Johannesburg – Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa is expected to release the national crime statistics on Thursday.

Last year the figures released by Mthethwa showed that the actual murder rate had dropped marginally, with 331 fewer people killed in 2012 compared to 2011.

An analysis done by SAPS research task team head at the time, Mzwandile Petros, showed totals for five of the country’s most serious crimes for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012:

– Murder: 15 609 (previous year 15 940);

– Attempted murder: 14 859 (previous year 15 493);

– Assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm: 192 651 (previous year 198 602);

– Common Assault: 181 670 (previous year 185 891); and

– Sexual offences: 64 514 (previous year 66 196).

Violent crime in provinces had reduced in all but three provinces.

Limpopo, Free State and Western Cape recorded an increase in contact crimes, which include murder, assault, robbery and rape.

The other six provinces contributed to the overall decline in contact crimes by 3.5%.

Gauteng saw an 11% drop in violent crime – the most notable in the country.

Emerging security threats

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) crime and justice programme head Gareth Newham welcomed the reduction in violent crime categories but said the statistics did not reflect some serious emerging security threats facing the country.

These included corruption, public violence, group murders, political assassinations, and domestic violence.

Newham urged Mthethwa to allow the police to provide more regular and detailed information on these crimes. Corruption Watch executive director David Lewis said the statistics did not provide the information necessary to beef up the battle against corruption.

It appeared that the crime statistics categorised much of the reporting of corruption as common fraud.

SAPA

By TDN

Taung-Three life sentences should serve as a deterrent and restore confidence in

criminal justice system-Premier Modise  *

North West Premier Thandi Modise has welcomed the three life sentences given to a man accused of murder, rape and robbery.

Premier Modise said that the sentence given to Matthews Koko Moeketsi by

the North  West High Court on Tuesday should serve as a deterrent that

should sent a strong  and unequivocal message that there is no place in

society for those who terrorise the aged ,the vulnerable and perpetrators

of the scourge of rape against women and children.

“These are the harsher sentences that should restore the confidence of our

communities in the criminal justice system for indeed justice has been

served. We wish to commend the prosecution and the police for a job

well-done” stressed Modise.

Mooketsi was sentenced on Tuesday for raping an elderly woman, murdering

her husband and robbing them in Pampierstad. He was given a life sentence

for each crime.

According to police, the 30-year-old Mooketsi had stormed into the elderly

couple’s home in Itireleng Village on New Year’s Eve in 2011.

He allegedly raped and assaulted the 62-year-old woman and assaulted her

85-year-old husband, who was blind and thereafter robbed them of clothes

and household appliances.

The couple was taken to Taung hospital, where the husband later died.

Mooketsi was caught three months later in Bloemfontein.-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Potchefstroom – The ANC retained control of two of the three wards in the Tlokwe by-elections in the North West on Wednesday.

The party’s candidate Oupa Mogoshane lost Ward 26 with 900 votes to independent candidate Batiki “Stone” Mahlabe’s 1 425 votes, according to the IEC’s results report.

The United Christian Democratic Party candidate Moeketsi Phakedi received 10 votes.

A total of 5 677 people were registered to vote in the ward of which only 2 374 cast their ballot. There were 39 spoilt votes.

Mahlabe, who was a former ANC councillor in the area for 12 years, registered as an independent candidate after he was expelled along with 13 others from the party in July for participating in a motion of no confidence against Tlokwe mayor Maphetle Maphetle.

Independent candidate

Maphetle was replaced by Democratic Alliance councillor Annette Combrink. However, the ANC’s national disciplinary committee overturned the expulsions but Mahlabe decided not to return to the party.

In the 2011 local government elections, the African National Congress won Ward 26 with 3 403 of the 3 580 valid votes cast, which gave them an overwhelming majority of 95.06% of the votes.

The ANC won the by-elections in Ward six and 18 on Wednesday. In Ward 18 the ANC faced off with another former party member and provincial chief whip David Kham, who registered as an independent candidate.

Kham, like Mahlabe, was one of the 14 councillors expelled from the party.

ANC candidate Thapelo Skozana won with 884 to Kham’s 520 votes. The Azanian People’s Organisation’s Matladi Mofokeng received 11 votes and the UCDP’s Molebatsi Lehloo 10 votes.

