As gunshots echoed around their school, teachers in Hanover Park scrambled to get their pupils to safety.

Cape Town - As gunshots echoed around their school on Tuesday morning, teachers at Blomvlei Primary in Hanover Park scrambled to get their pupils to safety.

One Grade 2 pupil, still on his way to school, narrowly escaped getting shot. Another burst into tears as he walked into school after passing through the crossfire.

Teachers at Blomvlei say many of their days are like this and their pupils are feeling the effects. Some pupils have become aggressive while others have become so traumatised that they need medication to cope.

Hours later, at 4pm on Wednesday, two men aged 36 and 40 were shot dead at Garda Place, Hanover Park. Police would not confirm whether it was gang related, saying the motive was unknown. Police were looking for three gunmen, a spokesman said.

Teachers and principals have now made a desperate plea for help to Community Safety MEC Dan Plato.

Teachers said that while officials would call schools before they visited to make sure the area was safe, teachers no choice but to go to school every morning, not knowing if they would be in danger. They say government needs to intervene to stop the crisis.

“This has been going on for months,” said Blomvlei principal Dawn Petersen. She said some of the recent incidents included:

* The father of a pupil was killed when a heavy object was thrown onto his head. Some of the children witnessed this.

* A Grade 3 pupil’s father was killed about four weeks ago.

* A woman was killed in crossfire at about 10am one morning, in the vicinity of the school. Her body was still there after 3pm.

* A Grade 6 pupil saw someone being killed.

“When the shootings happen you don’t even panic anymore,” she said.

“You just do what you have to do. Make sure all the children are inside the gate and the gates are locked. We call Safe Schools and the police. Parents usually start running to school.”

She said one teacher has six children in her Grade 1 class who have lost someone they knew over the past few months.

“My concern is the children are so desensitised. They can tell you how [gangsters] cock the guns. It’s a huge concern that they are looking at gangsters as their role models. They think abnormal is normal,” Petersen said.

She said safety programmes, which could, for example, be used to teach children not to run towards the sound of gunshots, were also needed.

Grade 7 teacher at Blomvei Shane Johnson said schools in the area were still expected to perform at the same level as other schools despite their troubled circumstances.

Grade 1 teacher Merle du Plessis said that about a week ago, quite a few children were absent because of shootings in the area. She said she recently received two letters from parents who said a family member had been shot and killed.

Dino Abrahams, principal of Crystal Secondary, requested a meeting with Plato, which was held last week.

“Our concern is for the safety of the children between 7.30am and 8am and after three.”

He said one of his pupils was shot in the arm recently. The school also had to cancel several meetings with parents because of gang violence.

Plato’s spokesman, Greg Wagner, said principals in Hanover Park had been asked to forward their safety ideas to Plato so that these could be shared with the provincial Education Department’s Safe Schools division. The proposals would also be discussed with SAPS.

A total of 706 school safety volunteers have been employed at 196 high-risk schools and a pilot project will see safety resource officers, which are metro police officers, assigned to six schools in the metropole next year.

“Gangsters will not be allowed to stop learners from accessing better opportunities. We will work with the affected communities to ensure the safety of our learners,” Plato said.

Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant, said the department was concerned about the increase in gang violence in the area and how it was affecting pupils.

“Given the nature of these incidents, which are happening outside of schools, the Western Cape Education Department will be requesting a meeting with all the school principals and SAPS to discuss what support measures they can offer to protect learners and educators while on their way to and from school.

“The Department of Community Safety has also indicated that they have been in discussions with the principals. We will liaise with them in this regard.”

ilse.fredericks@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

The census should not have been released until anomalies had been resolved, a UCT demographer has said.

Cape Town - The census findings should not have been released until anomalies had been resolved, a UCT demographer has said.

The UCT director of actuarial research, Tom Moultrie, was among a team of international experts contracted by the Statistics Council of SA to edit the census data.

The census results were handed to President Jacob Zuma by Statistician-General Pali Lehohla on Tuesday, a year after the census kicked off.

Moultrie says they were not given sufficient time to study the data; they were expected to go through it over nine days. He had been expecting the data at the end of June, but received it only on October 10.

Moultrie said the census had been a massive undertaking and it was important that the results should be as accurate as possible.

There were a number of improbable results. Estimates of the size of each province were inconsistent and did not reconcile with the data on births, deaths and migration.

Cape Argus

Arno Lamoer has been subpoenaed to appear before a commission probing allegations of police inefficiency in Khayelitsha.

Cape Town -

Western Cape top cop Arno Lamoer and three of his station commanders have been subpoenaed to appear before the commission of inquiry into allegations of police inefficiency in Khayelitsha.

In a press release, retired constitutional court Judge KateO’Regan, who heads the commission, said they had issued subpoenas to Lamoer on Wednesday, as well as to the station commanders of all three police stations in Khayelitsha.

A subpoena had already been served on the acting provincial head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.

