Sea Robbers skin Leopards alive


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Orlando Pirates trimmed Kaizer Chiefs’ lead at the summit to four points with a 4-0 victory over Black Leopards in Polokwane on Wednesday night.

 

The Premiership champions cruised home via goals from Collins Mbesuma, Thandani Ntshumayelo, Daine Klate and Happy Jele at a wet Peter Mokaba Stadium.

 

In a goalless first half, the Sea Robbers threatened first, as ex-Bidvest Wits man Patrick Phungwayo drilled a shot over from range in the fifth minute.

 

Soon after, Samuel Mabunda did the same for the hosts.

 

Bucs, though, dictated the pace of the contest, with Oupa Manyisa testing Leopards goalkeeper Azwindini Maphaha in the 15th minute with a first-time strike from the edge of box following a corner from Klate.

 

At the other end, Jean Djunga Munganga ballooned his first-time attempt over from distance after being teed up by a free-kick from Leopards captain Mongezi Bobe midway through the stanza.

 

Pirates nearly broke the deadlock in the 26th minute, but Maphaha dropped down smartly to block a side-footed effort by Klate from close range. Klate, a five-time Premier Soccer League winner, was cleverly put through by Manyisa’s chested lay-off in the box.

 

Lidoda Duvha then came agonisingly close to scoring in the 32nd minute. However, Buccaneers skipper Lucky Lekgwathi superbly cleared Joshua Obaje’s shot off the line after the Nigerian rounded keeper Senzo Meyiwa. Obaje was put through one-on-one following a defensive error by Phungwayo.

 

Soon after, Mabunda energetically stepped off the right flank before blazing his effort narrowly over Meyiwa’s cross bar. 

 

Pirates’ Khetowakhe Masuku almost snatched the opener on the stroke of half-time but he was denied a goal against his former employers courtesy of a stellar save by the impressive Maphaha. Masuku arrived late in the box only to see his stinging effort parried to safety by Maphaha.

 

The visitors took the lead two minutes into the second period, as Mbesuma rifled the ball home in clinical fashion after Sifiso Myeni’s deflected pass freed up the Zambian on the edge of the area.

 

Leopards tried to hit back swiftly, as Meyiwa tipped over Munganga’s menacing effort in the 53rd minute.

 

However, Ntshumayelo doubled the advantage with a stunning strike six minutes later on the angle after receiving a short corner from the left.

 

Substitute Tlou Segolela, on for Masuka, then made an immediate impact on his introduction, as his telling left-wing cross was turned in by Klate at the far post in the 63rd minute.

 

Five minutes later Michael Nkambule tried his luck from range but the Leopards man was off target.

 

Pirates substitute Jele, making his return from a career-threatening knee injury, then put the result beyond doubt with his first touch of the game. The lanky defender headed in a Klate corner in the 81st minute, with Leopards unable to find a way back.

 

Black Leopards: Azwindini Maphaha, Ernot Dzaga, Harry Nyirenda, Siphamandla Sithole, Thulani Ntshingila, Jean Djunga Munganga (Monama 70′), Mongezi Bobe, Rodney Ramagalela (Maake 60′), Samuel Mabunda, Michael Nkambule, Joshua Obaje.

 

Orlando Pirates: Senzo Meyiwa, Thabo Matlaba, Lucky Lekgwathi, Ayanda Gcaba, Patrick Phungwayo, Sifiso Myeni, Oupa Manyisa, Thandani Ntshumayelo, Daine Klate, Collins Mbesuma (Chinyama 67′), Khetowakhe Masuku (Segolela 63′).

 

Goals: Collins Mbesuma (Pirates 47′), Thandani Ntshumayelo (Pirates 59′), Daine Klate (Pirates 63′), Happy Jele (Pirates 81′).

For more details go to http://www.soccerladuma.com

Incitement charge launched against Helen Zille


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Johannesburg – The ANC in the Western Cape laid an incitement charge against provincial premier Helen Zille on Wednesday afternoon, saying she “fuelled the flames” in recent farmworker protests.

 

African National Congress provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile, provincial legislature chief whip Pierre Uys and Boland party chair Pat Marran laid the charge at the Cape Town central police station at 1pm.

 

The party wanted the state to investigate the “intentions” behind Zille’s actions during recent protests by farmworkers in the Boland.

 

“There are clear indications that the Democratic Alliance (DA) played a role in fanning and fuelling the flames during this very unfortunate time,” Mjongile said.

 

“It spread lies, (and) got people who are already overly excited and trigger-happy to resort to all sorts of tactics.”

 

The labour action began in De Doorns at the start of the month when table grape harvesters demanded a daily wage of R150 and improved living conditions. Most earned between R69 and R75 a day.

 

The protests turned violent and spread to 15 other towns, resulting in two deaths and extensive damage to property.

 

Workers recently agreed to suspend the strike until December 4

 

on condition that the sectoral determination for agriculture be looked at by the Employment Condition Commission.

