JOHANNESBURG – South Africans are ringing in the New Year with fresh outrage over e–tolling, this time over erroneous and exorbitant bills from the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral). Frustrated motorists have taken to social media after receiving inaccurate bills, with many in other provinces claiming to have never even passed through a gantry. After a year and a half of legal battles and protests, the controversial multi–billion rand system went live in Gauteng last month. Many say they’ve received threatening SMS’s and e–mails warning that the Violations Processing Centre will step in to settle overdue accounts. The Saturday Star newspaper is reporting the Opposition To Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) is now compiling a dossier to hand to the Public Protector.
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Agreement Reached with Bidvest Wits FC on Release of Players
SAFA is happy to report that it has reached agreement with Bidvest Wits FC on the release of players to participate in the 2014 African Nations Championship Final Tournament (2014 CHAN).
Following a very fruitful discussion with the club, SAFA has asked the Premier Soccer League to adjust the fixtures of 3 / 4 February 2014 for those teams whose players are included in the Bafana Bafana squad.
“We are extremely grateful to the club for their patriotism and continued support of the national team” says SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan. “Our gratitude goes out to Mr Brian Joffe and Mr Jose Ferreira of
Bidvest Wits FC for their long-standing unstinting support of the national team. They have always made their players available for the national team, even during times when their program was quite congested,” he continued.
“Bidvest Wits’ support for the national team has never been in doubt and we salute them for the support they have provided to the team for this CHAN tournament,” says the SAFA President.
The Association further extends its heartfelt appreciation to the National Soccer League, Mamelodi Sundowns FC, Moroka Swallows FC, Platinum Stars FC, Bloemfontein Celtic FC and University of Pretoria FC (Tuks) for making us proud by strengthening the team for this most prestigious tournament.
The Association will release a further statement on the very fruitful discussions it held with Kaizer Chiefs FC after the conclusion of these discussions with them on Saturday, 4 January 2014.-TDN
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A 63-year-old missing woman found
Johannesburg – A 63-year-old woman who went missing on New Year’s eve was found in a ravine near her home in Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal on Friday, paramedics said.
“[She] was severely dehydrated and malnourished,” ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak said.
“She also suffered multiple cuts and abrasions, believed to have come from her falling into the ravine.”
The woman was taken to hospital for further treatment on Friday morning.
It was unclear how she had ended up in the ravine which was near her home in Byrne Valley.
“She was very confused and could not provide clarity on the incident,” Vermaak said.
The woman’s friends alerted police when they realised she was not home on Tuesday.
“They indicated that it was very unlike her to leave the home without informing someone,” he said.
SAPA
Escaped murder accused caught
Pietermaritzburg – A man charged with murder and robbery is back behind bars after he previously escaped from a Pietermaritzburg court building, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Friday.
“[Sthembiso Vincent] Shabalala made a court appearance in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court… [on Friday] on a charge of escaping from lawful custody,” said spokesperson Thulani Zwane.
Shabalala had been on the run since escaping from the court building after an appearance on 2 December 2013 linked to a murder and vehicle theft case, as well as another of assault.
The 34-year-old was nabbed late on Thursday night in a house in Morning Rise, after police were tipped off with information as to his whereabouts.
Shabalala was accused of shooting and killing a 39-year-old farmer and stealing his bakkie at his farm in Richmond in August 2012.
He was arrested shortly afterwards. However, on January 7 last year, while detained at the New Prison in Napierville, he assaulted a prison warder with a chair, apparently after being asked a question about a light.
“The warder sustained fractures to his right arm,” Zwane said.
Thereafter, Shabalala was charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
He was also accused of other armed robberies in the Bulwer and Umzinto areas.
Shabalala remained in custody and would appear in court again on 22 January.
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Brakpan ‘serial rapist’ moved to safe place
Johannesburg – A man accused of raping and killing a four-year-old girl in Brakpan, Gauteng, has been moved to a place of safety after death threats were made against him, Eyewitness News reported on Friday.
The girl’s family said they had received requests from prisoners asking if they could “take care” of the man, the radio news station reported.
The grandfather of the girl said he was not ready to speak to or forgive the man, but could not allow the man to be killed.
“They have a way of getting messages out and are sending messages asking if we want them to take him out,” the grandfather said.
The 23-year-old man appeared in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and the case was postponed to Tuesday.
Eyewitness News also reported on Friday that hundreds of people had gathered at a Brakpan church for a memorial service for the girl.
Many bikers dressed in pink, ANC Women’s League members, and police, including national commissioner Riah Phiyega, attended the memorial service.
Captain Tsekiso Mofokeng said on Monday a missing person’s report for the girl was issued on Saturday morning.
“The police and the community started looking [for the girl]. We had to do our own investigation,” Mofokeng said.
Checked stories
Police then interviewed the family.
“We identified that one of the family members did not give a confident story… He gave many versions.”
He said the man was charged with kidnapping.
Later “he gave in and confessed” and helped the police find the body underneath a bed in her father’s flat.
“We will hear from the post mortem what caused the death and whether there was sexual assault,” he said.
