By Obakeng Maje
Rustenburg-A 43 year old suspect Oupa Joseph Mashangu who is believed to be a member of card cloning syndicate appeared at Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on charges of Fraud and Electronic Communication and Transaction Act today.
The suspect is still in custody and will appear again on 3 June 2013 for a formal bail application.
“His arrest come after the Directorate Priority Crimes (The HAWKS) made a breakthrough with regards to a card cloning syndicate that they have been monitoring which have been operating in the North West Province” Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.
The suspect was apprehended after members kept observation on him at an identified hotspot (ATM). The suspect was interfering with customers using the ATM and pounced on him. Mashangu was arrested with a skimming device and several bank cards believed to have been cloned.
“On further investigation, members went to the residence of the suspect which is in Doringkruin, in Klerksdorp where other items were seized amongst them two laptops and a computer which will be sent for Forensic Analysis” Ngubane said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect was the owner of the plush property in Doringkruin as well as two luxury motor vehicle.
Police said investigations will be conducted to ascertain how he acquired these assets as he was found to be unemployed.
“The mentioned assets will also form part of the investigations by the HAWKS as well as other Law Enforcement Agencies” said police.
The North West province has been engulfed by a measure increase in fraudulent crime, in particular card cloning.
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Rustenburg-MEC for the Department of Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison in the North West Nono Maloyi has called on drivers to be extra careful and have patience on the provincial roads.
The MEC’s appeal follows the death of six people this morning, on the R30 road between Derby and Rustenburg.
“According to police and traffic authorities, the two vehicles were driving opposite directions when they collided head on, around 06H00 this morning. Police further report that a jaws of life had to be used to cut both vehicles to remove the bodies of all six occupants” said MEC Maloyi.
The Police suspect that one of the two vehicles might have encroached on the other side after failing to negotiate a curve, resulting in the fatal crush.
“All deceased are said to be male, and police are still verifying their age as well as contacting their next of kin” said Maloyi.
Police said that speed might have also contributed to the unfortunate accident.
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Pic:(Suspects flanked with police after he was busted)

By Obakeng Maje

Pampierstad-The Police in Pampierstad are investigating a case of dealing in dagga after a 33 year-old male was arrested at his home today at approximately 03:00am. 

“The police followed up on leads of dagga sales at the specific premises and managed to pounce on the suspect in the early hours of the morning when he least expected it” Lieutenant Sergio Kock said. 

The police allegedly found two bags and 14 arms of dagga at the premises. 

The dagga has an approximate street value of R175 000,00 and weighs 35,2 kg. 

“The police laud the Pampierstad Community for their assistance with regard to the information provided to police” said Kock. The suspect will be appear at Pampierstad Magistrate Court soon. 

The investigation continues.

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HUHUDI – North West Premier, Mme Thandi Modise has called on the church to pray for unity, stability and promote good moral values because democracy cannot function well in the face of decaying moral values and human indignity.

Addressing the ZCC Mass Prayers Meeting held at Huhudi Stadium on Sunday, Premier Modise said that faith based organisations can play a huge role in uniting the people of the province.

“We are living at times where our people are speaking in different voices and are continuously disunited.

As partners with government in the Moral Regeneration Movement, the church also needs to continue to play a critical role in ensuring that the moral values of ubuntu such as respect for human life, and respect for each other are inculcated, especially among our youth.” She said.

ZCC is one of the churches with the biggest membership and following on the continent with over 4 million memberships.

Premier Modise said that members of the church are more than residents of the province and ironically more than members of the ANC.

More than 150 thousand members of the church painted the town of Vryburg with yellow and green as they joined the two days prayer service.

Many members of the church from local communities and outside the borders of South Africa such as Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe joined the service.

Premier Modise said through the prayers of the churches most of the challenges faced by the province can be solves.

“Our communities are experiencing a lot of social ills, we read on newspapers and radios that woman and children are being raped everyday. Young people are taking drugs at an early age and commit a lot of crimes in our various communities, we need to pray for all this because government cannot work alone in solving problems of this nature,” she said.

Premier Modise also highlighted that as the continent celebrate the 50th anniversary of the organization of the 10th African Union, the service should change the order of things in the realm of the spirit.

