Monthly Archives: May 2014

Pilferers’ paradise at Newlands?


Cape Town – A return to the starting line-up for Deon Fourie, most probably in the place of injured Scarra Ntubeni at hooker, may well be a blessing in disguise for the Stormers against the Force at Newlands on Saturday (17:05 kick-off).

Throwing in to the lineout is an erratic string to Fourie’s bow, which is probably something that thwarts any Springbok aspirations in the slot, but he is a tigerish and tireless presence in general play … and will need to be a livewire once more given that the Stormers’ Super Rugby opponents this weekend are led by a man with some “killer stats” at present in the form of captain and flanker Matt Hodgson.
For more http://www.news24.com

Oscar: Judge Masipa set to rule on mental evaluation


Pretoria – State prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria if Oscar Pistorius did not receive a proper mental evaluation, his defence team could later appeal on the basis of a disturbed mental condition.

Nel asked on Tuesday for Pistorius to be sent for a mental evaluation after a psychiatrist told the Paralympian’s murder trial he had an anxiety disorder.

He argued he wanted to prevent the 27-year-old sprinter, who faces life in prison if convicted of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, from later appealing on the basis of a disturbed mental condition.

Nel told the court there was a “reasonable possibility” that Pistorius suffers from a mental illness, adding that without a proper evaluation the case could later be appealed over Pistorius’s mental health.

If granted, the evaluation would likely further delay a trial now in its 31st day. Defence lawyer Barry Roux has argued against the motion, saying it was “premature” to have the evaluation done now, as he planned to call other witnesses.

Judge Thokozile Masipa adjourned the court early on Tuesday to consider the prosecutor’s request and is expected to rule on it on Wednesday.

Defence witness and forensic psychiatrist Dr Merryll Vorster testified that Pistorius suffers from Generalised Anxiety Disorder after having his legs amputated at 11 months.

A long-term condition

The anxiety disorder, a long-term condition that causes feelings of worry or fear in a wide range of situations, has worsened as Pistorius has got older, Vorster said.

She has said his parents’ divorce when he was a child would have added to his general feelings of anxiety and insecurity.

After the divorce, Pistorius was brought up by his mother, who died of cancer when he was aged 15. He has frequently spoken of the difficulty her death caused him.

The state has sought to portray the track star as a gun-obsessed hothead who killed model and law graduate Steenkamp in a fit of rage.

The defence has argued that Pistorius had a heightened sense of fear and vulnerability because he was on his stumps when he thought he heard an intruder in his bathroom.

Pistorius has denied he killed Steenkamp in cold blood, saying he shot four times at the toilet door of his luxury Pretoria home to protect himself from what he thought was an intruder.

Reuters

100s remain trapped in mine blast, 201 dead


Soma – At least 201 people were killed and hundreds more remained trapped underground after an explosion at a coal mine in western Turkey, the government said on Wednesday, warning that rescue efforts faced a race against time.

The toll has risen rapidly since Tuesday’s disaster in the province of Manisa, when a total of 787 mineworkers became trapped inside the mine.

Rescue operations continued overnight for the hundreds of people still underground. Of those rescued alive, 80 were injured, four of them seriously, said Energy Minister Taner Yildiz.

“We fear the number could rise even further because those who came to help out may be among the injured and affected by the smoke,” he told reporters.

“As the time passes, we are very quickly heading to an unfavourable outcome,” he added.

Earlier a security source told AFP that there were pockets in the mine, one of which was open so rescuers were able to reach the workers, but the second was blocked with workers trapped inside.

The explosion was believed to have been triggered by a faulty electrical transformer at around 12:30 GMT on Tuesday.

Hundreds of people gathered around the explosion site as rescuers brought out injured workers, who were coughing and struggling to breathe due to the dust.

Sena Isbiler, a mother of one of the miners, stood on top of piles of wood, craning her neck to see who was being led out of the mine.

“I have been waiting for my son since early afternoon,” she told AFP.

“I haven’t heard anything about him yet.”

Arum Unzar, a colleague of the missing miners said he had lost a friend previously “but this is enormous.”

