JOHANNESBURG – The Hatfield Magistrates Court in Pretoria has postponed a case against radio and TV personality Sbusiso Leope who was arrested on Friday for speeding.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za
Daily Archives: September 15, 2014
New medical miracle found in vagina
According to a news report on Nature, the drug, lactocillin, hints at the untapped medical potential of this microbial landscape.
Michael Fischbach led a team to figure out how our microbiomes (the bacteria living in our bodies) impact our health, research which proceeded to reveal thousands of molecules that could act as drugs.
One example of these was a thiopeptide antibiotic produced by a bacteria that normally lives in the vagina.
For more http://www.timeslive.co.za
Manhunt under way for Doornfontein shooter
Johannesburg – No arrests have been made following a fatal shooting in Doornfontein, Gauteng police said on Monday.
“We [are] still looking for the suspects,” police spokesperson Doniah Mothutsane said. “We still don’t know the motive for the shooting.”
A woman was killed and five people were wounded in the shooting in Davies Street on Saturday.
At the time, Mothutsane said a gunman arrived at a block of flats and opened fire at random.
Netcare 911 paramedics said three adults and three children were wounded.
SAPA
Widow wants death sentence for farm murderers
Johannesburg – A woman whose husband was killed in a farm attack two-and-a-half years ago called for the reinstatement of the death penalty at public hearings on Monday.
Bernadette Hall, who was speaking at the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) public hearings on farm attacks, was asked what kind of sentence she thought would be appropriate for those found guilty of farm killings.
She hesitated for a few moments before replying: “It’s impossible… I personally feel the death sentence, or a really lengthy prison sentence.”
Hall said the problem with long imprisonment was that taxpayers had to pay for criminals to be fed and clothed.
“Our tax money is paying for that. I still end up looking after the man that killed my husband.”
The SAHRC hearings are chaired by commissioner Danny Titus and are being held in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
AfriForum previously complained to the SAHRC that the police were not doing enough to protect farming communities.
According to AfriForum, 91 attacks on farms and 42 murders on farms have been reported in South Africa since January.
Hall called for police to be better trained in dealing with victims of farm attacks, and in collecting evidence.
Arrest made
Almost a year after her husband’s murder the police arrested someone in connection with the crime. The matter was eventually thrown out of court due to a technicality, Hall said.
She said the police questioning and court process was traumatic.
“Every day in court I felt like a criminal.”
Hall still lives on her farm, even though there having been five attacks on farms and three murders in her immediate farming community in the past two-and-a-half years.
She has stopped farming maize, because the attackers who killed her husband hid in their mealie field to watch the family before the attack.
She said the police needed to beef up security in rural areas as the country was rapidly losing productive farmers.
Hall said her farming community had organised a patrol to bolster security in their area, but this had been problematic.
“When a farmer leaves his wife and children at home they are sitting targets.”
The police are expected to make submissions at the hearings later this month.
SAPA
Widow wants death sentence for farm murderers
Johannesburg – A woman whose husband was killed in a farm attack two-and-a-half years ago called for the reinstatement of the death penalty at public hearings on Monday.
Bernadette Hall, who was speaking at the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) public hearings on farm attacks, was asked what kind of sentence she thought would be appropriate for those found guilty of farm killings.
She hesitated for a few moments before replying: “It’s impossible… I personally feel the death sentence, or a really lengthy prison sentence.”
Hall said the problem with long imprisonment was that taxpayers had to pay for criminals to be fed and clothed.
“Our tax money is paying for that. I still end up looking after the man that killed my husband.”
The SAHRC hearings are chaired by commissioner Danny Titus and are being held in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
AfriForum previously complained to the SAHRC that the police were not doing enough to protect farming communities.
According to AfriForum, 91 attacks on farms and 42 murders on farms have been reported in South Africa since January.
Hall called for police to be better trained in dealing with victims of farm attacks, and in collecting evidence.
Arrest made
Almost a year after her husband’s murder the police arrested someone in connection with the crime. The matter was eventually thrown out of court due to a technicality, Hall said.
She said the police questioning and court process was traumatic.
“Every day in court I felt like a criminal.”
Hall still lives on her farm, even though there having been five attacks on farms and three murders in her immediate farming community in the past two-and-a-half years.
She has stopped farming maize, because the attackers who killed her husband hid in their mealie field to watch the family before the attack.
She said the police needed to beef up security in rural areas as the country was rapidly losing productive farmers.
