Monthly Archives: April 2014

Warning: Pic of Reeva’s bloodied head shown in court


Pretoria – Prosecutor Gerrie Nel brought murder-accused Oscar Pistorius to anger and tears in the North Gauteng High Court on Wednesday when he tried to force him to look at a photograph of Reeva Steenkamp’s bloodied head.
Nel asked Pistorius to compare it to an exploding watermelon that he had been filmed shooting at.

“You know that the same happened to Reeva’s head. It exploded,” said Nel after showing Pistorius a clip from a Sky News video of Pistorius at a shooting range.

Pistorius was asked to look at a picture of Reeva Steenkamp whom he had admitted shooting dead in a toilet in his house.

With a screen right next to him, he would not.

Steenkamp’s mother June was held tight by a friend in the front of the court as a picture of her daughter with blood and tissue on her blonde hair was shown.

Pistorius said: I will not look at a picture of where I am tormented by what I saw.”

Nel said: “It is the same thing as a watermelon.”

‘Uncalled for’

As the court gasped, Pistorius’s lawyer Barry Roux SC jumped up and said: “That is uncalled for.”

Pistorius started crying and Judge Thokozile Masipa allowed an adjournment for Pistorius to compose himself.

Even hardened reporters in the gallery were seen wiping away tears and muttering under their breath.

During the adjournment, another prosecutor Andrea Johnson went over to June Steenkamp.

She told Steenkamp and her family and friends, within earshot of the gallery, that what had happened in court happened in murder trials every day

‘Zombie stopper’ video

Earlier, the video in which Pistorius refers to a gun as “a zombie stopper” was allowed to be screened in court.

Roux said he would not persist with his objection if the State did not see it as part of its evidence.

Nel agreed and the video was shown.

The video, of Pistorius and several other people at a shooting range, shows the murder accused firing at a watermelon with a handgun. As he hits it and it explodes, there are whoops of triumph.

“It’s not as soft as brains but fuck it’s a zombie stopper,” a person who sounds much like Pistorius is heard saying. The video found its way online.

Mistake

Earlier, Nel began his cross-examination by confronting Pistorius with the fact that he killed Steenkamp.

“You made a mistake?” Nel snapped at him.

“You killed a person. You shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp. Why don’t you take responsibility for that?”

Nel began with the statement: “Mr Pistorius you were and still are one of the most recognised faces in the world. You are a model for disabled and able-bodied sportsmen all over the world.”

Pistorius replied softly that this was the case before he made “a mistake”.

“Let us get to the truth,” Nel continued.

Charges

Pistorius shot Steenkamp, apparently thinking she was an intruder, through the locked door of his toilet on 14 February last year.

He found her slumped over the toilet after he broke the toilet door down. She was shot in the hip, arm, and head.

The athlete is charged with the murder of Steenkamp and with contraventions of the Firearms Control Act. He allegedly fired a shot from a Glock pistol under a table at a Johannesburg restaurant in January 2013.

On 30 September 2012 he allegedly shot through the open sunroof of a car with his 9mm pistol while driving with friends in Modderfontein.

Pistorius has pleaded not guilty on all the charges.

SAPA

Oscar: ‘I did not intend to kill Reeva or anybody else’


Pretoria – Paralympian Oscar Pistorius reiterated in the North Gauteng High Court on Wednesday that he did not murder his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
“I did not intend to kill Reeva, My Lady or anybody else for that matter,” said Pistorius after being asked by his lawyer Barry Roux SC.

He has been charged with her murder after shooting her dead through his toilet door on Valentine’s Day last year.

He has pleaded not guilty, saying he mistook her for an intruder.

Running across room

Pistorius agreed with earlier testimony that he was seen rushing across his bathroom the night he killed Steenkamp but differed over some details, the court heard.

He agreed with neighbours Anette and Johan Stipp’s testimony that he ran from right to left in his bathroom and that three thudding sounds were heard.

“What they must have seen was me running from right to left to kick the door,” he said.

“I fired the shots without my prosthetic legs on. I put my prosthetic legs on and tried to get access to Reeva to get her out,” he said.

They would have seen his torso if he had his “legs” on, he said.

