Durban – Police were called to a Durban high school on Monday when six SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) representatives demanded to speak to their four members at the school.

“It was a small group. They wanted to speak to their members,” police spokesperson Thulane Zwane said.

He could not say what prompted Westville Boys High School to call the police, or why the Sadtu representatives wanted to see their members.

“Six representatives of the local branch of Sadtu arrived at the school this morning without appointment and asked to see four of our teachers,” said the school governing body chairperson Chris Bruorton.

“The group of visiting Sadtu representatives were told that they could not meet any teachers during teaching time, which is entirely reasonable,” he said in a statement on Monday.

He said the representatives arrived at the school while the Grade 12 class was writing matric exams.

“The visiting group was told that they should contact the district office of the education department, and that they could schedule a meeting with their four members at a mutually agreeable time, and they then left.”

Bruorton said the school’s security staff notified the school’s office that a small group of unknown people had gathered outside the main gates.

“As a precaution, and particularly to ensure that there was no disruption to the matric exams, which were being written today, the police were called. Ultimately there was no cause for concern,” he said.

Anti-ANC T-shirts

The school recently made headlines when three T-shirts designed by the matric art class, bearing slogans poking fun at the ANC, went on display at the local Westville Village Market mall in Durban.

The T-shirts bore the faces of President Jacob Zuma, former president Nelson Mandela, and ANC national executive committee member and former police commissioner Bheki Cele.

On one of them the ANC leaders were referred to as “fakers since 1994”.

The T-shirts were removed as soon as a complaint was received.

They had been produced as part of the visual arts curriculum, an aspect of which focused on social commentary.

Attempts to obtain comment from Sadtu’s KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Mbuyiseni Mathonsi were unsuccessful.

Provincial education spokesperson Bhekisisa Mncube said the department had not been able to contact Sadtu.

“We are, therefore, unable to comment at this stage until the affected school furnishes us with a report if they so desire.”

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Parolees, people out on bail and those awaiting trial are being monitored using ankle bracelets, Correctional Services Minister Sbu Ndebele announced on Monday.

“Electronic monitoring is a giant leap forward, and is the solution to various challenges,” he said in Tshwane, Gauteng.

Ndebele said the electronic monitoring pilot project was started in March 2012, involving 150 offenders, mostly prisoners serving life terms.

“Electronic monitoring is economical, effective, efficient and relevant to the broader goals of the department [of correctional services] and that of the justice, crime prevention and security cluster,” he said.

“On average, 15% to 20% of awaiting-trial detainees are in custody because they cannot afford bail,” he said.

At the moment, it cost the taxpayer R9 876 a month to incarcerate an inmate.

“For electronic monitoring, the monthly cost per offender is R3 379…”

The bracelet resembled a wristwatch, was waterproof and shock resistant and was generally fitted to the ankle.

Attempts to remove it would trigger an alarm.

The department had chosen a two piece GPS tracking system, which integrated tracking, communication and mapping technologies.

It enabled operators to effectively track offenders, virtually anywhere, anytime at varying levels of intensity, said Ndebele.

“A National Control Room is now operational here at our head office. This control room is manned on a 24-hour basis, seven days a week, 365 days per year.”

Ndebele said this type of alternative non-custodial sentencing would place the responsibility for rehabilitation and reintegration on the community and its stakeholders.

“… We urge society, communities and families to work with us in order to derive the desired benefits of public security, managing inmate population, offender reintegration as well as cost reduction,” he said.

– SAPA

Kimberley – A police chemical expert confirmed on Monday that no primer residue from a firearm was found on the hands of the 17-year-old Griekwastad farm murder accused.

“It is fair to say that primer residue is easily removed,” said Lieutenant Colonel Thandiwe Mlabateki, of the police’s forensic science laboratory in Pretoria.

She was testifying before Northern Cape Judge President Frans Kgomo in the teenager’s trial.

He is accused of shooting and killing Northern Cape farmer Deon Steenkamp, 44, his wife Christel, 43, and their daughter Marthella, 14. He also faces a charge of raping Marthella Steenkamp and of defeating the ends of justice.

Mlabateki confirmed that residue could be removed by washing one’s hands.

Prosecutor Hannes Cloete submitted that it was not in dispute that the boy had washed his hands twice before tests were done.

Earlier, the boy’s legal counsel handed in a list of admissions that would not be disputed.

These include the negative test for residue on the youth’s hands, a negative test on a pair of the boy’s tracksuit pants, and positive tests on two of his T-shirts: One on the front and the other on the front and the back.

On Monday, the court heard that the way in which Marthella Steenkamp was murdered seemed like “overkill”.

“I see a lot of violent injuries… an overkill in my opinion,” testified pathologist Lemaine Fouché of the Northern Cape health department.

Fouché testified about four gunshot wounds the Steenkamp daughter sustained: One in the chest and three in the head. There was an entrance wound beside her nose, one gunshot graze wound on her forehead and a wound to the back of her head.

