Daily Archives: May 6, 2014

Taung child accidentally hanged self


By Obakeng Maje
Taung- A 3 year-old boy has died after he allegedly hanged himself while playing with his friends.

Bongani Makhanana,3, who resides in Buxton village, near Taung allegedly visited his front opposite neighbours to play with his friend as usual.

“They always used to play together. As neighbours, we always take care of our kids as when Bongani visited their house they will call us when he want to sleep or maybe they leaving with his friend” said dithered auntie.

Bongani’s auntie said the kids were playing together this morning and at around 11:00 am, a man arrived at her neighbour’s house driving a red vehicle.

“I was sitting next to the house with clear view of our neighbour’s house. The man allegedly quarreled with the mother of Bongani’s friend and the man left afterwards. I went into the house and after sometime, I saw the mother of Bongani’s friend leaving the house” she outlines.

According to Bongani’s auntie she asked the other woman where is Bongani, but she could not answer.

Bongani was allegedly found hanged from a suspended rope from the tree at his friend’s house.

Joyce Makhanana who is the mother of the deceased could not help, but cry hysterically.

The distraught mother did not want to speak to our crew as she was still in shock.

Makhanana was allegedly rushed to the nearest clinic after being removed from the rope. He was allegedly confirmed dead and police were called.

Taung police arrived two hours late and when arrived at the crime scene and there was a divisive situation as they tried to dissuade our reporter for not taking pictures.

“Two police named Mojanaga and the other one with out a name tag arrived on the scene and tried to prevent us from taking pictures. We refuted as it is our job to cover the news, but they wanted to have none until we call colonel Sabata Mokgwabone who is North West police spokesperson” said our reporter.

A case of inquest was registered at Taung Police Station and investigations continue.-TDN
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Don’t spoil your vote, editorials urge


Cape Town – The Cape Times and Cape Argus in Cape Town published an almost identical editorial on Tuesday imploring their readers not to spoil their vote.

Commenting a day before the national elections, the newspapers mentioned the recent campaign by former intelligence minister Ronnie Kasrils and former deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge to get South Africans to spoil their votes or to vote for smaller political parties.

They were not referred to by name but as “ANC (African National Congress) dissenters” in the Cape Times and “ANC malcontents” in the Cape Argus.

“Spoiling your vote, and thus squandering your birthright, is not a demonstration of voter power but a deliberate act of powerlessness. It is the surest way to give yourself no say in how – or by whom – you are governed. By all means let your choice be guided by your unhappiness (or contentment), but do make a choice.”
The papers stated that spoiling a ballot or refusing to vote amounted to silence.

“In politics more than anywhere else, silence is interpreted as consent.”

The editorials stated that because readers were “mature, independent” adults, it would be presumptuous to tell them how to exercise their democratic right.

It was impossible to propose a “one size fits all” solution as to which political party should be supported in a society as diverse and divided as South Africa.

“But what we will implore you to do is vote. Participate. Make a stand. Speak and be heard. It matters more than you know.”

The Daily Voice, also a regional newspaper, did not publish an elections-related editorial and instead dedicated a double page to the choice of political parties and their promises.-Sapa

Nkandla gets most coverage – survey


Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma’s private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal received the most media coverage by political parties in the lead up to the general elections, media survey group DDI said on Tuesday.

In the past 24 hours, the African National Congress’s coverage of Nkandla in the local media amounted to 24.4%, while the Economic Freedom Fighters’ focus on the homestead amounted to 22%.

The Democratic Alliance focused more on job creation (20.91%), but the party’s stance on Nkandla still received 20.6% of its focus.

“It is the first time since we have started monitoring the elections that the major political parties’ focus areas have passed that of Nkandla,” DDI said referring to the statistic on the DA.

According to the survey, job creation, education, and service delivery were some of the secondary issues the three parties focused on in media coverage.

The data was compiled from social media platforms, which included blogs, forums, social networks, and commentary.

It also included data from global online newspapers, South African print publications, and radio and television stations.

– SAPA

Angry boss put employee’s car on the roof


KALETSOE’S husband had parked the car in the driveway of the company where he worked!

Then his angry boss allegedly lifted it with a forklift and parked it on the roof of the office building.

When Kaletsoe Madiehe (35) from Section K, Botshabelo, outside Bloemfontein got a call from a security guard to say her car was on the roof, she rushed to her husband’s place.
For more http://www.dailysun.mobi

IFP concerned about election incidents


Durban – Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi is concerned at the number of incidents of intimidation and fraud that appeared to be surfacing ahead of the election.

Buthelezi, addressing a rally of about 300 of the party faithful in Durban’s Umlazi area on Monday, said the party would do everything in its power to ensure a free and fair election.

