Pretoria – A senior police officer was questioned on Wednesday about the SA Police Service’s (SAPS)communication difficulties during the intervention to end the violent Marikana protest in Rustenburg last year.

Evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson was cross-examining Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Scott at the Marikana commission’s public hearings in Pretoria.

Chaskalson sought answers on the communication difficulties between senior officers at the security joint operations committee (JOC) and officers deployed on the ground.

“We know from the video evidence that the first deaths [of mineworkers] at scene two happened 10 minutes into the video. We can work out that between the report of ‘bodies down’ and the first death at scene two, there would have to be 14 minutes,” said Chaskalson.

“At the very least, between that [bodies down] communication and the first deaths there are quite possibly more than 14 minutes. Is that sufficient time for control to have been exercised from the JOC, to take stock and pause the operation?”

Scott said police procedure dictated that in such a scenario, confirmation would need to be sought first, regarding the information on the dead bodies.

“You still need to consult with your commanders on the ground because to simply tell them to stop, pause where they were would be nave of the JOC.

“Police lives and other lives would be in danger,” he said.

“That time period would be sufficient [for the consultations].”

Changing channels

The commission also heard on Wednesday that a civilian was communicating on a stolen police handset radio.

Chaskalson asked Scott why officers did not change to another channel, different from the protester.

“From the 14th [of August] the SAPS was aware that a radio had been stolen. Once a radio has been stolen, there is a risk of interference or interception with communication which is foreseeable.

“Was anything done to set up a protocol for shifting to a back-up channel if there was interference [from the stolen radio]?”

Scott said there was a back-up channel “which was supposed to be utilised if one channel went down”.

Chaskalson then asked why officers did not shift to that back-up channel when their communication went down for some minutes during the operation.

“It wasn’t briefed [to officers] that we were expecting an interception of that kind. I can’t recall it being pertinently briefed, I don’t think we expected them [protesters] to use the police radio to jam the frequency,” said Scott.

Back-up channel

The senior policeman faced several questions on why the officers did not migrate to a back-up channel, when their communication by police radios failed on 16 August.

The inquiry, chaired by retired Judge Ian Farlam, is investigating the deaths of 44 people during strike-related unrest at Lonmin platinum’s operations at Marikana, near Rustenburg, last year.

The police shot dead 34 people, mostly striking mineworkers, wounded 70, and arrested 250 on 16 August 2012. In the preceding week, 10 people including two policemen and two security guards were killed.

The hacked police officers were stripped of their handguns and radios.

Scott helped draft the police plan which was to be used to try and disperse and disarm the striking mineworkers.

The plan was referred to as the “Scott plan”.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Two men found guilty of murdering a Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport employee three years ago, were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Nelspruit circuit of the high court on Wednesday.

Justin Fanyana Malambe and Sibusiso Wander Phelembe were convicted of murdering Nonkululeko Thandi Khoza, a Sapa correspondent reported.

Khoza was killed at her home in Dwaleni Trust, outside White River, on 21 May 2010.

“Both accused showed no remorse,” Judge Daisy Molefe said in sentencing them.

“In the last minute, they still maintained their innocence. The court has found no reason why the deceased was raped, robbed and killed. The two acted with disregard for human life,” she said.

Malambe was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and to 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances. The sentences would run concurrently.

Phelembe was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, 15 years for robbery and 20 years for rape. The sentences would run concurrently.

Sentencing

Molefe said it was high time courts sent a strong message against rape and murder.

“The rape charge against Phelembe is very serious, as he has a previous conviction for rape and was sentenced to two years, suspended for five years, on 17 July 2008.”

She said sentencing offenders was not an easy task.

“I have to do it as I represent the society. Due to the continuous brutal killings of women and children, the community wants to see justice being done.”

She said that in this case, the court had failed to establish which of them struck the fatal blow.

Malambe, who worked with Khoza at the airport, was found in possession of the hammer used in the murder, but he declined to take the stand to give the court a full picture of events the night of the murder.

Molefe said: “We can do whatever we can, but Khoza’s life will never be replaced. Khoza wanted to live longer and raise her children, like you two.”

