ACDP questions involvement of MP's investigated by Scorpions

ATTENTION NEWS EDITOR **IMPORTANT **
MEDIA RELEASE BY MR STEVE SWART, MP,
AFRICAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY
22nd May 2008

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SCORPIONS HEARINGS – ACDP questions involvement of MP's investigated by Scorpions;
commends input by National Prosecuting Authority.

Following the first day of public hearings into the future of the Scorpions, ACDP MP and spokesperson on justice matters, Steve Swart, is questioning the involvement of MP's investigated by Scorpions and commends input by National Prosecuting Authority:

"The ACDP raised various issues during the first day of public hearings into the future of the Scorpions. We are awaiting a ruling from the joint chairpersons as to whether Members of Parliament who have been or are being investigated by the Scorpions should sit on the Committees dealing with the very future of the unit investigating them. In our view there is a clear conflict of interest and such members should be excused from the Committees.

We also raised our concerns that the bills under consideration exclude prosecutors from the new Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation within the SAPS. The principle of constant prosecutorial oversight in investigations formed the cornerstone of the success of the Scorpions. This crucial aspect will be lost if the bills in their present form are accepted, and flies in the face of the State President's commitment earlier this year that the "continued involvement of the prosecuting authority will ensure that the operations of the [new]specialised unit are both prosecution and intelligence driven".

The most compelling submission was by the National Prosecuting Authority which, whilst committing itself to ensure that government policy is implemented as successfully as possible, stated unambiguously that the bills "fail to set out in a coherent fashion a legal rationale, legislative aim, reasonable objectives, and sufficiently underlying reasoning and explanations for their foundation."

This view supports the ACDP's submission, to be presented on Thursday that the Bills are inconsistent with the principle of legality in that they do not have a rationale connection to a legitimate government purpose, especially considering the high success rate of the Scorpions, are thus unconstitutional and liable to be set aside.

It is outrageous that the Scorpions are being disbanded, in our view to protect senior ANC members from investigation, particularly considering the escalating and highly complex nature of organised crime. We, as parliamentarians, must be mindful of the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry that concluded "it is inconceivable that the Legislature will see fit to repeal the provisions of the NPA Act that relate to the activities and location of the DSO."

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For more information, contact

Steve Swart MP,
083 285 6290
Released by Libby Norton,
ACDP Media Attaché,
Tel - 07 25 70 6361
lnorton@parliament.gov.za

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ACDP says the MKMVA warlike threats are highly irresponsible

MEDIA RELEASE
Rev Kenneth Meshoe, M.P. and President of the ACDP
African Christian Democratic Party.
5th August 2008

ACDP says the MKMVA warlike threats are highly irresponsible, dangerous and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

*Calls on Human Rights Commission to investigate these statements concerning Jacob Zuma that threaten South Africa’s constitutional democracy.
*Calls on ANC leadership to remember their commitment to rule of law and prevail upon their members to allow due process.

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Rev Kenneth Meshoe, MP and President of the ACDP, today said the latest threats demanding ANC President Jacob Zuma’s charges be dropped together with the threats by ANC members are highly irresponsible, dangerous and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

"The warlike statements of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veteran's Associations (MKMVA) and some elements in the ANC regarding Mr Zuma, are clearly intended to intimidate the judiciary in order to get his case withdrawn. These threats are regrettable and totally unacceptable as they cause fear and alarm to the general public, to foreign investors as well as the international organizers and potential supporters of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Statements that have been credited to Deputy National Secretary of Umkhonto we Sizwe, Ramatuku Maphutha, such as “No Zuma, no country”, are highly irresponsible, dangerous and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. If quoted correctly, Mr Maphutha must explain to the nation what he meant by “soldiers would be in the trenches awaiting order and would be ready to challenge the system if called to do so.”

The ACDP calls upon the Human Rights Commission to investigate these statements as they threaten our constitutional democracy implying that no other political leader within the ANC, let alone a leader outside of the ANC, will be acceptable to them.

