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‘My skin colour worked against me’

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A tearful Correctional Services Department employee told the Labour Court his skin colour prevented him from being promoted.

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Cape Town - A colleague facing disciplinary action and others with far less experience were promoted to positions applied for by a Correctional Services Department employee who says he was the best candidate.

Andre Jonkers, 40, a coloured man from Atlantis who testified in the Labour Court on Monday, believes his skin colour prevented him from climbing the ranks within the department.

“If you look at my service in Correctional Services… What I achieved and contributed. It’s sad today to have to sit here regarding this,” he said, swallowing tears.

Jonkers is one of 10 Department of Correctional Services (DCS) employees taking legal action against the department and the Labour Minister as they believe the DCS’s employment equity plan has resulted in them being unfairly discriminated against when applying for promotions.

Trade union Solidarity, also a party in the court action, believes the plan is unfair because the department’s equity targets are in line with national, and not provincial, demographics.

On Tuesday Jonkers said that in 2008 he had applied for a post of training and development manager and was shortlisted, but failed to get the position.

In 2011 the same post was advertised and Jonkers was again shortlisted and interviewed, but did not get it.

He said that last year he was shortlisted and interviewed for four posts and was unsuccessful in all. An Indian and three Africans were appointed instead.

Jonkers said one of the appointees had faced a disciplinary case. “While this case was active, he was shortlisted and appointed.”

Jonkers said another successful candidate had little experience for the job.

Asked by legal representative Martin Brassey, SC, why he felt he was not appointed to any of the posts, Jonkers replied: “The only thing I can see is because I’m a coloured.”

During cross-examination, it emerged that for two of the posts, Jonkers was found suitable, but was not recommended for the jobs due to the employment equity plan.

Advocate Marumo Moerane, SC, who said he sympathised with Jonkers, said “to right the wrongs of the past... some people will not be happy”.

An apparently exasperated Jonkers said that there were no coloured managers in the department’s 10 management areas in the province.

“When is there going to be a future for me and my family? Up to now, if you’ve got 10 posts, not even one is reserved for a coloured. You’re calling that equity?”

Earlier Moerane said an “African male” had been strongly recommended for one of the posts Jonkers had applied for. Jonkers had been recommended as second and another coloured man as third in line for the job. The African man was appointed, but Moerane said it was then found “he had misrepresented himself” by providing false information.

It was recommended the African man’s promotion be withdrawn. Moerane said Jonkers was then found not to comply with the job requirements as he did not have a particular degree.

On Monday Jonkers said he was surprised to hear this.

Moerane said it had then been recommended that the possible promotion of the third in line, the coloured man, be referred to the department’s national commissioner to allow it as this did not fit in with the national equity targets.

The department’s regional commissioner had, however, decided that the post should be re-advertised.

The case continues on Tuesday.

caryn.dolley@inl.co.za

Cape Times


Cape police set up domestic abuse office

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The SAPS has launched the Western Cape’s first dedicated domestic violence office in Mitchells Plain.

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Cape Town - In a move to clamp down on gender-based violence, the police on Monday launched the first domestic violence office in the province that will focus solely on dealing with the scourge.

It will keep a database of offenders to help identify those who are repeat offenders.

The office, based at the Mitchells Plain police station, started operating on April 1. Working at the office is a team of nine Domestic Violence Act (DVA) co-ordinators, comprising investigators and police officers.

The Mitchells Plain police station received 12 889 domestic-related complaints in the 2011/12 financial year (April to March), and 11 379 complaints in the 2012/13 financial year.

Major-General Jeremy Veary, a cluster commander of the Mitchells Plain police station, explained that each domestic violence complaint took about 45 minutes of police time. “In February alone we received 905 complaints. Domestic violence complaints take up most of police work time in Mitchells Plain.”

The deputy provincial commissioner in charge of operations, Major-General Peter Jacobs, said that in an average year they received 57 000 domestic violence complaints across the province.

The Mitchells Plain station commander, Brigadier Johan Brand, said they were prioritising the fight against domestic violence. He said the presence of the DVA co-ordinators meant a speedy police reaction time to gender-based violence complaints and an improvement in following up on cases.

