After a month grieving for his dead relatives and countrymen, a Pakistani businessman will relaunch his business this week.

Cape Town - After a month grieving for his dead relatives and countrymen, a Pakistani businessman will relaunch his business this week.

Abid Hussain’s brother Ghulam Baqar, 23, was among those killed when six men were attacked at a Rocklands house last month. Four died and two were injured.

The dead - Baqar, Muhammad Shafique, 42, Adnan Haider, 23, and Shazad Ahmad, 39 - were relatives, friends and employees of Hussain who has lived in Mitchells Plain for 13 years.

Hussain said he would be relaunching Eastern Distributors later this week. The company distributes bread to supermarkets.

The two injured have been discharged from hospital and are making plans to move back to Pakistan.

“My mother has begged for me to follow them back home, but I cannot leave. I have built a family here. My wife has spent most of her life in Mitchells Plain. We have a grandchild whom we are putting through school. This is our home,” said Hussain.

Hussain was visiting family in Pakistan when the murders occurred. After an initial scramble to get a flight back home, he decided to stay on to receive the four bodies at Islamabad international airport. He described the effect on the families back home.

Ahmad was his parents’ only son. He was shot in the head as he tried to run from the gunmen and died in a neighbour’s driveway.

“(Shahzad) Ahmad’s father is blind. He has been getting up at night crying out for his son. He walks aimlessly until he trips and falls, all the while calling his son’s name,” Hussain says.

Hussain’s mother, who lost Baqar, has become depressed and unresponsive. “She just sits on the couch all day without talking or looking up,” Hussain says.

Three people have been arrested for the murders, but Hussain says they were merely the “guns hired to do the dirty work”. He believes the mastermind has yet to be brought to book and accused the police of “inadequacy”.

On Wednesday, stakeholders from Mitchells Plain’s Pakistani community saw Dan Plato, MEC for Community Safety, to express these concerns and to ask for his support before Eastern Distributors’ relaunch.

Plato said he was willing to take allegations of police inefficiency up with provincial commissioner Arno Lamoer. But he asked for proof “or at the very least tangible examples of alleged inadequacy.” He would “mobilise” the neighbourhood watch and Community Police Forum to help with a smooth re-entry for the business,” Plato said.

Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said the case was still open and asked people with information call Detective-Sergeant Errol Bedford at 021 370 1730.

daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Security measures within Table Mountain National Park are back in the spotlight after an attack on a cyclist.

Cape Town - An attack on a cyclist at Rhodes Memorial on Sunday - the fourth in that area this year - has placed renewed pressure on security in Table Mountain National Park.

According to the police report, a woman cycling on the Jeep Track at about 9.30am was stopped by a man in his mid-20s, who threatened her with a large knife and robbed her of her Trance mountain bike, worth an estimated R25 000. He fled the scene. She was unhurt.

The woman had been cycling with a male companion but he was a distance behind her when the robbery took place. When he realised what had happened, he chased the suspect and attempted to hit him with a branch. The suspect pulled out his knife and threatened to stab the man.

Merle Collins, communications manager for Table Mountain National Park, confirmed the attack and said that although they had increased patrols in these areas, it was impossible to cover everywhere in the park, due to its huge size.

Robert Vogel, who frequently cycles in the area, said he often saw rangers in hot-spot areas and they “haven’t let up at all”.

“No one can realistically expect them to cover the mountain 100 percent,” he said. - Cape Argus

A Boland rugby referee, his wife and three of their children were killed in a head-on car collision near their home in Paarl.

Cape Town - A Boland rugby referee and avid player, his wife and three of their children were killed in a head-on car collision near their home in Paarl on Sunday.

Willie Blankenberg, 39, his wife Dorothea, 38, daughter Dorothea, four, Wilbur, seven, and Andrew-Willer, 15, were travelling in the family’s Fiat Uno when they collided with a Toyota Hilux on Paarl Main Road just before 2am.

The Hilux driver escaped injury.

The family had to be cut out of the wreckage of their car with the Jaws of Life.

Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the incident and said a case of culpable homicide was being investigated.

“A family travelling home was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle in the Paarl Main Road. The five occupants driving in an Uno were killed instantly.

“The driver of the other vehicle, a Toyota Hilux, had left the scene and reported to the Paarl police station at a later stage, (having) sustained no injuries.”

Blankenberg was a well-known rugby referee in the Boland region.

His family was devastated by the incident. His sister, Surita Blankenberg, said the family had not taken the news well and she was concerned about her parents.

“He was the eldest and he would have been 40 in November. He was a very quiet person but he loved his rugby. He had played it since he was little.”

Surita said her brother had been married for 18 years and their two other sons - aged 12 and 18 -were distraught.

