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NPA: Opposing Pistorius Trial Broadcast Senseless


Pretoria – Spending money on opposing a court application for live broadcasts of Oscar Pistorius’s murder trial will be futile, the NPA said on Wednesday.

The National Prosecuting Authority initially had fears when eNCA sought to broadcast the proceedings, spokesperson Nathi Mncube told reporters outside the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

The court heard an application by print media houses, eNCA, MultiChoice and Eyewitness News to broadcast the trial, which starts on 3 March.

However, the NPA’s concerns were allayed by additional provisions brought by MultiChoice, Mncube said.

“We do not want our witnesses to be intimidated. We do not want them to be exposed if they don’t want. All of that was addressed by the technology which MultiChoice brought and some concessions that were made.

“I don’t know if it makes good sense to the public to say ‘we want to [use] taxpayers’ money to oppose the application of a person we as NPA are charging’. It doesn’t make sense, we would rather focus on the criminal case we are pursuing.”

Responding to claims that Reeva Steenkamp’s parents were opposed to the bid to broadcast the court proceedings, Mncube said the NPA’s decision was in the interests of justice.

“We are not here to look after just one witness. It’s unfortunate that family is affected because it is their child who was killed. The people that are going to testify are not the family, but witnesses,” he said.

“I think what the family wants is to see justice served. That is our focus as well. We appreciate that it might be sensitive for them, but in the bigger scheme of things, the public stands to benefit more by watching these proceedings broadcast if the court grants the order.”

Barry Roux SC, for Pistorius, told the court earlier that Steenkamp’s parents had not been informed about the NPA’s agreeing to the live broadcast of the trial sought by the media.

A 24-hour TV channel dedicated to the upcoming trial would be launched on DSTV a day before the star athlete goes on trial.

The broadcasters proposed permission to use unmanned, remote-controlled high-definition cameras which would feed to all broadcasters, if the application was successful.

Judge Dunstan Mlambo reserved his judgment until Tuesday at 11:00.

Pistorius is accused of killing Steenkamp, his girlfriend, in February last year. His trial is to be heard in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria from 3 March to 20 March.

SAPA

Official: N Cape acted fairly on “inflated” leases


Kimberley – A senior government official confirmed that her supply chain unit in the Northern Cape social development department acted openly and fairly with leases, the North Cape High Court heard on Wednesday.

Judge Mathebe Phatshoane was hearing evidence in a fraud and corruption case against Northern Cape ANC heavyweights John Block, Alvin Botes, Yolanda Botha, and Trifecta director Christo Scholtz.

The National Prosecuting Authority accused the Trifecta Group of entering into a number of lease agreements with the Northern Cape department in which rentals, or rental space, were grossly inflated.

The accused have all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them or their companies.

Daleen Vosloo, former senior manager of supply chain management at the department, testified of various Trifecta leases with which she was involved.

“The department at all relevant times acted open and fair in the acquisition of office space. I can see that from the evidence”, said Jaap Cilliers, legal counsel of Scholtz, during cross-examination.

Vosloo replied: “Yes.”

Cilliers wanted to know whether anybody at any time attempted to improperly influence her to act illegally.

“No”, she said.

Earlier, Vosloo testified there was a huge scarcity of suitable office space in the Northern Cape.

It affected the state departments as well as the private sector.

“It would be acceptable to look for longer-term leases”, Cilliers submitted.

Vosloo confirmed his statement.

Cilliers added no state department wanted to be out on the street after a five-year lease expired.

“It is total chaos if a big department has to move offices”, he said.

Vosloo testified to reasons why, in many of the lease agreements, the department deviated from the prescribed tender procedures.

The court heard at various times the deviations were authorised by the departmental tender board, of which Vosloo was a member, owing to urgency and practical reasons to get office space.

The case continues.

SAPA

Health minister announces free contaceptives


Cape Town – A small under-the-skin contraceptive device will be made available free of charge to all women from next week, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told MPs on Wednesday.

Speaking during debate in the National Assembly on last week’s state-of-the-nation address, he announced what he called “the biggest family planning programme South Africa has ever seen”.

