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Delft rape accused held in custody

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A man has appeared in a Cape Town court for allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl in Delft and setting her alight.

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Cape Town - A 27-year-old man appeared in the Bellville Magistrates' Court, Cape Town, on Tuesday for allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl in Delft.

Prosecutor Sarah Dowries said the case was postponed for “bail information”. He would remain in custody until his next appearance on January 28.

She said the man would face charges of rape, sexual assault, abduction and attempted murder.

The National Prosecuting Authority said the man could not be identified as he had not yet pleaded.

Outraged Delft residents packed the court room and the passage outside, where they were at one point tear-gassed by policemen, who told them to remain calm.

The nine-year-old victim is in a *Cape Town hospital in a serious condition after the assault on Saturday night.

Kulsum Ismail, a convener of the local community watch, who was at the court, told Sapa the girl was undergoing treatment for severe burn wounds after the attacker allegedly poured fuel over her and set her alight.

“She begged him to stop. She asked him to forgive her for anything she had done to him,” said Ismail, who said the attacker knew the girl's family. - Sapa

* This story has been edited to remove the name of the hospital in order to protect the child.


Minister hits out at gang warfare

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National Human Settlements Minister Connie September has paid a visit to an area hit by gang violence.

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Cape Town - National Human Settlements Minister Connie September visited the family of Gwendolene Gilbert on Monday to express concern over gang violence in Athlone.

Gilbert, 88, was fatally wounded by a stray bullet that went through her bedroom window in Bokmakierie on Friday.

Athlone forms part of September’s constituency.

She said she was concerned about the prevalence of violent incidents in the area as a result of gang warfare and the impact this had on innocent and elderly individuals like Gilbert.

“We are angered by the way our elderly people leave (die) in such a manner. Our elderly are supposed to have peace in this country and I want to bring this message to the country that the perpetrators must be found,” she said.

An initiative to eradicate crime in the area was the formation of “street committees”, so that residents could get involved in discussions to make their area safer, September said.

“The communication (in these committees) will ensure that community members will take care of each other and root out violence. Support must also be given to community leaders to eradicate violence.”

She said the community was being held to ransom.

 

warren.fortune@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

DA candidate lists down to the wire

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People hoping for a DA seat in Parliament or the provincial legislatures after the elections will know their fate this weekend.

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Cape Town - Hopefuls vying to get a DA seat in Parliament or the nine provincial legislatures after the elections will know their fate this weekend.

The party’s federal executive will meet in Johannesburg to decide on the party’s candidate lists for Parliament and the legislatures.

These lists will be submitted to the Independent Electoral Commission as the party’s candidates before the general elections.

The higher a person’s name is on a list the bigger chance they have to get elected as an MPL or MP.

In the Western Cape the party’s leaders are expected to meet on Tuesday to finalise the DA’s list for the provincial legislature.

DA federal executive chairman James Selfe said only two provinces had submitted their candidate lists so far.

In October the party started with interviews of 255 hopefuls in the Western Cape.

An 80-member provincial electoral college questioned candidates. They then sat an exam to test their general knowledge and grasp of the party and its policies.

The DA final list for the province will contain 50 names. There are only 42 seats in the provincial legislature.

DA leader Helen Zille is the only MPL automatically on the list.

In 2009 new names popped up on the party’s candidates list for the Western Cape.

They were University of Stellenbosch academic Ivan Meyer, and former grassroots activist and regional manager of the Office of the Inspecting Judge of Prisons Albert Fritz.

Both are MECs, and Meyer is the party’s Western Cape leader.

Other newcomers to the national list were Wilmot James, then executive chairman of the Africa Genome Education Institute, and then DA media officer Lindiwe Mazibuko. James and Mazibuko are leading the party in Parliament now.

Selfe said on Monday that the federal executive had the power to change 10 percent of the lists based on gender, race and expertise.

“Those who made it to the lists will probably hear on Friday or Saturday,” he said.

They still had to decide whether the party would also release the lists to the public immediately, he added.

The lists were also not final.

People who felt the process was unfair would get a chance to complain to Ian Davidson, who chaired the sub-committee on appeals, Selfe said.

cobus.coetzee@inl.co.za

Cape Times

‘He doused my poor child in petrol’

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The father of the Delft girl who was raped and set alight wept at court while waiting for her alleged attacker.

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Cape Town - “My poor child. He doused her in petrol.”

The father of the Delft girl who was raped and set alight said this as he wept outside the courtroom where his daughter’s attacker was to appear on charges of rape and attempted murder.

The girl’s father, who cannot be named to protect the girl’s identity, and her aunt were among the dozens of Delft community members who lined the benches of Room G at the Bellville Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Sarah Dowries said the case was postponed for “bail information”. The 27-year-old accused would remain in custody until his next appearance on January 28.

Dowries said the man would face charges of rape, sexual assault, abduction and attempted murder.

The National Prosecuting Authority said the man could not be identified as he had not yet pleaded.

Earlier while waiting for the magistrate, the father, overwhelmed by emotion left the courtroom. Outside, in the foyer, he propped his head against the wall and wept.

“It is terrible,” he said, repeating the phrase through his tears.

“I have not eaten since yesterday, I have no appetite. My poor child. He doused her in petrol.”

The girl’s father is originally from Mozambique. He moved to Cape Town in 2003 to look for work. His daughter was born in the city, but apart from her, he has no blood relatives in South Africa, he said.

However, the Delft community have rallied to support the girl’s parents, “as though they are family,” said Gadigha Francis, co-ordinator of Delft’s Child Rapid Response Unit, an organisation that is on 24-hour standby to assist with the search for missing children.

“What happened over the weekend has upset and disturbed the entire community,” Francis said.

