By Obakeng Maje

BRITS: Four suspects aged 18 to 24 years, have been apprehended by Brits police following a business robbery that took place in Mamogaleskraal near Brits this morning at about 11:00 North West police said. “

When the police arrived at the scene of crime, they found one suspect that was arrested by community members. The complainant,38 informed the police that five  suspects of which two were armed entered her shop and demanded money” Captain Adele Myburgh said.

“The suspects allegedly held her 66-year-old neighbour hostage. The complainant whilst still being held hostage screaming for help” She said.

Community members who heard the screaming voices came to rescue victims and managed to apprehend one suspect.

The other four suspects vanished into the bushes  with an undisclosed amount of money and airtime vouchers.

“The police conducted a thorough search in the bush and three suspects were found and arrested.

That brought the total arrests to four. Police also recovered a firearm (pallet gun), money and all the stolen airtime.

The suspects will appear in Brits Magistrates Court tomorrow for charges of Business Robbery.

The fifth suspect is still at large.

The Provincial Commissioner of the North West, Lt Gen Zukiswa Mbombo is thankful for the support received from the community members in Brits. “The South African Police Service is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for all people in South Africa. This can only be achieved if individuals and communities cooperate with the Police by volunteering information on criminals and their activities, and by persons taking reasonable steps to ensure their personal safety. In partnership the police and the community can Against Crime Together”; she said.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said on Tuesday he was confident the newly elected ANC top officials were capable of leading the party.

“I have full confidence in our leaders that indeed they will out-do themselves in leading us to undo these challenges [of poverty, unemployment and inequality],” he told delegates at the ANC’s national conference in Mangaung.

“The leadership were elected by the entire membership of the ANC. We are doing our work [as the ANC], under the watch and guidance of a very capable leadership we have just elected.”

President Jacob Zuma was re-elected as party leader earlier on Tuesday afternoon. He was challenged by Motlanthe.

Motlanthe’s previous position as deputy president was filled by Cyril Ramaphosa.

Motlanthe said he wanted to thank the newly elected leadership.

“I want to thank the president for letting me speak after he had spoken [after being re-elected],” he said.

“Protocol does not allow that, and I feel very grateful.”

He said he still believed in the integrity of the ANC.

“One thing needs to be said and I want to say it with all the conviction of its truth,” Motlanthe said.

“The African National Congress is the epitome of democracy. We must continue to campaign for democracy in our country and the world over.”

He said the ANC must “continue to sharpen its ability to hear the cries of our people”.

Motlanthe was given a standing ovation by the delegates as he took to the podium to speak.

Motlanthe declines NEC nomination Sapa

Scottland – The National Prosecuting Authority is planning to exhume what may be the bodies of Siboniso Tshabalala and Lolo Sono, young men last seen at the home of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in 1987, a Scottish weekend paper has reported.

“Police have now confirmed they know where their bodies are buried” and the NPA had told their families the bodies would be exhumed next month, the Sunday Herald said.

“Family members have been DNA-tested to aid identification and for a forensic autopsy to establish new evidence,” it said.

The article was written by foreign correspondent and author Fred Bridgland, who said Sono’s mother, Dorothy, had told him on Friday that the families had to wait until next month.

During the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, Katiza Cebekhulu, who had lived for a while on Madikizela-Mandela’s property in Soweto, testified to having seen the ANC veteran sjambokking Sono and later killing Stompie Seipei, a teenage activist. Madikizela-Mandela rejected the allegations as untrue. Sono’s father, Nicodemus Sono, who also testified at the TRC, said his son had not been seen again after the incident.

In 1991, Madikizela-Mandela was convicted of having been an accessory to Seipei’s kidnapping and assault. Two years later the assault conviction was overturned by the appeal court, but the kidnapping conviction was upheld.

Jerry Richardson, who was the coach of Madikizela-Mandela’s soccer group, the Mandela United Football Club, received a life term for Seipei’s murder. He died in jail in 2009.

Bridgland wrote that the revelations about the bodies of Sono and Tshabalala came at the end of his research for a book on the Stompie affair and other actions of the club.

He had also spoken to Sono’s stepmother, Caroline Sono, who told him: “I hoped for so many years that my son was still alive in some foreign country. Now I know he is dead. What we want is our minds put to rest.”

NPA spokesman Makhosini Nkosi confirmed that possible burial sites were being examined “on the basis of recently obtained information”, but denied that such sites had been confirmed or excavated, according to Monday’s Daily Dispatch.

“Should the remains of Lolo Sono and Siboniso Tshabalala be located and identified through DNA, these remains will be formally handed to the two families by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development at a later stage, in accordance with the recommendations of the TRC,” he said.

