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| ‘Trouble tricks’ cop ‘threatened’ Mahlangu |
“I KNOW you killed Eugene Terre’blanche. If you don’t do as I tell you, I will kill you.”
This is how murder accused Chris Mahlangu was allegedly forced into confessing to the murder of the AWB leader.
Speaking through his advocate, Khomotso Tlouana, in the Ventersdorp Magistrate’s Court thi... |
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| Heart-breaking tale of two beloved pets |
Vet to be charged after dogs not put down as instructed
FOR SIX months, Greg Byrne prepared his fiveyear-old daughter for the death of his two Belgian Shepherd dogs.
They were old, and Byrne had decided that it was time for them to be put down.
On January 14, Byrne took Sasha and S... |
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| Customer rescued after blast at eatery |
ERROL Chetty, a manager at Furniture City at Festival Mall in Kempton Park, was having his usual morning coffee at Mugg & Bean when he heard a bang.
Then flames flew out of the kitchen, and the kitchen staff, some of whom were badly burnt, came running out, prompting Chetty to run for cover yest... |
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| Newspaper vendor hit in foot by bullet in chase |
Suspect escapes after cop fires at stolen car in Joburg CBD
NEWSPAPER vendor was hit in the foot by a bullet fired by a policeman during a car theft incident on Pritchard Street yesterday morning.
Two men driving a black Citi Golf Velocity entered the Easipark parking lot on President ... |
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| Suspect escapes after cop fires at stolen car in Joburg CBD |
NEWSPAPER vendor was hit in the foot by a bullet fired by a policeman during a car theft incident on Pritchard Street yesterday morning.
Two men driving a black Citi Golf Velocity entered the Easipark parking lot on President Street at 11.40am.
“Ten minutes later, a white Toyota saloon came ... |
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| ATM attackers exploiting poor policing |
CAPE TOWN - Disarray in the crime intelligence unit and a lack of experienced detectives could be the reason for an increase in automated teller machine (ATM) attacks in the past year, a crime expert said on Friday.
Organised crime syndicates were taking advantage of weaknesses in the policing sy... |
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| ATMs soft targets |
JOHANNESBURG - Automated teller machines (ATM) remain soft targets for criminals.
According to police, such crimes are thoroughly planned, beforehand.
“Criminals would study when ATMs are loaded, study the area where they are located and even timing, since most are bombed at night or in the e... |
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| Joy as lesbian’s killers jailed for 14 years |
SIX YEARS after teenager Zoliswa Nkonyana was stoned, kicked and beaten to death for being a lesbian, her four killers were sentenced to an effective 14 years in jail for a hate crime.
Yesterday’s sentencing was described as a precedent-setting case by legal experts and hailed as a victory by ge... |
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| Moodley will fight on – State |
YESTERDAY was probably the last time Donovan Moodley will stand in an open courtroom. But there are chances he might again try to take a stab at gaining freedom.
This is the opinion of prosecutor Zaais van Zyl, who said he did not believe this would be the last time Moodley would make himself he... |
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| Outrage as cops take tables, chairs in café raid |
THE OWNER of a coffee shop in Parkhurst is outraged that her premises was raided by police and her tables and chairs confiscated because they allegedly took up too much of the pavement.
“At 9.30pm (on Tuesday), a huge metro truck, six metro vehicles and 30 officers parked in front of our shop, c... |
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| Cop called ‘pathetic’ for not explaining rights to ET accused |
A POLICE constable’s testimony was torn to pieces this morning and she was called “pathetic” for admitting she did not fully comprehend the notice of rights she read out to the two farm workers accused of killing Eugene Terre’Blanche.
Constable Kedibone Mokwele could also not distinguish between... |
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| Aarto to start in April, but Joburg metro cops say it’s too soon |
NATIONAL traffic authorities have instructed all provincial traffic departments to implement the controversial driverdemerit point system from April 1.
But the Johannesburg metro police department, which has been charged with one of the pilot runs of the road system, says there are still too man... |
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| Council facing claims worth millions of rand |
City fighting back, but expects to lose at least one battle
These are some legal claims the City of Joburg is fighting, which could be worth millions.
The claims are listed in the council’s annual report for 2010/11 tabled before the council last week. Few details are included, and som... |
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| Assassination plot: ANCYL man held |
Hitlist of ‘troublemakers’ on SMS
HIGH-PROFILE member of the ANC Youth League in Alexandra was arrested early yesterday morning for allegedly planning to assassinate several ANCYL branch members.
The man was arrested after he sent an SMS to several people allegedly involved in the plot... |
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| Pupils held at gunpoint at school gate |
A GROUP of Diversity High School pupils in South Hills, Joburg, had to attend counselling sessions after a vehicle transporting them to school was held up at the school gate.
A white Toyota Venture transporting about seven schoolchildren was held up by two men at about 7.15am yesterday.
The ... |
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| Madonsela’s support for free press has exceptions |
PUBLIC Protector Thuli Madonsela came out in support of a free press yesterday, echoing the media’s appeal to continue a selfregulatory system.
Speaking in Joburg on the final day of the press freedom hearings which have toured the nation to gauge public opinion on the ANC’S proposed media appea... |
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| Taxi boss gunned down as tensions over routes simmer |
Police on high alert after rival groups go on shooting spree
ARGE numbers of police were sent to parts of Hendrik Potgieter Road in Ruimsig last night to prevent another shootout between two rival taxi associations.
Yesterday, a taxi owner from the Dobsonville, Roodepoort, Leratong and... |
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| Private euthanasia for bad dog |
| THE OWNER of the dog that mauled a two-year-old girl on Clifton beach in December has decided to have the animal “privately euthanised” rather than city officials having to put the dog down. “I can state… that I am labouring under severe personal anguish. I understand the pain of the little girl, he... |
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| ANC in media parliamentary oversight call |
MCHUNU INDEPENDENT regulation unencumbered by commercial or political party interests but with parliamentary oversight – this is the ANC’S proposal to regulate the media, following what it considers to be careless journalism.
This was argued yesterday by ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, exec... |
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| Judge damns Moodley |
Leigh murder: Byleveld still has questions
STONE-FACED and silent after hearing that he had lost his appeal for a retrial, killer Donovan Moodley kissed his mother and went down to the cells – with the whole truth still unknown. He did not say a word, leaving many questions unanswered.
For m... |
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| Alex court crippled by lack of equipment |
JOBURG magistrate‘s court has no phone lines, and court cases are being thrown out of court because of equipment failure.
The switchboard at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court has not worked once in the past three years, and the switchboard operator sits idle all day.
Yesterday, in Court 2, af... |
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| Six labs close, others in crisis as cash dries up |
AT LEAST six National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) labs have been shut because of the service’s cash crunch.
The labs were closed because the service – the sole service provider contracted to deliver laboratory diagnostic tests; screening for chronic diseases including HIV and cervical cance... |
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| Moodley’s plea opens new chapter |
JOHANNESBURG - The dismissal of murder convict Donovan Moodley’s application for a retrial might not have closed the chapter on what appears to be a string of events leading to the kidnapping and murder of Bond University student Leigh Matthews.
Although Judge Joop Labu- schange dismissed Moodley... |
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| ‘Avoid political media oversight’ |
JOHANNESBURG - Public Protector Thuli Madonsela is opposed to the involvement of Parliament in the regulation of newspapers.
Madonsela told a public hearing of the Press Freedom Commission in Johannesburg yesterday, on the regulation of the print media, that oversight by the National Assembly ... |
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| Protector: use state power fairly |
JOHANNESBURG - Public Protector Thuli Madonsela wants state power and resources to be used justly and fairly in the public interest.
She was speaking during the Public Sector Awards held in Sandton on Tuesday night.
“For this dream to be realised the country needs a people-centred and performan... |
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| Ombud pivotal in Press regulation |
JOHANNESBURG - The role of the Press Ombudsman is pivotal in creating an efficient self-regulating print media, the Press Freedom Commission (PFC) heard on Wednesday.
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela told the PFC that the ombudsman's office would be more efficient once it had separated from the P... |
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| Don't forget community papers: Caxton |
JOHANNESBURG - The Press Freedom Commission needed to acknowledge the negative effect regulation would have on community newspapers, the Caxton Community Newspapers group said on Wednesday.
"Local community journalists are a vital link in the flow of information. Once the free flow of information... |
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| ‘ET abused me because I was desperate’ |
MURDER accused Chris Mahlangu was so desperate for a job that he settled for the harsh conditions Eugene Terre’blanche and his wife subjectHe had to eat the same food fed to Terre’blanche’s dogs and live in a dingy, filthy room on the Ventersdorp farm.
These were submissions by his counsel Advoc... |
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| ‘No good reason for judges not to declare interests’ |
But those affected worry that they could become easy crime targets
THERE is “no good reason” that judges should not be compelled to declare their financial interests, according to the Council for the Advancement of the SA Constitution (Casac).
“Many corruption cases stem from secret pr... |
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| Two more women caught trying to smuggle drugs into SA |
TWO MORE women were caught trying to sneak drugs into SA last week, just a month after the execution of Durban-born drug mule Janice Linden.
The two women are among dozens of South Africans arrested for the transport of drugs in the past two months.
On Wednesday, a middle-aged woman was arre... |
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| Cut power to avoid blackouts: Eskom |
JOHANNESBURG - South Africans need to reduce electricity usage by 10% immediately in order for the country’s power system to function efficiently with no blackouts.
Eskom’s, CEO Brian Dames yesterday said it was up to every South African to be energy efficient.
“The next two years will be crit... |
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| Final press gag hearings |
JOHANNESBURG - Final hearings on the regulation of newspapers, spearheaded by the Press Freedom Commission got under way in Braamfontein, Johannesburg yesterday.
Over 200 submissions had been submitted so far from various stakeholders, including civil society groups, political parties and trade u... |
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| Proposed ban on spanking at home |
JOHANNESBURG - A proposed ban on corporal punishment in South African homes is strongly supported by the social development department (DSD).
Spokesman Lumka Oliphant said yesterday that degrading discipline methods such as smacking and physical abuse go against the department’s family policy an... |
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| ‘Vampire’ mom loses custody |
JOHANNESBURG - A Gauteng mother, who was accused of indulging in vampire practices involving human blood, has lost custody of her blind daughter, although she and her mother both retained the right to spend time with the child.
A North Gauteng High Court judge confirmed a settlement between the c... |
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| Procedures after ET murder queried |
VENTERSDORP - Procedures in the arrest and processing of a youth accused of the murder of rightwing leader Eugene Terre'Blanche came under scrutiny on Monday.
The young man's dignity was not respected after his arrest, suggested Zola Majavu, for the minor, in the High Court sitting in Ventersdorp... |
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| SANDF steps in to help at Bara |
SA NATIONAL Defence Force medical personnel have been dispatched to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto to help its maternity ward battle a nursing staff shortage.
A source close to Bara’s maternity ward, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said doctors – fed up with an ever incr... |
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| Nurses are afraid to work in ill-equipped hospitals |
OVERCROWDING, a lack of resources, overworked and underpaid, and a lack of functional equipment.
These are among the reasons why professional nurses are turning their backs on the public healthcare system for more lucrative options in the private sector.
In Gauteng there were 2 420 vacant pr... |
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| Cops ignored Children’s Act, say defence as ET trial starts |
THE sound of Bok van Blerk’s De la Rey blaring from a loudspeaker outside the Ventersdorp Regional Court this morning marked the start of the murder trial of two farmworkers accused of killing AWB leader Eugene Terre’blanche.
