Western Cape premier Helen Zille said her government was developing their own database of provincial murder statistics.

Cape Town - Western Cape

premier Helen Zille said her government was developing a database of provincial murder statistics by collating and comparing SAPS crime statistics with data received from mortuaries.

Zille, who was speaking during her State of the Province address, said this would allow the provincial government to work with “real-time” murder statistics rather than the “retrospective” annual crime statistics released by the police.

“Our database will also allow us to focus on crime rates in specific areas, which will enable us to be more responsive to local safety needs, and correlate the incidence of crime with other factors, such as the availability of alcohol,” Zille said.

The first “shadow” crime report was released last September, and the provincial government plans to release the report publicly every six months. Zille said the aim eventually was to release quarterly reports.

“We have also instituted ‘watching briefs’ at courts to identify systematic failures in the system (such as evidence gathering), with a particular focus on gang-related crimes,” she said.

“Watching briefs are undertaken either by trained legal experts in the department or university postgraduate law students.

“They attend court cases to observe and report on proceedings.”

Zille said this gave the provincial government a lot of meaningful information – such as the times a murder suspect walked free because the investigating officer failed to arrive in court three times in a row, or the occasions where a suspect and a witness were transported to court in the same vehicle, resulting in the alleged intimidation of a witness who then refused to testify.

“We report this to Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoer, who otherwise would not know about them, so that he can call the police officers to account.”

All oversight interventions were aimed at supporting the SAPS to deliver more effective and efficient policing and increase the public’s trust and confidence in the criminal justice system, Zille said.

She said the Western Cape community safety standing committee had recently concluded public hearings on the Community Safety Bill and was currently considering the various submissions made.

About the O’Regan Commission of Inquiry, set up to investigate alleged police inefficiency and the breakdown in relations between the community and police in Khayelitsha, Zille said: “My decision to establish this authority was not taken lightly.

“From November 2011 to June 2012, my office corresponded with the provincial and national commissioners of police. For seven months we received no response except perfunctory acknowledgements of receipt.”

Commission secretary Amanda Dissel said the commission was continuing with its work and collecting statements and evidence from Khayelitsha residents.

clayton.barnes@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

A team of investigators from the Labour Department will visit the Chevron oil refinery after a man was killed during a “flash fire”.

Cape Town - A team of investigators from the Labour Department is expected to visit the Chevron oil refinery after a man was killed and another severely injured during a “flash fire”. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Chevron South Africa refinery’s spokeswoman Delight Ngcamu-Aitken said on Sunday the “flash fire” had occurred during planned maintenance activities at about 4.30pm on Friday.

“We are very sorry to report that one worker died,” Ngcamu-Aitken said.

A second worker had sustained burns to his arm and had been taken to hospital for treatment.

“We have provided counselling to all those affected,” she said.

Ngcamu-Aitken said the families of the two men had asked for no details to be released to the media.

“We are working with the company that directly employs the contractors to try and address the needs of the workers’ families,” she said.

Disaster Risk Management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said the man who died had been suspended on a line when a flash fire broke out in the vessel.

“It appeared the man had fallen to his death. His body was recovered from the vessel and paramedics attempted to resuscitate him, but it was unsuccessful and he was declared deceased on the scene,” he said.

Solomons-Johannes said the other worker injured during the fire was recovering at Milnerton Mediclinic.

“The other crew member who was positioned at the top of the vessel suffered second-degree burn wounds to the face and partial body burns,” he said.

The plant had been closed in the interest of safety and for the investigation, he said.

Provincial Labour Department spokeswoman Candice van Reenen said that once the department’s team had visited the site it would be able to put together a preliminary report on what had happened.

Marius Croucamp, trade union Solidarity’s head of chemical industries, said while companies had tried to make working at refineries safer, it was “inherently dangerous” as a number of chemical processes occurred at these places.

Croucamp said the highest risk occurred when a shutdown - a meticulous operation sometimes planned two years in advance - took place.

