A light plane that crashed at Lanseria airport on Thursday morning appeared to be having trouble shortly after takeoff, according to eyewitness accounts.

ER24 spokesperson, Vanessa Jackson, said “according to eyewitnesses it appeared that the trouble started shortly after takeoff and the plane then went down”.

According to Jackson investigations are still underway as to the cause of the plane crash.

Two people were on board the plane when it crashed.

“The light aircraft with the two on board went down in an open field outside of the airport and when rescuers and paramedics arrived it was evident that the two had not survived their injuries,” she said.

It has been confirmed that the casualties include a man and woman. 

  News24

By Lesedi Setlhodi

It started as a joke between friends,but instead the idea blossomed and drew thousands of readers who could just not wait for another chapter to be written. 

Mike Maphoto the man who keeps you so captivated with his creative humorous writing skills. Maphoto’s prose has the merits of simplicity, euphony and precision.

His descriptions leave one as if standing in the South African landscape. He tells most relevant stories that hit home to most of the South African youth through his blog. 

“The Diary of a Zulu girl” consists of over 80 chapters. Its about a first year student at a tertiary level and her drastic life experiences in the City of Gold. 

Here is how our chat went with Mike…so seatback and relax while our crew, Lesedi Setlhodi talks to the finest author. 

 Before we get too deep, people would like to know the author behind the blog… 

Mike: I was actually born in Harare Zimbabwe. My parents are politicians and where also in exile. My father at the time was the Chief Commissioner of the ANC and is known as being the first South African black man to know that Mandela will be released. He was the one who broke the news to the ANC in exile.

As a General in Umkhonto we Sizwe,the airport was named after him in Limpopo province. 

I therefore comes from a political background. 

Law was a natural step for me, and I studied Political Studies(degree) at the University of Cape Town. After graduated back in 2007, I went back to Polokwane. I never worked as lawyer, but instead got into the logistic business. My father always had a philosophy, “You don’t go to school to get a job but to create jobs” 

With that he got me my first truck and that was it. I do consult though with my law degree but not as my main source of income. 

 Your blog draws attention of thousands of the readers from the very first chapter. Your way of writing is at the level that readers can relate to, your story hits home especially to the youth. Tell us more about how the “Diary of a Zulu girl” came to life…

Mike: The diary was not written to be famous or for popularity. On the contrary, it started off as a joke with one of my friends who likes name dropping. The trick was to see if he would say he knew all the people involved. The truth is that,he even said he grew up with Thandeka. However, I used real characters for real people and these are indeed true stories and experiences. I took four girls whose stories I know very well and combined them into one character,Thandeka Mkhize. This way I made Thandeka relives all the things they have experienced as though it was her life. 

 Many readers did not see this coming; the diary appears to be written by a girl whereas it is in real life scripted by a man. Why the twist of roles?

Mike: The aim was never to deceived anyone. Like I said, the blog’s popularity was very much accidental and it had been intended for a smaller audience. I believe women have more stories to tell than men because most women are reactive as opposed to proactive when coming to relationships. Most women have seen a lot and been through a lot in their day-to-day lives,but because culture, society and tradition dictate that a woman can not be too open about who she shares her favours with, these stories are left untold. Had the writer indeed been a woman a lot of women would have stopped reading because she would have been judged as a “whore” without people actually looking at the issues.

 Mike, what are your future plans? Is there a hard copy we should be looking forward to?

Mike: The hard copy is already in the pipeline. It is a lot of work as there is much to be done with it. Already the blog is being translated into Zulu and Tswana. The aim is to approach Education Department and say, here is a book that your grade 11s and 12s can relate with,which is full of life lessons.

 How true is it that your fans can expect a filmed version of the Diary of a Zulu girl?

Mike: It is very true. I am already in talks with a major broadcaster and we are at very advanced level. What is left is to sign and publicize. Its rather a big project considering the most sought after TV role in South Africa today.

 Any words to the youth of South Africa……..

Mike: The problem with the youth of today is not that we are overexposed to the media. The problem is we are miseducated and under-educated about what life is and should be. Whatever you do in life, take a moment and step back, consider whether what you are doing is necessary, how will it benefit you and others. Then mulls the consequences! Everything you do must have relevance. Don’t be a hero! 

A book is in the pipeline and so is the filmed version of the Diary of a Zulu girl with the main character being a village girl, Thandeka Mkhize. 

Mike is surely taking blogging to the next level and his fans are eager to get their hands on the hard copy and to finally seatback on the couch and enjoy the eventful series’ of Thandeka’s life.  

All the best with your adventures Mike! 

Meet Thandeka and other amazing characters on http://www.diaryofazulugirl.co.za 

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or contact us for more information regarding Mike Maphoto’ stories.

Johannesburg – The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria will hand down judgment on Thursday on an application for the state to fund legal representation for the victims of the Marikana shootings.

Dali Mpofu, who is representing the wounded and arrested miners at the hearings of the Farlam Commission of Inquiry, had brought an urgent application for the state to fund their legal representation.

He wants President Jacob Zuma and Justice Minister Jeff Radebe to approve state payment of the mineworkers’ legal team.

Mpofu last week told the court the miners wounded and arrested at Marikana last year were entitled to legal representation at the state’s expense.

He told the court the legal team had not received any funding from June to October and that the commission was unlikely to finish its work by its extended deadline of 31 October.

The commission is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 34 striking mineworkers shot by police at Marikana in North West on 16 August last year and the deaths of 10 people in strike-related violence the previous week.

Mpofu on Monday provisionally withdrew from the commission pending the outcome of the court case.

Two other parties participating in the commission – the Legal Resources Centre and the families of the miners killed – also withdrew provisionally.

