Daily Archives: September 13, 2014

Jabu “Pule” Mahlangu hangs up his boots


By Obakeng Maje
Johannesburg- Former Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana maestro Jabu “Pule” Mahlangu has hung up his boots at Supersport United.

Mahlangu returned to elite football after more than two years.

Jabu “Shuffle” Mahlangu was given a lifeline to revive his football career at Supersport United at the end of 2013/2014.

According to http://www.soccerladuma.co.za former Bafana midfielder hung up his boots to concentrate on Supersport’s Multichoice Disk Challenge team.

The website said Mahlangu’s last training with first team was on Tuesday.-TDN
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N West artists: We do not want to die as puppets


By Obakeng Maje
Taung- This was supposed to be a fruitful meeting between the artists across the province and North West Provincial Legislature, but things turned out horrible wrong.

North West artists were up in arms, fuming and disrupted the Arts and Culture Sectoral Parliament event held at Mmabana Taung on Friday.

The event was graced by dignitaries like North West Provincial Legislature Chairperson of Finance Motlalepula Rosho, Chairperson of Arts, Culture and Traditional Affairs Boitumelo Moiloa amongst others.

The theme of the event was “The Role of Arts & Culture in Moving South Africa forward”.

However that was not the case as many artists boycotted the proceedings.

They showcased hostile action against the chairperson Boitumelo Moiloa who was at the podium by booing her.

Most of the artists said they could not understand the use of this event and alleged the government of North West does not care about them as their grievances fell in deaf ears.

“We disrupted the meeting because there is no communication between provincial, the districts and service point managers. We met so many times with the department of Arts, Culture and Traditional Affairs raising our challenges as artists, but we do not get any response. We want to meet with North West premier Supra Mahumapelo to heed to our call”.

“Artists played an integral role during apartheid, and many died as puppets..we do not want to die as such. We want the department of Arts & Culture to make sure the artists are well-developed. We need to deal with socio-economic issues that affect artists too” Medupi Mapitsa from Potchefstroom, North West said.

The artists agreed to continue with the meeting after a further intervention as the leadership that was there, was new and Chairperson of Arts, Culture and Traditional Affairs Boitumelo Moiloa said they noted the artists’ grievances.

“We will do a follow-up on those issues and as sectoral parliament, we will meeting with districts and service-points managers in all regions. After the meeting, we will come back to them [artists] to give them feedback” Boitumelo Moiloa said.

Artists alleged that they are not recognized and they contribute immensely in the province’s economy.

“The creative economy has garnered more attention in provincial and international policy circles. The creative economy envisions creativity as an input into the province economic engine. So visual artists must capitalize on the creative economy philosophy, they need to become wittingly or unwittingly commercial agents with more effective business skills than ever before” said Sonwabo Nongonyana.
-TDN
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Girl, 8, dies after being flung from amusement ride


Sydney – Australian authorities are investigating the death of a Malaysian girl who was flung “like a doll” from a spinning ride at the Royal Adelaide Show where show goers laid flowers for her on Saturday.

The girl, 8, who was reportedly visiting Australia with her family, was thrown from the AirMaxx 360 ride on Friday afternoon, South Australian police said in a statement.

She was treated by paramedics and taken to an Adelaide hospital but died a short time later, police said.

Malinda Dunwoodie said she was near the ride when she saw the child “flying through the air”.

“She was hanging by her legs off the ride, trying to block herself,” Dunwoodie told Adelaide newspaper The Advertiser.

“She went flying through the air about 10 to 15 metres up in the air and I started sprinting toward her. I was shaking so much, she looked like a doll flying through the air.

“It was so shocking – it was like a horror movie. I didn’t see her land in the crowd but when I made it over to her I couldn’t see her eyes moving. Everyone was screaming.”

Makeshift memorial

Show goers on Saturday laid stuffed teddy bear toys and flowers at a makeshift memorial in the show grounds.

“It’s just complete sadness and it’s a tragedy that should have been avoided,” Katherina Ritson, one of the event’s staff who placed flowers, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

A spokesperson for the High Commission of Malaysia said they were working with the country’s Honorary Consul in South Australia to assist the family.