“It is very hard on the younger one. He still thinks his parents are coming back. Our parents are in Wellington and they are trying hard not to talk about it or think about it all the time.”

Surita said her brother was on his way home after being on the rugby field and fetching the three children from their grandparents. She could not say if he was refereeing or playing.

“They were just a few metres from their house, I can’t say exactly how many, but they were very close.”

The family has always lived in Paarl and Surita said the funeral would be held on Sunday.

Provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said two others were killed on the province’s roads over the weekend.

“There were two other accidents where pedestrians were knocked down, one was on the N2 near Mew Way and the other was on the N2 near Modderdam Road.”

yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Six Cape Town officials have been injured by armed residents of the Kanana informal settlement in Gugulethu.

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has condemned an attack on six city officials in Kanana informal settlement in Gugulethu last Thursday.

 Lawrence Grootboom, manager of the injured officials, said that a group of about 30 service providers were on their way to service toilets when they were attacked.

Among the attackers were workers who had been dismissed from their jobs last Monday after three weeks of labour unrest.

The workers and a few members of the community, armed with weapons including pangas, appeared as the team from the city arrived.

“They saw our guys coming in there and felt they were taking money out of their hands. They attacked as soon as they started servicing.”

According to Grootboom, one official narrowly escaped having his head chopped off by a panga, but lost parts of several fingers. Others sustained injuries to their shoulders, backs, and heads. One official, who had jumped into a van to flee, got his foot stuck in the door and was badly hurt. Six were taken to hospital and were discharged on Friday. A municipal vehicle and cleaning equipment was set on fire during the attack.

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille’s spokesperson Solly Malatsi said the city was considering laying charges.

Grootboom said that when the city had told the community that workers would be servicing the area, community leaders had given the go-ahead for the plan.

The workers were in official city uniforms and clearly not working for a private company. - Cape Argus

* For the record: This article has been edited to remove incorrect information. It previously stated that workers who had been fired from Sanitech had attacked six city officials. This was incorrect. The workers were recently dismissed from a different company, not Sanitech. The Cape Argus apologises for the error.

Cape commuters are the ones who are suffering as result of the bus drivers’ strike, said Cape Chamber of Commerce president.

Cape Town - Cape Town commuters are the ones who are suffering as result of the bus drivers’ strike, said Cape Chamber of Commerce president Fred Jacobs on Monday.

Jacobs urged unions to reach an agreement “soonest” to bring an end to the strike, now in its second week.

The transport strike, which has seen the city’s major bus services, MyCiTi and Golden Arrow, being suspended, has added to traffic congestion.

On Thursday, talks aimed at ending the national bus drivers’ strike deadlocked again.

The unions have softened their demand from an 18 percent increase to 13 percent.

Employers met this with an 8 and 7.5 percent offer for different income tiers.

SA Transport and Allied Workers Union spokesman Vincent Masoga said another meeting with employers was to take place on Monday.

Jacobs said that while the strike action had caused delays and disruptions for businesses in the city centre, he had not received any major negative reports from local companies.

“We are hearing that employees are eager to get to work, and they find a way to do it and get in on time.”

But finding alternative transport to work was taking its toll on people financially and emotionally, he said.

“The mental stress, the whole issue of money - it can only add more fuel to the fire as far as the impact of the strikes is concerned.”

Commuters were suffering most because of the strike, Jacobs said.

Jacobs said a “snap survey” would be conducted on Wednesday to determine the full impact the strike has had on businesses.

It was chaos on Blaauwberg Road in Table View on Monday morning as commuters ran into gridlocked traffic into the city.

Cars were seen driving on pavements and speeding down open bus lanes.

“Traffic out of Blouberg is a complete joke this morning!” tweeted @Stormmascall3m.

“What is going on in Tableview (sic)? Lane closed for no reason, cars in bus lanes, cars on pavements!” chirped in @StueyMx2m.

City traffic spokeswoman Merle Lourens said that while heavy congestion on Blaauwberg Road was a common sight, the strike action had exacerbated the problem.

Additionally, a burst water main on the road resulted in one of the lanes being closed off.

“I hope that everyone drives responsibly so that there aren’t any accidents that will just cause more delays.”

kieran.legg@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Testifying in mitigation of sentence, the ex Fidentia boss said he was humiliated after his firm was put under curatorship.

Cape Town -

Former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown was left humiliated and defeated after authorities put his company under curatorship, he told the Western Cape High Court on Monday.

Testifying in mitigation of sentence, he said his relationship with the Financial Services Board (FSB) started out civil during their investigation into the company, but soon turned sour.

