Port Shepstone police have arrested a woman who allegedly tried to hire a hitman to kill her two sons.

Durban - A KwaZulu-Natal woman was arrested in Gamalakhe, Port Shepstone, for allegedly trying to hire a hitman to kill her two sons, police said on Wednesday.

The woman allegedly approached a relative who had recently been released from prison to kill them, offering R25 000 for each child, Colonel Jay Naicker said.

“The alleged motive for the killing was that she wanted insurance money because she had insured her sons,” Naicker said.

The relative reported the matter to the police.

A police officer posing as a hitman arrested the woman in her home, after she had gone to fetch photographs of her sons for him.

Her sons were home at the time.

The 50-year-old mother of three would appear in the Port Shepstone Magistrate's court on Thursday on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. - Sapa

The stricken coal ship straddling a sandbank off Richards Bay posed no immediate pollution threat, authorities have said.

Richards Bay - The stricken coal ship straddling a sandbank off Richards Bay posed no immediate pollution threat to the coastline, maritime and environmental authorities have said.

The MV Sharp, which had almost broken in two in rough waters on Tuesday, was leaving Richards Bay harbour on Monday afternoon when it struck a sandbank and broke its back in 10m swells.

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) executive manager for the east coast, Captain Saroor Ali, said the ship’s potentially hazardous fuel was safely sealed, though, and that there was no immediate danger of its leaking out.

“There is an estimated 1 769 tons of fuel oil, and 129 tons of diesel oil, but there is no threat to the engine room,” said Ali.

He said the disaster management team assembled for the salvage operation had already begun its work, which would see the fuel removed first, followed by the 148 000 tons of coal the Smart was carrying.

The Ezemvelo marine conservation officer for Richards Bay, Kevin Green, said that although there was no fuel leaking from the ship, some of the ship’s payload had begun to shift out.

“There is coal dust coming out of the ship, which our scientists are currently evaluating to assess the threat,” said Green.

He said the coal did not pose an immediate threat, however, and the main focus was on keeping the fuel contained.

The Durban-based maritime services company, the Subtech Group had been appointed to head the salvage operation, which Green said would take at least a month, before the issue of the wreck could be dealt with.

Ali said that the maritime authority had a “plan A, B, and C” when it came to salvaging what remained of the Smart, but that it all depended on the weather.

Samsa said the Smart was owned by an “international company” which had $1 billion (R10.15bn) in pollution cover and unlimited cover when it came to wreck removal.

Andrew Zaloumis, the chief executive of the nearby Isimangaliso Wetland Park and World Heritage Site, said that at this stage there was no concern of the park’s being affected by the wreck.

“We are part of the disaster management team and have our own standard contingency plans in place,” he said.

Zaloumis said the next two days would be crucial while fuel was removed.

At Alkantstrand, the stretch of beach close to where the ship is stranded, a crowd had gathered on Tuesday to watch a helicopter and small boat begin to ferry cargo off the Smart.

With its control room facing out to sea and its bow parallel to the shore, waves broke over the middle of the ship as the salvagers battled the strong winds, with bystanders taking photos from the beach.

The Transnet National Port Authority manger for Richards Bay, Preston Khomo, said all shipping operations at the port had returned to normal by Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, the doomed Kiani Satu cargo vessel was still afloat off the Southern Cape coast early on Tuesday evening, at a point where the ocean was at the 1 000m depth required for the ship to submerge safely.

The ship began sinking on Monday after the bow sustained severe damage about 30 nautical miles off Buffels Bay, where it ran aground on August 8.

The Mercury

The principal of Lihlithemba Technical High School in KZN allegedly demanded that children pay fees in a no-fees school.

Durban - Nana Gcabashe, the principal of Lihlithemba Technical High School in Ndwedwe, north of Durban, has been suspended after allegedly demanding that children pay fees in a designated no-fees school.

KwaZulu-Natal education head Nkosinathi Sishi said the department had been alerted to the problem in February after discovering that reports had been withheld from pupils, preventing matrics from applying for bursaries and admission to tertiary institutions.

“This school is a no-fees school, but parents who had not paid school fees were told that their children would not get their reports. This is not allowed,” he said.

There were also allegations that Gcabashe had not followed the correct procedure in the hiring of teaching staff.

School governing body chairman Bongani Sokhela said children had not been attending classes since Gcabashe was suspended.

