Durban – The woman whose horror story shocked the nation and helped break the silence about rape, believes self-defence should be taught at school.

Girls should also be taught about self-empowerment and how to read situations, while boys should be taught the impact that rape has on girls.

“No means ‘no’, and girls should be able to say that,” said Alison Botha, who was giving a Women’s Day breakfast presentation to Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) guests at the Oyster Box Hotel, uMhlanga Rocks, on Friday.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Durban – A former student who was a “political fanatic”, serving a life sentence for killing two people, has told a court that he was not a high risk and that his anger was under control.

Nqobile Zondi, who has served 16 years of his sentence at Westville Prison – short of the 20 years required to be eligible for parole – has taken the Department of Correctional Services to court after it turned down his parole application.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Pretoria – Murder-accused paralympian Oscar Pistorius has over six months to prepare for trial after shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius appeared briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, before Magistrate Desmond Nair.

“The matter that is before me today is merely for the postponement to the high court. It is merely a short appearance,” Nair said.

He asked Pistorius if he agreed that he would arrange his own defence and witnesses.

“I am satisfied with the provisions my legal team has made,” Pistorius replied.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel handed the indictment to the court.

“We will serve the indictment on the accused… We have arranged a date for the trial.”

Nair then served the papers on Pistorius.

“I’m enjoined by legislation to serve them on you and I am now doing that,” said Nair.

The papers were handed over to a court official, who had to get past a number of journalists sitting on the courtroom floor, to hand over to Pistorius.

The trial was moved to the High Court in Pretoria and would run from March 3 to 20.

The indictment lists 107 witnesses to testify for the State.

Among them are Pistorius’s sister Aimee, his uncle Arnold, former police investigator Hilton Botha, and residents of the Silver Woods Country Estate in Pretoria, where he lived.

Medical experts, a weather forecaster, paramedics, ballistic and forensic experts will also be called.

Pistorius’s former girlfriends, Melissa Rom and Samantha Taylor would also testify.

Melissa is the daughter of Pretoria hairdresser Gary Rom.

Samantha’s mother Patricia Ann Taylor was also on the witness list.

Also making the list are two people from Melrose Arch in Johannesburg where Pistorius accidentally fired a gun in a busy restaurant in January. He narrowly missed a friend’s foot.

Former soccer player Mark Bachelor who said after an argument with the paralympian that Pistorius threatened to break his legs was also on the list.

Steenkamp was killed in Pistorius’s Pretoria home on February 14. At his bail hearing, Pistorius submitted that he thought Steenkamp was an intruder.

Members of the Myers family were also due to testify next year. This was the family Steenkamp lived with in Johannesburg. Their daughter Gina was Steenkamp’s best friend.

Botha, who was lead detective in the case, was later replaced by Lt-Gen Vineshkumar Moonoo.

Botha’s removal from the Pistorius case followed reports in February that he was himself charged with attempted murder.

Police later confirmed that he had seven attempted murder charges pending. In 2011 Botha allegedly fired shots at a minibus while trying to stop the vehicle. Seven people were in the taxi at the time.

Along with murder, Pistorius was also charged with contravening the Firearms Control Act, the National Prosecuting Authority said. The charges were not read out in court.

The indictment read: “In that on or about 16 February 2013 and at (Silver Woods Country estate address) the accused (Pistorius) did unlawfully have in his possession ammunition, to wit 38 x 38 rounds, without being the holder of a licence in respect of a firearm capable of discharging that ammunition…”

After his appearance, Pistorius – wearing a black suit and navy blue shirt – was embraced by his family before being escorted out of the courthouse by about 20 police officers.

Earlier, Pistorius and his siblings held hands and bowed their heads in prayer for about 15 minutes. Aimee and Carl shed tears ahead of their brother’s appearance.

Sapa

Durban – A man who allegedly shot dead a colleague at Durban’s King Edward VIII hospital had a dream before his arrest and was not surprised when police arrived, the Durban Magistrate’s Court heard on Monday.

Warrant Officer Vusi Nkosi said Khulekani Aubrey Ntuli had told him that the night before “he had a dream of an overflowing river that he was unable to cross”.

“I had a conversation with the accused. He said he was avoiding all vehicles with the ND (Durban) registration,” said Nkosi.

The 43-year-old Ntuli is alleged to have killed Sipho Mfayela, 54, on February 28 after he was told the results of a misconduct disciplinary hearing appeal.

He was arrested in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, in May, after nearly three months on the run. He faces charges of murder, pointing a firearm, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

However, Ntuli’s lawyer George Pooran told the court that his client intended to plead not guilty, as he was in Johannesburg at the time of the murder and did not know he was wanted by police.

