JOHANNESBURG – The World Bank says its decision to lower its 2014 growth forecast for South Africa was taken because of the platinum strike and the fact that Eskom cannot produce enough electricity.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za
Free State two in court for hijack, murder
Bloemfontein – Two people, one a minor, appeared in the Lindley Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday in connection with the hijacking and murder of a Bethlehem man.
“Elias Moeketsi Lichakane, 20, and a 17-year-old appeared and were denied bail,” said Free State police spokesperson Constable Sinah Mpakane.
The matter was postponed to 25 June for further investigation.
It relates to the murder of Thamsanqa Vumendlini, 48, who was a Democratic Alliance branch chairperson in Bohlokong at Bethlehem.
It was alleged Vumendlini was on his way from Senekal to Bethlehem when he stopped to give two people a lift on Friday, 6 June around 17:00.
On the way the two passengers apparently asked him to stop near Paul Roux. Vumendlini also stepped out of the vehicle and was attacked by his two passengers.
Police said he was stabbed with a knife and strangled with a chain.
He died on the scene.
The two accused were arrested in Arlington while driving Vumendlini’s vehicle.
SAPA
CT domestic worker breaks down during testimony
Cape Town – A Cape Town domestic worker had to be consoled on Wednesday after testifying how her employer’s boyfriend allegedly assaulted and swore at her.
Gloria Kente, 50, told Cape Town magistrate Alta le Roux what happened last June between herself and Andre van Deventer at the home they all shared in Table View.
Van Deventer is on trial on charges of common assault and crimen injuria.
She said she had asked Van Deventer to look after her employer’s child while she took a shower at the end of the workday.
While in the bathroom, she said she heard Van Deventer shouting that they were “paying this kaffir R2 400 to look after the child”.
Kente said she left the bathroom and asked him whether he was speaking about her, which he confirmed.
“Andre came to me whilst I was standing in my room door. He grabbed my pyjamas in front of my chest and said he hated a kaffir. Then he said ‘I hate you as well, Gloria’. Then he spitted [sic] in my face,” she said.
She was being cross-examined by Van Deventer’s lawyer, Henry van der Westhuizen, who questioned her version of events.
At lunch, Kente left the stand and sat with her head in her hands. A group of women consoled her.
After lunch, she continued to explain what happened after she was spat at.
“That’s when he mentioned that there are black people throwing kaka at the airport. We are not the ones who are going to be cleaning that. That’s when I broke loose from him and didn’t do anything at all.”
Kente demonstrated how she took her hands and forced Van Deventer’s grip loose by pushing back.
“He further mentioned that these kaffirs stole their land and he wishes that [the late statesman Nelson] Mandela died in hospital.”
Van der Westhuizen said her employer, Mariechin Pienaar, and Van Deventer would both testify to a different version that never included assault.
The lawyer said Pienaar would testify that Kente and her boyfriend had shouted at each other and she broke up the fight.
They would also testify that Kente had told Van Deventer: “You sleep with a black woman. You have black kids. Why are you saying these things to me?”
Pienaar would testify further that she went into Kente’s room afterwards to see if she was okay and had told her to ignore her boyfriend because he had been drinking.
Kente denied this version and said Pienaar had stayed in her bedroom instead of intervening and could thus not testify as to what she had seen.
Kente has also applied to the Equality Court in Cape Town for R100 000 in damages and an unconditional apology from Van Deventer.
The equality case was expected to be heard next month.
SAPA
Zuma will be fit for State of the Nation – Maharaj
Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma will be fit to deliver the State of the Nation address on Tuesday, his spokesperson said.
“President Zuma is resting and working from home. He is currently busy working on the State of the Nation address, which he will deliver next week,” Mac Maharaj said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the presidency said Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa would stand in for Zuma at Epainette Mbeki’s funeral and at other events.
Zuma would also not deliver the main address at the national youth day celebration in Kimberley on Monday, as earlier diarised.
“He must maximise the time he has to rest,” Maharaj said.
Ramaphosa would replace Zuma at the 16 June youth celebrations in Kimberley.
“The president will spend 16 June working on the Sona. He requested Parliament to bring forward the Sona date… to enable him to attend the African Union summit in Equatorial Guinea on 25-26 June, the dates that were initially scheduled for the Sona debate.”
The State of the Nation debate was moved to 18 June and 19 June.
Zuma was discharged from a Pretoria hospital on Sunday after spending a night there.
African National Congress secretary general Gwede Mantashe said at the weekend that Zuma, 72, went for a routine health check.
Mantashe said the ANC’s election campaign had been punishing and all senior members of the party would take time off one after another to “re-energise”.
