By Obakeng Maje
Warrenton-SAPS are requesting assistance with the tracing of Alida Gabonewe Martin (46) who allegedly went missing from her Ikhutseng home in Warrenton.
“The female was last seen by her husband on the 1st April 2013 before he left to Johannesburg. The husband says that upon his return on the 4th April 2013 his wife was not at home upon and she is still missing” Lieutenant Sergio Kock said.
“The missing woman is 1.62metres tall, slender built and speaks Setwana and Afrikaans. She was last seen wearing a black skirt, check coloured blouse and black sandals” Kock said.
The police request that anyone with information about the whereabouts of Alida should please contact Detective Warrant Officer MJ Moleko at 078 109 8446 or 053 497 4101.
The investigation continues.
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MINISTER MTHETHWA WELCOMES THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT’S DISMISSAL OF JUSTICE ALLIANCE’S APPEAL
By Obakeng Maje
Pretoria-The Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa has welcomed the Constitutional Court’s dismissal of an application for leave to appeal by the Justice Alliance of South Africa (JASA) on the question of firearms compensation.
JASA had sought to compel Government to pay compensation for firearms that were voluntarily surrendered for destruction. Their relief was dismissed in the Cape High Court as well as the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).
The SCA also imposed a costs order against JASA. They then appealed to the Constitutional Court on the question of this costs order.
“They claimed that they were a poor human rights organization and had been litigating in the public interest; as well as pursuing their constitutional rights and should therefore not be burdened with a costs order” Minister Nathi Mthethwa said..
“As the Ministry of Police, we argued that they had not sought to vindicate any constitutional rights and only tried to introduce a constitutional challenge through the backdoor. We also questioned their claims of poverty and pointed out that the gun lobby was in fact well-oiled and litigious” Mthethwa said.
The Constitutional Court dismissed their application for leave to appeal. JASA will now have to pay the legal costs incurred by the Minister in the Supreme Court of Appeal.
In its judgment the Constitutional Court held that the challenge was not based on any alleged infringement of a fundamental right in the Constitution and that the challenge was based on the more general ground that the Guidelines fell beyond the powers granted in specific sections of the Act.
The Court held that exceptional considerations which would justify interference with a costs order on appeal were not present. Leave to appeal was refused.
“Once again this Constitutional Court judgment vindicates our approach of ensuring responsible firearm control, as stipulated within our Firearm Control Act. The reduction of the number of illegal firearms in circulation is an important part of the Department’s strategy to combat violent crime” he said.
“Part of this pillar is ensuring that we continuously promote and advocate responsible firearm control, both by police and civilians” Minister outlines.
The provisions of the Firearms Control Act (FCA), in particular section 136(3), state that no compensation is payable when a firearm is surrendered and destroyed and also the scheme of the Act which is to provide for compensation only when a firearm is retained by the State.
The Act does recognize that when the State retains a firearm, which is deemed to be of historical value that value accrues to the State for which the former owner should be compensated.
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Premier Modise to table Policy and Budget Vote Speech
North West Premier Thandi Modise is to table the 2013/14 Departmental Policy and Budget Vote Speech for the Office of the Premier in the Provincial Legislature at 9:00 am tomorrow.
Premier Modise’s speech to commence at 9:00 am is expected to highlight achievements, challenges, programmes and interventions to eradicate poverty, create employment reduce inequalities, fight the scourge of rape, corruption and building partnerships towards moral regeneration.
It would also reflect on human resource development, implementation of the National Development Plan, Strategic Infrastructure Plan (SIP) 4 to facilitate further economic growth in the province through the acceleration of the roll out of water, road, and rail and electricity infrastructure.
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‘Emergency personnel raped me’
A Pretoria sex worker has accused two Tshwane Emergency Services personnel of raping her in the back of an official municipal vehicle and then dropping her off in veld near the N4 highway this past weekend.
The sex worker, whose name is known to the Pretoria News but who may not be identified as she fears for her life after reporting the incident to police, said she was threatened with death before being raped by the men.
For more http://www.iol.co.za
One dies in bus crash
Free State – One person died and seven people were injured when a bus crashed into a car and a hardware store in Botshabelo, in the Free State, on Wednesday morning, paramedics said.
One of the people in the car died at the scene, said Netcare 911 spokeswoman Santi Steinmann.
She said the injured were taken to nearby hospitals. – Sapa
Processes against Gupta cops go on
Johannesburg – Internal processes against the Tshwane metro police who allegedly escorted guests to the Gupta wedding will continue, spokesman Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said on Wednesday.
“We are still pursuing internal disciplinary matters against the officers,” he said.
“However, we cannot comment on whether the criminal charges against them have been dropped as that is a SAPS (South African Police Service) matter.”
Brigadier Phuti Setati said the SAPS reserved comment on the matter and Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s spokesman Zweli Mnisi said the ministry was not dealing with it.
On Wednesday, The Times quoted unnamed sources as saying that the prosecutors overseeing the cases of the Tshwane metro police officers had declined to prosecute because of a lack of evidence.
Justice ministry spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga could not be immediately reached for comment by Sapa.
The newspaper reported that South African Policing Union (Sapu) president Mpho Kwinika had confirmed that charges against the union’s members had been dropped. He too could not be immediately reached to confirm the report.
Kwinika told The Times that the charges had been dropped because the officers were acting under orders.
