By Obakeng Maje

Ventersdorp-Five suspects appeared briefly before Ventersdorp Magistrate Court yestersday for charge of murder.

Thapelo Poleng 32, Johannes Yona 21, Michael Montwedi 18 and other two minors,17 were remanded in custody and will appear again before court on the 02nd of August 2013.

“Five accused were arrested amid Lesego Cassias Goliath’s murder in Doorepan, near Ventersdorp” colonel Lesego Metsi said.

Police said Goliath was allegedly brutally beaten and murdered at initiation school by school surgeon who was assisted by other four boys.

Goliath’s body was discovered burried in a shallow grave next to the initiation school by Police Dog Unit.

“Five accused were arrested and appeared before magistrate where their case has been postponed for further investigations” Metsi outlines.

The three suspects were initially moved to Potchefstroom Correctional Service where they will await their trial.

Police investigations continue.

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Durban – Burry Stander’s family was in shock on Tuesday after the State was forced to drop its charges against the taxi driver involved in the 25-year-old Olympic cyclist’s death earlier this year.

“The system is failing us, I don’t know what to do,” said Stander’s wife, Cherise.

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New Information Communication Technologies (ICT) Strategies that will put the North West Province on an economic and social development trajectory and ensure that citizens have access to universal access to services and information should be implemented, Premier Thandi Modise asserted on Tuesday.

“ICTs need to be fully explored and exploited for the benefit of citizens and communities as they provide an ideal catalyst to create an enabling environment for sustainable development,” Premier Modise told members of the Premier Advisory Council on Innovation and Information Communication Technology in Rustenburg.In her address to members of the revived council, Modise said the province was ready to take the lead in the Innovation and ICT project to improve the quality of life of the people of the province in pursuit of the vision of the National Development that by 2030 all South Africans will be able to use core ICT services and enjoy access to a wide range of entertainment, information and educational services.“The Executive Council has resolved to uplift the role of the ICT in the province to create a centre of excellence and the need to identify key projects and initiatives that the province should concentrate on to ensure that we are not left behind on the role that ICT can play for Socio-Economic Development.” she said.

The Premier said that ICT could also assist to reduce tender documentation that gets lost in municipalities.

The first meeting of the Council provided a platform for council members to make inputs on major strategies to assist the province to address and solve socio-economic challenges through harnessing ICT’s.IT Business Executive from the Auditor General Jabulile Nkosi urged Heads of Departments and Senior Managers to view IT as an enabler that can be used to solve problems beyond passwords, backup and connectivity issues. She highlighted that defining the IT strategy for the province, capacitating the PGITO, developing transversal policies, defining roles and responsibilities and management buy-in for implementation will improve audit outcomes.  Microsoft SA’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Maureen Mphatsoe who serves as a member of the Premier Advisory Council said her organisation has identified skills development, education, SMME development and the use of ICT to fight crimeas areas that her organisation could assist the province with.Mphatsoe said Microsoft has a good relationship with industry and thus they were able to train people and place them with the relevant employers.

Ntokozo Mthabela from the Department of Trade and Industry also highlighted some of the opportunities available for the province to maximise economic growth and sustainability. Amongst these opportunities is the Talent Development Programme also referred to as Monyetla Work Readiness Programme.

Mthabela said the programme was able to fund employers to train unemployed people with the condition that the company employs at least 70% at the end of the training for a minimum period of 12 months.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) is demanding that Anglo Platinum (Amplats) [JSE:AMS] more than double the monthly pay of underground workers to R12 500, according to a document seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Platinum companies do not reveal salary data for individual categories of worker, but analysts say most entry-level underground miners earn a basic wage of R5 000 a month.

Amcu has emerged as the dominant union on the platinum belt after a violent turf war last year with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in which more than 50 people were killed.

Its first wage submission to platinum producers is likely to set the tone for salary demands across a sector still reeling from the unrest, which cost billions of rands in lost output and led to credit downgrades.

Replicating demands submitted to gold producers at the end of June, Amcu said that “on a daily basis workers experience a declining standard of living and the dream of sharing in the wealth of the country remains a pipe dream”.

“We believe therefore that the minerals of this country must now benefit the people,” it said in the preamble.

The world’s top platinum producer, a unit of Anglo American [JSE:AGL], is likely to oppose big hikes as it struggles to return its mines to profit after drops in the spot platinum price squeezed margins and forced it consider closing some shafts.

Amplats plans to cut 6 000 jobs and reduce platinum production by 10%, or 250 000 ounces, this year, with another 100 000 ounces to go in the medium term.

The demand for an entry-level wage of R12 500 for underground workers echoes the calls made by striking Marikana mineworkers at Lonmin [JSE:LON] in August last year.

It is much higher than the slightly-above-inflation increase reached between NUM and Aquarius Platinum last month. 

Spot platinum is down almost 20% this year to $1 380 an ounce, a level that makes many South African shafts barely profitable.

For more http://www.news24.com 

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The North West Department of Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison is in a process of unblocking seven previously blocked housing projects in the Lekwa-Teemane Local Municipality.

The Departmental MEC Nono Maloyi announced this during the official handing over of 286 completed houses to beneficiaries of Utlwanang Extension 5 in Christiana. 

He said the unblocking processes of these projects will speed-up the housing delivery and ease backlog in the province.

“On his visit to the construction site, MEC encouraged the contracted developer to continue building quality houses. Maloyi further appreciated the good relations between the contractor and the municipality” departmental spokesperson Lesolang Mmope said. 

He said that the relations will go further in making sure that services are delivered and that there is good governance.

“In other areas we are faced with a challenge of conflicts between the contractor and the municipality and particularly with ward councilors but in this case it is different and this is exactly what we need for us to deliver quality houses” said Maloyi.

