By Obakeng Maje
Nelspruit- Twenty four people were injured, one of them critically, when a taxi collided with a light motor vehicle and tour bus on the R40 near Nelspruit this afternoon.                     
ER24 paramedics, along with other services, arrived on scene and found the road blocked by the three vehicles. 

“One woman lay trapped inside the tour bus in a critical condition. 
Occupants from the vehicles lay around the scene, their injuries ranging from minor to moderate” ER24 Russel Meiring said.                     

Paramedics and provincial services worked tirelessly to free the patient before treatment could continue. 

“Once freed, paramedics provided advanced life support to the patient before airlifting her by the ER24 helicopter to Mediclinic Nelspruit for urgent medical treatment. 
The remainder of the patients were treated for their injuries and transported to nearby hospitals for further observations” he said. 

Local authorities were on scene to begin their investigations.
-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje
Taung- Stolen goods found by the owner at a local scrap-yard on Thursday in Taung.

Letlhogonolo Segano,33, is a happy man and said he is very glad that good people still exist. Segano who stays in Depot, near Taung said he was informed by one of the community members that his precious tiles were stolen and being sold at a local scrap-yard.

The scrap-yard is situated in Taung CBD, and owned by foreign nationals.

Steven Mthethwa,32, who is from Mozambique said normally they require I’d documents if one come and sell scrap to them. “We require I’d Document and we put them into our records to show who and when the items were sold. It is very unfortunate to find out that those tiles were stolen” he said.

Segano rushed to a local scrap-yard after a ‘tip-off’ and the community members allegedly tried to apprehend the suspect, but he ran for his life.

Our crew visited the scrap-yard and found a stretcher belonging to Taung hospital still in good condition and other hospital items with bar-code still on. However Mthethwa hesitates to give us the name of the person who sold the items to them.

If our mole’s information is anything to go by, those hospital items were allegedly sold to the scrap-yard by one of the cleaners(who is known to us) at Taung hospital.

Taung police were called but they allegedly arrived two hours later and our attempt to get their response was futile.-TDN
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Mahikeng- It’s all systems go for the newly reconfigured Department of Local Government and Human Settlements following a two-day strategic retreat held over the weekend in Rustenburg.

The aim of the strategic retreat which was attended by managers from the erstwhile Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements, was to craft new strategies for the newly reconfigured department.

Acting Head of the Department, Moss Ikgopoleng Kgantsi, said the intention was to finalize the merger as speedily as possible such that the new department is able to discharge its mandate of supporting municipalities as well facilitating the provision of integrated and sustainable human settlements to communities of the North West.

Kgantsi emphasized the need for a rejuvenated workforce to provide much needed services to our communities.

“We can only provide services as expected if we operate like an oiled machine. We need to clean up our administration so that ultimately we can also get a clean audit. We must create a culture that should distinguish us from all other departments as we are a department that is at the forefront of service delivery. If we respect our working space and ethics, provision of services is guaranteed”, he said.
-TDN
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A man has been shot dead in Marikana, North West police said on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old was walking home on Tuesday afternoon when occupants of a car opened fire and killed him, Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.
“The incident happened at around 4.30pm. He was near a playground when he was shot by occupants in a vehicle.” His attackers fled the scene.
Police could not yet reveal the man’s identity, but said a case of murder had been opened.
Mokgwabone could not confirm if the victim was the man mentioned at the Farlam Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday.
The commission heard that Bongani “Bhayi” Mehlonkomo was shot dead in Marikana on Tuesday evening, and that other mineworkers in the area feared for their lives.
Dali Mpofu SC, for miners arrested and wounded during strike-related violence in Marikana in August 2012, said Bhayi was a member of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union. He said police witness “Mr X” had repeatedly mentioned Bhayi at the inquiry, implicating him in the August 2012 murders of police officers and Lonmin security guards.
“There is growing concern among the people that I represent. Speculation in the community is that the assassination is connected to the mentioning of names by Mr X,” Mpofu told the inquiry in Pretoria. “Their fear is that those who have been implicated falsely feel that their lives are under threat. They are not under protection and are vulnerable.”
Mr X is under police protection and may not be identified. He has been testifying via video link from an undisclosed location.
The inquiry, chaired by retired judge Ian Farlam, is investigating the deaths of 44 people during strike-related unrest at Lonmin’s platinum mining operations in Marikana in 2012.
Police shot dead 34 people, mostly striking mineworkers, and wounded 70, on August 16, 2012. In the preceding week,
10 people including the two policemen and two security guards, were killed.
-Sapa