Members of the DVA team had received extensive training to make sure they were well equipped to deal with the task, said Brand.

“The team will work together with social workers and other gender-based violence organisations. This office is a separate entity from the victim support area,” he said.

nontando.mposo@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Finish all Fidentia charges, says Brown

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Cape Town - The State is welcome to formally re-pursue certain charges it dropped against him, former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown told the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday.

“If the State wants to pursue a trial, then maybe we should deal with it. If you're going to deal with (all of ) these charges, deal with them at once,” Brown said.

Jannie van Vuuren, for the State, spent Tuesday morning tirelessly cross-examining Brown on his arguments made in mitigation of sentence on two counts of fraud.

Brown was asked about aspects relating not only to his convictions, but to seven other charges of corruption, money-laundering, theft, and fraud, which have been dropped.

His lawyer Braganza Pretorius made frequent objections to the line of questioning and its relevance.

An exhausted-looking Brown became increasingly frustrated with the questions and eventually addressed the court.

Brown said he had acted in good faith by making admissions and entering into a plea bargain regarding misrepresentations he made in handling investments for the Transport Education and Training Authority and the Mantadia Asset Trust Company. He had taken the court into his confidence and saved time.

Van Vuuren said he was trying to reveal Brown's state of mind when the crimes were committed and “reveal the truth”.

Judge Anton Veldhuizen reprimanded Van Vuuren at times about the relevance of the questions, and said it was not helpful to the task he had at hand, which was to think of a suitable sentence. - Sapa

J Arthur Brown’s sentencing delayed

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

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Cape Town - Sentencing arguments of former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown were postponed by the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday.

The State and defence will return on Thursday to argue the scope of cross-examination permitted in relation to Brown's testimony.

He was recently convicted on two fraud charges after pleading guilty to misrepresentations he made in handling investments for the Transport Education and Training Authority and the Mantadia Asset Trust Company.

Seven other charges of corruption, money-laundering, theft, and fraud were dropped.

The State spent Tuesday morning cross-examining Brown on all the charges.

Jannie van Vuuren, for the State, said he was trying to reveal Brown's state of mind when the crimes were committed and “reveal the truth”.

The defence raised the objection that questions should be relevant only to the admissions.

It might call a witness on Thursday to testify in mitigation of sentence. - Sapa

I am now ‘fighting another system’

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A Correctional Services employee says he was once detained for fighting apartheid – and now he’s fighting another system.

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Cape Town - Correctional Services Department finance clerk, Christopher February, was detained for fighting the apartheid system – and says he is now fighting another system.

“We protested against apartheid and I was detained for that. Back then we were all together fighting against the system,” he said, referring to black and coloured people.

“Today I’m fighting another war,” February testified in the Labour Court on Tuesday.

He is one of 10 Department of Correctional Services (DCS) employees taking legal action against the department and Minister of Labour as they believe the DCS’s employment equity plan has resulted in them being overlooked for promotions.

The department’s equity targets are in line with national, not provincial, demographics.

On Tuesday February, a coloured man, said he had applied for promotions “quite a few times” between 2007 and 2010. He had applied for the position of senior state accountant, a post that had been vacant since 2008.

Reading from a document approving him filling the post in an acting capacity, February said he was recommended for the post as he had previously acted in it and had the necessary qualifications for it.

He had acted in the post from 2008 until 2011 “when I was informed the national commissioner said I can’t act anymore because of this case”.

In July 2010 February had again applied for the post and then decided to follow a grievance procedure about why he was never appointed.

February, again reading from documents, said it had been found he had “stood out head and shoulders” above other applicants and had passed a test with 100 percent during the application process.

A recommendation was made that the appointment be allowed to deviate from the employment equity plan so February could fill the post.

This did not happen and the second in line for the job was appointed in January 2011.

February said at the end of that month that person was appointed to another state department and the post was left vacant. He believed the reason he did not get the post was simply because he is coloured.

Earlier on Tuesday another witness in the case, Stanley Kemp, 49, testified that tensions had been created in the provincial DCS due to the equity plan. At one point during his career he had been stationed in KwaZulu-Natal and said when he returned to the Western Cape three years ago, he found the province “for some reason is different from my experience in the other region”.

