Johannesburg – A King William’s Town woman was being sought on Tuesday for allegedly stealing her father’s pension money, said Eastern Cape police.

Information about a pension deposit into his account was apparently sent to the woman’s cellphone, said Lieutenant Siphokazi Mawisa.

When she received the message, she transferred the money to her account without her father’s consent. The money was withdrawn at different ATMs, Mawisa said.

“It came to the attention of the detectives that she is at Tembisa, in Johannesburg, and they went there without any success.”

Mawisa said a case of fraud had been opened. 

SAPA

Johannesburg – A private ceremony will be held for the families of two special forces members missing at sea in Namibia, the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) said on Tuesday.

The purpose of the ceremony was for the families to conduct rituals in accordance with their culture, SA Navy spokesman Captain Zamo Sithole said in a statement.

Captain Kgabo Wilson Mabutla, 27, from Ga-Matlala in Polokwane, and Corporal Senatla AbelSebooa, 27, from Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, have been missing since 6 October. Both are members of the special forces regiment.

They disappeared in a boat accident during a SA Development Community special forces training exercise in Sandwich Harbour, Walvis Bay, Namibia.

An extensive search was carried out, but the operation had now been scaled down, Sithole said. 

SAPA

Johannesburg – A Facebook user has impersonated Women’s Minister Lulu Xingwana and is asking for funds in her name, her office said on Tuesday.

“We therefore want to put it on record that Minister Xingwana does not have and has never had a Facebook page,” her office said.

The department urged the public not to donate funds to Xingwana’s impersonator or disclose any bank account details to them.

The impersonator apparently appealed for donations, claiming that the money was being raised for a good cause.

“We urge members of the public to report these incidents to the police in cases where they come across such scams.”

SAPA

Johannesburg – The Western Cape High Court has ordered ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile to repay more than R350 000 he received from mining magnate Brett Kebble, The Times reported on Wednesday.

The court ordered him to repay R215 000 he received between November 2004 and February 2005, months before Kebble died.

Mjongile was also ordered to repay R142 000 to the Kebble Buitenbag Investment Trust, the newspaper reported.

Kebble’s estate was sequestrated just months after his death in 2005. The trust followed suit in 2007.

According to the report, Bantu Nduna, a trustee of Kebble’s insolvent deceased estate, said the money paid to Mjongile had been a “donation”, which was why the estate could claim it back.

Mjongile denied this.

“The money was for the work we did. I hate this impression being created that we were passive recipients [of Kebble’s money],” he was quoted as saying.

“We were business partners. This issue is really out of order. We created value for them [the Kebble estate]; we are business people, not some NGO.”

Mjongile was reportedly a pallbearer at Kebble’s funeral. 

SAPA

Johannesburg – The Gauteng education department welcomed a decision by a high school in Pretoria to fire a teacher who allegedly took pupils to have their penises pierced.

“No school or teacher is allowed to do that, we welcome the decision by the school governing body to fire him,” said spokesperson Gershwin Chuenyane on Wednesday.

Eyewitness News reported earlier that the teacher had faced a disciplinary hearing and was notified about his dismissal last week.

The teacher reportedly took three teenage boys for piercing. He also reportedly had his own penis pierced in front of the pupils and gave the boys penis-shaped pasta.

The teacher was also reportedly a member of a well-known Afrikaans folk group.

SAPA

By Obakeng Maje

Johannesburg-National Commissioner Riah Phiyega will not take a leave amid investigations against her by IPID, says her spokesperson Thabo Makgale.

Makgale responds to quest by opposing political party who request Phiyega to vacate office in the meantime.

Phiyega is been investigated by IPID after she allegedly warned Western Cape provincial commissioner, lieutenant Arno Lamoer regarding investigations pending against Lamoer.

Democratic Alliance request the suspension of Phiyega while investigations are underway as they view allegations very severe.

Phiyega is investigated for defeating the ends of justice and corruption by IPID, however Phiyega’ spokesperson said she will not leave office.

“IPID can swiftly continue with their investigations, but National commissioner will not leave office amidst investigations. She believes the are no charges against her and this is just a smear campaign against her” Thabo Makgale said.-TDN

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A former teacher-turned businesswoman has become a successful farmer in Delareyville and has now been nominated to represent the North West province in the women business awards set for this week.

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

North West police request the public to assist them in tracing a 33-year-old serial rape accused who escaped from police custody on September 17.

Boas Jacob Kgatlhane of Thabazimbi faces 13 rape charges in the Limpopo and North West provinces.

