Northern Cape ANC chairman John Block has been refused leave to appeal against an order to seize his assets, the NPA said on Friday.

He brought the application earlier this month after a final forfeiture order was granted in respect of his shares the Trifecta group and its renovations to his guest house in Upington, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.

In June, the court provisionally granted the NPA an order freezing more than R20 million of Block’s assets.

Assets worth R5.85 million were forfeited to the state under the final order granted on September 13 in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, the NPA said on Friday.

The property included 25 ordinary shares given to Block by Trifecta Resources and Exploration on September 8, 2006, and R349 919, which was the value of the renovations.

“The court found that the Assets Forfeiture Unit had proved on a balance of probabilities that the 25 ordinary shares and the renovations were corrupt payments or kickbacks made to Block,” the NPA said.

“Block did not oppose the application and filed no opposing affidavit.”

On Friday, Judge Bulelwa Pakhati dismissed with costs Block’s application for leave to appeal againsthe granting of the forfeiture order.

Block, ANC MP Yolanda Botha and local government MEC Alvin Botes were arrested by the Hawks earlier this year.

Trifecta allegedly entered into a number of lease agreements with the Northern Cape social development department in which the rentals, or rental space, were grossly inflated.

As a result Trifecta received, or would receive, at the end of the lease agreements, rentals of R57m.

Sapa

Pietermaritzburg – Three Grade 12 school pupils who admitted to fatally stabbing a man to supplement their items for a school function were jailed for in effect 22 years each by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday.

Lindani Mhlongo, 23, Mzwandile Gumede, 19, and Mphikilele Gumede, 20, of KwaMbonambi, on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, said they attacked and robbed Lucky Khumalo after he alighted from a taxi on August 30.

It was a Friday and they possibly thought he was taking home money and parcels, said Judge Anton van Zyl.

The court heard that they followed him and attacked him in a secluded spot. They left him wounded, but he later died. They took his cellphone, cash and clothes.

Each pupil had an Okapi knife, which they said was for their protection as it was a dangerous area.

They later admitted that they each gained less than R100 from the crime.

Van Zyl found that it was a brutal, unnecessary killing as the pupils were strapping young males who could easily have subdued the middle-aged Khumalo and taken his money and possessions.

However, he found substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed life sentence for a gang murder: they were young, had pleaded guilty, were first offenders and could be suitable candidates for rehabilitation.

He sentenced each to 20 years’ imprisonment for the murder.

He found no reasons to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years’ for the aggravated robbery. He ordered that 13 years of this sentence run concurrently with the murder term.

Sapa

KwaMahlanga – Four Mpumalanga Community Policing Forum (CPF) members pleaded not guilty on Friday to killing a suspected dagga dealer.

Titus Montwedi, 34, Gebras Seoketsa, 36, Abina Nkoane and John Mboweni, 45, appeared in the Mmabatho High Court sitting in the Temba Magistrate’s Court in Hammanskraal, a Sapa correspondent reported.

They denied murdering Tebogo Kekana, of Marapyane village, outside KwaMhlanga, in Mpumalanga.

The court heard that the men, who are all members of Marapyane CPF, arrested Kekana on October 26, 2008, for allegedly dealing in dagga in the village.

Nkoane, who was Kekana’s neighbour, testified that Mboweni called him to help arrest a criminal in the area.

“After they told me who the criminal was, I told them that though the man was weak, he was very stubborn and for them to arrest him, they need to assault him,” he said under cross examination.

Nkoane said they found Kekana at his home.

Mboweni and another man went inside and came out with him moments later, he told the court.

Nkoane said he heard Mboweni threaten to kill Kekana unless he showed him where the dagga was.

“If the deceased was assaulted, I didn’t witness that assault. It may have taken place inside the house while I remained in the car,” he said.

He said they took Kekana to a local police station, where he died at the entrance.

“The last thing he said before he died was that we had broken his ribs.”

Nkoane claimed that Kekana had been sick at the time of his death.

Mboweni testified that he slapped Kekana once on his chest and said it was impossible this could have caused his death.

A post mortem report result showed that Kekana had broken ribs and died of internal bleeding.

The case was postponed until March 31 for judgment.

Sapa

Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma expressed shock on Friday at the recent sexual attacks on young children and babies.

“It is inexplicable and devastating in the extreme,” he said in a speech prepared for delivery at the launch of the Kalagadi Manganese company’s Stanley Nkosi sinter mine.

“Something is seriously wrong, and it is good that society has not lost its sense of shock,” he said.

A six-week-old baby was raped in Galeshewe, Kimberley, on Tuesday, allegedly by a 24-year-old man believed to be her uncle.

On Monday, a 17-year-old teenage boy was arrested for the rape of a four-year-old boy in Itsoseng near Lichtenburg, North West.

