Johannesburg – Ministers not speaking at a parliamentary debate did not reflect government’s attitude in tackling the issue of gender-based violence, government said on Friday.

“Now is the time for collective action and partnership to eradicate gender-based violence, not a time to score political points at the expense of efforts to work together to eradicate this scourge,” said Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) spokesperson Phumla Williams

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Johannesburg – The video of a Daveyton taxi driver being dragged behind a police van is horrific, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.

“The visuals of the incident are horrific, disturbing and unacceptable,” Zuma said in a statement.

“No human being should be treated in that manner.”

He was referring to a video, taken by an eyewitness, showing police officers dragging Mozambican national Mido Macia, 27, behind a police van on Tuesday.

Macia was later found dead in the holding cells of the Daveyton police station.

Zuma condemned the death. He said the police were required to operate within the confines of the law in executing their duties. He extended condolences to Macia’s family and directed Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to investigate.

Congress of SA Trade Unions spokesman Patrick Craven said the officers implicated should be suspended.

“At first, police officers claimed that he died after being attacked by other men in the police holding cells, but video footage taken by an eyewitness clearly shows him being tied to the back of the van and dragged along the street,” said Craven.

He called for harsh punishment for those found guilty of Macia’s death.

On Wednesday, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate confirmed it was investigating the matter and interviewing witnesses.

IPID spokesman Moses Dlamini said earlier on Tuesday two policemen switched on their siren, indicating that Macia should move his minibus, when they saw it obstructing traffic in Empilweni Street.

“It is also alleged that the taxi driver then assaulted the constable and took his police firearm. The warrant officer overpowered the taxi driver and handed the firearm back to his colleague,” he said.

“When back-up arrived, the constable was still at the scene, struggling to put the suspect in the police van,” Dlamini said.

Officers put the “resisting suspect” into the police van and took him to the police cells.

A post mortem indicated Macia died of head injuries and internal bleeding.

National police commissioner Riah Phiyega was deeply concerned about allegations that police brutality led to the man’s death.

“The matter is viewed by the national commissioner in a very serious light and it is strongly condemned,” her spokesman Brigadier Phuti Setati said.

Phiyega had instructed acting provincial commissioner Maj-Gen Phumzo Gela to start an internal investigation and provide feedback urgently. – Sapa

Johannesburg – The Farlam commission of inquiry continues its hearings into the Marikana shooting on Friday.

On Thursday, the inquiry watched graphic videos captured at the scene of the shooting on August 16, 2012.

The videos show the bleeding bodies of shot protesters on the ground at a hill in Marikana, near Lonmin’s platinum mine. Some had been shot in the head.

One Lonmin worker, Mzoxolo Magidiwana, who had spent the past few days testifying before the commission, is seen in the video. He leads a group of protesters, who wield sticks and knobkerries while marching.

Later, Magidiwana is lying among the bodies after being shot repeatedly. He spent several weeks recovering in various hospitals.

The commission is probing the deaths of 44 people during an unprotected strike by Lonmin workers at Marikana last year.

Thirty-four of them were shot dead during a confrontation with police on August 16. – Sapa

Johannesburg – South Africa on Thursday opened a murder investigation into the death of a Mozambican taxi driver who was filmed being dragged by a police van through the streets, in a case that has sparked widespread outrage.

Video footage taken by a bystander shows 27-year-old Mido Macia tussling with half a dozen police officers before being handcuffed to the back of a police van and dragged to a local police station in Daveyton, east of Johannesburg, on Tuesday.

A large crowd of horrified bystanders looked on, some warning the uniformed officers they were being filmed. “Hey! Hey! Why are you hitting him?” one person in the crowd can be heard shouting in Zulu.

Kicking and struggling to avoid the tarmac, Macia was taken into custody at Daveyton police station and was found dead less than two hours and 25 minutes later, according to investigators.

A post mortem found the cause of death was head injuries with internal bleeding.

South African President Jacob Zuma condemned the killing as “horrific, disturbing and unacceptable”.