AWB members in camouflage uniforms erected black-red-white and vierkle... |
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| GONE IN 649 SECONDS |
Car theft in Joburg is a slick operation
EN minutes 49 seconds. That’s all it takes for three car thieves to steal a blue Toyota Runx in a Joburg northern suburb. It’s 5.19:01am. The Runx is parked outside the front gate of a block of flats.
A man wearing a grey Tshirt and jeans appro... |
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| Thugs eye expensive art works |
ALL THE thief needed was a couple of minutes alone, enough time to take the painting off the wall and slip it into his oversized art folder.
He represents a new kind of South African thief, one with a knowledge of art and a willingness to take the risk of tapping this new criminal resource.
... |
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| Godongwana promises to pay back earnings |
FORMER economic development deputy minister Enoch Godongwana will repay whatever money the ongoing liquidation inquiry into Canyon Springs, a company of which he was a part-owner, deems fair for him to repay.
Godongwana made the undertaking in Cape Town during the inquiry’s hearing on Friday at ... |
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| NLB promises to investigate |
JOHANNESBURG - The National Lotteries Board (NLB) chairman Alfred Nevhuthanda has promised to investigate allegations of irregularities leveled against the board thoroughly.
Hundreds of disgruntled protesters marched to the NLB offices in Pretoria yesterday, to hand over a memorandum, entailing ... |
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| 13-year sentence for junkie father |
JOHANNESBURG - A drug addicted Pretoria father who murdered his two-year-old son while high in heroin was sent to jail yesterday for 13 years.
Judge Vivian Tlhapi sentenced Sibusiso Phetla, 34, to direct imprisonment for the murder of his son Amogelang Solomon Maditla in 2008.
The little boy... |
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| New approach needed |
JOHANNESBURG - In order to succeed in rooting out crime in Gauteng, a unique and not general policing approach is required, MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko said in Johannesburg yesterday.
She was addressing thousands of police officers who attended the National Police Day hosted at the J... |
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| Forced child prostitution shows an increase |
JOHANNESBURG - The term “ladies of the night” can very well be substituted with the word “children”, as forced child prostitution in South Africa becomes more prevalent and uglier than is imagined.
According to child rights organisation Molo Songololo, trafficking, prostitution and sexual exploit... |
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| Highways project a mystery |
JOHANNESBURG - A cheap and reliable Super Highways project in 2002 “somehow” morphed into the controversial and very expensive e-tolling system that Gauteng motorists face at present.
The initial toll project focused on alleviating traffic on the province’s four major highways, Democratic Allianc... |
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| Scorched tree poser for cellphone giant |
Woman in solo crusade to end 4G roll-out across SA
JOBURG woman believes the imminent roll-out of 4G cellular telephony could have massive health implications for anyone in the path of the signal.
The government disagrees. So does cellphone giant MTN, which is doing 4G/LTE testing in t... |
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| Moodley sparks tearful anger ... and a touch of comfort |
FOR TWO mothers, the Donovan Moodley saga being played out in the Johannesburg High Court has been a gruelling ordeal.
The parents of the “very nice girl”, as Moodley described Leigh Matthews who he has been convicted of murdering, listened in obvious agony.
Matthews’s mother Sharon has been... |
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| Basson ethics hearings to continue |
APARTHEID biological warfare head Dr Wouter Basson will have to provide evidence and possibly take the stand at his hearing after an attempt to have the unprofessional conduct charges against him dropped failed this morning.
Basson’s medical licence hangs in the balance after his attempt to avoid... |
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| Insurance companies balk over jammer payouts |
Numerous complaints received, but technically the scam's victims are at fault
MOTORISTS victimised by car jammers, who remotely break into their cars and steal their belongings, could have their insurance claims refused because their cars were technically unlocked.
And while unhappy cl... |
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| The Good, the bad... and the ugly |
Rea Vaya a success, Pikitup bankrupt, billing still in a mess and R2bn ‘lost’
ELECTRICITY and water losses cost Joburg R2 billion, the Auditor-general’s report on Joburg for 2010/11 noted.
The electricity losses R1.217bn included:
• R568m in technical losses (system or distribution) – do... |
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| Up went salaries by 80%, but no longer |
NO ACTION has been taken against 15 officials in the Limpopo Agriculture Department, despite allegations that they had unduly inflated their salary notches.
The department stopped the payment of the inflated salaries last month after the government’s Persal system had picked up the anomaly.
... |
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| Family won’t forgive ‘Prime Evil’ |
TWENTY years after their son, Tiisetso Leballo, was shot dead and his lifeless body blown to pieces by apartheid police hit squad leader Eugene de Kock, the pain just won’t go away.
Tiisetso’s elder brother, Kutlwano Leballo, said there was no reason even to talk about forgiveness as De Kock had... |
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| SADC demands action on Madagascan impasse |
SOUTHERN African mediators have demanded that the Madagascan government enact legislation by February 29 to grant amnesty to ousted president Marc Ravalomanana so that he can return home.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) met Malagasy leaders in Pretoria this week after the crisi... |
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| Cele hearings to start next month |
JUDGE Jake Moloi says he would like to conclude the inquiry into allegations of misconduct against national police commissioner Bheki Cele “as speedily as possible”.
“This is a matter of national interest,” the judge said yesterday.
“The police commissioner is still receiving a salary that i... |
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| Corruption the enemy: Radebe |
JOHANNESBURG - The fight against corruption should be as important as the struggle against apartheid was, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe said on Thursday.
"Corruption seeks to extinguish the flame that shines on all South Africans, the flame that promises freedom and security for all, the flame of ... |
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| Piet Byleveld in his own words… |
IT IS VERY surprising for me that Donovan Moodley claimed he was forced to admit to the crime.
Firstly, on arrest, he made the following remarks: “What took you so long? I was expecting you.”
He then took me to his room at his parents’ house and pointed out the firearm that was registered in... |
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| Moodley’s claims bizarre, says Matthews’s mom |
OVER four hours, convicted killer Donovan Moodley painted yet another version of the events leading up to the coldblooded murder of Bond University student Leigh Matthews nearly seven years ago.
Four rows behind him, Leigh’s mother Sharon and father Rob struggled to contain their emotions yester... |
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| Moodley vs Leigh mom |
Judge stops his ‘rant’ after she calls him a psychopath
TODAY is my day. I’m here to fight for my freedom.” With these two lines today, convicted murderer Donovan Moodley entered his second day of trying to convince Johannesburg High Court Judge Joop Labuschagne to set aside his conviction... |
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| ‘Guards’ steal R900 000 |
A SLICK gang of robbers, armed with inside information about the money collection operations of one of the country’s biggest cash-in-transit companies, has pulled off a daring con and got away with R900 000.
Dressed like Protea Coin guards, two men, driving a vehicle made to look exactly like on... |
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| Bangladeshi shopkeepers badly hurt in fiery horror attack |
SALIM Shardar’s wish is to see the daughter he left at home, but first he will need to fight the incredible odds of surviving the burns that cover most his body.
Yesterday, Shardar lay unconscious in the burns unit of Natalspruit Hospital, his face badly disfigured by the petrol that was thrown i... |
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| Fun visit to park turns into horror bee attack |
Two dogs die after entering rock cave, family of three stung collectively 800 times
It was supposed to be a fun day at the park. Instead, it turned into a "living nightmare" for a Midrand family after they were attacked by a swarm of bees - collectively, they were stung more that 800 time... |
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| Cwele’s spy claims return to spook him |
STATE Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele’s startling claim in Parliament that those protesting against the Protection of State Information Bill were being funded by foreign spies continues to haunt him.
He made the allegation on the day the National Assembly approved the bill in November.
Whe... |
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| No money, but enough for soft seats |
Taxpayers’ money pays for new boardroom furniture from luxury store in Joburg
LIMPOPO Premier Cassel Mathale’s office has splashed out half-a-million rand of taxpayers’ money on state-of-the-art furniture, even though the province is bankrupt.
Mathale’s government went on the shopping s... |
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| Inquiry ready to move on Trilinear owner |
LAWYERS representing the SA Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) will take instructions from the union’s bosses on whether to charge Trilinear Holdings owner Sam Buthelezi with contempt of court, after he “refused” to testify at the Canyon Springs liquidation inquiry.
Yesterday, members o... |
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| Fears for gay man who came to Joburg for online date |
A GAY man from Bloemfontein has been reported missing after pursuing an internet relationship in Joburg.
Thebe Mogamisi met a potential love interest online late last year, and travelled from to Joburg to meet “Sipho” on New Year’s Eve.
His aunt, Dikeledi Mokatong, last heard from Mogamisi o... |
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| I watched my brother die, says metro cop |
Unable to help sibling electrocuted on train during hostage drama
WHEN Mveli Nhlapo, 38, heard that striking Post office workers had taken people hostage on a train, the Ekurhuleni metro police officer and spokesman rushed to help.
Another person who rushed to the scene was his brother... |
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| Sanral contributes to policing of e-tolls |
AA questions why there will be more cops than kilometres on the N1
THE NATIONAL Traffic Intervention Unit will be responsible for the policing Gauteng’s e-tolling freeways.
An internal memo that The Star has seen, shows that Sanral, ETC (Electronic Tolling Company) and the Road Traffic... |
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| Shock as school taxis found to be death traps |
Gauteng parents entrusting kids to vehicles that should not be on the roads
WRITTEN OFF vehicles held together by wire, minibus taxis without floorboards, and brake pedals tied to the floor.
These are the conditions of some vehicles used to transport hundreds of thousands of children to... |
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| Radio news item helps nab gem con artists |
A RADIO news bulletin during a business meeting in a Nando’s led to the arrest of four men who had tried to con a businessman into buying fake gems.
The businessman, who did not wish to be named, had been called to the meeting on Monday to offer his services to four Zambian businessmen.
When... |
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| Four held over fake gemstones |
JOHANNESBURG - A man set up a trap yesterday for four suspects allegedly belonging to a syndicate selling fake gemstones in Rosebank.
Police arrested the men who were allegedly trying for some time to make a deal with the man while he was acting as a client.
He alerted the police after hea... |
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| Sanral wants to toll ‘perilous’ freeway |
JOHANNESBURG - The N1 freeway around Johannesburg, which the SA Road Agency Limited (Sanral) wants to e-toll, is falling apart at various spots – and experts have warned of perilous road conditions.
The area between Beyers Naude and Malibongwe off-ramps has been embattled by poor road conditions... |
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| Court orders 30-day psychiatric check for teenager |
JOHANNESBURG - A Nigel teenager who bludgeoned and stabbed his adoptive parents to death will now undergo psychiatric evaluation, the South Gauteng High Court ruled yesterday.
The 18-year-old drug addict, Schalk du Plooy, was convicted of murdering his parents, pharmacists Schalk and Theresa du... |
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| Moodley says he’ll tell the truth at last |
HE LIED in his trial, he lied to the Supreme Court of Appeal and he lied to the Constitutional Court. But now, he says, he is ready to finally tell the truth.
