By Obakeng Maje
North West police arrested a total of 702 suspects through various operations in the past seven days between 22 June and 29 June 2014 for Contact, Contact related, Property related, trio and many other crimes.

The arrests include 5 for Murder, 12 for Rape, 118  for Assault GBH and assault common,  33 for burglary residential and business, 20 for shoplifting, 14 for robbery aggravating, 19 for driving under the influence of liquor and 81 for drug related crimes.   

“The police managed during the operations to seize goods such as 1 vehicle, counterfeit cigarettes, a number of drugs, 9 knives and various electrical appliances.  Most of the suspects have already appeared in different courts while others are expected to appear on Monday, 30 June 2014” colonel Emelda Setlhako said.

-TDN
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Mahikeng – Hundreds of people working at the Sun City resort in the North West protested outside the resort’s premises on Saturday, said Cosatu.

The trade union federation’s North West regional secretary Solly Phetoe said the protesters were demanding the immediate re-instatement of between 200 and 250 of their colleagues, who were fired during the week.

“The protesters allege that management has placed video cameras in toilets and in the kitchens to monitor them,” said Phetoe.

Some workers were fired for allegedly spending too much time in the kitchen and rest rooms, while others were alleged to have been filmed stealing, Phetoe said.

He called on the resort’s management to provide proof of this by showing the material it had.
The workers have been on an unprotected strike since Friday.

Sun International spokesperson Michael Farr denied the protesters were Sun City employees.

“They are employees of one of four of our service providers who have decided to take disciplinary action against them with respect to theft at Sun City.”

Farr said it was up to their employer to deal with the matter and Sun International and Sun City could not intervene as none of their direct staff was involved in the matter.

Phetoe said the protesters had damaged some vehicles and assaulted workers who had chosen to report for duty.

“The Congress of the SA Trade Union (Cosatu) was there to try to prevent any violence.

“We are here with police and they are trying to get management to talk to the people,” said Phetoe.

“They say if management doesn’t address them, they will sleep here,” he said.

“My presence here is to ensure that we do not see another Marikana,” said Phetoe.

He was referring to the events of 16 August 2012, where 34 people, mostly striking mineworkers, were killed in a confrontation with police at Marikana.

“Rustenburg police are known for shooting,” said Phetoe.

While Phetoe had said around 3 000 people were part of the protest, however Farr said they were aware of only around 100.

Police were keeping watch over the situation.
SAPA

Cape Town – Media24 joined DA leader Helen Zille, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and others in paying tribute to Professor Russel Botman, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, who died at his home on Friday evening.

Botman, 60, was a board member of Media24.

Media24 CEO Esmaré Weideman said Botman was “a highly regarded member of our board whose quiet authority and sharp intellectual and philosophical insight into the role and strategic course of Media24 were deeply valued”.

“His death, so shortly after the passing of Professor Jakes Gerwel, our previous chairperson, comes as a double blow for Media24,” she said.

Botman served as a director of Media24 since April 2005.

His wife had a regular column in Kuier magazine in which she answered parents and pupils’ questions.

Media24 chair Professor Rachel Jafta, who knew Botman well, both as a fellow board member and a colleague at the university, also conveyed her sadness at his passing.

Jafta said she would never forget his “respectful, warm and approachable nature and delightful sense of humour”.

Professor Botman was rector and vice-chancellor of Stellenbosch University since 2007 and was reappointed for a second five-year term in 2012.

During his early career he made his mark as a church leader and champion of socioeconomic rights. He served as dean of the University of the Western Cape’s theology faculty before joining Stellenbosch University in 2000 where he was vice-rector of the Centre for Teaching and Learning until 2007.

He served on many boards and was the motivating force behind the university’s HOPE Project which drives its transformation and positioning in the 21st century. Under his leadership Stellenbosch University has made three rankings of the world’s top universities.

“We have lost a true mentor and role model. Our thoughts are with Beryl and their children. We will miss him,” said Weideman.

– News24 is a part of the Media24 group. News24

Johannesburg – A man caught allegedly stealing valuables from a house he had broken into was killed by the home owner in Mbewuleni location in Dutywa, Butterworth police said on Saturday.

Yolisa Dindili, 24, was severely assaulted by the house owner and died upon arrival at Dutywa Health Centre on Friday, Captain Jackson Manatha said.

“The suspect aged 35 was inside the house when he allegedly caught the deceased stealing some groceries [and] valuables of the house.”

The man is expected to appear in the Dutywa Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a murder charge.
SAPA

Cape Town – The ANC on Saturday paid tribute to Stellenbosch University Vice-Chancellor and Rector Professor Russel Botman who died at the age of 60.
For more http://www.news24.com

Johannesburg – Five people, including a baby, were killed during a head-on collision on the R44 in Stellenbosch on Saturday, paramedics said.

Paramedics arrived to find two vehicles had caught fire and were being extinguished by the fire department personnel, ER24 spokesperson Luyanda Majija said.

“All of the deceased were found burned beyond recognition inside the vehicles.”

Three adults and the baby were in one vehicle, and one adult was in the second vehicle.

