Johannesburg – Some people are bent on tarnishing the reputation and image of Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, Samwu in the Eastern Cape said on Tuesday.

“The SA Municipal Workers’ Union [Samwu] in the Eastern Cape is disturbed by the continuous discrediting of [Vavi] in the media and by other sources,” spokesperson Siphiwo Ndunyana said in statement.

“The agenda of the factionalists was defeated at the last Cosatu congress, when the general secretary received overwhelming support. Now some of the same people are trying to remove the general secretary via the ‘back door’.”

Ndunyana accused factions within the Congress of SA Trade Unions of being behind attempts to remove Vavi from the country’s most powerful trade union federation.

“They tried to use rape accusations, which have now been withdrawn by the woman involved. Over the next period these forces will undoubtedly try other dirty tricks,” he said.

“Our view in the Eastern Cape expressed by our provincial executive committee is that the Cosatu CEC [central executive committee] should constructively deal with the matter and act responsibly,” he said.

He said Vavi was persecuted for being outspoken about the situation facing ordinary people.

“Our people are suffering; the only crime that comrade Vavi committed is he is prepared to tell the truth about the day to day reality of our people.”

Vavi made headlines last month after a junior employee at Cosatu accused him of rape.

He subsequently admitted to having a sexual affair with the woman but said it was consensual. The woman subsequently withdrew her sexual harassment complaint against him.

– SAPA

Durban – Anele Ngcongca has failed to arrive for Bafana Bafana duty, an infuriated national coach Gordon Igesund confirmed on Tuesday.

The Belgium-based defender was expected to arrive in Durban a day later than the rest of the squad, along with Tokelo Rantie, but was held back by his club Genk, who claim he was carrying an injury ahead of Bafana’s friendly against Nigeria on Wednesday.

Igesund said that those excuses would not be tolerated, insisting it was a ‘fabricated story’.

“He was supposed to leave from his club on Monday morning, but his club wanted to hold him back,” Igesund said at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

“They then phoned me up and requested I release the player because of some important games coming up. I explained the situation to them, saying we can’t release him.

“He needs to be here and he needs to be on that flight. Then late last night I got a call from the coach saying he’s picked up an injury. Where it happened I don’t know.

“At the end of the day, it’s a fabricated story and I expect justice to take its course.”

The match against the African champions forms part of the Nelson Mandela Challenge, with South Africa scheduled to face Burkina Faso in a Nelson Mandela Sport and Culture Day clash at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Igesund said the matter has been reported to SAFA and they will take it up with world governing body Fifa as the match fell on an international date.

No replacement will be called up for Ngcongca.

Following the arrival of Rantie from Sweden, the squad now sits at 22 players from its initial 28.

On Monday, SuperSport United captain Bevan Fransman was given off until Thursday to be with his wife for the birth of their child.

SAPA

Bloemfontein – A Free State bridegroom was found guilty of arson for burning down the conference centre that cancelled his wedding booking, the Volksblad newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Jean Greyling, 28, pleaded guilty to arson when he appeared before the Bloemfontein Regional Court after a conference centre at the Emoya Estate, outside Bloemfontein, was destroyed in a fire.

“It broke my heart to see my future wife in tears the whole day,” Greyling said in his plea explanation in court, the newspaper reported.

The bridegroom admitted he set fire to the building during the early hours of 27 July. The wedding ceremony was apparently cancelled the previous day after deposits were not paid.

Greyling told the court he did not think the whole building would be destroyed.

He contacted the police’s investigator about a week after the fire to confess to the crime. Greyling would be sentenced next month.

He married his girlfriend, Lianne Meyer-Bekker [now Greyling], at a restaurant at Bloemfontein’s Loch Logan Waterfront.

– SAPA

Cape Town – The office of the chief justice on Tuesday cautioned the media for “misleading” headlines concerning a speech by Mogoeng Mogoeng.

This follows the publication of an article by the Daily News, picked up by News24, stating that Mogoeng had “lashed out at his white brothers” in the legal fraternity.

In a statement to News24, Mogoeng’s spokesperson Lulama Luti wrote: “Please note that this headline is incorrect; totally misleading and it is without basis.”

Luti states that what the chief justice actually said was: “In case my white brothers in the audience were wondering whether I was racist or sexist; they should rest assured that I am not. If I were racist, then transformation would only benefit black women and if I were sexist, only women would be advantaged by transformation.”

Mogoeng was speaking at the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges’ conference on Women’s Day where some of the audience members were white males.

Luti said Mogoeng in fact felt “constrained to re-assure them that he was neither sexist nor racist”.

The chief justice did not at any point refer to impeachment proceedings in which he is involved, she said.

Luti said that Mogoeng rejected the generalisation because it could be misunderstood to suggest that a group of his “white brothers” or all his “white brothers” are behind the impeachment bid.

– News24

Johannesburg – Two men are being sought after a woman was raped and robbed in George, Western Cape police said on Tuesday.

“The 36-year-old woman was doing her washing in the backyard of her home at around 14:30 on Monday,” Captain Malcolm Pojie said.

“When she went back to the house she found two men inside, a coloured and black man. They threatened her verbally and demanded cash. While one of the suspects ransacked the house looking for [valuables], the other raped the victim.”

