Cape Town traffic department to go ahead with prosecuting Kloof Nek Road skater.

In an abrupt about-turn, Cape Town’s traffic department is to go ahead with prosecuting the Kloof Nek Road skater.

Earlier this week, city traffic spokeswoman Merle Lourens said Decio Lourenco would not be prosecuted because his YouTube video showing him gliding down Kloof Nek Road and setting off the speed camera could have been tampered with.

This contradicted an earlier statement by mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith who said traffic officials were investigating the incident and would ask the National Prosecuting Authority to prosecute Lourenco.

On Thursday the executive director for safety and security in the city, Richard Bosman, said traffic officials would lodge the case with the NPA next week. He said the speed camera had caught both Lourenco on the skateboard and the car filming him.

Lourenco’s actions had been “extremely dangerous and inconsiderate, besides being illegal”, Bosman said.

“BEHAVIOUR CANNOT BE CONDONED”

“This sort of behaviour cannot be condoned as it places the lives of other road users in danger. The city is also looking at the issuing of a summons against the offender for contravening its by-laws in order to ensure a court appearance.”

Cape Town’s streets and public places by-law prohibits skaters from using public roads unless a road has been specifically designated for such use.

Last week, Lourenco’s Spoofing the Cam – Kloof Nek video went viral and now has more than 1.2 million views on YouTube.

The video shows Lourenco gliding down the steep Kloof Nek Road and setting off the 60km/h speed camera.

Before Lourenco’s video went viral, members of the skating community had been lobbying the city council to make space for the sport as there were no facilities for them. Mayco member for transport and roads Brett Herron is to meet skaters later this month. - Cape Times

It looks like the Cape school was hit by a hurricane, but the massive destruction was actually caused by vandals.

Cape Town -

At first glance it seems that buildings at a Heideveld school have been hit by a hurricane, but then it emerges that the massive destruction has been caused by vandals.

They came by horse, on foot and by car to steal any usable part of the buildings at Heideveld Primary School.

In parts of the buildings only gaping holes remain where classroom walls once were. Ceilings have collapsed.

The vandalised buildings mainly consist of old classrooms. According to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), the school is part of a programme to replace so-called plankieskole (schools built with inappropriate materials) with proper structures.

WCED spokesman Paddy Attwell said the contractor would have demolished the old buildings, in line with normal practice, while pupils moved into new mobile classrooms and some of the old prefabricated classrooms while construction was under way.

“However, certain individuals started to vandalise the old classrooms over the weekend.”

He said the school had called the police, who monitored the situation. The department was also alerted and the Safe Schools division then appointed additional security.

“The situation appeared to have stabilised on Tuesday. However, about 200 people arrived at the school on Wednesday and started to demolish old classrooms. They removed materials while some also stole equipment and other items from classrooms.”

Attwell said some members of the community had later returned some of the stolen items.

While the Cape Argus was at the school on Thursday, several men arrived, including two with shopping trolleys and one with an axe. One was seen sawing off a piece of roof.

Attwell said the department would work with the school to remove equipment stored in the unused classrooms.

Attwell said the WCED had asked the Department of Transport and Public Works to fast-track demolition of the unused classrooms because of safety concerns for pupils and staff.

He hoped that the contractor would complete the demolition and removal of the materials by early next week.

Police spokesman Warrant Officer November Filander said three people had been arrested for possession of stolen property and one for housebreaking. He said extra police patrols had been arranged.

ilse.fredericks@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

The urgent need to revitalise SA's economy was highlighted by President Zuma in his State of the Nation address.

Cape Town - The urgent need to revitalise South Africa’s economy was highlighted by President Jacob Zuma in a business-like State of the Nation address in Parliament on Thursday night.

Zuma said the country needed a Herculean effort, with the different sectors pulling together to turn the economy around and create jobs.

Zuma, stricken by flu, outlined the government’s programme of action for the year in terms of its five priorities – education, health, the fight against crime, creating work, and rural development and land reform.

Zuma emphasised the need for the country to take action to eradicate the “scourge” of violence against women, saying this had been brought into sharp focus by the rape and murder of Booysen.

He directed law enforcement agencies to treat such cases with urgency.

He added that all vacant posts in the upper echelons of the criminal justice system would be filled. The government also intended prioritising the investigation and prosecution of cases arising from violent protests.

He also announced:

* A review of the country’s tax policies, including the mining tax regime.

* A review of the remuneration and conditions of service for teachers and other civil servants.

* Plans to address what he termed the “crisis of youth unemployment”.

* That developing black-owned enterprises and black industrialists would be prioritised.

* That law enforcement agencies had been instructed to fast track cases involving violence against women and violent protests.

Zuma emphasised that the National Development Plan (NDP) – government’s agreed vision for the country for the next 20 years – was the “roadmap” to a better South Africa and said the work of departments would have to be aligned with the NDP.

He pointed out that the country was off target in economic growth, which was expected to average 2.5 percent this year, but needed to be in excess of 5 percent to create more jobs, and appealed to the different interest groups to co-operate in pursuit of solutions.