The noise they heard was the cricket bat hitting the door when he tried to free her.

There has been a difference in forensic opinion over whether he had his prosthesis on or not when he shot through the toilet cubicle and then broke the door down.

Demonstration

Earlier, Pistorius was asked to demonstrate how he kicked and hit the door of his toilet through which he shot and killed Steenkamp.

Roux first asked him to show how high he could kick at the door with his prosthetic legs on. Pistorius got out of the stand and took up position in front of the door, which is part of a mock-up of the cubicle in his house.

“Please don’t kick the door,” Roux cautioned him.

“Show how high you can lift your prosthesis in a kicking motion.”

Pistorius swung his right leg up to the level of the door handle.

According to his bail application statement he kicked at the door and smashed it open with his cricket bat.

Pistorius got back into the stand, but did not sit down.

“Now would you demonstrate how you would have handled the cricket bat?” Roux asked.

The athlete hesitated, sat down and spoke into the microphone. He referred to testimony and a demonstration by Colonel Johannes Vermeulen, who testified that Pistorius would have had to have swung the bat in an “unnatural way” had he been on his prosthetic legs.

“In breaking down the door you don’t swing the bat in a natural way. I used my entire body. It’s very hard to demonstrate how I did it in a passive way,” Pistorius said.

He then got out of the stand and picked up the bat which was propped against the door. He swung it twice over his right shoulder. It connected with a mark, indicated by a sticker, several centimetres above the door handle.

“How hard did you hit the door?” Roux asked him when he got back into the stand.

“I hit the door with all my might.”

Roux asked him if he was standing in the same position while doing so.

Pistorius said he doubted this, since he was wearing his socks on his prosthetic legs and standing on a tiled floor.

SAPA

MEC MALOYI TO HAND OVER 100 HOUSES IN PIET PLESSIS


Piet Plessis- MEC for Human Settlements Public Safety and Liaison Nono Maloyi will on Thursday hand over about 100 houses to the Piet Plessis families in the Kagisano Molopo local municipality.

The benefiting families are mostly those that have been staying in informal settlements while others settled in the area after they were evicted from the local farms. The department has prioritized families headed by the elderly, child and people living with disability.

“The Piet Plessis community has from time to time experienced racial challenges where farm workers were allegedly assaulted while and murdered by farmers” departmental spokesperson Ben 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.The hand over programme is also part of the department’s service delivery initiative and reduction of housing backlog in the province.

The handover will take place as follows:

Date: 10 April 2014

Time: 10H00

Venue: Piet Plessis Sport Ground
-TDN
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Premier Modise to officially open house of traditional leaders


By Obakeng Maje
Mahikeng –North West Premier Thandi Modise is to lead the official opening of the 9th session of the fifth term of the North West House of Traditional Leaders on 11th of April 2014 at Chambers – Lowe Building, Mahikeng at 10h00. 

Premier Modise will be accompanied by MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Manketsi Tlhape, Chairperson of the North West of House of Traditional Leaders, Kgosi Madoda Zibi, traditional leaders and representatives from the National House of Traditional Leaders and other provincial houses as well as representatives of traditional leaders from Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland.

“As a build up to the opening ceremony, on the 10th April 2014, 11h00 at Lowe, Mahikeng, some of the Dikgosi, under the guidance of members of the traditional house, will slaughter a cow as an important ritual before the actual opening. Learners from Bophelong Special School in Mahikeng will be taught how to slaughter a cow and the importance of different body parts of the cow and their significance to the Batswana culture” departmental spokesperson Dineo Lolokwane said.

The meat will later be donated to the school.
-TDN
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North West celebrates 20 years of freedoom through art


By Obakeng
Rustenburg- As we celebrate 20 years of our democracy in our country, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture in partnership with Bojanala District Municipality and SAFA (South African Football Association) will be hosting a sporting event celebration on 12 April 2014 at Olympia park stadium at Rustenburg.

The aim of the celebrations is to mobilise a collective ownership of the country’s 20 years of democracy by South Africans and different sectors of society. It is also to promote awareness of the progress that freedom has brought and a sense of challenges of the third decade especially through sport.

