Computer giant Apple is assisting the South African police in gaining access to a cellphone used by murder accused Oscar Pistorius on the night his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, was shot dead in his Pretoria house.

Pistorius maintains he cannot remember the four-digit personal identity number (PIN) needed to unlock the device. Britain’s Mail on Sunday newspaper reports that the iPhone 5 phone was found on the floor of the bathroom in which the model was shot. Prosecutors believe the phone contains vital evidence.

Lieutenant General Vineshkumar Moonoo, who is leading the investigation, says Apple has made technicians available to help them. Pistorius has been charged with premeditated murder and will appear in court again on August 19.

Meanwhile, constitutional law expert Professor Pierre de Vos says the ongoing media coverage on Pistorius’ murder case should not have any bearing on its outcome. This follows comments made by Acting Chief Magistrate of the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, Daniel Thulare, during Pistorius’ brief appearance earlier this month.

Thulare told the court that he was concerned about the reporting of Pistorius’ murder case and warned the media to operate within the Constitution when covering court proceedings. But De Vos says reporters don’t try any court cases.

He maintains that: “The whole idea of trial by media is nonsense in law. There’s no such thing because the media or the public are not the ones being tried on the guilt or innocence of any other person.”

According to De Vos, when the media reports that a person is accused of crime and going to be charged for it, it will obviously affect the reputation of that accused, but the judge is not going to be fazed by what is in the media, rather, he will base on the evidence that prosecutors put before him.
For more http://www.sabc.co.za

Johannesburg – Human waste has been thrown at a Buffalo City ANC councillor’s house, the Eastern Cape local government department said on Sunday.

The incident last week was condemned by MuniMEC, a government co-ordination forum made up of all mayors and municipal managers who meet quarterly with MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane.

It had noted the anger of some communities and was committed to eradicating bucket toilets in the province, it said.

No amount of “splashing of human excrement” would help provide services to the people.

Only focused engagement would help deal with the underlying issues affecting delivery.

MuniMEC said the provincial government had so far provided sanitation to just over 1.2 million people – about 74% of those needing it.

Earlier this month, human waste was dumped on the steps of the Western Cape legislature.

The next day a group of people in Khayelitsha threw human waste at a bus on which Western Cape premier Helen Zille and others had travelled to a green economy event.

A few days later, 184 people were arrested with buckets of human waste at the Esplanade railway station in Woodstock, Cape Town. They had allegedly planned to dump it in the city.

– SAPA

Johannesburg – The breakdown of the military ambulance transporting former president Nelson Mandela to hospital showed the poor state of the military health service, the DA said on Sunday.

“Generally, there are serious problems in the provision of health services to the forces and their families,” Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier said in a statement.

“The level of professional health support at bases and units is inadequate and under severe pressure due to under-staffed posts, the non-availability or shortage of doctors, inadequate facilities, inadequate equipment and lack of military ambulances,” he said.

Maynier said he would write to Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to ask that a board of inquiry be appointed to investigate the incident.

On Saturday, the presidency confirmed that the military ambulance which transported Mandela to hospital two weeks ago had broken down because of “engine problems”.

“All care was taken to ensure that Madiba’s medical condition was not compromised by the unforeseen incident,” spokesperson Mac Maharaj said.

“Doctors attending to Madiba are satisfied that the former president suffered no harm during this period.”

Mandela, 94, was hospitalised on 8 June with a recurring lung infection.

Maharaj said the fully-equipped military ICU (intensive care unit) ambulance had specialised medical staff on board, including intensive care specialists and ICU nurses. It was accompanied by two quick response vehicles.

On Friday, US-based CBS News reported that Mandela’s liver and kidneys were functioning at 50%, and that the ailing former statesman had undergone two procedures, one to repair a bleeding ulcer and another to insert a tube.

According to the report, Mandela had not opened his eyes in days and was unresponsive.

However, Maharaj said the presidency had been the “source for authoritative reporting on Mandela’s health”.

“Our reports are based on the reports we receive from doctors. We avoid clinical details because we want to ensure no transgression into the privacy of Mandela and his family is ensured,” Maharaj said.

“The presidency needs to ensure the dignity of the former president and needs to ensure the circumstances are not surrounded by undignified, speculative reports.”

He said on Saturday that the update that Mandela was in a “serious but stable” condition still stood.

Family members have been seen entering and leaving the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria for the last two weeks.

On Friday, Mandela’s grandson Ndaba Mandela was quoted in The Star as saying Mandela was expected to be discharged “soon”.

Ndaba said the family was grateful for Madiba’s life and was not ready to contemplate his death.

“Only God can take him…, but for us, as family, as long as he can still hear and understand what is said to him, and talk to us, we’ll continue to celebrate him.”

