Ethnic tensions could flare in De Doorns as farm workers return to work, according to some organisations.

Cape Town - Ethnic tensions could flare in De Doorns as farmworkers return to work this week, according to some organisations.

Community representatives, the refugee rights NGO People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty (Passop), and Cosatu Western Cape have accused some farmers of exploiting the ethnic divisions of the workforce in the Boland town.

After two weeks of striking for higher wages, workers in De Doorns returned to their employers pending the outcome of a revision of the national minimum wage (expected by December 4).

Some farmers were reporting undocumented workers to police, said Bonisile Vyver, a South African farmworker and member of the De Doorns Farm Worker Interests Committee.

Passop and Cosatu have called on Minister of Home Affairs Naledi Pandor to grant three months of amnesty to undocumented workers in the area in an attempt to diffuse the tensions.

Passop’s Braam Hanekom believes that “serious bloodshed” is on the horizon should Pandor fail to heed the call.

In November 2009, thousands of Zimbabweans were displaced from their homes in De Doorns in the wake of xenophobic attacks.

“Since then a lot of work has been done to reconcile these communities. Tensions between Zimbabweans, Sotho and South Africans were at an all-time low when the mass strike began,” said Hanekom.

Vyver said he anticipated “fights” between strikers returning to the workplace and those who have been dismissed.

Basotho men, whether they were immigrants or South African, had been told by some farmers to pack their bags, said Vyver.

Speaking to the Cape Argus last week, Gerhard de Kock, a prominent table grape farmer in the Hex River Valley, said it was undocumented (Basotho) immigrants who were being used as pawns by the ANC to destabilise the province through strike action. He described them as “anarchists with nothing to lose”.

But Vyver said the Sotho community felt that it was being unfairly scapegoated.

“They are very upset. Many of them were strong contributors to our struggle and now, as we are going to work, they have nothing to show for it. They are sitting at home and the police are knocking on their doors,” he said.

Vyver said a number of his co-committee members and undocumented Zimbabweans were also dismissed.

Cosatu and Passop also took a swipe at Western Cape Premier Helen Zille for a tweet which blamed Basotho-Zimbabwean tensions for “sparking” the strike at De Doorns.

In response, Zille’s spokesman, Zak Mbhele, said: “This is a typical example of Cosatu’s ignorance and disingenuous attempts to distort issues deliberately... It is surprising that an otherwise credible civil society organisation like Passop would associate themselves with opportunistic grandstanders like Cosatu…

“Passop should direct their antagonism to the national government which holds the key powers to solve the various aspects of the unrest that played out over the last two weeks.”

Lunga Ngqengelele, Pandor’s spokesman, said the minister’s office had not yet formally received a request from Passop and Cosatu.

Agri Wes Cape, which represents the majority of farmers in De Doorns, declined to respond to Cosatu and Passop’s allegations.

Cape Argus

The family of slain Anni Dewani called for the hit man found guilty of her murder to be locked up for life.

Cape Town - The family of slain honeymoon bride Anni Dewani on Tuesday night called for the hit man found guilty of her murder to be locked up for life.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Voice, Anni’s sister Ami Denborg said everyone who played a part in Anni’s murder must pay for their crimes.

“I think he should get a life sentence. He did kill my sister. He pulled the trigger and he deserves to be behind bars,” Ami said.

“It’s hard, but in the end I want justice for my sister.”

Ami said that she felt as if “a huge weight” had been lifted off her shoulders when she heard hit man Xolile Mngeni had been found guilty on Tuesday.

“My first thought when I got the news was of course relief,” added Ami.

“I felt like one big stone had gotten lifted off my shoulders and I felt happy about the judgement. We are getting somewhere and it’s a comforting thought that maybe there will be an end to all of this soon.”

Sentencing proceedings against Mngeni are expected to get underway at the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.

Mngeni’s lawyer Matthews Dayimani will call at least one witness as he tries to convince the court not to impose the maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The witness will be the doctor who has been treating Mngeni since he was diagnosed with cancer.

Mngeni was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May last year and underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Earlier this week, in a three-hour long judgement, Mngeni was found to be the triggerman in a planned hit on Anni.

The Swedish-born bride was brutally shot dead on November 13, 2010, just two days after arriving in Cape Town on honeymoon.

Anni and her husband Shrien Dewani were taken hostage in a staged hijacking on the corner of NY108 and NY 113, Gugulethu.

Dewani was allowed out of the vehicle and the next morning Anni’s body was found slumped across the back seat of the taxi with a single gunshot wound to the neck.

Dewani was implicated as the mastermind behind Anni’s murder after taxi driver Zola Tongo pleaded guilty to his role in the hit.

Dewani’s extradition to face charges here has been placed on hold until he recovers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

But Anni’s family again called on him to end the questions hanging in the air about her murder and stand trial in South Africa.

