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Another Cape gang boss nabbed

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Police have arrested yet another alleged gang leader, as the clampdown on top Cape gang bosses continues.

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Cape Town - Police have arrested yet another alleged gang leader, as the clampdown on top Cape gang bosses continues.

On Monday afternoon, the police responded to information which led to the arrest of 42-year-old Igshaan Davids - nicknamed “Sanie American” - an alleged gang leader from Kensington. He was arrested for violating a protection order.

Police said the arrest was part of Operation Combat, under the leadership of veteran gang-buster, Major General Jeremy Veary, aimed at fighting gang violence in the province.

“In a bid to curb gender-based violence in the Western Cape and to intensify its efforts to arrest the perpetrators of such crimes, police identified a link between domestic violence and gang activities on the Cape Flats.

“This arrest must be seen as (proof of the police’s) commitment and determination... to stamp out incidents of domestic violence,” said police spokesman Tembinkosi Kinana.

Davids was due to appear in the Cape Town Regional Court on Tuesday.

On Friday, Veary announced the arrest of another alleged leader of a gang in Hanover Park - linked to several crimes under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).

Members of the several police units, led by Veary, carried out an operation in Hanover Park on Friday and arrested the alleged gang leader at a hide-out in John Down Walk.

The suspect had been under investigation for some time under the organised crime act and he faces several drug-related and gang activity charges.

This followed the recent arrests of two other gang kingpins in Hanover Park, that of Shafiek John, 39, alias “Blasie”, and Nigel Johnson, 38, known as “Lakens”.

The men, both alleged gang leaders, were arrested recently in Hanover Park for violating parole conditions.

* Davids’ arrest comes just months after he was arrested in December along with the alleged leader of the Wonder Kids gang, Christopher “Ougat” Patterson.

Police spokesman Captain Frederick van Wyk said at the time that the suspects were arrested after 50 Mandrax tablets and 2.5 grams of tik were found inside a Kensington home belonging to Davids.

Since then, Davids told the Weekend Argus in an interview, he and Patterson had become friends after becoming involved in the management of a soccer competition run on a field in 14th Street in Kensington on Sundays.

It allows young men from the area - known as Davids’ territory, as well as from Factreton, known as Patterson’s turf, to join teams and compete on the field.

Both Davids and Patterson claimed to Weekend Argus that gang violence had dropped considerably since the two made peace, with former gangsters now playing sport together.

Davids has also been quoted as saying he has stopped his gang activities, and is now involved in the construction business.

Cape Argus


Tenant had fake money on table

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A Table View property owner walked into her tenant's office and found photocopies of R100 notes on a table, a Cape Town court heard.

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Cape Town - A Table View property owner walked into her tenant’s office and found photocopies of R100 notes on a table, the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Cape Town heard on Tuesday.

“I asked him what he’s doing, and he said he’s pressing money,” said Moira Venter, testifying at the trial of web designer who has pleaded not guilty to illegal possession of equipment for the manufacture of counterfeit bank notes.

“I asked 'are you serious', and he said: 'Yes, because I haven’t got any'.”

Charles Duckitt has also pleaded not guilty to a second count of forging or altering bank notes, and two counts of presenting counterfeit R100 bank notes for the payment of petrol and arrear rental.

Duckitt had rented two cottages from the Venter couple, adjoining their home. Duckitt used one cottage as his residence, and the other for his business premises.

Venter said her husband worked on an offshore rig, and returned home every second month. She lived alone with their minor son, and for security reasons the couple were happy to have Duckitt as their tenant.

Venter initially got on well with Duckitt, and found him to be someone she could relate to.

She allowed him to use a small space in her own home for business purposes, when he could no longer pay for both cottages.

But things changed when he began moving around her home freely.

This upset Venter.

Duckitt's counsel claimed it was in fact Venter who made the counterfeit notes, and not him.

Defence attorney Hailey Lawrence asked Venter why she failed to terminate Duckitt's tenancy, if she was unhappy with his presence.

Venter said Duckitt had an alcohol and drug problem.

“He was a man who needed help, and it’s only human and compassionate for me to help someone like that,” she said.

“He asked me to keep his substance abuse hush-hush, and I respected that.”

During the proceedings, Duckitt apparently winked with satisfaction at Venter’s discomfort in the dock. Venter noticed this and slammed her fist on the witness stand and shouted: “Don’t you dare wink at me, Mr Duckitt!”

When Lawrence suggested that it was Venter, and not Duckitt, who had made the counterfeit notes, Venter turned to the magistrate and said: “This is turning into a crazy...

“If it were me, why was I not investigated?” she asked.

“What you are saying? That I did all this? I am dumbstruck.”

Lawrence said his client denied ever printing any counterfeit notes.

Venter replied: “Of course, he would, wouldn’t he.”

The case continues. - Sapa

One dead, 16 hurt in Cape taxi crash

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A woman died and 16 people were injured when a taxi and a car crashed into each other in Constantia, Cape Town.

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Cape Town - A woman died and 16 people were injured when a taxi and a car crashed into each other in Constantia, Cape Town, on Tuesday afternoon, paramedics said.

ER24 spokesman Derrick Banks said the woman died at the scene.