But he expressed grave concerns over the appointment of members of the SA Democratic Teachers Union as electoral officers.

He urged the IEC not to appoint Sadtu members.

“Sadtu is openly aligned to the ruling party and campaigns on their behalf. They are not independent observers. They have a clear incentive to influence the outcome of election to benefit the ruling party.”

He said an Electoral Court decision handed down on 30 April had quite clearly shown that Sadtu members could not be trusted as election officials.

The court handed a ward in Nongoma back to the IFP. This followed a complaint from the IFP that some of the special votes cast in a by-election in that ward had not been counted because the presiding officer had failed to stamp them. The NFP was at the time declared a winner.

“The person that was in charge was a member of Sadtu, who failed to ensure the ballot papers were stamped.”

Buthelezi said he had been told that some 16 percent of election monitors were members of Sadtu.

The latest reports that ballot papers had apparently been stolen in Cape Town was cause for further concern.

“I am very seriously concerned… as long as there is scope for these shenanigans,” said Buthelezi.

Farmer’s daughter breaks down in court


Pietermaritzburg – The daughter of murdered KwaZulu-Natal sugarcane farmer Peter Hackland told the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg on Monday she was repeatedly slapped by one of the men accused of murdering her father.
Louise Hartwig said she had been partially blinded by pepper spray and while being slapped, heard a gunshot, Hackland shout, a second shot, then her 62-year-old father wail in agony, a Sapa correspondent reported.

She was giving evidence before acting Judge Thoba Poyoo-Dlwati, who had earlier heard Nkosinathi Mngadi, 29, and Sifiso Ngubane, 24, plead not guilty to all charges.

Besides Hackland’s murder, the two men were also facing charges of aggravated robbery, and the aggravated assaults of Hartwig and Margaret Fennell, Hackland’s secretary.

Hackland, a sugarcane, timber and citrus farmer from Ixopo in southern KwaZulu-Natal, was murdered in May last year.

Hartwig told the court that Mngadi and Ngubane were demanding money when Fennell began singing a hymn, which led Ngubane to slap her extremely hard.

Hartwig said she told Ngubane to leave Fennell alone as she only worked there. Hartwig earlier identified Mngadi and Ngubane as the men who attacked them.

She said she was studying in the house when she heard her father shout from outside.

Upon going outside, Hartwig saw Mngadi, in possession of a firearm, holding Hackland’s right arm and Ngubane his left as they struggled.

Ngubane let go of Hackland’s arm, grabbed Hartwig and forced her into the house.

Hartwig, who twice broke down during her testimony, said she was afraid she was being taken away from her father.

Robbery

It was then Fennell came out of her office. Ngubane grabbed her around the neck and a struggle ensued.

Hartwig told Fennell that the two men were armed and she should not provoke Ngubane any further.

Hackland and Mngadi were still shouting as the two men demanded money.

The women said they did not have money, leading to them again being hit.

Hartwig’s grandmother then appeared but soon disappeared after being pepper sprayed.

Hartwig said she gave Ngubane credit cards but he threw them down. Mngadi then handed her some keys and told her to open a safe, but she told them they were the wrong keys.

Mngadi pointed a gun at Hartwig and threatened to shoot her if she did not open the safe, but she showed them they did not work.

The two men took a cellphone, made a call in English then ran out of the house.

The trial, set down for two weeks, continues on Tuesday.

SAPA

Voting materials found in party agent’s house


Johannesburg- The Independent Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) says that election officials were removed from their voting station in Nigel, in the East Rand, after voting materials were found stored at the house of a party agent.

The IEC says that staff in ward 77 contravened elections protocol by using the house of a party agent to store voting materials overnight between special voting days.

They said that the voting materials were removed from the premises and taken to a nearby police station for storage.

Earlier, IEC chair Pansy Tlakula said some ballot papers had been accidentally dropped from a van in Cape Town on Sunday.

“They were found. Please let us not be alarmist. We recovered all those ballot papers.”
“The ballot papers have serial numbers so we are able to trace each ballot paper to its voting station. We report this matter to the party liaison committee, for transparency.”

She said the lost and found ballot papers would not be used in the elections.

A message was then transmitted to IEC officials “to take special care when they deliver ballot papers”.

“You would know that in our country, people will hire vehicles which are not up to standard for this purpose [transporting ballots].
“We have given a firm instruction that vehicles that transport ballots must be properly secured and must have features that enable that this kind of thing doesn’t happen again,” said Tlakula.

South Africa’s fifth national and provincial elections will be held on 7 May.

Tlakula said everything was in place at the country’s 22 263 voting stations, which would welcome the anticipated 25.39 million registered voters.
-Sapa