Johannesburg – Sixteen people have been arrested for stealing electrical cables at an underground mining shaft in Thabazimbi, Limpopo police said on Sunday.

“Besides the arrests, police managed to confiscate two vans and rolls of copper cable with a street value of more than R500 000,” said Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi.

Police went to the Amandelbult mining shaft on Saturday morning after receiving information about a cable theft syndicate, he said.

“The syndicate of more than 26 people would spend a week underground, cutting copper cables and stashing them at a secret hideout.”

The other syndicate members escaped. Some were thought to still be underground. Mulaudzi said those arrested would appear in the Thabazimbi Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

On Friday, police arrested four people and seized stolen copper cable worth more than R250 000 in raids on five scrap metal businesses in Tzaneen.

On the same day, Vodacom employees discovered a network shutdown at Tinmyne.

Police went to the cellphone tower in the area where they found a van containing stolen copper cable worth R260 000.

– SAPA

Bloemfontein – The water supply to areas around Bloemfontein will return slowly, Mangaung spokesperson Qondile Khedama said on Sunday afternoon.

“Repair works at the leakage near the N6 junction have been concluded,” he said.

A burst in Mangaung’s main water supply line left thousands of residents without water the past three days.

Khedama said the city anticipated to pressurise the main line from 10:00 on Sunday.

“Full restoration will take around ten hours.”

He said refilling the water system beyond the repair site was taking longer than anticipated.

Since Saturday water was supplied through the Rustfontein scheme at a flow rate of 650 litres per second and was shared by take offs such as the prison, Bloemspruit, Longridge system – which include Fleurdal, Freedom Park, Pelindaba – and Brandkop – consisting of Pellisier, Langenhoven Park and the military base.

Khedama said Phase 2 and 3 and the Rockland areas were not getting water as their take off was from the main line.

He said the municipality would continue to supply water through tanks until the city has satisfied itself on the restoration of water in all affected areas.

Earlier, the Democratic Alliance urged the city to install additional emergency water points in the metro.

The party said the communities of Pellissier, Universitas, Langenhoven Park, Heidedal, Freedom Square and Rocklands were the worst affected in the past three days.

The DA said the Mangaung metro had failed to communicate effectively to residents.

Free State DA leader Patricia Kopane said the metro’s website provides no information on the reasons for the complete water disruption.

“This clearly illustrates the arrogant and uncaring attitude of the ANC-led metro council.”

She said the city’s failure to communicate affected many small businesses such as guest houses and restaurants which were forced to close.

– SAPA

Durban – Cosatu’s embattled general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi did not feature among the reasons given by member unions calling for a special congress, the federation’s president said in Durban on Sunday.

S’dumo Dlamini said there had been eight or nine reasons that unions had given behind their calls for a special congress.

“Eight or nine of Cosatu affiliates have made a request for a special congress. I can say to you without a doubt, that … there is no affiliate that has stated the reason for the congress to be about the general secretary of Cosatu.”

He said Cosatu had not budgeted for a special congress.

The congress would not cost less than R12m for the estimated 3 500 delegates who would attend if it was called, Dlamini said.

Vavi has been placed on special leave pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing into an affair he had with a junior employee.

The federation’s central executive committee (CEC) has asked Dlamini to report on the feasibility of convening the special congress.

Dlamini, who was attending an SA Communist Party rally in Folweni, said that he had not made any decision on whether to hold a special congress.

“The constitution of Cosatu gives powers to the president to apply his mind on these matters. I will apply my mind.”

While he told journalists that Vavi had never featured as a reason for affiliates to call for the special congress he told those at the rally that he had warned “comrades” to “avoid discussing matters by a proxy”.

He said that they should not give one reason for the conference when in fact there was another reason.

Dlamini did not specify which “comrades” or unions he was referring to. He admitted that the federation had problems.

“It is not difficult for us to deny it. We do have challenges as an organisation,” he said.

The Sunday Independent reported that according to Cosatu’s constitution, the federation president must call for a special congress if no less than a third of affiliates in good standing submit a written request or if the CEC passes a resolution calling for such a meeting.

If the president fails to call a special congress, the CEC is empowered to nominate a convenor.

The newspaper said Dlamini would need to report back to the CEC on the special congress in November.

SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande said that any attempts to divide Cosatu were “counter-revolutionary”.

He urged all communists to “rally behind a united Cosatu”.

“To us as the communist party we respect the collective leadership of the federation as a whole,” Nzimande said.

He told those attending the rally that there were suspicions that some union leaders were considering leaving Cosatu.

He did not elaborate further.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – DA leader Helen Zille believes her party is the only alternative to the ANC, she said on Sunday.

“[While] the ANC promises a better life, it is the DA which delivers a better life,” she was quoted as saying in a statement issued after a Democratic Alliance election rally in Cradock, in the Eastern Cape.

“Where the DA governs, we support strong communities, stand up for the weak, the sick, and the helpless,” she said.

“The mark of the good society is not the contentment of the privileged, wealthy and strong, but our commitment to the poor and weak.”

Zille said the DA was the only party which would be able to remove the African National Congress from power.

“If everybody votes in next year’s election we can bring the ANC below 60% of the vote nationally. We still have a lot of work to do to achieve our objectives.”