The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals. - Sapa

Crash kills woman, injures 17

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A woma was killed and 17 other people were injured after a minibus taxi collided with an SUV in Constantia.

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Cape Town - A woman was killed and 17 others injured after a minibus taxi collided with an SUV on Constantia Main Road on Tuesday.

City traffic services spokeswoman Merle Lourens said the incident took place at the intersection with Alphen Drive at around 5pm.

There was chaos as paramedics rushed to the scene to treat the injured. Ambulances blockaded the road, their sirens wailing as medical staff lifted people onto stretchers and bandaged bleeding wounds.

A 30-year-old woman was declared dead at the scene, while 17 others were rushed to hospital. Lourens said a two-year-old girl was among the injured.

Emergency services spokesman Darren Francis said four of the passengers were in a critical condition and were taken to ICU at Groote Schuur.

“Four passengers, with multiple injuries, were taken to Victoria hospital… Nine patients were taken to Retreat (community) hospital to be treated for minor injuries.”

In central Cape Town, a taxi ploughed into a queue of commuters at the station deck taxi rank. Three people were taken to hospital.

Francis said they were still receiving treatment at the time of going to print on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, two pedestrians walking on the pavement on the corner of Symphony Way and Stellenbosch Arterial were injured after a drunk driver riding along the kerb smashed into them.

Lourens said the car overturned after the collision and caught alight.

The unscathed driver was arrested by police. The pedestrians were taken to hospital.

kieran.legg@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Meet SA’s best detective

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Detective-Constable Siphiwo Nteta from Lwandle has been named the country’s best detective.

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Cape Town -

Detective-Constable Siphiwo Nteta from Lwandle tracks down some of the country’s most ruthless criminals and makes sure they land up behind bars.

Now, Nteta, 30, has been named the country’s best detective.

He was previously named the provincial detective of the year and has twice received the accolade for “catch of the year” for helping to arrest some of the city’s worst criminals.

In November 2011, he nabbed Anathi Ngcukana who was on the province’s top-10 most-wanted list for three murder charges and six charges of attempted murder.

Nteta explained that Ngcukana absconded while on bail.

“We tracked him to the Eastern Cape but then he moved to Joburg then Durban before we found out that he was back in in Nyanga.”

All nine cases are back in court, six of them in the Western Cape High Court while the rest are in the regional court in Strand.

Nteta said he always wanted to be a policeman, especially a detective.

He is also responsible for putting syndicate leader Lulama Yedwa in jail for 36 years.

“Yedwa ran a syndicate that robbed local businesses like shebeens and spaza shops. They stole anything from R36 000 to even R90 000 a night.”

He said that Yedwa had been arrested after a robbery in 2009.

“It was June 16 and I arrived on the scene and saw two men walking close to the shebeen who fitted the profile of the people who had been robbing the businesses in the area. I drove towards them and they ran away. I managed to arrest one of them. Then after an identity parade, he was identified as the leader of the syndicate because while the others wore balaclavas he often showed his face in the shebeens.”

Nteta is married and said that his wife understood that he often had to work long hours.

“Some weekends I don’t even sleep or sometimes I drive home and get to the gate, only to drive back out again because there is a lead on a case I am working on. Sometimes I even forget to eat,” he said with a laugh.

But he finds the job fulfilling and likes working with his colleague, constable Zwelidumile Dzingwe, who was his partner when they won the “catch of the year” award in 2009 for arresting four people wanted in connection with murder.

“They had run away to the Eastern Cape but we managed to track them down and bring them back to Cape Town.”

Over the years Nteta has received death threats but he said these did not scare him because he knew what he was doing.

Police spokesman Tembinkosi Kinana described Nteta as dedicated, consistent and committed.

neo.maditla@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

‘Karabus refused blood money deal’

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Professor Cyril Karabus refused to pay UAE prosecutors “blood money” in exchange for leniency, his lawyer has said.

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Cape Town -

Professor Cyril Karabus refused to pay United Arab Emirates (UAE) prosecutors “blood money” in exchange for leniency, as he believed he had done nothing wrong.

Karabus’s lawyer, Michael Bagraim, made the claim on Tuesday at a Cape Town Press Club event, held at the Wild Fig Restaurant in Observatory, where he had been invited to speak about the case.

Bagraim said that, during the first stages of Karabus’s trial, the prosecutors had tried to offer them a deal.

“They asked us to pay R250 000 blood money and asked Karabus to accept some liability, but he refused the deal and insisted he had done nothing wrong. He has maintained his innocence from the beginning. He will come back to the country with his head held high.”

Bagraim said the case against Karabus in the UAE had scared off many medical practitioners from doing their locums in the country.

“We are seeing withdrawal of medical support in UAE hospitals. People are cancelling their contracts from all around. The UAE has the best hospitals in the world but without the personnel they will run them to the ground. Eventually it will hurt them,” he said.

Bagraim warned people planning to work abroad to familiarise themselves with the legal jurisdictions and the culture of their intended destination.

Bagraim also said the Proteas would be asked to consider not playing their two-match series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, planned for November, in protest against how Karabus was treated in the country.

Meanwhile, Karabus is still waiting for his confiscated passport in the UAE so that he can leave the country. His bail money of R250 000 was returned to him on Tuesday.