FSB inspectors, accompanied by policemen with automatic rifles, stormed into Fidentia's premises in November 2006 and accused him of obstructing justice and making threats.

He said he was treated like a criminal and told: “You are completely tainted. You stole widows' and orphans' money.”

Brown was recently found guilty on two counts of fraud, for misrepresentations he made in handling investments for the Transport Education and Training Authority and the Mantadia Asset Trust Company.

He was acquitted on seven other charges of corruption, money-laundering, theft, and fraud.

Brown said he tried to present options to the FSB that did not involve curatorship as he knew the effect it would have on investors, but these were ignored.

His life came to a standstill when his bank account and that of his wife and children were frozen.

“ (This was all because of the) vexatious allegation that I had smuggled money offshore... I was arrested on some 192 charges.

“Any friend I had, any business associate that dared stand up and tried to defend me, was either discredited in the media or their business was affected.”

Brown said he tried to set up another business with friends after the curatorship, to provide for his family, but the FSB found out about it and shut it down.

Following “massive media hype” he received letters from various organisations to say they had released him of his advisory directorship because of the potential damage to their brand.

He was also released from his position as a church elder and told: “It's not good for you to be associated with the brand.”

Judge Anton Veldhuizen interrupted Brown and said: “Not until the Lord has forgiven you,” causing the courtroom to erupt with laughter.

Brown said his family was torn apart. They lived on handouts and his wife and sons eventually moved to Australia in 2009 after threats to their safety. He had not seen his sons since then because of strict bail conditions.

He also testified about the difficulties he had in dealing with his mother's illness.

A visibly emotional Brown said his mother had been in hospital with colon cancer when he was first arrested in March 2007. He had been unable to send her to the United States for a new treatment because he did not have access to his money.

She found out about his predicament when someone left a magazine open on a story about Fidentia next to her bedside.

His father secured a bank-guaranteed cheque of R1 million for his bail, taken from his pension money, so he could see his mother, who had been asking for him.

Earlier on Monday, Brown said the purpose of taking the stand during sentencing arguments was not to apportion blame, but rather to take responsibility for his mistakes and share his side of the story. - Sapa

The Golden Arrow Bus Service has apologised to commuters for disruptions during the nationwide bus drivers' strike.

Cape Town - The Golden Arrow Bus Service apologised on Monday to commuters for disruptions during the nationwide bus drivers' strike.

“[The] Golden Arrow Bus Service would like to extend its sincere apologies to all the commuters who have been adversely affected by the ongoing national bus strike,” the company said in a statement.

“There are no winners in this situation as passengers are inconvenienced, staff members are not receiving wages, the company is not operating, and the entire economy is suffering.”

Drivers affiliated to the SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union and the Transport and Omnibus Workers' Union went on strike last week, initially demanding an 18 percent wage increase.

Parties failed to reach an agreement on Wednesday during talks facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration.

“Our representative, who is part of the bargaining council, told me that unions brought down their demands to a 13 percent wage increase, while the employers improved their offer to eight percent,” Golden Arrow spokesman John Dammert said last week.

The commission suggested the parties settle at nine percent.

Sapa

Professor Cyril Karabus is waiting for his passport after the UAE cleared him to travel, his lawyer said.

Johannesburg - South African doctor Cyril Karabus is waiting for his passport after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cleared him to travel, his lawyer said on Monday.

“We are sitting and waiting for his (Karabus's) passport, but the wheels of admin are going slowly,” lawyer Michael Bagraim said.

“We are literally just waiting for the return of the passport after everyone approved that he could get it and that he can return. It is an administrative wait.”

The 78-year-old South African paediatric oncologist has been detained in the UAE since August 18 last year, after being sentenced in absentia for the death of a Yemeni girl he treated for leukaemia in 2002.

He was acquitted on March 21, but was not allowed to leave the country pending the appeal.

On April 24 the UAE lost its appeal against his earlier acquittal after an appeal judge said Karabus was not guilty on all the charges.

Bagraim said waiting for the passport was frustrating for Karabus.

“He knows he is free but there is a glitch stopping him. The wait is frustrating for him knowing he can come home.

“We just all have to be patient. We hope this doesn't translate into too much tension on his heart. He is all right but very, very frustrated. His speech is short and clipped.”

Bagraim said should Karabus's passport be returned on Monday, he would fly back on Tuesday morning on a direct flight to South Africa.

The other direct flight would only be on Thursday.

“I've got a prayer that he will be back tomorrow night,” he said. - Sapa

The murder of an alleged gang leader in Tafelsig has left residents fearing retaliation shootings, says the Community Police Forum.

Cape Town - The murder of an alleged gang leader in Tafelsig has left residents fearing retaliation shootings, says the Community Police Forum in the area.

