North West – The State opposed bail in the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday for eight men accused of murdering ANC North West official Obuti Chika.

Prosecutor Riekie Krause said if the men were released, local residents would be shocked and outraged. Several of them had also failed to disclose previous criminal convictions or pending cases.

Chika, 33, was shot point-blank range in the driveway of his Klerksdorp home on December 14. He died in a local hospital.

North West local government MEC China Dodovu is among the eight accused.

“The State has a strong case against the applicant (Dodovu),” Krause said.

She said he had three passports, a diplomatic one and two personal ones.

Another accused, Sihlangu Sekhakhane, had previously confessed to the crime. He had also led police to his gun.

Krause said forensics had later matched the bullets which killed Chika to this gun.

The other six accused are community member Jeffrey Letuka, North West provincial ANC Youth League chairman Papiki Baboile, ward secretary Paul Molomonyane, councillor Itumeleng Molebatsi, municipal worker William Malefo, and taxi driver Kgotso Kali.

The court heard that Sekhakhane had claimed to have met Kali in a BMW X5 shortly before the crime.

Kali allegedly told him that, before he could attend the African National Congress’s conference in Mangaung, in December, Chika had to be killed.

Krause confirmed that Baboile owned a BMW X5.

She told the court an unnamed witness had also confirmed to the State that some of the eight had previously discussed murdering Chika during a meeting.

Krause said bail was also being opposed because some of the applicants knew “witness X”. – Sapa

Cape Town – A high-speed chase ended with the death of a motorist on the corner of Buitengragt and Strand street in the CBD early on Monday morning.

The woman was killed when a Toyota Avanza, driven by suspected hijackers, crashed into her Opel Corsa, at about 5am on Monday.

The two occupants of the Toyota were being pursued by police.

They were suspects in a hijacking that occurred in Nyanga earlier on Monday morning, said Merle Lourens, spokeswoman for the city’s traffic services.

The hijacking was picked up by Skytracker, which notified the police. The flying squad gave chase, and followed the Toyota into the CBD. Police confirmed that a gun was found on the scene of the crash.

Speaking on CapeTalk on Monday morning the woman’s sister-in-law, who identified herself only as Janine, said the victim’s husband was trying to get to the scene of the accident.

However, he could not get through because of the heavy traffic congestion.

The woman’s body was taken to the Salt River mortuary before he could reach the scene.

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Johannesburg – The family of the taxi driver who died while in police custody expressed disappointment on Monday with the way the Benoni Magistrate’s Court had handled the case.

“We don’t feel okay…. They actually said nothing today,” Badanisile Ngwenya said outside the court. Mgwenya was speaking on behalf of the family of Mozambican Mido Macia, 27. He had rented a room in her backyard. She walked out of court with Mido’s father Joseph.

“This man is here to fetch his son’s corpse home…. It’s not fair what they did and we are leaving without answers,” she said.

The frail man aired his dissatisfaction in a soft voice.

The eight policemen implicated in Macia’s death did not appear in court after the prosecution said an identity parade still had to be held.

The identity parade is scheduled for Thursday. They are expected to apply for bail on Friday.

About 100 Daveyton residents protested outside the court. Many of the women wore traditional Mozambican garments over their clothes.

“Steve Biko also died in police custody,” read a poster waved by one of the demonstrators.

Protesters complained they had been sent them from pillar to post on Monday.

It was initially reported that the case would be heard in the Daveyton Magistrate’s Court and several residents went there only to be told it had been moved to the Benoni Magistrate’s Court.

They vowed to be at the court for the duration of the trial when it started.

Two warrant officers and six constables have been charged with the murder of Macia, who was allegedly tied to the back of a police van and dragged along a street in Daveyton on Tuesday. An eyewitness filmed the assault.

Macia was found dead in the local police station’s holding cells several hours later. A post mortem revealed he had died of head and internal injuries.

At the time, Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesman Moses Dlamini said police claimed they ordered Macia to move when they found his minibus illegally parked.

“It is alleged that the taxi driver then assaulted the constable and took his police firearm. The warrant officer overpowered the taxi driver and handed the firearm back to his colleague,” he said.

Dlamini said the officer then called for backup.

The police claimed they put the “resisting suspect” into the police van and took him to the police station.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions alleged that police had said Macia died when other men attacked him in the cells. – Sapa

Rustenburg- North West Premier Thandi Modise has called on women to break the silence on rape and stop protecting perpetrators of sexual violence in their homes, workplaces, churches and communities. Premier Modise made the appeal in her keynote address delivered at the Provincial Interfaith Prayer Service held at Olympia Park in Rustenburg on Sunday.“We should name and shame perpetrators. Teenage pregnancies in our schools point to decay in our moral fibre. We fail our children when we cannot be their role models. We demand truth and accountability from our educators, parents and politicians because our communities are demanding truth, stability and service delivery,” emphasised Premier Modise in formally launching a campaign against the scourge of rape and gender based violence.

The campaign aimed at getting signatures of a million people who are denouncing rape by signing a pledge against sexual abuse of women rape will be taken to a deeper and higher level with the involvement of faith based organisations, men organisations, non-government organisations, community organisations and other social partners. The targeted number of signatures is expected to be reached by the end of next month.

