Johannesburg – A 60-year-old woman was murdered in Groendal, Eastern Cape police said on Wednesday.

The woman was attacked next to a road in Groendal on Tuesday morning and taken to hospital in Uitenhage where she later died, police spokesperson Gerda Swart said.

“No arrests have been made and the name of the woman will be released once the next of kin is informed,” said Swart.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The body of a woman, who went missing last month, was found in Ohrigstad, Limpopo police said on Wednesday.

The woman was identified as Tshepo Pholoto, 32, of Modubeng village, who went missing on 17 July, police spokesperson Ronel Otto said.

Her body was found on 9 August and she was identified on 12 August by members of her family.

Pholoto’s husband returned from night duty on the morning of 17 July and found traces of blood in the bedroom and his wife missing.

A case of kidnapping was opened the same day at Mecklenburg police station.

Police said a post mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death and no arrests have been made.

– SAPA

Cape Town – Fourteen schools in Manenberg, Cape Town, will be closed the next two days because of gang violence threats, Western Cape Education MEC Donald Grant said on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, the safety of our learners and educators has continued to be threatened in Manenberg. Some of our educators have reported to [the] metro central district office for duty instead of their schools,” he said in a statement.

Grant said the decision to close the schools was made after consulting teachers.

Provincial government leaders would meet on Thursday with a representative group of these teachers to discuss a way forward.

Grant said his department had directed a great deal of resources and support to Manenberg since the outbreak of gang violence.

“The department is doing all it can to protect learners and educators in school, but it is unfortunately unable to ensure peace and safety within the community,” he said.

“Our officials and educators are not law enforcers. Law enforcement is the responsibility of the SA Police Service [SAPS].”

Grant said schools and the department relied on the police to maintain order.

“Our learners’ and educators’ safety remains our primary concern, along with the longer term loss of teaching and learning time.

– SAPA

Pietermaritzburg – A Verulam man stabbed his mother to death after she scolded him for drinking and reneged on a promise to give him money, he told the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday.

Thandaxolo Khumalo, 27, said he was angry, went to his mother’s kitchen and fetched a knife, which he used to stab her several times on a day in July this year.

He left his fatally injured mother, Thokozile Khumalo, 70, on the floor of her house and fled when he realised what he had done, he said.

She died later.

He tried to hide clues to his actions by burning his bloodied clothes.

Khumalo said he acted out of anger.

According to the post-mortem report she was stabbed in both lungs, her liver, face, and upper arm. She also had bruises on her face.

Acting Judge Enthias Xolo convicted him of the murder.

Sentencing procedures start on Thursday.

– SAPA

Cape Town – Zwelinzima Vavi has been suspended on Wednesday evening as Cosatu general secretary according to unconfirmed Twitter reports. But official word is “neither confirm nor deny”.

It would appear that he has been given a “leave absence”.

City Press tweeted: “Unconfirmed reports that Vavi has been suspended. More to follow Cosatu”

Hajra Omarjee said: “Zwelinzima Vavi has been suspended as Cosatu general secretary. “Leave of absence” will be in official statement tomorrow Vavi”

Steven Groote tweeted: “@StephenGrootes: #Vavi We’re told that an official statement will be issued tonight or tomorrow. SG”

Carien du Plessis of City Press reports “there has been no official confirmation, but sources with close information about the special Cosatu central executive committee meeting at Cosatu House today confirmed this.”

The special meeting was called to discuss Vavi’s future after he admitted to having an affair with a woman he appointed.

The meeting went on for almost 10 hours and ended just before 21:00.

This could signal the end of the 50-year-old labour federation leader’s 14-year stint in his current position, or at least a significant weakening of his position according to City Press.

It is understood that an official statement will follow either overnight or tomorrow.
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Johannesburg – American R&B singer R Kelly will no longer be performing at the Nelson Mandela Sport and Culture Day, the arts and culture department said on Wednesday.

“We apologise to R Kelly’s many South African fans for this unfortunate situation, but remain confident that our current line-up will do justice to Madiba’s legacy of peace, unity, and reconciliation,” the department said in a statement.

The day will see Bafana Bafana play against Burkina Faso in a friendly match, while the Springboks open their Rugby Championship campaign against Argentina on Saturday afternoon.

The department said it had entered negotiations with the promoter of the R&B singer’s recent tour to South Africa. It was subsequently announced that the star was on the bill for the music concert that would follow the day’s sport events.

