Johannesburg – The police officer who took down the confession of Desai Luphondo, one of Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir’s co-accused, was accused on Tuesday of making it a habit to keep witnesses from accessing their lawyers.

“There is a practice within your unit of barring people from seeing their lawyers or seeking legal advice,” Annelene van den Heever, for Krejcir and Luphondo, told Captain Bongani Gininda in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, sitting in Palm Ridge.

Van den Heever said Gininda had barred another lawyer from accessing Mfaniseni Memela following his arrest in May.

Memela was arrested following allegations that he, Krejcir, Luphondo, and several others had been involved in a plot to kill a police officer and a private investigator.

Van den Heever said only after intervention and an order from top ranking officials was Memela allowed access to his lawyer.

Gininda said this was untrue.

“The accused’s sister said she wants to deal with his legal arrangements. She said she wants nothing to do with the lawyers linked to accused number one,” said Gininda, referring to Krejcir.

On Monday, Van den Heever claimed that police denied Luphondo access to a phone to call his family and his lawyer prior to him delivering his confession.

She submitted that Gininda bargained with Luphondo, claiming he would be allowed to talk to his family once he had submitted a confession.

The court is currently in the midst of a trial-within-a-trial following allegations that Gininda and other police officials had assaulted and influenced Luphondo into making a confession about his role in the kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder case.

Van den Heever objected to the court accepting the confession as evidence.

Gininda has testified that Luphondo freely made his statement. He had not observed anything suggesting that he had been assaulted prior to making the confession.

Alleged police assault

On Tuesday, Van den Heever told the court that Luphondo’s youngest son had witnessed police assaulting his father as they arrested him on 22 November 2013.

He made an affidavit on the matter and it was submitted during Luphondo’s bail application last year.

Van den Heever claimed the police never disputed the assault claims.

Krejcir, Luphondo, Warrant Officers Samuel “Saddam” Maropeng and George Nthoroane, Jan Lefu Mofokeng and Siboniso Miya are on trial for kidnapping, attempted murder and dealing in drugs.

They allegedly recruited a man known as Doctor Nkosi to help smuggle 25kg of tik (methamphetamine) to Australia.

He worked for a cargo company at OR Tambo International Airport, when he disappeared with the shipment.

Krejcir and his co-accused allegedly then kidnapped and tortured his brother Bheki Lukhele in a bid to have him reveal his sibling’s whereabouts.

Nkosi has also testified in the trial, where he confessed to stealing the drugs.

– SAPA

By Obakeng Maje
Taung- North West police are investigating a case of rape after a man was arrested for rape during the weekend.

A 30 year-old man was arrested by Pudumoe police after he allegedly raped a woman. Even though the details are sketchy amid the rape, Tebogo Tsolo appeared at Taung Magistrate Court on Tuesday and he was denied bail due to previous account.

Tsolo has previous account of charges and his case was postponed until the 19th of August 2014 for formal bail application.-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Taung- North West Department of Art, Culture and Traditional Affairs in conjunction with National Lottery launched a Cultural Calabash that will take place on the 27th September 2014.
Taung Cultural Calabash is a unique youth based arts festival held annually in Taung, North West province and its sets out to discover new talent through a series of auditions held at district level. Amateur and semi-professional artists are identified in Dane, Drama, Music and Visual Arts.

“What makes this Festival unique, however, is that it also showcases the talents of youngsters who live in the province thanks to a series of district events held throughout North West in August to uncover budding young actors, dancers and singers and have them showcase their skills” Mmabana Foundation CEO Moatlhodi Dilotsotlhe said.
Dilotsotlhe said auditions and competition eliminations will be held within four selected districts, namely: Bojanala Platinum District, Dr Ruth Mompati District, Ngaka Modiri District and Kenneth Kaunda District and that will be served by the Department of Arts and Culture.
The winners in each category will take part in development workshops, where only the best selected participants will make the line up for the main festival held traditionally during the last week of September.
“Not only will the winners be performing at the festival but they will also receive prizes and follow-up skills development, management and mentoring. The festival will feature a comedy show, theatre productions and the main festival, which will feature some of SA’s top performing artists” North West Department of Art, Culture and Traditional Affairs MEC Tebogo Modise said.

On Friday 26th September 2014, the Mmabana Theatre will play host to a variety of theatre and dance productions featuring both local and national artists. There is also a show, which is a new element to the Festival to look forward to, featuring local comedy talent as well as some of Mzansi’s funny men.

The Main Calabash event on Saturday, September 27th will be held at the Taung Sport Ground from 12 noon until late.