“The target for job creation is set at 11 million by 2030 and the economy needs to grow threefold to create the desired jobs,” Zuma said.

He urged an increase in the number of apprenticeships and learnerships at state-owned companies and appealed to the private sector to absorb 11 000 Further Education and Training graduates awaiting placements

He said the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform was planning nine rural youth hubs in each province and added that the expanded public works programme and the community work programme would also serve to absorb youths.

“Working together we will find a solution to youth unemployment.”

Turning to the turbulence in the mining sector, Zuma pointed out that nationalisation was firmly off the table.

He announced that later this year Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan would be commissioning a study of current tax policies to ensure the country had “an appropriate revenue base to support public spending”.

Zuma devoted a sizeable portion of his speech to the importance of improving education.

He said the Department of Basic Education would establish a national task team to strengthen teaching of maths, science and technology and appealed to the private sector to assist in improving results in these subjects.

He said decent salaries and conditions of service were critical and a presidential remuneration commission would be established.

“We want to see an improvement in the quality of learning and teaching and the management of schools. We want to see an improvement in attitudes, posture and outcomes.”

Outlining the extent to which South Africa is winning the war against HIV and Aids, Zuma warned against complacency. He reiterated government’s commitment to setting up a National Health Insurance Fund next year.

Zuma said the land question was a “highly emotive matter” which needed to be resolved “amicably within the framework of the constitution and the law”.

The government would pursue the “just and equitable” principle for compensation, instead of the “willing buyer, willing seller” principle, which forced the state to pay more for land than the actual value. Given the rapid rate of urbanisation, it was urgent that the country developed a national integrated urban development framework to assist municipalities.

Parliamentary Bureau

Romance made an unexpected appearance at Parliament as Mangosuthu Buthelezi stunned a few ministers with bouquets.

Cape Town - Romance made an unexpected appearance at the opening of Parliament on Thursday as IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi stunned a few woman cabinet ministers with Valentine’s Day bouquets when he entered the National Assembly – and the House erupted in applause.

Buthelezi and Public Service and Administration Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, the first to receive her flowers and card, briefly hugged.

Other pleasantly surprised members of the executive were Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant and Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

Buthelezi had earlier led an IFP delegation to the Adderley Street flower sellers to ease their distress at losing out on traditionally their biggest day of the year – with the area in lockdown for the grand event.

Also in the Valentine’s Day spirit were celebrity couple Dali and Rachel Tambo, who kissed for the cameras on the red carpet. Dressed from head-to-toe in neon pink, Rachel Tambo drew the limelight while Dali, in a black suit with brown shoes, graciously played the supporting act.

Durban business tycoon Vivian Reddy chatted about his 60th birthday celebrations with Dali Tambo as they made their way to the National Assembly public gallery.

Pink, purple, orange, fuschia and mauve – and any combination thereof – proved popular.

The men wore mostly dark business suits, brightened with the odd red tie or floral buttonhole, while a few ladies in red were spotted in the House, including International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

Former presidents FW de Klerk and Thabo Mbeki were in the public gallery, facing the podium. Mining magnate Patrice Motsepe was seated behind De Klerk.

DA MP Tim Harris’s wife Cara looked chic in a burnt orange sheath dress with a lighter border.

Cope MP Graham McIntosh, meanwhile, carried on his personal tradition: he wore a kilt, but admitted he had to get special permission for his “cultural weapon” – a sgian dubh (pronounced skin doo), wedged into the top of his knee-length socks.

“This is the traditional and cultural dress for people coming from KwaZulu-Natal… this is my ’nene and beshu (the goat skin attire worn by Zulu warriors),” he told Independent Newspapers.

Inside, the chamber was abuzz with chatter as MPs greeted one another at this, the official start of the parliamentary year.

DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko, in a black frock sparkling with sequins, chatted with the party’s federal executive chairman James Selfe.

Photographers and journalists were kept behind a red cordon in a small section of the Parliamentary precinct, with the exception of the Top Billing presenter, who was allowed a little more freedom of movement. From about 4pm there was a slow trickle of MPs and guests, one dressed in a traditional Japanese outfit.

The predicted rain stayed away, but a sniping Cape breeze prompted many a careful check that the hat or the hairdo were still perfectly in place. Few big hats were in evidence this year.

Security was tighter than ever, with roads closed all around Parliament and the pavements fenced off amid a strong police presence and helicopters buzzing overhead.

Those entering the precinct had to pass through metal detectors, where one officer was overheard being told to have “eyes in the back of your head”.

President Jacob Zuma, accompanied by MaKhumalo and the presiding officers, made his way up the red carpet past the public guests, civil guard of honour, entertainers and eminent persons, before pausing for the national anthem, 21-gun salute and salute flight by the SA Air Force, and then entering the National Assembly to deliver his speech.

Political Bureau

Greenmarket Square traders say the stench from the area’s restrooms is costing them clients and money.

Cape Town - Greenmarket Square traders say the stench from the area’s restrooms is costing them clients and money.

On Thursday,

Trevor Ebden, the chairman of the Greenmarket Square traders’ association, said the restrooms had been locked and had not been cleaned since February 1.

