A woman and a six-month-old baby died when they were struck by lightning in Mphondi near Nqutu, KwaZulu-Natal, paramedics said.

Johannesburg - A woman and a six-month-old baby died when they were struck by lightning in Mphondi near Nqutu, KwaZulu-Natal, paramedics said.

A 28-year-old man and his four-year-old daughter were also injured by the lightning on Saturday evening, said emergency medical services spokesman Robert McKenzie.

Earlier on Saturday, a 28-year-old woman, a 12-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl were seriously injured by lightning in the area.

“In both cases, it is not known how close the lightning strikes were to the affected patients,” said McKenzie.

The injured were treated on scene and were taken to the Nquthu hospital. - Sapa

Phindile Ntshongwana got five life sentences. But his family say his mental illness has been disregarded, writes Nkululeko Nene.

THE family of former Blue Bulls player Phindile Joseph Ntshongwana, dubbed the “axe man”, said that, while they had accepted the judge’s decision, they were finding it hard to accept the five terms of life imprisonment handed down by the Durban High Court on Friday.

Acting judge Irfaan Khalil sentenced him for four murders and a rape. He was also sentenced to four years for each of two attempted murders, two years for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and four for kidnapping.

Ntshongwana killed Thembelenkosini Cebekhulu in Montclair, Durban, on March 20, 2011; Paulos Hlongwa in Lamontville two days later; Simon Ngidi in Umbilo the following day; and an unidentified man in Yellowwood Park some time that week.

All were hacked to death with an axe. Two of the victims were beheaded. He also raped and kidnapped a woman.

He attacked and tried to kill two men, one in Umlazi on March 21, 2011, and the other in Lamontville two days later.

On Friday, his sister, Luleka Ntshongwana, told the Sunday Tribune outside the court that the family was still in a lot of pain, and that she loved her brother dearly. She described him as the “kindest” person she had come across in her life.

“I do not have tears any more. I have peace in my heart. If my brother must spend the rest of his life in jail, so be it.

“We do feel the pain of the people who lost fathers, brothers and also breadwinners, but we cannot live it because we are not there,” Luleka said.

She said they respected Judge Khalil’s ruling, but could not agree with it because her brother’s mental state had not been taken into consideration.

“He has suffered numerous (psychotic) relapses, and we were there when they happened. What is going to happen when he has another relapse? Who is going to look after him?”

His distraught mother, Nomafa Letlaka, criticised a public hospital for not admitting her son after acknowledging his mental illness.

She said it was on record that her son suffered from mental illness since it had been confirmed by the state psychologist responsible for his assessment.

As Judge Khalil handed down judgment, the public gallery, packed with families of the victims and a small group of ANC supporters, cheered.

Judge Khalil said the court was obliged to impose a life sentence for murder and rape, unless extraordinary circumstances existed.

The onus was on the accused to present “substantial and compelling circumstances” that would justify deviating from the prescribed sentence. He could not find any reasons in this case to do so.

Judge Khalil said the fact that Ntshongwana failed to testify in his defence meant the court had no way of knowing if he was remorseful or not.

“On the facts of this case, I do not accept that the accused is genuinely remorseful. At most, he regrets being caught out,” said the judge.

He rejected the defence’s claim that Ntshongwana’s mental illness had a role in the crimes.

Ntshongwana had “presence of mind” when committing the murders, and the steps taken to avoid detection were an aggravating circumstance.

Outside court after the sentencing, a small group sang and danced in jubilation, shouting: “No more stories – justice has been served.”

Sunday Tribune

A Durban North man and director of a top engineering firm, Elias Vasilaki Mechanicos was arrested in connection with tender fraud involving R142 million.

Durban - A Durban North man and director of a top engineering firm, Elias Vasilaki Mechanicos, 48, was arrested this week in connection with tender fraud involving R142 million.

Mechanicos, 48, a high roller who has a Ferrari and a plush home in Glenashley, is accused of inflating the value of tenders awarded to his company by the Department of Public Works.

Hawks officers arrested him on Wednesday following a month-long investigation.

Mechanicos was released on R300 000 bail.

The tenders were awarded for the building of a laundry at Prince Mshiyeni Hospital two years ago.

Court documents state Me-chanicos inflated the project pricing by 20 percent.