“Soon afterwards, however, the department learned that R Kelly’s management had not been made aware of this agreement, and that he had departed the country as planned,” the statement read.

“We are taking legal advice on this matter.”

The rest of the line-up for the concert includes DJ Black Coffee, Zahara, Toya Delazy, Mafikizolo, Kurt Darren, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Salif Keita, and Elvis Blue.

Sapa

Pietermaritzburg – A Verulam man stabbed his mother to death after she scolded him for drinking and reneged on a promise to give him money, he told the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Wednesday.

Thandaxolo Khumalo, 27, said he was angry, went to his mother’s kitchen and fetched a knife which he used to stab her several times on a day in July this year.

He left his fatally injured mother, Thokozile Khumalo, 70, on the floor of her house and fled when he realised what he had done, he said. She died later. He tried to hide clues to his actions by burning his bloodied clothes.

Khumalo said he acted out of anger. According to the post-mortem report she was stabbed in both lungs, her liver, face, and upper arm. She also had bruises on her face.

Acting Judge Enthias Xolo convicted him of the murder.

Sentencing procedures start on Thursday.

Sapa

Johannesburg – Thirty-five people were arrested during unrest in the Vaal Triangle, Gauteng police said on Wednesday.

“The protesters were arrested for public violence when they barricaded the R59 freeway after they were dismissed by a local company,” Lt-Col Lungelo Dlamini said.

Those arrested would appear in the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges of public violence.

Sapa

Parliament, Cape Town – Several high-ranking police officials are on a list of officers with criminal records, Parliament’s police portfolio committee heard on Wednesday.

An audit, which only covered the period prior to January 2010, found 1448 officers had criminal offences, SA Police Service acting deputy national commissioner for human resource development Nkrumah Mazibuko told MPs.

The audit was conducted to find out how many officers with criminal records remained in the service’s employ.

MPs shook their heads in disbelief after Mazibuko was pushed to list the ranks of the convicted officers. They included a major-general, 10 brigadiers, 21 colonels, 10 majors, 43 lieutenant-colonels, 163 captains, 84 lieutenants, 716 warrant officers, 267 sergeants, 129 constables, and two personnel officers.

Most of the officers were convicted after joining the service, and none had been dismissed as yet.

“These people are subjected to disciplinary process and then they take the matter up on appeal, and we get an order to reinstate the person,” Mazibuko said.

Police members convicted and jailed were automatically fired.

“If that person appeals the sentence… and he gets the sentence reduced maybe to a suspended one by a criminal court, then in terms of our own (police) act such a person is entitled to apply for reinstatement.”

MPS said it was unacceptable that police disciplinary procedures were “a mess”.

“I thought the requirement of employment is that you should be criminal record free. You are now getting involved with whether a person is sentenced to jail or fined and that’s not the issue,” Cope MP Mluleki George said.

“The issue is if a person is found guilty in a court of law it means he has a criminal record. So why are they keeping you in the service if that’s what your employment criteria says?”

Mazibuko conceded the police’s capacity to deal with convicts in their own ranks was not what it should be. Police management was trying to overhaul the disciplinary regime to deal with the problem.

It intended establishing a board of fitness to determine if officers with criminal records should remain on duty.

MPs were not happy with the responses. Some insisted on immediate action against the 1448 officers.

“I share the committee’s concerns that we are expected to, and South Africa is expected to, sit back and accept that 1448 identified criminals must still be paid for another year with taxpayer’s money, must still carry a firearm, and must still wear the blue which should be worn with pride,” committee chairwoman Annelize van Wyk said.

Sapa

Pietermaritzburg – A Verulam man stabbed his mother to death after she scolded him for drinking and reneged on a promise to give him money, he told the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Wednesday.

Thandaxolo Khumalo, 27, said he was angry, went to his mother’s kitchen and fetched a knife which he used to stab her several times on a day in July this year.

He left his fatally injured mother, Thokozile Khumalo, 70, on the floor of her house and fled when he realised what he had done, he said. She died later. He tried to hide clues to his actions by burning his bloodied clothes.

Khumalo said he acted out of anger. According to the post-mortem report she was stabbed in both lungs, her liver, face, and upper arm. She also had bruises on her face.

Acting Judge Enthias Xolo convicted him of the murder.

Sentencing procedures start on Thursday.

Sapa