The teenager grabbed the boy while he was playing last Thursday and raped him in full view of his friends, Sergeant Kelebogile Moiloa said at the time.

He then dragged the child into a dilapidated community hall where he continued to rape him, Moiloa said.

The 17-year-old was also accused of raping a 72-year-old woman in Itsoseng in 2011.

Last Wednesday, a 10-year-old pupil from Mapetla, Soweto was raped by his 44-year-old teacher.

The pupil was staying after school as punishment for damaging a school textbook when he was raped by the teacher in a classroom.

“Such incidents must not make us numb. We need to continue raising awareness so that communities can expose perpetrators and eliminate these serious crimes,” Zuma said.

He said the perpetrators belonged in jail and he urged communities to help the police.

On Thursday, Women, Children and People with Disabilities Minister Lulu Xingwana said the “monstrous atrocities” appalled her.

“These acts can only be committed by very sick people,” she said, with reference particularly to the attacks on the infant and four-year-old.

The government would ensure people accused of rape were not given bail and received harsher sentences.

“These crimes will under no circumstances be tolerated and (are) totally unacceptable.”

Gender based violence had reached crisis proportions, despite efforts to raise awareness about violence against women and children, the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) said on Friday.

“This year alone, the country was in shock at the harrowing rape and murder of Anene Booysen, the death of Reeva Steenkamp, the rape and murder of Duduzile Zozo, the rape and murder of the Diepsloot toddlers (Yonelisa Mali, two, and her three-year-old cousin Zandile) and now we are hit with yet another blow as a result of the rape of a six-week-old toddler,” CGE chairman Mfanozelwe Shozi said in a statement.

He applauded the police for their swift response in arresting the baby’s uncle.

Shozi called for renewed attempts to find interventions to stop this kind of violence.

The rape of the baby had come during the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children – a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the scourge of gender-based violence, he said.

Sapa

Cape Town – Specialised sexual offences courts could make a dent in South Africa’s staggeringly high rape rate by speeding up the turnover of rape cases and thereby convicting more rapists and encouraging more survivors to report the crime.

However, unless the South African government puts its money where its mouth is, the so-called “rape courts” will amount to nothing more than a “nice idea”.

This is according to several experts in the field who say that major funding shortfalls are the single-biggest barrier to the government’s plan to roll out 79 specialised courts within three years.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Mbombela – A pastor from Mpumalanga has cancelled future night prayer meetings at his church after his congregants were robbed and a woman raped, a Sapa correspondent reported on Friday.

Morris Mhlanga, senior pastor at the Emmanuel Assemblies Church in Mganduzweni, near White River, said the attack took place at his church shortly before midnight last Friday.

“I don’t see us doing night prayers again unless we ask for manpower so we can have armed men or police guarding us while we pray, because what we witnessed last week Friday was very much shocking.”

Mhlanga said the prayer meeting started well around 19:00 with 17 congregants, mostly young people.

Gunshots

“We were holding hands in a circle and were only 10 minutes away from ending the prayer session when we heard a loud bang of gunshots. Everyone opened their eyes [and] found that there were three young men wearing balaclavas. They had guns in their hands,” said Mhlanga.

The attackers demanded cellphones, money, rings, earrings, jackets, car keys, and other valuable items. They ordered young girls and women to follow them outside.

“This was like a movie to us… Two remained behind to guard us as one of them took a woman with him outside. The one who went outside would come back and the next guy would follow and they rotated the women in that manner.”

They allegedly sexually assaulted the women and raped a 21-year-old.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Leonard Hlathi said a case of rape and robbery was being investigated.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Five people were killed and another injured when a car collided with a bakkie in Ladysmith, the KwaZulu-Natal transport department said on Friday.

The accident happened on the R103 outside Ladysmith, on Thursday night, Transport MEC Willies Mchunu said.

The five killed were passengers in the car and died on the scene, Mchunu said.

One of the bakkie’s passengers was injured and taken to Ladysmith Provincial Hospital.

Mchunu urged drivers to be cautious on the roads, especially during the festive season.

“As we enter the high traffic volume festive season, let it be our mission to strictly observe traffic regulations and reach our destinations alive,” he said.

– SAPA

Cape Town – A petition has been started to impeach President Jacob Zuma over his involvement in the Nkandla scandal.

The petition was put up on website Change.org. It was created by the Committee for the Impeachment of the President.

“The leaked public protector report on Nkandla proves that president Zuma lied to Parliament and personally benefitted from over R200m of public money [without proper tender].

“Further, he personally intervened, unlawfully, by appointing his own architect over those already employed by the department of public works.”

The committee called for the “immediate impeachment” of Zuma and urged that he be prosecuted.

