By Obakeng Maje

Rustenburg-North West police arrested a 31 year old suspect for allegedly raping a 43 year-old woman in Photsaneng village on Sunday at about 03:30. 

“It is alleged that the woman was asleep when the suspect gained entry into the house by cutting the chain that was used to lock the door” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.   

Police said he allegedly threatened the woman with a firearm and demanded money from her.  

Colonel Mokgwabone said allegedly the lady refused to give him money and he allegedly raped her at gun-point.  

“The suspect fled the scene on foot after the ordeal and he allegedly handed himself to the police hours later after getting information that the police were looking for him” said police.

He was subsequently arrested and appeared  before Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday with charges of Rape and Pointing of Firearm. 

“A man was remanded in custody for further investigation and bail application. He will appear before the court again on Monday, 8 July 2013” concludes Mokgwabone.     

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The strides that the provincial government will make in the coming months will show its resolve to shift gear for faster delivery, North West Premier Thandi Modise said in dismissing criticism levelled by Provincial Democratic Alliance Leader Chris Hattingh against the cabinet reshuffle announced last week.  

Hattingh’s criticisms are a desperate attempt to distort and exaggerate the reasons that necessitated the changes in the Executive Council (Exco), the North West Provincial Government said in a statement issued on Monday.

In reaction to the criticisms, Premier Modise said that though it was expected that Hattingh would as a reactionary who opposes everything for the sake of opposing, the extent to which he stoops low for political mileage is pathetic.

“Political expediency and driving a wedge among ruling party members matter more to Hattingh than good governance and service delivery hence he is dead silent while we wage war against corruption syndicates. The people of our province do not have short memories and are not ignorant of the challenges we are facing as Hattingh thinks they do.

They and not Hattingh will hold us accountable to our commitment that where public funds are found to have been misappropriated, steps would be taken to recoup every cent.” emphasised Modise.

She said that eliminating hang ups that the DA wanted unresolved for it to use as ammunition in the coming elections has frustrated Hattingh’s party hence it is clutching for straws and targeting Exco members with speculative and untested allegations to remain relevant.

Premier Modise reiterated that the appointment of three new members to the Executive Council should not be misinterpreted to suggest that the recalled members were found guilty of any wrongdoing as matters they were allegedly involved in have not been concluded.

She stressed that all of them executed their tasks with distinction and that none of the allegations against them have been proved or disproved.

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By Obakeng Maje

Mahikeng- North West police arrested a woman on charges of theft after she allegedly stole a money from Absa client.

The incident took place yesterday at Mahikeng when a woman allegedly masquerading as Absa employee.

“The police arrested a middle aged woman after she allegedly pretended as Absa employee in Mahikeng yesterday” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.

According to police, a woman was in the Absa bank wearing a T-shirt depicted with Absa bank logo.

She allegedly pretended to be working for the bank and targeted clients who want to deposit bulk amount of money.

“The woman allegedly approached a man who wanted to deposit cash and tool him to “her” office.

She allegedly took the money from him and went out of the office under the pretext of putting it in a safe” said police.

The woman allegedly left the bank and a suspecting client left the room after few minutes.

“The client saw that the woman isn’t coming back after he spent few minutes with a woman nowhere to be found” said Mokgwabone.

North West police were called after a man allegedly went outside and found his perpetrator.

He allegedly grab her and took his money from a woman and the police were called.

“We arrested a woman and found 13 Identity Documents in a woman’s possession. She was arrested and will appear tomorrow at Mmabatho Magistrate Court for theft” said Mokgwabone.

Police preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect has 13 Identity Documents which were found in her possession. 

She has been linked to cases of similar modus operandi in Sandton, Rosebank and Lyttelton in Gauteng Province.  

She is expected to appear before Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, Wednesday.

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Acting deputy judge-president of the Eastern Cape has ruled that arguments in the legal battle over the exhumation of the remains of three Mandela family members will be heard in open court.

This follows an urgent application by the SA Editors’ Forum after most of the arguments were heard in chambers. The Editors’ Forum had applied for arguments in the matter between Mandla Mandela and 16 other family members to be public and not in the judge’s chambers as was the case yesterday.

Judge Lusindiso Pakade says the matter is of public interest. Mandla Mandela is opposing an interim order granted by the Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha on Friday, compelling him to rebury the remains of Tembekile, Makgato and Makaziwe in Qunu. He exhumed the remains in 2011 to rebury them at Mvezo where he is chief.

Meanwhile, a meeting by chiefs close to the family is expected to be convened in Qunu. They want the matter resolved amicable without the intervention of the courts.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

President Jacob Zuma has wished former President FW de Klerk a speedy recovery. De Klerk was admitted to the Cape Town Panorama clinic on Tuesday morning for an immediate installation of a pacemaker.

Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj says President Zuma has appealed to South Africans to keep De Klerk in their thoughts and prayers. It is expected that he will be discharged from hospital on Wednesday morning.

De Klerk Foundation spokesperson Dave Stewart says the Noble Peace prize laureate was experiencing dizzy spells caused by an irregular heartbeat.

Stewart added that De Klerk felt ill after arriving back in the country on Sunday. He had cancelled his working holiday in Europe this weekend to return to South Africa in lieu of former president Nelson Mandela’s condition.

