BY Obakeng Maje

Ventersdorp: Police have made a breakthrough in a case of a murder, attempted murder and house robbery that happened on Sunday, 17 March 2013 in a Sterkstroom farm outside Ventersdorp. 

Police arrested a 22-year-old suspect and are questioning another one who is believed to be the second suspect. 

” The 22-year-old man was arrested on Sunday night at about 23:00 after Police received a tip-off from the member of the community.  Allegedly the suspect was seen with the stolen items and Police were alerted. The suspect was found in possession of three firearms, a digital camera and knives that the Police confiscated” Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.

 A 67-year-old farmer and his 64-year-old wife were attacked by two suspects Sunday at about 09:45.

“It is alleged that the two suspects surprised the 67-year-old farmer outside the couple’s house and assaulted him with a blank object on the head and dragged him into the house. While inside the house, the suspects saw the victim’s wife and they assaulted her too” Ngubane said. Police suspects that the woman was raped in the process and the medical report is awaited.

“After the alleged assault on a woman, they took two cellular phones, tied the woman with ropes and fled the scene on foot” police said. 

The 64-year-old woman managed to untied herself and went to seek help at the neighbouring farm.  

The 67-year-old farmer died on the scene and the woman was taken to a hospital in Klerksdorp where she is recovering. 

Police suspects that the motive for the incident was a house robbery. 

The 22-year-old suspect is expected to appear before Ventersdorp Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of murder, attempted murder, possession of stolen property and house robbery.

Investigation continues.

BY Obakeng Maje

PRETORIA – “Anybody who attacks or kills a police officer will face the full might of the law. In fact, the killing of members of the law enforcement agencies, especially the police is a direct threat to our hard-won Constitutional democracy. A threat that should not be taken lightly by society” Nathi Mthethwa said.

This is a stern warning from the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa in reaction to the death of an Ekurhuleni Metro police officer this past weekend at Daveyton. 

Preliminary reports indicate that the officer went out to enforce by-laws and whilst on duty a confrontation ensued when police tried to impound an illegally operating caravan. 

Reports further indicate that the owner of the caravan allegedly confronted the police as they were about to remove it from the pavement, which contravened the Ekurhuleni by-laws. 

” The owner then punched the officer who fell backwards and hit his head hard on the ground and declared dead” Zweli Mnisi said.

“The Minister stressed that police officers do not require permission from criminals to perform their duties because such a mandate is Constitutionally-enshrined.  He emphasized that any person who impedes police in carrying their duties, will face a charge of obstruction of justice” said Mthethwa spokesperson Mnisi.

“Whilst we have been consistent in condemning police brutality, we shall not tolerate any provocation of police officers when they perform their duties.  There is no carte blanche to say people must attack police, hence we shall deal with such elements decisively and unapologetically.  So whoever wants to test the wrath of the law, will meet its sting.” Mthethwa yelled.

The Minister also raised a concern about the seemingly deafening silence from some of the regular commentators, analysts, political opposition parties and social commentators around this officers’ death.

“Where is the condemnation that normally accompanies police brutality?  Has a life of a police officer in modern democracy been reduced to insignificance?  We shall continue to fight crime, within the confines of the law.  Coupled with this is our unmovable stance on community-policing philosophy.” he said.

Minister Mthethwa reiterated government’s uncompromising stance of fighting crime, smartly and toughly. 

“Almost each week we are criss-crossing the country, urging communities to partner with the police and we have received significant support and undertakings on this quest.  We shall therefore not allow a minority of people who think they can attack or provoke our officers.  We shall not tolerate any such lawlessness which is unjustifiable.” said Mthethwa.

He urged society to respect police officers and vice versa. 

In the final analysis, police should take the lead in keeping with their Constitutional mandate of honest, dedicated, selfless sacrifice and service to society.  Equally, our policing philosophy is primarily embedded in the close cooperation between police and all spheres of society said police minister.

The active involvement of community structures, in local projects like community patrol groups, contributes towards decreasing crime in general.

Minister Mthethwa thanked police for acting swiftly in arresting the suspect.  He further urged society not to support people who disturb public order and that they should be intolerant to such people as they would be to some police officers who brutalize members of society. 

The suspect will appear in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court today.

The African National congress says an interim structure will be appointed to oversee the day-to-day running of its Youth League after the ruling party’s National Executive Committee took a decision to disband the League’s NEC.

Gauteng ANC Youth League secretary Ayanda Kasa-Ntsobi has confirmed that the Youth League’s current leadership has been shown the door. She says they won’t oppose the decision.

Responding to developments, ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu says a formal announcement on decisions taken at the party’s NEC meeting in Pretoria will be made today.

Sources say an announcement is also expected on the future of Limpopo Premier, Cassel Mathale, and the rest of Limpopo ANC leadership. They’re also expected to get the boot, with an interim leadership being put in place to run the troubled province.

Limpopo was rocked by in-fighting ahead of the ANC’s Mangaung conference last December. Earlier in the year, government took over the administration of five Limpopo departments.

