Sandile Mantsoe is accused of killing his 22-year-old girlfriend Karabo Mokoena last year, burning her body and dumping it in a veld in Lyndhurst.

JOHANNESBURG – Sandile Mantsoe has been found guilty of Karabo Mokoena‘s murder.

Mantsoe was accused of killing his 22-year-old girlfriend, Mokoena, last year, burning her body and dumping it in a veld in Lyndhurst.

In his ruling on Wednesday, Judge Peet Johnson has found that the State managed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he had murdered Mokoena and burnt her body to try and destroy the evidence.

“That the deceased did not have a tendency to commit suicide, did not attempt it, did not commit it and that the accused killed her.”

He’s questioned why Mantsoe felt the need to dispose of Mokoena’s body if he had not killed her.

Johnson has accused Mantsoe of trying to paint Mokoena as suicidal and depressed in order to drive his narrative that she had taken her own life.

The court will soon hear whether sentencing proceedings will continue Wednesday afternoon.

Source: http://www.ewn.co.za  

Two police constables have been arrested after they were identified in a crowd that looted shops during a service delivery protest in the Northern Cape.

The pair were on duty during the alleged looting. They were found in possession of suspected stolen cellphones were reported stolen from a local furniture store in Hartswater. The cellphones and many items including television sets‚ electric appliances were stolen during service delivery protests where looting was (the) order of the day. Two arrested police officers were also seen being part of community members who looted business premises in Hartswater and Pampierstad.”

They were arrested after Crime Intelligence‚ Counter Intelligence‚ the K9 Unit‚ Tactical Response Team‚ Public Order Police and Hartswater Police followed up on information that implicated them in the looting of businesses.

“One of the suspects was found with a cellphone in his possession‚ while other phone was found at the other suspect’s house. The suspects were handed to the IPID for further investigation‚” said Tawana.

Source: http://www.timeline.co.za

DA leader Mmusi Maimane visited Mahikeng after violent protests last week. Residents have called for Mahumapelo’s resignations and accused him of corruption.

MAHIKENG – Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane says the North West needs a serious governance overhaul, one without Premier Supra Mahumapelo.

Maimane visited Mahikeng after violent protests last week. Residents have called for Mahumapelo’s resignations and accused him of corruption.

Maimane says that residents have legitimate concerns of maladministration, corruption and poor service delivery.

He has urged residents to think much harder when they vote next year.

“The ANC has its own internal factions. It’s one faction versus another and the people are being left out.”

The DA leader has visited the families of those who claimed that they were brutalised by police.

Maimane has promised to press criminal charges against law enforcement officers if need be.

Meanwhile, the South African Community Party’s Madoda Sombatha says change in leadership is necessary, but he still believes in the alliance.

While the ANC is yet to take a decision on the premier, both the SACP and the DA agree Mahumapelo must go as a matter of urgency.

CALM FOR NOW

Mahikeng has been calm following days of violent protests last week.

It is business as usual, with taxis seen ferrying passengers across the town.

No roads have been blocked and traffic to moving freely.

Some shops are also opening. Workers could be seen waiting outside stores.

Meanwhile, 23 people who were arrested during last week’s violence are expected to appear in court.

Police are still on high alert and say they’re prepared to intervene should tensions flare up again.

The ANC is expected to finally put the matter to rest soon by announcing its decision on Mahumapelo’s position as premier.

Source: http://www.ewn.co.za 

The situation has reportedly gotten tense in Mahikeng, where residents had earlier taken to the street calling on Supra Mahumapelo to stand down as Premier of the North West on Wednesday.

Some residents have reported hearing gunshots and seeing ambulances around the area. Unit 14, where the premier lives, is also said to have been affected.

When contacted for comment, Mahumapelo said “there’s nothing going on. There’s nothing to worry about”.

The premier told News24 there were rumours that he would be attacked and that, as a result, neighbours went out to “do voluntary defence”.

“There was a rumour that people are going to attack the house. On their own, neighbours went to do voluntary defence, I am told. Remember, I don’t stay in a government presidential guesthouse. I took a decision to stay with the people.”

Mahumapelo said his family at his home was safe and there was no damage to his house. 

He was not at home but had been on ANC business since Tuesday.

Source: http://www.news24.com

Beleaguered North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo says he is ready to repay Denel for his son’s pilot training bursary if such a decision is taken.

Mahumapelo has also urged his detractors to leave his son out of their political battles and face him directly.

It was reported over the weekend that Mahumapelo’s 20-year-old son, Supra Jr, applied late for a bursary only after the final deadline of October 2016, but his application was approved nevertheless and he was awarded with a bursary of just over R1 million to train as a pilot for 17 months.

