By Obakeng Maje
Dryharts- The taxi drivers were left despondent after they alleged that Pudumoe police did not take any action against a taxi driver who allegedly pointed them with a firearm in a road rage on Sunday.

According to taxi drivers who were at the scene, a taxi driver from Kimberley stopped and picked up a commuter in Dryharts village, near Taung.

“We approached and informed the taxi driver that he is not allowed to pick-up commuters because it is out of his jurisdiction. He pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot us” one of taxi drivers known only as Bashin said at the scene.

Police were called and it is alleged that local taxi drivers forcefully took Kimberley taxi driver’s car keys.

“The situation was dissolved after intervention from police and the accused taxi driver was whisked away for protection as the situation was out of hand. The agreement was reached between two parties and decided not to open cases against each other” Pudumong Police Station spokesperson sergeant Tebogo Thebe said.

However some of taxi drivers said they blame police for not taking drastic measures against the driver who pulled a gun at themthat was later discovered that it was toy.

“We can confirm that the gun that was allegedly used during the argument was a pallet gun and police advice those who are unhappy to go and launch a case at the police station” Thebe said.-TDN
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edical students studying abroad should masturbate to avoid unwanted pregnancies, pastor and KwaZulu-Natal MPL Vusi Dube yesterday.

He told the more than 200 students on a month-long break from their studies in Cuba: “If it means that there are pictures in your room and [you] turn to them in times of need, then so let it be [sic].”
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By Obakeng Maje
Hartswater- Phokwane Municipality saddened by the death of one of their employees who passed on on Saturday in a fatal car accident.

Jacob Mooketsi,36 died in a crash after the car they were travelling in was involved in an accident.

According to police, three people were taken to local hospital and one died after a taxi and a car crashed in a ‘head-on collision’.

“We are investigating a case of culpable homicide and police investigations continue. The accident took place on Saturday between Hartswater and Pampierstad” Hartswater Police Station spokesperson Boikanyo Tong said.-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Hartswater- Phokwane Municipality saddened by the death of one of their employees who passed on on Saturday in a fatal car accident.

Jacob Mooketsi,36 died in a crash after the car they were travelling in was involved in an accident.

According to police, three people were taken to local hospital and one died after a taxi and a car crashed in a ‘head-on collision’.

“We are investigating a case of culpable homicide and police investigations continue. The accident took place on Saturday between Hartswater and Pampierstad” Hartswater Police Station spokesperson Boikanyo Tong said.-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Onseepkans- Police arrested a 53-year-old woman over the weekend and charged her for dealing in drugs worth street value R67 000.

“The arrest was effected after we reacted promptly to a tipped-off, about a woman hitch-hiking with luggage, suspected to be filled with drugs. And as a matter of urgency all the roads leading in and out Onseepkans were patrolled after receiving tipped-off information that there is a woman on her way to Onseepkans and she is in possession of drugs” lieutenant Sergio Kock said.

During patrol, a woman appropriates to the description which was communicated to the police was spotted next to the road on R358. Upon investigation and search, 5.700 kg dagga and mandrax tablets were found inside her luggage.

“The suspect will appear in the Onseepkans Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of dealing in drugs” Kock said.

The Onseepkans Station Commander Marius Malan commended his team, for being resilience to tipped-off information.

“Fighting crime begins with the involvement of the community, once the community have faith to work in partnership with the police and that with the available resources we shall successfully win war against crime” he said.-TDN
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Pretoria – Lonmin management needs to provide answers about its social responsibilities, the lack of which possibly contributed to the strike action that left 44 people dead, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard in Pretoria on Monday.

The commission chair, retired judge Ian Farlam, ruled that the mining company would be questioned on its aborted programmes that included building houses for its mineworkers.

In a bid to avoid the grilling, the company had applied not to be questioned.

The move followed the decision to scrap phase two of the commission’s work due to time constraints.

Lonmin was to face these questions during workshops which were part of the commission.

This part of the commission was abandoned and Lonmin argued that it would not have sufficient time to prepare for the questions, which had now been fused into the hearing.

The inquiry is probing the events around the August 2012 strike-related unrest.

In its objection to cross-examination, the platinum mining company argued that social responsibilities were outside the commission’s mandate.

It also claimed it would be unfair to be questioned on this during the first phase as it had not had enough time to prepare.

Farlam on Monday rejected the response.

“In our view there is no substance in any of these grounds of objection,”he said.

Muti 

Meanwhile, the commission on Monday heard evidence from Xolani Nzuza, a mineworker who was part of a group which led the strike.

Xolani told the commission that the unrest occurred because of Lonmin’s response to their calls for a meeting with management.

“The cause of all that happened there is because of a lack of care from Lonmin and them calling us criminals,” said Nzuza.

“Had they not called us criminals, this would have not happened.”

He denied that muti played a crucial role in the unrest.

“Not everybody believed in the muti. Others believed in their prayers,” said Nzuza.

He claimed workers used the muti to protect themselves and they believed it would make the mine bosses listen to them.

No one was forced to use the muti and those that did, did so openly.

Nzuza’s testimony will be put on hold on Tuesday while Minister of Mineral Resources, Susan Shabangu, testifies.

SAPA

Johannesburg – Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s claim that her letter to President Jacob Zuma was leaked by a senior ANC leader is preposterous and outrageous, the ANC said on Monday.

“We call on the public protector to reveal the senior ANC leader who leaked her disputed letter to the media,” said spokesperson Zizi Kodwa.

“We are hopeful that the public protector will expose those individuals behind the leakages to restore respect and confidence in the office of the public protector,” he said.

“Her failure to do so can only confirm our fears that her office is responsible for these confidence-eroding leakages.

He said Madonsela’s accusation suggested that she knew who leaked the letter.

Madonsela on Monday said a senior ANC member leaked her letter to President Zuma to the media.

“She has been advised confidentially that it is a senior politician and member of the ruling party that leaked the confidential letter to the media, conduct she considers improper,” her spokesperson Kgalalelo Masibi said in a statement.

“The public protector reiterates her appeal to the media to refrain from peddling confidential documents released dishonestly as this tends to shift the focus from real issues.”

Kodwa said almost all investigations conducted by the public protector were prematurely leaked to the media and not once had she taken responsibility.

“The consistency of these leakages suggest that it is a ploy by the public protector’s office to test public opinion or response before releasing her reports.”

He said often the leaked reports were explained as incomplete which suggests that it was her office that could have leaked them.

Madonsela reportedly wrote to Zuma last week that he was second-guessing her recommendations that he should repay money spent on new features that were not related to security, such as a swimming pool, cattle kraal, amphitheatre, and visitors’ centre.

SAPA