Pic: (Constable Segosapelo on duty)

Johannesburg – The Justice Ministry on Sunday welcomed the National Prosecuting Authority’s decision to withdraw murder charges against 270 Lonmin mineworkers.

“We welcome the decision, but will await formal report as requested,” said Justice Minister Jeff Radebe.

The workers were initially charged with murder, attempted murder and public violence following the unrest that left 34 people dead and 78 others injured on August 16.

The NPA said the group would be issued with warnings concerning the murder charges at their next court appearance on September 6.

The other charges would remain.

The African National Congress has also welcomed the move.

“This decision will allow the Commission of Inquiry established by the president (Jacob Zuma) to do its work and for police to continue with their investigations,” said party spokesperson Jackson Mthembu.

Meanwhile the Friends of the Youth League, which is associated with axed ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, blamed the Lonmin tragedy on the country’s leadership.

Floyd Shivambu of the group said : “If there was leadership in South Africa, the lengthy unreasoned, horrible and inhuman incarnation and imprisonment of mineworkers who survived the massacre would have been avoided.”

The Friends of the Youth League group has vowed to stand behind the workers, who continue to demand higher wages. – Sapa

London – Brazil’s Alan Fonteles Cardoso Oliveira stunned defending champion Oscar Pistorius to win the men’s 200m T44 title at the Paralympic Games on Sunday.

South African Pistorius streaked into an early lead and was almost ten metres ahead as the athletes came into the closing straight.

The Brazilian, however, struck back in the closing stages to eat up the ground and surge past Pistorius in the final few metres to claim gold.

Oliveira finished with a time of 21.45 seconds, seven tenths of a second ahead of Pistorius (21.52) with American Blake Leeper (22.46) in third.

Fellow South African Arnu Fourie, a single leg amputee, finished fourth – setting a new T44 world record of 22.49 in his own category.

Earlier, swimmer Charles Bouwer pocketed his second medal at the Games, coming second in the 100m freestyle S13 final on Sunday evening.

With a gold medal already tucked away from the 50m freestyle S13, Bouwer was beaten by Ihar Boki of Belarus, who broke the world record for the second time in one day, touching in 51.91 seconds.

Bouwer was a second behind him in 52.97, followed by another Belarussian, Aleksandr Golintovskii, in 53.45.

“I knew from the beginning, when Boki went out so quickly this morning, that it was going to be a tough final for me,” Bouwer said after the final. “I went out too slowly and if I’d just gone out half a second faster, I would have had the gold, because I came back really strongly.

“These things happen and I got a silver medal so I’m really happy.” Bouwer would be back in the pool on Monday in the 100m backstroke S13 heats.

Earlier on the track, Hilton Langenhoven won his men’s 400m T12 heat and qualified fastest for Tuesday’s semi-finals clocking 49.86 seconds.

With each runner being visually impaired, two lanes were allocated to each runner in this event – one for the athlete and one for their guide.

South Africa now have ten medals – three gold , three silver and four bronze medals, and are in 19th position on the table with one more week of the Paralympics remaining.

AP

By Obakeng Maje

It never rains but pours for Bafana Bafana coach, Gordon Igesund whose newly-assembled squad has been hit by a spat of injuries.

Hardly hours after he had called up Mamelodi Sundowns striker Edward Manqele to replace Siyabonga Nomvethe, did the former Free State striker himself pull a hamstring in the Absa Premiership match against Maritzburg United on Sunday afternoon, forcing the Bafana Coach to make yet another change.

“I have called up Benni McCarthy to replace Manqele who in turn had replaced Nomvethe,” said Igesund.

The veteran Nomvethe was carried off injured on Saturday evening during Moroka Swallows match against Orlando Pirates prompting Igesund to name Manqele as his replacement on Sunday morning.

Few hours later, Manqele himself pulled a hamstring forcing Igesund to turn to the veteran McCarthy.

Bafana Bafana leaves for Sao Paolo on Monday morning to play five-time FIFA World Cup champions Brazil on Friday, 7 September 2012.

Cape Town – Tension over the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) decision to charge 269 Marikana miners with murder is leading to a possible clash within the ANC.

