Category Archives: NEWS

Zille laughs off naked spoof pic

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zille naked

By Sandiso Phaliso

Western Cape Premier and DA leader Helen Zille has laughed off a photoshop picture depicting her posing naked with her private parts covered by what looks like a DA logo.

The image has sparked debate on Facebook, with some calling for its removal, while others say she deserves it.

A person by the facebook name of William ANCYL, who posted the picture early on Tuesday, refused demands from facebook friends to remove the picture.

He says the picture was in revenge for the painting The Spear that depicts President Jacob Zuma with his penis exposed.

Zille said: “Now you can see why I try to cycle vigorously for an hour every day. I obviously need more than Botox.

“Maybe one of those makeover shows can help: Style by Jury here I come!”

Cape Argus

Doctor fined for charging twice

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NM Doctors hearing 1

Durban gynaecologist Muhindo Gabriel Matebhere has been fined R20 000 after being found guilty of “split-billing”.

Matebhere appeared before of the Health Professions Council of South Africa’s professional conduct committee in Durban on Tuesday.

One of his patients, Tessa Ntshingila, 35, had filed a complaint against the doctor in February 2010, after he made her pay a cash amount of R1 500 for a surgical procedure and then charged her a further R900 on her medical aid.

Matebhere pleaded guilty to charges of unprofessional conduct, but argued that his only wrongdoing was failing to disclose that he had charged Ntshingila twice.

His lawyers said that both doctor and patient were in agreement over everything that Ntshingila was charged for and the doctor had made a “technical error”.

“I don’t know why he charged me an extra R900. We never agreed upon that,” Ntshingila said.

“He told me that this procedure was not covered by medical aid.”

According to Matebhere’s lawyers, Ntshingila was supposed to be charged R3 000, but he “felt sorry for her” and charged her a lower fee.

He asked her to pay R1 500 upfront and recouped his losses from the medical aid.

Ntshingila was charged a further R6 000 by the hospital after her surgery was completed.

 

Matebhere was ordered to pay a fine of R20 000 and was given an opportunity to appeal within 21 days.

Cop, prisoner caught having sex

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Copy of IOL police_badge_sep 19

A policewoman was arrested and charged with corruption after she was caught having sex with a prisoner at the Scottburgh police station, the Natal Witness reported on Wednesday.

Lt-Col Zandra Wiid told the paper the prisoner, Sibusiso Ndaba, and officer previously had an intimate relationship.

Ndaba was arrested in December 2010 for a cash heist in Ixopo. He and five of his co-accused appeared in the Ramsgate High Court on Monday on charges of robbery, theft with aggravating circumstances, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

After the six had appeared in court Ndaba asked to go to the bank. Five of his co-accused were taken back to Umzinto where they were being held.

Wiid said Ndaba was escorted to the bank, but finished late and could not be taken back to prison. He was taken to the Scottburgh police station where he was caught having sex with the officer.

The constable was also allegedly involved in the case against Ndaba. An internal investigation into the incident was underway. The officer had not appeared in court yet. – Sapa

POLICE ARREST CATTLE THIEFS IN THE ACT: NORTH WEST PROVINCE

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BY Obakeng Maje

COLIGNY– On Monday, 21 May 2012,  at about 23:00, four suspects were arrested by police for stock theft. The Police conducted an intelligence-led operation and caught the suspects red handed, whilst they were stealing 15 cattle to the value of R180 000.00 on a farm called Vaalbank.

The stolen cattle were all recovered and it was handed back to the owner.

 

“The suspects, aged 20,22, 24 and 36-years, will all appear in the Coligny Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 2012-05-23” Captain Adele Myburgh said.

 

The Provincial Commissioner of the North West, Lt Gen Zukiswa Mbombo congratulated all police members on a job done well. She would also like to remind the community to come forward with information to assist the Police in the fight against crime.

 

COMMUNITY WARNED OF PERJURY

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BY Obakeng Maje

Police in Tlhabane have issued a stern warning to community members to refrain from opening false cases. Police have in recent months noted a disturbing increase in this trend. It is a known fact that people do sometimes open false dockets for the sake of insurance claims.

