Robbers set van alight with guard inside
2011-09-27 21:14
Bloemfontein - A security guard was injured when robbers set alight a
cash-in-transit van during a robbery at Harmony Gold's Masimong mine, in
Hennenman, on Tuesday, said Free State police. The guard was inside the van
when robbers doused it with petrol and set it alight, said Warrant Officer
Malebo Khosana. He got out, but his right arm was burnt. The injured guard
and a colleague had been making a cash delivery to a financial institution
at the mine, he said. He was driving and stayed in the van while the other
guard carried a drop-off safe into the building. A group of men confronted
the guard with the money when opened the safe. Two of the robbers were armed

with handguns and one with a rifle. They took the guard’s pistol and plastic

bags containing an unknown amount of money, and set the van alight on their
way out. They made their getaway in a green Toyota Corolla.  www.news24.com

Armed robbery leaves guard in a serious condition
27 September 2011
Bernice Maune
THOUSANDS of rands were stolen in a cash heist which left a reaction officer

critically injured at Jet in Pretoria Road on Monday afternoon. Eye
witnesses said they saw the officer as he stumbled out of the store and fell

onto the pavement in front of the shop. A worker inside the store, who
declined to be named, said he noticed the suspect go into the store and wait

for the officer to come out of the storeroom where cash was kept. "When the
officer came out he saw the man and tried to dodge him through the aisles
but the man followed him and shot him from behind. He took the cash and ran
out of the store on the opposite end leading to West Street. "This is the
second robbery in weeks at this store," he said. According to a passerby,
the guard was taken to hospital by an ambulance which arrived moments after
the shooting. When EXPRESS arrived on the scene, there was a large crowd,
many of whom had witnessed the shooting. Several police vans were parked
outside the store, including two vehicles belonging to Coin Security.
Another police kombi could be seen patrolling the CBD on the lookout for the

suspects. A woman police officer remarked that they had already notified
police stations in surrounding areas to be wary of the suspect's car. The
suspect is believed to have fled in a white Toyota Corolla which is also
said to have been involved in a robbery at the store recently. Const Ntombi
Nhlabathi, acting Kempton Park SAPS spokesman, said an undisclosed amount of

money was stolen. According to Nhlabathi the suspect met the guard at the
door and cornered him. "The guard was shot in his lower back. The suspect
was alone in the store. We are not sure if he had accomplices. Our officers
will investigate to find exactly how much was stolen and to find the
suspects," said Nhlabathi.  www.looklocal.co.za  -  Kempton Park

Inmate strangled on the way to court
September 27 2011 at 12:45pm
A prisoner was strangled in the back of a police van on the way to the
Mthatha High Court on Monday, Eastern Cape police said on Tuesday. Two other

handcuffed prisoners were in the van with him at the time on Monday morning,

Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said. “The prisoners at first said he had

seizures, but a post-mortem shows he died by strangulation.” The inquest
docket that was initially opened had been changed to murder. The 37-year-old

victim was due to appear in court for cases of armed robbery and cash
heists.   www.iol.co.za

Hawks seize cash and platinum
September 27 2011 at 11:42pm
Johannesburg - The Hawks arrested members of an alleged platinum syndicate
on Tuesday after confiscating platinum concentrate worth R50-million, an
official said. “The Hawks raided several locations around Gauteng,” said
spokesperson McIntosh Polela. “They arrested an alleged syndicate kingpin in

Fairland. Another arrest was made in Brakpan, where R125 000 in cash was
also found. “Our members also raided a refinery in Babelegi near
Hammanskraal and arrested three people who run the refinery... It's here
that we found platinum concentrate valued at R50-million. “ At the refinery,

15 uncut diamonds were also found. Polela said the platinum was stolen from
mines and then sent to the refinery, before being exported to Italy, the UK,

Switzerland and Canada for more refining. “Syndicate members have offshore
accounts in which their money is paid. We have already traced an account in
Panama,” said Polela.  www.iol.co.za

‘Victims’ were in on planned robbery
27 September 2011
Gerhardt Theron
THE R1 million cell phone bust in Esther Park on September 16 was not a
robbery but rather a planned hand over. The security company officer and the

driver of the electrical goods company's vehicle, which was reported
hijacked on the day, handed over the car filled with all the cell phones to
the "robbers". Last week EXPRESS reported about the shoot out with robbers
in Civet Street. The driver of the electrical company called the police.
Police arrested six suspects and recovered R1 million worth of cell phones.
After another tip off police investigated and arrested the complainant, his
colleague and the security officer who escorted the vehicle. W/O Shawn Grant

of Sebenza SAPS said it was not a hijacking and that the original
complainants were just as guilty as the originally arrested suspects.
www.looklocal.co.za  -  Kempton Park

Five held after hijacking
September 27 2011 at 11:42pm
Johannesburg - Five men were arrested in Bloemfontein on Tuesday in
connection with the hijacking and murder of a man and his son, said Free
State police. Abel Dyariwe, 59, and his son Vuyisa were travelling to the
Eastern Cape on August 12 when they stopped just outside Bloemfontein to
give the five men a lift, said Captain Harry Nagel. After about 10km the men

hijacked the car. When Abel tried to get out of the car the men shot him in
the back and left him on the roadside, where he died, said Nagel. The men
then drove to the Suidpark rubbish dump, where they shot and killed Vuyisa.
The car was found abandoned the next day in Wepener. The group would appear
in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Thursday on charges of robbery,
murder and hijacking, said Nagel.  www.iol.co.za

Shoot-out after Joburg hijacking attempt
2011-09-27 15:04
Johannesburg - Police arrested four men who attempted to hijack a woman in
Berario, Johannesburg, on Tuesday morning, police said. Beagle Watch
security guards saw the group trying to hijack the woman, spokesperson
Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said. "As they [the hijackers] jumped
into their vehicle, a chase ensued and several shots were exchanged. "The
hijackers crashed into the pavement and jumped out and fled into nearby
houses. Police, who had already joined the chase, followed the suspects and
arrested them. "Inside their vehicle police found a shotgun, a revolver and
a toy gun." No one was injured. "The suspect's vehicle was fitted with false

registration numbers and has already been linked to a house robbery in
Honeydew." The men, in their 20s, were charged with robbery, attempted
murder and possession of unlicensed firearms. They would appear in court
within 48 hours.  www.news24.com

