Johannesburg – The SA Police Service has received papers in an urgent Labour Court application challenging a decision to change reporting lines, it said on Wednesday.

The application was brought by the SA Police Union (Sapu) after national police commissioner Riah Phiyega decide to streamline how officials reported to her, Lt-Gen Solomon Makgale said in a statement.

The decision was announced on 31 August.

Sapu argued that the changes constituted a restructuring, which was subject to consultation under a safety and security sectoral bargaining council agreement.

Makgale said the police had met the union to discuss the matter and had told the union it was mistaken.

“They effectively want to encroach on the legal mandate of the national commissioner to organise her office in such a way that she is able to deliver on the constitutional mandate of the SA Police Service,” said Makgale.

He said all Phiyega was required to do prior to making the decision was to discuss it with the individuals concerned.

Sapu general secretary Oscar Skommere said on Wednesday that the union had filed an application with the court. The matter would be heard on 24 October.

He said nothing had come of talks with the police.

“We are saying restructuring, in terms of the agreement, is a consultation matter and they were supposed to consult with us and they did not do that.”

Makgale said the police would oppose the matter.

“Management is comfortable with the fact that the definition of what constitutes restructuring is going to be tested before the court.

“The reason for this is because similar changes were done many times in the past and those changes were never consulted upon with the unions and were never challenged in court,” he said.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and two taxi associations in Delft, Cape Town have committed to end industry-related violence in the area, the minister’s office said on Wednesday.

“Taxi associations operating around Delft, vowed to hold regular meetings, involve police and ensure that the violence which had engulfed the area is ended,” spokesperson Zweli Mnisi said in a statement.

Mnisi said the tensions had been ongoing for about five months, resulting in a number of murders over the period.

“Due to experience of violence in this industry in the past, a coordinating structure was set up by the two associations in an effort to prevent violence in the future in the industry. Yet the violence continued,” he said.

The Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and the Convention for Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) raised concerns that some cases were reported to the police, but were not investigated. The cases included murder, attempted murder and malicious damage to property.

Mthethwa met Cata and Codeta leaders and a delegation from the transport department in Cape Town.

“The meeting resolved to provide the police management with a two-week period to look at each of the 64 cases and provide regular feedback to the associations.”

The efficiency and capacity of the Delft police station was among other issues to be investigated.

“Over and above we need to look at why people withdraw cases because that hampers progress. We need those who have information to come forward and press charges. Failure to come forward makes the work of the police very difficult,” Mthethwa was quoted as saying after the meeting.

He also commended the role-players for the conciliatory approach to resolving the tensions.

– SAPA

Pretoria – The alleged murderers of a Pretoria businessman will hear on Thursday if a Gauteng North High Court (in Pretoria) judge believes their claims that a racist, white police officer framed them for a murder they did not commit.

Judge Tshifiwa Maumela started delivering his judgment on Wednesday in the trial of lawyer Marabe Talane and Rodney Katang Masemola, who are on trial for the May 2008 murder of Murrayfield business person Dawie Maree.

Maree, 27, was fatally wounded during a struggle with an armed assailant at his house in front of his wife Elana and his two young children.

Talane and Masemola pleaded not guilty to charges of robbing and murdering Maree, and murdering their alleged accomplice Seporo Martin Tshebesebe.

Tshebesebe was shot dead during the struggle with Maree.

Maree’s wife Elana (now Van Breda) testified more than three years ago that she and her husband woke to find an armed assailant standing over their bed and another armed man at the door.

She grabbed their two children from their cots, pushed them onto the floor and threw herself over them while her husband struggled on the bed with one of the men.

She heard shots and saw that her husband had been wounded and was struggling to breathe.

She told the court she prayed out loud for her husband with the attacker groaning in the background while waiting for help to arrive.

A neighbour who later took Maree to hospital, testified that he found him in his bedroom, bleeding from his ears and mouth.

A pathologist testified that Maree had three bullet wounds in his right leg, but died of a bullet wound in his back which entered his chest and exited through his throat.

Framed

Police witnesses testified that Talane’s fingerprint was found on a window sill where entry had been gained into the house, and that a bolt cutter used to force open the burglar bars was later found in Masemola’s room.

The accused admitted to being at Maree’s house that day, but claimed they went there because Masemola wanted to borrow money from the Maree’s domestic worker.