Fouché also testified about various lacerations, bruises and marks on her left arm and hand.

In reply to a question by Kgomo, the pathologist said these were defensive wounds.

Fouché also referred to lacerations on the back of the girl’s head.

“She died due to multiple gunshot wounds,” she told the court.

Fouché testified about a reddish chafe mark on the girl’s genitals. She submitted that the mark indicated “penetration of some sort” and “possibly forced”, although there could be other explanations.

Sexually assault

However, in her opinion, the girl was forcefully assaulted sexually and, in legal terms, penetrated.

“Any penetration is sexual, whether it’s fingers or any other object,” she said under cross-examination.

Cloete told the court the State’s case would be that Marthella Steenkamp was first shot in the chest outside the house.

Fouché agreed, because grass was found on her bloodied shirt.

Cloete submitted that the State believed the girl ran inside the house and tried to make a phone call, but collapsed at the phone.

“She would not have had any strength left at that stage,” said Fouché.

Fouché told the court the three victims all had head wounds, inflicted just before they died.

On Tuesday a State DNA expert will testify.

The trial continues.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Reported remarks by ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa about not returning “boers” to power show how much he is stuck in the dark ages, the DA said on Monday.

“The ANC is panicking, which is why even people like Cyril Ramaphosa are using the race card,” DA spokesperson Mmusi Maimane said in a statement.

“As Jacob Zuma’s ANC sees its power slipping, it appeals more and more to tired racial insinuations and the supernatural to convince supporters to stick with them.

“First it was the fires of hell. Now it is the ghosts of the apartheid regime that are being invoked to scare voters into staying with a party that deserted them a long time ago,” Maimane said.

He said the politics of fear should make way for a new politics of hope.

The Star reported on Monday that Ramaphosa had urged Limpopo residents to vote or the “boers” would take back power.

“If you don’t vote, the boers will come back to control us,” Ramaphosa apparently said in Seshego.

He was speaking to disgruntled resident Johanna Phala, 49, who had vowed not to vote in next year’s elections because the ANC had disappointed her.

The unemployed single mother of three blamed the high unemployment rate on the ANC and said she had lost hope in the party.

Ramaphosa asked her to reconsider her anger towards the ANC-led government.

He was in Seshego, the hometown of Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, to drum up party support.

“If all South Africans don’t vote, we will regress. The boers will come back to control us,” he was quoted as saying.

The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) called Ramaphosa’s alleged comments racist.

“Apart from the fact that such a statement is not based on any real facts, it is also racist and polarising,” FF Plus leader Pieter Mulder said in a statement.

“It is clear from this how deep in trouble the ANC is with their impatient voters. Because Mr Ramaphosa is second in charge of the ANC, these remarks cannot be lightly dismissed.”

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The ANC will lay a complaint against the City Press with the Press Ombudsman, the party said on Monday.

“Following yesterday’s [Sunday’s]… report, which concocted and sensationalised the voter registration campaign undertaken by ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa in Limpopo at the weekend, the African National Congress will be formally lodging a formal complaint with the press ombudsman,” spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said in a statement.

The newspaper reported on Sunday that Ramaphosa was shunned by residents of Seshego in Limpopo when he went on a door-to-door walkabout during the voter registration proceedings at the weekend.

The newspaper reported that one man refused to shake his hand, and that a home owner chased Ramaphosa away from his property.

“Go away, go away. You are not welcome here. This is my home. People are dying because of the ANC,” the home owner was quoted as saying.

Mthembu said he was confident the ombudsman would be able to resolve the matter.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Police officer Enoch Motsepe was denied bail by the Germiston Regional Court on Monday.

“He fell substantially short of this target [to provide exceptional circumstances why it would be in the interests of justice to grant him bail],” Magistrate Pieter du Plessis said.

“The case is postponed to 13 January for further investigation.”

Motsepe is accused of kidnapping, extortion and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Prosecutor Thabo Motlhamme said the charges against the 32-year-old detective constable from Silverton, Pretoria, were schedule six offences.

According to the Criminal Procedure Act such crimes require an accused to prove exceptional circumstances exist to be granted bail.

The court heard that the police were still searching for three men in connection with the kidnapping of a resident of Bedfordview, on the East Rand, on Monday, 28 October.

According to the State, four men entered the home of Ali Haji, from Tanzania, claiming they were police officers.

They took jewellery worth about R150 000, a BMW, and a cellphone.

They kidnapped Haji and demanded a R100 000 ransom from his family.

Ransom money

Motsepe was arrested after allegedly collecting the ransom at a Caltex petrol station on the N1 highway in Midrand.

Investigating officer Ephraim Tsebe was testifying during Motsepe’s bail application. He faces charges of kidnapping, extortion, and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

“He is facing very serious charges,” Tsebe said, through a court interpreter.

“He was found in possession of his colleague’s identity card and he can continue to commit similar offences.”

Tsebe said: “I’ve applied for permission to get access to cellphones and there were a lot of cellphones involved.”