Spoilt votes

A total of 3 251 people were registered to vote in Ward 18 but only 1 452 votes were cast and 27 of those were spoilt.

In 2011, the ANC won the ward with 1 859 of the 2 009 votes cast which resulted in a 94.37% victory.

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

Azapo’s Lesego Malepe received six votes and UCDP’S Mawela Dinko received five votes.

A total of 4 254 people were registered to vote in Ward six but only 1 408 came to the polls. There were 22 spoilt votes.

SAPA

Mobile Network Options

By Obakeng Maje

Brits-North West Department of Health MEC Dr Magome Masike revealed a startling reports amid new Brits hospital opening.

The department announced that they advertised 105 job opprtunities for cleaners and received almost 8000 applications. 

And according to Masike, the department of health has been struggling to get 200 potential students who will be granted opportunity to study as health professionals in Cuba.

“This year we needed to take 200 students to Cuba to study medicine, but we struggled to reach 180 prospective students” MEC Masike said.

The new Brits hospital was expected to be opened soon,but MEC said the hospital will open its doors at the later stage.

“We advertised 105 job posts for the newly hospital and we received 8000 job applicants. It is very disturbing if we are a country that can produce cleaners, but fails to produce health professionals” he said.

North West government has been offering deserving students opportunity to study medicine in Cuba for years amid lack of doctors especially in remoted areas.

Masike encourages most pupils to study mathematics and science at school so that they can meet requirements of becoming doctors.-TDN

Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Potchefstroom – Tlokwe’s Ward 26 was taken from the ANC by independent candidate Butiki “Stone” Mahlabe in Wednesday’s by-election.

According to preliminary results, Mahlabe won with 630 votes to the ANC’s 406 votes.

Mahlabe was one of the 14 councillors who were expelled by the ANC in July after its provincial disciplinary committee found them guilty on four counts of misconduct for participating in a motion of no confidence against Tlokwe mayor Maphetle Maphetle.

Maphetle was replaced as mayor by Democratic Alliance councillor Annette Combrink.

However, the ANC’s national disciplinary committee overturned the expulsions.

Despite this, eight of the councillors registered as independent candidates for the by-elections.

Mahlabe was a councillor in the area for 12 years.

Resident’s supporting an independent candidate in Tlokwe’s ward 26 by-elections were celebrating what appeared to be an early victory on Wednesday evening.

The crowd of about 100 people burst into song and ran into the street after someone told them Butiki “Stone” Mahlabe was in the lead.

Voting stations closed at 21:00 and counting commenced.

It could not be officially confirmed whether Mahlabe was in the lead.

He and the African National Congress’s Oupa Mogoshane were contesting the ward.

“This is Stone’s place, those who don’t want him can go back,” they sang.

They also sang: “Are you a fool supporting [President Jacob] Zuma”, “Zuma what you doing is not right” and “stop that side, we are killing these dogs”.

No ANC supporters were standing outside the school. Police kept a watch over the crowd.

A nyala drove up and down while police officers asked the residents to stay out of the road.

SAPA

Orlando Pirates coach Roger de Sa admits that he was not pleased with their finishing against Polokwane City but was happy to secure all three points.

The Sea Robbers recorded a 1-0 win over the basement dwellers, and with tough encounters coming up against Al Ahly in the Champions League and Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8, De Sa is hoping that the winning trend will continue.

For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Absa Premiership

Full Time: SuperSport United 1-2 Moroka Swallows

Date:  18 September 2013

Venue: Lucas Moripe Stadium

A goal in each half from Edward Manqele and Siyabonga Nomvethe saw Moroka Swallows beat SuperSport United 2-0 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday night, and consequently handed the Matsatsantsa their first defeat of the season.

For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

ABSA Premiership

Result: Pirates 1-0 P City

Date: 18 September 2013

Venue: Orlando Stadium

Rooi Mahamutsa ensured that Orlando Pirates secured their first win over the league season as his strike took them to a 1-0 win over bottom club Polokwane City on Wednesday.

Pirates looked rushed for most of the first period as they attempted shots from range instead of trying to break down the minnows. The continued to plug away though and Mahamutsa decided matters after the break.

Polokwane got things underway in strange fashion as they immediatly fired a shot at goal from the half-way line after the first whistle.

The Sea Robbers hit back with Oupa Manyisa firing over from inside the area after two shots had already been blocked by the City defenders.

