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Marikana evidence leader supports bid for Mr X


Pretoria – A police witness, only identified as Mr X, should testify from a remote location, the Farlam Commission of Inquiry heard on Monday.

Evidence leader Kameshni Pillay supported an application to have Mr X testify in-camera through a video link.

“On a factual basis, having regard to all the factors, it has been shown to be reasonably necessary for Mr X to testify in-camera and via the video link,” she said.

The life of Mr X and his family would be in danger if the commission demanded that he travel to testify daily at the public hearings in Centurion.

“Having regard to what we understand to be the version of Mr X and the extent to which he directly implicates individuals, whom he said are capable of brutal violence, it is reasonable to draw the conclusion that his life will be in danger.

“There have been a number of witnesses who have not only been threatened but have also lost their lives,” said Pillay.

Farlam has authority to make arrangements

Sesi Baloyi, for the SA Police Service, earlier submitted the application for Mr X to testify through a video link.

Baloyi said the commission chaired by retired judge Ian Farlam had the authority to make such special arrangements for a particular witness.

The man identified as Mr X was apparently part of a group of protesting miners which underwent a ritual at Marikana that included the burning of live sheep on the night of 11 August 2012.

The rituals were a preparation for a confrontation with police, according to documents in the SAPS application.

He would testify about “the killing and intimidation of Lonmin employees who were unwilling to take part in the violent strike”.

Baloyi said Mr X’s name would be disclosed only to the commissioners of the inquiry, and lawyers for the wounded and arrested miners, but they could not disclose it to anyone.

When Mr X testified, the SAPS wanted only the commissioners, lawyers, and accredited media to be present in the auditorium.

Miners’ lawyers oppose application

The SAPS proposed that Mr X testify from a remote location.

“Members of the public willing to listen to the evidence of Mr X may do so by listening to audio transmission. The media reporting on his evidence should not identify him or in any way disclose his identity,” said Baloyi.

“Any video footage recording the evidence should be blurred or blacked-out so as not to disclose his identity in any way.”

The SAPS application was opposed by Dali Mpofu, SC, for the wounded and arrested miners, Dumisa Ntsebeza, SC, for the families of slain miners, and Anthony Gotz for the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).

Concern over killings

The inquiry is investigating the deaths of 44 people during strike-related violence at Lonmin’s platinum mining operations at Marikana, near Rustenburg in the North West.

The police shot dead 34 people, mostly striking mineworkers, wounded over 70, and arrested 250 on 16 August 2012 while trying to disarm and disperse them. In the preceding week, 10 people, including two policemen and two security guards, were killed.

In August 2013, Farlam expressed concern about murders linked to possible witnesses of the inquiry.

“It is a matter of concern because a number of people connected to this commission have been assassinated. It is a matter which I am sure is receiving attention from the authorities,” he said
SAPA

Cop quizzed on residue test


Pretoria – A primer residue test conducted on murder accused Paralympian Oscar Pistorius’s hands and arms was described in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday.
Warrant Officer Barend van Staden, during cross-examination by Advocate Barry Roux for Pistorius, explained how he did the so-called PR test on the athlete.

The test is done to determine if someone has fired a gun.

Pistorius is accused of the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his Pretoria home on 14 February last year.

He shot and killed her through the closed door of his toilet, apparently believing she was an intruder.

Van Staden, who was standing in the witness box, pecked at his arm and hand with his index finger, and explained how he used a piece of special sticky paper to lift possible traces of residue from Pistorius’s hands.

Because Van Staden had learnt that Pistorius had washed his hands, he did the residue test on both his arms as well.

Roux wanted to know exactly how Van Staden did this.

“So you go around the whole arm up to the elbow, and then?”

He asked how long the test took.

“Seconds,” Van Staden replied, speaking clearly and confidently in Afrikaans.

Oscar’s emotional state

Roux asked Van Staden to describe Pistorius’s emotional state as he found him in the garage of his house, where he did the residue test and took photos of him.

“Very quiet and emotional,” he said.

Roux asked him to explain what he meant by emotional.

“Tearful,” he replied.

Court was adjourned until 09:30 on Tuesday.

Van Staden is attached to the photography section of the Local Criminal Record Centre. He had been with the centre for 12 years, and in the police for 21.

In addition to the murder charge, Pistorius is charged with contravening of the Firearms Control Act. He allegedly fired a shot from a Glock pistol under a table at a Johannesburg restaurant in January 2013.

On 30 September 2012 he allegedly shot through the open sunroof of a car with his 9mm pistol while driving with friends in Modderfontein.

SAPA

Eleven orphans receives a decent house to ease their burden


Matlosana-A family of eleven orphans in Khuma extension 6 was amongst the households’ beneficiaries who received houses during the recent handing over ceremony in the Matlosana Local Municipality.