Donovan Moodley, who is currently an inmate at Diepkloof Prison serving a life sentence for kidnapping and murdering Bond University ... |
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| Public interest clause unlikely to be a part of info bill |
Minister adamant there is no such proviso in other countries
HE GOVERNMENT and the ANC are not about to include a public interest defence clause in the Protection of State Information Bill, currently serving before an ad hoc committee of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
State ... |
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| Sun flare lights up Joburg switchboards, with callers asking if they’re at risk |
Sighs of relief as Earth gets only a passing glance
FOR A WHILE we appeared to be in trouble. A bullet was heading our way – an enormous solar flare set to fry Earth.
It was enough to light up the switchboards of the Johannesburg Planetarium and the SA National Space Agency yesterday a... |
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| Premier’s wife facing fraud charge involving mining firm |
LIMPOPO Premier Cassel Mathale’s wife, Mokgadi Kgohloane, faces a fraud charge over activities allegedly involving her mining company, Blue Platinum Ventures.
Limpopo police spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi confirmed yesterday that a fraud case was opened by the Batlhabine Foundation, a non... |
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| Vehicle lock-jamming theft on rise in Joburg |
MORE than 30 incidents of car-jamming theft are taking place at the high-end shopping malls and schools of Sandton each week.
Yesterday, a dramatic earlymorning shoot-out unfolded at Bryanston Parallel Medium Primary School between police officers and a man in a black Subaru, believed to be a re... |
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| SMS details were wiped out, Henning trial told |
CELLPHONE records show that Andre Gouws, one of the five men accused in the murder of Pretoria mother Chanelle Henning, sent two SMSES to her estranged husband on the day of her murder.
It emerged last week during Gouws’s bail application that Henning’s husband, Nico Henning, was the primary sus... |
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| Top Hawks man thrown out |
DURBAN - The Hawks have cleaned out their nest – pushing senior Durban policeman Colonel Rajen Aiyer out of their service and clipping his wings by sending him to work in the filing section of provincial police headquarters.
Aiyer left the Hawks after pleading guilty at a disciplinary hearing set... |
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| Calls for Zuma to axe premier |
JOHANNESBURG - The Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo) has called on President Jacob Zuma to fire Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale and his MECs.
Azapo is accusing Mathale’s administration of disrespecting the intellect of the people of Limpopo by blaming the national government for failure to ord... |
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| Shivambu denies hate speech message |
JOHANNESBURG - Suspended ANC Youth League spokesman Floyd Shivambu has "no recollection" of sending a message to journalist Carien Du Plessis calling her a "white bitch".
"I do not have records, nor [a] recollection of me saying that to her under whatever circumstances either through text message... |
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| Panic after gun battle outside school |
WORRIED parents rushed to Bryanston Parallel Medium School this morning to check on the wellbeing of their children after hearing reports of a shootout outside the school on the news.
They found police there, with shattered glass and a spent cartridge on the ground. A damaged car belonging to on... |
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| Media banned after Selebi’s health worsens |
HOSPITAL and Correctional Services officials have enforced a media blackout on the condition of disgraced former police commissioner Jackie Selebi.
The media’s lack of respect for Selebi has been cited as the reason.
The closing of ranks comes after Selebi was rushed into the intensive care ... |
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| ANC wants man Star helped trap to be denied bail |
Alleged fraud victims have come forward
HE JOBURG man who we helped get arrested for corruption is an old hand at it, according to the Joburg ANC.
The party said at the weekend there were several more cases being investigated against the man, including the fraudulent sale of houses.
... |
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| Zuma accused of illegal deployment of military in civilian areas |
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has come under fire for flouting constitutional requirements over the deployment of the military in civilian areas.
Letters sent by the Presidency to Speaker Max Sisulu informing Parliament about three major deployments last year authorised by Zuma showed that they were sent... |
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| Alleged killer masterminds still free six years later |
Khashane’s brother strongly believes his sister-in-law should be brought to justice
IT HAS BEEN six years since Captain Anna-marie Potgieter, a popular policewoman who dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of children, was shot dead – but the man who commissioned the murder still w... |
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| THE STING: |
Star helps nail corruption
A HARD slap on the back and the words: “You are under arrest” uttered in a Braamfontein restaurant marked the end of an alleged corruption spree by a bogus Joburg council employee who would have raked in R35 000 in cash for a few seconds’ “work”.
The man, who... |
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| Twitter abuzz at Sanral blitzes |
SOME motorists travelling on the highway yesterday were allegedly pulled over by men, dressed in blue and standing next to a red Sanral e-tag van, who demanded they register for an e-tag or face being fined.
This is according to Twitter users who contacted chairman of the Justice Project SA, How... |
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| Tributes pour in for slain soccer player |
NEWS of the death of former Bafana Bafana defender Jeffrey Ntuka at the weekend was met with shock and sadness by his fans and colleagues.
Ntuka, 26, was reportedly stabbed to death early on Saturday in a nightclub at a township in Kroonstad, Free State.
Kaizer Chiefs, a former club of his, ... |
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| Truth will be bared – Shaik |
President’s ex friend says he feels ‘let down, used and thrown away’
CHABIR Shaik cuts a lonely figure. His palatial home in Morningside, Durban, is empty. It’s only Shaik, his domestic worker, gardener and security guard present.
Time and illness have taken a toll on President Jacob Z... |
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| School admission frustration blamed for teen’s suicide |
Boy took his life after name was not on list
COULD the school admission uncertainty in Gauteng last week be the reason why 13-year-old Kenny Khoza killed himself ?
This is the question the Grade 8 pupil’s parents are asking after he was found hanging in the backyard of their Tembisa hom... |
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| Limpopo’s ‘Mafia-Style’ killings, CEO |
JOHANNESBURG - Limpopo Province is likely to be turned into a battlefield where politicians are killed “Mafia-Style”.
This is the view of deputy CEO of South African Institute of Race Relations, Frans Cronje, who said there is more evidence of political officials being assassinated.
“Politics ... |
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| Beaten driver found after SMS |
A HITCHHIKING woman, holding a six-month-old baby, lured a Good Samaritan to a back road where the woman’s partner viciously attacked the motorist.
Marietjie van Staden was robbed and left for dead after the brutal beating on Tuesday night.
The hitchhiker with the baby then alerted the woman... |
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| 2 nabbed for drugs in mass night raid by army, cops |
MORE than 150 people – many in their pyjamas – were pulled from their beds last night when police and soldiers raided hijacked building in which they lived.
The raid, part of ongoing crackdown operations, took place after 10pm in Pritchard Street.
Two men believed to be in possession of drug... |
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| Mother finds battle for justice is a never-ending saga |
She says son was bullied at school years ago but omissions in police work scuttle chance of a court case
THE MOTHER of a Grade 11 boy has spent the past three years attempting to get justice for her son – but the system has failed her.
In February 2009, Pene Kimber, a mother of a Grade... |
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| World Cup-type courts to hear cases of Limpopo shambles |
Financial probe to get under way soon in bankrupt province
THE GOVERNMENT had evidence of attempts to “sabotage” service delivery in Limpopo in order to lay the blame for that on the national government’s decision to take over the running of five departments in the bankrupt province.
F... |
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| Fearful refugees caught in Yeoville raid |
POLICE officers armed with sjamboks and guns raided some Yeoville buildings last night, causing residents to panic.
A man, who did not want to be named, said officers had been patrolling on Rockey Street yesterday afternoon, targeting foreigners because they had protested earlier in the day.
D... |
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| Agliotti sitting pretty while Selebi battles |
Ex-top cop ill in prison as one-time friend moans about his golf woes
WHILE Jackie Selebi languishes on a sick bed at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, his one-time friend Glenn Agliotti frets about being not being able to play golf.
The convicted drug trafficker with a love for the finer ... |
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| AA’S bumper stickers to assist in e-tolling fight |
THE AA HAS taken its fight against the implementation of e-tolling in Gauteng to a new level.
The organisation has developed bumper stickers in the shape of number plates declaring “No Toll GP”, which it will be selling in all its shops.
AA spokesman Gary Ronald said the stickers were a bid ... |
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| Stand-in mom hunts for missing toddler |
IT HAS BEEN an agonising three weeks for Fatima Mahomed.
The Lenasia woman, who has raised her dead brother and sister-in-law’s two-year-old daughter almost since after the little girl’s birth, is pleading for help from anyone who can help locate the maternal family of the little girl after the c... |
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| Japanese whalers will remain target |
SA wildlife activist injured by thrown grappling hooks
ATTACK: The Yushin Maru No 2 crew drop a grappling hook and what appears to be a bamboo rod on small boats sent by the Sea Shepherd’s Steve Irwin, not seen in the picture. NTI-WHALING campaigners have vowed to continue targeting Japane... |
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| Rape victim's parole shock |
Alison Botha told one of her attackers could be freed
WHEN one of the men serving a life sentence for the brutal attack on Alison Botha bragged about possibly getting released on parole, the news was passed on to his victim.
It was a horrifying revelation for Botha, whose name has beco... |
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| Message from a survivor |
I HAVE avoided speaking directly to the media over the past few days, but now feel compelled to make a statement due to the erroneous impressions created in some news articles that have quoted me, although I have not agreed to any interviews on the matter of my attackers being granted parole.
I ... |
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| Use of soldiers to control civilians ‘unconstitutional’ |
Legal experts slam joint operations involving police and army in cities
LEGAL experts have slammed recent deployments of the military in civilian areas in Joburg and Cape Town, saying they are unconstitutional and “intimidatory”.
Constitutional law professor Pierre de Vos said only the... |
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| Deputy sheriff kept waiting six hours for payment |
Premier must answer for ‘arrogance and incompetent lawyers’, says DA
HE DEPUTY sheriff of the High Court was kept in Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane’s office for six hours yesterday.
Diana Chivelli was at Mokonyane’s office to remove R1 million worth of furniture to make up part of a... |
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| Goldin’s mother glad that parole denied to accomplice |
THE MOTHER of kidnapped and murdered actor Brett Goldin has expressed relief that one of the men involved in the 2006 crime has been denied parole.
Jade Wyngaard’s parole application was heard yesterday at the Drakenstein Prison in Paarl in the Western Cape.
He had served five years of a 15-... |
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| Warning over money bag scam |
POLICE have warned the public against picking up a money bag dropped on the ground – particularly if you’ve just withdrawn money from an ATM.
Law enforcement agents have warned that they have detected a recent trend used by street cons at the Jabulani and Dobsonville malls in Soweto as well as at... |
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| Kruger Park hit by floods |
NELSPRUIT – Thirty visitors to the Kruger National Park (KNP) had to be evacuated yesterday, as some camps were partially flooded after heavy rain in the Lowveld.
At the time of going to press, six overseas visitors were being treated by a doctor at Skukuza after they had been stranded at a picn... |
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| Tutu’s ‘monster’ remarks slated |
JOHANNESBURG - Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu cannot link apartheid criminals to perpetrators in today’s violent society, organisations said yesterday.
They were reacting to a letter from Tutu, who on the basis of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said the man dubbed the “Modimolle Monst... |
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| Nico Henning suspected of being mastermind – investigator |
JOHANNESBURG - Nico Henning, the man believed to have orchestrated his estranged wife’s murder, is yet to be arrested.
The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court heard on Tuesday that Henning is a prime suspect in the murder case which saw Chanelle Henning gunned down near her son’s play school last year.
... |
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| Stampede mom laid to rest |
JOHANNESBURG - The grieving family of Gloria Sekwena were honoured by many dignitaries at her memorial service in Krugersdorp Town Hall, yesterday.
Sekwena, died during the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Bunting Road campus stampede last week.
