Durban – The perceived lack of developments around the investigation into the bus crash that killed nine Zulu maidens and two minders has left an “open wound” in the heart of one mother.

Bathobile Sithole’s only child, Ntokozo, 22, was killed when she and the other maidens were returning home from King Goodwill Zwelithini’s eNyokeni Palace after attending the annual Reed Dance on September 1.
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Durban – A FAMILY of four and two young friends, returning from church on Sunday, died in a collision with a water tanker in Empangeni.

Roderick Petersen, 43, a maths teacher at Empangeni High School, died with his wife, Ronelle, 40, a clerk at a local hospital, and their two children, Josh, 11, and Amy, 6.
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Kimberley – The way Griquatown teenager Marthella Steenkamp was murdered last year seemed like “overkill”, the Northern Cape High Court heard on Monday.

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

Northern Cape Judge President Frans Kgomo was hearing evidence in the trial of a 17-year-old youth accused of murdering Northern Cape farmer Deon Steenkamp, 44, his wife Christel, 43, and daughter Marthella,14.
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Cape Town – A 42-year-old man died when he fell into a silo in Albertinia near Mossel Bay, Western Cape police said on Monday.

“Preliminary investigation reveals that the 42-year-old deceased from Albertinia fell into a canola silo that was half-filled with canola seed while trying to solve a blockage that occurred,” said Captain Malcolm Pojie.

Johannes Joseph apparently fell off a ladder he used to reach the silo on Saturday.

“According to a witness, he disappeared under the load of seed and possibly suffocated.”

Rescue workers recovered his body from the silo on Saturday.

“An autopsy to determine the possible cause of death will be conducted during this week.”

Sapa

Johannesburg – An East Rand mother accused of killing her two young daughters appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, Johannesburg, on Monday, police said.

Esther Moyana would be back in court next Monday for trial, Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said.

She faces two counts of murder. The toddlers, aged one and three, apparently died of poisoning. Their bodies were found in a field in Zonkezizwe, Katlehong, in October.

Sapa

Johannesburg – The case against a man accused of involvement in a plot to kill Czech businessman Radovan Krejcir was postponed by the Germiston Regional Court on Monday.

During a brief appearance, Brendan Harrison’s case was postponed to November 27.

In August, Harrison was denied bail after investigators claimed his life would be at risk if he was not kept in custody.

During an appearance in October, his representative Jack Gerber asked that evidence against his client be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions to make an informed decision on the merits of the allegations. He said the defence had found discrepancies in the evidence against Harrison, but he would not elaborate.

Harrison said he met Krejcir in 2009. The Saturday Star previously reported that in 2011 he was given a job by Michael Arsiotis, a former associate of Krejcir.

Harrison claimed he started to receive threats shortly after taking the job. He then cut all ties with Krejcir and his associates, and left for Swaziland to start his own business.

Sapa

Johannesburg – The DA expressed horror on Monday over the death of a seven-month-old baby boy in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg.

“The Democratic Alliance believes that a whole-of-society approach is needed to combat violence against children,” Gauteng spokeswoman Hendrika Kruger said in a statement.

“While all levels of government must be actively involved, parents, family members, teachers and community members must not neglect their responsibility for the safety of our children.”

She said neglecting, mutilating and killing of children had to end.

Residents found the baby’s body in a shack on Sunday and alerted police.

Captain Tsekiso Mofokeng said a case of murder was being investigated.

“We have registered a case of murder, but initially it was an inquest,” Mofokeng said.

Police arrived to find the baby’s body missing a foot.

“Further investigations informed police that (the foot) was bitten off by rats.”

Police were still awaiting the results of the post mortem to definitively determine the cause of death.

Mofokeng said the baby’s mother was missing and had still not been located by Monday morning, contrary to media reports that she had reported the matter to police.

Sapa

Durban – A National Freedom Party councillor was shot dead after having sex with her attacker, who demanded R20 he claimed she owed him.

National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman Natasha Kara said Bakhumbule Masondo, who was arrested on Thursday, told the Nongoma Regional Court on Friday that he and Phumelele Buthelezi had had an argument at a tavern.

He had demanded that she return the R20 that Buthelezi, the NFP chairwoman of Ulundi’s ward four, owed him.

Kara said the man claimed in his guilty plea that the two then left the tavern and had consensual sex. He again demanded that she pay him his R20. In the ensuing argument he took out his gun. A struggle ensued and a shot went off, killing Buthelezi.

Kara said Masondo had been unable to explain to the court why Buthelezi was shot twice when he only remembered the gun going off once.

It was not immediately clear when the struggle took place. Buthelezi’s body was found body on a gravel road at Stetema Reserve.

Masondo was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.

Sapa

By Obakeng Maje
Paballelo- A case of a 26 year-old driver who was arrested after an accident that claimed a life of a 9 year-old girl was postponed by Upington Magistrate Court on Monday.

Northern Cape police said a taxi driver was allegedly arrested after they were involved in an accident.

“Two taxis were allegedly driving to the same directions in Pabello, near Upington when one of the drivers knocked down pedestrians who were standing next to the road, and claimed a life of a 9 year-old girl. Few people were allegedly injured and were taken to local hospital for medical attention” lieutenant Olebogeng Tawana said.

The accident took place on Friday and police said the mother of the little girl also succumbed to injuries on Saturday and passed on.

Johanna Rampagame, 42 died on Saturday after she suffered injuries during the accident.

“A 26 year-old suspect appeared before Upington Magistrate Court with charges of murder and his case was postponed until 18 November 2013 for formal bail application” Tawana said.-TDN
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Pietermaritzburg – Twenty municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal are under forensic investigation for mismanagement, and six more are so bad that the province has had to take over.

But one town – despite being surrounded by municipalities placed under administration – has emerged as a national model of cost-cutting success.
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