By Obakeng Maje
The Northern Cape SAPS Provincial Crime Prevention Office has kicked started
with crime prevention awareness in De Aar cluster. The awareness was headed
by the Provincial Crime Prevention Coordinator Colonel Kopeledi in partnership
with the Department of Road and Safety Liaison, Department of Education and
Northern Cape Liquor Board.

“The awareness started with a workshop on Northern Cape Liquor Act 2 of
2008, attended by designated police officers (DPO) from De Aar cluster. De
Aar cluster constitute with the Britstown, Sunrise, Hanover, Richmond, Victoria
West, Petrusville, Phillipstown, Colesberg, Norvalspont, Kuyasa, Noupoort and
De Aar police stations” Kock said.

“The purpose of the workshop was to ensure that there is
a uniform understanding on how to implement and execute the Northern Liquor
2 of 2008, in relation to matters pertaining to liquor licences applications
and law enforcement. It has come to the attention of the Northern Cape SAPS
Crime Prevention Office that, some of the taverns and other liquor outlets are not
complying with the liquor licences regulation” lieutenant Sergio Kock said.

It is expected of the Designated Police Officers to conduct regular inspections on
licenced liquor outlets, taverns and total close down of shebeens.

During another session School Safety Crime Prevention was extended to Umso
High School and Lowryville Intermediate School in Colesberg.

“This envisaged promoting safer school and preventing the involvement of young people in
crime. Encouraging an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach towards crime
prevention. Learners were also discouraged not to indulge themselves in drugs and
alcohol abuse which most of the times leads to unwanted pregnancy; rather they
must be involved in community projects which are relevant in building their future” Kock said.

Both schools welcomed police involvement in the safety of the learners in schools,
because most of the learners needs to be motivated not to carry sharp object on
school premises.-TDN
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Pretoria – Oscar Pistorius’s lawyer Barry Roux on Thursday apologised to a State witness for reading his cellphone number out in court.

“I hope Mr Nel relayed to you my apology, I did not realise the consequences,” Roux said in the North Gauteng High Court. He was referring to prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

“Thank you very much. Apology accepted,” the witness, Charl Johnson replied.

Johnson told the court this week that he was inundated with calls after Roux read his number out on Tuesday.

One was from a person accusing him of lying in court. He subsequently had to keep his phone switched off.

Roux continued questioning Johnson about notes he and his wife made about the screams and shots they said they heard from Pistorius’s townhouse in the early hours of 14 February last year.

Pistorius is accused of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

He is also charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, and two counts of discharging a firearm in public.

He allegedly fired a shot from a Glock pistol under a table at a Johannesburg restaurant in January 2013.

In September 2010 he allegedly shot through the open sunroof of a car with his 9mm pistol while driving with friends in Modderfontein.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The National Press Club on Thursday condemned the manhandling of journalists by the EFF outside the North Gauteng High Court

“The incident happened on Wednesday when a member of the Economic Freedom Fighters apparently tripped over the chain fencing on Church Square, hit his head, and died on the scene,” it said in a statement.

“Members of the media on the scene were, in a volatile manner, pushed away and threatened that their cameras would be confiscated and broken. Some were even abused with death threats.”

The incident happened while the party sought an interdict against having to pay a deposit to the Independent Electoral Commission when submitting lists of candidates for the upcoming elections.

The EFF took President Jacob Zuma, Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor, and the IEC to court. Political parties have to pay a deposit of more than R600 000 – R45 000 per province and R200 000 to fully contest the polls nationally.

On Tuesday, EFF leader Julius Malema said his party would not pay the amount.

The club said the incident could affect relations with the party.

“This incident does not auger well for future media relations with the EFF – how can you manhandle in this manner the very people you depend on to communicate your message to the broader population?

“The National Press Club condemns these actions, in a country where the fight for media freedom was long and arduous.”

– SAPA

Pretoria – The Association of Mining and Construction Union’s (Amcu) march got under way before noon in Pretoria on Thursday.

Hundreds of Amcu members were marching to the Union Buildings to hand over a petition raising their unhappiness about how government departments and mining companies have handled their strike.

They have been on strike at Impala Platinum, Anglo American Platinum, and Lonmin Platinum since 23 January to demand a minimum monthly salary of R12 500.

Marchers blew vuvuzelas and whistles as they marched down Struben Street to the Union Buildings.

They carried banners and flags as they sang union songs.

– SAPA

RUSTENBURGParties involved in the platinum mining sector wage dispute should
spare no effort to find a win-win solution because a protracted strike
is not in anyone’s interest, North West Premier Thandi Modise said on
Thursday.

“Engaging in court cases and marches away from the negotiation table
is counter productive as it does not advance the parties towards
finding an amicable solutions to end the six-weeks long strike,”
Premier Modise said.

