Johannesburg – Kirsty Theologo, who died after being set alight in an apparent satanic ritual, wanted to be sacrificed, the South Gauteng High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court heard on Thursday.

A magistrate testified on Thursday that one of the accused, Lindon Wagner, made a sworn statement to him admitting to setting Theologo and her friend, who was 14 at the time, alight in October 2011.

Wagner, Robin Harwood, Harvey Isha, and Courtney Daniels have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, attempted murder, and assault to cause grievous bodily harm.

In October 2011, Theologo was doused with petrol and set alight on a hill behind the Linmeyer swimming pool south of Johannesburg.

She died a week later in Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

Her friend, who was also burnt, survived.

The sacrifice

In the statement, Wagner said Theologo said she wanted to be sacrificed three weeks before the attack at the hill, and that the accused and the girls had spoken about Satanism before.

“It was only under the influence of drugs where we spoke of Satanism,” Wagner said in the statement.

He said that before the group went to the hill they took drugs and alcohol.

The court heard that he tied Theologo and the other girl up with a rope, as if something was controlling him.

He drew a star on a rock and this was where the alleged ritual took place.

Wagner realised what he had done only after the attack.

Earlier, Theologo’s mother testified that her daughter bought dagga before the group went to the hill.

While they were there, Theologo rolled the dagga and smoked it with some of the other youths, she told the court.

The case continues.

– SAPA

The North West Parks and Tourism Board will host exciting events to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the annual Heritage Park Walk this year.

The Heritage Park Walk is a project that seeks to establish a corridor between the Pilanesberg and Madikwe game reserves. The 108km walk will take place over four days in June.

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

The provincial SA Local Government Association (Salga) has added its voice to the growing call for a review of the imposition of Section 139 (1) (b) on three municipalities in the province.

This follows a provincial executive council (Exco) decision to put the Matlosana, Maquassi Hills and Ditsobotla local municipalities under administration, citing a collapsed administration and failure to render services.

Acting local government MEC Paul Sebegoe visited the affected municipalities last week to communicate the new development.

The North-West University (NWU) Mafikeng Campus has heightened the tempo in students’ extra-curricular activities after it awarded R5000 bursaries to the winners of the Miss and Mr NWU 2013 beauty pageant.

The two, Gontse Rakobane and Tshepo Moyaga were on Monday given royal treatment after they were crowned winners at a glamorous ball held on Thursday.

For more http://www.thenewage.co.za

Rustenburg – An instruction for police to review their handling of public unrest was ignored at Marikana, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Thursday.

National police commissioner Riah Phiyega signed the document giving the order weeks before the unrest at Marikana in August.

On August 16, police shot dead 34 striking miners near Lonmin’s platinum mine.

The instruction was that a high-ranking police officer had to compile a report on how public unrest cases were handled.

“Our interpretation was that our preparation for this commission  would form part of our review and it would produce the same results (as a police probe),” Phiyega said while being cross-examined by Dumisa Ntsebeza, for the families of the dead miners.

Ntsebeza criticised Phiyega for failing to have a full internal review conducted.

“The proper way to have done this would have been for you to ensure that a proper review is done and that those results are presented to this commission.”

Ntsebeza said it was inconceivable that Phiyega failed to have her instructions carried out.

President Jacob Zuma announced on August 17 that a commission would investigate the Marikana violence.

“Was the announcement (by Zuma) sufficient enough for you to think you shouldn’t conduct your own internal review?” Ntsebeza asked.

“So you decided to collapse what would have been an internal investigation… because you thought this commission would form part of your investigation?”

The commission, sitting in Rustenburg, is investigating the events that led to the killing of 44 people during a strike by Lonmin workers in August last year. – Sapa

Rustenburg – National police commissioner Riah Phiyega showed a “tough luck” attitude to families of the dead Marikana workers, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Thursday.