He said that since 1994 the chemical industry had “tidied up” and put more focus on safety. There was generally a low number of incidents reported, he said.

“A root cause analysis now needs to be done so future accidents can be prevented,” he said.

In December, the refinery halted the flow of diesel from its Milnerton refinery to Cape Town harbour while it investigated the cause of a pipeline leak in the centre of the Paarden Eiland flea market.

In July, the Chevron refinery was shut down after a malfunction resulted in black smoke billowing from the Milnerton plant.

caryn.dolley@inl.co.za and barbara.maregele@inl.co.za

Cape Times

J Arthur Brown is still waiting for his legal aid lawyer to be officially appointed, the Western Cape High Court heard.

Cape Town -

Former Fidentia head J Arthur Brown is still waiting for his legal aid lawyer to be officially appointed, the Western Cape High Court heard on Monday.

Cape Town legal aid principal Cobus Esterhuizen said everything was finalised on Friday to appoint Braganza Pretorius, but that approval was still needed from the board.

He told Judge Anton Veldhuizen an answer would hopefully come through before Thursday.

Despite not yet being appointed, Pretorius was present in court and sat in front of Brown.

Brown is on trial for allegedly running a pyramid scheme and using investors' funds for his personal gain.

He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of fraud, two of corruption, one of money-laundering and two of theft.

His trial was originally set down to start on January 31, 2011, but has been dogged by delays because of frequent changes in his legal representation.

The State intends calling its next witness on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Jannie van Vuuren said the witness was still in Johannesburg and had been subject to flight delays. He would hopefully fly to Cape Town on Monday evening.

Veldhuizen said he hoped the witness would be present, “otherwise I'm going to fly”. - Sapa

A Libyan teen boarded a ship in Ghana as a stowaway, and deployed a life raft off the Cape coast to reach the city.

Cape Town - A Libyan teenager has landed in Cape Town after an incredible journey - stowing away in a ship off Ghana and deploying a life raft off the Cape coast to reach the city.

Pat van Eyssen, the National Sea Rescue Institute’s Table Bay station commander, said a stowaway adrift at sea on a life raft was reported in the vicinity of Robben Island at 10.47pm on Sunday.

The NSRI Table Bay and the police’s sea borderline unit responded.

It was reported that the Safmarine ship Chachai, lying at anchor in Table Bay, had noticed an unidentified figure launching a life raft from their ship, Van Eyssen said.

“The life raft was successfully launched by the man, but he was drifting towards Robben Island and the ship requested assistance.”

The NSRI was led to believe that the 19-year-old had deployed the life raft to reach Cape Town.

The Libyan was recovered by the NSRI crew, and although he was wearing just shorts, he was suffering only mild dehydration, said Van Eyssen.

The life raft was returned to the ship. “The police boat escorted our sea rescue craft (with the man on board) to our base and a Netcare 911 ambulance was dispatched to further evaluate the medical condition of the man. He was in a satisfactory condition, suffering only mild dehydration.”

Police took the man, who has not yet been named, into custody early on Monday morning.

The man told NSRI rescuers that he was from Jobey, in Libya, and that he had boarded the ship in Ghana as a stowaway, even though he did not know where the ship was headed.

Police were investigating and the Department of International Relations and Co-operation had also been informed, Van Eyssen said.

Cape Argus

Three of 13 Hawks' officers pleaded not guilty in the Western Cape High Court to charges relating to the death of a man in custody.

Cape Town - Three of 13 Hawks' officers pleaded not guilty to charges relating to the death of a man in custody, in the Western Cape High Court on Monday.

The State read out plea explanations by George Ainslie, Mphathi Velani and Riaan Kielblock, in which they denied culpability on up to 11 charges.

The charges relate to, among other things, the kidnapping and murder of Sidwell Mkwambi, 24, a New Crossroads resident, who was allegedly tortured to death in 2009.

Prosecutors withdrew two theft charges.