“I just feel that [Dewani] should go and face his trial,” said Ami.

“Three out of the four people who were in the taxi have been convicted and now it’s time for [Dewani] to go back.”

Dewani is wanted by South African authorities to face charges of murder, conspiracy to murder, robbery, kidnap and interfering with the course of justice for his alleged role in his wife’s murder.

*This article was published in the Daily Voice.

Two courts in the Western Cape have received bomb threats in the past 24 hours, police said.

Cape Town - Two courts in the Western Cape have received bomb threats in the past 24 hours, police said.

The Western Cape High Court was evacuated after a bomb threat on Wednesday morning, Captain Frederik van Wyk said.

“I can confirm that the threat was made earlier this morning. The whole court building has been evacuated and at this stage it is unknown whether the building is safe.”

No further details were available.

On Tuesday, the Wynberg Magistrate's Court received a bomb threat.

“A man made an anonymous phone call to the police call centre,” said Van Wyk.

The police's K9 unit was deployed and the court was evacuated. It was later declared safe.

Van Wyk warned that people making hoax bomb threat calls would, if caught, be criminally charged. - Sapa

Cape Town’s festive season night market, traditionally held in Adderley Street, is moving to the Company’s Garden this year.

Cape Town - Cape Town’s festive season night market will be moving to the Company’s Garden this year.

Traditionally held in Adderley Street, stalls will now line the length of Government Avenue.

Kylie Hatton, city communications manager, said the service provider that won the contract for the event was officially appointed yesterday.

She said the market would be able to start earlier, possibly around 11am each day, and there would be little or no traffic disruption.

Before, the market required that several roads be closed.

Hatton said there would be a greater variety of stalls and information about these would be released with the details of other changes later this week.

The market begins on December 14.

It’s not the only change in the city’s traditional festive season activities this year.

The official switching on of the lights moves from Adderley Street to the Grand Parade on December 2.

Mayor Patricia de Lille will switch on the light at 8pm on that Sunday evening.

Grant Pascoe, the city’s mayoral committee member for tourism, events and marketing, said the Grand Parade would provide more space.

The switch-on at 8pm will be followed by a street parade, a Festival Carnival of Lights with costumes and floats.

The parade will comprise 2 000 participants in costume, dancing to music provided by brass, Christmas and army bands.

Red Zebra will perform, along with dancers, giant puppets, stilt walkers, carnival characters and giant wheels – concluding with a special Father Christmas celebration.

The procession will move from the City Hall, up Darling Street, turn right into Adderley Street and disperse in Lower Heerengracht. One of the floats will feature Table Mountain, which will also have its own lights display.

Cape Argus

Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale has launched a R55 million social housing project in Cape Town.

Cape Town - Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale has launched a R55 million social housing project.

The Bothasig Gardens Social Housing project in Milnerton, which is being integrated with an existing seniors’ complex called Kent Durr, will provide 120 social rental housing opportunities for families earning between R2 200 and R7 500 a month.

Sexwale said one of their critical missions was to bring people together where there had been dehumanisation.

“It’s a good day for people who will move into houses. A house is the biggest investment anyone will have,” Sexwale said.

“This is rectification of what apartheid [did], which was to keep people of the country separate according to skin colour and hair textures.”

The project is a public and private partnership between the Western Cape Human Settlements Department, the City of Cape Town, the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA), Communicare and the Dutch International Guarantees for Housing.

Sexwale said there were always complaints about the quality of structures.

“We bring the best developers and enhance properties in the areas. It’s about integration of people… things have to be affordable too,” he said.

Sexwale also spoke about houses that had been destroyed in Lenasia, Joburg, after they were illegally sold and built on government land.

“Innocent people who were duped by people who sold land illegally should not suffer. The syndicate who was stealing land ... we were able to arrest some of their members.

“And we have a message to send, people who were let down by these syndicates… point them out.”

Sexwale said the problem was first detected in 2000. Asked why it had taken him so long to comment on the matter, he said that ministers did not just jump in when something happened.

“We need to be properly informed.”

Brian Moholo, chief executive of the SHRA, said the development launched on Tuesday met the expectations of social housing.

“This is realising the vision of… a safe environment and in walking distance to shops. There are courtyards for children to play.

“Social housing is all about living space and not only about a block of flats,” Moholo said.

Adele Jobe, 44, who has lived in a granny flat most of her life, was emotional about her move: “This is my first home and first Christmas in my house. I’m so happy,” she said tearfully.

Cape Argus

Two schools have joined forces in a fight to stay open, and say they won’t give up until the decision to close them is overturned.

Cape Town - Two Boland schools have joined forces in their fight to stay open and say they won’t give up until Education MEC Donald Grant changes his decision to close them in December.

Parents and pupils from LK Zeeman Primary in Paarl and Bergrivier NGK Primary in Wellington protested outside the Paarl offices of the Western Cape Education Department on Tuesday. A memorandum of grievances and a petition was handed over to officials.

Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Grant, said a copy of the memorandum would be given to Grant and provincial education head Penny Vinjevold. She said Grant was not in a position to review his decision.

Hours after the Paarl protest, several pupils, principals and community members from a number of schools also protested against the closure of 20 schools outside the Education Department offices in the city centre. In a memorandum, Concerned Education Forum and the Progressive Principals’ Association demanded that the decision to close 20 schools be withdrawn immediately.

“The reasons given by the MEC to close the 20 schools are not valid. The MEC believes that he has more wisdom than the communities he has angered,” the memorandum stated.

Casey said Grant stood by his decision, which he believed was in the best interests of the pupils concerned and was made following careful consideration and due process.

In their memorandum, Bergrivier NGK Primary and LK Zeeman Primary said the decision to close them was racist because no “white” schools were being closed.

Casey said all the issues raised by the two schools had been dealt with during the closure process.

ilse.fredericks@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

The girl, 13, allegedly sold to paedophiles by her own mom has named three other women who sold her for sex.

Cape Town - A sex ring also pimped out the 13-year-old girl allegedly sold to paedophiles by her own mother.

The traumatised child has named at least three other women who sold her to men for sex in Atlantis.

And the Daily Voice has learnt they took her out on the streets almost every day – allegedly with her mom’s blessing.

“They took her to the streets and her mother was aware of it. She was benefiting from it, from the profits,” said Atlantis ward councillor Barbara Rass, in whose care the girl has been placed.

“She remembers two females who took her to the street – they took her to a white man. She was taken to his home and left there with him and had to perform sex acts. Afterward, she had to hitchhike home.”

These shocking details emerged almost three weeks after the Daily Voice first highlighted the girl’s plight.

The girl told a friend and a teacher that her “alcoholic mother” was selling her for sex – sometimes for just R20.

The girl said occasionally her mother would even watch as she was being abused by “clients” in the bushes around Atlantis.

The girl’s mom was arrested two weeks ago and charged with rape.

Additional charges of sexual grooming may be added to her rap sheet when she applies for bail next month.

Barbara, who first blew the whistle about the girl’s ordeal, said it looks like “a massive paedophile sex ring” is operating in the town.

“This is a child porn ring. This is organised crime. More women, two or three of them need to be arrested,” she said.

“They live in the same area as the girl and are maybe still exploiting other girls there.”

Barbara says despite giving them the names, cops have yet to arrest any of the girl’s abusers.

“There are more people involved, those who took her to the streets that should be arrested,” said Barbara.

“Names of persons were given – why haven’t they been arrested?”

Barbara said the teen is progressing well and is now even playing with toys like a “normal” kid.

However, she said, State social workers have been threatening to take the child away from her.

“The child is only confiding in me, if she is taken from me she is going to fall through the cracks and become just a case number. I will not allow this to happen, I will do all that I can to protect her,” she said.

*This article was published in the Daily Voice.

A brave dad died while trying to save his stepdaughter, 5, moments after their shack was struck with two petrol bombs.

Cape Town - A brave dad died while trying to save his five-year-old stepdaughter moments after their shack was struck with two petrol bombs.

But they were both engulfed in flames before 21-year-old Zachariah “Zakkie” Peters could hand little Fazlin Thaker to her mother.

The couple’s one-year-old son Zahier is also fighting for his life in hospital after one of the bombs landed on him.

Now a distraught Laeekah Thaker, 20, is left to pick up the pieces of her life after she nearly lost her entire family.

Zachariah was released from prison just a week ago for housebreaking and was still under correctional supervision.

His heartbroken wife sobbed uncontrollably on Tuesday as she told how unknown men tossed the bombs through a widow of their hokkie in Blikkiesdorp, in Delft, on Monday night.

The young mom was frantically woken up by her husband who desperately tried to save his family.

“Zakkie woke me up and said there are two petrol bombs in our house,” Laeekah said.

“He told me to get out so I climbed through the window for him to give the children to me.

“He gave my son first after one of the bombs fell on him [Zahier].

“[Zakkie then] went back for my daughter but it was already too late.

“A metal sheet fell on him and they both burned to death inside,” an emotional Laeekah said.

Tension ran high in Blikkiesdorp on Tuesday morning as police combed the area searching for leads.

Angry residents standing outside structure D42 claimed they knew who the culprits are.

Many women in the crowded area around the scene cried as Laeekah broke down several times.

“Daai vark gaan brand in die hel vir wat hy gedoen het [that pig is going to burn in hell for what he did],” one angry woman shouted.

The couple’s friend Mishka Augustine, 24, said that Zakkie died a hero.

“He was a true hero, trying to save his whole family,” she explained.

“This is very shocking for all of us and Laeekah is taking this very hard.”

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer November Filander confirmed cops are investigating the double murder.

No arrests have yet been made.

