Barkly West-Two men accused of running an illegal initiation school appeared in the Barkley West Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Northern Cape police said.

Winston Moleleki, 38, and Joseph Makhasane, 24, would be back in court on 15 July, police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said.

The two were also charged with kidnapping two youths and forcing them to attend an initiation school.

They were hospitalised after botched circumcisions, said Naidu.

– SAPA

Durban – The State was accused of suppressing information in the trial of businesswoman Shauwn Mpisane in the Durban Regional Court on Monday.

Advocate Rafik Bhana, for Mpisane, said the defence had less than half of the statements contained in the State’s docket.

Bhana said the State had not disclosed all the statements in its possession and had also failed to furnish the defence with all requested statements.

“The prosecutor cannot decide what is relevant and not relevant,” he said.

Bhana said Mpisane’s rights to a fair trial had been compromised.

He asked for time to make representations to the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) regarding the conduct of the State and for the NDPP to consider the defence’s representations.

The matter was adjourned to 22 July.

Mpisane is accused of inflating invoices by more than R5m in an attempt to cut her tax bill.

She is also accused of violating the Close Corporations Act by remaining the sole member of Zikhulise Cleaning, Maintenance, and Transport, when she had a previous fraud conviction.

She has pleaded not guilty.

– SAPA

Potchefstroom – The ANC has filed papers in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg against Tlokwe mayor Maphetle Maphetle’s unseating, the party said on Monday.

“The speaker [Barei Mosiane], who is the speaker coming from the ANC… has actually filed the papers nullifying that meeting,” ANC North West acting secretary Gordon Kegakilwe said in Potchefstroom.

He was referring to a council meeting on Tuesday at which DA Councillor Annette Combrink was voted in as mayor.

“For now, as the ANC, we don’t recognise that meeting, we don’t recognise Combrink.”

Kegakilwe was speaking at the taxi rank in Potchefstroom following an ANC provincial working committee (PWC) meeting in the town.

He, ANC North West chair Supra Mahumapelo, and national executive committee deployee and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti were doing a walkabout at the taxi rank.

Combrink was voted in as the new mayor on Tuesday, the second time since November, unseating Maphetle.

DA North West leader Chris Hattingh said at the time that 29 councillors of all parties, including the ANC, unanimously voted to return Combrink to the position of mayor.

On Wednesday, the North West ANC’s provincial disciplinary committee said 14 of its councillors who voted to unseat Maphetle, were expelled from the party.

They would also be removed as Tlokwe councillors.

Kegakilwe said the councillors had to be expelled because they handed power to an opposition party.

“They can’t take power that the people have given to the ANC and give it to the DA, the DA which has never taken care of our people and will never take care of our people.

“We are here now in the taxi rank to tell the people that it’s only the African National Congress that can change their lives for the better.”

By-elections

Kegakilwe said the PWC on Monday appointed six new proportional representation councillors for the municipality.

By-elections would be held soon to elect new ward councillors.

He said the ANC did not recognise Combrink as mayor and said Maphetle was still mayor.

“Combrink will never do anything for the people of Tlokwe… she will never assist the people, she has never assisted them. They will keep on promising what they can’t achieve,” Kegakilwe said.

He said the ANC was confident it would win the court case to nullify the council’s decision.

“We are confident, we have studied all the documents and we are quite sure… Her [Combrink’s] mayorship is not recognised. Comrade Maphetle is the ANC mayor.”

The DA on Monday said Maphetle had failed to adhere to a legal notice forcing him to vacate his office at the municipality.

“During talks with DA councillors today, Mr Maphetle attempted to push for a political and not a legal resolution for the impasse,” Hattingh said.

“He also indicated that he has instructed his mayoral committee not to vacate their offices.”

Hattingh said the DA was consulting its lawyers on the issue.

DA take over

Earlier, several Potchefstroom residents welcomed the DA taking over the municipality.

“What happened in the council is right,” PR Kali said at the town’s taxi rank.

“We think there will be change if the Democratic Alliance takes over.”

He said the ANC-dominated council had done nothing to eradicate poverty in the city or create jobs.

TB Masibi said he was expecting “huge change”.

“We expect a lot of change from the DA. They will combat crime and corruption.”

While the DA was in charge last year, it requested a forensic investigation into irregularities at the municipality.

The probe found that the council had irregularly bought Maphetle a R736 000 customised Mercedes-Benz.

Maphetle also allegedly abused the disaster management fund and poverty relief fund.

The report recommended that formal disciplinary action be taken against him and other officials.

In May, the DA laid criminal charges against Maphetle.

In June Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said she would investigate the claims of corruption involving Maphetle.

Both Masibi and Kali complained about corruption and the lack of jobs.

Many of the fruit and vegetable vendors at the Potchefstroom taxi rank were from Lesotho.

Masibi said he used to have a shop but could not compete with the foreigners and the ANC had done nothing to create jobs for locals.

A woman who did not want to be named said she “felt good” about the DA taking over.

“I am happy… [The ANC] is not for me,” she said.

– SAPA

Police have arrested five people on suspicion of murder for botched circumcisions, which led to the deaths of about 30 boys in the Eastern Cape, a police spokesperson said on Monday.

Police were also investigating suspected assault, gross bodily harm and unlawful circumcisions that left 300 others injured across the province over the last week, police spokeswoman Sibongile Soci said.

Deaths are mainly caused by blood loss or infection from circumcisions poorly performed by traditional practitioners.

The ANC called the deaths and injuries “tragic” and said the government must act immediately.

“Authorities can no longer pay lip service to dealing with this disaster that afflicts our nation during the traditional initiation season,” it said in a statement.

