Durban – Three robbers, who beat a Westville couple and held them captive for two hours, were forced to flee almost empty-handed after inadvertently pressing the panic button on Tuesday morning.

But that wasn’t the extent of their troubles – they also managed to botch their getaway, by wrecking the clutch of the couple’s car, which they had loaded up with their loot, including three TV sets and a sound system. They abandoned the stalled car and fled, taking with them only the small items they could carry.

The Dawncliffe couple – aged 57 and 61 – asked not to be named, because they feared for their lives after being assaulted, tied up and locked in their bathroom while the suspects ransacked their home after midnight.

Recalling the ordeal, they described it as “horrendous”, saying the robbers threatened to kill them while demanding money, cellphones, bank cards with pin codes, as well as guns and jewellery.

It is believed that they entered the home through a window while the couple was asleep.

“My wife saw a face looking into hers and she screamed,” the man said. “Soon after, I woke up and they started assaulting us with sticks while they tied us up with Sellotape and made us lie on the floor at the edge of the bed. That’s when they made demands and threatened to kill us.

Forc more details go to http://www.iol.co.za/

Senior police officers met to discuss their operations on the day 34 miners were killed in Marikana, the Farlam Commission heard on Wednesday.

“The briefing was about the duties of the day,” crime scene expert Captain Apollo Mohlaki told the commission, sitting in Rustenburg.

They were told to be on standby so they could photograph traditional weapons at a hill near the Nkaneng informal settlement, near Wonderkop.

“We were told there was an agreement that people will leave their weapons at a hill,” he said.

Under cross-examination by advocate George Bizos SC, representing the families of mineworkers killed by police on August 16, Mohlaki said the officers were not told there might be violence.

“Did you hear that the business of people gathering on a hill will be ended today? (August 16),” Bizos asked.

“Not at all,” he responded.

Mohlaki said he was called to the scene around 4pm. On arrival he saw police, paramedics, and dead bodies.

“Did you ask what happened?” Bizos asked him.

He said he did not. Instead, he asked the whereabouts of a senior police officer named Naidoo, whom he found about 500 metres away. He said Naidoo told him there was a crime scene and that he (Mohlaki) knew what to do.

He then asked a Constable Molefe to take videos of the scene while he started collecting evidence. – Sapa

By Obakeng Maje

Seven directors were removed as members of the Board of the North West Transport Investments (NTI) at a general shareholders meeting held in Mahikeng on Wednesday.

The decisive action taken by North West Provincial Executive Council (Exco) convened as a general shareholders meeting in terms of Section 61 of the companies Act, No.71 of 2008 was chaired by Premier Thandi Modise. The provincial government holds 100% of the issued share capital of NTI.

The resolve to remove the directors was taken on the recommendation of the MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport, Raymond Elisha after establishing that the Directors were incorrectly appointed by the Executive Authority at the time contrary and had appointed directors to each of the subsidiary companies, North West Star and Attridgeville Bus Service, especially with regard to the term of office. Some of these Directors are found to have been appointed by the Interim Executive Chair

, ultra vires his powers.

According to report tabled by MEC Elisha, the appointment of the directors were 

 contrary and beyond the ambit of the provisions contained in the Department of Public Enterprise Protocol on Corporate Governance in the Public Sector dated September 2002, more particularly the provisions contained in paragraph 5.1.6.1 and 5.1.6.2. thereof. Over and above that, Elisha had also established that the board had allegedly

∙         Breached Treasury Regulation 29.2.1. in that they failed to conclude a shareholder compact for the year preceding March 2011∙         Breached their fiduciary duties in respect of compliance with the provisions of Section 50 of the Public finance Management Act.No.1 of 1999 for failing to keep full and proper record of the company in respect of the financial affairs and invest property of Section 55(1)(a) and(b) of the PFMA∙         Failed to implement a system of properly evaluating the Company’s major capital projects with regards to payments of the amount of R110,208,218.00 and not disclosing this payment as irregular and expenditure in the annual financial statements for 2010/11∙         Failed to hold an Annual General Meeting for the year 2011∙         Failed to review the remuneration policy for the Board of Directors of the Company in 2010 and 2011 and, table the said remuneration policy for approval by the Executive Authority∙         Failed to submit annual financial statements of the Company for the year 2012 to the Treasury of the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, within two months after the end of the financial year of the Company as contemplated in Section 55(1) (c)(ii) of the PFMA.A forensic audit firm is in the process of investigating financial irregularities that were identified by the 2010/2011 qualified Auditor General’s report.

