Cape Town – A school vice-principal has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Knysna, Western Cape police said on Thursday.

He was arrested on Wednesday night after the girl’s mother laid a charge, Captain Malcolm Pojie said.

“It is alleged that the victim and another learner were called to assist the suspect with the dissemination of letters to the parents (on Monday during school hours),” Pojie said.

The vice-principal allegedly molested the girl after the second pupil had left.

“The principal of the school caught him red-handed…”

He told the mother what happened and she laid a charge of sexual assault. The man was expected to appear in the Knysna Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of sexual assault.

The investigating officer would oppose bail at the first appearance, Pojie said. – Sapa

Johannesburg – Constable Mokolo Molekoa was a ladies’ man, a gentleman who gave one of his girlfriends money for a haircut.

This is how the accused serial rapist described himself to the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court.

The former Randburg cop took the stand on Wednesday. Throughout his testimony, Molekoa yawned, rubbed his eyes and sniffed.

Every time defence attorney Buhle Madondo asked him if he had consensual sex with the women, Molekoa would sniff, scratch himself and pause before saying “Ja”.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Johannesburg – The Helen Suzman Foundation [HSF] will turn to the Western Cape High Court to challenge the constitutional validity of the SAPS Amendment Act.

The foundation is challenging the establishment of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation [the “Hawks”] which was originally declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court [CC] in Glenister v President of the Republic of South Africa.

The HSF acted as an amicus [friend of the court]. They will argue that the Amendment Act [which was promulgated by Parliament as a direct response to the Glenister judgment, in order to rectify the problems the CC identified], still falls short of the “adequate independence” standard.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A smash and grab suspect has been left in a coma after his would-be victim drove him over.

The woman then drove home, leaving the bleeding, injured man at the scene, The Star reported.

And despite being in a coma, the man has been charged with attempted robbery and is currently under police guard at Tembisa Hospital.

The incident happened around 19:30 on Tuesday at the intersection of Pretoria and Snake roads in Northmead, Benoni.

Police spokesperson Constable Timothy Masilela said the woman was driving alone and had stopped at an intersection in Benoni when the man grabbed her handbag from a seat.

“However, the woman grabbed it back and they wrestled over it. While still holding the bag, the woman accelerated, and as she did, the man let go of the bag and fell.

“The victim said she just drove on and never checked what had happened to the man.

It appeared the man had been pulled under the car, said ER24 spokesperson Vanessa Jackson. He had been placed on life support.

The suspect has been charged with attempted robbery and is currently under police guard at Tembisa Hospital.

– News24

Johannesburg – A child porn ring that has seen the arrests of six professionals, including the former principal of a high profile Mpumalanga school, is “far bigger than anyone imagined”.

This was according to a police source who told The Times that those arrested have links to other paedophile rings.

“It is far bigger than anyone imagined. It has links to suspected paedophile rings across the world. None of those on the team ever imagined it would be this big, that it would stretch this wide and involve so many.”

The source told the newspaper that what police have found is also “just the tip of the iceberg” and involves many people in positions of trust.

“The race is now on to catch these people and to try and find those they are thought to have harmed before it is too late. At this stage no one knows what has happened to the hundreds of children depicted in these images and films,” he said.

The former principal, who is also an award-winning author, was dismissed after being arrested for his connection to the child porn syndicate.

We won’t abandon him – sister

On Wednesday, the man’s sister told The Times that his family wanted the law to take its course.

“As family and friends we stand 100% behind our brother and son and believe totally in his innocence and support and love him.

“We will not abandon him,” she said.

A total of six professionals have appeared in courts throughout the country for child pornography. The six included two teachers and a retired principal, a lawyer, a dermatologist, and a businessman.

Police spokesperson Solomon Makgale said the accused were arrested in Lichtenburg, Bloemfontein, White River, Douglasdale, Florida, and Potchefstroom.

At the weekend, police raided several homes in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Free State.

Among the items seized were 672 DVDs, 22 memory sticks, eight laptops, two computer tablets, 39 external hard drives, and 25 books containing child porn.

The Times reported the case had links to Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Western Europe, and Australasia.

It reported that children as young as 5 were believed to have been groomed to have sex with each other and adults.
For more http://www.news24.com

A 55-year-old woman was stung to death by a swarm of bees in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape police said on Thursday.

Captain Johann Rheeder said the bees attacked the woman on Wednesday morning in Charlo.

