Mbombela – Most senior Mpumalanga municipal officials do not comply with the minimum requirements to hold their positions, the DA said on Monday.

“Not one Mpumalanga municipality has both a municipal manager (MM) and chief financial officer (CFO) who complies with minimum competency guidelines as set down by National Treasury,” Democratic Alliance Member of the Provincial Legislature James Masango said.

“[This is] despite threats by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan that all non-compliant personnel would have been removed more than 10 months ago.”

Masango said the incompetence was revealed in a written response by co-operative governance MEC Simon Skhosana.

“Skhosana stated that only Mbombela’s MM complied with treasury’s minimum competency requirements for municipal managers, while only the CFOs of Chief Albert Luthuli and Lekwa complied as set down for those,” Masango said.

All the Mpumalanga municipalities, except Mbombela, had applied for an extension to get their compliance in order.

Masango said the incompetence within the municipalities had contributed to poor service delivery. He alleged corruption and a lack of accountability was common in most of the municipalities.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – National police commissioner Riah Phiyega expressed concern on Monday at the number of robberies in Gauteng, allegedly committed by people wearing police uniform or using cars with blue lights.

“Thus far, there are about 250 dockets which are being followed up,” Phiyega said in a statement.

“These robberies, the modus operandi in particular, is of huge concern for me and I have set up a multi-disciplinary team comprising members from detectives, visible [uniform] policing, and crime intelligence, as well as a retired detective.”

The team would be led by divisional commissioner of detectives Lieutenant General Vineshkumar Moonoo.

Phiyega said the trend resurfaced in the province over recent months with instances of business people being robbed on their way to or from the bank.

In other instances people were being followed and then robbed while travelling from the airport. Investigations established that some groups colluded with hotel staff, metered taxi drivers, and in certain cases, police.

“The role of police officers is found to be either direct physical involvement or the supply of items such as uniforms, blue lights or firearms,” she said.

“Over the past couple of weeks, detectives have been interacting with victims and further analysing the cases to get a better understanding of the modus operandi as well as the people possibly involved. Indications so far are that these crimes are opportunistic in nature.”

The police urged people, who were stopped by a private car fitted with blue lights, to slow down and continue driving to a well-lit area or to the nearest police station.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Two policemen have been arrested for allegedly assaulting a man in custody, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) said on Monday.

They were taken into custody on Sunday after an IPID investigation, spokesperson Moses Dlamini said.

The alleged assault took place on 11 October at 19:40, after the man was arrested for being in possession of housebreaking tools and taken to the Sunnyside police station.

“It is alleged that the assault by the two policemen started soon after the victim’s arrival at the station for detention,” said Dlamini.

“The victim was apparently assaulted in the cells until he lost consciousness. Thereafter, the policemen allegedly poured water on the victim to resuscitate him.”

They apparently continued to assault the man until a senior policeman, who heard a person screaming went to see what was happening.

He found the policemen assaulting the man.

The officers allegedly ignored his orders to stop.

The man was admitted to Tshwane District Hospital for six days.

The two officers were expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court later on Monday.

– SAPA

Durban – Ethekwini metro Mayor James Nxumalo called for calm on Monday after two men were killed in a clash over illegal electricity connections.

They were shot dead on Saturday, apparently by security guards, as municipal officials were trying to disconnect and illegal electricity connection at the New Germany informal settlement in Reservoir Hills, Durban.

Seven people were injured.

The municipality said Nxumalo visited the settlement on Sunday and asked the residents to remain calm.

The informal settlement would be receiving electricity.

“It is important to note that illegal connections and the theft of electricity is unacceptable, dangerous and will not be tolerated,” the municipality said.

“People put their lives and others at risk and also affect residents in the area as power outages occur.”

Nine security guards, who accompanied the municipal officials were arrested, relieved of their weapons and charged with murder and attempted murder.

The officials had, according to the municipality, responded to a call from customers who suffered a power outage as a result of the illegal connections.

– SAPA

The SA Communist Party (SACP) on Monday expressed shock at the killing of NUM members in Rustenburg, North West.

“NUM leaders, members and workers supporting the union are being systematically targeted, brutalised and killed, sometimes for wearing red T-shirts,” spokesperson Alex Mashilo said in a statement.

He said the murders were part of attempts to “liquidate” the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

A man was shot eight times and killed at the Marikana hill, near Lonmin’s platinum mine, on Thursday.

North West police spokesperson Thulani Ngubane said he was shot once while driving.