* This article was published in the Daily Voice.

The ANC in the Western Cape laid an incitement charge against provincial premier Helen Zille.

Johannesburg - The ANC in the Western Cape laid an incitement charge against provincial premier Helen Zille on Wednesday afternoon, saying she “fuelled the flames” in recent farmworker protests.

African National Congress provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile, provincial legislature chief whip Pierre Uys and Boland party chair Pat Marran laid the charge at the Cape Town central police station at 1pm.

The party wanted the state to investigate the “intentions” behind Zille's actions during recent protests by farmworkers in the Boland.

“There are clear indications that the Democratic Alliance (DA) played a role in fanning and fuelling the flames during this very unfortunate time,” Mjongile said.

“It spread lies, (and) got people who are already overly excited and trigger-happy to resort to all sorts of tactics.”

The labour action began in De Doorns at the start of the month when table grape harvesters demanded a daily wage of R150 and improved living conditions. Most earned between R69 and R75 a day.

The protests turned violent and spread to 15 other towns, resulting in two deaths and extensive damage to property.

Workers recently agreed to suspend the strike until December 4

on condition that the sectoral determination for agriculture be looked at by the Employment Condition Commission.

The ANC criticised Zille for her conduct and social networking messages during this time.

Zille said in one tweet that the protest was being fuelled by a rift between seasonal workers from Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

She wrote: “Complex dynamics in De Doorns. Lesotho seasonal workers no longer employed, but Zim workers legally employed due to amnesty. Huge tension.”

The party said Zille was not only creating a deeper rift between workers but apparently contradicting a previous statement in which she said a political agenda was the reason for the protests.

She was also attacked for a tweet on Tuesday in which she asked whether Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant had returned from her overseas trip.

Oliphant was out of the country during the protests.

“This proves the disingenuous messages and accusations that inflamed more tensions than assisting to defuse the situation,” Mjongile said.

Zille's spokesman Zak Mbhele said on Wednesday that the premier was innocent of any incitement.

“Nothing about what the Premier said concerning De Doorns was incitement; it was simply stating the facts of the situation,” he said.

He said the “facts” were that many seasonal workers in that area came from Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Most Zimbabweans were legalised as a consequence of the recent amnesty. This did not apply to the workers from Lesotho.

“There is thus a rift and contestation along this 'fault line'. Farmers have been very heavily fined for employing 'illegal' labour, so they no longer do so.”

As a result, many people were left without jobs.

Mbhele said Zille found these facts out when speaking to Sotho-speaking people during an official visit on November 8.

Zille left De Doorns after people became rowdy during her walkabout in the protest-hit area. She rejected reports at the time that protesters had chased her away.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions in the province called on Tuesday for the ANC and opposition parties to table a motion of no confidence in Zille.

She welcomed the call, saying her party would gladly debate it at the first opportunity. - Sapa

All it took was some spilled petrol on her clothes and a naked flame, and a promising wine-making student paid with her life.

Cape Town - All it took was some spilled petrol on her clothes and the naked flame of a match struck thoughtlessly, and a promising young wine-making student from Paarl paid with her life.

Kelly-Anne Groeneveld, 23, the daughter of New Orleans Secondary School deputy principal Andrew Groeneveld, had taken her mother, Sandra, to work on Monday morning and was on her way to a friend when her car ran out of petrol, her distraught father said on Wednesday.

Kelly-Anne who was studying wine-making at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology campus in Wellington, called her father for help and he arrived with petrol in a can.

Together, the two poured petrol into the tank of the car using a funnel, but the funnel leaked and petrol spilled on to Kelly-Anne’s clothes as she was holding the funnel.

“I told Kelly-Anne to go home to clean up and change her clothes, but she chose to go to her friend’s house first,” Groeneveld said.

The details of what happened there are not yet clear, but it appears Kelly-Anne had struck a match and her clothes caught fire.

“I did not know her as a smoker, but her friend said she would occasionally light a cigarette,” Groeneveld said.

Kelly-Anne was taken to Paarl Hospital with third-degree burns over her upper body.

From there, she was transferred to Tygerberg Hospital’s specialist burns unit, but despite the emergency medical treatment, she died of her burns later that day.

“She was a beautiful child. She was also a past pupil of New Orleans Secondary School and a member of the school choir,” Groeneveld said.

A memorial service will be held at the United Reformed Church’s Immanuel Congregation in Paarl at 1pm on Saturday and the school choir will perform during the service.

Friends and family will also be meeting at the Groeneveld home at 29 Lafayette Avenue, Paarl, before the service from noon.

Cape Argus

Cape Town professor Cyril Karabus suffered yet another blow when his court case was postponed for another two weeks.

Cape Town - Cape Town professor Cyril Karabus suffered yet another blow on Tuesday when his court case was postponed for another two weeks due to missing medical files.

