Johannesburg – The case of a woman accused of cutting off her boyfriend’s penis was postponed by the Protea Magistrate’s Court in Soweto on Friday.

Evidence Nkuna, 22, faces charges of attempted murder for allegedly attacking her boyfriend on 6 October when she found him with another woman. She ordered them to strip naked.

Nkuna took a knife and allegedly cut off the man’s penis. She was arrested soon afterwards.

The case was postponed to 7 November for a legal aid application.

Nkuna initially appeared in the Meadowlands Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

She was released on bail of R2 500.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) confirmed on Friday, that it has received allegations of defeating the ends of justice against national police commissioner Riah Phiyega.

“The matter does not fall under the matters investigated by the IPID. So the executive director of the IPID will assess it and make a decision on whether it must be investigated by the IPID,” spokesperson Moses Dlamini said.

The case was reported on Wednesday. Phiyega said the allegations against her “will not stick”.

“You can try as much as you like, but you will not succeed. No mud thrown at me will stick,” she said in a statement on Friday morning in response to a report in The Star.

“I remain determined to ensure that nothing, absolutely nothing, deters me and my leadership team from the new journey of rebuilding the SAPS [SA Police Service], especially the crime intelligence division.”

The Star reported on Friday that Phiyega allegedly tipped off a senior police officer, who allegedly accepted a bribe from a criminal, that crime intelligence was investigating him.

But Phiyega denied tipping off the officer, saying he had become aware of the investigation after the DA asked a question about it in Parliament.

Calls for investigation

DA spokesperson Dianne Kohler-Barnard said because the allegations against Phiyega were serious it was important for her actions to be investigated.

“If commissioner Phiyega is innocent, she should not oppose an investigation. Indeed she should encourage one.”

Kohler-Barnard said the reputation of the police could not continue to be battered by “dodgy and corrupt officials”.

Phiyega said it was “interesting” that the allegations surfaced from “faceless people” shortly after her decision to put former acting crime intelligence boss Major General Chris Ngcobo on special leave. A vetting process found discrepancies in Ngcobo’s qualifications.

Phiyega said she was not formally informed of the case of defeating the ends of justice against her, but was aware of the allegations.

They were from people who wanted to discredit her. She said it came as no surprise given some of the “mischievous activities conducted by crime intelligence in the past”, Phiyega’s office said in the statement.

“It is clear that this is a lame attempt by certain individuals within crime intelligence to discredit her and derail the process of flushing out those within the SAPS, who have no integrity and have no interest in taking the SAPS forward,” her office said.

Ngcobo on special leave

Phiyega placed Ngcobo on special leave on Monday, instructing that criminal investigations and disciplinary action against him be initiated.

Major General Bongiwe Zulu assumed Ngcobo’s role until further notice.

The Star, quoting “highly placed sources”, said Ngcobo instructed crime intelligence officers to open the case against Phiyega on 19 October.

Explaining the alleged tip-off she gave, Phiyega said a question was received in Parliament and during the process of gathering information to enable the police to prepare a response, the DA enquiry ended up in a provincial commissioner’s office after passing through various officials.

At that point the commissioner called Phiyega to ask about the investigation, so it could not be argued that she alerted the commissioner about the investigation, her office said.

“Simply put, the national commissioner committed no crime,” the statement read.

Kohler-Barnard said she would write to the police ministry to ascertain what steps were being taken to gain clarity. She would also follow up on her original question in Parliament.

The SA Police Union (Sapu) called on President Jacob Zuma to relieve Phiyega of her duties.

“The latest controversy around General Phiyega adds to the many costly blunders the national commissioner has committed since taking office,” spokesperson Solly Bulala said in a statement.

“Sapu calls upon President Jacob Zuma to convene a board of inquiry into the fitness of General Phiyega to hold office. The SAPS can ill afford to have such a character at its helm. It is clear that the general is a liability.”

Sapu called on Phiyega to take a leave of absence to avoid dragging the police’s name through the mud.

– SAPA

Dubai – Pakistan were staring defeat in the second Test in the face after South Africa out-batted them and then bowled well on the third day in Dubai on Friday.

Pak v SA Day 3 as it happened

South Africa, seeking a series-levelling win, once again rocked Pakistan’s top order with three early wickets after compiling a mammoth 517 in their first innings for a big 418-run lead at Dubai stadium.

At the close, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq (42) and Asad Shafiq (28) were at the crease but they still need a whopping 286 runs to avoid an innings defeat or bat out two days to force a draw.

The duo have added 62 for the fifth wicket and would need a Herculean effort to avoid defeat.

But South Africa’s bid for victory, and keeping their seven-year unbeaten away series record, was tainted when they were docked five penalty runs by the onfield umpires after television replays showed Faf du Plessis apparently trying to tamper with the ball in Pakistan’s 31st over.

The two umpires, Rod Tucker of Australia and Ian Gould of England, called South African captain Graeme Smith for a warning, changed the ball and added five penalty runs to Pakistan’s total.

Under International Cricket Council rules, if the umpires lay charges against any player match-referee David Boon will summon the player.

But even that South African setback couldn’t save Pakistan as they continued to slump after finding themselves on two for two at lunch.

