Cape Town – The National Prosecuting Authority on Thursday welcomed the two life terms and five-year sentencing of Namibian national Fabianus Fillipus, convicted of killing two police constables in Cape Town last year.

“As the NPA we will continue to play our part to ensure that those who kill police officers who are doing their duties to protect our society, are prosecuted successfully and pay dearly for their actions,” NPA spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said in a statement.

Ntabazalila said although the sentence would not bring back the loss both families had suffered, he hoped they would find solace knowing Fillipus would not hurt other people.

Fillipus, 29, was convicted last week of murdering constables Pindiwe Nikani, 26, and Mandisi Nduku, 27.

The constables were shot dead while on duty at Imizamo Yethu, in Hout Bay, last October.

Nikani died on the scene and Nduku, who was seriously wounded, died later in hospital.

After being questioned by the judge, it was established that Fillipus had a Grade Seven education, had worked as a boilermaker for about a year and had left for South Africa in 2004 when he lost his job.

He settled in the Mandela Park informal settlement in Hout Bay and bought a home there when he met his girlfriend.

At the time of the shooting, he was selling goods to people on the street.

On Wednesday, Fillipus maintained his innocence in a room packed with relatives of the policemen and off-duty police officers at the Western Cape High Court.

He took the stand to convince Judge Patricia Goliath that he should not be given the minimum prescribed sentence of life in prison for police killings.

“I’m worried I’ve been found guilty of something I didn’t commit. I’m also worried at leaving my (three-year-old) child behind and my girlfriend,” he said through his Oshiwambo-speaking interpreter.

Samantha Raphaels, for the State, asked the court on Wednesday to impose two life sentences for the murders, and five-year sentences for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Raphaels said both officers were killed “execution style” which was an aggravating factor, that Fillipus had not shown any remorse and that nothing was taken from the officers after they were killed.

“It is clear that the accused was purely there to shoot and kill. There was a direct intention to kill those officers,” Raphaels said.

Sapa

Witbank – A teacher was arrested in Witbank on Thursday for possession of dagga, Mpumalanga police said.

The 45-year-old was caught after a schoolboy was found selling it for him earlier this month, said Colonel Leonard Hlathi.

The 14-year-old was found on September 3 with 18 “pokes” (a finger-sized quantity) of dagga. He told police he was working for the teacher.

“Police investigations showed that the teacher was allegedly supplying dagga to learners.”

Police recovered 138g of dagga with an estimated street value of R1100 in the teacher’s room.

He would appear in the Witbank Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Sapa

Port Elizabeth – Heavy winds blew off the roofs of three hospitals in the Eastern Cape on Thursday, the province’s health department said.

They were the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha, Glen Grey Hospital in Lady Frere and Cofimvaba Hospital, said spokesman Sizwe Kupelo.

A team of building experts had been sent to assess the damage.

“No injuries were reported, patients are still safe,” said Kupelo.

Eastern Cape health MEC Sicelo Qgobana would visit the hospitals on Friday, he said.

Sapa

Johannesburg – Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile is expected to launch “Freedom Fridays” in Soweto, government said on Thursday.

He would launch it on Friday to mark the lead up to the country celebrating 20 years of freedom and democracy, said government communications spokeswoman Phumla Williams.

Citizens were encouraged to use every Friday from September 20

until the end of December 2014 to celebrate the milestones of the country’s freedom.

“Freedom Friday is a call on the nation to wear anything that expresses their pride in being South African on Fridays.

“They can wear anything from a jersey of a favourite football or rugby team to traditional wear to show their unity in celebrating this important landmark in our country’s history.”

Williams said the main aim of Freedom Fridays was to mobilise collective ownership of 20 years of democracy by all sectors of society, to “promote social cohesion and a national identity that is representative of our rich and diverse culture”.

Parents and teachers were urged to educate children about how democracy was achieved.

Sapa

Kimberley – A Kimberley mother blames herself after her husband allegedly fathered two children with their eldest daughter and also raped the youngest one.