The ANC has always spoken about their commitment to the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary that are entrenched in our constitution. We therefore appeal to the ANC leadership to prevail upon their members to allow the due process of law to take its course and the courts to function in a climate free of fear and political pressure. Constitutionally, no person or organ of state may interfere with functioning of the courts. We therefore expect the ANC to remind their members of this commitment and to ensure that their members do not label some court decisions as “arrogant” just because they do not agree with them.

The ACDP calls for peace and sanity to reign."

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For more information, contact
Rev Kenneth Meshoe, M.P. and President of the ACDP,
082 962 5884

Or

Ms Libby Norton
ACDP Press Attaché,
Parliament.
07 25 70 636l
lnorton@parliament.gov.za

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ACDP launches new weekly TV program

The ACDP will be launching its brand new weekly Television program called Salt and Light on this Saturday, 2ND August 2008 at 8:00pm on the Thy Kingdom Come Channel (TKC TV).

Thy Kingdom Come Channel is available on DSTV and should you not have Thy kingdom Come (TKC TV) tuned in on your decoder please find settings included below for TKC and other Christian stations. Please forward this notice to your database, churches, local community organisations and as many of your friends and family as possible.
Please contact our national office for more details.

Yours in Christ
Wesley Douglas
ACDP National Marketing and Media Person

HOW DO YOU TUNE IN TO TKC AND OTHER CHRISTIAN STATIONS?

G11 - Decoder (Tuning Instructions)

1.) Clear All Transponder Settings…
- Press the "Menu" button on the remote and select "Transponder Settings"…
- Select "Del Transponder " from the menu and remove all transponder settings from the list.

2.) Setup New Transponder Settings…
- Press the "Menu" button on the remote and select "Transponder Settings"…
- Select "Add Transponder" from the menu and enter the following settings respectively.
Channel(s) Description Local Freq. Frequency Symbol Rate Polarity 22kHz Tone
The Spirit Word Channel (Ps 91), Hope , TCT, CTV 00000 02026 26406 V ON
DayStar, LoveWorld, 3ABN, Emmanual TV, Judah , 00000 01986 26406 H ON
TKC, Divine, Manna, iNsight
God TV 00000 00977 26375 V ON
Mana

Additional…
Health Channel 00000 01331 14718 H OFF
Botswana TV 00000 01876 14834 V OFF
iA Virtual 1 10600 11900 29687 V OFF
Learning Channel (SEN3) 10600 12020 26375 V OFF

3.) Sort Channel List & Remove Unwanted Channels…
- Press the "Menu" button on the remote and select "Program List"…
- Move channels to the following order and delete other blocked channels…
1. Ps 91 (The Spirit Word Channel)
2. God TV
3. DayStar
4. TCT
5. Love World
6. Hope
7. 3ABN
8. Judah
9. Emmanual TV
10. TKC
11. Divine
12. CTV
13. Mana
14. Manna Africa
15. iNsight
16. Learning Channel (SEN3)
17. Health Channel
18. Botswana TV
19. iA Virtual 1
20. VwAfr

Tuning instructions for DSTV Decoder

Menu
Advance Options ­
OK
Dish Installation ­
OK
Pin code: 9949
New Window
1. Home Network DSTV Pas 7 (Do not change this network)
2. Network 2 Disabled
3. Network 3 Disabled
4. More Networks
5.
6. Scan all Networks
7. Reset to Factory Defaults

To tune to Spirit Word Channel
Go to Network 2
­Press OK button ­
Change disable to Pas7 with right arrow
Press OK
New window
Do not alter any settings from point 1 to point 5. These are the LNB settings.
6. Frequency ­
Press Ok ­
Change to 11170
Press OK
7. Symbol Rate
­Press OK
Change to 26652 – Press OK
8. FEC
Press OK ­
Change to 5/6 ­
Press OK
9. Polarization ­
Press OK – Change to Vertical ­
Press OK
10. Use NIT must be set to Yes
11. ACCEPT ALL DISPLAYED VALUES AND LEAVE SCREEN .
After accepting settings (point 11 above) the program will jump back to the preview screen.
Go down to point number 6 (SCAN ALL NETWORKS) Press OK and wait for rescanning of stations.

