Qunu – The reburial of former president Nelson Mandela’s children in Qunu, Easterm Cape, was completed on Thursday afternoon.

Members of the family and elders sang at the gravesite in Qunu ahead of the reburial of the former president’s three children on Thursday.

Mandela’s eldest daughter Makaziwe Mandela and Mandela’s grandson Ndaba Mandela were present.

The group of about 30 people sang hymns while sheltering from the rain under umbrellas.

The ceremony took place in a field within the boundaries of Mandela’s Qunu home. Dozens of journalists stood on cars and bakkies parked behind a fence a short distance away and watched.

Earlier, the remains were positively identified as those of Mandela’s children – his eldest son Madiba Thembekile, who died in a car accident in 1969; grandson Mandla Mandela’s father Makgatho Mandela, who died in 2005; and Mandela’s first daughter Makaziwe Mandela, who died as an infant in 1948. They were identified through forensic testing.

Mandla Mandela had the bodies exhumed and moved to his village of Mvezo in 2011. He claimed that Mvezo, where he was building a multi-million-rand hotel, was the birthplace of the Mandelas and held historic significance.

A resident of the area took him to court last year for digging up graves, but that case had yet to be heard.

The Eastern Cape High Court on Wednesday granted members of the Mandela family, led by Makaziwe Mandela, an order compelling Mandla Mandela to return the remains to Qunu. He challenged the ruling, but lost.

Mandla Mandela was not at the gravesite on Thursday.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – An 11-year-old Soweto girl who was raped and stabbed is recovering in hospital, Gauteng police said on Thursday.

“She is no longer in ICU,” Warrant Officer Kay Makhubela said.

The girl and her little brother were asleep in a house in Bram Fischerville when she was attacked on Wednesday morning. She was raped and stabbed three times in the upper body. No arrests had been made.

– SAPA

By Obakeng Maje

Kimberley-Police are investigating a business burglary and possession of stolen goods after nine suspects(8 males and 1 female) were arrested in the early hours, on Thursday. 

“The police received a call from the alarm company regarding the break-in at a well-known clothing store in Phakamile Mabija Road, Kimberley” lieutenant Sergio Kock said. 

Police acted swiftly to the call and their lightning fast response yielded great results. The police notes that the suspects gained entrance into the clothing store by breaking a large front window. 

“The members of Kimberley Flying Squad and Kimberley SAPS Visible Policing unit followed up on leads of a Red Toyota Tazz that was allegedly involved in the commission of the crime” Kock said. 

The Red Toyota and its driver were later found in Roper Street in the Kimberley Central Business District. Further investigations led the police to two shanties in Galeshewe where they found the stolen clothing, still on hangers, inside the premises. 

“Nine suspects including the driver of the Toyota Tazz was arrested at approximately 02:45am and police also confiscated the Toyota Tazz” he said. 

Police also consficated stolen clothes worth R15000,00. The possibility of linking these suspects to other similar business burglaries in that vicinity will also be looked at.   

“The Kimberley Cluster Commander, Major General Jean Abrahams lauds the public for their excellent assistance and she also commends the police members for their swift response that ensured the positive arrests and confiscations” said police.

The suspects are between the ages of 19 and 34 years old and should be appearing in the Kimberley Magistrates’ Court soon. The investigating continues. Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

By Obakeng Maje

Mahikeng-North West police are investigating a robbery and murder cases after a man was shot dead during robbery.

A 31 year-old man was allegedly one one of the suspects who approached a owner of Refilling Gas Business.

Police said the owner allegedly arrived at his house with cash in his bag and was confronted by three suspects who demanded money.

“Three suspects pointed a firearm at the owner and demanded cash. The incident took place yesterday at Molopo street in Mahikeng” colonel Lesego Metsi said.

The suspects grab the bag with money and fled the scene.

The victim allegedly ordered his security personnel to grab a gun and shoot at the suspects.

The suspect was allegedly shot dead and the money was discovered with a firearm used during the commission of crime.

Metsi said the firearm allegedly belongs to a police officer who was robbed few minutes before the crime committed.

The police found a cop at the police station while reporting a stolen firearm.

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The momentum for delivery has to be accelerated across all municipalities in the North West Province to address service delivery backlogs, Premier Thandi Modise said ahead of the Provincial Basic Services Summit that is to commence in Rustenburg today.

The objective of the two-day summit hosted by the provincial government as part of implementation of its Local Government Turnaround Strategy is to develop intervention strategies to increase access to water, sanitation, housing, electricity and refuse removal in all twenty-three municipalities.

“Although the 2011 Census report revealed that access to piped water above or at RDP level in the province has increased from 86.6% in 2001 to 91.6% in 2011.The pace of delivery has to be accelerated through coordinated and integrated planning for us to address the infrastructure backlog that we have inherited.” said Premier Modise.

The Premier highlighted that R314 242 m has been allocated towards increasing access to basic water and sanitation during the current financial year for 12 water projects and 14 sanitation projects to be implemented in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District and Ngaka Modiri Molema.

“Our housing delivery track record gives us confidence that the Informal settlements eradication programme will assist us to eradicate the bucket system affecting about 10 467 households in informal settlements and new extensions,” added Modise.

The province delivered 14331 housing units and was declared the best performing province in housing delivery across the country during the 2012/13 financial year.

R1.4 billion has been allocation for the current financial year to meet the target of 15 000 new housing units with access to clean water and decent sanitation.  

Taung-A catfight between the Executive Mayor Kaone Lobele and Municipal Manager Mpho Mofokeng in Greater Taung Municipality is heading towards other direction.

According to reports, Mpho Mofokeng does not want to vacate his office after he contract expired.

Godfrey Huma was employed as a Municipal Manager by executive committe,and now Greater Taung Municipality is been run by two managers.