“We are here to protest against this terrible act and to ensure that the rapist is not granted bail.”

Asked how he felt about the suspect in the rape and attempted murder of his daughter, her father said: “I do not care about him, my thoughts are only with my daughter.”

On Monday morning he travelled to court from the city hospital where his daughter is still fighting for her life. Asked what doctors had said about his daughter’s condition, the man choked up and started weeping, and was unable to continue speaking.

Police and medical authorities have wrapped the 9-year-old rape and burns victim in a cordon of tight security and care, as she continues to fight for her life.

From as early as Monday, media were requested to keep secret the name of the hospital, in order to protect the child.

A spokesperson for the hospital, who could not be named either, told the Cape Argus: “Police have made an arrest, but until they have finished their investigation, he’s innocent until proven guilty – the real culprit could still be out there.

“So police have instructed us not to say a word, for now, in order to keep her safe.

“Due to the sensitivity around this case, and to protect her identity, we have increased security at the hospital and are allowing no media on to the premises.

“The family that are here do not want to speak out – they are here only to support her in her fight for her life,” the spokesperson explained.

Outside the hospital’s gates on Monday morning, there was no presence of wellwishers or community members as the hospital's identity remained protected.

A delegation from the ANC Women’s League, led by regional secretary Connie Croats, filed into court to show their support for the girl’s family.

“We are touched as women, many of us with children of our own, by this horrific crime,” said Croats. “It appears that we have lost a sense of ubuntu, and a mutual responsibility for the well-being of our women and children in this country.

“We cannot afford to look away when these things happen. The responsibility lies as much with us as with the police and the justice system to ensure that these perpetrators are brought to book.

“For today, we are simply here to support the girl’s family.”

Cape Argus and Sapa

Missing Cape farmer’s cell traced to Lesotho

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Andrew Whittingdale’s cellphone has been traced to Lesotho and his bank account has been emptied, says his brother.

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Western Cape -

Missing Barrydale farmer Andrew Whittingdale’s cellphone has been traced to Lesotho and his bank account has been emptied, says his brother.

Whittingdale, 56, owner of the Makouvlei olive farm, was last seen on January 4 on Route 62, the road that passes through Montagu, Ladismith and Joubertina.

A hitchhiker and some of his farmworkers saw him getting into a white BMW with two men.

On Monday, his brother Richard Whittingdale said attempts to try to find him were continuing.

While his brother had often travelled, he had never gone away for long periods without contacting his family.

“It’s absolutely bizarre,” Richard said.

A missing persons’ flyer said before he was last seen Whittingdale had told a friend that two men were coming from Cape Town to see him.

Richard has posted a number of messages on Whittingdale’s Facebook page about where his brother was spotted in the days leading to him last being seen and what happened in the days after.

Based on these posts, Whittingdale’s movements were as follows:

* On January 3, he was seen buying beers at 2.30pm in Barrydale with another man.

* On January 4, his bank account was emptied at 9.30am. Police had a photograph of another man withdrawing money from Whittingdale’s account.

* On January 4, he was seen outside a hotel in Barrydale in a white car at 10.30am.

* On January 6, there was a “confident spotting” of him in Bredasdorp.

* On January 10, his cellphone was traced to Lesotho.

 

Previously, Richard had told the Cape Times his brother had sent him an SMS requesting R200 000 and that he believed his brother had been forced to send this message.

On Monday, police spokesman Frederick van Wyk said: “There are no new developments to report. The investigation continues.”

On Whittingdale’s Facebook page, a number of his friends offered advice to try to boost the search for him.

One friend indicated they were willing to go to Lesotho to look for him, while another said she would try to raise money as a reward for his safe return.

Other friends wrote messages of support.

“Come home safe, Andrew. We keep praying for your safety and your family’s strength during this time,” one wrote.

Another said: “Strength to you all and our abiding love.”

The missing persons’ flyer said Whittingdale always wore a short-sleeved check shirt and khaki shorts.

It said about a year ago he had been injured and as a result his left arm and leg were weak.

Anyone with information can contact the Ladismith police on 028 551 8100 or CrimeStop on 08600 10111, or SMS Crime Line at 32211.

Cape Times

Delft rape accused remains behind bars

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A 27-year-old man appeared in court for allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl in Delft and setting her alight.

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Cape Town - A 27-year-old man appeared in the Bellville Magistrates' Court, Cape Town, on Tuesday for allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl in Delft and setting her alight in a case that has shocked the Cape Flats.

Prosecutor Sarah Dowries said the case was postponed for “bail information”.

He would remain in custody until his next appearance on January 28.

She said the man would face charges of rape, sexual assault, abduction and attempted murder, and the state would oppose bail.

The National Prosecuting Authority said the man could not be identified as he had not yet pleaded.

Outraged Delft residents packed the court room and the passage outside, where they were at one point teargassed by policemen. People scattered down the passage, choking and clutching their shirts to their faces.

The nine-year-old victim is in the Red Cross Children's Hospital in a serious condition after the assault on Saturday night.

Kulsum Ismail, a convener of the local community watch, who was at the court, told Sapa the girl was undergoing treatment for severe burn wounds after the attacker allegedly poured fuel over her and set her alight.

“She begged him to stop. She asked him to forgive her for anything she had done to him,” said Ismail, who said the attacker knew the girl's family.

On Saturday night, the man was apprehended by community watch members, who spotted him walking with blood-stained clothes, and handed over to the police.

The girl's grandmother was at court, and told reporters her granddaughter had been on her way to her father's house when she was dragged into vegetation near the N2 and raped.

Ismail said the community had bayed for the attacker's blood and was angry with the community watch for handing him over to the police.

“They do not understand. What else can we do? We are not vigilantes.”

