Rustenburg – The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) expressed outrage at the murder of one of its shop stewards at Lonmin’s Rowland shaft, near Rustenburg, on Monday.

“(We are) disappointed that amid the increasing assassinations in Marikana and the broader Rustenburg area, there has not been any progress with regard to the arrest and prosecutions of the suspects,” spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said in a statement.

“While many of the suspects are known to the police, none has been arrested or prosecuted.”

The union said a woman shop steward was shot and killed while walking to the NUM office. North West police confirmed that a woman was shot and killed at the shaft.

Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said police could not immediately confirm that the victim was a NUM shop steward. Police were still attending to the crime scene, he said.

Seshoka said the union was disappointed in Lonmin. The company had instructed shop stewards to return to work even though the NUM cautioned that it was not safe.

“The union is concerned that the company’s pre-occupation with profits and the police incompetence may lead to a serious bloodbath in Rustenburg,” he said.

Comment from Lonmin was not immediately available.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions said it was tragic that the murder happened days before the August 16 Marikana shooting anniversary.

“We see yet more evidence that violence remains endemic in the Rustenburg area,” spokesman Patrick Craven said in a statement.

“This latest atrocity demonstrates that the framework agreement for a sustainable mining industry, signed by organised labour… organised business, and government on 3 July 2013 is simply not being effectively implemented.”

On August 16 last year, 34 miners were shot dead and 78 were wounded when police fired on them while trying to disperse a group gathered on a hill near Lonmin’s platinum mine in Marikana.

In the preceding week, 10 people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed in strike-related violence.

The framework agreement was aimed at resolving issues like strikes and violence bedevilling the mining industry, especially in the Rustenburg platinum belt.

Sapa

Durban – The ANC branch chairman in Ulundi, Makhosonke Msibi, was shot dead in front of his family on Sunday night when a gunman entered his home and fired shots.

Police spokesman Colonel Vincent Mdunge said the motive was not known at this stage and that no arrests had been made.

He said a man knocked at the door soon after the councillor returned home from a meeting in Nongoma. His son opened the door and a man asked to see the councillor.

“The man fired shots at him when he emerged.

“He tried to run into his bedroom but it was too late… he suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was declared dead at the scene.”
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Durban – Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says he has accepted the censure of Corruption Watch over a well-publicised sexual relationship he had with a married, 26-year-old subordinate.

“I have accepted that censure, humiliating as that may be. I am not above the discipline of our organisations,” Vavi said at a Cosatu meeting in East London.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Cape Town – A security camera set up on a popular mountain biking and running route on Table Mountain to watch for muggers has disappeared.

The camera, a wireless unit operating by cellphone signal, disappeared in the past two weeks after it ran out of airtime and had no signal, said Robert Vogel of cycling club Table Mountain Bikers, which put it up.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Johannesburg – Police should be retrained to prevent a recurrence of events such as the one at Marikana last year, trade union federation Nactu said on Monday.

“Police need to be retrained on how to handle situations such as the one in Marikana. If they (police) had been properly trained these killings would not have taken place,” National Council of Trade Unions spokesman Mangaliso Mdhlela said.

“The police at Marikana behaved exactly the same way the apartheid government behaved when its police (mowed) down 60

protesters in Sharpeville. The Marikana incident was a wanton disregard of our Constitution’s provision to respect life,” he said.

Mdhlela said police could be trained “differently” to stop them being “trigger happy”.

The federation would call on mine bosses to substantially increase workers’ wages and improve their living conditions.

“The low wages of mineworkers and their living conditions are an indictment on the mine bosses. Mineworkers literally live in shacks,” he said.

The federation also wanted government to provide a budget for lawyers who represented the interests of miners at the Farlam Commission of Inquiry.

The commission is probing the deaths of 44 people during strike-related unrest at Lonmin’s Marikana operations in North West last year.

Friday (August 16) marks a year since 34 people were shot dead in a clash with police. Ten people died in the preceding week.

“In the interest of justice the government has a responsibility to provide funds for the miners’ lawyers,” Mdhlela said.

Sapa

Mankweng – Two men have been caught selling crocodiles in Limpopo, police said on Monday.

Col Ronel Otto said police received a tip-off on Sunday that the two were selling crocodiles from a house in Ga-Mothapo.

Police, posing as buyers, arrested the men, who led detectives to where the crocodiles were being kept.

“A full investigation into where the animals came from will be conducted,” said Otto.

The crocodiles were removed by animal inspectors and taken to a sanctuary.

The two were scheduled to appear in the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court later on Monday.

Sapa

Kimberley – “I am not a pervert, spying on people” . . . these are the words of the Kimberley man who has been testing out his multi-rotor (a remote-controlled helicopter), which he hopes to develop and market as a business venture, in a city park.

