By Obakeng Maje

North West-The South African Police Service in the North West would like to advise and bring to attention of the community amendments in terms of Dangerous Weapons Act, 2013 (Act 15 of 2013) regarding prohibition of possession of dangerous weapons.

“While the Constitution of the country guarantees the right to assemble, demonstrate, picket and present petitions that must be done in a responsible manner” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.  

The police would like to advise and warn communities and organisers of marches that public display of weapons during service delivery protests especially under circumstances which may raise a reasonable suspicion that the person intends to use the dangerous weapon for an unlawful purpose is prohibited.

Mokgwabone said Contravention of Section 3(1) of the Dangerous Weapons Act, 2013  may lead to arrest and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years.  

“The police would also like to advise about Section (5)  (b)  of the Regulation of Gatherings Act, 2003 (Act 2014 of 1993) which also emphasises that the Convener and Marshals must ensure that the provisions of the Act are complied with” he said.   “The advice and warning come due to number of service delivery protests where protesters fail to take heed despite warning from the police to comply with certain restrictions” Mokgwabone concludes.-TDN

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By TDN

Manthestad, Taung-The North West Provincial Government has taken a firm decision to priorities services to the vulnerable.

North West Premier Thandi Modise told over seven thousand people gathered in Manthestad outside Taung during the Provincial Women’s Day Celebrations on Friday.

“We have taken a decision that we are going to start building for the elderly, orphans, child headed families. We know we are going to be very unpopular because we are prioritising people with vulnerabilities,” said Premier Modise to a thunderous applause.

Modise said her administration would stop at nothing to ensure that the people of in the province are empowered and that their rights to quality life are respected. She also lashed at schools that have a tendency to expel students whose parents cannot afford to pay for their tuition.

“Schools have no rights to expel students just because they can’t pay school fees. We will make sure that no child is denied education because of financial difficulties at home,” warned Premier Modise.

The Premier cautioned that shebeens that are operating near schools and churches, saying that their licenses will be withdrawn.

The premier also acknowledged the role played by women in several parts of the North West against the imposition of the pass laws.

“We are also inspired by the women of Zeerust, who in April 1957 carried out mass protest action against the imposition of the pass laws and the deposing of their traditional leader Abraham Moiloa by the apartheid regime, for having stood firmly against the imposition of pass laws on Bahurutshe, and women in particular.”

“I have been touched by what I have heard here today. It is especially gratifying to hear our premier speak so fervently about the rights of women. It is a great achievement for the current government considering what this country went through in the past,” said Maria Matlakala. A 91 year old Maria Matlakala of Buxton near Taung who was among those who attended the provincial celebrations..

Seventy-nine year old Baeti Motsamai of Mahikeng said the commemoration reminds her of the dark days of the struggle when she worked in Johannesburg. 

“I am very happy to see the rewards of one of the most audacious struggles. When Mandela was arrested, we used to donate R3 every month. The money was collected to help in the fight against the injustices of racial oppression. At the time we worshipped at St Lukes Church, Anglican with Arch Bishop Tutu and his wife Leah,” said the elated Motsamai.

Mpeile Mothibi, 75, said she is very happy that the women in the province play a critical role in leadership positions in government and business. 

“My mother was a Congress secretary and she would have been very happy to see what the democratic South Africa achieved.”

Premier Modise also decried the scourge of rape and other cases of gender-based violence that is currently ravaging much of the province. This was echoed by Bishop Daniel Matebesi who called on all men to demonstrate their seriousness in the fight against rape by signing the pledge against rape and women abuse. 

Premier Modise was accompanied by MEC of Social Development Colin Maine, the Mayor of Greater Taung Local Municipality, Councillor Kaone Lobelo, Kgosi Nyoko Motlhabane of Batlhaping Ba Ga-Maidi among others.-TDN

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Cape Town – A draft bill banning alcohol advertising will be submitted to cabinet soon, a cabinet committee says.

The inter-ministerial committee to combat alcohol and substance abuse had agreed to submit the draft Control of Marketing of Alcohol Beverages Bill during the next cabinet cycle.

“The committee, chaired by Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini and comprising 11 other ministries, agreed that the bill, in its current form, was ready for consideration by the cabinet with the view to gazette it for public comment,” a statement from the committee said.

The committee cited numerous inputs from government departments and civil society as motivation for approving the bill.

“Research has shown that, the prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse among adults in South Africa [is] expanding rapidly to the destruction of families as well as the community and society.

“The government cannot afford to ignore it or be quiet about it.”

The committee said moves by the industry to curb the harm caused by drinking alcohol, such as promoting responsible drinking, were not yielding results.

Alcohol abuse

“The committee agreed that this approach was at odds with most of the evidence gathered by various researches (sic) across the globe and that there was a need for various approaches, including the banning of alcohol advertising to deal with the devastating socio-economic impact of this scourge.”

“The department of health said the tangible costs of alcohol in South Africa have been estimated to be close to R38bn while intangible costs could reach R240bn (sic).”