“When we came here, we found that some children were drunk and we had to have a meeting with them,” Sokhela said.

He said the principal had allegedly requested that children pay R130 towards school fees.

Sishi said some of the pupils had raised concerns about the principal’s suspension, but he saw no other fitting course of action.

“The principal will face charges. The date for the tribunal is set for August 29,” he said.

Gcabashe has disputed the allegations made by the department.

“I have not been fired. They called it ‘precautionary suspension’. And I was not suspended for stealing funds from the school - but for claims that I intimidated parents and insulted personnel,” she said.

Gcabashe also denied that she asked parents to pay fees.

“The parents agreed to make contributions towards the school. As for the reports, those could not be printed because we had no ink, due to the amount we were given by department not being enough.”

Gcabashe said she was saddened to hear that children were not at school.

The Mercury

Efforts to remove about 1000 tons of fuel oil from a bulk carrier that ran aground off Richards Bay are underway.

Durban - Efforts to remove about 1000 tons of fuel oil and 200 tons of diesel from a bulk carrier that ran aground off Richards Bay harbour were underway on Wednesday.

Most salvage vessels had arrived and the priority was to get all fuel and pollutants off the MV Smart, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) said in a statement.

The 230-metre vessel was laden with 147 650 tons of coal when she ran aground outside the port in heavy seas on Monday afternoon. The entrance to the port was not blocked. Once the heavy seas abated, operations at the port resumed on Tuesday morning.

Twenty-three crew members were airlifted in four sorties from the stricken vessel late Monday afternoon. None of them suffered serious injuries.

According to the TNPA the vessel had broken apart between hatches six and seven. Its fuel was safely contained and there was no immediate threat of leakage. Apart from where the vessel had broken apart there were no other signs that she was taking on water elsewhere.

Sapa

Nick Longano is on trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Vinoba Naidoo, while he was in an "altered state of mind."

Durban - It is rare for someone to be completely deprived of the capacity to control their behaviour.

Clinical psychologist Clive Willows said this in testifying on Tuesday before the Durban High Court, where Nick Longano is on trial for the August 2010 murder of his girlfriend, Vinoba Naidoo. He is alleged to have stood on her neck.

Durban accountant Longano has put up a rare defence of sane automatism, in which a person involuntarily commits acts while in an altered state of mind.

The court had heard that on the day of the murder, he and Naidoo were dividing their possessions, in the Glenwood flat they had shared, when an argument over curtains became heated and Naidoo attacked him with a candlestick.

A month before, Naidoo had ended the relationship and moved out.

Willows was initially briefed by the prosecution, which decided at the trial stage to abandon his evidence.

Gideon Scheltema, SC, for the defence, filed an application asking that Judge Kate Pillay recuse herself.

He said the judge could be “subliminally biased” by the contents of the report, which she had sight of.

Judge Pillay, refusing to recuse herself on the grounds that the application was without merit, called Willows as a court witness.

Having studied reports by two other psychologists, Dr Lynette Roux and Professor Lourens Schlebusch, Willows noted in his report that tests performed on Longano had revealed symptoms of depression and anxiety, which could be associated with the reality of his circumstances.

Commenting on the reports, Willows said it was unusual that a relationship of such duration would be terminated by Naidoo, who had wanted a life-long commitment, purely on the basis of a single, heated argument.

It was therefore difficult to understand what had provoked Naidoo to attack Longano, according to his evidence, with a metal object, Willows said.

He said reference had been made to Longano’s inability to withstand emotional pressure and “deal with” stressful situations.

“Perhaps in response to these inadequacies he has a need to maintain order and control. He will have episodes of overwhelming, uncontrolled feelings,” he said.

Willows said the reports did not describe the relationship between Longano and Naidoo in much detail and seemed to rely on Longano’s perceptions.

Willows said courts had accepted that emotional stress and provocation might lead to a state of non-pathological incapacity, but it was rare that a person might be completely deprived of such capacity.

He said some people who had some form of “intermittent explosive behaviour” might have some weakness in personality or character impairment.

However, it was possible, during an intensely emotional event, that the emotional state interfered with consciousness and the “coding” process, with the result that the event was not encoded into memory and so could not be retrieved, Willows said.

After his cross-examination yesterday, Scheltema said if the State were to cross-examine Willows, this would introduce “gross irregularities” into the proceedings.

He likened the situation to an attorney-client scenario where the attorney was not allowed to act against the interests of his client.

