Johannesburg – A foreigner has been beaten to death by a group of men in Secunda, Mpumalanga police said on Monday.

The 30-year-old Ethiopian was attacked at his place of work on Saturday by a group of men who forced him into a taxi, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said in a statement.

“The group attacked him with sticks and sjamboks… The men forced him into their kombi and drove with him to the taxi rank in Secunda,” Mohlala said.

They apparently accused the man of raping the 6-year-old daughter of one of the men.

“Upon arrival at the taxi rank, they continued to assault the victim until he was unconscious… The victim sustained serious injuries.”

He was taken to hospital and died of his injuries on Sunday. No arrests had been made by Monday afternoon.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The first day of the National Senior Certificate examinations went off without a hitch on Monday, the department of basic education said.

“I am happy to announce that reports coming in from all provinces indicate a good start, free of incidents or irregularities,” department spokesperson Panyaza Lesufi said in a statement.

English home language and first additional language papers were written in the morning, and music theory paper one was written in the afternoon session.

Accounting, Zulu, Ndebele and Swati would be written on Tuesday.

A total of 576 490 full-time pupils and 130 646 part-time students had registered for the matric exams, Lesufi said.

– SAPA

The Minister of Human Settlements Connie September will together with the MEC for the North West Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison Nono Maloyi sign a memorandum of understanding with Lonmin over the land donation by the mining giant to government.

 
The signing agreement will give government a full ownership of about 66 hectors of land, which will be used for building houses for mineworkers especially around the Marikana area.

 
“The signing ceremony will be officiated by the Lonmin’s vice president Barnard Mokwena. The gesture will benefit both the mining giant, government and the residents of Marikana who are living in informal settlements around the mining area, while others are living in mine hostels” departmental spokesperson Ben Bole said.

 
The building of the houses will also ensure ownership, and further reduce the ever increasing informal settlements in the mining town of Rustenburg.

 
The media is therefore invited to witness the signing ceremony and further attend a press conference which will outline the main objective and intentions by both government and Lonmin. The event will take as follows:
Time : 09H00
Date : 29 October 2013
Venue: 34 Melrose Boulevard street – Lonmin offices in Melrose Arch
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

North West Premier Thandi Modise is to deliver the keynote address at the opening ceremony and flag parade of countries participating at the Africa Financial Cooperatives Summit 2013 to be held at Sun City outside Rustenburg tomorrow evening, 29 October 2013.

 
Premier Modise will co-officiate with the Deputy Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene and MEC for Economic Development, Conservation, Environment and Toursim, Motlalepula Rosho and at the summit hosted by the North West Province on behalf of the country and in partnership the African Confederation of Co-operative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA) and the Cooperative Bank Development Agency.

 
As a Pan-African Confederation of National Associations for Savings and Credit Co-operatives, ACCOSCA will engage with the national and international stakeholders drawn from the co-operative sector at the 14th annual Savings and Credit Cooperatives Associations of Africa (SACCA) Congress.

 
The ceremony will be held at the Ballroom Conference Centre as from18:00-19:00.The ceremony will be followed by a gala dinner and networking session until 20:30.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Standerton – The body of a five-year-old girl was found 100 metres from her home in Sakhile near Standerton on Monday, Mpumalanga police said.

Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the girl went missing on Sunday around 4pm after she went to the toilet.

She was found at a house in Extension two at 6am on Monday morning.

“The owner of the house was apparently going to the toilet when she spotted the lifeless body of the girl in her yard. The matter was brought to the attention of the police,” said Mohlala.

“Police are investigating a case of murder and no person has been arrested with regards to this incident. A post mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death.”

Police urged people with information about the crime to come forward.

Sapa

Durban – A pupil was stabbed to death on Monday and two others injured in a fight at a school in Dannhauser, northern KwaZulu-Natal, SABC news reported.

A fight apparently broke out at assembly at Isizimele High School.

“One victim was rushed to hospital where he died,” police spokesman Thulani Zwane was quoted as saying.

“The other two who were also wounded during the fight were taken to a local clinic for treatment.”

A murder docket has been opened.

Sapa

Johannesburg – A man has been arrested for fraud in Meadowlands, Soweto, Gauteng police said on Monday.

“It is alleged that the suspect entered the Cell C store (on Saturday) at Ndofaya mall and asked if he could qualify to have a contract phone,” Constable Sibusiso Chauke said.

The ID document the 24-year-old man submitted for the contract application was not his and had been previously reported stolen.

Police were contacted and the man was arrested at the mall around 1.15pm, he said.

The man was expected to appear in the Meadowlands Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Sapa

Taung – A police officer has opened a case of assault against three other officers at the Taung police station, North West police said on Monday.

“The matter is still under investigation,” Lieutenant Edward Sedupe said.

Constable Shepherd Malekanyo was allegedly assaulted by the three officers on Saturday morning.

Malekanyo, who is stationed at Ikageng, had reportedly accompanied a quarrelling couple to the station so they could lay charges against each other.

While at the station, Malekanyo – who was off-duty at the time – was allegedly assaulted by the three officers.

North West premier Thandi Modise called for the matter to be investigated.

“The conduct of the police officers, if indeed it is true, is despicable and warrants for drastic steps to be taken against those involved, as it tarnishes the image of the police,” Modise said in a statement.

“Police brutality is abhorred by the public and should be stamped out of the police service and those involved should be stripped of the dignified blue uniform.”

Sapa

Johannesburg – A woman has been arrested in Soul City, Kagiso, near Krugersdorp, after allegedly killing her boyfriend with an umbrella, Gauteng police said on Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, police arrived at the woman’s house on Saturday and found the boyfriend had died on the scene, Warrant Officer Solomon Sibiya said.

“He sustained open wounds to his eyes, nose, forehead and arms.”

The woman arrived at the house and told police she was the man’s girlfriend.

“She then told police she picked a fight with her boyfriend and eventually stabbed him with an umbrella,” said Sibiya.

She also allegedly assaulted him with a pot. The woman was arrested and expected to appear in the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Sapa

Butterworth – Twenty-six people were arrested on Monday after violent protests broke out in Ngqamakhwe, Butterworth, Eastern Cape police said.

Colonel Sibongile Soci said 18 women and eight men were taken into custody.

“We are reiterating our warning that members of the community should consider the consequences of their actions,” Soci said in a statement.

The group would appear in the Ngqamakhwe Magistrate’s Court on public violence charges on Tuesday.

The province’s education department said matric exams in the area started without a glitch despite the violence. Residents blocked the main road into the town. Despite this exam papers were delivered to schools, spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said in a statement.

Sapa