By Obakeng Maje

Lefaragatlha-Police have issued a stern warning to women to elude walking alone at night especially in dark and isolated areas.  

This comes in the wake of another rape near a graveyard in Lefaragatlha.

The latest incident occurred at about 23:00 on Friday, near cemetery in Raphafana Section. “It is alleged that the victim (16) and her friend were walking on their way home when they were attacked by three African males” colonel Lesego Metsi said.

The suspects apparently pointed them with a firearm and covered her friend’s face with a cloth so that she would not be able to see them. 

“The attackers then took turn raping the complainant. This is the second rape incident this year to have occurred near a graveyard in this area” Metsi said.  

In March 2013, a 31-year-old woman, who was with her boyfriend was gang-raped by six men next to the cemetry.  

Both rape cases occurred during the night on Fridays. Meanwhile, police have issued the following safe tips to women:

•If possible,avoid walking during night

•If possible,walk in groups especially during the night

•Beware of your surroundings at all times

∙Learn to trust your instincts

∙Carry self-defence equipments  e.g. pepper spray that you can use in case of an attack. 

Police are appealing to members of the community to come forward with information that could assist police in apprehending the suspects. Anyone with information should contact Tlhabane SAPS on 014 565 9154 or CrimeStop on 086 001 0111.

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Johannesburg – Nelson Mandela spent a second night in critical condition in hospital on Monday night, with his family members, compatriots and well-wishers worldwide fearing that the anti-apartheid icon is about to lose his final struggle.

A few vehicles were seen early on Tuesday entering and exiting the Pretoria hospital where the former president is being treated, but otherwise the scene was quiet except for the now normal gaggle of journalists.

On Monday, President Jacob Zuma said that “former president Mandela remains in a critical condition in hospital.”

“The doctors are doing everything possible to ensure his well-being and comfort,” Zuma added.

Mandela was rushed to hospital on 8 June with a recurring lung infection.

Despite intensive treatment at Pretoria’s Mediclinic Heart Hospital, the 94-year-old’s condition appears to have suddenly and dramatically deteriorated in recent days.

Visitors

Ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, daughters Zindzi Mandela-Motlhajwa and Zenani Mandela-Dlamini and scores of officials flocked to the hospital on Monday.

The family visits, while common since Mandela was admitted 17 days ago, come amid heightened fears for the former statesman’s health.

Mandela’s eldest daughter Makaziwe has said her father appears to be at peace with himself.

“He has given so much to the world. I believe he is at peace.”

At the same time she complained about the “media frenzy” over her father’s condition.

“Whether these are the last moments with us, to be with our dad, or there is still a longer (time), but they (media) must back off,” she told CNN.

Zuma on Monday also hailed the life of a man seen as the father of the nation, whose citizens must accept his frailty.

“All of us in the country should accept that Madiba is now old,” Zuma said, using Mandela’s clan name.

“I think what we need to do as a country is to pray for him to be well and that the doctors do their work.”

On the world stage Mandela is seen as a moral beacon that continues to shine long after the Nobel Peace laureate retired from public life.

Swiss tennis great Roger Federer, playing at Wimbledon, was the latest to offer Mandela his best wishes, hailing him as “influential and amazing”.

Mandela was last seen in public in 2010 at the football World Cup finals in South Africa.

“He is the father of democracy and this is the man who fought and sacrificed his life,” said Zuma, who spent 10 years in jail on Robben Island at the same time as Mandela.

‘Nothing we can do but to pray for him’

Mandela is due to celebrate his 95th birthday on 18 July. He has been hospitalised four times since December, mostly for the pulmonary condition that has plagued him for years.

As the world looked on, South Africans appeared to be coming to terms with Mandela’s decline.

“Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do but to pray for him and the doctors that are helping him,” said Phathani Mbath outside the hospital, where flowers, cards and messages of support have piled up.

In Soweto, where Mandela lived for more than a decade, James Nhlapo said South Africa must accept Mandela will not live forever.

“There will soon come a time when all the medical help won’t work. We have to face that sad reality now,” he said as he served customers in his grocery store.

Well wishes have also come from abroad. In Washington the White House said its thoughts and prayers were with Mandela.

US President Barack Obama leaves on Wednesday on a much-awaited tour of Africa that will take him to South Africa as well as Senegal and Tanzania.

The White House said it was monitoring Mandela’s condition and could not yet say whether his failing health would affect the visit.

– AFP

The trial of Shauwn Mpisane is expected to resume in the Durban Regional Court on Tuesday.

During her last appearance last month, the court queried her invoices. It was found that the amounts she admitted on allegedly fake invoices were lower than those on the genuine invoices issued by suppliers.

South African Revenue Service (SARS) auditor Waheeda Osman says the genuine invoices, for R6.5 million, had exceeded the value of the fictitious invoices by R1.5 million.

Mpisane’s defence had previously submitted that the fictitious invoices benefited neither her nor her business.

Mpisane is accused of inflating invoices by more than R5 million in an attempt to cut her tax bill.

She has pleaded not guilty.

Earlier this month, SARS raised concerns about the inaccuracy of respective news articles that reported on the criminal case and civil litigation against Mpisane and associated business entities.

According to SARS, the articles were in relation to an interim order that sought to preserve assets of the Mkhimpi Trust which is associated with Mpisane and related entities.

SARS say the news articles suggested that their decision was to “withdraw the application” for the interim order and they were pushing an agenda against Mpisane.

SARS spokesperson Adrian Lackay confirmed that this is not correct explaining that the basis for the application was that it was necessary for the assets to be safeguarded pending the further actions against Mpisane.