On Saturday, ANC treasurer-general Mathews Phosa, who is believed to oppose President Jacob Zuma’s bid for a second term as party president, became the first of the ANC’s top-six officials to openly criticise the NPA’s

decision, ominously warning that it could lead to “another Marikana”.

At the same time, Zuma refused to release the prisoners on Sunday, as requested by their legal team. Zuma said he would not interfere in the NPA’s work.

Phosa’s criticism of the charges follows that of Justice Minister Jeff Radebe and ANC chief whip Mathole Motshekga.

The NPA’s top bosses met behind closed doors on Saturday and it was rumoured that the murder charges could be dropped as early as Monday.

Apartheid trick

All 269 miners were charged with 34 counts of murder this week under the “common purpose” doctrine, which was frequently used by the apartheid state.

Speaking at an ANC centenary torch handover function on Saturday in Hartswater, Northern Cape, Phosa slammed the charges as reckless.

“Charging some of (the miners) in the face of a commission of inquiry is contrary to the sub judice rule, reckless, incongruous and almost absurd,” he said.

Charging miners with murdering their own colleagues could have consequences “too ghastly to contemplate”, Phosa warned. “We don’t need another Marikana. We need cool heads to prevail,” he said.

Police fired at striking Lonmin workers two weeks ago, killing 34 and wounding 78.

Phosa said the ANC was celebrating its 100th birthday at a time when its leadership is “substantially tested by

socio-economic realities”.

Lost faith

According to Phosa, the Marikana saga posed a big question for the ANC’s leadership: “Why have the workers lost faith in the legitimate authorities?”

He is politically linked to a group within the ANC that wants Zuma replaced by his deputy Kgalema Motlanthe in

December, and his views could be seen as an attack on Zuma’s leadership.

Phosa also took a swipe at Zuma for militarising the police, saying the country had to “urgently move more and more to civilian control of the police service, as it was envisaged at Codesa”.

Late on Saturday, lawyers representing the 269 miners were preparing an urgent court application. 

Advocate Lesego Mmusi, who is part of the team, told City Press they were drafting papers to be served on Zuma and will file an urgent application with the North Gauteng High Court on Monday.

Zuma’s spokesperson Mac Maharaj issued a statement saying the president “cannot accede to the demand”. He said he will wait for the Farlam commission of inquiry’s recommendations.

Man behind the charges

The man who decided to charge the men with murder spoke out for the first time on Saturday.

Advocate Johan Smit the director of public prosecutions (DPP) in North West, told City Press a “prima facie” case existed to charge each miner with common-purpose murder.

But he said the NPA may consider individual prosecutions of each of the 269 accused and it might not oppose bail when the case resumes on Thursday.

Smit vehemently denied suggestions of a sinister motive behind the charges, adding that the NPA may change its mind depending on the investigation’s outcome.

“If we proceed to oppose bail, we will surely have to produce evidence linking the accused to the crime. I’m not doing anything strange here. Any other DPP would have taken the same decision,” said Smit.

Depending on what police uncover, the NPA’s “attitude” on opposing bail and the murder charges may change.

Harsh actions

“A lot of things can happen between now and then, but I can’t say what will happen,” said Smit, before he had a telephone conference with acting NPA head Nomgcobo Jiba about the case.

Jiba can review Smit’s decision and must report back to Radebe this week.

Radebe said the NPA’s decision had induced “a sense of shock, panic and confusion” among South Africans. He was backed by Motshekga, who said “we are all surprised and confused by the NPA’s legal strategy”.

Phosa’s view was backed by Congress of the People leader Mosiuoa Lekota who, in an interview with City Press, accused Zuma’s administration of the police’s harsh actions.

“When Mandela became president, the police force changed into a service. It remained a service throughout Thabo Mbeki’s two terms. Then Zuma comes in and tells the nation that the police should become a force,” Lekota said.

An ANC national executive committee (NEC) member who supports Zuma said there was growing unhappiness among NEC members about the murder charges.

But he slammed Phosa, saying: “If all of us (NEC members) go out and say our views it will be a disaster. We must close ranks, that’s why political organisations like us exist. I also have my own views, but I have to protect the organisation.”

On Saturday, Julius Malema’s Friends of the Youth League also asked for the miners’ immediate release.

http://www.citypress.co.za