Last week, Thobezi Jam Jam (SUBS:CORR) and the remaining officers also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The first witness may be called to testify against them later on Monday. - Sapa

The DA proposed, in an alternative national budget, disbanding several government departments and all district municipalities.

Johannesburg - The DA proposed, in an alternative national budget on Monday, disbanding several government departments and doing away with district municipalities.

“There is a lot of inefficiency and fat in government and we are proposing to cut it,” Democratic Alliance finance spokesman Tim Harris told reporters in Johannesburg on Monday.

The alternative budget sets out how the DA would overhaul taxation and re-align expenditure priorities to implement its policy programme at national level.

The DA proposes disbanding the departments of economic development, women and children, public works and sports and recreation.

Instead, it proposes creating single ministries for natural resources, education and the public service.

Harris said several departments had been created by President Jacob Zuma to merely “repay favours in the tripartite alliance”.

He said that, in the alternative budget, the government could save R529 million by doing away with district municipalities.

“District municipalities are a really inefficient level of government,” said Harris, adding that their responsibilities could be re-allocated.

He said there were policy contradictions in the tripartite alliance which influenced budget considerations.

“You have these two ideological schools that disagree and certain policies such as the youth wage subsidy get put to the sword depending on which side of the ideological spectrum they fall on.”

He said the DA had focused on 12 key areas of the National Development Plan in its alternative budget.

“We think the number one thing that (Finance Minister) Pravin Gordhan can do on Wednesday to restore confidence in government is to start implementing practical items from the National Development Plan.”

He said the potential for growth in the economy should take precedence over tax increases.

“We seem to have a limit on our growth potential,” Harris said.

“The reason why we focus on it in the budget is we think that growth is a great way to raise revenue.

“There is a lot of talk about potential tax increases, I think that in an economy that is growing... increasing taxes is going to have a detrimental effect.” - Sapa

ANC MP Nomhle Dambuza has slammed Minister Tokyo Sexwale’s department for spending R91m on consultants.

Cape Town - ANC MP Nomhle Dambuza has slammed Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale’s department for spending R91 million on consultants.

“You cannot appoint consultants for the sake of appointment,” she told the Cape Times on Sunday.

Dambuza chairs the portfolio committee that oversees Sexwale’s department and said her committee found that R91m had been spent on consultants when it went through the financial statements contained in the past financial year’s annual report.

“Our concern stems from the fact that there are projects or operations that appear to be departmental daily operations, but we found that the department opted to use consultants,” she said.

Dambuza said the committee was especially concerned with the use of consultants when the white paper on sanitation was drawn up.

She said this work was still outstanding.

The other instance the committee found was the department appointing a consultant to provide reports on the N2 Gateway Solar Water Heaters project, said Dambuza.

She said the project had a steering committee, comprising various stakeholders that were meant to update the department on the progress of the project and yet a consultant was used to compile the report from information they already had.

Dambuza and her committee met officials from the auditor-general and asked them to look into this spending before the end of next month.

They want to find out wether the department got value for money when they hired the consultants.

Dambuza said she wanted the department’s officials to report back to the committee on why they had spent millions of rands on consultants.

She said the committee would question where the department would use consultants when it discussed its strategic plan for the coming financial year.

Cape Times

Families of 12 of the prisoners who died on Robben Island and whose remains were never found will finally receive some closure.

Cape Town - Families of 12 of the prisoners who died on Robben Island and whose remains were never found will finally receive some closure after a traditional ceremony was held at the weekend.

The four-day spiritual repatriation process was held at Robben Island and came to an end on Sunday.

The families, who are mostly from the Eastern Cape, travelled to Cape Town for the ritual.

After more than two years of searching for the remains, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) could not locate the graves of the 12 prisoners who died while on Robben Island from 1963 to 1970.

The bodies were believed to be buried in unmarked graves at the Stikland Cemetery and the ceremony at the weekend was part of an initiative to restore dignity to the dead.

Thembela Mvalwana’s grandfather, Zincwasile Mvalwana, died on Robben island more than 40 years ago, and Mvalwana says the ritual had greatly helped his family.

