Durban – Ethekwini metro Mayor James Nxumalo called for calm on Monday after two men were killed in a clash over illegal electricity connections.

They were shot dead on Saturday, apparently by security guards, as municipal officials were trying to disconnect and illegal electricity connection at the New Germany informal settlement in Reservoir Hills, Durban.

Seven people were injured.

The municipality said Nxumalo visited the settlement on Sunday and asked the residents to remain calm.

The informal settlement would be receiving electricity.

“It is important to note that illegal connections and the theft of electricity is unacceptable, dangerous and will not be tolerated,” the municipality said.

“People put their lives and others at risk and also affect residents in the area as power outages occur.”

Nine security guards, who accompanied the municipal officials were arrested, relieved of their weapons and charged with murder and attempted murder.

The officials had, according to the municipality, responded to a call from customers who suffered a power outage as a result of the illegal connections.

– SAPA

The SA Communist Party (SACP) on Monday expressed shock at the killing of NUM members in Rustenburg, North West.

“NUM leaders, members and workers supporting the union are being systematically targeted, brutalised and killed, sometimes for wearing red T-shirts,” spokesperson Alex Mashilo said in a statement.

He said the murders were part of attempts to “liquidate” the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

A man was shot eight times and killed at the Marikana hill, near Lonmin’s platinum mine, on Thursday.

North West police spokesperson Thulani Ngubane said he was shot once while driving.

When he got out of his car another seven bullets were fired at him.

He died on the scene.

There have been several murders of union officials in the area recently, apparently linked to rivalry between the NUM and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).

NUM spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said the victim was the union’s branch chairperson at Lonmin’s Western Platinum mine near Rustenburg.

The SACP condemned the killing and sent its condolences to the man’s family.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A man accused of raping and killing 17-year-old Anene Booysen was aware of his rights when he pointed out the crime scene, the Swellendam Circuit Court heard on Monday.

SABC news reported that the court was hearing closing arguments in a trial-within-a-trial to determine the admissibility of evidence, after the defence argued that Johannes Kana was not made aware of his rights at the time.

Kana is on trial for allegedly raping and disembowelling Booysen in Bredasdorp, Western Cape, in February.

Booysen died in Tygerberg Hospital on the afternoon of Saturday, 2 February.

He has admitted leaving a Bredasdorp pub with Booysen, hitting and raping her, but denied killing her.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Mpumalanga municipalities were warned on Monday of possible flooding as rainfall continued in the province.

“[We] have instructed all municipalities to activate their local joint operations committees, be on full alert and on standby,” the co-operative government department said.

“The rains can result in an increase of dam and river levels, thus making small streams and rivers very dangerous.”

People in low-lying areas were advised to move away from river banks and to avoid crossing full rivers and flooded bridges.

The department and the water affairs department were monitoring river flows and dam levels, which were currently stable.

“All road users are urged to be extremely cautious… as they [roads] will be wet and rocks might have fallen in some areas,” the department said.

“Motorists are also urged not to drive through flowing water. All disaster role players and stakeholders are on high alert and standby.”

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A man was jailed for 12 years by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court for raping a 10-year-old girl, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Monday.

The 25-year-old man was sentenced on Thursday, said police spokesperson Thulani Zwane.

He raped the girl in September 2006 while she was home alone in the Imbali area.

KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni said the sentence would send a strong message to criminals that the police would not tolerate criminal activity.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The NYDA will study a ruling by the Labour Court in Johannesburg that it reinstate its axed CEO Steven Ngubeni, and decide whether or not to appeal it, the agency’s board said on Monday.

“The National Youth Development Agency [NYDA] board has noted the outcome of the… court judgment on the issue of Mr Steven Ngubeni,” it said in a statement.

“The board is still to apply itself to the findings of the court. The board will then take a decision as to whether to appeal the decision or not.”

Judge Andre van Niekerk said on Monday the decision by the NYDA to fire Ngubeni was in breach of his contract of employment.

“The termination of employment is set aside and the applicant [Ngubeni] is reinstated in the first respondent’s [NYDA’s] employ until there has been compliance with clause 10.1 [of the contract],” the judgment reads.

The NYDA was ordered to pay the costs of the proceedings.

Clause 10.1 of the contract stated employees could be fired after a disciplinary hearing found them guilty, if they committed a “breach of material obligation”, or if they were found guilty of any act which would entitle the NYDA to terminate their employment.

Ngubeni sacked

On 8 October, the NYDA board decided to fire Ngubeni after it came to the conclusion he was guilty of financial mismanagement and gross dereliction of duty.

“The decision was taken in circumstances where an independently chaired inquiry, initiated by the NYDA and appointed to hear the case against Ngubeni, had not yet completed its work,” the judgment reads.