But she criticised the justice system for being too lenient on rapists.

“He should get the death sentence because he has taken a life. How will that girl ever recover? What kind of life has she got left?”

After the hearing, Delft residents resumed a protest outside the court, some holding up placard's proclaiming “No bail”.

Nosintha Stafa said she had come to support the victim's family.

“Tomorrow it could be one of our children,” she said.

Sapa

Shock over attacks on children

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A spate of recent attacks, some of which have left victims dead or mutilated, puts the spotlight on crimes against children.

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Cape Town - Children are easy targets for criminals, as the toll of young victims continues to rise. The appearance in court on Tuesday of a man accused of raping and setting alight a 9-year-old girl in Delft on Saturday night has placed the problem firmly back in focus.

But there are other serious cases of attacks on children – some where the victim has been killed.

In one shocking case, a father has been accused of burying alive his 14-month-old son. The father, Zolani Malanga, was to have appeared in court this week for a bail application but the hearing was postponed.

Malanga is accused of burying his son Zondre inside his shack in Botterboom, Delft South, on January 8. The child suffocated.

Also on Saturday night, a woman reported catching a man in the act of raping her 7-year-old mentally challenged daughter.

According to a report in Die Son, the woman found the man in her house with the child after returning from a shop. His pants zip was undone. When she challenged him, the man ran away, the mother said.

Police liaison officer Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the case.

“A rape case was reported on Saturday, January 18. The suspect is on the run and we are still tracing him. The child is receiving counselling at Ceres Hospital and the investigation continues.”

Then there were the shootings.

A 16-year-old boy was shot and later found dead in bush alongside Stellenbosch Arterial Road in Delft.

On Monday at 8am, Belhar resident Glen Miller, 47, contacted the police to report that 16-year-old Martin Raubenheimer had gone missing.

Martin and a friend were walking on Sunday when they were chased by armed gangsters. The friend, who managed to escape, said he had heard gunshots.

Later on Monday, members of the community found Martin’s body partly hidden in bushes.

Miller told the police it was reported to him that the two boys were going through an overgrown area on their way back from N2 Gateway when they were accosted by two men. They fled in different directions and as they ran, shots were fired.

Police and family searched the bush but could not find the missing boy. A police helicopter was called in but because the area is so dense, the search was called off hours later.

On Monday at 2pm, the family found Martin ’s body with gunshot wounds to the back, head and neck.

A murder case was opened.

“The matter is being investigated, but the motive is unclear and no suspects have been identified yet,” Van Wyk said.

Van Wyk referred to a case in which the 29-year-old mother of a boy aged between 1 and 2 years was arrested on charges of child neglect.

“The arrest follows after the body of the child was found in a shack after it caught fire,” Van Wyk said.

“It is believed the mother was not at her home when the child died on Sunday evening at Riemvasmaak, Phumlani Village, in Grassy Park.

“The cause of the fire which led to the death of the child is being investigated. The mother is still in custody.”

Van Wyk said crimes against children were a priority for the Western Cape police and they would not allow criminals to walk free.

Cape Argus

Mom shot dead on way to work

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A Cape Town woman returning to work after maternity leave has been shot dead in a taxi in morning traffic.

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Cape Town - A woman returning to work after maternity leave has been shot dead in a taxi in morning traffic.

A man was also killed in the attack which took place at 8.15am on Tuesday.

On the scene this morning, Graeme Petersen, who works for the City of Cape Town, identified the woman who was shot dead in a taxi on Concert Boulevard in Retreat, shortly after 8am on Tuesday.

“I was called by my wife, and I came straight here,” he told the Cape Argus at the scene.

“She’s my cousin, Leslyn Mentor, and she was 26. She works at Pick n Pay in Plumstead and it was her first day back at work after maternity leave.”

His cousin had recently given birth to a baby girl, and lived with her mother in Lavender Hill.

“She was sitting right behind the driver and she was shot through the head and her cheek,” Petersen said.

His wife, Margaret, said: “She was full of fun, talkative. She was so excited to have a baby girl.”

Rush-hour traffic ground to a halt on Tuesday as gunfire erupted on Concert Boulevard in Retreat, which runs between the Main Road and the M5 arterial routes.

The Western Cape’s Emergency Medical Services no other passengers had been injured in the shooting, and police were investigating the incident.

A witness, who asked that her name not be used out of fear of reprisal, said: “I was coming down from the station side, on Concert Boulevard, after dropping my kids, just after 8am.

“Then I saw a commotion in the road. The police had also just arrived, so I moved out of the way. I saw they had shot a woman. I could see her blood – and that she wasn’t moving.

“There was then also another body lying in front of the taxi. “I was traumatised, it’s terrible...”

Another witness said: “

The man was lying on his seat and the woman was still sitting upright.

“I think about 13 shots were fired straight through the windscreen... It looked like a real war zone.”

Cape Argus


Absent lawyer delays cloned card case

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The absence of a lawyer delayed the case of a Cape Town man accused of trying to buy groceries with a cloned bank card.

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Cape Town - The absence of a lawyer on Tuesday delayed the case of a man accused of trying to buy groceries with a cloned bank card.

Moegamat Farouk Martin, 42, from Lansdowne, in Cape Town, appeared in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court, before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg, who postponed the matter to January 30.

Martin, who has been held at Pollsmoor Prison, lamented that he had been moved against his will to the Goodwood Prison. He asked the court to order his return to Pollsmoor.

Sonnenberg said he would have to discuss his plight with his counsel N Jaftha, who would then approach the court on his behalf.

For professional reasons, she could not order his return to Pollsmoor, without Jaftha being aware of what had happened, she said.

The case was postponed in December because of Jaftha's absence.