“The families of the deceased understand that you think those who were killed were not angels, and that police were protecting themselves. If any of those miners died in the process, tough luck,” Dumisa Ntsebeza, for the families of the miners police shot dead, put it to Phiyega.

“Words such as tough luck were far from the statement I made,” Phiyega responded, in rejecting the statement.

“As a leader, I had no intention of applauding death; neither did I ask the police to applaud the tragedy,” she said.

Ntsebeza asked Phiyega why she told police to applaud themselves four days after the Marikana shooting, in which 34 people were killed on August 16.

“What I (was) saying was that you’ve been here many days, worked overtime – day and night – and we’ve experienced this tragedy. They were equally traumatised like all citizens. They too needed to be spoken to.

“The nation was mourning, we were mourning too. The de-contextualising of what I said (telling police to applaud themselves) is the saddest thing of this commission. Being a human being, I would never applaud death.”

Ntsebeza said his clients rejected Phiyega’s apology because they felt it was insincere.

About eight relatives of the dead miners walked out of the auditorium while Phiyega was answering Ntsebeza’s questions. One of  them cried hysterically.

Ntsebeza asked Phiyega whether she had perhaps felt under pressure to appease the police, and that was why she had endorsed their actions in public.

“You were under pressure following the largest post-apartheid massacre,” said Ntsebeza.

Phiyega said she had not been under pressure and that this was his interpretation of her actions.

Ntsebeza pointed out that Phiyega was appointed commissioner just 65 days before the Marikana unrest. He said she had acted irresponsibly in the way she addressed the police after the shooting.

The commission, led by retired judge Ian Farlam and sitting in Rustenburg, is investigating the deaths of the 34 miners and those of 10 other people killed during protests the preceding week. – Sapa

Johannesburg – “I wish the bastard dead.” These words were allegedly uttered by a scorned woman, triple-murder accused Nomshado Mdluli, in the wake of a heated argument with her husband’s lover, Tshepiso Sekwati.

The “bastard” in question was the love child of Mdluli’s husband, Ndumiso Mbatha.

For more www.iol.co.za

World football governing body, FIFA, has today (18 April 2013) written a letter reminding all parties (SAFA and Minister of Sport and Recreation South Africa) of the 5 April 2013 meeting and agreement in Zurich by all parties regarding the setting up of the Independent Judicial Commission of Enquiry into match fixing.

During the meeting, it was decided and agreed that an Independent Judicial Commission of Enquiry would be set up by the South African Government. The mandate of the Commission would be limited to investigating the irregularities related to friendly matches prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Additionally, FIFA proposed that one of the members of the Commission be Mr Michael J. Garcia, the Chairman of the investigatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee.

“Herewith we would like to emphasise that any other issues not related to the above should be handled entirely by the South African Football Association (SAFA), as otherwise this would constitute interference in the internal affairs of the SAFA affairs by a third party and would clearly violate the principles contained in articles 13 and 17 of the FIFA Statutes,” read part of the letter sent to all parties concerned.

“We thank you for respecting the terms of our agreement,” concluded the letter signed by FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke.

The North West Provincial Executive Council (Exco) has endorsed the establishment of a waste buy back centre and waste transfer stations for a cleaner Mahikeng. The establishment of the Keep Mahikeng Clean Steering Committee was approved by Exco in its meeting held on Wednesday.

Premier Thandi Modise says that the waste buy back centre will help keep the provincial capital clean, reduce waste that reaches the landfill site through recycling and also create income for individuals and groups through collecting recyclable material and sell it back to the buyback centre.

“An extensive education and awareness campaign, tightened law enforcement, joint operations between municipal health, environmental management inspectorate from province and traffic officials at periodic intervals should curb illegal dumping of refuse in the residential areas of Mahikeng,” Premier Modise.

The buyback centres are to be served by drop off centres strategically located around the municipal areas and waste management.

Funding for development of waste transfer stations for green waste is to be made available through the Provincial Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs’ Municipal Infrastructure Grant.