Alles gesteel by Ryk Neethling se akademie
2011-09-27 23:05
Ryk Neethling se swemakademie vir minderbevoorregtes en gestremdes in
Pretoria is leeg gesteel. “Dit is vir my baie hartseer. Mens probeer so hard

om ’n verskil in jou land te maak. Dan is dit een tree vorentoe en twee tree

terug,” het hy gister gesê. Hy het gesê minstens R50 000 se goedere is
gesteel by die Ryk Neethling-stigting se akademie in Garsfontein. Hy het die

projek sowat twee maande gelede op die been gebring. “’n Groep instrukteurs
leer 80 minderbevoorregtes of mense met fisieke gestremdhede weekliks daar
om te swem. Dit is 40 kinders en 40 volwassenes. “Die swemlesse dien vir
diegene met fisieke gestremdhede as ’n rehabilitasieproses.” Inbrekers het
eergisteraand al die toerusting gesteel. Dit sluit in kabels wat in die
water gebruik word, handdoeke, swembroeke, ’n klankstelsel en radio en selfs

koffie en lekkers wat aan die kinders uitgedeel word. “Toe van die mense
vanoggend by die les opdaag, het hulle gevra waarom dit so stil is. Ons
speel gewoonlik vir hulle musiek en nou is selfs die radio gesteel.”
Neethling het gesê wat hom veral hartseer maak, is dat die projek soveel
aftrek kry en daar baie goeie terugvoering daaroor is. “Die laaste paar weke

het soveel ouers gesê hul kinders reageer goed op die swemterapie.”
Neethling het gesê mense wat gehoor het van die inbraak het onderneem om te
help met nuwe toerusting. Daar is ook al drie keer by Neethling se
woonplekke ingebreek.  Beeld

Questions over how trio hacked an escape
September 27 2011 at 11:22am
By OMPHITLHETSE MOOKI
A hacksaw is all they needed to make a daring escape from a police holding
cell they had been locked in for four days. With it, Anton Americo Bila –
who is also known as Solomon Mthise – John Luis Kumalo and Quive Valerio
sawed through their cell bars and escaped through the roof of the Sebokeng
police station in Vanderbijlpark on Monday. When officers patrolled the
cells at 2am, the men described as “dangerous” were gone – leaving a gaping
hole in the roof of what had been their cell. Now, as Gauteng police
scramble to try to recapture the trio, questions are being asked how a
hacksaw landed in the cell and how the men could have cut through the bars,
climb up the roof and walk out of the police station undetected. “We check
the cells every hour, ma’am. We don’t know how they got the hacksaw.
Possibly someone put it there, but we are not sure,” Gauteng police
spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said on Monday, maintaining the

men had been there when last checked on at 1am. Asked about the number of
officers who had been on duty when the three men escaped, Dlamini said:
“That’s an internal matter.” The men, all in their 30s, were arrested last
Wednesday in Palm Springs, south of Joburg, after police caught them with
computer equipment, electric gate motors, school soccer kits, air
conditioners and cellphones – all thought to have been stolen from schools.
Following their arrests, Bila was linked to 37 housebreaking cases, while
Kumalo was linked to six cases of housebreaking and theft, all dating back
to 2002. Valerio had not been linked to any other crimes. “Bila is linked to

37 cases (that) predominantly took place at schools, where computer
(equipment was) targeted,” said Dlamini. “Police are appealing to anyone who

may identify the three suspects to come forward with information. Contact
Colonel Barney Gordon at 082 8226 839, Captain Oupanyana Mokoena at 082 319
9948 or Crime Stop at 0860 10 10 11.” - The Star

Probe manipulated, says police colonel
2011-09-27 22:29
Durban - A policeman accused of trying to bribe the KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head

claimed on Tuesday that the investigation against him was being manipulated.

He made the assertion in an affidavit read by his lawyer Joe Wolmarans
during his bail application in the Durban Magistrate's Court. Colonel Navin
Madhoe said those investigating him were seeking to attack his credibility.
Madhoe and businessman Thoshan Panday are accused of working together to try

and bribe Hawks head Major General Johan Booysen by offering him R2m to
backdate documents in a R60m corruption case, so they would not be
incriminated. Both men indicated through their lawyers they intended
pleading not guilty. The start of proceedings was delayed as the matter had
to be moved from the Durban Commercial Crimes Court to the Durban
Magistrate’s
Court. Panday was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg

on Saturday on his return from Zambia, Hawks spokesperson McIntosh Polela
said in a statement. Smokescreen - He was arrested after allegedly dropping
a suitcase containing more than R1.3m into Booysen's car. The State has
alleged that the remaining R700 000 was to have been paid later. Wolmarans
told the court the case against Madhoe was just a smokescreen. He said the
case against Panday had been dormant for over a year and that Madhoe had
refused several requests to testify against him. During their appearance on
Monday, Panday's legal representative Jimmy Howse argued it was in the
interests of justice for both men's bail applications to be heard at the
same time. Madhoe's bail application continues on Wednesday.  www.news24.com

Murder charge over Newlands shooting withdrawn
September 27 2011 at 11:21am
A murder charge against Cape Town traffic officer Ian Sinclair was withdrawn

when he made his final appearance in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on
Tuesday. Sinclair's many appearances followed his allegedly shooting dead
former Western Province cricketer Luke Fairweather at the Newlands cricket
ground in January. The shooting was apparently sparked by Fairweather's
confronting Sinclair over traffic tickets issued to Fairweather's mother. At

Tuesday's hearing the prosecution said representation had been submitted by
defence attorney John Riley to the Western Cape Directorate for Public
Prosecutions (DPP) for the withdrawal of the charge. The DPP directed that
the matter be referred for an open inquest, at which a magistrate will
decide the cause of Fairweather's death and whether anyone is responsible
for it. No indication was given on Tuesday as to when the inquest will take
place. An open inquest is similar to court proceedings, where evidence is
led. If the magistrate finds anyone responsible for Fairweather's death, the

matter will again be referred to the DPP, and charges against Sinclaire
could be reinstated.  www.iol.co.za

4 corrupt traffic cops fired
2011-09-27 09:38
Johannesburg - Four traffic officers, who were charged with corruption,
bribery and failing to comply with the Criminal Procedure Act, have been
fired, the Mpumalanga safety department said on Monday. "The department
sends a warning to other officials that crime and corruption does not pay
and hope that the decision to dismiss the officers will serve as a deterrent

to other officers working on the province’s roads not to take bribes,"
department spokesperson Joseph Mabuza said. In July, three of the officers
were caught in Malelane after they helped a motorist transport illegal goods

into the country in exchange for money. The fourth officer was caught taking

a bribe from a minibus taxi driver in Barberton, said Mabuza.
www.news24.com

Suspect guilty of rape at abandoned building
September 27 2011 at 10:19pm
A 26-year-old man was found guilty on Tuesday in the Johannesburg Magistrate

Court on charges of rape and assault. Nkosi Shangase was arrested in
December 2010 for raping and assaulting an 18-year-old woman at an abandoned

building in Johannesburg. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The woman, a

Lesotho national, had come to Joburg to do some shopping. On her way to the
central taxi rank she was robbed off her purse and a pair of shoes she had
bought. Shangase offered to help her with taxi fare so she could go back to
Carletonville, where she was staying. He then lured her to the abandoned
building where he assaulted and raped her. Afterwards, while Shangase was
distracted, the woman managed to slip away and squeezed herself out of a
window, crying and screaming for help. She noticed a police van nearby, ran
to it and started explaining what had happened. When she took the police
officers to the scene of the crime, they found the place locked with
Shangase nowhere to be seen and her bag and passport missing. The police
took the woman to the Hillbrow police station where she opened a case of
rape and assault. Medical reports showed that the complainant had several
injuries and bruises to her body and signs of forced penetration. Shangase
claimed he and the victim were lovers and had seen each other a couple of
times before the alleged rape. He said he called her after the incident to
check on her as her boyfriend and instructed her to fetch her bag and
passport. Magistrate Lukas Van Der Schyff said: “It is clear that you and
the complainant did not know each other. She did not contradict herself. The

medical evidence and her statement made a positive impression on the court.”

