Port Shepstone – A minibus driver accused of killing mountain biker Burry Stander in an accident appeared at the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.

“The matter was postponed to 21 and 22 of October for trial,” KwaZulu-Natal NPA spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson said.

Njabulo Nyawose, facing a charge of culpable homicide, was released on a warning.

Stander, 25, was cycling in Shelley Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast when he was struck by a minibus taxi Nyawose was allegedly driving on January 3.

Charges against him were reinstated last month after they were provisionally withdrawn. This was done for the directorate of public prosecutions to decide whether to prosecute.

Stander was fifth in the men’s cross-country race at the 2012

London Olympics. Four years earlier, at the Beijing Games, he finished 15th in the cross-country event.

Sapa

Johannesburg – The Constitutional Court will hear an application on Thursday for leave to appeal against a ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal authorising President Jacob Zuma to confer the status of senior counsel on practising advocates.

Urmilla Roshnee Devi Mansingh, a practising attorney and member of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates (JSA), seeks an order declaring that Zuma’s power to confer honours in terms of section 84(2) of the Constitution does not include the power to confer senior counsel status on practising advocates.

The General Council of the Bar (GCB) and the JSA would oppose the application.

The status of senior counsel is conferred on an advocate by a sitting president, acting on the recommendation of the justice minister.

The case arose in the High Court in Pretoria where Mansingh brought an application that section 84 of the Constitution does not include the prerogative power to confer the status of senior counsel (commonly known as ‘silk’) on practising advocates.

Mansingh’s case was based on the grounds that the Constitution is intended to sever relations with the past, and as such the past practice of conferral of silk status as a prerogative power is of no importance.

The court should look to indications which compel a meaning of honours which deviates from the provision’s historical background.

Mansingh won in the high court. The GCB lodged an appeal at the SCA, which overturned the high court ruling in March.

The SCA found that section 84 allows Zuma to confer, as an honour, the status of senior counsel on practising advocates.

Mansingh will argue that the SCA lost sight of the fact that silk status is a certification of professional quality awarded by way of letters patent (a president’s written order) Ä not an honour.

Sapa

Parliament, Cape Town – South Africa’s rejection of military rule in Egypt is unlikely to change, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said on Wednesday.

Replying to questions in the National Assembly, Motlanthe said South Africa’s position remained in line with that of the African Union.

“South Africa continues to be guided by the AU Peace and Security Council and the AU High-Level Panel for Egypt,” Motlanthe said.

“We are informed that the AU remains engaged with all the parties to the conflict in Egypt in finding a sustainable resolution to the present political crisis in that country.”

ANC MP Tisetso Magama commended South Africa and the AU for their role in trying to defuse tensions in the North African country.

“However, we express concern on the matter of more than 900 people having died in clashes of violence in Egypt, mostly killed by their own government and of course the resultant destruction of property and churches,” Magama said.

Motlanthe said Magama’s sentiments were in line with the South African government’s.

Asked if South Africa would intervene, Motlanthe said: “As South Africa, we work through the AU high level panel which has been mandated by the AU to engage with all affected sectors of the Egyptian population to try and de-escalate tensions as well as to bring about peace.”

Motlanthe said though South Africa did not recognise the military regime, it had to engage it in efforts to find a solution to the crisis.

The deputy president could not indicate when the Egyptian Embassy in South Africa would be shut down.

“Once a coup happens in any country… because the situation is still very much in flux in that country, it takes a while for those relations to be severed completely and so the building and the staff will still be there,” he said.

“We still have our presence in Egypt. Our embassy is still there.”

Sapa

The ANC wished the country’s latest news network, ANN7, well ahead of its launch this evening.

“The ANC congratulates our country’s newest news network, Africa News Network 7,” said party spokesperson Jackson Mthembu.

“(We wish) the network well and trust that it will play a constructive role in our national discourse, exercising media freedom in a balanced and objective manner that supports and enhances our thriving democracy.”

ANN7, nicknamed Gupta TV, was scheduled to go on air on DStv channel 405 at 6pm. This would be the country’s third 24-hour news network following the launch of the SABC’s 24-hour news channel on August 1 and eNCA in 2008.

