Ganyesa – A psychologist has been instructed to assess a nine-year-old boy who was handcuffed and tortured, allegedly by a petrol station owner who accused him of stealing near Ganyesa, in the North West.

“We have… appointed a psychologist to compile a report on the state of mind of the boy to determine the extent of damage (allegedly) caused by long hours of torture,” social development MEC Fenny Gaolaolwe said in a statement on Thursday.

She said counselling had been provided to the “highly emotional” boy and his family.

The boy was ill and did not go to school on May 28 when the incident happened. He went to buy sweets from the Disipi petrol station when he was accused of stealing a packet of chips.

Disipi is about 48km outside Ganyesa.

Gaolaolwe said the boy was allegedly handcuffed to the station’s burglar gate for three hours while being tortured.

“We condemn this heinous act… We cannot sit back and watch serious violation of the rights of children,” she said.

“We reiterate that nobody is above the rule of law.”

Police have not yet arrested the man as he was in Bloemfontein. – Sapa

Johannesburg – Epainette Mbeki spent her life in the trenches of the struggle for peace, freedom, and democracy in South Africa, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Saturday.

“Ma-Mbeki belongs to that generation of our people who knew none other than the life of selfless sacrifice in the struggle to rid our country of the demon of apartheid colonialism in all its manifestation,” he said in a eulogy prepared fro delivery at Mbeki’s funeral in Dutywa, Eastern Cape.

“They did so without seeking personal glory, distinction or material gain.”

Ramaphosa said the Constitution prescribed that all of us honour those who suffered for South Africa’s justice, and freedom.

It had also prescribed that we respect those who have worked to build and develop South Africa.

Ramaphosa was representing President Jacob Zuma who was meant to originally deliver the eulogy but had spent the week resting from a demanding schedule.

The deputy president said for those like Mbeki, the struggle against apartheid was inherently a struggle to reclaim their birth right as a people, as their citizenship, dignity and identity was denied to them by successive racist regimes.

“It was a struggle that necessarily resulted in deaths in detention, execution of some of the best sons and daughters of our country,” he said.

Mbeki’s generation was ready to sacrifice whatever comfort they could have enjoyed, sparing neither strength nor effort to bring an end to what the world proclaimed to be a crime against humanity.

Mbeki, the mother of former president Thabo Mbeki, died in the Life St Dominic’s Hospital in East London, Eastern Cape last week Saturday at the aged of 98. – Sapa

Cape Town – Five people were wounded in a minibus taxi shooting in Seawinds, Cape Town, on Friday morning, Western Cape police said.

Police responded to the shooting in St Patrick’s Street around 06:00 and were told two taxi drivers and three passengers were shot at.

“They [officers] were informed by residents of the area that two taxis, which were fired upon, had rushed to Retreat Day Hospital,” Captain Frederick van Wyk said.

He said the suspects and circumstances were unknown.

An attempted murder docket was being investigated.
– SAPA

Johannesburg – Three men have been arrested for allegedly stealing 13 cattle in Sekhukhune, Limpopo police said on Friday.

The trio, aged between 32 and 56, were arrested on Thursday in Manapyane, near Marble Hall, Constable Lethunya Mmuroa said.

They would appear in the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court soon on charges of possession of stolen livestock.

Police were tipped-off about stolen cattle being transported from Sekhukhune to Belabela. The men were caught driving a white truck transporting three bulls and 10 cows.

Mmuroa said the men had marked the cattle in three different colours on Wednesday night before transporting them.

The cattle would be kept in Marble Hall until the owner was found.
– SAPA

Pretoria – Two men and a woman were arrested for dealing in drugs in Sinoville north of Pretoria on Friday, the Hawks said.

Captain Paul Ramaloko said a South African woman, 26, a Nigerian man, 49, and a Ghanaian man, aged 28 were pulled off the road by the Hawks, acting on information.

“Upon searching their vehicle 11kg of heroin worth over R10m, and a substantial amount of cash in US dollars and South African rand were seized from their vehicle sealed in a bag.”

A suspected stolen motor vehicle and another amount of money were found at their residence.

They were suspected of dealing in drugs between Pretoria and Johannesburg.

The three are expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday next week.
– SAPA

Johannesburg – Water was restored in the Mopani district municipality after the supply to some areas was cut, the SA Local Government Association (Salga) in Limpopo said on Friday.

Lepelle Northern Water cut provision to parts of the municipality on Monday after it failed to pay its bills, spokesperson Thapelo Matlala said in a statement.

The supply was fully restored by Thursday. The municipality has its seat in Giyani.

Salga in Limpopo intervened and mediated a settlement between the municipality and the water utility.