The contract with the company employed to maintain the restrooms during the festive season came to an end on January 31.

“It’s not our responsibility anymore, ask the city,” said Stephen Kiviets, co-owner of the GL Group maintenance company.

Mike Mutuku, a crafts trader from Malawi whose stall is located next to the entrance to the women’s restrooms, said he had to put up with the stench of urine and faeces.

“Now many people have decided to just use the stairs instead (since the toilets are closed)… so when I have a potential customer they hold their noses… and then they run off,” he said.

Belinda Walker, the mayoral committee member for community services, said she “sincerely apologises to the public for the inconvenience”.

“The restrooms will be open as from (today) and the city will ensure that such an inconvenience will not occur in future,” she said.

daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Flash mobs across the country took to major cities to protest against rape and violence against women and children.

Cape Town - Flash mobs across the country led by various organisations took to major cities to protest against rape and violence against women and children in the One Billion Rising campaign.

As a backdrop to the brutal rape and killing of Anene Booysen, organisations in Cape Town gathered at the Cape Town station to protest.

Speaking at the demonstration, LeadSA’s Yusuf Abramjee called on President Jacob Zuma to act.

“We need stricter enforcement of the law. We need civil society to unite.” Protesters shouted: “Stop Rape, LeadSA.”

Dancers from Dance for Life, and a group of traditional dancers from Burundi led the crowds in a universal “protest dance”.

“We are calling for an end to violence against women through dance and harmony,” said a dancer from the Sonke Gender Justice Network, Merle O’Brien.

Stellenbosch University students also hosted a mass silent protest on campus on Thursday.

“Stellenbosch University itself has lent its support to the student protest,” said rector and vice-chancellor Russel Botman.

Participating students’ mouths were covered with duct tape, to symbolise solidarity with those whose voices are not heard.

Pupils and staff at Springfield Convent School in Wynberg have also taken a stance to raise awareness by dressing in black on Friday.

“By wearing black, our pupils will become more aware of making a stand against all forms of violence,” said principal Barbara Houghton.

Cosatu said on Thursday that the brutality and violent nature of sexual crime in the country was of serious concern.

“This is not only about rape, but the brutality and extreme violence that accompanies the crime,” the trade union federation said.

Cape Argus

WCape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato will call on academics and gender rights organisations to make presentations to his department.

Cape Town - Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato will call on academics and gender rights organisations to make presentations to his department to try to combat the sexual abuse of women and children.

This follows the brutal rape and murder of Anene Booysen in Bredasdorp.

Plato met MEC for Social Development Albert Fritz, provincial police commissioner Arno Lamoer and other government officials on Thursday.

Plato said academics would have a great influence on the new plans, and local organisations would act as the “voice of the community”.

He said: “I will be engaging with academics, NGOs and communities to get any input, even the smallest. I will soon be visiting communities to engage on this.”

Plato renewed the call for the public to report crimes.

“Every police precinct in the Western Cape has a victim support room, totalling 149 in the province, where victims of rape can report crimes and give their statements in a safe and victim-friendly environment.

“Victim-support volunteers, who have been trained through a joint effort of Community Safety, Social Development and the SAPS, help the victim through the police reporting process.

“Social workers are also available to provide counselling for rape victims and their families and can be contacted by visiting any local Social Development office,” Plato said.

Meanwhile, Cosatu has organised a mass rally on Sunday at which civil organisations will publicly voice their outrage about sexual crimes against women and children.

Cosatu’s Tony Ehrenreich said they were establishing a special committee to help smaller gender organisations in affected communities.

“We will, as much as possible, rally and fight for harsh sentences.

“We will do our best to bring an end to the abuse of women. We owe it to Anene and the many women raped on a daily basis,” Ehrenreich said.

“The attack on the women and children of our nation is a threat to all of us. Every four minutes, a person is raped in South Africa.

“Anene Booysen’s body was found mutilated and she was left for dead. This is a mournful reminder of the violation of our women and the destruction of our (humaneness).”

Bernadette Muthien, director at Engender 0 a gender equity organisation - said rape would become uncontrollable if not tackled soon.

“The struggles in our communities are endless. Our role as parents is the biggest influence on what our children will become. Home is where our children learn to love, be compassionate and tolerant,” she said.

More than 2 000 people were expected to join the rally.

Cape Argus

Buskers wanting to perform at the V&A Waterfront will need to do so without the help of amplifiers.

Cape Town - Buskers wanting to perform at the V&A Waterfront will need to do so without the help of amplifiers.

The new rule states that buskers who require amplifiers or speakers will not be allowed to busk on the grounds, due to the amount of noise they make.

Waterfront spokeswoman Carla White said they had to find a balance that would be suitable for their visitors, retail tenants and restaurants.

“We offer the buskers a platform to showcase their talent and we don’t charge them to perform here and, after many investigations, the ruling now is no amps,” White said.

She said those buskers who could perform without amplification equipment would be allowed to stay. White said the rule only affected one of the six busker acts they had at the Waterfront.