Nadira Moosa, for the State, argued there was no authority that said that where a consultation had take place between parties, the party could not be cross-examined.

The matter continues.

* In a previous court report on this case, headlined “Judge lashes neglectful witness”, presiding Judge Kate Pillay did not, in fact, do so. She merely directed Dr John Dunn, a senior psychiatrist at Fort Napier Mental Hospital, to acquaint himself fully with all the information and, if need be, to revise his report.

rizwana.umar@inl.co.za

Daily News

The man was found in extreme pain, with his leg trapped in the chains and spikes of a mielie harvester.

Durban - A 23-year old man may lose his leg after it was caught in a mielie harvesting machine on Tuesday.

The accident happened while he was working on a farm in the St Bernard’s Peak area, near the Lesotho border.

According to ER24 paramedic, Vanessa Jackson, a rescue team from Kokstad found the man in extreme pain, with his leg trapped in the chains and spikes of a mielie harvester.

The leg was mangled into the machine right up to the knee.

“The paramedics ascertained that the man’s leg was already broken and mangled to a great extent,” Jackson said.

It was at that point that ER24 paramedics were called in. Paramedics stabilised the man before the Air Wing was alerted.

A decision was then taken on the best method to release the man’s leg from the machine.

“The only option at that time was to reverse the mechanism and manually remove the leg the same way it had gone into the machine,” Jackson said.

With the man’s pain under control, paramedics managed to remove him from the machine and they immediately stabilised the broken leg.

The man was airlifted to Mediclinic Hospital in Pietermaritzburg.

He was treated in the trauma unit and taken into theatre late on Tuesday night.

According to doctors, a decision on whether to amputate the leg would be made on Wednesday.

Pietermaritzburg Bureau

Daily News

Slain Morningside pensioner, William Daly, is to be laid to rest with his beloved dogs, which have been put down.

Durban - Murdered Morningside pensioner, William (Bill) Daly, is to be laid to rest with his beloved dogs, Wendy and Suzy, which have been put down because he could not bear to be without them.

Daly, 89, whose family founded the fruit cordial company, W Daly & Son, was killed at his home on Monday afternoon in a suspected robbery.

He was the grandson of the founder of the company.

Daly’s body was found on a pathway outside the house he was born in, with his feet and hands bound and a rag stuffed in his mouth. It is believed he was strangled.

Daly’s niece, Pat Lee, said her uncle had been opposed to moving into a retirement home because it would have meant being away from his fox terrier and Maltese poodle.

Lee said she had the dogs put down on Monday. They will be cremated and the ashes buried with Daly on Friday.

On the day of the murder, the dogs were locked inside the house as her uncle prepared to make his routine Monday morning trip to the bank to deposit his church’s Sunday tithes, she said.

Before the dogs were killed, they were given their dinner and treats.

Lee said she decided to put them down because “they loved him (Daly). They could have never had another owner. He would never have wanted to be apart from them”.

Daly’s great-nephew, Chris Lyle, said Wendy and Suzy were like Daly’s children. “Old Bill was born in that house and died there because he would not leave his babies (dogs),” he said.

His great uncle was the third generation of Dalys living in the Maple Road home.

Said Lyle: “I’m still trying to make sense of what happened. It’s really hard, I’m angry more than sad.”

A note with Daly’s photo, and a picture of a vintage car like the four he owned, has been placed outside his home.

It reads: “RIP Dear Bill, sweet, kind gentle gentleman. May the angels be with you and your family at this sad time. Your Anerley Road community will miss you, the chats and your cars so much.”

Daily News

A Richards Bay surfing legend is recovering in hospital after the massive waves broke his leg while he was surfing.

Durban - A Richards Bay surfing legend is recovering in hospital after the massive waves that caused the cargo ship MV Smart to run aground outside the North Coast port broke his leg while he was surfing nearby.

Freddie Le Roux, 51, a prominent surfer and surf shop owner, said the incident on Monday happened quickly.

Roux’s business partner and friend, Judy Dearling, said Roux had been surfing at a break called Senorita at the time.

She said on special days it was possible to ride a left-breaking wave from Senoritas for about 500m until the south edge of Naval Island. “The waves in the harbour were about 2m to 2.5m. The swell at sea was probably in excess of 5m,” Dearling said.

Roux said he was wave riding a stand-up paddle board when he saw a nice lip with a floater possibility. Roux then did a bottom turn.