The road was closed for investigations, motorists were encouraged to use alternative routes, Majija said.
SAPA

Johannesburg – DA MP Phumzile van Damme is lying about being a South African citizen, the Sunday Times said.

The newspaper revealed that Van Damme was born in Manzini, Swaziland, in 1983, that her mother, Lynette van Damme, was born in Hlathikhulu village, also in Swaziland and that Van Damme’s biological father, Elroy Mayisela, was a Swazi national.

If Van Damme is found to have misrepresented her citizenship, it would disqualify her from being a South African MP, the paper said.

Van Damme reportedly told the paper she was not sure why her citizenship was being questioned.

“Maybe it is because most of my family still live in Swaziland. Maybe it is because I hold a strange surname from the only father I know…” she was quoted as saying.

She reportedly told the Sunday Times that she was born in Nelspruit but grew up in Swaziland.

When asked where in Nelspruit, she reportedly said: “I am not sure, hey. I think in White River.”

She said her mother told her she was born “at a hospital in Nelspruit” and that she had been “part of the struggle”.

“I was involved in the ANC and some of the things around children’s birth are very complex, as you would know as an African,” Lynette van Damme was quoted as saying.

She told the reporter that the nature of her daughter’s birth was “very secret”.

When asked if Mayisela was Van Damme’s biological father, Lynette reportedly said “yes and no”, the paper reported.
SAPA

Pretoria dismissed an application on Friday to relocate convicted Nigerian terrorist Henry Okah from a prison in KwaZulu-Natal to one in Pretoria, said the department of correctional services.

Okah had asked the court to set aside internal disciplinary committee findings and sanctions that resulted in him being moved to the Kokstad Super Maximum Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.

The committee’s decision followed allegations that Okah had repeatedly tried to escape from custody, said department spokesperson Manelisi Wolela.

Okah wanted to be transferred to the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria.

“The department of correctional services’ submission argued against the urgency, the failure of the applicants to exhaust internal remedies and the absence of a cogent reason for requiring the declaration of actions taken by the department invalid,” Wolela said in a statement.

Okah was sentenced to 24 years’ imprisonment in March last year after being convicted on 13 counts of terrorism, including engaging in terrorist activities, conspiracy to engage in terrorist activities, and delivering, placing, and detonating an explosive device.

The charges related to two car bombs detonated in Abuja, Nigeria, on 1 October 2010, the anniversary of the country’s independence. Twelve people were killed and 36 were injured.

Another bombing took place in Warri on 15 March 2010, at a post-amnesty dialogue meeting. One person was killed and 11 were seriously injured.

In both bombings, two car bombs went off minutes apart. The cars were parked in close proximity to each other.

Okah made threats to the South African government after his arrest here in 2010.
SAPA

Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma is considering concerns from various disability organisations over his decision to move functions related to disability to the department of social development, the Presidency said on Friday.

Organisations and activists have sent a letter to his office over the matter.

“The President is considering the matters presented in the letter and feedback will be provided in due course,” spokesperson Mac Maharaj said in a statement.

“The concerns were also raised with deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa during the Youth Day commemoration in Kimberley on 16 June 2014.”

During the announcement of the new national executive last month, President Zuma reconfigured the ministry of women, children and people with disabilities into a ministry in the presidency focusing on women.

Maharaj said the functions related to the support of children and people with disabilities were transferred to the department of social development.

“President Zuma reiterates that government recognises and addresses the human rights issues of those with disabilities and it will continue to integrate people with disabilities into all aspects of the country’s socio-economic development,” he said.

SAPA

Johannesburg – The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is delaying the release of the final Nkandla report and trying to find a diplomatic way to present it, the DA charged on Friday.

DA MP James Selfe said reports that the SIU had delayed the release of its final report on the R246m upgrade of President Jacob Zuma’s private homestead at Nkandla, in KwaZulu-Natal, was concerning.

“It is equally suspicious that the SIU has now noted ‘certain circumstances which are outside of its control’ as the reason for this delay…,” Selfe said in a statement.

“South Africans deserve access to the full report, so that they can interrogate its findings, and its accuracy. Especially since the provisional report was a complete whitewash.”

Investigations followed the release of a report by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, which found Zuma unduly benefited from the upgrade. She recommended that Zuma pay for some of the improvements out of his own pocket.

Zuma said he would respond once the SIU’s investigation was completed.

On 12 June, the SIU confirmed it had submitted a provisional report to Zuma.

The unit said it had until recently indicated it hoped its report would be completed by the end of June.

“Regrettably, as a result of certain circumstances which are completely outside its control, the unit will no longer be able to meet this deadline,” spokesman Boy Ndala said.

The SIU said it hoped the report would be released soon.

Selfe said if the public did not get access to the report, this would point to a continuation of the cover-up of the Nkandla scandal.

“The DA will not let this happen. I will urgently write to the head of the SIU Mr Vasantrai Soni, and request that he furnish me with all the reasons for the delay, including ‘the special circumstances’ that was referred to… as well as clarify whether or not the full report will be made public,” he said.

SAPA