“You could feel in the workplace there was some sort of tension,” Kemp said.

He had been on panels that interviewed and chose applicants for posts.

“If the best candidate doesn’t meet the equity requirements, we look at the next candidate,” Kemp said.

During cross-examination Dumisa Ntsebeza, SC, asked why Kemp had not objected to certain promotions that were swayed by the equity plan.

Kemp said as a loyal servant of the department, he had to execute a task given to him and while doing that it was not a time to show his emotions.

Ntsebeza replied: “I will put it to you the sincerest thing you could’ve done was for you to express your misgivings.”

The case continues on Thursday. - Cape Times

Maties aims for 50:50 race profile

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Stellenbosch University’s student profile is set to change in the next five years.

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Cape Town - Stellenbosch University’s student profile is set to change in the next five years from about 67 percent white and 33 percent coloured, black and Indian students to a targeted 50 percent white and 50 percent coloured, black and Indian student population.

On Monday, the university council approved the institutional intention and strategy for 2013 to 2018, which was developed after the council asked the university management to develop an action plan “to create an institution where a welcoming culture, equity, diversity and transformation can flourish”.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the university said the decision made provision for, among other things, the changing teaching preferences of students and the strengthening of Afrikaans as academic language.

Mohamed Shaikh, senior director: communication and liaison, said there would be Afrikaans and English classes with “educational interpreting into the other language” (for example, Afrikaans classes to English, and vice versa). An interpretation service would be used.

“The first phase will be in 2014, with a view to progressively move to a fully bilingual offering, en route to 2018.”

Rector and vice-chancellor Professor Russel Botman said the greater use of parallel-medium tuition and educational interpreting would enable the university be completely accessible to English-speaking students, while also strengthening the position of Afrikaans.

“In this way, the university will be able to reach its diversity objectives much faster, and by 2018 the institution should have a diversity profile where coloured, black and Indian students will make up 50 percent of the number of enrolled students. In addition, it opens new opportunities for the university to renew and expand its programme offering, and to enter new markets in the interest of sustainability.”

Shaikh said independent research showed a significant move in secondary schools to dual-medium instruction.

“As a consequence, there is a remarkable change in the preferred language of instruction to English among students in tertiary education, for which the university had to gear itself in its transformational endeavours.”

He said other key points of the plan were to fast-track the change in the demographic profile of students and staff, but moreover to transform the institution on a wider scale in terms of academic programmes on offer, as well as new modes of teaching and learning mediated by technology.

The university’s new residence placement policy was also approved at Monday’s council meeting.

“The point of departure for the new policy is placement based on academic merit, supported by additional criteria of nationality, language, race, first generation and financial need to enhance diversity and inclusivity in all our residences,” Shaikh said.

* A new residence placement policy for Stellenbosch University will make it easier for students to get into residences fairly, says the chairman of the student representative council.

Clinton du Preez said the SRC was glad that the controversial policy had been accepted by the council on Monday.

The university said the new policy was placement based on academic merit supported by additional criteria. These included whether the student was a South African citizen or an international student, language preference, ethnicity, whether the applicant was a first-generation student, and economic class. - Cape Argus

Mob attacks Fransman at ANC meeting

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Western Cape ANC chairman Marius Fransman had to be rescued from a knife-wielding mob after a meeting in Oudtshoorn.

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Cape Town - Western Cape ANC chairman Marius Fransman limped off the stage at Cosatu’s May Day rally at the Good Hope Centre on Wednesday after being attacked by a knife-wielding mob in Oudtshoorn the night before.

Fransman, who is also deputy minister of international relations and co-operation, was in the Klein Karoo town to give its mayor, Gordon April, his marching orders on Tuesday night.

April, who faces charges of theft, intimidation and using municipal resources for personal use, was informed that he would be demoted pending the outcome of the court case and that a new mayor would be appointed.

But as Fransman and a group of ANC provincial executive committee members were leaving the municipal building on Tuesday evening, they were approached by an angry crowd.

A tussle broke out and Fransman, who is believed to have been injured, was rescued by his bodyguards.

