Pretoria – The State is confident about its murder case against paralympian Oscar Pistorius, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Wednesday.

Investigating officer Hilton Botha had not been “discredited” by the defence’s examination earlier in the day, NPA spokesman Medupi Simasiku told reporters in Pretoria.

“It is normal for the cross-examination to happen like that. We believe that he (Botha) is strong enough to stand that (examination),” said Simasiku.

“The bail application is still on, but as the State we remain confident that we will get what we want. Until tomorrow (when the bail application resumes), the status quo remains the same.”

The State is opposing Pistorius’ application for bail in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.

On Wednesday, advocate Barry Roux accused the police of contaminating the scene while investigating the St Valentine’s Day shooting of Pistorius’ girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

He accused Botha of walking around the house, in Pretoria, without protective shoe covers.

Botha said he should have worn them, “but they were not around”.

Roux again asked Botha if there was nothing in Pistorius’ statement that was inconsistent with the scene.

“Yes, at this stage,” said Botha.

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

PSL general manager Derek Blanckensee says the League will not preempt what will happen to FC AK after they refused to honour their fixture against Witbank Spurs today.

Orlando Pirates have confirmed that defender Siyabonga Sangweni will be out for six weeks.

BY Staff Reporter

The South African Senior Women’s National team (Banyana Banyana) has settled down well  as the squad prepares for the annual 12-Nation Cyprus Women’s Cup that takes place at the Tasos Marajou Stadium in Paralimi from Wednesday 6 – 13 March 2013 in Cyprus.

Head coach of the Sasol sponsored senior Women’s National team, Joseph Mkhonza is impressed by the showing of all of his players who have reported for camp and is the first to admit selecting the final 22 players will not be an easy task.

Mkhonza will be without the services of all three international based players in Nompumelelo Nyandeni, Kylie-Ann Louw and Roxanne Barker for the coming assignment.

Nyandeni has pulled out of the Banyana squad due to club commitments as her Russian club, Rossiyanka is preparing to take part in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Kylie and Roxanne who play their club football in the United States will not be joining the national squad due to study commitments.

Banyana Banyana will continue with their preparations at the North West University High Performance Centre in Potchefstroom before their departure for Cyprus on Monday 25 February 2013.

While coach Mkhonza will have a tough time selecting his 22-player squad to compete in the Cyprus Cup, he will also be using this camp to look at younger players and groom the squad that will compete for the FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

Banyana Banyana will open their Group C campaign at the Cyprus Women’s Cup against South Korea on Wednesday, 6 March at the Tasos Marko Stadium, Kick-off is at 14:30. The next group stage encounter to be played at the same match venue will be against the Republic of Ireland on Friday 8 March (Kick-off: 1430), while the final group stage encounter against Northern Ireland will be played on Monday 11 February in Paralimi. 14:30 Kick-off.

England, Italy, New Zealand and Scotland will play in the Group A while Group B will contested by Canada, Finland, the Netherlands and Switzerland .

“I want to use the Cyprus Women’s Cup to bring in new players and prepare the country for future tournaments. The 22 players I will select will form the core of Banyana Banyana squad that will take part in the World Cup, the Olympics as well as the African Women’s Championship next year.

“Those that will not form part of the trip to Cyprus must not lose hope as my bigger aim is to create a bigger pool of this Banyana squad. That will put the team in good steady in case of injuries and suspensions,” said the Banyana mentor, Joseph Mkhonza.

The 25 Banyana Banyana players in camp:

Cape Town will host a 2014 World Cup qualifier between Bafana Bafana and the Central African Republic next month.

Pretoria – Magistrate Desmond Nair asked on Wednesday whether if murder accused paralympian Oscar Pistorius would flee South Africa if granted bail.

“Yes”, replied investigating officer Hilton Botha. “It is possible, lifetime imprisonment is no joke.”

He said he knew of instances where people had fled to avoid spending even five years in jail.

Pistorius has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home in Pretoria on February 14. He has denied the charges.

Nair asked even if a person who had won Olympic gold would jeopardise his career before the case ended.

Botha maintained that life in prison was “no joke”.

Pistorius’ bail application has been postponed to Thursday by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.

Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled that he would remain in custody again at the Brooklyn police station holding cells. – Sapa

By Obakeng Maje

Kimberley-A warrant of arrest has been issued for Merlyn Booysen, on the murder case that is being investigated by the Galeshewe police. 

“Merlyn was arrested for murder, and she escaped during her appearance in Galeshewe Magistrate Court on 2013-01-28” Lieutenant Olebogeng Tawana said. Merlyn is well-known in Galeshewe at Number two area. 

“It is suspected that she could be hiding either in Kimberley or somewhere in Cape Town” police said. 

“We appeal to any person with the information of her whereabouts is requested to contact the investigating officer Detective Sergeant Attie Browers on 082 4690 138 or Galeshewe police on 053 8076 000.

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The unidentified lieutenant- colonel is on leave and was sleeping at his Eldoraigne, Centurion, home in the morning when he heard someone at his front door.

The officer, who was with his wheelchair-bond mother at the time, immediately woke up and went to inspect. He found that the intruders had forced the door open and were already inside the house.

Captain Agnes Huma of the Wierdabrug police in Centurion said the officer shot one of them in the upper body, “killing him instantly and wounding another, who managed to escape”.

Huma said the getaway car, a white Opel Corsa that was parked outside, immediately sped off during the shooting. No arrests were made but investigations were continuing, she said. –

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

 

Lawyers from Brian Kahn Attorneys said they were no longer representing expelled ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.

Details about why the law firm had abandoned Malema’s case were confidential, said lawyer Nicqui Galaktiou.

“We have not ‘ditched him’…. We no longer act for Malema,” she said.

Earlier in February, Galaktiou said the firm had been instructed to file papers opposing an application made to the High Court in Pretoria by the SA Revenue Services, to have Malema’s estate sequestrated.

Malema had until February 18 to notify SARS whether he intended to oppose the application.

According to newspaper reports, Malema had failed to meet the deadline.

If the application by SARS is successful, all Malema’s properties will be placed under curatorship and auctioned off to pay a reported R16 million he owes SARS.

Malema also faces charges of fraud and racketeering related to the irregular awarding of a R52m tender to On-Point Engineering.

His Ratanang Family trust was an indirect shareholder in the engineering company.

That matter is scheduled to resume in court in April.

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

Pretoria – Police said on Wednesday there were no signs that Oscar Pistorius physically assaulted his girlfriend before allegdly shooting her, after reports a bloodied cricket bat was found at the home of the track star.

Investigating officer Hilton Botha agreed during a bail hearing with defence lawyer Barry Roux, who said there were “no signs of an assault and no signs of her defending herself against an assault.”

Media reports at the weekend said investigators had found a bloodied cricket bat at Pistorius’s luxury home in Pretoria where model Reeva Steenkamp was shot last Thursday. – AFP