The first of the three-day meeting of the party’s highest decision making body, in between conferences, saw the induction of NEC members on some of the party’s policy documents. These include a discussion on the ANC Constitution, the Freedom Charter and the Strategy and Tactics document, all aimed at ensuring that NEC members have the same flow of understanding on party policy.

For more details go to www.sabc.co.za

Johannesburg – A Metro police officer who went out to enforce by-laws in Ekurhuleni on a Sunday ended up dead. And, as a result, a man who tried to stop the police impounding his caravan is facing a murder charge.

On Sunday morning, metro officers on patrol in Ekurhuleni spotted an illegal pavement shop operation. The shop was set up in a caravan, and the men working in it called the owner after being confronted by the metro cops. 

The officers wanted to shut down the little shop, which was selling food.

The triple murder trial of a 16 year old boy is set to continue in the Northern Cape High Court.
  
Last week, the court heard testimony from a number of Griekwastad policemen involved in the investigation of the murders of farmer Deon Steenkamp (44) his wife Christel (43) and daughter Marthella (14).
  
The three were shot dead on their farm Naauwhoek on April 6, 2012.
  
Warrant Officer Anthony Wildt, who was on duty the night of the murders, told the court last week that in 15 years such a crime had not taken place in the area.
  
Another police officer confirmed to the court that a single fingerprint lifted from a drinking glass found at the murder scene had not yet been identified.
  
A number of exhibits, mostly photographs, were read into the court record. The court was shown video recordings of the murder scene.
  
The 16 year old accused has pleaded not guilty to the three murder charges, as well as to a charge of rape, and one of defeating the ends of justice.
  
Cases involving minors are usually held in camera, but several media houses had been granted permission to cover the case. The boy  may not be identified.

A man has been arrested for the murder of a Ventersdorp farmer, North West police said.

Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said the 22 year old was apprehended last night. “He will appear in the Ventersdorp Magistrate’s Court tomorrow,” Ngubane said.

The suspect is one of two accused of attacking a 67 year old man outside his house on the farm Sterkstroom yesterday morning.

Ngubane said they hit the farmer over the head and dragged him into the house. They found his 64 year old wife and attacked her. It is believed they also raped her.

The men tied her up and fled with two cellphones. She managed to free herself and found help on a neighbouring farm. The farmer died on the scene. His wife was recovering in hospital in Klerksdorp.

The suspect, who lived close to the farm, has been charged with murder and attempted murder. Ngubane said more charges could be added.

North West Premier Thandi Modise condemned the attack.

“Perpetrators of violence against our farming community, particularly the vulnerable elderly, should have no place in society but be permanently removed,” she said

Johannesburg – Armed robbers attacked a brother and sister who were out cycling, raping the sister and stealing their bikes and cellphones.

The family were too traumatised to speak to the media and were not identified, The Star reported over the weekend.

The incident happened near Benoni and eblockwatch’s Andre Snyman said police were following up on several leads.

Warning

Another sibling posted a message on eblockwatch’s Facebook page warning other cyclists. 

He wrote: “I have been a member since you started out – I think in 2001. Today I really need your help. My brother and sister went cycling in Kempton Park yesterday (Thursday) at 16:30. They went in the cornfields, next to the R21 highway and the Benoni offramp.

“They were stopped by three men with guns, and they were tied up. The men then waited for nightfall after which they separated my brother from my sister and then proceeded to rape my poor sister. Luckily, they are still alive. It seems like this is a regular thing in the corn fields. I cannot describe the intense feeling of hatred that we are struggling with now.

For more details go to www.news24.com

East London – An Eastern Cape man allegedly killed his former girlfriend, hospitalised the woman’s grandmother and kidnapped another woman after the girlfriend dumped him, the Daily Dispatch reported on Monday.

The man allegedly stabbed Nomandithi Goniwe to death after attacking Goniwe’s grandmother Nomandithi Velebhayi, 85.

The man then allegedly kidnapped another woman at a neighbour’s house, in the Kwaaiman area in Ngcwanguba in the Transkei. He was still on the run from police.

The man reportedly flew into a rage after Goniwe, 25, ended their relationship on Saturday. Goniwe’s aunt Nofikile Velebhayi said the man had abused her niece and refused to accept he had been dumped.

Nofikile said the man allegedly started knocking at their door and calling Goniwe between 19:00 and 20:00.

“She didn’t want to come out so he kicked the door down and then stabbed grandma twice, but Nomandithi managed to run to the neighbour’s house,” she was quoted as saying.

“He followed her there and that’s when she was killed.”

Cape Town – The South African cardinal who made headlines after making controversial statements about paedophilia has said his remarks were taken out of context.

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier defended himself following the furore that erupted after he spoke to the BBC, according to reports.

Napier was slammed by women and children’s rights groups for saying that paedophilia “is actually an illness … it is not a criminal condition”, and saying that people who were abused as children and then abused others needed to be examined by doctors.

For more details go to www.news24.com