At Tuesday's proceedings, prosecutor Denzyl Combrink said he had phoned Jaftha, only to hear that he had rushed to hospital with his child.

Martin was expected to plead guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud, in plea-bargain proceedings, but the negotiations had not yet been finalised.

Combrink said Martin had been refused bail by the Bellville District Court. He said he had already informed Jaftha of the sentence that would be acceptable to the State.

If Martin disagreed with the proposed sentence, plea negotiations would collapse and the State would proceed to trial in the normal manner.

Martin was arrested on August 12 when he tried to pay for groceries worth R13,811 at the PicknPay in Kenilworth, Cape Town.

According to the charge sheet, Kenilworth branch manager John Lendoor was told that Martin's credit card payment had been declined.

Store managers had been warned that fraudulent bank cards were in circulation.

Martin was allegedly found in possession of a grey Master Card, supposedly issued by the Bank of America.

Lendoor recognised the card as counterfeit and alerted the police. An investigation revealed that the card was issued by Europay Belgium SCRL.

Martin is also charged with violating the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act.

Sapa

Young mom gunned down

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Wearing the clothes her mother dressed her in, five-month-old Lesray Mentor was unaware of how her life had changed.

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Cape Town - Wearing the clothes her mother dressed her in, five-month-old Lesray Mentor rubbed her eyes sleepily, unaware of how her life had changed.

On Tuesday, her mother, Lesline Mentor, 26, was shot dead while travelling in a taxi on Concert Boulevard in Retreat.

She was on her way back to work after being on maternity leave.

A 30-year-old man, believed to be the owner of the taxi, also died in the shooting.

At a relative’s home in Retreat, Lesline’s mother, Francina Mentor, told the Cape Argus she had seen her daughter off to work.

“She kissed her baby numerous times this morning. I said goodbye to her at around 5.45am.”

The single mother was only expected back at work in March, but returned earlier because she had no financial support from the father of her child, said her family.

She worked at Pick n Pay in Plumstead, where she had been a cashier for five years.

Francina, who was looking after the baby on Tuesday, could not control her tears as she talked about her daughter.

 

She said Lesline had keen to get back to work and had talked on Monday night of how she missed her colleagues.

Abdurahman Hamdulay, general manager of Pick n Pay in the Western Cape, said the company was horrified to hear what had happened to Lesline and that it would be in close contact with her family.

“The fact that it was her first day back from maternity leave makes this all the more tragic. Our deepest condolences to her family,” he said on Tuesday.

Lesline’s aunt, Maureen Ford, said everyone liked Lesline: “I will miss her smile the most.”

Lesray’s future is now in the hands of her many aunts and uncles. Her granny, Francina, can’t take care of her alone.

An aunt, Gillian George, said she had offered to have Lesray to live with her.

George has three adult children as well as a 12-year-old son and 13-year-old adopted son.

“The family has already decided that Lesray will live with me.

“I still need to pack up all her things.”

Relative Shaun Mentor said the family would try their best to keep Lesray happy and take care of her.

“The family will together buy her milk and nappies.”

It was sad that this one incident could affect so many lives, he said.

“Innocent people get hurt. There are always random shootings and in her case she was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

 

After the family gathering in Retreat, Francina went to her home in Lavender Hill where her granddaughter was with more family.

When she arrived, the baby was placed in her arms and she rested her head on her granny’s shoulder.

“We are broken,” said cousin Lillian Ford.

On Tuesday, police searched for forensic evidence around the bullet-ridden taxi while curious residents looked on.

Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said no arrests had yet been made. Anyone with information regarding the incident can contact Crime Stop on 086 001 0111. – Additional reporting by Murray Williams

Cape Argus

Victim’s mother weeps at rape trial

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Seeing the man who allegedly raped and tried to kill her nine-year-old daughter proved to be too much for a Cape Town mother.

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Cape Town - Seeing the face of the man who appeared in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for allegedly raping and trying to kill a nine-year-old girl proved to be too much for the girl’s mother who had to be removed from the courtroom.

The mother, who cannot be named to protect her daughter’s identity, burst into tears when the man, Wanda Oliphant, 27, was led into the packed court house.

Oliphant is being charged with sexual assault, rape, abduction, and attempted murder. It is alleged that Oliphant abducted the nine-year-old girl at 8pm on Saturday. It is the State’s case that he then raped her and set her alight.

The girl is in a critical but stable condition at a city hospital with extensive burn wounds to her body.

By the time Oliphant reached the dock, proceedings had to be halted so that police could escort the woman out of the courtroom.

She was then taken to Karl Bremer Hospital.

EMS spokeswoman Angelique Jordaan said the woman would have to remain at the hospital for observation.

By late Tuesday, she could not yet say when she would be discharged.

The woman had attended the court case with the father of the girl and the child’s grandmother.

But, despite this, police issued a statement late on Tuesday that the “persons responsible for the child” would also be investigated for child neglect.

The girl, from Delft South, lived with her father, but would spend afternoons playing at her mother’s house a few streets away.

When she did not arrive at her dad’s house on Saturday evening, he did not think anything was wrong. She was found by family members, still alive, huddled on top of a pile of rocks in the bush beside the R300 on Sunday morning.

When court proceedings resumed, prosecutor Sarah Dowries put the charges to the court.

The court heard that Oliphant had sexually assaulted the girl, before tying her up, raping her and leaving the scene.

Oliphant kept his head bowed and seemed despondent as he mumbled his responses when he spoke to the magistrate.

At first, Oliphant said he wanted to represent himself, but after the magistrate advised him that it was too serious a case and that he should reconsider, Oliphant said he would accept a State lawyer.

The case was postponed, pending further bail information.

Oliphant will appear again in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and will remain in custody.