Van Der Schyff concluded that Shangase had insufficient evidence and was
contradictory to his facts. Shangase was found guilty of two counts of rape
and assault was taken into police custody.  www.iol.co.za

Cop jailed for robbery, attempted murder
September 27 2011 at 09:57pm
By YOGAS NAIR
A KwaDukuza policeman convicted of armed robbery with aggravating
circumstances and attempted murder was sentenced to 15 and seven years
respectively. Constable Sandile Tembe, who was based at the New Ark police
station, learnt his fate in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court, yesterday. The

sentences will run concurrently. On July 12, 2008, Patrick Ndlovu was
travelling on the R102 near KwaDukuza at about 2.30am when a vehicle forced
him off the road. Four men, including Tembe, stopped Ndlovu; he was
repeatedly assaulted and thrown into the boot of his car. Two policemen,
Captain Manivasigen Perumal and Constable Benedict Mzimela were patrolling
in the area, spotted the commotion and stopped at the scene. A shoot-out
occurred and three of the suspects fled. Tembe, who ran into nearby bush,
was arrested and his service firearm seized. The policemen heard muffled
cries coming from the boot of the car and when they opened it they found
Ndlovu. At the time Tembe was released on R10 000 bail.  www.iol.co.za

Polisiehoof n? ’n jaar uit
2011-09-27 23:16
Marietie Louw-Carstens
Polokwane. – Limpopo het nie tans ’n polisiehoof nie. Lt.genl. Amon Mashigo
se kontrak as provinsiale polisiehoof is nie hernu nie, het Beeld verneem.
Brig. Hangwani Mulaudzi, hoof van polisiekommunikasie in Limpopo, het in ’n
verklaring gesê daar word van Mashigo afskeid geneem. Die afskeid is
eergisteroggend in die Seshego-stadion gehou. Mnr. George Phadagi, LUR vir
veiligheid, het gesê die pos sal eersdaags gevul word. Mashigo, wat die
afgelope 30 jaar ’n polisielid is, was voorheen polisiehoof van die
Vrystaat. Daar is hy by beweerde korrupsie betrek. Die onafhanklike
klagte¬direktoraat het dit ondersoek, maar geen stappe is teen hom gedoen
nie. Hy het lt.genl. Calvin Sengani in Junie verlede jaar as polisiehoof in
Limpopo vervang. Genl. Bheki Cele, nasionale polisiehoof, het Sengani na die

Vrystaat verplaas waar hy nou polisiehoof is. Mashigo was voorheen ook die
areahoof van die polisie in Pretoria. Phadagi het gesê onder Mashigo se
leierskap het misdaad in Limpopo skerp afgeneem. Luidens die jongste
misdaadstatistieke van die polisie is dit die tweede veiligste provinsie wat

geweldmisdaad betref. Verskeie misdaadsindikate wat ’n skrikbewind in
Thohoyandou, Polokwane en Louis Trichardt gevoer het, is ’n nekslag
toegedien terwyl Mashigo aan die stuur van sake was. Dit is nie duidelik wat

¬Mashigo nou gaan doen nie.  Beeld

Illegal fines put province in a fix
26 Sep 2011
Alfred Moselakgomo
THE Mpumalanga government faces possible claims arising from speeding fines
collected from motorists who were caught by cameras operated illegally by a
private company. The National Prosecuting Authority said the application of
Traffic Management Technology by Mpumalanga for speed enforcement was
illegal. The announcement places the province in a predicament since the
provincial traffic department cannot prove that cameras were manned by a
traffic officer. This could lead to claims worth thousands of rand in
refunds. The directive by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions George
Baloyi followed complaints by motorists who were fined by the Cape
Town-based company that has been operating speed cameras since 2008.
Motorists claimed that TMT did not have qualified traffic officers. Baloyi
ordered John Nkuna, general manager of traffic management in Mpumalanga, to
stop the unmanned cameras. TMT's contract ends next year. In a letter seen
by Sowetan, Baloyi said "only qualified and duly appointed local authority
officials shall undertake the tasks of managing speed cameras, and that the
local authority shall not allow private sector individuals to undertake
these functions". He said in terms of the Road Traffic Act "mobile or
manually operated speed enforcement cameras or any mobile traffic
enforcement system shall only be operated by a qualified and duly appointed
traffic officer". Baloyi said while his office in fact gave the province
authority to perform speed law enforcement by camera, it was never
contemplated that a traffic officer would leave the camera under the care of

a guard. Baloyi gave the province one month to implement the system
correctly, and has indicated that the current authorisation to conduct speed

enforcement by camera would not be renewed if the above practice persist.
Joseph Mabuza, spokesperson for the Mpumalanga roads and transport
department, confirmed receipt of the instruction. "The department had the
contract with TMT to administer summonses on traffic violations and not law
enforcement," Mabuza said. "The cameras are set up by qualified traffic
officers and officials from TMT were used to safeguard the equipment due to
fear of theft and vandalism." Anthony Benadie, leader of the DA in the
province, said: "We call on Roads and Transport MEC Vusi Shongwe to
establish a mechanism whereby members of the public can lodge complaints or
queries in this regard."  Sowetan

Gauteng toll roads to cost R2bn more
September 27 2011 at 09:20am
By ANGELIQUE SERRAO AND LOUISE FLANAGAN
The controversial Gauteng toll road system will cost taxpayers R5 billion
more than the Gautrain because costs have skyrocketed over R2bn in a year.
This new costing brings the full amount of the roads and toll system, as
well as the toll operating costs for the Gauteng freeway Improvement
Project, to nearly R35bn over 10 years. And motorists using the 185km of
freeway making up the toll route will be footing the bill for this through
toll tariffs of 40c/km for ordinary motorists whose vehicles are fitted with

e-tags. The latest set of figures have been calculated from a response
Minister of Transport S’bu Ndebele gave to questions by the DA’s SB Farrow
in the national assembly last week. Farrow asked Ndebele what the
construction costs of building the roads and toll system were. In his
response, Ndebele broke down the 19 construction projects and provided the
contract price adjustment (CPA) and VAT. Taken together, the three amounts
come to R19.8bn – a R2bn increase in the R17.5bn MEC for Transport Ismail
Vadi said the roads had cost earlier this year. Ndebele also provided the
cost of building the toll system. With CPA and VAT, this comes to a total of