Alcohol was also the third leading risk factor for death and disability in South Africa.

According to the transport department more than half of the country’s road deaths occurred as a result of alcohol abuse.

“Around 70% of domestic violence has been associated with alcohol; arrested people indicated that they were under the influence of alcohol for 25% of weapons-related offences, 22% of rapes, 17% of murders, 14% of assault cases and 10% of robberies.”

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Johannesburg – A man who snatched a woman’s handbag from a car died after jumping off a bridge in Parktown, Johannesburg, on Friday evening, paramedics said.

He smashed the window of a woman’s car and stole her handbag as she was stuck in rush-hour traffic on the M1 highway over Empire Road, next to Wits University, ER24 spokesperson Vanessa Jackson said in a statement.

People got out of their cars and chased him. He jumped off the bridge, possibly trying to land on the roof of the bus stop on Empire Road, but missed. 

The man, in his 20s, landed on the road where he died, with the handbag next to him.

SAPA

Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma will receive an honorary doctorate of leadership from Limkokwing University during an official visit to Malaysia on Monday and Tuesday.

Zuma would meet Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak during his trip, the international relations department said on Friday.

He would also accept a lifetime award for global peace, on behalf of former president Nelson Mandela, from the Mahathir Global Peace Foundation.

Zuma would be accompanied by International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies, Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Science and Technology Minister Derek Hanekom, and Energy Minister Ben Martins.

The international relations department said 2013 marked the 20th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries. It said South Africa was the largest investor in Malaysia from Africa, with investments in the petro-chemicals, insurance, food and beverages industries.

South African business people were part of the delegation and would attend the South Africa-Malaysia Business Forum.

Total trade between South Africa and Malaysia grew from about R13.8bn in 2008 to R19.7bn in 2012.

SAPA

Rustenburg – The ANC in the North West and the SA Civic Association (Sanco) have sought to dispel the notion that their relationship has hit rock-bottom.

“Both the organisations confirm that such a perception is untrue, baseless, and mischievous,” they said in a joint statement on Friday after a meeting.

“These perceptions are meant to defocus us from our historical mission and our endeavours of ensuring a better life for all the people of the North West.”

The unity of the African National Congress and Sanco was essential if they were to ensure people were living better lives.

The two agreed to stop having public spats and leaders would meet to discuss political developments in the province.

Sanco would also play a central role in ensuring an ANC victory in the upcoming by-elections in Tlokwe and Ramotshere, the organisations said.

Sapa

Mahikeng – Two North West MECs who collapsed minutes after each other during a provincial executive meeting in Mahikeng are showing noticeable improvement, the ANC said on Friday.

North West chairman Supra Mahumapelo visited the two on Thursday afternoon, spokesman Kenny Morolong said in a statement.

“The ANC wishes them a speedy recovery… Like true soldiers, they honoured the meeting regardless of their exhaustion,” Morolong said.

On Wednesday economic development MEC Motlalepule Rosho complained of back pain and collapsed as she was being led out of a meeting to see her private doctor. Sport MEC Tebogo Modise, who was escorting her, collapsed minutes later.

On Thursday, the provincial department said both were in a stable condition in hospital.

North West premier Thandi Modise attributed their collapse to fatigue.

“Programmes for… Rosho and… Modise had been quite hectic in recent months…,” she said in a statement.

She called on people in the province to join the executive council in praying for their speedy recovery.

The meeting was adjourned for about 45 minutes for doctors in the meeting, health MEC Magome Masike and acting director general Mokgethi Radebe, to attend to the two before they were taken to Mahikeng Provincial Hospital.

Sapa

Pretoria – There was confusion among police officers just before two of them were hacked to death at Marikana last year, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Friday.

“It is our instruction that there was confusion among the police officers on 13 August 2012. There was no clear communication and no clear line of command between General William Mpembe and junior commanders,” said Louis Gumbi, for the family of slain Warrant Officer Sello Leepaku and wounded Lieutenant Shitumo Solomon Baloyi.

Mpembe is North West deputy police commissioner.

Gumbi said he would also argue that police Nyala armoured vehicles were equipped with loudspeakers Mpembe could have used to tell the officers they were escorting striking Lonmin mineworkers to a hill near Nkaneng informal settlement.

Leepaku was one of the two policemen hacked to death when miners attacked police on 13 August.

Warrant Officer Tsietsi Monene was also shot and hacked to death that day. Baloyi was stabbed.

“I disagree with the statement from advocate Gumbi,” said Mpembe. “Each unit had a commander and it was clear as to who was the overall commander.”

He said he did not view the participation of his junior commanders as a conflict.

“I did not see it as a conflict. I saw it as a contribution,” Mpembe said.

He said he met striking mineworkers along a railway line where police wanted to disarm them. When it became clear to him that the officers would not be able to disarm them at that spot, he allowed the police to escort them to the hill.

While this was happening, the mineworkers turned on the officers and two were killed, he said.