“When I hit the lip, the force of the wave was too great. The sea and wave overpowered me. I broke my tibia and fibia bones on my right leg. I underwent surgery on Monday night. If all goes well I hope to be discharged soon,” he said.

Steel pins have been inserted into his leg to hold it in place.

Dearling said once or twice a year, surfers got lucky when the wave swell and wind direction hits the mark and the waves pour into the harbour. She described Monday as one of those epic days.

John Cawood, of the blog Surf Alliance, described Roux as a water sports legend. Cawood said the well-known waterman, coach and reigning Grand Kahunas Longboard Champion was practising for the upcoming South African Masters Champs which will take place in Mossel Bay in September.

Roux was aiming to be the first South African surfer to make three finals in the same year in long boarding, stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) and short boarding.

“I have surfed for 38 odd years. This is my first serious injury related to surfing. Last year I could not take part in the stand up paddle champs because I broke my toe,” Roux said.

Roux has two sons, Dylan and Byron. Among his accolades Roux accompanied the South African Surfing Team in 1982 to South America as the team coach. He is the reigning SA Masters longboard champ and came 4th in this year’s stand-up paddle wave riding championship.

Dearling said he had his sights set on a hat-trick of Gold at the SA Masters Shortboard champs in Mossel Bay in September. “Sadly that will not be a possibility now.”

Daily News

The family of a woman who died after acid was thrown in her face, are livid after the alleged killer was granted bail.

Durban - The family of a woman who died after acid was thrown in her face expressed their anger and unhappiness after the alleged killer, a colleague of hers, was granted bail of R1 500 on Tuesday.

Anton Mlaba, the brother of Smangele Mlaba, told the Daily News his sister was killed in the most gruesome manner and said that her killer belonged behind bars.

“My sister was not even given a chance to defend herself. She suffered a painful and horrific death, and now her (alleged) killer is walking free. This is not justice,” he said.

Pietermaritzburg Regional Court magistrate ZW Ngwenya granted Ntombenhle Mkhize, 34, bail on condition that she did not interfere with State witnesses and that she attend all the court proceedings.

The magistrate lambasted the investigating officer, Rajeev Soorajbally, who testified in opposition to bail for Mkhize.

Ngwenya said the State had “not a scrap of evidence” that Mkhize would evade her trial or intimidate witnesses if released on bail.

The magistrate also said it was “disturbing” that Mkhize’s bail application took seven months to take place.

Mkhize was arrested in January this year.

She had initially intended to plead guilty to culpable homicide, saying at her bail application that she had only intended to disfigure Mlaba and not kill her.

However, the State intends to prove that Mlaba’s murder was premeditated.

The magistrate said it was clear that the case had drawn much public interest and media attention, but it was his job to ensure that the rights of the accused, and the interests of society in general, were safeguarded.

The magistrate said the fact that Mkhize had been in custody for seven months, through no fault of her own, coupled with the fact that she had a 10-year-old son for whom she received a social grant, amounted to exceptional circumstances favouring her release on bail.

It is alleged that Mkhize, of the KwaPata location, followed Mlaba after work on the afternoon of January 15.

The two women worked at Miguel’s Bakery, a popular confectionery shop in the Pietermaritzburg CBD.

It is believed that an argument over baking trays between the women began at work the day before the attack.

The disagreement allegedly escalated to an altercation over Mkhize’s boyfriend.

According to the court docket, the next day Mkhize allegedly followed Mlaba as she walked along Pietermaritz Street and then confronted her.

The two women started arguing and then, in full view of a gathering crowd, Mkhize allegedly threw a litre of hydrochloric acid she had been carrying at Mlaba’s face and body.

People ran to Mlaba’s aid, but they too got burns on their hands as they tried to help her.

Mlaba suffered burns to 75 percent of her body and died in hospital two days after the attack, as a result of her injuries.

It is alleged that Mkhize obtained the acid from a place in KwaPata where factories discard acid and other waste products.

Daily News

A man abducted at gunpoint has been found alive but injured at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, family friends said.

Durban - The Durban man who was allegedly hijacked and abducted was found alive but injured at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Phoenix on Tuesday, family friends said.

Police were unable to confirm that he had been found.

Dumisani Mdlalose, was allegedly accosted by three armed men on his driveway in Mount Moriah, near Phoenix, on Monday night while opening the gate when, at gunpoint, he was ordered back into his black BMW 318i by the hijackers who then drove away with him.