“I wish to reiterate that African from time to time immemorial upheld appreciate moral standards and their moral standing chiselled in their culture and traditions have punctuated the heartbeat of every part of their social and economic lives,

This weekend of blessing for our province, its towns and villages is about looking to the Lord as the author and perfector of our faith,” she said.

Reflecting on His Grace Bishop Dr.Barnabus Lekganyane’s Easter message that called for South Africans to fight against what is ugly and repulsive in our society, Premier Modise said that unemployment, inequality and poverty are repulsive and ugly and need government to work together with churches to defeat them..

“The ANC led government regards the church as one of its principal partners as we strive to improve the lives of all our people, especially the poor. Accordingly, we urge the church to continue to use its capacity and infrastructure positively to impact on the process of transformation and change” she appealed.

“Tribalism, racism, crime, corruption and greed also are repulsive and ugly as they rob our people and defer their dream of a better life for all that many of our people fought and died for. Working together we can do more to restore the dignity of our people,” she emphasised.

Modise said that the message of the Christian faith is fundamentally about upholding the values of justice, equality, peace, respect of human rights, prosperity and goodwill towards all people.

Premier Modise said that In 1927, when the status of African chieftancy was downgraded by the Native Administration Act, Bishop Angus Lekganyane refused to recognise that African chieftancy was subject to the whims and life of the oppressive minority government.

“To him, the African chieftaincy was an institution not to be tampered with, least of all by a foreign people who understand very little or nothing about African culture,” she said.

Modise said that government count on the church to lead communities in working together with it to foster respect of human rights, strengthening of families and communities and to build a strong foundation for a caring society that respects our traditional leaders and the institutions of traditional leaders.

Premier Modise thanked the ZCC church for taking all the efforts to hold the service in the province.

In praying for the province Bishop Lekganyane acknowledged that the country is experiencing a lot of social ills.

“We have honoured the invite from Premier Modise to conduct this service because the church is equally concerned about the challenges faced by the country particularly the North West province,”

We will pray all of us as the church for the province to be at peace, he said.

Bishop Lekganyane also praised Premier Modise for having the courage to leading the province to the right direction.

“I would like to thank Premier Modise for her courage and commitment to partner with the church.

We will continue even after this service to pray for the province and its leadership,” he said.

JOHANNESBURG – Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) leader Joseph Mathunjwa said on Monday a protected strike at Lonmin’s Marikana mine was a possibility after talks about majority union recognition had deadlocked.

Mathunjwa was fighting for majority recognition at the North West platinum mine and called on the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) to vacate its offices.

There were tensions between the two unions at the volatile mine sparking fears of further unrest.

Mathunjwa said talks at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration with Lonmin bosses last week were unsuccessful.

“The certificate of non-revolution was issued so it is for Amcu to decide which direction to go. We could either go for arbitration as applicants or apply for protected industrial action.”

AMCU INTIMIDATING NUM MEMBERS

NUM last week said it was losing members in the Rustenburg area because workers were being intimidated to join Amcu.

NUM used to be the majority union at Lonmin and had an agreement in place to only leave their office space in July.

Amcu is pushing for the union to leave before then.

It wants majority recognition now that it represents about 70 percent of employees.

NUM’s France Baleni said members are not leaving because of better prospects at Amcu.

“Intimidation forced members out of NUM. When things are normalised workers will return to the union because that is where they receive quality service.”

Baleni said they were willing to work with Amcu to prevent job losses in the mining industry, but Amcu is continuing its fight for majority recognition, which some analysts said could spark more violence in the future.

VIOLENCE AT LANXESS

Miners and security clashed last week at Lanxess Chrome mine last week which resulted in 10 miners being rushed to hospital.
Workers embarked on an unprotected strike last week demanding performance bonuses.

About 500 miners gathered outside the main gate, where clashes broke out with security guards.

The police’s Thulani Ngubane said several rounds of rubber bullets were fired.

“About 10 protesters were injured and then taken to the mine hospital. The situation is currently under control.”

Last week, workers at Marikana downed tools for two days.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said continued labour unrest could see further job losses and companies closing down, but in Rustenburg the situation remained hostile with wage issues and union rivalry still sparking violence.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za

Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini says government and different stakeholders should play a key role in addressing the issue of child and women abuse.

Speaking on the SABC’s Morning Live, Dlamini said some of the issues that will be discussed at the launch of National Child Protection Week at the Durban International Convention Centre are abuse, rape and human trafficking.

