Durban – A Swazi national believed to be one of the biggest smugglers and wholesalers of “designer dagga” in KwaZulu-Natal – was bust during an undercover operation in uMhlanga on Tuesday.

His arrest outside a McDonald’s outlet by the Durban organised crime (narcotics) unit came after two months of surveillance by the crime intelligence unit.

For more details go to www-iol.co.za

Johannesburg – The NPA has declined to comment about documents “leaked” to the media about murder-accused paralympian Oscar Pistorius’s bail condition challenge.

“What we have heard in the news is that there is an argument available to the media. We did not release any document,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman Medupe Simasiku.

“We definitely cannot comment on something that was leaked to the media. It would be too early to actually deal with that now, unless we want to prejudice the whole process.”

Simasiku was referring to papers before the court in the appeal, which was reported on earlier this month.

Pistorius would “probably not” be in court for the appeal of his bail conditions, his lawyer Kenny Oldwage said.

“It’s an appeal. There is no need for him to be there,” Oldwage said.

Family spokesman Johan van Wyk also said Pistorius was not required to be present for the appeal in the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday.

Pistorius will appeal against the bail conditions imposed by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court when it granted him bail of R1 million on February 22.

He is to challenge them as unwarranted and unfair, and is seeking to have the conditions scrapped or altered.

In the papers before the court, his lawyers argue that Pistorius should be able to travel if given permission by the investigating officer, given that Magistrate Desmond Nair found during his bail application that he was not a flight risk.

They also argue that it should not be necessary for him to report to the Brooklyn police station in Pretoria, to be supervised by a probation officer, and to submit to compulsory drug and alcohol testing.

Pistorius would also ask the court to allow him to return to his home in Pretoria, where he shot his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on February 14.

His legal team said it was unfair to place a “blanket order” which did not allow him to talk to the residents within the security complex.

“We are going to oppose the whole application as it was presented,” said Simasiku.

Pistorius is due back in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on June 4, to face a murder charge. He claims he thought Steenkamp was an intruder. – Sapa

With the PSL back in action this weekend, Kaizer Chiefs captain and goalkeeper, Itumeleng Khune, is focused on guiding the team to success.

Chiefs had six of their squad members, including Khune who captained the national side, in the Bafana Bafana team that defeated the Central African Republic 2-0 on Saturday at the Cape Town Stadium, in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

With the international FIFA break having come and gone, the focus is now back on the domestic scene. Log leaders Chiefs will be looking to continue their dominance of the Absa Premiership on Sunday when they take on Bloemfontein Celtic at the Free State Stadium.

The tricky outing in the Free State will be the first of three games for the Soweto giants in the space of a week and Khune has emphasised the importance of keeping their winning momentum on track.

He told the Siya crew that they will focus on each game at hand, and not get ahead of themselves.

“This is our profession. This is our job and we have to play the same way all the time. We will keep on fighting and look at winning each and every game we play.

“Obvious, it won’t be easy from now on as these are the last games in the league and every team wants the three points. If we are to fight for the league title we have to keep on fighting and win,” the Bafana Bafana captain said.

Chiefs plays Celtic on Sunday, before taking on Martizburg United on Wednesday in Polokwane. The Soweto giants then head out to Durban for their clash with Golden Arrows at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on April 6.

 For more details go to www.soccerladuma.com

Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa has been in fine form for the Buccaneers since taking over from Moeneeb Josephs, with his displays between the sticks not having gone unnoticed.

Following his regular inclusion in the Bucs starting line-up, Meyiwa has earned himself several call-ups to Gordon Igesund’s Bafana Bafana set-up. The 25-year-old was part of Igesund’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations squad, testament to his ability in goals.

Meyiwa has been playing second fiddle to Itumeleng Khune for South Africa in the national team, however says that he is constantly learning from the Kaizer Chiefs captain and his former junior national teammate. 

The Pirates keeper said that he enjoys his time in camp with Khune and Wayne Sandilands, when on national duty.

“It is good to be in the same team with Itumeleng Khune. I think I am in the national team because coach Gordon Igesund saw my form at Pirates and I am enjoying my time with the Bafana set-up.

“You know Khune is a good goalkeeper and person, and I have learnt a lot from him since U20 and U23. And as for Sandilands, he is a good guy and we enjoy each others company. We are a team, together,” Meyiwa said.

For more details go to www.soccerladuma.com

Rustenburg – National police commissioner Riah Phiyega was asked on Wednesday to explain whether police intervention at Marikana was aligned to the number of protesters.

“So was that the information you based your support (intervention) plan on; the fact that there were 3000 protesters who were armed?” advocate George Bizos SC asked her during cross-examination at the Farlam Commission of Inquiry in Rustenburg.

Phiyega agreed, and said there were many other factors.

He asked her to classify the protesters, separating the armed from the unarmed.

“Do you agree with the allegation made by counsel for the police  that the problem was that  1/8on August 16 3/8 there were 3000

belligerent protesters who were armed, resisting any effort to disarm?”

She agreed.

Bizos continued: “The South African police and their witnesses  1/8who saw the protesters 3/8 couldn’t make up their minds regarding how  many people there were  1/8at the hill 3/8.

“We have been told that there were 3000 people. Elsewhere (lawyer for the police Ismael) Semenya put it to a witness that there were 200 to 300 protesters who were armed. There were others who were peaceful, unarmed, and were left  1/8in peace 3/8. Which of the two versions did you, as commissioner, operate… on?”

Phiyega said: “I would not speculate on those two versions because I have not seen alternative facts. As police, people who are armed are a concern to us. Any number of armed people, be it two or seven, concerns us.

“The Constitution does allow people to protests peacefully and unarmed,” she said.

