route. The road has since been reopened.

According to City of Johannesburg spokesperson Nthathisi Modingoane, the residents began protesting when they heard rumours that they were to be relocated to Brits.

However, he explained that this was not the case.

Explaining the situation, Mr Modingoane said about 320 families are to be relocated to a nearby location, which is still within the Diepsloot area, to make way for the upgrading of an underground sewage system.

He said the residents had built their shacks illegally on top of the current sewage system.

6 July 2009

The Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) was established in April 2000 as a public institution in terms of the Skills Development Act, No. 97 of 1998. An entity of this nature is audited by the Auditor General on an annual basis. CETA is scheduled to table the 2008/9 financials to Parliament's labour portfolio committee on Tuesday, 7 July 2009.

CETA is responding to allegations that have been brought against it for lax internal controls that have contributed towards the organisation's purported financial problems.

These allegations come at a time when CETA has been working tirelessly to upgrade and maintain its internal controls for the benefit of the organisation and its stakeholders. CEO, Petrus Maoko vehemently states that, "Controls are now in place. They are being improved upon day-by-day."

By Vuyolwethu Sangotsha

Bhisho - Hundreds of people living in rural parts of the Eastern Cape have been given information on housing programmes available by the Department of Human Settlements through a pilot project.

Through the pilot Housing on Wheels Project, the department raises public awareness on the products and services available in various areas of the province.

MEC Nombulelo Mabandla launched the pilot project last month to enable the department to check the status of their housing applications among other things.

Spokesperson from the provincial department, Lwandile Sicwetsha said the roadshow was part of the provincial EXCO (Executive Council) outreach which aims to improve service delivery.

Through the project, he said, Housing Education Dramas have been introduced to educate people about the role of the municipalities and the department in the housing delivery process.

Other information disseminated through the drama play include available housing services, criteria to qualify for housing subsidy and reporting of defective houses on time, including cracks period for reporting defectives.

By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane

Nelspruit - Mpumalanga's 2010 community has been paid over R8 million for the land on which the provincial R1 billion 2010 stadium is being built.

This week government confirmed that the Matsafeni land beneficiaries sold 69.7 hectares of land to the Mbombela municipality for R8.7 million.

"We have finally reached a deal that makes everybody happy. This deal marks a great end to a long battle between the community and government," said professional trustee in the interim Matsafeni board of trustees, Meshack Silinda.

Mbombela spokesperson Joseph Ngala said the deal was signed on 21 April, following a visit by former deputy president Baleka Mbete to Nelspruit early this year to quell growing disputes over the land.

"The former deputy president's office initiated the fresh negotiations, which were ultimately handed to us to implement," he said.

Mbombela's 2010 coordinator Differ Mogale said Mbombela bought the land through the provincial public works department after an independent land valuer priced it at R8.7 million.

By Edwin Tshivhidzo and Proffesor Ndawonde

Pretoria - Deputy Minister of Public Works, Hendrietta Bogane-Zulu, says government will intervene if the need arises in negotiations to end the strike in the construction industry.

"Should there be a need, we will intervene to find a solution," said the minister, speaking on Wednesday at the launch of National Construction Week in Pretoria.

Ms Bogane-Zulu said she hoped that there would be a breakthrough soon in negotiations between the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the employer body represented by the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec),

Striking construction workers turned out in numbers on Wednesday at some of the 2010 World Cup stadia, including Moses Mabida Stadium in Durban and Soccer City in Johannesburg.

The union had rejected the 10.4 percent offer made by Safcec, saying that it would stick to its 13 percent wage increase demand.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Construction Industry Development Board, Ronnie Khoza, said he would be monitoring the situation and should there be a need, they would also intervene.

By Nthambeleni Gabara

Pretoria -The Gauteng MEC for Housing, Kgaogelo Lekgoro, has expressed concern over reports that RDP houses were being sold by a conman to non-beneficiaries in the province.

The Sowetan newspaper published a story on Tuesday about a conman who made people believe that he could cheat government's housing system and sell them an RDP house for R6 000 in Eden Park, east of Johannesburg.

The eNews Channel also broadcast footage of the same conman soliciting a bribe for a RDP house. The investigative journalist was able to put down a deposit of R3 000 to buy a house.

When the crew pounced, the conman ran to his Peugeot 207 and sped off. However, he later called one of the journalists to apologise and claimed to have realised that what he had done was wrong.

"The story … is of great concern to us. We are always concerned when some people out there driven by greed wish to take advantage of those who need this service," said the MEC.

The house belonged to an identified beneficiary and was still being completed, said Mr Lekgoro, adding that the fraudster was not an employee of the department.

By Bongekile Mhlanga

Malalane - Partners are being sought to develop the first-ever hotel for the Kruger National Park.

The hotel, which was initially set to be built inside the park's boundaries, will now be built near Malalane.

South African National Parks (SANParks) wants to enter into a public private partnership to build the hotel.

“SANParks is looking to generate money for itself, to alleviate poverty through job creation for the communities around the Malalane entrance gate, develop the community, and promote tourism, biodiversity protection and conservation,” said SANParks spokesperson Ronald Thakhuli.

The hotel was to be situated at the confluence of the Matjulu and Crocodile rivers, near the entrance gate.

“There has been opposition to building the hotel inside the park and we are still conducting research to find a suitable location for it,” added Mr Thakhuli.

He said a hotel in Malalane burnt down in 2008, prompting SANParks to look into building its own hotel in the area.