Lawyer Dali Mpofu’s statements directed at national police commissioner Riah Phiyega were shot down by other lawyers at the Farlam Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday.
Mpofu, for the miners who were wounded and arrested in a clash with police on August 16 last year, suggested the police had shown no impartiality in their actions at Marikana and had sided with Lonmin.
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Daily Archives: June 5, 2013
NUM rejects shop steward suspension allegations
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says it rejects allegations that eight shop stewards have been suspended at Lonmin mine in the North-West. The shop stewards allegedly falsified stop orders to make it seem members of the Association of the Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) had left their union and joined NUM.
NUM’s spokesperson, Lesiba Seshoka, says the allegation is not true and there will be measures taken to clear their union’s image. Seshoka says it’s a known fact that the company itself failed to eject them from their offices after their court appearance. He says they will confront those spreading the rumour and will also register their displeasure.
In confirming the suspensions, Lonmin spokesperson Sue Lindsell-Steward said on Monday that the suspensions follow an investigation.
Lindsell-Steward said at the time that three stewards were in the middle of disciplinary hearings while the remaining five face hearings this week.
NUM has until July 16 to retain its status as a majority union or vacate its offices as AMCU says it is now the majority union at Lonmin.
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New vision for NYDA
The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) is forging ahead with a new vision, shifting focus from granting loans towards a broader social role.
Tackling issues of education, alcohol and drug abuse is on the cards for the agency famous for organising what’s become known as the “kissing festival”, as part of trying to rebuild its image.
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F State cash guards catch robbers
Johannesburg – Two men were arrested on Tuesday when they tried to rob a Protea Coin Group (PCG) cash-in-transit crew in Bloemfontein, the security company said.
An armed gang robbed the guards after they collected cash from the Heidedal shopping mall.
They fled, but the driver of the cash-in-transit van gave chase, and the robbers’ getaway car abandoned them.
“Once the PCG driver closed-in on the suspects, he managed to corner and arrest one,” the company said. He recovered all the cash and a gun.
Police then arrived on the scene and arrested another man. They were still searching for other members of the group, the company said.
Warrant Officer Zweli Mohobeleli confirmed the arrests.
– SAPA
North West centralises issuing of permits to curb illegal hunting
The issuing of hunting permits for big protected species will no longer be issued in regions but will be centralised to a Provincial committee that will be mandated to issue all environmental related permits, North West MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism, Motlalepula Rosho announced in Mahikeng on Tuesday.
MEC Rosho announced that two officials who were involved in the capture of nine elephants at Sandhurst safari Lodge in Tosca on 12 March 2013 and the translocation of four to the Eastern Cape, the capture of four and destruction of two have been placed on precautionary suspension.
An independent investigation that was commissioned by Rosho had recommended that officials who were involved should be charged for violating norms and standards as outlined in the National Environmental Management Act when they allowed hunting of four adult elephants that had calves. Two of the elephants were culled during the process.
MEC Rosho’s announced the withdrawal of the permit issued for exporting the elephants to the Eastern Cape. In terms of the position adopted by Rosho’s department, the calves which were translocated have to be returned as arrangements have been made for them to be placed with adoptive parents in Limpopo.
Over and above the independent investigation, the misconduct unit in the Office of the Premier is also investigating broadly permitting within the department.
The Department had commissioned an independent investigation following the issuing of hunting and translocation/export permits to Mrs. Fletcher, who is also referred to as Mrs. Van der Merwe; the capture of nine elephants on 13 March 2012 and the translocation of four to the Eastern Cape; the capture of four and destruction of two of some of them by officials of the department.
In addition to these four key areas, the investigation also included the activities committed or conducted by some officials of the department, their conduct as well as that of the Fletchers.
Over and above this investigation, the department also referred the matter to Office of the Premier’s Misconduct Unit to look broadly into the issues of permitting within the department.
Further investigations are to include a full investigation into the Fletcher’s conduct for the pre-and-post permit-issuing activities in Sandhurst in Tosca including the disappearance of the missing elephant.
Measures instituted by the department to avert a repeat include proactive biodiversity monitoring by regional offices.
Rosho said that the Head of Department will be issuing a directive to all the Regional Offices instructing them to desist from executing official decisions or functions on the strength of informal, verbal or telephonic conversations or instruction which may have legal, regulatory, reputational or financial implications to the department but in writing and failure to do so would result in disciplinary action.
“The department will be intensifying efforts to involve communities in the fight against rhino poaching through its People and Parks Programme. We call on members of the public with information that might assist with ongoing investigations into the scourge of rhino poaching that is targeting our heritage to come forward,” MEC Rosho underscored.
Sixteen rhinos were poached in the past two weeks brining to 42 rhinos that were poached since the beginning of this year.
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