Bizos was not convinced, saying: “Please answer the question. As  the national commissioner, were your actions  1/8at Marikana 3/8 premised  on having to deal with 3000 armed protesters, or only two to three hundred? On what numbers did you base the decisions that you took?”

Phiyega said: “The important thing for me to say is, whether it’s two armed people in protest, it bothers us as police. It is immaterial whether it is 300 or 3000. Armed protesters are not allowed by the law.”

Bizos said there had been contradictions in the figures given regarding the armed protesters. Police implemented different tactics for controlling and disarming a crowd, depending on the number of strikers.

The national commissioner said she was not the right person to talk about those tactics. She said police priority would be to disarm protesters.

On August 16 last year, 34 striking mineworkers were shot dead and 78 injured when police opened fire near Lonmin’s platinum mine in Marikana. Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed near the mine in the preceding week. – Sapa

Humansdorp – An 11-year-old boy accused of stabbing another child to death appeared before a Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, Eastern Cape police said.

Warrant Officer Basil Seekoei said the matter was postponed to April 9 as the magistrate was awaiting a report assessing the boy’s  criminal culpability.

The child, who appeared in the magistrate’s office as opposed to a court, was being kept in a place of safety.

On February 25, the boy, from St Francis Bay, allegedly stabbed a six-year-old boy with a knife while they were on their way home from school.

A local resident found the boy’s body in bushes around 3am the following day. – Sapa

Johannesburg – Two men have been sentenced to lengthy jail terms by the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court for rape and house robbery, Gauteng police said on Wednesday.

Captain Jethro Mtshali said Mozambican Jozana Orlando Mathabele, 35, was sentenced to 366 years and his fellow countryman George Sithole, 35, was sentenced to 287 years’ imprisonment on Tuesday.

He said the pair were accused of a series of house robberies and the rape of several women in Rabie Ridge, Tembisa and Ivory Park in 2010.

“The modus operandi of the suspects was that they target households where vulnerable victims were staying, break into the house… (steal) valuables and later take turns raping their victims.”

He said Mathabele and Sithole were linked to more than 13 cases. – Sapa

Kimberley – The scene of a triple murder on the farm Naauwhoek near Griekwastad last year was unusual, the Northern Cape High Court heard on Wednesday.

House breaking, robbery and farm attack scenes were usually left in chaos, investigator Colonel Dick de Waal told Judge Frans Kgomo.

There were no signs of forced entry at the farmhouse. Usually the victims were tied up and there would be signs of a struggle, with furniture knocked over.

De Waal was giving evidence in the triple murder trial of a 16-year-old boy. Northern Cape farmer Deon Steenkamp, 44, his wife Christel, 43, and daughter Marthella, 14, were shot dead on the farm Naauwhoek, on April 6, 2012.

De Waal said at these kind of crime scenes the inhabitants’ belongings, such as clothes and personal items, would have been thrown from cupboards and drawers. In this case only one or two drawers were found open.

De Waal told the court no luxury items were stolen, except for allegations of some money and a knife from one of the victims. Six cellphones, usually a popular item taken during robberies and farm attacks, were found in the house.

Prosecutor Hannes Cloete meticulously took De Waal through evidence indicating the firearm safe was found open, with firearms and ammunition still inside it.

Electrical equipment such as computers, laptops and radios were left undisturbed in the farm house. The land line had not been destroyed, the television was still on, and the DVD player and DSTV  decoder were untouched. The family was apparently watching the television show Vetkoekpaleis on the night of the murders.

Three wallets were found in the house, with about R4000 in one of them, De Waal testified.

The investigator testified that getting firearms was usually the  motive behind farm attacks. In this case, firearms were left in the  safe and the murder weapons were found outside the house.

“It was extremely odd to find the two firearms so close to the house.”

De Waal said a .357 revolver and a .22 rifle, which were found outside the house, were the weapons used to kill the Steenkamps. They were linked positively with empty cartridges found with the firearms and on the scene in the house.

De Waal told Judge Kgomo he investigated the possibility of some  sort of revenge attack on the Steenkamps.

“We could not find any evidence of a revenge attack. They were dear members of the community and people praised them.”

The court also heard that the gunpowder residue test conducted on the boy’s hands was negative, while tests done on two shirts were positive.

The trial continues. – Sapa

By Obakeng Maje

Taung-Four taxi drivers who appeared briefly at Taung Magistrate court for assaulting a motorist were given free bail by magistrate.

North West police arrested four suspects yesterday after they allegedly assaulted a motorist. They accused a motorist of stealing their commuters.

“The suspects were given free bail by Taung Magistrate Court and will be back in court on the 16 April. The magistrate ordered four accused to appear back in court and investigations continue” police said.

The taxi drivers vowed that anyone who pick or steal their commuters will be dealt with. 

The incident came after the old taxi rank put under construction by Greater Taung municipality.

This apperantly affects the income of taxi drivers as the allocated rank is too far.

Now central taxis operate in the streets and only long distance taxis are accomodated in a makeshift rank near Extention 6.

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By Obakeng Maje
Vryburg- The Department of Economic Development,Eviroment,Conservation and Tourism ordered a farmer at Sunhurst Safari Farm to find alternative way to accomodate elephants in their farm.
According to department the Sletcher family in Vryburg near Bry were owning close to nine elephants and the living condition for the wild animals are not conducive.
“The family decided to breed cows instead after the death of their father in 2008. They allegedly sold a four calves of elephants to another farmer in Eastern Cape” Dumisa Seshabela said.
Another two elephants allegedly ran away from the farm towards Botswana border.
Now the department said those elephants will be hunted.
“The elephants need over 300 000 hectors to live and after the death of their father the family divided the space which was not enough for nine elephants to live in” department spokesperson said.
The calves now sold to Elephants of Eden farm in Eastern Cape while others will be hunted.
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