Johannesburg – An Eastern Cape High Court ruling on Friday allowing the ship Barkly Pearl to load animals for slaughter in Mauritius is deeply disappointing, the SPCA said.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [SPCA] approached the court with an urgent application to prevent the ship from loading the animals, the SPCA said in a statement.

“Having viewed the footage of animals exported on the vessel previously, the judge expressed his opinion that cruelty was prevalent and that this would have to be resolved in the future.”

Judge Jean Nepgen also ruled that no formal application was applicable in terms of the Livestock Improvement Act in relation to the export of animals for slaughter.

“This effectively means that the livestock carrier, the Barkly Pearl, may be loaded with South African cattle and may set sail with them to be slaughtered in Mauritius,” the SPCA said.

SPCA executive director Marcelle Meredith said: “The SPCA has motivated, campaigned, spoken out, and publicised this archaic and cruel practice over many years, since the 1990s in fact.”

The society had tried every avenue but, sadly, it had come to nothing, she said.

The SPCA had public support to lodge the urgent court application and reiterated their motivation that there were alternates, with exporting meat rather than live animals being preferable.

“The SPCA and our support base vow that we shall not stop the fight to prevent the export of live animals for slaughter,” she said.

“Our mandate is the prevention of cruelty. We are firmly committed to this. The SPCA shall remain focused and resolute.”

– SAPA

Mbombela – A man accused of armed robbery wrestled with police in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Friday after his bail was cancelled.

“What you are doing to me is criminal. You cannot keep me there… No, no, no, this is not right,” Sibusiso Zulu protested.

Magistrate Edward Hall decided to keep Zulu in custody for failing to satisfactorily explain why he skipped bail on 26 June.

Although Zulu resisted, police eventually succeeded in dragging him out of the courtroom. He would be back in court on 30 August, a Sapa correspondent reported.

– SAPA

Bloemfontein – The treason trial of two alleged right-wing plotters will start in the Free State High Court in November this year.

Magistrate Andries Schoeman transferred the case to the high court and postponed the trial to 4 November when Mark Trollip and Johan Prinsloo appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

Schoeman said the men would face charges of treason and conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism, as well as firearms and ammunition charges.

The State alleges the two men, in conjunction with others, were part of a group who planned “Die Slag van Mangaung” (The Battle of Mangaung) to eliminate the country’s leaders.

A third accused, Martin Keevy, was on Friday again referred for observation at the Free State Psychiatric Complex.

Prosecutor Torie Pretorius told the court he would be evaluated by another doctor for another 30 days.
All charges against a fourth accused, Hein Boonzaaier, were dropped on Friday.

Government overthrow

The State alleges Trollip and Prinsloo plotted to kill African National Congress leaders at the party’s Mangaung elective conference in December 2012.

Pretorius said the men’s defence counsel would receive copies of the docket within a week.
Also handed in to court was the charge sheet against the two men.

In relation to the treason and conspiracy charges, the State alleges the men tried between July 2012 and December 2012 to overthrow the government.

They apparently tried to get hold of mortar bombs and firearms and ammunition to kill, among others, President Jacob Zuma, Cabinet members, and other ANC members in Mangaung.

The State alleges the men intended putting themselves, other people unknown to the State, and the “Boerevolk” in a position to govern South Africa.

The State attached a list of 36 witnesses who would testify in the trial.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – There is a need to continue building police stations in the Western Cape because of gang violence and drug abuse, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Friday.

“We have pointed out that what we are confronted with in this province is a 200-year-old deep-seated legacy that cannot be eradicated by police alone,” he said in a speech prepared for delivery at the opening of the Lentegeur police station.

“To this end, we are currently implementing a gang combating strategy that is designed to both combat gang violence as well as eliminate the criminal economy of these gangs.”

Police community relations needed to be strengthened.

The start of “operation combat” in July last year had already helped stabilise some Western Cape communities, including Lavender Hill, Grassy Park, Hanover Park, and Manenberg.