Modise expressed concern regarding acts of violence and intimidation
of non-striking workers.

“Regaining trust and mutual respect is critical to end the strike
which is beginning to impact negatively on the local economy and
putting a strain on relations between strikers and our communities,”
she said.-TDN
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Pretoria – A large police contingent has been deployed to monitor the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) march in Pretoria on Thursday.

Police vans and Nyalas were stationed at Marabastad where union members gathered for the march to the Union Buildings.

Union marshals were on hand to stop members leaving the assembly venue, forming a human chain around Amcu members.

“Comrades, order, stay within this circle,” commanded a marshal walking around hundreds of marchers.

“Comrade, where are you going? The march starts now,” shouted one marshal to three men leaving the assembly point.

Amcu was to march to the Union Buildings to hand over a petition raising its unhappiness about how government departments and mining companies have handled their strike.

Amcu members at Lonmin Platinum, Impala Platinum, and Anglo American Platinum downed tools on 23 January demanding a minimum pay of R12 500 a month.

Talks to resolve the strike via the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration, have stalled.

– Are you there? Send us your eyewitness accounts and photos.

– SAPA

Pretoria – The man heard screaming for help the night Oscar Pistorius shot dead Reeva Steenkamp sounded embarrassed to be doing so, the North Gauteng High Court has heard.

“The man almost sounded embarrassed in calling for help… That is the impression I got, it’s what struck me,” Charl Johnson said to questioning from Barry Roux, for Pistorius.

This emerged as Roux was questioning Johnson about notes he had made about the screams and gunshots he heard from his townhouse in the early morning hours of 14 February last year.

He made the notes on 6 March that year.

He previously testified that he heard both a woman and a man screaming, and maintained this on Thursday.

“I’m convinced I heard a lady scream,” said Johnson. “It’s easy to distinguish between the voice of lady and a man,” he said, adding that it was difficult to accept that it could have come from Pistorius.

Pistorius’s home is 177m from Johnson’s, the court heard this week.

Roux charged that Johnson was trying to incriminate Pistorius with his version of events.

“There is a design on your side to incriminate.” Johnson countered that he had no reason to do so.

Roux grills Johnson

Roux took Johnson to task over changes he made to his statement on what he heard on the night of the killing.

“You want to extricate any suggestion that this version was also your wife’s version,” Roux said.

“You want that out,” he said, as Pistorius listened intently to the softly spoken man in the stand.

“That is what it’s all about,” said Roux, waving a copy of Johnson’s statement, a highlighted line showing across the court room.

Pointing a finger and holding it still in both hands, front showing to Johnson, Roux continued asking why Johnson’s statement changed so many times.

On Wednesday, Roux asked for Johnson’s original notes about what he heard from his home in Silver Stream, which is next to Silver Woods, where Pistorius has admitted shooting Steenkamp dead.

Different version

Roux said one statement said he did not count the number of shots that were fired, but his wife recalled “about four or five shots”.

“And that is so removed from this musical talent to count shots. It is not the same,” said Roux, referring to Michelle Burger’s testimony that she could remember hearing four bangs because of her musical training.

Grappling for words, Johnson said he wrote it at work where he was probably meant to be doing other work, so he considered that statement a rough guideline.

It was common practice to do drafts of documents, he said.

Roux asked what he had told the investigating officer Captain van Aardt about the shots.

His own version was there were more than what his wife said, and even after Pistorius’s bail hearing where it was said there were four shots, he did not change his version, even though his wife had a different version.

But Roux wanted to know why he dropped the word “about” from a later version in describing what his wife recalled.

He said that he would bring evidence to prove that what Johnson heard “must describe” the breaking down of the toilet door with a cricket bat.

Gunshot sound

Amid a tough cross-examination Johnson said he and his wife had not wanted to be involved in the trial.

“We didn’t want to be involved in this matter. We are very private people,” Charl Johnson told the court.

He said he and his wife had wanted to find a channel to disclose what they knew and remain anonymous.

Johnson also testified that he owns a firearm and is confident he can identify the sound of a shot.

“A cricket bat striking a door would make a different sound than the sharp sound of a gunshot,” he said to questioning from Roux.

“I can confidently say I heard gunshots.”

He told the court he owned a 9mm pistol.

Roux has been trying to suggest that the shots Johnson said he heard could have been Pistorius breaking down the door of his toilet with a cricket bat.

Pistorius sat listening to Johnson’s testimony, at one point pressing his fist to his mouth, thumb resting on his cheek. A sketch artist stood to the side of the court, focusing his attention on Pistorius’s brother Carl.

A tea break was called, with Nel saying he would use it to get a document he needed.

– SAPA