Daily Archives: March 8, 2014

Tuks steal late points from Bucs


A late goal from Thabo Mosadi secured University of Pretoria a 1-0 win over Orlando Pirates at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Buccaneers dominated the match and will feel aggrieved at the result, but their inability to convert pressure into goals was capitalised on by a determined and well-organised AmaTuks team, who have now recorded three successive league victories.
 
Pirates created an early chance for striker Helder Pelembe, with Khethowakhe Masuku’s seventh-minute free kick finding the Mozambican striker free at the far post but his diving header went wide of the target.
 
Just before the quarter hour mark Masuku almost caught out Washington Arubi with an effort on goal from a long-range free kick, but the Tuks goalkeeper was able to backpedal and tip the ball over the crossbar.
 
The visitors dominated the first half, but struggled to create clear-cut chances. On 38 minutes they teed up Oupa Manyisa to shoot on the edge of the box, but the midfielder’s effort deflected off Junior Sibande and flashed just wide of Arubi’s right-hand post.
 
The half ended with the teams locked at 0-0 and it took nearly 20 minutes of the second stanza before another shot on target arrived. Sifiso Myeni pulled a ball back from the left by-line and substitute Joseph Malongoane got onto it, only to see his effort denied by a good save from Arubi.
 
Pirates stand-in coach Eric Tinkler (who will relinquish control of the team now that Vladimir Vermezovic has been granted a work permit) was not afraid to ring the changes in an effort to spruce up his team’s attack, throwing on both Kermit Erasmus and Lennox Bacela from the bench.
 
With just under a quarter hour to play the visitors created a decent opportunity for midfielder Thandani Ntshumayelo, who arrived late to meet a left-wing cross at the far post, but he only succeeded in hitting the side netting.
 
On 83 minutes Kermit Erasmus had a clear sight of goal but put his left-footed shot over the target. It was a miss Pirates immediately regretted, as AmaTuks went up the other end to score completely against the run of play.
 
A long ball from Arubi’s goal kick was flicked on by Mpho Matsi and Thabo Mosadi beat Meyiwa to the ball with a neat touch that sent the ball skipping into the vacant net, handing University of Pretoria a shock win.

University of Pretoria: Arubi, Ngubane, Mkhwanazi, Mnyamane, Ketjijere, Shoyisa, Mosadi, Sibande, Matsi, Monama, Kekana,

Orlando Pirates: Meyiwa, Nyauza, Jele, Gcaba, Matlaba, Ntshumayelo, Makola, Manyisa, Myeni, Masuku, Pelembe.
For more http://www.kickoff.com

Electricity reserves remain low- Eskom


Johannesburg – Eskom’s electricity supply system remains under strain but the utility is not expecting further power cuts, it said on Saturday.
“The system is tight at the moment because our reserves are low. We don’t, however, expect load shedding,” spokesperson Andrew Etzinger said.

“At the moment we are replenishing our fuel supply to power stations. We are refilling the plants’ fuel.”

Etzinger said consumers would be informed on all developments regarding the supply of electricity.

The parastatal’s CEO Brian Dames said on Friday that opting for staggered power cuts was a painful move, but unavoidable to save the electricity system.

“The decision was necessary to avoid a total blackout,” he told reporters in Johannesburg.

He said a total blackout would have had significant consequences for the South African economy.

At 06:00 on Thursday, Eskom announced a power emergency caused by heavy rains, which wet its coal stocks.

Large industrial customers were asked to reduce consumption by 10% and the public were asked to conserve electricity to help ease demand on the power grid.

In Tshwane, power was cut for about two hours on Thursday in some areas. Power cuts were also experienced in Johannesburg.

The City of Cape Town initiated “stage three” power cuts and suburbs in Port Elizabeth were also affected.

Eskom urged the public to continue to use electricity sparingly although the emergency was over.

SAPA

Premier Modise welcomes disciplinary actions against Nazi salute culprits


North West Premier Thandi Modise has welcomed confirmation that
disciplinary actions are being instituted against those responsible
for the alleged expression of Nazi salutes at North West University’s
Potchefstroom Campus.

“It is encouraging to hear that action is being taken to ensure that
these kinds of practices are not repeated. There is no place for
practices that undermine the strides we have made towards building a
non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society. The scepter of racism
and ethnicity in all its manifestation should remain buried in the
ugly past we are all struggling to forget,” cautioned Premier Modise
referring to an alleged Nazi salute performed during an initiation
ceremony at the campus.

Earlier Modise had strongly condemned the incident saying that some
segments of our young, white people were still vulnerable to ethnic
and racial indoctrination.