Provincial police spokesperson Brig Thulani Ngubane said: “Kgatlhane preyed on teenage girls aged between 14 and 17 since April 2009 until August 2013.

“He would target them while they were walking alone. The charges include one count of rape in Mecklenburg, three counts in Thabazimbi, two in Lethabong (North West) and seven in Letlhabile, near Brits.”

Ngubane said that Kgatlhane escaped on September 17 while being escorted from the Brits court after a short appearance, where he was denied bail.

He allegedly kicked open the door of the police vehicle transporting him and bolted when it stopped at a traffic light.

“An ongoing operation to recapture Kgatlhane is under way.”

In the meantime, police are appealing to members of the public who may know of his whereabouts to contact WO Seraka Temane on 0829346275 or Capt Kgaithiue Mafotsa on 0822695175, Crime Stop number 0860010111, Crime Line 32211 or the nearest police station.

“Police request the public not to make any attempts to capture the suspect but to report him to the police,” Ngubane said.

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

Cape Town – MPs processing the protection of state information bill on Tuesday heeded advice from State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele to seek more legal counsel on the adoption of a committee report.

The bill was sent back to the ad hoc committee last week, after it failed to observe procedural rules.

The committee’s report was meant to include minority views on amendments to sections 42 and 45 of the bill.

At Tuesday’s meeting, it was agreed that the DA and African Christian Democratic Party’s (ACDP) views would be recorded in the report.

However, Cope and IFP MPs were not present in the meeting, raising questions about whether their opinion on the amended bill should be included.

Committee chair Cecil Burgess said advice would be sought from state law advisers and parliamentary staff.

In the meantime, a draft report would be circulated among MPs.

“There will be another paragraph which will incorporate that both IFP and Cope objects to the process, but abstained from the adoption of the report. That will be circulate very soon,” Burgess said.

Draft report

The meeting was postponed to Wednesday to give MPs time to consider the draft report.

A final report would likely be adopted

A fortnight ago, the ANC majority on the committee pushed through limited changes to the bill, overruling objections from other parties that the process was flawed.

Opposition parties welcomed changes to the bill, but abstained from the committee vote, arguing that President Jacob Zuma had fallen foul of the Constitution by failing to give MPs an exact brief when he referred the bill back to the National Assembly in September.

MPs fixed an incorrect cross-reference in section 42 and a punctuation error in section 45 that in effect rendered meaningless a hard-won safeguard on the state’s powers to classify information.

– SAPA

Pretoria – The lead prosecutor in the Boeremag treason trial has welcomed the 20 men’s sentences, which range from five to 48-years’ imprisonment.

Fourteen of the men were sentenced to in effect five to 25 years’ imprisonment, five received wholly suspended sentences, and one, who had suffered a series of strokes, was not sentenced.

Afterwards, lead prosecutor Paul Fick SC said he felt the trial had been worth it, despite the death threats he received over the past decade.

He said the trial had been fair and that the community ought to be satisfied.

Fick said it was a difficult, drawn-out trial and he had often worked long hours into the night.

This had resulted in him not being able to spend as much time with his family as he wanted.

“I’m happy it’s over,” he said.

Defence

Piet Pistorius, who represented several of the accused, including Dr Lets Pretorius, also expressed relief that the trial was over.

He said he had yet to receive instructions on the way forward, which could include applications for leave to appeal against the men’s convictions and sentences.

Paul Kruger, who represented the oldest Boeremag member Vis Visagie, said an application would probably follow to have Visagie released under house arrest, as he had severe health problems.

With the conclusion of the trial, it felt as if a mountain had been lifted off his shoulders, he said.

Kruger said he was thankful that his other client, Pieter van Deventer, had received a suspended sentence and that the court had decided not to sentence Fritz Naude, who was in an old age home after suffering several strokes.

He felt the sentences were reasonably balanced, but he had hoped that Visagie would have been able to go home immediately.

Shock

Several of the accused’s relatives expressed shock at the sentences.

The most vocal wife was Ester du Toit, whose husband Mike received a 20-year sentence.

“We have an 11-year-old child. How will I explain this to her? I will tell her her father is a man who stood up for the Boer nation,” she said.

Du Toit said she had not been aware of any coup plot, but had known that her husband attended meetings to forge plans to protect farmers against attacks.

Kobus Pretorius’s spiritual worker Sonja Jordaan said she regarded the sentences as just, given what the accused had done.

She said it was hard for her that Pretorius had to go back to jail, but she would support him all the way.

“I know he’s going to be okay and that jail won’t hold him back. I am very proud of him that he managed to break with the past,” she said.

– SAPA