For additional Christian Channels (The Spirit Word Channel is not on this network)

Network 3 OK – Change disable to Pas 7 – OK
New window
1 to 5 – LNB SETTINGS DO NOT CHANGE
6. Frequency 12682
7. Symbol Rate 26657
8. FEC ½
9. Pol. – Horizontal
10. Use NIT – Yes
11. Accept – OK
Please note that you will only pick up Spirit Word Channel once the setting of Network 2 has been entered.
Press TV button. Go to Pas7\\1O
Press OK and search for Spirit Word
Channel +­ on channel no. 28
Point No. 6 Scan all networks.

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Do not recognize Mugabe presidency says ACDP

ATTENTION NEWS EDITOR
MEDIA RELEASE
ACDP Parliament
Cheryllyn Dudley, MP and Whip
30th June 2008

Do not recognize Mugabe presidency says ACDP.

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The ACDP has appealed to the African Union and the international community not to recognize Mugabe’s presidency. ACDP MP & Whip, Cheryllyn Dudley:

"The ACDP is shocked and angry that a UN Security Council statement has been watered down after South Africa’s objections. The whole world recognises that the results of the Zimbabwe run-off and indeed the election preceding it, was neither free nor fair. The elections should have been soundly rejected, but the United Nations failed to call them illegitimate because of our South African objections. We are ashamed.

We are disturbed at reports of Robert Mugabe having said he is going to the African Union summit "to see whose finger there is clean." We appeal to African leaders not to buckle to Robert Mugabe’s intimidation.

Before them is the opportunity to show Robert Mugabe that his terrorism against his own people is unacceptable in the new Africa by refusing to recognize his presidency. The ACDP sees this moment as one that could tip the scales in Zimbabwe in favour of democracy and be a moment to redeem ourselves in the light of the world and the people of the continent.

The ACDP is concerned about President Thabo Mbeki’s take over of chairmanship of SADC in August. His bias and discrimination against the people of Zimbabwe in order to cover and condone Mugabe’s brutal terror tactics has been despicable. We urge African leaders to stand up as statesmen and reject Mugabe’s illegitimate status as Zimbabwe’s president."

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NPA Amendment Bill and SAPS Amendment Bill

DEBATE READING
BY MR STEVE SWART, MP,
AFRICAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY
20th June, 2008

DEBATE STATEMENT: NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY AMENDMENT BILL AND SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICES AMENDMENT BILL.
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ACDP MP, Steve Swart, has said in the House of Assembly during the NPA and SAPS Amendment Bills debates:

"The issue of the future of the Scorpions is about crime and accountability. It is about crime inasmuch as it has to do with the right of all South Africans to go about their lives in the secure knowledge that the law-enforcement agencies will take reasonable measures to protect them from the scourge of crime. It is about accountability inasmuch as it has to do with the fiduciary obligation of the state to act in the best interest of all its citizens.

The ACDP believes that government has breached this obligation by reversing its decision on the Khampepe Commission Report to further the narrow interests of the ruling party. By doing so, we believe that government has sacrificed the well being of all South Africans on the altar of political expediency.

The Executive and Parliament have constitutional constraints – the rule of law is a foundational value of the constitution – all law that is inconsistent with the principle of legality is liable to be set aside. It is a component of the principle of legality that government conduct must not be arbitrary. In other words, all government conduct must be rationally connected to a legitimate government purpose, failing which it will be arbitrary and hence unconstitutional.

It was common cause amongst all the parties in the Glenister application, including the government, that the Scorpions have been extremely successful in the fight against crime. Indeed I don't think anyone can dispute that fact. The ANC's decision to disband the Scorpions was not motivated that the Scorpions have been unsuccessful, but was rather motivated by the fact that the Scorpions have been too successful, particularly in its investigations of high profile ANC members.

Indeed ANC sec Gen Mr Gwede Mantashe admitted this much by stating that the ANC wanted the Scorpions disbanded because the unit is prosecuting its leaders.

Can we allow the interests of the ruling party to be put above the interests of all South Africans?

Whilst the matter is likely to end up in the Constitutional Court, our concern is that the Scorpions are bleeding to death at the moment.