The Sunday Tribune has also been told that Mechanicos, who has Cypriot and South African citizenship, is under investigation by Interpol in Mozambique for alleged fraud of $10 million.

Captain Paul Ramaloko, spokesman for the Hawks, confirmed the arrest.

“A warrant of arrest was issued to us from the Maputo police as well, regarding another pending fraud matter,” said Ramaloko.

Mechanicos denied the fraud charges. He said the Department of Public Works owed his company money – he cancelled his contract with the department earlier this year

Mechanicos, the director of Elias Mechanicos Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, said the laundry he was contracted to build was meant to be the second-largest facility in the world, after Disneyland’s, and state-of-the-art equipment had to be imported from Germany.

“The project is 98 percent complete. The value of the tender is R142 million. How can they say I have committed fraud when the work is already done? It is not as if I have not delivered.

“The laundry facility is… fit for use. There is no fraud involved. All my documents are in order and they have been signed and approved,” said Mechanicos.

Responding to the allegations that he was being investigated for fraud by Interpol, Mechanicos said he was aware of the matter.

“I received a document from Maputo, but it was written in Portuguese, I could not understand anything.

“I have only heard from the investigating officer here in South Africa that there is a pending matter in Maputo. Other than that, I haven’t heard from Interpol,” said Mechanicos.

Lieutenant-General Solo-mon Makgale, national spokesman for the SAPS, said Mechanicos was not listed as a wanted person by Interpol, but he was regarded as a person of interest.

nabeelah.shaikh@inl.co.za

Sunday Tribune

Cops catch the “brutal” leader of a KZN gang, allegedly responsible for 80 percent of the trade in rhino horn. Kevin Farley reports.

Durban - A complicated sting resulted in the arrest of a 45-year-old man said to be the kingpin of rhino horn poaching in KwaZulu-Natal this week.

His wife, 28, and his second-in-command were arrested in a separate swoop in Hluhluwe.

Barend Lottering of Nyathi Anti-Poaching Unit said the swoop was the culmination of an eight-month intelligence-driven operation. “We infiltrated his inner-circle using our informer network and set up a reverse sting.”

A reverse sting is when police agents sell illicit goods to criminals as opposed to a conventional sting where officers pose as buyers.

Crime intelligence officers from Pretoria had made contact with the kingpin and handed over five horns on separate occasions to gain his trust and work their way into his network. The horns were supplied by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.

The man paid agents half the value of the horn and then sold them in Maputo or Joburg. With the horns valued at about R150 000/kg, and most horns in the 4kg to 6kg range, he stood to gain hundreds of thousands of rand.

On Thursday, the crime intelligence agent handed over a 5kg horn and received residual money from the last sale.

At that point a Special Task Team member jumped out of the boot of the agent’s car. The kingpin attempted to disarm him, and, after a struggle he got into his car and attempted to run over the officer. Back-up arrived and the man was arrested. He was also shot. He is in a stable condition in hospital.

Lottering warned that while it appeared they had a water-tight case against the man because he had been caught in possession of a rhino horn, he had already evaded prosecution on several occoasions.

“This man is the leader of KZN’s biggest rhino-poaching syndicate and about 80 percent of the horns in the province go through his hands.

“He is brutal and rules by the gun. He is often the middleman between the poachers and buyers, but he also organises poachers in Mozambique and locally and provides them with weapons.

“There have been several cases against him before but they have either been withdrawn or the dockets have gone missing. We just hope that this time the charges stick.”

While the man claims he is unemployed, the Asset Forfeiture Unit seized six luxury vehicles from his premises including a BMW X5 and a 3-series, a Mercedes Kompressor, a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Prada. The vehicles are valued at a total of R3 million.

According to sources who walked through the man’s house, 3km outside Manguzi in Northern Zululand, evidence of ready cash was everywhere. “He has a 10-roomed house. The place is full of flat-screen TVs, laptops, fridges and leather couches, most still in boxes or in their wrapping. The house is so full it’s hard to move. The guy does not have a kettle, he has an urn going all day,” said the source.

Simon Naylor, KZN representative of the Private Rhino Owners Association and conservation manager at Phinda Game Reserve, commended all the role players involved in the operation.

“This operation shows that different agencies, in this case the Special Task Force, the Asset Forfeiture Unit, Crime Intelligence National, Nyathi Anti-poaching Unit and Ezemvelo, working together, can lead to major successes.

