The senseless killings around Marikana need to be abated and those responsible unmasked  and brought to book to soonest to avert further loss of lives, North West Premier Modise said on Tuesday in condemning the shooting of a 49-year-old Lonmin worker and a taxi owner who were shot dead over the weekend.

“We wish to convey our condolences to the families that lost their loved in the two incidents and call on the community to work with the police to ensure that faceless instigators of violence within our mining communities are unmasked so that violence does not become a way of life in these communities,” Premier Modise emphasised in appealing to members of the public to come forward with information that might assist police in their investigations

In calling for intensified law enforcement to protect, Modise said that it is important to ensure that peace and stability prevails and that persons and property are protected so as to provide a conducive environment for development. She said that acts of provocation, violence and intimidation in the area undermine the Marikana Peace Accord and the Framework for Peace and Stability in the Mining Industry signed by Num and AMCU on 25 February 2013.

According to police, the victim was on his way to work when approached by unknown men who shot him with a firearm on the body and neck. The suspects allegedly fled the scene with a white Toyota Corolla with Gauteng province registration numbers.

Spokesperson for North West SAPS Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said that though the motive of the shooting that occurred on Sunday night was unknown, preliminary investigations revealed four shots were fired and that the victim is a Lonmin employee.

Mokgwabone said it was not clear if the shooting was related to other murder cases in the area, or linked to a rivalry between National Union of Mineworkers’ (NUM) and Association of Mineworkers’ and Construction Union (Amcu) at the Lonmin platinum mine in Rustenburg.

In a separate incident, a taxi owner was shot dead and another man wounded at the Marikana taxi rank.

“It is alleged the victim who is a taxi owner was shot by three men on Friday when he got out his car while the other man was standing by at the rank,” said Mokgwabone.

Premier Modise wishes the injured man who was taken to hospital a speedy recovery.

Mokgwabone said that the motive of the incident is also unknown at this stage and that the incident is not linked to previous cases of murder that were reported in the area.

Durban – The SA Air Force’s two helicopter squadrons on the coast have received no funding this year for sea and mountain rescue operations, but have received funding for VIP flights, according to a report.

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By Obakeng Maje

“While some police officials are adhering to the SAPS Code of Conduct to which they have committed themselves even if it requires them to investigate criminal conducted by fellow police officials, it is however disturbing to note that some police officials do not abide by the SAPS Code of Conduct and abuse their powers as police officials, thus tarnishing the reputation of the SAPS” said colonel Priscilla Naidu.

A Kimberley police official is expected to appear in the Kimberley Magistrate Court today on a charge of corruption. “It is alleged that the Warrant Officer offered a suspect to make a docket ‘disappear’. The suspect was instructed to deposit R300-00 on the 16 July 2013 at the local Shoprite Money Market” colonel Priscilla Naidu said. 

The transaction was allegedly made and later that day, the money was withdrawn by the Warrant Officer.  

The suspect and the police officer allegedly met again on the 27 July where another R300-00 was handed over to the policeman. 

“The police officer was arrested after the transaction was completed” Naidu said.

In another incident, a police Constable from Port Nolloth was arrested on the 23 July and charged for Fraud and Corruption. 

He appeared in the Springbok magistrate court on the 25/07 and was released on R1000 bail. “It is alleged that the Constable approached the Director of a diamond company and extorted money from her in exchange for information” Naidu said. 

The Constable produced false documents to the woman where it is alleged that some of her workers were implicated in a police investigation. 

The Constable received R1200 in two separate payments during June and July 2013.  

On the 5th July, the Constable demanded R20 000 for himself and R20 000 for two other ‘fictitious’ police officers. 

“The Constable falsely represented to the woman that he was going to make the case go away. His next appearance in court is on the 9 September 2013” police said.

In both cases, the SAPS has already begun with the internal investigations which is running parallel with the criminal investigations.

“Acts of corruption, fraud and criminality will not be tolerated within the SAPS as our police leadership expects nothing but excellence from the members and personnel of the SAPS” Naidu said. 

Information on corrupt police officials involved in criminal activities may be reported anonymously to the Public Service Commission National Anti-Corruption Hotline – 0800 701 701. 

Alternatively the anonymous Crime Stop number 08600 10111 can be used.

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Johannesburg – Seven illegal miners have died and 12 have been wounded in a clash in a mine shaft in Brakpan North, on the East Rand, Ekurhuleni emergency management services said on Tuesday.

“The mine rescue services retrieved seven bodies yesterday [Monday]. This morning they will go and search [for more] on another level,” said senior district manager Roggers Mamaila.

Rescue workers had initially thought there were only four bodies underground, but had found six bodies on level two of shaft seven, and one in shaft 11.

“Today they will go to shaft seven, level three just to check that we leave no bodies down there, because some families are claiming their family members are still missing,” Mamaila said.

On Monday, a 12th illegal miner was rescued from the mine.

“He just has a broken leg. For someone who went through such an ordeal he looks fine,” Mamaila said. He was taken to the Far East Rand Hospital.

The other 11 rescued had injuries, including gunshot wounds, and some needed amputations.

Emergency services were alerted to the violence at the mine on Sunday.

Mamaila said shots were fired during an underground clash between two groups of illegal miners on Thursday.

Mamaila said the rescue mission involved the police and the mineral resources department.

SAPA

Johannesburg – Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and police commissioner Riah Phiyega should resign, the SA Policing Union (Sapu) said on Monday.

“[We] call on [them] to… do the honourable thing – resign from their positions,” the union’s leader Mpho Kwinika said in a statement.

“We have been calling for a judicial commission of inquiry into the SA Police Service (SAPS) simply because there is no leadership and management in the police.”

