The state prosecutor has wrapped up her submissions in closing arguments in the Anene Booysen murder and rape trial in the Swellendam Circuit High Court in the Western Cape.

The state aims to prove that the accused, Johannes Kana raped, murdered and mutilated the Bredasdorp teenager in February this year.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor must act to ensure the fast and efficient electronic registration of births.

DA MP Manny de Freitas says they will write to Minister Pandor requesting that she explore alternative and innovative solutions to ensure that all hospitals are on-line.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Gauteng police say a detective from Silverton in Pretoria has been arrested for kidnapping and extortion in the case which allegedly led to hip hop star Khuli Chana being shot and wounded. Police say they’re also looking for other kidnapping suspects.

They allege that during the manhunt, police spotted a vehicle in Midrand, similar to that used by the kidnappers which sped off. Shots were fired and the driver Chana was wounded. Police had mistaken him for a kidnapper.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Police in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, are investigating yet another murder involving a child. This after the body of another baby has been found thrown in a stream.

Police are looking for a mother of the child who is said to have thrown the child on Monday morning. This, as the deaths of children in the area continue to be on the spotlight.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Matric learners from troubled Bekkersdal on Gauteng’s West Rand have had a smooth first day of final exams. Learners were evacuated and began writing their exams today at a secret location.

At the weekend, the Gauteng Department of Education evacuated 450 matric learners from the area following violent service delivery protests. The community had forced schooling to stop in the last few weeks and then threatened to disrupt matric exams.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Johannesburg – The ANC on Monday condemned the brief detention of party stalwart Tokyo Sexwale in the United States.

“This affront on the rights and dignity of comrade Tokyo Sexwale necessitates an unconditional apology to him and the people of South Africa from the US administration,” ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said in a statement.

“[We] call upon the US to remove from its terrorist profiling lists all those included because they fought against apartheid.”

The New Age reported earlier that immigration officials detained Sexwale at the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York.

His lawyer Leslie Makhabela said: “They alleged he posed a threat to international security.”

Sexwale and many other anti-apartheid activists had been on a list of people banned from entering several countries since the apartheid era.

They were not removed from it after the country gained democracy in 1994.

Sexwale had since returned to the country.

The international relations department said it would continue in its attempts to rectify the travel restrictions imposed on ANC members in some countries.

It said it had repeatedly raised the matter with the US.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Attempts to return the remains of Khoi leader Dawid Stuurman to South Africa have started, the National Heritage Council (NHC) said on Monday.

A conference about the matter would be held with leaders of the Khoikhoi community and the NHC at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University on Tuesday, the council said in a statement.

“An announcement will be made on the remains of Dawid Stuurman and reflections on the meaning of Stuurman’s life, Khoikhoi history and repatriation and memorialisation will be discussed.”

Activists and Stuurman’s descendants from around the country had pledged their support to bring back Stuurman’s remains from Sydney, Australia.

Stuurman died in Australia on 22 February 1830, having arrived in April 1823 from South Africa as a British prisoner.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A foreigner has been beaten to death by a group of men in Secunda, Mpumalanga police said on Monday.

The 30-year-old Ethiopian was attacked at his place of work on Saturday by a group of men who forced him into a taxi, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said in a statement.

“The group attacked him with sticks and sjamboks… The men forced him into their kombi and drove with him to the taxi rank in Secunda,” Mohlala said.

They apparently accused the man of raping the 6-year-old daughter of one of the men.

“Upon arrival at the taxi rank, they continued to assault the victim until he was unconscious… The victim sustained serious injuries.”

He was taken to hospital and died of his injuries on Sunday. No arrests had been made by Monday afternoon.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The first day of the National Senior Certificate examinations went off without a hitch on Monday, the department of basic education said.

“I am happy to announce that reports coming in from all provinces indicate a good start, free of incidents or irregularities,” department spokesperson Panyaza Lesufi said in a statement.

English home language and first additional language papers were written in the morning, and music theory paper one was written in the afternoon session.

Accounting, Zulu, Ndebele and Swati would be written on Tuesday.

A total of 576 490 full-time pupils and 130 646 part-time students had registered for the matric exams, Lesufi said.

– SAPA

The Minister of Human Settlements Connie September will together with the MEC for the North West Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison Nono Maloyi sign a memorandum of understanding with Lonmin over the land donation by the mining giant to government.

 
The signing agreement will give government a full ownership of about 66 hectors of land, which will be used for building houses for mineworkers especially around the Marikana area.

 
“The signing ceremony will be officiated by the Lonmin’s vice president Barnard Mokwena. The gesture will benefit both the mining giant, government and the residents of Marikana who are living in informal settlements around the mining area, while others are living in mine hostels” departmental spokesperson Ben Bole said.

 
The building of the houses will also ensure ownership, and further reduce the ever increasing informal settlements in the mining town of Rustenburg.

 
The media is therefore invited to witness the signing ceremony and further attend a press conference which will outline the main objective and intentions by both government and Lonmin. The event will take as follows:
Time : 09H00
Date : 29 October 2013
Venue: 34 Melrose Boulevard street – Lonmin offices in Melrose Arch
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