Johannesburg – The body of a woman was exhumed from a shallow grave in Jabulani, Soweto, on Wednesday, police said.

Police spokesperson Kay Makhubela said the grave was discovered on Tuesday.

“It was an adult woman who was wearing pink socks, pink slippers, a black skirt with white dots, and a jersey. She also had artificial hair,” he said.

“Her face was decomposed and we could not identify her.”

Police opened an inquest docket.

The cause of death would be determined by a post-mortem, Makhubela said.

“We are calling for anyone who reported a missing female to come to the police to assist the investigation.”

– SAPA

Pretoria – One of four men arrested and charged with the murder of Major General Tirhani Maswanganyi worked closely with the police, the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court heard on Wednesday.

Roger Godfrey Moseki, an employee of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), told the court he had helped in many police investigations and would frequently be paid for this.

Prosecutor Lucas Moseki questioned the soldier’s claims.

“You work for the defence force as a rifleman. By rifle, I mean firearm, how then do you assist in police investigations?”

Moseki said he worked in the army’s military intelligence unit.

He said that when he found crime-related information, he conveyed it to a policeman identified as Willem van der Merwe, as he was the only officer he trusted.

The court heard on Wednesday 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.

Bail application

Security was tight at the court on Wednesday when the four accused appeared in a bail application.

Ten members of the police tactical response team, armed with rifles, were stationed inside and outside the courtroom.

Moseki appeared with 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.

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.

At his last court appearance on 6 September, Moseki claimed the police had tortured him into admitting that the slain officer’s wife was involved in the crime, the Saturday Star reported.

He alleged that he was nearly drowned in a bucket of water, and that he was assaulted.

“They told me that I should admit the fact that I was aware that Maswanganyi’s wife has hired us to kill the general, but I could not do that because it was not true. I told them I don’t even know who she is,” he was quoted as saying.

– SAPA

Potchefstroom – Emotions were running high at the Tlokwe municipal by-elections on Wednesday at a Ward 18 voting station, where the ANC was up against one of its former councillors.

ANC supporters and residents supporting independent candidate David Kham, who is a former ANC chief whip, stood on opposite sides of the road outside the Chris Hani Community Hall, as minibus taxis ferried in voters.

Both sides were confident, based on the number of people who checked the voters’ roll at their tables.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said that of the 2 374 people registered to vote at that polling station, 563 had cast their ballots just before 17:30.

A total of 3 251 people were registered to vote in the ward, which has three polling stations.

Resident Bongile Qotwane said he supported Kham.

He said it was clear that the ANC would not win, because the residents were tired of corruption.

“How can you fight corruption while you want to protect individuals?” he asked.

Qotwane said the community would vote based on the candidate’s character and willingness to fight corruption.

He said the community was willing to give Kham a chance.

“They don’t just like him, they love him,” he said.

Kham was one of 14 councillors who were expelled by the ANC in July, after its provincial disciplinary committee found them guilty of misconduct 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.

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

Wards 6, 18 and 26 were being contested in Tlokwe on Wednesday.

Ward 6 was being contested by Johann Coetzee for the DA, Japhta Monaisa for the ANC and Lesego Malepe for the Azanian People’s Organisation.

Ward 26 was being contested by Oupa Mogoshane for the ANC, and independent candidate Butiki “Stone” Mahlabe, also a former ANC councillor.

Scuffle

Earlier, tensions ran high in Ward 26 and there was a scuffle between ANC supporters and residents supporting Mahlabe, amid claims of voter intimidation.

By-elections were meant to be held in nine Tlokwe wards on Wednesday, but the Electoral Court in Bloemfontein ordered on Tuesday evening that five of them be postponed.

This followed an application by five independent candidates, who were disqualified from taking part in the by-elections by the IEC.

A sixth by-election, in Ward 13, was postponed earlier, after an out-of-court settlement.

On Wednesday, North West Local Government MEC Manketsi Tlhape said she was ready to announce a date for the next by-elections in Tlokwe following the postponements.

“The next by-elections will be proclaimed as soon as the requisition from the IEC has reached my office so that all the parties involved should begin to prepare for elections as soon as possible,” she said.