Stun grenades were thrown by police and at least four people – including a journalist who claimed he and others had been assaulted by police – were arrested.

It had earlier been announced by ANC national executive committee member Jessie Duarte that April would be replaced by council member Pieter Luiters.

But after Fransman announced in Oudtshoorn that Luiters would go back to the Eden district municipality, about 50 Luiters supporters, described by Fransman as “a bunch of thugs”, descended on the municipal building at 9pm, chanting “go away Fransman, we don’t want you in Oudtshoorn”.

Windows of the building were broken during the rumpus.

Fransman said: “When I went out one guy and three others launched themselves straight at me, but my security was able to… prevent them from hitting me.”

Bodyguards rushed Fransman into his black 5-Series BMW and police escorted him out of town.

He told the Argus: “I’m fine. I wasn’t really injured, but we will launch an immediate investigation… to establish who was behind this attack.”

Fransman said April and several other ANC councillors had been present when the attack took place.

“This is a rogue group. But we will get to the bottom of this. I don’t believe they are ANC members. They may be affiliates to factions, but if any ANC members were involved they will be disciplined.

“I want to thank the police for their quick response. The ANC will not allow such thuggery. The law must take its course.”

ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile said: “If any ANC member is found to have been behind this, they will face the full might of our disciplinary processes.”

He said the ANC executive would hold an urgent meeting tomorrow to discuss the matter.

Police spokesman Brigadier Phuti Setati said four people were arrested after police used stun grenades to disperse the crowd.

“A policeman was injured after he had been struck in the face by a stone, and a police vehicle was also damaged,” he said.

The four were due to appear in the Oudtshoorn Magistrate’s court today.

Die Son photographer Hein Coetzee, one of the four arrested, said police had assaulted him.

“I was taking pictures of a police officer assaulting an African guy when one policeman spotted me and sprayed pepper in my face. I went back to the municipal building, where I saw the officer who had sprayed me.

“I asked him three times why he had sprayed me. Then he got out of the car and said that I had called him a p**s. He shoved me against the car and took one of my cameras and removed the memory card. I was arrested and charged with crimen injuria. I was released at 10.30 this morning. I have now laid complaints of assault and theft against the police.”

Cape Argus

Three die in Cape smash

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Three people died and 15 were injured when two taxis collided in Khayelitsha, near Cape Town, according to paramedics.

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Cape Town - Three people died and 15 were injured when two taxis collided in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, paramedics said on Thursday.

ER24 spokesperson Derrick Banks said the accident occurred at 9pm on Wednesday.

The three died on the scene.

The injured were taken to various hospitals. - Sapa


Brown does not deserve jail - uncle

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“I don't see how a jail sentence will do him any good, “ the uncle of former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown told the court.

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Cape Town - Former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown does not deserve to go to jail, his uncle told the Western Cape High Court on Thursday.

Zacharias Venter told the court that Brown, who is his sister's child, had shown a lot of personal growth in the last six years and had learned much from his experiences.

“He's very creative. He's very intelligent. I don't see how a jail sentence will do him any good.”

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.

Venter said Brown grew up in a loving, Christian home, where he was taught to accept responsibility for his actions.

He said Brown had shown wisdom and maturity at a young age.

Judge Anton Veldhuizen asked Venter if he was aware of Brown's admissions and subsequent convictions.

Venter replied that he was aware and had not expected anything else.

“He accepted responsibility for what he has done. That's how he was raised.”

Prosecutor Jannie van Vuuren asked whether Venter had been in contact with his nephew between 2002 and 2006, when the fraud was committed.

Venter replied that they had been in contact. He had visited Fidentia's offices and had seen the way in which Brown had managed people and his business.

Sapa

City may light up Signal Hill

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In a bid to boost security, the City of Cape Town is exploring ways of lighting up Signal Hill without affecting ships at sea.

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Cape Town - The City of Cape Town is exploring ways of lighting up Signal Hill without affecting ships at sea.

This is one of the plans authorities have come up with to try to boost security on Signal Hill following the rape of a 19-year-old Norwegian exchange student last month after she and her boyfriend were robbed by two armed men there.