On Sunday, Abie Isaacs, chairman of the Mitchells Plain CPF, said its incident response unit had been told to be on the lookout for possible retaliation attacks.

In one of the latest shootings in the Mitchells Plain area, the alleged gangster, a 43-year-old man, was gunned down in Compassberg Street in Tafelsig three days ago.

On the Facebook forum “Traffic fines, cameras & updates in Western Cape”, it said: “The leader of the Fancy Boys was shot dead this afternoon. This means more shooting and killing. Scared for the children and innocent people.”

Another user wrote: “Was at da scene and it doesn’t look good… Once the police is gone then all of us must stay inside our homes please cos it wil be war.”

The man was named on the forum, but on Sunday police were not able to give his name to the Cape Times.

Police spokesman Frederick van Wyk said Mitchells Plain officers were called to the scene on Friday afternoon and, when they arrived, saw the man’s body.

“The circumstances surrounding the incident will be investigated,” he said.

Van Wyk said charges relating to murder were being investigated and anyone with information about the murder was urged to call Pieter Joubert, a detective warrant officer with Mitchells Plain police, at 074 367 8326.

Isaacs confirmed a gang member had been killed in the shooting, but declined to confirm if the man had been a leader.

“He was a member of a particular gang. I can’t divulge the name for safety reasons,” he said.

The murder comes after at least two fatal shootings in Tafelsig last month.

Isaacs said the CPF’s priority was to ask the police to concentrate on the circulation of firearms.

In an interview with the Cape Times about a week ago, the provincial police’s gang strategy co-ordinator, Jeremy Vearey, said officers were dealing with younger gangsters in the Tafelsig area.

“They’re quite boisterous,” he said.

Vearey said police had managed to prevent “the older hands”, older gangsters, from stepping in and exploiting the situation.

He said that, while the situation had “sort of plateaued”, particular gangs in Tafelsig were viewed as “an area of concern”.

There had previously been a number of gang-related incidents in Rocklands but Vearey said this had been clamped down on.

In a recent police operation in Mitchells Plain, 384 suspects had been arrested for crimes, including the illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and drugs.

caryn.dolley@inl.co.za

Cape Times

Sentencing arguments in the trial of J Arthur Brown were postponed after he spent the day giving emotional testimony.

Cape Town -

Sentencing arguments in the trial of former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown were postponed by the Western Cape High Court on Monday.

Brown, who is out on R1 million bail, was asked to return to court on Tuesday.

He spent the day giving emotional testimony in mitigation of sentencing, detailing the impact his three arrests and curatorship of Fidentia had on his personal and professional life.

Brown was recently found guilty on two counts of fraud, for misrepresentations he made in handling investments for the Transport Education and Training Authority and the Mantadia Asset Trust Company.

He was acquitted on seven other charges of corruption, money-laundering, theft, and fraud.

He said his relationship with the Financial Services Board (FSB) during their investigation into the company was initially civil, but soon turned sour.

FSB inspectors, accompanied by policemen with automatic rifles, stormed into Fidentia's premises in November 2006 and accused him of obstructing justice and making threats.

He said he was treated like a criminal and told: “You are completely tainted. You stole widows' and orphans' money.”

He tried to present options to the FSB that did not involve curatorship as he knew the effect it would have on investors, but these were ignored. His life came to a standstill when his bank account and that of his wife and children were frozen.

“(This was all because of the) vexatious allegation that I had smuggled money offshore... I was arrested in 2007 on some 192 charges.

“Any friend I had, any business associate that dared stand up and tried to defend me was either discredited in the media or their business was affected.”

Brown said he tried to set up another business with friends after the curatorship, to provide for his family, but the FSB shut it down.

Following “massive media hype” he received letters from various organisations to say they had released him of his advisory directorship because of the potential damage to their brand. He was also released from his position as a church elder and told: “It's not good for you to be associated with the brand.”

Brown said his family was torn apart and they lived on handouts. His wife became severely depressed and moved in with friends after the media camped out near their house.

“She was very scared in the house. Someone set up a webcam across the road and set up a website with a link... the situation (also) became increasingly bad for the boys at school,” he said.

Brown was arrested twice more. His last arrest resulted in him being incarcerated between April and October 2008.

A warrant of arrest was issued for his wife at the time, which he believed was a move to force him to plead guilty or enter a plea bargain.

“She was never part of my business. At the time, we shared a bank account,” he said.

In the same year, a court handed down a final sequestration order.

In 2009, his wife and sons moved to Australia. He had not seen his sons since then because of strict bail conditions.

While awaiting trial in Pollsmoor Prison he was attacked on two separate occasions and spent a few weeks recovering in hospital, chained to a bed because he was deemed a flight risk.