Tlou Segolela then lifted a shot well over the target before Modiri Marumo bravely dived in to prevent Kermit Erasmus and Thamsanqa Gabuza from meeting a cross at the near post.

The collision saw the goalkeeper down for some time for treatment but he was able to continue. Pirates’ most promising moments looked to be coming from set-pieces with Siyabonga Sangweni losing his marker but he was denied a good chance by the offside flag – a decision that did not look correct in the replays.

Segolela let rip with and outrageous strike in the 25th minute which took a slight deflection and sailed past the angle while Erasmus’ low cross caused a scramble three minutes later which City cleared.

Rise and Shine started coming into the game and a cross-cum-shot was not dealt with convincingly by Senzo Meyiwa before having to produce a solid save in stoppage time to see the game into the break at 0-0.

The game followed a similar pattern in the opening few minutes of the second period but Pirates started to crank up the pressure and saw an attempt cleared off the line.

Polokwane’s resistance would then finally be broken in the 63rd minute when Rooi Mahamutsa slammed a finish home at the edge of the area.

Substitute Thulasizwe Mbuyane looked to add their second but his shot from inside the area was deflected and the goalkeeper palmed it over.

Polokwane couldn’t slide a decent chance in at the far post soon after while Andile Jali went down with what looked like an elbow problem but he was able to continue despite initially looking to be in some pain – though the problem still seemed to be troubling him in the final few minutes.

Marumo ensured that no more goals arrived late in the game with a fantastic close range stop as Mahamutsa’s strike proved to be the difference on the night.

Pirates: Senzo Meyiwa, Rooi Mahamutsa, Siyabonga Sangweni, Happy Jele, Patrick Phungwayo, Aubrey Ngoma, Andile Jali, Oupa Manyisa, Tlou Segolela, Kermit Erasmus, Thamsanqa Gabuza.

Polokwane City: Modiri Marumo, Lawrence Molekwane, Thapelo Tshilo, Million Mkhabela, Kabelo Gervas Lichaba, Sphesihle Nzimande, Maxwell Molala, Moffat Mdluli, Mothusi Gopane, Essau Kanyenda, Thobani Mncwango.

For more http://www.soccerladuma.com

Pretoria – A soldier charged with the murder of Major General Tirhani Maswanganyi insisted on Wednesday he had had a meeting with outgoing Gauteng police chief Mzwandile Petros.

Roger Godfrey Moseki, a SA National Defence Force (SANDF) employee, told the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court he had helped police with investigations for years.

“We went to his offices in Midrand. There were many SAPS flying squad [unit] cars parked outside. He told us that he had had a vision of the people who killed Maswanganyi,” Moseki said during his bail application.

Maswanganyi’s body was found on 17 June in a field near Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, with his hands and feet bound.

This followed a search which was launched after a police patrol found his Isuzu bakkie abandoned next to the R101.

A police uniform and a police identification card were in the car.

Moseki appeared alongside Tshepo Mosai, Ndaedzo Isaac Vele, and Nditsheni Daniel Nefolovhodwe. They were arrested in June in connection with the murder of the former Johannesburg cluster commander.

Moseki testified on Wednesday that he was taken to Petros’s Midrand office by his contact in the police, an officer identified as Willem van der Merwe, as the police had stepped up their investigations into Maswanganyi’s murder.

Soldier questioned

Prosecutor Lucas Moseki questioned the soldier’s claims.

“I put it to you that Mr Petros does not have any office in Midrand. His office is in Parktown, Johannesburg,” said the prosecutor.

“You have never set foot in his office.”

The soldier told the court he participated in the investigation into Maswanganyi’s death, working with Van der Merwe.

“He [Van der Merwe] got phone records for General Maswanganyi’s phone and he was analysing them. I was sitting next to and assisting him.”

Earlier, the court heard that after Moseki’s arrest in connection with Maswanganyi’s murder, Van der Merwe visited him in jail.

“He came to talk about the money I was owed. He came to make arrangements on how I would be paid since I was now in jail. I was owed 10 grand [R10,000] for the information I supply to the police. The fee is fluctuating, sometimes it’s more and sometimes it’s less.”

The prosecution said it would be disputed that Moseki helped police investigations.

More than 10 members of the police tactical response team, armed with rifles, were inside and outside the courtroom.

– SAPA