Durban – The DA in KwaZulu-Natal has laid charges against former eThekwini municipality councillors and officials, who allegedly sold RDP houses illegally, the party said on Thursday.

The charges were laid on Monday with the Durban central police station, said DA eThekwini Chief Whip Sharon Chetty.

“This was not a simple process as the SA Police Service [SAPS] prevented me from opening any charges and they provided frivolous reasons, such as no jurisdiction, scene of crime, and that because I am not the complainant in the allegations, I should not be opening the charges,” Chetty said.

The unlawful sale of RDP housing emerged in a forensic report into corruption in the eThekwini metro municipality compiled by Manase and Associates.

Eleven people – four councillors, three former councillors, two officials, and two ward committee members – were implicated in illegally selling RDP houses.

Chetty said the party laid charges against seven individuals, excluding the four current sitting councillors, to ensure accountability as no action had been taken against them.

DA eThekwini caucus leader Zwakele Mncwango said the party had asked the municipality’s speaker Logie Naidoo to start ethics violation proceedings against the four councillors.

“The DA calls for the firing of all eThekwini councillors and officials involved in the widespread practice of selling RDP houses illegally,” Mncwango said.

RDP houses were sold for between R1 500 and R20 000 each.

“Some cases show how ANC councillors exploit poor residents, with Manase investigators documenting one councillor as soliciting a resident to have sex with him for a house.

“We want action against councillors who are charging people money for RDP houses that should be free,” he said.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Former Gauteng MEC Humphrey Mmemezi ordered the blue lights on his car to be switched on before an accident with motorcyclist Thomas Ferreira, the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court heard on Thursday.

This was the instruction to his driver Joseph Semitjie before they left the MEC’s house on the day of the accident in November 2011.

“We did not use blue lights because we wanted to, the MEC told us to do so,” Semitjie’s then colleague and work partner Nomakhosi Onica Mashifane told the court.

Semitjie faces charges of reckless or negligent driving, and failing to assist an injured person.

Mashifane, who also did not complete her advanced driving course, said they did not stop at stop signs while they were transporting the MEC to his meeting, because they were in a hurry.

She said that when they arrived at Paardekraal Drive in Krugersdorp they switched on the siren to alert other motorists.

“The motorists from different directions came to a stop because of the siren, and we realised that it was safe for us to proceed driving,” Mashifane said.

As they continued driving they heard a noise coming from the left side of the vehicle.

“We had already passed the intersection when we heard the noise and it turned out that our vehicle was hit on the rear left side,” said Mashifane.

Ferreira was on his motorcycle when Semitjie allegedly drove his BMW X5 left of the yellow line in Paardekraal Drive, and disregarded a red traffic light.

Ferreira, who was on Windsor Road, collided with the car.

The case continues.

– SAPA

Cape Town – A police constable accused of statutory rape appeared in the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court in Cape Town on Thursday, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.

NPA Western Cape spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the constable was released on a warning, on condition he stay out of the Tafelsig area and not contact the complainant.

The case was postponed until 7 November for further investigation.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) said the constable, from the Grassy Park police station in Cape Town, was arrested on Tuesday.

“It is alleged that the police official and the victim [14-years-old] have been having sexual intercourse between July and August 2013 at the policeman’s house, which is in the same street as the victim’s home,” IPID spokesperson Moses Dlamini said in a statement.

The girl’s friend told her mother.

Dlamini said each of the incidents had happened when he was off duty.

IPID is an oversight body which investigates allegations of crime against police officers.

– SAPA

Durban – Twenty-four people died when a truck crashed into four minibus taxis and a car in Field’s Hill, Pinetown, on Thursday night, paramedics said.

About 80 people were thought to have been injured, said Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha.

Seven of them were critically injured and eight seriously injured.

Eleven had minor injuries.

They were taken to the Khan and Inkosi Albert Luthuli hospitals.

A reporter at the scene said bodies, some covered with silver blankets, lay strewn across the road.

Rescuers used the Jaws-of-Life to free some of the passengers from the wreckage.

Bystanders helped paramedics by holding drip bags for some of the injured.

It was believed the truck crashed into the vehicles when its brakes failed.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Parliament will establish an ad-hoc committee to “consider” the findings by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela relating to the procurement of the IEC’s headquarters in Centurion.

“The establishment of the ad-hoc committee will be tabled in the NA [National Assembly] next week, together with a time frame for it to complete its work… and recommend a course of action,” Parliament said in a statement on Thursday.

“As is the case with other committees of the NA, the ad-hoc committee will comprise proportional representation from political parties represented in the House.”

This meant there would be seven members of the ANC, two of the DA, one of the Cope, one of the IFP, and one from smaller parties represented in the Assembly.

By early next week, parties were expected to provide the names of their chosen members to serve on the committee.

