A crime scene expert told the Farlam Commission on Tuesday that when he arrived at the small hill in Wonderkop where 13 people were killed, the crime scene was still active.

Captain Apollo Mohlaki said he arrived at scene two, known as the small hill, around 4pm on August 16 and processed the scene until 3.10pm the next day.

Commission chair, retired judge Ian Farlam, interjected and double-checked the time of arrival with Mohlaki pointing out that this was the time the shooting happened.

“When I got there the scene was still active,” said Mohlaki.

Evidence leader Mbuyiseli Madlanga asked: “Was there any shooting taking place when you arrived there?”

Mohlaki said there was not, and proceeded to explain that he had been requested to be on stand-by and had been at a police holding area at the Lonmin mine since the morning.

This followed after an early morning police briefing at the joint operational centre (JOC) where he and three colleagues were briefed to be on stand-by.

Mohlaki said he was told there was a possibility that mineworkers, gathering on a hill in Wonderkop, would have dangerous traditional weapons and have unlawful ammunition.

It would be his job to document these weapons once the miners were disarmed.

Mohlaki’s evidence in chief was expected to continue on Wednesday.

Earlier, the commission wrapped up its three-day cross-examination of crime scene technician Lt-Col Cornelius Johannes Botha.

Botha was tasked with filming the police disarming and dispersing operation on August 16 from a helicopter.

However, Botha’s footage did not capture the shooting at scene one, at the kraal, or scene two at the small hill.

He said he had only heard of the shooting when he was back on the ground.

Following the shooting police held a nine-day debriefing in Potchefstroom.

Botha told the commission he could not recall if his video was watched at the meeting or what was specifically discussed at the meeting.

He said during the meeting he was asked about crime scenes which had been processed.

Botha was grilled by advocates for the different parties after he could not recall key details of the operation.

There were four helicopters in the air that day, two of which belonged to police. It was not known if video was taken from the other three.

Thembeka Ngcukaitobi, for the Legal Resource Centre (LRC), asked Botha if he knew that the water cannons also had video recorders fitted onto them.

Botha said no, he had never been in a cannon.

Two other crime scene experts testified on Tuesday about murders committed on August 12 and 13.

Captain Moses Moshwane processed the scene where two “civilian” bodies were found in Donkerhoek.

He also assisted at scene one on August 16.

Warrant Officer Frederick Opperman processed the scene where two Lonmin security guards were burnt and hacked to death. – Sapa

Johannesburg –

The removal of a man’s shirt and trousers by Cosatu members during a rally in Rustenburg was regrettable, the union federation said on Tuesday.

The rally, held at the Olympia stadium on Saturday, was interrupted by members of the Marikana Support Campaign (MSC), Congress of SA Trade Unions spokesman Patrick Craven said in a statement.

“One member of the group, Mr Rehad Desai, had his shirt and trousers removed by some of our members. We deeply regret this incident, but it must be pointed out that he was not harmed,” Craven said.

He claimed the MSC pretended to be supporting Cosatu, but began burning Cosatu and National Union of Mineworkers’ branded T-shirts.

Billy Zulu, a national organiser of the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union (CEPPWAWU), was assaulted, allegedly for wearing a red T-shirt.

Craven expressed Cosatu’s “profound thanks” to photographers who rescued Zulu.

Cosatu criticised the police for using rubber bullets to disperse striking Anglo American Platinum workers at the rally.

“This is further evidence, already seen at Marikana on 16 August, of the SAPS’ abysmal lack of training in crowd control and forward planning,” he said. – Sapa

Cape Town – People living in the Western Cape are better off than those in most other provinces. Most live in brick houses, have access to running water, flushing toilets and a better education than the average citizen, according to census figures released on Tuesday.

There are 5.8 million people living in the Western Cape, of whom 2.8 million are coloureds, 1.9 million are black African, 910 600 are white and 58 000 are Indian/Asian.

The Western Cape and Gauteng have been confirmed as the provinces that attract the most people (numbering in the millions) because of greater economic activity.

Seventy-one percent of people living in the Western Cape were born here, while 16 percent come from the Eastern Cape and the remainder from other provinces.

Census statistics showed that the flood of people from largely rural provinces to Gauteng and the Western Cape was unceasing, said Statistician General Pali Lehohla at the release of the figures on Tuesday.

The Western Cape population has grown by 29 percent, making it the fastest growing region, outpacing Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West, which grew collectively at 26 percent. The rest of the provinces grew at 6 percent.

People who live here are more than likely to be better off than in other provinces. For example, while the expanded unemployment rate rides at 40 percent nationally, it is only 29.3 percent in the Western Cape.

Census figures show people here and in Gauteng earn more money and have access to better services.

White people, however, earn six times more than black people and white people are more likely to be employed.

White households earn an average of R365 134, a year, while black households earn a meagre R60 613.

The average national income is R103 204 a year, while the annual average annual income in the Western Cape is R143 460.

There are 1 313 637 brick and mortar houses across the Western Cape and 320 363 informal and traditional houses.