On Wednesday, police spokesperson Andrè Traut said no arrests had been made but “progress is being made”.

The case was still under investigation as a high priority, Traut said.

Days after the April 6 attack, the city, SANParks and police announced a number of safety measures they planned to implement at Signal Hill.

This included an application by SANParks to the city to control access along Signal Hill Road and Tafelberg Road between 10pm and 5am, refurbishing a CCTV camera at the Signal Hill parking area and possibly improving lighting in the area.

Ward councillor Dave Bryant said on Wednesday that the city had identified that the efficacy of the camera was directly dependent on the quality of lighting.

Bryant said the port authority had in the past raised concerns about possibly increasing lighting in the area.

“The city is therefore looking at ways to illuminate the direct area with minimal visual impact from a distance (for ships),” he said.

Bryant said a follow-up meeting to finalise details about the lighting and refurbishing the camera would be held. The request for access control along the two roads was being considered.

The public would be informed via a formal notice in print media soon.

“At the end of the formal notice period, the implementation of the controlled access mechanism may be undertaken, subject to there being no strong objections,” Bryant said.

Proposals for the installation of licence plate recognition cameras had been discussed by the city and community police forum and were being evaluated.

“No incidents have been reported on Signal Hill since the unfortunate hijacking of the couple.

“It is important that we look at the safety of the general area which has contributed to muggings around Signal Hill in the past,” Bryant said.

He was trying to find ways to reduce crime as a result of squatters in the old military base in Tamboerskloof and criminals who operated in quarries in Strand Street, Bo-Kaap.

Clean-up campaigns and law-enforcement inspections were helping.

In one of the latest mountain-chain crimes, a couple cycling on a jeep track were mugged at Rhodes Memorial on Sunday.

Regional SANParks spokesperson Merle Collins said the couple had fought back and injured the mugger who got away with the woman’s bicycle.

“(Table Mountain National Park) had an observation point in the area which unfortunately did not cover that particular spot,” Collins said.

Patrols had been increased and additional observation points would be considered, she said.

Cape Times

No remorse at the time: Brown

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Former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown has admitted to the court that he felt no remorse at the time that he committed fraud.

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Cape Town - Former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown had no remorse at the time he made fraudulent representations to two companies, the Western Cape High Court heard on Thursday.

Prosecutor Jannie van Vuuren asked Brown whether he felt remorse when he committed fraud against the Transport Education and Training Authority and the Mantadia Asset Trust, between 2002 and 2006.

He was recently found guilty on two counts of fraud regarding the manner in which he handled investments for these companies.

Brown replied that it was a technical question.

“I accept in retrospect that these actions were wrong. However it is an unfair question to ask if I had remorse at the time. Quite clearly, I did not.”

Brown said he felt remorseful from the time Fidentia was put under curatorship and saw the resulting consequences on people's lives.

Van Vuuren asked how this remorse had manifested itself since 2007.

Brown said he done a “myriad of things”, including assisting investors and handing over financial records to the Living Hands trustees.

His cross-examination ended and he was allowed to leave the stand.

His defence indicated that it had closed its case in mitigation of sentence.

The trial was postponed until Monday, when the State would call witnesses in aggravation of sentence. - Sapa

4 killed in two of 20 crashes

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Traffic services have logged more than 20 motor collisions in Cape Town in the last day, and at least four people have died.

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Cape Town - Traffic services have logged more than 20 motor collisions in Cape Town since Wednesday night, and at least four people have died.

Merle Lourens, spokeswoman for City of Cape Town traffic services, said wet conditions contributed to a spate of incidents during this morning’s rush-hour. None resulted in more than minor injuries.

On Van Riebeeck Street in Kraaifontein, a heavily pregnant woman sustained minor injuries during a four-car pile-up on Thursday morning.

Two fatal crashes occurred last night before the rainy weather set in. A six-year-old girl was struck by a car and killed on Vanguard Drive shortly before 7pm.

“A woman and two girls were struck while crossing the road from Vangate Mall. The 23-year-old woman was slightly injured, a nine-year-old girl was seriously injured and a six-year-old was killed,” said Lourens.

