Bloemfontein – The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) will investigate allegations that a group of Ficksburg police officers assaulted residents last weekend, a spokesperson said on Friday.

The directorate had received dockets to investigate three allegations of serious assault, one of common assault, and one of attempted murder, spokesperson Moses Dlamini said.

The attempted murder investigation related to allegations that a woman was run over by a police vehicle. A so-called “Rambo Squad” of police officers in and around Ficksburg allegedly assaulted residents last weekend.

Free State police said two officers, who were off duty at the time, were arrested for allegedly interfering with on-duty officers questioning a suspect at a local tavern.

Spokesperson Colonel Thandi Mbambo said the matter was under investigation.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Murder accused paralympian Oscar Pistorius will face two additional charges when he appears in court on Monday.

 

Pistorius will be charged for two counts of recklessly discharging a firearm in public, eNCA reported.

 

In the first incident at a restaurant in Johannesburg in January, Pistorius accidentally fired a gun shot and almost hit a friend. 

 

In the second incident, driving with friends, he allegedly discharged a gun through the car’s sunroof just moments after being stopped by metro police officers in Gauteng.

 

Pistorius is facing murder charges for shooting and killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria.

 

News24

 

Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma’s recent holiday on a Mozambican island and that of his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, in the Seychelles, cost the taxpayer R2.6m, Beeld reported on Friday.

 

A Falcon 900 and two Oryx helicopters had to make 36 flights to take Zuma to Bazaruto and back.

 

This emerged from answers provided on Thursday by the defence ministry to written questions by Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier.

 

Advised to rest

 

Zuma took a break on Bazaruto earlier this year after his doctors advised him to rest.

 

Two Oryx helicopters from 15 Squadron flew from Durban to the Mozambican town Vilanculos to take Zuma to the island.

 

According to Beeld, every time the helicopters land to refuel, it counts as a new flight.

 

Zuma flew in a Falcon from Waterkloof Air Force Base to Vilanculos, where the helicopters took him and his bodyguards to the island.

 

Overall expenditure, including crew and staff allowances, amounted to R1.6m.

 

Motlanthe used the Falcon for the Seychelles break with a female friend and at least five bodyguards.

 

Motlanthe paid for his own accommodation, but taxpayers funded the crew and bodyguards which cost R512 000, with travel and subsistence expenses for staff costing over R130 000.

 

The agent who made arrangements that included the fuel, was paid R296 000.

 

Airline tickets cost R83 000.

 

Government policy

 

In March, Motlanthe defended the costs of his Seychelles holiday, saying that in line with government policy, transport for the president and deputy president was the responsibility of the state, regardless of whether it was for official or private purposes.

 

“The state also has a duty to provide security for the deputy president at all times, whether he is engaged in official duties, or while he is on leave.

 

“The deputy president has no role whatsoever in the planning and carrying out of operations concerning his own transport and security. These matters, including deployment of personnel and equipment, as well as related costs, are managed by the competent state organs,” Motlanthe said in response to a question posed by Maynier at the time.

 

 

 

 

 

SAPA

 

Johannesburg – The first anniversary of the shooting at Lonmin’s Marikana mine, near Mahikeng in the North West, will be marked during a commemorative rally on Friday.

 

On 10 August last year, Lonmin rock drillers embarked on an unprotected strike for a monthly salary of R12 500.

 

More workers joined the strike and the protesters gathered at a hill near Nkaneng informal settlement carrying weapons, such as pangas, spears, knobkerries, and iron rods.

 

On 16 August last year, police trying to disperse and disarm them opened fire on the mineworkers, killing 34 of them.

 

Ten people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed in strike-related violence the preceding week.

 

Violent deaths

 

Several violent deaths in the area following the Lonmin strike have been blamed on rivalry between the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union [AMCU] and the National Union of Mineworkers [NUM].

 

The Congress of SA Trade Unions, to which NUM is affiliated, said that there had been “overwhelming concern” in the wake of the Marikana shooting that such killings should never again happen in democratic South Africa.