Commission evidence leader advocate Nazreen Bawa said the subpoenas requested the police to be present and give evidence on November 12.

They will have to produce specified books, documents or objects in their possession or under their control.

“These include details of staff working at the three police stations between the period January 1, 2010 to August 31, 2012, documents reflecting complaints lodged and received from the directorate and its predecessor [the Independent Complaints Directorate]… documents relating to community police forums, crime statistics, information relating to dockets under the investigation of the police, as well as information relating to the investigation of vigilante violence.”

Meanwhile, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa is going to court in a bid to get the commission set aside.

He is preparing to file papers with the Western Cape High Court “whilst appropriate platforms are followed to address the challenges of crime in Khayelitsha”, his spokesman, Zwele Mnisi, said on Wednesday.

The commission was established by Western Cape premier Helen Zille to investigate alleged police inefficiency in the sprawling township.

Commission secretary Amanda Dissel said the work of the commission would continue regardless of the pending court action.

Mthethwa and Zille had been in talks to resolve the matter of her establishing the commission.

Mthethwa said on Wednesday that during his meetings and correspondence with Zille he had “outlined substantive reasons why he believed the establishment of such a commission was a premature approach in addressing the challenges of crime in Khayelitsha”.

He said he did not question Zille’s powers to set up the commission but remained convinced that there were various avenues where the issue could have been raised, but never was.

“The rationale behind setting up such a commission, which at a strategic level only focuses on the SA Police Service and not the metro police, is suspicious, if not questionable.

“Despite the engagements we held with the premier over the past weeks, it is evident that she is determined to continue with the commission by hook or by crook, which leaves us with no option but to challenge the matter through the legal framework,” Mthethwa said.

lynnette.johns@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Dog smugglers are targeting SA dogs because their bloodlines are stronger, they are more aggressive, and less prone to illnesses.

Cape Town - Dog smugglers are targeting South African dogs because their bloodlines are stronger, they are more aggressive, and are less prone to illnesses than dogs in neighbouring countries, an animal conservationist said on Wednesday.

Mariette Hopley, a former major in the SA Air Force who flew to Iraq in 2003 to help save animals in the war-battered Baghdad Zoo, spearheaded investigations into a dog smuggling network which has led to the arrest of 13 suspects.

Indications are that the dog smuggling syndicate operates in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Angola. The dogs are either bought for between R100 and R300 or stolen in Cape Town, and are then transported to Angola, where they are sold at a huge markup.

Hopley, the manager of animal rescue group National Animal Welfare Task Team, said 97 dogs had been rescued since August of which 12 had been released to their owners.

In August, 26 dogs were rescued at the Angolan border while in September, 40 were rescued at the Namibian border and in the same month another 18 at a Philippi home. On Monday, 13 dogs destined for Angola were rescued at the Cape Town International Airport.

“South African dogs are wanted because their bloodlines are stronger, genetically they are better and are less prone to illnesses.

“The syndicate made it clear that they want dogs from SA also because they are more aggressive. Aggressive dogs are normally used for dog fights and others for breeding or safeguarding homes,” Hopley said.

Hopley said huskies, German shepherds, Rottweilers, pitbulls and boerboels were the most wanted dogs.

“The dogs that are still in our care will be handed over to animal welfare groups if we can’t manage to get hold of their owners after a month,” she said. The dogs are kept at houses in Bellville and Athlone.

Hopley said members of her organisation working in Angola had uncovered the syndicate.

South African dogs were sold for a high price because they were used in dog fights where a lot of money was bet, and for security purposes. Hopley said that bets as high as R80 000 were made on pitfights.

“Dogs are sold for no less than R25 000 and puppies for R10 000 or more.”

In 2003, Hopley led an emergency relief team in Iraq assembled by the International Fund for Animal Welfare which restored the zoo’s infrastructure and made other changes to give the animals a better life.

The fund offered Hopley a job as global logistics co-ordinator for her involvement in wildlife preservation and conservation.

In Parliament, Hopley was nominated to serve on the Department of Environmental and Tourism Affairs as a representative for mariculture and scuba-diving. She recommended that owners microchip their dogs.

“We scan dogs for microchips and if found we will compare that to our database or we contact the manufacturer of the chip.

“If there are no microchips found on the dogs we check their ears for a number tattoo.

“A number tattoo is the safest way to safeguard a dog.”

jason.felix@inl.co.za

Cape Times

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille has sent a stern warning to senior staff in her own administration – shape up or get out.

Cape Town -

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille has sent a stern warning to senior staff in her own administration – shape up or get out.

During a full council meeting on Wednesday, De Lille said the city had big goals like improving public transport and basic services for all residents.

The new city administration has been in power for about a year and a half. But already an executive director has resigned and a mayoral committee has been fired.

De Lille said she had asked city manager Achmat Ebrahim and the strategic policy unit to develop a “process of change management” through the city administration.