For more details go tohttp://www.iol.co.za/

Cape Town – A defiant Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota was ordered out of Parliament on Tuesday in a curtain-raiser for a furious row that saw opposition MPs accuse Deputy Speaker Nomaindia Mfeketo and ANC chief whip Mathole Motshekga of abusing the rules of the House and stifling freedom of speech.

Opposition MPs shouted “It’s an abuse!”, booed and banged on their desks in a bid to drown out Motshekga as he insisted that President Jacob Zuma had not defied a judicial order to hand over the so-called spy tapes that led to the halting of his prosecution on corruption, fraud and racketeering charges.

Motshekga quoted from the Supreme Court of Appeal’s March order that the National Prosecuting Authority – and not Zuma or his office – make available documents and material that informed the decision.

Lekota is trying to rally opposition party support for a bid to launch impeachment proceedings against Zuma, whose lawyer, Michael Hulley, is refusing to hand over the transcript of the tapes he has had since April 26.

His ejection came after he refused Mfeketo’s ruling that he withdraw his statement last week that Zuma, by defying a judicial order, had failed to uphold the constitution and should be impeached.

Lekota refused to withdraw it on the basis that his court challenge of an earlier ruling by Mfeketo would be heard on November 29.

“It would be tantamount to asking me to withdraw the case I have brought against your ruling in the courts – I cannot do it,” he said

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

The Marikana Commission of Inquiry is expected to hear more evidence from police forensic experts when it resumes its hearings in Rustenburg in the North West today.

Legal teams spent most of yesterday cross-examining crime scene technician Colonel, Johan Botha on the video footage he captured of the events of August the 16th when 34 people were killed.

Botha’s video captured few scenes of the miners being shot and accosted by police. Meanwhile, legal representative for the dead miners, Thembeka Ngcukaitobi says there is proof that helicopters which were used to monitor violence had mounted cameras.

Botha told the commission that he had no knowledge of the mounted cameras. Ngcukaitobi says Botha’s statement contradicts their investigations.

BY Obakeng Maje

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture together with the Pan South African Language Board has this week elected the North West Provincial Language committee.

The election comes after the term of office of the previous committee expired in 2007. The committee was elected recently as the advisory body in the promotion of multilingualism within the framework of the constitution and the committee’s appointment is of a period of five years effective from the 29 November 2012.

“The North West Provincial Language Committee will be the governance structure that will give guidelines on the use of language,” said the MEC of Sport, Arts and Culture, Ms Tebogo Modise. “It will bring change to the North West province as it will be monitoring and improving the policies and programmes of official languages.”

The mandate of the committee is to promote multilingualism, formulate programmes and policies aimed at fostering the equal use of and respect for the official languages, establish, compile and maintain databases of all legislative measures including the provisions of the constitution dealing with language matters, monitor the observance of the constitutional provisions and principles regarding the use of languages, Advise the MEC or any organ of state on the implementation of any proposed or existing legislation, policy and practice dealing directly or indirectly with language matters and to investigate any language violation on receipt of a written complaint.

The elected committee consist of Nombulelo Sonakile (IsiXhosa Teacher), Gaoretelelwe Benjamin Phuti (Chief Language Practitioner), Mrinalini Shantikumar( Wild Life Officer), Diteboho Leponesa (Sesotho Teacher), Walfriede Appolus (Nama and Khoi Teacher), Marlene Visser (Teacher), Ratshikana Ntsime (Education Specialist),Setumo Mokoatsi(Setswana teacher), Kenalemang Kgoroeadira (Self employed),Mthuthuzeli Maloney (Community Liason Officer), Thabo Melamu( Sign Language Lecture), Nkokeletseng Monaisa(Setswana) Ian Bekker (North West University Faculty of Humanities, school of languages) and Goitsemodimo Seleka (Freelance Programme Presenter).

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By Obakeng Maje

North West Premier Thandi Modise has called on members of the community to assist police in their investigation of the murder of a Lehurutshe woman who was killed after an alleged hijacking incident over the weekend

“We condemn in the strongest terms possible the murder of the woman and call on police not to leave any stone unturned to ensure that the person/s responsible for the gruesome murder are speedily arrested. The phenomenon of muti-killings should be stopped and the heartless criminals behind the wicked crime that is terrorising our rural communities removed from society,” said Premier Modise 

   The woman was a passenger in car driven by a man on Saturday evening when they were allegedly attacked after someone threw a stone at the vehicle they were driving in. The driver had stopped to investigate but was forced into the boot by a man who was armed with a firearm .The assailant drove off with the woman passenger.

According to police the man reportedly managed to jump out of the boot while the vehicle was racing from the hijack scene and reported the incident to authorities

 Police recovered the abandoned vehicle on Sunday and found the woman’s body with two bullet wounds in the bushes in the area .Her right eye and private parts were purportedly removed.

No one has thus far been arrested in the case of hijacking, kidnapping, and murder that police are investigating.

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