Pietermaritzburg – A taxi driver was jailed for 10 years by the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday for the deaths of 15 people due to his reckless driving.

Khululeka Gwala, 24, was convicted of 15 counts of culpable homicide, but was acquitted on four charges of attempted murder involving the people injured in the accident.

A child lost both parents in the crash.

In September 2011, Gwala was speeding down a hill into Pietermaritzburg when he crossed two solid barrier lines and drove into oncoming traffic to overtake other vehicles.

Gwala continued speeding into oncoming traffic around a bend, which restricted visibility to 80m. His taxi side-swiped a car and crashed into an oncoming truck. The vehicle landed on an embankment with the truck on top of it.

Acting Judge Piet Bezuidenhout said Gwala had made a conscious decision to cross the double lines and continue speeding.

His attempt to get back into his lane was a high-risk manoeuvre, the judge said.

Bezuidenhout said taxi drivers had a great responsibility to ensure the safety of their fares.

A police investigator said the accident scene was the worst he had seen in 20 years.

– SAPA

Pretoria – The new university being built in Kimberley next year will be called the Sol Plaatje University, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.

A new university in Mbombela would be known as the University of Mpumalanga, he said.

“Our young people are hungry for education,” Zuma told reporters in Pretoria.

“We are establishing these institutions because we want every province in the country to provide an institution of higher learning.”

He said the universities would initially take in fewer than 200 students each.

Zuma and Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande were giving an update on the progress made so far in establishing the two new universities.

During his State-of-the-Nation address, Zuma announced that construction on the universities was expected to start this year.

He said that while the universities would start operating next year, they would move into their new premises only in 2015.

– SAPA

Most senior managers of municipalities in the province are under qualified and many have schooling below matric.

This issue was regarded as a matter of concern by the provincial MEC for corporative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs, Alvin Botes.

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The Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, (Scopa), Themba Godi, said he was happy with progress made at the Northern Cape Mental Hospital.

Together with his committee members, they visited the construction site yesterday morning. This was Scopa’s second visit since last year in October.

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Lawyers for the miners wounded and arrested during labour unrest in Marikana last year are still seeking interim funding, the Farlam Commission was told on Thursday.

Evidence leader Geoff Budlender said there would be a meeting with a potential funder on Thursday night, and asked that the commission stand down until Monday.

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North West Premier Thandi Modise has welcomed the sentencing of George Nthite of Madidi village near Klipgat. Nthite was sentenced to 20 years in prison,15 for repeatedly raping a 23 year old woman  in prison for rape and kidnapping in the Garankuwa Magistrate’s court on Tuesday. He was given 15 years for repeatedly raping a 23 year old woman and 5 years for kidnapping.

Modise says the sentence will send a strong message to rapists masquerading in our communities. “Those who think that they could commit such atrocities and get away with it should think twice. We cannot have a situation where people behave like animals, violating innocent people through such despicable acts with no due regard for their rights,” said Premier Modise.”

The crime was committed on Friday, 2 September 2011 when Nthite coerced a 23-year-old woman to accompany him to his place. The court heard that upon arrival at Nthite’s place, he tied the woman’s hands and legs with a rope and raped her.

The woman was not allowed to leave and was reportedly raped again in the morning, this time in front of Nthite’s girlfriend.  The woman was then locked up inside the house for four days until the 6

thof September 2011, when Nthite raped her again.  She managed to untie herself and escape the next morning.

Premier Modise said people such as Nthite have got no place in our society and that the only place suitable for them is in prison.

Johannesburg – The legal battle between businessman Tokyo Sexwale, Bally Chuene and George Bizos, and the Mandela family might be further delayed or struck off the court roll, The New Age reported on Friday.

Michael Hart, representing Sexwale, Bizos and Chuene, will ask the court on Friday to request the Mandela family lawyers to file replying affidavits or to have the matter struck off the roll, the newspaper reported.

Zenani Mandela and Makaziwe Mandela, reportedly supported by 17 family members, filed an application at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg to remove Bizos, Sexwale, and Chuene as directors in Harmonieux Investment Holdings and Magnifique Investment Holdings.

Former president Nelson Mandela entrusted the three with the two companies, but the family members argued that the appointment was improper.

The case hit another snag on Tuesday when Ismael Ayob withdrew as attorney for the Mandela family, the newspaper reported.

SAPA