Kimberley – A 28-year-old Herlear man, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting his stepbrother’s seven-year-old daughter, escaped a prison sentence on Wednesday when he was given a three-year jail term, suspended for five years.

The incident happened in February 2013 at the home of the child’s grandparents, where the accused had an outside room.

Magistrate Jesse Clarke said on Wednesday that when considering an appropriate sentence, he needed to take into account the personal circumstances of the accused, the offence committed and the interests of society.

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Kimberley – Two Kimberley pastors narrowly escaped the devastating effects of Saturday’s earthquake in Nepal, which caused extensive damage and triggered huge avalanches on Mount Everest.

Pastors André Venter, 56, and Harry Hurndall, 55, of the City of Hope Church in Kimberley, were on a climb to Mount Everest’s base camp as part of a fundraising effort for a local children’s home, Christina Kiddie Children’s Home.

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Johannesburg – A prosecutor in Galeshewe in the Northern Cape appeared in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of corruption.

“It is alleged that the prosecutor Anele Kohlani asked for R1 500 in order to withdraw a case of assault against a complainant. The complainant reported this to Hawks,” said spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi.

Kohlani, 32, was arrested earlier on Wednesday. He was granted a R1 000 bail, Mulaudzi said.

He is expected back in court on May 22.

ANA

Kimberley – An 82-year-old man was hacked to death at his home in Longlands, while his dog was found lying dead next to his body during the early hours of on Wednesday morning.

It is believed that the eight-week-old puppy was kicked and stomped to death, while eyewitnesses stated that the deceased’s throat was slit.

The deceased, Leonard Sibiya, had been living alone in a lorry bin behind some unused mining dumps for a number of years, following the death of his wife.

No one has been arrested for the murder yet.

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Rustenburg – The badly decomposed body of a teenage girl has been found on an open veld in Tlhabologang near Coligny, North West police said on Thursday.

Major Pelonomi Makau said the 17-year-old girl was found Wednesday.

“The woman was allegedly reported missing two weeks before she was recovered. Police discovered that the deceased’s right arm was cut off, skin was missing from her thigh, her private parts were removed and her throat was cut open,” she said.

“At the moment police cannot confirm if the incident is muti-related until the post-mortem has been conducted. Police investigations continue.”

ANA

Rustenburg – Six people have been arrested for conspiracy to commit robbery at Kalgold mine near Setlagole, North West police said on Sunday.

Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said members of the Hawks and the Tactical Response Team (TRT) received information about the robbery on Friday.

“The members were keeping an observation in Kalgold mine near Setlagole village when suspects driving a white Ford Courier with registration number HWS 029 NW arrived at the mine gate manned by security guards.

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Rustenburg – North West police on Tuesday said they have released a man detained for questioning in connection with the murder of Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) official Collen Petlele.

“ The man taken for questioning was released without being charged,” said Major Pelonomi Makau.

The 40-year-old man from Lesotho was taken in for questioning after Petlele, 39, the chairman of Amcu’s health and safety desk in the Rustenburg region was gunned down at his parents business premises in Luka near Rustenburg on April 19.

At the time of his arrest, police said they believed that he would assist the police in the investigation and arrest of the suspect.

Two shots were fired at Petlele, he was hit in the back and head. He died at the Impala Mine Hospital.

At his funeral service on Sunday, his uncle Boy Zebulone Ralonya told mourners that he believed his death was a hit.

“Why would the gunman take his shoes and wallet?” he asked.

“To me, this is for the gunman to prove to his handlers that he had done the job.”

Amcu general secretary Jeff Mphahlele said the union was concerned that police were quick to make arrests when members of the rival National Union of Mineworkers were killed but that the opposite happened when there had been attacks on Amcu, even when the gave information to the police.

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Johannesburg– The South African Football Association (SAFA) has congratulated Kaizer Chiefs for winning the 2014/2015 Absa Premier Soccer League title.
Amakhosi wrapped up the league title when they defeated Polokwane City 4-1 at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night (22 April).
“SAFA would hereby want to congratulate Kaizer Chiefs for winning this season’s league title. They ran a magnificent race from start to finish. They say numbers don’t lie and the points on the table show their consistency throughout the season.
“They didn’t only win the league title but I think in the process, they played perhaps the most entertaining brand of football. For them to be top of the table from the third match to the end shows they had a good plan, which worked out well in the end.
“We are confident they will take this form into the CAF Champions League when they take part in CAF competition and fly the South African flag high,” said SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan.
“I would also like to praise all the PSL teams for a good campaign and making this season one of the most talked about campaigns ever.”

-TDN

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Mahikeng Ministers Fellowship (MMF) in the North West Province in its Freedom Day message called on South Africans to eradicate the culture of violence, reclaim the spirit of ubuntu and respect for the founding values enshrined in the constitution.

“Deepening and redoubling our effort to uphold amongst others the achievement of equality of all citizens, advancing human rights and freedoms, non-racialism, non-sexism, supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law should remain high on our priorities to combat intolerance,”Chairperson of MMF(an interdenominational pastors fellowship), Apostle Zandisile Reginald Mpame said.