She said the city would be “establishing a centre of excellence”.

But she said she could not wait for “those to be part of the team, those who are resistant to change”.

“The problems Cape Town faces will not wait for these people to come around. And neither will we. So I have a special appeal to the senior political and administrative leaders.

“Help us deliver the change for there is much we can still do. And if you cannot, then it is time to make way for those who can.”

De Lille said when the new administration took office after last year’s local government elections, it “undertook a programme of change”.

bronwynne.jooste@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Cape Town’s politicians are blaming each other for the alleged “breakdown” of the relationship between the SAPS and the metro police.

Cape Town -

Cape Town’s most prominent politicians have gone head to head over the alleged “breakdown” of the relationship between the SAPS and the metro police in the city.

The issue, which has been simmering for the past few weeks, was debated at a full council meeting on Wednesday.

At one point things became so heated that mayor Patricia de Lille warned against “squabbling while Rome is burning”.

The ANC said JP Smith, the city’s mayoral committee for safety and security, was to blame for the city’s conflict with the SAPS. Smith, in turn, said senior police officers with political links were souring the relationship with the metro police.

The council on Wednesday discussed approval for the establishment of “auxiliary law enforcement” which will bolster policingover busy periods.

Tony Ehrenreich, the leader of the ANC in council, blamed Smith for the conflict between the two forces.

”Clearly the relationship between the SAPS and metro police has broken down. We must ask ourselves why.”

Ehrenreich said there had been an increase in by-law violations under Smith’s watch and he was the main reason for the poor relationship.

Smith said the metro police and the SAPS had an “excellent relationship at grassroots level”. He said the issues arose with “one or two individuals… with political connections”.

bronwynne.jooste@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Six years after Andrew Merryweather was attacked and left paralysed from the waist down, he is set to start a new chapter in his life.

Cape Town -

Six years after Andrew Merryweather was attacked, beaten and left paralysed from the waist downin a fight at an Engen garage in Claremont, he is ready to start a new chapter in his life, using a robotic device called the ReWalk suit.

Merryweather, 30, of Camps Bay, who uses a wheelchair, told the Cape Argus that the suit would bring spontaneity back into his life.

“I won’t have to worry about pre-planning where I go,” he said.

Merryweather, a front-of-house manager at Theatre on the Bay, explained that before each trip outside his home he became anxious about whether the place to which he was going would be wheelchair-friendly.

“Cape Town is not wheelchair friendly, but this is not something that can change overnight. Although the city is making an effort with the MyCiTi bus service, sometimes the surrounding pavements where the bus stops are located are not suitable for wheelchairs.”

With the suit’s hefty price tag of R696 750, Merryweather will be the first African to acquire the suit, made out of synthetic materials and the brainchild of Israeli company Argo Medical Technologies. Users are given an intensive one-week training course.

A benefit concert, Step by Step, for for Merryweather is to be held at the City Hall on Saturday to raise funds for the suit, which is operated by four battery-powered motors for steering knee and hip movements. These motors are controlled by a computer and by sensors using complex algorithms. Crutches are needed at all times to keep balance when walking and standing.

By using its sensors, the suit is able to recognise a person’s movements, such as bending or moving one leg forward. The more efficient the wearer makes the movement, the faster he can go. From sitting and standing to walking up a flight of stairs, the suit has different modes which can be selected from a remote control worn on the wrist. It has a battery life of about eight hours, with about 30 minutes of reserve power.

“Although I won’t be walking up the mountain with the suit, I will be able to walk on the beach,” Merryweather said.

Before the assault, Merryweather used to enjoy physical activities such as surfing and mountain biking.

“I do a tremendous amount of physical therapy and alternative therapy, all in an effort to get back on my feet,” he said.

The criminal case against the eight youths accused of assaulting him is over, but a civil suit continues.

“I don’t for a second believe the boys responsible for my injuries on that ominous night were trying to kill me or thought their actions would put me in a wheelchair. I think they were just young, inebriated and unable to handle their alcohol,” he said.

Although Merryweather continues to have flashbacks about that night, he said this made him more sad than angry.

“I miss out on so many of the activities that I used to enjoy, but I am surrounded by so much love and support from family, friends and strangers that it’s easy to stay positive,” he said.

Performers at the benefit concert include Ian von Memerty and Roelof Colyn in Handful of Keys with Aviva Pelham. The concert begins at 8pm. To book, call 021 531 8261 or 084 300 6388.

nontando.mposo@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

A man has been arrested for allegedly raping his teenage niece, but the girl's mom wants the charges dropped.

Cape Town - A man has been arrested after he allegedly raped his teenage niece. And now the 14-year-old’s Stanford family has been torn apart after her own mother called for the charges to be dropped against her brother.

However, the State is determined to press ahead with the charges against him.

The 35-year-old suspect will appear before the Hermanus Magistrates’ Court again on Friday on a charge of rape.