After the brief appearance, a protest took place where protesters called for Oliphant not to be released on bail.

Xoliswa Makasi, a member of the ANC Women’s League Delft Division, said no evidence was needed to prove Oliphant’s guilt.

“The girl was able to talk, she said it was him. He must rot in jail. We don’t want him to get bail,” said Makasi.

The girl’s father stood alone, away from all the commotion. “I’m happy to see all these people standing by my daughter, but I am hurting. I do feel a bit better after today. Seeing the face of my daughter’s terrorist. I can see what she felt. He will go to jail,” he said.

Child rapid response co-ordinator Gadija Francis said even though she didn’t know the girl personally, she felt it was important to stand by the family.

francesca.villette@inl.co.za

Cape Times

Man shot dead days after being stabbed

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Ashley Claassen, 22, was recovering from a stab wound, when he was gunned down in a suspected gang-related shooting.

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Cape Town - Ashley Claassen, 22, of Lentegeur, was recovering from a stab wound to the chest when he was gunned down in Azalia Street on Tuesday, in a suspected gang-related shooting.

But his tearful mother Dianne Claassen rejected this, saying he was a good boy and she had never had any complaints about him.

She said the last time she had seen him she had helped wash his feet and put on his socks, as he found bending painful.

The stab wound was allegedly inflicted by his girlfriend on Saturday.

Ashley Claassen was shot in the head just a street away from his home at about 11.40am.

Dianne Claassen said as soon as she heard the shots she ran out of her house.

“People came running to me, shouting ‘It’s Ashley, it’s Ashley’ but I didn’t believe it till I saw him lying there.

“He enjoyed doing gardening, painting and reading the Bible in his spare time.

“Everybody loved him, and each time I close my eyes I just see his smiling face,” she wept.

But some residents believed that Ashley

Claassen’s death was in retaliation for a man who was shot in nearby Bignonia Street on Monday night.

A resident, who was too fearful to be named, claimed Ashley Claassen was a member of the JCY gang, also known as the “Yakkies”.

“Last night, the Yakkies killed a Nice Time Kids member, so today the Nice Times are out for revenge,” she said.

Residents said just before Ashley Claassen was shot, two young men carrying guns had run up the street.

They feared gang violence was flaring up again.

After Tuesday’s shooting, pupils from Ashley Claassen’s former school – Cornflower Primary School which is three streets away from Azalia Street – were under lockdown.

Principal Cherie Meyer-Williams said security guards only allowed parents and transport providers to enter the school.

There had been talk about gang violence in the area and she feared a resurgence.

Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the shooting and said no arrests had been made. A murder docket had been opened.

Meanwhile, in Atlantis, a 34-year-old man was shot dead and five others wounded in a shootout in Dura Park on Tuesday.

Van Wyk said the motive for the shootings was unknown, but an investigation would be conducted.

No arrests had been made, but anyone with information should call Captain Taylor at 021 571 8500.

Cape Argus

Province fines City of Cape Town R200K

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The City of Cape Town is being fined R200 000 by the Western Cape provincial government for “unlawful activities”.

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Cape Town -

The City of Cape Town is being fined R200 000 by the provincial government for starting projects without getting environmental authorisation.

It is an offence to start work on a listed activity without first doing an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and administrative and criminal penalties can be imposed.

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning has imposed 10 administrative fines or penalties on the city for “unlawful activities”, ranging from R10 000 for constructing a road on a public open space to R50 000 for building too close to a wetland at Soetwater.

The fines, which are determined by the nature of the activities and their impact on the environment, must be paid before the department will give further consideration to the city’s applications.

According to a report submitted on Tuesday to the city’s mayoral committee, these administrative fines may be regarded by the auditor-general as “fruitless and wasteful”. This means that the money spent by the council on these penalties would be viewed as been “made in vain” and as expenditure that could have been avoided “had reasonable care been exercised”.

The council may ask the municipal public accounts committee to investigate each fine to determine whether there was wasteful expenditure.

In his report, Keith Wiseman of the city’s economic, environment and spatial planning directorate said activities were sometimes allowed to start without the necessary authorisation because of an emergency or unforeseen circumstances.

The city was fined R12 000 for constructing a rock revetment (embankment support) at Beach Road, Strand.

Wiseman said the city had to start the project without authorisation because the road was in danger of being swept away after the sea wall was damaged by a storm. This would have put several private properties along that stretch at risk.

Five surveillance masts were erected in Mowbray without first getting environmental approval because the city interpreted the newly promulgated National Environmental Management Act incorrectly, said Wiseman. Once the matter was cleared up, a full environmental impact assessment was done.

Wiseman said in his report that systems needed to be put in place to ensure that projects did not start without proper authorisation.

Lokiwe Mtwazi, the city’s executive director for community services, said in his notes on the report that the city had processes in place to prevent similar unlawful occurrences.

The city has appointed an environmental impact assessments officer and amended regulations for EIAs have significantly reduced the number of applications required before projects may start.

The city’s chief financial officer Kevin Jacoby said the fines should be reported as wasteful expenditure so that the city’s financial oversight committee could do its investigation.

Although the mayoral committee did not discuss the fines, mayor Patricia de Lille said: “This is quite a story. We must just pay.”

anel.lewis@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Delft girl in critcal but stable condition

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The nine-year-old girl who was set on fire after being raped in Delft, Cape Town on the weekend is still in a critical condition.

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Cape Town - The nine-year-old girl who was set on fire after being raped in Delft, Cape Town on the weekend is still in a critical condition, the Red Cross Children's Hospital said on Wednesday.

“The child is still in a critical, but stable condition in the intensive care unit, but the medical team are satisfied with her progress at the moment,” hospital spokeswoman Angelique Jordaan said in a statement.

