Johannesburg – A 4-year-old girl was killed in a fire in Jansenville in the Eastern Cape, police said on Monday.

The girl and her grandparents were sleeping when their house caught fire on Saturday, police spokesperson Rochelle Carelse said.

“When the fire started, the grandparents woke up and saw the house was on fire. They managed to escape but couldn’t save their granddaughter,” she said.

Carelse said the cause of the fire was not immediately clear.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Zwelinzima Vavi believed his public apology for his affair with a Cosatu staff member would save him from being suspended as general secretary of the trade union federation.

This is contained in a replying affidavit that Vavi filed in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Friday.

“It is clear from the record [transcript of the CEC meeting] that up to the stage of my leaving the CEC meeting, there was not even a suggestion of a possible suspension,” Vavi says in his affidavit.

“… I never realised that a suspension may be considered.”

The CEC is Cosatu’s central executive committee.

In August, the Cosatu said Vavi had been put on special leave pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing relating to his affair with the junior employee.

In July, the employee accused him of rape. He said they had an affair. The woman subsequently withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against him.

Following Vavi’s suspension the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), an ally of his, lodged an application in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg challenging Vavi’s suspension.

Vavi then lodged papers to be added as an applicant in Numsa’s challenge.

In these, he asks the court to grant him an interim order interdicting and restraining Cosatu from enforcing any decision taken at its CEC meeting in August. He wants final relief to review and set aside the decision to suspend him and institute disciplinary proceedings.

Side meeting

In his replying affidavit Vavi claims the decision to suspend him was taken at a side meeting on the day of the CEC meeting, in his absence.

“This second side meeting then made a complete about-turn and decided that I should immediately be suspended and that only, thereafter, should a disciplinary process take place,” he says.

“Importantly, the president [Sidumo Dlamini] stated that no vote was needed as ‘we have a decision’.”

Vavi says the CEC had not voted on his suspension as was required in clauses 5.6 and 11.4 of Cosatu’s constitution.

“Therefore, no decision, alternatively, no valid, proper and lawful decision, was taken by the CEC and I was also not afforded a hearing on the question of my suspension prior thereto.”

After the August CEC meeting Cosatu said a full investigation into the allegations against Vavi would be conducted as well as a disciplinary hearing.

In his court papers, Vavi says it had been two months since the CEC and yet nothing had happened. However, he says he would not feel comfortable returning to the CEC to discuss his suspension.

“It is with respect farfetched to submit that I should return to the CEC on the question of my suspension, when that very same body had ridden roughshod not only over my contractual rights, but also over the requirements and provisions of the constitution as pointed out in these papers,” says Vavi.

“No reasonable person can expect me to return to this body to get any justice in this regard.”

– SAPA

Cape Town – Less than a third of the students owed money by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme have so far been refunded, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande revealed on Monday.

In a written reply to a parliamentary question by Congress of the People (Cope) MP Nqaba Bhanga, Nzimande said text messages were sent to students following the discovery that thousands of them had been overcharged interest on their loans since the early 1990s.

“These campaigns were carried out during November 2011 and from August 2012 until January 2013,” Nzimande said.

Since then 13 341 students were refunded.

A total of 30 951 student debtors still needed to be refunded.

As at 24 October 2013, a total amount of R37.7m had been paid out.

Nzimande announced the refunds in 2011, citing the incorrect calculation of interest on the loans.

– SAPA

BY Obakeng Maje

Christiana- North West police are investigating a case of Culpable Homicide that happened on Monday, at about 04:00am in the morning on N12 road between Christiana and Warrenton.

“It is alleged that a truck driver lost control and the truck overturned. The Zimbabwean national who was a passenger died on the scene” captain Pelonomi Makau said.

The driver was admitted at Christiana hospital with serious injuries.

Police investigations continue.-TDN

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By Obakeng Maje

Christiana- North West police are investigating a case of Culpable Homicide after a 41 year- old woman was hit by a goods train at the level crossings in Christiana on Monday.

“It is alleged that the deceased who was with her 15 year- old daughter was driving and failed to stop at railway line after dropping off her 13 year-old son at school” captain Pelonomi Makau said.