At the event Karabus’s wife, Jenifer, said she was feeling better.

“Over the months, I have collapsed mentally. My five children have been wonderful and Bagraim has been my support system,” she said.

“He (Karabus) is cross and short-tempered but he knows there is nothing he can do but to wait... we are just taking it day by day.”

Karabus was arrested on August 18 during a stopover en route to South Africa after attending a family wedding in Canada.

The paediatric oncologist was tried in absentia and convicted of manslaughter and falsifying documents after the death of a three-year-old Yemeni girl he treated for leukaemia in 2002, at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre in Abu Dhabi, where he was working as a locum.

Bagraim said that when Karabus had applied for a Canadian visa it was at first declined without an explanation. “He tried again and the problem seemed to have disappeared.”

He said he and Karabus had spent three weeks debating whether to make his arrest public.

“We told no one. It is embarrassing for a doctor to be arrested for manslaughter and we knew that it was going to damage his career. I thought he would be back home within 10 days but that was not the case.”

Bagraim said similar stories had surfaced since Karabus’s arrest.

nontando.mposo@inl.co.za

zodidi.dano@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Dozens left homeless as fires raze shacks

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Nearly 60 people have been left homeless after fires broke out simultaneously in Crossroads and Khayelitsha.

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Cape town - Nearly 60 people have been left homeless after fires broke out simultaneously in the informal settlements at Sonwabile Drive in Crossroads and at the Nonquebela railway station in Khayelitsha.

No one was hurt or killed, but 16 structures were destroyed in Crossroads, leaving 50 people displaced, and another three shacks were destroyed in Khayelitsha, leaving six people homeless.

Nine emergency vehicles were sent to Crossroads, while six vehicles went to the Khayelitsha fire.

It is not clear what started the Crossroads fire, but the Khayelitsha fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault that ignited bedding, said Wilfred Solomons-Johannes of the city’s Disaster Risk Management Centre.

Crossroads residents said the fire spread so quickly that they fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

An hour-and-a-half later residents were salvaging what they could from the burnt rubble, alongside firefighters who were dousing the dying embers.

Barefoot and dishevelled, Siphsethu Kitchen, 21, walked from the badly damaged shack that she had shared with her mother and baby sister.

She was clutching a small envelope with her identity book and other documents. The fire, which gutted the living area, had been extinguished moments before it engulfed the family’s bedroom area.

“I am happy for this, because life can be difficult without an ID. At least I could save my baby sister. But still, I have nothing left. Not even shoes.”

Asked what she needed, Xoliswa Faleni, who lost her home of 12 years, said: “Clothes, food and shelter.”

Some residents said that they had family in the area, while others said that they were in Cape Town alone and would have to ask neighbours to take them in for the night.

Solomons-Johannes helped victims with food parcels, blankets, baby packs, clothing and building materials.

“When going to bed, residents should isolate electrical devices and extinguish gas burners, candles, lamps and paraffin stoves to prevent fires,” he said.

daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Tutu, Kathrada take film star to task

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Morgan Freeman has been asked to explain his decision to accept an award from a group linked to an Israeli university.

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Cape Town - Hollywood star Morgan Freeman, who portrayed Nelson Mandela in the Rugby World Cup-inspired film Invictus, has been asked by two anti-apartheid icons to explain his decision to accept an award from a group linked to an Israeli university.

They are Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and former Robben Island prisoner and anti-apartheid stalwart Ahmed Kathrada.

On Monday night in Toronto, the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem held an event described by the organisers as “A celebration of excellence to honour individuals who have changed the world and impacted lives through the advancement of knowledge”.

“Morgan Freeman… will be awarded the The Key of Knowledge Award for his dedication to combating racism and promoting knowledge and education worldwide.

“His philanthropic leanings are as legendary as his acting.”

The event was to raise funds for Medical Research Israel-Canada which, according to the organisers, “brings together the brightest minds from across Israel and Canada to find solutions to medical problems such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and brain-related disorders”.

On Tuesday, Tutu spokesman Roger Friedman said: “Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has written to Morgan Freeman to request clarity on the issue and has copied the Nelson Mandela Foundation in on the letter.”

In November, Tutu appealed to the UN and the world’s most powerful countries, “with vested geopolitical and economic interests in the region”, to prioritise the development of a solution for sustainable peace and security in the Middle East.

This had to include the “return of illegally occupied land”, and the creation of two nation states. He added that the process should be overseen by UN peacekeepers.

His letter is echoed by Kathrada, who wrote an open letter to Freeman referring to his “surprise” that the award was going to the actor. “What immediately came to mind were the words of Madiba: ‘But we know too well that our freedom isn’t complete without the freedom of the Palestinians… “

He said he would have hoped Freeman visit Palestine before accepting the award. Kathrada had recently returned from a trip to the area.

He said:

“I have now personally witnessed the plight of the Palestinian people. They are living under conditions of permanent martial law. I came back convinced that Israel is indeed an apartheid state. And in certain respects it is worse than apartheid.”

Cape Argus


Alleged abuse bad for SANDF - IFP

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The alleged abuse during a punitive training session at the Army Infantry School in Oudtshoorn is not in the interests of the military, the IFP said.