She said Khoza’s daughter, Ruth, had been left to raise her four younger siblings after the murder.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A woman accused of allegedly cutting off her boyfriend’s penis appeared in the Meadowlands Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

Evidence Nkuna, 21, stood quietly in the dock with a purple headscarf and her hands inside the pockets of her beige trench coat.

The case was transferred to the Protea Magistrate’s Court.

Nkuna would now be charged with attempted murder. Her previous charge was assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

According to police, Nkuna caught her boyfriend with another woman on 6 October and ordered them to strip naked.

“It is alleged that the woman took out the knife and cut off her boyfriend’s penis,” said Constable Sibusiso Chauke.

Chauke said 21-year-old Nkuna was arrested on the same day.

She is out on bail of R2 500 and will appear in the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Electricity was restored in most areas of Centurion on Wednesday, after two days of power outage due to a lightning strike and cable theft, the City of Tshwane said.

The lightning strike on Monday damaged the Raslouw substation, spokesperson Selby Bokaba said.

The affected areas were Raslouw, Monavoni, Sunderland Ridge, Peach Tree and Stone Ridge.

He said the power restoration was delayed as thieves took advantage of the situation and vandalised cable feeders.

Some streets in Raslouw and Monavoni were still without power on Wednesday afternoon.

Bokaba said electricians were replacing the stolen cable to ensure that power was restored in Baralong, Mimosa, Kwambi, Sunbeam, and Thembu streets.

“The city apologises for the inconvenience residents suffered during this time and would also like to take this opportunity to thank residents for their patience and co-operation during this difficult period.”

He said the city’s metro police were working with other law enforcement agencies to ensure that the thieves were caught.

“We are after those who are creating the market for stolen cables.”

– SAPA

Cape Town – Media24 News announced that Sondag, the Afrikaans Sunday tabloid, will be closed, effective immediately.

The publication, which has been in circulation since 2008, will publish its last edition on Sunday, 20 October.

General manager for Northern Newspapers, Minette Ferreira, said: “Sondag has fought many battles, but unfortunately the current trading conditions have made it impossible for the company to continue publishing the title. The future outlook in terms of income growth remains weak.”

Sondag’s editor Peet Bothma said: “It is a sad day for all when a newspaper closes its doors.”
For more http://www.news24.com

Johannesburg – Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj has apologised for the Malawi comments made by President Jacob Zuma.

“I have received numerous calls from Malawians being angry and after long discussions, they come around and say, yes, let’s not make a mountain of a molehill,” Maharaj said on Wednesday.

“Let me apologise for that and withdraw it,” he said.

He was interviewed on Power FM where he tried to explain the context of the statements made by Zuma at the Gauteng ANC’s manifesto forum in Johannesburg on Monday night.

In a clip on the EyeWitness News website, Zuma is heard saying: “We can’t think like Africans, in Africa, generally. We are in Johannesburg, this is Johannesburg. It’s not some national road in Malawi.”

Maharaj said Zuma was speaking in the context of two points on the highways but these did not come out in reporting by the media.

“Firstly, he was saying we need to enforce the user-pay principle for the national highways, because it is not correct that people in the remote parts of South Africa should do the petrol levy and pay for the roads used in Gauteng,” said Maharaj.

He said the road should not be seen as a local road in a local area but as part of the transport system at the heart of the country’s economy.

“If that system through neglect of infrastructure chokes, the South African economy chokes.”

He said the comments did not reflect how Zuma thought or acted in forums about Africa.

“Our records are clear in that we are the champions of trying to get Africa to see itself as one and enter the global stage on a basis of equality with the rest of the players of the world economy,” said Maharaj.

DA wants explanation

DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said Zuma must explain the blunder to Parliament.

She said the comments were unacceptable, and an insult to South Africans and to the people of Malawi.

“It is for this reason that I will today submit three urgent parliamentary questions to President Zuma enquiring whether he has followed due process and sent an official apology, or clarified his comments to the High Commissioner of the Republic of Malawi; and whether he will retract and/or apologise for his unacceptable insults to both South Africans and the people of Malawi,” Mazibuko said in a statement.

She said lambasting people for “thinking like Africans” was an insult to every citizen on the continent, including all South Africans.