“As during the launch of SABC news channel earlier this month, the ANC therefore reaffirms its support for the expansion of views and opinions on the air waves and trusts that ANN7 will bring constructive, thoughtful and insightful perspectives into the public discourse,” said Mthembu.

Chantal Rutter Dros will host prime time shows, while Gerry Rantseli-Elsdon will host Vuka Africa and Jimmy Manyi will anchor a weekly talk show, Straight Talk, according to the channel’s website.

– Sapa

Johannesburg – Three students were stabbed on the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Polokwane campus this week, the institution said on Wednesday.

The attack on Tuesday was sparked by an argument related to student leadership elections held on campus, TUT spokesperson Willa de Ruyter said in a statement.

The injured students received treatment at a local hospital and were discharged.

“The alleged perpetrator, who was assaulted by bystanders, has been apprehended and is currently under police guard in hospital. The [police have] already launched an investigation into the matter,” De Ruyter said.

The university instituted an internal investigation.

De Ruyter said the institution was weapon-free and had security measures in place to ensure the safety of staff and students.

– SAPA

Cape Town – Procurement contracts worth over R1bn in Limpopo are being probed by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), Parliament’s finance select committee was told on Wednesday.

SIU officials and public service and administration department (DPSA) officials briefed the committee on progress made in probes instituted after national government took over the running of five departments in the province in December 2011.

The departments were education, health, public works, treasury, and roads and transport.

“We are currently investigating 18 procurement contracts which is to the value of R1bn,” SIU programme manager Leonard Lekgetho told MPs.

The biggest contracts under scrutiny were in the health department.

Four cases were under investigation in the department where officials allegedly flouted procurement laws.

“The value of those four matters amounts to [over] R900m,” Lekgetho said.

Five cases were being investigated in the education department, one in the treasury, five in the public works department, and three in the roads and transport departments.

On the non-disclosure of business interests, the SIU initially identified 302 cases.

“Currently as we speak, 41 cases have been referred to the DPSA for institution of disciplinary action against the members,” Lekgetho said.

Another 48 cases were in the process of being referred to the DPSA for disciplinary action.

“Investigations where we could not find anything are 114. Disciplinary cases completed by departments were 13 and cases where we did not investigate were 86.”

Suspected misconduct

MPs were unhappy at the pace of action against those suspected of misconduct and criminal behaviour.

DPSA official Mamodupi Mohala-Mulaudzi disagreed, saying progress was being made.

A total of 88 cases were referred to the DPSA by both the SIU and forensic firms who were contracted to probe financial irregularities.

Of those charged, 44 were in senior management positions, while 44 were junior staff members.

Two heads of department were given precautionary suspension letters and charged with wrongdoing.

Their disciplinary cases were set to start in September and October.

They remained suspended on full pay.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The Congress of SA Trade Unions needs to focus on its principles, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Wednesday.

“Once you close your eyes to those fundamental principles you are going to see the battles that are running now,” he told Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) members at their 2nd national political school in Benoni, east of Johannesburg.

“Those battles are a function of many things.”

Mantashe said one of those things was the development of personalities in the trade union federation.

“When you begin to worship individuals then you are going to kill the thing [Cosatu].”

Divided

Cosatu has been divided following allegations of rape against its general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, and his suspension. Cosatu announced on Thursday that Vavi had been put on special leave pending outcomes of a disciplinary hearing into an affair he had with a junior employee.

On Friday, Vavi vowed to challenge his suspension.

Last month, a junior Cosatu employee accused Vavi of rape. He admitted to having a consensual affair with her. The woman subsequently withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against him.

Cosatu affiliates such as the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the Food and Allied Workers Union have backed Vavi.

The unions have called for Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini to be removed from his position after he made comments saying damage had been done to Cosatu. They also claim the special central executive committee meeting which suspended Vavi was not constituted properly.

Numsa, Cosatu’s biggest affiliate, said it had lost faith in Dlamini and that he was not representing all Cosatu affiliates.

Fundamental principles

Mantashe on Wednesday said Cosatu needed to appreciate the fundamental principles and focus on its responsibility to workers.