The Daily Dispatch also quoted Nkosi as saying DNA had been taken from the two families. – The Star

BY Obakeng Maje

NORTH WEST PROVINCE:- The police in the Province will leave no stone unturned in their quest to bring down the level of crime across the Province this festive season. Police will be deployed in most of the hot spots, main roads and highways in the major towns and cities of the Province.  

The South African Police Service is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for all people in South Africa. This can only be achieved if individuals and communities cooperate with the Police by volunteering information on criminals and their activities, and by persons taking reasonable steps to ensure their personal safety. In partnership the police and the community can ACT- Against Crime Together, to prevent crime.

Safety at home:

❖  Know all emergency numbers.❖  Keep your cellular phone in your bedroom.❖  Never leave keys in a gate or lock.❖  Make provision for good outside lighting. Remember outside lights that are on during the day draw attention of thieves.❖  Mail left in the gate is also a sign that nobody is home. Get a friend or neighbour to keep a regular eye on your property and to remove mail and newspapers.❖  Never leave workmen unattended in your home.❖  Don’t leave your garage, front or back door open or partially open-it serves as an invitation to burglars.❖  Never open the door automatically whenever the bell rings or if someone knocks. Make sure the person wanting to enter is expected and well known to you.❖  A watchdog is a good early warning system. The unexplained death of a watchdog is a warning sign of a possible burglary.❖  If your alarm system goes off or you hear strange noises, switch on the outside lights, and investigate with caution. Don’t go outside before you are sure that it is safe. If you see anyone on your property that does not belong there, don’t wait, call the police.❖  Keep your entrance clear of plants or obstacles that can provide a hiding place.❖  Install security gates at outside doors and keep them locked.❖  Know your neighbours and build a relationship of mutual trust and support.❖  Keep cash and valuables in banks or safes.❖  Store firearms in a safe and do not let anyone, including household employees and children, know that you have a firearm in the house. A safe out of sight, attached to a wall with roll bolts inside a cupboard is a good choice. 

Safety at the ATM:

❖  Avoid isolated ATMs and using the ATM late at night. Try to select an ATM in well-lit busy areas.❖  If you feel unsafe at an ATM, trust your instincts, go away and use another ATM.❖  Never write down your pin or carry it near your ATM card. Memorise it and keep it a secret.❖  Don’t carry your bank cards with your ID, passport or driver’s licence in the same wallet or folder.❖  Never accept help from strangers when using an ATM.❖  Don’t be distracted, intimidated or hurried into your transaction. Take your time.❖  Never let a stranger touch your card. When paying with your card, do not let it be taken out of your eye sight.❖  Never force your card into the card slot.❖  Be sure no-one is looking over your shoulder when you key in your Pin.❖  Cancel your card if the machine retains it by calling the card stop number. 

How to reduce the risk of rape and sexual offences:

❖  If possible, avoid walking alone. Your best defence is having people nearby.❖  If you walk alone, plan your route carefully. Take note of stores and restaurants that are open, should you need to ask for help.❖  Stay in well-lit areas as much as possible.❖  Walk on the side of the street facing the traffic.❖  If you work late, don’t go to your car alone if you can avoid it, ask someone to escort you to your car.❖  Have you keys ready when you approach your car or home and get into the car or enter your home immediately.❖  Never pick up hitchhikers of either sex.❖  Don’t leave food or drinks unattended in public places.❖  Don’t leave a party or social event with someone you do not know or have just met.❖  Don’t hitchhike.❖  Alcohol may be legal, but of you use to much of it, it impairs your judgement, which could make you more vulnerable. Make sure you have friends with you and look after each other. This is especially important for women, young girls/men.❖  Don’t rely on a ride home from someone who is going to drink, as you will be faced with an unsafe situation.❖  Keep in mind: most victims know the rapist. Do not leave the care of your children to anyone you are not 100% sure of. People known to the family commit most child rapes. 

The Provincial Commissioner,  Lieutenant General Zukiswa Mbombo,  indicated that there are a number of areas of concern, looking at the broader crime picture in the Province and more focus will have to be given to Crimes against Women and Children, Rape, Aggravating Robberies, Burglaries and Assaults with Intent to do Grievous Bodily Harm, which seem to be dominating the crime picture. “We are going to deploy members to work with various stakeholders as we always do during this period of the year and we are appealing to all our communities, visitors, tourists and road users to be patient, always vigilant and co-operate with the law enforcement officers who will be deployed on various roadblocks and Crime Prevention operations throughout the festive season so that we all enjoy a crime free holiday”, the North West Provincial Commissioner of the police said.