The girl was found alive by family relatives on Sunday after a 27-year-old man allegedly raped her then set her alight in bushes along the R300 highway.

He appeared in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

The matter was postponed to January 28 for “bail information”, prosecutor Sarah Dowries said at the time.

He was arrested on Sunday by members of the Delft neighbourhood watch who had to protect him from angry residents demanding mob justice.

Western Cape community safety MEC Dan Plato said members of the Delft community should be applauded for assisting police with the arrest.

“This situation could easily have turned into one of vigilante violence and I applaud those members of the community who kept calm in a volatile situation and ensured that justice can take its course,” Plato said.

Sapa

Police no-show for promised clampdown

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Residents furious as cops blow off long-promised clampdown on Walmer Estate rat run.

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Cape Town - The Walmer Estate Residents Community Forum has blasted the city for a “no show” in its plan to curb the peak-hour traffic rat run through the area.

Last week the city announced that it would conduct a trial of restricting traffic through Walmer Estate, from Monday until April 25.

Mayoral committee member for transport Brett Herron said the city would block off the main access road to the area between 4pm and 6pm. He said about 1500 vehicles entered Walmer Estate at the intersection of Keizersgracht and Chester road between 4pm and 6pm during the week, but that once the city put the brakes on the rat run, motorists would only be allowed to turn into Searle Street and into Chest Road and Hill Street.

As the city conducts the trial, and when it decides to formally implement the traffic restriction, motorists will not be allowed to enter Walmer Estate from Keizersgracht.

But to the disappointment of the residents of the area, the city did not start the testing on Monday as planned.

Forum chairman Moosa Sydow said after the great expectations residents had, the first day of the trial was a “damp squib”.

“We were promised, with some amount of public hype, that the nightmare of the peak-hour traffic rat race that we have had to endure for years will finally be tackled head-on with the full support of the city and brought to an end.”

He said when the “big moment” came just before 4pm on Monday, he went to check whether implementation was going ahead but saw no traffic officials.

“It was maddening and disappointing to see the same traffic rat runners we have been fighting to stop making our lives a misery, merrily going on their way,” Sydow said in a letter to the Cape Times.

STAFF UNPREPARED

Herron responded, saying the planning had been a long time in the making but that “unfortunately” the traffic department let officials down by arriving late and sending staff who were unprepared. He said the situation was now being dealt with internally.

Herron assured Sydow that an official from the roads department would ensure traffic staff arrived early and were prepared to start the trial phase on Tuesday.

Traffic officials were on the scene on Tuesday, but Herron said initially the plan was to allow some traffic through, but to warn people of the changes and that it would not be allowed in future.

“Part of the plan is education and not pure enforcement.”

“It is very premature to write off the effort as a failure so early in the project,” Herron said.

Sydow said on Tuesday he was pleased to see two traffic officers on the scene warning motorists.

“It’s tough because not everyone reads the papers, but it is looking much better. We hope the message will get through to people.”

The trial will continue from 4pm to 6pm for the rest of the week. Herron said the city would be “remiss to punish motorists who are unaware of the restrictions”.

“It is not these motorists who need to be punished to change their behaviour, it is those who persist even after a few days of warning.”

Cape Times


Residents walk 5km to report a crime

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Residents in some Khayelitsha informal settlements walk as far as 5km to report crimes, while police take up to an hour to respond when called out.

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Cape Town - Residents in some Khayelitsha informal settlements walk as far as 5km to report crimes, while police take up to an hour to respond when called out.

This is what the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating alleged police inefficiencies in the township, was told during inspections in loco yesterday.

Commission chairwoman, retired Justice Kate O’Regan, and commissioner and former National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli, and lawyers for the police and civil society organisations, visited the TR-Section informal settlement.

They were taken on a tour by resident Welcome Makele, a member of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC).

Makele told Justice O’Regan that part of a road leading to the Nolungile train station was a mugging hot spot because street lights were broken.

Residents used the road to get to work. Most attacks occurred at about 5am and in the evening when people were returning from work. Makele said schoolchildren also used the road.

Makele said police took more than an hour to respond when residents reported crime in the road.

“When people go to the Khayelitsha police station, which is situated in Site B, they are turned away and told, ‘We don’t deal with your area, go to Lingelethu West’. But Lingelethu West is far. You could get robbed again along the way before even reporting the first incident.”

Makele said SJC members had interviewed the area’s residents about vigilante murders and some had admitted to having taken part in one, but they refused to give details.

He showed the commissioners a stretch of road near the taxi rank in Site C, which he said was a hot spot for robberies.

But policeman Atwell Nodume said it was not a hot spot and few crimes were reported there as criminals feared taxi drivers operating there. Most hot spots were near shebeens, he said.

Nodume said police did not have enough manpower to cover all areas.

Justice O’Regan said Lingelethu West police had identified 17 crime hot spots in their precinct.

The commission also visited the Lingelethu West, Harare and Khayelitsha police stations. An inspection was conducted at the Khayelitsha police’s community service centre – where members of the public are assisted with opening cases – the holding cells, and a shipping container used as a storage facility for dockets.

“We have a range of questions that Advocate Pikoli and I will put to the brigadier and representatives of the other parties involved in the commission,” Justice O’Regan said. She said all three station commanders would testify before the commission.

Commission secretary Amanda Dissel said documents on completed vigilante attack investigations had been received. Others were pending. During an inspection in JPS section last night, Khayelitsha police station’s Brigadier Sizakele Dyantyi said poor infrastructure affected policing.

“There are no proper roads. To get to shacks you have to get there on foot. If you are two officers alone, you have to get back-up,” Dyantyi said.

Advocate JC Gerber, from the Department of Community Safety, said residents were left unprotected because police did not patrol at night.

