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

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema says he is complying with the provisional sequestration order against him.

Speaking to journalists outside the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria today, where the provisional order was extended to December 1, Malema said he came to court to see the extension granted.

“We want to put it on record, like we did in the past, that we have settled the matter with the South African Revenue Service,” Malema said.

“We agreed, on top of what they’ve sold from me, I shall put [an] extra four million [rand] and then, the first instalment, was rather I should pay one million.”

Subsequent to that, he needed to pay R500 000 every month, with the revenue service taking R30 000 from his salary every month.

“Now, I am complying with all those agreements I’ve reached with Sars,” Malema said.

In May, Malema’s provisional sequestration was extended and the matter was postponed.

Malema has previously admitted he had not attended to his tax affairs the way the law required. According to court papers, Malema owed R16 million, plus interest, after failing to submit tax returns between 2006 and 2010.

In February, Judge Bill Prinsloo ordered that Malema’s estate be provisionally sequestrated.

A final sequestration order would affect Malema’s political career, as he would no longer be allowed to serve as a member of Parliament.

– Sapa

By Obakeng Maje
A case against two Bangladesh accused who were arrested in connection of rape was postponed and transferred to Taung Magistrate Court until 04 September 2014.

Two Bangladesh suspects allegedly lured two minors aged 9 and 10 to their supermaket in Pampierstad and allegedly raped them.

Ashraf Ali,31 and Miah Suman,24 appeared before Pampierstad Magistrate Court on Monday and will remain in custody until their next appearance.

Police investigations continue.-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Kimberley- Two suspects aged 27 and 33 have been arrested red-handed inside two cellphone retail shops, on Saturday in Kimberley.

Lieutenant Sergio Kock said the suspects were charged for defraud.

They defrauded well-known cellphones retail shops using different Identity documents to open cellphone contracts accounts.

“These are not the first group of suspects to be arrested while operating in the area either opening cellphone accounts or upgrading their existing cellphone contracts they have with the cellphone retailers around Kimberely.

“Their arrest came after cellphone sales consultants in these two well-known retailers picked up, from their contract account systems while processing the applications that these suspects have been in a mission defrauding the cellphone retailers in different province around the country” he said.

One of the suspects was already blacklisted by the retailers, as he was already wanted for similar crime of fraud which he had committed in Tzaneen, Johannesburg and East London.

“During our investigation we found the suspects with different Identity documents and copies in their possession, and furthermore it was also revealed that on Saturday they managed to obtain an expensive cellphone worth R11 000, with the very same fraudulent tactics. We also found them in possession of different simcards and stolen petrol card” Kock said.

The suspects are due to appear before the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court soon.-TDN
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Johannesburg- Head Coach Shakes Mashaba has retained the bulk of the squad that drew 1-1 with Cameroon in the third round first leg of the 2015 African Youth Championships (AYC) played in Yaoundé, Cameroon last weekend (Saturday, 16 August 2014).

Mashaba has, however, added five players to the 18-man squad that traveled to Cameroon – which is now without goalkeeper Dumisani Msibi, who was red carded in that match.

Mpho Mathekga has been called up in place of Msibi, joining Jethren Barr in goals.

The other four new players in the squad are defender Tebogo Moerane of Bidvest Wits, Hashim Domingo, a midfielder with Ajax Cape Town, Mamelodi Sundowns striker Ntando Ngubane as well as midfielder Phillip Ndlondlo of Izinyoka FC who missed the cut when the squad jetted out to Yaoundé.

Amajita have already arrived in Polokwane to continue preparations for this match.

“You all know the importance of this match and I cannot emphasise it any further. We went to Cameroon and came back with a 1-1 draw, a crucial away goal. But it doesn’t mean we will relax and defend the result. Football is about attacking and defending, and this second leg will be won in the first 45 minutes. The longer it stays level the riskier it becomes for us so we have to be at our best. We have to put pressure on them but also be cautious at the same time,” said Mashaba.

South Africa and Cameroon face off in the decider that will be staged on Sunday, 31 August at the old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

“This is a very important match to the Association and to the country. For far too long we have not had much success in the junior ranks and we believe with this team we are on the brink of that.

“But we would like appeal to the people of Polokwane and the surrounding areas to come out in numbers to support these young players. We are all too aware that going to junior national team matches is not sexy, but it is going to be vital to give the support for the success of this nation,” said SAFA CEO Dennis Mumble at the squad announcement in Johannesburg.

The overall winner between South Africa and Cameroon qualifies for the 19th edition of the African Youth Championships which will be held in Senegal from 8 – 22 March in 2015.

The semi-finalists at the African Youth Championships automatically book their places to the 2015 FIFA U20 World Cup tournament in New Zealand.-TDN
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