Addressing a group of “ANC members” who marched to the North West legislature to express their support for him to remain as premier amid an Economic Freedom Fighters sponsored motion of no confidence on him in Mahikeng earlier on Tuesday, Mahumapelo said he was setting the record straight.

He said his son had “applied like any other child so he can fly an aircraft … now they’re after him because they hate his father”.

“Young man wants to become part of the few black pilots; but we want to ensure we destroy him before he can even start with his studies. I think we should not be subjecting other politicians’ children to this kind of a situation when we don’t like their parents,” he said.

“They must leave (my son) out of these political battles. They must face me and not go fiddle with what my son is doing at Denel.”

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has reportedly ordered an investigation into the bursary saga.

Mahumapelo denied he could have used his stature to influence the outcome of his son’s application, saying his son applied on his own and as a father he congratulated him when informed him he was successful.

But he said he would repay Denel if that decision was ever reached.

“… If the Denel board and the minister can decide we must give back what belongs to Denel, I will talk to my family and we’ll give them what belongs to them. But it will be very odd that there are other children that were children in the same category, subjected to the same process and were given bursaries,” he said.

“They’re trying to defocus my son from his studies (but) I told him to be like his father – remain unshakable and focus on his studies. I urge people not to come after my son … they must come directly to me; I will face them. I am not afraid of anyone. Sometimes when you’re quiet people think you’re a coward; we need to fight this thing politically and not physically.”

Meanwhile, Mahumapelo said there were people in the ANC who were jackals in sheepskins and were gunning for him and working with the opposition.

“The problem we have is ANC members who are members of the provincial legislature (MPLs) who go around under the cover of darkness to ask the EFF to push for a motion of no confidence because they can’t face (me). They say to the EFF, ‘we can’t face this leader of the ANC, please try him that side and ask the speaker to allow us to vote in secret so we could work with you to remove him,’” Mahumapelo said.

“There are ANC MPLs who are just a little number; not more than 10 of them. Those are the ones who are working with the EFF to remove me. Who do they think they are?”

He said the biggest mistake the ANC made was not acting against those Members of Parliament who voted with the opposition for President Jacob Zuma’s removal.

“Today they think they can do it anywhere in the country because they did it in Cape town and they think they can do it here and in municipalities. There is order and discipline in the ANC and so we can’t allow people to do as they please in the ANC,” Mahumapelo said.

He said he was not having sleepless nights over the EFF’s motion because the opposition did not have the required numbers to oust him.

Source: http://www.cypress.co.za

BY THEBEETSILE KEAMEDITSE

Aspiring young entrepreneurs in and around Maquassi Hills Local Municipality were encouraged by the information sharing session during the VTSD Entrepreneurship Development campaign, to seek assistance and start or grow their businesses. The municipality was implementing the campaign as part of the Roma Setsokotsane 10×10 Campaign which is continuing in the municipality.

Tefo Vincent Kgang of Rulaganyang Basha Cleaning Services Cooperative in Tswelelang Township was funded by the Department of Finance, Economy and Enterprise Development – FEED to purchase a machinery for his business.

“We needed funding to kick-start our recycling business. Through FEED we managed to locate the machinery that we needed in the Eastern Cape and it was bought to the tune of R120 000” said Kgang.

Kgang is aiming at developing a Buyback Centre and to recycling the recyclable and non-recyclable materials and generate power out of that. He’s aiming at getting more funding to get a suitable site for the business.

“Our ideal site is the official municipal dumping site which has the quantity of waste that we need. The site that we are currently occupying does not have all the necessities to make our business flourish but we remain hopefully that we’ll get the necessary assistance” said Kgang.

Opportunities available for business people like Kgang, were explained to young entrepreneurs by Thabo Ramogogane of FEED during the session, including the importance of registering in the Central Supplier Database.

“We offer funding which we call Economic Empowerment Fund, Access to Markets to expose their products to a larger and broader market in the country as well as training. We have partnership with NYDA and SEDA for training. Our funding starts from R100.00 to R100 000.00 and all you need to do is to send through your proposal with all the necessary documentation for assistance” said Ramogogane.

Young female entrepreneur Tsholofelo Khonyane who’s also aiming at penetrating the recycling industry particularly of non-biodegradable waste, was impressed by the session.

“Through FEED programmes especially Access to Market, I’m able to find places where I can supply my rubber once my business in operational. All young people need to do is to set up different business to eliminate unnecessary competition which create tensions amongst local business people” remarked Khonyane.

Roma Nna Setsokotsane 10×10 Campaign continues this week in Maquassi Hills with the municipality implementing different campaigns such as Roads and Street Lights fixing; Rates and Taxes; Education; Greed, Crime and Corruption; Human Settlements as well as Water and Sanitation.