Her son Kgositsile was at the time trying to hand... |
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| Public hearings on secrecy bill to be heard in all areas |
PUBLIC hearings on the Protection of State Information Bill will take place in each of the nine provinces, in both urban and rural areas, it was agreed yesterday as parties adopted a draft programme for the next stage of the controversial legislation’s passage through Parliament.
After being app... |
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| Cop’s hunch leads to rhino horn haul |
CALL it a hunch, but station commander LieutenantColonel Karel Swanepoel thought there was something strange about the bag a man was carrying along a footpath in Kameeldrift, near Pretoria.
The hunch turned out to be spot-on.
Swanepoel has searched a lot of people in his 29-year career, and ... |
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| 'He's no monster' |
Tutu says Modimolle man is a child of God with the capacity to become a Saint
JOHAN Kotze remains a child of God with the capacity to become a saint and shouldn’t be labelled the “Modimolle monster”, says Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
The archbishop feels so strongly about this tha... |
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| ANC wants e-tag debate to go public |
THE ANC caucus in the Gauteng Legislature has joined in the e-toll debate, calling for information on the financial and legal implications of the project to be made clear to motorists.
The statement was released after The Star revealed yesterday that the terms and conditions when registering for... |
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| Limpopo’s R1bn in spending left province broke |
LIMPOPO incurred R1.1 billion in unauthorised expenditure for the financial year that ended in March, which explains why the province was declared bankrupt by the cabinet.
This is revealed in a provincial audit report released by Auditor-general (A-G) Terence Nombembe this week.
The irregula... |
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| Suspend iron-fisted Majola, says Arendse |
Cricket SA power struggles revealed by frank witness
GERALD Majola ruled Cricket SA with an iron fist, disregarded policy and frustrated all transformation efforts within the national cricket body.
So said advocate Norman Arendse SC, a man who admitted to locking horns with Majola on s... |
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| Tons of dagga destroyed after big Soweto raid |
DAGGA worth R4 million went up in smoke after a plantation was destroyed in a big anticrime operation in Soweto.
Police believe they have destroyed a dagga plantation on land bigger than a rugby field at Meadowlands hostel yesterday.
This was part of the festive season’s Operation Duty Calls... |
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| Satanic ritual survivor goes home at last |
14-year-old girl leaves hospital after numerous skin-graft operations
THE 14-year-old Joburg girl who spent almost three months recovering from the satanic ritual that left her critically injured has been discharged from hospital.
Kirsty Theologo, 18, and her younger friend were lured ... |
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| Bull rhino killed near Mossel Bay |
JOHANNESBURG - A bull rhino has been killed near Mossel Bay and its horns cut off, police said yesterday.
The bull’s carcass was found on Monday on Bergsig farm near Hartenbos and Mossel Bay, police spokesman Vishnu Naidoo said.
He said both horns had been severed.
“It probably happened on... |
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| Zuma now wants to buy a warship |
JOHANNESBURG - Jacob Zuma wants an aircraft carrier, and it will be partly up to convicted fraudster Tony Yengeni to decide who will get the contract to supply a warship potentially costing even more than the four frigates bought as part of the controversial 1999 R60 billion arms deal.
The Citi... |
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| TopTV hits back at right to show porn |
JOHANNESBURG - Satellite television network TopTV has postponed the launch of three adult content channels until January 31, amid the High Court ruling on Monday forbidding the broadcast of the controversial porn channels.
“Following the court hearing, the judge made an order on Monday granting ... |
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| Wedding from hell wrangle |
JOHANNESBURG - A couple’s alleged disastrous wedding in December last year has resulted in their wedding planner taking them to court to get back her tent, catering equipment and the bride’s wedding gown.
Event planner Monare Phala of Motetema in Mpumalanga obtained an urgent court order against ... |
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| Manyi not fit to serve board: DA |
JOHANNESBURG - Controversial government spokesman Jimmy Manyi’s appointment to the board of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) has been slammed by the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The DA said Manyi has prejudiced views on the media and that he was prone to making racially divisive com... |
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| Delay in ‘Satanic ritual’ case |
JOHANNESBURG - Investigations into a fatal “Satanic ritual” case involving six Johannesburg youth have been completed and the trial was expected to start in the Johannesburg High Court soon, officials confirmed yesterday.
The case was postponed last year in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court bec... |
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| R5m bonus ‘made up for pension shortfall’ |
FORMER Cricket SA chief Ali Bacher’s R5 million bonus was to make up for CSA’S meagre contribution to his pension fund.
The CSA administrator received the R5m following the success of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, and it has plunged him right into the middle of the recent CSA bonus scandal.
CSA... |
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| Medical parole bid by friends of Selebi will not be considered |
| FALLEN police chief Jackie Selebi’s application for medical parole by the grouping called The Friends of Jackie Selebi will not be considered because only a doctor treating a prisoner could currently recommend medical parole, says Sonwabo Mbananga, the spokesman for Correctional Services Minister No... |
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| Roads agency breaking the law – union, DA |
Sanral’s toll account clauses are ‘unfair and illegal’
THE SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) not only wants your money – it also wants access to all your bank details and financial accounts.
The Department of Transport postponed e-tolling on Gauteng’s freeways on Friday, just we... |
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| Families mourning after boys drown in drains at landfill site |
TWO YOUNG boys are lying in a morgue when they should have been preparing for the reopening of schools tomorrow.
Morapedi Jase, 13, and Bongani Baduza, 12, of Lawley, south of Joburg, drowned in a drainage system at a Pikitup landfill site in the area on Sunday.
They were with two other boys... |
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| Sinking feeling isn’t a holiday damper |
A PRETORIA couple who were on the cruise liner which ran aground off Giglio island off the west coast of Italy will not let the disaster stand in the way of their dream holiday in Europe.
“We are going to make the best of it, as long as we don’t have to board another boat,” said Mike van Dijk.
... |
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| Day in court for two Modimolle co-accused |
TWO YOUNG men wanted in connection with the gang-rape and mutilation of a Limpopo woman and the murder of her 19-year-old son briefly appeared in the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The placard-waving ANC Women’s League members and angry residents who were present at court on Friday, whe... |
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| Porn channel subscribers face dismay |
Court backs Icasa over completion of public consultation process
SUBSCRIBERS to pay channel TOPTV will have to wait until January 31 to find out if they can view pornography 24 hours a day on the station’s three proposed adult channels.
The satellite TV newcomer had planned to launch t... |
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| Shooting at Shembe mountain condemned |
DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal acting community safety MEC Senzo Mchunu has condemned a shooting at what the Nazareth Baptist Church has proclaimed as its holy mountain in Inanda.
"Such behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Even though there are factions that exist in this church, that is ... |
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| R5 000 reward after teen beaten |
PARENTS of a teenager who was badly beaten by two others near Montecasino in Fourways are offering a R5 000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest of his attackers.
They said security guards were unable to help stop the fight.
Shaun (not his real name) and his friends were wait... |
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| Fourth suspect in Modimolle rape and murder case now behind bars |
A FOURTH suspect who is believed to have participated in the brutal attack and gang-rape of a Modimolle woman has been arrested.
Limpopo police spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Malaudzi said yesterday the 30-year-old man was arrested in Hammanskraal in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The po... |
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| Godongwana calls it a day but still under inquiry cloud |
Deputy minister and wife own half of firm that used workers’ pensions
DEPUTY Economic Development Minister Enoch Godongwana had resigned to “pursue personal interests”, Presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj said yesterday.
Godongwana had approached President Jacob Zuma last month asking to ... |
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| Airline says sorry, but passenger’s loss is not its problem (part 1) |
If you’re asked to check in your carry-on luggage before you board a flight, make sure you remove your laptop and valuable items first
IT’S A scenario all too familiar to frequent flyers – passengers being stopped by airline crew as they’re about to board a plane, and being relieved of the... |
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| Airline says sorry, but passenger’s loss is not its problem (part 2) |
Sadly, there’s no proof of what was said or not said at that crucial moment when Nathalie was asked to hand over her case.
To my mind it is significant, though, that her Lofo tag carried no warning about the removal of valuables.
Why not, given the risk such a passenger is being forced to ta... |
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| Red rose for a murdered son |
‘Prepare a lovely garden where you are now’
WHISPERING softly, a Limpopo mother, allegedly gangraped, mutilated and tortured, bent towards the grave of her murdered son, kissing a blood red rose before softly dropping it on to her child’s cherry wood casket.
“Goodbye my son. Goodbye. M... |
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| Transport minister temporarily slams brakes on Gauteng’s tolls |
Sanral board chair man Tembakazi Myanka said: “This decision is an indication that we are a government that listens to people and considers their views.”
Department of Transport spokesman Logan Maistry said the decision did not imply that the system would be scrapped but that it was non-operatio... |
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| The terrified ‘Monster’ |
THIS is the “Modimolle Monster” in the dock and behind bars at last. In one picture he sits stonyfaced in the dock, facing the wrath of 300 protesters outside the court today.
Johan Kotze was captured on a wild and desperate flight through his hometown as he was hunted by police, bloodhounds, ar... |
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| Man shoots dead children, wounds himself and partner |
SHE WEPT while her cousin pleaded for her life, but her partner shot her in the head and then killed their two young children in their bed. He then shot himself.
Both he and the woman survived, but the children died.
This morning relatives named the couple as Victor Andreans, 50, and Althea ... |
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| Stampede victim recovering well from injuries |
Original diagnosis of a suspected broken neck proves incorrect
ONE MILITARY Hospital has denied that Kedibone Molete sustained a broken neck during the stampede at the University of Johannesburg.
The 50-year-old Akasia, Pretoria, woman was injured when she fell and was trampled on duri... |
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| Battlefield Joburg: traders targeted |
Forced to flee from stun grenades
A TAXI driver was dragged into a puddle and ordered to swim because he laughed at a police officer.
A woman was pepper-sprayed and beaten with a stick because she wanted to close her shop. And a human rights worker had his phone confiscated and was arr... |
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| Parents go to war with school over residential address |
Admission committee chair asked to step down
TWO PARENTS have taken the Department of Education to court after Mondeor Primary School refused to admit their children over a dispute in their residential address.
The parents appeared before the Johannesburg High Court yesterday in a bid ... |
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| PO worker with wandering hands gets the boot |
A POST office employee accused of sexually harassing two colleagues was exonerated by a commissioner at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), who ruled that he just had “touchy mannerisms” and was unaware of his wandering hands.
But the man has now been fired after a... |
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| ‘How I found the monster’ |
Brave mother stares into alleged torturer, killer’s eyes
A Late-night drive by a Limpopo mother, desperate to get her two young sons to sleep, led to the arrest – “through God’s guidance” – of “Modimolle Monster” suspect Johan Kotze.
On the run for eight days, Kotze, 50, the alleged ma... |
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| Arrests made as CBD foot patrol seizes R1m drugs |
POLICE threw two stun grenades outside the Bree Street taxi rank when crowds got too close to almost R1 million worth of seized narcotics on the tarmac.
The city’s Operation Festive Season foot patrol was in progress as members of the Joburg metro police, Tactical Response Team and the defence f... |
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| Terror for woman caught in stampede at UJ |
She is now lying injured in hospital with a broken neck, while another has spinal injuries
THIS PICTURE, taken minutes into Tuesday’s University of Johannesburg stampede, shows a terrorstricken Kedibone Molete sinking deeper into the ground as the crowd throngs around her.