“Our aim, according to our culture, is to take the soul back to the Eastern Cape. Before, my heart was always sore but now I’m relieved, I’m okay,” Mvalwana said.

Senior researcher at the Robben Island Museum Nolubabalo Tongo-Cetywayo said because the remains of the prisoners could not be located a way to help the family members find closure had to be figured out.

“It has been a wound that has been with them for more than 40 years,” Tongo-Cetywayo said.

“As a museum, we have to conserve the heritage.”

A memorial will be unveiled at Stikland Cemetery on March 21 with the names of the 12 prisoners, after which the families will finally be able to lay the dead to rest.

“They will have time to bury the spirit in their own way,” Tongo-Cetywayo said.

Grace Masuku, a member of the Robben Island Museum council said: “In African culture, when someone dies in a foreign land, their spirit should be returned to their place of birth.”

grace.dobell@inl.co.za

Cape Times

The number of ANC members in the Western Cape has risen to 50 147 in the past few months, the party said.

Cape Town - The number of ANC members in the Western Cape has risen to 50 147 in the past few months, the party said on Monday.

African National Congress membership in the province was recorded at around 38 000 before the Mangaung conference in December, provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile told reporters in Cape Town.

He said the increase was probably because of a “last-minute rush” to recruit new members and renew old memberships.

Provincial chairman Marius Fransman said it could have been the result of concerted campaigns in the past year, such as the drive to stop the closure of around 20 schools.

“There is increasing membership on the Cape Flats linked to the Save our Schools campaign.... These hardline Democratic Alliance supporters are not anymore sure they are strong party supporters,” he said.

Following a three-day lekgotla at the weekend, the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) noted that 217 branches were in good standing, but that 170 branches were not.

“The PEC instructed all regional executive committees to focus on the renewal of branches. It also instructed branches to set up voting district base structures to ensure we increase the reach of the ANC,” Mjongile said.

“We want to take the Western Cape street by street, township by township, village by village and town by town.”

The PEC resolved to launch its Volunteer Corps programme in April, which had set a target of hiring 5000 volunteers for community development.

At present, 500 “dedicated” volunteers had signed up to assist with early childhood development, community food gardens, anti-crime and drug abuse initiatives, sports development and other initiatives.

These volunteers would also help with the elections next year.

Fransman said the ANC would speak to the Independent Electoral Commission to make sure voting arrangements were streamlined in poorer areas.

“We are concerned, because in the metro we've got between 500 000 and 700 000 people who are not registered.”

He said he believed the commission could improve venues, lighting, electricity and queue arrangements for all election activities in poorer areas. - Sapa

A Knysna businessman pleaded not guilty to 79 charges, including statutory rape, in the Thembalethu Magistrate’s Court, in George.

George - A Knysna businessman pleaded not guilty to 79 charges, including statutory rape, in the Thembalethu Magistrate’s Court, in George, on Monday.

Adrian Wilson-Forbes, 60, faces charges of statutory rape, abduction, indecent assault, trafficking persons for sexual purposes, and child pornography.

In 2001 Wilson-Forbes allegedly abducted an 11-year-old boy from the Garden Route mall in George, and took him to a local dam where he allegedly exposed his genitals and offered him money to have sex with him. The boy was allegedly indecently assaulted.

Subsequently Wilson-Forbes allegedly offered the boy money to find him two young girls for sex. The boy allegedly took photographs of Wilson-Forbes engaging in sexual acts with the girls.

In March last year Wilson-Forbes allegedly contacted his original victim, now an adult, to find him another girl under the age of 12.

The eight-year-old girl was taken to Herolds Bay, near George, where she was allegedly raped.

Wilson-Forbes was arrested after the original victim handed photographs of the sexual acts to the police.

The trial continues on Tuesday. - Sapa

Slain teenager Anene Booysen’s former teachers are using the tragic story of her death to warn other children.

Bredasdorp - Slain teenager Anene Booysen was a soft-spoken, fragile pupil, say teachers at the De Heide Primary School in Bredasdorp which she attended.

