By Obakeng Maje
Sun City- North West police arrested a 21 year-old man at Mosekeng Section, in Mabeskraal village near Rustenburg.

The suspect was found with an illegal firearm, pair of shoes, laptop and cellphone.

“The suspect was arrested after a burglary case that was reported few weeks ago. Police followed a tip-off that led them to a house in Mabeskraal” sergeant Kealeboga Molale said.

Molale said the pair of shoes found at the house of the accused, was positively linked to a burglary case.

A 21 year-old man will appear before Mogwase Magistrate Court for being in possession of illegal firearm, suspected stolen laptop, cellphone and pair of shoes.

Police investigation continues.-TDN
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Cape Town – Court proceedings in the case of a woman accused of defrauding the Raya Hotel Group were postponed by the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday.

Mymona Creighton, 31, faces 250 counts of fraud involving R10 263 813 and one charge of money laundering involving the Raya Hotel Group, which owns the Capetonian Hotel in Cape Town and the Balmoral Hotel in Durban.

Her Legal Aid attorney, Hayley Lawrence told the magistrate there were “new developments” in the case that needed to be discussed with the prosecutor and legal aid organisation.

The case that began in September 2013 was postponed on Thursday to 16 July.

Creighton’s trial was originally meant to have started in January, after previous plea negotiation talks collapsed.

Creighton began working for the hotel group 10 years ago as the assistant to the accountant and seven years later was promoted to the post of accountant.

She was based at the head office in Cape Town.

She was responsible for the payment of the group’s creditors, and had to present cheques for payment to the group’s management for signature.

Prosecutor Simon Leope alleges that she either deleted or changed the details of the payees on cheques, after payment had been authorised by management.

It is alleged that the cheques would then be made payable to fictitious people, and the proceeds channelled into Creighton’s personal bank accounts.

To “cover her tracks”, Creighton is alleged to have recorded the correct cheque details on management payment schedules, but intercepted and destroyed bank-processed cheques as they arrived back from the bank.

In this manner, Creighton allegedly eliminated evidence of her manipulation, and misappropriated the money.

Leope alleges that she concealed the payments, and used fictitious names, to hide the true nature of the fraudulent payments.

SAPA

By Obakeng Maje
Magogong- A 54 year-old man died in a blazing fire at Magogong village, near Taung.

North West police said a 54 year-old was sleeping alone in a shack and neighbours were woken up by blazing fire.

“A man was burned beyond recognition in a shack at Magogong village, near Taung. The man was allegedly sleeping alone around 19:30. The cause of the fire is not yet known and an inquest case was opened” Kealeboga Molale said.

The police investigations continue.-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Magogong- A 54 year-old man died in a blazing fire at Magogong village, near Taung.

North West police said a 54 year-old was sleeping alone in a shack and neighbours were woken up by blazing fire.

“A man was burned beyond recognition in a shack at Magogong village, near Taung. The man was allegedly sleeping alone around 19:30. The cause of the fire is not yet known and an inquest case was opened” Kealeboga Molale said.

The police investigations continue.-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Taung- North West police are investigating a case of inquest after one person perished in a ‘head on’ collision on Wednesday in Taung.

Sergeant Kealeboga Molale said two cars were involved in a collision and the driver died after succumbed to injuries.

“According to information, a Jetta model was driving towards Pudumoe direction while the Cruze with only the driver inside, was driving towards Hartswater on N18. It is alleged that the driver of a Jetta was driving behind a truck and tried to overtake a truck, but faced an oncoming traffic” Molale said.

The Jetta driver who was residing in Dryharts and reported to be a police officer, was driving with two passengers in the car.

The accident was so horrible that one passenger was trapped and ‘Jaws of Life’ was used to free the passenger.

“We do not have all details, but the deceased is suspected to be between 25 and 30 years. All occupants who were injured were taken to local hospital for medical attention” she said.-TDN
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Johannesburg – Agang SA could reconcile following the resignation of its leader Mamphela Ramphele, the party said on Wednesday.

She announced her exist from politics on Tuesday, claiming she wanted to return to working alongside the country’s citizens in civil society.

Agang SA had been divided into two factions with the one side aligned with Ramphele and the other calling for her removal as party head, said Agang SA acting spokesperson John McConnachie.

