A MEMBER of Kalawa Jazmee’s pantsula outfit, Les Maada (41), is no more.

The member of the popular kwaito group Alaska died on Friday morning at his parents’ home in Vosloorus, east of Jozi. One of his band members, Picat, told Sunday Sun that Les Maada died of complications due to flu.

He said: “He had a flu bug that used to trouble him. He was getting better and that flu started again.

“Sadly he passed on.” Picat added: “I lost my soldier and I’m sad.

“I used to share ideas of Alaska with him. “Les was a hard worker. A part of me is gone.” Another band member, Crazy Thibos, said:“I’m lost for words as this came as a shock. “He was jolly and we’re going to miss him.” 

http://www.dailysun.mobi

Johannesburg – Public protector Thuli Madonsela says it was a mistake handing over the provisional report on Nkandla to the security cluster ministers and that her gesture “in good faith” had been abused.

According to the Sunday Times, Madonsela said she would be guided only by the constitution and her conscience and that she was prepared to go to jail if needs be. She said the original agreement had been that the security cluster ministers would send a team to go through security issues. At no time would this team see the whole report.

She said she now realised the report should never have gone to the ministers.

It emerged last week that Madonsela implicated President Jacob Zuma directly in her report on the state’s spending of R206m at Zuma’s private Nkandla estate. Zuma had to date denied that the state had paid for the new homes on his estate. In an affidavit filed in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday afternoon, Madonsela for the first time said Zuma privately appointed the architect of the whole project.

This means that Minenhle Makhanya Architects from Durban, who earned more than R18m from the Nkandla project, were not appointed after a tender process conducted by the department of public works, but by Zuma himself.

For more http://www.news24.com

Johannesburg – Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza has urged government to respect the families of those who died in the Moloto Road accident, during funeral preparations.

“My humble appeal to all of you including government is to respect the families and understand the pain they are experiencing,” he said.

Mabuza was speaking on Friday at a memorial service for the 30 people who died in an accident on Moloto Road, near Kwaggafontein in Mpumalanga, on Monday night.

A truck drove into the back of a tipper truck, before colliding with a Putco bus and a bakkie.

Twenty-nine people died on the scene.

One of the eight critically injured died later in hospital. Twenty-two people were injured.

Mabuza assured about 2 000 people at the service that government was in the late stages of discussions about Moloto Road.

“Working together we can do more to fight road carnage and push forward the message of road safety.”

The memorial service was attended by Mpumalanga MECs, local leaders, traditional leaders and the community.

A mass funeral would be held at the Matshiding Sports Ground on Sunday morning.

SAPA

Johannesburg – One person died and three others were injured when two cars collided along the R81 near Polokwane, Limpopo, on Saturday, paramedics said.

The injured were stabilised on the scene then taken to nearby hospitals, Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said.

It was not immediately clear whether the victims were men or women.

SAPA

Johannesburg – The department of home affairs is investigating a case of mistaken death after a man was told he died last year, the Cadet News Agency reported in the Saturday Star.

The office of the deputy director general of home affairs Vusi Mkhize said a key part of the investigation was finding the person who registered the death.

“In South Africa, it is the responsibility of the next of kin or funeral undertaker to ensure that a death is registered with the regional department of home affairs,” the office was quoted as saying.

Pitso Molatuli, 28, applied for a bank loan two months ago, and after the bank ran his identity number, it discovered that he was registered as dead.

When Molatuli went to the Kempton Park home affairs department they confirmed that on their records he died on 16 November, last year, in the North West.

Molatuli was reportedly told to fill in forms and apply for a new birth certificate, but he refused.

He opened a case against the department but said he has not gone to court yet because of the investigation.

SAPA

Durban – A six-year-old boy drowned at sea in La Mercy on the Natal north coast, paramedics said on Saturday.

The boy was swimming with his friends on Saturday afternoon when he disappeared into the water. “Paramedics found a distraught crowd at the water’s edge explaining where the child was last seen. 

Divers went in and managed to find the body of the boy, he was declared dead on scene,” said Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha.

SAPA

Cape Town – A woman died and another was missing as floods ravaged across the Western Cape, police said on Saturday.