The removal of the Board of Directors Board is in line with Premier Modise’s administration’s commitment to clean governance aimed at ridding provincial government departments, municipalities and state owned enterprises of the scourge of corruption and maladministration targeted to achieve clean audits by 2014.

New Directors appointed by the general shareholders meeting to oversee the affairs of NTI are Mohamed Iqbal Motala, Paschallis Thapelo Makhetha, Machii Esther Dladla and Jeanne-Marie Brown. 

Paris – Monkeys are just like the vast majority of human beings when it comes to sex – when they go ape, they want privacy.

Among long-tailed macaques, the urge for hanky-panky was dampened when they were watched by other monkeys, according to an unusual experiment reported in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.

Scientists from the Biomedical Primate Research Centre in the Netherlands monitored 15 female and seven male macaques in a giant enclosure for four months.

They installed everything for perfect love-making – the simian equivalents of Barry White, satin sheets and mirrored ceilings.

The monkeys had tyres and ladders for courting rituals, sawdust bedding, tasty offerings of fruit to replenish lost energy and even a swimming pool for chillout time.

But the animals’ main requirement was a quiet spot, to avoid interference from other monkeys, especially dominant alpha males.

“By concealing sexual behaviour, females and subordinate males try to reduce harassment from group members,” Anna Overduin-de Vries said in an email to AFP.

“Although harassment is not frequent, it may have serious consequences such as getting injured or not being able to finish a copulation.” – Sapa-AFP

AfriForum, the ANC and Julius Malema have reached a settlement over the “Shoot the Boer” song, according to reports.

In September last year, the High Court in Johannesburg, sitting at the Equality Court, convicted Malema of hate speech after lobby group AfriForum took him to court for singing the song.

At the time the ANC became an intervening party and defended the song, based on its use in the struggle against the apartheid.

Both Malema and the ANC said that when sung it was not meant literally, although AfriForum differed.

Judge Colin Lamont held the words undermined people’s dignity and were discriminatory and harmful.

Malema lost an application in November for leave to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court against the ruling. He filed a notice of appeal with the SCA in December. Lamont granted him leave to appeal.

The Supreme Court of Appeal was due to hear the appeal on Thursday.

On Wednesday AfriForum’s spokesperson Willie Spies reportedly told the Mail & Guardian that a deal was struck at 8.30pm on Tuesday night after a day-long mediation on Friday.

“The settlement that has been reached provides for three things. Firstly, the ANC acknowledged that certain struggle songs contain lyrics that originate from a specific era in history which today can be hurtful to minority communities. Secondly, the ANC and Malema undertook to encourage and counsel their supporters and members to refrain from singing songs that could contain hurtful phrases. Thirdly, the parties committed to continued informal debate about cultural heritage and freedom,” Spies was quoted as saying.

“As a result, the ANC abandoned its appeal and AfriForum and the Transvaal Agricultural Union abandoned the order granted by [the Supreme Court of Appeal] with all the parties consenting to the substitution of the … order with this agreement,” he added.

Details of the settlement were due to be announced at a joint press conference on Wednesday.

According to reports, the ANC will likely withdraw the appeal in the SCA on Thursday. – IOL

By Obakeng Maje

The South African Football Association (SAFA) and Thomas Madigage’s family and friends, would like to thank the entire South African public for the support they provided before, during and after the funeral of the late Bafana Bafana assistant coach.

The 41-year-old Madigage died in a car accident on 18 October in Burgersfort.

He was laid to rest in Driekop on Sunday, 28 October at a funeral attended by thousands of mourners that included colleagues, footballers, politicians and several members of his ZCC spiritual ministry.

“On behalf of SAFA and the Madigage family, I would like to thank all South Africans who contributed and paid homage to the late Bafana Bafana assistant coach,” said SAFA President Kirsten Nematandani.