When he got out of his car another seven bullets were fired at him.

He died on the scene.

There have been several murders of union officials in the area recently, apparently linked to rivalry between the NUM and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).

NUM spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said the victim was the union’s branch chairperson at Lonmin’s Western Platinum mine near Rustenburg.

The SACP condemned the killing and sent its condolences to the man’s family.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A man accused of raping and killing 17-year-old Anene Booysen was aware of his rights when he pointed out the crime scene, the Swellendam Circuit Court heard on Monday.

SABC news reported that the court was hearing closing arguments in a trial-within-a-trial to determine the admissibility of evidence, after the defence argued that Johannes Kana was not made aware of his rights at the time.

Kana is on trial for allegedly raping and disembowelling Booysen in Bredasdorp, Western Cape, in February.

Booysen died in Tygerberg Hospital on the afternoon of Saturday, 2 February.

He has admitted leaving a Bredasdorp pub with Booysen, hitting and raping her, but denied killing her.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Mpumalanga municipalities were warned on Monday of possible flooding as rainfall continued in the province.

“[We] have instructed all municipalities to activate their local joint operations committees, be on full alert and on standby,” the co-operative government department said.

“The rains can result in an increase of dam and river levels, thus making small streams and rivers very dangerous.”

People in low-lying areas were advised to move away from river banks and to avoid crossing full rivers and flooded bridges.

The department and the water affairs department were monitoring river flows and dam levels, which were currently stable.

“All road users are urged to be extremely cautious… as they [roads] will be wet and rocks might have fallen in some areas,” the department said.

“Motorists are also urged not to drive through flowing water. All disaster role players and stakeholders are on high alert and standby.”

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A man was jailed for 12 years by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court for raping a 10-year-old girl, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Monday.

The 25-year-old man was sentenced on Thursday, said police spokesperson Thulani Zwane.

He raped the girl in September 2006 while she was home alone in the Imbali area.

KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni said the sentence would send a strong message to criminals that the police would not tolerate criminal activity.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The NYDA will study a ruling by the Labour Court in Johannesburg that it reinstate its axed CEO Steven Ngubeni, and decide whether or not to appeal it, the agency’s board said on Monday.

“The National Youth Development Agency [NYDA] board has noted the outcome of the… court judgment on the issue of Mr Steven Ngubeni,” it said in a statement.

“The board is still to apply itself to the findings of the court. The board will then take a decision as to whether to appeal the decision or not.”

Judge Andre van Niekerk said on Monday the decision by the NYDA to fire Ngubeni was in breach of his contract of employment.

“The termination of employment is set aside and the applicant [Ngubeni] is reinstated in the first respondent’s [NYDA’s] employ until there has been compliance with clause 10.1 [of the contract],” the judgment reads.

The NYDA was ordered to pay the costs of the proceedings.

Clause 10.1 of the contract stated employees could be fired after a disciplinary hearing found them guilty, if they committed a “breach of material obligation”, or if they were found guilty of any act which would entitle the NYDA to terminate their employment.

Ngubeni sacked

On 8 October, the NYDA board decided to fire Ngubeni after it came to the conclusion he was guilty of financial mismanagement and gross dereliction of duty.

“The decision was taken in circumstances where an independently chaired inquiry, initiated by the NYDA and appointed to hear the case against Ngubeni, had not yet completed its work,” the judgment reads.

Ngubeni reportedly faced seven charges related to signing off loans later converted to grants in three projects valued at over R30m, before the approval of the board.

According to the judgment, Ngubeni sought an order reinstating him so that the inquiry could continue, and it could be determined whether he was guilty of the charges.

Termination of contract

The NYDA argued that it acted within its powers in the termination of the contract.

It argued that a disciplinary inquiry should only be applicable to the first category in the clause.

Ngubeni argued that an employee could be fired in any of the three instances.

However, this could only be done after disciplinary procedures were allowed for all the categories.

“In my view, the interpretation proffered by Ngubeni must prevail,” Van Niekerk said in the judgment.

“The purpose of fair procedure on this reading is to establish whether any of these three situations in fact exist.”

Van Niekerk said that even if he was wrong to determine that the contract allowed Ngubeni fair procedure, “the fact remains that the NYDA’s letter to Ngubeni on 27 July offered him a hearing on specific terms”.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Senior managers in government will get comprehensive training on how to follow procedures when taking disciplinary steps against errant civil servants, Professor Job Mokgoro, the new head of the SA School of Government has said.
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