“The instruction given was lawful… they could not ignore it.”
According to the newspaper, he said Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Mzwandile Petros had ordered his deputy, Major-General Phumza Gela, to make the arrangements for the Guptas.
Gela was suspended with four other high-ranking officials and military personnel over the landing of a privately chartered plane at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria on April 29.
Sapu said last Wednesday that Gela had returned to work.
The plane, which was chartered by the Gupta family, was carrying 270 guests to the wedding of Vega Gupta, 23, and Indian-born Aakash Jahajgarhia at Sun City.
The other suspended officials were: chief of state protocol ambassador Bruce Koloane, the South African Air Force command post’s Brigadier-General L Lombard, the Air Force Base’s Brigadier-General TS Madumane, and movement control officer Lieutenant-Colonel C Anderson.
Tshwane metro police also suspended eight officers for allegedly escorting and providing unofficial security to the wedding guests.
Beeld reported on Tuesday that two of them were claiming damages of R100 000 each from Mthethwa for wrongful arrest.
According to the newspaper, Peter van Vliet and Lawrence Lee Thorpe’s claim was served on Monday.
They reportedly spent a night and a day behind bars after allegedly being arrested without a warrant in front of friends and colleagues.
Their lawyer Anton Smith told the newspaper they were not on duty when Thorpe escorted Indian guests from Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria to Sun City, in North West, and Van Vliet travelled in a vehicle used for the wedding.
He said that at Sun City, they declared their official firearms, and these were locked in a safe.
Beeld reported that Van Vliet and Thorpe were arrested by the Sun City police on May 2 on a charge of contravening firearms legislation.
The arresting officers reportedly claimed they had been in unlawful possession of their official firearms, and should not have carried these outside the Tshwane district.
According to Beeld, Van Vliet and Thorpe appeared in court on May 3, but the state refused to prosecute.
Smith told the newspaper that if the damages claim was not settled within 30 days, the men would sue the police.
Justice Minister Jeff Radebe, who heads the justice, crime prevention and security ministerial cluster, presented a report about the plane’s landing on Sunday.
He said President Jacob Zuma and his Cabinet had no involvement in the landing.
Radebe said one of the findings of the investigation was that the landing was the direct result of manipulation of processes. He said names had been “dropped”, including that of Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Transport Minister Ben Martins and Zuma.
He said the aircraft had been cleared for landing and that the correct clearance procedures were followed, but that this had been in response to false information and abuse of privilege by a group who acted in common purpose. – Sapa
Female gang mugs woman inside Edgars
Johanensburg – At least two people have been mugged inside the Edgars store in the Joburg city centre in recent weeks.
Pearl Govender says she was robbed of her handbag, containing her identity book, purse, house keys, cellphone and bank cards.
Her R16 000 wedding ring was also taken.
For more http://www.iol.co.za
Sisters raped repeatedly at gunpoint
Two sisters from Dunoon were repeatedly raped at gunpoint during a two-hour ordeal on Sunday morning while their elder sister was forced to watch.
When the Cape Argus visited their one-roomed shack, the younger sisters – aged 25 and 29 – were too traumatised to talk.
For more http://www.iol.co.za
Masilela: We’re ready for the final
Kaizer Chiefs defender Tsepo Masilela says that they are ready for the Nedbank Cup Final against SuperSport United in Durban on Saturday.
Masilela tells Chiefs’ official website about his feelings ahead of playing in his first domestic final: “I will be playing in my first domestic final and I am excited about it. It has always been my dream growing up to play in such games.
“It is a very important game for the Club and we want to give a good account of ourselves.
The defender feels that being crowned League Champions recently will take nothing away from them focussing on winning Saturday’s Cup Final.
“It will be a different ball game on Saturday. We are professionals and we just have to go out and do what is expected of us.
“It has been a wonderful experience for me winning a League title in my first season after coming back from Europe,” he says.
“I would like to thank the technical team, my team-mates, the supporters and everyone for the support. My family too has been very supportive.
“It is my wish to win more Cups with the Glamour Boys going forward,” Masilela adds.
For more http://www.kickoff.com
We will build more schools- MEC Mabe
By Obakeng Maje
Mahikeng-North West Department of Education MEC Louisa Mabe announced that the department will build few schools for farm students.
“Mega Farm schools will help to reduce more challenges the department experience. Many pupils especially from rural and farm areas walk long distance before they reach their schools” Louisa Mabe said.
Mabe said this will make education and learning to be more conducive.
“We tabled our budget vote to the provincial government and we so adamant that our objectives will be reached. We know challenges encountered by teachers whereby a teacher expected to teach maybe five classes alone, so that denies other students in the maintime as they will be sitting around with nothing to do” said MEC.
According to Mabe, schools will consist of hostels where pupils will be in-house.
“Even though our budget is not that enough, we will try our level best to improve education in the province” she said.
However other political parties in the provinces does not share the same sentiment with MEC as the say education system in the province is rotten to the core.
Democratic Alliance Sello Motshwenyane said the department’s plan won’t work as that happened before.
“The department of Education strategic plan is not a solution. They did the same at a school between Vryburg and Delareyville,but that never help” Motshwenyane said.
The department will build boarding schools and said all temporary teachers who are teaching Mathematics and Physical Science will be employed in permanent basis.
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The Guardian 