Johannesburg – Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on Tuesday thanked trade union Numsa for supporting him during his suspension from the labour federation.

“I thank Numsa for the support when the hyenas came for me,” he told thousands of striking metalworkers in Johannesburg.

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) backed Vavi following his suspension from the Cosatu last year.

Numsa took the matter to court and successfully fought against the suspension. Vavi was subsequently reinstated.

He said Numsa stood its ground and refused to be manipulated.

“Cosatu was going to be turned from a militant union to a sweetheart for those in power,” he said to thunderous applause from striking workers.

Workers wanted a Cosatu that did not look down, but spoke out to those in power.

“Another important fact is that Numsa never said it wanted out of Cosatu… that is a lie.”

Numsa’s demand for a 12% wage increase was a compromise, he said.

“We want 15%… asijiki nge 15% [we are not turning back on 15%].”

SAPA

Pretoria – Murder-accused Oscar Pistorius planned to take his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp to two of his athletics meetings in Manchester and Brazil, the North Gauteng High Court heard on Tuesday.

Pistorius’s agent Petrus van Zyl testified it was the first time the athlete had asked a girlfriend to accompany him to sports meetings.

“I [Pistorius] actually want Miss Steenkamp to see what my world is really about… so she can understand why I sometimes cannot come with her to certain events and functions,” Van Zyl said Pistorius had told him.

Pistorius took his glasses off, rubbed his eyes, and clenched his jaw while Van Zyl testified.

Travel plans

Barry Roux SC, for Pistorius, asked Van Zyl about when the travel plans were made. He said the plans were discussed on 7 February 2013 while he was visiting the athlete to plan their year. This was seven days before Pistorius shot and killed Steenkamp.

Pistorius leaned forward and looked down as Van Zyl explained that Steenkamp would accompany the athlete’s team to an exhibition race in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 31 March.

The two had planned to invite the model to a sporting event in Manchester, United Kingdom, and an Andrea Bocelli concert in Tuscany, Italy.

The pair called Steenkamp to tell her the news. Pistorius gave Van Zyl the phone to give her the good news via a video call.

“She was very excited,” Van Zyl told the court.

Pistorius is charged with murdering Steenkamp on 14 February last year.

He shot her through the locked door of his toilet in his Pretoria home, apparently thinking she was an intruder about to open the door and attack him. She was struck in the hip, arm, and head. After firing the shots, Pistorius used a cricket bat to break open the door to get to a dying Steenkamp.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder as well as not guilty to three firearm-related charges.

The State argues he killed her during an argument.

SAPA

Johannesburg – Four people were arrested following a raid on a scrap yard in Putfontein where 18 steel manhole covers were recovered, Ekurhuleni metro police said on Tuesday.

The four, aged between 20 and 26, were arrested on Monday afternoon and charged with theft of council property, Chief Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago said.

“All the 18 manhole covers recovered were positively identified as belonging to Ekurhuleni municipality water department.

“Residents of Crystal Park had to every morning contend with ensuring that the dangerously exposed manholes are attended to in order to avert both vehicle damages and pedestrian injuries,” Kgasago said.

The four were expected to appear in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court soon.

SAPA

East London – Thirteen initiates have died in the Eastern Cape since the beginning of the winter initiation season, the provincial health department said on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said hospitals were overcrowded with severely ill initiates seeking medical assistance.

“The worst affected area is Mthatha in the OR Tambo region where health centres are clogged. Boys are brought in with their penises practically falling off,” Kupelo said.

The already constrained health system in the province was suffering a setback because of the initiation season.

“The day to day work by health workers is severely affected, the department is spending R1 000 on each initiate brought in for treatment,” said Kupelo.

The department had set aside R20m to intervene and help the initiates.

Private healthcare services and an additional 37 SUV vehicles have been hired to get health workers to initiates in the mountains.

Parents blamed

The parents of the initiates were to blame for some of the problems experienced, he said.

Parents allowed criminals masquerading as circumcision experts to circumcise their children. The parents also denied health workers access so they could examine the boys, Kupelo said.

“In one instance, a young boy died a day after his father refused him access to a health worker. That parent must be held accountable.”

Kupelo said the department urged police and the National Prosecuting Authority to bring criminal charges against the perpetrators.

The Mthatha area had seen criminals “milking” the custom to their advantage while putting the lives of young boys at risk.

“We want law enforcement to charge them with murder wherever a life is lost. These criminals use the same instrument on all boys, increasing the risk of contracting HIV/Aids and other diseases. The initiates are very young and their lives are in danger on a daily basis,” he said.

SAPA

Polokwane – Three more Limpopo mayors have been recalled from office, the African National Congress in the province announced on Tuesday.

This was after four mayors, reportedly linked to Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, were relieved of their duties last week.

“In accordance with the decision of the PEC [provincial executive committee] to restructure the PMT [political management team] of certain municipalities, the restructuring of the PMTs of Bela-Bela, Mutale, and Musina local municipalities resulted in the need to change mayors of these municipalities,” the ANC said.

The mayors fired were Musina mayor Carol Phiri, Bela-Bela mayor Freddy Hlungwane, and Mutale mayor Josephine Mukwevho.

The ANC had already appointed new mayors in their places. These were Lucas Nhlapo at Bela-Bela, Sarah Rammbuda at Mutale, and Mohloti Ramoyada at Musina.

The party also announced the names of the mayors who would replace the four mayors fired last week.

SA Communist Party interim provincial secretary Gilbert Kganyago would take over as mayor of the Capricorn district municipality.

Nkakareng Rakgoale takes over as mayor of Mopani district municipality, Thembi Nkadimeng as mayor of the Polokwane local municipality, Julia Mathebe as mayor of Elias Motsoaledi local municipality, and Ralepane Mammekwa as mayor of the Greater Tubatse local municipality.

The party made the announcement following its special PEC meeting held on Monday.

SAPA

Kimberley – A mother and her 6-year-old son burnt to death when their shack in Ritchie went up in flames early on Monday morning. An 11-year-old boy managed to escape the blaze and called for help, but he was not able to save his mother and brother.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Cape Town – Three police officers were gunned down and their firearms stolen in two separate incidents on Monday in what Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoer called a “disaster”.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

JOHANNESBURG – A last ditch attempt by the labour ministry to avert a mass strike by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has failed and thousands of members in the metal industry are expected to stop work today.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za

Johannesburg – The department of home affairs on Monday said it noted the ruling given by the Western Cape High Court in favour of two people separated from their spouses because of immigration laws.

In a statement, home affairs said it was still studying the judgment and would provide comment in due course.

According to the SABC, Brent Johnson and Cherene Delorie took the department to court to challenge what they called “unconstitutional legislation” governing visa applications.

Their foreign partners were branded undesirable and barred entry into South Africa.

Home affairs said this was after they failed to follow due process when renewing their visas earlier in 2014.

The national broadcaster reported that Judge James Yekiso ruled that the status of undesirability over Johnson’s wife and son who are in Denmark, and Delorie’s husband who is in Zimbabwe, be suspended and they be allowed to return to South Africa.

SAPA