Sapu was reacting to the outcome of an audit released by the police ministry on Sunday, which found that 1 448 police employees had committed crimes.

In a statement, Mthethwa said the audit – into how many current police employees had criminal records – had been going on for two years.

Mthethwa said the next step was for Phiyega to decide what action to take.

Sapu said the “so-called report” was not credible.

“The lack of credibility in the audit report comes from the fact that even its findings are inaccurate… We have been calling for its terms of reference to be made public,” said Kwinika.

“Sapu would like to challenge the minister and the national commissioner to be frank and honest about the criteria used to determine this figure, the process, and its accuracy.”

The union questioned whether the figure included those employees who were given fines in court, and those found not guilty.

Sapu said it did not condone ill-discipline or illegal acts, but wanted clarity on the report.

“We want to reassure the public that as much as we acknowledge that there are few rotten elements within the SAPS… thousands of men and women in blue are people of great integrity,” Kwinika said.

SAPA

Cape Town – An off-duty policeman was shot dead in Mitchells Plain in Cape Town, Western Cape police said on Tuesday.

This is the third police killing in the city since Sunday.

Lieutenant Colonel Tembinkosi Kinana said two unidentified men knocked on the sergeant’s door at his Montclaire home around 21:00 on Monday.

They fired several shots at him as he approached the door and then entered the house, demanding his firearm in a safe.

They ran away and the officer died at the scene.

The 34-year-old officer had been stationed at Philippi East.

‘An attack on society’

A case of armed robbery and murder was being investigated and no arrests had been made.

“The SA Police Service Management would like to convey heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased police officer and to his colleagues,” Kinana said.

“An attack to the police, is an attack to the society. Our efforts to serve and protect our communities will not be deterred by the cold blooded and heartless criminals. 

“We will not be side-tracked by the criminal elements operating within our communities, and the police will not sleep until culprits are brought to book.”

Two policemen were shot dead in separate incidents in Cape Town on Sunday.

A 36-year-old constable was killed while on duty in Spine Road, Mitchells Plain, around 8pm on Sunday.

An hour later, a 40-year-old sergeant was shot in his Khayelitsha home while getting ready to go to work.

He died on his way to hospital.

No arrests had been made for either attack.

Highest incidence of cop killing in Western Cape

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa visited Mitchells Plain on Monday following the attacks.

In a phone interview, he said the province had the highest number of attacks on police.

He said the Western Cape community safety department’s criticism of the police service reinforced the idea that officers did not deserve respect.

“What we are saying is that criticising the police is not a problem if they think there are weaknesses. But if they say nothing positive, they open them [the police] up to criminal attack,” he said.

“The major point we’re making here is the issues of safety and security, like in any other province, is about working together and partnerships through a multi-disciplinary approach,” he said.

Community safety MEC Dan Plato condemned the police minister’s comments, accusing him of “playing politics” while people were being killed.

“It is utterly disgusting and totally inappropriate that the national minister would use the death of police officers for electioneering purposes,” Plato said.

Mthethwa urged to retract comments

The Democratic Alliance (DA) accused Mthethwa on Monday of trying to score political points, calling his comments distasteful, insensitive and an insult to the grieving families.

“The only people to blame for the deaths of our police officers are criminals who have no respect for the police,” DA MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard said.

She called on Mthethwa to retract his comments.

“[He must] stop abusing his position to make irresponsible statements. Instead, he should be proactive and launch an investigation into the causes and extent of police killings,” Kohler-Barnard said.

The DA intended asking Parliament to summon Mthethwa to explain what he would do to better protect police officers in the Western Cape and the rest of the country.

SAPA

Johannesburg – SABC radio station Motsweding FM was fined R10 000 for naming a child who had been raped, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) said on Monday.

A complaint was lodged after the child’s name and surname was mentioned several times in May in a message which was part of the radio station’s goodwill ambassador campaign.

According to the complaint listeners were given a “step by step of the rape and in the background the painful cry of a girl”.

The BCCSA referred the matter to a tribunal for a hearing.

Motsweding FM said it had been given permission by the child’s family to use her name, profile, and pictures as the face of its campaign.

“The station further got permission from the campaign drivers, (SA Police Service), and the (family), to tell (the child’s) story throughout the campaign because the family does not want any other child and family to go through what they and (the child) went through.”

It said the promotion for the campaign, using the girl’s name, was a call for action that was aimed at challenging the community to do something about the scourge of rape.

The station submitted that there was no transgression of the broadcasting code.

However, the BCCSA tribunal found that there was no provision in the code that a parent, or anyone else, may grant permission for the identity of a raped child to be disclosed.

“Although the mistake was a bona fide mistake and the broadcasts were apparently in the public interest, the disclosure of the identity of the victim amounted to a serious contravention of the code,” the BCCSA said.

Sapa

Johannesburg – The Democratic Alliance’s Gauteng premier candidate nomination process is still ongoing, the party said on Monday.

“The party’s premier candidate nomination process was opened last week and will close on 1 August 2013,” provincial chairman Mike Moriarty said in a statement.

“Nominees will face an electoral college on the 9th August 2013, after which an announcement will be made as regards the party’s selected candidate.”

The party had received one nomination thus far. Earlier, DA Gauteng leader Jack Bloom announced his candidacy at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg.

“As premier of Gauteng, I will ensure real delivery, and a government that is accountable, effective, and free from corruption,” Bloom said in a statement.

He intended abolishing blue light brigades, scrapping e-tolls, and ensuring that public money would not be spent on “extravagant cars and corporate credit cards”. – Sapa

Johannesburg – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) scored a significant political victory at the weekend, when one of the worker leaders at the forefront of the labour strike in Marikana, outside Rustenburg, joined the organisation.

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