He first appeared in court last Wednesday when the State opposed his bail plea.

The teenage victim broke her silence to reveal how her ordeal has ripped her family apart.

She rsaid her uncle attacked her last Monday after she asked him to help her to wash the dishes.

“I walked to the room and stood on my mother’s bed to get something from the cupboard when he grabbed me from behind,” the girl told the Daily Voice.

Her mother burst into the room during the alleged attack. But the girl’s relief turned to horror when her mom turned on her.

“I was glad when she came because I thought she was going to help me but she started to scold me and fought with me,” the girl added as tears ran down her cheeks.

Her mother admitted that she hit her daughter, but claimed she only did it to get answers. She also claimed she called the cops to frighten her brother. But she later withdrew the charges because she did not want her brother to go to jail.

“I later withdrew the case because he is sensitive in his head and they said that my daughter is already sexually active,” the mother said.

“We withdrew the case and want him to be freed without him having to apply for bail.”

Now the traumatised girl is threatening suicide because she feels her own mom is siding with her attacker.

“I feel like taking my own life because she chose him over me. I feel the case must continue,” she said.

*This article was published in the Daily Voice

Authorities have warned of fake notes being printed in townships and then used to pay for a range of goods and services.

Cape Town - The Daily Voice is lifting the lid on a fake money scam that is operating in Cape Town townships.

On Wednesday the Daily Voice uncovered up to R30 000 in counterfeit notes that one well-known Cape factory has recovered. Most of the fake cash is circulating in townships such as Gugulethu, Philippi and Khayelitsha.

Experts say some of the notes are extremely high quality and are almost impossible to tell apart from real cash.

The fake notes are being printed in the townships and then used to pay for a range of goods and services.

But the scam is costing local companies, small businesses and taxpayers a fortune.

The authorities are urging businesses to be extra vigilant.

A top local crime fighter and health, risk and security manager said the forgers were becoming more and more sophisticated.

“These guys are using paper and even have stamps on the money,” he says. “No government documentation should have photo luminance, which is a type of ink. “A real note will never smudge when it is wet. “The silver line on the note is full and not split. “The letters RSAB is seen on the solid silver line.”

The 41-year-old man - who cannot be named for safety reasons - showed the Daily Voice stacks of false notes, ranging from R20s to R50s and R100s.

To assist cops, the security risk manager meticulously marks each note with a code, area and date.

This is how he can tell where each note came from, on what day and even what company they received it from. He says these fake notes are being collected every day by truck drivers delivering goods to the townships. And he says the problem is getting worse as the recession bites.

“The scary thing is all of this money has come out of only the townships like Philippi and Khayelitsha,” he added. “I record the route number, which tells me where it comes from and I mark the date if the police needs information.”

Drivers who collect the money at businesses are trained to use a fluorescent light to check if the money is fake. But it is impossible to stop all of the fake notes from getting into the system. The cops admit the fake money scam is getting worse.

They can only urge people to “educate themselves” so they don’t get ripped off.

“The circulation of counterfeit money is a cause of concern in the Western Cape and we would like to warn the public,” police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel André Traut told the Daily Voice.

“When confronted with a counterfeit note, it is advised that SAPS is immediately notified, if circumstances will allow for this, and to prevent the note from being circulated further, so that the matter can be investigated.”

How to check your bank notes:

* No government documentation should have photo luminance, which is a type of ink.

* A real note will never smudge when it is wet.

* The silver line on the note is full and not split.

* The letters RSAB is seen on the solid silver line.

This article was published in the Daily Voice

Dr Aaron Motsoaledi's mission is to transform South Africa’s health system with the National Health Insurance.

Cape Town - Since Dr Aaron Motsoaledi launched the National Health Insurance (NHI) in April, his mission has been to transform South Africa’s health system. Part of this was getting private doctors to work at less-resourced state clinics.

This week his spokesman Joe Maila said Motsoaledi has been urging doctors to give a few hours of their time each week to work at state clinics of their choice for payment.

“The GPs are enlisting their names and we are consolidating them. We are further finalising the legal and contractual requirements to be entered into between the Department of Health and the practitioners,” he said.

Maila said most doctors were keen to work with the department.

But some private doctors in the Eden District - the Western Cape’s NHI pilot region - are sceptical of the department’s proposal.

Dr Petrus du Toit, who has a private practice in Oudtshoorn, said that while the NHI was good in principle so far it was being implemented from policy makers’ perspective and not from communities’ point of view.

He said specialists’ teams that would work in hospitals and schools should be appointed by local hospitals instead of health department headquarters as hospitals “know their community challenges better”.

“A lot of us feel we are being dictated to by administrators. The needs of the community are not being addressed properly,” he said.

Du Toit said local doctors also feared being dumped by the department as there was no “genuine relationship” between them.