At around 9pm a collision between an Opel Corsa and a minibus taxi in Site B Khayelitsha resulted in three deaths and multiple injuries.

Cape Argus

Body washes up on beach

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A body believed to be that of missing fisherman Lucas van Wyk has been found.

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Cape Town - A body believed to be that of missing fisherman Lucas van Wyk has been found.

Van Wyk, 33, of Steenberg, was lost overboard from a crayfish boat on which he was working on Friday morning, on the Western side of the Cape Point Nature Reserve.

An extensive search was launched at the time, but searchers found no trace of the man.

On Wednesday, a body believed to be that of Van Wyk, was found washed up on the beach at Hoek van Bobbejaan in the reserve.

The body was recovered from the beach by police.

The deceased’s family had been informed and identification was being arranged, said National Sea Rescue Institute spokesman Craig Lambinon.

Cape Argus

Home loan plundered of R1.5m

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Esmaré Weideman became a victim of a fraudulent SIM swop, with R1.5m being transferred from her home loan account.

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Cape Town - The recent increase in SIM-swop scams is worrying, says the SA Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric).

Media24 chief executive Esmaré Weideman became the latest victim of a fraudulent SIM swop at the weekend, with R1.5 million being transferred from her home loan account to a linked cheque account.

The fraudster then allegedly made three transfers totalling R360 000 to an account in the name of “Badiba Madiba”.

“The first transfer was R200 000, then R80 000 and then another R80 000,” Weideman, who banks with Absa, said yesterday.

“I feel so exposed. I looked at my phone at around lunchtime on Sunday and saw there was no network… On Monday, I asked my personal assistant to get my phone going and after several calls to MTN, they told my PA that someone had done a SIM swop.”

Weideman said MTN had her phone reactivated and at about 2.30pm on Monday, she received a call from a member of Absa’s digital fraud division who informed her that her account had been frozen because of “suspected fraudulent activity”.

“That’s when they told me that R1.5m had been transferred from my home loan to my cheque account and that three further transfers were made to another account,” she said.

Weideman reported the incident to the Rondebosch police on Monday.

“Absa confirmed that its fraud unit was investigating, but I’m concerned about their non-commital approach when it comes to the recovery of the money.”

Weideman said her private banker had told her that “normally” the account holder was responsible for any transactions on the account.

“My PA has been fielding calls all day from people who have been defrauded in the same way, and are waiting to get their money back,” she said.

“Syndicates are targeting all banks. They need to improve their security mechanisms.”

Sabric chief executive Kalyani Pillay said she was worried about the “scale of crimes” committed against bank clients across the country.

“The banks are investing significantly in systems and solutions to monitor and detect such risks.”

MTN and Absa were involved in at least three cases of SIM card-related fraud reported by Moneyweb recently.

MTN could not be reached for comment.

Tips from the SA Banking Risk Identification Centre:

* The first line of defence against SIM swops is to protect your personal and cellphone account information from known or third parties and websites (such as your cellphone contract type, debit order dates, ID, addresses, transaction behaviour, and so on). This is the information most cellphone networks will ask for when you are trying to conduct a SIM swop.

* Be vigilant and always aware of your cellphone’s network connectivity status. If you realise you are not receiving calls or SMS notifications, something may be wrong, and you should make enquiries.

* Some cellphone networks send customers an SMS to alert them of an instruction to SIM swop. Customers should contact their network operator if the request is fraudulent.

* Do not switch off your cellphone if you get numerous annoying calls – rather do not answer the calls. They could be a ploy to prevent you from noticing that your connectivity has been tampered with.

* Have your cellphone services provider’s numbers written down somewhere close by. This way, you can phone to check whether anything suspicious has taken place.

* Register for SMS notifications when there is any activity on your bank account, so you are alerted to any bid to move your account funds.

Daily News

Power cuts in store for Cape Town

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Power will be cut in parts of Cape Town at the weekend while a substation is upgraded, the city said.

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Cape Town - Power will be cut in parts of Cape Town at the weekend while a substation is upgraded, the city said on Thursday.

The outage would last from 10pm on Saturday until 8am on Sunday, spokeswoman Kylie Hatton said.