“The Waterfront Four had reached the end of their three-month agreement and are eligible to re-audition and will be considered should they be able to perform without amplification,” White said.

Cecil Nkala and other members of the Siyabuya Marimba band said the new rules would not affect them but they felt it was a pity the Waterfront Four were affected by the new ruling.

“We’ve been hearing around that the guys (Waterfront Four) would not be allowed to play here anymore because they use amplifiers. But our music doesn’t need speakers so we are lucky,” Nkala said.

He said although they did not know the Waterfront Four they felt sorry for them.

Kirya Kuti, who plays the saxophone, said their band’s music was “natural” and didn’t require speakers.

“As musicians we want our sound to be natural. And marimbas are loud as it is and don’t need speakers. But as musicians we feel for them (other musicians) and we don’t know how they will survive now,” Kuti said.

Patrick Moffat, a regular visitor to the precinct, said he was sad the Waterfront Four had left. “That band was the reason we go there, they could have just asked them to turn the volume down,” Moffat said.

yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

The Cape Agulhas municipality has pledged to stop violence in the community following the rape and murder of Anene Booysen.

Bredasdorp - The Cape Agulhas municipality has pledged to stop violence in its community following the rape and murder of teenager Anene Booysen.

Police, trauma councillors and community leaders gathered at a hall in Bredasdorp on Thursday to share their stories.

The municipality’s Anneleen Vorster said violence would no longer be tolerated in the community.

She said the municipality also wanted to send the message that it was okay to talk about rape.

“There is a stigma attached to rape. This campaign is not only because of Anene. One out of four women is raped in South Africa. Look around you… there are those who are hurt but don’t have the courage to come forward and talk about it.

“We, as a community, support you and want this pledge to spread.”

The municipality handed out pamphlets with a pledge to be violence-free, to never commit or condone crime, to report all known and suspected incidents of violence, and to teach children self-esteem and self-worth.

Sophia Europa, a mother and grandmother, stood up and told her daughter’s story.

“A few months ago my 29-year-old daughter was abused by her 41-year-old boyfriend.

“They were dating for four months and he was abusive, I encouraged her to leave him. One evening, a friend of hers called to say she heard shouts and screams coming from her place.”

Europa said she was shocked to see her daughter upon arriving at her home.

“Her skin was peeling and there were slashes all over her face.

She held up posters of her daughter’s scarred face.

“The boyfriend said if he couldn’t have her, no one else could have her.

“My five-year-old granddaughter witnessed it and is still traumatised and receiving treatment,” she said.

Europa said the visible scars were healing, but that her daughter was still in a lot of pain.

Malvern de Bruyn, a facilitator for the Department of Community Safety, said violence could be stopped through knowledge and power.

“Ending violence against women and children is one of my key objectives. In 2006, a six-year-old girl was lured away from home by a friend of her father… she was raped, stabbed and set alight. She survived the incident, but in 2010 she died in a taxi crash.”

Resident Pof Louw said:

“I am lucky that my family and I have never been affected by violence, but I’m here today to talk from a man’s point of view. There are men who respect you (women) and think that you are wonderful,” he said tearfully.

Almost two weeks ago, 17-year-old Booysen was gang-raped and disembowelled after visiting a club. She was found, barely alive, at the construction site where she worked, not far from her home. She died in hospital the next day.

Booysen’s rape was condemned by all sectors of society.

Three men were arrested, and one was later released due to lack of evidence. Johannes Kana, 21, and Jonathan Davids, 22, were charged with Booysen’s rape and murder.

They are due to return to the Bredasdorp Magistrate’s Court on February 26.

natasha.bezuidenhout@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

The City of Cape Town has temporarily closed the Global Gases factory where two men were killed in an explosion.

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has temporarily closed the Global Gases factory where two men were killed in an explosion, it said on Friday.

“After the joint inspection that was conducted by the authorities yesterday (Thursday), a prohibition order was issued to the management that the facility will be shut down,” disaster risk centre spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said.

A team of specialists from the city, together with the labour department and police investigated Wednesday's blast.

A notice was issued to conduct emergency repair work on the building, to make the area safe. The notice was issued in terms of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act.

Solomons-Johannes said a private service provider, Comp Air, had been contracted to repair a compressor at the factory, in the Atlas Gardens industrial park. Around 4pm a compressor and gas cylinders exploded, ripping out the windows and sections of the corrugated iron roof.

Technician Martin O'Connor was killed and Global Gases technical supervisor Saji Thekkemalayil Chandrasekharaan lost a leg. He died in hospital overnight. Chandrasekharaan had been in the country on a valid work permit.

Two others were recovering in intensive care. Contractor Brandon Pretorius had both legs amputated and was in a critical but stable condition. Jean Rossouw was serious but stable.

The city's fire and rescue services spokesman Theo Layne said four others sustained minor injuries. - Sapa

The case against a Kenwyn man, who confessed to a murder he committed 11 years ago, has been moved to the Wynberg Regional Court.

Cape Town - The case against a Kenwyn man who confessed to a murder he committed 11 years ago has been moved to Wynberg Regional Court.