Karabus, 77, of Claremont, has now been detained in Abu Dhabi for more than three months.

A specialist paediatric oncologist, he was arrested on August 18 while in transit in Dubai to SA from his son’s wedding in Toronto, Canada.

He was tried and convicted in absentia in the United Arab Emirates on charges of manslaughter and falsifying documents and sentenced to three years and six months in jail. He was granted bail in an Abu Dhabi court on October 11, after four unsuccessful bail attempts.

Twelve years ago Karabus worked as a locum at the Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre in Abu Dhabi and operated on a seven-year-old cancer patient who later died of leukaemia.

At his bail hearing, the court ordered that a medical tribunal be appointed to review the medical file of the patient Karabus is alleged to have mistreated, but the crucial part of his legal defence - his personal notes - have gone missing.

The case was postponed to December 6.

His daughter, Sarah Karabus, told the Cape Argus on Wednesday that at the trial the judge ordered “yet again” that the medical file be presented and reviewed by the medical committee.

“They are dragging it out for no apparent reason which is basically torture and denying my father his rights to a fair trial.”

She said that allegedly there was a court order in 2004 that the medical file be destroyed.

“We are unable to ascertain if this is indeed the case as no-one at the court will answer that question. If it has indeed been destroyed then this whole ‘trial’ has been a farce from the start which makes this even more tragic than it already is,” she said.

Karabus’s lawyer Michael Bagraim said he found it “suspicious” that the Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre, with a world-class computerised filing system, would misplace such important records.

He explained that the missing file contained medical notes from the week that Karabus was ministering and when the child died. “We suspect that the notes were destroyed. This is a crucial part in his defence.”

Bagraim said after the trial’s postponement that Karabus was “despondent” and nearly in tears all the time.

“He doesn’t know what do to. Everyone involved is feeling very down.” Karabus has a pacemaker for his heart.

“We have encouraged him to see a doctor in the next few days as his blood pressure is currently very high,” said Bagraim.

International Relations and Co-operation spokesman Clayson Monyela said a South African embassy official visited Karabus regularly.

nontando.mposo@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

A man who suffered a heart attack slept in his car outside a hospital while he waited more than two days for a bed.

Cape Town - Patients, some critically ill, say they have to sleep on benches and sometimes on the floor for days at a time because of a shortage of beds at Helderberg Hospital in Somerset West .

Marius Gerber, 45, of Somerset West, who claims to have had a heart attack on Tuesday morning, spent more than 48 hours on a plastic chair in the hospital’s trauma unit. At some point he had to sleep in his car after he was told there wasn’t a bed for him.

He was only given a bed on Thursday afternoon, shortly after the Cape Argus queried the situation and the alleged bed shortage with the provincial health department.

Gerber’s wife, Mariette, described the bed shortage at the hospital as dire.

She called CapeTalk breakfast show host Kieno Kammies to explain the situation on Thursday morning.

When she initially saw her husband seated on a chair at the hospital, she thought the arrangement was temporary and that he would be seated there for only a few hours.

“But when hours went by and ECG [electrocardiogram] reports came back confirming that Marius had a heart attack, we started asking questions why he wouldn’t be given a bed, but staff simply told us that there were no beds.

“I couldn’t believe that a patient who just had a heart attack was made to sit on a hard uncomfortable chair.

“My husband was very sick and exhausted. I was shocked that he was not even given a stretcher to lie on,” she said.

When she asked why her husband would not be transferred to another hospital, she said: “We couldn’t get clear answers”.

Doctors told the couple about a possible transfer to Tygerberg Hospital on Thursday.

While the Gerbers commended doctors and nurses for their dedication, “the feeling we got from personnel was that they are also frustrated by the system… and that there’s not really much they can do to change the situation”.

Gerber was so fatigued during the Cape Argus interview on Thursday that he kept falling asleep while our photographer took pictures.

Gerber said he decided to sleep in his car after attempting to sleep on the floor and finding it too cold and uncomfortable.

When he went home on Tuesday night after he told a nurse about his exhaustion, Gerber said there was a note on his file saying he had “absconded”.

“When I came back after a few hours there was a note on my file that I had absconded. So I couldn’t take any more chances and go home again. The car was the most comfortable option [compared to] those hard chairs,” he said.

Gerber is not the only one who couldn’t get a bed at the hospital. Other patients said they had also been waiting for beds since Monday.

During the Cape Argus visit on Thursday, other patients were lying with duvets and pillows on the floor, while others lay on plastic chairs.

A patient, who asked not to be named, said he had been sleeping on the floor since Monday.

“I’ve put my duvet as a cushion so I don’t really mind not [having] a bed… as long as I’m alive and given medication I have no problems,” he said.

Eric Soji, of Zola township in the Strand, was admitted to the hospital’s trauma unit on Wednesday after a fall at work.

While he has been told that he might need surgery, he still did not have his X-ray results to confirm whether he had broken his lower back on Thursday.