South Australia’s work health and safety agency, SafeWork SA, said the ride – which was operating for the first time at the show – would be shut for the rest of the event as they investigate the incident with police.

The ride, about 15m long and 18m wide, resembles a giant spider and can carry up to 24 people.

The Royal Adelaide Show attracts about half a million visitors every year and is South Australia’s largest event. It features amusement rides as well as farming exhibitions with live animals.

AFP

Nakasa reburial closes a tragic chapter, says Mthethwa


Durban – The reburial of anti-apartheid journalist Nat Nakasa closed a tragic chapter of South Africa’s history, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Saturday.

“The act of reburial solidifies that which is a part of our heritage,” Mthethwa said speaking at the memorial service in Durban’s city hall.

He said Nakasa had challenged the apartheid system through the pen.

“Much as he was not politically affiliated, an individual like Nat Nakasa was unavoidably a conduit for what the National Liberation Movement fought for.”

Hundreds attended the memorial service, including KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu, SA National Editors’ Forum executive director Mathatha Tsedu, Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, numerous well known local personalities and Nakasa’s family.

Nakasa’s last remaining sibling, who last saw Nakasa when she was 13-years-old, sat between Mchunu and Mthethwa.

Suicide

Nakasa worked for publications including Drum magazine, the Rand Daily Mail and Illanga newspapers.

He was forced to leave SA on an exit visa when the apartheid government refused to grant him a passport after he was awarded a Nieman Fellowship at the Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Nakasa died after falling from a building in New York in an apparent suicide in 1965. He was 28. He was buried at the city’s Ferncliff Cemetery, until his exhumation earlier this year.

However, Nakasa’s nephew Dr Sipho Masondo said on Saturday that he rejected all claims of suicide.

He said that he had been told the night before Nakasa’s body was found on a New York pavement, that Nakasa had received a telephone call at Miriam Makeba’s New York home where he was interviewing her.

The next day on 14 July 1965, he was dead, without having completed the interview.

“I do not accept that he committed suicide. He was a victim of the cold war,” said Masondo.

Tsedu said the reburial of Nakasa showed that government and the media could work together.

He praised Nakasa’s sister Gladys Mazibuko for being unwavering in her love and efforts to bring Nakasa back.

The ceremony was preceded by a procession of his coffin through Chesterville in Durban, where Nakasa originally came from.

Nakasa remains, which arrived at Durban’s King Shaka International Airport in August, are expected to buried in Chesterville’s Heroes Acre later on Saturday.

SAPA

NW Road Safety Ambassador perish in accident


Emotions were very high, tears streaming down uncontrollably on men and women who attended the funeral of the stylish, dedicated and outspoken Naledi Leabile who was laid to rest at Mahikeng Cemetery.

The long loyal serving Community Safety and Transport Management employee died on an accident last week Saturday in Mogwase near Sun City from a meeting.

The 57-year-old, “Star” as affectionately known served on the Road Safety Directorate where she mostly took a lead on road safety campaigns, educating people in the entire province about road safety, she was our road safety ambassador

A communicator by profession, Leabile joined the department in 1997 and served in several departments in the province.

In his speech, the emotional departmental MEC Gaoage Molapisi said it is with great sadness for the Bokone Bophirima Provincial Government to lose an asset like Naledi after having recently interacted with her..

He said the late “Star” cannot be duplicated because she was not a outspoken person with a rare character and irreplaceable. You can only replace or duplicate a fake retorted MEC. She will forever be in our thoughts and hearts.

Her sudden death left us with deep wounds in our hearts. MEC Molapisi made a humble call to the people of Bokone Bophirima and the road users to honour the spirit of Mme Leabile by showing their commitment and becoming the champions of Road Safety.

“Road Safety begins with an individual and we should appreciates her life and the knowledge she imparted and become responsible road users. We must practice self-policing to ensure that all of us as road users take the responsibility of creating safer roads.

In her honour, we will during our transport month and beyond intensify our road safety education campaigns within communities and mainly targeting road users and educate them on issues relating to driver behavior, drunken driving, safety belt, over speeding, cyclist, driving with fatigue stray animals and pedestrian safety,” concluded Molapisi.

Star leaves behind her three children and 10 grandchildren.
-TDN
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IPC: Oscar Pistorius ‘free to compete’


JOHANNESBURG – The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that Oscar Pistorius will be free to compete once he has served any punishment meted out for his crime. 