“The proclamation will also include Ward 13 of Tlokwe, where elections were postponed and also at Ward 5 of Tswaing municipality, where a vacancy was declared following the resignation of a councillor,” she said.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Two men have been arrested in Katlehong for the murder of an Ekurhuleni metro police volunteer, metro police said on Wednesday.

The men, aged 25 and 26, were arrested at 22:00 on Tuesday in the Mosiliki and Mopedi sections of Katlehong, said police spokesperson Wilfred Kgasago.

“Both suspects were handed over to the police at Katlehong North police station,” he said.

The men allegedly shot dead the metro police volunteer last Tuesday in Katlehong.

Police were looking for the weapon used in the shooting.

The men were expected to appear soon in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Heavy rain and snowfall is expected in Cape Town this week, the city said on Wednesday.

“Freezing conditions are expected on Friday morning, with predictions of -3°C… and possible snowfalls on Table Mountain,” said spokesperson Wilfred Solomons-Johannes.

“Heavy rainfall is likely over the Cape metro, Overberg, southern parts of the Cape Winelands, and the west coast districts on Thursday evening and Friday.”

A flash-flood warning was issued in some parts of the province, along with a fire warning for the Karoo.

“The city has accordingly upgraded the preparedness level of its disaster response teams in advance of the heavy rainfall predicted and the likelihood of localised urban flooding in Cape Town.”

Solomons-Johannes urged travellers and residents to take precautions and be wary of landslides and rockfalls.

“Those travelling in mountainous areas across the Western Cape are advised to expect delays and possible deviations as mountain passes may be closed to traffic.

“Members of the public should not hike along the mountainous areas as they may find themselves in distress.”

Solomons-Johannes said the intense cold front is expected to affect the Western Cape and the Northern Cape provinces from Wednesday until Saturday.

“Members of the public and small stock farmers are advised that very cold conditions, snowfalls on the highground, strong interior winds, rough seas and heavy rainfall in places could lead to localised flooding,” he said.

The city’s disaster response teams and engineering crews are currently inspecting various low-lying and floodplain areas to ensure that, where possible, preventative work is undertaken to mitigate against flood and storm damage.

The South African Weather Services have issued a fire warning for the Central Karoo and Little Karoo on Thursday.

Fire warning have also been issued in the North West Province and parts of the Free State.

Vryburg temperatures are set to soar to 35°C, with Kimberley reaching a maximum of 30°C.

– SAPA

Potchefstroom – The DA has questioned whether Tlokwe’s by-elections would be fair on Wednesday.

“The ANC’s brazen vote buying, abuse of power and political intimidation in Tlokwe calls into question the extent to which these critical by-elections can be considered free and fair,” DA leader Helen Zille said in a statement.

“Perhaps for the first time since 1994, the Democratic Alliance is seriously concerned that the 2014 national elections will be undermined by the ANC, whose conduct in Tlokwe reveals a party paranoid about its collapsing support and that will stop at nothing to retain power,” she said.

Zille said she would ask on Wednesday for a meeting with Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chair Pansy Tlakula to discuss how to ensure the elections were not undermined.

The DA has accused the ANC of buying votes with food parcels.

This was after Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini and ANC North West chairperson Supra Mahumapelo visited Tlokwe and handed out food parcels ahead of the by-elections.

ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said Zille’s accusations were insulting to people faced with poverty every day.

“We do understand, though, that her attitude is informed by her privileged upbringing and her lack of understanding of the real challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality facing our people,” he said in a statement.

Dlamini’s department and the government denied that the handing out of food parcels had anything to do with campaigning ahead of the by-elections.

Mthembu said the government could not stop its programmes because of by-elections.

“Poverty does not pause because there are by-elections. What the ANC finds particularly disturbing is the view by Helen Zille that black people are so cheap politically, that their votes can be bought with food.”

By-elections

By-elections were being held in three Tlokwe wards on Wednesday. In Ward 26, the biggest area, ANC supporters and residents supporting the independent candidate clashed over claims of voter intimidation. The DA was contesting only one of the wards.