R2.6bn. This figure is up by more than R1bn from documentation in The Star’s

possession, which shows the costs for building the toll gantries and
buildings in March 2010 to be R1.4bn. The building of the roads and toll
system come to a total of R22bn, but this does not include the operation of
the toll system. Further documentation The Star has shows the operation of
the tolls, including CPA and VAT, is estimated until 2020 to cost R12.5bn.
This means the total amount for this project is R35bn. The announced tariff
structures are: motorcyclists paying 24c/km; light motor vehicles 40c/km;
medium vehicles R1/km; and longer vehicles R2/km. Taxis and buses would be
exempted. Political parties, trade unions, non-governmental organisations
and civil society reacted with anger to the tariff announcement last month.
Cosatu threatened to strike if the policy was not scrapped, and the
Federation of Unions of SA said it would join in. Earlier this month, the DA

submitted a petition to the Gauteng legislature with more than 9 000
signatures opposing the proposed Gauteng toll system. It demanded that the
system be halted. The petition was being considered by the Petitions and
Public Participation Committee of the provincial legislature. Ndebele said,
in his national assembly reply, that the determination of toll tariffs was
based on the project’s capital costs and associated debt servicing, routine
road maintenance costs, future maintenance, toll operational costs and other

costs such as incident management and intelligent transport systems. Ndebele

said he has asked the SA National Roads Agency Ltd to look at their original

research that said freeway expansion will relieve congestion. He wanted to
know if it was well founded. “I have also asked the department to query
whether sufficient attention was paid to opportunity costs, i.e. whether
relieving congestion and addressing other developmental objectives would not

be better addressed through spending on public transport infrastructure and
on shifting a greater proportion of road freight onto rail,” the minister
said. - The Star

Health strike ‘may become expensive’
2011-09-27 16:29
A strike by health laboratory workers may force state hospitals to outsource

services at a cost, a health workers’ union said today. “Most state
hospitals across the country have delayed operations and [have] contingency
plans to outsource to private companies,” said the National Education,
Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu). “We pointed out that if they have

enough money [to outsource pathology and diagnostic tests], it’s difficult
to believe they don’t have enough money for our demands.” About 1 500
workers across the country went on strike from yesterday over wages. A
notice of intention to strike was served on the National Health Laboratory
Service (NHLS) on Thursday after ongoing negotiations since April. Nehawu
wanted a 9.5% increase and R2 300 monthly medical aid benefit, backdated to
May 1. The NHLS, an independent agent contracted to the health department,
had offered a 6.5% increase and R2 100 for medical aid. Nehawu spokesperson
Sizwe Pamla said the health department should be encouraging workers to stay

in the public sector rather than scaring them away with low salaries. “If
workers are constantly provoked, we will find it difficult to convince them
not to leave for more profitable private companies.” The union claims to
represent about a quarter of NHLS staff. Two other representative unions,
the Public Servants Association of SA and the Health and Other Service
Personnel Trade Union of SA, had apparently agreed to a set increase.  City
Press

Mmakau residents want crime free area
September 27 2011 at 08:42pm
Residents of Mmakau, in the North West, took turns complaining about rampant

corruption and crime in the area during a visit by Police Minister Nathi
Mthethwa on Tuesday. Mthethwa listened and took notes with the help of an
official, who occasionally translated for him as most of the crowd spoke
SeTswana. A visibly frustrated ANC supporter said they were being targeted
by police officers who had instructions to make arrests. Mthethwa said this
kind of action showed there was a bigger problem within police structures.
He said senior ANC officials in the area needed to look into the matter. The

discussion with locals was part of efforts to strengthen relations between
the public and the police in the fight against crime. At one point, Mthethwa

asked for the names of the officers residents accused of unashamedly
accepted bribes. Residents also complained that the large number of sheebens

in the area was contributing to crime. Water was another concern. The area
had had no water for three days. One after another, the residents who filled

the humid hall asked Mthethwa to intervene.  www.iol.co.za

Clinic staff locked up during protest
September 27 2011 at 08:39pm
Nurses and patients at a clinic in Bonabona in the North West were locked up

during a service delivery protest on Tuesday, police said.
Lieutenant-Colonel Lesego Metsi said about 60 protesters brought their own
locks to shut the clinic's doors. “We are still trying to free the trapped
people.” Police were keeping an eye on schools and other essential services
should protesters turn their attention elsewhere. Earlier, the police
stopped the same group from looting Somali and Pakistani shops. “These
people were targeted because they have managed to rent houses where they are

running their tuckshops,” said Metsi. Bonabona is outside Morokweng village
near Vryburg, in the central part of the province. “The situation is very
volatile,” said Metsi. Closer to Rustenburg, at Nkaneng informal settlement
near the Bleskop mine, 4000 people protested around 4am against a lack of
service delivery. Metsi said this group wanted to speak to the Rustenburg
mayor. “They claim their own councillor was not doing his job properly.”
Metsi said the protesters wanted access to water, electricity and housing.
They burned tyres and blocked the road to the mine, but were not violent,
said Metsi.  www.iol.co.za

7 held for protest in De Doorns
September 27 2011 at 08:38pm
Seven people were arrested in De Doorns, in the Western Cape, on Tuesday for

throwing stones at motorists during a protest on the N1 highway, said police

Captain FC van Wyk said the police and other law enforcement agencies in the

town had to periodically close the N1 because of the service delivery
protest. “It is reported that some community members, during the protest,
were seen throwing stones at the vehicles that travelled on the N1 national
road in De Doorns,” Van Wyk said. He said they would be charged with public
violence, assault and malicious damage to property and would appear in De
Doorns Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. Van Wyk said the situation in the
town was quiet on Tuesday afternoon. “The police are on the scene and are
monitoring the situation,” he said.  www.iol.co.za

Security guard killed in ATM bombing
2011-09-29 11:30
Johannesburg - A young security guard died after being shot in the mouth as
he investigated a cash machine bombing at a shopping centre in Itsoseng on
Wednesday night, North West police said. "It is alleged that the suspects
were in the process of bombing an ATM outside one of the stores at the
complex," spokesperson Captain Tselane Nkala said on Thursday. "The suspects

had already connected explosives to the ATM when the security official
arrived and approached them," Nkala said. The guard, 21, was shot through
the mouth and died on the scene at around 22:00, he said. The gang ran away
and nobody had been arrested by Thursday morning.  www.news24.com

Soweto man held for year-old murder
2011-09-29 10:37
Johannesburg - A 34-year-old man has been arrested for the August 2010
murder of a Jabulani hostel resident, Soweto police said on Thursday.
Warrant Officer Kay Makhubele said the man and two others shot and killed
Xolani Hadebe, 25, and then fled the scene. One man, Majagi Mabaso, was
arrested shortly after the murder but police managed to track down a second
man and arrested him in Freedom Park on Wednesday. He was expected to appear

in the Protea Magistrate's Court on Friday where it is understood he will
join his co-accused Mabaso whose case is currently before the High Court in
Johannesburg. Police are still searching for the third man. In a separate
incident, police arrested a 26-year-old man who allegedly robbed a
supermarket in Zola on Wednesday. Makhubele said the man, and another one
who is still at large, pushed their way into the supermarket after the owner

opened the doors around 7am. They then fled with an undisclosed amount of
money, cigarettes and cellphone airtime. One of the men was later arrested
in Zola. He was expected to appear in the Protea Magistrate's Court on
Friday on charges of business robbery and possession of stolen property.
www.news24.com

6 suspected robbers nabbed
September 29 2011 at 03:45pm
A high-speed chase led to the arrest of six men thought to have been
planning a robbery in Midrand on Thursday, Gauteng police said. Police were
following a Mercedes Benz sedan and a Mazda bakkie the six were travelling
in, spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said. “Upon realising that
they were being followed, the suspects sped off and a chase ensued.” The
driver of the Mercedes Benz drove into open veld. Three men jumped out and
tried to run away, said Dlamini. “The driver fired shots at the police who
returned fire. He was wounded and arrested, along with two of his
accomplices.” The driver was being treated in hospital under police guard.
The three occupants of the bakkie were arrested after also abandoning their
vehicle and trying to run away. Police recovered two pistols and a revolver.