In May, more than 20 youths died in Mpumalanga, prompting rare cross-party calls for reform of the initiation practise.

– Reuters

A former Flantrade Fishing manager appeared in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Cape Town on Monday on hundreds of fraud charges.

Dalton Glenville Randall was not asked to plead on 486 counts of fraud, and a charge framed in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

He allegedly created “ghost crew members” and channelled their wages and commissions into his private bank accounts.

The matter was postponed to 18 July for further investigation.

According to the charge sheet, Randall was the manager at Flantrade Fishing, a company that provides management and operational services to fishing vessels.

His duties included the authorisation and payment of expenses and supplies, the purchase of bait and the payment of salaries and commissions to crew members.

Randall had to prepare written schedules reflecting the names of crew members and the amounts to be paid to them.

Prosecutor Derek Vogel alleges the schedules Randall submitted to financial manager Craig Myburgh, for the payment of crew salaries and commissions, contained fictitious names.

Randall then allegedly channelled salaries and commissions totalling R2.5m for “ghost crew members” into two private bank accounts, for his personal use.

He allegedly also submitted fake invoices totalling R1.2m for bait purchased.

– SAPA

Potchefstroom-Some of the expelled Tlokwe ANC councillors will meet their constituents this week in a bid to gain their support in a move that could see them challenging their former party in the upcoming by-elections.

This comes while the stand-off between the ANC and DA over the mayoral seat of the troubled Tlokwe local municipality in North West rages on, with rising political tension fuelled by a fierce contest over nine ward councillor seats left vacant when the ANC expelled its councillors last week.
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Kimberley – A case of statutory rape has been opened against a former Pescodia High School teacher, who is alleged to have fathered the baby of a 14-year-old girl. The girl was also allegedly raped by a councillor’s son when she was 33 weeks’ pregnant.

The girl was allegedly raped on June 4 at her home in Roodepan by Ernest Johnson, 22, who was released on bail of R1 000.
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Kimberley – The 2013 winter initiation season in the Northern Cape has claimed the life of a teenage initiate who died at an illegal initiation school near Windsorton.

Godfrey Barend, 19, died in his sleep earlier this week after apparently feeling dizzy the night before.

The incident comes barely a week after the Deputy Minister of Police, Makhotso Maggie Sotyu, shut down 15 illegal initiation schools in the Phokwane municipal area.
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Tlokwe – Several residents in Potchefstroom in the North West have welcomed the unseating of African National Congress mayor Maphetle Maphetle.

“What happened in the council is right,” PR Kali said at the taxi rank in the town on Monday.

“We think there will be change if the Democratic Alliance takes over.”

He said the ANC-dominated council had done nothing to eradicate poverty in the city or create jobs.

“Our taxi ranks are flooding,” Kali said, pointing around him.

“We need change, let it be.”

DA councillor Annette Combrink was voted in as the new mayor on Tuesday, the second time since November, unseating Maphetle.

DA North West leader Chris Hattingh said at the time that 29 councillors of all parties, including the ANC, unanimously voted on Tuesday to return Combrink to the position of mayor.

On Wednesday, the North West ANC’s provincial disciplinary committee said its 14 councillors who voted to unseat Maphetle were expelled from the party.

They would also be removed as Tlokwe councillors.

TB Masibi said he was expecting “huge change” now that the DA had taken over the municipality.

“We expect a lot of change from the DA,” he said.

“They will combat crime and corruption.”

While the DA was in charge last year, it requested a forensic investigation into irregularities at the municipality.

The probe found that the council had irregularly bought Maphetle a R736 000 customised Mercedes-Benz. Maphetle had also allegedly abused the Disaster Management Fund and Poverty Relief Fund.

The report recommended that formal disciplinary action be taken against him and other officials.

In May, the DA laid criminal charges against Maphetle, and in June, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said she would investigate the claims of corruption involving Maphetle.

Both Masibi and Kali complained about corruption and the lack of jobs.

Many of the fruit and vegetable vendors at the Potchefstoom taxi rank were from Lesotho.

Masibi said he used to have a shop but could not compete with the foreigners and the ANC had done nothing to create jobs for locals.

A woman who did not want to be named said she “felt good” about the DA taking over.

“I am happy… (The ANC) is not for me,” she said.

Rethabile Sechele said he did not have a problem with the DA taking over.

“As long as they are delivering the services I deserve… It’s okay,” he said.

Sina Fingwane said she did not know about what happened at the municipality, but was unhappy with what the ANC had done in the town.

“There has been no change (under the ANC),” she said speaking in Afrikaans.

“They just come here and say ‘vote’ but they don’t do anything.” She said she would not vote again for the ANC, but she did not know of another alternative.

The ANC was holding a provincial working committee meeting in Potchefstroom on Monday.

The provincial leadership and national executive committee deployees to the province were expected to do a walkabout at the taxi rank and the Riverside Mall later in the day.

They were also expected to go on a door-to-door campaign in all the wards.

By-elections were expected to be held in the Tlokwe municipality soon. – Sapa

Kimberley – An apparently drunk teenage boy was beaten, stoned and stabbed to death allegedly by a group of men he had been fighting with over a girl he met at a local tavern.

Letlhogonolo Segaetsho, 17, was punched, kicked, hit with stones and stabbed in the neck, back and stomach by a group of men in Rhabe Street, Galeshewe, in the early hours of Sunday.

Segaetsho’s friend who saw the incident, said the drama started after the tavern they had been drinking at in Number 2 closed in the early hours of Sunday and when patrons were making their way to their respective homes.
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