By Obakeng Maje

Johannesburg- At a meeting of the South African Football Association’s (SAFA) Emergency Committee held on Friday, 14 December 2012, and finalised on Sunday, 16 December, a number of far-reaching decisions were taken concerning the Report on Match Fixing compiled by FIFA Investigators and received by SAFA on Friday, 14 December.

Firstly, the Emergency Committee considered and accepted the Report as received.

Secondly, the Committee resolved to write to FIFA and acknowledge that, through the actions of members of its staff during the warm-up matches prior to the FIFA 2010 World Cup, there is a prima facie breach of FIFA Statute 13.1 (g), which prohibits the control of its affairs by an outside party, in this case Football 4U International controlled by Singaporean Wilson Perumal Raj and his criminal syndicate.

The Committee also noted that the appointment of Football 4U International was never brought to the attention of the SAFA NEC. 

SAFA apologised to FIFA, and undertook to take the urgent and serious actions to deal with the matter.

The following actions were agreed:

1. That a Commission of Enquiry be set up, under the leadership of a retired Judge, to fully investigate the matter and the members cited in the report, and that this Commission sit as a matter of urgency so that the issue can be speedily resolved.

2. After extensive discussion, the Emergency Committee felt that the President would have to appear before the Commission of Enquiry to explain his role in the matter. Having considered the implications of this for SAFA, the Committee asked the President to take a voluntary leave of absence from his position.

3. That Vice-President, Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana, be asked to act as President in the interim.

4. That all members of staff mentioned in the report who will need to give evidence at the Commission are likewise put on special administrative leave pending the finalisation of the Enquiry, or pending receiving a clearance from the Commission.  This action in no way implies that these individuals were involved in Match fixing.  It is again simply for good governance that this measure is being implemented.  The members of staff so affected are:  Dennis Mumble, Lindile ‘Ace’ Kika, Adeel Carelse and Barney Kujane.

5. The former CEO, Lesley Sedibe, and the former Head of Referees, Mr Steve Goddard, will also be asked to give evidence and cooperate with the Enquiry.

6. That Pinky Lehoko is appointed as Acting CEO in the interim.

 Outgoing CEO, DR Robin Petersen, stated that these decisions were necessary for good governance and for allowing this matter to be thoroughly and properly investigated.  Although he will be assuming his new role as CEO of the SAFA Development Agency in January 2013, he will be based in the SAFA offices and will work closely with Ms Lehoko in the interim period.

Chief Nonkonyana had the following to say:

“This is a difficult situation for the Association, and for those who have been named in the report.  We hope that there will be no speculation about their presumed guilt or otherwise. We need to allow the investigation to take place speedily and fairly, so those that are innocent can be separated from those who are not.”

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Bloemfontein – ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe’s move to contest the leadership of the party brings hope for many South Africans, an expert said on Monday.

“The nomination outcome indicates there is a voice of reason out there,” said Sethulego Matebesi, political analyst at the University of the Free State.

He said despite the possibility that Motlanthe would be out in the wilderness after the party elections, he had accepted the presidential nomination.

“Irrespective of the outcome, the move has given many South Africans hope, at least there will be a democratic process.”

Matebesi said this would bring confidence back to South Africans in the ANC.

President Jacob Zuma and Motlanthe were nominated for the position of party president at the ANC’s national conference on Monday afternoon.

Matebesi said it was to an extent a surprise that Motlanthe had reconsidered his position as deputy president.

“My feeling looking to the interaction between them – Zuma and Motlanthe – one could actually feel the tension. I do get the feeling Jacob Zuma looks a bit overconfident.”

Matebesi said the loud cheers for Zuma in the tent when his name was called was not the voting process itself and much could still happen.

Mathews Phosa, Cyril Ramaphosa and Tokyo Sexwale were nominated for the deputy president position. Five candidates were nominated from branch and provincial structures, but both Baleka Mbete and Motlanthe withdrew.

The nominations for national chairman were Mbete and Thandi Modise.

The secretary-general position would be contested between Gwede Mantashe and Fikile Mbalula.

Matebesi said Mbalula’s decision to accept his nomination was also surprising because of the feeling that he was still too outspoken.

“It is maybe a bit early for Mbalula.”

Matebesi said the withdrawals for nomination to deputy secretary-general left Jessie Duarte as the only candidate for the position, and this was an indication of the confidence delegates had in her.

Nominations for treasurer-general were Paul Mashatile and Zweli Mkhize.

Tokyo Sexwale and Lindiwe Sisulu declined their nominations for this position.