 

The ANC criticised Zille for her conduct and social networking messages during this time.

 

Zille said in one tweet that the protest was being fuelled by a rift between seasonal workers from Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

 

She wrote: “Complex dynamics in De Doorns. Lesotho seasonal workers no longer employed, but Zim workers legally employed due to amnesty. Huge tension.”

 

The party said Zille was not only creating a deeper rift between workers but apparently contradicting a previous statement in which she said a political agenda was the reason for the protests.

 

She was also attacked for a tweet on Tuesday in which she asked whether Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant had returned from her overseas trip.

 

Oliphant was out of the country during the protests.

 

“This proves the disingenuous messages and accusations that inflamed more tensions than assisting to defuse the situation,” Mjongile said.

 

Zille’s spokesman Zak Mbhele said on Wednesday that the premier was innocent of any incitement.

 

“Nothing about what the Premier said concerning De Doorns was incitement; it was simply stating the facts of the situation,” he said.

 

He said the “facts” were that many seasonal workers in that area came from Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Most Zimbabweans were legalised as a consequence of the recent amnesty. This did not apply to the workers from Lesotho.

 

“There is thus a rift and contestation along this ‘fault line’. Farmers have been very heavily fined for employing ‘illegal’ labour, so they no longer do so.”

 

As a result, many people were left without jobs.

 

Mbhele said Zille found these facts out when speaking to Sotho-speaking people during an official visit on November 8.

 

Zille left De Doorns after people became rowdy during her walkabout in the protest-hit area. She rejected reports at the time that protesters had chased her away.

 

The Congress of SA Trade Unions in the province called on Tuesday for the ANC and opposition parties to table a motion of no confidence in Zille.

 

She welcomed the call, saying her party would gladly debate it at the first opportunity. – Sapa

Testimony continues at “Modimolle monster” saga


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JOHANNESBURG – The estranged wife of the man dubbed the Modimolle Monster will take to the stand in the North Gauteng High Court again on Wednesday, to resume her harrowing account of the day he allegedly tortured and mutilated her.

Johan Kotze is accused of hiring three of his workers to sexually assault Ina Bonette in January this year, as well as killing her 19-year old son Conrad.

The case was postponed on Tuesday when Bonette became too emotional to continue.

Bonette will on Wednesday continue her testimony by identifying graphic photographs of her mutilated body as well as of her dead son.

She gave a shocking description of the day she was attacked.

She told the court that Kotze used tools such as pliers and a knife to torture her and that his three co-accused, Andries Sithole, Pieta Mohlane and Sello Mphaka, took turns to rape her.

Tears streamed down her face when she described how she heard her son Conrad beg for his life before Kotze allegedly shot and killed him.

For more details go to ewn.co.za

Woman gave birth on hospital pavement


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PRETORIA – Eyewitness News on Tuesday learnt how nurses at the Soshanguve Clinic only started treating a woman who had given birth to her baby on the pavement outside the facility when a member of the public summoned the police.

For more than an hour, nurses apparently ignored calls to help Nomsa Mathebula, who had gone into labour last Thursday. 

The same nurses had earlier referred her to a larger hospital claiming they could not help her because her blood pressure was too low.

Mathebula collapsed just metres from the Soshanguve Clinic’s front gate. 

That is where Onicca Babedi found her.

She said despite numerous calls for the nurses to help, Mathebula gave birth on the pavement. 

Bapedi said when women started screaming that the baby wasn’t breathing, she also tried to get the nurses to act. 

“I started calling everyone, screaming. I was panicking as well, but nobody was helping – they just looked at me. ”

Bapedi said she called the police for help, and that only when they arrived did the nurses come out of the clinic to see to Mathebula. 

for full details go to ewn.co.za

Alleged bully shot in a classroom


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Johannesburg – An East Rand Grade 11 pupil was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the fatal shooting of a fellow pupil he accused of bullying him, police said.

 

The 18-year-old pupil would soon appear in the Vosloorus Magistrate’s Court on charges of murder and possession of unlicensed firearm, said Captain Pinky Tsinyane.

 

Gauteng education spokesperson Charles Phahlane said the Grade 11 pupil at Phineas Xulu Secondary School, in Vosloorus, Boksburg, allegedly took his mother’s firearm to school and shot the other pupil.

 

He said the youth’s mother was a metro police officer. The woman’s official firearm was used in the shooting.

 

“The Grade 11 learner is alleged to have been bullied repeatedly by a Grade 10 learner and two other boys, who yesterday afternoon (Monday) allegedly took his cap and cellphone,” said Phahlane.

 

The youth allegedly shot the Grade 10 pupil when he and his friends confronted him in class on Tuesday.

 

The department had arranged for psycho-social counsellors and representatives of faith-based groups to go to the school.

 

Education MEC Barbara Creecy and safety MEC Faith Mazibuko would meet to discuss ways of curbing schoolchildren’s access to firearms, Phahlane said. – Sapa