The by-elections were being held because 14 councillors were expelled by the ANC in July, after its provincial disciplinary committee found them guilty of misconduct 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. Despite this, eight of the councillors registered as independent candidates for the by-elections.

Zille said a crowd of people wearing ANC T-shirts beat up a DA member campaigning in Tlokwe on Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday, DA members in Ward 6 showed reporters a photograph of a man in a blue DA T-shirt surrounded by people wearing yellow T-shirts. There was blood on the man’s face and T-shirt, which was being pulled at.

Zille said the party had reported the matter to the police.

Mthembu said the ANC heard about the attack only in Zille’s statement.

“This matter had not been reported to us or the party liaison committee of the Independent Electoral Commission at the time we were first made aware of it through her statement.

“We appreciate that the matter has been reported to the police and hope that the police will find and apprehend the culprits so that they may be dealt with within the ambit of our laws.”

He said the ANC did not condone violence or intimidation by its members and supporters.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The bodies of two elderly women were found in a house in Lenasia, extension 11, on Wednesday morning, Gauteng police said.

Police spokesperson Kay Makhubela said the women, aged 70 and 75, were found by a relative.

“One of the old ladies, who was full of blood, was found in the sitting room. The other was found dead in a bedroom,” he said.

“The motive of the killing is unknown.”

He said the weapon used to kill the women had not yet been identified. Both suffered head wounds, and one had strangulation bruises.

“We cannot rule out that there might have been rape, but that will be determined by the investigation,” Makhubela said.

– SAPA

North West Premier Thandi Modise has condemned in the strongest terms the brutal murder of a young woman who was reportedly hacked to death by her boyfriend in Sephai village near Brits.

It was earlier reported that Nthabiseng Sekgone was killed by her boyfriend using an axe after she got two protection orders against him.

“We wish to send our heartfelt condolences to the family and want them to know that we will keep them in our prayers.

The scourge of violence against women is very serious and that’s why we are gathering as women in the province at the Provincial Women’s Day of Prayer at the Mmabatho Convention Centre in Mahikeng tomorrow, Thursday, 19 September 2013, to pray against these social ills,” said Premier Modise.

She says it is regrettable that the boyfriend was determined to kill the victim even though she had taken a commendable and brave step by seeking protection orders against him.

Premier Modise says her administration is very serious about curbing the scourge of gender-based violence as it was evidenced by the Moral Regeneration Summit that the province recently hosted in Mahikeng.

“We appeal to all our citizens including community structures and faith based organisations to unite against these social ills that are ravaging our society,” cautioned Modise.

She repeated her calls to women not to stay in abusive relationships, irrespective of their circumstances.

The Premier also urged all men who may have anger problems to seek professional help.

The North West has been declared drought-stricken under the Disaster Management Act.

North West Premier Thandi Modise published the declaration in the provincial extraordinary gazette of September 5, spokesman Lesiba Kgwele said today.

A drought response task team had been established. It consisted of government departments, organised agriculture, and all municipalities in the province.

The departments on the task team were local government and traditional affairs, agriculture and rural development, water affairs, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and social development.

The declaration was preceded by an application for classification to the National Disaster Management Centre and the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries department, said Kgwele.

He said the department conducted drought verification between July 9 and August 12.

As part of a drought emergency relief assessment, it processed more than 19 000 applications for financial assistance from commercial and subsistence farmers.

It was hoped the assessment and consolidation would be finished by Friday.

“Urgent interventions are also being considered to alleviate water shortages in Mamusa and Greater Taung local municipalities, which have resorted to tankering drinking water to communities as the Mamusa Dam has virtually run dry,” said Kgwele.

He said Modise shared provincial disaster management authorities’ concern that fish killed by lack of water in the dam would create a health hazard during the rainy season.

“The Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district municipality is reportedly tankering water to 50 000 households across villages within its jurisdiction,” said Kgwele.

– Sapa

Durban – The 2008 economic crash could be to blame for thousands of excess suicides worldwide.

This is according to a paper published in the British Medical Journal on Tuesday.

It found the rates were highest among males in countries where the most jobs were lost.
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