The commission was adjourned until 09:00 on Monday.

The commission is investigating the deaths of 44 people killed during strike-related unrest at Lonmin’s platinum mining operations at Marikana, near Rustenburg in North West, in August last year.

Police shot dead 34 people, almost all striking mineworkers, on 16 August 2012, while trying to disperse and disarm them. Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed in the preceding week.

– SAPA

Cape Town – The Hawks investigative unit has to abide by police objectives under the SA Police Service Amendment Act, the Western Cape High Court heard on Friday.

David Unterhalter, for the Helen Suzman Foundation, argued that the act’s guidelines aligned the unit’s crime-fighting strategy with that of the police.

“It is trying to diminish the independence of the directorate by trying to force it into the strategic operational priorities of the police,” he said.

“If you crowd the slate of the institution and insist it must do certain things, then its ability to focus on corruption is devalued.”

The foundation is seeking an order declaring sections of the amended act inconsistent with the Constitution to the extent that they fail to secure adequate independence for the Hawks.

Independence from political interference

It wants the court to suspend the declaration of constitutional invalidity for 12 months in order for Parliament to remedy the defect in accordance with the court’s judgment in the matter.

The amendments were drafted in reaction to a previous Constitutional Court victory by businessman Hugh Glenister, in which the executive was ordered to change the legislation to provide the Hawks with independence from political interference, among other things.

Glenister brought his suit following the dissolution of the Scorpions, an investigative unit under the National Prosecuting Authority, in 2008. The Scorpions were replaced by the Hawks, which fell under the SAPS.

Glenister and the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) approached the Constitutional Court separately in November last year to oppose the amendments, arguing they were still insufficient.

Direct access to the Constitutional Court was denied and the two parties agreed to appear before a full bench of high court judges at the same time and present their arguments.

Financing problems

Unterhalter told the court one of the problematic sections related to the financing of the Hawks.

The Hawks head had to prepare and provide an estimated budget and present it to the police commissioner. In cases where there was disagreement over the amount, the police minister had the power to mediate.

He argued that the unit should be able to request a budget directly from Parliament, rather than from an accounting officer.

“There can’t be a situation where the head must look to the commissioner as the accounting officer to procure. You don’t want an independent body dependent on the commissioner for procurement.”

Judge Siraj Desai said it was standard procedure for all commissioners in government departments to be accounting officers.

“The actual distribution of funds is by the national head [of the Hawks],” he said.

– SAPA

Cape Town – Allegations that President Jacob Zuma is corrupt are untrue and uncalled for, his lawyer told the Western Cape High Court on Friday.

Kemp J Kemp said it was completely irrelevant that businessman Hugh Glenister had chosen to base his case, regarding the Hawks’ independence, on so-called “facts” relating to corruption in the country.

He wanted these “facts” by expert witnesses in affidavits to be struck down.

The court was hearing applications by Glenister and the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) to declare parts of the SA Police Service Amendment Act inconsistent with the Constitution, to the extent that they failed to secure adequate independence for the Hawks investigative unit.

‘A scurrilous allegation’

Kemp cited one allegation about the “corrupt relationship” between Zuma and his former financial adviser Schabir Shaik.

“What must we do about that? It’s not even true,” Kemp asked.

Judge Siraj Desai replied: “It’s quite clearly a scurrilous allegation.”

The lawyer read out a portion of the document which alleged that if one looked at Zuma’s “lifestyle”, it could be assumed that he was guilty of corruption in at least two instances.

Kemp said he refused to deal with the documents.

“The fact that Shaik was guilty does not mean Zuma was guilty. It really goes too far.”

Zuma was charged with corruption after Shaik was found to have facilitated a bribe for him from a French arms company, as part of the multi-billion rand arms deal.

The charges against Zuma were later dropped.

Extent of corruption

On Thursday, Glenister’s lawyer Paul Hoffman asked whether it was responsible to keep the Hawks within the control of police “under the circumstances”.

Judge Judith Cloete asked what circumstances he was referring to.

Hoffman replied it was the extent of corruption in government and state security bodies, as supported by his expert witnesses in affidavits.

“It’s the factual circumstances of the executive, the SAPS, and the pre-2012 Hawks, the un-turbo-charged Hawks,” he said.

Desai said at the time that it could not be expected for these opinions to be taken as facts.

The amendments were drafted in reaction to a previous Constitutional Court victory by Glenister, in which the executive was ordered to change the legislation to provide the Hawks with independence from political interference, among other things.

Glenister brought his suit following the dissolution of the Scorpions, an investigative unit under the National Prosecuting Authority, in 2008. The Scorpions were replaced by the Hawks, which fell under the SAPS.

Glenister and the HSF approached the Constitutional Court separately in November last year to oppose the amendments, arguing they were still insufficient.

Direct access to the Constitutional Court was denied and the two parties agreed to appear before a full bench of high court judges at the same time and present their arguments.

– SAPA