Booysen was brutally gang-raped and murdered on February 2.

De Heide Primary principal Jasmine Adams said: “She was a quiet child… always in the background.

“According to her school records, she also went to school in Arniston.”

Adams said Anene and her brother Ryno had moved from place to place. “There was no stability really.”

In 2004, Anene attended Melkbosch Primary, a farm school, and in 2008 she attended Wagenhuiskrantz Primary school in Arniston. She enrolled here in April of 2009.”

Anene dropped out of school in Grade 7 at the age of 15.

Lucy Bell, who taught her English, arts and culture, and life orientation, said the teenager was soft-spoken.

“She wouldn’t giggle in class. Anene was also very protective of other girls.”

Bell said pupils were very upset when they heard about her death.

“We talk about this case every day. A poem has also been dedicated to Anene’s memory and every pupil was tasked to write in their journal how this has affected them.”

She said that two years ago the school also lost a Grade 6 pupil who was raped and murdered.

“Something positive must come out of this tragedy. We tell the pupils that they should be home before dark, to be the stronger person in a group, to listen to their inner voice and to be aware of their surroundings.”

Bell said Anene was always so childlike and fragile “like porcelain”.

“It’s unthinkable what happened to her, she never stood a chance.”

Calla Dyers, Anene’s former class teacher, said: “She never gave any problems, was well disciplined and never back-chatted

. She had a lovely personality and she worked hard.”

Letisha Snyders, 12, a former neighbour and friend of Anene’s, said she was like an older sister.

“Whenever children wanted to hit me, she would be so over-protective.”

Two men arrested following the rape and murder of Anene are expected to apply for bail on Tuesday.

Jonathan Davids, 22, and Johannes Kana, 21, will appear in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court.

natasha.bezuidenhout@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Gugulethu residents made a grim discovery when they woke up and found the body of a 34-year-old woman lying on a pathway.

Cape Town -

Neighbours made a grim discovery when they woke up early on Monday and found the body of a 34-year-old woman lying in a pathway between two shacks in Kanana informal settlement in Gugulethu.

Zuzeka Sojona was found with multiple stab wounds, a head injury and with her pants pulled down to her knees just metres away from her own shack just after 5am.

Police spokesman Tembinkosi Kinana said no arrests had beenj made and a murder docket had been opened.

Police could not yet confirm whether Sojona had been raped, Kinana said.

“They phoned me and told me there was a fire… Then they told me my sister was murdered.

“When I got there, I couldn’t believe it. I was just crying and in shock,” Mongikazi Sojona said.

“Her (Zuzeka’s) seven-year-old child lives in the Eastern Cape with our older sister. It was just the two of us here. We were very close,” she said.

According to neighbours, Zuzeka Sojona was last seen with two men at a nearby shebeen on Sunday night.

Community leader Thuliswa Bulani said the lack of blood spatter at the scene lead them to believe her body had been dumped after the attack occurred elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Nyanga police have requested assistance in locating a 41-year-old man in connection with a rape and stabbing case that occurred on January 19.

Police spokesman FC van Wyk said Dalixolo Kontyo was allegedly drunk when he asked a 42-year-old woman for a place to sleep.

He said the woman, who is known to him, allowed him to sleep in the lounge of her home.

Later that night, the woman was stabbed in the hand and raped. Van Wyk said Kontyo is still at large.

Van Wyk said Kontyo was last seen at his home at Kalu Street in Hazeldene, Philippi.

* Anyone with information can call CrimeStop confidentially at 08600 10111 or Constable Siziwe Piti-Ndwandwa at 073 734 9456 or 021 3769850.

barbara.maregele@inl.co.za

Cape Times

A warrant of arrest has been authorised for a brother of Najwa Petersen.

Cape Town - A warrant of arrest has been authorised for a brother of Najwa Petersen, who is in prison for the murder of her husband, theatre personality Taliep Petersen.