The Mercedes was stolen in the North West earlier this month. The men, aged
between 31 and 51, were charged with conspiracy to rob, possession of
unlicensed firearms and possession of a suspected stolen vehicle. “The
suspects have not yet been linked to any other crimes,” Dlamini said.
www.iol.co.za

Police pounce on alleged hijackers
September 29 2011 at 11:49pm
Johannesburg - A former police officer and 17 other people were arrested in
Putfontein, Benoni, on Thursday for possession of hijacked trucks valued at
R5-million, police said. Police followed leads and found the men at a plot
at around 2pm, Lieutenant Colonel Tshisikhawe Ndou said. The former
policeman is the owner of a trucking company. The men were members of a
syndicate which hijacked trucks and tampered with their chassis and engine
numbers to make them legitimate, Ndou said. They were expected to face
charges connected with possession of hijacked trucks and stolen engines.
www.iol.co.za

Manhunt for Bizana robbers
2011-09-29 11:37
Mthatha - Police believe they are following good leads in their search for
an AK-47 gang that shot six policemen in Bizana in the Eastern Cape. One of
the policemen later died and the other five are critically wounded.  Colonel

Vishnu Naidoo said on Thursday police were following up positive leads.
Police received a tip-off on Tuesday that the local Shoprite shop in Bizana
was being robbed. When the officers arrived, a gang carrying AK-47 assault
rifles opened fire. Six police officers were wounded and Constable Manwabisi

Gqamane, 25, died later in hospital. A gang member was killed in the
exchange of fire and another wounded. Police recovered a 9mm pistol and
three bags with an undisclosed amount of cash were found in a getaway
vehicle. A 38-year-old woman was arrested on Tuesday night. A bag of coins
and six firearms were recovered. Four of the firearms were stolen from the
police officers who were shot.  www.news24.com

Cops corner Soweto thugs
29 Sep 2011
Mfundekelwa Mkhulisi
Diepkloof resident, who lives in a house near the scene of the shooting,
said she was "grateful to God" that no one from her family had been injured.

TWO alleged robbers were shot and killed in Diepkloof, Soweto, yesterday
following a high-speed car chase by the police. Gauteng police spokesman
Lieutenant Colonel Tshisikhawe Ndou said three men had allegedly robbed a
supermarket in Rosettenville, Johannesburg. "It is alleged that three
suspects driving a blue Nissan Sentra went to a local supermarket in
Rosettenville, where they took a cash box and a 9mm pistol from a security
guard," he said. Ndou said a description of the alleged robbers was given to

police as well as the direction in which the men fled. "Johannesburg flying
squad spotted the vehicle on Ben Naude Street bin Diepkloof and pursued it.
At the corner of Nongoma and Ben Naude the suspects started shooting at the
police, who returned fire. Two suspects were fatally shot and the third
managed to escape," Ndou said. He said the cash box, getaway car and three
unlicensed 9mm pistols were recovered. No police officer was injured during
the shootout. "We are investigating cases of attempted murder and possession

of unlicensed firearms," he said. Emily Maswanganyi, who lives in a house
near the scene of the shooting, said she was "grateful to God" that no one
from her family had been injured. "I had just given the house key to my
husband since I wanted to go to the shops when I heard gunshots," she said.
"He was in his stall, where he sells sweets on the street. I saw people
running and hid. I was scared because I have never seen something like
that." Maswanganyi said she did not know if she would be able to sleep at
night. "I am still shaking from the shock," she said.  Sowetan

Cop held for alleged fraud, rape
September 29 2011 at 01:40pm
A police captain was arrested in Alberton on Thursday for allegedly
defeating the ends of justice, using a state vehicle without authority,
corruption, fraud, and rape, Joburg police said. The 49-year-old was
arrested when he reported for duty at the Alberton detective offices at 8am,

Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said. The investigation into the crimes
started last year. The policeman was accused of falsifying statements in a
docket which was later closed when the prosecutor declined to prosecute. He
faced a charge of raping a woman, who apparently paid him to have a criminal

case against her withdrawn. He was also accused of taking a bribe from a
person whose firearm had been confiscated. The officer was expected to
appear in the Alberton Magistrate's Court on Thursday. An internal
investigation was underway. He might face suspension given the seriousness
of the allegations, Dlamini said.  www.iol.co.za

‘Officer failed in his duties’
September 29 2011 at 11:51am
By Kamini Padayachee
ALL that Idris Ally wanted for his son, Altaf, was for justice to be done.
However, on Wednesday he watched in disappointment as the two men accused of

shooting Altaf, 13, during an armed robbery and botched hijacking, leaving
him paralysed, were acquitted in the Durban Regional Court. Altaf, of
Chatsworth, was shot in the head by a gang of fleeing robbers after they had

failed to hijack police officer Ashraf Mohamed in January last year. Mohamed

had been standing outside the home of his friend Shaun Naidoo at the time.
The gang robbed Mohamed of R10 000 in cash and fired at Naidoo, his brother
Darryl and mother Cathy. Thabiso Hadebe and Malusi Zulu were later arrested
and charged with two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, six
counts of attempted murder, pointing a firearm and for discharging a firearm

in a built-up area in connection with the incident. Zulu was also charged
with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. The third accused,
Sanele Mkhize, died in prison earlier this year. Handing down judgment,
magistrate Siphiwe Hlophe said there were serious discrepancies in the
State’s
case which affected the credibility of its witnesses. Hlophe said some of
the contradictions included Darryl Naidoo testifying that he had seen only
two people in his yard, but identifying three people during an identity
parade. He also said that the investigating officer, Constable Njabulo
Khuzwayo, had only held an identity parade with two witnesses, instead of
all the witnesses together, prior to the case being set down for trial.
“Nine months after the incident, the statements of Altaf Ally and his
brother Azmuth were taken. Eleven months after the incident, a second
identity parade was held for other witnesses in the case to try to salvage
the State’s case. This parade was held despite the accused having appeared
in court several times in both Durban and Chatsworth. The investigating
officer failed in his duties,” said Hlophe, acquitting Hadebe and Zulu.
Shocked Speaking outside court, Ally, who attended every day of the trial,
said he was shocked and disheartened by Hlophe’s ruling. “Justice has not
been served; my son’s life has been changed forever. As a family we have had

to make several lifestyle changes and it’s tough. I do not know how they
(his family) will take it, when I tell them.” He added that the police had
bungled the investigation.“ Ally added that he had discussed the possibility

of the State appealing against the judgment. “I give credit to the
prosecutor (Sandile Xaba); he worked hard on this case. He has promised that

he will discuss an appeal with his superiors and hopefully it will go
 ahead.” - The Mercury