Raafiq Abrahams, 25, made a brief appearance in Wynberg Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Prosecutor Kepler Uys said the matter was ready for trial in the regional court.

Abrahams confessed to police in December, saying he stabbed Sulaiman Brey on November 13, 2002, inside his Wittebome Superette in Wynberg when he was just 14.

Abrahams fled the scene and moved on. He worked as a chef in Dubai for about three years. But after falling on a flight of stairs and breaking his leg, which needed extensive treatment, he returned to Cape Town. He came clean to Brey’s brother and made a confession to the police. “I made a full confession to Kirstenhof police. I will disclose full reasons for my actions and intentions for confessing to this offence,” he said.

Magistrate Hafiza Mohamed postponed the case for Abrahams’s first appearance in the regional court on April 24.

jade.otto@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Three gunmen shot and killed an alleged drug dealer in Voortrekker Road, Parow, on Thursday night.

Cape Town - Three gunmen shot and killed an alleged drug dealer in Voortrekker Road, Parow, last night.

Ernest Oswagu, a Nigerian expatriate, and his brother, who police declined to name, were standing on the pavement in front of La Ponte Rose cafe about 8pm, when three men walked up to them, police liaison officer Warrant Officer November Filander said.

The three men all drew firearms and fired several shots at Oswagu. They fled on foot.

Oswagu died at the scene.

Police said Oswagu was believed to have been a drug dealer. They have not yet determined what the motive for the attack was.

“Cases of murder and attempted murder were opened for further investigation,” Filander said.

“No suspects have been arrested at this stage.

“Anyone who witnessed the incident or knows the whereabouts of the suspects is asked to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 with any information,” he said.

Cape Argus

Having a drink in the veld with a man she did not know turned into tragedy for a 39-year-old woman who was raped by her companion.

Cape Town - Having a drink in the veld near Mnandi Beach on Thursday with a man she did not know turned into tragedy for a 39-year-old woman who was raped by her companion.

The victim joined the man, who she said she didn’t know, for a drink late yesterday afternoon.

“About 7pm, a 39-year-old woman was raped at Mnandi Beach, Rocklands,” police spokesman Warrant Officer November Filander said.

“It is alleged that the victim was drinking with an unknown man in the bushes, and when they were finished drinking the suspect raped her.

Police have asked anyone with information to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or Mitchells Plain police station at 021 376 9850.

Filander appealed to the public to “know the people you are with when you are socialising, and be responsible at all times”.

Meanwhile, the Cape Agulhas Municipality has pledged to stop violence in its community after the rape and murder of teenager Anene Booysen in Bredasdorp. Police, trauma councillors and community leaders gathered at a hall in the town yesterday to share their stories.

The municipality’s Anneleen Vorster said violence would no longer be tolerated in the community.

She said the municipality also wanted to send the message that it was okay to talk about rape.

“There is a stigma attached to rape. This campaign is not only because of Anene. One out of four women is raped in South Africa.

“Look around you… there are those who are hurt, but don’t have the courage to come forward and talk about it.

“We, as a community, support you and want this pledge to spread.”

The municipality handed out pamphlets with a pledge to be violence-free; to never commit or condone crime; to report all known and suspected incidents of violence and to teach children self-esteem and self-worth.

Sophia Europa, a mother and grandmother, stood up and told her daughter’s story.

“A few months ago my 29-year-old daughter was abused by her 41-year-old boyfriend.

“They were dating for four months and he was abusive, I encouraged her to leave him. One evening, a friend of hers called to say she heard shouts and screams coming from her place.”

Europa said she was shocked to see her daughter when she arrived at her home: “Her skin was peeling and there were slashes all over her face.”

She held up posters of her daughter’s scarred face.

“The boyfriend said if he couldn’t have her, no one else could have her.

“My five-year-old granddaughter witnessed it and is still traumatised and receiving treatment,” she said.

Malvern de Bruyn, a facilitator for the Department of Community Safety, said violence could be stopped through knowledge and power.

“Ending violence against women and children is one of my key objectives,” she said.

Resident Pof Louw said:

“I am lucky that my family and I have never been affected by violence, but I’m here today to talk from a man’s point of view. There are men who respect you (women) and think that you are wonderful,” he said tearfully.

Cape Argus

“I can’t live like this any more. The conditions are unbearable,” wept fire victim Phakama Nhose after about seven weeks of living in OR Tambo Hall.

Cape Town - “I can’t live like this any more. The conditions are unbearable,” wept January 1 fire victim Phakama Nhose after about seven weeks of living in OR Tambo Hall in Khayelitsha.

Another of the victims, mother Nonzwakazi Ligunya, agreed: “We’re overcrowded, some people are sick. It gets claustrophobic in here and the ambulance frequents this place, coming in at least three times a day.”

That was the scenario that met President Jacob Zuma on Friday when he came face-to-face with the victims of the New Year’s Day fire in Khayelitsha that razed 220 shacks and 15 formal houses, killing five people.

Thousands were left homeless, and on Friday Zuma was at their temporary home to officially open what the residents hope will be better temporary homes – housing units donated by NGO Gift of the Givers, and erected in the area around the hall.

