ACCESS TO INFORMATION - South African Press Agency reported on July 26 that in less than a week after a National Soccer League second division referee was arrested for allegedly trying to extort money from a club official, another match official scandal was set to hit SA soccer. "Soccer News" journalist Zazi Hadebe said that the magazine had conducted a lengthy investigation into match-fixing and bribery allegations in SA soccer. In the August issue of the magazine, a club official admitted to paying a top referee a large amount of money to influence the outcome of a match involving his side. Hadebe said "It is very difficult to come to the bottom of these things, as few people are prepared to be quoted". He said after receiving legal advice, the magazine published the affidavit, but inked out all the names of the clubs and officials concerned. In the affidavit, the club official said that he also paid several thousand rands to somebody involved with the allocation of referees. This was done to ensure that they get favourable referees. Hadebe said the publication only decided to run the story once the facts had been verified. "There is enough evidence for us to say the allegations the official makes are true. For instance, he told us he was given a list of approachable referees with their contact numbers. We insisted he show us that list and he did," said Hadebe. A spokesperson for "Soccer News" said although there was evidence that PSL referees had been bribed, it should not be seen as a reflection on all PSL referees.

CORRUPTION - "The Citizen" on July 30 reported that the New National Party justice spokesperson Andre Gaum said fraud investigation into hundreds of magistrates and officials of the Justice Department was a cause for shock and amazement. The investigation is being undertaken by the Office for Serious Economic Offences, in conjunction with the office of the National Prosecutor, the Heath unit and the Public Protector. reports indicate that the allegations f fraud involving the abuse if state funds, involves between R30 million and R50 million. The investigation follows an internal investigation of the Department of Justice, the then Justice Minister Dullar Omar said earlier this year that it had been revealed that money for building maintenance had been used for other purposes. However, it appears that the irregularities involve officials of the Department of Public Works as well as private companies. Gum said that revelations of this nature were damaging to the country's justice system and the public's confidence in the system. He added that the investigation should be thorough and completed without delayed.

DEFAMATION - The Azanian People's Organisation served a R5 million defamation claim on the University of Venda after denying it secretly used government funds for its election campaign. The African Eye News Service reports that the defamation action comes after an internal investigation report by the university that the local Azapo dominated Student Representative Council funnelled at least R100 000 to the party before the election campaign. The money was supposedly used to boost Azapo's provincial and national election campaign. Azapo's chairperson in the Northern Province Don Nkadimeng denied the claim. He said the report was malicious and was designed to undermine Azapo on the campus. Nkadimeng said Azapo had given the university until August 6 to retract the allegations publicly and apologise for any insinuation of wrongdoing. "We will not hesitate to take this matter to the High Court if we don't get an apology," he said. Mbangiseni Masia, the university's spokesperson confirmed that Azapo had tried to file legal papers but he said they had been rejected because they were illegible. Confirming that an internal investigation report by the directorate of student affairs implicated at least three Azapo student leaders in possible fraud, Masia stressed that the party itself was never publicly accused of complicity. "This report is an internal document never meant to be released publicly. We are still trying to find out how it was leaked to the media," he said. The three student leaders implicated have been suspended from Azapo's student wing and the SRC. They are scheduled to appear before a disciplinary hearing in August.

MEDIA DIVERSITY - "Business Day" on July 26 reported that the state signal distributor Sentech, which is finalising its joint venture partners for its pay television operations, is also in talks with government to launch two specialist niche channels. Sentech is in talks with the education department to launch an educational channel that would broadcast material ranging from formal and adult education to edutainment programming. It is also in talks with the health department to launch a channel dedicated to health services. Sentech said the moves were in line with the social responsibility of state enterprises, which includes playing a role in developing the country. Sentech hopes to apply to the Independent Broadcasting Authority for its satellite broadcasting licence soon and will be able to spell out developments for its new service and joint venture partners in about two months.