“An agreement has subsequently been reached between the parties. Mopani district municipality will meet its obligations to the water utility.

“In the interim Salga will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that each party meets its obligations as per agreement.”

– SAPA

East London – Allegations that legislature officials in Bhisho demanded sex from women interns in exchange for jobs will be investigated, the Eastern Cape government said on Friday.

The allegations surprised provincial government leaders as there was no record of reports made to relevant state institutions or law enforcement agencies, spokesperson Mandisa Titi said in a statement.

“However… the director general, as head of the provincial administration, has decided to institute an inquiry into these allegations.”

A team of four officials would be led by safety and liaison department head Ngaka Mosehana.

The inquiry would run from 17 June to 11 July.

“Both the alleged perpetrators and the alleged victims will not be victimised as a result of their participation in this process,” Titi said.

The Herald newspaper reported last Tuesday that some officials in the provincial legislature were implicated in a sex-for-jobs scandal. The allegations surfaced in the legislature in May.

The contracts of interns who refused were allegedly not renewed.

The newspaper reported that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) had asked legislature speaker Noxolo Kiviet to investigate.

The Daily Dispatch reported on Wednesday that local government and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa had called on victims of the scandal to come forward.

Nehawu claimed in a memo that superintendent general Stanley Khanyile was “implicated in the intended ignorance of recruitment policy and employing foreigners and also not implementing the employment equity policy”, the Daily Dispatch reported.

Xasa told the paper that he and the union had agreed that no action could be taken against Khanyile until the union provided proof of the allegations.
– SAPA

Pretoria – A man was killed and two others injured when their car overturned on the Baviaanspoort Road near Pretoria on Saturday, paramedics said.

“Netcare 911 paramedics arrived at the scene and found the crumpled remains of the vehicle and accident debris obstructing the roadway,” said Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha.

“After triaging the injured it was found that a man had tragically died due to the extensive injuries that he sustained, two people escaped with minor injuries.”

After being treated on the scene the two people refused further medical treatment, Botha said.

The cause of the accident was unknown.

Police were investigating.

Meanwhile, in north Gauteng, a taxi accident caused multiple deaths.

Four people were killed and 11 injured when a taxi overturned on the N1 near Hammanskraal on Saturday, paramedics said.

“[Paramedics] arrived at the scene and found accident debris and the crumpled remains of the vehicle obstructing the roadway,” said Botha.

One of the injured was airlifted to the Steve Biko hospital; the others were taken by ambulance.

In KwaZulu-Natal, a man died and three others were injured when their car collided head-on with a truck on the N2 north near Umgababa on the south coast on Friday, paramedics said.

“Reports from the scene indicate that the vehicle veered across the centre median and collided head-on with the truck that was travelling on the north-bound lane,” said Botha.

He said the occupants were trapped in the wreckage.

“While firemen used the Jaws of Life, paramedics from all services worked tirelessly to stabilise the injured. After triaging they found that one man had tragically died on impact, one was in a critical condition while two others were seriously injured.”

The injured were stabilised at the scene and transported to hospital.
– SAPA

Johannesburg – The secretary of Parliament, Michael Coetzee, died following a battle with cancer, the ANC said on Saturday.

“Although we have known of his poor health for some time, his resilient and tenacious spirit in the face of this terminal disease gave us hope that he would get stronger,” the party’s chief whip Stone Sizani said in a statement.

“He continued to serve even as he battled with the disease, playing a key role in the transition process from the fourth to the fifth Parliament and putting in place necessary administrative mechanisms and instruments for the functioning of the new term of Parliament.”

Coetzee died on Friday night.

He joined Parliament in 2002 as its deputy secretary after being secretary of the Gauteng legislature for a number of years. Coetzee was appointed secretary of Parliament in 2012.

“His passing has undoubtedly robbed Parliament and the people of South Africa of a faithful and humble public servant, a highly experienced and diligent administrator, and a committed and passionate leader,” Sizani said.

“We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to his wife, son and the rest of the family and friends on this painful loss.”
– SAPA

Johannesburg – An employee at the Timbavati game reserve’s Kambaku River Sands camp in Mpumalanga is in a coma after being attacked by an elephant, Beeld reported on Saturday.

Bryce Landsman, owner of the camp, told the newspaper that Louis Mkhatshwa, 52, was seriously hurt by the elephant on Wednesday.

Landsman would not say what the exact nature of the injuries were.

“There were no eyewitnesses, but as soon as I heard something was going on I went to check,” he was quoted as saying.

Landsman called emergency services straight away and an ambulance took Mkhatshwa to the Tintswalo Hospital in Acornhoek where he was stabilised. He was then airlifted to Nelspruit.
– SAPA