Mthethwa said police would ensure that Lentegeur would also benefit.

‘New station will help crime fight’

“This is an integrated strategy and what this means is that it incorporates various pillars, such as visible policing, investigations, crime information management, and importantly, the support and involvement of communities.

“The opening of this police station will definitely help our crusade in this regard,” he said.
A multifaceted approach was needed.

Parents, NGOs, and faith-based organisations needed to help with social factors, such as substance abuse. Everybody needed to be involved, not just police.

“While the SAPS [SA Police Service] will continue to arrest those who commit crime, a greater and growing awareness among parents/guardians to look after and protect children must be intensified within society,” said Mthethwa.

“Any commission of crime by children is a societal challenge that requires a societal response, not just by police but all of us as a collective.”

He said police were improving their investigative capacity to ensure criminals were arrested and punished.

– SAPA

By Obakeng Maje
Rustenburg-The province is currently experiencing escalating cases of Arson since the beginning of the winter season. It is apparent some of these cases occur as a result of negligence by individuals, be it children or adults due to failure to take proper care when heaters, paraffin stoves, illegal connection of electricity and open fires that are left unattended.
“It is unfortunate these cases result in deaths as well as severe and costly damages to properties such as houses, clothes, furniture and many others” colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said.
It has emerged that most arson cases reported were from informal settlements of Rustenburg in Boitekong and Nkaneng.
“In one incident that occurred in Nkaneng informal settlement, was of a man who got home drunk from a tavern and tried to prepare food. After he lit a paraffin stove he felt asleep. The wind which came inside the open shack blew the paraffin stove and the curtains caught fire”.
“It also came to the attention of police that residents of informal settlements connect illegal connections of electricity” Mokgwabone said.
Police also appeal to the communities at these informal settlements to allow Emergency Services entry to assist during fires reported.
The community is therefore advised to take precautionary measures and apply the following safety hints.
• Not to use papers and boxes to extinguish fire.
• Avoid throwing cigarettes butts on the floor without checking first if it is safe to do that.
• Not to leave stoves unattended when under the influence of liquor.
• Not to leave heaters burning when sleeping, during the day or at night.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

By Obakeng Maje
Hartswater-Northern Cape police arrested a man after he allegedly sexually-molested a seven year-old boy.
The boy was allegedly raped at school by one of school employees at Hartwater, Northern Cape.
“The victim’s mother noticed that there is something is wrong with the boy during bath-time in the evening. When his mother questioned him, he told his mother that one of school employees raped him during the school intervals, at the toilets” Lieutenant Olebogeng Tawana said.
A 52 year-old man was arrested and appeared before Warrenton Magistrate Court for rape charge.
Johannes Maphalle, 52 was reprimanded in custody and police investigation continues. He will appear again on the 29th of August 2013 for formal bail application.
Tawana said police cannot divulge the identity of the victim for investigation purpose. -TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

By Obakeng Maje
Mahikeng-The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has unconditionally withdrawn all charges against four senior managers accused of misconduct yesterday.
“The senior managers were suspended in 2011 and have since been called to resume work in the Department” Acting Head of Department Kgotso Khumalo said.
The senior managers who were suspended are:
Dr Victor Mogjane – Chief Director Sport and Recreation
Dr Kenneth Lesedi – Director Strategic Management
Ms Tinyiko Sempe – Director Library, Information and Archives Services, and Ms Shirley Montsho – Director Communication and Marketing.
All senior managers were suspended after they were charged for misconduct in different occasions.
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Minister of Rural Development & Land Reform and North West Premier Thandi Modise are to lead a preview tour of the massive exhibition which tells the story of the history of land dispossession in South Africa.

The opening of the North West Leg of the 1913 Native’s Land Act Exhibition to be led by Minister Nkwinti and Premier Modise is scheduled to start at the Mmabatho Convention Centre at 9:00 am this morning.

