By Obakeng Maje

Hartswater-The Police are investigating a case of shoplifting after three persons, two females(28 and 30) and one male(20) were arrested on Tuesday at approximately 15:00pm. 

“It is alleged that one of the women grabbed some clothing in a retail store and jumped into a getaway vehicle. A patrolling police vehicle spotted the suspects and stopped them in their tracks” Lieutenant Sergio Kock said. 

Kock said police found stolen clothes, cosmetics, baby milk and liquor with price tags inside the vehicle. 

Another female suspect who accompanied the first female into the premises was arrested inside the shop with some stolen goods in her possession. 

“It is alleged that this was the fifth shop targeted by the three suspects on that same day” he said. 

The value of the stolen goods is approximately R17 000,00 and white Honda Ballade used as an alleged get-away vehicle was also confiscated by the police. 

The suspects will appear in the Hartswater Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. 

The investigations continue.-TDN

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By Obakeng Maje

Danielskuil-Northern Cape police are investigating a Business Robbery case after four men robbed a chinese shop.

Police said four men allegedly entered a chinese shop in Danielskuil and pointed the owner and his wife with a firearm.

“It is alleged that on Thursday four unknown men entered a Chinese owned-shop in Mckenzie Street Danielskuil. The owner and his wife were held at gunpoint and they were bound with cable ties” colonel Priscilla Naidu said. 

Police spokesperson Naidu said the couple were allegedly locked in a bathroom and the suspects helped themselves to a large amount of cash and Cell C, Vodacom and MTN vouchers worth about R30 000. 

“The suspects had also removed the memory box from the CCTV camera and took it with them” she said.

The suspects fled the crime scene and police were called after the owners managed to freed themselves.

“Anyone who can assist police in tracing the suspects is asked to contact W/O Coetzer at SAPS Danielskuil on 053 3840558 or on 082 495 4681” Naidu concludes.-TDN

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Johannesburg – Northern Cape Premier Sylvia Lucas has called on the DA to allow the ANC to govern in the Nama Khoi municipality, Business Day reported on Thursday.

The Democratic Alliance has gone to court to block the ANC from tabling a motion of no-confidence in the party’s mayor before replacing him, the newspaper reported.

The DA reportedly claimed that six of the nine ANC councillors in the municipality had to be fired for allegedly boycotting council meetings between February and May.

Last month, DA Mayor Schalk Lubbe reportedly said the court had barred the ANC councillors from moving any motion until judgment was delivered.

Lucas said the DA’s decision to approach the court was an attempt to “stall a democratic process”.

She said it was unnecessary for the judiciary to get involved as it was a matter for the legislative arm to decide.

During by-elections in May, an ANC candidate ousted the DA candidate in the local ward, who failed to keep the seat for the party after the previous councillor resigned. 

SAPA

MDC secretary Tendai Biti has defied Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe and announced that the MDC-T had won the election.
At a press conference held at the MDC-T’s headquarters in downtown Harare, Biti, who is also Zimbabwe’s finance minister, told journalists that “our people will win the elections … I can confidently say that the mood out there is a mood of a people’s victory. It (election) will not be stolen.”
For more http://www.citypress.co.za

Athletics South Africa (ASA) does not have high expectations for the upcoming IAAF World Championships. Provision has been made for 23 athletes to represent the country in Moscow, Russia, next month with a realistic goal of only two medals.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi says his team is determined to start its new season with a bang, when the MTN8 competition gets underway next weekend.

“We set ourselves targets before the start of the season and we are excited to have the chance to win the cup,” Nkosi said in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to do well and start positively and the team loves winning silverware so this competition is no different.”

Chiefs were eliminated in the first round of last year’s tournament, but went on to win both the Premiership and the Nedbank Cup last season.

They begin their pursuit of the MTN8 trophy against surprise package Tuks next weekend.

Tuks beat the Glamour Boys on the last day of the season in May and boast an unbeaten record against Chiefs. But Nkosi said the team were itching to set the record straight against the league new-comers.

“You have to be cautious of any team,” he said.

“For us, we approach every game the same way and Tuks will be no different. Obviously they have a good record against us but this is a new season and we, as Chiefs, want to improve and do better, especially against teams that beat us last season.”