Fresh from his State of the Nation address, Zuma heard from residents who have become extremely frustrated at their conditions.

He was accompanied by Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille.

Zuma told the many fire victims he was visiting them to assure them that while he understood that “government proceedings are slow”, he would keep on eye on the progress of plans to rehouse them.

“I’m counting down the two months as from today,” said Zuma, switching between Xhosa and Zulu. He was referring to the two-month deadline the city set itself to complete the rehousing process.

Between 400 and 500 people also affected by the fire are apparently living elsewhere with family and friends.

About 150 people are living in the hall, and it remains unclear whether everyone will get new homes.

Local ANC councillor

Monde Nqulana said while it was impossible to say exactly when everyone would be rehoused, “by mid-March everyone should be out of the hall”.

Nqulana added that another 15 people were expected to move into the new temporary units outside the hall on Monday.

Nqulana agreed that conditions inside the hall were problematic, and confirmed that the ambulance had to be called for patients there about three times daily.

“

Some of the people that live here have tuberculosis. It’s unfair,” Nqulana said.

BM section resident Ligunya, who has a two-month-old baby, agreed: “It’s not nice living here.”

Nosicelo Phakamisa, who lives in the hall with a family of eight, took a brighter view of the situation: “They give us everything. We’ve been promised that the houses outside are just temporary, and that we’ll get better houses.”

After the president’s address, Nomthandazo Damane, a single parent of a three-month-old, remained unconvinced.

She said the situation was “quite dire”, and that she didn’t want to get her hopes up.

“

The infant foods they give us for our children have expired,” she complained.

After addressing the residents, Zuma inspected the temporary houses. Gift of the Givers branch manager Gawa Sayed said the organisation would build 100 temporary houses, each costing more than R20 000.

“We pledged 100 houses for the victims,” Sayed said, explaining that while their focus was normally on feeding victims of disasters, they had decided this time to help with housing. They had already erected 24 homes, and the residents would move in on Monday.

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and the Home Affairs department set up mobile services at the hall to help those affected by the fire replace their IDs and assist with their social grants.

soyiso.maliti@inl.co.za Weekend Argus

Nokhwezi Masakhana is at work at 6am. But her work doesn’t involve a desk and a telephone. That’s because she works on the streets.

Cape Town - Nokhwezi Masakhana is at work at 6am. But her work doesn’t involve a desk and a telephone.

That’s because Nokhwezi works on the streets, collecting food and scrap materials from rubbish bins to ensure her and her family’s survival.

She and husband Mnyamezeli are a common sight on the streets of Mitchells Plain, their trolley stacked high with cans, plastic bottles and cardboard boxes.

There is some leftover macaroni cheese in one of the bins. Nokhwezi wipes away the ants covering it and says she’ll save it for their lunch.

Every weekday morning for the past five years the couple has pushed their trolley from their Philippi shack to Mitchells Plain to scavenge through rubbish bins, arriving before the refuse removal trucks.

It’s Wednesday morning, and that means it’s collection day in Lentegeur.

The Masakhanas are far from unique, with dozens in this area alone arriving early to rummage through the bins. Some have started even earlier, in a bid to get the “best” of what’s been tossed out.

People like this couple are a common sight to many Capetonians, who barely glance at them.

Nokhwezi, 41, and Mnyamezeli, 48, say they collect plastic, scrap metal or cardboard in their bid to take care of their four children, aged 13 to 21, all of whom are still at school. Leftovers found in the rubbish could be their lunch or supper for the day.

“We go through the bins and try to find whatever we can. Depending on the area and time of the month you can get some really good food, but what we want most is the recyclables so we can sell them for money,” Nokhwezi explains.

They earn an average of between R30 and R40 a day by turning over their “treasures” to a local scrapyard.

“It’s not a lot of money but we get by on it. We pay for whatever our children need for school, clothes, electricity and whatever else we need.

“Sometimes we do odd jobs here and there, but going through the bins is our main source of income and food,” she says.

They admit to having been embarrassed at first when they started sifting through bins, but “when you have children hungry at home, you quickly get over it”.

Knowing that so many people are having to do the same also consoles them.

The couple quickly comb through a few more bins before dashing off to the next road, always staying one step ahead of the approaching refuse truck.

Thursday is another rubbish collection day, this time in the city centre.

Here the work includes combing through the bins of malls and hotels.

“John”, who does not want to reveal his real name, needs the help of five of his friends to go through about 20 bins in one street.

He explains that they have met through their mutual “work” over the past 20 years, and decided to join forces by sharing the scrap they collected, giving themselves a better chance of survival.

The bins from a nearby hotel provide them with four bags of food.

“A good take for the day,” says John.

The men are in a rush to get through all the trash, not because of an approaching rubbish truck, but because the hotel security guards are not impressed with the idea of them leaving a mess in their wake.

John says the real reason they’re being chased away is because their scavenging is bad for business.

“We don’t really care, but because those bins are our lifelines, and as long as we do what they say, we can come back the next week.”

Their loot includes half-eaten microwave meals and DVDs along with pieces of cardboard and plastic.