From Thursday next week, the tiny sub-dermal contraceptive device, about the size of a match, would be available to women at public hospitals around the country.

The device, which had to be inserted by a medical professional under the skin of the upper arm, conferred protection from pregnancy for three years.

“This device costs R1 700 if you go to a private doctor. But, we shall give it free of charge to every woman in South Africa, regardless of their socio-economic status.

“It will be available in all public hospitals by 27 February, and will reach all public clinics by the middle of this year.”

The advantage of the device over contraceptive injections – which could take up to 12 months for the effects to wear off – is that users of the sub-dermal implant could become pregnant within weeks of its removal.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Motsoaledi said it offered women more freedom.

“It gives women freedom to control their own lives. It can be taken out any time and if they want to [fall pregnant], it only takes few weeks to conceive.”

Some nurses had undergone training on how to properly insert the implant, and 4 000 more were set to do so, he said.

SAPA

Cops doing well- Witness


Cape Town – Detective work in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, is going well given the resources at hand, the station’s detective unit head said on Wednesday.

“I think we’re doing very well. I think if everybody puts in what he can put in, to his full potential, no one can fault you on that,” Site B Khayelitsha’s head of detectives Colonel Johan Marais told the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry into alleged police inefficiency in the area.

“Yes, we do make mistakes. You can only do so much with what you have.”

The station had a wish list for more vehicles, personnel and experts.

Marais said he was not a politician but wanted to draw a vision of policing from the newspapers.

He compared the tripartite alliance of the African National Congress, the Congress of SA Trade Unions and the SA Communist Party, with the SA Police Service, the National Prosecuting Authority and the correctional services department.

“If we could work like that, without the split that is there now, we would have a much better criminal justice system and maybe the public would understand us better, and get more joy out of it [the system].”

Marais was asked what he thought of the performance charts within stations, which tracked a detective’s cases at court, conviction rate, detection rate, court-ready cases, case number integrity and absenteeism.

“Personally, I think nothing of the performance chart because it only measures about 10% of what the person does in a day,” he said.

Marais said the chart did not measure the amount of time detectives spent in the high court, the number of identification parades held and attended, the number of times witnesses had been fetched and the time spent at imbizos and meetings after hours.

“Is there any recognition in the performance chart of the burden you’re carrying?” asked retired Constitutional Court judge Kate O’Regan.

Marais said there was not.

The inquiry heard that two detectives on standby duty, from a Thursday to a Sunday, often had to attend, secure and process an average of seven murder scenes.

He gave an example of a certain weekend where the detectives had to rush from a scene to two other scenes after hearing gunshots, all in the space of five blocks that were inaccessible by car.

Each scene took an average of three to four hours to process.

“I know what was put into those crime scenes,” Marais said.

The inquiry – headed by O’Regan, and advocate Vusi Pikoli – was set up by Western Cape Premier Helen Zille after residents lodged complaints about police inefficiency, which was the apparent cause of a spate of mob justice killings in the area.

SAPA

Child rapist jailed for 125 years


Convicted child rapist Mzothule Sizwe Gwala was handed five life sentences by the Vryheid Regional Court on Wednesday, KwaZulu-Natal police said.

Captain Thulani Zwane said: “The sentences will not run concurrently meaning that he will serve his 125 years in prison”.

On December 8 2010, a 10-year-old girl was walking to a shop when Gwala accosted her and forced her into his house, where he raped her.

She told her parents, who reported the matter to police.

“During the investigation, the victim reported that the accused had raped her several times before in separate incidents,” Zwane said.

He threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the rapes.

Gwala, also referred to as Gabela, was convicted on five counts of rape.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni commended the Vryheid family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit for their hard work in bringing the rapist to justice.

“This is a victory to the SAPS as crimes against women and children are one of our priority crimes in the province.”

SAPA

Chiefs claim Celtic’ scalp


Johannesburg – Bernard Parker saw his PSL goal tally climb into double figures as he helped Kaizer Chiefs seal a comfortable 3-0 victory over Bloemfontein Celtic at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Wednesday night.

