Pretoria – Oscar Pistorius wants a court to allow him to drink alcohol if he wants and maybe even visit the sunny shores of Mozambique before his trial starts.

The Olympic and Paralympic star is charged with his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp’s murder.

Less than a month after he paid R1 million bail money and was allowed to go home, Pistorius now wants more freedom.

Since his release Oscar, 26, has stayed behind closed doors at his uncle Arnold Pistorius’ home in Pretoria.

He had to hand over all his firearms and agree to not leave the country or drink any alcohol.

Speaking through his personal assistant, Arnold said being stuck at home is one of the first bail conditions Oscar wants changed.

For more details go to http://www.iol.co.za

Johannesburg – Little Nonhlanhla’s fingertips fell off her small hand one by one. It started with the thumb, then the ring finger, followed by the middle finger. The pinky and the index fingertips fell off last.

The girl’s mother, Precious Mjikwa, recalls how, a week after she took her newborn twins home, she felt a fingertip fall into her jacket and onto her chest.

“I was holding her, and when I looked down, my chest had some blood on it. I pulled it out and saw it was one of Nonhlanhla’s fingers. A fingertip would fall off every other day,” she said.

Mjikwa keeps her baby’s five charred-looking fingertips in a brown paper bag and cries every time she looks at them.

For more details go to http://www.iol.co.za

A rampant start to the second half gave Banyana Banyana their first victory at the Cyprus Cup as they beat Northern Ireland 2-1 at the Tasos Markou stadium in Paralimni on Monday afternoon.

After a slow start and a rather dull first half, it was the two second half substitutions made by coach Joseph Mkhonza that livened things up. The two sides came into the match having not scored nor registered a point in their opening two Group C encounters in the tournament but that was to change.

Shortly after resumption, Mkhonza brought in Gloria Thato and Robyn Moodaly to operate on the wings, and it was their superb work on the flanks that made the telling changes, resulting in strikers Jermaine Seoposenwe and Andisiwe Mgcoyi manufacture the much-needed victory for the African silver medallists. Moodaly and Seoposenwe, the two talented youngsters promoted from Basetsana, scored the two goals within a space of five minutes.

First, Thato linked well with Mgcoyi on the left wing and the tall striker controlled the ball with her right foot and whipped in a delightful cross which was brilliantly volleyed into the back of the net by Moodaly.

Shortly after that opener, Banyana got the second goal. Thato’s neat interchange with Nothando Vilakazi saw the later cross from the left wing for Seoposenwe to easily slot the ball home at the near post to make it 2-0 for Banyana.

As was the case with their defeat to Republic of Ireland last Friday, Banyana Banyana again dominated the contest for most parts of the match and should have added a couple more goals had the outstanding destroyer Refiloe Jane and debutant Shiwe Nogwaya been more accurate in front of goals towards the end of the match.

“We may have won but it was not an easy outing. The substitutions made us change our system, which completely caught the opponents off guard. But overall, we are thrilled with the result and being able to finally find the target in Cyprus,” said Jane, Banyana Banyana’s vice captain after the match.

The central defensive pair of Lebogang Mabatle and Janine van Wyk defended with aplomb but despite their heroics, they could not prevent Northern Ireland’s Lynda Sheperd from scoring the consolation goal. The striker flicked the ball home from a free kick to make the final score 2-1.

The 2012 African Women championship runners up will play Northern Ireland again on Wednesday morning (11h00) to determine places for the 11th and 12th spot.

Ninehealth facilities across the province have been equipped with Gene Xpert machines, new technology that helps with quick diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB).

The nine hospitals are Mahikeng, Ganyesa, Tshepong, Job Shimankane Tabane, Nic Bodenstein, Taung, Joe Morolong and Potchefstroom.

The Gene Xpert machine is a new technology used to test for TB and it can detect if a person is infected with the disease within two hours.

It can also detect if the TB bacterium of the person has resistance to one of the common TB drugs and is expected to go a long way in fighting the disease in the province.

Provincial health department spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane, said the Gene Xpert had already been tested in facilities in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in 2010.

“This is a great development in the fight against TB as the technological development now makes it possible for quick results turnaround, meaning patients who come out positive can be immediately put on treatment.

“With the use of new technology more people are now being diagnosed with TB,” he said.

Between 2009 and 2011, North West province recorded 300 to 380 cases of Extreme Drug Resistance (XDR) TB, a strain of the disease that is most difficult to cure.

Lekgethwane said the new cases far exceeded bed capacity of 76 beds at Klerksdorp Tshepong Hospital Complex’s multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB Unit but the new technology would help mitigate on this challenge.

“The department readies itself to roll-out the implementation of the Gene Xpert in all hospitals.

“There are also efforts to decentralise the MDR TB treatment to other hospitals. Taung, Gelukspan and Koster hospitals were identified to offer MDR TB services and Taung has already registered noteworthy achievements after two patients were certified to have been completely cured from MDR TB,” Lekgethwane said.

He added that the province had about 96 MDR in-patients with 20 being attended to at the Taung hospital.

“MDR cure rate in the province currently stands at 55%. Three primary healthcare facilities have been identified in Moretele, Madibeng and Maquassi Hills sub districts in Bojanala and Dr Kenneth Kaunda districts respectively for community MDR decentralisation.

For more details go to http://www.thenewage.co.za

The murder trial of a 16-year-old boy accused of killing a Griquatown family was scheduled to continue in the Northern Cape High Court on Tuesday.

The youth is accused of murdering Deon Steenkamp, 44, his wife Christelle, 43, and daughter Marthella, 14.

On Monday, the boy pleaded not guilty to all three murder charges.

He also pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape and another of defeating the ends of justice.

