Klerksdorp, North West – Two men who confessed to being involved in the murder of ANC North West official Obuti Chika were tortured by the police, the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court heard on Tuesday.

Moses Jones Botman, for Jeffrey Letuka, said his client was tortured and forced to confess.

“Because there were no visible injuries, it does not mean he was never tortured,” Botman submitted.

The State told the court on Monday that Letuka and co-accused Sihlangu Sekhakhane had confessed to being involved in the crime.

However, in his own affidavit, Sekhakhane also denied committing the crime, and also claimed police officers had assaulted him and that he was made to sign a confession under duress.

They are accused with North West provincial African National Congress Youth League chairman Papiki Baboile, ward secretary Paul Molomonyane, councillor Itumeleng Molebatsi, municipal worker William Malefo, taxi driver Kgotso Kali, and local government MEC China Dodovu.

According to an affidavit by the police, Letuka claimed after his arrest that Kali approached him and a friend and asked them to kill Chika.

Kali allegedly handed Letuka and his friend two explosive devices and promised them R50 000 for killing Chika.

Baboile and Molefo were with Kali during the meeting with Letuka and his friend. They returned later, said they could not raise the money and took back the explosives.

In a sworn statement by Kali, he denied attending any meeting or promising any money to Letuka or Sekhakhane.

Prosecutor Riekie Krause said on Monday that Sekhakhane had confessed to killing Chika and had led police to his gun. Forensics had later matched the bullets which killed Chika to this gun.

She told the court Sekhakhane had claimed to have met Kali in a BMW X5 shortly before the crime. Krause said Baboile owned a BMW X5.

Kali had allegedly told him that, before he could attend the ANC’s conference in Mangaung in December, Chika had to be killed.

Chika, 33, was shot at point-blank range in the driveway of his Klerksdorp home on December 14. He died in a local hospital. – Sapa

Pretoria – While several police officers appeared in two separate court cases in the country on Monday following incidents of police brutality, a Limpopo man claimed R1.7 million from the minister of police after he was allegedly manhandled by officers.

Marthinus Christoffel Vorster, 23, of Phalaborwa, said in papers before the Pretoria High Court that on April 12, 2010, he was arrested by police and detained for questioning.

Vorster said he was not informed of his constitutional rights, was not presented with a warrant for arrest, nor was he told at the time what the charges against him were.

He was simply taken to the offices of the SAPS in Phalaborwa. There he waited for three hours in an office, before being taken in a police van to the offices of the Hawks in Polokwane, Vorster said.

For more details go to www.iol.co.za

KwaZulu-Natal – A father used his tie to lash his young son to him, and walked into the surf, drowning them both off a North Coast beach.

Dhaniram (Niresh) Ramdass, 39, had feared he would not see his son again, a grieving family member said on Monday. 

Ramdass, who had been living apart from his wife for less than a week, was meant to have taken his son to the Tongaat Charity Fair.

Moments before the double drowning at the La Mercy Beach on Saturday, eight-year-old Lavesh had called his mother Usha, 30, on her cellphone and told her he was at the beach with his father. 

But before his wife, a nurse, could question Lavesh further, the call was cut.

Less than two hours later both bodies washed up on shore, not far from where witnesses had earlier seen the father and son sipping on a cool drink.

Lavesh’s classmates at Victoria Primary, in oThongathi, lit candles in his memory. Looking on is principal Laljeeth Maharaj, his form teacher Prem Sukdeo and teacher Ansuya Naidoo. Photo: Puri Devjee

DAILY NEWS

Police are investigating a case of murder and an inquest docket has also been opened.

The boy had been living with his uncle, Vinesh Ganesh, and maternal grandmother in Isnembe, near oThongathi (Tongaat), since he was a baby because of his mother’s irregular working hours.

A devastated Ganesh, speaking on behalf of Usha, said Ramdass had called him on Friday night and told him he wanted to take the child to the charity fair on Saturday morning.

He said he had already taken the child to the fair on the Friday night, but did not want to deprive him of time with his father.