Yusuf Dirk, 50, has been charged with fraud and forgery relating to fruit exports. He did not appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

His lawyer, Pete Mihalik, told the court Dirk was in Namibia and had encountered “logistical problems” in trying to get to Cape Town.

Mihalik asked that a warrant be authorised but held over until Dirk’s next court date. State advocate Tillette Berry had no objection. Dirk’s younger brother, Waleed, 36, and sister Fairuz Arendse, 48, have also been implicated in the case. They were in the dock on Monday.

Mihalik said the case could be postponed for a month to ensure Dirk’s attendance and so it could be transferred to the Cape Town Regional Court. “The matter was postponed to see if the (State and defence) could reach an agreement. The Director of Public Prosecutions made a proposal and the proposal has been accepted.”

Mihalik said the State had granted the siblings four months to sell off their assets and meet their “fiscal obligations”.

It is understood that a plea and sentence agreement is to be reached.

The State has charged the trio and Dirk Fruit Supply Okshakati cc with fraud and forgery. It is alleged that the trio, Najwa Petersen and Shamil Dirk are members of the company.

The siblings have been charged with 127 counts of fraud and 52 of forgery. It is alleged they defrauded a customs export officer and Sars at the Vioolsdrift border post. The brothers also allegedly knew that documentation supplied to the officials had been forged.

The siblings are due in court on March 25. They are out on warning.

jade.otto@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Helen Zille said ANC claims that she has created an “informal electoral office” are “so insane they do not warrant a serious reply”.

Cape Town - Western Cape premier Helen Zille has rejected ANC allegations that she has created an “informal electoral office” as “so insane and absurd that they do not warrant a serious reply”.

At a media report-back on Monday after a weekend lekgotla of the provincial ANC, chairman Marius Fransman said Zille had created the “office” with the appointment of two civil servants who had previously worked for the Independent Electoral Commission.

Fransman said the appointment of former municipal electoral officer for the Cape Town metro Brent Gerber as the provincial government’s director-general and the appointment of former IEC senior manager Michael Hendrickse as director of human capital in the Premier’s Office was “proof” that the “electoral office” exists.

“If you bring an expert on municipal elections and bring them into the premier’s office and you go and recruit another IEC elections officer and you bring him in, what are they doing? They are not playing marbles there. They are sitting with full information of the IEC,” he said.

When the Cape Times put Fransman’s allegation to Zille, she replied: “Marius Fransman is clearly in need of his monthly Pastafarian ritual of dancing around a block of cheese on Table Mountain. Perhaps the Flying Spaghetti Monster will help him regain his senses.”

She later added: “Every time we get a query as daft as this, we will comment by saying that the moon is made of green cheese.

“The allegations are so insane and absurd that they do not warrant a serious reply. The ANC regularly calls press conferences and invents allegations. If the DA continually called press conferences to spout fabricated nonsense, we would be taken apart by the media, for good reason.”

Zille’s spokesman, Zak Mbhele, said Gerber had joined the provincial government in 2010.

IEC spokeswoman Kate Bapela said there was no cooling off period or restriction on where staff could work when they left the commission.

“People who leave go to the private sector, some NGOs and others might join local authorities like municipalities,” she said.

Bapela said the IEC did not keep track of where former employees went after they resigned and she couldn’t say how many had joined the government.

She said the only restriction at the IEC she could remember was that anyone who had held a political position had to wait for five years before joining the commission.

cobus.coetzee@inl.co.za

Cape Times

Access control was strict in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court ahead of the appearance of Anene Booysen's alleged killers.

Bredasdorp, Western Cape - Access control was strict in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court on Tuesday morning ahead of the appearance of Anene Booysen's alleged killers.

Select family members were allowed in beforehand and filled up the four wooden benches.

About three media houses and their photographers were let in.

The remaining reporters were told they could not enter because they had not gained approval beforehand.

Booysen, 17 was gang-raped and disembowelled after visiting a club on Friday, February 1. Her body was found at the Asla Magwebu construction site, where she worked, not far from her RDP home, the next morning. She died in hospital that night.