– SAPA

Following his side’s 5-3 penalty shootout win over South Africa in the semifinal of the Cosafa Cup on Wednesday, Zambia coach Herve Renard says his side were extremely lucky.

The match ended goalless after 120 minutes of football, but South Africa dominated the second half proceedings at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola as they struck the woodwork on two occasions.

Renard admitted his team were lucky to get the better of Bafana and cited Zambia as his teams’ lucky hunting ground.

“I think it was a very tough game,” said Renard.

“We played a very good game in the first half, but physically South Africa are very strong and we couldn’t find a lot of opportunities.

“They were unlucky in the second half, they hit the bar two times.

“I think there is something in Zambia, I don’t know what but for the third time we are qualifying on penalties, we won the Africa cup on penalties.

“Now we are going to the final, the most important thing is to win the final not to be in it.”
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Despite South Africa losing 5-3 in a penalty shootout to Zambia in a Cosafa Cup semifinal on Wednesday night, Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund said his side was the better of the two and deserved the win.

The game finished 0-0 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium after 120 minutes of action, but Igesund felt Zambia were lucky to get away with the penalty shootout win.

“Congratulations to Zambia, they won it in a penalty shootout, but you know it is not always the best team that wins it on the night,” said Igesund.

“I thought we were better tonight, I thought we dominated the game especially in the second half, we hit the post twice, but at the end of the day it was a good run out and I saw a lot of good things from my guys.

“Obviously I am disappointed for the players because it would have been nice to be in the final, I think we deserve to be there, but as I said, well done to Zambia and I wish them good luck.”

Asked whether he thought the home nation’s backing gave them an advantage Igesund said his side were not affected.

“I don’t think the crowd affected us. You saw the way we played; we moved the ball around, especially in the second half. The first half I didn’t think we played that well, but the second half I thought we played really well and took the game to them,” added the Bafanan coach.

“I think we were very unfortunate not to have won the game in regular time.”

In conclusion, Igesund said he was very happy with his team’s performance, but admitted their finishing could improve.

“There is always room for improvement, this is only the second game this team has played together and they will come on in leaps and bounds,” said Igesund.

“I was very happy with our defence, I think defensively we were very, very strong. I though in the midfield we dominated but I do think we could have done a little better upfront.”
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has lashed out at state power utility Eskom for allegedly trying to unilaterally implement a revised wage offer of 5.6% and for lodging a dispute at the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) after unions rejected the offer.

NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni says the union fully supports the demands tabled by its members and has appealed to the utility to accept them.

“It is totally unacceptable for Eskom to declare a dispute with the CCMA when it is the unions that are aggrieved by its intransigence; and as a union we are infuriated by Eskom‘s behavior particularly as it seeks to unilaterally implement by hook or crook a five year wage agreement,”says Baleni.

“We reject the notion of a package deal for Eskom workers. We reject a multi-year agreement and call on Eskom to meet the demands of our members. Eskom workers are forever been provoked by their employer simply on the basis that they are labelled essential services,” he added.

Baleni says the NUM is concerned about the effect of Eskom’s decision on the morale of the workforce with workers embarking on unprotected strikes at the Matla power station in Mpumalanga and elsewhere.

“The NUM calls for heads to roll at Eskom’s top management for inciting workers into illegal, unprotected strike action, refusing to listen to employees and thus creating a rupture in the parastatal’s industrial relations,” he says.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

The Democratic Alliance (DA) wants the drug Nyaope to be classified as an illegal substance. The party’s Shadow Police Minister, Diane Kohler Barnard visited a rehab centre in Ivory Park on the Gauteng East Rand.

Nyaope, made from a volatile cocktail of rat poison, heroin and ARVs is a drug that has torn communities apart. In Ivory park, an estimated 7 in 10 youth are addicted to it, some as young as 9.

Operation Thiba Nyaope started in 2009, but citizens have forked out for a rehabilitation facility.

A journalism graduate, Vernon Kale, who is recovering here also succumbed to the false charm of the drug. “I was working for the National Intelligence when I was then introduced to Nyaope. I lost everything including my job, my girlfriend and valuables that I had started selling to support my habit,” says Kale.

At the centre, Nyaope-users are offered accommodation and counselling. They are also taught life skills. “The pressure that we have now is that the number is increasing everyday because everyone has hope that we can deliver better but we struggle with funds to cater for the addicts,” says President of Operation Thiba Nyaope, Terrence Dzeli.

But the biggest worry though for this operation is that Nyaope is still not listed as a drug. “The non-classification of something that has three different names in the country is absolute nonsense. It includes drugs that are already classified. The police have no excuse whatsoever not to arrest the people who are spreading this,” says Kohler Barnard.

The Justice Department is in the process of amending the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Municipal waste management company Pikitup workers who had embarked on a three-week strike have been suspended. Employees were served with suspension letters from the management on Wednesday.

Workers had embarked on a strike because of measures that the company has introduced. These include the suspension of working half days on pay day and a lack of transport to take workers to and from work.

Affected areas included Blairgowrie, Bordeaux, Linden Extension, Darrenwood, Midrand, Diepsloot, Ivory Park, Windsor, Bryanston, Northriding and others.

Pikitup Communications Manager Pansy Oyedele says: “No the strike is not over and I’m saying that because there has been no strike at all at Pikitup.

“What has been happening with the current action is that the department of Labour came to Pikitup and confirmed that whenever you transport workers safely to their site, there are certain standards which must be meet with regard to the trucks as they are currently. They are not safe and they are not in compliance. Pikitup decided to suspend workers and ignore that notice by the department of Labour,” says Oyedele.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za