“The Special Task Force and Durban Organised Crime Unit guys are extremely committed. They worked straight through the night on this operation, and the support from them has been phenomenal.”

He added that this sent a clear message to poaching syndicate bosses that their assets would be attached.

“Hopefully, the proceeds generated from the sale will be put back into the fight against poaching, and those arrested will be denied bail. This year alone, more than 1 100 rhinos have been killed in the country, with almost 100 of those being in KZN. But this operation is a major coup and will massively disrupt syndicates.”

SAPS spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said: “On Thursday, at about 2pm, an operation was conducted in Manguzi by Durban Organised Crime assisted by the task force.

“Three suspects between 45 and 50 years old were arrested. One of the suspects was shot and wounded while attempting to disarm a task force member’s gun.

“Dockets of conspiracy to deal in rhino horn, dealing in rhino horn, attempted murder, and resisting arrest were opened. Six vehicles were seized as they were suspected to be from the proceeds of crime.”

Two suspects appeared on Friday in the Ingwavuma Magistrate’s Court.

Sunday Tribune

Businessman Seshi Chonco is alleged to have misappropriated hundreds of thousands of rand from employees' provident fund.

Durban - High-flying KwaZulu-Natal businessman Dr Victor Search “Seshi” Chonco has been accused of causing more than 2 000 former employees of his security company to lose their provident investment savings after retrenching them when he liquidated his company early this year.

He is the former husband of Princess Nombuso Zulu, the eldest daughter of King Goodwill Zwelithini and Queen Sibongile maDlamini Zulu. In July 2005, the couple married amid glitz and glamour in Pietermaritzburg, only to call it quits two years later.

Chonco, 58, his sister Thembisile Ngcobo, and former-receptionist-turned-managing-director, Happiness “Mpume” Nxumalo, owned Roman Protection Solutions, once a thriving security business based in Durban.

Before its liquidation in January, Roman Protection Solutions – a security, armed response and guarding services company, held lucrative contracts in the Western Cape, Gauteng, KZN, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.

Clients included major banks and Wonderboom Airport in Pretoria.

Former employees suspect the company’s troubles began after it lost a major contract it held with Nedbank last year, where it had previously provided security solutions in banking halls, at ATMs and in office buildings.

Now operating as Roman Technologies, mainly in Durban and Gauteng, the company describes itself on its website as having a “proactive approach to asset protection”. It continues to provide services for FNB in key parts of KZN, but has closed its Eastern Cape and Western Cape operations, where clients once included the City of Cape Town.

When one of Chonco’s former employees and fleet manager Malusi Hlongwane, 42, lost his job at the end of January, the company cited the loss of the contract it had held with First National as a major reason. “Due to the loss of our main contract with First National Bank, the company will be restructuring staff in all departments and regions,” said managing director, Mpume Nxumalo, in a letter dated January 30, Hlongwane’s last day with the company.

Hlongwane has taken Chonco to the Pension Funds Adjudicator (PFA), and is leading a campaign to help his colleagues make the businessman pay back their provident fund contributions, some of which Roman Protection Solutions never submitted to the private security sector provident fund, despite deducting this mandatory contribution from employees.

He has also laid a charge of fraud against Chonco at the Brighton Beach Police Station.

When Hlongwane, who began working for Chonco in May 2012, contributed R300 monthly to the provident fund, and failed to receive his withdrawal benefit after he had lost his R4 000-a-month job, he discovered that Roman had not paid the fund.

Although Roman Protection Solutions was registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) on July 26, 2000, Chonco became a majority shareholder on June 1, 2003.

PFA adjudicator Muvhango Lukhaimane has found that Roman ought to have registered Hlongwane immediately after being employed, and paid the employee’s contribution to the provident fund no later than seven days after it had been deducted from him. The PFA also said that, despite some partial compliance at first, in the case of Hlongwane, Roman had “defaulted with respect to the payment of contributions from September 2012 to January this year”.

Although in July, Lukhaimane ordered Chonco to pay Hlongwane’s “outstanding contributions, together with late payment interest”, Hlongwane has received nothing. He says Chonco “is arrogant and extremely abusive to his former employees, who are suffering while he lives a lavish life”.

