Johannesburg – Six armed men have robbed a bank of an unknown amount of money in Cresta, Johannesburg, on Tuesday, Gauteng police said.
The men entered Bidvest Bank and made off with a substantial amount in a grey Opel Corsa, said Lt-Col Lungelo Dlamini. – Sapa
Polokwane, Limpopo – The Polokwane house of Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema was bought by town planner Tshimangadzo Makhokha on Tuesday.
Makhokha, who has a stake in Khoza Development Properties, bid R1.45 million for the house at auction.
Wearing a leather jacket emblazoned with African National Congress emblems, he said he was happy to have won the bidding.
He said his desire to purchase the house had nothing to do with the fact that it was owned by the expelled African National Congress Youth League leader.
He planned to use it as one of his company’s properties, he said.
The bidding, which lasted only a few minutes, opened at R500,000, followed by a bid of R600,000.
Auctioneer Aggie Stroh, of Eli Stroh Properties, who had expected the property to fetch R1.5m, said he was satisfied with the sale.
Besides its high wall, the house was not unlike other properties in the area.
Stroh advised the buyer to consult the local municipality about the abnormally high wall, which appeared to be almost double the size of others in the area.
“It is illegal… You see those marks… that is where the wall is supposed to end,” Stroh said, referring to markers placed on the wall.
He also told Makhokha a borehole on the property might not be fully functional.
Makhokha left the premises, at 23 Mopani Street, Flora Park, in an Audi A4. He had a driver.
The SA Revenue Service attached the house to recoup a R16m tax debt owed by Malema.
Malema’s incomplete mansion in Sandton, Johannesburg, was sold at auction for R5.9m in May. His farm in Limpopo fetched R2.5m at auction in June.
Several of his household goods were also auctioned off earlier in the year. – Sapa
Former Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates captain, Jimmy Tau, announced his retirement from professional football on Tuesday, at the Soweto Hotel and Conference Centre, in Gauteng.
Having been released by Chiefs at the end of last season, on the back of double league and cup winning campaign, Tau has decided to hang up his boots.
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Despite finally landing their man, Kermit Erasmus, Orlando Pirates may still be without him during their CAF Champions League campaign.
After months of speculation it was revealed earlier today that the 23-year-old had put pen to paper on a three-year deal with the Buccaneers as they continued to bolster their squad ahead of the new season.
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Pretoria – The notion of settling by “democratic means” the dispute over who the mayor of Tlokwe should be was raised by a judge in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Judge Neil Tuchten said since the ANC said it was the majority party in the Tlokwe municipality, the question was whether the effects of a council meeting unseating mayor Maphetle Maphetle could not be put right by “democratic means”.
“If this is possible wouldn’t it be right for me to decline my right to grant an interdict?” he asked.
He said the applicants had to consider whether public funds should be used to pay the lawyers in the matter.
“The long-suffering people of Tlokwe don’t have to pay for this matter.”
Tuchten said an application to have Maphetle’s unseating declared invalid would be heard later in the day.
The African National Congress wanted a council meeting that saw Democratic Alliance councillor Annette Combrink voted in as mayor nullified. The ANC did not recognise Combrink as mayor and said Maphetle still held the post.
On 2 July, Combrink was voted in as the new mayor for the second time since November, unseating Maphetle.
The next day, the ANC’s North West provincial disciplinary committee expelled 14 of its councillors who voted to unseat Maphetle. They were also removed as Tlokwe councillors.
On 10 July, the ANC served court papers on 48 Tlokwe municipal councillors – 26 of them ANC councillors, 19 DA, two Freedom Front Plus councillors, and one from the Congress of the People.
SAPA
Johannesburg – Public Protector Thuli Madonsela is assessing a complaint about the landing of an aircraft chartered by the Gupta family at the Waterkloof Air Force Base, her office said on Tuesday.
“The assessment of the complaint is still underway. It includes interviewing identified witnesses,” said spokesperson Oupa Segalwe.