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Johannesburg - The alleged abuse of recruits during a punitive training session at the Army Infantry School in Oudtshoorn is not in the interests of the military, the IFP said on Wednesday.

“This incident will have a negative impact on the SA National Defence Force (SANDF),” Inkatha Freedom Party spokesman Albert Mncwango said.

“Parents may be reluctant to let their sons and daughters join the SANDF due to the brutal treatment,” he said.

On Tuesday, the SANDF said a board of inquiry had been set up to investigate the training session.

“Action will be taken against anyone who might have acted out of the rule which governs the type of punishment befitting the violation, because the punishment should be equal to the violation committed,” said SANDF spokesman Brig-Gen Xolani Mabanga.

Several army recruits reportedly needed medical treatment after the training session.

According to Beeld, the training session - on Thursday night and Friday morning - was apparently halted at the request of medical officers at the base because they feared the recruits would not survive.

All the recruits' cellphones were confiscated to ensure no photos or video footage was distributed, an angry mother told the newspaper.

“The children live in a state of extreme anxiety,” she said.

The punitive session was arranged after the recruits left the base on Thursday to visit a pub.

According to Beeld, 10 recruits were forced to carry around poles and if anyone dropped these poles they were beaten with broomsticks.

One of the recruits was reportedly still in a local hospital. It was feared that another might lose the use of his arm.

Mabanga confirmed that the training session took place, but said he was aware of only five, not 10, troops being punished.

“We are aware of five people that sneaked out of the camp and went to drink in a local pub. Then they were brought back. They were dressed in their military training gear and yes, they were punished in a way that fitted the type of violation.”

He said the inquiry would determine whether anyone had acted unfairly. He had not yet received the inquiry's results.

On Tuesday, SA National Defence Union spokesman Pikkie Greeff said the recruits were given physical training (PT) as punishment, which he said was illegal.

Mabanga disputed this and said Greeff was not a member of the SANDF.

“PT can be used as a corrective measure. However, when it is done excessively, whether in training or as punishment, it is not allowed.”

Greeff said he was told there were 11 recruits involved in the session and that what happened to them went far beyond PT.

He said this was not the first questionable incident at the camp.

In August, a woman recruit committed suicide there. At the time, Sandu claimed the suicide note made reference to humiliation by base management.

Greeff said: “It can't go on like this.... It's not a military camp anymore, it's a prison camp.”

Asked about the hospitalisation of recruits after the training session, Mbanga said he had not heard of this.

“Not to my knowledge,” he said.

On Wednesday Mncwango said the officials who conducted the training session should be held accountable.

“The SANDF should remove them and institute criminal charges if they are found to have been negligent in any way.

“The infantry school should not be a brutal boot camp, but a training camp which produces disciplined soldiers that are patriotic and ready to lay down their lives in defence of our country and our democracy.” - Sapa

Farmworkers threaten to resume strike

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A union representing farmworkers has threatened that strikes in De Doorns are set to resume before the end of the month.

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Cape Town - A union representing farmworkers has threatened that strikes in De Doorns are set to resume before the end of the month.

The Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Fawu) has accused some farmers in the grape growing valley of using labour brokers to replace permanent and seasonal staff now that the labour intensive harvest season has ended.

Katishi Masemola, Fawu’s general secretary, called it a concerted “cleansing process” to get rid of workers who vocally demand that the new minimum wage (R105 a day) be adhered to.

The accusation is that some labour brokers are providing workers for R80 to R90 a day.

Violent strikes over poor wages in November and January brought some farming in the Western Cape to a standstill.

Vandalism caused millions in damages. Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant launched a series of meetings which resulted in a new sectoral determination of a minimum wage. The new wage was a 52 percent increase from the previous minimum of R69 a day.

But Porchia Adams, spokeswoman for AgriWes-Cape which represents farmers in the province, accused Fawu of basing its statements on allegations and speculation.

“Agri Wes-Cape insists on actual proven facts, which we would gladly respond to,” Adams said.

Karel Swart, assistant General Secretary at Commercial Stevedoring Agricultural & Allied Workers’ Union (CSAAWU), has said that conditions for farmworkers have actually worsened since the new sectoral determination was implemented in March.

“Many farmers have dismissed workers and asked those remaining workers to sign new contracts which include deductions for rent, electricity and transport. In this way, employers have made up any deficit of having to pay a higher minimum wage,” Swart said.

He said that CSAAWU had taken over 30 cases of apparent “unfair” dismissal to the labour court. CSAAWU’s membership support hails mostly from the farms around Robertson, Bonnievale and Montagu.

But Jacques Beukes, a farmer from De Doorns, said that allegations of the widespread use of labour brokers and contractual clauses which aimed to undermine the new minimum wage were generally untrue.

“I suspect that the unions’ grievances come from the fact that there is simply less work for fewer people at the moment because the harvest season is over,” he said.

daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Cape Town Stadium’s bill so far: R436m

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The City of Cape Town has released the true costs of running the Cape Town Stadium - a whopping R436m since construction.

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Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has finally released the true costs of running the Cape Town Stadium - a whopping R436 million since construction.