The court heard Brown remained under tight bail conditions such as signing in at a police station every morning and not leaving the Western Cape. This had prevented him from accepting two job offers, as they were outside the province.

Earlier on Monday, Brown said the purpose of taking the stand during sentencing arguments was not to apportion blame, but to take responsibility for his mistakes and share his side of the story. - Sapa

The disciplinary hearing of Cederberg's mayor Jonas White has started, the ANC in the Western Cape said.

Western Cape -

The disciplinary hearing of Cederberg's mayor started in Cape Town on Monday, the ANC in the Western Cape said.

Provincial spokesman Philip Dexter said the ANC could not comment on the matter until proceedings were over.

According to reports, mayor Jonas White allegedly sent pornographic images to his deputy Lorna Scheepers. He apparently also invited her on a trip for two to Durban, at the municipality's expense.

Scheepers made the allegations in an affidavit to the Western Cape ANC’s executive committee.

White reportedly faces charges of harassment, financial mismanagement and political interference in the administration.

Earlier this month, the Hawks said it had seized computers and cellphones owned by the Cederberg municipality as part of its investigations into corruption in the municipality.

The Democratic Alliance said the investigation by the Hawks came after the party in Cederberg wrote to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela alerting her to “various issues of corruption and mismanagement”.

At the time Dexter said the ANC had started disciplinary procedures. - Sapa

Professor Cyril Karabus did not receive his passport on Monday after the UAE cleared him to travel, his lawyer said.

Johannesburg -

South African doctor Cyril Karabus did not receive his passport on Monday after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cleared him to travel, his lawyer said.

“We didn't get the passport today (Monday), so we will try again on Tuesday morning,” lawyer Michael Bagraim said.

“Tomorrow morning at 7am professor Karabus will go and camp by our attorneys' offices.”

Bagraim said part of the problem was that the attorneys were in court on Monday and could not “push” to get the passport.

He said Karabus was doing fine but was frustrated and wanted to return home to Cape Town.

The 78-year-old paediatric oncologist has been detained in the UAE since August 18 last year, after being sentenced in absentia for the death of a Yemeni girl he treated for leukaemia in 2002.

He was acquitted on March 21, but not allowed to leave the country pending the appeal.

On April 24 the UAE lost its appeal against his earlier acquittal after an appeal judge said Karabus was not guilty on all charges.

Earlier on Monday, Bagraim said Karabus's return was an “administrative wait”.

“We are literally just waiting for the return of the passport after everyone approved that he could get it and that he can return. It is an administrative wait,” he said.

“He knows he is free but there is a glitch stopping him. The wait is frustrating for him knowing he can come home. We just all have to be patient. We hope this doesn't translate into too much tension on his heart.”

He said Karabus was “all right” despite the frustration.

Meanwhile, the Health Professions Council of SA said it would not withdraw from the Africa Health Exhibition, as said on April 19, to protest against the continued detention of Karabus.

The exhibition, run by the Dubai-based company Informa Life Exhibitions, will be held next month in Johannesburg.

The HPCSA would issue a cautionary notice to all its registered health practitioners who wanted to work, and were working, abroad.

“We are calling on... practitioners who are either employed in countries where human rights are not respected or considering employment in such countries, to make informed decisions on the legal risks of their employment and working conditions to avoid a similar situation to that of Dr Karabus,” HPCSA chief operations officer Tshepo Boikanyo said. - Sapa

Natural causes cannot be ruled out in the death of acting judge Patrick Maqubela, a forensic expert told the court.

Cape Town -

Natural causes cannot be ruled out in the death of acting judge Patrick Maqubela, the Western Cape High Court heard on Monday.

“I agree with State pathologist Sipho Mfolozi's report that the cause of death could not be determined,” said Prof Gert Saayman, head of forensic medicine at the University of Pretoria.

“I am not in a position to exclude natural causes. They cannot be excluded.”

He said a sudden and unexplained death was common.

The judge was found dead in his bed at his Bantry Bay apartment on June 5, 2009.

Saayman was testifying for the defence in the murder case against the judge's widow, Thandi Maqubela, and her business associate, Vela Mabena. Both have pleaded not guilty to the crime.

Maqubela has also pleaded not guilty to forging her husband's signature on his will and fraudulently presenting it at the Johannesburg office of the Master of the High Court.

In response to a question by Maqubela's counsel, Marius Broeksma, Saayman said: “With the greatest respect, the deceased, at the time of his death, was not in normal or excellent health.”

He said the judge had a viral flu-like infection at the time of his death, as indicated by medication found at his bedside.