Parker opened the scoring with a stunning volley from his weaker foot shortly before the interval, while Knowledge Musona added the second 20 minutes from the end, as Chiefs opened up a nine point lead at the summit of the league table.

The cherry on top came in the form of an own-goal from Keagan Buchanan, who was unfortunate to put the ball into his own net a minute from the end.

Parker has been ever-present for the Glamour Boys this season and has seen his prolific scoring record take him to the top of the scoring charts with 10, while his nearest threat, Katlego Mashego of Mamelodi Sundowns, trails by three.

The hosts made a bright start and kept hold of the ball as Celtic struggled to keep up with the defending champions, who moved the ball at pace and had chances open up for Siphiwe Tshabalala and Knowledge Musona early on.

Celtic did well to keep the Soweto outfit at bay, as the defensive line cleared the danger when Chiefs came knocking and ensured that the game remained tight at either end of the pitch.

Celtic were asking plenty of question of the Chiefs defence at the set-piece, with the best of the action coming from corners and free-kicks, which were aimed at skipper Clayton Daniels, who was winning everything in the air but was unable to hit the target with his head.

But Chiefs would not be kept out, as a turnover in possession resulted in Parker’s 10th league goal of the season, as the Bafana Bafana marksman found the back of the net on the stroke of half-time.

Chiefs picked up the ball in Celtic’s half, quickly whipped in a cross for Kingston Nkhatha, who miscued a spectacular bicycle-kick effort and instead saw the ball fall kindly for an unmarked Parker.

The in-form striker unleashed a deadly left-footed volley, which beat goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb at his near post and flew into the top corner as the log-leaders took the advantage into the half-time break.

Chiefs wasted little time after the break in going on the offensive and came close to a second five minutes into the second period as a superb combination between Parker and Musona led to the latter drilling his shot at goal, but it was deflected wide of the mark from close-range.

Celtic had their best chance of the game fall to Joel Mogorosi, who was denied only by the crossbar which came to the rescue for Chiefs on the hour mark, as the playmaker thundered an effort straight at Itumeleng Khune, with the country’s number one shot-stopper guiding the ball onto the post and out of danger.

Amakhosi soaked up the pressure applied by the visitors and put the result beyond Celtic in the 70th minute when Musona’s well-timed curled strike beat a despairing Tignyemb, as the home side stretched their lead with the game headed towards its conclusion.

Buchanan would have the last say, but not in the way he would have wanted, as a corner took a deflection from the young midfielder’s head and trickled into Tignyemb’s net for the third of the night, capping a disappointing night for the Free State side.

SAPA

Waterkloof 2 to stay in custody until parole review


Johannesburg – Two of the “Waterkloof Four” will remain in custody pending a review of their parole following their jail cell party, the correctional services department (DCS) said on Wednesday.

“Following a decision of the supervisory committee, [Frikkie] du Preez and [Christoff] Becker will appear before the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (CSPB)… for a review of their parole,” it said in a statement.

Convicted killers Du Preez and Becker were re-arrested on Sunday, four days after being released on parole.

This was after a video, reportedly taken on a cellphone, was posted on YouTube. It shows Du Preez and Becker allegedly drinking alcohol, and using a cellphone in a jail cell in Pretoria’s Kgosi Mampuru Prison.

Bekker, Du Preez, Gert van Schalkwyk, and Reinach Tiedt were released last Tuesday after being jailed for beating a homeless man to death in Pretoria in 2001.

Correctional Services Minister Sibusiso Ndebele on Wednesday warned “anarchy” at correctional centres would not be tolerated.

“Any official, or offender, found guilty of any such offence will face the full might of the law,” he said.

“As DCS, we will fight fraud and corruption with vigour.”

According to the Public Service Commission Report for 2011/12 the DCS was the third best institution when it came to dealing with fraud and corruption, but more still needed to be done, Ndebele said.

The DCS said an average of 64 prisoners were granted parole in the country every day. In addition to the country’s 156 939 inmates, 65 931 were outside correctional centres living in their respective communities.

Compliance with parole conditions currently stood at 98.4%.