As global megastars Bon Jovi rocked the 2010 World Cup Stadium on Tuesday night, and teen sensation Justin Bieber to follow on Wednesday, alarming figures have finally been made public.

On April 8, the Cape Argus published figures calculated by councillor Yagyah Adams, of the Cape Muslim Congress, who is on the finance portfolio committee, that the operating cost of the stadium from the end of 2009 until June this year was projected to be more than R300m.

Deputy mayor Ian Nielson’s office said the figures were incorrect.

At the time Kevin Jacoby, chief financial officer for the City of Cape Town, said the financial results for the various financial years were presented unclearly.

He would review the report and present it at the next finance portfolio committee meeting.

The new figures were presented on Monday. And instead of being less than the disputed figure of R300m, the new total is R436m.

On Tuesday, Adams and the Cape Argus submitted the following questions to Nielson, to which the acting mayoral committee member for finance, Brett Herron, replied last night:

Q: Have Cape Town ratepayers paid R436m since 2009/2010, in addition to the city’s contribution to the capital costs?

A: Yes.

Q: Was it known upfront that the city would be liable for such massive costs?

A: The City of Cape Town accepted the responsibility of World Cup and all its related obligations. Since the Cape Town Stadium is a strategic asset, the city has provided for costs. We however intend to minimise, as much as possible, the impact on the ratepayer.

This is why we undertook a feasibility study which is currently open for public comment on how to ensure our asset raises revenue in response to the capital investment. All inputs are appreciated.

Q: Why were there such high expenses at inception, as “general expenses” and “contracted services” and “consultant fees”? A total of around R238m was spent in the 2009/2010 financial year. What was this spent on? Were these more like “set-up costs”, or actual “running costs”?

A: We have to analyse (specific costs)… with more time. Significant operating cost were required for what turned out to be a very successful World Cup. Residents can be assured that we went through our normal, prudent procedures, taking into account our obligation to the event and the costs to the ratepayer.

Q: Over the full period, what were R50m in “employee-related costs” spent on?

A: The Cape Town Stadium is a strategic asset that belongs to all residents of the city. As such, we are obliged to care for it and ensure that it doesn’t fall into disrepair. This requires a high level of care from staff. Employee-related costs reflect this.

Q: What were almost R40m in “consultant fees” spent on?

A: More time is needed to respond.

Q: The operating surplus/loss for 2012/2013 is almost R48m, but includes R26m for “depreciation”. While this may be correct accounting procedure, is the annual actual “expense” therefore more like R22m for this year?

A: The Finance report to the portfolio committee was transparent and included all costs including depreciation, or a measure as to how the asset is consumed. Any Finance report that excludes depreciation would be an incomplete report. You may however categorise the costs and analyse separately.

Cape Argus

Girls raped at crèche

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Desmond Kriger faces charges of rape and sexual assault of six girls who attended a Cape crèche where he was living.

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Cape Town - A 64-year-old man, who faces charges of sexually assaulting and raping crèche girls, appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday in a bail application hearing.

Desmond Kriger of Athlone faces three charges of rape and three of sexual assault of six girls who attended the Little Angels Educare Centre, in some cases as long as 10 years ago.

Previously, he had been arrested on a charge of sexual assault, and was released on R1 000 bail. But on April 4 he was arrested in connection with the latest six cases, and has since been in custody.

The court heard that in the latest case Kriger had allegedly fondled young girls either while driving them home from crèche or aftercare, or during playtime. The girls told similar stories of how “Uncle Des” would arrange to have one girl sitting in front with him in his bakkie, giving him the opportunity to fondle them.

Others reported sitting on his lap during playtime, sometimes two girls at a time, while the alleged sexual assaults took place.

The court heard that when Kriger’s wife died in 2009 his daughter took over the crèche, with Kriger living upstairs. It has now been closed by the Department of Social Development.

His attorney, Terance Erasmus, read out an affidavit on Tuesday in which Kriger said he had been attacked in the holding cells.

In the witness box on Tuesday, investigating officer Warrant Officer Farouk Sonday described the cases of the six latest alleged victims.

Some of the cases had been re-opened after investigation.

A 21-year-old woman had reported an incident that happened at aftercare, which she attended from the ages of 6 to 11. For years she had not told anyone that Kriger had sexually assaulted her. When she met another person who had had a similar experience she told her parents.

Her parents confronted the Krigers, but it was only after the woman had heard other young girls had allegedly been molested by Kriger that she went to the police. There was no medical evidence to support her claims.

In another case a four-year-old girl was questioned after her mother fetched her from school and found she was no longer wearing panties. She later told her mother Kriger had sexually assaulted her.

Sonday said he had received a call from a mother claiming her 12-year-old daughter had been sexually assaulted by Kriger when she was five.

In another matter, a girl who is now six claimed she was four when she was sexually assaulted.

natasha.prince@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Pupil punished for cutting hair too short

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The mom of a Cape Town boy feels a rule at his school which says pupils must not cut their hair too short smacks of racism.

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Cape Town - The mother of a Table View High pupil feels a school rule which insists that pupils must not cut their hair too short smacks of racism.

Grade 8 pupil Jaedan Lotz, 13, was given detention after cutting his hair short, despite the school’s code of conduct only stipulating that boys’ hair may not be completely shaved off. The rule was apparently in place because bald white boys would look like convicts, she said.