The guard gives a last warning for John and his friends to leave. They grab their bags and head down the road.

They’ll take their earnings to a scrapyard in Woodstock.

At the time John said he was looking forward to the opening of Parliament, which took place on Thursday.

“They have the best food, and a lot of it is just thrown away.

“We just live off the scraps they leave behind.”

kowthar.solomons@inl.co.za

Weekend Argus

Police are investigating the licensed liquor outlet which Anene Booysen visited on the night she was raped and murdered.

Cape Town -

Police are investigating the licensed liquor outlet in Bredasdorp which Anene Booysen, 17, visited on the night she was brutally gang-raped and murdered.

David’s Sport Bar and Pub has been accused of serving liquor to under-age patrons.

The under-age teen was able to get into the pub, on Bastiaan Street, raising concerns from police and the Western Cape Liquor Authority.

Bredasdorp station commander Lieutenant-Colonel Maree Louw said the police and the liquor authority were working together on the investigation.

“We have collected all the information in our investigation and have handed it over to the liquor authority now. They will most likely conduct a hearing with the owner of the pub,” she said. Shawn Willemse, deputy director of the authority, confirmed receiving the police report.

“We received the report, but it does not include conclusive evidence,” he said.

Liquor authority spokesman Philip Prinsloo said it was specifically awaiting the outcome of the investigation into the reports that Booysen drank and socialised at the licensed premises prior to her rape and murder.

According to SA Breweries statistics, one out of every two teenagers in the average home drinks alcohol.

Economic Development, Tourism and Finance MEC Alan Winde said: “Selling liquor to minors is a criminal offence. If any outlet is caught selling liquor to a minor, they will be liable to fines of up to R1 million, jail time and will have their licence removed.”

sibusisiwe.lwandle@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

A Philippi man allegedly strangled his mother to death after an argument. He then went to a tavern and ordered a beer.

Cape Town - A 37-year-old Philippi man allegedly strangled his mother after an argument on Sunday. He then went to a tavern with his girlfriend and ordered a beer.

It is alleged that at about 5pm on Sunday the man, an alleged tik addict, had an argument with his 55-year-old mother and choked her, said police spokesman Frederick van Wyk .

“He was apprehended the same day and is in custody. He will appear in Athlone Magistrate’s Court today on charges of murder,” Van Wyk said.

Police were also investigating the possibility that the man had raped his mother.

A relative, 75, told the Cape Argus that when he arrived at the woman’s home the police were leading her son to a police van.

He saw the woman lying face up on her bed. A necktie was tightly wrapped around her neck.

“They fought now and again, but I never imagined he would do this to his mother. He was her only son,” he said.

The relative said the man had begun smoking tik more than 20 years ago, after he dropped out of school.

“He has been in and out of jail since then for shoplifting. He is a troublesome man who would demand money for drugs from his mother. They fought a lot and she would often call on me to intervene,” he said.

A neighbour who asked not to be named said the man’s girlfriend had knocked on his door just after 5pm. “She told us (the man) had had a fight with his mother and was now strangling her. But she sounded so nonchalant that we didn’t take her seriously.”

The man and his mother were always fighting about her doing washing for people. “That’s how she made money as he would take her monthly government grant,” he said.

Another neighbour, a tavern owner, said the man arrived at the tavern with his girlfriend and ordered a beer.

“He kept on saying there is a dead body at his house and that he was going to wait until it’s dark to get rid of it… he didn’t say who it was,” she said.

The tavern owner said the man’s girlfriend kept indicating to her with her eyes that she should go outside.

“I sensed something was wrong. I flagged down a passing police van and drove with them to the house. That’s where we found her… dead. She was a good woman who was a hard worker.”

nontando.mposo@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Another Western Cape woman has lost the struggle to protect herself from an attacker she knew.

Cape Town - Another Western Cape woman has lost the struggle to protect herself from an attacker she knew.

Melandri Bukkies, 20, was stabbed in her Atlantis home.

Police spokesman FC van Wyk said a search was launched on Monday for a man known to the police. He had arrived at Bukkies’ house at about 11am.

The man was her ex-boyfriend and he had “entered her home and assaulted her by stabbing her”, said Van Wyk. “She died at the scene.”

Captain Cyril Dicks, of Atlantis, said the suspect was 33 years old.

One of the town’s councillors, Barbara Rass, told the Cape Argus:

“It’s our second body in the week. We’ve lost two girls - both inside their own houses.”

Bukkies’ parents said the death of their daughter at the hands of her former boyfriend had left them in “disbelief”.

A friend, Shimoney Josephs, said she had be woken by a commotion in Bukkies’ bedroom and when she got there she saw that her friend had been stabbed in the neck.

“I heard fighting inside and then I heard Amy, Melandri’s baby, crying. I went to the neighbours to get some help and they called the ambulance and the police,” Josephs said.

Josephs said the stabbing had happened before noon and that her friend of three months died in her room before the ambulance arrived.

Bukkies’s father Abraham Bukkies said he had last spoken to his daughter before he left for work.

“She never gave us any problems. She wasn’t a child that liked to go out.”