Hall said her farming community had organised a patrol to bolster security in their area, but this had been problematic.
“When a farmer leaves his wife and children at home they are sitting targets.”
The police are expected to make submissions at the hearings later this month.
SAPA
Lonmin employee ordered to apologise
Pretoria – A senior Lonmin employee had to apologise at the Farlam Commission of Inquiry on Monday for describing Amcu’s president as a liar on national radio.
“I withdraw that, and I apologise to Joseph [Mathunjwa],” said Barnard Mokwena, who was Lonmin’s executive president of human capital and external affairs at the time of a strike in 2012.
Mokwena called Mathunjwa a liar on SAFM, when they appeared on Xolani Gwala’s morning programme on 15 August 2012.
National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) president Senzeni Zokwana also participated in the radio interview.
“You accused him of lying before the South African people. You accused him of twisting the truth,” said the commission’s chairman, retired Judge Ian Farlam.
Mokwena told the commission: “On [the] Friday, I had two partners who were agreeing with me in principle that this was unprotected…. The three of us would run this interview together and workers should go back to work.
“I walked into the studio with the impression that he would reiterate that position,” he said.
Mokwena also accused Mathunjwa of calling the striking workers “sinister forces not to be engaged”.
Mokwena claimed to have recorded evidence that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) had spoken to strikers about wages at a hill near the mine.
However, he had to concede that this was not true.
“I retract that statement,” he said.
R12 500 wage demand
Mokwena also told North West police chief General Zukiswa Mbombo that it was Amcu which was making a R12 500 wage demand.
“Are you prepared to retract that as well Mr Mokwena?” asked Farlam.
“Yes, chair,” Mokwena said.
He continued: “I had honestly expected us to be a joint force in terms of what was going on. I just felt we were not in sync with Amcu: The way they approached the matter, the way they were discussing the matter with us.”
Farlam asked Mokwena if he had wanted Mbombo to arrest strikers and union leaders.
“I had no intention at any stage to get any union leader arrested. I was making an appeal that unless arrests were made, this may continue. I had absolutely no intention to influence her,” Mokwena replied.
The commission is investigating the deaths of 44 people during unrest near Lonmin’s Marikana mine.
Police opened fire on a group of mostly striking mineworkers, killing 34 of them on 16 August 2012. Around 70 people were injured and more than 200 were arrested. Police claimed they were trying to disperse and disarm them.
Ten people, including two policemen and two Lonmin security guards, were killed in the preceding week.
SAPA
Mokonyane’s ‘buttocks’ remark is Sepedi idiom
Johannesburg – Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane’s “buttocks” comment was a Sepedi idiom used to describe the extent she would go to in order to protect President Jacob Zuma.
Mokonyane was quoted in the Sowetan earlier as saying ANC members and Cabinet ministers would use their buttocks to defend Zuma.
“In our ethnic language, there are some idioms that you use to express a meaning like: Push until it happens, or do whatever it takes. That was an idiom, it was not a literal meaning,” said Mokonyane’s spokesperson Brenda Mpitsang.
“Someone who knows the language would understand the meaning. When she [Mokonyane] used that expression, she was trying to emphasise the extent she would go to counterattack the people who are attacking the president.”
“The attack is not on Zuma, but it is on the ANC. Re tlo thiba ka dibono [We will defend with our buttocks],” Mokonyane said at the launch of a water project in Marite, Mpumalanga, on Saturday.
“Like it or not, Zuma is ours. He will finish the term because we want water…”
Mokonyane said Zuma would finish his term in spite of the controversies surrounding him.
In March, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found that Zuma had derived undue benefit from the R246m improvements made to his homestead in KwaZulu-Natal. She recommended that he pay back a portion of the money.
Zuma also came under the spotlight recently when the so-called “spy tapes” were released to the DA following a court order.
SAPA
Taung residents promise to root-out crime in CBD
By Obakeng Maje
Taung- Leaders from different villages in Taung and Business Owners, gathered together to fight crime in Taung CBD. The stakeholders and village leaders have pledged their support to the country’s police service in the fight against crime.
“We needed to interact with these important partners who have helped us in our crime reduction programmes. We want police to be very active in helping us fighting the atrocity in the area; Taung is no safer as criminals use it as their cradle. Elderly people are being harassed by these criminals and police are no way to be found” Mbuti Galodikwe said.