Dale Steyn gave South Africa an ideal start as he removed Shan Masood with the fourth ball of the innings, having him trapped in front of the wicket with a sharp delivery for nought.

It became two for two when Khurram Manzoor fell for his second duck of the match, caught off a miscued drive off Vernon Philander from the fifth ball of the second over.

Manzoor had made 146 in Pakistan’s seven-wicket in last week’s Abu Dhabi Test.

Azhar Ali and Younis added 46 for the third wicket before part-time spinner Jean-Paul Duminy struck with his first ball, trapping Ali lbw with a low delivery for 19.

Duminy could have taken Younis on 28 but Kallis failed to hold a low catch in the slips.

Younis was finally bowled for 38 by leg-spinner Imran Tahir off a strange shot, who took a career-best 5-32 to dismiss Pakistan for a paltry 99 in the first innings.

In the morning session, South Africa lost their last six wickets for the addition of 57 runs after resuming at 460-4. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal finished with 5-161 while paceman Mohammad Irfan took 3-102.

De Villiers (164) was the first man to go, caught behind off Irfan in the fifth over of the day.

He hit 17 fours and a six during a commanding 376-minute innings and completed an all-time South African fifth wicket record partnership of 338 with Smith.

Smith was finally caught in the slip by Younis off Ajmal.

Smith’s superb knock lasted 10 hours and 32 minutes during which he dominated Pakistan’s bowling, hitting 16 fours and faced 388 balls.

With Smith’s catch, Younis beat Javed Miandad’s record of most Test catches of 93. It took him 86 Tests, 38 fewer than his illustrious countryman.

Irfan removed Duminy for seven before he was forced out of attack by Australian umpire Rod Tucker for running into the danger zone after a second warning.

Ajmal then wrapped up the innings with the last three wickets to complete his ninth five-wicket haul in Tests.
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The largest union at Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd.’s South African mines will decide whether to go on strike next week as mediators failed to resolve a wage dispute.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union will meet with members on Oct. 28 to consider industrial action at the second-largest producer of the metal, Treasurer Jimmy Gama said today by phone.

The AMCU rejected a pay offer of 8 percent for the year through June, Implats spokesman Johan Theron said.

“Our members will tell us what to do,” Gama said.

The AMCU is demanding basic monthly wages for underground workers of 12,500 rand ($1,275) from the three largest South African platinum producers, where it has usurped the National Union of Mineworkers as the biggest labor representative.

The companies’ profit margins have declined after prices fell and costs including wages increased faster than the 6 percent rate of inflation in September.

Implats offered to raise pay by 7 percent in the second and third years of the proposed agreement, Theron said.

This will increase the total monthly remuneration of entry-level underground workers to 10,756 rand by the end of the cycle, with the cash portion accounting for about 7,000 rand, he said.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration will also intervene in deadlocked wage talks between the AMCU and Anglo American Platinum Ltd., Gama said.

NUM Agreement

The world’s largest producer is unlikely to grant pay increases higher than the 8 percent that gold producers agreed to with the NUM in September, according to Mark Cutifani, chief executive officer of Anglo American, which owns a 77 percent stake in Amplats.

“I’ve got no doubt that platinum is not going to be able to go any further than that,” Cutifani said in an interview yesterday.

“Ultimately, if it goes too far that’s immediate job losses.”

Talks between unions and Lonmin Plc will continue next week, Gama said.

William Setelele, an NUM official, was killed on October 17 close to Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine in the North West province.

Three men were charged yesterday in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court for Setelele’s murder, provincial police spokesman Thulani Ngubane said by phone.

“We were all worried last week that we saw a shooting that was very disturbing,” Cutifani said. “One would hope that’s a single event.” – Bloomberg News

Johannesburg – Malawi said on Friday South African President Jacob Zuma’s recent controversial remarks which implied it was backward would not damage relations between the two nations.

Zuma was left red-faced after making disparaging comments on Monday about roads in the fellow southern African country, where South Africa’s deputy international relations minister was summoned to explain his remarks.

However meetings with High Commissioner Cassandra Makone and deputy foreign minister Marius Fransman, who flew to Lilongwe to make amends, appeared to have soothed tensions.

Zuma’s remarks “will definitely not have a negative impact on Malawi-South Africa’s bilateral relations,” Malawi foreign affairs spokesperson Quent Kalichero told AFP.

In a bid to convince South African motorists to accept a highly controversial plan to toll highways around Johannesburg, Zuma sparked anger by appearing to suggest roads in Malawi were inferior.

“We can’t think like Africans, in Africa, generally,” he said.

“We are in Johannesburg, this is Johannesburg. It’s not some national road in Malawi.”

Pretoria had said the remarks “are not a true reflection of the people of South Africa’s perception of the African continent and its people. President Zuma holds the people of Malawi in high regard,” Kalichero said.

South Africa dispatched its deputy foreign minister Fransman, who made a “courtesy call” to Malawian President Joyce Banda on Thursday, according to an embassy official.

Zuma’s spokesperson later retracted the statement and said he had been quoted out of context. 