“Talks aimed at settling the differences between the two factions may take place this weekend and could also afford a reprieve to the party’s two parliamentary leaders, Mike Tshisonga and Andries Tlouamma,” said McConnachie.

Last resort

“Agang SA’s reconstituted NEC yesterday [Tuesday] decided to explore the possibility of such talks as a last resort to stop destructive in-fighting and a likely protracted court battle.”

Tshisonga and Tlouamma were served notices of expulsion by the party last week.

This came after their alleged involvement in plans to oust Ramphele from the party.

In June, Ramphele and Tshisonga opened separate fraud cases with police over a bank account opened to receive a refund from the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC), believed to be around R200 000.

At the time, Tlouamma announced that Tshisonga, who is also the party chair, would be acting president.

Tshisonga and Tlouamma were both members of Agang SA’s former national executive committee.

The former NEC has been replaced by a newly constituted NEC formed by a task team appointed by Ramphele after the elections.

Tshisonga and Tlouamma and the other members of their faction had rejected the legitimacy of the newly constituted NEC.

McConnachie said the weekend talks would be a “once-off” offer and that they must take place and be finalised.

If the talks failed, the party planned to proceed with urgent disciplinary measures against Tshisonga, Tlouamma and their faction, said McConnachie.

SAPA

Johannesburg – A Jozi FM DJ suspected of murdering his girlfriend was scheduled to appear in the Protea Magistrate’s Court in Soweto on Thursday.

A tip-off to police led to his arrest on Tuesday.

He had been on the run for a week.

The presenter at the Soweto-based community radio station was accused of stabbing his girlfriend several times in a flat in Jabulani, Soweto on 29 June.

He apparently phoned the woman’s friend and confessed to killing her, police said at the time.

A R50 000 reward had been offered for information leading to his arrest.
SAPA

Johannesburg – After two decades behind bars, former apartheid-era police colonel Eugene de Kock will know on Thursday whether he will be granted parole.

Justice Minister Michael Masutha was expected to announce his decision on De Kock’s parole application in Pretoria.

De Kock, who was nicknamed “Prime Evil”, approached the High Court in Pretoria for a decision in May.

The court gave Masutha 30 days to make a decision. The 30 days did not include weekends and holidays.

The national council for correctional services made a recommendation about De Kock’s parole in November last year.

The recommendation was sent to then minister S’bu Ndebele. When he failed to act, De Kock approached the high court to force him to do so.

De Kock was in charge of a police “death squad” at Vlakplaas, outside Pretoria.

He was arrested in 1994 and convicted in the High Court in Pretoria in 1996.

He was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment for two murders and a further 212 years’ imprisonment on charges including conspiracy to commit murder, culpable homicide, kidnapping, assault, and fraud.

Many of his former colleagues who committed murder under his command testified in return for indemnity from prosecution.
SAPA

Johannesburg – Free State health care workers on Wednesday staged an overnight sit-in at the province’s health headquarters known as Bophelo House, said the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC).

TAC general secretary, Anele Yawa, said they were joining the health care workers in the demonstrations, which were expected to continue until Thursday.

“This sit-in signals the start of a campaign of civil disobedience in the Free State,” Yawa said in a statement.

He said it would be a peaceful demonstration.

The sit-in came after their efforts to address the provincial health department through meetings and letters had failed.

“In parallel to the civil disobedience campaign, we are also exploring the potential of litigating against [health MEC Benny] Malakoane and the Free State department of health,” said Yawa.

“We would have preferred to avoid litigation, but we have exhausted all other avenues.”

The group was demanding that Free State Premier Ace Magashule remove Malakoane from his position.

“If Magashule is not willing to do this, we call on the ANC’s national leadership to intervene.”

The TAC claimed that Magashule had responded to a letter it had written to him.

Retire at 50

“His response was evasive and showed no understanding of the crisis in the province,” Yawa said.

The disgruntled health care workers were also calling for the immediate reinstatement of some of their dismissed colleagues. It was unclear why they had been fired.

They also wanted changes within the health department and for it to go public on its financial problems.

This was the second overnight sit-in held by the health care workers in as many weeks.

They staged another sit-in on 26 June, demanding clarity from Malakoane after he reportedly suggested that health care workers without matric would need to obtain matric certificates before rejoining the health care programme. He also allegedly stated that those who were over the age of 50 would need to retire.

The workers were also demanding their salaries after they were not paid for two months.

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