But said Dyantyi: “Local government needs to create the infrastructure. If you have the road you can patrol, but if you don’t it is very difficult.”

xolani.koyana@inl.co.za

Cape Times

Bikers ride to protest Against Tolls

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Go BATty on Saturday 25 January at the fourth Cape Town Bikers Against e-Tolls protest run

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As the groundswell of anger over the e-tolling fiasco in Gauteng… er… swells, Bikers Against e-Tolls in the Cape is determined to leave no ground unswollen in the fight against institutionalised electronic thievery.

Participants in Cape Town's fourth BAT Run will gather from 8am on Saturday 25 January on Keizergracht in central Cape Town, to leave at 9am sharp.

And anything on wheels is welcome, as long as it's roadworthy and the conductor has an appropriate driving licence. Here's your chance to be an activist - make your own slogans for your vehicles, and contact Amanda Bruwer if you'd like to sponsor a flag or three for the run.

ROUTE

Right into Keizergracht, right into Tennant Street, left into Roeland Street and up De Waal Drive, left on to the N2, left on to the R300, right on to the N1, right on to the R304, right into Bottelary Road and left into Bottelary Tennis Courts where the Potency Motorcycle Club will man "refreshment facilities", offering food stalls and liquid refreshments of various levels of potency.

Want more noise? From there the fun will move to the Suicidal Tendencies' Tin and Tenner 2014 party - don't forget to bring a tin of food and a R10 note (not a member of Il Divo!) for those less fortunate.

Young people keen to join SAPS

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Young people are showing interest in joining the SA Police Service, the police ministry said.

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Cape Town - Young people are showing interest in joining the SA Police Service, the police ministry said on Wednesday.

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa visited Lentegeur in Cape Town on a recruitment drive on Wednesday morning, his spokesman Zweli Mnisi said.

Mnisi said the meeting with residents went well and that there were a number of young people in the audience keen to join the police.

“The main purpose was to interact with the community from the viewpoint of recruitment,” Mnisi said.

“We have a variety of professions within the service (such as) psychologists, pilots, forensics etc. which we, in the past, have not marketed well,” he said.

He said there had been a misconception that the police was just about having a firearm and wearing a blue uniform.

Mnisi said the department was trying a new recruitment strategy and hoping to attract 1070 people.

Any member of the public could apply for a job they qualified for. They would then be subject to a verification process which would serve to reduce the amount of corrupt officials joining the service.

“We are confident that through this (process) we won't have a case of (corruption),” Mnisi said.

He said the shortlisted names would be made public in the various communities and residents would be allowed to give feedback on these names.

Police could not claim to be partners with communities, but then not engage with them when they tried to recruit new staff, he said.

Sapa

SAPS commission shown ‘field of death’

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The "field of death" was one of Cape Town's crime hotspots the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry was shown during in loco inspections.

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Cape Town - The "field of death" was one of Cape Town's crime hotspots the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry was shown during in loco inspections on Wednesday.

"This is the execution place. If you do something wrong, whatever you do we bring you here and arrest you... there is rape and robbery here in the area... so people are just sick and tired of it," said single mother Thobeka Mhlawuli.

Commissioners Kate O'Regan and Vusi Pikoli and advocates involved in the inquiry were shown the field at the Nkanini informal settlement.

The Social Justice Coalition (SJC), an NGO, is one of the main complainants at the inquiry into alleged police inefficiency in Khayelitsha.

Several suspected robbers have been necklaced and killed on the sandy field, which doubles as a soccer pitch for children in the area.

Necklacing involves placing a car tyre over someone's head and setting it alight.

Most Nkanini residents were hesitant to speak to journalists, fearing police action or retaliation from criminals.

However, Mhlawuli was unashamed about her support for vigilante justice.

"We don't see police here, so we basically have to fight for ourselves. They never come. They only come when the crimes are finished and done, so what's the use of them?"

She said she had witnessed many community arrests, "prosecutions" and executions carried out by angry and frustrated residents on the field.

Asked what would make her stop supporting mob justice, she said "more police visibility".

"When they come here they only go to the shebeens to close them and then they leave. They don't walk around, see things, do patrols, and stay and watch."

Several other hotspots were also visited, so commissioners could see first hand the areas where crime was rife.

SJC community support officer Welcome Makele led the commission to Harare Park, where he told them gang violence was prevalent.

"There's lots of gangsters here and the police are aware of that. Nothing has improved here and this area is still dangerous," he said.

"They are shooting with lots of guns, there is robbery, and they are stabbing people."

Makele's job includes accompanying crime victims to police stations to help them open cases against criminals.

At one of the stops in Ilitha Park, another open field was shown to commissioners.

"The kids are going to school when they get robbed here and the workers who go to the train station in the early hours of the morning get robbed here," he told the commission.

At the corner of Thandazo drive and Bida crescent, the commission was greeted by more community members, who complained of police inefficiency, despite a CCTV camera installed overhead.

"This road is the meeting point for the school gangsters when they fight at this junction. The community don't know if the CCTV camera is working, because they expect the police will come when the gang violence starts, but they don't," Makele said.

A man living on the corner, who refused to be named for fear of retaliation by criminals, said robbers frequented the spot to target people on their way to and from work.

"This camera is working, but there is nothing happening and police are not following up. They just ignore the crime," he said.

He said a bullet passed through his vehicle during a shootout between criminals last year.

"Very recently, when my car was shot at, three guys were shot here and one guy was lying dead there," he said pointing to the pavement across from his house.

"Police did come and ask me questions as if they want to investigate, but they never follow up and come back."

The commission's hearings start in Khayelitsha on Thursday.

