Johannesburg – Most of the online conversation about the Oscar Pistorius murder trial on Thursday was dominated by prosecutor Gerrie Nel’s accusations that Pistorius failed to take responsibility for his actions.

This was according to media monitoring group Data Driven Insight (DDI).

DDI said in the 24 hours ending at 16:00 on Thursday, this topic dominated online conversation at 26.85%.

Another topic of interest was American musician Kendrick Lamar’s song Bitch don’t kill my vibe, which the court heard caused a fallout between Pistorius and his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

She was reportedly upset after the song was played while she, Pistorius and his friend drove from a function.

Steenkamp sent Pistorius a message where she wrote that she was “not some bitch” that was trying to kill his vibe.

A total of 16.23% of the online chats around the trial were based on this point.

At 10%, the third most conversed about topic came from Pistorius’s “I don’t know” responses which he gave to several of the questions posed to him by Nel.

Pistorius was on trial for the murder of Steenkamp after he shot her dead through a locked bathroom door at his house on Valentine’s Day last year.

He alleged to have mistaken her for an intruder.

According to DDI, while fresh signals being possibly detected from the missing Malaysian plane made world headlines, Pistorius’s trial generated more coverage.

Comparing the two stories, Pistorius’s trial received 97.68% of the news coverage while the missing Malaysian airplane received 2.39%.

Globally, the United States gave the trial the most publicity, followed by Australia, and the United Kingdom.

The data was compiled from 6.2 million social media platforms which included blogs, forums, social networks and commentary.

It also included data from 60 000 global online newspapers, 2 000 South African print publications and 66 radio and television stations.

SAPA

Klerksdorp- North West MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison, Nono Maloyi will officially launch the motor vehicle licensing services at the Klerksdorp Post Office.

MEC Maloyi said this is to speed-up motor vehicle registering services to the communities and reduce long queues. About four Post Offices in the province which would be announced by the MEC during the launch have been identified to provide registering services.

“Among other services includes the renewal of motor vehicle licenses, registration of new vehicles, application of traffic register certificate, and notification of changes in respect of vehicle particulars and de-registration of stolen and recovered vehicles” departmental spokesperson Ben Bole said.

The event will be held as follows:

Date:Friday 11 April 2014

Time:09H00

Venue:Klerksdorp Post Office (City Mall)
-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Potchefstroom- MEC for the North West Department of Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison, Nono Maloyi is to launch the provincial 2014 Arrive Alive Season Road Traffic law enforcement operation and Road Safety Campaign for Easter on Monday, 14 April 2014.

The annual campaign is aimed at intensifying traffic law enforcement operations and increasing visibility of law enforcement in an effort to reduce road accidents and fatalities across on all major roads across the province.

“The onslaught against lawlessness on public roads is expected to be intensified towards, during and after the Easter season. It is in support of the National Rolling Enforcement Plan and the Decade of Action for Road safety aimed at reducing road accidents by half in 2020” departmental spokesperson Ben Bole said.

The event will be held as follows:

Date:Monday 14 April 2014

Venue:Ikageng Stadium. (Potchefstroom)

Time:14H00
-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Taung- The Taung Agricultural College must not only produce students but must also produce teachers who will educate communities about the importance of preserving nature, said Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe at the official handing over of 1 million US dollar donations,i.e. R 10 million to the Taung  Agricultural College.

“This college is not only going to produce students, but will also produce teachers who will go out to our communities to teach nature to behave better.  Nature is very important for the production of food in this country,” said Motlanthe.

Motlanthe who was accompanied by Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor, North West Premier Thandi Modise, MEC for Agriculture Desbo Mohono and MEC for Economic Development Motlalepule Rosho also paid tribute to the late Chris Hani who was killed on the 10 April 1993.

“Today, 21 years ago our country experienced a very tragic event, the assassination of Comrade Chris Hani. It was on that day that Madiba came to the fore to literally give leadership to the nation and we were able to go through that tragedy and still find peaceful solution to the problems of our country. Therefore as we celebrate here today, we must always remember that we also carry the mandate of those who are no more with us,” said Motlanthe.

Premier Thandi Modise who also accompanied the Deputy President to inspect some of the projects within the campus said agriculture was a very key driver of the provincial economy and that it continued to employ a substantial number of people in the province.

“The donation will go a long way towards training aspirant farmers and ensuring food security in the battle to alleviate poverty,” reiterated Premier Modise.

The one million US dollar was donated by a Danish company Haldor Topsoe which specialises in research and technology.

The company’s representative Helge Rosenberg said they were extremely pleased to be associated with the Taung Agricultural College as they share the same vision.

“We share the same enthusiasm and innovation of making an input into Agriculture. We are happy that the team of management at the college has a clear vision and is very committed to innovative training and curriculum,” said Rosenburg adding that his company’s association with the college will open a lot of opportunities for students at the college.  

Welcoming the donation Pepenene Serage, the Principal of Taung  Agricultural College said the donation will enable the college to deliver on its mission of  becoming a Centre of Excellence in Irrigation Technology in line with its agro-ecological zone.

The Taung Agricultural College offers a range of specialised programmes developed to meet the needs of the agricultural Industry and help alleviate poverty.

One of the students at the college, 20-year old Phemelo Mogotlhe from Itsoseng said he is very excited about the donation to the college.

“One thing that makes me very happy about the donation is the fact that our collage will now be fully equipped with the resources. We will ensure that we use this collage to equip us with the skills that we need,” he said.–TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Bloemhof- Senior leaders are instigating the spate of violence in municipalities and some police officials are conniving with protestors in Boitumelong and Coverdale Townships near Bloemhof, North West Premier Thandi Modise was told on Thursday afternoon.