We cannot afford to lose the expertise built up over years and at great cost to the taxpayer.

Whilst we will now proceed with public hearings, the uncertainty following the Polokwane conference as well the tabling of the amending legislation is resulting in the destruction of the unit.

56 members of the Scorpions have already left since April last year, with a further 47 indicating that they had applied for positions elsewhere. There can be no doubt that the unit is being decimated. They have been specifically trained at combating organised crime and we cannot afford to lose more of these highly-skilled members.

The acting head of the NPA, Adv Mpshe, has warned that the collapse of just a few Scorpions' cases could bring the South Africa's criminal justice system "into disrepute" and that "the reckless disbanding of the Scorpions could devastate the whole criminal justice system".

We must respond to this as a matter of urgency and cannot wait until the legislation is finalised or the Constitutional Court has ruled on the matter. By that time there will be no one left in the unit.

I appeal to the members of the ruling party –- let's urgently talk about the issue of relocating the Scorpions – let's consider real concern such as the following:

Does the SAPS have the capacity to accommodate the Scorpions?

By what stretch of the imagination would the SAPS be able to retain and attract other accountants and lawyers required for this unit? Surely it is very obvious that SAPS trade unions would not allow police officials to be paid the type of salaries necessary to attract such professionals?

How can the principle of constant prosecutorial oversight in investigations that is the cornerstone of the success of the Scorpions be maintained if the Scorpions are incorporated into the SAPS?

Even ANC MP Booi, as late as 18 March ANC MP stated that "the DSO has been able to build a capacity that the police have not been able to build in this regard." He goes on to say that "detectives do not have the kind of capacity to do that, but the Scorpions have that particular capacity."

The Khampepe Report categorically states that "the rationale for the establishment of the DSO is as valid today as it was at conception" and that "the DSO should continue to be located within the NPA".

Its conclusion could not be expressed in more forthright terms that "it is inconceivable that the Legislature will see fit to repeal the provisions of the NPA Act that relate to the activities and location of the DSO."

Surely this was the very reason for the creation of the Scorpions – and other units outside the SAPS – such as the Priority Crimes Litigation Unit (PCLU), the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU), the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit (SCCU), the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit, the Witness Protection Unit (WPU). Remember we also set up the Financial Intelligence Centre, outside of the SAPS, to deal with the financing of organised crime and terrorist activities.

As the NPA's annual report indicates "the DSO's unique composition enables it to focus its resources and tackle complex crimes under one command…The DSO is an institution of paramount importance in South Africa's effort to disrupt trans-national and high-level organised crime. It should be nurtured, supported and celebrated."

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Mr Steve Swart, ACDP MP

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Standing for Life against Death

Yesterday was Life Chain day in Centurion. Life chains are held every year close to Life Sunday here in South Africa, which is the closest Sunday to 1 February. However, here in Tshwane it usually is held a little later.

Of course, the question on your lips is, "What is a Life Chain?" A Life Chain is an event in which Pro-Life people come together to protest peacefully against the wanton slaughter of South Africa's unborn children. It is usually known under the euphemism of abortion. Abortion simply is not a strong enough word to describe what it really is: MURDER! So, in a Life Chain, we get together to protest this legal murder, by standing in places that are busy, where people can see us holding posters with slogans such as "Abortion Kills Babies," "Abortion God Calls it Murder" and "Adoption Better Than Abortion." Some posters also contain pictures of aborted babies.

Something like abortion is not just another issue among many equal issues. There are issues and there are issues. There is a great divide between social issues and moral issues. When we look at issues, moral issues should and MUST take priority. That is why abortion and homosexual marriages, moral issues, have higher priority than social and monetary issues like, say, tax!

The Tshwane LIFECHAIN was organised by Christians for Truth (CFT). The local leadership for CFT that were there are Gregory Pereira and Dieter Claasen. This is an annual event that CFT organises here in Tshwane. This was the third LIFECHAIN that I attended.

When one considers the fact that 50000-60000 babies are aborted each year in South Africa, one wonders why more people are not involved in fighting this horribly evil occurrence in society.