Among those SAFA and the Madigage family would like to thank mostly are the ZCC church, the Minister of Sport, Tshwane Municipality, MEC for Sport Gauteng, the Jomo Sono family, media friends, the Atteridgeville and Sekhukhune communities, the South African Professional Players Union, former teammates of the late Madigage, representatives of Supersport International and several musicians who performed at the Memorial Service that took place at Saulsville Arena in Atteridgeville.

The same gratitude goes to individuals and groups that played a pivotal role in the lead up to and during the funeral. These include members of the Thomas Madigage Foundation, Mayor of Tshwane, Limpopo Premier and his executive, several members of the ZCC church, Bafana Bafana players, former and current coaches and the general public.

“There might be other names not mentioned here but once again, I would like to thank the South African public for giving one of the country’s greatest sons a moving send off,” added the SAFA President.

Dominionville, North West –

The man who raped a 73-year-old wheelchair-bound woman in Dominionville should be punished severely, the North West DA said on Tuesday.

Democratic Alliance provincial spokesman Tiaan Kotzé said such an act against a defenceless old woman called for an increased commitment by the police.

“We urge the police to act quickly in apprehending the suspect, and for the community to give their full co-operation,” he said.

North West police confirmed a rape case was being investigated.

Captain Aafje Botman said the old woman was alone at her home when she was attacked and raped.

“Neighbours rushed to the scene after they were alerted by barking dogs,” she said.

The rapist managed to flee before the neighbours arrived.

Kotzé said the DA recently requested the provincial safety MEC to address the lack of patrolling vehicles for the area’s sector policing.

“We will again communicate with the MEC on this issue.”

He said if the rapist was arrested the DA would do everything in its power, including picketing at the bail hearing, to ensure that he was removed from society.

“This rapist should not only be denied bail, he must be locked up for life.” – Sapa

Mpumalanga – Four live snakes have slithered out of a package at the Sabie post office, in Mpumalanga, it was reported on Wednesday.

Postal workers could not leave the sorting room fast enough when the reptiles made their appearance on Monday from a package posted on the East Rand, Beeld reported.

A member of the local parks board was called to the scene, and the snakes were caught and removed.

According to the newspaper, the sender of the package had been charged with the illegal transportation of wildlife.

“It’s illegal to post any live animal, liquids that might leak and damage other postal items or radioactive materials,” Ndala Mnisi, the executive in charge of the Post Office’s outlets, told Beeld. – Sapa

About 16 cartridge cases were discovered where two civilians were found murdered in Donkerhoek, Marikana, in August, the Farlam commission heard on Tuesday.

“One civilian body was found near an informal house,” crime scene technician Captain Moses Moshwane said.

“The other civilian body was across the stream.”

Moshwane was giving evidence to the commission, chaired by retired judge Ian Farlam.

The commission is holding public hearings in Rustenburg, North West, as part of its inquiry into the August 16 shooting at Marikana that left 34 miners dead and 78 wounded.

The preceding week saw 10 other people, including two policemen and two security guards, killed in protest violence in the area.

Moshwane said on Tuesday he attended and processed the crime scene on August 13. A R5 cartridge case was also found, he said.

Tim Bruinders, for the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, asked Moshwane if he was involved with the crime scenes where miners were killed on August 16.

“Only at scene one (where 16 people were killed near a kraal) on August 16… I was assisting with the collecting of exhibits and measurements,” said Moshwane.

He said he arrived at the scene at 9.47pm.

A second crime scene technician, Warrant Officer Frederick Opperman, processed the area where two Lonmin security guards were murdered on August 12.

Opperman told the commission when he arrived at the scene, two bodies, two motor vehicles and ammunition cartridges were pointed out to him.

Lawyer for the families of the security guards, Tshepiso Rampil, asked Opperman to describe what the bodies looked like.

“One of the bodies was still half in the vehicle. That body was badly burnt. There was a hack mark on the head of the body,” he said.

“The second body… there were burn marks on the chest and the trousers were also burnt. He had wounds on his face.”

Opperman said the cars of the security guards were so badly burnt police could not immediately determine the make. – Sapa