In expressing shock at the deplorable allegations, Premier Modise called for an in-depth investigation that will ensure that those behind the violence are brought to book to account for their nefarious actions. Modise was informed of the allegation that some police officials are brazenly supplying tyres to be burned as part of the violence at a briefing meeting with the Mayor of Lekwa Teemane, Councillor Motion Makodi, councillors and police management held at the Bloemhof Police Station.

According to police, 136 people including a prominent leader have thus far been arrested in connection with destruction of properties and torching of houses of five councillors and three officials.
Police reported that more arrests of ring leaders are expected after cars belonging to two councillors and a municipal official were torched on Wednesday night in Christiana.

“We welcome that the court denied those arrested bail as it communicates zero tolerance to lawlessness and that there will be consequences for those who seek to plunge our communitiesinto chaos in pursuit of narrow personal interests. No one is above the law. Those who touch our police should know that our communities and ordinary citizens are tired of games being played at their expense. We expect law enforcement not to take any prisoners and to ensure that those who seek to hijack genuine community concerns face the full might of the law,”Modise emphasised.   

Schooling was affected at eight schools since the reopening of schools on Monday.

Police reinforcements have been called from other areas within the province and the neighbouring Free State Province to deal with criminality.
The Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport is to begin with clearing of debris and barricades as from Friday to normalise the situation and ensure that schooling resumes on Monday.

The Jaws specialised traffic unit is deployed in the area to direct traffic and if necessary escort trucks passing along the N12.

Meanwhile, five spaza shops were reportedly looted and torched in neighbouring Wolmaranstad as violence spread to Maquassi Hills Local Municipality on Thursday.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Durban- The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) is taking a group of athletes to Durban to represent the province at the National Summer Games for the Intellectually Impaired (SASA I.I) from 11- 16 April.

The National Summer Games for the Intellectually Impaired and the Deaf is an annual event aimed at affording disabled athletes an opportunity to participate in sport on their own in an environment free of intimidation from main-stream athletes.

“The athletes selected for the Provincial team made their way from local competitions to District and Provincial levels. Provincial selection took place in February with participants coming from special schools and centers across the Province” departmental spokesperson Shirley Montsho said.

The event is a partnership between DSAC and the Provincial Department of Education, with the objective being to increase participation in sport and to identify talent.

“The athletes have done fairly well at national level, with three soccer players already preparing for the National Training Camp, and one Cross country athlete preparing to be part of Team South Africa in Poland at the end of April” Montsho said.

About 97 selected athletes from the Province will be competing in Black Pool, Indoor Rowing, Table Tennis, Swimming and Cricket.

“Our constitution is based on the Freedom Charter and thus discourages inequality in any form to our people,” said MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Ms Tebogo Modise. “It is partly from that perspective that the Department promotes and strives for equality in sports.”-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Rustenburg- MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Mme Tebogo Modise will on Friday April 11 launch the Provincial Language Stakeholder Forum at Orion Safari Hotel in Rustenburg.

The North West Provincial Language Committee in partnership with the Department and other Provincial Language stakeholders held a provincial language Indaba at Mmabatho Palms last year to discuss the language imperatives in the country.

“Subsequent to that, a Provincial Language Stakeholder was established mainly to focus on all matters of languages within the Province. Another main reason for the establishment of the forum is to bring together all language stakeholders, such as Government Departments, Community-based Organisations, Non-Governmental Organistions, municipalities, authors, writers forums, reading clubs and private entities amongst others, to share ideas” departmental spokesperson Shirley Montsho said.

The objective of the forum is to enhance a working relationship and strengthen partnership with various stakeholders.

“It will also serve as an enabler for the province to discharge its function on language imperatives guided by the NW Provincial Language Committee (NWPLC)” she said.

Purpose of the launch amongst others is to:
 formalize the Provincial Language Stakeholder Forum;
 Discuss the terms of reference of the Provincial Language Stakeholders Forum;
 Reprioritize activities programme for the financial year;
 Nominate members of the Executives and
 Pave a way forward.

Details of the launch are as follows:

Venue: Orion Safari Hotel – Rustenburg

Date: 11 April 2014

Time: 10h00 – 16h00
-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

By Obakeng Maje
North West- Department of Sport, Arts and Culture through Directorate Communication and Marketing would like to notify the media that the fun run/soccer tournament event that was to hosted in Bojanala at the Olympia Park Stadium over the weekend has been postponed, due to unforeseen circumstances.

“The Department wishes to apologize for the inconvenience caused to its stakeholders and the public at large” departmental spokesperson Shirley Montsho said.-TDN
Follow us on Twitter@Taung_DailyNews or @IceT_

Cape Town – Proteas bowler, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, will undergo ankle surgery on Wednesday next week to alleviate a right ankle posterior talar impingement syndrome, which has been affecting him for the last 18 months.

The recovery period will be between two to three months, making it unlikely that Tsotsobe will be available for the Proteas’ tour to Sri Lanka in July.

“Lonwabo has been suffering from this ankle problem for the last year and a half and this is the first gap we have had which minimises his time out of the game,” Proteas team manager, Mohammed Moosajee, explained.

“It’s a fairly common injury among fast bowlers and will be conducted by a renowned ankle specialist in Pretoria.
 
“The recovery time is quite extensive so Lonwabo will probably be unavailable for selection for the tour to Sri Lanka, but we will be working hard to have him ready for the tour to Zimbabwe in August.”
Sport24