PUBLIC BROADCASTING - "Sunday World" reported on August 1 that former SABC TV current affairs head Sara Crowe has accused the corporation of systematically suppressing stories critical of the government and of hiring only "yes men". In her submission to the SABC commission investigating the public broadcaster's editorial independence, Crowe said that the corporation's news executives are inexperienced, servile and have adopted a soft attitude towards the government. Crowe, who was head hunted from the BBC to head the SABC's current affairs department in the early 1990s is a former presenter of the SABC's World Watch programme. She was axed from the SABC earlier this year after clashing with the organisation's editorial management. Crowe has called on the commission to revisit the recent appointments of news chief executive Enoch Sithole; head of news Phil Molefe; and head of the Bi-Media Project, Snuki Zikalala. "These men are out of their depth and insecure in their positions. They feel threatened by journalists who serve under them but are worlds apart in terms of broadcasting experience," she said. Crowe said the international Press has questioned Molefe's interview style, describing his interviews with ANC officials as "servile and pandering". She also claimed that the SABC executives quashed a number of stories critical of the government. "If the SABC is serious about providing independent, quality journalism, it should not systematically have rid itself of some of this country's biggest names in broadcasting", she said. Responding to Crowe's allegations, Sithole said "It is pointless to argue with her".

PROTESTS - An estimated 30 000 civil servants were reported to have participated in workplace demonstrations on July 29. The nationwide strike against the government's refusal to bow to a 10% pay increase demand, was called by three Congress of SA Trade Unions-allied unions. The leaders of the three striking unions were scheduled to meet Cosatu top leadership on July 29 to work out strategies for taking union action forward, beyond August 2, when the strike was scheduled to end. Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu's general Secretary, said the union will do whatever to fight for a living wage. The unions on July 28 rejected government's final offer of an additional R200 million to R3 billion allocated for the civil salaries. Colin Msibi, Fraser-Moleketi's representative, told "Mail & Guardian" that there was not anything more in the budget. "Funds would have had to be drawn from relief programmes to come up with more money, and the government is not prepared to do that." According to Nehawu president Vusi Nhlapo, the strike was evaluated on an hourly basis and the national leadership monitored schools, government buildings, police stations and prisons, and ensured the provision of skeleton staff to manage essential services. Meanwhile, the government imposed no work, no pay rule on striking public servants.

TRUTH COMMISSION - On July 27, "Sowetan" reported that Dr Anthea Jeffery of the SA Institute of Race Relations said most of the findings made by the TRC in its final report last year were based on lies. The book entitled: "The Truth bout the Truth Commission", assesses the 3 500 page TRC report and provides insights into its contents. According to Jeffery's findings, the TRC merits only a small portion of its wide acclaim. Jeffery said she had decided to conduct her own findings after she had learned that the TRC has encompassed only half of the story. "It based key findings on untested and often hearsay allegations. It relied on secret testimony and the self-serving accusations of criminals seeking to escape imprisonment," Jeffery said. She added that the TRC report contradicted and on occasion misrepresented earlier judicial rulings. However, she acknowledged part of the report. She said for instance, the TRC has captured some of the horror of the killings and other outrages perpetrated in the name of apartheid. It has also helped some of the victims of gross violations come to terms with their grief by giving them a chance to tell the stories of their suffering. The TRC did not want to comment about the book, saying that it was an individual's opinion. TRUTH COMMISSION - "Sowetan" on July 29 reported that a female police informant was paid R10 000 after she gave information to former security police that led to the death of four ANC cadres in 1988. According to the newspaper, former security policeman Flip Theron told the TRC's amnesty committee that the woman was also paid between R50 000 and R60 000 after the ANC members released her from a prison outside Lusaka in Zambia. Theron, who was the woman's handler, said that she voluntarily gave information to him about Umkhonto we Sizwe members wanting to infiltrate South Africa from Swaziland. The source's information led to nine cadres being killed close to the Swaziland border. On July 26, former Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock told the amnesty committee that the informant was a woman with responsible position in the government. Theron, De Kock and 13 other former security policemen are seeking amnesty for their involvement in the deaths.