Two men, aged 21 and 22, have been charged with the crimes and were set to appear for their bail applications.

At the pair's last court appearance on February 12, magistrate Graham Cupido ruled that their faces not be shown in the media because the State believed this could jeopardise the ongoing investigation. - Sapa

Ugandan child soldier Francis Kimeze has been found guilty of killing a Danish millionaire in his Cape Town home five years ago.

Cape Town - Ugandan child soldier Francis Kimeze has been found guilty of murdering Danish millionaire Preben Povlsen in his Gordon’s Bay home five years ago.

Kimeze’s two co-accused, however, dodged a murder conviction after Western Cape High Court Judge Rosheni Allie found that the State failed to prove its case - beyond reasonable doubt - against sisters Maria Povlsen (Preben Povlsen’s widow), 34, and Stella Ssengendo, 43.

Judge Allie found that while Kimeze, 39, committed the murder, she could not say that the Ugandan-born sisters were present when Povlsen, 71, suffered the fatal blows.

Povlsen was stabbed 48 times, his neck was broken and he had been strangled.

Kimeze admitted during the trial that he murdered Povlsen inside the garage, after drinking alcohol and smoking tik with a friend known only as Frank.

But Judge Allie said it was strange Kimeze remembered everything before and after the stabbing but not how he had committed the murder.

“In the absence of evidence beyond reasonable doubt, (Maria Povlsen and Ssengendo) cannot be found to have been accomplices when the murder was committed,” Judge Allie said.

The judge found the sisters guilty of being an accessory to murder after the fact. Ssengendo helped Maria Povlsen contrive the story that her husband was hijacked on the morning of January 14, 2008.

The sisters had also used strong cleaning agents to get rid of the blood stains throughout the house, replaced the carpet inside Povlsen’s bedroom and diluted the blood making it difficult to examine because the DNA properties had been destroyed.

The trio were also accused of aggravated robbery for allegedly taking Povlsen’s car, wristwatch and ring.

But Judge Allie found that the car was merely used to transport and dump the body in the bushes off Otto du Plessis drive in Bloubergstrand.

He convicted the trio of a lesser charge of theft of a motor vehicle. Sentencing proceedings are set to start tomorrow.

jade.otto@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Confusion reigned in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court when the alleged killers of Anene Booysen were moved from one courtroom to another.

Bredasdorp, Western Cape - Confusion reigned in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court on Tuesday morning when the alleged killers of Anene Booysen were moved from one courtroom to another.

A frenzy ensued when the media and the public were told to move to a larger courtroom, with people shoving each other and running along the corridor.

The other courtroom was already full and they had to squeeze into what little standing space was available.

Court officials then said Jonathan Davids, 22, and Johannes Kana, 21, would appear in the original courtroom after a few more cases had been called.

The media contingent sat waiting in an outside courtyard for clarification about what was happening. Protest songs echoed in the background.

Booysen, 17, was gang-raped and disembowelled after visiting a club on Friday, February 1. Her body was found at the Asla Magwebu construction site, where she worked, not far from her RDP home, the next morning. She died in hospital that night.

Davids and Kana are charged with the crimes, and are expected to apply for bail on Tuesday.

At their last court appearance on February 12, magistrate Graham Cupido ruled that their faces not be shown in the media because the State believed this could jeopardise the ongoing investigation.

Access control was strict when the court opened on Tuesday. Media houses had to apply for permission to attend the hearing and only family members were let into the court. - Sapa

Two men who allegedly killed and raped Anene Booysen appeared for their bail application in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court.

Bredasdorp, Western Cape - Two men who allegedly killed and raped teenager Anene Booysen appeared for their bail application in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court on Tuesday morning.

Jonathan Davids, 22, and Johannes Kana, 21, both casually dressed, kept their heads down as they were led in, but did not cover their faces.

The court set aside an earlier State order prohibiting photos or video footage of their faces.