It would affect Capri Village, Sunnydale, Sun Valley, Fairy Knowe, Noordhoek, Lake Michelle and Monkey Valley.

Hatton said the outage formed part of the R21 million upgrading of the area's electricity infrastructure, which was the result of increased demand from the Masiphumelele township, a retirement village, a new housing development and a future housing development.

“For safety reasons customers are advised to treat electricity installations as live for the full duration of the interruption as the electricity supply may be restored at any time without warning,” Hatton said. - Sapa


Sanef condemns photographer assault

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The SA National Editors Forum condemned the arrest and alleged assault by police in Oudtshoorn on Die Son newspaper photographer Hein Coetzee.

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Johannesburg - The SA National Editors Forum on Thursday condemned the arrest and alleged assault by police in Oudtshoorn on Die Son newspaper photographer Hein Coetzee.

Coetzee was arrested on charges of crimen injuria and riotous behaviour on Tuesday but it appeared the charges had been dropped, Sanef said in a statement.

“Coetzee was covering a mob attack on ANC provincial chairman Marius Fransman and took photographs of the mob chasing Fransman as he fled the scene with his police bodyguards,” Sanef said in a statement.

“Coetzee said after the police closed on him and arrested him they assaulted him and sprayed him with pepper. The police also took possession of his cellphone and camera.”

Coetzee was treated in hospital for injuries before he spent Tuesday night in jail. He was released on Wednesday.

Sanef said the police should exercise restraint on journalists on duty and called on the police to abide by their own standing orders as well as the South African Constitution.

Coetzee is laying charges against the police.

“Sanef stresses the irony that while journalists in many democracies throughout the world celebrate Friday, May 3, World Press Freedom Day... the police in South Africa should again be trying to exercise restraint on a journalist doing his duty and, in addition, assaulting him so severely that he required medical treatment in hospital.”

The fact that no further action had been taken against Coetzee suggested that charges brought against him would be dropped, Sanef said. - Sapa

Search for fishermen continues

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The search for two fishermen lost at sea on their fishing boat will continue off Paternoster on the west coast of Cape Town.

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Cape Town - The search for two fishermen lost at sea on their fishing boat will continue into Thursday night off Paternoster on the west coast of Cape Town, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.

“(The) Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre are consolidating the search areas already completed, and are assisting in calculating ongoing search areas and patterns,” said NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon.

On Wednesday, authorities received reports that a fishing boat with two fishermen onboard lost its motor power and went adrift at sea in dense fog.

A rescue operation began and a police helicopter was dispatched.

The pair had not been found by Thursday afternoon.

Cellphone reception with the fishermen was lost, possibly due to battery exhaustion, said Lambinon. - Sapa

Metrorail boosts security by adding 300 guards

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Three hundred extra security guards are being added to Metrorail trains in the province, the Western Cape government has said.

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Cape Town -

Three hundred extra security guards are being added to Metrorail trains in the Western Cape, the Western Cape government said on Thursday.

MEC for Transport Robin Carlisle said they would join the 1 800 guards currently employed to safeguard Metrorail’s trains, rail tracks, stations and yards.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Metrorail Western Cape regional manager Mthuthuzeli Swartz, Carlisle said that the guards had been trained for three months and were now doing on-the-job “learnerships”.

After nine months, they will graduate as fully accredited security guards.

Meanwhile, Swartz said Metrorail in the province had bought 40 scramblers – all-terrain motorbikes – with part of a R4 million grant from the province.

The bikes will patrol areas next to railway lines, to curb cable theft and vandalism.

Swartz added the number of reported incidents of assault and grievous bodily harm on Metrorail trains and at stations had fallen every year during the past three years.

In 2010, there were 128 reported incidents, in 2011 there were 90 and last year there were 40 incidents.

Carlisle noted that the real number was higher, as not all cases are reported to Metrorail.

Both he and Swartz said the figures showed a general improvement in security, despite some high-profile reports of assaults on commuters.

In addition to lower crime stats, Swartz said Metrorail’s revenue had been boosted by stopping free riders.

Last year, Western Cape Metrorail received R690m in revenue, but expenses were R1.2 billion – a shortfall of R510m.