“All the victims are our friends,” he said as he wept.

“We are a family and today that family is devastated. We have had very little news and when it does come it’s very bad,” he added.

Fire officials were trying to pump clean air into the mine shaft for those who remained trapped some two kilometres (one mile) below the surface and four kilometres from the entrance.

Late on Tuesday evening injured people were still emerging from the collapsed mine — some walking, others being carried by rescue workers while being given oxygen.

Nearby, security officers tried to keep ambulance routes clear to ensure help could reach the victims.

The mining company Soma Komur issued a statement saying the mine had maximum safety measures.

“Unfortunately, some of our workers have lost their lives in this tragic accident,” the statement said.

“The accident happened despite maximum safety measures and inspections, but we have been able to take prompt action,” it added.

Energy Minister Yildiz promised that if it was discovered that any negligence was to blame for the disaster “we will not turn a blind eye to it. We will do whatever necessary including all administrative and legal steps.”

– ‘Time isn’t in our favour’ –
Turkey’s ministry of labour and social security said the mine was last inspected on March 17 and was found to be compliant with safety regulations.

But Oktay Berrin, a miner, said workers were not protected underground.

“There is no security in this mine,” he told AFP.

“The unions are just puppets and our management only cares about money.”

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said he would arrive in Soma on Wednesday after cancelling a trip to Albania.

Speaking in Ankara, the leader expressed his “heartfelt condolences” to the families of those who died.

“Some of the workers have been rescued and I hope we will be able to rescue the others,” Erdogan said.

Energy Minister Yildiz told journalists in Soma that a team of 400 people were involved in the rescue effort and that the main cause of the deaths was carbon monoxide and dioxide poisoning.

“Time isn’t working in our favour. We need to get them out. We could be in a troubled situation,” he said.

The miners are all thought to have gas masks, but it was not clear how long they would last.

Vedat Didari, a professor of mining, told AFP that the biggest risk was the lack of oxygen.

“If the ceiling fans are not working, the workers could die within an hour,” said Didari, from the Bulent Ecevit University in the city of Zonguldak.

Explosions and cave-ins are common in Turkey, particularly in private mines where safety regulations are often flouted.

Turkey’s worst mining accident happened in 1992 when 263 workers were killed in a gas explosion in a mine in Zonguldak.

Soma is one of the key centres for lignite coal mining in Turkey, a district with a population of around 100 000 where the mines and a lignite-fired thermal power plant are the main economic activity.

AFP

16 people arrested over sporadic protests in Marikana


By Obakeng Maje
Rustenburg- Police arrested at least 16 people on Tuesday at approximately 13:30 for public violence at Mmaditlokwe Informal Settlement in Marikana.

The community members blockaded roads with burning tyres and rubble in protest against apparent and recent blasts at the nearby Tharisa mine.

They further alleged that the blasts at the mine are damaging their homes and also affecting health of their children. 

“Police first engaged the community and appealed to them to disperse and not to block the road. However, they became violent and threw stones at the police” brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.

In order to bring calm, the police were forced to use rubber bullets to disperse the unruly crowd. The arrested suspects include 14 females and two males with ages not yet confirmed.

“They are expected to appear at the Marikana Magistrates’ Court soon facing charges of public violence. There were no reports of injuries received during the incident” Ngubane said.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Exercise rights to protest within framework of the law-Premier Modise


North West Premier Thandi Modise has called on communities to exercise their right to protest within the framework of the law to avoid violent confrontation with police.

Premier Modise’s appeal follows illegal protests that resulted in police firing rubber bullets to disperse a protest in Mmaditlokwe informal settlement near Marikana on Tuesday.

“Communities that might have genuine concerns should not allow themselves be misled to participate in illegal marches as these always result in dire consequences for those involved,” Modise said.

She called on Madibeng Local Municipality to urgently investigate the allegations raised by the community.  
According to police, the community members blockaded roads with burning tyres and rubble in protest against apparent and recent blasts at the nearby Tharisa mine.Brigadier Thulane Ngubane said that the protest did not appear to be related to the on-going platinum strike, but was related to complaints against a nearby chrome mine.