Talane testified that he waited outside in a vehicle while Masemola and Tshebesebe went inside. He heard shots and saw a wounded Masemola running towards him.

He claimed the police framed him by forcing him to lean on a window sill at the house after his arrest.

However, a fingerprint expert testified that he lifted the fingerprint from the scene before Talane’s arrest.

Masemola testified that he and Tshebesebe were standing under a tree outside the house when a dog started barking, Maree came out and shot at both of them.

He said Maree’s wife came out while he was struggling with Maree and also fired a shot, which hit her husband.

Masemola spent two months in hospital after being shot in the stomach.

Maumela said the accused’s version meant that Mrs Maree must somehow have carried or dragged the wounded men back to the bedroom, but that no blood was found outside.

Masemola’s version also meant that Mrs Maree must have been “full of ideas” on how to “construct” the scene for later explanation.

Judgment continues.

– SAPA

Durban – A rural KwaZulu-Natal high school was forced to close for a week because children from three villages decided to settle old scores at the school, the community safety department said on Wednesday.

The Ukukhanyakweze High School in KwaMaphumulo, near KwaDukuza (Stanger), had to be closed when stick-fighting during traditional ceremonies spilled over into the school, MEC Willies Mchunu said in a statement.

The school had since reopened, he said.

“I am disturbed to learn that some parents are happy and supportive of this conflict,” said Mchunu, who visited the area on Tuesday.

“Those who do this thing are wrong and they should know that. Nothing productive comes out of fighting. Violence begets death, graves and endless hatred.”

He was particularly concerned about the future of matric pupils who should be preparing for examinations in a peaceful environment and not in a conflict-ravaged school.

– SAPA

Cape Town – One “Indian elephant” and an unusual bottle opener are among the gifts disclosed by MPs in the 2013 Register of Members’ Interests, released at Parliament on Wednesday.

While at least a dozen of them declared they had “nothing to disclose” – including no house, land or property, no pension, no shares, and no directorships, benefits or other financial interests – other members were more forthcoming.

These include Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, who in the course of his efforts to promote the country as a holiday destination, was given one Nguni cow and a “sabre for opening wine bottles”, the last from the Cape Wine Academy.

His Cabinet colleague, International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, declared over 60 gifts, including more than R2 500 worth of “gin and bitters” from the Ghanaian High Commission.

Former human settlements minister Tokyo Sexwale, who was axed from his portfolio by President Jacob Zuma in July, also received many gifts, including a book titled 52 Secrets of Success for Business and Personal Leadership.

He was given a “set of surgical scrubs” by the CEO of the Smile Foundation, and a “small, three-year-old bonsai tree” by banking group Absa.

Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko, whose fashion sense was the focus of African National Congress interest in the National Assembly earlier this year, let show on her disclosure form that she received two sponsorships for beauty treatment.

These included “regular nail grooming” from the Zebra Nail Bar, and “regular hair styling and maintenance” from Wade & Co.

She was also among the scores of MPs who declared they had no pension scheme.

The man in charge of the country’s spies, State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, was given a R1 300 hat by his Botswanan counterpart, to be worn, presumably, when travelling incognito. Other gifts of Cuban cigars and rum, as well as Russian vodka and chocolates, will no doubt go down well on his next visit to a safe house.

Among those members who disclosed they had a part share in homes and apartments was DA MP Mike Waters, who over and above his two local properties, owns half of a three-bedroomed house in Australia.

African Christian Democratic Party leader Kenneth Meshoe revealed that his family had chipped in to buy him a R7 000 suit, while a friend had given him a R350 pair of cufflinks.

Other unusual gifts include the “silver braai utensils”, value unknown, given to Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, who also received a “hand-blown glass bird” from the prime minister of Finland.

The register, notorious for its misspellings and strange descriptions, is hopefully wrong when it comes to Deputy Speaker Nomaindia Mfeketo’s gift list.

Among those listed is “1 Indian elephant”, of unknown value, given to her by an “Indian delegation”. It is not known where she might keep it – under the form’s land and property section she has declared “nothing to disclose”.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – One person was killed and another injured when a heavy duty truck collided with multiple vehicles, including two minibus taxis, in Durban on Wednesday evening, paramedics said.