“As the volunteers, we want to have strong partnerships so that we can create safer environments which enable economic development, growth and attract investments. The volunteers maintain that an ongoing partnerships with different stakeholders – from business, researchers, academics, community policing forums and labour unions to NGOs who give insights which have assisted in policy formulations and practical programmes will help to reduce crime in the area” said adamant Segametsi Biyani from Choseng village, near Taung.
The youth were part of the event in quest to root-out criminals in Taung CBD. Taung Youth Forum founder, Bakang Mankuroane was also part of the team and he shared his views. “In fact, our approach as residents is not premised along an impression that we are better rather, we urge more people to come on board in helping us address the challenge confronting us, which is to ensure that all Taung people are happy and feel safe,” Bakang Mankuroane said.
The meeting also covered the challenges that the South African Police Service is currently grappling with, including corruption and poor conduct of police officers.
Galodikwe said it should not be a government-only responsibility to tackle crime – and such partnerships have enabled police management to better grasp and understand some of the key issues faced by police.
Most of the criminals identified, were sitting around with no move and one would be excused not to believe that they might be involved in any criminal activities. The team also questioned one of the criminals who was found selling two used cell phones to all those who cares. The man who identified himself as Vusi Mhlongo said he is from Kwazulu-Natal and he came to visit his brother in Matolong village.
It is alleged that Taung is now attracting many criminals from various areas across South Africa as most criminals arrested are not from Taung.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DilyNews or @IceT_
Gym rape suspect cleared
Durban – New evidence of an existing relationship and CCTV footage that undercut allegations of a “rape” at a popular gym have seen the case thrown out of court.
A man accused of raping a 15-year-old girl at Westville Virgin Active will not face prosecution, after the National Prosecuting Authority examined the docket.
For more http://www.news24.com
Cops fire rubber bullets at Grabouw protesters
Grabouw – Police fired rubber bullets and used teargas to disperse more than 1 000 people protesting over service delivery at the Grabouw municipal offices in the Western Cape on Monday.
The rubber bullets were fired when protesters marching in Ou Kaapse Weg started throwing stones at police.
Earlier in the day, a section of the N2 passing the town had to be closed for several hours after cars were stoned.
Oil was poured on the highway and later rocks and burning tyres were used to block access to the town.
The N2 was closed at Sir Lowry’s Pass, Gordon’s Bay and close to Bot River.
The protesters gathered in Gaffley Street and marched to the municipal offices in Pineview to hand over a memorandum listing their grievances.
The public order policing unit was called in with Nyalas and water cannons to contain the crowd.
Theewaterskloof Mayor Chris Punt arrived from Caledon to receive the memorandum.
After handing over the memorandum and being addressed by several community leaders, the crowd left the municipal offices. They started marching back to the townships and throwing stones.
The protest is the second in recent weeks. Residents were not satisfied with the response to a list of grievances handed over to deputy mayor Mlulami Tshaka and town manager Anton Liebenberg on 20 August.
John Michels, leader of the Grabouw Civics Organisation, then warned that the N2 would be blocked every weekend until their demands were met.
Grievances included in the memorandum were lack of housing, poor and expensive electricity supply and bad road conditions.
Margaret le Roux, secretary of the GCO, said some people had been waiting more than 20 years for their houses.
“We are also not satisfied with the way the houses are allocated,” she said.
“We have a list of people that need houses but the municipality has a different list to ours.”
Eskom’s ‘responsibility’
The Theewaterskloof municipality said in a statement that it did not provide electricity to Grabouw.
Eskom was responsible for the provision of electricity.
“We do have a road maintenance programme to keep roads in a proper state but we will look at the conditions of the specific roads mentioned in the memorandum of grievances,” it said.
“As far as the roads are concerned, the statement says the municipality receives a very limited budget from the national housing department of which the bulk is spent on housing for Grabouw.”
The ANC in the Western Cape and the SA Communist Party have pledged support for the protesters.
Andile Lili, expelled former Cape Town councillor and leader of the Ses’Khona Peoples Movement, said they were gaining more and more support in Grabouw and the Theewaterskloof area.
He was not at the scene in Grabouw but confirmed by telephone that members of his movement were involved in organising the march.
“We fully support our members and the Grabouw Civic Organisation and will encourage them to continue taking action until their demands are met.
“The people must stand up for themselves.”
Ses’Khona, which has a strong base in Cape Town, was aiming at extending its support base to the Western Cape rural areas including Theewaterskloof, Hermanus and De Doorns, Lili said.
– SAPA
The Guardian 