Speaking to the media for the first time about the daily trauma her family endured at the hands of the man who was supposed to protect them, the woman said on Tuesday that she was still haunted by the memories of her husband raping the children.

“I can still see him sneaking into the bed where my daughters were sleeping and forcing himself on both of them.
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Potchefstroom – At least 24 state-owned cattle have disappeared from a facility in North West, supposedly to benefit people attending President Jacob Zuma’s imbizo, which never took place.

In September last year, the cattle were taken from the Potchefstroom Agriculture College, where they were used to help students with their practical training. The college is owned by the North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development.

Unionists and other insiders said the dairy cattle were valued at about R300 000.
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Women are usually the first line of defence in every family and play a central role in holding the family unit together and instilling good behaviour, North West Premier Thandi Modise told over 1000 women gathered for the Provincial Women’s Day of Prayer at the Mmabatho Convention Centre in Mahikeng on Thursday.

Premier Modise said that women cannot just sit back and fold our arms while our communities are ravished by social ills such as gender based violence, corruption and lack of respect.

“Let us pray for the province without talking about politics. Let’s pray for good manners, dignity, trust, honesty, respect and care for each other, love for our children, treasure our parents, respect every religion, pray for an to the drought, unhappiness in the province and for the whole South Africa.” Premier Modise urged the women in outlining the purpose of the prayer service.

“God never gives you a responsibility if He thinks you will not be able to carry it. We have to support each other as women as we journey together to build a better society,” said Premier Modise.

The interfaith prayer meeting convened under the theme “Building Faith Through Prayer” was part of the World Prayer Day Celebration.

This spiritual warfare was held amidst the scourge of gender-based violence, including rapes and spousal abuse that have ravished the province and the country in recent days.

The prayer assembly attended by women from various denominations was also intended at strengthening ties between the provincial government and faith based organisations towards moral regeneration and social cohesion and to among others.

Amongst those in attendance was MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Desbo Mohomo and Gospel sensation Winnie Mashaba who thrilled the congregation with hymns such as Re tla mo rorisa, Ha Modimo a Le Teng, and Kena Le Modisa.

Durban – Durban businesswoman Shauwn Mpisane will stand trial in the Durban Commercial Crime Court in January.

Magistrate Nalini Govender refused a State application for a six-week postponement so it could write up an indictment to have Mpisane tried in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban.

Handing down her decision on Thursday, she said: “I am not persuaded by the reasons of the State to grant such a long adjournment.”

Prosecutor Wendy O’Brien earlier told the court the State was seeking a six-week postponement to obtain a forensic report, and to allow the deputy director of prosecutions time to examine the case documents in nine lever arch files.

She said KwaZulu-Natal director of public prosecutions (DPP) Sophy Moipone Dinah Noko had authorised that the case against Mpisane proceed in the high court.

Mpisane, who is out on R100 000 bail, faces 53 charges of fraud, forgery, and uttering of a forged document.

She is accused of submitting forged documents to obtain Construction Industry Development Board gradings, which were then used to win five public works department tenders worth R140m.

Govender said the State had failed to take any action since Mpisane’s 13 August court appearance, when the prosecution first announced it intended taking the matter to the high court.

There was no “satisfactory explanation” for the State’s inaction.

Govender said there was no justification for the six-week postponement the State requested, and Mpisane would be prejudiced by the “inordinate delay”.

The trial was scheduled to start on 21 January. The State had to finalise the charges against Mpisane by 18 October.

O’Brien asked that the case be heard by another magistrate in another court.

Govender said if the State was unhappy with her hearing the case, it could bring an application for her to recuse herself when the trial starts.

– SAPA

Pretoria – The rate of sexual offences decreased by 0.4% during the 2012/13 financial year, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Thursday.

However, the raw figures for the total number of sexual offences showed an increase from the 2011/12 figure of 64 514 to 66 387 in 2012/13.

Mthethwa’s spokesperson Zweli Mnisi later explained that population growth had to be taken into account when considering the figures.

