JOHANNESBURG – The special multi–disciplinary team set up by to investigate cases involving Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir has arrested an eighth suspect in connection with an alleged plot to kill forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan and crime intelligence officer Colonel Nkosana ‘Killer’ Ximba.
The pair were investigating Krejcir.
The suspect is scheduled to appear in the Alexandra Magistrates Court this morning on charges of conspiracy to commit murder.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za

Johannesburg – The National Treasury on Monday warned of a fake Twitter account claiming to be that of newly appointed Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene.

“Minister Nene does not have a twitter account,” spokesperson Zwikhodo Netshituni said in a statement.

“…The twitter account with a handle @NhlanhlaNeneZA is counterfeit.” The account with 3 603 followers has tweeted 17 times and has a picture of Nene on its profile.

The latest tweet says: “This woman, @ThuliMadonsela3, immensely inspires me. As Time magazine said, she’s an example of what an African civil servant ought to be.”
For more http://www.news24.com

Johannesburg – The rand weakened slightly against the US dollar on Monday, opening the week on the back foot as investors analysed President Jacob Zuma’s new cabinet and ahead of expected weaker economic growth data in the next session.

Zuma announced his new team for his second five-year term on Sunday, appointing former deputy finance minister Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister, while Pravin Gordhan moved to handle local government.

“The local cabinet is mostly business as usual but is less business-friendly than the market expected – or at least hoped,” John Cairns, technical strategist at Rand Merchant Bank wrote to clients.

Rand trading was expected to be lacklustre as the United States and Britain were away for national holidays, dealers said.

At 08:48 the rand was down 0.2% to R10.3240 to the dollar, off a R10.3040 close in New York on Friday.

“With the US and UK enjoying a long weekend, we are settling for near-term extension of the recent consolidation in dollar rand,” said Judy Padayachee, technical strategist at Barclays Africa.

“We continue to watch the 10.27 and 10.45 levels into month-end to provide direction,” Padayachee added.

Economists have forecast data on Tuesday to show quarter-on-quarter GDP to fell 0.1%, from 3.8% growth in the fourth quarter of last year.

Yields on government bonds held steady at 8.05% on the benchmark 2026 issue and at 6.55% on the 2015 note.-Reuters

Pretoria – Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema has reached a settlement agreement with the SA Revenue Service (Sars), the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria heard on Monday.

“Overnight… Mr Malema entered into a conditional compromise agreement [with Sars],” Nic Maritz, for Sars, told the court.
For more http://www.news24.com

CAPE TOWN – Nominations for the Democratic Alliance (DA)’s new parliamentary leader will close today.

So far, the party has confirmed that only Mmusi Maimane has been nominated for the position.
The DA’s federal chair James Selfe says the party hasn’t ruled out that more nominations could be made. 
For more http://www.ewn.co.za

JOHANNESBURG – Gauteng Health Department has confirmed a professor in the Anaesthesiology Department at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital has been suspended after allegations that he racially attacked staff members.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za

Johannesburg – Murder-accused paralympian Oscar Pistorius arrived at the Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria before 09:00 on Monday, SABC reported.

Security was tight at the facility and a huge media contingent had gathered there.

Last week, the North Gauteng High Court ordered that Pistorius be evaluated by four specialists when admitted as a day-patient for mental observation.

Three psychiatrists and one clinical psychologist would evaluate Pistorius to determine whether his general anxiety disorder and his disability had an effect on him when he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year.

Pistorius was ordered to go to Weskoppies from Monday and every weekday thereafter. He would stay there from 09:00 until 16:00, or until he had been excused. The evaluation would not exceed 30 days, Judge Thokozile Masipa said.

Pistorius’s trial has been postponed to 30 June.

The order was made after forensic psychiatrist Merryll Vorster told the court Pistorius had general anxiety disorder. Based on this, the State applied to have him referred.

General anxiety disorder is a common anxiety disorder that involves chronic worrying, nervousness, and tension.
SAPA

School governing body associations in the province and the entire country have committed to assist the task team investigating the alleged sale of posts in the education sector.

The team was initiated by Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga on May 16 during her meeting with the unions to outline her plans to investigate the allegations.
For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

Goleta – A man whose son was among the victims killed in a shooting rampage near a California university quaked with grief and rage as he described his “lost and broken” family and the proliferation of guns he believes led to his son’s death.

“Our son Christopher and six others are dead,” Richard Martinez told reporters gathered outside a sheriff’s station for a news conference on Saturday, the day after the shootings near the University of California, Santa Barbara, where his 20-year-old son was a sophomore. “You don’t think it’ll happen to your child until it does.”

Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, of Los Osos, California, was the last of six people killed by suspect Elliot Rodger before the gunman apparently shot and killed himself, authorities said.

Martinez choked back tears as he spoke, then grew angrier as he talked about gun laws and lobbyists.

“The talk about gun rights. What about Chris’ right to live?” Martinez said. “When will enough people say: ‘Stop this madness! We don’t have to live like this! Too many people have died!”

He then punctuated his words as he said, “We should say to ourselves: ‘Not! One! More!'” before dissolving into tears and falling to his knees as he stepped from the podium.

Martinez said he talked to his son just 45 minutes before he died inside the IV Deli Mart, where bullet holes and blood could still be seen on Saturday. After already killing five others at his apartment and outside a sorority house, Rodger walked into the deli and shot Michaels-Martinez, authorities said.

Michaels-Martinez was an English major who planned to go to London next year and to law school after graduation, his father said.

He pulled out a photo of his son as a small child in a Chicago Cubs baseball uniform and said they used to call him “mini-Sammy Sosa”, referring to the former Cubs star.

“Chris was a really great kid,” Martinez said. “Ask anyone who knew him. His death has left our family lost and broken.”

AP