“My sister and her husband were having domestic problems. She wanted him to quit drinking. When Niresh was under the influence of alcohol, he was abusive towards my sister,” Ganesh said. 

Usha had moved out on Wednesday and was staying with her brother and son in Isnembe.

Ganesh said he had seen Ramdass on Wednesday evening when he visited his son. He said he had spoken to him at length about his marriage.

“I told him that Usha wanted to save her marriage, but only if he gave up drinking completely. He promised to sort his life out. He said he wanted to be with his family.”

For more details go to www.iol.co.za

Johannesburg – The ANC has rejected “with contempt” the accusation made by murder accused Oscar Pistorius’s father that “the ANC government is not willing to protect white South Africans”.

“Not only is this statement devoid of truth, it is also racist,” ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said in a statement on Tuesday.

Pistorius faces a murder charge after shooting dead his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Henke Pistorius reportedly told a British newspaper that the country’s lawlessness and high crime rate had forced his son to arm himself.

Henke Pistorius spoke to The Telegraph’s journalist over the weekend about the guns he and his son own.

“Some of the guns are for hunting and some are for protection, the handguns,” he was quoted as saying.

“It speaks to the ANC government, look at white crime levels, why protection is so poor in this country, it’s an aspect of our society.”

Mthembu responded by saying:

”It is sad that he has chosen to politicize a tragic incident that is still fresh in the minds of those affected and the public.

“This tragic incident has affected two families that are still trying to come to terms with what happened and this latest racist slur is not assisting these families.

“We think it is ill-advisable for anyone to start apportioning undue blame.”

Earlier

on Tuesday, Oscar’s uncle Arnold Pistorius said Henke’s comments did not represent the views of Oscar Pistorius and his family.

“The Pistorius family owns weapons purely for sport and hunting purposes,” Arnold Pistorius he said in the statement, which was issued by Vuma Reputation Management.

“Oscar and the rest of the Pistorius family distances itself from the comments. Henke’s interview with the newspaper was unapproved by our media liaison team,” he said.-Sapa

Kakamas-Northern Cape are looking for a suspect by the name of Pieter Peens in connection of a Magdeline Esau’s death.

“She was reported missing days before her body was discovered. According to police, Magdeline visited her (boyfriend) Pieter Peens and never came back” Lieutenant Sergio Kock said. 

The gruesome incident took place on the 30th of October 2012 and p[olice are looking for Peens to help them on the mystery death of Magdeline Esau.

“The whereabouts of Peens are yet unknown. Esau’s body was strangled and police discovered a shoelace at the crime scene” Kock said.  

“We request any person with the information of Pieter’s whereabout to contact the Investigating officer Detective captain Maree 082 4484 439 or Kakamas police on 054 4316 800 / 08600 10 111” police said.

All information will be treated with firmest confidentiality, and informant can remain anonymous.

BY Staff Reporter

Challenges that impact on service delivery and interventions required to bring service delivery back to track during the 2013/2014 financial year or remainder of the 5 year term of government will be the focus of the North West Provincial Executive Council (Exco) Lekgotla to held as from 8:00 am at Cookes Lake in Mahikeng on Wednesday.

The main focus of the Exco Lekgotla will be on how Provincial departments, municipalities and state owned enterprises will link their Annual Performance Plans, Strategic Plans and other relevant programmes to the objectives of the National Development Plan.

The Lekgotla will also reflect on progress registered towards key priorities of government and implementation of recommendations of the October 2012 Lekgotla. It will also set targets to accelerate delivery for the remainder of the current term of government.

Members of the Executive Council, The Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders, Mayors, Heads of Departments, Chief Executive Officers of State Owned Enterprises, Municipal Mayors, Chief Financial Officers and representatives of the Provincial House of traditional leaders are among those that are expected to attend the session.

Thai authorities said Tuesday they would seek arrest warrants for three police officers allegedly involved in trafficking rhino horn through Bangkok’s main airport.