The launch of the CPW will correspond with the opening of the Orphans, Vulnerable Children and Youth (OVCY) Conference on May 27, 2013. The theme for this year’s campaign is “Working Together to Protect Children”.-Edited by Sthembiso Sithole.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

At least 18 people have been killed and 30 others injured in five separate accidents across the country in the past 24 hours. In the latest accident, four people were killed and more than 25 injured when a bus transporting ZCC members overturned on the N1 in Mookgopong, Limpopo.

In the same province two people were killed and ten seriously injured when a minibus taxi overturned on the R71 in Mankweng outside Polokwane.

Still in Limpopo, five people were killed in an accident involving a truck and a car in Makhado.

In the Free State, four people were killed and three injured in a collision between two vehicles in Welkom and in the Northern Cape three people have been killed after the car they were travelling in rolled down an embankment outside Kuruman.

Limpopo Roads and Transport spokesperson Kagiso Mootane says, “The one that happened at Mookgopong, between Mookgopong and Modimolle, which was a bus from Modjadji, the one that was carrying a ZCC members from Gauteng province that are residents of Limpopo, where we lost four people and the other one is that one at Makhado we lost five people. And at Mankweng, around Ga-Thoka, a Toyota quantum was travelling at R71 from Tzaneen direction where a Toyota quantum lost control and overturned. We lost two people there on the scene.”
For http://www.sabc.co.za

Lawyer for the wounded and arrested Lonmin miners in Marikana Dali Mpofu has accused National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega of showing no regret for the killing of the miners last year.

Mpofu says a newspaper article reported that Phiyega said police were not sorry for what happened at the Lonmin Platinum Mine in Marikana in the North West, after 34 miners were killed.

Phiyega, who is testifying at the Commission of Inquiry sitting in Rustenburg, has refuted that. However, Mpofu says she did not refute the report which was published last year.

“And there seems to be this reluctance, without taking legal obligations and all that kind of things, simply to say ‘We are Sorry’.”

Phiyega says, “So why should I be sorry for the thing that I have said to you I did not do? And when it comes to lives, my statement, my attestation to this commission, I have expressed my issues, my sentiments on that matter, so I’m concerned when you are saying I have failed to do so, when I’ve done it in the ears and eyes of everybody here.”

Last week, she came out in defence of the officers who were on the ground during the shooting on August 16, 2012. However, Phiyega also reiterated that she was not a trained police officer and therefore would not answer certain questions.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Durban – The KwaZulu-Natal High Court has ordered the provincial education department to pay damages of R3.9m to a former pupil accidentally hit by a teacher, the Mercury reported on Monday.

According to the paper, the teacher hit the young boy in the eye with the tip of his belt while he was beating another pupil.

The incident happened 10 years ago when Simphiwe Shange was a Grade 9 pupil at Gcwalulwazi High School in Eshowe.

Shange was left partially blind in his right eye after deputy principal Moses Biyela unbuckled his belt and hit another pupil.

The Mercury reported that Judge Dhaya Pillay ruled that the MEC was liable for the incident and awarded damages of R3.9m plus costs.

The paper reported that the claim included the costs for loss of earnings, future eye operations, special school fees, and general damages.

– SAPA

Moroka Swallows midfielder Lerato Chabangu has dedicated his MTN8 Last Man Standing award to his team-mates.

Ace pocketed R80 000 after being named the MTN8 Player of the Tournament on Sunday night at the Premier Soccer League 2012/13 awards and a modest Chabangu feels the individual award was down to teamwork.

“This is a reward for all my hard work, but I must give credit to my team-mates and my family for encouraging me through the ups and downs,” Chabangu tells KickOff.com.

“So I dedicate this award to my teammates for all the encouraging words. They supported me throughout the season,” he says.

The award, however, comes on the back of being dropped from the Bafana Bafana squad to play the 2014 World Cup qualifiers next month against Central African Republic and Ethiopia.

Chabangu reckons the accolade will motivate him to bounce back into the national team fold.

“Firstly, I just want to wish the national team well for the upcoming matches and I think they can make us proud.

“I’m sad that I didn’t make the squad, but it is a wake-up call for me to work harder to return to the national team and this award is motivation for me in a sense that hard work pays off in the end and if I work hard, I will be back in the Bafana squad,” he concludes.
For more http://www.kickoff.com