The nurse ha... |
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| Two killed in clash with rangers in Kruger park |
TWO POACHERS were killed last night during a shootout with field rangers in the Kruger National Park.
The incident comes just two days after an unprecedented eight rhinos were slaughtered in a single night.
The two men, believed to have crossed the nearby border from Mozambique into the park... |
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| Parents can have a say in the removal of children |
Youngsters will now have to appear in court in 24 hours
PARENTS and caregivers of children taken away from their primary caregivers over suspected neglect have been given a voice. The Constitutional Court yesterday declared aspects of the Children’s Act unconstitutional, empowering parents... |
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| Motorists register for e-tolling |
JOHANNESBURG - Despite the controversy over the Gauteng road tolling system, more than 200 000 motorists have registered for the electronic tolling system, the South African National Road Agency Limited (Sanral) said yesterday.
A total of 212 906 motorist have registered and obtained the Electron... |
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| Ex-mayor’s case dropped |
JOHANNESBURG - Believing they had a weak case, with no “possibility of success”, Western Cape prosecuting authorities this week decided to drop corruption charges against a former ANC mayor.
They declined to prosecute despite findings of the Public Protector last July, that controversial former... |
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| Mother’s dedication led to death |
JOHANNESBURG - The mother of the 19-year-old student who died horribly in a stampede at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) on Tuesday came all the way from the United Kingdom to get him registered.
Forty-seven-year-old Gloria Sekwena’s hopes for her son’s education led to her untimely death... |
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| Murder accused nabbed |
JOHANNESBURG - The notorious Johan Kotze, who is accused of killing his stepson and organising a gruesome assault on his estranged wife, was arrested yesterday in Modimolle.
“The elusive Kotze, who evaded police capture, has finally been arrested yesterday morning at about 11.45” police spokesman... |
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| Kotze held in home town |
Cops get him at last ‘Rapist’ also arrested
POLICE have caught Johan Kotze, the man dubbed the “Modimolle Monster”, just hours after seizing his crashed car following a highspeed chase though his home town.
He was nabbed while walking in the street in Modimolle at about noon. No furthe... |
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| Cosatu plans Sun City march after torture claim |
A SECRETLY shot video of an alleged torture incident of three guests at Sun City has labour federation Cosatu planning to march on the resort.
Three guests were allegedly beaten up and shocked with cattle prods by contracted security guards at Sun City’s Valley of the Waves on New Year’s Day.
... |
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| Most charges against EX-MEC dismissed |
FORMER Gauteng housing MEC Dan Mofokeng walked out of the Domestic Violence Court in Pretoria a happy man yesterday after four of the six charges against him were dismissed.
Mofokeng is still facing charges of assaulting his estranged wife, ANC deputy chief whip in the Gauteng Legislature Jacque... |
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| Tale of assassination, drug trafficking and diamonds |
Sexy Boys gang allegedly involved in Beeka shooting
A LEADER of the Sexy Boys gang is a suspect in the killing of underworld figure Cyril Beeka, who was being investigated for murder, drug trafficking and illegal diamonds at the time of his death.
Links between a number of prominent Ca... |
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| Drive through for a licence in a jiffy |
JOBURG’S first drive-through vehicle licence renewal centre has opened at the Langlaagte testing station.
The drive-through has been opened to help alleviate the long queues at the centre that have increased dramatically since the Loveday Street licensing office closed several months ago.
“S... |
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| Varsity slammed for ‘not caring’ and lack of planning |
THE UNIVERSITY of Johannesburg (UJ) and the City of Joburg underestimated in their crowd control plans how many late applicants would turn up at the gates.
UJ head of security Roelof Hugo, said the UJ had met the City of Joburg’s Disaster Management Centre last week before the opening of the lat... |
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| Some prospective students express fear on Facebook |
THE STAMPEDE at the University of Johannesburg yesterday angered social media users, many of whom are students at UJ or other universities across the country.
Facebook and Twitter users didn’t mince words when expressing how they felt about the stampede. Some were furious at the university for t... |
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| Super cop Byleveld might help to solve Kotze murder case |
JOHANNESBURG - While police are confident about the whereabouts of the alleged murderer, Johan Kotze, speculation on whether super cop Piet Byleveld is assisting in solving the case has become stronger.
The speculation has come after the former detective was seen in Modimolle at the weekend and f... |
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| ‘Hate speech’ priest charges |
JOHANNESBURG - The FW de Klerk Foundation and Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Hellen Zille are in the process of lodging formal complaints of ‘hate speech’ with the South Africa Human Rights Commision (SAHRC).
This comes after a comment sparking much controversy was posted via Twitter, singling o... |
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| Waterkloof duo’s counsel seeks appeal delay |
JOHANNESBURG - The legal team of two of the “Waterkloof Four” has asked for the appeal case that was expected to be heard on January 25 to be heard at a later stage.
This comes after the Department of Correctional Services filed an appeal to have the decision ordered by the Pretoria Regional Cour... |
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| SA team to investigate failed bungee jump at Vic Falls |
A South African team of experts are expected to arrive at Victoria Falls today, to help investigate a failed bungee jump that led to an Australian tourist plummeting head first into the Zambezi River.
The inspection team would assist in procedures of the investigation, Shearwater Adventures chair... |
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| Cosatu threatens protest over ‘barbaric Sun City racism’ |
JOHANNESBURG - Labour federation Cosatu has threatened to organise protests at Sun City because of racism.
This comes after African and Indian guests were allegedly tortured by having electrical shocks inflicted on them earlier this month.
“Cosatu is in possession of the video footage of this... |
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| Eskom plea to help save power |
JOHANNESBURG - Power Utility Eskom yesterday said they were determined not to have any blackouts in the near future.
This comes after the power giant sent out a stern warning to it’s customers after high levels of electricity usage brought the system under pressure earlier this week.
Eskom spo... |
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| UJ closes late applications after fatal stampede |
JOHANNESBURG - The mother of a prospective student died in a stampede at the University of Johannesburg on Tuesday as thousands of youth queued in desperate bids for a chance to study.
"It certainly is the saddest day for me personally in the six years that I have been vice chancellor in the UJ,"... |
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| UJ STAMPEDE |
THEY SCREAMED, they shouted in anger, they pushed those ahead of them, they trod over people who had fallen.
And they killed a woman, the mother of one of the thousands of students desperate to get into the University of Johannesburg (UJ) campus.
This was the tragedy that unfolded this morni... |
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| Seven in the dock over kidnapping of South Koreans |
SEVEN men who are accused of kidnapping two South Koreans from OR Tambo International Airport for ransom appeared at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Ignatius Ogenna, 45, Micheal Oburuonye, 41, James Okeke, 29, Bongani Magwentswa, 47, Romisi Chinidal, 32, Obinna Ngaogo, 32, and Joh... |
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| Minister ordered to provide fracking affidavits |
AN ANTI-FRACKING group has secured a mini-victory after the Pretoria High Court ordered Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu and her department’s director-general to submit court affidavits by the end of the month.
The Treasure the Karoo Action Group (TKAG) is locked in a court battle with ... |
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| Jailing parents if pupils go missing ‘harsh’ |
PARENTS and pupils reacted with shock to new Gauteng Department of Education legislation aimed at jailing or fining parents who refuse to send their children to school.
The law is aimed at parents who are repeat offenders, and who ignore warnings about their children’s absence or who prevent the... |
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| Send your kids to school or go to prison |
New education laws bring Gauteng in line with national legislation
MAKE sure your children go to school this year – or you could face a term in jail.
Gauteng has rewritten its education laws to encourage parents to get their children to school by threatening defaulters with a possible ... |
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| Robber lies dead in driveway, accomplice gets away |
Cops shoot suspect as he drops TV, grabs ‘something’ in car
A ROBBER was shot dead by police in the Cresta area during a house robbery gone wrong.
A 16-year-old boy and another teenager were on the property during yesterday’s incident.
The robber lay dead in a pool of blood in the... |
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| Mother in court after leaving children in car on sweltering day |
A WOMAN who allegedly left her two children in a locked car while she shopped made a brief appearance in the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Facing charges of child neglect, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer, Nthabiseng Shelly Khumalo, 34, was not asked to plead and her ... |
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| Info Bill optimism |
JOHANNESBURG - Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is confident that consensus can still be reached on the deadlock over the proposed inclusion of a public interest defence clause in the Protection of State Information Bill.
Yesterday, Motlanthe’s spokesman Thabo Masebe confirmed Motlanthe’s opti... |
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| Fracking probe delayed |
JOHANNESBURG - An urgent court application by an environmental action group to force the Mineral Resources Minister to reveal details on the task team investigating the effects of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the Karoo was yesterday postponed indefinitely in the North Gauteng High Court.
Th... |
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| Bungee survivor out of hospital |
JOHANNESBURG - The miraculous survivor of a bungled bungee jumping incident at the Victoria Falls Bridge has been released from a South African hospital.
“We are pleased to advise that she has now been released from hospital, although she remains bruised and sore she will shortly be free to retur... |
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| Mother charged with murder of son, two, to remain in jail |
CAPE TOWN - A Cape Town woman who confessed to the murder of her son, two, appeared in the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Zulpha Jacob’s, 30, the mother of toddler Taariq Jacobs, confessed to his murder on New Year’s Eve, police have said. She allegedly reported him missing and wa... |
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| Metrorail commuters stranded |
JOHANNESBURG - Commuters were stranded yesterday morning when Metrorail trains came to a complete halt as a result of faulty malfunctioning signal system.
The problem seems to show up regularly especially at the beginning of the month.
Commuters using the service traveling by train from Preto... |
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| Botched robbery suspect killed in shootout with police |
JOHANNESBURG - A man was killed in a shootout with police after an attempted house robbery went wrong in Northcliff in Johannesburg yesterday morning.
Police spokesman Pinky Tsinyane said two men forcefully opened the gate to the house and threatened a 16-year-old boy who was home at the time.
... |
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| ‘Racist war’ trio: ‘no conspiracy proved’ |
JOHANNESBURG - The State yesterday asked for the conviction of three young Phalaborwa men, who allegedly planned to start a racist war in South Africa, on various charges of terrorism.
But counsel for Georgios Kiratzidis, Marthinus Vorster and Ruan Louw argued that the State had not proved any co... |
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| Concern at impact of toll plaza strike |
JOHANNESBURG - The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) yesterday said it was concerned at the impact that the strike action at toll plazas would have on the movement of goods and people on South African roads.
Sacci CEO Neren Rau said in a statement that unwarranted traffic del... |
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| Legal route to halt TV porn |
JOHANNESBURG - The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has lodged a court interdict to stop satellite TV network Top TV from launching a 24-hour pornographic channel.
“Taking legal action in the form of a court interdict against Top TV was the final resort by Icasa, but i... |
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| Delay in case against 5 cops accused of robbery |
JOHANNESBURG - The case against five police officers and four others accused of robbing the Witwatersrand Taxi Association of R160 000 in Soweto, was postponed in the Protea Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Captain Lucas Khoza said the nine were asked not to plead.
They will remain in custody unt... |
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| More drownings feared as rip currents get stronger |
JOHANNESBURG - The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said yesterday 22 water-related deaths on the South African coast have been recorded since the beginning of this year.