His wife, Thembeka, who was seated in the passenger front seat, ran from the men and was unharmed.

She called for help in the community. A neighbour and friend of the Mdlaloses, Panuel Zondi, said on Wednesday morning that Mdlalose was found at the Phoenix hospital with minor injuries.

“He was a bit bruised when we found him… they left him in Avoca and drove away with the car, but he is still in hospital recovering,” he said.

Mdlalose’s wife could not be reached for comment because her cellphone was stolen during the hijacking. Thembeka and a group of close friends had begun a search looking for Mdlalose, who was feared dead.

Zondi would not give intimate details on what transpired during the hijacking or how the man ended up in hospital.

Police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane said Mdlalose had not been found, according to records at the Phoenix SAPS.

“According to Phoenix SAPS, the victim has not yet been found hence they are still looking for him and would appreciate any information on the victim’s whereabouts,” he said.

Daily News

A man shot and wounded his girlfriend in the back of a minibus taxi before turning the gun on himself in Umbumbulu.

Durban - A man shot and wounded his girlfriend in the back of a minibus taxi before turning the gun on himself in Umbumbulu on Durban's outskirts on Wednesday, paramedics said.

Netcare 911 spokesman Chris Botha said the girl, believed to be a matric pupil, was taken to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital and the man to Prince Mshiyeni Hospital, both in Durban. Both were in a critical condition.

Police comment could not be immediately obtained.

Sapa

A minibus driver accused of killing mountain biker Burry Stander in an accident appeared at the Port Shepstone Magistrate's Court.

Port Shepstone - A minibus driver accused of killing mountain biker Burry Stander in an accident appeared at the Port Shepstone Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.

“The matter was postponed to 21 and 22 of October for trial,” KwaZulu-Natal NPA spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson said.

Njabulo Nyawose, facing a charge of culpable homicide, was released on a warning.

Stander, 25, was cycling in Shelley Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast when he was struck by a minibus taxi Nyawose was allegedly driving on January 3.

Charges against him were reinstated last month after they were provisionally withdrawn. This was done for the directorate of public prosecutions to decide whether to prosecute.

Stander was fifth in the men's cross-country race at the 2012

London Olympics. Four years earlier, at the Beijing Games, he finished 15th in the cross-country event.

Sapa

Medication, alcohol, and treatment could have contributed to the deaths of three men after a KZN Traffic Inspectorate est, an inquiry heard.

Pietermaritzburg - Medication, alcohol, and treatment could have contributed to the deaths of three men after a KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) test, an inquiry heard on Wednesday.

Ravenda Padayachee, for the transport department, said these factors could have contributed to the deaths of Lenny Nxumalo, Ntuthuko Sibisi, and Sibonakaliso Mhlanga.

At a commission of inquiry in Pietermaritzburg, he put the possibilities to Dr Dhanraj Maney, a forensic medical officer who conducted post mortems on the three men.

The commission is probing the deaths of eight people who died after participating in a RTI fitness test in the city in December. The victims took part in a four-kilometre run at the Harry Gwala Stadium. The event formed part of a fitness test for RTI job applicants. More than 34 000 people qualified to apply for 90 advertised RTI trainee posts. Of these, 15 600 attended a fitness test on December 27, and a similar number on December 28.

Maney found no specific cause of death for the three men.

Padayachee said when Sibisi was treated, he was given 7.8 litres of fluid, but had an output of 400ml. He said this could have led to Sibisi drowning from fluid in his lungs.

According to the hospital's records, Sibisi had an epileptic seizure when he was admitted, but did not receive medication for the seizures.

Padayachee attributed Nxumalo's behaviour of being violent and refusing treatment from paramedics to alcohol.

He told the commission that Nxumalo's friend had given a statement stating they had been drinking alcohol on December 25 and 26.

Nxumalo apparently finished first in his group at 5.30pm on December 28 and then fell ill. He refused help from paramedics who offered him liquid to drink. Nxumalo reportedly became violent towards them.

“I cannot say alcohol was the only reason for his (violent) behaviour,” Maney said. Nxumalo eventually received treatment after 8pm and died after resuscitation failed.

When Padayachee asked Maney if alcohol was a dehydrating substance, he agreed. Padayachee asked Maney if Nxumalo had a compromised liver. He said “yes”.