These games will be creating a build-up of public awareness and excitement, towards freedom day on April 27th and sustain it thereafter throughout 2014.

“Fun run will kick start the day’s events with distances of five (5) and eight (8) kilos, open to clubs and individuals of all ages. There will also be artistic aerobics for participants who will not participate in the fun run” departmental spokesperson Shirley Montsho.

Following the fun run will be followed by ladies soccer match between 12h30, whereby teams who are in the SASOL League from four Districts within the Province will compete against each other and the winning teams will face off at the finals.

MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture in the North West Province Mme Tebogo Modise calls members of the community to celebrate freedom through Sport, Arts and Culture’s activities and participate in the promotion of a physically active lifestyle.-TDN
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Tshwane free Wi-Fi project “The best in Africa”


Cape Town – The free Wi-Fi rollout in the City of Tshwane is going according to plan, despite moans from critics, says an NGO.

The city began rolling out a free Wi-Fi network in 2013 and the plan is to expand the network to universal access and connectivity as part of the city’s vision.
For more http://www.news24.com

NWest wins 3 gold medals in Stellenboch


By Obakeng Maje
The North West Province has today through Allen Dingle from Klerksdorp won 3 Gold medals for Power lifting open category at Stellenbosch University’s Akademia Hall in Stellenbosch.

The 39 year-old Dingle is hard at work in preparation for 2016 Paralympics in Rio De Janeiro.

“The North West Province Team of 130 Physically Disabled excluding officials became part of an auspicious opening ceremony on the evening of 30th March at Stellenbosch City Hall” departmental spokesperson Shirley Montsho said.

The night was an encouraging occasion with speakers from the President of the South African Sports Association for Physically Disabled (SASAPD) Mr Isaac Shadung, Mr Pieter Retief from the Municipality, Dr Eugene Cloete from Stellenbosch University to the main sponsor of the games for the past twenty -three years (23) Nedbank Mr Thulani Sibeko pumping into athletes drove their message of human potential as well as having faith in oneself irrespective of your disability to all athletes.

“Athletes were also encouraged not to forget the gift of participation and sportsmanship as people with disability for competing amongst themselves as they also prepare for 2016 Paralympics and other competitions in their calendar” Montsho said.

Mr Thulani Sibeko told athletes the tournament is a pinnacle of human spirit and endeavour- that their limitations are just fitness to imagination and that each and every one of them can achieve any goal they put for themselves.

This message is also shared by the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Mme Tebogo Modise who wished our athletes well in the Championships this year. She said “Our constitution which is the main law of our country is there to afford each an everyone of us to participate in sport irrespective of our physical and intellectual disability including our background and where we come from.”

The Games are taking place at Stellenbosch, Belhar and Paarl in the Western Cape Province from 29 March to 2nd April 2014. The following codes are showcased at the games- Boccia, Footbal 7 aside, Goalball, Powerlifting, Swimming, Athletics and Cycling for Juniors and the North West Province is participating in all of them.-TDN
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Greater Taung municipality embark on Imbizo


By Obakeng maje
Taung- The executive mayor of Greater Taung municipality rre Kaone Lobel led an imbizo which took place within Greater Taung Local Municipality in North West.
 
The imbizo took place under the auspices of the Greater Taung municipality Imbizo Focus Month with a theme “Draft Reviewd IDP before National elections” in Lokgabeng village.
 
The thematic position of the event forms part of a drive to inform the communities about the budget allocated to the municipality before new financial year and towards the democratization elections of the country.

“The municipality has since provided the epoch in the struggle with a conviction of building a democratic, non-racist, non-sexist South Africa that belongs to all who live in it” mayor Kaone lobelo said.

That is also entails continuous dialogue between government and the people.

The Imbizo is essentially anchored on the continuous need for heightened on-going engagement between municipality and citizens.

The engagement during the imbizo geared towards establishing partnership and understanding which will be characterised by thorough discussion, dialogue, joint problem solving and, above all, feedback to communities.

The mayor explains to the masses how the budget works. He said Taung is only allocated R27 million as it is consists of rural area where service delivery is not paid for.