NSRI spokesman, Craig Lambinon said of those, six people who were presumed to have drowned around the coast were still ... |
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| Reverend’s ‘kill whites’ tweet a shocker |
A REVEREND used Twitter at the weekend to call for white people in South Africa to be killed.
The man singled out Helen Zille as among those who should be killed.
The Reverend Kemo Immanuel Waters runs a business called the Kemotherapy Institute of Truth and is an active member of Twitter, F... |
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| Woman sergeant arrested for the second time |
A POLICE officer on suspension after her alleged involvement in a business robbery has been rearrested – this time with her husband and five others on robbery charges involving R160 000.
She was the 536th officer in Gauteng to be detained for criminal activities last year.
Police said the 35... |
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| Gauteng roads claim 4 lives, leave 20 hurt |
FOUR people died and about 20 were injured in four accidents involving 16 cars in Gauteng at the weekend.
In the first accident, on Friday on the N12 near Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, a man pulled into the emergency lane to show his children some ducks in the veld. ER24’S Andre Visser said cars behind ... |
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| Pair escape injury after crash landing |
A PILOT and his assistant escaped injury when their light aircraft crashed in a field near Grand Central Airport in Midrand yesterday during an emergency landing.
Percy Morokane of Air Traffic And Navigation Services confirmed the incident.
Synock Matubako, spokesman for Joburg Emergency Ser... |
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| Search for monster of Modimolle widens to involve Interpol |
Cops want men allegedly hired for horror to come forward
THE SEARCH for Johan Kotze, the man suspected of murdering a University of Pretoria student and allegedly orchestrating the gang-rape and mutilation of the boy’s mother, his estranged wife, has widened, and Interpol is now involved. ... |
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| S Korean ‘kidnapping’ victims rescued |
POLICE successfully rescued two South Koreans from a Soweto house yesterday where they had been held captive following their alleged kidnapping on arrival in SA.
The 65-year-old father and his daughter, in her 30s, were allegedly lured to SA through the notorious 419 scam.
Hawks spokesman Mc... |
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| Private petition for Selebi medical parole release |
THE WIFE of murderer Clive Derby-lewis plans to lay a charge against the correctional services minister over what she has said about her husband.
Two days ago, Gaye DerbyLewis – whose husband was found guilty of Chris Hani’s murder – sent a letter to Nosiviwe Mapisa-nqakula, accusing her of lyin... |
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| Murder-suicide suspected after couple shot in street |
A MAN of 29 is believed to have shot and killed a young woman before turning the gun on himself in an alleged murdersuicide.
An identity book and a suicide note dated October 15, 2011, stating “I will kill you and kill myself and your family will cry” (sic), was found in the man’s possession.
... |
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| Derby-lewis’s wife intends laying charge over prisons minister’s ‘lies’ |
THE WIFE of murderer Clive Derby-lewis plans to lay a charge against the correctional services minister over what she has said about her husband.
Two days ago, Gaye DerbyLewis – whose husband was found guilty of Chris Hani’s murder – sent a letter to Nosiviwe Mapisa-nqakula, accusing her of lyin... |
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| Fear that son’s murderer could commit suicide |
Raped and mutilated wife has had a relapse
A SPECIALISED task team comprising detectives from elite policing units from across the country has been formed to hunt down the killer of a Pretoria University student who also forced three casual workers, at gunpoint, to rape and mutilate his es... |
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| Many victims vow never to touch a firework again |
SIPHO Nkosi* now shakes hands with his left.
The 14-year-old won’t play wing for the local rugby team anymore. He is also worried that he won’t be able to write when he returns to school.
“It was like a bomb,” said Sipho, describing the firework that tore off the tips of his fingers on New Y... |
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| Festive season crime said to be down from previous year |
POLICE officials say there has been a decrease in the incidents of crime that were reported over last year’s festive season compared to the previous year.
“We can safely say that a decrease in crime incidents reported was evident. We are still in the process of safety operation campaigns, thus an... |
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| One cyclist in casualty, two seriously injured after collision, hit and run |
THREE cyclists were injured in collisions with vehicles yesterday morning.
A security guard is being treated in the casualty ward of Polokwane Provincial Hospital after both his legs were broken when he collided with a VW Kombi in Emerald Street at 7.35am.
“ER24 paramedics arrived on the sce... |
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| Murder, rape: hunt for monster |
Mutilated mom heard son’s pleas
LIMPOPO police have launched a nationwide hunt for a man who forced three men to gang-rape and mutilate his estranged wife at gunpoint.
The vicious attack occurred on Tuesday when the 51-yearold Modimolle meat distributor and former Bloemfontein sheep fa... |
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| Teens lay charge after Joburg taxi rank groping |
TWO TEENAGERS have laid charges of indecent assault, crimen injuria and sexual harassment against the men who harassed them at the Noord Street taxi rank in central Joburg because one was wearing a miniskirt.
Accompanied by MMC for public safety Matshidiso Mfikoe and Joburg metro police spokesma... |
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| Man forces 3 to rape wife and murders son |
A NATIONAL police search is under way for a Limpopo man who allegedly broke into his estranged wife’s home, ordered his workers to rape her, sliced her breasts, and then shot dead his own teenage son.
The 51-year-old man is on the run from Modimolle, Limpopo, where the attack took place at about... |
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| Girl plunges to her death from sixth floor of Hillbrow flats |
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD girl playing in the corridor on the sixth floor of a block of flats in Hillbrow fell to her death last night.
Michelle Ramaufi fell five storeys onto an open, enclosed courtyard in the Parklane Hotel when the window she was leaning against gave way.
The plastic toys she had b... |
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| Mother in court over son’s death |
POLICE said the mother of two-year-old Tariq Jacobs has confessed to his murder after she was arrested early on Sunday.
The toddler’s body was found in a shallow grave at Imperial Primary School in Beacon Valley on Saturday after noon.
An autopsy was conducted to determine the cause of death. ... |
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| Holiday trips end in tragedy |
Dad’s grief as propeller slashes 3 to death as friend loses control of boat
THE ONLY survivor of yesterday’s boating tragedy spoke out this morning about his desperate battle to save his son and his son’s girlfriend – and how his lifelong friend had died trying to save all of them.
The... |
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| Cops ‘in shock’ after collision kills 2 cyclists |
ON SUNDAY Thereza Kruger made a New Year’s resolution to do Honours in accounting. Yesterday she begun training for her other love, cycling, planning to complete this year’s Cape Argus.
But hours later she and her cycling partner died after their tandem bicycle was hit by a police van.
Kruge... |
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| SAPS probe extended |
THE PROBE into police finances has been expanded to cover another 16 months.
This means that SAPS finances over seven years are now being investigated.
Days before Christmas, President Jacob Zuma signed a proclamation giving the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) the power to investigate matte... |
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| R60m swoop at Durban harbour |
Bust brings to R10bn the value of fake goods seized in 2011
THE POLICE have seized clothing worth R60 million at Durban harbour, bringing the value of counterfeit goods found at the port last year to about R10 billion.
The harbour’s operational response services unit swooped last week ... |
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| Outrage over R960 000 bid to hunt white rhino |
AN Anti-rhino poaching activist has challenged the “mystery businessman” who forked out close to R1 million to hunt and kill a white rhino in Kwazulu-natal to identify himself, exchange his high-powered rifle for a camera, take the shot and walk away.
Simon Bloch, of Outraged South African Citiz... |
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| Girl fighting for life after cop father guns down wife and child |
AS LITTLE Khumo Motaung fights for her life in hospital, her relatives are battling to discover what drove her apparently loving father to shoot her and then gun down her twomonth-old brother, their mother and himself.
The murders and suicide occurred on Saturday afternoon, hours before the youn... |
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| Storm and flood kill 5 in KZN as homes collapse |
A MAN who survived a New Year’s Eve storm that flattened his Msinga home and killed four relatives clung to the branches of a tree until the water subsided.
Ntokozo Masikane, 31, said the family had gathered on Saturday for the New Year celebrations when storm clouds gathered. Then a hailstorm p... |
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| ‘Brown envelope’ scandal report delayed |
THE ANC is yet to hand over a controversial report, relating to the Western Cape’s “brown envelope” journalism scandal, to the Western Cape High Court.
The party was ordered to submit the report to the court when Independent Newspapers won permission to access the document.
It contains the f... |
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| NEW YEAR LOCKDOWN |
Cops vow to jail criminal bikers with number plate gadgets
POLICE have lost patience with reckless and drunken drivers. Motorcyclists caught with automated devices to fold away their registration plates could be jailed. Tonight, Johannesburg will enter a virtual lockdown as authorities try... |
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| Minister and Simelane defend Zuma’s judgment |
IN APPEAL papers filed at the Constitutional Court last week, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Jeff Radebe and the national director of public prosecutions (NDPP) both defended President Jacob Zuma’s decision to appoint Menzi Simelane.
While Zuma pulled out of the appeal this w... |
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| Jiba does comeback jive in NDPP role |
IN THE latest round of musical chairs at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), President Jacob Zuma has elevated bounce-back kid advocate Nomgcobo Jiba to the top, albeit in a temporary capacity.
Two weeks ago, Jiba was appointed acting head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), a post sh... |
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| COFFIN ON WHEELS IMPOUNDED |
NO LIGHTS, no ignition, worn-out tyres, no speedometer or petrol gauge, hardly any nuts on the wheels, and doors which fell off when opened.
Yet this 12-seater minibus taxi transports 14 passengers on public roads on a daily basis and has clearly been doing so for many years.
The taxi was ta... |
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| Car kills hitchhiking teens sleeping in middle of road |
THEIR intention was to sleep in the middle of the road, hoping a motorist would stop and offer them a lift. However, two of the four teenage boys hitchhiking near Potchefstroom never woke up.
Police said the boys, aged 17 and 16, were killed instantly when a “speeding car” drove over them while ... |
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| Roadblocks frustrating but necessary, traffic cops insist |
Stop-and-search operation infuriates Joburg residents trying to get home
BRILLIANT Nkumalo saw the gap on the N1 highway and took it. Standing at a set of traffic lights on Maraisburg Road, Nkumalo looked down on the 2.5km-long traffic jam and realised there was money to be made. Soon he w... |
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| Selebi to get VIP treatment for kidney problems |
JACKIE Selebi will be getting his own specially modified room within the medical wing of Pretoria Central Prison, where he will undergo renal dialysis.
It is history in the making – the disgraced former national police commissioner will become the first prisoner in SA to receive dialysis in a co... |
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| Top prosecutor in limbo after Zuma’s appeal decision |
Minister of Justice Radebe will still act over court ruling on Simelane
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma effectively fired the national director of public prosecutions after withdrawing an application yesterday to appeal against a judgment which found Menzi Simelane’s appointment invalid.
This mea... |
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| Invitation to tender for rhino hunt seen as slap in the face for conservation |
AN ORGANISATION campaigning for the saving of rhinos is outraged that Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has invited hunters to tender for the hunting of a white rhino bull in Mkuze.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has invited hunters with valid licences to bid for the killing of the white rhino, with a minimum bid of... |
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| Boy’s wish to stay here with dad is granted |
Johannesburg High Court rules in favour of 13-year-old staying in SA with father, rather than with mom in Australia
A TEENAGER’S desire to live with his father in South Africa and not with his mom in Australia was found to be more important to a South African court than the Hague Conventio... |
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| Hospital boss bans bullying story |
“LIKE cancer, most organisations are infested with bullying in one form or another.”