One of the first quips when confronted with the abortion issue, is that it is a "political issue!" Of course it is a political issue, and that is how liberals would like to keep it. However, apart from being a political issue, it is, and always has been, a moral issue.

Many people would not think twice about fighting against crime, especially our high murder rate. Yet, these same people have never considered that abortion murders more than double the amount of babies annually than the number of murders in this country!

Have we in this country become so callous that we could refer to the murder of an innocent baby as "choice?" White bread or brown? 93 octane or 95 octane? Steak or chicken? We have devalued life in this country so much that we can slaughter these children without even a thought. Why would abortion be called a choice when the one being murdered does not get to choose?

However, it pleases me that the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) stands squarely against abortion. It also pleases me that we could get some ACDP members to support this LIFECHAIN. Three of our Tshwane branch chairmen were there. They are Frikkie Olivier (Moreleta/Elarduspark branch), his wife Lenette and their children, Thinus Oosthuizen (Wierdapark) and Jack Mahlangu (Pretoria CBD).

I also had my family involved. Last year only my son could be there, but this year my wife, son and daughter could participate and also my wife's sister and her two daughters.


I believe that our children should be exposed to the evils of our current justice system and its accompanying laws, so that they could know the difference between evil and true justice for all! My children should understand the horror of abortion. They should understand that abortion is murder, and it is evil, no matter what the country's laws say on the issue.

If we as the people remain quiet about evils such as abortion, we become the silent partners of those evils. Silence is as good as agreement. Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing." If we do nothing, evil WILL triumph!

It is very necessary that we in the capital city take that charge of silence, and reverse its hopeless trend.

I once saw a cartoon drawing in which the main character asks God why he has not sent us anyone to bring us a cure to cancer and other diseases. God's reply was, "I did! But you aborted them!"


Let us be like the group in the picture above. Stand up for what is right in God's eyes, not what is right in man's eyes. These people above were those that stood up for those babies that could not stand up for themselves!

Decide today! Stand up for the unborn!

Update - 12 March 2008: To see a gallery of pictures from this LIFECHAIN, visit our website here and click on "LIFECHAIN March 2008 Pictures" on the right.

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ACDP responds to government discouragement of private electricity generators

MEDIA RELEASE
ACDP Parliament

Cheryllyn Dudley, MP and Parliamentary Whip
7th March, 2008

ACDP shocked that government chose to have no electricity rather than be unable to claim it provides the cheapest electricity. ACDP queries how the nuclear solution and the billions being spent will cost the consuming public less.

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In answer to a question in Parliament by ACDP MP, Cheryllyn Dudley, about government discouragement of private electricity generators, President Mbeki has made it clear the reason his government discouraged private generators is because it would cause a rise in the cost of power and his government is proud of offering the cheapest electricity.

Cheryllyn Dudley, ACDP MP responds:
“South Africa now has electricity blackouts at least in part because alternative electricity generating companies have been kept out of the market. Foreign generating companies, for example, were told that they could erect generating plants in this country but that government officials would fix the price at which they could sell their electricity and decide to whom it could be sold. Not surprisingly they declined.

South Africa, now, in fact, has BOTH increased costs and blackouts.

Since government says it has the wellbeing of the poor at heart, the ACDP finds it strange that government did not consider electricity subsidies for the poor instead of discouraging the instantly accessible private electricity generators. How could it be in South Africa’s best interests to put the country into darkness, put the brakes on major construction plans and employment and thus further jeopardise the wellbeing of the poor!?

The ACDP asked the President what other avenues of alternative power have been discouraged as promising environmentally-friendly options seem to have been sidelined. Whilst the President accepted collective responsibility for the energy crisis and apologised, the ACDP wants to know whether the situation arose as part of a strategy to create a receptive atmosphere for nuclear solutions. Nuclear solutions have been speedily imposed without public debate or proper procedure as set out in the green paper. The ACDP is particularly concerned regarding disposal of toxic waste.

ACDP asks in light of the billions it will cost for nuclear power, does President Mbeki still intend keeping the price low? Or will it be just fine for the consuming public to foot the bill if the bill is for a nuclear solution?

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