It was announced that the votes would be counted by hand.

Earlier it was confirmed that Free State and North West delegates would be part of the conference.

The credentials meeting of the national conference decided that voting delegates from the two provinces could participate, ANC spokesman Keith Khoza said. This meant they could vote for the party’s top six officials.

The two province’s delegates were asked to leave the conference venue at the end of the credentials meeting for a decision on the matter to be taken. -Sapa

By Obakeng Maje

North West Premier Thandi Modise has expressed her disappointment that 24 hours had hardly lapsed since she decried that the involvement of police in crime undermines the confidence that the public has on law enforcement that two more policemen are facing murder charges.

Premier Modise reiterated her earlier statement that there should be no place in the police service for those who disgrace the dignified blue uniform, those who terrorise our communities instead of protecting them.

“The conduct of police officers should at all times be above reproach whether they are on or off duty. We expect the immediate suspension and disciplinary action to be taken against the three officials arrested for criminal activities” stressed Modise.

The Premier was reacting to reports that a police constable was arrested for allegedly shooting dead a relative in Potchefstroom. According to Lieutenant Colonel Lesego Metsi, the officer allegedly used his service pistol to shoot the 36-year-old man from behind during an argument on Sunday afternoon.

The bullet hit him in the left shoulder. He died at the scene.

The constable was expected to appear in the Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

In a separate incident, a police reservist was arrested for allegedly stabbing a man to death near Bloemhof.

A woman police constable and two other people were earlier arrested for allegedly kidnapping, assaulting and robbing a man in Taung after accusing him of having stolen their property.

They are also expected to appear before their respective courts tomorrow.

Obakeng Maje

The recovery of thirty head of cattle which were reportedly stolen from Verdwaal village near Itsoseng is encouraging, North West Premier Thandi Modise said on Monday.

The stock valued at R80 000 which was reported stolen last week Monday was found kept in a kraal at (Venter Silo) Bodibe village on Friday.

The owner of the kraal was arrested after he failed to convince the police when questioned as to how did he came to possess the cattle and why is he keeping them in his kraal.

The suspect is expected to appear briefly before Itsoseng Magistrate Court on charges of possession of suspected stolen Stock and Stock Theft on Tuesday 18 December 2012.

In commending police for the breakthrough, Premier Modise urged them not to spare any effort to stamp out stock theft as it impoverishes subsistence farmers and commercial officers.

Modise called on 

traditional leaders, farmers unions, farmers, sector departments, crime prevention structures and stakeholders in farming communities to work with the police in order to address challenges experienced with regard to stock theft in the province.These include lack of brand marking, insufficient fencing, part time farmers not always on their farms, improper record keeping of stock and insufficient stock taking, insufficient pounds and the fact that not all farmers are incorporated in Agricultural Unions.

BY Obakeng Maje

Eighteen people living with HIV and Aids in Ngaka Modiri Molema District are to undergo training to run their own farming empowerment project . The skills development programme for beneficiaries of the initiative which is the brainchild of North West Premier Thandi Modise is to commence early in the new year.

Speaking at the launch of the job creation and farming empowerment project recently, Premier Modise said that it should serve as a model for three more projects to be rolled out for people living with HIV and Aids in three other districts in the province.

 Modise said that the project will provide people living with HIV And Aids with access to healthy and nutritious vegetables.

 While it will create permanent and seasonal jobs for the local community, it will assist beneficiaries to establish a viable market level of conventional vegetable production for them to sell them to local and other markets and also assist farmers to be trained at the adjacent Kgora Farmers Training Centre understand how to take care of and support employees infected with the virus.

   Project Coordinator and mother of three, Gladness Seetseng says that the project has not only given hope to people living with HIV and Aids.

“Most of us are unemployed so the project is a lifeline for us to grab the opportunity with both hands,” says 39 year-old Seetseng.

Provincial Chairperson of People living with HIV and AIDS, Rev Neo Moepi said that the project is an appropriate intervention and empowerment programme that expresses in more ways than one the compassion and care that the sector expects from their government and Premier Modise’s foresight and visionary leadership.

BY Obakeng Maje

Mahikeng- A 34 year-old suspect from Lonely Park was arrested in the early hours today for rape North West police said.

“The arrest followed a rape of a 31 year-old woman. According to the victim, she was at  a tavern last night when the suspect asked her to accompany him” Lesego Metsi said.

“The victim further alleges that along the way the suspect pulled out a firearm and threatened to kill her if she scream for help” He adds.

The suspect allegedly raped her and he was arrested this morning by Mahikeng police.

A case of rape has been launched.