By Obakeng Maje
Kimberley- Northern Cape police attended an accident scene in Barkly Road near Kimberley where four vehicles collided. The vehicles involved in a fatal accident are a White Toyota Tazz, a Black Opel Vivaro, a Red Isuzu Bakkie, and a Grey Chevrolet Captiva.
The accident happened on F riday at around 10:55 am.
“It is alleged that the White Toyota Tazz was travelling from the Northern direction towards the Southern direction of town whilst the other three vehicles were going on the opposite direction. Two occupants from the Opel Vivaro as well as one from the Isuzu bakkie were seriously injured and they were taken to hospital” Lieutenant Donald Mdhluli said.
Two other occupants were treated for shock.
“At this stage the cause of the accident is yet to be discovered and Police have opened a case of reckless and negligent driving”.
The investigation continues.
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By Obakeng Maje
Madibeng-The DA is concerned about the increasingly extravagant lifestyle of the Executive Mayor and fellow inner circle comrades.
DA said the Madibeng municipality does not have money for essential maintenance of the infrastructure, but official does not hesitate to lavishly entertain themselves at the ratepayer’s expense.
“The Executive Mayor and eleven of her cadres have arranged for themselves a luxurious break-away from 25 to 30 August at the Umfula Game Lodge at cost of R75 000. This is on top of the R19 000 that they recently spent on a relaxing outing to the Hartbeespoort Dam Cableway” Tiaan Kotze said.
The opposition party said Umfula Lodge outing will be another fruitless and wasteful demonstration of the Mayor and her committee’s disrespect for the ratepayer’s money.
“Their lack of financial discipline is costing the municipality dearly and is a clear display of their inability to manage competently and responsibly”.
“It has become imperative that the Mayor be stopped or preferably be removed from office. I reiterate that a DA led Madibeng, will be a Clean accountable Madibeng” Kotze concludes.-TDN
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By Obakeng Maje

Rustenburg-Today the Commemoration Service to honour those who died in Marikana during August last year is taking place in Marikana.

The organisers, the South African Council of Churches and AMCU, applied for and were granted permission to hold the gathering.

Mourners are gradually converging on the commemoration venue and the atmosphere is sombre but calm.

South African Police Service members and officials of the Rustenburg traffic department have been on duty since the early hours of this morning to regulate traffic and ensure that the proceedings take place in a safe environment.

“Various joint operations are underway to ensure that peace prevails and that the mourners adhere to our call to not carry or be in possession of any form of dangerous weapon at the venue.  This plea was made to allow us to ensure that the service is held in a dignified manner which shows respect to those who passed and is concluded peacefully” Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.

Vehicles entering the venue are being stopped and searched to ensure that the conditions of the authority to hold the gathering are being complied with.

“At this stage, people on a bus which was en route from the Impala Platinum mine were found to be in possession of approximately 100 traditional weapons which were confiscated.  Groups of people entering the venue carrying weapons were also stopped and asked to hand the weapons over to the police” Ngubane said.  

Ngubane said the SAPS will continue to monitor the situation and, again, call for calm from all parties and participants.

“We once again appeal to those still on their way to the venue, to refrain from taking any form of dangerous weapon as they will most definitely be seized, as with any major event secured by South Africa’s law enforcement agencies” he said.-TDN

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Pretoria – “General Phiyega se p**s.” These were allegedly the words of six rogue police officers from the Katlegong TRT unit, while they harassed a Mountain View couple along the R21 towards Pretoria on Sunday evening.

According to Emile Jansen van Rensburg, he and his wife Belinda were travelling back from OR Tambo International Airport when six fully uniformed police officers in a marked police vehicle pointed R5 rifles at them, ran them off the road and inappropriately searched them to get their cellphones.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Durban – A man was killed and three others injured after a car hit a tree in Phoenix near Durban on Friday, KwaZulu-Natal paramedics said.

Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha said it was unclear how the accident happened.

When they arrived on the scene, paramedics found that a man had died and some people were trapped in the wreckage, Botha said.

“[A] critically injured man was placed on a ventilator at the scene and …transported to the Nkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital for specialised care that he required,” Botha said in a statement.

Two seriously injured patients were stabilised before taken to a nearby hospital.

Botha said police would investigate the cause of the accident.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been ordered to hand over the so-called Zuma spy tapes to the DA within five days.

City Press reported on Friday that Judge Rami Mathopo said the transcripts must be handed to DA attorneys with alleged confidential parts marked.

DA attorneys are not allowed to disclose the confidential parts of memos.

The judge also ruled that the NPA had “misconstrued” its position but was not in contempt of court for failing to hand over the tapes to the DA earlier.

The spy tapes are recordings of intercepted phone conversations which could shed light on why fraud and corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma were dropped in 2009.
For more http://www.news24.com

Mahikeng – The boycotting of the Marikana shooting commemoration by the ANC and the NUM was deeply worrisome, the Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo) said on Friday.