“Mr De Klerk is doing fine, he is going into hospital today (Tuesday) to have a pacemaker installed, and it’s a fairly routine procedure. He will spend the night in hospital and he should be done by tomorrow (Wednesday),” says Stewart.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

By Obakeng Maje
The Democratic Alliance has resumed control of Tlokwe municipality and this came after the failure of former Mayor Maphetle Maphetle to deal with damning forensic audit findings of corruption.
The DA commissioned the forensic audit as part of the party’s campaign against corruption during their recent period in charge of the municipality.
Today 29 councillors from all parties including the ANC voted unanimously to return the DA’s Annette Combrink to the position of Mayor.
The DA welcomes this united front against corruption in the municipality.
“The DA is the only political force that can bring stability to the municipality given the severe divisions within the ANC. We will now act immediately to deal with key delivery issues such as housing which is being affected by unsafe dolomite rocks beneath the surface threatening to collapse and endanger residents” DA Chris Hattingh said.
“We will also continue the project of making communities safer through a 24 hour safety service” Hattingh said.
Importantly, we will fill all vacant positions with officials committed to delivery in Tlokwe said Democratic Alliance said.
DA said a mayoral committee was appointed within minutes by Mayor Combrink, something the ANC failed to do in 3 months of office.
They said we will also act to deal with corruption given that the forensic audit commissioned by the DA found that –
• Former Mayor Maphetle fraudulently siphoned R300 000 from the municipality’s Poverty Relief Fund to sponsor a jazz festival.
• Fraudulent transactions took place involving more than R3,2million tax payers funds relating to shares in the Mooiriver Mall.
• Abuse of the Disaster Management Fund by Mayor Maphetle
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BY Obakeng Maje
The Democratic Alliance will make a formal appeal to Premier Thandi Modise to reverse her decision to appoint Manketsi Tlhape as Cooperative Governance MEC.
A crisis of basic service delivery exists in the North West, with many towns going without water and only 1% of informal settlements having access to proper sanitation.
“MEC Tlhape cannot be fit to turn local government around given that she presided over the collapse of Tswaing Municipality. During her time there as mayor, Tswaing was put under a Section 139 administration” DA Chris Hattingh said.
Democratic Alliance said the delivery of basic services dried up the withholding of rates and taxes became common in the municipality.
A Hawks investigation was also launched into corruption and maladministration.
“Tlhape was then tagged by the ANC to become the Ngaka Modiri Molema Municipality’s Executive Mayor, but because of her unsuitability for public office, ANC councillors defied that decision for more than two years” said Hattingh.
However ANC in the province said they are very happy regarding Tlhape’s appointment and shrugged off criticism of Manketsi Tlhape’s appointment as MEC for local government and traditional affairs.
“All these changes have never been discussed at the deployment committee (level), of which all provincial secretaries of the alliance are part. Sanco is not supporting the work done by the (provincial leadership) of the ANC, and will not fold arms and keep quiet when the organisation is being misled by a small clique of people who are in a consistent mode of faction-based politics,” said Sanco provincial secretary Packet Seaketso.
The DA urges the Premier to put politics aside and appoint an MEC who has the skills to stop the suffering of North West residents by turning local government around.
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North West – The ANC in North West has shrugged off criticism of Manketsi Tlhape’s appointment as MEC for local government and traditional affairs.

The ruling party’s endorsement of Tlhape came amid widespread criticism of her performance as mayor of the Tswaing local municipality, where she had apparently failed to display effective leadership.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Because of clubs withdrawing their players, Gordon Igesund has named an altered Bafana Bafana squad for the Cosafa Cup.

Kaizer Chiefs withdrew their players from the squad because of “fatigue”, while SuperSport United withdrew Kermit Erasmus and Ronwen Williams because of their match against English Premier League side Manchester City.

Out: Ronwen Williams, Thabo Nthethe, Tefu Mashamaite, Mulomowandau Mathoho, Tebogo Langerman, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Bernard Parker, Kermit Erasmus

In: Siyabonga Mpontshane, Buhle Mkhwanazi, Sibusiso Khumalo, Musa Bilankulu, Lehlohonolo Nonyane, Lance Davids, Sibusiso Msomi, Lerato Chabangu, Siyabonga Thwala

Updated Bafana squad

Goalkeepers: Wayne Sandilands (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siyabonga Mpontshane (Platinum Stars)

Defenders: Sibusiso Khumalo, Bevan Fransman (SuperSport United), Buhle Mkhwanazi (Chippa United), Musa Bilankulu (Bidvest Wits), Thulani Hlatshwayo (Ajax Cape Town), Lehlohonolo Nonyane (Jomo Cosmos), Tshepo Gumede (Platinum Stars)

Midfielders: Sibusiso Msomi (Platinum Stars), Lerato Chabangu (Moroka Swallows), Jabulani Shongwe, Hlompho Kekana (both Mamelodi Sundowns), Luyolo Nomandela (Free State Stars), Ruzaigh Gamaldien (Bloemfontein Celtic), Lance Davids, Lebogang Manyana (both Ajax Cape Town)

Forwards: Katlego Mashego (Moroka Swallows), Siyabonga Thwala (AmaZulu), and Thabani Mthembu (Platinum Stars)
For more http://www.kickoff.com

“We will get through this even though it is taking everything in me not to close down Fuse Academy permanently. I love SA but this is too much,” tweets DJ Zinhle.

South Africa’s queen of house music, Zinhle Jiyane, popularly known as DJ Zinhle lashed out on twitter following a break into her music school Fuse Academy.

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