Cape Town – Former gang boss Rashied Staggie tasted two hours of freedom before he was back in Pollsmoor Prison on Monday.

He was released on day parole, which allows him to be outside of prison to work and to visit his family every Sunday. But after a quick visit to his home in Salt River and a stop at the Blue Route Mall in Tokai for an orientation session, he was back in his cell.
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Durban – The three robbers who hijacked and kidnapped Durban North estate agent Dorothy Carlyle and took her on a nine-hour terror ride will be old men before they see the outside of their jail cells.

Durban regional magistrate Anand Maharaj on Monday handed the men – Sthembiso Ntombela, Lindokuhle Dlamini and Smiso Ximba – a combined sentence of 135 years in prison because, he said, they had shown no remorse and their punishment had to reflect the gravity of their offences.
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Johannesburg – A man arrested for possible involvement in a series of gay murders is already serving a seven-year prison sentence for hijacking.

Nhlanhla Msimango was arrested and sentenced last month for a hijacking in Dobsonville, Soweto.
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Durban – Just over 100 cases of corruption involving officials from the SA Revenue Service (Sars) have been reported in the past year, including 20 in the past five months.

Speaking to the Daily News, spokesman Adrian Lackay said some of the cases involved officials working in teams and others who resigned before disciplinary action against them could be finalised.
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Cape Town – The former chairman of the University of the Western Cape council, Brian Williams, has gone to court to challenge his removal.

Williams lodged an application at the Western Cape High Court last week, claiming that the decision the council took at a special meeting on September 12 to permanently remove him as chairman was unlawful.
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Cape Town – Two of mayor Patricia de Lille’s bodyguards and three Metro police officers accused of assaulting toilet protest leader Andile Lili are to appear in Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

They are to be charged with common assault, said police spokesman Frederick van Wyk.
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Mogwase – Nine people accused of defrauding the Moses Kotane municipality in the North West of R6.5 million have appeared in the Mogwase Magistrate’s Court, the municipality said on Monday.

Spokeswoman Beauty Makganye said the nine appeared on Friday and their case was postponed to October 24.

She said they were arrested last year after R6.5 million was withdrawn from the municipality’s account.

A device connected to the finance office’s computer system was used to copy information on the system such as usernames, passwords, and data. The information was used to withdraw the money.

One of the accused, Bakang Lelaka, was a finance intern at the time of the fraud. Some of the accused were arrested after their bank accounts were allegedly used to channel the money.

“The bulk of the money was recovered. Only R180 000 was not recovered,” she said.

They had been granted R3000 bail each.

Sapa

Moruleng – The minibus taxi industry stands to benefit from the opening of a mall in Moruleng, near Rustenburg, in North West, the local taxi association said on Monday.

“To us as the taxi industry, this couldn’t come at a better time,” said David Phiri, chairman of the Moruleng District Taxi Association (Modita).

“We are very happy to be part of this remarkable event. What makes us happier is that more of us are now going to make better profits. This means more shared business for us.”

The Moruleng Mall, which has more than 80 shops and is situated at the foot of the Pilanesberg mountain, is expected to open on October 24.

Phiri said a new taxi route would be developed.

“It is a new route, our operation will change. We expect to transport a lot of people.”

Taxis were expected to transport people from the 32 villages in Bakgatla Ba Kgafela directly to the mall.

Fifteen taxis had been branded with posters to rise awareness about the opening of the mall.

Kgosi Nyalala Pilane, of the Bakgatla Ba Kgafela, said the taxi association’s co-operation would go a long way.

“This is the beginning of new things and your reward is coming,” he said.

Sapa

Johannesburg – South Africa has lost its direction, Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele said on Tuesday.

“Our country has lost direction. We need to retrace our steps to the foundations of our society and build anew a prosperous country in which we aim for excellence: in which we create dignified jobs; a health care system that makes women, children, the elderly and vulnerable feel safe; and a police service that works with communities to make our shared spaces safe for work and play,” she said.

She was speaking at Heritage Day celebrations at the Tshikombani stadium, in the Vhembe District of Limpopo.

Ramphele said realising unity in diversity for the youth of the nation was critical.

“On our journey together so far, our different languages and customs are points on the compass. Ubuntu is our guide, that ancient principle at the heart of our traditional knowledge systems.

“At the heart of every culture we share the values of dignity, freedom and equality for all. These are golden threads that weave through us and bind us together.”

She said South Africans had inherited an abundance of natural minerals, and human and cultural resources.

“Let us be clear it is not our heritage, past, present or future, real or imagined, that we should live without true freedom,” she asked.

She criticised the ANC government, saying they were clinging to power and risked dividing the nation.

“Beware the state-sponsored tribalism of 100% Zuma, 100% Zulu, 100% Venda and 100% coloured,” she said.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Three people were killed in a motorcycle accident on Tuesday on Malibongwe Drive in Lanseria, Johannesburg paramedics said.

“[Paramedics] found that three people, two women and one man, had tragically lost their lives after two motorcycles collided head-on,” Netcare 911 spokesperson Santi Steinmann said.

After the collision both motorcycles burst into flames, she said.

The cause of the accident was unknown.

Police were investigating.

– SAPA