The High Court in Pretoria has convicted the blade runner of culpable homicide, for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. 

The case has been postponed for a month, when the athlete will return to court for sentencing.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za

Top DJ busted for speeding


Johannesburg – A well known Metro FM DJ has been arrested in Tshwane for speeding, metro police said on Friday.

“We have arrested one of the well known celebrities who was found speeding,” spokesperson Isaac Mahamba said.

“He was driving 176km/h in a 120km/h zone.”

The DJ was arrested while driving a black Range Rover on the N1 North. He was being held at the Brooklyn police station where he was applying for bail.

“He is expected to appear in court soon,” said Mahamba.

SAPA

Family told – keep Oscar out of trouble


Johannesburg – Oscar Pistorius’s family has been warned to keep the culpable homicide-convict on the straight and narrow in the next month while he awaits sentencing.

In its opposition to the extension of Pistorius’s R1m bail, the State referred to an altercation in a Sandton nightclub in July.

However, in granting the extension, Judge Thokozile Masipa warned the defence to tell whoever would be staying with Pistorius that “there should be no further complications”.

Pistorius’s counsel Barry Roux turned around to look at his uncle Arnold Pistorius and the men nodded.

The 27-year-old athlete was found guilty of culpable homicide by the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday.

In July, while the murder trial was still under way, Pistorius had an altercation with Jared Mortimer at the VIP Room club in the Michelangelo Towers in Sandton, Johannesburg.

Intoxicated

At the time, the Pistorius family released a media statement saying Mortimer “aggressively interrogated him” on matters relating to his murder trial.

Mortimer told a newspaper that Pistorius insulted President Jacob Zuma’s family and his own friends, resulting in the altercation.

He claimed Pistorius was intoxicated and started to poke him in the chest while they were talking.

He pushed Pistorius away from him and the paralympian fell over a chair. Bouncers reportedly intervened and asked Pistorius to leave.

The family denied Mortimer’s claims.

They said the athlete’s move to venture into a public space while the trial was under way was unwise, but they had witnessed his “escalating sense of loneliness and alienation.

“This, we believe, is underlying some of his self-harming behaviour,” said his uncle Leo Pistorius, adding that the family was finding ways of dealing with his isolation.

Masipa found Pistorius not guilty of the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on 14 February last year, but found him guilty on a lesser charge of culpable homicide.

While Masipa was reading out her verdict Pistorius stood emotionless with his hands folded in front of him.

Intruder

Oscar’s father Henke Pistorius wept and friends of Reeva burst into tears. Reeva’s parents, Barry and June Steenkamp, were stony-faced.

Masipa said evidence before the court showed that Pistorius had acted negligently when he fired into the toilet door, knowing there was someone behind the door.

“It cannot be said that the accused did not entertain a genuine belief that there was an intruder in the toilet who posed a threat to him….

“It could not be said that he foresaw that either the deceased or anyone else for that matter might be killed when he fired the shots at that door,” she found.

Pistorius’s family said they were “deeply grateful” to Masipa for not finding the blade runner guilty of murder.

However, there were no victors in the outcome of the trial, Arnold Pistorius told reporters in the courtroom.

“In a tragic event like this, there’s no victors. We, as a family, remain deeply affected by the devastating tragedy,” he said, with his wife Lois at his side.

“It won’t bring Reeva back, but our hearts still go out to her family and friends.”

Arnold said the verdict had lifted a “big burden” from the family’s shoulders.

Contravening

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it was disappointed by the ruling.

“At this point the matter is not concluded. We are still waiting for the sentence. It’s only after the sentence that the NPA can weigh its options and see whether they can take the matter forward,” NPA spokesperson Nathi Mncube told reporters outside the court.

“We feel at this point we should respect the process that is still underway.”

The paralympian also faced three charges of contravening the Firearms Control Act – one of illegal possession of ammunition and two of discharging a firearm in public.

He was acquitted on charges of illegal possession of ammunition and one of the charges on the illegal discharge of a firearm in a public place.

But he was found guilty on the illegal discharge of a firearm in the Tasha’s restaurant in Melrose Arch in January last year.

SAPA