Jaedan visited the barber last Wednesday and left with very short hair despite having asked that it not be cut too much.

When he returned home his mother, Penny Lotz, saw immediately that his hair was too short and the next day, she said, he had been reprimanded and given two weeks of detention.

Lotz raised her unhappiness about the rule with the school earlier this year after being told pupils’ hair could not be cut short. She said she was told by the principal that “white boys with bald heads would look like convicts”.

She wrote to the Cape Times this week in frustration after receiving no response from the school or governing body on why the rule could not be amended.

Lotz said the rule was racist and she added that she was sure that if white pupils had been hauled over the coals for how they cut their hair there would be a massive outcry.

She wrote in a letter to the school: “I think it’s a gross injustice and highly inconsiderate that my child is subjected to a rule that suits the cause of white boys. “

Lotz suggested that only white boys be held to the “no bald head” rule.

Table View High School’s code of conduct stated that boys’ hair must be “neat, clean and well-groomed at all times”.

“Hair may not be totally shaved off (no bald head) – if this rule is ignored the learner will stand outside the deputy’s office until such time that his hair has grown back to an acceptable length.”

Lotz said it was obvious that Jaedan was not bald as his hair was clearly visible.

The school’s principal, Randall Southgate, did not return a request for comment.

Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant, said it was up to a school’s governing body (SGB) to determine the code of conduct. “In terms of the South African Schools Act, school governing bodies may decide on dress codes, including hair styles, as part of their code of conduct.”

She said training had been provided to SGBs about how to draft codes of conduct and dress codes, and disciplinary procedures, in line with constitutional values and the law.

Casey said Grant’s office had received a copy of Lotz’s e-mail and had referred it to the school’s district office for resolution. “The district is currently dealing with the matter and we await their response.”

The SGB chairwoman could not be reached.

michelle.jones@inl.co.za

Cape Times

City cyclists rally, ‘snap’ into action

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Cyclists are getting proactive against thieves and robbers in the Table Mountain National Park.

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Cape Town - Cyclists are getting proactive against thieves and robbers in the Table Mountain National Park, raising funds independently for surveillance cameras and new crime patrols at hot spots on the mountain.

Robert Vogel, founder of the Table Mountain Bikers, put out a call to his databases and on Twitter last week for funds for security cameras. The group has about 140 members and the funds soon started rolling in.

“I’m just making the money available because SANParks wouldn’t have the funds,” said Vogel.

In one week, more than R20 000 was raised, and Vogel was able to order three cameras.

These solar-powered “covert scout” cameras will be placed on suspected criminal access routes, and when activated by movement, will snap a photo and send it to designated cellphone numbers and e-mail addresses.

The R8 000 cameras have infrared lights and can function at night, and will be placed by the biker organisation with input from SANParks.

The group and SANParks would receive the information at the same time, said Vogel, so cyclists would get up-to-date information on the mountain, and some of the pressure would be taken off the rangers who, owing to the mountainous terrain, often had limited sight lines.

Wana Bacela, an area manager for Table Mountain National Park, confirmed that the park was working with Table Mountain Bikers to boost security.

alison.decker@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Fear after charred body found

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Mfuleni residents are fearful of their children’s safety after a young woman’s charred remains were found bound on a field

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Cape Town - Residents are living in fear after the torched body of a young woman was found dumped near their homes.

The burnt body of the unknown woman was discovered by a man who was collecting wood in an open field in Brentwood Park in Mfuleni on Tuesday.

The victim, who is between the ages of 18 and 25, had been burnt from the head down to the ankles.

She was lying on her back and both hands were tied behind her back with wire.

Shocked residents believe the woman was murdered somewhere else before her body was dumped in the bushes and set alight.

Police say the woman was wearing a red jacket, pink top, white jeans, black tights and is of slender build.

A 46-year-old resident who refused to be named tells the Daily Voice the spot where the body was found is notorious for violent robberies.

“This place is very dark at night. Us as parents are now fearing for our children’s lives,” says the fearful woman.

Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk says Mfuleni police are appealing to the community to come forward with any information that could lead to the identification of the victim.

* Call Sergeant Sweli on 021 909 9616 or Captain Jansen on 082 469 7150.

The case is remarkably similar to the murder of Charmaine Mare, 16, whose dismembered and burnt corpse was found in a field on January 14 this year. Johannes de Jager, 44, has since been charged with her murder.

Daily Voice


Infantry school to be probed

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Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has ordered further investigations into allegations of assault at the Army Infantry School in Oudtshoorn.

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Johannesburg - Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has ordered further investigations into allegations of assault at the Army Infantry School in Oudtshoorn, the department of defence said on Wednesday.

Defence ministry spokesman Sonwabo Mbananga said Mapisa-Nqakula was concerned at the recent incident “after she had ordered two investigations into other incidents at the Infantry School.”

The initial investigation was ordered in October last year after the suicide of a female recruit.

“When the report of this investigation was received, it was found to be inadequate, and the minister ordered a second probe and that this probe be conducted by that inspector general and must be widened to cover all the incidents of death, including those in the past,” said Mbananga.