“As a municipality, we only get service paid from Taung CBD, Pudumoe and Reivilo. So it is very hard for us to cover everything at once. Most of our villages does not pay for basic service like water and sanitation” Lobelo said.

The communities demanded to know about the promises the municipality promised like Mankoroane Garden houses.

However Neo Mokoma from Human Settlements explains that the backlog was caused by SIU investigations in the matter, but he promised to come back before June with a feedback.

“We understand the backlog that has been caused, but the matter was investigated by Special Unit Investigations(SIU) and we still waiting for the outcomes” Mokoma said.

Mokoma said all houses that were supposed to be built will be included in 2014-2015 financial year.

He said that his department decided not to start any new projects but finish all backlogs first. Makoma said they know only one house was built from R8 million project by contractor who was appointed to build houses, but he left without finishing the project.

Most communities said they want roads, sanitations, water and electricity in their areas and said they need a good communication with their councillors who were accused of being dictators.

The municipality encouraged the members of the community to register for elections as the number of voters determine the budget that the municipality will be given.

“Please great people you need to understand that the provincial government look into how many people are registered to vote in that particular area and will provide budget accordingly, so stop that tendency of just sitting around without registering to vote.”

“If you do not register know that you do not appear as a resident of Taung as that will cripple our budget. We need to know how many people reside in Taung and the budget will be given according to its people” Lobelo outlines.

Mayor said the are projects that are still underway and will be executed after financial year.-TDN
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Injury blow for Sasol Banyana Banyana ahead of Zimbabwe clash


Johannesburg- The Sasol-sponsored South African Senior Women’s National team, Banyana Banyana will be without the services of captain Janine van Wyk for their international friendly match against Zimbabwe on Saturday, 12 April at Dobsonville Stadium. Kick-off is at 13h30. 

Van Wyk will miss out due to a knee injury but the player believes the team has what it takes to challenge the Zimbabweans in the build-up to the African Women’s Championship (AWC) qualifiers.

 

“This is exciting as it is our first official game this year and everyone is looking forward to this game. We have learnt new things with the coach over the past few weeks we’ve been together and this game is a means of gauging how far we are as a team and how much work still needs to be done in preparation for the AWC qualifiers,” said Van Wyk.  

 

Sasol Banyana Banyana have won two games in six encounters against Zimbabwe since 2011 and will be looking to impress the coach as she assembles the squad that will take on Comoros in the CAF African Women’s Championship qualifiers.

 

The Banyana Banyana captain said she was disappointed not to be part of the match against Zimbabwe but also cautioned against complacency.

 

“It’s disappointing not to be training fully with the squad but everyone has been working hard and we will be looking for a win against Zimbabwe on Saturday. Comoros are raked 123 in the world and that’s 71 places below us. We mustn’t take this lightly but take each game as it comes and play to be the best,” said Van Wyk.

 

The ninth edition of the CAF African Women’s Championship to be hosted by Namibia in October will see three top finishers represent the continent at the FIFA Women’s Cup Canada 2015.

 

Kolokotoane Mathabo Maria from Lesotho will be in charge of the friendly encounter against Zimbabwe, she will be assisted by fellow nationals; Polotso Maapara and  Puleng Agnes Mahono. South African referee Akhona Zennith Makalima will sit in as the fourth official and Nkalimeng Makhube from Lesotho has been appointed the match commissioner.

Sasol Banyana Banyana vs Zimbabwe since 2011:

09/07/2011 Banyana Banyana vs. Zimbabwe Harare (COSAFA) 0 – 1 (Loss)

05/09/2011 Banyana Banyana vs. Zimbabwe Mozambique (AAG) 4 – 1 (Win)

22/12/2011 Banyana Banyana vs. Zimbabwe Harare (Unity Cup) 0 – 3 (Loss)

13/10/2012 Banyana Banyana vs. Zimbabwe Dobsonville (IF) 1 – 0 (Win)

31/07/2012 Banyana Banyana vs. Zimbabwe Daveyton (IF) 0 – 0 (Draw)

15/06/2013 Banyana Banyana vs. Zimbabwe International Friendly (Home) 1 – 1 (Draw).
-TDN
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