“I don’t know if I will have the surgery at all or when can I have it. I’m in so much pain, but things are going very slow around here. I’ve been given pain medication to keep me going in the meantime, but staff really seem overwhelmed by the number of patients,” he said.

Provincial Health Department spokeswoman Faiza Steyn said the department would comment on the matter today.

sipokazi.fokazi@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Western Cape clampdown leads to dicers shifting tactics and racing in new areas.

In three years the city of Cape Town issued 67 000 fines for illegal drag racing – a staggering 53 593 for speeding.

Now dicers are moving out of the city limits and into municipalities because of the clampdown.

Adrian Long, the traffic services principal inspector for technical services, said they were getting calls from as far afield as George and Beaufort West asking for advice on how to deal with drag racing.

In 2009 traffic services, involving the Ghost Squad, started its operation against illegal drag racing after numerous complaints from the public.

In a three-month period last year more than 4500 street racers were bust for speeding in Cape Town. During one operation in February 700 people were caught in speed traps on Vanguard Drive.

Drag racing typically happens over weekends. Popular drag racing strips around the city include Klipfontein Road in Athlone, Vanguard Drive, the industrial area in Atlantis and the M5.

DEADLY ENCOUNTERS

The police are investigating the role played by two dicers in top-of- the-range cars in a crash involving a taxi. This week four people were killed when a taxi rolled on the M5 close to the Kenilworth off-ramp.

Before traffic service’s clampdown there would be up to 500 dragsters and spectators at one point.

Now they operate in groups of between 10 to 15.

People contact each other using social media, do a quick race and leave.

Long said dicers had also moved out of the city because of the focus on them. “I am aware of quite a lot of activity in the Saldanha and Malmesbury areas and I am also receiving queries from as far as George and Beaufort West asking advice on how to deal with drag racing, which has become an increasing problem in their areas over the last year or two.”

67 000 FINES ISSUED:

- 53 593 fines were for “excessive speeding”.

- 1687 vehicles were suspended for unroadworthiness.

- Traffic services nabbed 4061 unlicensed drivers.

- 2024 unlicensed vehicles.

- For “defective” tyres, 1248 fines were issued.

- 680 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence.

- Officers issued 613 fines for “defective” lights.

- Another 600 fines were written out for people not wearing safety belts.

- 52 people were arrested on charges including drug possession and stolen vehicles.

Hundreds of fines were issued for motorists who disobeyed red traffic lights, parked illegally and where brakes did not work.

Story: Cape Argus

A road worker was killed and eight of his colleagues seriously injured when a car rammed into a stationary truck on the N1.

Cape Town -

A road construction worker was killed and eight of his colleagues seriously injured when a car rammed into a stationary truck on the N1 on Thursday.

The crash happened near Century City after lunchtime on Thursday. The injured were taken to hospitals around the city with suspected back and neck injuries.

Workers at the scene said the car seemed to come out of nowhere and “the next thing bodies were sprawled across the road”.

ER24’s Andre Visser said the events leading up to the accident were unclear, but that a Hyundai Elantra hit a stationary construction truck which was loaded with steel barriers.

“A flatbed construction truck with a load of steel Armco barriers was stationary in the right side emergency lane of the highway.

“A Hyundai [car] then [hit] the rear of the… construction vehicle and a number of workers were [thrown] off the truck…” Visser said.

Multiple fire and rescue personnel and paramedics and traffic officers were on the scene within minutes to tend to the injured and divert traffic.

Visser said one of the workers had been found nearly 30m from where the crash occurred, on the outbound side of the highway.

“The worker, believed to be aged in his 50s, had sustained fatal injuries and was later declared dead at the scene,” he said.

The passenger in the Hyundai had suspected back and neck injuries.

“Paramedics and rescue personnel extricated a woman from the Hyundai before administering advanced life support treatment…” Visser said.

She was taken to hospital.

Civils 2000 site managers were on the scene to asses the damage.

The company’s Bruwer Dirk said they had about 13 men working on the site at the time of the accident.

Traffic was affected on both sides of the highway.

The police are investigating the accident.

yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Only three farmworkers attended a public hearing in Worcester intended to allow farmworkers to discuss their grievances.

Cape Town - Only three farmworkers attended a public hearing in Worcester on Thursday night intended to allow farmworkers to discuss their grievances following last week’s violent protests. The hearing was organised by the Department of Labour.

De Doorns’ ANC councillor Pat Januarie interrupted the Labour Department’s Titus Mtsweni within the first five minutes of the meeting.

“There are no farmworkers here,” he said. Three farmworkers raised their hands when a show of hands was called for.

Timothy Ncwana, provincial chairman for the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu), slammed the department for not communicating properly with workers and not giving bodies representing farmworkers enough time to organise transport for their members.

“I found out two days ago,” he complained.

