Durban – A man was caught driving at 211km per hour on the N2 on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast, the provincial transport department said on Saturday.

“He was driving at 211 km/h in a120 km/h zone on Friday night, which is way above the legal speed limit,” the department said in a statement.

“When stopped by the police, the driver tried to run away. Police gave chase and arrested him.”

The driver was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

MEC Willies Mchunu said the arrest should send a strong message to all motorists that traffic officers, working with the police and municipal officers would be on high alert during the festive season.

“We urge all road users to take responsibility by strictly respecting and adhering to all traffic laws, at all times. Let’s all work together towards preventing the occurrence of road accidents this festive season and beyond,” said Mchunu.

The driver was granted a R1000 bail at the police station.

He is expected to appear on charges of speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol in the Scottburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Sapa

Johannesburg – Media queries that resulted in the deputy chairman of the IEC paying back R6000 in entertainment expense claims were part of a smear campaign, the commission said on Saturday.

“The Electoral Commission was approached recently by a newspaper with queries regarding entertainment expenses claimed by members of the commission,” said spokesman Marco Granelli.

“It was clear that this was part of a smear campaign to discredit members of the commission linked to the process to appoint a replacement commissioner and chairperson.”

The Beeld reported on Saturday that Terry Tselane paid back the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) in order to restore the damage to his name and reputation.

Tselane and two other IEC commissioners, Bongani Finca and Raenette Taljaard, faced allegations of mismanagement and misspending the IEC’s money during the process of appointing a new chairperson in place of Pansy Tlakula, according to the report.

Tselane reportedly put an expensive meal and drinks at a luxury Sandton restaurant on the IEC’s account, despite it not being for work purposes, the newspaper said.

He allegedly used the IEC’s equipment, stationery and staff for his recent wedding, it said.

However, Granelli said all Tselane’s expenses were “legitimate business expenses and were approved in line with Electoral Commission’s policies”.

Granelli said Tselane’s entertainment expenses averaged less than R500 a year for the 13 years he had been employed at the IEC.

“Commissioner Tselane decided to personally pay for these in the light of the personal attacks on his reputation,” Granelli said.

Tselane told Beeld that his colleagues had assisted with planning his wedding, but that they had volunteered to do so.

He also attributed claims of misspending as being part of a smear campaign.

The public protector was doing a preliminary investigation into allegations against the three commissioners, the newspaper reported.

Sapa

Cape Town – Jean de Villiers has “significant” knee ligament damage and will likely find out later this week if he has a realistic chance of recovering in time to captain South Africa at next year’s World Cup.

The centre dislocated his knee cap in the Springboks’ 12-6 loss to Wales in Cardiff on Saturday and scans have revealed the damage is extensive, with no timeframe yet put on his recovery.

“The scans revealed significant ligament damage to the inside of his knee and the supporting muscles,” team doctor Craig Roberts said in a news release on Sunday.

“Jean will return to South Africa and see an orthopaedic specialist in Cape Town early in the week. He has had previous surgery on this knee and the further management of the injury is dependent upon the specialist’s recommendations.”

The loss of De Villiers, both as a captain and key decision-maker in the backline, would be a significant blow to South Africa’s chances at the September 18 to October 31 tournament in England.

The 33-year-old injured his knee five minutes into his Springboks debut against France in 2002 and did not play for the national side again for almost two years.

The Wales defeat marked a disappointing end to what has been a mixed year for coach Heyneke Meyer, who insisted he was pleased to have at least grown the depth of the squad in 2014.

South Africa’s win percentage of 71 (10 out of 14 tests) stacks up very favourably to their performances in the years prior to the last three World Cup tournaments, when they hovered around the 50 percent mark.

“Statistics showed us the year before a World Cup is always tough and our aim was to work hard and ensure we still perform well,” Meyer said.

“We learnt valuable lessons from the defeats in Cardiff and Dublin (against Ireland), while we came very close in Perth (Australia) and Auckland (New Zealand). Although the season wasn’t perfect, I think we’ve still done well.

“With all the injuries to key players, and our overseas-based players not available at stages during the season, we were also forced to build our depth, which can be seen as a positive.

“We have nine months of very hard work ahead before we head out to England for the World Cup.” – Reuters

Johannesburg – A broken security fence around President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home has been fixed, the Sunday Times reported.

The newspaper reported that by Thursday afternoon, all sections of the R6.2 million outer fence had been fixed and logs that had previously been used to prop up areas which had collapsed were removed.

Two trucks belonging to a company specialising in fencing projects were also parked in the area.

The fence was erected outside the president’s 8.9ha private homestead in KwaZulu-Natal less than two years ago.

There is also a 3m-high internal fence that cost R8.2m.

On Sunday, the newspaper corrected its previous report that the Betafence Projects company had erected the collapsed fence. It said the company had only erected the inner fence which was “in good repair”.

Sapa

Johannesburg – The department of international relations was on Sunday checking up on reports that three South Africans were killed in an attack in Afghanistan.

“We are still trying to get information. But it is a weekend, so it will be difficult,” said department spokesman Clayson Monyela.

“And even if we do get information, we won’t release it until the next of kin are informed.”

The Associated Press on Sunday reported that three South African nationals and one Afghan were killed in an attack on a guesthouse in the capital Kabul.

The chief of Kabul police, Gen Mohammed Zahir, said that the head of an international aid group was killed, along with his son and daughter, on Saturday.

He gave no ages for the children, and did not identify the organisation.

Zahir said one of the three attackers wore a police uniform.

The attack was the second in as many days on guesthouses occupied by foreigners, and comes amid a spike in violence in the Afghan capital.

The US and NATO formally end their 13-year combat mission in Afghanistan on December 31.

Sapa

Jerusalem – An umpire and former captain of Israel’s national cricket team died on Saturday after being hit by a ball, just two days after the death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes due to a freak head injury left the sports world reeling.

The Israel cricket association said Hillel Oscar died after being hit by a ball which had just been struck by a batsman.

Oscar, 55, was officiating in a match in the southern port city of Ashdod.

ICA chief Naor Gudker told AFP Saturday’s game was the last in the national league season.

“We’re simply in shock,” he said from the hospital where Oscar was pronounced dead.

“He was an international umpire. He officiated in European championships, he officiated in games in Israel: his future was ahead of him,” Gudker said.

“He was a player for the national Israeli team and he was captain of the national team.”

Police said they were investigating his death.

“We know a ball was hit in his direction, he tried to escape it, he fell – what happened there is still being investigated,” Gudker told AFP.

“The entire Israel Cricket Association and players bow their heads in his memory. He was a wonderful man, cricketer, and umpire,” Gudker said.

Israeli police have ruled out any foul play in the incident.

Fatal accidents are rare in cricket. But Oscar’s death comes just after Australian batsman Phillip Hughes died of a severe head injury caused when he was hit by a ball during a New South Wales match in Sydney.

Hughes, who would have celebrated his 26th birthday on Sunday, collapsed face first onto the pitch after being struck by a bouncer bowled by Sean Abbott.

Hughes was wearing a helmet, but the rising ball struck him on the side of the neck in a “freakish accident”, according to the Australian team doctor Peter Brukner.

The Australian international, who played 26 test matches and 25 one day internationals for his country, died on Thursday in hospital after never regaining consciousness.

His death has sparked a spontaneous #putoutyourbats tribute, which has gone viral.

On Sunday, Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke wrote a moving birthday tribute to Hughes, calling him the brother he never had.

Clarke added he has “struggled to comprehend how this tragedy could happen to one of life’s true characters and gentlemen”. – Sapa-AFP