She was walking near the railway line when the incident happened.

“A security guard said she heard a woman screaming. When she looked through the window she saw bees attacking [the woman].”

He said the woman fell down and died before paramedics arrived.

He said a post-mortem would be conducted to determine the cause of death.

The woman had not yet been identified by Thursday morning.

An inquest docket was opened.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Justice Minister Jeff Radebe has announced that the government will not pay the legal expenses of miners wounded in the Marikana shootings last year.

Briefing the media on Thursday, Radebe said it was not necessary to provide funding to the miners’ legal team, as they were employed by Lonmin and are not on the state’s payroll.

He added that the evidence can be dealt with adequately by the evidence leaders who are already funded by the state.

Radebe cited budgetary constraints as one of the reasons for denying the funding request, according to eNCA.

The Constitutional Court on Monday dismissed an application to compel the state to fund the miners’ legal costs at the Farlam Commission of Inquiry.
For more http://www.news24.com

Cape Town – Golden Lions coach Johan Ackermann has dropped flyhalf Elton Jantjies to the bench for their Currie Cup clash against the Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday (17:05 kick-off).

Jantjies, who started in their 33-25 loss to the Sharks in Durban last week, is replaced at pivot by Marnitz Boshoff.

Boshoff – who played fullback last week – is replaced by Chrysander Botha at the back.

In other changes, lock Franco van der Merwe returns from Springbok duty while Willie Wepener has also been included in the starting team after recently joining the squad.

Teams:

Blue Bulls:

15 Jürgen Visser, 14 Sampie Mastriet, 13 Ulrich Beyers, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Travis Ismaiel, 10 Tony Jantjies, 9 Ruan Snyman, 8 Jono Ross (captain), 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Wiaan Liebenberg, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Morné Mellett

Substitutes: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Marcel van der Merwe, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Waylon Murray, 22 Clayton Blommetjies

Golden Lions:

15 Chrysander Botha 14 Deon Helberg 13 Robert De Bruyn 12 Dylan Des Fountain 11 Anthony Volmink 10 Marnitz Boshoff 9 Guy Cronje 8 Willie Britz 7 Derick Minnie (captain) 6 Jaco Kriel 5 Franco van der Merwe 4 Chris van Zyl 3 Ruan Dreyer 2 Willie Wepener 1 Jacques Van Rooyen

Substitutes: 16 Robbie Coetzee 17 CJ van der Linde 18 Lambert Groenewald 19 Warwick Tecklenburg 20 Tiaan Meyer 21 Elton Jantjies 22 Lionel Cronje For more http://www.neqws24.com

Durban – KwaZulu-Natal Premier Zweli Mkhize announced on Thursday that he was stepping down as premier.

ANC provincial chairperson Senzo Mchunu was sworn in as acting premier by KwaZulu-Natal Judge President Chiman Patel in Durban.

Mkhize said his tasks as ANC treasurer general had prompted the decision.

“After considering the workload associated with my two responsibilities, I have come to the conclusion that I need to spend more time fulfilling my responsibilities as the treasurer general of the African National Congress.”

Mkhize was elected treasurer general at the ANC’s elective congress in Mangaung last year.

He praised Mchunu and his colleagues in the KwaZulu-Natal executive.

He also thanked President Jacob Zuma for his support.

Mkhize would be based at ANC headquarters Luthuli House in Johannesburg full time as from 1 September.

SAPA

By TDN

Mahikeng-The Office of the Premier for North West Province is concerned that in recent weeks, some mischievous elements have convened meetings of traditional leaders under the pretext that such meetings are convened by Premier Thandi Modise and will be addressed by her.

“While no effort will be spared to get to the bottom of those behind this nefarious agenda, the Office of the Premier is convinced that the objective of those convening such meetings is to spoil the excellent relationship that the provincial government and in particular Premier Thandi Modise has with North West House of Traditional Leadership and traditional leaders across the province” premier spokesperson Lesiba Kgwele said.

“In apologising to traditional leaders who were misled into attending such meetings in Ngaka Modiri Molema District, Premier Modise wishes to reaffirm that meetings between herself and traditional leaders are as per protocol coordinated directly by her office or convened through the Office of the MEC of Local Government and Traditional Affairs and or the North West Provincial House of Traditional Leadership and not through any other third parties” premier’s office said.-TDN

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