Conman tries to steal dead man's savings
2011-09-29 21:04
Johannesburg - A man was arrested in Silverton on Thursday for allegedly
trying to access the bank account of a man who died two months ago, said
Pretoria police. The 54-year-old posed as the dead man's son, wanting to
withdraw his savings from the bank, said Captain Jan Sepato. He gave the
manager a forged death certificate and a copy of the dead man's identity
document. The manager became suspicious and called the dead account holder's

family and the police. "We suspect the man is part of a fraud syndicate that

has recently preyed on many people in several parts of Pretoria," Sepato
said. He was expected to face a charge of attempted fraud in the Pretoria
Magistrate's Court on Monday.  www.news24.com

Maintenance defaulters arrested
2011-09-29 16:37
Police arrested 44 child-maintenance defaulters in a special operation in
Western Cape in September, a spokesperson said today. Lieutenant-Colonel
Andre Traut said the defaulters owed about R628 605 in maintenance. He said
878 offenders had been identified and could expect to be approached soon
about defaulting on support for their children. Operation Isondlo was a
justice department initiative and would continue until mid-December.  City
Press

‘Facebook rapist’ wanted for murder
September 29 2011 at 01:24pm
By Caryn Dolley
Police suspect a man who has become known as the “Facebook rapist” has
committed his first murder – stabbing a woman in a B&B in Milnerton. The
man, who goes by the name Thomas Bester, one of 13 aliases, has been
allegedly scamming people for seven years and recently started targeting
models. According to police, Bester’s modus operandi involves luring young
women interested in modelling and television work by claiming to be the
chief executive officer of a fake company, either BSB Investments or BSB
Media. In a “wanted” notice issued by police, it said Bester also pretended
to work for known organisations including MTV Base, Trace TV, e.tv, BET
Black Entertainment Television, Def Jam and Island Records. The notice said
Bester promised women high-paying jobs and often stole their belongings from

them when meeting them. It said he stayed in B&Bs with them and left,
leaving the women to foot the bill. However, recently his actions have
become more violent. Police said the man had been operating in Gauteng,
KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town. In the most recent incident police suspect he
is involved in, 26-year-old Nomfuno Tyulu, of Honeydew in Johannesburg, was
murdered in a Milnerton B&B. Her body was found last Wednesday with a stab
wound to the chest. That same day, a Facebook user under the name Thomas
Kelly Bester, believed to be Bester, posted this message: “Catch me if you
can. Why are people bothering me?” The Facebook profile included photographs

of Bester. His victims have confirmed to police that they are photos of the
man who scammed them. On Wednesday, Lieutenant-Colonel Will Lombard of the
Durban police said it was “strongly suspected” Bester was behind Tyulu’s
murder. In other incidents Bester was linked to, a Johannesburg model was
lured to Cape Town at the start of the month, but realised who he was and
managed to escape from him in Bellville. In mid-August, Bester lured a model

from Johannesburg to a Durban hotel, where he raped her and stabbed her in
the face. On Wednesday, Haden Searles, the Durban North-Umhlanga Community
Police Forum chairman, said based on records, it appeared Bester started
scamming people seven years ago. He said Bester, thought to be in his early
to mid twenties, was constantly moving between provinces. “Talk to anyone
who has had contact with him. He knows what he’s doing. How do you get a
modelling agency to send models to a shoot? His documentation, contractual
documentation, passes muster,” he said. Searles said, despite intense
investigations into Bester, personal details about him, including his actual

name, were not known. “He’s a ghost to us. But he needs to know we’re on his

trail. We’re not giving up. It’s just a matter of time before he puts a foot

wrong,” he said. Searles said Bester recently travelled to Durban with
models from Johannesburg. The models, in two taxis, realised something was
amiss and Bester escaped before police arrived. Searles said Bester recently

tried to get models from Cape Town to Durban. Jade Sham, a booker at Ice
Model Management in Cape Town, said a man identifying himself as Bester
contacted the agency twice requesting models. The first time was last year
and the second about a month ago.  www.iol.co.za

Sebokeng escapees rearrested
2011-09-29 07:27
Johannesburg - Two of the three men who escaped from the Sebokeng police
holding cells have been rearrested, police said on Thursday. Lieutenant
Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said Anton Americo Bila and John Luis Kumalo, were
arrested at Protea Glen on Wednesday, following leads from members of the
public. The third man, Quive Valerio was still at large. Dlamini said
internal investigation relating to the escape was being conducted. The three

escaped from the police cells in Sebokeng on Monday. Bila was arrested in
connection to 37 housebreaking cases which predominantly took place at
schools where computer equipment were targeted. Kumalo has been linked to
six crime scenes and Valerio has not yet been linked to any other crimes
except a case of possession of suspected stolen property. They were arrested

on September 21 in Palm Springs. During their arrest they were found in
possession of suspected stolen goods which include computer equipment, gate
motors, school soccer kit, air conditioners and cellphones.  www.news24.com

Two cops given bail over ATM case
29 Sep 2011
Ntwaagae Seleka
TWO Soweto policemen accused of supplying ATM bombers with ammunition
appeared briefly in the Protea magistrate's court yesterday. The two
constables, Authority Gamede and Vincent Hlubi, were each granted R2000
bail. It is alleged the officers played a role in the crime that resulted in

the fatal shooting of reservist constable Busisiwe Mehlwana during an ATM
bombing at a filling station in Pimville, Soweto, on July 5. Mehlwana, 33,
who was based at Kliptown police station, was killed when she and her
colleague responded to an ATM bombing at a Total garage. Magistrate Denise
Morton had earlier ordered Gamede and Hlubi to report to the Krugersdorp
organised crime unit every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The two were also
ordered not to leave Gauteng without informing the investigating officer.
The men are expected to appear in court again on October 27. Sowetan

Trio remain in jail after cop killing
September 29 2011 at 05:52pm
Three men accused of the ambush-style murders of two Kraaifontein policemen
in May, are to remain in custody until December 15. They are in custody in
Pollsmoor Prison, and appeared in the Blue Downs District Court on Thursday
by way of a new closed-circuit TV system known as the video link. Sivuyile
Sangovana, Khangelani Twala and Olwethu Sotondoshe appeared before
magistrate Gerald Hattingh. The video link system is an experiment aimed at
minimising escapes, and is in operation at only a few courts in the country,

including Wynberg in the Western Cape. From the courtroom, the accused can
be seen in an enclosed area in the prison, in the presence of prison
officials. From the prison, prisoners can see the inside of the courtroom,
including the presiding magistrate and other court officials, as well as
people in the public gallery. The proceedings are conducted as if the
prisoners were in the courtroom. If a prisoner wishes to say something to
the magistrate, the camera zooms in on him or her. The three men allegedly
shot dead Warrant Officer Gershwin Matthee and Student Constable Cannon
Cloete, when they arrived in the Wallacedene squatter settlement near
Kraaifontein to attend to a rape complaint. Sangovana and Twala were later
arrested while receiving treatment for bullet wounds - Sangovana in Groote
Schuur Hospital and Twala in Tygerberg Hospital. Sotondoshe was found in
Pollsmoor prison, where he was in custody for an unrelated matter. The
premeditated murder of a police official carries a mandatory life sentence.
The three men recently launched a combined bail application, but abandoned
it before it even got underway. www.iol.co.za