Last month, Madonsela recommended that Parliament consider taking action against Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairperson Pansy Tlakula, for her “grossly irregular” role in the procurement of the Riverside Office Park building for the commission’s head office.

Madonsela found improper conduct and maladministration on Tlakula’s part, and a conflict of interest involving a co-director, with whom she was accused of being romantically involved.

The man, Thaba Mufamadi, had a 20% stake in Abland, which was awarded the R320m contract to lease the building.

He is also Parliament’s finance portfolio committee chairperson.

Madonsela found that Tlakula had failed to disclose her business relationship with Mufamadi to the bidding team, which compromised her independence and objectivity.

– SAPA

This week Soccer-Laduma spoke to Steven Pienaar, another player who has tested the PUMA evoSPEED boot.

Asked what he likes most about the Puma evoSpeed, Pienaar said, “It’s so ultra-light and comfortable, probably the best boot I’ve ever had from PUMA. It just fits you perfectly from the first minute you try it on. That’s the most important thing for me about a perfect boot.

So how is the evoSPeed different from other boots? Pienaar says the new microfibre upper is softer and lighter than ever! “This gives me a much better touch and feel of the ball. All I can say is just try them on and you will feel the difference.”

As a South African player who’s made it overseas and admired by many, the Siya crew asked Pienaar what his advice would be for aspiring footballers. He said, “Always work hard and believe in yourself, because there are ups and downs in your career. That’s why you must become strong!

“The most important thing is to stay fit. Along with the team, my goal is to qualify for international football in this campaign and go as far as we can in the cup competitions.”

To learn more about the evoSPEED, visit http://www.puma.com/football
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Sheldon Lawrence will know by the end of this week if he has done enough to secure a contract at Moroka Swallows.

As reported by the crew, the former Maritzburg United and Mpumalanga Black Aces midfielder has been training with the Birds for almost a month now.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Six men are expected to appear in the Groblershoop magistrates’ court today, (2/09) on charges of dealing in dagga. It is alleged that on Friday, 30 August 2013 at about 16:00, police were engaged in special operations when they

stopped at an accident scene on the Upington/Groblershoop road. The drivers of a Ford Sierra and a bakkie allegedly lost control of their vehicles causing both to overturn. In total there were six men in the vehicles. No serious injuries were sustained. When police stopped to assist, the men informed police that they were fine and that they did not need any assistance however police officials at the scene insisted in helping. When they inspected both vehicles, they discovered that the vehicles were packed with dagga. The vehicles were bound for Keimoes from Bloemfontein. All six men aged between 35 and 60 were arrested and charged for dealing in dagga. The dagga weighed in at 287kg’s with a street value of R1,4 million.
For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

By TDN
Orkney-North West Department of Social Development, Women, Children and People with Disabilities in partnership with the provincial departments of Health and Sports, Arts and Culture will tomorrow co-host the provincial golden games at Oppenheimer Stadium, in Matlosana Local Municipality, the departmental spokesperson Vuyisile Ngesi said on Wednesday.
“The main objective of the provincial golden games is to embrace active ageing, create awareness of the abilities and capabilities of older persons in sport and recreational activities,” Ngesi said.
About 500 participants aged 60 years and older from various community based service centres and clubs in the four district municipalities will compete in athletics, soccer, jukskei and other sporting codes.
Later in the day, Ngesi said the MEC’s of the hosting departments will award certificates, and medals to the winners and announce the winning team to represent the province at the National Golden Games to be held in Gauteng in October this year.
The provincial games will be held as follow:-

Date: 05 September 2013
Venue: Oppenheimer Stadium, Matlosana
Time: 09h00 am
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Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele has once again urged President Jacob Zuma to disclose his personal finances. A fortnight ago she exposed her assets to the public and challenged Zuma to do the same in the interests of transparency and accountability.

Ramphele was speaking to residents in Tembisa on the East Rand. In responding to Ramphele’s call, the Presidency said that as a member of cabinet President Zuma discloses his personal finances annually to the secretary of Cabinet.

“How long are we going to wait for the truth to come out so that we know what our President owes, what our President owns and this is what South African voters and citizens should insist on. Don’t give your vote in 2014 to anybody who is not telling you what they own because to the extent that they are not telling you, they will be in business in government, their families are in business with government. They are stealing every rand that should be going to ARV’s, to textbooks, to houses, to jobs,” says Ramphele.

During her visit, she also slammed the living conditions under which many people in Tembisa. She says the promise of freedom has not been realised.

While she said there were small pockets of excellence in the area such as the pristine Phomolong Clinic, the vast majority of Tembisa was not being adequately serviced.

“We need a clean competent government because the only reason the people are living that way, they don’t have houses, they don’t have schools, they don’t have clinic, they don’t have roads and they don’t have jobs. This municipality has been in the news for all the wrong reasons because those who are in leadership don’t believe they are accountable to ordinary South Africans.”
Source: http://www.sabc.co.za