GPs were previously contracted by the department to provide specialist services at hospitals, including surgery, orthopaedics and anaesthetics, but hospitals became antagonistic to private doctors and got rid of them.

“Let’s say I decide to adjust my practice and work at a local clinic every Wednesday and then the state decides to drop me six months later, what then happens to my practice? The department has left us in the lurch before,” said Du Toit.

Dr Johan Olivier, a convener for an informal association of GPs in Knysna, said there was no clarity on how much doctors were to be paid or whether they would work from clinics or treat state patients in their rooms.

Dr Martin Young, an ear, nose and throat specialist from Knysna who works at Knysna and George hospitals, said public-private partnerships were good in principle, but “the NHI will have to come with clear plans”.

Cape Argus

The massive expansion of the Cape Town International Convention Centre hangs in the balance.

Cape Town - The massive expansion of the Cape Town International Convention Centre hangs in the balance.

Controversy has dogged the deal, especially after the ANC called on the public protector to investigate the city’s purchase of a pocket of land from Naspers. The land is next to the CTICC and is critical to the expansion.

The ANC has claimed that the DA-led administration paid more than double the market price for the land, which the city was planning to buy for more than R100 million.

The city and the CTICC have spent millions of rands on plans around the expansion.

Mayor Patricia de Lille gave the ANC a guarantee on Wednesday that the purhase would not go ahead until the outcome of the public protector’s report had been discussed.

During yesterday’s council meeting one of the conditions in the contract between the city and Naspers was discussed, namely that, as part of the sale, the CTICC would lease about 500 parking bays to Naspers.

Wednesday’s item was to approve an agreement that, if the CTICC stoppped operating for whatever reason, Naspers would still be able to lease this land from the city.

However, opposition parties believed approval would be premature and urged the city to wait for the report first.

Demi Dudley, African Christian Democratic Party councillor, said it would be “disingenous” to go ahead because of the unresolved investigations. She said the auditor-general was also investigating alleged irregularities around the expansion.

“This council cannot afford more litigation and possible embarrassment by a hasty decision being called for today,” said Dudley.

However, Ian Neilson, deputy mayor, said the city had until 5pm on Wednesday to pass the item.

He said the city was not “pre-empting” the report and it and the CTICC had spent “millions of rands” around the expansion. Delaying the approval of this one condition would “jeopardise” the purchase.

However, Neilson said the city would hold off on implementing the plan until the release of the report.

Tony Ehrenreich, the ANC leader in council, said there were other concerns. De Lille assured him that once the city had received the report, there would be discussion around all the concerns.

“The public protector is investigating all the suspensive conditions raised,” she said.

Any issues “over and above” those investigated by the public protector would be discussed when the report was released. “It will give us a basis to start assessing the purchase.”

By approving this parking item the city was not “going against” the pending report, De Lille said. Ehrenreich welcomed her “important agreement” to consider the public protector’s report and other concerns.

bronwynne.jooste@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

The MyCiTi bus service is planning to move from a flat fare rate to distance-based fares by March.

Cape Town - The MyCiTi bus service is planning to move from a flat fare rate to distance-based fares by March.

Councillor Brett Herron, mayoral committee member for transport, has allayed commuters’ fears that this will translate into more expensive trips, saying the system would be “much more fair”.

“This (new) system charges the user according to the distance he or she travels and allows connections from one route to the other, as long as the journey is completed within two hours.

“The distance-based fare system will make it more affordable to use the MyCiTi bus for most people since the flat fare system doesn’t encourage short-distance travel,” Herron explained.

“For example, our lowest fare from Atlantis to Cape Town will be R8.70. Users on the trunk route from Table View are currently paying R10.60, regardless of whether they travel on the trunk all the way to the CBD or only to Milnerton,” Herron said.

The council on Wednesday approved the business plan for the next phase in the MyCiTi bus roll-out.

This will see the service extended to Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain and Dunoon.

Named the N2 Express Service, the route to Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain is due to start operating in December next year. The service forms part of the general second phase of MyCiTi, the Metro South East project.

daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Mossel Bay -

Mossel Bay -

Two Western Cape teenagers accused of killing a pupil appeared in the Mossel Bay Magistrate's Court on Thursday, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.

Xolisani Thomas and Siyabulela Mbalula, both aged 18, would be back in court on November 7 for a bail application. They remained in custody, NPA spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said.

Thabani Mntini, 19, was fatally stabbed in the face and chest during an altercation at a Mossel Bay school during the morning break on October 22. - Sapa

Henco van Wyk, 17, survived a 10 000 feet fall after his parachute malfunctioned.

Cape Town - He plunged 10 000 feet (3 048m) from the sky and has lived to tell the tale. Seventeen-year-old Henco van Wyk, a skydiver from Mossel Bay, is recovering in a private Cape Town hospital after slamming into the ground without a functional parachute while skydiving on Sunday.

It is believed that Henco’s main parachute failed to open properly and, when he deployed the reserve parachute, it got tangled with the main one.