At this stage, police have arrested a number of suspects and are currently investigating several cases of perjury.

According to police reports, people involved in this crime often claim that their laptops, cellphones and plasma television sets have been stolen, when in fact it is not the case.

“According to the Law, submitting a false statement, knowing that it is false, amounts to perjury and is punishable by Law” Captain Philani Muna said.

POTCHEFTROOM CLUSTER SPECIAL OPERATION SUCCESSES!!!

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BY Obakeng Maje

The Cluster Special Operation held at Ikageng and Potchefstroom on the 18th and 19th May 2012 yielded positive results.

This joint special operation was executed by members from Highway Patrol, Legal Services, Mounted Unit, Potchefstroom and Ikageng Police Stations, Detectives, CCU, TRT, K9, Local Traffic and Syntel.

During this joint Special Cluster Operation, 95 suspects were arrested for different crimes like possession of suspected stolen property, rape, drinking in public, assault GBH, house breaking and theft, loitering and 69 Traffic Act fines were issued with the assistance of SYNTEL SYSTEMS.

During the operation, 35 “Ladies of the night” were arrested. Some of them were able to afford a fine of R300.00 and was released. These arrests were done to send a clear message, that what they are doing, is not acceptable by Ikageng and Potchefstroom communities. These “Ladies of the

Night” are also contributing to escalating crime, because they are sometimes raped, assaulted, robbed and murdered.  

The Syntel Systems is a Secret Weapon that helps the Police and Traffic department in the fight against crime. This weapon is an average looking vehicle with three special cameras attached to the roof of the vehicle. Each continually scans number plates of parked cars, those driving in front, behind and in the opposite direction to this equipped vehicle.

“The plate numbers are relayed to an on board computer which in turn wirelessly sends and crosschecks them against the Enatis traffic information system database. The server then bounces back detailed information about each vehicle” Captain Adele Myburgh said.

The aim of this Cluster Crime Operation was to send out a clear message that the police and other supporting structures can work together in dealing with crime.                                                                                      

Khoza lashes out at Hunt

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Irvin Khoza has hit out against SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt and COO Jose Ferreira’s ‘mindless tirades’ against the Vodacom sponsorship deal. 

The Orlando Pirates boss says he does not know whether to attribute the comments to “ignorance or mischief making”, and has decided to respond publically to these “careless and callous people” because he believes “the courtesy of behind closed doors discussions will encourage the incorrigible to join in this ‘gang- bang’ of mindlessness.”

Vodacom have signed a new five-year sponsorship deal with Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, a deal worth “plus-minus R1-billion,” according to Khoza.

Gavin Hunt and SuperSport chief operations officer Jose Ferreira said yesterday that the deal is detrimental to the health of the PSL.

“I think if South African football has been in trouble for the last 10 years [it is because] of the money pumped into the likes of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. When I hear of a R1-billion sponsorship, I think we are all in serious trouble,” Ferreira says on Businessday.co.za.

“It is getting to a stage where all the other clubs are just there to make up the numbers. Somebody should look into that.”

Do you agree with Ferreira? Or do you think Chiefs and Pirates deserve the injection of cash? Have your say on our Facebook page HERE!

Hunt agrees, saying that if his players had not been lured into big money moves over the years, he would have a much more successful club.

“If a players earns R5 here and then he is offered R50 down the road, what can I do?” Hunt said.

“If I had been able to keep all the players we released to these sides over the past five years alone, we would have won the League every year by 20-point margins.”

But now the Iron Duke has hit back on the Pirates website:

“I read with grave concern mindless utterances attributed to the SuperSport United Chief Operating Officer and coach in response to the sponsorship announcement of our nations’ two largest clubs, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, by a key supporter of football in our country, Vodacom.”

Khoza reckons Hunts’ criticisisms are no more than “diversionary tactics” ahead of the Nebank Cup Final against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday.