Meanwhile, negotiations between labour unions, AgriSA and the department started in Cape Town on Thursday to raise the minimum wage

Cosatu’s provincial secretary, Tony Ehrenreich, said the parties agreed that R70 a day was a low wage.

“The only agreement that was concluded was the parties’ commitment to stop all victimisation related to the strike,” Ehrenreich said.

“A committee was established to attend to instances where evictions or disciplinary action, or strike agitation, was reported.”

Cape Argus

The Western Cape health department must pay compensation to a paralysed rugby player, the province's High Court has ruled.

Cape Town - The Western Cape health department must pay compensation to a paralysed rugby player, the province's High Court has ruled, The Times reported on Friday.

In 2002 Charles Oppelt, 27, was injured during a match and had to wait about 15 hours before being treated at a Cape Town hospital.

His lawyers successfully argued that permanent damage could have been prevented if doctors had conducted a certain procedure within four hours of Oppelt's accident.

“When I left the court I burst into tears,” he told the paper.

“I didn't cry because we were successful, I cried because my father was not there to see this day.”

The court would decide how much the department had to pay Oppelt.

“Even though he didn't have money he wanted someone to be held accountable. I remember him telling me: 'I might not be there for you some day but I want to make sure life is easier for you',” Oppelt said.

Oppelt was injured while playing for Mamre Rugby Club. He was first taken to a nearby hospital, then Groote Schuur Hospital where he waited hours for treatment. The following morning he was taken to Conradie Hospital where doctors operated on him.

He spent a year recovering and was left paralysed from the waist down. - Sapa

Township tourism pioneer and award-winning guest house owner Vicky Ntozini has been murdered in her B&B.

Cape Town -

Township tourism pioneer and award-winning guest house owner Vicky Ntozini was murdered in a B&B she helped build. Her husband is a suspect.

Acclaimed internationally, the 39-year-old had run Vicky’s B&B, a shack converted into a six-room, double-storey guest house, in Site C, Khayelitsha.

Police spokesman Frederick van Wyk said Ntozini’s 58-year-old husband was a suspect in the killing. He was not named.

On Thursday, Van Wyk said a witness alleged the couple had been fighting on Wednesday about 3am when the suspect stabbed her.

“Afterwards the suspect stabbed himself,” Van Wyk said.

The husband, who had wounds to his chest, had not yet been arrested and was being treated in hospital.

On Thursday, Ntozini’s brother, Dumisani Balman, said she had had problems with her husband and it appeared a “family feud” had led to her death.

“She was stabbed at the bed-and-breakfast. She died on the spot.”

Balman said he could not believe his sister, a mother of five, had been killed.

Her funeral was expected to take place next Saturday and the B&B would be closed until then, Balman said. Her family would then reopen and run the guest house.

On Thursday, Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, Cape Town Tourism chief executive officer, said the city had lost “a wonderful ambassador”.

“This charismatic woman was a true pioneer for township stays and community tourism and was so loved and respected by the industry and visitors who came her way.

“She has, by her example, inspired many young people to make tourism a career, always maintaining the highest standards in hospitality and service,” she said.

On the B&B’s website, it said Ntozini opened the guest house in June 1998 and had received local and foreign visitors as well as NGO members and had helped bring in donations to the area.

“As a matter of fact, the sewing centre across the street started with sewing machine donations from tourists – a testament to how sustainable tourism can really benefit local communities,” the site said.

It said three years ago Ntozini had won two awards – one for accommodation from the Cape Town municipality and another for supporting local accommodation.

“Far better than just ogling from a minibus ‘township tour’. Never felt safer on our holiday,” a tourist said on the TripAdvisor website.

Another tourist wrote: “Incredible experience, I recommend staying here if you want to see the true South Africa.”

A third wrote: “The B&B began in one container but now is several & the inside is amazing... ”

caryn.dolley@inl.co.za

Cape Times

The principal of a Cape Town school was called to a disciplinary meeting after his teachers failed to mark annual tests.

Cape Town - The principal of a Crawford school was called to a disciplinary meeting after his teachers failed to mark annual tests, which they said would unfairly add to their enormous workload.

A large group of teachers and principals arrived at the offices of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to support Alexander Sinton Secondary principal Fazil Parker.

WCED spokesman Paddy Attwell said the department had organised Thurday’s meeting as part of an investigation into why the school had not marked the Annual National Assessment (ANAs). The ANAs were written by Grade 1 to 6 and Grade 9 pupils across the country in September to assess literacy and numeracy skills.

Parker said the WCED did not tell schools that teachers would have to mark the tests.

“The first time I got to understand that we will be marking the tests was on August 29 when I attended a principal’s meeting,” he said.

“When I returned from the meeting and informed my teachers that they are expected to mark the scripts, they considered this an unreasonable instruction for the simple reason that they already have an enormous workload. They were being given an extra burden.“

Parker said he informed the presenter of a principals’ orientation meeting in September that the school was unable to mark the ANAs.