Lackay also dismissed claims that SARS was on a witch-hunt against Mpisane.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

More than a 1 000 learners have been granted the opportunity to cultivate their numerical skills at maths development camps presented in various provinces across the country.

The week-long camps, which kicked off on Monday are driven by the South African Institute of Chartered Accounting in partnership with the Basic Education Department.

The camps which were launched in 2005 select learners from especially underprivileged backgrounds, who demonstrate potential in maths, science and accounting.

“The key thing is we want to help them to actually up their marks, we want them to get into the Universities. Universities criteria is quite strict for learners to get into the chartered accounting profession, if u want to do a Bachelor of Commerce,” says Project co-ordinator in Cape Town, Betty Abraham.

“We introduce them to the accounting firms, where they’ll form networking with those guys…., we are hoping they will leave better people,” says Abraham.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

The trial of the man dubbed the “Modimolle monster” and three others is expected to continue in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Johan Kotze is accused of mutilating and orchestrating the gang-rape of his ex-wife Ina Bonnette, and of murdering his stepson Conrad (19) on January 3, 2012. At the time Bonnette was married to Kotze, but lived in her own flat.

His co-accused, Andries Sithole, Pieta Mohlane, and Frans Mphaka are accused of kidnapping, assaulting, repeatedly raping, and attempting to murder Bonnette. Kotze had hired the three to do work at his home.

In April, the court heard how Kotze and Bonnette had an agreement that she would have sex with three men. Sithole testified how he translated Kotze’s orders the day Bonnette was attacked in his Modimolle home.

Francois van As, for Mohlane and Mphaka, said his clients were told Kotze and Bonnette agreed she would sleep with three black men and he would arrange it for her.

Van As said Kotze told them his wife was not getting enough sex from him, he was too fat, and he suspected her of cheating. He said his clients did not want to have sex with Bonnette. They wanted their money for the day’s labour and to go home.
For more http://www.sabc.za

The White House says President Barack Obama is looking forward to his forthcoming visit to South Africa.

It says it will not speculate on how former president Nelson Mandela’s health will affect the trip. Obama and his family will depart on the first leg of their Africa visit on Wednesday.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says their thoughts and prayers are with Madiba, his family and the people of South Africa but would not be drawn on how, if at all, Obama’s visit might be affected by developments in South Africa.

Carney did say Obama was looking forward to the trip and continuing to build on the already strong partnership with the government and people of South Africa.

Earlier, SA President Jacob Zuma indicated the trip would go ahead despite the concerns over Madiba’s health. On Sunday evening, the presidency issued a statement saying Mandela’s condition had worsened and is critical.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Bloemfontein – The case against one of the men accused of plotting to assassinate ANC leaders in Mangaung was postponed in the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Monday.

The matter was heard in chambers because the psychiatric evaluation of Martin Keevy, 47, at the Free State Psychiatric Complex had not yet been completed. Keevy was sent to the complex for a 30-day evaluation about a month ago.

The matter was postponed to July 2.

Keevy, Hein Boonzaaier, 50, Johan Prinsloo, 49 and Mark Trollip, 49, were arrested on December 16.

They are accused of planning to kill African National Congress leaders by detonating a bomb at the party’s national elective conference in Mangaung.

Magistrate Mziwonke Hinxa denied Keevy, Trollip, and Prinsloo bail in January. Boonzaaier was granted R80 000 bail.

Trollip, Prinsloo, and Boonzaaier were expected to appear in court again in August. – Sapa

Nelspruit – A case of fraud, corruption and forgery against Kaizer Chiefs boss Bobby Motaung and two other men was dropped in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Monday, the SABC reported.

Magistrate Roelf Smith struck the case from the roll, saying he could see no progress into the matter.

The SABC reported that the court heard there were two conflicting letters with instructions about where the case would be heard. Smith also used those letters to justify his decision, according to the broadcaster.

Motaung, his business partner Herbert Theledi, and former Lefika Emerging Equity CEO Chris Gribb were accused of corruption related to the construction of the Mbombela Stadium ahead of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.

In April, the three accused attempted to have the case struck off the roll. They called for the charges against them to be provisionally withdrawn until the State was better prepared. The court rejected their claims.

The three face a second case, relating to R920 million involving Gribb’s former lawyer Michael Romanos, former Mbombela municipal manager Jacob Dladla, and former Ehlanzeni district municipality technical services manager, Tebogo Kubeka. – Sapa

Cape Town – Democracy – significant and effective political participation and representation – has been the biggest casualty in South Africa’s democratisation process. The biggest losers are citizens and communities whose voices are continuously drowned out of the public participation processes.

Citizens now understand that elections that are held under the “free-and-fair” banner have not necessarily translated into democracy, but are a mere unconditional delegation of power to elected representatives.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Cape Town – There has been a steady stream of relatives and senior politicians to the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria, where a critically ill Nelson Mandela is being treated.

The former president was rushed to the hospital on 8 June with a recurring lung infection.

Ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and daughters Zindzi Mandela and Zenani Mandela were among those who flocked to the hospital on Monday.

Their visits, while common since Mandela was admitted 17 days ago, come amid heightened fears for his health, which was described by President Jacob Zuma as “critical”.

Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and UDM leader Bantu Holomisa had visited the elder statesman earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, AFP reports that in Washington, the White House said on Monday it was keeping a close eye on developments in view of President Barack Obama’s visit to the country.

A spokesperson said he didn’t want to speculate about the impact of Mandela’s health on the president’s trip.

Obama is due to travel to Senegal on Wednesday and spend the weekend in South Africa before journeying on to Tanzania, on a keenly awaited first big Africa tour of his presidency.

But there has been speculation that if Mandela, 94, passes away in the next few days, the entire trip would be either cancelled or substantially reworked.

– News24