The heavy impact injured his back and legs, but his family were relieved to hear on Thursday that any danger to his spine had “been averted” and that he had not suffered head injuries.

He is set to undergo further surgery on a leg on Monday.

His father, Henk van Wyk, said his son was able to communicate properly and was very concerned about his upcoming Grade 11 exam.

“But we reassured him about that because it is not the priority at the moment,” his father said.

The hard landing had resulted in a few broken bones with no serious injuries to his spine, his father said.

The Outeniqua High School pupil lives in Groot Brakrivier and attends the boarding school in George.

He took up skydiving in February. He had since completed 40 jumps and earned his A-licence, meaning he was qualified to freefall without a static line.

His father, who was in Mpumalanga at the time, said he rushed home as soon as he heard news of the fall.

But Henco’s mother, who was at the scene, watched as her son tumbled 3 048m from the sky at the Mossel Bay airfield. That’s equal to the length of about 30 rugby fields.

“His mother was very shocked, but she is doing a lot better now that he has had the operation,” Henk van Wyk said.

He said that the operation was “complicated”, which was why Henco had been transferred to a Cape Town hospital.

Henco’s father is the owner of Skydive Mossel Bay.

In an earlier statement, he described his son’s mishap as a “pilot-chute in tow malfunction”.

Henco had tried to release the main parachute, but the mechanism failed and the crumpled parachute would not cut away to make space for the reserve parachute.

“When he activated his reserve, the situation worsened as the main pilot chute got entangled with his reserve parachute,” his father said.

The parachute had opened at 3 500ft.

“This caused his reserve parachute to partially collapse and induced a high-speed spin,” he added.

Henco was initially taken to the ICU in the Bayview Life hospital in Mossel Bay.

Two days later he was transferred to a private hospital in Cape Town by air ambulance for special treatment for his spinal injuries.

His parents are expecting a full recovery.

An emergency services ambulance was on the scene within 15minutes of the accident, his father said.

Coincidentally, a paramedic known as “Willie”, who attended to Henco, had also attended to Henk van Wyk after a skydiving incident 15 years ago.

Henk said that in 1999, a hard landing had damaged his hip and his pelvis, rendering him “out of action” for two months.

Henco was two at the time.

After a full recovery, Henk took part in three Iron Man triathlons.

He said that the incident had not deterred his son from his passion for skydiving.

“He’s already asking me when he’ll be able to dive… but I’m not too keen to have him back out there just yet,” Henk said. – Additional reporting by Janine Oelofse.

natasha.prince@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

There are hard times ahead for a randy man caught with R500 000 worth of fake Viagra.

Cape Town - There are hard times ahead for a randy man caught with R500 000 worth of fake Viagra.

Cops rose to the occasion on Thursday when they caught the 39-year-old suspect with 15 bags stuffed with the little blue pills.

The conman was caught driving down Belgravia Road in Athlone.

He was being closely watched by eagle-eyed officers investigating him for scamming unsuspecting businesses at Mitchell’s Plain Promenade Mall.

Police said he was buying phones with fake proof of payments.

But cops made a surprise discovery when they tracked him down to his Crawford home.

They found thousands of the sex aid pills in the house.

Most of the tablets were not sealed or even in packets

Mitchell’s Plain Police Station’s Brigadier Johan Brand said that the fake tablets are worth at least a whopping half a million rand on the black market.

The suspect will be charged under the Medicines Act which makes it illegal to sell tablets without a licence.

He is due to appear in court next week.

*This article was published in the Daily Voice.

A mom has warned parents to keep an eye on their kids ahead of Guy Fawkes Day, after her toddler was hit in the face with a firecracker.

Cape Town - A Cape Town mother has warned parents to keep an eye on their children ahead of Guy Fawkes Day (Monday) after her 19-month-old toddler was hit in the face by a firecracker thrown by other children.

Widaad Benjamin, from Lentegeur, said her son ‘Rizah’ was standing in the doorway of their home, watching other children play in the street when two boys, aged about 13, cycled past him and threw a burning firecraker at him.

Benjamin said the incident happened on Sunday afternoon.

She said she found her son crying: “He was so traumatised. He cried the whole night on Sunday and wouldn’t sleep on Monday, either. He had a swollen cheek and developed a blood clot in his ear.”

She said the swelling on Rizah’s cheek had subsided and his ear was healing. But she was upset that the children’s parents did not take responsibility for what happened.

“Those children were about 13 years old. Where would they have got the money to buy firecrackers? The attitude from the parents was very disheartening… by refusing to take responsibility, they were teaching their children that it was okay to do this.”

Although it is illegal for children under 16 to use or buy fireworks, the Cape Argus reported last month that children as young as six were buying firecrackers from shops in Belhar.

Meanwhile, animal welfare organisations have also warned residents to be considerate to animals during fireworks displays because the sound from fireworks is at least seven times louder to our furry friends.