The free exhibition which will run until next week Saturday forms part of the activities to mark 100 years since the introduction of the 1913 Natives’ Land Act in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Premier Modise is to handover land to the Barolong Boo Mariba at Dalyspan Farm in Ratlou Local Municipality tomorrow, Saturday 24 August 2014 in an effort to redress past atrocities of land dispossession and accelerate the restitution process.

The event to commence at 10:00am at the farm situated about 150 kilometers from Mahikeng along Mahikeng Airport Road, Disaneng, Tshidilamolomo, Mabule/Masamane road involves the Provincial Government and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform .

Johanensburg – Dogs were called in on Thursday afternoon when four suspects resisted arrest and ran away from the police in Nellmapius near Mamelodi.

On receiving a tip-off, the Bronkhorstspruit K9 unit let the dogs out when the suspects refused to surrender. One got away but three other male suspects, aged between 27 and 36, were nabbed by the dogs and arrested.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

The minister of police, in his official capacity, has been ordered to pay R10.1 million to a North West company which prospects for diamonds, after its equipment was vandalised by residents while police merely looked on.

Exploration Omega Company Ltd (the plaintiff) said in papers before the Pretoria High Court that it had asked at least 12 times for the police’s help. The company either received empty promises or in some instances SAPS members merely looked on while the thugs destroyed equipment and threatened the management.

The company gave the SAPS notice of the damages claim and served papers on the minister.

The SAPS did not bother to respond and on Thursday the company eventually obtained default judgment against the police – which the taxpayer will have to pay.

Taung Giant Diamond Miners, the holder of a prospecting right for diamonds, entered into an agreement with the applicant in 2009 to prospect for diamonds in Manthestad in North West.

After consulting community leaders, especially the chief of the Taung area, the mining company brought in its equipment.

First, its Volvo front loader was parked at the offices of the tribal council to indicate to the community that the chief had agreed to the prospecting activities.

The plaintiff started establishing the site in March 2011, by parking a caravan on the site. This was burnt down a few days later by some residents. The company laid a charge with the police.

A week later, a pick-up truck used by the head of security on-site was burnt to ashes by some residents.

Another criminal charge was laid at the Taung police station.

The plaintiff then obtained the services of a security company to patrol and guard the site.

The mine manager again consulted the community leaders and moved the rest of the equipment to the site. Soon after that the windows of the Volvo front loader were smashed. That incident was also reported to police.

On April 14, 2011, six officers from the Taung police station arrived at the site after they had been called by the plaintiff’s employees, asking for protection from the vandals.

It was stated that the policemen did nothing other than witnessing the vandalism.

That night, a crowd marched to the site office, where they damaged another front loader, while police looked on.

The front loader was found the next day, 15km from the site.

Criminal charges were once again laid with the police.

During April to June 2011, the on-site head of security phoned the police on various occasions, asking for protection against the criminal elements in the community.

The police refused to assist.

Eventually three suspects were caught and they appeared in the local magistrate’s court, where they were released on bail, with one of the conditions being that they could not enter the site.

They ignored this and, on their release, returned to the site, with other residents, where they intimidated the site manager.

They threatened to kill him and to burn the rest of the equipment.

The court was told that this was done in the presence of the SAPS, who did nothing.

Residents, including the three accused, planned a march to the site to vandalise it, and the mine management again called the police. The SAPS promised to protect the mine and it its staff and in fact said they had everything under control.

The protesters meanwhile arrived at the site and hurled rocks and petrol bombs at the equipment.

The mine workers fled for their lives, but an elderly woman could not get away and she was severely assaulted by the crowd.

When the police eventually arrived and saw the crowd, they immediately drove off to escape the community’s wrath.

The court papers say the mine suffered R56.8m in damages, as it could not proceed with its operations. This amount included loss of income and the equipment that had been destroyed.

The company is, however, only claiming for the loss of equipment, as the SAPS did not lift a finger to assist in protecting the mine.

Pretoria News