“That would make his body predisposed to retaining heat,” Padayachee said.

Nxumalo's liver had fatty changes, a sign of alcohol consumption.

Maney said he had not received the blood results which he took from Nxumalo during the post mortem.

According to medical records from Sibisi's work place he had been on chronic medication for hypertension. The medication reduces fluid in the body and makes it unable to manage dissipation of heat.

In January 2006 and October 2010 he had been prescribed medication for his high blood pressure.

Padayachee said it was impossible to know whether Mhlanga took his medication the day of the fitness test or before.

He asked Maney if a person with hypertension who had taken his medication at the time of the fitness test would have struggled to dissipate heat.

Maney said this was the case in theory, but did not know if this happened with Sibisi.

The commission continues on Thursday when another forensic medical officer is expected to testify about the post mortems she conducted on another three participants.

Sapa

KwaZulu-Natal premier Zweli Mkhize announced that he was stepping down as premier of the province.

Durban -

KwaZulu-Natal premier Zweli Mkhize announced on Thursday that he was stepping down as premier of the province.

The ANC's chairman in the province Senzo Mchunu was sworn in as acting premier by KwaZulu-Natal Judge President Chiman Patel in Durban.

Mkhize said his tasks as treasurer general of the African National Congress had prompted the decision.

He praised Mchunu and his colleagues in the KwaZulu-Natal executive.

He also thanked President Jacob Zuma for his support.

Mkhize would be based at ANC headquarters Luthuli House in Johannesburg full time as from September 1. Sapa

uShaka Marine World chief executive Shawn Thompson has been suspended with immediate effect following his arrest this week.

Durban - Three years after he allegedly abused his position as uShaka Marine World chief executive, Shawn Thompson has been suspended with immediate effect following his arrest this week.

Police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker said the Durban Commercial Crime Unit arrested 47-year-old Thompson on Tuesday afternoon and charged him with corruption.

He appeared in the Durban Commercial Crime Court on Wednesday where the matter was postponed.

According to the charge sheet, Thompson is charged with two counts of corruption.

He is accused of having abused his position as chief executive in that, in 2009, he submitted invoices for and authorised payments of R13 172 from uShaka Marine World to Villa Coco Guest House – a Durban North establishment owned by Thompson and/or his wife, Jackie – for the accommodation of three guests, including a man known as Ken Burman.

Naicker said the three guests of uShaka Marine World were visiting the country.

“It is alleged that the suspect instructed his personal assistant to book the guests at a guest house which was owned by a relative. Once the booking was confirmed at the guest house, the suspect authorised and signed the payment order.”

Thompson was accused of not following the proper procedures in procuring the accommodation for the guests, Naicker said, adding that the matter was investigated internally and “once that process was completed a criminal case was opened”.

Thompson was granted bail of R5 000 and the case was postponed to September 11 for further investigation.

His bail conditions state he must surrender his passport, he cannot leave the province, and has to report to his local police station every week, until the matter is settled.

On Wednesday, Thompson told The Mercury he had yet to see the full charge sheet and would release a full statement once he had read it.

“I’ve got an idea in my mind (what it says) and it will be dealt with at the right time.”

He said he had yet to consult a lawyer and confirmed he was suspended from his position at uShaka with effect from Thursday.

Jacob Henry de Villiers Botha, director of uShaka’s board, said in response to questions e-mailed by The Mercury, that Thompson had informed the board about the charges against him this week.

De Villiers Botha said the board then took a decision to suspend him pending a full investigation.

When called for further comment, he said he had not seen the charge sheet “at the moment”.

“We discussed the alleged case (against Thompson) before. I need to speak to the police to get more information before I can make a detailed comment to the media.”

eThekwini Municipality spokesman Thabo Mofokeng said that the municipality welcomed action by the uShaka board of directors and had requested a report as well as an urgent meeting to discuss the matter.

“We are happy they moved swiftly to appoint an acting CEO, so that operations will not be affected. – Additional reporting by Bernadette Wolhuter and Colleen Dardagan

The Mercury

Bruce Galloway, who claims he was abducted, was having "serious financial difficulties", one of his partners said.

Durban - Kloof businessman Bruce Galloway, who claims he was abducted outside his home by armed men who then threw him over Kloof Gorge, was having “serious financial difficulties” and was being sued by some of his business partners who were threatening to have him prosecuted, one of his partners said.