AFP

Moretele- The Early Childhood Development programme will not achieve its intended purpose of intervening in the lives of toddlers if the society fails to address violence perpetuated against children, North West MEC for Social Development Collen Maine said yesterday.

Maine was addressing more than 200 residents of Ngobi in Moretele Local Municipality during his second early childhood massification campaign in the area.

“We mobilise the whole society to rally behind the wellbeing of children. This well-being refers to the safety of children, social protection, education, nutrition and exemption from hunger and poverty,” Maine said.

As part of the activities of the campaign Maine together with kgosana Josias Malebye of the Bakgatla-baga-Mosetlha led the sod-turning ceremony to mark the erection of a prototype early childhood development centre which would benefit the children in the impoverished Ngobi village.

National Development Agency’s Potlako Ntlatleng said the high class centre will have classrooms to accommodate 120 children, with a kitchen, a sickroom and outdoor plaing facilities.

Ntlatleng said they will, in partnership with the Department of Social Development build three prototype centres at Ngobi in Moretele, Leeuwdoringstad in Maquassi and Matsheng in Taung.

“The project amount to carry out all these projects amounts to R3m,” Ntlatleng said.

Maine handed over support material in the form of indoor and out-door playing equipment, computers, printers and fire extinguishers to ten Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners.

One of the beneficiaries Johanna Letsiki (70),who has recently registered a day care centre in the area said she is pleased that National Development Agency will renovate her centre which accommodate 18 children.

“This is like a dream. Since 1996 I felt so neglected by the authorities and I am thankful that today we have received these equipment for the children,” Letsiki said with jubilation that she danced after receiving the support material form MEC Collen Maine and NDA representatives.

The campaign will be taken to Leeudoringstad and Taung in November this year.-TDN

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The Sasol League Road Show football action is set to create a buzz at the Montshiwa Stadium, Mafikeng in the North West Province on Saturday, 26

th October with a number of activities on the cards. There will be two Sasol League matches, a coaches’ workshop and a talent identification session.

The end of season finale will see top of the log defending provincial champions Al’s Puk Tawana, (50 points from 19 matches) take on seventh placed Florentina F.C (27 points from 21 games) at 13h00. This match will be followed by a clash between fourth placed North West University (31 points from 16 games) and fifth placed Western Tigers (30 points from 18 games) at 15h00.

Gates will open at 12h00 and the first 150 spectators will receive merchandise courtesy of Sasol, the league sponsors. Fans will also stand a chance to participate in a “Shikisha Skills Competition” and win great prizes during the half time break of each game.

Earlier in the day at 09h00, Banyana Banyana head coach Joseph “Skeshekheshe” Mkhonza and his technical team will address Sasol League club mentors from the province, on technical aspects of coaching women football players.

At 10h00, Mkhonza and his team will continue with their talent identification for the Sasol sponsored South African National Women’s Football Team (Sasol Banyana Banyana). They will also aim unearth talent for the junior women’s national team as they have done in the past four years.

Since 2009, the Sasol League talent identification programme has produced some exciting new talent for the senior national team. In its fifth year, the Sasol League, through the promotional road shows, has seen over 150 players across the country being included in a pool for possible selection into both the junior and senior national teams.

“It is important to have a wide pool of players for the national team and the Sasol League is just the right platform for that. Next year is a very important year for Banyana Banyana; the team has African Women’s Championships qualifiers early in the year with the tournament taking place later in October in Namibia.

“Finding new talent for the national team is an on-going exercise as we are building towards the 2015 World Cup and beyond. We can never have enough depth and that is why we have to consistently look for the next big stars,” said Mkhonza.

Next weekend the promotional road show will be in the province of KwaZulu Natal at Dundee.-TDN

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Orlando Pirates defender Happy Jele says the 4-0 demolition of Golden Arrows serves as a warning to Kaizer Chiefs ahead of the Soweto Derby on Saturday.

The Champions League finalists ran riot against Arrows in the Telkom Knockout last-eight on Wednesday, with Lennox Bacela plundering a hat-trick to go with a strike from Kermit Erasmus at Orlando Stadium.

And while Jele expects Chiefs to be out for revenge over their MTN8 exit at the hands of Bucs a month ago, he backs his team to trump their neighbours again.
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Ernst Middendorp says it is understandable Bloemfontein Celtic failed to hit top gear against Moroka Swallows in his first game in charge of Phunya Sele Sele.

Celtic needed a late own goal from Roger da Costa to salvage a point on Tuesday after Lerato Manzini’s opener was eclipsed by a brace from Swallows veteran Siyabonga Nomvethe at Free State Stadium.

“We did not really go into gear number five and six but with a new coach coming in that is understandable,” Middendorp told his club’s official website.
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Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter admits that the absence of Knowledge Musona is a huge blow to his side for this weekend’s Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates.

Musona will miss the big game on Saturday at FNB Stadium due to a shoulder injury he sustained when scoring in a Telkom Knockout quarter-final clash with Free State Stars last week, which Amakhosi eventually won 4-2 on penalties.

It is uncertain how long the Zimbabwean striker will be out for as further tests are needed to ascertain the damage.

“It is a blow to lose your top player,” Baxter says.
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