Police on Friday directed queries related to the man being moved to the correctional services department.
The department had not yet responded.
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Internet scammers using Mandela name
Johannesburg – The Africa Rising Foundation warned the public on Friday about an internet scam that illegally uses the name of former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson Ndaba.
“The Africa Rising Foundation does not ask the public for money in lieu of membership fees,” Ndaba Mandela, who is the foundation’s chair, said in a statement.
“We appeal to the public not to respond to this scam,” he said.
“If anyone has indeed paid over any money, we ask them to report this to the police. We have also reported the matter to the police and have opened a criminal case.”
The foundation said it became aware of the scam on Friday, after Proudly South African contacted the Nelson Mandela Foundation about the authenticity and suspicious nature of two Facebook pages relating to the membership drive.
It said the scammers were asking people to send an e-mail to a specific address to request membership forms in order to join the foundation.
“This is not Ndaba’s genuine e-mail address. A notification and form is then sent from the fake e-mail account, requesting that money be deposited at specific supermarkets,” the foundation said.
The people behind the scam then requested that a deposit code be e-mailed to them.
The foundation appealed to the public to come forward with information that could lead to the arrest of the fraudsters.
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Maluleka: It wasn’t difficult decision to make
The new Kaizer Chiefs midfielder George Maluleka has expressed his excitement after signing a three and half year deal with the Amakhosi.
kaizerchiefs.com caught up with Maluleka on Friday afternoon;
“It is a great feeling to join Kaizer Chiefs. Chiefs is a big Club with a professional infrastructure. This is of course a big step and a new challenge in my footballing career,” said a delighted Maluleka.
“I had to dig deep but I can confidently say, it was not a difficult decision to make. I would like to bring an additional dimension of football to the Team. There’s a lot of quality at Chiefs and I would like to see myself as adding to that quality,” commented Maluleka
“I know and have a close relationship with some of the players at Chiefs. I have played alongside most of the guys at the national team level. I am looking forward to meeting the guys and then get on with the job of playing a role in the Team,” commented Maluleka.
Maluleka will join his new teammates at his new base, the Kaizer Chiefs Village, in Naturena from Saturday, 4 January 2014.-TDN
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A man shot dead while setting off fireworks
Johannesburg – A man was shot dead and another injured shortly after midnight while setting off fireworks in Moletsane, Soweto, Gauteng police said on Wednesday.
A white VW Golf approached a group of people lighting fireworks and its occupants shot at them, Warrant Officer Kay Makhubela said.
It was not clear how many people were in the car. The car, without number plates, sped off.
Police opened a case of murder and attempted murder.
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Police Officer found hanged
A police officer has been found hanged from a tree next to the Midway railway station in Soweto, Gauteng police said on Thursday.
“He was a 51-year-old warrant office stationed at the Orlando police station,” Warrant Officer Kay Makhubela said.
“We are investigating an inquest docket as we don’t know what happened as yet.”
The police officer was found during Wednesday night.
His family asked that his name not be released to the public.
-Sapa
Chiefs Bafana no show
Johannesburg – Five Kaizer Chiefs players failed to pitch for the 23-man Bafana Bafana squad’s camp in Cape Town on Thursday, ahead of CAF’s African Champions tournament (CHAN), starting on 11 January.
“I’m waiting for the Chiefs’ contingent to make an appearance. Everything was sorted out. There is no reason why they should not be here,” said Bafana coach Gordon Igesund.
A simmering, potentially explosive controversy about whether the reigning Premier League champions would release Siphiwe Tshabalala, Itumeleng Khune, Bernard Parker, Tsepo Masilela and Tefo Mashamaite had apparently been settled.
“We are in discussions with Chiefs over the issue,” said Safa media director, Dominic Chimhavi.
“At this point there are no problems over the 18 other players who will be representing South Africa in the Caf tournament,” he said.
The PSL clubs are not obliged to release their players for CHAN, a 16-nation event limited to home-based players, which is not recognised as an official tournament by Fifa.
As a result of a backlog in fixtures, notably involving Orlando Pirates, The Buccaneers and their opponents in Premier League matches coinciding with CHAN were released from joining the Bafana squad under what SA Football Association president Danny Jordaan described as “a mutually acceptable and amicable settlement.”
Under the agreement between Safa and the PSL, the Premier League clash between Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns was switched from 18 January to 23 January.
Provocative stance
Players were temporarily released from the Bafana squad to participate in this top-of-the-log Premier League encounter.
However, putting a spoke in the conciliatory wheel, Chiefs’ general manager Bobby Motaung said The Amakhosi would release their players only after the match against Sundowns, and that they would not be allowed to play in the CHAN event.
His provocative stance emerged in spite of the fact that his father and legendary Chiefs’ chairman and founder Kaizer Motaung was party to the settlement.
“Of the six Chiefs players originally selected by coach Igesund for the CHAN tournament only Reneilwe Letsholonyane was withdrawn, and this because of a serious leg injury,” said Chimhavi.
He had no comment on Bobby Motaung’s statement.
“… The agreement was reached with Kaizer Motaung, and that speaks for itself,” he said.
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The Guardian 