Zuma was also not attending a three-day Cabinet lekgotla in Pretoria he was initially scheduled to lead from Tuesday.
Ramaphosa was chairing it.
SAPA
Witness: Many prostitutes worked at brothel
Durban – As many as 35 prostitutes were operating from a hotel owned by a doctor in Durban’s notorious Point Road area, the Durban Regional Court heard on Wednesday.
One of them testified that all the girls were working for Sandile Patrick Zweni, who is accused of operating a prostitution ring from the Inn Town Lodge.
She said she stayed at Inn Town Lodge for three years.
“We were all prostitutes. All 30, 35 of us went to Inn Town Lodge. We stayed at the bottom floors next door to each other,” she said.
The woman, who cannot be named, said the prostitutes had been moved from a building known as Adrinic House to the hotel owned by Dr Genchen Rugnath.
She was giving evidence in the trial of Rugnath, his wife Ravina, as well as Zweni, Nonduzo Dlamini, and Bhabha Dubazini.
They have all pleaded not guilty to 156 charges, including assault, rape, sexual exploitation of a child, and racketeering.
Girls as young as 12 allegedly worked as prostitutes from Inn Town Lodge.
The witness named Dlamini and Dubazini as being “runners” for Zweni, making sure that the girls were out on the streets soliciting clients.
She said the very same day the women moved into Inn Town Lodge they started working.
She said they were not required to work during the day, but at night Zweni would insist the girls were out soliciting clients.
“At night we all got wake up and then started to work,” she said.
She described “wake up” as “the cocaine they would give us to arouse our feelings”.
After each client she would return to the hotel to get some more cocaine.
She said she lived at the Rugnath’s hotel for about three years and Zweni was at the hotel every day.
“He would come every day, because it was his business. We wouldn’t wake up without him being there. He is the one that cuts the crack cocaine.”
Earlier in the day, another prostitute, who previously testified that she started working for Zweni when she was 13 years old, told the court that her money would be stolen while she was sleeping.
She said she had suffered cigarette burns at the hands of one of Zweni’s runners.
“If I took off all my clothes you would see all the burn marks,” she said.
Rugnath’s hotel manageress Veena Budhram was initially charged in the matter but has since turned State witness.
Rugnath claims he knew nothing about prostitution at the hotel, located in Durban’s Point Road area – known for its red-light activities – and left the running of his hotel to Budhram.
SAPA
MEC: Evictions distasteful
Johannesburg – The way people are evicted from their dwellings is distasteful and has to stop, Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Jacob Mamabolo said on Wednesday.
“We are deeply concerned by the acts of violence, displacements, confrontations, loss of property and gross disregard as well as the violation of human rights every time evictions take place,” Mamabolo said in a statement.
“Our experience is that evictions leave behind a trail of pain.”
Mamabolo met management of the Red Ant Security and Eviction Services company on Wednesday.
The meeting was to ensure future evictions did not infringe on the human rights of residents, department spokesperson Victor Moreriane said.
The partnership between the two parties would include identification of vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly, before evictions were carried out.
It also provided for detailed communication with people facing eviction.
Mamabolo said eviction notices should be clear and should be distributed with instructions informing residents what to do.
“Our intention is to discourage violence while also taking care of the vulnerable groups. I am deeply convinced that things could be done better,” said Mamabolo.
The Red Ants management complained of being unfairly implicated in violence-related events they were not responsible for.
“The company said it has a strict disciplinary code of conduct for its employees and will take action against anyone implicated in deliberate acts of violence and damage to property,” Moreriane said.
He said the eviction company noted that most evictions were characterised by emotion and aggression.
“They also noted hostile cases in which some of their members were being attacked or even killed while executing eviction orders.”
The emergence of unregistered companies using violence to evict residents through the use of illegal eviction orders in the Johannesburg CBD, was also raised by the company.
“We want to make it clear that we do not accept illegal occupations of land and properties,” Mamabolo said.
“We therefore call on Gauteng communities to work with us. We will not tolerate property theft in this province.”
SAPA
First Eskom load shedding this winter
Johannesburg – Deliberate power cuts, the first of this winter, took place countrywide on Wednesday night, electricity giant Eskom said.
“Due to unavailability of some of our generators, we are implementing load shedding for an hour,” said spokesperson Andrew Etzinger on Wednesday evening.
He said two units at Duvha and Kendal power stations had tripped and a portion of the capacity usually imported from Cahora Bassa became unavailable.
“As a result, a reduction in electricity demand was required between 18:00 and 20:00 in order to balance the electricity system, which was implemented according to Eskom’s load shedding schedule.
