Johannesburg – Six men allegedly linked to an international child-pornography ring have been arrested in parts of South Africa, The Times reported on Wednesday.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant General Solomon Makgale said they were arrested last Thursday. Two were teachers from Florida and Carletonville with the others being a school principal from Mbombela, a lawyer from Lichtenburg, a Pretoria dermatologist and a North West businessman.

Another 26 people were being investigated and more arrests were imminent, police told the publication.

Raids

Police also raided several homes at the weekend in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Free State.

“Police raided 15 properties and seized 672 DVDs, 22 memory sticks, eight laptops, two computer tablets, 39 external hard drives, 25 books,” said Makgale.

The case had links to Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, western Europe and Australasia.

The newspaper reported that children as young as 5 were believed to have been groomed to have sex with each other and adults.

The images are believed to have been generated overseas, and police – with the help of their international counterparts – are investigating whether children from South Africa participated.

Police overseas were also investigating if any of the children were murdered.

The six accused face several charges including child-pornography manufacturing, possession and distribution.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A man shot two relatives in Vanderbijlpark on Tuesday before killing himself, according to reports.

Stefanus Labuschagne, 50, was shot dead and his wife, Sonet, 45, was injured in the shooting at a soap business, Beeld reported.

The shooter, Gert Derks, 57, is then believed to have swallowed some tablets and fled from the scene. His body was later found in his bakkie.

“After the shooting it is suspected that [Derks] drank some tablets and fled from the scene in an Isuzu bakkie. Police chased him until R59 towards Meyerton where he stopped and died in his vehicle,” Sapa quoted police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini as saying.

Beeld reported that bystanders speculated that a possible love triangle or family strife led to the shooting.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A police captain from Mbombela was arrested and charged with illegal trafficking in firearms, Beeld reported on Wednesday.

Additional charges of corruption and theft were also laid against Captain Godfrey Lubisi, 57, who was arrested at work.

Police said the arrest followed a year-long investigation, after rumours that weapons were being sold from the Nelspruit police station for as little as R2 000.

Lubisi allegedly sold a .22 rifle, a collector’s item dating back to 1925, to a member of the public in January.

Lubisi reportedly took the man to the store where firearms submitted by members of the public for later destruction were kept.

He gave Lubisi over R2 000, as he had apparently agreed to also supply a firearm licence.

The investigation was delayed because no one wanted to make a statement, then two weeks ago, new information came to light.

It emerged that Lubisi had also illegally sold a Taurus .357 Magnum revolver for R2 000.

On Tuesday, police also found a large number of firearm licences that had to be collected from the police station, allegedly under the seat of Lubisi’s car.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said police would oppose bail.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele called on President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday to disclose his personal finances.

“I call upon President Zuma to publish his accounts immediately. What is there to hide?” she asked reporters in Johannesburg.

“South Africans deserve a president that sets a good example for the rest of the country to follow.”

She said Parliament required all members to disclose their private financial interests.

“President Zuma has used a convenient technicality to sidestep this requirement. From his inauguration… the president has dodged the issue for over 1 565 days to date. With each passing day suspicion about his integrity mounts,” Ramphele said.

Set an example

She said she was disclosing her own financial affairs for the country to scrutinise, in line with the need for accountability, and to set an example for Zuma.

Ramphele said her net worth as of 27 June this year was R55 436 063.

She had shares worth R1.38m with Anglo American, Gold Fields, Sibanye Gold, and the PTI Select Managers Fund.

Her primary residence in Camps Bay, Cape Town, was valued at R10m. A total of R1 146 139 was in retirement annuity and R1 574 064 in a provident fund.

Her family trust held R30m and her investment trust R10.9m.

“My income for the tax year ending 28 February 2013, was R346 000 – a sizeable drop from previous years due to my resignation from all board commitments… ahead of my entrance into politics.”

Ramphele said her wealth would not distance her from South Africa’s poor.

“I am one of many leaders of this country, as with [former] president [Nelson] Mandela, who was not poor,” she said.

“Being comfortable or having a measure of wealth is not a barrier to linking with poor people. What is a barrier is the abuse of power and stealing from poor people as this government has done consistently.”

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Residents of Orange Farm burnt tyres and placed rocks on main roads in the area on Wednesday, Johannesburg metro police said.

“It is not safe to venture into the area, especially for motorists, because rocks are all over the road,” Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said.

“Motorists are advised to use the N1 instead of the Golden Highway,” he said.

The protesters had also placed rocks and burning tyres between Welgevonden Road and Palm Springs Mall.

Minnaar said it was not clear why residents were protesting.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Controversial businessman Kenny Kunene has not resigned from the Economic Freedom Fighters, the party said on Wednesday.

“Kunene has not left the party… he has asked to be relieved of his leadership responsibilities,” said spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

According to reports on Wednesday, Kunene had quit as EFF head of campaigns, mobilisation, and special projects.

Ndlozi said Kunene remained a member of the party.

In July, Kunene said he was going into politics full-time as a member of the EFF, led by expelled African National Congress Youth League leader Julius Malema.

Kunene wrote a scathing open letter to President Jacob Zuma before joining the EFF, criticising his leadership and referred to Zuma as “a monster and a tyrant”.

SAPA

Beyonce spent nearly  R23000.00 on flame-grilled chicken after her performance at V Festival on Saturday.

The ‘Grown Woman’ singer appears to have worked up a big appetite following her headline slot at the annual music festival – which was held at Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex – as she splashed out  R22933.89 (£1,444.10) on tasty peri-peri chicken from Portuguese-style restaurant chain, Nando’s.