Modise also echoed President Jacob Zuma and Higher Education and
Training Minister Blade Nzimande’s call for the University to get rid
of any racial practices.

President Zuma had earlier in the week during his visit to the North
West University-Mahikeng Campus said that the ANC government will not
tolerate any unconstitutional activities perpetuated at any education
and training institution.-TDN
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Relocation of Coligny flood victims commences    


The roll out of disaster relief effort and relocation of 16 families from the wetland at Monotomosetlha informal settlement near Coligny to an alternative land commenced in earnest this morning.Thought the delayed relocation had caused other residents to blockade the N14 in protest on Friday, It is expected to proceed smoothly after residents were assured that a farm bought by the Department of Human Settlements for an earmarked housing development project is still available.
Residents of Tlhabologang Township felt that the new arrivals some of whom are less than a month in the area were jumping the housing queue.
They calmed down and dispersed after MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Desbo Mohono and the Mayor of Ditsobotla, Councillor Lesego Holele explained to them that the relocation is part of relief effort to ensure that all families who are affected by floods are assisted and that those who are displaced and temporarily accommodated at churches are relocated to a habitable area.
Premier Thandi Modise has urged municipalities to adhere to the disaster management protocol and alert the Provincial Disaster Management Centre of all flooding incidents to ensure that relief efforts and support is coordinated to reach those in need quicker.
“Communication and proactive engagement among role players is key to mobilise capacity and support to manage all disaster incidents,” stressed Premier Modise.
An inter-governmental task team is on the ground doing a door- to- door impact assessment and distribution of food parcels, tents and processing of social relief of distress grants to those affected by the floods.-TDN
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Muti killers sentenced to life


Mbombela – A man and a woman found guilty of cutting up a 6-year-old girl for muti before killing her were sentenced to life in prison by the Nelspruit Circuit of the North Gauteng High Court on Friday.
Stella Sibongile Zulu (25) and Sifiso Wonder Vilakazi (49), from Masibekela near Komatipoort, were convicted of murder and abduction, a Sapa correspondent reported.

The court found that they killed Dimakatso Shabangu, who went missing on 21 April 2009.

Her body was found floating in a river four days later.

“This was planned because you knew that you will benefit. The way the child was killed was horrific,” Judge Collin Lamont told Zulu and Vilakazi.

“I can see how the child felt when they removed her parts, while she was alive. You referred to it as [if] it was like a chicken the way she was cut.”

Lamont said photographic evidence of the crime was horrific.

He said Zulu’s description of the murder corresponded with everything in the post-mortem, except for details about the child’s tongue, which she said was removed.

“The post-mortem says how it all happened… Private parts were removed, but the tongue was not removed. It shows that she was cut between the legs and the stomach,” Lamont said.

He said animals and fish ate at the child’s body while it was floating in the river.

“They were doing it [cutting her] while she was alive. Four people were holding her, and one cutting her,” Lamont said.

“Her intestines were removed while she was being cut. It was not clear that you saw everything, but that does not mean this case has no weight.”

Life imprisonment

Prosecutor Sonja Ntuli asked the court to sentence the two to life imprisonment.

“I submit that the two accused must be sentenced to life. An innocent child was killed and she could have been alive if it was not for greed,” said Ntuli.

Lamont said Zulu’s R5 000 bail and Vilakazi’s R3 000 bail would be withdrawn, as they were now prisoners of the State.

He sentenced them each to life imprisonment for murder, and 15 years for abduction, which will run concurrently.

After sentencing, Zulu asked the court for mercy.

“I am very hurt; I also feel pain about this, but I do not know anything about it. I ask the court to exercise mercy on me because I do not know anything,” she said.

Outside court, Dimakatso Shabangu’s mother, Goodness Sihle Mahlalela, said the two got what they deserved.

“I am feeling better with the judgment, but I wish… the court [had] not acquitted the other accused,” she said.

On Wednesday, one of the accused, Thabile Mnisi, 33, was acquitted because there was not enough evidence against her.

SAPA

Missing plane crashed into South China sea- report


Kuala Lumpur – A Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew crashed in the South China Sea on Saturday, Vietnamese state media said, quoting a senior naval official.
The Boeing 777-200ER flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing had been missing for hours when Vietnam’s Tuoi Tre news quoted Admiral Ngo Van Phat as saying he had asked boats from an island off south Vietnam to rush to the crash site.

If the report is confirmed, it would mark the US-built airliner’s deadliest crash since entering service 19 years ago.

