A 57-year-old police official Godfrey Lubisi, accused of illegally selling firearms has been granted R5 000 bail by the Nelspruit Magistrate’s court.

He was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly selling a rifle and revolver. Lubisi, who is stationed at the Nelspruit Police Station, is facing charges of corruption, theft and illegally trading in firearms and ammunition. It is alleged that the firearms were to be destroyed.

The officers’ service spanning three decades ends with his arrest. He allegedly sold firearms handed over to the police voluntarily.

His arrest follows a year-long investigation and the SAPS has embarked on a drive to rid itself of dishonest officers. Its credibility is a cause for concern not only for the leadership, but also for the law makers.

At least 12 police officers have been arrested for various crimes in the province since April this year.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

The credibility of the Marikana Commission of Inquiry will be tainted if all parties are not represented or given adequate chance to present their case, says the secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Lawson Naidoo.

He was speaking a day before the High Court decides whether the State will foot the bill for the legal teams representing the mineworkers.

Naidoo says that government instituted the commission to find out what occurred last year at the Lonmin Marikana mine, which left mineworkers and policemen dead. He says, “In order to enable Judge Farlam to execute his mandate, the responsibility lies with the government to make the funds available.”

On Monday, the Constitutional Court dismissed the miners’ application to force government to pay their legal costs. This has added the additional stress to the victim’s who’s legal teams may have to withdraw if the legal costs are not met.

The team of lawyers representing the victims at the commission have received no funds from the Legal Aid Board or from the State since the commission started in October last year.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Johannesburg – An alleged serial rapist has been arrested in Burgersfort, Limpopo police said on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old man was taken into custody on Wednesday after he was linked to the rapes of seven women by DNA, police spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi said.

The rapes were committed by someone who lay waiting in the bush at Burgersfort and Steelpoort for his victims.

The latest victims were a 14-year-old girl and a 55-year-old woman.

The man will appear in the Lydenburg Regional Court on Thursday.

– SAPA

By TDN
Rustenburg-The Congress of South African Trade Unions, with SACCAWU, has learned that two of its women members working of Sun City were stripped of their clothes by a security company at Sun City which accused them of stealing.
“The security company, called 24/7, has been doing this under the protection of Sun International and the police of the NW. There many cases that are reported of this type and they end up in the water tank” Cosatu provincial spokesperson Solly Phetoe said.
Phetoe said COSATU has been publicly exposing and reporting racial discrimination to the Human Rights Commission but nothing has been done to investigate the matter.
“The HRC must tell the public if they are representing the public or only those who are in power of money, as we have been reporting such racial discrimination cases almost every month”.
“We are still awaiting Sun International and our provincial government to tell us and the people of NW their view of the racism and racial discrimination during the visit of Guptas and the racist case against the 24/7 security company in 2011”.
Cosatu call on their members to take the matter to the Equality Court and for members of COSATU and the public to fight against racism, regardless of their political affiliation or how much a person has in his bank account.
“We are aware that Sun City is busy dismissing our members who participated in May Day activities and fighting against the racist visitors who discriminated against workers in May 2013 during their wedding party. We call on our provincial government to act with speed on the current situation or we will take mass action on our own that will include boycotting Sun City and making sure that we inform international communities” he said.
The Union said during women’s month, women workers are racial discriminated again by a security company.
They said the structures must speak on these matters and stand by the side of these women.
“Our women in the farms are racially discriminated against, racially killed with no action from our women structures and our government. Our poor women were stripped their clothes again yesterday accused of stealing money from the rooms. We condemn the racial attitude and we demand that 24/7 security company must go out of Sun City. – TDN
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