Picture: A spade and a scooter of a young boy/Generic
By REGINALD KANYANE
A murder case against a man (38), who allegedly killed a five-month-old boy was postponed by the Leeudoringstad Magistrates’ Court until 22 November 2022 for consultation. A Legal Aid attorney representing Lazarus Chaka Hambone, who is the accused, requested a further postponement to consult with him in preparation for bail application and the court granted it.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in North West, Henry Mamothame said: “The state will oppose bail, as the accused is a parolee on a murder case that occurred in 2011. Police reports revealed that Hambone was apprehended on 6 November 2022 for the alleged murder of a five-month-old baby boy at Extension 4 in Kgakala Township near Leeudoringstad.
“According to the police reports, a 16-year-old mother to a five-month-old infant had an argument with Hambone on 5 November 2022, while carrying the baby on her back. Hambone then went outside and came back with a spade and tried to assault his niece, but ended up hitting the five-month-old baby boy.”
Mamothame said, the baby was taken to a local clinic, where he was transported to Wolmaransstad Hospital and ultimately transferred to Tshepong Hospital, where he died due to head injuries. Hambone will remain detained in police custody until the next court appearance for a formal bail application.
Picture: Police divers searching for one of the bodies drown in a dam in North West/Supplied
By BAKANG MOKOTO
Five bodies have been recovered from various dams across the North West province since the start of torrential rains. The North West police said they are concerned after provincial police divers attended to five alleged drowning incidents recently.
The North West police spokesperson, Col Adele Myburgh said, on 11 November 2022, the police divers recovered a body of an unknown female at Klipkop in the Crocodile River at about 5pm after she allegedly fell into the river and drowned.
Myburgh said in a second unrelated incident, the body of a boy (15) was recovered in a dam next to a school at around 2:20pm in Koster on 12 November 2022.
“The third incident was reported in Jouberton Township, near Klerksdorp on the same day, but the police divers only found the body of a female two days later. It is alleged that, the lady was swept away by flood water in the Jagerspruit when she tried to cross the stream.
“The fourth recovery of an unknown body, which was in a state of decomposition was made on 14 November 2022 in Boitekong at Sunrise Park at the Hex River in the afternoon. The last unidentified body of a male was recovered in Brits on 17 November 2022 in the Crocodile River,” she said.
Myburgh further said, it took the divers who were assisted by the Air Wing three days to retrieve the body, which was spotted through utilisation of a drone due to crocodiles that were visible in the water close to the body. She said the public is advised to take heed and apply the safety tips.
“When swimming, please never swim alone and do not duck and push others into or around water. Please ensure that, the water depths are appropriate for swimming and diving. Never dive into muddy or unclear water and do not swim during electrical storms.
“Do not enter the water unless you are a strong swimmer and when swimming in dams, check the edge of the dam for soft mud. Move slowly to the water, if the ground retreat. Weeds may occur in all environments and should be avoided whenever possible,” said Myburgh.
She added that, if caught in a weed or kelp, swimmers should remain calm, keep all movement to a minimum and remove the weed or kelp before swimming out. Myburgh said swimmers should also be careful of currents and undertows in fast-flowing rivers.
“Extreme care should be taken when entering the rivers due to changing conditions. Before entering the water, please check the strength of the current and when caught in a fast-flowing river, travel feet first, this will absorb the head and body from serious injury.
“When you fall into the water, unable to stand and reach the side quickly, you should stay calm. You should keep your head above the water by kicking as if you are cycling and by paddling with your hands at the same time. Also, try not to swallow water and when you swim in open water, it is much harder than swimming in the still waters of a pool,” she said.
TaungDailyNews 