The horn was brought into Suvarnabhumi Airport in January by Vietnamese migrant workers paid $500 per trip, said Narasak Hemnithi, commander of the Natural Resources Environmental Crime Division.

“After arriving in Bangkok they were asked to put the rhino horn on a trolley and leave it somewhere nobody could see and then police would come and collect it,” he told AFP.

“We have evidence, especially closed circuit television footage,” he added.

In early January a Vietnamese man was arrested after leaving rhino horn worth more than half a million dollars in unattended luggage at Suvarnabhumi.

Illegal hunting of rhinos has risen in recent years to meet surging demand for their horns in parts of Asia, in particular Vietnam where they are highly prized for their supposed medicinal qualities.

A record 668 South African rhinos were slaughtered for their horns in 2012, an increase of nearly 50 percent compared with 2011, according to conservation group WWF.

Their plight is one of the issues topping the agenda at a major conference on endangered species in Bangkok this week, with wildlife groups urging Thailand to step up efforts to crack down on trade in ivory and rhino horn.- AFP

Pretoria – Murder accused Oscar Pistorius’ father has lashed out at the ANC government saying they are to blame for his son’s fall from grace.

Oscar’s dad Henke Pistorius reportedly told a British newspaper that the country’s lawlessness and high crime rate forced his son to arm himself.

The ANC has since told the Daily Voice they want nothing to do with the paralympic star or his family.

Henke Pistorius spoke to The Telegraph’s journalist about the guns he and his son own.

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

Limpopo – A Zion Christian Church (ZCC) prophet has been arrested for allegedly raping a 27-year-old woman at the church’s headquarters in Moria.

The woman alleges that the prophet put a knife to her throat as he raped her on Saturday morning during an all-night prayer session at the church premises, east of Polokwane.

The suspect is said to be a full-time prophet who lives at the church’s official residence.

But the church, known to be a beacon of morality, on Monday distanced itself from the incident. Official Ronnie Malahlela claimed the church was not aware of the rape.

“We don’t know anything about it. Ask the police. That’s all I can say to you,” he said.

Mankweng police spokesman Constable Moses Molepo confirmed that a suspect was arrested on Sunday morning at Moria.

“The victim was taken to Mankweng Hospital, and doctors confirmed the rape. The suspect is scheduled to appear before the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court (on Tuesday),” said Molepo.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she was raped inside the prophet’s residence in Moria.

She told The Star on Monday that she had earlier that night asked the prophet to recharge her cellphone battery. She went to fetch her cellphone, which is when the attack occurred. She said it was dark in the house. “I fought with him for about two hours, but he ultimately overpowered me,” she said.

“Whenever I tried to shout, he strangled me so that people would not hear me.”

She said she became extremely tired and the man raped her.

“After raping me, he begged me not to report the matter, and I promised him I would not report it,” she said. But this was simply to secure her freedom.

“When he released me, I went straight to the church’s office to report the matter. The church elders phoned the police.”

She said the elders were sympathetic to her plight and remained supportive.

She said she did not know the prophet personally, except as “the man of God in church”.

“I feel weak. It’s hard to take the image out of my mind,” she said.

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

The DA has demanded answers from President Jacob Zuma about the “delay” to announce the appointment of the head of the Special Investigative Unit (SIU).

DA MP Debbie Schafer said Zuma failed to announce the appointment of a permanent SIU head and missed the February 28 deadline. She said Justice Minister Jeff Radebe had announced at the time of the state of the nation address that the announcement of an appointment would be made.

“Is the president undermining the minister by telling him that things will be done by a certain date, and then not doing them? It is hard to imagine that the minister would have made an announcement as significant as this one without the president having agreed to,” Schafer said.

“Repeated failures to provide answers leave us speculating that the president has not been able to find a suitable cadre who will do the ANC’s bidding. Secondly, he (Zuma) is deliberately trying to destabilise the unit by leaving someone in charge, and who is not able to dedicate sufficient time to it.”

Zuma spokesperson Mac Maharaj said the president would make the announcement of the appointment as soon as he had made his decision.

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