And the day before he went missing, he was “admonished” at a meeting by some of his partners for the way he was controlling the finances of their businesses.

“He left the meeting in haste and then mysteriously disappeared the next day,” Christian Thandolwenkosi Mjadu said in an affidavit before the Durban High Court in which he suggests Galloway, 53, may have “orchestrated his own disappearance”.

Mjadu, a partner with Galloway in hardware retailing business Build-It, made an urgent application on July 25, two days after Galloway disappeared, securing an order suspending the authority that Galloway and his son, Wayne, had to transact on the company’s two bank accounts which held funds totalling almost R2 million.

When the matter came back to court on Wednesday, the order was set aside.

Responding to a request for comment, Galloway said it had been withdrawn by consent “because I was found” but the application contained “a number of inaccuracies”.

He said he still intended to set the record straight but declined to comment further.

Mjadu said in his affidavit before the court that he had a 70 percent stake and Galloway a 30 percent stake in the business which supplied bulk hardware to the Spar group.

He controlled the operations side of it while Galloway did the administration, finances and, with his prior approval, paid all the bills.

Mjadu said Galloway had similar shareholdings in a number of companies with other black businessmen and it was his “modus operandi” to run the finances in these as well.

He was trusted because he had an “impressive history” with the Spar group and was chairman of the cane growers association.

Regarding the “alleged abduction”, Mjadu said there were concerns “that it displayed features that cause suspicions about its authenticity”.

And, he said, he was worried about the safety of the money in the bank.

“There is a real possibility that he or his alleged abductors may unlawfully gain access to the accounts.

“I am aware that he was having serious financial difficulties and at least three parties who are shareholders with him have instituted legal proceedings claiming that he has not conducted the administration and finance of these businesses lawfully.

“I was advised by some of the shareholders that a meeting was held on July 22 with the Spar group.

“At that meeting he was admonished for his conduct and the manner in which he controlled those businesses and there was a strong likelihood that he would be prosecuted for his conduct.”

Mjadu said it was conceivable “he may have orchestrated his own abduction for his own benefit”.

“If it (his abduction) was contrived he may unlawfully access the funds which, it appears, he may have done to others…”

He said if his suspicions were misplaced, “and I do not intend to malign anyone’s integrity” it was possible Galloway’s abductors might force him to withdraw the money or his son may be tempted to use it to pay any ransom demand.

Galloway was found three days after he went missing on a ledge in the gorge. He claimed to have been thrown from a public viewing point by his abductors after he refused to divulge the pin number for his ATM card.

He was admitted to hospital and underwent a back operation.

He has made a statement to police in which he said he would not recognise his attackers.

tania.broughton@inl.co.za

The Mercury

Murder-accused bouncer Hector Britts did not shoot Craigh Botha, nor did he know who did, the Durban Magistrate’s Court heard.

Durban - Murder-accused bouncer Hector Britts did not shoot Craigh Botha. Nor did he know who did, the Durban Magistrate’s Court heard on Wednesday.

“I don’t own a firearm and no firearm was seized from me. I would be surprised if any of the witnesses indicate that they saw me in possession of a firearm and that they witnessed me shooting the deceased,” the 33-year-old said in an affidavit read out by his attorney, Ridwaan Sayed.

Britts was applying for bail, which was opposed by the State, but granted nonetheless.

He stands accused of having shot and killed Botha, 38, earlier this month but intends to plead not guilty.

Britts was working at the Rocca Bar nightclub in Durban that evening and claims Botha, a patron, attacked him “by throwing a flurry of punches”.

“I was taken by surprise and did not even have an opportunity to retaliate. It was at this stage that somebody shot the deceased,” he said.

For the State, public prosecutor Blackie Swart read out investigating officer Selvan Naidoo’s affidavit opposing Britts’s release.

“The applicant is well aware that the State has a strong case against him. That constitutes a temptation for him to flee in order for him not to stand trial,” it said. It also said Britts’s criminal profile, which included his being convicted of fraud in 1999, a pending charge of assault and numerous charges (such as attempted murder and armed robbery) which were withdrawn – had somehow become public knowledge.

“This has instilled fear in witnesses who have not yet submitted statements.”

Finally, the community had “demanded” bail be withheld, the affidavit said, and Britts’s release would jeopardise the public’s confidence in the criminal justice system.