Cape of Good Hope SPCA inspectorate manager Moyo Ndukwana said no fatalities were reported during last year’s celebrations: “But we responded to a lot of cases where dogs had gone missing because they got terrified when they heard the fireworks.”

Susan van Niekerk, a senior vet at the Animal Rescue Organisation, said there was a case in Ottery two years ago when a dog broke through a glass window and roamed the streets for two weeks with cuts on its body before someone found it and brought it to the Animal Rescue.

The Animals Protection Act states that it is illegal for people to terrify any animal, but according to the SPCA, this continues despite efforts to educate the public on the dangers and legalities of using fireworks and lobbying the government for a total ban on the use of fireworks.

The SPCA’s inspectorate will be on standby to respond to animal emergencies on (021 700 4158/59 or after hours 083 326 1604).

neo.maditla@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Western Cape religious leaders have called on faith communities to be independent of politics.

Cape Town - Religious leaders in the Western Cape have called on faith communities to be independent of politics and to guard against being co-opted by political parties, following a meeting this week between religious communities and President Jacob Zuma.

The Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum also called for an investigation on Thursday into how R2.1 million of public money was authorised to convene the “nation-building” meeting at the Good Hope Centre on Tuesday.

In a statement signed by Imam Rashied Omar, the forum’s chair; the Reverend John Oliver, vice-chairman; and secretary Mickey Glass, the organisation said it had not been invited to attend the meeting nor had it been aware that the event was to take place.

Faith communities should strive to be an independent voice, “free of government or party political interference”.

“This is one of the most important lessons that we as religious leaders have learnt from the apartheid crime against humanity, when some churches became the racist National Party at prayer.

“In the light of this tragic lesson, the forum has committed itself to resist the temptation of merely being apologists for the political authorities or of being co-opted by political parties to advance their own agenda,” the statement said.

The event, at which Zuma was the keynote speaker, was called “Nation Building through Social Dialogue with the Religious Sector” and was attended by about 1 500 people. Its cost of R2.1m was borne by the national legislature. Only a handful of MPs attended, and all but one – who was from the ACDP – were from the ANC.

At the meeting ANC chief whip Mathole Mothekga congratulated Zuma for “working hard to unite the religious people of South Africa”. The gathering was the result of Zuma’s “good work”, he said.

The forum noted “with consternation that the conference purports to ‘strengthen the ANC’s association with the inferfaith movement’ and that the meeting had hailed President Zuma for ‘having worked hard to unite the religious people of South Africa’.

“We do not need government to unite the religious communities of South Africa. The vital process of inter-religious dialogue and solidarity should – and is – being nurtured and promoted by the interfaith movement ourselves.”

With the Cape Town Interfaith Initiative, the forum had been contributing to reconciliation by striving to overcome the “stubborn racial, religious and class divides in Cape Town for more than a decade.

“Furthermore, as religious leaders we have a prophetic role of being one of civil society’s strongest partners in holding government accountable for its political and moral mandate. This is the only insurance for a robust democracy.”

Because of this the forum had joined a wide range of intellectuals and activists to express concern about corruption.

“We call on religious leaders and communities to be vigilant about attempts by government and political parties to co-opt them and to continue their prophetic role of being an independent moral conscience of society alongside other civil society partners.”

Motshekga was not available for comment. However, his spokesman, Moloto Mothapo, said claims that the event was an ANC rally were incorrect. It had been organised by a multi-party committee and the ANC had endorsed it.

The objective of the event had been to bring religious leaders together.

Cape Times

SJC members disappointed when an bail application by one of their activists, who is facing a murder charge, was postponed.

Cape Town - Members of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) were disappointed when an application for bail by one of their activists, who is facing a murder charge, was postponed on Thursday – and said this reflected on the slow justice system the group was fighting.

Angy Peter, 32, a leading member of the SJC’s anti-vigilante campaign, is being held in connection with a vigilante killing in Mfuleni.

She appeared briefly in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court on Thursday with her three co-accused – her partner, Isaac Mbadu, 26, Christopher Dina, 25, and Azola Dayimane, 24.

The four were arrested on October 14, hours after the body of Siphiwo Rowan Mbevu was found burnt and beaten.

Police allege that Mbevu was “necklaced”. The SJC says Mbevu was a known criminal in Mfuleni and that residents had made numerous attempts to assault or kill him.

The SJC said that, as leading activists, Peter and Mbadu had prevented these murder attempts and that both deny the charges against them.

On Thursday, the Cape Times learnt that Peter is five months pregnant and has chronic asthma. She is being held in the hospital wing of Pollsmoor Prison.

About 50 SJC members waited five hours for Peter’s appearance on Thursday.

The court roll was overloaded, however.

Peter’s attorney, Josua Greef, asked that the matter be postponed until November 14.