On the Sunday, September 28th A Jazz Festival will be hosted where festival-goers can spend a relaxed afternoon in the sun enjoying the smooth sounds of local and national jazz and gospel singers.

The Taung Cultural Calabash Festival is sponsored by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, North West Department Culture, Arts and Traditional Affairs, Mmabana Arts Culture & Sport Foundation and the Greater Taung Local Municipality. –TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Lokgabeng- North West police are investigating a case of armed robbery and theft after a woman was allegedly robbed undisclosed amount of money.

A 53-year-old woman was robbed undisclosed amount of money and airtime vouchers by unknown men on Saturday night at Lokgabeng village, near Taung.

Maserame Motshabi who runs a tuck-shop in the area was allegedly approached by two suspects armed with a gun and a panga. The two suspects demanded R5000 from the tuck-shop owner, but could not get it and instead they took airtime vouchers and undisclosed amount of money before they fled the crime scene.

No one has been arrested and police investigation continues. – TDN
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Vryburg- Four female taxi commuters and two males were certified dead at the scene of the accident when a taxi that was traveling from Johannesburg to Vryburg collided with a truck along the N14 road at Broederspruit just 40 kilometres from Vryburg to Delareyville.

Motorist traveling along the N14 road between Vryburg and Delareyville are notified and advised to drive carefully and reduce the speed as the road is temporary closed.

Traffic officers at the scene have reported that three people are still trapped in the taxi and the truck has also closed the road.

Deceased have not yet been identified.

Authorities’ suspects that fatigue might be the cause of the accident as it is alleged that the driver of the taxi was asleep and drove on the oncoming traffic lane by the time of collision.

North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Gaoage Molapisi wishes to convey his condolences to the families of the deceased.

Molapisi appeals to motorists to stop and rest after every 200 kilometers or two hours of driving as fatigue contributes towards most accidents experienced on public roads.

“We are in deep sorrow as the North West Provincial Government with the rate of fatalities on our roads. In a period of three days we have already lost more than 13 people in just two incidents.

This calls for a high saturated law enforcement intervention plan and road safety education. We cannot continue to lose lives in such a manner. We are going to strengthen our law enforcement operations and those found on the wrong side of the law will be harshly dealt with,” warned Molapisi.

He reiterated that reckless drivers would not be allowed on the roads of the province.

Police are investigating a case of culpable homicide, reckless and or negligent driving.-TDN
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North West Department of Social Development has, for the first time received an unqualified report on predetermined objectives according to the Auditor General’s findings, MEC Fenny Gaolaolwe said on Tuesday.

“Our department was one of the 61 departments which were audited during the financial year that ended in March this year. We are so humbled by this achievement and we intend to keep up the good work going forward” Gaolaolwe said, adding that her department has also received unqualified report on annual financial statements.

Gaolaolwe said despite the achievement, her department is still required by the Auditor General to adjust some misstatements and strengthen its internal controls to achieve a sustained clean administration.

The department’s financial indicators were assessed on areas such as budget management, expenditure management, revenue management, asset and liability management, cash management and grant management.

Gaolaolwe expressed her profound thanks to the senior management and staff in the department and encourage them to sustain the good record and accelerate service delivery in the implementation of the annual service delivery plan.

“While are obliged to render services to our communities we are equally required to do so in accordance with the relevant legislations such as Public Finance Management Act and other departmental policies and also by observing our internal controls,” she said.-TDN
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A Wolmaransstad Apostolic church pastor has been arrested and released on bail for insulting a woman traffic officer who was patrolling along the N12 road between Kleksdorp and Wolmaransstad.

According to the officer, she stopped a BMW one series that was driving with high speed, and in her interaction with the vehicle driver, the pastor who was a passenger at the back seat started insulting her.

The incident was reported to the police, and a case of crimen injuria, interference and defeating ends of justice was registered.

This happens few days after Community Safety and Transport Management MEC Gaoage Molapisi made a plea to motorists to cooperate and respect women traffic officers especially during this August, which is women’s month.

MEC Molapisi has expressed his disappointment and dismissed the incident with strongest words.

“This is one of the behaviour I was appealing our motorists to avoid and respect women traffic officers. These are some of the incidents we continue to experience due to the fact that there are minority men who do not want to accept that women are continuously penetrating industries that were formerly male dominated and road traffic law enforcement and one of those.”

“In this case it is very disappointing that it involves a church pastor whom we regard as a community leader and is expected to lead by example,” said the disappointed Molapisi.

The departmental MEC said women traffic officers would not be intimidated by these minority men who are still trapped in the past and would continue with operations throughout this month.

The pastor is expected to appear again in court on Monday.-TDN
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