Malaysia Airlines had yet to confirm that the aircraft had crashed. It said earlier in the day that no distress signal had been given and cited early speculation that the plane may have landed in Nanming in southern China.

Malaysia Airlines said people from 14 nationalities were among the 227 passengers, including at least 152 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, 12 Indonesians, six Australians and three Americans. It also said a Chinese infant and an American infant were on board.

No South Africans were reportedly on board.

Flight MH370, operating a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, last had contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast of the Malaysian town of Kota Bharu, Malaysia Airlines chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement read to a news conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Search and rescue

Malaysia and Vietnam were conducting a joint search and rescue, he said but gave no details. China has also sent two maritime rescue ships to the South China Sea to help in any rescue, state television said on one of its microblogs.

“We are extremely worried,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters in Beijing before the Vietnamese report that the plane had crashed. “The news is very disturbing. We hope everyone on the plane is safe.”

The flight left Kuala Lumpur at 00:21 (16:21 GMT on Friday) but no trace had been found of the plane hours after it was due to land in the Chinese capital at 06:30 (22:30 GMT on Friday) the same day.

“We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts with flight MH370,” Jauhari said.

If it is confirmed that the plane has crashed, the loss would mark the second fatal accident involving a Boeing 777 in less than a year and by far the worst since the jet entered service in 1995.

An Asiana Airlines Boeing 777-200ER crash-landed in San Francisco in July 2013, killing three passengers and injuring more than 180.

Boeing said it was aware of reports that the Malaysia Airlines plane was missing and was monitoring the situation but had no further comment. The flight was operating as a China Southern Airlines codeshare.

An official at the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said the plane had failed to check in as scheduled at 17:21 GMT while it was flying over the sea between Malaysia and Ho Chi Minh city.

Reuters

Teen hospitalised after stabbing


Johannesburg – A 15-year-old boy was stabbed by unknown assailants in Portland, in Mitchell’s Plain, Cape Town, on Friday morning, Western Cape police said.
The teenager had a stab wound in his abdomen and was taken to a nearby hospital, said police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk.

The incident happened at around 07:40 on Merrydale Avenue.

“An attempted murder case was opened to establish the motive for the attack,” he said.

SAPA

Nandos denies using Oscar’s trial for marketing


Johannesburg – Food chain Nando’s has denied using the murder trial of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius in its marketing material.
“Our attention has been drawn to fake Nando’s ads doing the rounds on the internet,” it said in a statement on Friday.

“The visual identity used in these fake adverts bears a remarkable resemblance to that of Nando’s and sometimes even uses the Nando’s corporate identity.”

It said the fake material had the potential to cause damage to the reputation of Nando’s.

“As such, we do not endorse this unauthorised and irresponsible use of our brand.”

This week, an advertisement that resembled the Nando’s branding did its rounds on social media sites.

The advertisement had a picture of a burger with the words “The Michelle Burger extra grilled”.

Burger was the first witness to testify in the athlete’s murder trial, which began on Monday, and was subjected to extensive cross-examination.

SAPA

No Media Favoured: ANC


Pretoria – The ANC on Friday rejected reports that President Jacob Zuma’s bodyguards favoured broadcast journalists over print-media reporters during door-to-door visits in townships near Pretoria.

Print reporters were stopped by Zuma’s bodyguards from entering houses during the election campaign tour through Soshanguve, Mabopane and Ga-Rankuwa.

“It was just a minor problem where journalists were restricted,” African National Congress spokesman Keith Khoza told Sapa.

While it was easy to identify broadcast journalists because they were carrying cameras, it was difficult to distinguish print-media reporters with notepads from members of the public.

Security personnel on Friday barred reporters with iPads and notepads, but allowed those with cameras, who arrived later, into residents’ homes to listen to the president.

Khoza said the misunderstanding could also be attributed to the fact that there was no accreditation for the event.

When there were large crowds of people trying to get close to the president, bodyguards pushed them away.

“It was not specifically targeted at the media, but it just happened that the media were affected,” he said.

Zuma spent several hours in the townships around Tshwane – campaigning ahead of the 7 May general elections – where he listened to residents problems and demands.

In Soshanguve, residents appealed to him to help them fix their leaking roofs.

Roof is leaking

Mavies Magopya, 68, said she had told Zuma about her leaking home.

“I told him that my house is leaking. When it rains, I’m forced to sleep with my grandchildren in one room,” she said.

Zuma had promised that he would fix her roof.

Resident Johannes Maredi started crying as he told Zuma about a big storm that had wreaked havoc in the area last year.

