Category Archives: NEWS

Date set for EFF hearing on Parly fracas


Johannesburg – The powers and privileges committee in Parliament will on Tuesday commence with a disciplinary hearing against 20 EFF MPs who heckled President Jacob Zuma in the National Assembly.

“The committee will communicate with the media and the general public after the initial deliberations to determine whether or not to open the proceedings to the media,” the parliamentary communication services said in a statement on Sunday.

It said according to the rules of the National Assembly, the meeting should be a closed session, but provision can be made for the committee to open proceedings if all parties agree to it.

On 21 August, Economic Freedom Fighters MPs brought Parliament to a standstill by shouting “pay back the money” at Zuma during presidential question time. This was in reference to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s recommendation that Zuma pay back part of the money spent on his private home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.

On 29 September, the Western Cape High Court denied the EFF an urgent interdict to halt the disciplinary proceedings.

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ANC snubs its intergrity body


The ANC’s efforts to fight corruption in its own ranks are backfiring as its leaders question the motives of its own integrity commission.
For more http://www.citypress.co.za

Taung foreign shop-owner dies after armed robbery


By Obakeng Maje
Taung- The community of Tamasikwa village, near Taung still trying to come to terms after what is labeled a “barbaric act” hit their area.

It seems crime is a very serious issue not only in urban areas, but also hitting rural areas nowadays. The gun-shots were heard at a foreign-owned shop at around 19:30 on Tuesday and that left a 22 year-old Pakistani in Intensive Care Unit(ICU) at Klerksdorp hospital with a gun-shot wound, but later died on Friday in Pretoria while taken to private hospital.

Adil Shehbaz,22, was shot by unknown suspects who came to his shop with intention of robbing him.

Shehbaz was about to close his shop when two suspects, one armed with a gun pounced on him. The suspects allegedly unleashed a warning shot and demanded money from Shehbaz.

“He explained to them that he does not have money, but the suspects decided to shoot at him” Madasar Iqbal who is uncle to the victim said.

Iqbal,26, said to add the salt to the wound, police arrived only after eight hours.

“The incident took place at around 19:30, we called the police but they only arrived eight hours later. I believe if they arrived early, something would ‘ve been done. We do not feel safe anymore” he outlines.

The suspects allegedly fled with undisclosed amount of money and demanded the victim’s car keys.

They drove away with the victim’s Toyota Hilux which was found abandoned in the bushes between Takaneng and Diretseng village.

“It is alleged that on Tuesday at approximately 19:30, two suspects arrived at the shop in Tamasikwa village with covered faces and one of them armed with a firearm.  A shot was allegedly fired and hit a shop owner (Pakistani National) in the chest” North West police spokesperson colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said. 

Mokgwabone said the suspects took an undisclosed amount of cash and drove away with the car that was parked outside. 

“The offended was taken to hospital for treatment and the car was later found abandoned near Direetseng village. No one has been arrested at this stage” he concludes.

“The victim died on Friday in Pretoria after we took him to a private hospital. We are really saddened by his untimely departure” Iqubal said. 
Police investigations continue.-TDN
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MEC Mohono conveys her heartfelt condolences to families of four Chinese tourists


Rustenburg- The North West MEC for Tourism, Desbo Mohono has expressed in shock her deepest condolence to the families of four Chinese tourists who recently lost their lives following a fatal accident which occurred on the R556 road between Sun City and Brits in the Bojanala Platinum District while on their six-day Africa tour organized by the Walk Through Africa Tours (WATAT).

“It is with a heavy heart that we convey our deepest and most sincere condolences to the families that lost their loved ones. It is truly unfortunate and disturbing to us as a province that such atrocity occur when these tourists were here to experience our tourism products which we have to offer. We would also like to sympathize with the families of the injured, wish them well and hope their loved ones recover soon”, said MEC Mohono.

 The Chinese tourists whom most are from the northern part of China were reportedly traveling to Johannesburg after their tourism trip to Sun City when another vehicle collided head-on with their tour bus.

MEC Mohono said that such incidents are becoming a deterrent to the department’s endeavors to attract more tourists into the province.

“We are committed to ensuring that the North West province becomes a preferred tourist destination, and we can only achieve that if we ensure that our tourists are safe from all sorts of harm. However, I am still adamant and would like to assure all our tourists both local and international that the North West province is still a safe province to tour”, she concluded. 
-TDN
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N West father jailed to life imprisonment after raping daughter

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By Obakeng Maje
The fight against contact crimes gained success when Ga-Rankuwa Regional Court sentenced a 40-year-old father to life imprisonment on Monday for rape.  