Ntuli was staying with his brother when he was arrested and according to Nkosi had claimed on the day of his arrest to be wearing the same T-shirt that he was wearing when he allegedly killed Mfayela.

Nkosi said Ntuli’s brother had stated “blood is thicker than water” when asked by police why he had not told them that Ntuli was staying with him.

Magistrate Vanitha Armu is expected to hear closing arguments later on Monday before deciding whether to grant Ntuli bail.

Sapa

Nelspruit – A tavern patron who shot another patron dead in a brawl in Mpumalanga was found guilty of culpable homicide in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Monday.

A Sapa correspondent reported that Lawrence Senzani Phoku, from Sukani Trust near Hazyview, pleaded guilty to culpable homicide despite being charged for murder.

Phoku said he did not know how the gun got into his hands on October 15, 2011.

He testified that three men confronted him while he was drinking at the tavern.

“One of my attackers carried a firearm in his hand. While the other men were attacking me, I fell to the ground and the man holding the firearm lost his grip and the firearm also fell down next to me,” he said.

“As the men were busy kicking me, I don’t know how the firearm got in my hand. I heard a gunshot from the same firearm, which was still in my hand.”

Phoku said he was frightened by the gunshot.

“I then stood up and ran home,” he said.

The next morning, he heard from locals that Thokozani Lambo Goma was killed at the KaMarule tavern, where he had been.

“I know I took a wrong decision by firing the weapon accidentally. In my humble request, I am voluntarily pleading guilty to a charge of culpable homicide, and I ask the court to find me guilty (of ) the culpable homicide charge,” Phoku said.

He did not want to waste the court’s time but asked to be given a lesser charge than murder.

“I also apologise to the court, the family of the deceased and the community for what I have done.”

“I know I am charged with murder but I plead guilty to culpable homicide.”

Prosecutor Michael Mazibuko said the State accepted the accused’s statement.

Magistrate Eddie Hall agreed and found him guilty of culpable homicide.

The case was postponed to Friday for sentencing.

Sapa

Durban – A man who allegedly shot dead a colleague at Durban’s King Edward VIII Hospital served a four-year sentence for a previous murder conviction.

Magistrate Vanitha Armu, who denied Khulekani Aubrey Ntuli’s application to be released on bail, said Ntuli had served four years of an eight-year sentence after being convicted of murder in 1992.

Since his release, Ntuli had worked for nearly 18 years at the hospital before the fateful day of February 28 this year, when he is alleged to have killed Sipho Mfayela, 54.

Armu rejected Ntuli’s assertion the exceptional circumstance required for him to be released on bail was the fact that he had been in Johannesburg with his brother on the day of the shooting.

“On the day there were two eyewitnesses. He was extremely well known at the hospital. There is no mistake that he was the person who could have killed Mfayela.”

Ntuli faces charges of murder, pointing a firearm, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

After the shooting, the 43-year old is alleged to have pointed his gun at another staff member before fleeing.

The court was also told that Ntuli suffered from a terminal illness, but the details were not disclosed.

Armu said she believed it was “most unlikely” that Armu was in Johannesburg at the time of the murder, despite his brother testifying that he was.

Ntuli denied that he was on the run for three months, but told the court that he had sought extended leave in February so that he could write an examination he was studying for.

He was arrested in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, in May.

Earlier, the arresting officer Vusi Nkosi testified that Ntuli had a dream before his arrest and was not surprised when police arrived, the Durban Magistrate’s Court heard on Monday.

He said Ntuli had told him that the night before “he had a dream of an overflowing river that he was unable to cross”.

“I had a conversation with the accused. He said he was avoiding all vehicles with the ND (Durban) registration,” said Nkosi.

However, Ntuli’s lawyer George Pooran told the court that his client intended to plead not guilty, as he was in Johannesburg at the time of the murder and did not know he was wanted by police.

Ntuli was staying with his brother when he was arrested and according to Nkosi had claimed on the day of his arrest to be wearing the same T-shirt that he was wearing when he allegedly killed Mfayela.

Nkosi said Ntuli’s brother had stated “blood is thicker than water” when asked by police why he had not told them that Ntuli was staying with him.

Armu remanded Ntuli in custody until September 16 for his next court appearance.

Sapa

Sofia – Bulgarian surgeons removed a giant tumour that weighed 23 kilogrammes from a woman’s abdomen on Monday, likening the curious case to something out of an old medical textbook.