A Labram resident recently claimed that she was under attack in her own backyard from a neighbour, who she accused on spying on her and other residents with his remote-controlled helicopter, which she believed had a camera attached.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Durban – Two men believed to be rhino poachers were arrested in the Zululand Rhino Reserve (ZRR) in northern KwaZulu-Natal, the reserve’s management said on Monday.

The two were caught on Friday after rangers were alerted of their plan, ZRR manager Dave Robertson said.

The men, both Nigerians, were found in possession of a rifle, 10 rounds of ammunition, and an axe.

They were handed over to police in Mkuze.

The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal commended the rangers for the arrests.

DA MPL Radley Keys urged conservation officials to ensure that efforts to combat poaching were encouraged.

Sapa

The North West Provincial Government is steadfast in its commitment to empower the youth and will continue to intensify its efforts to ensure that the youth in the province participate in the mainstream economy as it has demonstrated through the creation of sustainable livelihoods and entrepreneurial development initiatives, Premier Thandi Modise said on Monday as part of her international Youth Day message.

International Youth Day has been celebrated annually on August 12 since 1999, following a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly. The global theme of International Youth Day 2013 is “Youth Migration: Moving Development Forward.”

Young people make up a significant number of international migrants and those with advanced skills stand a better chance creating sustainable livelihoods for themselves.

Premier Modise said her province has demonstrated its seriousness about youth empowerment through a number of initiatives geared towards developing skills and promoting youth participation in the mainstream economy, among others.

“Our commendable record in this regard speaks for itself. We value our youth and will continue to intensify our efforts to empower them. That’s why we encourage them to take these opportunities seriously and not to misuse them. We want to say to our young people that they must stay away from drugs and alcohol abuse. Drugs and alcohol destroy lives, said Premier Modise.

During the youth month Premier Thandi Modise had announced that the province had set aside R22 million to support emerging Small Medium Micro Enterprises (SMME’s) and granted loans to the value of R18 516 86 to 96 deserving youth enterprises.

Nineteen youth cooperatives were established and over two hundred youth have participated in National Youth Services for skills development.

In addition 2000 young people are participating in the National Rural Youth Service Corps (NARYSEC) which is government programme intended at job creation and skills development amongst the youth.

However, Premier Modise said youth empowerment will mean nothing if the youth do not learn anything about the right of women and children in view of the scourge of gender based violence troubling much of the country. She sent a strong message to the youth to respect women and help to stop the scourge of gender based violence that is currently rife across the country.

“This month also marks Women’s month and it is therefore important that you must stand up and be counted. Young men must learn from an early age to respect women. Women are not objects of affection for men. They must be respected and treated equally just like men. Young people are the future and if our young people can get this right, we will know that we are on the right track to eradicate gender-based violence,” cautioned Premier Modise.

Modise said the province has also made bursaries available for young people to study and acquire identified scarce skills such as medicine, engineering and accountancy, in addition to other training and skills development initiatives.

“The province has to-date trained and skilled 1 390 young people in electrical engineering, welding, tourism and hospitality, crop science and animal production, mining, pottery, ceramic, glass and brick manufacturing,” Premier Modise said.

In addition, 2 207 young people participated in various learnerships across the province.

“We are hard at work and will continue to do our best to ensure that our youth are an integral part of our economy,” added the Premier.

The North West Provincial Executive Council (Exco) RECENTLY endorsed the multi-million rand youth development implementation plan to benefit young people in the province.

The programme will entail among others career guidance expo for grade 12 learners from historically disadvantaged schools and seminars on entrepreneurship development and youth cooperative.

Johannesburg – National police commissioner Riah Phiyega must ensure there is no “political meddling” following the reported arrest of Tony Yengeni for drunk driving, the DA said on Monday.

He was reportedly arrested on Sunday and released on bail on Monday.

DA MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard recalled in a statement that Yengeni had previously been arrested in 2007 on drunk driving charges while he was out on parole following a fraud conviction.

“The drunk driving case could not go forward because of interference with the blood sample,” she said.

“The station commander at Goodwood, who was involved in the case, was convicted for defeating the ends of justice and Yengeni was allowed to walk free.”

Kohler-Barnard said the DA would be watching the new case closely.

But, reports that Yengeni, who is an ANC national executive committee member, was arrested for drunk driving at the weekend could not be immediately confirmed on Monday.

Western Cape police would only say that a 58-year-old man was arrested on the corner of Somerset and Dixon roads in Cape Town on Sunday for drunk driving.

Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said the man was detained at the Cape Town central police station overnight and released on bail on Monday morning.

He could not confirm that the individual arrested was Yengeni.

Beeld reported online on Monday that its Cape Town sister newspaper Die Burger had seen Yengeni leaving police cells in the morning after paying bail of R500.

He was reportedly driving a Maserati when he was arrested.

– SAPA