“It is now time for President Zuma to recognise that what he said was unacceptable, to stop the ineffective spin, and do what is expected of him: retract and apologise without delay,” she said.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Police shot and wounded a man they caught stealing from an electrical appliance store in Johannesburg on Wednesday morning, metro police said.

He and three accomplices were robbing an Electric Express outlet on the corner of Fox and Delvers streets around 08:00, Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said.

A metro officer caught them red-handed loading TVs and radios onto a van.

“One was shot in the leg during the scuffle as they were trying to flee,” he said.

He and another man were arrested. The other two ran away.

The arrested man would be charged with armed robbery at the Johannesburg Central police station.
Police were searching for the other two.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A case of murder is being investigated after the body of a 22-year-old man was found on the sports field of a high school in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town, Western Cape police said on Wednesday.

The man’s body, with multiple stab wounds, was found around 07:30 on Tuesday, police spokesperson Tembinkosi Kinana said.

He could not confirm reports that the man owed money to drug dealers, and that this could be the motive for the murder.

“The circumstances are being investigated,” he said.

Two men were taken in for questioning on Tuesday, but were released because they could not be linked to the crime.

Independent Online named the murdered man as Anrich Isaacs.

According to the report, he was disembowelled, possibly over a drug debt.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Thirty doctors, pharmacists and Eastern Cape health officials have been implicated in an investigation into the theft of medicine, the department said on Wednesday.

“According to a report on the information gathered, the medicine was allegedly sold to private doctors by corrupt officials,” spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said.

“The report states that there are pharmacists, who allegedly resigned and opened a private pharmacy in a rural town using state medicine.”

Kupelo said the information for the report was gathered with the assistance of a private forensics firm. The theft had allegedly happened at the medicine depot and during transit since 2009, he said.

The doctors, from Port Elizabeth, Mthatha, Elliot, Barkly East, Ugie, Mount Frere, Qumbu and Mqanduli, had allegedly been buying stolen drugs and chronic medication from corrupt officials, he said.

Twelve officials working as pharmacists in Queenstown, Engcobo, King William’s Town, Peddie and Mthatha had also been implicated.

Further investigation

Kupelo said the department forwarded the information to the police for further investigation and to arrest those implicated, but that no arrests have been made.

“It is costing millions. The department of health spends R3bn annually to ensure the availability of medicine in state hospitals and clinics,” said Kupelo.

“However, despite this huge expenditure communities continue to cry about shortage of medicine particularly in clinics. These can be attributed to the fact that these medicines are stolen.”

Five officials were arrested last year and appeared in the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court on 9 September.

The case was postponed to 7 November for trial, said Kupelo.

“Nozibele Nqunqa, Nolitha Kanise and Bantubekhaya Phingilili will go on trial in November. The other two have since turned State witnesses.”

Kupelo said the department was working with the police and had handed over the report to bring all those involved to book.

– SAPA

Johannesburg- For the first time since the inception of Golden Games senior citizens from all Provinces had a very first parliament session at the Gauteng Legislature in Johannesburg on Monday, 21 October 2013.
Among issues tabled were challenges such as serious abuse they are exposed to from their own children and grandchildren by making them look after their children, grant abuse by money laundering companies as well as other societal abuse including access to health care.
To curb these challenges the Minister of Health Mr. Aaron Motswaledi who was part of the parliament announced to senior citizens that as of next year, 2014, the Department will be introducing to a pilot elite care for senior citizens at selected Districts of which the North West Province pilot is DR Kenneth Kaunda.
The pilot will address among others challenges of long queues at hospital and clinics by senior citizens.
The North West Province was represented by 25 members including the Chairperson of the North West Forum Rre Rabaji and his Deputy Rre Maropeng.
“As senior citizens, we appreciate this parliament as our issues at grassroots will no longer end up where we are but will be elevated to the higher echelons of leadership, said Mr. Rabaji.
“We also hope that whatever we raise to government will be swiftly and decisively addressed due to the level this parliament is placed.”
The Parliament is attached to the Golden Games and will be cascaded to the three spheres of government for better integration as well as addressing senior people’s issues with the respect and dignity it deserves.
Older person from the Province especially the chairperson Rre Rabaji conveys the message to the Departments of Social Department and Sport, Arts and Culture for the sterling work they are doing for senior citizens.-TDN
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