Swartz said that partly by stoppling free riders, R160m more had been collected last year than in 2011.

 

jan.cronje@inl.co.za

Cape Times

Cape to scrap fees for landfill dumps

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Measures to clamp down on illegal dumping will include scrapping the fee for commercial customers at landfill sites.

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Cape Town - Measures to clamp down on illegal dumping, which is costing the city R183 000 a day, could include scrapping the fee for commercial customers at landfill sites, impounding cars from which waste is being dumped illegally and creating awareness about the dangers of illegal waste.

This is according to Ernest Sonnenberg, mayco member for utilities, who was speaking on Thursday during a visit to an illegal dumping site in Lwandle, Strand.

In Mitchells Plain, about R4.3 million has been spent since July last year on clearing illegal dump sites.

Sonnenberg said the city was trying to clean up 985 illegal dumping “hot spots”.

Kent Mdluli, who lives next to the site in Lwandle, said people dumped anything from animal carcasses to rubble and garden waste, and they came by night and day.

Mdluli said that some residents dumped their waste if they had missed rubbish collection day, and that building contractors working in the suburbs around Somerset West often dumped their waste in Lwandle.

Sonnenberg said the city was spending R200m a year on illegal dumping alone.

The death of three-year-old Jordin Lewis in Delft after playing at an illegal dump site where people had dumped toxic waste had drawn attention to the problem.

Jordin was buried in Belhar at the weekend.

Her mother, Ethleen Lewis, said on Thursday she missed her daughter and her home was quiet without her.

Lewis said she wanted to take legal action against those responsible for her daughter’s death, “but we haven’t heard anything about who is responsible. No one actually contacts me to let me know what is going on, so we don’t even know who we must sue”.

She said she would wait for the investigation to be concluded before starting legal action.

Sonnenberg said he could not comment on the case as it was a criminal investigation.

He had approached the city’s portfolio committee on safety and security to ask that they amend by-laws that deal with the prevention of public nuisance.

“This is in order to give us the authority to impound your vehicle if you are found to be dumping waste illegally.”

Commercial customers were charged R50 a ton to dump waste at landfills around the city.

Sonnenberg said since this fee was often used as an excuse by people dumping illegally, he was looking at having it scrapped.

neo.maditla@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Row over school registration

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Some of the kids who attended an illegal school in Khayelitsha were prevented by residents from enrolling at a registered school.

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Cape Town - Some of the children who had been attending an illegal school in Khayelitsha were prevented by residents from enrolling at a registered school on Thursday, Education MEC Donald Grant said.

The illegal school, which uses two sites, one in Kuyasa and the other in Zwelitsha, opened in January and uses volunteer teachers.

In February, about 160 children were attending the school, although it is believed this number has decreased.

Grant said parents were told earlier this week they could begin enrolling their children at the Ludwe Ngamlana Primary School as the department had provided mobile classrooms.

“Yesterday (Thursday), however, some community members sought to disrupt this process, preventing learners from enrolling at the school.”

Six children were enrolled successfully on Thursday.

Grant said: “We believe there are parents who do want to enrol their children in Ludwe Ngamlana Primary School, but are being intimidated or prevented from doing so. I appeal to these parents to ignore these people and put the interests of their children first. If they do not accept this offer, they are essentially breaking the law and their children will not have the opportunity to progress to the next grade at the end of the year.”

 

The MEC said although residents were happy for the children to use the mobile classrooms, they wanted the classes to be separate from Ludwe Ngamlana, under separate management and with the same teachers who had been teaching at the illegal school.

 

Parent Andile Lili said Ludwe Ngamlana could accommodate 1 100 children, but had 1 400 pupils. The parents wanted Zwelitsha Primary to be on one of the two sites where the children had been going to school for four months. They also wanted the teachers who had been working at the two sites to continue teaching the children.

 

Grant said the department did not employ teachers without ensuring they had the necessary qualifications.

“We have before us a solution, one that benefits the learners. They now have the opportunity to be integrated into a functioning school environment, which has the relevant facilities, equipment and textbooks.”

Catch-up classes would be arranged for the pupils, Grant said.

Cape Argus

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