“No human being should be treated in that manner,” he said in a statement.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate said it had opened a murder investigation.

“We are investigating an incident involving the death of man, allegedly at the hands of the police. We are shocked by the footage which has been released,” said Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) spokesperson Moses Dlamini.

“The circumstances surrounding his death are still allegations… Let’s find out what really happened,” he said.

The police watchdog and witnesses said two officers initially confronted Macia for parking his Toyota Avanza taxi illegally.

Eyewitnesses said Macia had been trying to get his driving licence back from the police when an altercation occurred. But witnesses denied police suggestions the victim had tried to disarm one of the officers.

“He was just pushing them, not trying to take the gun,” said George Nxumalo, a 57-year-old Daveyton resident.

Around half a dozen officers were at the scene soon after, some clad in stab vests and at least one brandishing a pistol.

The taxi driver was found dead in his cell at around 21h15 (19h15 GMT).

Footage of the incident spread quickly online, sending shockwaves through the country.

Daveyton residents marched on the police station on Thursday after claiming they were dispersed with pepper spray the day before.

“They are criminals in uniform, we don’t want them, we want the law to take its course, otherwise we will take the law into our own hands,” said Bongani Hlela, a street trader based at the taxi rank were the incident occurred.

“Just because he was Mozambican does not mean that he should be treated badly. We are all African, we have rights,” he added.

The Mozambique government said it was “outraged by what happened”.

“It is very sad that a life was lost so stupidly,” Foreign Affairs Minister Oldemiro Baloi told reporters in the capital Maputo.

“I think that whatever perspective you want to attach to it – either human or the relations between the two countries – it is absolutely unacceptable.”

South African Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega expressed “deep concern” about the incident, saying it was being viewed “in a very serious light”.

The police department said no officers had been suspended yet in the case.

Macia’s death is the latest in a series of crises to hit the country’s beleaguered police service, which was pilloried for the shooting deaths of 34 miners last August and for its handling of the Oscar Pistorius case.

“This appalling incident involving excessive force is the latest in an increasingly disturbing pattern of brutal police conduct,” said Noel Kututwa, Amnesty International’s southern Africa director.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate received 720 new cases for investigation of suspicious deaths in custody or in other policing contexts from April 2011 to March 2012, according to Amnesty.

The opposition Democratic Alliance party called for a full investigation by South Africa’s human rights commission and for the officers involved to be suspended.

“Macia paid for parking on the wrong side of the road with his life. Instead of issuing him with a ticket, the police killed him,” said shadow police minister Dianne Kohler Barnard.

“How much longer must South Africans live in fear of the very people who are supposed to protect them?” – AFP

A Nort West community wanting to break away from its traditional leaders, was on Thursday given permission to hold meetings that could possibly lead to the unseating of their leader.

The Constitutional Court on Thursday set aside an interdict granted against Mmuthi Pilane and Ramoshibudu Dintwe by the North West High Court, which prohibited them from holding community meetings without its permission. The two men had applied for leave to appeal against the interdict.

The case arises from a dispute between the community of Motlhabe village and the Traditional council of the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela, an organisation that rules over 32 villages in the North West. Pilane and Dintwe, representing the Motlhabe residents had expressed dissatisfaction with the council’s administration and leadership. They were appointed a community headman and called themselves Bakgatla-Ba-Kautlwale.

In 2010, they called a community meeting where a discussion on removing their chief John Pilane would take place.

However, the council took the matter to court and interdicted them from calling or holding the meeting, arguing that the two had no authority to do so and asked that they refrain from using the Bakgatla-Ba-Kautlwale title as they were not royals.

In the ConCourt judgment delivered yesterday, Justice Thembile Skweyiya found that the high court had erred in granting the interdict because the two titles were different.

“The interdict effectively prevents the applicants from using terminology that is descriptive of their identity as a people. “It appears that the names ‘Bakgatla-Ba-Kautlwale’ and ‘Bakgatla-Ba-Motlhabe’ in themselves are not necessarily synonymous with a form of authority nor, on the applicants’ version, do they purport to be.