MEC further advised contractors to always ensure that the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) is always on site to ensure quality of houses built for the beneficiaries.

“Make sure that NHBRC is always on the ground because if you compromise quality, your relations with the department will be very short,” said Maloyi.

The first phase of this project is reported to have been completed within prescribed time frames and costs.

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By Obakeng Maje

Rustenburg-North West police arrested a 31 year old suspect for allegedly raping a 43 year-old woman in Photsaneng village on Sunday at about 03:30. 

“It is alleged that the woman was asleep when the suspect gained entry into the house by cutting the chain that was used to lock the door” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.   

Police said he allegedly threatened the woman with a firearm and demanded money from her.  

Colonel Mokgwabone said allegedly the lady refused to give him money and he allegedly raped her at gun-point.  

“The suspect fled the scene on foot after the ordeal and he allegedly handed himself to the police hours later after getting information that the police were looking for him” said police.

He was subsequently arrested and appeared  before Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday with charges of Rape and Pointing of Firearm. 

“A man was remanded in custody for further investigation and bail application. He will appear before the court again on Monday, 8 July 2013” concludes Mokgwabone.     

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The strides that the provincial government will make in the coming months will show its resolve to shift gear for faster delivery, North West Premier Thandi Modise said in dismissing criticism levelled by Provincial Democratic Alliance Leader Chris Hattingh against the cabinet reshuffle announced last week.  

Hattingh’s criticisms are a desperate attempt to distort and exaggerate the reasons that necessitated the changes in the Executive Council (Exco), the North West Provincial Government said in a statement issued on Monday.

In reaction to the criticisms, Premier Modise said that though it was expected that Hattingh would as a reactionary who opposes everything for the sake of opposing, the extent to which he stoops low for political mileage is pathetic.

“Political expediency and driving a wedge among ruling party members matter more to Hattingh than good governance and service delivery hence he is dead silent while we wage war against corruption syndicates. The people of our province do not have short memories and are not ignorant of the challenges we are facing as Hattingh thinks they do.

They and not Hattingh will hold us accountable to our commitment that where public funds are found to have been misappropriated, steps would be taken to recoup every cent.” emphasised Modise.

She said that eliminating hang ups that the DA wanted unresolved for it to use as ammunition in the coming elections has frustrated Hattingh’s party hence it is clutching for straws and targeting Exco members with speculative and untested allegations to remain relevant.

Premier Modise reiterated that the appointment of three new members to the Executive Council should not be misinterpreted to suggest that the recalled members were found guilty of any wrongdoing as matters they were allegedly involved in have not been concluded.

She stressed that all of them executed their tasks with distinction and that none of the allegations against them have been proved or disproved.

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By Obakeng Maje

Mahikeng- North West police arrested a woman on charges of theft after she allegedly stole a money from Absa client.

The incident took place yesterday at Mahikeng when a woman allegedly masquerading as Absa employee.

“The police arrested a middle aged woman after she allegedly pretended as Absa employee in Mahikeng yesterday” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.

According to police, a woman was in the Absa bank wearing a T-shirt depicted with Absa bank logo.

She allegedly pretended to be working for the bank and targeted clients who want to deposit bulk amount of money.

“The woman allegedly approached a man who wanted to deposit cash and tool him to “her” office.

She allegedly took the money from him and went out of the office under the pretext of putting it in a safe” said police.

The woman allegedly left the bank and a suspecting client left the room after few minutes.

“The client saw that the woman isn’t coming back after he spent few minutes with a woman nowhere to be found” said Mokgwabone.

North West police were called after a man allegedly went outside and found his perpetrator.

He allegedly grab her and took his money from a woman and the police were called.

“We arrested a woman and found 13 Identity Documents in a woman’s possession. She was arrested and will appear tomorrow at Mmabatho Magistrate Court for theft” said Mokgwabone.

Police preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect has 13 Identity Documents which were found in her possession. 

She has been linked to cases of similar modus operandi in Sandton, Rosebank and Lyttelton in Gauteng Province.  

She is expected to appear before Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, Wednesday.

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Acting deputy judge-president of the Eastern Cape has ruled that arguments in the legal battle over the exhumation of the remains of three Mandela family members will be heard in open court.

This follows an urgent application by the SA Editors’ Forum after most of the arguments were heard in chambers. The Editors’ Forum had applied for arguments in the matter between Mandla Mandela and 16 other family members to be public and not in the judge’s chambers as was the case yesterday.

Judge Lusindiso Pakade says the matter is of public interest. Mandla Mandela is opposing an interim order granted by the Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha on Friday, compelling him to rebury the remains of Tembekile, Makgato and Makaziwe in Qunu. He exhumed the remains in 2011 to rebury them at Mvezo where he is chief.

Meanwhile, a meeting by chiefs close to the family is expected to be convened in Qunu. They want the matter resolved amicable without the intervention of the courts.
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President Jacob Zuma has wished former President FW de Klerk a speedy recovery. De Klerk was admitted to the Cape Town Panorama clinic on Tuesday morning for an immediate installation of a pacemaker.

Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj says President Zuma has appealed to South Africans to keep De Klerk in their thoughts and prayers. It is expected that he will be discharged from hospital on Wednesday morning.

De Klerk Foundation spokesperson Dave Stewart says the Noble Peace prize laureate was experiencing dizzy spells caused by an irregular heartbeat.

Stewart added that De Klerk felt ill after arriving back in the country on Sunday. He had cancelled his working holiday in Europe this weekend to return to South Africa in lieu of former president Nelson Mandela’s condition.

“Mr De Klerk is doing fine, he is going into hospital today (Tuesday) to have a pacemaker installed, and it’s a fairly routine procedure. He will spend the night in hospital and he should be done by tomorrow (Wednesday),” says Stewart.
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