“It is my opinion that the accused is not a suitable candidate for bail.”

Police shot and wounded hip hop singer Khuli Chana when he allegedly failed to stop at a roadblock they had set up at the petrol station’s exit in an attempt to catch the kidnappers.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The trial of nine Daveyton policemen accused of murdering Mozambican taxi driver Mido Macia was postponed by the Delmas Circuit Court on Monday.

Prosecutor Hitler Thenga said the trial would resume on 26 May and was scheduled to continue until June.

He was disappointed that it did not proceed as planned on Monday.

“From our side, we are ready. We were ready to take it off the ground today. We were just disappointed that they had not sorted out their legal representation and that led to the postponement,” he said.

Thamsanqa Ncema, Linda Sololo, Meshack Malele, Motome Walter Ramatlou, Percy Mnisi, Bongumusa Mdluli, Sipho Ngobeni, Lungisa Ewababa, and Bongani Kolisi, are out on bail.

According to the indictment, 32 witnesses are expected to testify in their trial.

In February, a video showing Macia being tied to the back of a police van and dragged through the streets of Daveyton went viral and caused public outrage.

Police alleged they had a confrontation with Macia when he refused to move his taxi, which was obstructing traffic.

Macia was found dead in the police holding cells several hours later. He was wearing his underwear and socks.

His trousers were later found in another part of the police station.

A post mortem found that he died of a lack of oxygen.

Witnesses reported that he had wounds to the head.

The police have denied playing any part in Macia’s death, and have claimed he was alive when he was put in the cell.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Reported remarks by ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa about “boers” returning to power were racist and would not be dismissed lightly, the FF Plus said on Monday.

“Apart from the fact that such a statement is not based on any real facts, it is also racist and polarising,” Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder said in a statement on Monday.

“It is clear from this how deep in trouble the ANC is with their impatient voters. Because Mr Ramaphosa is second in charge of the ANC, these remarks cannot be lightly dismissed.”

The Star reported that Ramaphosa urged Limpopo residents to vote or the “boers” would take back power.

“If you don’t vote, the boers will come back to control us,” Ramaphosa apparently said in Seshego.

He was speaking to disgruntled resident Johanna Phala, 49, who had vowed not to vote in next year’s elections because the African National Congress had disappointed her.

The unemployed single mother of three blamed the high unemployment rate on the ANC and said she had lost hope in the party.

Ramaphosa asked her to reconsider her anger towards the ANC-led government.

He was in Seshego, the home town of Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, to drum up party support.

“If all South Africans don’t vote, we will regress. The boers will come back to control us,” he was quoted as saying.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Parolees, people out on bail and those awaiting trial are being monitored using ankle bracelets, Correctional Services Minister Sbu Ndebele announced on Monday.

“Electronic monitoring is a giant leap forward, and is the solution to various challenges,” he said in a speech prepared for delivery in Tshwane, Gauteng.

Ndebele said the electronic monitoring pilot project was started in March 2012, involving 150 offenders, mostly prisoners serving life terms.

“Electronic monitoring is economical, effective, efficient and relevant to the broader goals of the department 1/8of correctional services 3/8 and that of the justice, crime prevention and security cluster,” he said.

“On average, 15 to 20 percent of awaiting-trial detainees are in custody because they cannot afford bail,” he said.

At the moment, it cost the taxpayer R9876 a month to incarcerate an inmate.

“For electronic monitoring, the monthly cost per offender is R3379….”

The bracelet resembled a wristwatch, was waterproof and shock resistant and was generally fitted to the ankle. Attempts to remove it would trigger an alarm.

The department had chosen a two piece GPS tracking system, which integrated tracking, communication and mapping technologies.

It enabled operators to effectively track offenders, virtually anywhere, anytime at varying levels of intensity, said Ndebele.

“A National Control Room is now operational here at our head office. This control room is manned on a 24-hour basis, seven days a week, 365 days per year.”

Ndebele said this type of alternative non-custodial sentencing would place the responsibility for rehabilitation and reintegration on the community and its stakeholders.

“… We urge society, communities and families to work with us in order to derive the desired benefits of public security, managing inmate population, offender reintegration as well as cost reduction,” he said.

Sapa

Durban – A man was shot dead at a pre-wedding function in Mankwanyaneni, the KwaZulu-Natal community safety department said on Monday.

Unknown people opened fire, killing a 55-year-old man and wounding two people at the function on Saturday, said department spokesman Kwanele Ncalane.

“Apparently, some people had arrived at the homestead and claimed that they had not yet been provided with food.”

Immediately after this, gunshots were heard.

MEC Willies Mchunu condemned the killing.

“We are disturbed at this killing in eMankwanyaneni as the area is now becoming notorious for killings and violence,” he said.

“This has a potential to destabilise the area and could plunge the area into unending faction fighting.”

Mchunu said the community owed it to themselves to ensure the area remained peaceful and free of senseless killings.

“Violence begets violence, chases away development and plunges the community into endless poverty,” he said.

Sapa