“The community claimed that blasting at the mine damaged their homes and affected their children’s health,” Ngubane said.

Ngubane said that police tried to reason with the protesters, but they ignored appeals to disperse.

“In order to bring calm, police were forced to use rubber bullets to disperse the unruly crowd,” he said.

Ngubane said that the fourteen women and two men who were arrested would appear in the Marikana Magistrate’s Court soon to face charges of public violence.

He said that no injuries were reported and police would continue to monitor the situation.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

 

Sporadic protests break out in Marikana


Govan Whittles | Today, 18:07
MARIKANA – Sporadic protests have broken out in townships around Marikana in the North West on Tuesday.
There is a heavy police presence in the area.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za

ANC Official: Media was hostile towards ANC


Mahikeng- When the result came tripping in at IEC operational centre in Mafikeng on Wednesday night, there was sense of uneasiness on my side because of ANC percentage that was volatile, says ANC provincial spokesperson Oupa Matla.

Matla said as result of his discomfort he then asked the Provincial Secretary of the ANC in the North West,Cde Dakota Legoete whom he was with at the time at IEC operational center to say ,is he aware that the ANC in the North West was almost on the brink of collapse had it not been the conscious decision taken by the ANC North West Provincial Executive Committee(PEC) to introduce Setsokotsane (Whirlwind).

Matla said Dakota Legoete’s response was that the current environment of media hostility towards the ANC and its attempt to bolster the opposition and its views required the PEC led by the Provincial Chairperson,Cde Supra Mahumapelo to take a conscious decision to implement Setsokotsane through which they communicate with their members and society about ANC good story.

“It was only through Sekotsokotsane that we were able to unmask the wolves in sheep skins in some municipalities who presented themselves as members of the ANC and the rest of the democratic movement, whereas, through their actions, they demonstrate that they are opponents of the democratic revolution and its vanguard movement” he said.

Matla said it was perfectly clear since the start of Setsokotsane in February that some who claim to be ANC members who were opposed to this revolutionary election plan would not give up their plot. He said elections result stand out as a concrete expression of this offensive.

The 23 seats the ANC occupies at the legislature is a temporary set-back for the ANC, but must not defocus the ANC from its strategic objective of ensuring a better life all, says gaudy Matla.

The recounting of Setsokotsane (whirlwind) in our province has been provoked by an extraordinary event that took place at IEC operation center in Mafikeng on Wednesday.

“I refer here to the encounter, with which many of us are now familiar, that ANC against all odds managed to get 67, 39 percent of the provincial vote.”

“I thought we had donated the revolution to the opponents of democratic revolution. I can’t escape the memories. i recall the discomfort when we were at some point at 70 percent when the 50 percent of the provincial vote had been counted then dropping down 67,39 after the IEC completed the counting” he outlines.

Matla said there is no doubt that Setsokotsane has brought hope to many people in our municipalities by telling a good story about the ANC and has resolved some of the service delivery challenges in our communities” he concludes.
(Edited By Obakeng Maje)
-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

ANC wants in-depth analysis of election results


Johannesburg – The ANC in Gauteng has asked its provincial election team (PET) to do an in-depth analysis of the election results, as echoed by Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba at the weekend.
“The ANC Gauteng provincial executive committee [PEC] met last night in Johannesburg to receive a high-level election report,” spokesperson Nkenke Kekana said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The PEC tasked the PET to do an in-depth analysis and report back in one week.”

Kekana did not disclose the contents of the report.

Gigaba told reporters at Luthuli House on Sunday that a thorough analysis of the general election would be carried out to look at voting patterns across the country.

Kekana said the party was concerned by the party’s drop in support.

“A thorough analysis of the results will help us to address the concerns of voters across the province,” he said.

The PEC decided on the candidates it would send to the Gauteng legislature, National Assembly, and the National Council of Provinces. Kekana did not disclose any names.

He said the party had not yet discussed the premier post in Gauteng.