– SAPA

Pretoria – Several news crews were waiting outside the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria on Sunday night after news broke that former president Nelson Mandela’s condition is now critical.

After 22:00, more than 10 journalists and technical staff from different broadcasters were milling outside the hospital.

Some of the crews were offloading and setting up broadcast equipment, including huge lights and generators after the presidency’s update.

A Tshwane metro police car, with flashing blue lights parked near the journalists’ fleet.

Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj said earlier in the evening that Mandela’s medical team has said the elder statesman’s condition had become critical over the past 24 hours.”

– SAPA

Washington – What do applause and typhoid fever have in common? They are both contagious – at least, they fan out in ways that can be predicted by contagion theory, a bundle of models and assumptions that can apply to the spread of everything from a hot fashion trend to violence to an infectious disease.

According to a paper published in the Journal of the Royal Society, clapping is far from a straightforward expression of appreciation. It has a mind of its own – like malaria! – and a surprising logic.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Durban – The half-empty stands at Kings Park told their own story. The 10 000 unsold tickets in Mbombela Stadium, which had never before seen a Test match, confirmed it. A price of R450 is too steep to watch a Test, even with the Boks at full strength.

By the time the suits at Loftus smelt the coffee and reduced the price of an adult match ticket this week, the horse had already bolted.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Durban – When a Durban man was shot by hijackers and fell to the ground outside his home, his two pets, Delilah and Buddy, rushed to his aid and reminded him why a dog is man’s best friend.

The Boerbul and cross-breed stayed with Anand Ramcheron, 53, and would not leave his side until the police and paramedics came to his rescue.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Rustenburg – A motorcade is set to drive slowly to the “expensive” Swartruggens toll-gate in the North West to demand that its fees be reduced, Cosatu said on Friday.

“We have been raising this issue about this expensive toll-gate since 2011 and nothing has been done. This march, in the form of cars driving slowly, is aimed at causing a traffic jam at the toll-gate,” said Congress of SA Trade Unions North West spokesman Solly Phetoe.

The “drive slow” was scheduled to begin on Friday afternoon, and a memorandum would be handed over to a representative from the transport department.

“This is the most expensive toll-gate in the country, and it is robbing the poor of their hard-earned livelihood; we will continue to fight this.”

A task team formed to address the matter was not functional, did not have terms of reference, and was biased, Phetoe said.

“We want to put on record that the task team has failed the masses of our province and the motorists who use this road on a daily basis.”

The motorcade would leave from the Swartruggens police station and proceed to the toll-gate. – Sapa

The condition of former President Nelson Mandela, who is still in hospital in Pretoria, has become critical,” spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement on Sunday night.

He said President Jacob Zuma and ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa visited Mandela, who was admitted with a recurring lung infection on June 8, on Sunday evening.

“They were briefed by the medical team who informed them that the former president’s condition had become critical over the past 24 hours.”

Zuma and Ramaphosa also met with Mandela’s wife Graca Machel to discuss Mandela’s condition.

“The doctors are doing everything possible to get his condition to improve and are ensuring that Madiba is well-looked after and is comfortable,” Zuma said in the statement.

“He is in good hands.”

He said the doctors also dismissed reports on Saturday that Mandela had suffered cardiac arrest .

“There is no truth at all in that report,” said Zuma.

Zuma appealed to the nation and the world to pray for Madiba,

the family and the medical team that is attending to him.

In an interview on ENCA, Maharaj added: “We are not in a position to go into clinical detail because we have to respect the ethical issues of doctor/patient confidentiality, privacy and human dignity.”

The information released to the media was based on what doctors gave the presidency and Machel.

Sunday’s statement also reiterated that Mandela had expert medical care with him at the time his ambulance broke down on his way to hospital, after reports on this on Saturday.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

By Obakeng Maje

Orkney-The police have arrested three suspects between the age of 26 and 39 for Armed Robbery in Spar parking,at Orkney on Saturday.

“According to the information received, the victim was allegedly locking the supermarket when a silver grey Golf stopped next to him” sergeant Kelebogile Moiloa said. 

Police said that there were allgedly three suspects inside the vehicle.  

“One of the suspects allegedly pointed the victim with the firearm and demanded the bag that he was carrying” Moiloa said.  

The victim handed over the bag carrying money to the suspects and they allegedly drove-off. 

The victim allegedly followed the suspects with his vehicle,but eventually lost tact.

He allegedly alerted the police.

“The suspects were allegedly involved in an accident where the driver lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle overturned” police said.  

The police immediately arrested three suspects and found an undisclosed amount money from them which belongs to the victim.  

Three suspects are expected to appear before Orkney Magistrate Court on Monday and police investigations continue.

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