“The deceased's illnesses and other conditions at the time of his death cannot be discounted as possible causes of death.

“I do thousands of autopsies, many of them involving people who had died suddenly and unexpectedly. In a significant number of autopsies involving sudden and unexpected death we cannot determine the cause of death.”

He said the blood found on his face could have originated from infected sinuses.

“Without being unduly technical, post mortems are not an exact science.”

Saayman said Maqubela was a “little obese” and this contributed to the rapid start of decomposition.

Other contributing factors to the state of decomposition included that he was warmly dressed, was under a duvet, the bedroom windows were closed, and a fan heater in the room was switched on.

“He also had a flu-like infection, which would have increased his body temperature.”

Saayman said the judge's room was “fairly neat” without any signs of a struggle, which would have been evident had he been suffocated.

The case continues on July 24. - Sapa

Nine-year-old Rose-Leigh Usher is on the road to recovery at Groote Schuur Hospital following a crucial stem cell transplant.

Cape Town - A nine-year-old Durban cancer patient is on the road to recovery at Groote Schuur Hospital following a stem cell transplant.

Rose-Leigh Usher, of Wentworth, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, hepatosplenic gamma-delta T-cell lymphoma, last June, had the life-changing procedure on Thursday following a week of intensive chemotherapy to kill her immune system and malignancy on her bone marrow. This was in preparation for the transplant and treatment, which will cost around R600 000.

The stem-cell unit, which recently arrived at the hospital, was imported from the US, as there were no donors registered in SA which matched Rose-Leigh.

Professor Nicolas Novitzky, head of haematology at UCT, who performed the transplant, said the next six weeks would be crucial for Rose-Leigh, as the new cells tried to settle in a new host.

“Now we will have to wait for the graft to develop into a new blood volume, and for the cells to develop and multiply. The process takes about six weeks. Because she will have no immunity of her own in the next few weeks, we will have to keep her strictly isolated to minimise chances of infection. The next six weeks are very crucial… we will know during this period whether her body accepts or rejects the new graft,” he said.

While some transplant patients did well from the outset, Novitzky said they were also prone to infections owing to their compromised immune system.

So far, Rose-Leigh was “doing very well”, but there was one more hurdle. Her immune system of the new cells might not recognise her, and that could result in complications and her developing graft host disease - a common illness in transplant patients, where the graft recognises the host as foreign and attacks the host’s cells.

“But we remain hopeful. Rose-Leigh is showing good signs… she is already eating and playing. She will be closely monitored until the transplant settles in. She will need regular tests to see if she needs any blood transfusions or has any chemical imbalances,” he said.

Once out of isolation, Rose-Leigh would continue with the immuno-suppressive drugs for six months to a year until she develops her own immune system.

Speaking from her daughter’s bedside, her mother, Rosemary Ullbricht, said she was “relieved and happy” that the transplant had been performed.

“Rose-Leigh is doing very well. We were expecting the worst. She is already up and giggling… Now we will have to wait and see how her body responds to the transplant, but we remain very positive as a family. Most of all, we are all very relieved that this transplant has finally happened.”

In February, readers of the Cape Argus’s sister newspaper in Durban, the Daily News, opened their hearts and wallets and raised more than R600 000 needed to secure the stem cells and pay for hospital costs.

sipokazi.fokazi@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Two Cape men have been “miraculously” found at sea, but a third is still missing, after they were tossed from their vessel.

Cape Town - Two Cape men have been “miraculously” found at sea, but a third is still missing, after they were tossed from their vessel on Sunday.

On the same day that Cape surfer Brett Archibald returned home from Indonesia - found after 28 hours at sea - the two men were found after four hours floating in the sea off Betty’s Bay. They had drifted about 10km from their boat and were both treated for severe hypothermia.

But their third friend was today still missing and police divers continued the search for him on Monday.

Frederick La Grange, 38, Johannes Singleton, 46, both from Kleinmond, and a third man - not yet named - set out from Kleinmond at 8amon Sunday.

The alarm was raised at 2.47pm when another boat’s skipper, Paul Fourie, reported finding their empty boat going around in circles at full throttle off-shore of Betty’s Bay.

He managed to stop the boat and alerted the NSRI. He also found one cellphone on board, and managed to track down Singleton’s wife.

NSRI Hermanus towed their rigid inflatable sea rescue craft to launch nearby and NSRI Gordon’s Bay sent their own craft from their False Bay station. The Red Cross AMS helicopter Skymed also responded, as did the police, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and the provincial government’s emergency medical service.

The NSRI’s Craig Lambinon said today it was crucial for all boat skippers to use “kill switch” cords, and for all to wear life jackets.

Cape Argus

A 79-year-old woman involved in hiring a hit man to kill her love interest's wife has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital.