He said his daughter had left school four years ago after falling pregnant.

Her mother, Mina Arendse, said their daughter had an interdict against her alleged attacker.

“He must have seen that she was at home alone …we hope the police can catch him because we are scared he will come for us as well,” Arendse said.

Bukkies’ murder followed that of at least three other young women in the last fortnight.

Anene Booysen, 17, of Bredasdorp, was gang-raped, disembowelled and left to die.

Audrey Bianca Green, 19, of Scottsville, was found stashed in a drawer beneath a bunk bed.

The body of 18-year-old Jo-Anne Diane van Schalkwyk of Atlantis was found in bushes near the West Coast town.

Cape Argus

Mediclinic is lobbying authorities in Dubai to change medical malpractice laws there.

Cape Town - An international private hospital group is lobbying authorities in Dubai to change medical malpractice laws there so that instead of complaints automatically being viewed as criminal, they could be seen as civil.

This comes in the wake of the detention of city doctor Cyril Karabus who has been held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for more than six months on criminal charges.

On Monday in an e-mail response to the Cape Times, Mediclinic Middle East’s chief executive, David Hadley, confirmed the group was trying to change medical malpractice laws in Dubai.

“We have lobbied the regulatory authorities in Dubai - the Dubai Health Authority and Dubai Healthcare City - regarding the law whereby people can criminalise the medical complaint process by laying a charge directly with the police when medical malpractice or negligence is suspected.

“We would like to see the law change so that patients or their families must lodge their complaints with the relevant health regulating authority first, and that it should be up to the regulating authority to determine if it is a criminal or civil case,” he said.

At the weekend, Karabus’s local attorney, Michael Bagraim, said Karabus was “very excited” about the proposed changes to the Dubai medical laws.

He said since Karabus’s case had been in the spotlight, a number of medical practitioners thinking of working in the UAE had contacted him about their worries regarding the medical laws there.

Bagraim said a number of them had decided not to work in the UAE.

However, in his response, Hadley said the hospital had not noticed an impact from Karabus’s case.

“Referring specifically to Mediclinic Middle East, we have not up till now seen that the incident regarding Prof Karabus has deterred doctors and nurses from coming to Dubai,” he said.

Mediclinic Middle East employed some 13 doctors and 55 nurses from SA out of a total of roughly 2 000 employees.

“None of our current SA doctors or nurses have indicated to us that they wish to leave the UAE for reasons relating to Prof Karabus or any other,” Hadley said.

Mediclinic Middle East said that records since 2006 showed that there were about 30 cases of alleged negligence out of more than 3 million patients.

“Only five of these cases were referred to the police and none ended in the arrest of the medical personnel involved,” Hadley said.

Karabus, 77, a retired paediatric oncologist, has been in the UAE since August.

He was arrested while in transit through Dubai and released on bail in October.

He had been tried in absentia and convicted of manslaughter and falsifying documents after the death of a three-year-old in 2002 at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, where he had been working as a locum.

Karabus was sentenced to three years in jail in absentia.

Earlier this month South Africa sent a démarche - a strong protest - to the UAE government calling for the case against Karabus to be expedited.

caryn.dolley@inl.co.za

Cape Times

At least two sets of robots were trashed when residents from an informal settlement took to the streets.

Cape Town - At least two sets of traffic lights were trashed by protesters on Eisleben Road in Philippi this morning when residents from Marcus Garvey informal settlement took to the streets for a second day.

Thanduxolo Makana, a community leader and resident, said about 700 protesters descended on Eisleben at 1.30am. They burned tyres, toppled road signs, blocked the road with rubble and destroyed eight traffic lights.

By mid-morning, city law enforcement was still diverting traffic from Eisleben as solid-waste management workers cleared the road.

“They can clean but tomorrow the same thing will happen. And the day after that. The residents will not stop until their demands for land and better conditions are met,” said Makana.

The protest was a response to a breakdown in meetings with the council human settlements division, Makana added.

Last year, Marcus Garvey residents marched to the Civic Centre and handed a memorandum to human settlements director Seth Maqetuka.

In it, residents expressed concerns over their living conditions and petitioned the city to make land between Stock Road and Mitchells Plain available for a housing development.

“We are being told that all the land is already reserved or owned by someone else. But all we can see is that it is standing vacant,” said Makana.

Marcus Garvey lies beneath an Eskom pylon, a fact which apparently excludes parts of it from the possibility of legal electrical connections.

Taila Mqokozo, who has been living there for 10 years, said illegal connections, which were a fire hazard, were the only alternative for most of the shack dwellers.

“I live right beneath the pylon lines. When it rains they buzz, they make a big noise and it concerns us because we know that it is dangerous,” he said, pointing to a weak point in one of the cables above his roof. “If that was to break it will cause a fire and chaos.”

Other grievances are lack of running water and sanitation, crime, and piles of rubbish.

Mqokozo complained about a string of ward councillors who had come and gone without addressing the residents’ concerns.

A meeting between a local councillor and the residents was scheduled for on Tuesday

Maqetuka was in a meeting and could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.

daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za

Cape Argus