Zuma must be called to account – Madonsela

Social activist Zackie Achmat wrote on the website that he supported the petition and said he would help organise a demonstration on 13 February 2014.

The saga surrounding Zuma’s homestead hit the headlines again on Friday after the Mail & Guardian published parts of Thuli Madonsela’s provisional report into the upgrades.

Government has stated the upgrades were essential for Zuma’s security, but Madonsela found a swimming pool, visitors’ centre, amphitheatre, cattle kraal, marquee area, extensive paving, and new houses for relatives included in the upgrade at “enormous cost” to the taxpayer.

Madonsela’s report recommended the president be called to account by Parliament for violating the executive ethics code on two counts.

These were for failing to protect state resources, and misleading Parliament for suggesting he and his family had paid for all non-security-related features.

One of the key allegations listed in the report stated that costs escalated from an initial R27m to R215m, with a further R31m in works outstanding.

Twitter reaction

Twitter users on Friday expressed their dismay at the Mail & Guardian report while others made sarcastic comments about the Zuma homestead.

“How can we be expected to believe anything the President says? He must be called to task #Nkandla #nkandlagate,” one Twitter user wrote.

“If the #ANC want my vote next year then hold #Zuma accountable now and prove you the party of old. #Nkandla#2014elections #nothappening,” said another.

A Telkom parody profile tweeted: “Hm, just learnt that you can also pay your etolls by depositing money into this account: JZ NKANDLA TRUST, STD BANK, Acc No. #000001.”

Another said: “Everyone should go to #Nkandla on 27 April – 1 May and have a commemorative jol there. Amandla awethu.”

“Where do we get the number for Zuma’s anti-corrpution hotline? Need to report him #Nkandla #nkandlagate,” said another. – News24 and Sapa

– News24

Cape Town – The publication of parts of Thuli Madonsela’s provisional report into the Nkandla upgrade is not illegal, Mail & Guardian editor-in-chief Chris Roper told News24 on Friday.

Roper’s newspaper published details from the public protector’s report which called for President Jacob Zuma to appear before Parliament.
For more http://www.news24.com

Durban – Questions have arisen over a letter used by the builders of the collapsed Tongaat mall praising their work to obtain a low-cost housing tender from the eThekwini metro municipality.

This emerged following an announcement earlier this week by the National Home Builders’ Registration Council (NHBRC) that it would investigate all projects currently under construction by Woodglaze Trading and Gralio Precast.

Gralio was the company building the Tongaat mall which collapsed on 19 November, killing two people and injuring 29 others.

Following that accident questions arose over the quality of Gralio’s workmanship.

The municipality was subsequently criticised over the fact that it had awarded a tender to Gralio to complete a portion of the Cornubia low-cost housing development in Mount Edgecombe.

Ethekwini municipal manager Sibusiso Sithole said he had tried to prevent Gralio from being awarded the tender in 2011.

Sithole said: “The city manager rejected the award and Gralio appealed the decision to the municipality’s appeals authority, which overturned the city manager’s decision upon the emergence of new evidence, including a letter from the NHBRC praising the quality of Gralio’s work. This was contrary to an earlier NHBRC report which had criticised Gralio’s work and formed part of the Manase report findings.”

It is this second letter that is being questioned. In fact, the NHBRC have had to approach the eThekwini municipality for a copy of this letter.

On Friday NHBRC spokesperson Molebogeng Taunyane said: “We have requested the [eThekwini] municipality to furnish us with a copy of that letter and we are still waiting for it.”

Comment could not immediately be obtained from the municipality.

All companies that build housing are required by law to register with the NHBRC.

Quality of workmanship

The quality of Gralio’s workmanship on a housing project in Durban’s Phoenix area was also raised in the Manase report – a controversial forensic audit report into corruption at the municipality.

In another project, known as the Burbreeze Housing Project, Gralio was paid R2.2m a month by the municipality before the tender was awarded to another company.

According to the Manase report that company, Palm Civils, later transferred the project to Gralio.

According to the report at another Gralio development, known as Hammonds farm outside Verulam, costs had soared from R68m to R351m with 22 units built having to be demolished because of poor workmanship.

The Mercury newspaper last year quoted Durban businessman Jay Singh as saying: “It was the engineer’s fault those houses had to be demolished. It wasn’t our fault.”

Singh’s ex-wife Shireen Annamalay is listed as the owner of Gralio and Woodglaze.

His son Ravi Jagadasan is the director of Rectangle Property Investments, the company for which Gralio was constructing the mall.

According to a report in the Witness newspaper last week Jay Singh and his family trust were directors of Rectangle until earlier this year.

Taunyane said it was expected that the NHBRC would complete its investigation before the end of next week.

– SAPA