Advocates 'mounted steed of greed'
2011-09-29 22:31
Pretoria - Thirteen Pretoria advocates who "mounted the steed of greed" and
milked the Road Accident Fund will have to pay back more than R15.6m of
their ill-gotten gains, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria heard on
Thursday. Six of the advocates were struck off the roll. The case was also
referred to the Law Society for further action against the attorneys
complicit in the conduct of the advocates. Retired Judges Kees van
Dijkhorst, Piet Combrinck and William de Villiers expressed "sorrow" about
the case and said it gave them no joy to sit in judgment on 13 senior
members of the Pretoria Bar. The advocates accepted multiple cases on the
same day (so-called double briefing) and charged a full day's fee for each
case (overreaching), a practice that had become rife in Pretoria in 2009.
"When counsel mount the steed of greed and attempt to clear the hurdle of
their professional rules their fall inevitably dents the reputation of the
profession, in this case the proud reputation of the Pretoria Bar. "We write

this judgment in sorrow and lament the loss of integrity, in the past the
hallmark of the profession of advocates. "We sit in judgment on thirteen
senior members of the Bar, among them two silks, who by their action have
brought the good name of their profession into disrepute. "They are not
novices. They are experts in their particular field of litigation, which is
claims against the Road Accident Fund for damages arising from personal
injuries. "They have been at the Bar for decades, some as long as 32 years.
They were regarded as men of good standing," the judges said. The ruling
follows an application by the General Council of the Bar to strike off all
thirteen advocates. The Pretoria Bar, however, asked the court to confirm
sanctions already imposed on twelve of the advocates, including fines and
suspensions. Reading a summary of their ruling, Judge Van Dijkhorst said it
struck one as odd that the Bar Council did not require the advocates to make

amends and return the ill-gotten gains, nor did the advocates offer to do
so. "One would have thought that this is basic where remorse is expressed to

be present, especially where the gains far outstrip the fines imposed. "The
game of breaking the rules may never be seen to be worth the candle of
sanctions," he said. Judge Van Dijkhorst said none of the advocates could
not have been aware of the rules and specific circulars relating to multiple

trial briefs. He said it appeared that despite being aware of the
wide-spread practice of multiple briefing, there was no action until
September 2009 when a senior member of the Bar laid a complaint. "Why was
the Bar Council so supine? Why did it fiddle while Rome burnt? It is hardly
surprising when some of the transgressors sat in the meetings of the Council

and its committees. "But there is a deeper reason. It is the widely held
fallacy that without a specific complaint against a specific member there
can be no action. "This situation can be likened to a fire brigade which
sees towering flames and billowing smoke but stays put because nobody has
reported a fire. "We suggest that the Bar Council gets its house in order.
The rot is in the woodwork," he said. The judges struck the names of
advocates Thillay Pillay, Theunis Botha, Toy de Klerk, Percy Leopeng, Daniel

Mogagabe and French Bezuidenhout off the roll and ordered them to repay the
RAF. The worst offender was Bezuidenhout, who was ordered to pay back over
R5.9m over the next year. All of them had brazenly defied the rules and
continued their unprofessional conduct even after the Bar Council called for

their books. Some also "fiddled" with their hours. Advocates Brenton Geach
SC, Don Williams SC, Stef Gldenpfennig, Mark Upton, Ephraim Seima, Cassie
Jordaan and Colin van Onselen were also given a year to repay the RAF and
were given either suspended sentences or sentences suspended for up to a
further six months.  www.news24.com

Court ups killers' sentence to life
2011-09-29 21:04
Bloemfontein - A sentence of 15 years' imprisonment each imposed on three
Gauteng men was changed to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court of Appeal
on Thursday. The Gauteng director of public prosecutions had appealed
against the sentence. The SCA found the trial court had misdirected itself
in finding substantial and compelling circumstances for the lesser sentence.

The South Gauteng High Court, sitting in Delmas, found Thulani Thusi,
Promise Mathebula and Siphiwe Ngwenya guilty of murdering Dos Santos
Andrade, 64. It also convicted Mathebula of rape. The three men broke into
Andrade's house and attacked and assaulted him when he got home. They tied
his hands, pushed a sock in his mouth and strangled him with an electric
cord. They also assaulted two women, one of whom was raped by Mathebula. The

court sentenced each of them to 15 years' imprisonment for the murder.
Mathebula was also sentenced to 18 years in jail for the rape.
www.news24.com

Corruption accused sent to jail
September 29 2011 at 09:38am
Kamini Padayachee
BOTH businessman Thoshan Panday and suspended police officer Navin Madhoe
looked devastated when the Durban Regional Court ordered that they be sent
to Westville prison yesterday. Madhoe and Panday, who are charged with
corruption, are accused of trying to bribe provincial Hawks head
Major-General Johan Booysen with R2 million. They had allegedly wanted
Booysen to backdate an investigation report into a R60m accommodation tender

scam in which both are suspects. The State alleges that Panday, Madhoe and
other policemen were part of a syndicate that ran the scam within the police

department. It is alleged that backdating the report would have helped
Panday in his bid to have search warrants used to access his bank accounts
set aside in the Durban High Court. The State says that Madhoe made the
bribery attempt at Panday’s request, with cash provided by the businessman.
Madhoe claimed in his affidavits that the allegations against him were
linked to a smear campaign to discredit provincial police commissioner
Mmamonnye Ngobeni. He added that he had been asked several times by police
officers to become a State witness and testify against Ngobeni and Panday in

the tender scam case. Panday denied being part of a syndicate. Yesterday,
during Madhoe and Panday’s joint bail application, State advocate Bheki
Manyathi asked for an adjournment to prepare an affidavit opposing Panday’s
bail application. He said police management had decided that Madhoe should
be held at Westville prison to prevent him from being influenced by other
officers. Both Panday and Madhoe looked shocked by the decision to hold them

at Westville prison. The men’s lawyers tried to secure cells for them at
police stations, to no avail. Magistrate Thomas Nhleko adjourned the matter
until tomorrow.  The Mercury

Man charged with rape, murder of ex-lover gets two life sentences
29 Sep 2011
Boitumelo Tshehle
A 27-YEAR-OLD man received two life sentences in the Mmabatho high court in
North West yesterday for murdering and raping his former girlfriend. Oganeng

Mmitlwe was found guilty on charges of rape and murder and sentenced to two
life sentences. Judge Maleshane Kgwele said the sentences would run
concurrently. Sentencing Mmitlwe, Kgwele said the deceased was killed in a
brutal and inhumane way. "Being crushed with a stone shows that the accused
was disrespectful and insensitive to the victim. As if that was not enough
the accused raped her," she said. Kgwele said Mmitlwe did not show any
remorse during the investigation. "You only cooperated with the police after

you saw the writing on the wall. To me you did not show remorse," she said.
On June 28 last year Mmitlwe stopped his ex-girlfriend, Mmapule Masimong,
when she was on her way to town and dragged her to a nearby park in Verdwaal

village, outside Mahikeng. That was at about midday. He forced her to drink
alcohol, raped her and crushed her head with a huge rock the size of a
watermelon. Masimong's body was found next to a power station lying on her
back with her skull crushed. A postmortem showed that she had died as a
result of "head injuries". The 22-year-old mother of two was found lying
next to the power station after going missing for a night. Masimong's
mother, Johanna Masimong, said her daughter had died in a most horrible way.