Lobelo told sabc that Mofokeng do not have any contract with municipality.

“We do not have any contract with Mpho Mofokeng as his contract with the municipality expired” Lobelo told sabc.

However Mofokeng refutes the claim as he insists that his contract was extendend for five years.

The reports shows that the municipality lost R3 million amid to this fight.

The community members at large and other opposition parties members are not pleased regarding the expulsion of Mofokeng in the office.

Mofokeng was allegedly ordered by court to leave office, but he will never burge.

Mofokeng was brought to office after the Greater Taung Municipality was put under administration.

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Media reports suggest Knowledge Musona is on his way back to Kaizer Chiefs.

According to Gemazo, the Zimbabwean international is set to rejoin Amakhosi on a one-year loan from 1899 Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga.

Musona spent the past season on load at FC Augsburg on loan.

According to the Zimbabwean publication, a “highly placed source” said: “The deal is finalised and everything is in black and white. Musona has agreed to the deal.”

At the beginning of June Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung told KickOff.com: “[Musona] is my baby. I would love to have him back, but unfortunately he is contracted to a German team. He is in Europe where it is high-level, but if he is available I will definitely have him back.”

However, his agent Paschalis Tountouris at ProSport International insisted his priority was staying overseas.

For more http://www.kickoff.com

Rustenburg – A man accused of raping a 41-year-old woman in Photsaneng village has appeared in the Rustenberg Magistrate’s Court, North West police said on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old man appeared on Monday on charges of rape and pointing a firearm.

He was expected to bring a formal bail application next Monday, said Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone.

A man broke into the woman’s home while she was sleeping at 3am on Sunday, by cutting a chain on a locked door.

“He allegedly threatened the woman with a firearm and demanded money from her…. The woman refused to give the suspect money and he raped her while pointing her with a firearm,” Mokgwabone said.

He then ran away, but turned himself in hours later when he heard that the police were looking for him. – Sapa

Cape Town – The ANC Youth League in the Western Cape on Wednesday condemned the attack on the home of a Democratic Alliance Youth leader.

League spokesman Muhammad Khalid Sayed described Saturday’s attack on Luzuko Mngqibisa’s house as “cowardly and thuggish”.

“These violent acts of intimidation are devastating to the psyche of young people in the Western Cape, particularly those residing in poor communities still affected by apartheid,” Sayed said in a statement.

He extended the league’s sympathy to Mngqibisa and his family.

“In order to contribute to a better Western Cape, our youth need to be politically active in an environment that is free from intimidation.”

Sayed dismissed allegations that the attack was part of the ANCYL’s plan to render the province ungovernable.

“There is no such campaign led by (us). The DA’s statement has the potential of fuelling unnecessary rumours and acts of intimidation.”

The Sunday Independent reported the youth activist lost all his clothing when his home in Tambo Square was set alight in an alleged politically-motivated attack. The arsonists reportedly left a note calling Mngqibisa a “dog of (DA leader) Helen Zille”.

He told the newspaper he woke to the smell of smoke early on Saturday.

“The first thing I saw was that my clothes, kept in bags near a window, were on fire. I tried to grab what I could, but the flames burnt my fingertips,” he said.

According to the newspaper, Mngqibisa ran next door to check on his parents. Once he had confirmed they were safe he called his neighbours for help. They quickly extinguished the fire.

He said a broken bottle and a piece of fabric doused in petrol were later found inside the shack. A pair of black gloves, smelling of petrol, and a handwritten note were found outside.

Police confirmed to the paper that a case of arson had been opened, which the ANCYL welcomed. – Sapa

Tlokwe, North West – Fourteen ANC councillors who voted to unseat Tlokwe mayor Maphetle Maphetle were expelled from the party on Wednesday, its North West provincial disciplinary committee (PDC) said.

The African National Congress councillors were found guilty of “acting contrary to the directives” of the party and violating the ANC constitution, the PDC said in a statement.

“Expulsion of the 14 comrades… was found suitable under the given circumstances and the continuing disrespect by the comrades,” it said.

Maphetle was unseated for a second time on Tuesday.

Democratic Alliance councillor Annette Combrink was voted in as the new mayor.

DA North West leader Chris Hattingh said 29 councillors from all parties, including the ANC, had unanimously voted to return Combrink to the position of mayor.

The ANC PDC said 16 councillors faced a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday.

However, only two attended the hearing. The two, who pleaded guilty, were “reprimanded” by the PDC and it was decided that they would be provided with “guidance” by the party and would not be expelled.

The other 14, who did not arrive for the hearing, were expelled.

“Members were supposed to have known that such conduct was not authorised either by the PWC (provincial working committee) or NWC (national working committee) of the ANC.

“It is common practice and culture in the ANC that the mayoral appointments and removal thereof are exclusive domain of the higher structures (of the party) …,” the PDC said.

It said the expelled members would be removed as Tlokwe councillors.

They were allowed to appeal against their expulsions to the national disciplinary committee of appeal.

In November, ANC factions in the municipality passed a motion of no confidence in Maphetle.

He was replaced by Combrink – the first DA mayor in the province – when she defeated ANC candidate Lucky Tsagae by 20 votes to 19.

However, Maphetle was returned as mayor in February, when he won by 31 votes to Combrink’s 21.

While the DA was in charge, it asked for a forensic investigation into irregularities at the municipality.

This probe found the council had irregularly bought Maphetle a R736,000 customised Mercedes-Benz. Maphetle was also found to have allegedly abused the municipality’s disaster management fund and poverty relief fund.

The report recommended that formal disciplinary action be taken against him and other officials.

In May, the DA laid criminal charges against Maphetle. In June Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said she would investigate the claims of corruption involving Maphetle. – Sapa