“On September 27, I was told that a sample of our scripts would be moderated. I said we hadn’t marked [them]. The next day I was told to take the papers to the district office.”

Parker said he took the papers to the district on November 1 and received an instruction to mark them. The scripts were then marked.

Attwell said Brian Schreuder, a deputy director-general in the department, had held a general discussion with the group that attended Thursday’s meeting: “He made an amicable agreement with Mr Parker to discuss specific issues at another meeting. He will gladly accept an invitation to discuss assessment with the whole staff at Alexander Sinton.

“Any further action will depend on the outcome of the investigation.”

ilse.fredericks@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Two more Western Cape ANC regions are backing Kgalema Motlanthe to unseat President Jacob Zuma at Mangaung.

Cape Town - Two more Western Cape ANC regions are backing party deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe to unseat President Jacob Zuma at the ANC’s Mangaung conference.

The West Coast and Southern Cape regions are also aiming to replace ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe with ANC national executive committee (NEC) member and Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula.

Earlier this week, the Dullah Omar region secretary, Vuyiso “JJ” Tyhalisisu, caused a stir when he said the region favoured a leadership change.

With about 18 000 members, the Dullah Omar (Cape Town metro) region is the biggest of the six ANC regions in the province.

ANC Southern Cape regional secretary Putco Mapitiza said on Thursday: “The majority of our branches, 15, have nominated Kgalema Motlanthe as president and Mathews Phosa as deputy. Few nominated Zuma to return.”

He said 28 of the region’s 31 branches had held general meetings to choose and mandate delegates for Mangaung, while plans were under way for other branches to meet this weekend, one in George and two in Oudtshoorn.

Branch meetings must be held before the provincial ANC holds a provincial general council (PGC) next Friday, said Mapitiza.

The Southern Cape region has about 7 000 members.

The PGC will determine a provincial position on party leadership.

Mapitiza said most branches had nominated ANC NEC member and Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale as ANC treasurer.

The Southern Cape’s choice of ANC leadership change was echoed in the West Coast region, where regional convener Vivid Mgoqi said: “Most of the branches are for change”.

He would not reveal who the branches had nominated, but said: “They want a new leadership. I was not at meetings, but I have been briefed.”

The region has about 8 000 members.

Mgoqi said 17 of 32 branches had held their meetings and the rest should meet before next Friday’s deadline.

“It is going slowly but smoothly. There are some disputes where members are unhappy the branch meeting did not have a quorum, but the secretary-general will deal with that.”

ANC West Coast regional co-ordinator and party provincial organiser Mika Mahlaule said: “We are soldiering on. About 70 percent of branches have met so far and are ready.”

A Dullah Omar region working committee meets on Friday to try to resolve a row which erupted after Tyhalisisu on Sunday assured a ANC Youth League meeting that the region opposed Zuma.

Region deputy chairman Faizel Moosa slammed Tyhalisisu’s criticism of Zuma and said he had created a mistaken impression that the region’s rank-and-file members supported an ANCYL call for Zuma to be replaced when in fact many branches wanted Zuma to have a second term.

“I’m open to resolving this issue. We must all follow ANC processes as dictated by our constitution which says branches will make the [leadership] decision.

“The impression JJ created is unfair on branches. But I’m sure this matter will be addressed at the working committee.

“It is on the agenda,” Moosa said.

* The Western Cape ANC Women’s League said it would meet on Friday to discuss its choice for Mangaung.

aziz.hartley@inl.co.za

Cape Times

Activist Zackie Achmat has vowed to cut ties with the ANC if President Jacob Zuma is re-elected.

Cape Town - Longtime ANC supporter, activist Zackie Achmat has vowed to cut ties with the ruling party if President Jacob Zuma is re-elected at the Mangaung conference.

Achmat, founder of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) joined the ANC in 1980 and was one of the leaders of the anti-apartheid school boycotts. He says Zuma is looting the country which needs “non-racial, moral leadership”.

He also declared his support for Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe as the party president.

“The ANC today is no longer the party I joined in prison during 1980 when I was recruited by Johnny Issel.

“From the time of former president Mbeki, corruption has been rewarded whether it be the arms deal or Oilgate, and under President Zuma it has reached significant proportions,” Achmat said.

He said “the tragedy” was the ANC had failed the country’s working class and poor.

“For example last night (Wednesday), Minister (Nathi) Mthethwa went to pray about crime in Khayelitsha and the only reason he did was to attack the O’Regan Commission of Inquiry and to vilify organisations such as the Social Justice Coalition.

“He should instead be working with us to make communities safe.”

Achmat said his support would not go to the DA if Zuma was re-elected.

“I hope that an alternative social-democratic party will arrive and if not I will spoil my ballot,” he said.

zara.nicholson@inl.co.za

Cape Times