Colonel Thembinkosi Kinana said the two women tried to cross a bridge when their car was swept away in Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch on Friday.

“The ladies were on their way to church when the heavy waters swayed their car into the river.”

He said the deceased was found on Saturday.

“Divers have temporarily stopped searching for the other woman due to the heavy rain, but they will continue as soon as the water subsides,” Kinana said.

Earlier, provincial disaster management spokesperson Charlotte Powell, said 70 residents from Kays Caravan Park were placed at the Garden Village hall and 129 patients were evacuated at the Vergelegen Mediclinic in Somerset West on Friday night due to flooding.

The patients were taken to neighbouring hospitals.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said rescue equipment has been brought in to assist.

Photos on social media site Twitter showed nurses pushing stretchers down a hospital corridor filled with water.

NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said most patients and staff had been evacuated.

The SA Weather Service said more rain was expected in parts of the Western Cape.

Areas that are at risk are the South coastal areas, George, Riversdale, Hermanus and Oudtshoorn.

The rain is expected to continue into Sunday.

Provincial disaster management spokesperson Charlotte Powell said systems were in place to ensure people were protected from floods.

SAPA

By Obakeng Maje

Johannesburg-Bafana Bafana defender Thabo Matlaba suffered a concussion after being unintentionally struck in a face by Swaziland international Wonder Ndleko.

The injury left Bafana coach with no choice, but to call for a cover in that position as Kaizer Chiefs left-back Tshepo Masilela carries a knock too.

Matlaba was ruled out and Bafana coach Gordon Igesund called Mamelodi Sundowns left-back Tebogo Langerman, report http://www.kickoff.com.

Bafana won by 3-0 against Swaziland after Letsholenyane, Zungu and Nthete scored respectively.

Bafana Bafana will face World champions Spain next week in a friendly.-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@IceT_ or @Taung_DailyNews 

Mbombela – A woman who claimed she was painted and raped was not truthful during her testimony, the Nelspruit Regional Court ruled on Friday.

Magistrate André Geldenhuys found the man accused of raping her, Sibusiso Siboza, 26, from Matsulu in Mpumalanga, not guilty, a Sapa correspondent reported.

He pleaded not guilty and said the sex was consensual.

“In her testimony, the victim testified when they went to the accused’s mother’s home, she was raped and later paint was poured over her,” Geldenhuys said.

“But in her statement to the police, she was painted before the rape occurred.”

Geldenhuys said the woman’s evidence was not satisfactory and not truthful in all aspects.

“She was never reliable. At one stage, she refused to answer questions and contradicted herself. She even had to be forced to answer some of the questions.”

The 24-year-old woman was too drunk to remember what exactly happened that night, the magistrate said.

As a result, he gave Siboza the benefit of the doubt.

The evidence showed Siboza and the woman knew each other well and had been to various places to drink liquor.

Medical certificates also did not support the woman’s version of events.

– SAPA

The families of the 30 people, who died in the Moloto road crash earlier this week, have expressed frustration over the lack of a rail services to alleviate traffic pressure.

A memorial service was held on Friday at the Machiding show grounds in Mpumalanga. The mood was sombre as mourners came in their numbers to console the families of the victims and pay their respects.

One of the mourners Lucky Sithole, who lost three family members in the horror crash, says: “I’m so broken and it’s painful. Losing three members of my family is not a minor thing,” says Sithole.

Another mourner, Klaas Aphane, says: “I’m very sad, and have no words. I went to identify my brother and there I also saw two of my friend’s bodies.”

I went to identify my brother and there I also saw two of my friend’s bodies.

Local government officials attended the event saying the tragedy cannot be used for political point scoring.

Mpumalanga Premier, David Mabuza says: “The platform is not the right one and it is wrong to do so. We must all support the families and not capitalise on their loss.”

The local royal family says it will support calls for a Moloto Corridor. Local chief, Sipho Mahlangu says: “We are going to stay close to this project and put pressure on government to ensure it becomes a reality.”

The 30 people who died in the Moloto road accident will be laid to rest this Sunday during a mass funeral.
Source: http://www.sabc.co.za