Handing over the keys to the orphans, North West MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison, Nono Maloyi encouraged them to take a good care of the house and not fight over it.

“You should know that this house was built by government and it doesn’t mean that since you did not pay for it you must then smash it, a lot has been spent from taxpayers’ money. One other critical thing is that, this house belongs to all of you but one of you could apply on your behalf, therefore you all have equal rights to the house,” said Maloyi.

The 25-year-old Yolisa Jija who applied for the house, said their parents died in 2012. She said they were then forced to share a one room shack with their parents. “We used to live in a one roomed shack with our parents before they died. My siblings have kids now and twenty people were forced to share the small space. I am very happy for what government has done for us. Life has been tough as we are unemployed and survives on child support grant and this house will now ease our burden,” said the delighted Jija. 

Gogo Anna Naanyane who stays with her three daughters and two orphans of her late daughter also received a house. One of her dependants is mentally disturbed and they survive on old age and foster care grants.

”I used to stay in a shack which damaged my belongings when it rains, since my house was built I have been thanking God every day, and I would like to thank the Provincial Governemt for this good initiative,” said gogo Naanyane.

Since the beginning of February, MEC Maloyi has been handing over houses to their rightful beneficiaries. Over 8 000 houses are anticipated to be handed over at the end of the project which will be completed the end of March.-TDN
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MEC MALOYI TO HAND OVER 250 HOUSES IN GREATER TAUNG


Taung-MEC for Human Settlements Public Safety and Liaison Nono Maloyi will on Tuesday hand over about 250 houses to the Taung families in the greater Taung local municipality.

The Houses are part of the 8000 houses that are expected to be handed over between February and March 2014.

“The benefiting families are mostly those that have been staying in mud houses while others are those who lost their houses due to floods in the area. The benefiting families are from villages such as Manthe, Tlapeng and Tsokonyane respectively” departmental spokesperson Ben Bole said.

The department has prioritized families headed by the elderly, child and people living with disability. The Taung villages were previously hit by heavy floods where lifes were lost and thousands of rands lost due to property damages.

“The handover is part of celebrating twenty years (20yrs) of freedom, and also in line with the Outcome 8 of the National Development Plan vision 2030 which is intended to improve the quality of people’s lives and bring back dignity to the marginalised communities across the province” Bole said.

The hand over programme is also part of the department’s service delivery initiative and reduction of housing backlog in the province.

The handover will take place as follows:

Date: 18 March 2014

Time: 14H00

Venue: Tlapeng tribal authority
-TDN
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Premier Modise urges parties to recommit themselves to end strike


Marikana-Parties involved in the platinum mining sector wage dispute should intensify efforts to find a win-win solution to bring the protracted strike to end, North West Premier Thandi Modise appealed on Monday.

“There is a need for parties to renew their commitment to end the strike which has entered its eighth week as it is impacting negatively on our economy and putting a strain on relations between striking miners and our communities,” Premier Modise said.

Modise has expressed concern regarding continued acts of violence and intimidation of non-striking workers and called on striking workers to respect public and private properties and the freedom of movement of other citizens and those who wanted to go to work.-TDN
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Pistorius trial enters week three


Johannesburg – Monday will see day 11 unfold in the murder trial of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius in the North Gauteng High Court.

On Friday, a former police officer admitted to the court that evidence was mishandled on the scene where the paralympian shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Giliam van Rensburg said he was dismayed to see a colleague pick up the handgun found on Pistorius’s bloodied bathroom floor without protective gloves.

“So I asked him ‘what are you doing?’ ” said Van Rensburg, adding that at this the ballistics expert looked down and realised he was bare-handed.

“And then he said ‘Sorry’,” said Van Rensburg, a now retired station commander who was the first policeman to arrive at Pistorius’s home after he shot Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year.

The admission came as Van Rensburg was answering questions from prosecutor Gerrie Nel, testifying notably that there was no sign of forced entry into the disabled track star’s home.

Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to premeditated murder, claiming that he believed there was an intruder hiding in a locked toilet cubicle in his home when he fired four shots into it, fatally wounding Steenkamp.
SAPA

Katsande breaks Pirates duck


Johannesburg -Kaizer Chiefs defeated Orlando Pirates 1-0 in the Soweto derby at FNB Stadium on Saturday thanks to a first goal from Willard Katsande.
 
Pirates created the first goal scoring chance in the fourth minute when Oupa Manyisa’s cross from the right by-line found the head of Mpho Makola, but his effort to the near post was well-saved by young goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse.
 
On 11 minutes the Buccaneers created another opportunity when overlapping left-back Ayanda Gcaba sprung the offside trap and got a shot away from a tight angle, but Pieterse again came up with a good save.
 