“It is only after this assessment that the public protector will decide whether or not to launch a fully-fledged investigation into the matter.”
Of the three witnesses, two had already been interviewed, Segalwe said.
The aircraft, carrying 270 guests to a Gupta family wedding, landed at the base in April, amid widespread criticism.
A government investigation exonerated President Jacob Zuma and his ministers, and found that the landing was the result of “collusion by officials”.
SAPA
By Obakeng Maje
Mmabatho- Yesterday Mmabatho Magistrate Court handed a two year imprisonment to a bank fraudster in Mahikeng.
Dineo Molete,29 was arrested a month ago after she entered Absa bank wearing a t-shirt depicted with a bank logo.
She lured a clients who were doing bulk deposit.
“Molete took a man to her “office” under false pretext. She pretended helping a client and left the bank with his cash” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.
A man became suspicious after Molete never came back. He stormed out of the bank and recognised her outside the bank.
“A client chased Molete and grabbed her where he found his cash. Molete was arrested and police found 13 IDs in her possession” Mokgwabone said.
Police said according to preliminary investigations, Molete has other fraud cases around three provinces.
Police said she was sanctioned to two years for theft.
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By Obakeng Maje
Lichtenburg-Police arrested six suspects ranging between 23 and 46 on Monday along Putfontein Road, in Lichtenburg.
“It is alleged that a motorist passerby was crossing the road when he saw the suspects and became suspicious. He called Lichtenburg Police, informed them about the incident and gave them the direction were suspects were heading to” captain Pelonomi Makau said.
The police responded swiftly and managed to trace and stop the green Toyota corolla. They searched it and found 170 metres of burnt copper cable in the boot and at the back seat of the vehicle.
All six suspects from Blydeville location in Lichtenburg, were arrested for possession of stolen property and are expected to appear before Lichtenburg Magistrates’ Court soon.
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Johannesburg – The North West ANC has described the attack of a man on his way to a National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) rally as “barbaric”.
“The African National Congress in the North West condemns with disdain the barbaric attack of Andrew Matlapeng Nkomo,” spokesperson Kenny Morolong said in a statement on Monday night.
“Nkomo was allegedly attacked by unidentified hooligans at Nkaneng informal settlement. We further refute reports that Nkomo has died. The ANC wishes him a speedy recovery.”
Morolong said Nkomo sustained serious injuries to his neck and head. He was discharged from hospital on Monday and was receiving treatment at home.
Leadership of the ANC in the province would visit Nkomo on Thursday, said Morolong. Nkomo is a member of the ANC from Segwela informal settlement.
“The ANC is making a clarion call to all affected parties to desist from any acts of provocation, violence and intimidation and to respect the Marikana Peace Accord signed on the 25 February,” said Morolong.
On Sunday, NUM was trying to recruit new members after losing its majority union status to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union at Lonmin’s Marikana mine.
The union has referred a dispute about the interpretation and implementation of its recognition agreement with the platinum mining company to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
Forty-four people were killed in Marikana last August during strike-related violence at Lonmin. Police shot 34 of them on 16 August.
Ten people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed in the preceding week.
SAPA
Cape Town – A policeman was shot dead and another was wounded while on patrol in Nyanga, Western Cape police said on Tuesday.
The policeman was shot in the head by two men he and a partner stopped to search on Monday night, said Captain Frederick van Wyk. He died later in hospital.
The other policeman was wounded in the hand and shoulder in an exchange of fire with the two gunmen, who shot at them while they were getting out of their police car at the corner of Zwelitsha and Hlathe roads.
Two members of the public were also wounded in the crossfire and were taken to hospital, said Van Wyk.
“Several shots were fired and SA Police Service members returned fire as the suspects fled the scene on foot,” he said.
The men stole a service pistol from one of the policemen before fleeing.
An officer was shot in the head and died later in hospital.
No arrests had been made.
“This attack on police officers will not be tolerated and every endeavour will be made to bring those responsible to book,” Van Wyk said.
SAPA
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