“As per our conference resolution on premierships, the PEC will discuss and recommend three names to be considered by the national executive committee.”
-Sapa

Pistorius on Trial Pistorius: Mental observation application argued


Pretoria – The State and the defence on Tuesday argued over sending murder-accused Oscar Pistorius for mental observation after the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria heard the athlete had general anxiety disorder.
For more http://www.news24.com

Pistorius mental health in question


Pretoria – People with general anxiety disorder, like murder-accused Oscar Pistorius, are not dangerous but should not have firearms, the North Gauteng High Court heard on Tuesday.
“People with general anxiety disorder are not dangerous as such. People with general anxiety disorder probably shouldn’t have firearms, that’s what makes them dangerous,” defence witness, forensic psychiatrist Merryll Vorster said during cross-examination by prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

“So many people in society have general anxiety disorder, but they are not threats as such. So the diagnosis as such is not one where one would associate [them] with violence.”

She said such people were often at risk of obtaining firearms because they feared for their safety.

Pistorius is charged with murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He shot her dead through the locked door of his toilet in his Pretoria home on 14 February last year.

He has denied guilt, saying he thought she was an intruder about to open the door and attack him. The State contends he shot her during an argument.

Anxiety

Vorster told the court she looked at the defence’s version of what happened, but said she would not be able to say which version the court would accept. She said she did not look at the State’s version.

She was given a transcript of Pistorius’s version but did not go through it because “it is not necessarily the version that the court would accept”.

Nel asked Vorster if the State’s version would affect her view or diagnosis.

“No it wouldn’t have made a difference because the diagnosis stays constant. Two factors that are constant is the anxiety disorder and the vulnerability [of Pistorius],” she said.

Nel asked whether a person with general anxiety disorder would be anxious in a fight. Vorster said yes, more so than normal people.

“Because the individual would be anxious about losing a relationship. If there had been an argument about a relationship a person with general anxiety disorder would have been anxious.”

She agreed that the general anxiety disorder would have played a role.

General anxiety disorder, like that which Pistorius was diagnosed with, is common, but for it to be seen as a disorder it would have to affect a person’s life, Vorster said.

“Anxiety is a very common phenomenon. The condition [general anxiety disorder] is also a very common disorder,” she said.

“To raise it to a level of a disorder, one had to have anxiety more often than not for an expanded period of time.”

She said such a person would see situations as being more serious than what they actually were. It would cause sleep disorders, vomiting, diarrhoea, and the inability to concentrate.

Mental observation

When court started Nel indicated that he would go back to what he spoke about on Monday – a possible application to send Pistorius for mental observation.

“Today we are doing something different, but we will get back to that,” Nel said.

He continued to ask Vorster about the diagnosis of general anxiety disorder and if it would impact Pistorius’s general functioning. He asked Vorster if it would impair Pistorius’s functioning on various levels.

“Yes My Lady that is why it is a disorder,” she replied.

“With an anxiety disorder people are unable to set their anxiety aside.”

Nel asked about the levels of severity of the disorder.

Vorster said with every disorder there were levels of severity, but it was not obtained in her diagnosis. Nel asked if it was severe enough to be seen as a mental illness.

“I wouldn’t say that. If one had a general anxiety disorder that is severe it may impact on your capacity to lead a normal lifestyle,” she said.

“One could say it is a mental illness, but you have to look at the impact of that illness on the person.”

Not incapacitated

She said someone might become incapacitated because of all the preparations they had make to function normally, like go to work.

Pistorius was not incapacitated. He was still able to function at a high level as an athlete, and was able to socialise, but had stress, Vorster said.

Nel questioned Vorster on why Pistorius’s friends and his former girlfriend Samantha Taylor, who testified for the State, never mentioned that he was anxious.

“Most people control and conceal their anxiety… Mr Pistorius and his family were not aware that he had anxiety disorder.”

Steenkamp’s mother June Steenkamp was in court on Tuesday. She sat in the front row of the public gallery. On the other side of the front row sat the Pistorius family, including the athlete’s older brother Carl, younger sister Aimee, and uncle Arnold.
-Sapa