Pirates were the more fluent and forceful team in the first half, pushing Chiefs onto the back foot and limiting them to mere scraps in attack. Bucs created another shooting chance for the adventurous Gcaba in the 34th minute, but his left-footed effort went high and wide.
 
The tense and bruising first half ended with the sides still locked at 0-0, and the respective defences went into the break knowing that they had enjoyed the better of the battle. Chiefs ‘keeper Pieterse would have been particularly pleased with the way he handles his nerves on derby debut.
 
Bucs made a change at the start of the second half, throwing Lennox Bacela on in place of Helder Pelembe. However, it was Chiefs who created the next scoring chance and their best of the match to that point, with Reneilwe Letsholonyane shooting over from just inside the penalty area in the 51st minute.
 
Ten minutes later the Amakhosi broke the deadlock with a first official goal for the club from midfielder Willard Katsande, who was able to head home almost on the goal line from a corner kick by Siphiwe Tshabalala that drifted over the reach of Senzo Meyiwa.
 
Pirates should have pulled level with just under ten minutes to play when Sifiso Myeni picked out Rooi Mahamutsa from a free kick, but the defender put his header wide of the target with only Pieterse to beat.
 
Orlando Pirates 0
Kaizer Chiefs (0) 1 (Katsande 61’)

Teams:
 
Pirates:
Meyiwa, Nyauza, Mahamutsa, Lekgwathi, Gcaba, Makola (Matlaba 71’), Ntshumayelo, Manyisa, Myeni, Erasmus (Majoro 81’), Pelembe (Bacela 46’)
 
Chiefs:
Pieterse, Gaxa, Mashamaite, Gould, Masilela, Letsholonyane, Katsande, Tshabalala, Parker (Rusike 81’), Nkhatha (Bukenya 90+3’), Musona

Backpagemedia

AMCU case postponed


Rustenburg-JOHANNESBURG – The court case regarding the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union’s (Amcu’s) planned strike in the gold sector was postponed in the Johannesburg Labour Court on Friday, the Chamber of Mines said.

Lawyers and counsel for the Chamber of Mines and Amcu have requested the Labour Court for a postponement of the return date on the matter originally set for March 14.
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“Lawyers and counsel for the Chamber of Mines and Amcu have requested the Labour Court for a postponement of the return date on the matter originally set for March 14,” said Chamber of Mines spokeswoman Elize Strydom in a statement.

The new court date set was June 5.

Amcu’s general secretary Jeff Mphahlele confirmed the matter was postponed.

Amcu issued strike notices to employers in the platinum and gold sectors in January.

It was demanding an entry-level monthly salary of R12,500.

In January the Labour Court issued an interdict that prevented Amcu from going on strike in the gold sector.

Judge Edwin Molahlegi, on behalf of Judge Hamilton Cele, ruled that Amcu had to return to court on March 14 and explain why the interim interdict should not be made permanent.

Molahlegi told the Chamber of Mines to make sure they put the message on notice boards across all mines, and distribute updates via sms.

“The message should read that the Labour Court has interdicted the planned strike by the [the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union] in the gold sector, and if they continue with it, it would be unprotected. They should continue going to work.”

-Sapa

Petrol station catches fire


Johannesburg – A shop at a petrol station in Sandton, Johannesburg, caught fire late on Friday evening, the city’s emergency management services said.

“We are attending to it now… the petrol did not catch alight,” said spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi.

“At the moment no injuries have been reported. The fire took place in the shop. The road is still open.”

The petrol station was on the corner of Katherine Street and Grayston Drive, close to the Sandton fire station.

Emergency services were notified around 22:00.

SAPA

Roux more popular than Nel- Survey


Johannesburg – Oscar Pistorius’s lawyer Barry Roux is being mentioned three times more than prosecutor Gerrie Nel, reveal figures from media monitoring group Data Driven Insight (DDI).

“If you plot the coverage about the legal representation in the trial, the conversation and reporting around Roux hit 74.86%, compared to the 25.14% of Nel, said DDI spokesperson Tonya Khoury on Friday.

This was in regards to conversation and media coverage.

Media coverage during the past 24 hours mentioning the word “blood”, in relation to former police officer Colonel Schoombie van Rensburg’s testimony was 48.03%, said Khoury.

Van Rensburg, a former commander of Boschkop, Pretoria, police station, began his testimony in the murder trial on Thursday.

The data from the survey also showed that media interest in the trial had dropped by about 50% from the first week.

Media coverage of the trial was still, however, higher than coverage of the elections, Marikana and Johannesburg rain and flooding.

Khoury said the trial had generated more interest from abroad.

“The US, Germany, UK and Australia are covering the story more than South African media,” she said.

The data was compiled from 6.2 million social media platforms including blogs, forums, social networks and commentary, 60 000 global online newspapers, 2 000 South African print publications, and 66 radio and television stations.

SAPA