Ngubeni reportedly faced seven charges related to signing off loans later converted to grants in three projects valued at over R30m, before the approval of the board.

According to the judgment, Ngubeni sought an order reinstating him so that the inquiry could continue, and it could be determined whether he was guilty of the charges.

Termination of contract

The NYDA argued that it acted within its powers in the termination of the contract.

It argued that a disciplinary inquiry should only be applicable to the first category in the clause.

Ngubeni argued that an employee could be fired in any of the three instances.

However, this could only be done after disciplinary procedures were allowed for all the categories.

“In my view, the interpretation proffered by Ngubeni must prevail,” Van Niekerk said in the judgment.

“The purpose of fair procedure on this reading is to establish whether any of these three situations in fact exist.”

Van Niekerk said that even if he was wrong to determine that the contract allowed Ngubeni fair procedure, “the fact remains that the NYDA’s letter to Ngubeni on 27 July offered him a hearing on specific terms”.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Senior managers in government will get comprehensive training on how to follow procedures when taking disciplinary steps against errant civil servants, Professor Job Mokgoro, the new head of the SA School of Government has said.
For more http://www.news24.com

Johannesburg – The killing of Lawrence Moepi, a forensic director for an auditing firm, appeared to be a hit, Cosatu said on Monday.

“The police must act swiftly to arrest the four perpetrators of what was clearly a targeted hit, and their investigation must not stop at those who pulled the trigger and drove the getaway car, but must discover those who sent them and on whose behalf,” Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said in a statement.

Moepi was shot dead at SizweNtsalubaGobodo’s Houghton offices on Friday. It was believed that he was followed there by men in a Volkswagen Golf. Nothing was stolen.

Earlier, police spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini said the police investigation had not yet established the motive for the crime.

Moepi was reportedly working on several investigations.

In a statement on its website, SizweNtsalubaGobodo said Moepi had worked closely with the police’s commercial crime unit and the now defunct Directorate of Special Operations, known as the Scorpions.

In his capacity as PricewaterhouseCoopers forensic services director, Moepi testified in the fraud trial of former Scorpions official Geoffrey Ledwaba.

Business Day Live reported that he had been appointed to work on the probe into the country’s multi-billion rand arms deal.

The Sunday Independent reported that Moepi was an integral part of the team investigating the sale of Cosatu’s headquarters in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, which was allegedly sold for R10m less than its market value.

Killing condemned

Moepi’s killing was also condemned by the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants of SA (Abasa) on Monday.

“We strongly condemn such cowardly acts where members of our profession are threatened and ultimately killed for just performing their job,” it said in a statement.

Abasa appealed to its members to continue their work “without fear or favour for the sake of our country, even when under threat”.

“The profession has lost a prominent, well-respected leader within the forensic audit space.”

SA Institute of Chartered Accountants (Saica) CEO Matsobane Matlwa said in a statement: “The institute, on behalf of the chartered accountancy profession, deeply regrets the unfortunate event which prematurely took the life of one of our esteemed members.”

He said he had offered the institute’s support to the management of SizweNtsalubaGobodo in addressing the circumstances behind the murder.

Saica, Abasa and Cosatu extended their condolences to Moepi’s family, friends and colleagues.

– SAPA

By Obakeng Maje
Hartswater- Northern Cape police are investigating a case of armed robbery after two males aged 19 and 36 were allegedly arrested in Hartswater on Sunday.
Police received a complaint of three unknown men who are robbing persons off their cellularphones, money and jewellery outside tavern.

Lieutenant Sergio Kocxk said were the suspects were allegedly armed with firearms and they fired one shot in the Thagadipelajang area.

“Police followed up on information and arrested two of the three suspects at a tavern in Bonita Park at 16:30pm. The police searched them and found two firearms, seven magazines, ammunition, a gold ring, 3 cellular phones and watches on their person” lieutenant Sergio Kock said.

The third suspect is still at large. The two men will be appearing in the Hartswater Magistrates’ Court soon.
The investigation continues.-TDN
Follow us Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

By Obakeng Maje
Roodepan- The SAPS Public Order Policing Unit allegedly caught a woman in the act while busy packaging dagga in her shack in Ivory Park, Roodepan. The police followed up on information of drug sales at the premises and pounced on the 25 year-old female suspect on Monday at approximately 13:30pm.
”The police searched the shack and found 30 small plastic bags of tik, 40 full mandrax tablets, 8 half mandrax tablets and 3 quarter mandrax tablets inside a black box which was hidden inside a cupboard” lieutenant Sergio Kock said.
The street value for the shopping bag of dagga is estimated at R700, 00, the mandrax is R5000, 00 and the tik is approximately R3000, 00.
The suspect was charged with dealing in drugs and should be appearing in the Galeshewe Magistrates’ Court soon.
The investigation continues. –TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_