BY Obakeng Maje

Taung- North West police are investigating a case of culpable homicide after a  31 year-old woman from Mokgareng,near Taung was knocked down by a police vehicle.

“The accident happened yesterday afternoon at about 15:30. According to information the on duty police officer was responding to a complaint when he could not notice the victim who was then crossing the road and was knocked down by the state vehicle” Colonel Lesego Metsi said.

“The deceased  was then taken the local clinic where she was certified dead upon arrival and police are investigating if the might be any reckless driving precipitated the accident” He said.

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BY Obakeng Maje

Taung– North West police arrested one of their own member and another man after they allegedly assault and kidnap a man the police said.

It is alleged that a 29 year-old cop who serves as a constable and her co-accused aged 42 year-old pounced on a 32 year-old man at his house and accused him of theft.

“A cop who serves as a constable and a 42 year-old man pounced at a house of a 32 year-old man at Lokgabeng village, near Taung and accuse a man of steal her property” Colonel Lesego Metsi said.

“They allegedly tight him with a rope and drove away with him to designated area where the ordeal continued. They allegedly assaulted and robbed him his cellphone and undisclosed amount of money” He said.

According to a victim the suspects accused him of theft and he was beaten up after he could not burge.

The two accused will appear at Taung Magistrate Court tomorrow on charges of kidnapping,assault and robbery.

Investigation continues

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Mangaung-All delegates from the Free State ANC, except the provincial executive committee (PEC) which has 20 members, will be allowed to vote at the party’s national elective conference.

The ANC has just announced in Bloemfontein that the Free State PEC has been disbanded. This follows a special national executive committee (NEC) meeting behind closed doors that lasted from this morning.

The validity of the Free State PEC has been in doubt since yesterday’s Constitutional Court ruling. The court declared the ANC’s Free State’s provincial elective conference and the PEC it elected, invalid. This was after a group of six ANC members took the party to court to nullify the conference.

ANC policy head Jeff Radebe says the ANC national executive committee (NEC) will uphold the rule of law and acknowledge the independence of the Constitutional Court.

“The Constitutional Court is the finale decision maker on constitutional matters.

It is the final on this matter.”

Free State ANC chairperson Ace Magashule would attend the conference as an elected NEC member.

The NEC also announced that the ANC in the province will re-run its elective conference in March next year. “As a result the province will be leaderless… So a provincial task team will organise the conference within three months of the new year,” says ANC Secretary-General, Gwede Mantashe.

Mantashe says the province’s PEC would be replaced by a task team.– Additional reporting by Sapa

Twelve people were injured when their taxi overturned on the N12 near the Putfontein off-ramp on the east of Johannesburg on Saturday, said emergency workers.

Netcare 911 spokesman, Chris Botha said it was unclear what led to the accident.

“Paramedics arrived at the scene and found the crumpled remains of the taxi obstructing the highway,” he said.

“After triaging they found that one person had sustained critical injuries, the other eleven commuters sustained injuries ranging from serious to minor.”

The critically injured patient was airlifted to the Charlotte Maxeke hospital while the others were transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. – Sapaj

Johannesburg-Kaizer Chiefs George Lebeses first goal of the season was cancelled out by substitute Mame Niang as Kaizer Chiefs were held to a 1-1 draw by the University of Pretoria in an Absa Premiership match played at the FNB Stadium on Saturday night. 

Chiefs had their first real chance of the match in the 13th minute when AmaTuks failed to clear a corner and the ball fell to Willard Katsande who shot straight at keeper Washington Arubi from inside the box. 

13 minutes later, after great combination play between Siphiwe Tshabalala and George Lebese, the latter unleashed a low shot with his weaker right foot which went wide of the target. 

In the 37th minute of the match the visitors had their first real opportunity when a well worked set piece from AmaTuks resulted in Thabo Mosadi piercing through the Chiefs defence and unleashing a low shot which Chiefs keeper Itumeleng Khune parried away, but it fell to Bongani Zungu who blasted high in front of an open net. 

Chiefs took the lead with arguably one of the seasons best moves so far. 

Bernard Parker won the ball for Chiefs in the middle of the park and released Tshabalala who then carried the ball forward and swiftly passed to Reneilwe Letsholonyane and the Bafana Bafana midfielders through ball to George Lebese in the box who collected, turned and coolly slot beyond Arubi in the 55th minute. 

Nine minutes later AmaTuks found the equaliser when Chiefs failed to clear a cross into the box and substitute Mame Niang beat Khune with a low shot from eight-yards out. 

The home side had an opportunity to reclaim the lead when Lehlohonolo Majoro found some space and dazzled his way through the Tuks backline but his his shot was well saved by Arubi from close range in the 68th minute. 

Tshabalala then opened space for himself on the left channel and unleashed a shot with his left foot from outside the box which Arubi parried out for a corner. 

The draw means that log leaders Chiefs are now just a point ahead of their arch rivals Orlando Pirates on the standings. 

Kaizer Chiefs (0) 1 (Lebese 55) 

University of Pretoria (0) 1 (Niang 64) 

Teams: 

Kaizer Chiefs: Khune, Gaxa, Mathoho, Mashamaite, Masilela, Lebese (Ngcobo 74), Katsande, Letsholonyane, Tshabalala, Majoro, Parker (Nkhatha 74) 

AmaTuks: Arubi, Sibande (Niang 46), Matsi, Mphahlele, Monyai, Kaibe, Ngoma, Ketjijere, Lubelo (Sekotlong 68), Mosadi, Zungu (Mutizwa 81)j

Goals by Alje Schut and Katlego Mphela, on either end of the break, were enough for Mamelodi Sundowns to beat Bidvest Wits 2-0 at the Bidvest Stadium on Saturday night to see the Brazilians secure their second consecutive Absa Premiership victory.