The Sunday Tribune was unsuccessful in obtaining comment from Chonco or Nxumalo.

Sunday Tribune

Thirteen people were killed in road accidents in KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend, paramedics said.

Johannesburg - Thirteen people were killed in road accidents in KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend, paramedics said on Sunday.

“KZN emergency medical services have attended to multiple collisions across the province,” said spokesman Robert McKenzie.

On Sunday morning, one person died and three others were injured when a vehicle overturned and caught alight in Escourt.

Four others died in two accidents on Saturday, one on the R56 in the Harry Gwala district and one on the N2 in Durban.

On Friday night, four people were killed and eight injured when a minibus and car collided on a highway in the Umkhanyakude district near Shikishela on Friday night.

Meanwhile in Gauteng, one person was killed and eight injured when their vehicle rolled down a steep embankment on the N12 in Fochille on Saturday.

In the Western Cape, a motorbike rider was killed when his bike and a car crashed head on in Stellenbosch, on Saturday.

On Friday, a man died and three others were injured when a bakkie and a sedan collided on the R34 outside Welkom in the Free State.

“Bystanders flagged paramedics down and pointed to an area where they managed to pull two children, aged six and ten, and two adults from the bakkie moments before it was engulfed in flames,” said ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak.

Another man was killed on Friday when a bakkie carrying paint rolled on the N4 near Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.

The four other occupants, who were flung from the bakkie, sustained injuries ranging from minor to critical, ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring said in a statement.

Johannesburg metro police arrested 109 people for drunken driving over the weekend.

The arrests took place on the M1, Klein Street in Hillbrow, Bree Street in the CBD, as well as several roads in Rosettenville and Soweto.

Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said more road blocks were expected for the remainder of the festive season.

“Drivers who will be driving above 40 kilometres over the speed limit will be arrested.”

In the Northern Cape, 21 people were arrested for drunken driving over the weekend, the provincial department of transport said.

“So far 2986 vehicles have been stopped and checked with 162

summonses issued for general defects on a vehicle and other infringements,” spokeswoman Keitumetse Moticoe said in a statement.

Department head Steven Jonkers said the biggest concern was drunken driving.

“We will not compromise but will apply the law to its full force. We are coming for those drunk drivers and we are not going to have mercy on them.”

The transport department would release statistics on the festive road deaths on Tuesday next week. - Sapa

Pupils who think they can scrape through the grades leading up to matric will have to pull up their socks...

Durban - Pupils who think they can scrape through the grades leading up to matric will have to pull up their socks – the national education policy which allows pupils to fail only once between grades 10 and 12 may be scrapped.

In a notice in the Government Gazette late last month, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga stated her intention to amend existing policy and remove the provision that a pupil may repeat only once from grades 10 to 12.

The policy, introduced amid criticism in 2012, was to stop “gatekeeping” by schools, and the alarming rate at which pupils were dropping out.

Schools have been known to hold back Grade 11 pupils who are at risk of failing matric.

Various research reports, produced by the department since 2007, point to the high rate of repetition in grades 10 and 11 as the reason why roughly only half of children make it from Grade 1 to matric.

In introducing the policy, the department had argued that, in other countries, such policies had the support of education economists because money “wasted” on grade repetition could be spent on helping pupils pass the grade they were pushed into.

The policy already applies in grades 1 to 9. A child can only repeat once in a phase – between Grade 1 and 3; 4 and 6; and 7 and 9.

Despite being asked several times, the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department has yet to disclose how many pupils who failed Grade 11 last year were pushed through into the matric “Class of 2014”.

Educationists, including teachers’ union leaders and the heads of school governing body associations, have criticised the policy as being unfair to children and to teachers.

They said the school system was not able to offer struggling pupils, who were promoted, the specialised and individual attention needed to eventually pass matric.

On Sunday, in explaining the proposed policy U-turn, Basic Education Department spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said removing the provision was in the interests of improving schooling quality.

The department was stuck between a rock and a hard place – trying to arrest the high drop-out rate, but also not wanting to give pupils a free ride to the next grade.

However, Mhlanga said the department was set on intensifying its efforts and helping children to pass on merit.

To pass grades 10, 11 and 12, pupils must earn 40% in three subjects including their home language, and 30% in three other subjects.