“I have been observing with sadness how Gavin Hunt, the SuperSport United coach, has in the last few years resorted to mindless tirades aimed at everyone other than himself all in his quest to divert attention from his recent lack of achievement. This is an accomplished coach, who characterised ‘cool’, and never make any of these outbursts when he was on the driving seat winning three Premierships in a row. Mamelodi Sundowns, which SuperSport is facing in the Nedbank Cup final on Saturday, was not spared from Hunt’s tirade. Is this … in case he loses to Sundowns on Saturday?”

The Pirates boss further questions Ferreira and Hunts’ motives, saying he wonders whether “this is Super SportUnited Football Club and Multichoice, their parent company’s official position”. 

“I am responding publicly to this mindless action by people who should know better because the courtesy of behind closed doors discussions will encourage the incorrigible to join in this ‘gang-bang’ of mindlessness,” Khoza continues.

In the rest of his statement, Khoza documents the “hard work” that has been done in the last 15 years to ensure the PSL brand recovers from being “undervalued” on the continent. 

“We have made significant progress in this regard. When we started, 15 years ago, clubs received from the league a grant of a million rands per annum. Today all the clubs in the PSL receive a grand of a million rands a month.”

Khoza continues: “The sacrifice and selflessness of Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in creating an equitable and competitive league cannot be over emphasised. Distribution of proceeds in the PSL is done the same for each team notwithstanding the size and contribution by Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. 

“In mentioning the players he claims to have lost, Hunt chooses to omit the high prices SuperSport charged. Every time Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs express an interest in players, prices skyrocket. To now decry the sponsorship that Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs command due to their market positions is not only deflationary but create a risk of devaluing football in South Africa once more.”

Read the full statement on Orlandopiratesfc.com

It’s time to kick that smelly, sickening habit in the butt

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st ashtray

If you want to be more productive, have better health and more spending money in your pocket, consider giving up smoking this May, which is Anti-Tobacco Month.

Research estimates that the average smoker spends approximately one hour a day on feeding the habit at work.

From an annual perspective, the one-hour breaks add up to 244 hours of lost productivity a year and 1.2 years over the course of an average working life (44.5 years).

“From a local perspective, 23 percent of South Africa’s adult population, or 7 million individuals, smoke,” says Professor Jacques Snyman, clinical advisor for Resolution Health Medical Scheme.

“Over and above the 244 hours lost per smoker per year, this group of individuals also has a 33.3 percent higher absenteeism rate and a shortened career by 9.1 percent when compared to a non-smoker.”

The habit’s burden on the healthcare system can also not be ignored.

A 2009 study by the US’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that smokers not only cost the country $97 billion a year in lost productivity but they contributed to an additional $96bn a year in direct health-care costs.

“Smoking damages almost every organ in the body and often results in the individual requiring costly health-care treatments in the long term,” Snyman points out.

“The ultimate result is a marked increase in health-care utilisation as smokers typically fall ill more often and claim more than non-smokers.”

Globally, smoking is responsible for approximately 71 percent of lung cancer, 42 percent of chronic respiratory disease and 10 percent of cardiovascular disease.

From a cost perspective, all three diseases fall in the top 10 list of most expensive chronic diseases for medical schemes.

The burden on the private and public health-care system as a whole is significant.

“Combined with the substantial loss in productivity, the habit is having a resoundingly negative effect on South Africa’s economy,” says Snyman.

Encouragingly, 72 percent of South African smokers admit that they want to quit, with 24 percent having attempted without success.

Key to the process, says Snyman, is to provide these individuals with the necessary tools and incentives to follow through – and corporate SA is perfectly poised to drive internal “stop smoking” initiatives.

“Nowadays most medical schemes will cover a portion of the cost or offer a discount on smoking cessation programmes, and information on these courses is easily obtainable from the health-care providers or medical schemes,” Snyman explains.

He believes that employers should take a proactive approach in encouraging smokers to take full advantage of these offers and allow them time off work to attend these programmes.

There is no one-size-fits-all programme. Smokers need to consult their doctors to establish what will work best as some programmes may include scheduled medicines.

Snyman suggests that where there are shortfalls in medical scheme coverage, employers assist employees to find smoke cessation programmes that are offered free of charge.

SA film makers to challenge Cannes

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Eulalia Snyman

I can’t help but notice that lately I have been watching more South African movies than ever before.