Mapisa-Nqakula received the report on May 6, coinciding with reports on the latest incidents which appeared in the media a day later.

She said the report received on Monday already pointed to lack of adherence to safety measures.

It also pointed at the inability of unit's boards of inquiry (BOI) to conduct quality and conclusive investigations, Mapisa-Nqakula said.

Mbananga said the minister directed that the SA National Defence Force and the chief of the army conduct a preliminary investigation on the system failures identified in the report.

In addition Mapisa-Nqakula had directed the office of the military ombudsman to launch a full investigation into complaints by members at the Infantry School as well as the general conditions under which recruits lived and trained at Oudtshoorn, he said

On Tuesday, the SANDF said it would establish a board of inquiry to investigate punitive training sessions at the Infantry School.

“Action will be taken against anyone who might have acted out of the rule which governs the type of punishment befitting the violation, because the punishment should be equal to the violation committed,” said SANDF spokesman Brig-Gen Xolani Mabanga.

Several army recruits reportedly needed medical treatment after the training session.

According to Beeld, the training session, which took place on Thursday night and Friday morning, was apparently halted at the request of medical officers at the base because they feared the recruits would not survive.

All the recruits' phones were confiscated to ensure no photos or video footage was distributed, an angry mother told the newspaper.

The punitive session was arranged after the recruits left the base on Thursday to visit a pub.

Mabanga confirmed this, but could not confirm the date.

“We are aware of five people that sneaked out of the camp and went to drink in a local pub. Then they were brought back. They were dressed in their military training gear and yes, they were punished in a way that fitted the type of violation.” - Sapa

‘We bunked for Bieber’

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Thousands of pupils thumbed their noses at a warning not to play truant to attend the Justin Bieber concert.

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By Alison Decker, Yolisa Tswanya, Daneel Knoetze and Murray Williams

Cape Town - Beliebers swarmed the V&A Waterfront and the Cape Town Stadium hours – and in some cases days – before Justin Bieber took to the stage on Wednesday night, ignoring rain, security guards, traffic, school rules and all else in their way.

Shrieks that could be heard on Signal Hill resounded as the icon swaggered on to the stage shortly before 9pm – almost an hour late.

The sold-out crowd had been thoroughly warmed up by opening acts Locnville and ChianoSky. But the fans had been warmed up for days.

The sky may have opened on Wednesday, but some fans who had been camping outside the stadium since Tuesday morning did not allow weather to cloud their mood.

Tiara Pathon, who was camping out with her two daughters, Ammarah, 14, and Bilquis, 12, said: “We’re roughing it together, because we all know what we’re here for. Everyone can now hear the soundcheck coming from inside the stadium and the closer we get to show time, the more the excitement grows.”

As people started filtering into the Golden Circle area late on Wednesday, those in the queue stayed vigilant and kept track of their and other people’s position in the queue.

“There is a lot of solidarity, but every now and again irritation flares up and people are like: ‘Hey, wait a minute! You weren’t ahead of me! Are you trying to push in?’” said Pathon.

Fans also lined up outside of the One&Only hotel — where Bieber is believed to be staying – for hours on Wednesday afternoon in hopes of spotting the star. Some girls enjoying tea and cake inside the hotel caught a glimpse of the international superstar. They said that after about an hour in the hotel, they spotted Bieber walking by.

According to one of the girls, Gabby Gonsalves, he put his finger to his lips knowingly as he passed them.

“He went shush! so we didn’t scream. He smiled and waved at us. It was special,” she said.

Outside the hotel, fans would spontaneously erupt into shouts and screams whenever they thought they caught a glimpse of Bieber, and enthusiastically wave at the windows. Chants of “JUSTIN! JUSTIN!” were constantly ringing out from the sidewalks.

At the stadium, fans were speculating that a crew member walking from the stadium was either Bieber or part of his posse, prompting frantic cheers, with teenage girls hugging one another or fanning themselves.

Some of the girls who had spent the night at the stadium claimed to have seen Bieber at the Green Point McDonald’s. As they were describing the sighting to the Cape Argus, one of the girls started hyperventilating, presumably from the overwhelming excitement of the recollection. She begged her friends to stop talking, saying that she was in danger of fainting.

Samantha Khan, owner of the McDonald’s and Bieber concert attendee, confirmed that Justin was “at our store!”

She said Bieber was a nice young man who went around shaking everyone’s hands.

“He came in and bought some stuff and shook the people’s hand behind the counter and he was doing some dance moves,” said Khan.

Back at the stadium, Golden Circle ticket holders were also trying to figure out how to get in the best spot to see Bieber during the show itself.

Gonsalves and her friends, including Litha Maqungo, were planning on fighting their way to the front of the Golden Circle area. “I’ve got my elbows, and my Swedish House Mafia face, and I’m gonna get to the front.”

Inside the stadium, “Girl Power” seized control on Wednesday night as thousands of young girls got their first glimpse of the global mega star.

Beer sale points were near-deserted, frequented primarily by hairy-chinned fathers, delighted to escape the giddy, giggling masses for a cold draught of relief.

Back in the stands, women of every conceivable description – Muslim women in head veils, blondes in glittery tank tops and moms – were screaming for Justin.