 

“Tragically however, one year later, we cannot say that there have been no further deaths,” spokesman Patrick Craven said in a statement on Thursday.

 

Social problems, poverty and lack of transformation still affected the lives of mining communities.

 

A framework agreement for a sustainable mining industry, signed by government, employers and most unions, needed to be fulfilled in order to prevent a repetition of the Marikana tragedy, Craven said.

 

He said the union federation was “bitterly disappointed” at the procedural arguments stalling the work of the Farlam Commission.

 

President Jacob Zuma appointed the commission to probe circumstances around the 16 August shooting.

 

State funding for miners’ lawyer

 

On Friday, the Constitutional Court is expected to rule whether the State should pay the legal costs for the miners arrested and injured at Marikana.

 

In June Dali Mpofu, for the miners, told the commission that due to financial constraints his team could be forced to withdraw from the inquiry.

 

He previously brought an urgent court application in the North Gauteng High Court several weeks ago seeking funding, but this was dismissed.

 

The commission has been postponed several times while solutions to the funding problems were sought.

 

Amnesty International’s Africa spokesperson Noel Kututwa said on Thursday that the organisation was concerned that the Farlam Commission was in crisis.

 

“The long-term consequences for the respect and protection of human rights in South Africa will be severe should the South African authorities fail in taking all necessary steps to achieve accountability for what happened in Marikana on 16 August 2012.”

 

The SA Communist Party called for the speedy conclusion of the Farlam Commission’s work.

 

“The SACP hopes that the commission will also attend to the broader systemic, underlying issues around the mining areas and the mining industry.”

 

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said it was concerned about continuing violence and killings in the Marikana area.

 

“The SAHRC recognises the urgent need for an understanding of all of the causes and reasons for these deaths, and what can be done to improve the material conditions of the people of Marikana, and hold those responsible accountable.”

 

Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele said: “As we honour all those who died at Marikana, we must encourage a spirit of reconciliation backed by practical steps so that all concerned parties can work together to finally bring peace to Marikana”.

 

Police brutality

 

The CCMA said its offices would observe a minute of silence at noon on Friday as a mark of respect for those killed at Marikana.

 

The CCMA committed itself to working tirelessly in efforts to prevent a repetition of the events of 16 August last year. It also acknowledged the work of its members in relation to the Marikana labour disputes.

 

Council for the Advancement of the SA Constitution chairperson Sipho Pityana said police needed to heed lessons learnt from the Marikana shooting.

 

“The continued brutality of the police, and their inadequacies in policing protests, shows how urgent it is that reforms are introduced to protect the human rights of everyone who lives in South Africa.”

 

National police commissioner Riah Phiyega called for peace at Friday’s commemorative events.

 

“We wish to appeal to everyone who will be in attendance to conduct themselves appropriately and to co-operate with the event organisers, marshals and the police,” she said on Thursday.

 

“Most importantly, we plead with them to not carry dangerous weapons including knives, knobkerries, firearms or any other dangerous weapons.”

 

NUM, ANC not attending commemorations

 

NUM and the African National Congress in the North West signalled on Thursday that they would not be attending the commemorations.

 

NUM spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said the decision was based on the fact that the events were organised by the Marikana Support Group, rather than deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe’s office.

 

NUM initially welcomed Amcu’s invitation to its president Senzeni Zokwana to attend the commemoration. Zokwana had been asked to share the stage with Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa in an attempt to ease tensions in the platinum belt.

 

Lonmin signed an agreement with Amcu this week, recognising it as the company’s majority trade union. 

 

The agreement set a threshold of a 30% membership for any trade union to be recognised by the company.

 

Membership of the NUM, which used to be the majority union, has dropped to 20% of Lonmin’s workforce.

 

ANC provincial spokesperson Kenny Morolong said: “The commemoration is organised by an illegitimate team called ‘Marikana support group’ – a group which the ANC does not recognise”.

 

The ANC would only participate in a commemoration organised by government, as agreed with families, Lonmin Platinum and labour unions, he said.

SAPA