Speaking at the release of the annual crime statistics in Pretoria, Mthethwa said rape had decreased by 0.4% over the past financial year.

“Nonetheless, we want to reiterate the point that we are still unhappy and concerned about the levels of rape in the country,” he said.

“Protection of communities is now central to our strategies that are aimed at reducing incidences of gender-based violence.”

Sexual assault decreased by 6.2% over the same period, after increasing during the preceding three years.

– SAPA

Tlokwe, in North West, will probably revert to ANC control but at a price, political analysts said on Thursday.

“If you analyse [Wednesday’s] three ward elections, with the exception of the influence of independent candidates… then basically it was a business as usual scenario, very similar to the scenario we had in the 2011 local government elections,” said North West political analyst Professor André Duvenhage.

“But what is important is that there were very, very, high levels of political apathy, if you compare this election with the 2011 elections.”

There was a huge drop in Wednesday’s voter turnout.

The ANC retained control in two of the three wards in the Tlokwe by-elections.

In Ward 26, the party’s candidate Oupa Mogoshane lost, with 900 votes to independent candidate Butiki “Stone” Mahlabe’s 1 425 votes. Mahlabe was a former ANC councillor.

A total of 5 677 people were registered to vote in the ward, but only 2 374 cast their ballots.

University of Johannesburg political analyst Professor Steven Friedman said the by-elections highlighted that the threat to the ANC did not come from other parties, but people from the organisation.

“It illustrates the point that the real threat from the ANC comes from splits. The party becomes vulnerable when there are splits,” he said.

Victory in two wards

The ANC won the by-elections in Ward 6 and Ward 18.

In Ward 6, the ANC’s Japhta Monaisa won 882 of the 1 386 valid votes cast. The DA’s Johann Coetzee came in second with 493 votes.

A total of 4 254 people were registered to vote in Ward 6, but only 1 408 voted.

In Ward 18, the ANC faced off with another former party member and provincial chief whip David Kham, who registered as an independent candidate. ANC candidate Thapelo Skozana won with 884 votes to Kham’s 520.

A total of 3 251 people were registered to vote in Ward 18, but only 1 452 votes were cast.

Mahlabe and Kham were two of the 14 ANC councillors expelled from the party in July for participating in a motion of no confidence against Tlokwe mayor Maphetle Maphetle.

Maphetle was replaced as mayor by DA councillor Annette Combrink.

The ANC’s national disciplinary committee later overturned the expulsions, but Mahlabe and Kham decided not to return to the party.

Duvenhage said that, following Wednesday’s by-election, the Tlokwe council was in a similar situation to a hung parliament – one which does not have a majority and is in a position where it cannot make proper decisions.

“Before the by-elections, 21 councillors supported the ANC and 22 councillors supported the opposition groups and independent candidates. Now at this point we have a total of 23-23,” he said.

In this type of situation, the speaker had the final vote.

The current speaker of the Tlokwe council was an ANC member, and as a result the party was most likely going to retain control of the municipality.

Postponed by-elections

After the next six Tlokwe by-elections, which were postponed by the Electoral Court earlier this week, the ANC would be in a more powerful position.

“I think we are going to have an ANC majority,” said Duvenhage.

“At the moment it’s a slight majority, with the speaker’s vote, but in future they will probably ensure they have had least three or four of the other seats,” said Duvenhage.

Friedman said he would not be surprised if the ANC won the other six wards, but he was sceptical of a landslide victory for the party.

“I think the ANC will win most of them, if not all. If it does win all six, it is likely to do so with vastly decreased numbers.”

Duvenhage said this was good news for the ANC, and the party would definitely take the opportunity to unseat Combrink and table a vote of no confidence.

“We are talking about a date very close to the next by-election. They will probably wait until [then].

“I believe that the ANC at that point will be in a position to get Tlokwe under ANC control,” Duvenhage said.

Friedman said there was no doubt that the ANC would unseat Combrink in the Tlokwe council.

He expected the move in mid November, once the by-elections were concluded.

– SAPA