Durban – A man accused of theft and fraud left Durban Regional Court officials speechless on Monday when he appeared in the dock wearing a lawyer’s robe.
Bongani Doctor Thafeni, 32, emerged from the court cells in a black toga and armed with a black notebook. His attire had court officials looking at each other in disbelief as Thafeni confidently settled in the dock alongside his co-accused, Busani Godslove Goba, 31. Both men are from Inanda.
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Durban – A man accused of shooting dead a fellow worker at the King Edward VIII hospital appeared briefly in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The case against Khulekani Aubrey Ntuli, 43, was postponed until August 5.
Ntuli, who worked at the hospital, allegedly shot dead Sipho Mfayela, 54, on February 28, after he was told the results of a misconduct disciplinary appeal.
He was arrested in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, in May, after nearly three months on the run.
He faces charges of murder, pointing a firearm, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Sapa
Durban – A 36-year old man accused of being the Tongaat serial rapist appeared briefly in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court, north of Durban, on Tuesday.
National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson said the matter was postponed to July 30 for a bail application.
Sphiwe Patrick Khoza is accused of raping and murdering three women whose bodies were found in sugar cane fields near the town of Tongaat.
The Mercury newspaper reported on Monday that the body of Phindile Ndlovu, a domestic worker, was found in Tongaat on May 31.
The partly burnt body of Philisiwe Hlatshwayo, 44, was found by sugar cane staff investigating a fire, believed to have been started by Khoza.
The body of a third woman was reportedly found on June 8. The body was burnt beyond recognition and the woman had yet to be identified.
Khoza was alleged to have strangled the women after raping them.
Residents protested outside the court.
Ramkisson said Khoza faced three charges of murder, one of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and four of theft.
He was arrested in Cape St Francis, in the Eastern Cape, at the weekend. – Sapa
Durban – A woman taxi operator charged with the attempted murder of one of her competitors, who was thrown into a river from a bridge, has denied all knowledge of the allegations against her.
Mirriam Nxasana, 52, appeared in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday.
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hannesburg – A man wanted for various crimes in Secunda was arrested in Springs on Tuesday, Ekurhuleni metro police said.
The 21-year-old man was accused of abduction, rape and attempted murder, said Chief Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago.
He allegedly kidnapped a pregnant woman in Secunda and repeatedly raped her before dumping her in Ermelo Road, Springs.
The man would be taken to Secunda police station, Kgasago said. – Sapa
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
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