“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience to affected customers.
“We anticipate that the system will remain tight tomorrow [Thursday] evening between 17:00 and 21:00 and once again appeal to all energy users to use electricity sparingly during this period.”
He said that in an effort to avoid load shedding, all electricity users were urged to switch off non-essential appliances, pool pumps and geysers between 17:00 and 21:00.
“Commercial customers, particularly shopping centres and office blocks, can make the biggest difference by switching off non-essential lights and not leaving office equipment such as photocopiers and computers in standby mode after hours,” he said.
SAPA
North West rapist jailed for life
By Obakeng Maje
Itsoseng- The fight against sexual offences gained success when Itsoseng Regional Court sentenced Molatlhegi Richard Ramaisa,28, to life imprisonment on Monday for rape.
“Upon sentencing the accused, the court also enforced Section 50(2)(a & b) of Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Act, 2007 (ACT 32 OF 2007) that the accused’s name is to be entered into National Register for Sexual Offenders” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.
The crime was committed on 16 June 2012 when the accused raped a 79 year-old woman at Zone 1, Itsoseng after breaking and gaining entrance into the house. The old woman was found sleeping alone in the house and ultimately raped after the accused failed to get his intended victim, the old woman’s granddaughter.
The North West Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Ryno Naidoo thanked police for their excellent work that ensured that the accused gets maximum sentence.
“We will continue to work hard with other role players to ensure justice for every victim of crime including vulnerable persons like the old woman. We have no doubt that the sentence will send a clear message that police will deal effectively with those who commit crime”, said Major General Naidoo.
-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_
President Zuma to celebrate June 16 in Kimberley
Kimberley- President Jacob Zuma will deliver a keynote address at the National Youth Day Commemoration on 16 June 2014 under the theme,“Youth Moving South Africa Forward”. The President will be accompanied by Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Nathi Mthethwa, Minister in the Presidency, Mr Jeff Radebe, Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Buti Manamela and National Youth Development Agency Executive Chairperson Yershen Pillay.
“The year 2014 marks the 38th anniversary of the June 16 Soweto and other related uprisings. The uprisings ended tragically as large numbers of young people were killed by the apartheid government when they protested against the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. This day is popularly known as the Soweto Uprising or June 16” departmental spokesperson Patience Mogomotsi said.
Mogomotsi said the democratic government decided to honour the memory of those who died and suffered during this day by declaring June 16 a National Day called Youth Day.
“The objective is to preserve the legacy and principles of selflessness of the youth of 1976 as we work together to take the country forward and promote social cohesion and nation building” Mogomotsi said.
In line with the 20 Years of Freedom and Democracy celebrations, the 2014 youth month programme will entail a month long programme aimed at highlighting the work of government through unveiling and launching projects, while having conversations with the youth on the progress made in the past 20 years.
The event details are as follows:
Date :16 June 2014
Time :09h00
Venue: Galeshewe Stadium, Kimberley
-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_
MEC Maine warns contractors to deliver quality houses
Klerksdorp- Following the recent handing over project programme which the department has embarked on, the MEC for Local Government and Human Settlements Collen Maine saw it fit to convene all the housing developers in the province to discuss housing delivery issues.
During the meeting, the MEC encouraged the contractors as well as departmental officials to play their part in moving the province to greater heights. “Our position as department remains to ‘turn the North West into a construction site’. To achieve this objective, we would need men and women contractors who are determined; committed to respond to their contractual obligations without fail. Where there are problems we remain duty-bound to resolve them. I expect maximum cooperation between yourselves and the department; remember you remain contracted to the department for a particular period to deliver quality houses for our people in the province,” said Maine.
He further emphasised that the role of the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) should be taken into consideration when building houses.
“We are going to intensify our working relationship with (NHBRC) as body which is responsible for quality assurance of these houses. We will further convene a special meeting with NHBRC, our internal inspectors, regional Directors to strategise on effective monitoring and implementation of projects to ensure quality work,” he emphasised.
“I must warn you that from time to time I will visit the projects unannounced as a way of monitoring the progress of all the projects under construction. I also wish to advice you not to steal from government by doing shoddy work or leave incomplete projects and make a run for it. If we work together, no one will lose his contract,” warned Maine.
The MEC further commit that these developers forums are going to be held rotational on monthly basis in four districts.
Maine encouraged and motivated them to continue to deliver quality houses to the beneficiaries and to always remember the importance of building quality houses and that by doing the good work; the province will always remain on top of all the other provinces as far as housing delivery is concerned.
According to Maine, the department aims to deliver 11 000 units for the current financial year and further mentioned that some of the projects are already underway.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_
The Guardian 