SAPA

Union rellies behind Amcu strike


Johannesburg – Support for the four-week wage strike by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) in the platinum mining sector increased on Wednesday as the National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu) rallied behind the union.
“We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, wish to express our dismay at the two most recent attacks on Amcu and miners who are striking for a living wage,” Nactu said in a statement.
“The decision by Amplats to sue Amcu for R591m for damages related to the ongoing strike action is another attempt by employers not only to break the miners’ strike, but also to deal a savage blow against militant unions.”
Damages and losses
Mining giant Anglo Platinum (Amplats) [JSE:AMS] said it would sue Amcu for damages and losses suffered during the work stoppage.
“The provisional quantum of the damages claim is about R591m, although as Amcu’s wrongful conduct is continuing the damages will continue to accrue,” Amplats spokesperson Mpumi Sithole said at the time.
On Monday morning, Amplats said it was losing about R100m a day because of the strike, which was in its fourth week.
“The company is losing 4000oz amounting to R100m in revenue daily,” Sithole said in an e-mail.
“Marikana massacre”
Nactu said the unwillingness of Amplats to negotiate, and instead approaching the courts, was the same approach that had led to the “Marikana massacre”.
“Workers stood firm in the face of violence by the state and capital. Now the mining companies are using other means to bring workers to their knees,” said Nactu.
On Monday, Amcu continued discussions with the CCMA to try and resolve a pay strike crippling the platinum mining sector.
“As a result of the engagement, Amcu has convened a meeting of its leadership structures to consult and explore the way forward,” the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration said in a statement at the time.
Amcu meeting
The Amcu meeting would take place on Tuesday. Amcu had agreed to provide the CCMA with feedback on Wednesday.
Members of Amcu at Lonmin [JSE:LON] , Amplats, and Impala Platinum (Implats) [JSE:IMP] went on strike on January 23, demanding a R12 500 basic monthly salary for miners.
The platinum producers proposed a three-year agreement last month. The proposal was a 9% increase for A-level workers, 8.5% for B-level and 7.5% for C-level workers in the first year.
Reasonable demands
Nactu said Amcu’s demands were reasonable and said court proceedings would be an attack on the working class in general.
“Amcu’s demand for a living wage of R12 500 is a legitimate demand that Amplats and the other platinum producers need to seriously engage in negotiations rather than sowing further divisions by attempting to bankrupt the union,” Nactu said.
Nactu said it would wait until Amcu finished discussions with its members before it planned a way forward.

SAPA

FS Stars player Nomandela signs for Sundowns


By Obakeng Maje
Johannesburg-Free State Stars midfielder luyolo Nomandela concluded a three year deal with Mamelodi Sundowns.

The enterprising midfielder will join the Chloorkop-based team at the end of the season.

Nomandela agent Tim Sukazi confirmed the news to http://www.kickoff.com.

“Last time we spoke I said the negotiations was underway, but now the deal is done” said sukazi.

The illustrious player was under Sundowns chattered eye and Sundowns official Yogesh Singh was seen hovering in Free State last week.-TDN
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SECURITY PREPARATIONS FOR THE OPENING OF THE PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE


North West-The South African Police Service together with security cluster departments and other role players are ready for policing during the official opening of the Provincial Legislature that will take place on Friday, 21 February 2014 in Mahikeng.

The Provincial Legislature and the vicinity will be security environment zone from 06:00 in the morning until the State of the Province Address by the North West Premier Thandi Modise.

“The community in and around Mahikeng, particularly places in the neighbourhood of the Provincial Legislature and Garona Government Complex will be affected by closure of entrances and some of the roads. The area between the Legislature and Mahikeng High Court will not be accessible as it will be closed. No unauthorised vehicles will be allowed to park at parking bays near the High Court” Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said.

All vehicles that will be parked at unauthorised parking will be towed away.

Roads that will be closed are as follows:

•Corner Dr James Moroka and Sekame Road

•Modiri Molema Road between Convention Centre and Mahikeng Stadium

•Corner Albert Luthuli Drive and Dr James Moroka Road.

The community is urged to cooperate with the law enforcement officials to divert traffic in order to ensure safety and that daily activities that are not part of the opening of the Legislature continue without any hindrance.-TDN
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