“Every time we see rain clouds, we get scared that our windows and roofs are going to break like last year. We have to use buckets to ensure our belongings don’t get wet,” he said.

Zuma told him that within seven days, residents would be helped.

Earlier in the morning, a group of angry residents of Soshanguve Block G hoisted aloft banners and posters expressing their dissatisfaction with their local councillor.

As Zuma’s convoy passed, they started singing and dancing.

Residents accused councillor Dolly Ledwaba of not doing anything to help those with problems.

“When we told her we did not have water, she told us she is not the office and does not open taps,” said one resident.

Zuma is King

Resident Dimakatso Mogotsi said the councillor removed those she did not agree with from the local ANC branch.

“She calls the branch her ANC. If you don’t agree with her, she removes you,” she said.

While in Mabopane, Zuma gave an elderly man R1 000 to buy groceries.

“He is a king, you can’t touch him,” Ezekiel Senyolo said afterwards.

“He gave me money to buy groceries and eat.”

Senyolo, who lives alone in his asbestos shack, asked Zuma to help residents get piped water and flushing toilets.

Merriam Dlamini, who lives in a house with 13 others, asked for a job.

“All I want is a toilet, and a job to be able to provide for my family.”

She said Zuma had promised to develop the area. Many of the streets were not tarred and some houses did not have taps.

Zuma ended his visit with a mini rally in Ga-Rankuwa.

DA dreaming

He told hundreds of supporters at the event that Gauteng province was going to remain in the grasp of the ANC.

“Those who say Gauteng is going to be taken by some other party are dreaming,” he said.

He said May 7 was the day the party would show its power.

“[The] ANC is different from other parties. We are powerful. It was only us who could defeat apartheid. It’s only us who can make South Africa a better place.

“We have a plan to change the quality of life of our people. No one has a plan except us, therefore we deserve a two-thirds majority,” he said.

SAPA

A plane carrying 239 goes missing


Kuala Lumpur – A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 carrying 239 people lost contact over the South China Sea early on Saturday morning on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, and international aviation authorities still hadn’t located the jetliner several hours later.
The plane lost communication two hours into the flight in Vietnam’s airspace at 01:20 (18:20 GMT on Friday), China’s official Xinhua News Agency said.

Vietnamese website VN Express said a Vietnamese search and rescue official reported that signals from the plane were detected about 225km southwest of Vietnam’s southernmost Ca Mau province.

Malaysia Airlines said it was working with authorities who activated their search and rescue teams to locate the aircraft.

The route would take the aircraft from Malaysia across to Vietnam and China.

“Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crew. Focus of the airline is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilise its full support,” Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members,” he added.

All countries in the possible flight path of the missing aircraft were performing a “communications and radio search”, said John Andrews, deputy chief of the Philippines’ civil aviation agency.

Fuad Sharuji, Malaysian Airlines’ vice president of operations control, told CNN that the plane was flying at an altitude of 10 670m and that the pilots had reported no problem with the aircraft.

He said the aircraft’s last communication was over the South China Sea between Malaysia and Vietnam.

Flight MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur at 12:41 on Saturday (16:41 GMT on Friday) and had been expected to land in Beijing at 06:30 on Saturday (22:30 GMT on Friday), Malaysia Airlines said.

Passengers on board

The plane was carrying 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members, the airline said. Passengers were from 14 countries, including 153 from China, 38 from Malaysia, seven Australians and four Americans.

At Beijing’s airport, authorities posted a notice asking relatives and friends of passengers to gather to a hotel about 15km from the airport to wait for further information, and provided a shuttle bus service.

Zhai Le was waiting for her friends, a couple who were on their way back to the Chinese capital on the flight. She said she was very concerned because she hadn’t been able to reach them.

A woman wept aboard the shuttle bus while saying on a mobile phone, “They want us to go to the hotel. It cannot be good!”

Yahya, the airline CEO, said the 53-year-old pilot, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, has more than 18 000 flying hours and has been flying for Malaysia Airlines since 1981.

The first officer, 27-year-old Fariq Hamid, has about 2,800 hours of experience and has flown for the airline since 2007.

Malaysia Airlines’ last fatal incident was in 1995, when one its planes crashed near the Malaysian city of Tawau, killing 34 people.

Malaysia Airlines has 15 Boeing 777-200 jets in its fleet of about 100 planes. The state-owned carrier last month reported its fourth straight quarterly loss.

The 777 had not had a fatal crash in its 20-year history until the Asiana crash in San Francisco in July 2013. All 16 crew members survived, but three of the 291 passengers, all teenage girls from China, were killed.

AP