“Rather, they appear to be signifiers of the applicants’ ancestral lineage and their place of settlement,” he said.

The land ruled upon by the council included various mining areas and the holiday destination Sun City.

Although Mmuthi Pilane and John Pilane are brothers, there is a dispute between them over who is the rightful chief.

“I have taken notice of the fact that numerous matters of a similar nature involving the respondents have appeared before the courts.

“Resolving the present matter is also in the interests of justice as it will provide clarity on the rights of people living in the Traditional Community and in traditional communities more generally. I consider there to be prospects of success. For these reasons, I am of the view that it is in the interests of justice to grant leave to appeal,” said the judge.

Eight ConCourt judges supported Skweyiya while the chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng and justice Bess Nkabinde wrote a dissent saying they would have come to a different conclusion.

For more details go to http://www.thenewage.co.za

South Africans will have to dig deeper when paying for electricity over the next five years with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa on Thursday approving an 8% annual increase.

Nersa’s decision will be implemented on April 1 and end on March 31, 2018.

The increase is half of what Eskom requested. Cecilia Khuzwayo, Nersa chairperson, said electricity would increase from 65.51c/Kwh in 2013-14 to 89.13c/Kwh in 2018.

“Eskom’s application was received and considered against the backdrop of the global economic recession.”

Khuzwayo said the sustainability of the electricity industry, the security of supply, affordability and accessibility were key considerations in making such decisions.

Numsa spokesperson Castro Ngobese welcomed the decision: “It is not far from our demand that there be an inflation-related increase. Nersa clearly considered the views of society on this issue.”

Eskom said it was going to study the decision in detail to assess its impact.

Eskom said the 8% average annual increase allowed for revenue of R906.6bn over five years.

This means the utility is set to be under budget by R1.5bn. This could have a negative effect on its infrastructure development programme. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Nersa made a decision sensitive to the economic circumstances. The capacity of businesses to absorb costs has diminished, said CEO Neran Rau.

“Electricity pricing is also a key indicator of competitiveness and a factor in foreign direct investment. A lower tariff is therefore beneficial to both,” Rau said.

Manufacturing Circle executive director Coenrade Bezuidenhout said, though, the high electricity tariffs charged by municipalities remained a concern.

Business Unity South Africa’s policy advisor Raymond Parsons welcomed the decision.

Cope MP Kennett Sinclair said: “Nersa gave proper consideration to the global economic recession as well as the sluggishness of our economy.”

Past increases

» Increases of 5.1%, 5.9% and 6.2% from 2006 – 2009

» 18.7% (14.2% approved), 60% (27.5% approved), 34% (31.3% approved)

»Between 2010-11 and 2012-13, Eskom applied for a 35% increase, Nersa granted 24.8%, 25.8% and 25.9%

» Average price will increase from 65.51c/Kwh in 2013 to 89.13c/Kwh in 2018

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Olympic silver medallist Caster Semenya said she would not be distracted by rumours that she had fallen pregnant.

The rumours have circulated on various social networks this week.

Semenya, who won gold at the 2009 World Championships, would dearly love to secure that title again this season.

“I heard of that (the rumours), I am not fazed by such allegations, like I said I am focused on the championships (14th IAAF World Championships in Russia), people can say what they want,” Semenya told the Sowetan on Wednesday.

The World Championships take place in Moscow between August 10-18 and Semenya’s preparations are going well.

“As a 800m runner the most important thing is speed and that’s what my coach (Maria Mutola) and I have been really working on,” said the South African athlete.

This comes after she had to settle for a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

“I will be focusing only on the 800m event; not more or less as many thought.” Added Semenya.

Naturally, expectation ahead of this year’s World Championships are particularly high, however Semenya has learnt to expect anything against a quality field.

“Just like the Orlando Pirates and Maluti FET College match; that score (4-1 in favour of Maluti) was unpredictable. So that goes to show that you never know the strength of your opponent. Anything can happen but I am working towards winning,” said a determined Semenya.

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