The National Interfaith Council of South Africa-North West Chapter, North West FM and the North West Provincial Council on Aids are the latest partners to join the campaign that was initiated by Premier Modise. Motsweding FM is already a partner of the campaign that is supported by the Executive Council (Exco).

Modise said rape has reached an unacceptable levels and should be combated by all of us and called on all community members to join in the campaign to say no to high rate of rape taking place in the province and other part of the country.

“We are not going to sit back and do nothing as the provincial government about this sick behavior of men who are raping innocent members of our communities.

BY Obakeng Maje

Mahikeng- Police swift reaction led to the arrest of two suspects for House robbery that was committed at about 03:00 on Saturday at Lonely Park, in Mahikeng North West police said.

“It is alleged that the complainant was at her place when the suspects gained entrance into the house by breaking the door. They threatened her and robbed her R900 and fled the scene” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.

“The suspects were later traced and arrested after the matter was reported to the police.  The suspects aged 16 and 17 respectively are expected to appear before the court soon” police said. 

BY Obakeng Maje

Coligny: A 20-year old suspect is expected to appear before Magistrates’ Court today for alleged murder of a 24 year old man North West police said.

The incident took place on Saturday at approximately 19:10 in Tlhabologang location,near Coligny. 

“It is alleged that the suspect and the victim were involved in an argument over a girlfriend, and that led to a fight. The suspect allegedly took out a knife and stabbed the victim in the neck and shoulder” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said. 

“According to the information received, the victim died on the scene” police said.

Investigation regarding the matter continues.

Cyferskuil-Police arrested a 23- year old suspect for allegedly raping a 16-year old minor on Friday North West police said.

“It is alleged that the survivor was on her way to school when the suspect approached her” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.

 Police said a suspect allegedly forced her to the nearby bushes where he raped her. 

“The survivor went home after the incident and informed her mother about the ordeal” Mokgwabone said. 

“They were in a taxi to the local clinic when the victim spotted the suspect and the taxi driver stopped to call him. He allegedly responded to the call, but ran away when he saw the survivor” police said.

The matter was reported to the police and the suspect was traced and arrested. 

He is expected to appear before Temba Magistrates’ Court soon.

SOUTH African prisons are filling up with mothers and daughters who have killed male abusers in their families, the Minister of Correctional Services said yesterday.

“We have witnessed an increase in the number of women serving life sentences as a result of killing their partners,” Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said in a statement issued after the department’s excellence awards at the weekend.

“What is even more disturbing is that some of these women are serving time together with their daughters, who assisted them in committing these murders after they themselves were direct, or indirect, victims of abuse by their fathers.”

Ndebele said these women needed help dealing with the trauma of having experienced often long-term physical and emotion abuse.

He said another growing number of female prisoners were those who had violently acted against other women “due to competition for affection from their male partners”.

He said the number of women prisoners who were pregnant or had babies under two years at the time of entering jail was of great concern.-Sapa

COSATU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi’s political woes worsened yesterday in the face of yet more veiled attacks from the labour federation’s alliance partner, the SA Communist Party.

The leaders of the two organisations have not always enjoyed cordial relations and this weekend’s SACP central committee meeting provided ample opportunity for the party to attack Vavi’s leadership of Cosatu.

Vavi has come under fire recently following a week in which reports surfaced that he was being investigated by his own organisation over allegations of questionable financial dealings, which have loosened an already shaky grip over the leadership of the federation.

In a statement following this weekend’s meeting, the SACP central committee noted: “We respect and salute the independence of the federation, and strongly affirm the necessity of a militant trade union movement that refuses to become a simple transmission belt for government, or for any political party, including the SACP.

“However, the SACP has raised with Cosatu our concern that, on occasion, a blanket oppositionism (sic), or an exaggerated focus on secondary challenges has weakened, rather than strengthened Cosatu’s ability to impact upon defining and driving a second, more radical phase of our nationademocratic revolution.”

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ANC deputy provincial chairperson China Dodovu faces the possibility of suspension from the party’s structures after the provincial executive committee (PEC) recommended that resolutions taken at the party’s 53rd conference be applied to him.

Dodovu, who is also the local government and traditional affairs MEC, was arrested last Monday in connection with the murder of ANC regional secretary Obuti Chika.

At its Mangaung conference in December last year the ANC underscored the need for moral integrity and restoration of the party’s core values, declaring that members implicated in damaging allegations should relinquish their positions until they are cleared.

The PEC met last Thursday and resolved that the provincial working committee (PWC) would work together with the party’s national executive committee (NEC) to decide Dodovu’s fate.

In a statement ANC provincial spokesperson Kenny Morolong said: “The PEC reaffirmed the 53rd conference resolutions on the need to uphold the moral integrity and restore the core values of the ANC and in this regard resolved that the PWC must process the implications of the above conference resolution in consultation with the national executive committee on ANC public representatives alleged to be involved in the brutal assassination of Chika.”

Morolong added that the party was disturbed by the way groups of people claiming to be ANC members squared off outside the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court where Dodovu and seven other co-accused appeared last Wednesday.

One group waved placards written “Hands-off Dodovu” while the other countered with “Hands-on Dodovu”.

“The PEC is perturbed by the anarchy exhibited outside the court by rowdy crowds. We view the death of Chika as a criminal act and reject any attempts to drag the ANC’s name in support or condemnation of the arrested suspects,” he said.

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