Cape Town - The grandmother involved in hiring a hit man to kill her love interest’s wife seven years ago has been declared a patient of the state and admitted to Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital.

Sophia de Villiers, 79, of Fish Hoek, was admitted into the psychiatric institution after a lengthy court battle with the State.

De Villiers’s attorney, William Booth, told the Cape Argus on Monday that her case was brought to court before her scheduled appearance in the Wynberg Regional Court on Friday.

Acting on the instruction of De Villiers’s family, Booth said that he had withdrawn the review application pending in the Western Cape High Court.

Booth had taken magistrate Karel Meyer’s decision that De Villiers was involved in the incident on review.

De Villiers was found to have hired a man known only as Kingston to kill Irene “Nicky” Wilson on March 23, 2006, because she was in love with Irene’s husband, Tony.

Tony Wilson was De Villiers’ bridge instructor before the incident.

During 2010, the court heard evidence that De Villiers kept a pocket diary containing instructions to “Kingston” the “black” man hired to kill Irene Wilson.

Investigating Warrant Officer Christeon Cloete testified that the following notes were among those found in De Villiers’ diary under the heading “Kingston”:

“Stay quiet, tell no one. Not wife. Get strong man. Thursday: Knives. Remove fingerprints afterwards. Don’t run. Leave doors open. Telephones. Don’t shout. Leave knives there.

“Meet (at) library. Don’t come (to) my house. Clean your (finger)nails.”

“Kingston”, who was never arrested, is still on the run.

De Villiers was arrested but was in 2009 declared unfit to stand trial.

Later, during court processes, Meyer made a ruling.

“The court believes De Villiers was involved in the act of attempted murder. To say she was not involved would be wrong.

“The court finds, on the limited evidence available, that De Villiers committed the act in question, namely of attempted murder,” Meyer said in his judgment.

Booth said a curator had been appointed to handle De Villiers’ affairs because she could not do so on her own and her family was living overseas.

Booth added that he would negotiate with authorities at Lentegeur to have De Villiers transferred to a private institution.

jade.otto@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

The Western Cape school feeding scheme, which provides lunch meals to more than 430 000 pupils, will start providing breakfast.

Cape Town - The Western Cape school feeding scheme, which provides lunch meals to more than 430 000 pupils daily, will soon start providing breakfast to pupils five days a week.

Education MEC Donald Grant said that following an increase in the budget and a successful pilot project with 153 schools last year, schools were now serving breakfast on three days a week and this would increase to five days a week from July.

The pupils receive maize meal for breakfast, but schools would be offered more choices of porridge from July. The meals would be served before school.

Grant said the extra meal would not only provide more nutrition to pupils, but would also encourage pupils to arrive early for school.

“It is a sad reality that many of our learners rely on a meal at school as their only meal of the day,” he said.

He visited Acadezmia Primary in Eerste River on Monday, one of the schools which stands to benefit from the expansion of the feeding scheme.

He said that in 2009, 334 287 pupils were benefiting from the feeding scheme, but this had since increased to 430 000 pupils in 1 022 schools.

Funding for school feeding has more than doubled from R112 million in 2009/10 to R260m in 2013/14. Grant said the increased budget did not only allow for additional pupils to benefit from the scheme, but also provided for more nutritious meals to be served.

He said the nutritional value had increased with the inclusion of fresh fruit and vegetables, tinned fish and lentils.

The Western Cape school feeding scheme’s providers are the Peninsula School Feeding Association, Inyameko and the N2 Rural Development Forum. More than 2 800 volunteers assist schools with preparing and serving the meals.

ilse.fredericks@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Plans to introduce a formal doping testing programme at schools have hit a snag after a few legal challenges were revealed.

Cape Town - Plans to introduce a formal doping testing programme at schools have hit a snag after legal challenges were revealed this month.

But the SA Institute for Drug-free Sport (Saids), which is spearheading the initiative, says the new hurdle is not insurmountable.

At the beginning of the year, in an attempt to eradicate a growing trend of steroid and drug use in schools, the institute announced that a new anti-doping programme would be rolled out at schools across South Africa.

The programme would allow schools to initiate unscheduled drug tests, conducted by Saids, on pupils suspected of doping to gain an edge in sport.

Pupils found guilty of using banned chemicals could be suspended or even expelled.

Dave Mallett, Bishops’ rugby coach, said in January: “The time is right. The use of performance-enhancing drugs in school rugby is a modern phenomenon. As school rugby becomes more popular, as more games are given live coverage, players begin to feel this enormous pressure to perform.”

However, Gustaf Pienaar, head of rugby at Rondebosch Boys’ High, expressed concern over the legality of the initiative.