The 31-year-old star, who is known for her love of the restaurant, put in a massive order for her and her entourage, which included 48 whole chickens, 580 spicy wings, 48 portions of chips, 24 tubs of coleslaw, 24 helpings of spicy rice and 12 vegetable burgers.

A manager at a Chelsmford branch of Nando’s confirmed to BBC News that a member of Beyonce’s entourage made the order and according to a receipt, which was posted on Twitter, the four-figure bill was paid entirely in cash.

The singer loves to treat herself to succulent chicken from the restaurant chain when she is in the UK, but her latest order tops the £740 she racked up in Nando’s when her ‘Mrs. Carter Show’ world tour visited Dublin, Ireland, in May.

The generous star helped herself and her tour crew to 28 whole chickens and plenty of sides – including chips, corn on the cob and garlic bread – following her concert at Dublin’s The O2 arena.

-Bang Showbiz

A trust is being set up for victims of strike-related violence in Marikana last year, a group calling itself Citizens4Marikana said on Tuesday.

“We are in the process of forming a trust for the benefit of the persons identified by the Farlam Commission [of Inquiry] as victims of the Marikana massacre, and their families,” it said in a statement.

“The aim of the trust will be to benefit the named beneficiaries in whatever way the trustees deem most appropriate… Right now that could be by providing finance for legal fees.”

In the long term, this could be used for education scholarships.

“Ultimately, how funds are spent will be determined by the trustees and we will be responsible only for raising those funds.”

The group was started on Twitter following comments about the 16  August shooting last year that left 44 people dead at Lonmin’s platinum mine in Marikana.

“Our mission is to ensure that the truth of the events at Marikana are revealed and that the victims, and their families, achieve justice,” it said.

“While we recognise the importance of the Farlam Commission, justice cannot be found… unless real recompense is made to the people most intimately affected.”

Funding

On 21 June, Dali Mpofu, for the miners, told the commission that due to financial constraints, it could be his last day representing the miners.

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

Mpofu then took the State to the Constitutional Court, asking that it pay for his legal team. The application was dismissed on Monday.

On its website, Citizens4Marikana state that Nkome Attorneys, based in Pretoria, were appointed to temporarily collect donations.

Citizens4Marikana is as a social media movement started by a group of people moved by the violence at Marikana.

There was nothing political behind it, said representative Kay Sexwale, former radio presenter and niece of former human settlements minister Tokyo Sexwale.

“We are just outraged at the Marikana massacre and we feel that something has to be done,” she said.

“Nothing is cast in stone. We are not trying to steal anyone’s money. We are just collecting money for those families affected. It is about the 44 people who died in August last year.”

Citizens4Marikana was started by “random people” on social media network Twitter, including Sexwale, UN secretary general at the G8 and G20 Youth Summits in 2012 Erik De Ridder, photojournalist Greg Marinovich, and Nomboniso Gasa, who describes herself as a researcher, analyst, and public speaker.

SAPA

Johannesburg – Businessman Kenny Kunene has quit his leadership positions in the newly-formed Economic Freedom Front with immediate effect, it was reported on Wednesday.

Kunene told The Star newspaper that he was resigning from his position on the central command team as well as his role as the head of campaigns, mobilisation and special projects, after “considering a lot of things”.

He added that there were still decisions to be made on the way forward.

“Obviously I’d like to see economic freedom being realised and I will remain an economic freedom fighter for ordinary people. The direction I am taking from now will determine if I will still be active in EFF,” he told The Star.

Kunene, known as the “Sushi King”, was seen as a crowd-pulling asset for former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema’s new political party.

He said Malema had “accepted and respected” his resignation, and that be still believed the party has a future “even when I am not there”.

News24.com

Johannesburg – The Constitutional Court has reduced convicted drug dealer Sheryl Cwele’s prison term from 20 years to 12 years, Beeld reported on Wednesday.

The court ruled that Cwele, who is the ex-wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, receive the same sentence as that of her co-accused Frank Nabolisa.

The two were initially convicted in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in May 2011 of using drug mules to smuggle cocaine and were each sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment.

The Supreme Court of Appeal later increased their sentences to 20 years.

Nabolisa approached the Constitutional Court, which ruled that the State was required to officially appeal the sentences, before they could be increased in the Appeal Court. Nabolisa’s original sentence of 12 years was reinstated.

In July, Cwele launched a similar Constitutional Court appeal. The bench of 11 judges ruled that her sentence be reduced in light of its findings in Nabolisa’s case.

Drug mule’s mother not surprised

The Witness reported on Wednesday that the mother of convicted drug mule Tessa Beetge, who remains in prison in Brazil, said it came as no surprise that Cwele’s sentence had been reduced to 12 years, because Nabolisa’s sentence had already been reduced.

“I just think both of them should not get out on parole at all,” said Marie Swanepoel.

Beetge has already served over five years of her total jail sentence of seven years and nine months. She was caught in possession of 10.2kg of cocaine at Sao Paulo airport after being recruited by Cwele and Nabolisa.

Swanepoel told The Witness she has no telephonic contact with her daughter because the prison won’t allow foreign inmates to receive or make phone calls.

“All she is allowed is to receive and send two e-mails per week. She has many people she keeps in touch with, but she always tries to e-mail me.

“I do know she is not receiving any benefits because of her case being high profile,” Swanepoel said.

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