Sayed argued that Britts had been employed in the municipality’s fire and disaster management division for 13 years and owned the Newlands East home in which he lived with his wife, Lauren, along with three of his five children.

Britts had not travelled outside the country, did not own a passport and was not a flight risk. Sayed said the court could not be swayed by public emotion and that a bail application was not “a forum for anticipatory punishment”.

Magistrate Vanitha Armu appeared to agree and set bail at R10 000. Botha’s family was “very, very disappointed.”

“I have heard of house robbers’ bail being set higher,” his brother, Andrew, said.

Britts is expected back in court next month.

The Mercury

ANC provincial chairman Senzo Mchunu was sworn in as acting KZN premier after Zweli Mkhize announced he was stepping down.

Durban - Zweli Mkhize announced on Thursday that he was stepping down as KwaZulu-Natal’s premier.

ANC provincial chairman Senzo Mchunu was sworn in as acting premier by KwaZulu-Natal Judge President Chiman Patel in Durban.

Mkhize said his tasks as ANC treasurer-general had prompted the decision.

“After considering the workload associated with my two responsibilities, I have come to the conclusion that I need to spend more time fulfilling my responsibilities as the treasurer general of the African National Congress.”

Mkhize was elected treasurer-general at the ANC's elective congress in Mangaung last year.

He praised Mchunu and his colleagues in the KwaZulu-Natal executive.

He also thanked President Jacob Zuma for his support.

Mkhize would be based at ANC headquarters Luthuli House in Johannesburg full time as from September 1.

He said he believed the ANC would “start all the necessary processes” to ensure that a new premier was appointed by September 1.

Mchunu was appointed in an acting position until August 27 while Mkhize travelled with Zuma, who was scheduled to visit Malaysia. - Sapa

The ruling party has explained why Zweli Mkhize resigned as KwaZulu-Natal premier.

Durban - Zweli Mkhize resigned as KwaZulu-Natal premier because he could not juggle two posts, ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said on Thursday.

“His resignation as premier of KwaZulu-Natal will now afford him ample time and opportunity to concentrate on his functions and tasks as ANC treasurer general,” Mthembu said in a statement.

“Between December 2012 and now, comrade Zweli has had to juggle between two positions, each with immense responsibilities, undoubtedly placing a strain on him as an individual.”

Mkhize was elected to the treasurer general post in December at the party's elective conference in Mangaung.

A few months ago, he also stepped down as the party's KwaZulu-Natal chairman. He announced his resignation as premier on Thursday morning.

“These resignations by comrade Zweli Mkhize are in adherence to our Constitution which stipulates that as treasurer general... he should be full-time at the ANC headquarters, Luthuli House,” said Mthembu, who thanked Mkhize for the “immeasurable role” he played as premier since 2009.

“We are confident that comrade Zweli Mkhize will bring... diligence, commitment and the political astuteness that has always been his trademark) to Luthuli House)...”

Mthembu said the ANC executive committee in KwaZulu-Natal was tasked with identifying a new candidate for the premier post.

“The KZN ANC leadership will be expected to provide the national executive committee of the ANC with the names of three candidates from whom one will be selected...” - Sapa

A man who was hijacked and kidnapped outside his home near Phoenix, was thrown out of a moving car, his sister said.

Durban - The man who was hijacked and kidnapped outside his Mount Moriah home, near Phoenix, was thrown out of a moving car, his sister said yon Wednesday.

Dumisani Mdlalose, 30, was accosted by three armed men after his return from work at about 8pm on Monday.

The suspects hijacked his BMW 318i and forced him into the car, driving away with him.

Mdlalose’s wife, Thembeka, who was seated in the front passenger seat, managed to escape the men and ran for help.

Mdlalose was found by family and friends at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Phoenix on Tuesday, after being spotted by an ambulance in Avoca.

His sister, Mbali, 27, said she was disheartened to see her brother struggle in a hospital bed.

“The hijackers threw him out of a moving car and his bruises look really bad. He struggles to talk to us, but he does say a few words and then gets tired,” she said

Mbali said the family were praying for Mdlalose’s recovery and were hoping the hijackers would be found quickly.

“We’re just really happy that he is alive. We are still struggling to explain to his son, Bhampo, what has happened to his father,” she said.

Two-year-old Bhampo was in the house with the family’s domestic worker when the incident happened.

Police were still investigating. The car and stolen cellphones are yet to be recovered.

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