“You gave power to general secretaries and killed worker control,” he said.

“Once you do that you tamper with the content and nature of the trade [union] movement,” he said.

– SAPA

The North West health department has received a clean audit from the Auditor General for the 2012/13 financial year, it said on Wednesday.

“The achievement happened after a vigorous fight to address all the reported findings that led to qualification last financial year (2011/12) and effective implementation of the audit recommendations,” spokesman Tebogo Lekgethwane said in a statement.

Problems, such as payment of creditors, procurement and management of contracts, and unauthorised expenditure, were highlighted by Auditor General Terence Nombembe for the 2012/13 year as needing urgent attention.

Lekgethwane said these problems were being addressed.

“Extensive resources have now been put behind payment of suppliers, especially pharmaceutical supplies, since they are the biggest consumer of the departmental allocation.”

The department has been allocated R7.6 billion for the 2013/14 financial year.

Sapa

BY Obakeng Maje
Hartswater-Police made a breakthrough following the arrest of two men aged 24 and 41, who are accused of house breakings around Hartswater Policing Cluster. The arrest emanates after the police followed the leading information, about the two local men from Warrenton who are in possession of the suspected stolen goods.
The suspects were both arrested in Warrenton at Ikhutseng location, today.
“The suspects were found with two cellphones which were reported stolen during a house breaking on the 10th August 2013. Apparently the suspects broke into a house in Ikhutseng location, while the owner was away on holiday” Lieutenant Donald Tawana said.
“During questioning they led the police to where other items have been pawned. As a result of that the police drove with them to the places where the items were sold and pawned. Two laptops, laptop charger, two expensive gold wrist watches, were recovered from where they were pawned” he said.
The investigation reveals that one of the laptops was also reported stolen during a house breaking in Jankempdorp two weeks back, while other laptop including wrist watches, cellphones and shaver were also stolen in Warrenton.
The suspects are due to appear before the Warrenton Magistrate’s Court on charges of house breaking.
The police appeal to the public or community members not to shy away from reporting criminal activities, which are taking place in the within their respective community.
“We will not hesitate to arrest also those who buy stolen goods from the criminals. If you buy stolen goods you are equal to perpetrators of crime, and you will be charged for committing crime” Tawana concludes.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

MAHIKENG – The North West Provincial Government and the North West University have signed a breakthrough Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will strengthen collaboration and cooperation between the provincial government and its university.

Speaking at the signing ceremony held at Mafikeng Hotel School on Tuesday, North West Premier Thandi Modise said her administration seeks to take the existing relationship with the North West University to another level.

“We had noted that even though there is a relationship between ourselves and our university, there is still a huge gap that needed to be closed.

We are making a serious call to all the campuses of the North West University to take part in developments of the province,” Premier Modise said.

The MoU amongst other things is expected to provide a framework for cooperation on diverse area of mutual interest between the North West University and the North West provincial Government.

The expected areas of cooperation included are in areas of research and development, poverty alleviation projects and sustainable skills development.

Other areas also included are agricultural development and information systems, human security, government capacity and indigenous knowledge system.

Premier Modise emphasised that the role of the university in the development of the province is beyond measure.

“I have seen this University producing rare fine leaders such as Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, Judge Bez Nkabinde, Dr Sophie Mosome, Current IEC Chairperson P Hlakula and Professor Sipho Seepe.

Your educational muscle cannot be underrated as you have developed champions in field such as agriculture, education, health and planning”, she said.

Premier Modise appealed to the university to play a huge role in fighting huge challenges faced by the provincial government.

“It is true that government is faced with challenges which include poverty, unemployment, and shortage of skills in areas such as research, policy development, planning, and crime.

Government therefore is pleading to academic institution as it is a knowledge institution that can guide and advice on latest innovations,” she cited.

The North West University Vice Chancellor, Dr Theuns Elloff also cited that government must not neglect universities when doing their planning.

“We all have to admit at this stage that Universities cannot afford to work alone as a white elephant. We have to agree that all of our universities are rooted in our society and must therefore contribute to the development of these communities,” he said.

Dr Elloff said through the signing of the MoU the North West University is committing itself to work closely with government in changing the lives of the people.