The accused was arrested at Dekroon section in Mothotlung township for raping his biological daughter on 18 April 2013.

“The family was living together when the accused chased away his wife as well as an elderly daughter and stayed with the young daughter,13, and the son. It was during the night on 17 April 2013 that he went to the daughter’s bedroom, fetched her and raped her” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said. 

The daughter was raped three times during that night and the father informed her not to tell anyone.

The accused was exposed when the survivor disclosed the ordeal to the elder sister who visited the family during the day. The survivor and her sister both went to Mothotlung Police Station to open a case and the suspect was arrested. 

Mmakau Cluster FCS investigated the case until the accused was sentenced.-TDN
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De Lille: Govt has ’embarrassed’ SA


CAPE TOWN – Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille says the South African government has embarrassed the country and undermined its international standing.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za

Sadtu a beacon of hope – Motshekga

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Johannesburg – The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) is a beacon of hope, having made huge progress since apartheid when schools were “on fire”, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said on Thursday.

“[You are] a shining example of what happens when revolutionaries refuse to accept the status quo but choose to fight for a cause,” she told Sadtu’s congress in Boksburg, on the East Rand.

“We have made progress towards universal coverage of school-going children… We have progressively worked towards eliminating mud schools and inappropriate school structures, replacing them with state-of-the-art buildings.”

Motshekga said she was glad the apartheid system had been replaced, and the focus was now on improving quality education.

She said South Africa needed a strong Sadtu, not a divided union.

“We must collectively work towards healing and maintaining a vibrant and united Sadtu. Our promise to Madiba’s legacy is to protect the education system in South Africa.”

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Driver says snake caused him to crash bus

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Johannesburg – Four people were killed when a bus driver apparently saw a snake, causing him to crash into a minibus taxi near Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal.

KwaZulu-Natal police could on Thursday not confirm a Daily Sun report that the driver let go of the steering wheel and leapt to his feet when he saw the reptile.

Police spokesperson Jay Naicker said the cause of the accident, on the M25 near Dube village on Wednesday morning, was unknown.

Four women, aged between 27 and 44, died and four others were injured and taken to hospital. All eight were passengers in the minibus.

The bus driver was unhurt. He was not carrying passengers at the time.

The Daily Sun reported on Thursday that when the driver saw the snake the bus swerved into the path of the oncoming taxi.

A woman who did not want to be named told the newspaper she saw the taxi driver jump out of the window.

“He wasn’t injured but then I went closer and saw body parts scattered everywhere,” she was quoted as saying.

Local residents told the newspaper they found the snake and beat it to death with stones.

Naicker said two minibuses were involved and that they were searching for one of the drivers after he fled the scene.

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Domestic worker racial abuse case resumes


Johannesburg – The trial of a man, who allegedly assaulted and racially insulted his girlfriend’s domestic worker, will resume in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

Andre van Deventer faces charges of common assault and crimen injuria.

During a previous appearance, the court heard that the domestic worker, Gloria Kente, 50, had poor health after he allegedly assaulted and swore at her.

His lawyer, Henry van der Westhuizen, said Kente had health issues because she was overweight and unhealthy.

However, Kente said her doctor had never told her she was overweight and that she had never eaten healthy foods at her employer’s house.

She also told the court that when she asked Van Deventer to look after Pienaar’s child while she took a shower, she said she heard him shouting that they were “paying this kaffir R2400 to look after the child”.

He allegedly grabbed her by the collar of her pyjamas. Kente has also applied to the Equality Court in Cape Town for R100 000 in damages and an unconditional apology from Van Deventer.

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Trio guilty of killing Muldersdrift girl, 13


Johannesburg – The South Gauteng High Court, sitting in Palm Ridge, has found three men guilty of various crimes in Muldersdrift including the murder of a schoolgirl, The Star reported on Thursday.

Alfred Zwane, Samson Mandlezi and Manir Ubisi were found guilty on 15 charges, including the murders of 13-year-old Alyssa Botha and 50-year-old Andre Jordaan, three attempted murders, robbery with aggravated circumstances, housebreaking and illegal possession of firearms.

The three denied knowledge of the crimes, but Judge Moses Mavundla rejected this on Wednesday when he handed down judgment.

Mavundla said he was satisfied that the State had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

On 5 September 2012, Anton Botha picked up his daughters Alyssa and Meghan from a friend’s house when Alyssa was shot dead. The men shot Anton Botha in the abdomen and he lost a kidney as a result.

Meghan was shot twice in the legs.

Jordaan was shot during a robbery in the area and died in hospital.

Sentencing procedures were due to begin on Thursday.

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