Also on Monday, the court was shown images of the victims for the first time.

One photo showed a man lying on his stomach, wearing a blue shirt with the words “South Africa” on the back. There was a blood smear on the floor next to him.

Another photo showed a woman in a neon green top and blue shorts lying on her side. It was not clear whether it was the mother or her daughter.

Magazines were also seen scattered across the floor beside a small coffee table.

The images were shown as part of crime scene expert Colonel Sietze Alberts’ testimony. – Sapa

Johannesburg – The bail application of nine police officers accused of killing Daveyton taxi driver Mido Macia is expected to continue in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

The officers face charges of murder for allegedly handcuffing Macia to the back of a police van and dragging him along the street in Daveyton last month.

On Monday, prosecutor December Mthimunye said an autopsy found Macia had extensive internal and external injuries, and had died as a result of hypoxia.

The autopsy revealed Macia had extensive haemorrhaging in his right lung and in the tissue surrounding his heart.

Macia was found dead in the local police station’s holding cells several hours later.

The State claims it has a “watertight case” against the officers.

Magistrate Sam Makamu said proceedings would resume at 8.30am on Tuesday. – Sapa

A miner’s version of the August 16 Marikana shooting was questioned by the Farlam Commission of Inquiry in Rustenburg on Monday.

Mzoxolo Magidiwana said at the place where police officers shot him there were two journalists — a white journalist and a rastafarian, implying it was a black man with dreadlocks.

“The journalists saw the violence by police officers,” he said through an interpreter.

He told the commission he was shot, and when he fell to the ground a Xhosa-speaking police officer with a handgun shot at him at close range.

Vuyani Ngalwana, for the police, said Magidiwana’s was an “elaborate story and serious allegations”.

“Are you suggesting that police were shooting at you when you were lying on the ground?” Ngalwana asked.

Magidiwana replied: “Yes.”

He said police chased away the two journalists, and that it seemed as if the rastafarian was injured. Ngalwana asked permission to show a video taken “after the initial eight seconds of firing occurred” to see if the footage corroborated Magidiwana’s evidence.

When the footage started playing, Magidiwana identified himself as one of the men on the ground. The footage shows armed police officers standing, and people on the ground. Shots are fired occasionally.

Ngalwana put it to Magidiwana that the footage does not show a policeman with a handgun firing at him. He accused the miner of seeing what he wanted to see.

Magidiwana said as he was lying on the ground, officers walked past him and returned to shoot him. This was not in the video, he said.

“Some of the things were captured but were not shown,” he said.

“I am talking about something that is on my body. I can undress and show you,” he said, referring to his gunshot wounds.

He claimed the police stopped firing at the miners because they “got tired of shooting and killing” and decided to remove the injured and arrest those not injured.

The commission heard that a police officer called for medical assistance for the injured miners.

Commission chairman, retired judge Ian Farlam, asked if the police calling for help showed “they weren’t out to murder”.

However, Magidiwana said this was putting it in a “good way”.

“If they were not evil people they would not have done what they did that day.”

Farlam said: “No stone should be left unturned to find those journalists if they exist. We have to keep an open mind. Our work is to find the truth.”

The commission is probing the deaths of 44 people during an unprotected strike at Lonmin’s platinum mine in Marikana last year.

On August 16, 34 striking mineworkers were shot dead and 78 injured when police opened fire while trying to disperse a group which had gathered on a hill near the mine.

Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed near the mine in the preceding week.

On Monday morning, the commission heard that human tissue and blood were used to make stronger muti to protect striking mineworkers.

The sons of a sangoma told the miners certain rituals would “render them strong, invincible, and invisible”, Ngalwana said.

Ngalwana put it to Magidiwana that a police witness, identified only as “Mr X”, would testify that a group known as the “Makarapa” were not afraid of police and took part in various rituals to protect themselves.

He said the Makarapa received cuts and muti was put onto the wounds.

“Mr X would testify that the muti would prevent bullets from penetrating the skin, the sons of the sangoma told the Makarapa,” he said.

Magidiwana denied being part of the Makarapa group and said it was the first time he heard of such rituals.

“I said to you that this Mr X must come and answer on his version,” Magidiwana added.

The commission resumes on Tuesday with further cross-examination of Magidiwana.

–Sapa

Johannesburg – The Hawks police unit is investigating a report of a murder plot against North West ANC politician Patrick Chauke.

“We can’t talk more about it. We can only confirm that we received the report and we are looking into it,” spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko said on Monday.

The Sowetan newspaper reported that it had obtained a recording in which Dan Selebano, social development media liaison officer, is heard talking about the need to “stop” Chauke.

Chauke is a member of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts in the North West.

In the conversation with a woman, who he was apparently recruiting to be part of the plot against Chauke, Selebano said he was willing to pay for the “mission”.

“It’s only that, one, this man [Chauke] is enjoying what he is doing in destroying people, even politically, he’s very involved. And somebody has to stop him. Like he is saying dilo tse di bua chelete (these things mean/require money). If it meant paying for the mission I would,” Selebano was quoted as saying.

Chauke said the recording showed Selebano had been briefed to work out a plot to eliminate him.

“It is clear that he is prepared to implement what he has said,” Chauke said.

“If I’m going to wait for a formal meeting to brief people, it may lead to me dying. That’s why I must take it up with the police. I view this as a serious threat.”

Selebano had reportedly admitted it was his voice on the recording and was adamant Chauke “must be stopped”.

“I am not ashamed to say that. I meant that the man must be called to order because he was out of order.”

When asked what he meant by payment for the “mission”, Selebano said he was talking about petrol money because he did not use a government car, the newspaper reported.

Sapa