She said that according to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), four million young South Africans were not registered to vote in next year’s election.

“Imagine what we could do if all these young people registered and voted? The DA would be far closer to governing South Africa.”

She said the DA was the only party with a solid track record of delivering jobs and essential services.

“The DA is the most diverse political party in South Africa today. We do not thrive on divisions, but on what we can do better together.”

“We are the only party that can deliver real freedoms to every individual and community.”

She said it was looking for more than just a change of ruling party.

“We want to change the direction of South Africa and restore people’s confidence.”

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Armed robberies in shopping centres rose by 60% in 2012/2013 compared to the same period in 2011/2012, the Consumer Goods Risk Initiative (CGRI) said on Sunday.

“The highest targeted commodity in shopping centre robbery incidents in 2013 are cellphones,” CGRI head James Oosthuizen said in a statement.

A total of 438 incidents of robbery in shopping centres were reported in 2012/2013, compared to 274 in the previous time period.

The majority of cellphone robberies took place in Gauteng and the Western Cape.

CGRI is a unit within the Consumer Goods Council of SA that specialises in preventing crime in the retail industry.

It was recently involved in developing a cash distribution system for shopping centres in Johannesburg designed to decrease cash-in-transit robberies.

“As part of the system, cash is transported from the retail stores throughout the mall by means of air tubes, meaning retailers no longer keep cash on their premises,” said Oosthuizen.

– SAPA

By Obakeng Maje

Mmabatho-Police are looking for a suspect following the alleged murder of 30-year-old man on Saturday at approximately 01:30 at Makhubung village.  

“It is alleged that a fight ensued between the suspect and the victim, and the latter was stabbed with a knife on the chest” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said. 

He allegedly fell down where he bled, and was certified dead by Emergency and Medical Rescue officials.  

The motive of the incident is unknown at this stage and the suspect is still at large. 

“Anyone with information that may lead to arrest and prosecution of the suspect, can contact Mmabatho Police Station on (018) 387 7500 or call Crime Stop number 08600 10111” Mokgwabone said.-TDN

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By Obakeng Maje

The North West Provincial Government failed to spend a massive R1.321 billion during the last financial year, say Democratic Alliance.

“It is of particular concern that crucial provincial departments tasked with delivery of infrastructure and improving the quality of life for North West citizens have been the leading under spenders” DA chris Hattingh said.

Democratic Alliance said:

·The North West Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, failed to spend R815 833 000, even after it had to abdicate its responsibility to maintain provincial roads to SANRAL due to its previous failures. 

·This department could only spent 75% of its budget and failed to spend an additional R487 207 000 of conditional grants allocated to it mainly as a result of the supply chain committee not being fully functional.

·The NW Department of Health underspent R63 million on services while simultaneously it overspent by R70,3 million on the compensation of employees mainly increasing discretionary expenditure, including travel and subsistence allowances.

·The Provincial Treasury reported an under spending on goods and services amounting to R70 million specifically for maintenance.

·Another R50 million was underspent as a result of medical equipment for the new Brits hospital not being procured on time.

·The North West Department of Education underspent by R114,5 million on its infrastructure allocation mainly due to the late starting of projects and the lack of maintenance.

The overall expenditure picture of financial expenditure in the North West Province emphasises the previous opinion of the Auditor General that the province is in regression.

“The trend to raise expenditure on employees while the provincial output and delivery of services and infrastructure is declining is indicative of a governmental system increasingly concerned only with sustaining itself” said Hattingh.

Democratic Alliance said an enquiry into the rooted sluggishness of the North West Government, as once again outlined in the Treasury Report, should find its origins in the devastating effects of the snowballing cadre deployment practice as implemented by the NW ANC in which incapacitated cadres continually replicate each other.

The North West procurement system remains plagued by fraud and corruption driven by a limitless greed,he said.

DA said until the NW Provincial Government and the political forces dominating it, accepts the root causes of its failures, the cadre deployment system and the linked ANC’s hegemony and cadre protection, any possibility of turning around the NW Province’s dire delivery pattern will fail.-TDN

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ABSA Premiership

Result: Polokwane City 2-0 Ajax Cape Town

Date: 22 September 2013  

Venue: Peter Mokaba Stadium

Polokwane City got their first win in the PSL, as they saw off Ajax Cape Town at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, winning 2-0.

Lebogang Manyama took a shot from a free kick in the 5th minute but it went wide to the right.

For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

By Obakeng Maje

North West police arrested through various operations a total of 740 suspects in the past seven days between 15 and 22 September 2013 for Contact related, Property related, trio and other crimes.

The arrested suspects include 172 for Assault GBH and common, 32 for Burglary residential and business, 8 for Murder, 12 for robbery Aggravating, 14 for Rape, 55 for Drug related, 28 for driving under the influence of liquor. 

The police also arrested 21 undocumented persons.  

“The operation also led to confiscation and recovery of 4 cell phones, 3 DVD players 6 firearms with two magazines as well as 54 ammunitions, illegal cigarettes and 14 knives” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.  

18 fines for liquor and 23 for road traffic contraventions were also issued. 

“In most of the cases, suspects have already appeared in various courts while others are expected to appear on Monday” Mokgwabone concludes.-TDN

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