Prosecutor Maria Marshall said only Davids would be applying for bail. Kana would apply for bail at a later stage.

Booysen, 17 was gang-raped and disembowelled after visiting a club on Friday, February 1. She was found at the Asla Magwebu construction site, where she worked, not far from her RDP home, the next morning. She managed to identify one of her killers before she died in hospital that night.

Davids took to the stand to testify. - Sapa

Jonathan Davids pleaded not guilty to raping and killing teenager Anene Booysen in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court.

Bredasdorp, Western Cape - Jonathan Davids pleaded not guilty to raping and killing teenager Anene Booysen in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old, who was dressed in a grey, hooded top and jeans, gave his version of events the night Booysen, 17, was killed.

Booysen was gang raped and disembowelled after visiting a club on Friday, February 1. She was found at the Asla Magwebu construction site, where she worked, not far from her RDP home, the next morning.

She managed to identify one of her killers before she died in hospital that night.

Davids was testifying in his bail application. His co-accused, Johannes Kana, 21, is expected to apply for bail at a later stage.

Davids said he was at the same pub as Anene on the night in question. He greeted her around 10pm and stayed until midnight, when he left with two male friends and two female friends.

They bought a box of wine at a different place, took it home with them, drank it and went to sleep.

The court heard that he had lived in the town his whole life and had no wife, girlfriend or children.

His mother died in 2003 and he did not know his father. He had no fixed address and earned about R1500 a month selling flowers. - Sapa

Police were surprised when they approached a life raft floating near Robben Island and found a 19-year-old Libyan inside.

Cape Town -

Police were surprised when early on Monday morning they approached a life raft floating near Robben Island and found a 19-year-old Libyan stowaway inside wearing only a pair of shorts.

The stowaway, Charles Mussuah, who told police he was from Jobey in Libya, was found mildly dehydrated after he stowed away in a ship for the four-day, 8 000km journey from Ghana to Cape Town.

Mussuah said he had cut a life raft away from the ship, the Safmarine vessel Cha Chai, when it neared Cape Town as he was unsure of its destination. And now the Department of Home Affairs says the ship’s captain, or owners, must pay to ensure that the stowaway returns to Libya.

Late on Monday, Yusuf Simons, Department of Home Affairs provincial manager, said: “Stowaways are the responsibility of the shipowners or the captain. The department won’t be using taxpayers’ money to deport stowaways.”

Safmarine media co-ordinator Veronica Bradford confirmed that the life raft came from the Cha Chai. Bradford said they are awaiting an official response from the owners in Denmark.

It remains unclear how Mussuah travelled from Libya to Ghana.

Police spokesman Frederick van Wyk said immigration officials interviewed him on Monday. Mussuah was taken into custody on Monday at around 1am and was kept at Table Bay Harbour police station.

NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon said Transnet National Ports Authority reported a stowaway adrift at sea on a life raft east of Robben Island after 10pm on Sunday night.

The sea rescue duty crew launched their sea rescue craft, “Spirit of Vodacom”, and the SA Police Service Sea Borderline Unit also responded.

“It was reported that the Safmarine ship Chai Chai, lying at anchor at 4 Buoy in Table Bay, waiting at anchor to enter the port of Table Bay, had noticed an unidentified man launching a life raft from their ship,”Lambinon said.

“The life raft was launched by Mussuah, but he was drifting towards Robben Island and the ship members requested help from the National Ports Authority,” Lambinon said.

He said a search was launched in what were “full moon, good sea conditions”. A police boat found the raft east of Robben Island.

“Mussuah, who speaks good English, told NSRI rescuers that he was from Jobey, in Libya, and that he had boarded the ship in Ghana as a stowaway.

“He claimed that he was not aware where the ship was headed.” The life raft was returned to the ship.

“The police boat escorted our rescue craft, with Mussuah on board, to our rescue base, where Netcare 911 paramedics further evaluated his condition.

“He was found to be suffering from mild dehydration.”

jason.felix@inl.co.za

Cape Times