That is the opening sentence on an article written by Dr Kwena Manamela for her column in the December issue of Tembisa Hospital’s in-house newsletter.
Intended to be an affirming piece about taking a stand ... |
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| Fugitive wants asylum, refugee status in SA |
Political and religious grounds to be cited as reasons for not extraditing
FUGITIVE Dobrosav Gavric, who is wanted for two assassinations and a murder in Serbia, is in the process of applying for political and religious asylum and refugee status in SA, it emerged yesterday.
Speaking ou... |
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| Girl’s brave swim to safety |
But father and grandmother drown after their car washed off bridge
A 12-YEAR-OLD girl clung to a tree branch for more than an hour after the car she was in had been washed off a low-lying bridge and into a dam at the Blue Valley Golf Estate in Midrand.
And when help arrived, she tried ... |
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| A Christmas miracle helped save this girl |
A TRAIN driver has been hailed a hero after he managed to rescue a three-year-old girl from under his train at Manqulo Village near Butterworth, Eastern Cape, on Monday.
“She’s not hurt, she is playing right now,” said her grateful father Ayanda Sihu, 32, yesterday. He realised his daughter Amah... |
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| Wanted Serbian in SA custody |
Cyril Beeka’s driver hands himself over to Hawks; faces lengthy prison sentence in home country
A SERBIAN fugitive wanted for two assassinations and a murder, including that of Serbia’s most feared warlord, was expected to appear in a Cape Town court today after hiding out in South Africa ... |
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| Chopper lifts girl to safety |
A TEENAGER was rushed to hospital after falling and “bouncing” about 30 metres before landing on an embankment while hiking with a group on Lion’s Head on Table Mountain yesterday morning.
The 15-year-old girl was stabilised before she was airlifted by a helicopter team and taken to Vincent Pall... |
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| Two more SA women up for drugs |
TWO SOUTH African women have been arrested for drug trafficking in two separate incidents over the Christmas period, one in Mozambique and the other in Nigeria.
Mozambican police arrested the South African woman, Promise Mpala, 26, for allegedly carrying drugs when she entered the country at Map... |
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| ‘What beasts attacked my son so cruelly?’ |
Abrave boy of 11 saved his sister from abduction – but paid a horrific price himself
SIBUSISO (not his real name) is at a loss for words to describe his pain. The Soweto father is unable to sleep and cries over his 11-yearold son who lies in hospital after he was abducted and had his genit... |
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| Not the right character for a judge, says Afriforum |
| AFRIFORUM is adamant that Judge Nkola Motata does not have the “necessary insight and character traits which are crucial for a judge of this country’s high court”. This is according to its answering affidavit filed at the Pretoria High Court in response to Motata’s application to resume his duties a... |
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| 11-year-old’s penis, ear cut off: muti link suspected |
POLICE believe the abduction of a boy, who had his penis and left ear sliced off, is another Soweto muti crime.
The 11-year-old boy’s genitals and ear were cut off on Friday while his mother was away at a funeral in Kwazulu-natal. He is recovering in hospital. Police spokesman Captain Mpande Kho... |
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| Crash teenager recovering from infection |
THE FERREIRA family usually celebrate Christmas on their farm in Mookgophong, Limpopo, but this year was different. It was spent alongside their son’s hospital bed watching him fight a life-threatening infection.
Thomas is doing better now, according to his father Paul.
“He is stable and his... |
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| Two die in smash after doctor hits bakkie from back |
A CULLINAN doctor faces charges of drunk driving and culpable homicide after a bakkie he crashed into overturned, killed two elderly women and injured several others.
Police spokesman Johannes Jafta said: “The doctor was driving a Mercedes-benz along the R513 between Cullinan and Mamelodi behind... |
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| Big plea for caution on roads |
WITH more than 800 deaths recorded across the country this festive season, and heavier volumes of traffic expected, motorists are advised to exercise extreme caution.
Road Traffic Management Corporation spokesman Ashref Ismail said yesterday “the big area of concern for us are headon collisions”... |
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| Falsely accused man to sue police for wrongful arrest |
A SOWETO man plans to sue the police for wrongful arrest and assault after he was falsely accused of stealing a vehicle.
Sidwell Mazibuko, 42, of Jabulani, accused the police of brutality after they allegedly kicked and punched him while arresting him last week.
The police had accused him of s... |
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| Banking phishing scam victim loses case |
IN A RECENT judgment in the Pretoria High Court, a R200 000 claim by an attorney who lost this amount as a result of a phishing scam was turned down because the court found that the attorney’s negligence had contributed to his financial loss.
Attorney Jaco Roestof claimed this money from a law f... |
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| Establishment of traffic police unit sparks war |
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and Western Cape transport MEC Robin Carlisle are involved in a “turf war” over the lawfulness of the National Traffic Police Unit.
RTMC’s acting chief executive Collins Letsoalo said yesterday that they were puzzled by Carlisle’s remarks that the un... |
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| Papers filed for ConCourt review on Simelane ruling |
CAPE TOWN - The government on Thursday filed papers to the Constitutional Court for its impending review of the appeal court's decision to strike down Menzi Simelane's appointment as national prosecutions chief.
Justice ministry spokesman Tlali Tlali indicated that the presidency, the ministry an... |
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| Toll road outrage growing |
Calls for boycott of e-tags as Sanral deducts money before kick-off
GAUTENG motorists, already outraged about sky-high toll road costs, are now seething at roads agency Sanral for deducting money from those who own e-tags.
And more and more are now voicing their intentions to boycott t... |
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| Blue-light victim back in hospital |
THE TEENAGER who was left brain damaged after a collision with a blue-light vehicle six weeks ago was rushed back to hospital yesterday after an unidentified virus attacked him.
Running a high fever and leaving his family panicked, Thomas Ferreira was readmitted to Krugersdorp Hospital around 2p... |
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| Claims about parole for Selebi at fever pitch |
OFFICIALS have rubbished claims that disgraced former top cop Jackie Selebi – who is ill in hospital – is about to be released on medical parole.
The talks reached fever pitch when Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-nqakula announced that she was calling a press briefing.
But min... |
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| Parole board under scrutiny over Waterkloof pair |
Correctional Services official denies chairman’s suspension
CORRECTIONAL Services has launched an internal investigation into the circumstances under which the Zonderwater parole board recommended that the 12-year prison sentences of two of the so-called Waterkloof Four be commuted to corr... |
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| Shock as bail of Sactwu fraud accused is set at R500 000 each |
“GENTLEMEN, now you will know who your true friends are,” said magistrate Frederick Louw in granting R500 000 bail each to two men accused of defrauding union members’ provident funds of at least R146 million.
Delivering his ruling in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Louw said former ... |
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| Kodwa’s blood alcohol case seen as a victory |
CHARGES of drunk driving have officially been withdrawn against presidential adviser Zizi Kodwa.
The decision was taken by the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions on Wednesday, and documentation was finalised at the Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Kodwa was arrested... |
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| His toy gun made us open fire, say cops |
Friends flee on foot after the police chase them – firing – to a toll gate
ZAIN Schroeder, 23, was spinning with a friend when police officers caught up with him near the Ennerdale Spar, south of Joburg, and opened fire.
Speaking on behalf of her son, who was discharged from hospital y... |
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| HIGHWAY ‘ROBBERY’ |
Roads agency making deductions before toll system even kicks off
GAUTENG’S diligent motorists who heeded the SA National Roads Agency Ltd’s call to buy e-tags for the highway tolling system are being penalised.
While the toll system is coming into effect only in two months’ time, billi... |
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| Joburger saves angler in rough sea |
A HOLIDAYMAKER from Joburg saved another Joburger from drowning at Kleinmond on the Cape south coast yesterday.
Father and son Bruce Williams, 61, and Lindsay, 19, from Edenvale in Ekurhuleni, were swept off the rocks by a wave while angling.
Bruce was swept into the surf and then bashed aga... |
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| Zuma in middle of game of musical chairs |
Uncertainty as investigating unit gets fourth leader in a few weeks
IN LESS than three months, President Jacob Zuma has had to reverse three crucial appointments, the latest that of acting head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU),
Zuma said yesterday he had appointed the deputy nat... |
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| Pardoned for massacre, he chose to lead life of crime |
Grenade victim had hoped ‘nice guy’ would go straight
WHEN Gcinikhaya Makoma attacked the St James Church in Cape Town in 1993, one of the grenades he and the four other attackers hurled into the congregation exploded next to 18-year-old Gillian Schermbrucker.
The five Azanian People’s... |
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| Concourt must rule on tricky deportation, death penalty issue |
THE CONSTITUTIONAL Court is to be asked to shed light on the question whether the SA government can deport “undesirable” people facing a possible death penalty if sent back to the country from which they had fled.
Home Affairs will ask the court to review a Johannesburg High Court order which ea... |
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| Kodwa to sue cops over zero percent blood test |
ZIZI Kodwa had not been drinking last month when Rosebank, Joburg, police station officers stopped him and forced him to take a blood test.
And now he will proceed with a R5 million suit against Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa and acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-general Nhlanhla... |
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| Fraud accused insists that he is not a flight risk |
FORMER union consultant Richard Kawie, embroiled in a multimillion-rand fraud case, denied having many identity documents or links with Home Affairs officials.
He made the denial in his application for bail in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court, where judgment was reserved yesterday until tomorrow... |
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| Joburg traffic cops break law with fines |
THE JOBURG metro police could have their enforcement powers taken away in months to come if they continue to break the law by not sending out Aarto infringement notices by registered mail.
In January, the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) instructed the metro cops (JMPD) to adhere to the A... |
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| Driver may be wanted for assassination |
Hawks try to establish whether chauffeur is a Serbian fugitive
THE HAWKS are working with Serbian authorities to try to establish if the man who was driving slain underworld figure Cyril Beeka when he was murdered is in fact a fugitive wanted for the assassination of one of Serbia’s most f... |
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| Stink in flats leads to elephant horns and arrest of two men |
| SAD SIGHT: A large haul of elephant tusks was seized and two people arrested at a block of flats in Cape Town. Residents noticed a bad smell as two men allegedly grinding tusks. THE SMELL of “burnt hair” aroused the suspicions of residents in the Ocean View complex in Tableview, Cape Town, yesterday... |
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| Hopes that jailed Waterkloof pair will also be released |
Correctional supervision being considered
THE MOTHER of one of the remaining two members of the so-called Waterkloof Four who are still in prison has expressed joy at the release of the other two on correctional supervision.
Reinach Tiedt and Gert van Schalkwyk were released from Zonde... |
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| Cop cleared after explaining organ mix-up |
A NORTH West police director, sentenced on charges of inconsiderate driving, crimen injuria and assault after a road rage incident, has had his name cleared in a majority judgment by the Pretoria High Court.
Patrick Asaneng appealed against his convictions and fine of R17 000, imposed by the Pot... |
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| Evicted families find justice after living in tents for a year |
Court finds that evictions were
orchestrated and unlawful
FOR THE first time in over a year, Elizabeth Sekaleng feels hopeful. In October last year, Sekaleng and eight other families were illegally and forcefully evicted from their multibedroom house they had shared for nearly 29 years.
... |
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| Don’t drink and drive, says JMPD |
JOHANNESBURG - “Don’t take chances and drive on the roads of Johannesburg after having liquor; one glass of liquor is enough,” the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) warned yesterday.