After stretching their unbeaten run to five games, Mamelodi Sundowns were hoping that their renewed form under Pitso Mosimane would extend to a win against Bidvest Wits.

The opening 15 minutes past by with little action in front of goal, with the exception of Ryan Harrison having to pull off an impressive reflex save from a Tebogo Langerman strike.

Matthew Pattison nearly put his former club a goal behind when he shot at goal in the 19th minute, but his effort went narrowly past the far post.

A goal did arrive, on the other end of the field, when Alje Schut did well to rise above his markers and header in an impressive strike off a 22nd minute corner-kick.

The hosts were left breathing a sigh of relief when Oftense Nato saved their blushes when he cleared the ball off the line from a chipped ball into the box.

Ten minutes before the break, Nyasha Mushekwi was chasing down a goal effort, but Harrison did well to rush off his line and slow down the attack, resulting in Oftense clearing the effort.

Antonio Habbas opted for change at the start of the second half by bringing on Mzikayise Mashaba in place of James Mayinga.

Sundown’s suffered an early blow, just five minutes later, when their goalscorer couldn’t continue playing and he was replaced by Wayne Arendse due to injury.

The game seemed to have been ‘killed’ off when Katlego Mphela doubled their lead in the 67th minute.

The Clever Boys weren’t too sharp on their possession, when they gave it away in the middle of the park, which allowed for the substitute Richard Henyekane to slice a ball to Mphela, who made no error in slotting it past the onrushing goalkeeper.

Henyekane tried to turn goalscorer when he flung in an effort at goal, but it was an ambitious strike which sailed over the crossbar with just eight minutes remaining as the game ended 2-0.

Bidvest Wits: (0) 0

Mamelodi Sundowns: (1) 2 (Schut 22’, Mphela 67’)

Teams:

Bidvest Wits: Harrison, Gumede, Pattison (Fanteni 87’), Nengomasha, Kadi, Vilakazi, Sweswe, Seedat, Nato, Mayinga (Mashaba 45’), Chapman (Jayiya 70’)

Sundowns:Sandilands, Langerman, Nyandoro, Mabaso, Schut (Arendse 50’), Zwane (Kekana 71’), Mushekwi (Henyekane 59’), Mphela, Laffor, Pelembe, Mwanjale

Former President Nelson Mandela had gallstones removed on Saturday morning and was recovering from the successful procedure, the presidency said.

“This morning (Saturday) the former president underwent a procedure via endoscopy to have the gallstones removed,” spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement.

“The procedure was successful and Madiba is recovering. The medical team decided to attend to a lung infection before determining when to attend to the gallstones.”

Maharaj said tests done after Mandela was hospitalised on December 8 revealed a recurrence of the lung infection and that he had developed gallstones.

He said doctors gave no indication when he would be discharged.

Mandela, 94, was flown to Pretoria from his home in Qunu, in the Eastern Cape.

Mandela’s hospital stay is his longest continuous period in hospital since 2001, when he underwent seven weeks of radiotherapy after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. He was 83 at the time.

In January 2011, Mandela was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital for an acute respiratory infection. He had contracted tuberculosis while in prison.

Eyewitness News reported on Thursday that Mandela was not receiving treatment at 1 Military Hospital at the Thaba Tshwane Military Base in Pretoria as had been widely reported after Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s interview on Monday.

Mapisa-Nqakula spoke to reporters outside the hospital after seemingly visiting Mandela there.

Since Friday morning, the number of journalists kept increasing at Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria as details of the reported new hospital filtered through.

The presidency said it had not been the government’s intention to mislead the public or the media.

Maharaj said he had only stated Mandela had been admitted to a Pretoria hospital.

“It is not part of any strategy or tactic by government to mislead the public. We have never had that intention. We know to keep to the facts and we’ve been rigorous,” he said in an interview on Talk Radio 702. – Sapa

By Obakeng Maje

North West Premier Thandi Modise has expressed a concern about the spate of armed robberies around the Brits area and called on communities to work closer with the police to intensify crime prevention efforts.

Premier Modise’s call follows the recent incident in which the owner of a Brits butcher was shot dead and two people wounded at the shop on Thursday.

“The tragic incident reminds us of the one in which we lost one of our outstanding sportsmen and boxing champion, Corrie Sanders during an armed robbery at a restaurant” said the Premier in wishing the injured pair a speedy recovery.

According to police three armed robbers entered and demanded money while Gerald Rudolf, 65, his son, 31, and a female employee were closing up at 8pm on Thursday and allegedly shot and killed Rudolf.

The robbers shot his son ain both legs and a female employee in the shoulder before fleeing the scene with a briefcase containing an undisclosed amount of cash, a 9mm pistol, bank cards and cheque books.

The y reportedly drove off  in Rudolph’s Toyota Corolla, which was found abandoned about 2km away.

Rudolf was declared dead on the scene while his son and the woman were taken to Brits Hospital.

By Obakeng Maje

Mahikeng- North West police in Lomanyaneng are investigating a culpable homicide case after a driver of a light motor vehicle died after his vehicle overturned.

“The accident happened yesterday afternoon Thursday at about 17:30 along Mahikeng/Lotlhakane road” Colonel Lesego Metsi said.