Western Cape premier Helen Zille established the inquiry in August 2012 after receiving numerous complaints about police inefficiency in the Khayelitsha area.

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa opposed the decision to set up the inquiry, but this was dismissed by the Constitutional Court in October 2013.

 

Sapa

Living costs to bite in 2014

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According to financial analysts, this year is going to be “much worse” than last year for local consumers.

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Cape Town - An optimistic forecast for South Africa’s economic growth will not be much consolation for local consumers who are expected to face a tough year as food, electricity and petrol costs continue to soar.

According to financial analysts, this year is going to be “much worse” than last year when strikes, widespread job losses and a weakening economy pushed up the the cost of essential items, forcing families to cut down on their spending or even take out loans.

Labour analyst Michael Bagraim said: “I have workers telling me they can’t afford to buy enough food for the month. There are just a few days until pay day, but many families are out of money. They don’t use electricity because they can’t afford to top up and they are scraping by on the bare minimum.”

The lawyer has about 1 000 small companies on his books and has been speaking to their employees to try to piece together a picture of the challenges faced by South Africa’s blue-collar workers.

“The message is clear: their salary is simply not enough to catch up with the hyperinflation we are seeing,” he said.

He cited a massive spike in the cost of maize products as one of the biggest contributors to the increased cost of the average food basket.

Drought in the Northern Cape, which has caused countless crops to fail, has driven up the price of white maize as stockpiles begin to dwindle.

Reports estimate that by the end of this month, consumers could be paying as much as 50 percent more for maize products. While not as severe, other commodities were also being marked up.

Bagraim said that while the upper-income bracket would be able to weather the storm, middle-to-low-income earners would feel the burn of rising food costs.

According to Bagraim, the short-term solution would be for the government to step in and subsidise essential food items; dramatically decreasing prices until the economy stabilised.

Failing that, he urged the government to make these groceries available VAT-free.

“This would come as little to no cost to the government but would be a relief for many families as it would counteract inflation,” said Bagraim.

But as households battle to make ends meet, another price hike is looming. Next month, petrol prices were expected to rise as much as 32c to around R13.50, AA spokesman Graeme Scala said.

This follows a 38c increase at the beginning of the year, which brought the price of a petrol to R13.20 a litre on the coast.

“It is by no means a huge increase, it is exactly what we have come to expect,” said Scala. “But we could see over a R1 increase in just the first three months.”

Last year, the petrol price rose by R1.31, from R11.51 a litre to R12.82.

Scala attributed back-to-back increases to a weakening rand/dollar exchange rate. He warned that if the rand stayed on this downward trajectory, the petrol price could rise to R14, R15 or even R16 a litre by the end of the year.

Ina Wilken, chief compliance officer for the Finbond Group, said petrol price hikes had a long-lasting impact for consumers: “Every time there is even just a rumour about an increase the cost of commodities goes up. Which is fine, except they stay there even when petrol goes down again.”

She said the slew of price hikes could not have come at a worse time. January was historically a tight month for most families, as most were either cash-strapped after the holiday season and had to buy school supplies for their children, or both.

There are even more increases on the horizon. As part of National Electricity Regulator of SA’s agreement with Eskom, the national power supplier will be increasing electricity tariffs by 8 percent in March.

This will be an annual occurrence, with three more 8 percent increases scheduled to take place over the next three years. The amount outstrips the annual rate of inflation – which is at about 6 percent.

DA spokesman for finance Tim Harris said many economic challenges stemmed directly from how the government ran the economy.

“Electricity, tolls and utilities – these have been increasing above the rate of inflation for years. The reality is that the government has to a degree control over them, so you can really lay this at their door.”

He said instead of building infrastructure, such as new power plants, or investing in production – the government dragged its heels. “As a result consumers are suffering now, and look to have a very difficult year ahead.”

Consumers the Cape Argus spoke to on Wednesday say they are struggling to keep up with rising food costs.

Tasneem Manan, 30, of Lentegeur, lives with eight relatives, including her two sons – 9 and 3 – and her elderly mother and siblings.

She says she cannot buy many groceries as she would like to sustain her family for a month.

“Wages are not going up and food prices are. These days work is also scarce. We are a lot in this house (nine in total) and it is hard to support everyone.”

Manan supplements the family’s income by selling boerewors rolls on Fridays and also does massage therapy part-time.

She is also trying to get her matric at night school.

“Red meat is so expensive. We tend to buy a lot of chicken because it is cheaper. We also buy a lot of pasta because it is cheap and goes a long way. We tend to eat dishes like breyani and curry because it lasts longer.

“We buy three loaves of bread a day, which costs about R30, and then there are also the things that have to go on the bread for the children for school, so it costs a lot.”

Manan says the rising cost of living is particularly hard on her children. They often have to go without luxuries and healthy food.

“My children love vegetables, and decent vegetables are very expensive. We like to make cabbage, but with the cabbages being so small (Manan has to buy four or five) and costing R10 each, I don’t make it very often.

Pensioners Edward Mouton, 63, and his wife, Lillian, 58, often have to wait for handouts from family members because their grants do not cover their monthly expenses.

The Tafelsig couple also look after their granddaughter, Cassidy, 3, and only get R660 a month to do so. Mouton said that between his pension and his wife’s disability grant, they were struggling to cope.

“We go shopping for the month, but it does not last. Sometimes we have to wait for handouts and rely on our children... Sometimes we have porridge for supper.”

Single mother of three Jasmine Johnson, 39, from Eastridge is another consumer feeling the pinch.

“The cost of food is very expensive. I cant keep up.”

Johnson can only afford to go grocery shopping once a month and she said the food will only last half the month. She is often forced to borrow money. - Additional reporting by Warren Fortune and Dylan Oktober

kieran.legg@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

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