Johannesburg – The Eastern Cape High Court will decide whether the removal of suspended ANC councillors from the Mbhashe Municipality was lawful, it was reported on Tuesday.
The case was set down for Friday, after the court asked the ANC to hand over transcripts of its disciplinary hearing, the Dispatch Online reported.
The decision to suspend the councillors from the party and remove them from the council was made at the disciplinary hearing.
Former Mayor Mthetheleli Bhele told the Dispatch outside the court on Monday that the group was disputing the procedure followed in their disciplinary process.
“Our party charged us for accepting a report and following up on it and removing the people involved in corrupt activities,” he was quoted as saying.
“When we went to the disciplinary hearing, we waited there until the set time passed. We waited for more than an hour and there was no one.
“After we left, we heard the committee took the decision to remove us and they never even made the effort to inform us,” said Bhele.

Johannesburg – Police confiscated the cellphones of officers working on the Oscar Pistorius murder case when it came to light they had photographed him after his arrest, it was reported on Tuesday.

The Star reported that cellphones were confiscated from 45 police officials, according to a written response by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to a parliamentary question.

Boschkop police station management also seized four other official police phones.

The police ministry told the newspaper disciplinary steps were being taken against the culprits. The phones would be used as evidence.

The former lead investigator in the case, Hilton Botha, told The Star media houses had offered to pay officers for exclusive pictures of Pistorius after he was arrested for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on 14 February.

A foreign media house reportedly offered a police officer R458 000 for a photograph of the toilet door through which Pistorius shot Steenkamp.

According to Botha, local media houses had offered him and fellow officers working on the Pistorius case between R5 000 and R10 000 for pictures of the athlete.

“I decided at that point that all pictures should be sent off to forensics immediately. That way we had no pictures and there could be no leak,” Botha was quoted as telling the newspaper.-SAPA

By Obakeng Maje

Taung-Police arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of the 59-year-old Simane Baabua who was allegedly gunned down in front of his wife and granddaughter in Magogong village. 

“The incident occurred between 00:00 and 01:00 on Monday at Magogong village in Taung. It is alleged that two suspects gained entry by forcefully breaking the front door” captain Amanda Funani said.

“According to the allegations, the victim went to check what was happening and found the suspects inside the living room” she said. It is suspected that the victim fought with the suspects and one of them took out a firearm and shot him on the shoulder. 

“It is apparent that the bullet went out through the chest and the victim died on the scene said police. 

The suspects fled the scene on foot.  

At this stage the motive for the killing is unknown, as nothing was stolen from the house. 

“Police arrested a 22-year-old suspect last night inside a red Mazda bakkie that was hi-jacked from the Ethiopian National’s shop two streets away from the shooting incident” Funani said. The suspect sustained minor injurie and according to the information received, the car overturned outside Magogong Village while the two suspects were trying to escape.

A 25-year-old suspect was also arrested in the early hours of this morning in Magogong village. “The two suspects are expected to appear before Taung Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. 

Taung have registered cases of murder and car hi-jacking.

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews

Johannesburg – A tourist was seriously injured on Monday when the car he was driving was overturned by an elephant in the Kruger National Park.

A doctor and paramedics backed by a helicopter rushed to the scene on the H1-7 tar road between Shingwedzi and Punda Maria in the northern half of the park at about 6.30am on Monday, SANParks said.

For more http://www.iol.co.za

Pretoria – While the world’s paparazzi scrambled to get the first photographs of murder accused Oscar Pistorius earlier this year, police officers escorting him to court were secretly snapping their own pictures.

It caused such consternation at the Boschkop police station where Pistorius was held that the management confiscated the private cellphones of 45 police officers and took another four official phones.

For more http://www.iol.co.za

Johannesburg –

Two South African athletes were injured in the Boston marathon blast in the United States, it was reported on Tuesday.

“So far, we’ve been alerted to two South Africans that have been injured. Our information is that they are being treated and we are offering consular service to them,” international relations and co-operation department spokesman Clayson Monyela told SABC radio news.

Twenty-eight South Africans registered for the race.

At least three people were killed and more than 100 were injured in twin explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, while the race was in progress. – Sapa

Communities reacted with mixed feelings to the decision by the provincial government to invoke Section 139 administrative intervention in the Matlosana, Maquassi Hills and Ditsobotla municipalities.

“It is correct for the provincial government to take over administration from our municipality because service delivery is a problem. Nothing encourages us to continue paying rates and taxes because our municipality does not bother taking our concerns toheart,” Pule Seroba from Matlosana, Klerksdorp said.

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

A two-person support team will be sent to implement the findings of a government intervention in Madibeng local municipality in an effort to strengthen and support the council.

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Richard Baloyi announced on Thursday that the two officials, one from the national department and the other to be nominated by the provincial department of local government and traditional affairs will comply with sections of the constitution to strengthen and support the municipality.

“The findings of the ministerial task team report presented by Baloyi to the council denied intervention to be instituted in the municipality, however, recommended that the close-out report by the previous administrator which had lapsed with the end of term of the previous council should be implemented,” provincial government spokesperson, Lesiba Kgwele, said.

The report recommended that all issues of impropriety be subjected to in-depth investigation within a short time-frame and criminal charges be laid against councillors and officials implicated.

A loan which the municipality has struggled to use for several years will also be investigated.

Premier Thandi Modise, acting MEC for local government and traditional affairs Paul Sebegoe and Madibeng councillors unanimously welcomed the report and pledged to support its implementation.

“We appeal to councillors to work together for their communities and put their constituencies first,” said Baloyi.

According to Kgwele, a public participation programme to brief communities on the findings of the ministerial task team and the way forward is to be organised in due course.

Madibeng local municipality is based in Brits. It is part of the Bojanala Platinum district.

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za