Daily Archives: March 7, 2014

Cops probing new police brutality incident


Cape Town – An incident of alleged police brutality in Cape Town, which was filmed by a member of the public, is being investigated by Western Cape police.

The footage was posted on Facebook by Nicole Speelman on Thursday.

She had filmed the incident from her office in Cape Town. In the footage, two uniformed police officers are seen punching and kicking a naked man. Security personnel are also seen holding the man’s arms. Bystanders are seen walking past and stopping to observe.

Speelman also stated in a Facebook post that she yelled at police from her office window, and a policeman came up to her office to arrest her for screaming at the police.

She added that she and her colleagues asked the policeman why he and his colleagues had beaten the man. “..He said he was just trying to get him in the van and he arrested my colleague for police interference and the charges was later dropped”.

The DA has condemned the “vicious attack”.

Dianne Kohler Barnard for the DA said: “What was even more disturbing is that police aggressively manhandled, pushed, choked, punched and kicked him repeatedly.”

She said people living in South Africa are tired in living in fear of both criminals and a handful of thuggish police officers.

Western Cape police spokesperson November Filander told eNCA that police were assessing the footage. 
For more http://www.news24.com

Ex: Oscar screams like a man


Pretoria – Oscar Pistorius does not scream like a woman, his ex-girlfriend told the North Gauteng High Court on Friday.

“It is the accused’s case that if he screams, and if he’s really anxious, he screams like a woman,” prosecutor Gerrie Nel said to witness Samantha Taylor.

“That is not true,” the willowy blonde replied, later adding: “It sounded like a man, My Lady.”

When asked by Nel when she had heard Pistorius scream before, she said she had previously heard him scream “at myself”.

Pistorius’s lawyer has previously argued that on the night he shot dead Reeva Steenkamp, the woman whom witnesses say they heard screaming was in fact Pistorius screaming like a woman.

Defence

The question relates to one of the pillars of Pistorius’s defence – that he screams in a high-pitched voice like a woman’s.

His lawyer Barry Roux, SC, has told witnesses who claim they heard a woman’s terrified cries coming from his house before Steenkamp died, that in fact it was his client who had cried out.

Roux said the defence had recreated screams and shouts in tests at Pistorius’s home and would submit the results to the court to challenge the testimony the court has heard.

“On the 21st of February there were indeed tests done and part of the tests was a woman screaming, loud, as loud as she could,” Roux said.

Earlier, Taylor told the court she met Pistorius at a rugby game in 2010 and started dating him the next year, when she was 17.

Asked by Nel why the relationship ended, she replied: “He cheated on me with Reeva Steenkamp.”

Pistorius is accused of the murder of model and law graduate Steenkamp. He is also charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, and two counts of discharging a firearm in public.

SAPA

Oscar cheated on me twice- ex


Pretoria – The ex-girlfriend of murder-accused Paralympian Oscar Pistorius started crying after telling the North Gauteng High Court that he cheated on her twice.

This prompted the judge to call a composure break.

Gently spoken Samantha Taylor had just described how Pistorius had fired a shot through a sunroof of a car while they were dating – which relates to the charge of discharging a firearm in a public place.

‘He cheated on me’

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel asked why their relationship, between 2011 and 2012, had ended and she said: “He cheated on me with Reeva Steenkamp.”

Steenkamp was shot dead by Pistorius in a toilet cubicle in his bathroom in Pretoria on 14 February 2013. He said it was mistaken identity, thinking it was a burglar. The State alleges it was murder.

When Barry Roux, SC, for Pistorius, began his cross-examination, he asked why they broke up.

She responded by enquiring whether he was referring to their first or second time.

Taylor said: “The first time our relationship ended was when he cheated on me with…” and she sniffed and apologised to the judge.

“I’m sorry, My Lady,” she said, and Judge Thokozile Masipa called an adjournment.

Taylor wiped her eyes and was comforted by another woman, until court resumed a few minutes later.

She broke up with him for the first time when Pistorius was on a trip to London and went out with a woman called Anastasia.

‘Commotion’

Taylor testified that there was “a lot of commotion” in her relationship with Pistorius and they broke up for the second and last time on 4 November 2012 when Pistorius took Steenkamp to a sports awards ceremony.

“About a week before the sports awards, we were at Sun City and we had a couple of problems. There was a lot of commotion in our relationship,” Taylor said to questions by Roux.

Taylor told the court she met Pistorius at a rugby game in 2010 and started dating him the next year, when she was 17.

Court proceedings were adjourned for a second time when Taylor again lost her composure. She broke down and cried when Pistorius’s lawyer asked her how she had felt about their break-up.

“I was upset,” she said, before breaking into tears.

Pistorius sat upright in the dock, listening to her.

She said she spent about four days a week at his house and was familiar with the main bedroom of the house.

He would sleep on the right hand side of the bed, she said.

She knew he owned a gun because “he carried it around with him”.

She said at night he placed the firearm on his bedside table or next to his legs on the floor.

Pistorius wears prosthetic legs after a double amputation as a child and went on to become a gold medal-winning athlete who also competed in the Olympic games.

SAPA

Police should not befriend criminals-Premier Modise   


North West Premier Thandi Modise has called on police not to befriend criminals, to be upright and emulate the loyalty and dedication that was demonstrated by Captain Thuso Daniel Shopi.

In her moving tribute delivered in honour of Captain Shopi at a memorial service held  at the SAPS Mahikeng Cluster Offices’ Police Assembly yesterday, Premier Modise said that the Provincial Parade Commander and Head of the Mahikeng Flying Squad was a protector who was trustworthy and humane.