The men took R2 000 before fleeing the scene.

They were believed to have gained entry through an open door.

Police were offering a reward, and anyone with information should call 044-803-4638 or 086-846-3633.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The case against two men charged with illegal possession of protected game was postponed in the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court, Limpopo police said on Tuesday.

Nakampe David Malatji, 41, and William Madimetja Monyela, 45, appeared in court on Monday.

The case was postponed to 20 August for a formal bail application, police spokesperson Ronel Otto said.

The men were arrested on Sunday for allegedly attempting to sell crocodiles to the Mankweng community.

“Information was received that two men were selling crocodiles from a house at Nobody, Ga-Mothapo.

“Police pretended to be interested in buying some of the animals and the suspects led the members to where the animals were being kept,” Otto said.

“The suspects alleged that they obtained the crocodiles from Acornhoek, but a full investigation into where the animals came from will be conducted,” Otto said.

The crocodiles were removed by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) inspectors and taken to an animal sanctuary.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – A second KwaZulu-Natal labour department official has been arrested in connection with fraud, police said on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old official would appear in the Durban Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday, police spokesperson Vincent Mdunge said.

Earlier, Mdunge said a labour department inspector and a teacher were expected to appear in the court on Tuesday on fraud charges.

“In the early hours of this morning [Tuesday] we arrested two suspects, aged 33 and 37, in Sunnyside and Adams Mission for fraud,” he said.

“It is alleged that the inspector from the department of labour asked the teacher to recruit people, who were not employed at that time, so that she would fraudulently apply for UIF on their behalf.”

A fictitious company was created and those people were listed as the company’s employees.

Investigations revealed that R70 000 had been paid out to them so far, Mdunge said.

– SAPA

Cape Town – Emergency officials in Cape Town are on high alert on Tuesday following a warning by weather forecasters.

A series of cold fronts are expected to hit the Western Cape on Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in a warning by the SA Weather Service of wet and windy conditions.

Heavy rain and gale-force winds were experienced in Cape Town on Tuesday morning.

The SABC reported that Cape Town disaster management officials are focusing on low-lying areas, and have been dispatched to areas where reports of flooding have been received.

The Cape Times reported on Tuesday that alerts for flooding and high seas had been issued and routine inspections would be undertaken.

Minimum temperatures in Cape Town are expected to range between 9 and 15°C on Tuesday. Rain is expected in Cape Town until Saturday.

The weather system is expected to spread eastwards over the rest of the country later in the week.
For more http://www.news24.com

Johannesburg – Police had tried to protect Daveyton taxi driver Mido Macia from harm, the Benoni Magistrate’s Court heard on Tuesday.

Warrant Officer Meshack Malele said officers outside the moving police van lifted Macia’s legs off the ground to prevent him being injured as he was tied to the back of the van.

“The policemen held his legs so that he couldn’t get injured. General had kicked the door of the… van open, his legs were protruding,” said Malele.

General was Macia’s nickname.

Malele said Macia had not been properly handcuffed, so one of the loose cuffs got hooked to the door, leaving him hanging out of the van.

The van driver had driven off as community members had started attacking officers and throwing stones at them before they could secure Macia in the van.

Malele said he was also injured in the incident.

Blocking traffic

Malele and eight other officers implicated in Macia’s death are re-applying for bail after their legal representatives told the court they had new evidence which could see the court overturn its earlier decision to deny them bail.

Macia was filmed being tied to the back of a police van and dragged along a street in Daveyton on 26 February.

Police confronted him because his taxi was apparently blocking traffic.

A scuffle ensued and he was taken to the local police station, where he was found dead in the holding cells several hours later.

Malele said he did not believe the State had a strong case against the officers.

State attorney December Mthimunye questioned what new evidence Malele and the other accused had for the court.

An agitated Malele said: “Am I here to testify, or ask for bail?”

He was reprimanded by the court.

– SAPA

Cape Town – City of Cape Town authorities have denied “targeting” ANC national executive committee member Tony Yengeni after his arrest for alleged drunken driving, the Cape Argus reported on Tuesday.

The city’s safety and security mayoral committee member JP Smith said Yengeni was one of 52 people arrested by his officers at the weekend.

“Officers had spotted the Maserati driving erratically,” he told the newspaper, adding that the car had been short of at least one number plate.

“Officers used a screening device, which showed he was substantially over the limit, which was sufficient basis on which to take him to the shadow centre in Athlone,” he was quoted as saying.

Smith said video footage of Yengeni before and after his arrest would be made available to prove officers had a probable cause for pulling him over.

He reportedly said the matter was in the hands of police but that he was confident the metro police could obtain a copy of the blood test “as a backup”.

According to the report, Yengeni was arrested near the corner of Somerset and Dixon Roads in Cape Town shortly before 23:00 on Sunday.

He was detained at Cape Town central police station and released on R500 bail on Monday morning.

He is due to appear in court on 4 March next year.

In 2007, Yengeni was arrested in Goodwood, Cape Town, on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was also granted R500 bail at the time. He was eventually found not guilty.

At the time, Yengeni was out on parole after his 2003 conviction for defrauding Parliament by failing to disclose a 47% discount on a 4×4 Mercedes-Benz.

For more http://www.news24.com