By Obakeng Maje
Taung- North West police can confirm that investigation is underway after a man was allegedly freed by Taung Police Station. A man was arrested by community members and other stakeholders in Kgomotso village, near Pampierstad after he was linked to string of crimes that took place in the area.

According to information, a man attacked, robbed his victims money, personal belongings and cellphones before raping them. He allegedly targets female nurses and teachers and his modus operandi is the same.

He once used his victim’s cellphone to call someone. He was arrested by community members and brought to Taung police station. According to one of community members, police freed him because there is no evidence that links him to alleged crimes. The suspect apparent launched a case of kidnapping and assault against a local anti-crime forum members who brought him to the police station.

North West police colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said they are investigating the matter and what really transpired.-TDN
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Ganyesa- Community Safety and Transport Management MEC Gaoage Molapi will meet the concerned residents of Ganyesa in the North West to give feedback on issues that were raised by the community in a meeting that was held last month.

“The communities had earlier last month raised their dissatisfaction on the investigation of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, where it is alleged that the owner of Disipi filling station and supermarket handcuffed and electrocuted a 9-year-old boy” departmental spokesperson Rebaone Moeng said.

The communities claimed that the suspect, Ferdinand Monstert continuously threatens and intimates the family of the victim and police were not taking any action on that regard.

Monstert was since arrested and released on R1000 bail by the Ganyesa Magistrate court.

“Amongst issues raised by the community were that, the case was not the first against Monstert and requested that all other cases must be re-opened and re-investigated by the police” he said.

Molapisi is expected to give feedback on number of other issues and requests registered by the residents on the previous meeting.

MEC would be accompanied by relevant departmental stakeholders and sector departments.

The meeting will unfold as follows:

Date: Thursday 23 July 2014

Venue: Ganyesa Sport Ground

Time: 14H00

-TDN
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Naauwpoort- North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management Gaoage Molapisi send his heartfelt condolences to the family of an 83-year-old woman who was allegedly raped and strangled to death by an unknown suspect at her own home in Naauwpoort village outside Mahikeng.

It is alleged that the suspect forcefully gained entrance into the house through the window where the woman was sleeping together with her grandchild on Sunday, but the case was only reported to the Mooifontein police station on Monday morning.

During the crime scene investigation by police, it was apparent that the woman was raped before being strangled, and she had no visible injuries.

According to the police, the community arrested the suspect Tuesday and eventually handed him over to the Mooifontein police.

MEC Molapisi applauded the communities of Naauwpoort for handing over the suspect to the Mooifontein police unharmed.

He said the province is in need of people such as the Naauwpoort community who took initiative on arresting the suspect and acted responsibly by handing him to the police.

“We have experienced a number of incidents where communities took law into their hands, attacked and even kill the suspect but in this case, we would like to appreciate what the community has done.

This is the true partnership that we request from our communities, with these efforts we will win the fight against crime,” said Molapisi.

The police are still interviewing the suspect to see if indeed he is linked to the crime.

MEC requests the community to have confidence that the police will leave no stone unturned on the investigation of the case and further pleaded their patience.

“They have done an outstanding job, now all we request is their patience, they must give our police enough time to conduct proper investigation and have trust in our justice system,” he said.

The departmental MEC strongly condemned the rape and murder incidents and further requested communities to partner with government in protecting the lives of elder people in the country.
-TDN
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