“One person tragically lost their life, while multiple people sustained various injuries ranging from moderate to critical,” said Netcare911 spokeswoman Santi Steinmann.

She said all the injured people were treated on scene before they were transported to various hospitals in the area for further medical care.

The cause of the accident was not yet known.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – There were inaccuracies in the version of events given by the mother of the two toddlers found dead in an open field in Katlehong, east of Johannesburg on Wednesday, Gauteng police said.

“Preliminary investigations have proved there might be discrepancies in the mother’s version of the events,” acting provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Lesetja Mothiba told reporters in Johannesburg.

The two girls, aged one and three, were found dead in a field near Zonkizizwe, Katlehong on Wednesday morning by a resident.

Their 26-year-old mother, who is a Mozambican national, was found with them and taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Mothiba said the mother told police she and her husband had an argument after she found him in bed with another woman.

Earlier, Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said the mother alleged that she and her children were from Witbank and her husband had dropped them off in the field.

“She did not know where they were.

“She further alleged that her husband left them with a cold drink which they drank last night. When she woke up this morning two of her children were already dead,” he said.

It was suspected that the toddlers were poisoned.

The exact cause of death would be known once a post mortem had been done, said Dlamini.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The DA has challenged ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman’s claim that 98% of all properties the province’s government was renting in Cape Town were privately owned.

“Not only are these statements 100% wrong, but Mr Fransman knows they are wrong, as he either signed and/or dealt with most of the leases himself,” transport and public works MEC Robin Carlisle said in a statement on Wednesday.

Fransman told the Cape Town Press Club on 10 October that ethnic division in Cape Town was a reality if one looked at property and land ownership. He said the reality was that 98% of the land and property owners were white and, in particular, Jewish.

“That is not an ethnic mobilisation; that is the reality. The question is how do we move from that to make sure we get shared ownership?”

In an interview with the Voice of the Cape radio station in February, Fransman alleged that the Democratic Alliance had given Jewish businessmen building contracts previously held by Muslims in two Cape Town suburbs.

The SA Jewish Board of Deputies lodged a complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission, which arranged a mediation process.

The complaint was that Fransman had made demeaning and inflammatory remarks that could create animosity between Muslims and Jews.

According to Carlisle, the leases the province had in the Cape Town CBD were:

– Protea Assurance Building, owned by Oasis, a black-owned entity which was also Sharia compliant;

– Waldorf Building, privately owned by Moosa Baba of Cameroon;

– Golden Acre, owned by Growthpoint Properties, a JSE-listed company;

– Grand Central Building, owned by Ascension Properties, a black-managed and substantially black-owned, JSE-listed company;

– Atterbury House, also owned by Ascension Properties;

– Norton House, also owned by Baba; and

– 11 Leeuwen, owned by the Benjamin Family Trust.

Race not recorded

“Mr Fransman would have signed and/or dealt with every one of these leases in some regard at some time during his tenure as MEC for transport and public works,” Carlisle said.

Africa Check, a non-partisan organisation promoting accuracy in public debate, said in an article that the claims could not be verified.

It reported that when it asked Fransman if he had done an audit of the race of property owners in Cape Town and if so, how, Fransman had replied that the number was correct.

The organisation quoted Debra Gouws, a Cape Town lawyer who specialises in property law, as saying it was impossible to identify the race of a property owner based on deeds issued after 1994.

“In the case of older deeds it is possible to ascertain the race of the owner, although I have seen some older deeds in which it is not recorded,” she said.

SAPA

Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund has sent a get-well message to former Manning Rangers striker Keryn Jordan who is battling cancer.

“It is with great sadness that I have heard that Keryn Jordan’s health has taken a turn for the worse.

I have known Keryn since he first started playing for Manning Rangers as a teenager when I was coaching the club. Keryn played an important role in the team as we won the inaugural Premier League title in 1996.

I have very fond memories of Keryn during that time and took great interest in his further career that took him to Supersport United and Moroka Swallows, as well as to New Zealand, where he starred for Auckland City and twice participated in the FIFA World Club Cup.

He also played for Bafana Bafana.

Keryn has been – and is – an inspiration to thousands of football fans in South Africa and New Zealand and has bravely fought his illness.

My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family in these trying times and I call on all South African football fans to pray for him and his family,” said Igesund.-TDN

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