“For practical purposes, we have asked to move the case to another court so that the matter can be heard as quickly as possible to finalise the bail hearing in one day,” he said.

“We have been waiting all day and it would not make sense for us to start so late in the day and not finish the hearing.”

Peter looked disappointed and cried when her lawyer spoke to her when court adjourned.

Gavin Silber, from the SJC, said: “This is not the result we wanted to hear, although these postponements are not unusual, it shows how drawn-out the justice system can be.”

Silber said the SJC would consult its lawyers about applying to the Western Cape High Court for an urgent interdict for the matter to be heard sooner.

SJC member Vuyani Mngqete said: “This is the system we are fighting at the moment because these delays are unacceptable.”

Silber said the delay in Peter’s case reflected the reasons why the organisation had been calling for a commission of inquiry to look into a breakdown in the criminal justice system and alleged police inefficiency in Khayelitsha.

“It is fitting that this is happening with Angy’s case just before the commission’s public hearings. This is exactly what we are trying to draw attention to,” Silber said.

The SJC, Treatment Action Campaign, Equal Education, the Triangle Project and Ndifuna Ukwazi, all represented by the Women’s Legal Centre, were instrumental in the establishment of the O’Regan Commission of Inquiry by Premier Helen Zille.

Peter and her co-accused remain have been remanded until November 14.

The commission’s public hearings start on November 12. Peter had been scheduled to appear as a key SJC witness.

zara.nicholson@inl.co.za

Cape Times

They won a court orderagainst Home Affairs, but Gary Eisenberg claims it’s“meaningless in the face of the department’s incompetence”.

Cape Times - They won a court order against Home Affairs, but immigration lawyer Gary Eisenberg claims it became “meaningless in the face of the department’s incompetence”.

Eisenberg submitted this in an affidavit that is part of a court application in which his firm and three other applicants want the department declared in contempt of court.

This is the latest development in a court wrangle to get Home Affairs to adjudicate a handful of outstanding applications for permanent residence permits.

The group’s main application was lodged in the Western Cape High Court in May, asking that the court issue an order for 110 applications to be processed. They secured a court order on May 18, by which time 75 applications remained.

The parties agreed that 51 would be finalised by July 18, while the others – those that were incomplete, on appeal or in need of corrections – would be done by August 20.

The department missed all these deadlines.

Eisenberg said that of the 75 applications, the department finalised only 28 by the deadline. This left 47.

The group now seek several orders – relating to the alleged contempt of court, to compliance with the original high court order, and to the “hurried rejection” of some of the applications.

In an answering affidavit, Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni contended that the department had not willfully failed to comply with a court order.

He argued he was not in contempt of court just because the outstanding applications hadn’t been finalised by the cut-off dates. These dates “were not cast in stone”.

The department had only nine full-time permanent residence adjudicators.

Judgment in the contempt of court matter was reserved on Thursday.

Cape Times

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa will file court papers to oppose the O’Regan Commission of Inquiry on alleged police failures.

Cape Town - Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa will on Friday file court papers to oppose the O’Regan Commission of Inquiry on alleged police failures, but the ministry was mum about subpoenas issued against its top provincial management.

Mthethwa said he had decided to go to court after several failed attempts to convince Premier Helen Zille not to establish the commission.

He had also raised questions about the omission of the metro police from the probe despite calls from civil society for the city-run unit to be investigated.

But Zille’s spokesman, Zak Mbhele, said complaints against the metro police were being investigated separately by Community Safety MEC Dan Plato. He said their inclusion in the commission’s investigation would have been unlawful as they responded to requests for comment.

The commission, headed by retired Constitutional Court Judge Kate O’Regan and former National Prosecuting Authority head Vusi Pikoli, is investigating allegations of police inefficiencies, but not those of municipal police.

On Thursday, Mthethwa’s spokesman, Zweli Mnisi, said they would file papers at the Western Cape High Court.

A legal team was still finalising the case, he said.

“They are pushing to have the papers ready today. I’m told that the papers could be filed most likely Friday,” Mnisi said.

Despite this threat of legal action, the commission will go ahead with its evidence hearing at the OR Tambo Hall in less than two weeks.

On Wednesday, provincial police commissioner Arno Lamoer and station commanders in Khayelitsha, Harare and Lingelethu West were subpoenaed by the commission. They would be required to testify and submit documents, as well as information relating to the investigations of vigilante killings on November 12.

It will also hear evidence from residents and other affected parties before submitting its recommendations to Zille on February 24. A subpoena was also issued for the provincial acting head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate last Friday.

Lamoer would not comment on the subpoenas and referred queries to Mnisi.

Asked whether Lamoer would appear before the commission, Mnisi said: “I can’t comment on their behalf. The ministry is only filing court papers. If there is a court in Khayelitsha that says they must appear, the minister can’t say they must not go.

“Those who have been subpoenaed have to answer for themselves.”

xolani.koyana@inl.co.za

Cape Times