The warning comes as 659 people were arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, sinc... |
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| Indignation at release of ‘Waterkloof Four’ members |
JOHANNESBURG - Johannesburg residents who spoke to The Citizen yesterday were furious following the release of two members of the “Waterkloof Four” to serve the remainder of their sentences under house arrest.
This came after the Department of Correctional Services announced that Gert van Sc... |
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| Juju lands job on Limpopo executive |
JOHANNESBURG - In a move likely to raise eyebrows in certain circles of the ANC, Youth League president Julius Malema was elected to the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC) in Limpopo, despite his ban from the ANC.
The announcement was made on the last day of the party’s four-day pro... |
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| Struck journalist collapses again |
FREELANCE journalist Chester Makana, who was assaulted on Saturday, allegedly by an ANC Youth League official, collapsed at the conference yesterday and was taken to Mankweng Hospital.
Makana, who was hit on the head with a brick – allegedly by Clifford Mohloana, an administrator in the provincia... |
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| Rhinos hanging on after brutal poacher attack |
Photographer and owner disagree
THE TWO Fairy Glen Game Reserve rhinos, whose horns were hacked off by poachers after the animals had been drugged, are still alive after eight days – and reserve owner Pieter de Jager believes they might survive.
“The female is looking better. I’m very ... |
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| Pair not paroled – sentence now altered to correctional supervision |
REINACH Tiedt and Gert van Schalkwyk have not been released on parole after serving a quarter of their 12year sentences.
Their sentences were commuted into correctional supervision in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act.
They will have to adhere to stringent conditions and will be monitored ... |
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| Family waiting for ashes of drug mule |
SOUTH African Janice Bronwyn Linden’s family are still waiting for her ashes to be repatriated to SA, a week after she was executed in China for smuggling drugs.
The family were informed only yesterday that the ashes would soon be couriered from China.
Speaking to The Mercury, The Star’s sis... |
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| Costs keep rising for family of 18-year-old hit by MEC’S car |
THE COSTS just keep mounting for the family of Thomas Ferreira, who was left brain damaged after a collision with a state blue-light vehicle six weeks ago.
Thomas, an 18-year-old matric pupil, was knocked off his motorbike by the driver of the official vehicle of Gauteng Housing MEC Humphrey Mme... |
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| Father-of-three watches helplessly as fire engulfs flat |
WHEN Nqabayezwe Maseko woke to find his flat on fire, his first thought was to save his three children.
Wearing only a pair of underpants, Maseko, 45, jumped out of bed and grabbed his five-year-old twins and their two-year-old brother, and hurried them out of their burning flat to safety.
A... |
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| Drug mule to wait months for court hearing |
THE FAMILY of the latest suspected SA drug mule, Nolubabalo “Babsie” Nobanda, have heard she is to appear in court in three months.
The family said yesterday they had received an e-mail from the SA embassy in Thailand, telling them that she was okay and would appear in court in three months’ tim... |
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| Family fear broken promises after premier’s vow |
Financial worries grow after teenager hit by housing MEC’S car
THOMAS Ferreira isn’t counting down the days until he gets his matric results, and he isn’t going on a family holiday to the South Coast.
Instead, the 18-year-old will be spending Christmas in a rehabilitation centre, his b... |
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| Legal battle to free Waterkloof pair continues today |
THE TUG of war between prison authorities and the legal representatives of two of the Waterkloof Four – who have not been released from prison despite two court orders ordering their immediate release – was due to continue in the Pretoria High Court today.
Despite all efforts from their legal te... |
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| Joburg home was torture chamber for three |
Father allegedly molested captive daughters and grandchild for several years
IT WAS his secret lair: boarded-up windows, padlocked doors and dark, dingy rooms with urinestained floors.
In it, he held hostage two generations of his family: his 30-year-old mentally ill daughter, her 17-y... |
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| Families of the executed say they can’t live on bones |
FAMILIES of some Struggle heroes executed at Pretoria Central Prison during the apartheid era are now asking for compensation for the loss of their loved ones.
The call comes after the Department of Correctional Services honoured the memory of the 130 people hanged for political reasons between ... |
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| SUPER COP FLOP |
Specialised unit ‘a disaster’ Lacks authority and fast cars
SOUTH Africa’s nine-monthold super traffic cop unit is in a total mess. The Saturday Star can reveal today, as the country braces for the annual road carnage, that the National Traffic Police Intervention Unit (NTP), established t... |
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| Death penalty will not reduce crime Zuma |
PRETORIA - There is no credible evidence to prove that re-introducing the death penalty in South Africa will reduce crime, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.
"I do not think there is justice in killing another human being," he said at the official opening of the revived Gallows Memorial at th... |
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| ‘Help those held in foreign jails’ |
Non-governmental activist group Locked Up, which advocates for South Africans jailed in international prisons, says it will continue to put pressure on government to help citizens who have been arrested in foreign countries.
This comes after a delegation consisting of South African Ambassador to ... |
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| Increase in air crash fatalities in 2011 |
JOHANNESBURG - A total of 38 people were killed as a result of 104 aircraft crashes this year alone, the latest being the Pretoria crash that occurred on Wednesday, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa) said yesterday.
“We are concerned with the gradual increase of the number of fata... |
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| Six thrown out of Tshwane ANC for ‘organising anarchy’ |
JOHANNESBURG - Six Tshwane ANC members have been expelled for “organising anarchy” in Gauteng.
The six were expelled for being the “principal organisers and orchestrators of anarchy, ill-discipline and parallel structures in Tshwane”.
They are Oupa Phetla, Mafika Mahlangu, Joe Mphahla, Tshep... |
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| Joburg’s illegal power cut-offs halted |
JOHANNESBURG - The City of Joburg was yesterday ordered by the South Gauteng High Court not to cut off power to any of their ratepayers who have not been supplied with up to date bills.
This followed the application of a group of businesses and property owners who opposed the state of billing of ... |
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| HEATH QUITS |
Special investigating chief resigns after only 17 days on job
ADVOCATE Willem Heath has resigned as head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), just 17 days after President Jacob Zuma controversially appointed him to the post.
Yesterday, Justice and Constitutional Development Ministe... |
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| Two of Waterkloof Four get strict parole |
THE FATHER of one of the socalled Waterkloof Four was close to tears yesterday as he received news that his son would spend another night in prison despite being granted parole.
Chris Tiedt, father of Reinach Tiedt, waited at the Correctional Services offices in Church Street, Pretoria, for near... |
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| Grinch that stole The Star’s Christmas hampers |
A BRAKPAN woman is behind bars after being caught stealing Christmas food packages bought by The Star’s readers.
The Star hands out the food packages each December, paid for by the newspaper’s Christmas Hamper Fund, which is funded by donations from readers.
The woman was arrested after The ... |
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| Public input sought on issue of judges’ finances |
Disclosure requirement has been at centre of battle between state and judiciary
PARLIAMENT has invited public comment on the hot-potato topic of regulating the financial interests of the country’s judges.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has submitted draft regu... |
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| Principals worried over ‘underage’ sex case |
A NUMBER of school principals have opposed a court application to declare laws against child sex unconstitutional.
They feel that if it was legal for children to have sex, it would make their jobs a nightmare and encourage sexual relations.
The Teddy Bear Clinic and Resources Aimed at the Pr... |
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| Copper, aluminium seized at house |
POLICE who went to arrest residents in the Joburg suburb of Forest Hill illegally tapping into electricity found more then they had bargained for at the house yesterday.
They uncovered 160kg of stolen metals, including copper and aluminium.
The police recovered shiny copper cables, presumabl... |
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| SA’S ambassador to visit prisoners in Thai jails |
Mule’s family make arrangements to see her and assess her legal situation
THE SOUTH African ambassador to Thailand will play Santa on Christmas Day.
Douglas Gibson and his wife Pam will visit the 12 South Africans serving time in Thai jails and will give each of them a gift.
One of... |
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| Cwele’s accomplice in court on new charges |
HE SAT side by side in the dock with convicted drug peddler Sheryl Cwele in the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Together with the former wife of State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, Frank Nabolisa faced three drug-trafficking charges, including charges of recruiting two women to act as drug mul... |
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| Fear that cheap wine could fuel crime |
People are poor but they can afford 5-litre bottles
POLICE have warned against a new “wine”, Cape’s Best, cheaper than the lowest-cost “papsak”, which has hit shebeens, where it can be picked up for a song.
Police spokesman Antony Sauls said the “wine” contained several spirits, and he... |
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| Cops wounded in shootout with alleged dealers |
THREE police officers and four people – including a street patroller – were injured during a shootout between detectives and suspected drug dealers.
This happened in Devland, Joburg, on Wednesday afternoon.
Police were on patrol when they stopped a man in the street. When they searched him, ... |
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| Tip-off leads to big downtown drug bust |
A THREE-WEEK investigation has led to the arrest of five people at a residential building in downtown Joburg where cocaine and heroin worth about R2 million was confiscated.
Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela said officers, acting on a tip-off, had been keeping an eye on Plaza Place yesterday, and ... |
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| Settle garnishee order with bonus |
IF YOU are one of the many thousands of South Africans who have their take-home pay eroded every month by a “garnishee order” or two, Credit Ombud Manie van Schalkwyk has another bit of advice about where a healthy chunk of your bonus should go.
“The nature of garnishee orders is that small amou... |
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| ‘Derby-lewis will not hold Correctional Services to ransom’ |
CORRECTIONAL Services Minister Nosiviwe MapisaNqakula refused Clive DerbyLewis parole and hinted that he will not hold the department to ransom based on information he said he would give once he was a free man.
Mapisa-nqakula was speaking at the official opening of the gallows museum at Pretoria... |
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| 14 taxis ‘unroadworthy' |
JOHANNESBURG - All 14 minibus taxis stopped by traffic police in safety checks yesterday were found unroadworthy.
Traffic officials pulled a total of 62 unroadworthy vehicles off the road in Johannesburg as part of Gauteng’s festive season road safety blitz.
Vehicle defects were most prevale... |
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| Beeka’s suspected killers still at large |
JOHANNESBURG - The suspected killers of Western Cape underworld boss Cyril Beeka are still at large almost a year after he was gunned down in March this year.
Beeka was connected to a string of drug and money laundering syndicates and seedy night spots around the country.
He was also a member... |
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| Gauteng road tolling system too complicated, says DA |
JOHANNESBURG - After months of fighting against the controversial Gauteng road tolling system, the Democratic Alliance (DA) yesterday repeated that the system was too complicated.
This comes after a media report pointing out that officials were still unsure of how to enforce compliance by moto... |
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| Probe into ‘Goboza’ porn site |
JOHANNESBURG - The cyber-crime unit of the South African Police Service are investigating SA porn site, “Goboza” (gossip), which allows members of the pubic to upload explicit pornographic material, including photographs and home-made sex videos.
Believed to have been operational for only a few ... |
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| Madonsela to probe Cwele’s comments |
JOHANNESBURG - State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele will be investigated by the Public Protector over his controversial comments on the Protection of State Information Bill.
Cwele claimed during a parliamentary debate on the Bill last month that opponents of the contested proposed legislatio... |
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| Cops ‘rob disabled man’ |
JOHANNESBURG - The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) is investigating the case of a physically handicapped man who was allegedly robbed and assaulted by JMPD members last weekend.
According to Mohamed Salim Issa, 52, he was robbed after he received a R1 500 donation from a well wisher.
... |
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