It’s just that I enjoy them so much; the stories are so good. Fortunately, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) believes that international audiences will feel the same. The foundation, in association with the Department of Arts and Culture, left yesterday with a delegation of SA film makers to attend the 65th Cannes International Film Festival.

With some 130 film makers, this year’s delegation is the largest ever. Of these film makers, 11 have been sponsored by the NFVF, which has been mandated by Parliament to spearhead the development of the local film and video industry.

“South Africa’s growing participation at international level, including at Cannes, demonstrates that our film makers are global competitors in the field, and their projects are authentic stories that resonate in the international market place,” says the foundation’s Zama Mkosi.

“It is therefore imperative to ensure that the local film industry is adequately supported and well represented in order for our productions and talent to receive the global recognition they deserve.”

In April, South Africa won nine awards at the 2012 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in Nigeria.

Competing against 23 other countries across the continent, SA took the AMAA 2012 prize for Best Film for How To Steal 2 Million.

Azania Muendane, the NFVF head of marketing and public affairs, points out that Cannes is another strategic platform to promote SA as a co-production partner, a film-making destination of choice and a country that tells authentic stories.

“Cannes is recognised as the world’s premier film festival, where the world’s distributors, financiers and programmers buy film projects, negotiate distribution deals and funding,” she says.

This year the NFVF will showcase 12 local feature films and eight documentaries. These include Otelo Burning; Semi-Soet; Blitz Patrollie; 31 Million Reasons; Five Fingers for Marseilles; One Last Look; The Umbrella Man; Tok Tokkie; RollaBall; Sobukwe; Wandering Fever; and I am Craig.

While in Cannes, the Department of Arts and Culture is also to sign a co-production treaty with Ireland. The treaty will enable productions from both territories to qualify for the different incentives associated with home-grown content and enable collaboration between producers.

The first South African co-production treaty was signed with Canada in 1997, and was soon followed by a host of others. Out of these treaties, films such as Skin (SA/UK), The Bang Bang Club (SA/Canada),Death Race (SA/Germany), Skoonheid (SA/France) and A Million Colours (SA/Canada) were produced.

The good news for those who haven’t made it to Cannes, but dream of having a career in the film and television industry, is that the NFVF is offering free part-time training to aspirant script editors.

Script editors are the people responsible for checking the story structure, pacing and characters to ensure that production requirements are being met, and they help to spot and resolve problems in a script.

The Sediba “Spark” Screenwriters Training Programme will be run for five months. It consists of one workshop a month, held during weekends.

Workshops will be held in Joburg. Travel and accommodation for those based outside Gauteng will be arranged and paid for by the NFVF.

Selected individuals will be required to attend a compulsory induction on Friday, June 22 ahead of the first workshop, which is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24.

To qualify for this free training, you need a relevant tertiary qualification or extensive experience in the film and television industry.

You also need to prove you have experience in writing intellectually challenging and coherent reports, articles and/or essays for a degree programme, newspaper or magazines, a web blog, or va creative or professional writing programme.

You are also required to have a satisfactory understanding of storytelling based on one of the following:

l Study of drama, film, television or literature in a university honours degree course;

l Completion of a screenwriting or script editor’s professional development programme or;

l Experience as a published short story writer, novelist, storyline writer, script writer/ script editor for a television drama series or feature film screenplays.

The NFVF will give preference to applicants who are committed to making a big impact on South African film and television drama and are proficient in at least one of the indigenous South African languages besides English.

l For more information, visit the NFVF website at http://www.nfvf.co.za

Mahlangu guilty of ET murder

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Ventersdorp – Chris Mahlangu has been found guilty of the murder of Eugene Terre’Blanche. His co-accused Patrick Ndlovu has been found guilty of housebreaking.

Mahlangu and the teenager were charged with beating Terre’Blanche to death in his farmhouse outside Ventersdorp, in the North West, on 3 April 2010.

Both pleaded not guilty to murder, housebreaking, and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Mahlangu claimed he acted in self-defence. The teenager denied involvement in the crime.

The youth turned 18 shortly after the proceedings were postponed.

More details to follow.