"I still have the flashbacks to pictures of her lying lifelessly and naked,
with her eyes removed and her brain scattered all over the place," she said.

"I will never forgive him. His parents must also lose him as much as I lost
my daughter. My daughter's death has broken my heart and shattered our
lives." She said "two life sentences was too easy" for their daughter's
killer. Masimong said Mmitlwe killed her daughter intentionally. She said
before the killing her daughter had told her she had broken up with Mmitlwe
and he had threatened to kill her. "Little did I know that a week later I
would lose my daughter."  Sowetan

Speeding Mandela junior beats rap
September 29 2011 at 01:01pm
By OMPHITLHETSE MOOKI
Nelson Mandela’s grandson Zondwa on Wednesday got off with a slap on the
wrist for exceeding the speed limit by 92km/h – an offence that should have
cost him his licence. According to the amended National Road Traffic Act,
those exceeding the speed limit by 30km/h or more in urban areas should have

their licences suspended. But the 28-year-old director of the embattled
Aurora Mine drove off from the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday,
still in possession of his driving licence, despite being caught driving at
158km/h in a 60km/h zone on May 7. Magistrate Hombakazi Thwele provisionally

withdrew the reckless and negligent driving charge, pending the finalisation

of a diversion programme he has undertaken to partake in. It was impossible
to establish the nature of the programme as the docket, a public document,
was kept locked in a clerk’s office, with a woman known only as Edith
refusing to produce it as she was “in a hurry to get somewhere”. If Mandela
successfully completes the diversion programme, which could be a form of
community service, charges against him will be withdrawn permanently. Two
days after the 75th birthday of his grandmother, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela,
the man paced court corridors on Wednesday, his thumb glued to his phone.
The May 7 incident on Beyers Naudé Drive came just a month after a road
safety scholarship was launched in memory of Zondwa’s niece Zenani, who died

in a car crash last year. - The Star

Union: Give cops bigger guns
September 29 2011 at 07:27pm
Police need to be issued with weapons matching those of heavily armed
criminals after the murder of a policeman in Bizana, Eastern Cape, the SA
Police Union (Sapu) said on Thursday. “If you go to a war zone you have to
be equally equipped,” union spokesman Oscar Skommere said in a statement.
Constable Manwabisi Gqamane, 25, died in hospital on Wednesday from wounds
sustained in a shootout with a gang carrying AK-47 assault rifles. The
policemen responded to a robbery at a Shoprite store on Tuesday evening, and

the gang opened fire when they arrived. Six police officers were wounded.
Gqamane died later in hospital. Sapu sent its condolences to Gqamane's
family and wished the injured officers a speedy recovery. On Wednesday
national police chief General Bheki Cele visited the five wounded policemen.

They were in a stable but critical condition, police spokesman Colonel
Vishnu Naidoo said. Cele and provincial police chief Lt-Gen Celiwe Binta
also inspected the crime scene. A gang member was killed in the exchange of
fire and another wounded. Police recovered a 9mm pistol. Three bags with an
undisclosed amount of cash were found in a getaway vehicle. A 38-year-old
woman was arrested on Tuesday night. A bag of coins and six firearms were
recovered. Four of the firearms were stolen from the police officers who
were shot.  www.iol.co.za

Media can name suspects - court
2011-09-29 22:33
Andre Grobler
Bloemfontein - The publication of the name of a person suspected of criminal

action and not yet arrested could be to the benefit of the public, the
Supreme Court of Appeal has found. The court made the finding in its
judgment on Wednesday, in the appeal of businessman Mogale Modiri against a
high court order which dismissed his action for defamation against Media24,
the late Daily Sun publisher Deon Du Plessis, a reporter and the police. The

appeal originated from a Daily Sun article headlined "Mangaung Crime
Crackdown", which reported that the Mangaung police were on top of the crime

situation in Bloemfontein. It asked Daily Sun readers to help the police
catch Modiri, who was accused of involvement in drug dealing,
cash-in-transit heists and car theft. The SCA held that the high court had
rightly found that the gist of the article was objectively true. Evidence
indicated that, for 10 years before the article was published, police
suspected Modiri of involvement in armed robberies, vehicle thefts and
drugs, and of leading a syndicate involved in these crimes. Offenders IDed
Modiri - The court also heard that actual offenders had identified Modiri as

one of their leaders, but were unwilling to testify against him in court. As

a result, charges against him had had to be withdrawn. A police investigator

quoted in the article, denied inviting Daily Sun readers to help apprehend
Modiri. The SCA found that the allegations which had proved to be untrue in
the article were not part of the sting of the article. It said the media
were not required to prove that defamatory statements were true in every
detail. The unanimous judgment by a full Bench also held that once the media

had proved that the sting of the article was true, it did not matter where
the journalist had obtained the information relied on. The court found that
the publication of the suspicion held by the police was to the benefit of
the public. Modiri could not insist on enjoying the reputation of an honest
businessman who was beyond any suspicion. The court held that the
publication of the suspicions against Modiri could have served to persuade
members of his community to come forward with potential evidence against
him, and which the police eagerly sought. The fact that the police did not
actually ask the journalist to invite public assistance did not detract from

this possibility. The SCA partly upheld Modiri’s appeal with regard to
costs.  www.news24.com

Cops kill fewer people: ICD
September 29 2011 at 02:44pm
Deaths at the hands of the SA Police Service (SAPS) fell by seven percent to

797 between April 2010 and April this year, the Independent Complaints
Directorate (ICD) said on Thursday. ICD executive director Francois Beukman
said that of these deaths, 257 were in custody and 540 were the result of
police action, such as crime prevention. Fifty three percent of the deaths
occurred at the scene of a crime. Beukman said 860 deaths were recorded in
the previous year. He said 5869 complaints against the police were lodged
with the ICD in the year ended March 31. The ICD had made 501
recommendations for prosecution to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
During the same period there were about 60 convictions of police officers in

court and about 90 internal disciplinary convictions.  www.iol.co.za

Cops on go-slow in PMB
September 29 2011 at 12:08pm
By Sharika Regchand
PIETERMARITZBURG traffic officers have embarked on a go-slow, calling for an

investigation into the “state of chaos” in the Msunduzi traffic and security

department. They are also demanding that a task team be set up to probe the
allegations contained in their memorandum. Their key gripe is that the
municipality had appointed an unqualified senior manager, who they said was
running the department into the ground. According to the memorandum, the
manager had been appointed to the position despite failing to meet the
advertised job requirements. The manager had also failed to provide copies
of his qualifications. “The traffic section is in a state of chaos; there is

no leadership,” says the memorandum, adding that black women with degrees in

traffic management had not been given the opportunity to fill the positions.

The situation in public safety was apparently critical as junior employees,
who were unqualified, were acting in senior positions. “This affects service

delivery as the workforce is now further depleted as there are now fewer
traffic officers on the ground… traffic safety on the roads is being
compromised,” it said. Msunduzi spokesman Brian Zuma said that city
administrator Sibusiso Sithole would look into the issues. - The Mercury