“In our view as Azapo, participation by NUM and ANC would go a long way in trying to bridge the gap between NUM and Amcu mineworkers – perhaps ease the tension in and around the mine,” spokesperson Funani KaNtontela said in a statement.

“Attending the commemoration would allow them an opportunity to apologise to families who would be present.”

KaNtontela said some of the men killed last year were members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). He called the union’s decision heartless.

Concerns

On Thursday, the African National Congress in the North West said it would not take part in the event.

“The commemoration is organised by an illegitimate team called ‘Marikana Support Group’ – a group which the African National Congress does not recognise,” spokesperson Kenny Morolong said.

The NUM voiced similar concerns.

The Federation of Unions of SA said it was concerned that the inquiry into the event was still not concluded.

“We bemoan the fact that these families have not seen justice being done to the persons responsible for the death of their beloved fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons.

“The commission of inquiry must finalise its work so that the wounds can heal and we can move on,” general secretary Dennis George said.

George said Marikana was a lesson in how collective bargaining could go wrong. He said workers, employers, and government should work together to make collective bargaining a constructive form of social dialogue.

“This is the only fair and sustainable solution. History has taught us that any other approach will lead to chaos and unnecessary suffering by all involved,” George said.

On 10 August last year, rock drillers at platinum miner Lonmin embarked on an unprotected strike for a monthly salary of R12 500. More workers joined the strike and the protesters gathered at a hill near the Nkaneng informal settlement, some carrying weapons such as pangas, spears, knobkerries, and iron rods.

On 16 August police trying to disperse and disarm them opened fire and 34 people were killed. Ten people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed in strike-related violence the preceding week.

President Jacob Zuma established the commission to probe the deaths.

Commemorations are planned for Friday at the site of the shooting.
SAPA

Bloemfontein – The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) will investigate allegations that a group of Ficksburg police officers assaulted residents last weekend, a spokesperson said on Friday.

The directorate had received dockets to investigate three allegations of serious assault, one of common assault, and one of attempted murder, spokesperson Moses Dlamini said.

The attempted murder investigation related to allegations that a woman was run over by a police vehicle. A so-called “Rambo Squad” of police officers in and around Ficksburg allegedly assaulted residents last weekend.

Free State police said two officers, who were off duty at the time, were arrested for allegedly interfering with on-duty officers questioning a suspect at a local tavern.

Spokesperson Colonel Thandi Mbambo said the matter was under investigation.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – Murder accused paralympian Oscar Pistorius will face two additional charges when he appears in court on Monday.

Pistorius will be charged for two counts of recklessly discharging a firearm in public, eNCA reported.

In the first incident at a restaurant in Johannesburg in January, Pistorius accidentally fired a gun shot and almost hit a friend. 

In the second incident, driving with friends, he allegedly discharged a gun through the car’s sunroof just moments after being stopped by metro police officers in Gauteng.

Pistorius is facing murder charges for shooting and killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria.

News24

Johannesburg – President Jacob Zuma’s recent holiday on a Mozambican island and that of his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, in the Seychelles, cost the taxpayer R2.6m, Beeld reported on Friday.

A Falcon 900 and two Oryx helicopters had to make 36 flights to take Zuma to Bazaruto and back.

This emerged from answers provided on Thursday by the defence ministry to written questions by Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier.

Advised to rest

Zuma took a break on Bazaruto earlier this year after his doctors advised him to rest.

Two Oryx helicopters from 15 Squadron flew from Durban to the Mozambican town Vilanculos to take Zuma to the island.

According to Beeld, every time the helicopters land to refuel, it counts as a new flight.

Zuma flew in a Falcon from Waterkloof Air Force Base to Vilanculos, where the helicopters took him and his bodyguards to the island.

Overall expenditure, including crew and staff allowances, amounted to R1.6m.

Motlanthe used the Falcon for the Seychelles break with a female friend and at least five bodyguards.

Motlanthe paid for his own accommodation, but taxpayers funded the crew and bodyguards which cost R512 000, with travel and subsistence expenses for staff costing over R130 000.

The agent who made arrangements that included the fuel, was paid R296 000.

Airline tickets cost R83 000.

Government policy

In March, Motlanthe defended the costs of his Seychelles holiday, saying that in line with government policy, transport for the president and deputy president was the responsibility of the state, regardless of whether it was for official or private purposes.

“The state also has a duty to provide security for the deputy president at all times, whether he is engaged in official duties, or while he is on leave.

“The deputy president has no role whatsoever in the planning and carrying out of operations concerning his own transport and security. These matters, including deployment of personnel and equipment, as well as related costs, are managed by the competent state organs,” Motlanthe said in response to a question posed by Maynier at the time.

SAPA