“We want disciplined, professional men and women who will like Shopi wear the police uniform with pride. We revered and respected Captain Shopi because he represented what a police officer should be. He understood that a leader in uniform is a leader in voice and in action,” Modise said.
“The untimely death of the disciplinarian whose professionalism, dedication and commitment we had all admired on the parade and for his everyday work has robbed us of a patriot and a crime fighter. He served with passion and will forever be remembered for his bravery. In him we have lost a model police officer,” she added.

Captain Shopi was described as an institution whose death has left death has left the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the communities poorer by various speakers.

In her tribute, SAPS Provincial Commisioner Zukiswa Mbombo said that Shopi loved the community and went the extra-mile.

“He was a perfectionist, a team player who was ever eager to learn, guide and provide service to others. He loved action, driving and was excellent at it,” said Mbombo.

The 53-year-old Shopi who was also a member of the Ride With Motorcycle Club is to be buried at the Hero”s Acre in Mahikeng on Saturday after a service to be held at the Keresete Modisa Catholic Church in Mmabatho Unit 2.

He is survived by his wife and two sons.-TDN
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DA’s Rabotapi to address farmworkers


Rustenburg-DA NW Provincial Chairperson Winston Rabotapi and the Rustenburg & Kgetleng Rivier Caucus leaders will address Farm workers from the Kgetleng rivier municipality on the DA’s Election 2014 Manifesto. 

“They will discuss service delivery and issues affecting the farmworkers” DA Tiaan Kotze said.

Date: Friday, 07 March 2014 
Time: 15:45 
Venue: Koster Dam, Koster-TDN
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TANZANIAN NATIONALS ARRESTED FOR SMUGGLING OF A DRUG CHEMICAL APPEARED IN COURT


By Obakeng Maje
Zeerust-Four Tanzanian Nationals Daniel Makunja(39), John Evans(36), Raymond Kessy(42) and Augustino Minja(23) appeared in the Zeerust Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

The accused will appear again on 13 March 2014 for further investigation. They are still in custody.

“The accused are charged with: Drug and Drug Trafficking Act no 140 of 1992 and International Trade Administration Act 71 of 2002” Brigadier Thulane Ngubane said.

The accused were arrested on Tuesday at Groot Marico after their truck which towed an Iveco panel van drove through Kopfontein border post at about 10:30 on Tuesday morning.

“Police suspected the truck and followed it until Groot Marico. The police allegedly stopped and searched both the truck and the Iveco panel van with the assistance of the narcotic dogs which reacted positively” Ngubane said.

It is further alleged that small plastics containing white unknown substance which was later confirmed as Ephedine chemical were found inside the door sides of the Iveco panel van to the street value of R211 350 00.

The truck was allegedly from Tanzania on its way to Pretoria.-TDN
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OLYMPIA STADIUM TO HOST PROVINCIAL SECONDARY CHAMPIONSHIPS


Rustenburg-Based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Sport and Recreation S.A (SRSA) and Department of Basic Education (DBE), all School Sport activities will be delivered jointly at all levels with different and clear responsibilities, hence the North West Provincial Athletics Championships games to be held on the 07th March 2014 at Bojanala District.

After a successful hosting of the Provincial Primary Athletics Championships, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) will be hosting the event at the Olympia Park Stadium again this week for the Provincial Secondary Athletics Championships games.

“About 750 secondary school boys and girls from across the province will participate in multi-coded games, to earn the approval of being the best in the Province. They will also be awarded the opportunity to represent the Province in the National championships which will be held in Polokwane later this month” departmental spokesperson Shirley Montsho said.

The Schools Sport games are part of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and the Department of Education’s plan to ensure maximum access to sport, recreation and physical education in every school in South Africa. It also seeks to revive the fading sporting spirit and culture amongst the youth.

“Sporting codes at the event are as follows: long jump, triple jump, 10km walks javelin, hurdles, hammer and discus amongst others. Participants range in age from 14-19 years” Montsho said.

In order to encourage participation and more effort from schools, there will be an award ceremony where the winning schools will receive medals, trophies and equipments during the competition.

Details of the games are as follows:

Venue: Olympia Park Stadium

Time: 08h00

Date: 07 March 2014
-TDN
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ACT MEC MOHONO TO HAND OVER 300 HOUSES IN MMATAU


Rustenburg-Acting MEC for Human Settlements Public Safety and Liaison Desbo Mohono will hand over about 300 houses to the Mmatau and Siga families in the Moses Kotane local municipality on Saturday.

The Houses are part of the 8000 houses that are expected to be handed over between February and March.

“The benefiting families are mostly headed by the elderly, child and people living with disability. The village which is more than 100 kilometers from Rustenburg, has little economic activities. Most families survives on subsistence farming. Unemployment has reached a record high among villagers” departmental spokesperson Mokotedi Bole.

The handover is part of celebrating twenty years (20yrs) of freedom, and also in line with the Outcome 8 of the National Development Plan vision 2030 which is intended to improve the quality of people’s lives and bring back dignity to the marginalised communities across the province.According to Acting MEC the gesture is part of the department’s service delivery initiative and reduction of housing backlog in the province.

He said that the move is also critically important because it restores the dignity of those benefiting communities.

The handover will take place as follows:

Date: 08 March 2014

Time: 10H00

Venue: Mmatau tribal offices
-TDN
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