Makau said police investigation is underway and the daughter escaped unharmed.-TDN
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Johannesburg-World governing football body (FIFA) President, Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter, says he learnt with ‘great sadness the passing on of legendary football administrator and Premier Soccer League Life President, Dr Leepile Taunyane.’

Dr Taunyane, who was also SAFA honorary member died in Johannesburg last week.

He was 85.

“Personally, and on behalf of the international football family, I wish to extend our deepest condolences to the South African football community and, most importantly, to the family, friends and loved ones of Leepile Taunyane,” said Blatter in a letter to SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan.

“We would hope that in some way, our words of support may bring a little bit of peace and solace in this time of sadness.”

Dr Taunyane was laid to rest in Johannesburg on Sunday, 3 November 2013.-TDN
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The South African Under 17 Women’s National Team (Bantwana) is on the brink of qualifying for their second FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup tournament.

The squad has just returned from Lusaka, Zambia where they played to a three-all (3-3) draw in the first leg of the final round of the qualifier against the hosts.

The match took place on Sunday, 3 November at the Nkoloma Stadium.

Two goals from Gabriella Salgado and one from Anelisa Ndeybi put South Africa one foot into the tournament that will be held in Costa Rica next year.

The three away goals Bantwana scored means any draw of less than three goals will be enough to see them qualify.

“We played well given the time we spent together ahead of the qualifier. The girls managed to pick-up after being a goal down early in the match. I think the nerves got to them but we managed to keep Zambia at bay and took the lead going into the break,” said SA U17 head coach Sheryl Botes.

“The girls played better in the second half despite conceding the only goal in the second stanza which was mainly due to goalkeeping mistakes, something we will have to work on going into the second leg. We are looking at bringing in a new goalkeeper to add more depth in that department.”

Botes said she had already started plotting for Zambia’s downfall in the second leg.

“We will sit down and prepare thoroughly for the return leg as we have set our sights on qualifying for the competition next year. With the three away goals we scored, we are looking at making it hard for the Zambians when we meet them in a fortnight’s time. We will have the home crowd behind us and I am confident that we will qualify for the World Cup,” said Botes.

The crucial return-leg match will be played on Saturday, 23 November 2013.

The winner of this match will be one of the three African representatives in Costa Rica, South America. The 2014 edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup will be staged between 15 March and 5 April.-TDN
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Claims of corpses being sold at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg are being investigated, the Gauteng health department has said.

“The department [views] such allegations in a serious light and will not hesitate to take harsh measures against any employee who is found guilty of misconduct,” health MEC Hope Papo said in a statement today.

The investigation followed accusations that a body had been sold to an undertaker for R800.

The department also heard that hospital officials were in possession of undertaker stamps without permission, and that another body had been released from the hospital’s mortuary to a funeral undertaker without the family’s consent.

The department said three people implicated in the matter were relieved of their duties and transferred to other units. An investigation into how the body was released without permission was in progress.

Hospital management would await the results of the probe to determine if criminal charges should be laid.

– Sapa

By Obakeng Maje

Johannesburg-A case of a 32 year-old kwaito star Brickz was postponed on Monday until the 12 November 2013 after he was arrested for allegedly raping a 16 year-old girl on 26 March 2013 in Honeydew, North of Johannesburg.

Charles Sipho Ndlovu, 32 was reduced to tears when magistrate remanded him in custody and according to reports, NPA will oppose his bail.

U’underpant fame singer Brickz has been plagued by many things in his life and his music took a nosedive after he was allegedly using white powder.

He briefly appeared at Roodeport Magistrate Court for allege rape.

“Rape is a very serious charge and we will oppose his bail” NPA Phindi Louw told City Press newspaper.

Ndlovu will be back in court on 12 November 2013 for bail application and investigations continue.-TDN

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Cape Town – An enraged passenger has gone on a violent rampage in a Cape Town taxi – shooting the taxi driver in the head and two men in the back.

Police spokesman FC van Wyk said the shooter – who has not yet been identified – boarded a taxi shortly before 6pm on Sunday, along with a woman and two children, possibly his family, but this has not been confirmed. They had boarded in Delft, and were on their way to Mitchells Plain.
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