The 67-year-old patient was hospitalised with complications and high temperature after a flu. But doctors from the university obstetrics and gynaecology hospital in Sofia discovered that a giant mass was squeezing a number of vital organs.

“We removed a 23-kilo tumour, which is the size of a seven- or eight-year-old child,” surgeon Bozhidar Slavchev said in a hospital statement.

“I have not seen such a bad case of neglected health in my entire long-time career,” he added.

The woman told the doctors she had known about the tumour for some 20 years now but was afraid to undergo surgery.

“We have seen similar curious cases described in medicine textbooks from the beginning of the previous century, and it is worrying that today there are still patients who have not had prophylactic examinations for 20 years,” another surgeon, Stefan Konstantinov, said.

The woman lost one third of her total weight after the operation.

Sapa-AFP

Johannesburg – All options are being considered to contest Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi’s suspension, his lawyer said on Monday.

“The position is that all options are still being considered. No final decision has been taken,” Dup de Bruyn said.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions leader vowed on Friday to challenge his suspension.

“I have instructed my lawyers to challenge the decision to put me on leave of absence pending investigation and possible disciplinary action,” he told reporters in Johannesburg.

“I believe a grave injustice is being visited on me. I believe that my suspension will be proven to be both procedurally and substantially unfair.”

He claimed Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini had circulated an “intelligence report” aimed at destroying him.

Cosatu announced on Thursday that Vavi had been put on special leave pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing relating to an affair he had with a junior Cosatu employee.

Last month, the employee accused Vavi of rape.

He admitted to having a consensual affair with her.

The woman subsequently withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against him.

Vavi said the intelligence report, which was distributed at the briefing, aimed to discredit a number of South Africans, including ANC MP Tokyo Sexwale, deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke, ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, and National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim.

According to the report, the Marikana shootings, service delivery protests, and xenophobic attacks were part of a “grand conspiracy” to overthrow the state.

He said his lawyers were writing a letter to Intelligence Minister Siyabonga Cwele to determine if the report was a product of state organs.

They would also write to the inspector general, who is the intelligence ombudsman, to ask for an investigation to see if state institutions have been abused “to divide workers’ organisations and smear individuals”.

Vavi said Dlamini had publicly found him guilty before a central executive committee meeting, and that leaders of affiliated unions had prejudiced themselves because they were influenced by the report.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Government should step in and fund the legal costs of miners wounded and arrested in the Marikana shootings last year, the DA said on Monday.

“The DA fully respects the decision of the Constitutional Court, which is based on upholding the doctrine of separation of powers,” Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said in a statement.

“It remains completely unacceptable, however, that the justice department cannot expand its budget to accommodate the legal fees of the victims of the Marikana massacre, without being instructed to do so.”

Mazibuko was responding to a ruling earlier by the Constitutional Court in which an application to compel the State to fund the miners’ legal costs was dismissed.

The legal costs relate to the Farlam Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating the deaths of 44 people during strike-related unrest at Lonmin Platinum’s mining operations in Marikana, North West, last year.

Mazibuko said denying the mineworkers a right to legal representation would taint the credibility of the commission.

A number of miners were also wounded in the shootings as well as arrested afterwards.

Attempts to get the State to pay for their legal representation at the commission have failed so far.

Mazibuko said she would write to President Jacob Zuma and Justice Minister Jeff Radebe to request that the department make funds available for the miners.

Thirty-four people – almost all striking mine workers – were killed in Marikana on 16 August last year when police fired on them.

Ten people, including two police officers, were killed in the preceding week.

– SAPA

By Obakeng Maje
Potchefstroom-The DA has been informed that the Department embarked on a profiling exercise focusing only on the 9 wards in which by-elections will be held on the 18th September.
According to DA, Officials from Klerksdorp, Wolmaranstad and Ventersdorp were instructed to work in Potchefstroom but only in the by-election wards.
Some of the officials approached the DA on an anonymous basis for fear of victimization.
“The profiling must be completed before the by-elections in order for food parcels to be distributed exactly in the same way as before the 7th August by-election in the Tlokwe Municipality Ward 9” SAID Tiaan Kotze.
“It appears that the Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini appears to be unfazed about the public outcry about her abuse of state resources during the August by-election when she was involved in the distribution of 400 food parcels in ward 9 at a ratio of one food parcel for every two ANC votes” Kotze said.
The DA said they continue to inform the targeted and abused community about the abuse state resources and the absence of sustainable support for the indigent sector of the community.
The DA already formally tabled questions in the North West Provincial Legislature about Dlamini’s abuse of state resources for ANC vote buying purposes.-TDN
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