The programme was set to be introduced by the end of this month, but the institute’s chief executive, Khalid Galant, said it had run into a legal barrier.

“We found out that, by law, the tool (lab) used for testing the learners has to be at the school.”

Saids makes use of a laboratory based in Bloemfontein that is just one of 32 in the world equipped to properly test suspected dopers.

“It has the most sensitive screening system and will never turn up a false positive… In an issue as sensitive as doping among learners, this is very important.”

He said the institute’s lawyers were working towards a solution and he expected the matter to be resolved soon.

Galant said many schools were getting agitated by the long wait, which was a positive sign, because it showed that there was a large amount of interest in cleaning up sport.

The programme is set to be introduced later this year.

Cape Argus

A well-known Boland rugby referee, his wife and three of their five children have been killed in a car crash.

Cape Town - The death of a Boland rugby referee, his wife and three of their five children in a car crash has left their community, family and friends heartbroken and in shock.

Willie Blankenberg, 39, his wife Dorothea, 38, and children Wilbur, 7, Andre-Wealer, 15, and Dorenika, 4, were travelling in the family’s Fiat Uno when they collided with a Toyota Hilux on Paarl Main Road at 2am on Sunday.

Blankenberg’s father, Ernest, said from his home in Wellington on Monday:

“My heart is sore, I can’t believe it. It hurts a lot.”

Willie was his only son. He has three daughters.

“The police came knocking at my door at around 3am. We went to the scene of the accident, but it was cordoned off and we weren’t allowed to see anything.”

He added that his 12-year-old grandson Danwill was finding it very difficult to come to terms with the death of his parents.

He and his brother Ernest, 18, were not involved in the crash.

Family, friends and teachers poured into the grandparents’ home on Monday.

Surita Blankenberg, Willie’s sister, said they were a very close family.

“He and I were very close to each other. They visited us on Friday and little Dorenika jumped around a lot, she was wearing new clothes.”

Marianna Samuels, Dorothea’s sister, said her older sibling was a good mother and a lovely person.

“Her two sons are staying with me at the moment, because they say there are too many memories at their house.

“This has been such a huge shock and extremely difficult to come to terms with.”

Chris Bam, principal at Nieuwe Drift Primary, which the three children attended, said pupils and teachers were deeply saddened.

“The children were crying and the Department of Education is giving counselling.”

He added that the mood at school were extremely sombre: “We had to send some of our staff members home... We have great support from the school governing body and the community is standing together.”

The funeral will take place at 12pm on Sunday.

Police said the driver of the Hilux had reported the incident to them. He was not arrested. A case of culpable has been opened. - Cape Argus

“I want finality. If that means I have to spend some time in prison, then I will..., and I will make something positive out of it.”

Cape Town - Former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown has made peace with the possibility of imprisonment, the Western Cape High Court heard on Tuesday.

He testified about some of his positive experiences during his five months in jail in 2008, as part of argument in mitigation of sentence on two counts of fraud.

Judge Anton Veldhuizen asked how he would feel returning to jail.

Brown said he would be at peace and at the court's mercy, should such a decision be made.

“I've said this has been a very long six years, and I'm quite tired of looking over my shoulder. I'm tired of all the coercive media and I'm tired of the litigation,” he said.

“I want finality. If that means I have to spend some time in prison for finality, then I will..., and I will make something positive out of it.”

Brown was recently found guilty on two counts of fraud for misrepresentations he made in handling investments for the Transport Education and Training Authority and the Mantadia Asset Trust Company.

He was acquitted on seven other charges of corruption, money-laundering, theft, and fraud.

Brown, who was in the dock for a second day, seemed exhausted while testifying.

He told the court his incarceration had been traumatic, but also therapeutic, in that he had seen how other people dealt with suffering.

He said that while chained to a hospital bed after being attacked, he saw general neglect in the ward and wrote to the correctional services minister about the poor ventilation and lack of medication for other patients.

As a result, steps were taken to improve the conditions.

He also helped educate prisoners.

“I gave them advice and helped them... (I told them) how to carry their point across (in court) and how to ask for better bail conditions,” he said.

He also gave religious advice to a prisoner with tuberculosis and persuaded him to admit to his crimes and make peace with his family, which he did before he died.

“I will use my skills and things I've learned in this process to assist other people (in prison),” he told the court.

Veldhuizen asked how he would feel if the court imposed a heavy fine and whether he would have the means to pay.

Brown said his estate had been sequestered and his reputation tainted.

However, he had support from his friends and family, and had also been offered employment in the form of setting up a business structure, not in the financial services sector.

The man who had offered him this job had also offered to assist him should he be fined. - Sapa