By Obakeng Maje
Mahikeng- The Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services has released names of five correctional officials that were fatally wounded in a tragic car accident near Rooigrond Correctional Centre in North West on 2nd June 2014. 

The deceased officials, who were stationed at Rooigrond Correctional Centre are:•Mr Johannes Kanono Moruledi;•Mr Tiisetso Morris Motsamayi;•Mr Charles Rantlwana Sekgobela;•Mr Luncedo Ebenezer Tshangela; and •Mr Simon Mosue Lesajane.

“A joint team of social workers and psychologists from the Departments of Health and Correctional Services began counselling sessions for the affected officials and family members today.The Acting National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Ms Nontsikelelo Jolingana, will lead a  high level entourage to the accident site to lay a wreath and proceed to address a memorial service to be held at the Rooigrond Correctional Centre on Thursday 5 May 2014 at 10:00.The fatal accident was a head on collision between the correctional officials’ and the South African Police Services’ cars. The accident  happened on R501 road near the Rooigrond Correctional Centre. The five officials had just knocked from an early shift on 2 June and they were heading to Mahikeng” Rooigrond Correctional Services Department said.-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Taung- The Greater Taung Municipality will table its Intergrated Development Plan during budget speech that will take place on Wednesday at Taung Hotel School & Convention Centre.

The belligerent municipality met with its residents in Mmabana Taung where residents tabled their suggestions and wishes last week.

The visits actually started back in February and on Wednesday next week, the municipality will be mapping out its plan for how it will spend the money for the next five years, on what, and where.

Greater Taung is the fourth-largest local municipality in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district and consists of close to 106 villages.

“It is a plan to help us set our budget priorities and an agreement between local government and its residents” Executive Mayor Kaone Lobelo said at Lokgabeng village months ago.

Lobelo said thus a fine balance needs to be struck in allocating scarce resources.

Consultation with residents resulted in three top priorities being defined- poverty alleviation, job creation and service delivery.

Even though Taung at large is agricultural significant, it is poverty-stricken area.

Amid corruption and nepotism leveled against the municipality, the newly-appointed Municipal Manager, Katlego Gabanakgosi is really getting his hands dirty and is planning to scrap corruption and maladministration allegedly experienced in the past.

According to our source, the audit is currently underway at municipality and if our mole’s information is anything to go by, close to R46 million has allegedly been misused.

According to Lobelo, Greater Taung is mostly consists of rural areas and only Pudumoe, Reivilo and Taung CBD are only areas that pay for service delivery and that affects the economy of Taung.

“Most areas in Taung does not pay for sanitation, water and refuse removal as they are rural areas, only Pudumoe, Taung CBD and Reivilo do” Lobelo outlines.

Most residents voiced their unhappiness regarding poor state of most roads in the area, electricity, houses and lack of job opportunities.

On Wednesday at Taung Hotel School and Convention, the municipal manager will outlines his plans and what is given first priority regarding residents wishes.-TDN
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Johannesburg – Sentencing procedures against the young Griekwastad murderer will continue in the Northern Cape High Court on Wednesday.

The 17-year-old boy has been convicted of three murders and rape. On 27 March, the court found him guilty of the murders of Griekwastad farmer Deon Steenkamp, aged 44, his wife Christel, aged 43, and their daughter Marthella, aged 14. They were shot dead on their farm Naauwhoek on 6 April 2012.

He was also found guilty of raping the girl and lying to police. On Tuesday, a juvenile criminologist, Dr Eon Sonnekus, told the court the boy seemed to be made of good human material.

“The accused showed an overall good character and positive attributes for some 15 years and eight months before the crime,” Sonnekus said in mitigation of sentence.

“The accused still seems to be made of good human material.”

Sonnekus told the court the boy’s behaviour in his school life, sport activities and with his guardian family after the crimes were more in accordance with his social behaviour pattern, and the boy could be rehabilitated.
SAPA

Cape Town – Once the backslapping phase dies down, newly-installed Proteas captain Hashim Amla faces probably his toughest assignment since his nervous introduction to Test cricket around a decade ago.
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Durban – A Newcastle Magistrate’s Court prosecutor has been jailed for life for raping a 13-year-old girl, the NPA in KwaZulu-Natal said on Tuesday.

Remmington Zamokuhle Ngema’s application for leave to appeal was postponed to August and he would remain in custody until then, said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.

He raped the 13-year-old in October 2011 while she was in his care.

Ngema had pleaded not guilty to the charge, but was convicted by the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, sitting in Madadeni, in February.

“This sentence shows the zero-tolerance approach of the justice system to criminality,” KwaZulu-Natal director of public prosecutions Moipone Noko said.

“It should serve as a deterrent even to our own staff members, that all perpetrators of such heinous crimes will be held accountable.”

SAPA

COSATU NW conveys message of condolence to the victims of the accident on R503
3 May 2014

Mahikeng- The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West province have learned with sadness about the tragic death of five correctional officers and one policeman who were all members of its affiliate POPCRU.

The officials died after a tragic accident which happened between Mafikeng and Rooigrond yesterday in the afternoon.

“COSATU has several times questioned the state of the roads in the province but our call has fallen on deaf ears, while at the same time the roads in the province continue to claim the lives of innocent motorists and their passengers” Cosatu provincial secretary Solly Phetoe said.

Phetoe said the R503 road has been notorious for accidents which claim many lives.

“This has been happening for many years and our belief is that the accidents on that road are caused by the traffic volumes which divert on to that road to avoid an expensive toll gate near Swartruggens” he said.

COSATU calls on the Department of Transport, both national and in the province, to speed up the work of looking at the condition of the roads in the province. COSATU further demands that a thorough investigation must be made on the said accident.

COSATU conveys a message of condolence to the families who have lost their loved ones and to POPCRU which have lost members. They said may the departed souls rest in peace.

“We hope our government will take responsibility for all the funeral costs and the counselling of the family members and the workers who worked closely with those departed.” Phetoe concludes.-TDN
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Johannesburg – Twenty-three people will be prosecuted for the deaths of young men during last year’s initiation season in Mpumalanga, the NPA said on Tuesday.

At least 30 boys died at seven initiation schools in Kwaggafontein, KwaMhlanga, Verena, Delmas, Siyabuswa, Belfast and Middelburg last year.

“The police acted swiftly by opening dockets and commenced with the investigations,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Nathi Mncube said.

The 23 would face a range of charges.

Doctors also face charges

“In separate trials, four medical doctors, 18 traditional circumcisers and one circumcision principal stand to be tried on 24 counts of culpable homicide, two counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and 12 counts of contravening… the Children’s Act.”

The Act prohibits the circumcision of children below 16 and allows for the circumcision of boys between 16 and 18 only in certain circumstances.

Inquests would be held in three of the deaths.

SAPA

By Obakeng Maje
Rustenburg- Police recovered explosives with estimated street value of R135 000 at Lonmin mine in Rustenburg on Sunday at about 02:30.

Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said the police and mine security spotted three suspects walking underground where nobody is supposed to be due to the current strike.

“A reaction group was sent immediately to the shaft where they saw suspects coming out of the shaft, jumped over the fence and ran away” Ngubane said.

Police were allegedly recovered the following explosives and copper wire:

➢  201 x Explogel V6 Explosives Cartridges,➢  500 kg copper wire,➢  126 x Shock tube Assemblies- Reefmasters,➢  25x Durafuse Shock tube starter, and➢  1 x Reel Stopeline igniter cord. 

“It is not yet determined how these recovered properties were going to be utilised. No one has been arrested and SAPS members as well as security mine are still investigating” he said. 

A case of theft of explosives and copper cables is investigated.-TDN
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