It has been a big week for the cash-strapped stadium – it hosted the Bon Jovi Because We Can concert on Tuesday night.

Mayoral committee member for tourism, events and marketing Grant Pascoe said they had not worked out how much the back-to- back concerts had brought in, but everything was running smoothly. Speaking shortly before the Cape Argus went to press on Wednesday night, he said: “With this Bieber concert we were dealing with a very young audience and we focused on trying to keep everyone safe, and everything has been smooth so far.”

Pascoe said the concerts showed the city was capable of hosting two major events so close together.

alison.decker@inl.co.za

yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za

daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Cops probing gang rape on taxi

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Two taxi commuters on their way home from central Cape Town to Bellville were blindfolded while three men raped one of them.

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Cape Town - Two taxi commuters on their way home from central Cape Town to Bellville were blindfolded while three men raped one of them.

The rape survivor has lodged a complaint at Bellville polices station but police do not know what had happened to the other passenger and have asked the public for help.

Police spokesman FC van Wyk said on Wednesday the driver had dropped passengers at the Melomed Hospital in Bellville, leaving the pair, who did not know each other, alone with the driver and the taxi guard on Friday evening.

“The driver told the two women that he had to pick up someone in Boston. When they arrived in Boston Avenue, the taxi stopped and three men got in. The taxi then continued in the direction of Voortrekker Road when one of the three men pointed a gun at them,” he said.

Van Wyk said they were blindfolded and forced to the floor of the taxi where one of the women was raped by all three men.

“It is not certain if the other woman had also been raped. The taxi stopped at the Karl Bremer Hospital off-ramp where the (raped) woman was pushed out of the taxi. She managed to walk to the hospital and ask for help,” he said.

Van Wyk said police do not know what had happened to the other woman.

Rape Crisis spokeswoman Sarah Strydom said the occurrence of rape in taxis was “nothing new”.

“Over the years our counsellors at all our centres have dealt with similar cases. These women don’t only have to deal with the trauma of being raped, but often being robbed too… ” she said.

Anyone with information on the unknown woman or the rape can contact Crime Stop confidentially at 08600 10111 or SMS Crime Line at 32211.

barbara.maregele@inl.co.za

Cape Times

Carstens blood samples trashed

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Analyses of samples drawn from rock star Arno Carstens’s blood were “inaccurate”, says the singers defence attorney.

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Cape Town - Analyses of samples drawn from rock star Arno Carstens’s blood were “inaccurate” and “of an unprofessional nature”, says the attorney defending Carstens in the drunk-driving case against him.

This emerged as standardised tests to determine Carstens’s blood alcohol level took centre stage in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

The former Springbok Nude Girls front man was arrested in December 2010.

Carstens has pleaded not guilty to a charge of drunken-driving, and driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.20 percent while the legal limit is 0.05.

In the witness box on Wednesday, forensic analyst Pakama Pati was cross-examined by defence attorney Milton de la Harpe.

Advised by his own expert, proceedings became very technical as De la Harpe delved into the reliability of tests done by Pati on Carstens’s blood sample after he was arrested.

 

De la Harpe told Pati the defence would argue that the work she had done was “of an unprofessional nature” and should be declared null and void.

Prosecutor Anne Hess has asked for time to consult experts regarding Pati’s evidence before re-examination, and to consult new expert witnesses the State plans to call.The case is set to continue on July 24.

natasha.prince@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Body of city hiker found below mountain ravine

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The body of a 61-year-old man has been found at the bottom of one of Table Mountain’s most treacherous paths.

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Cape Town - The body of a 61-year-old man has been found at the bottom of one of Table Mountain’s most treacherous paths.

Kogalien Moodley, interim commander for Wilderness Search and Rescue, said the Noordhoek man, who could not be identified until his family had been informed of his death, was a regular hiker and well-known for traversing various trails on his own.

The hiker set off from the Kloof Nek parking lot on Monday morning.

“He sent (his friends) an SMS letting them know he was going up and where he was planning to walk… They used to get angry with him and confronted him because he would usually go up alone and not tell anyone,” said Moodley.

By Tuesday morning, his friends began to worry as attempts to contact him were unsuccessful. They found his car was still in the parking lot and alerted local police and rescue services.

As night began to fall, a passersby spotted a body lying between the jagged rocks and bushes running below a precarious pass in an area known as Grotto Ravine. Air Mercy Services spokeswoman Venessa Horn said an EMS/AMS helicopter had collected the body and picked up the rescuers at around 9.30am on Wednesday.

The body was identified as that of the man who is reportedly a Swiss national who has been living in South Africa for a number of years.

While Moodley said the cause of death was being investigated, it was likely that he had slipped and fallen.

“He’s unlikely to be attacked in this area.”

Table Mountain Watch founder Andre van Schalkwyk said the pass running above the ravine was incredibly dangerous.

He pointed out that while the drop wasn’t significant, a broken leg or a head injury could seal a hiker’s fate.

“He may not have died instantly, and could have been up there for hours before he died due to exposure or shock.”

He recommended that hikers never attempt to tackle the pass alone.

Police spokesman Colonel Tembinkosi Kinana said they had opened an inquest docket into the cause of his death.

kieran.legg@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

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