Playing Chiefs makes it easy for our coach [Steve Barker] because we are all motivated so he doesn’t have to do or say much

The competition pits the top four teams, who all received home ground advantage in the opening round, against the next four, gifting Chiefs the luxury of home support at FNB Stadium.

“It’s a great place to play,” Tuks skipper Tebogo Monyai said of the 90 000 fortress.

“It will be close to full and that means every player is excited by the occasion. Playing Chiefs makes it easy for our coach [Steve Barker] because we are all motivated so he doesn’t have to do or say much.”

Monyai said AmaTuks had done very well in their first season in the country’s top-tier but they were, nevertheless, realistic about their first appearance in the MTN8 tournament.

“We will have to control the players and be careful they don’t overdo things,” Monyai said.

“It’s history in the making for Tuks to be in the top eight for the first time and we need to carry on writing history going forward.”

In the other opening round games, Platinum Stars, last season’s Premiership runners-up, faced a tricky home encounter against Free State Stars, while Orlando Pirates would travel to the Mbombela Stadium to take on SuperSport United.

Wits kick-off the tournament against Bloemfontein Celtic on Friday, August 9 in Johannesburg.

MTN8 first round fixtures:

Friday, August 9: Wits v Bloemfontein Celtic (Bidvest Stadium).

Saturday, August 10: Platinum Stars v Free State Stars v (Royal Bafokeng Stadium), Kaizer Chiefs v University of Pretoria (FNB Stadium).

Sunday, August 11: Orlando Pirates v SuperSport United (Mbombela Stadium).
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

It is still not clear whether lawyers at the Farlam Commission of Inquiry will get interim funding from an unnamed foundation, the commission heard on Wednesday.

The commission’s chairman, retired judge Ian Farlam, said he “may have been too optimistic in thinking they would have received a decision by now”.

“I understand we will have an answer, in one way or the other, on whether we will have funding, by Tuesday,” he said, in adjourning the commission until 9.30am on Tuesday.

Dali Mpofu, representing the mineworkers wounded and arrested at Marikana, wanted the funding for his legal team.

Mpofu intended filing papers with the Constitutional Court for a ruling on whether the State should fund their work at the commission. He made a similar request in the High Court in Pretoria earlier this month, but it was dismissed.

He has since asked that the commission be postponed until August 19, pending the outcome of the court proceedings. Farlam has
yet to decide on Mpofu’s request.

The commission is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of 44 people during strike-related unrest in Marikana last year.

Police shot dead 34 striking mineworkers on August 16. Ten people, including two police officers, were killed in the
preceding week.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Community Safety, Willies Mchunu, has raised serious concerns about the high number of firearms in the province that are in the wrong hands.

He believes that they are the cause of a number of heinous crimes. On Wednesday, he visited the Nxele homestead at Mbongolwane in Eshowe, where five family members were brutally murdered.

It was once quiet area, now it’s been torn apart by the recent killings. Community members fear of possible revenge attacks. This has forced some residents to flee their homes.

Mchunu says there is a lot of firearms (doing the rounds) and people are highly trained to commit such barbaric crimes. The question that remains however is the motive of the crime.

It’s now emerged that it might be linked to a love triangle involving the local chief. But he’s refuted these allegations.

Meanwhile police are still searching for 16 suspects. Seven have appeared in court and remain in custody.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Counting of ballots has started at some Zimbabwean polling stations in the capital Harare under tents that were used temporarily by electoral officers that are now relying on candle light and gas to do their work.

Earlier the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said since the electorates are voting in large numbers, those who are already in queues will not be turned away and will be allowed to vote past 7pm official closing time of the poll.

The fiercely contested election is pitting veteran President Robert Mugabe against Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. Both sides are forecasting landslide wins with President Mugabe saying he will concede if defeated.

It’s been largely peaceful, however, the opposition party, the MDC has made startling claims of duplicate ballots printed, high numbers of voters turned away and fake prints of registration receipts.

The ZEC has a tight deadline by law it has to release the results within five days.

Uitenhage – A 53-year-old woman died when she was run over by an articulated truck in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday, police said.

The accident happened when the truck driver turned from Bubbs Avenue into Caledon Street, said Warrant Officer Gerda Swart.

Apparently part of the trailer swung onto the pavement and struck the women, who died on the scene.

Police were investigating.

Sapa