As The Mercury reported last month, the department planned to raise the much-maligned pass mark requirement for matric in two to three years, and has already upped the pass requirement for grades 7-9.

Last year, those pupils had to pass only seven of their nine subjects, and obtain a mark of 40% in one language and 30% in a second language, to pass the year. But, with the introduction of the new Caps curriculum, pupils in these grades this year had to pass eight of their nine subjects, score at least 50% in their home language, and a minimum of 40% for their first additional language.

The Government Gazette notice also revealed a draft amendment on the combinations of subjects pupils can take on.

Motshekga proposes that pupils who take physical sciences, life sciences, agricultural sciences, accounting, economics and geography be compelled to also take maths (not maths literacy).

This will likely not find favour with some educationists.

Basil Manuel, president of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa), pointed out that such a rule would significantly narrow the range of subject choices for pupils who did not take maths.

He also did not believe it necessary for geography pupils to have to master maths.

“This amendment seems innocuous but has far-reaching consequences. I’ve known hundreds of children who got excellent marks in geography without having to take maths. You also don’t need maths for the life sciences.”

But the department’s aim was to ensure that pupils had greater options when it came to study and career paths, Mhlanga said. Many university degree programmes re- quired maths for admission – not maths literacy.

“We have identified a need to regulate and tighten the cluster of subjects that learners can take if they want to follow certain careers.

“There have been cases where learners would take a certain combination of subjects only to find later that they can’t pursue their career of choice because they don’t have a certain subject that is critical for admission,” Mhlanga said.

The Mercury

It's been party, party, party on Westbrook beach and those trying to get a decent night's sleep are sick of it.

Durban - It’s been party, party, party on Westbrook beach since November, say residents, and those trying to get a decent night’s sleep to get up for work in the morning are sick of it.

The beach, near Tongaat, falls under eThekwini Municipality.

Residents said young people from all along the North Coast have been converging on the beach at weekends and on public holidays for nights of partying and drinking.

“It’s like a street bash,” said resident Arkash Singh, “They play loud music, drink and leave the beach looking like a war-zone.”

Many revellers are still there in the morning, sitting on the side of the road waiting for their lifts.

“What angers me are the ones who drink the whole night then drive home drunk,” said Singh.

Beverley Houston, who can see the beach from her house, said parents should take responsibility for their children.

“These kids are drinking and behaving recklessly – their safety is at stake.”

Housesitter Agnes Motolo said she had not been able to sleep a wink as the dogs she looked after barked all night.

“I am worried that criminals are taking advantage of the situation because there are a lot of strangers around and we don’t know who is who.”

Ward councillor Geoff Pullan called the revellers “drunksters” (drunk teenagers) and said he was concerned about their safety.

“Most of them are very young and shouldn’t be attending such parties. We are not against them using the beach but we can’t stand by and do nothing while our youth behave this way,” he said.

He said the party on the Day of Reconciliation left the beach unusable the next day with broken bottles everywhere, even in the sand.

Nazir Sadack, from the Tongaat Community Policing Forum, said they had asked for police intervention after the December 16 party because it was a matter of time before someone got hurt.

“They were trashing the place. Apparently there’s fighting at every party and two people were stabbed during one,” he said.

Janine Van Rooyen of the NGO “Clean and Jackup Westbrook” said while everyone had the right to use the beach “we are concerned about the environmental impact”.

Some party-goers managed to sneak liquor in despite the police being at the beach entrance checking vehicles for alcohol and weapons.

“The police cannot control the number of people who enter the beaches, but we are monitoring the beaches to keep the community safe and arrest those who break the law,” said provincial police spokesman Thulani Zwane.

The Mercury

A wheelcair-bound man was denied access to a club's dance floor because the manager felt other patrons might trip over him.

Durban - A wheelcair-bound paralympian, who was denied access to a packed nightclub’s dance floor because the manager felt other patrons might trip over him, has accused the venue of discrimination.

Justin Govender, 36, who represented South Africa in basketball,

said he was “shattered” on Saturday evening when bouncers at the Cuba Lounge at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban denied him access. This was despite his being allowed in on previous occasions, he said.

But on Sunday manager Sunil Singh said the decision was to protect Govender and other patrons from potential harm.

“The club was very busy and full on the evening,” he said. He also accused Govender of having an “arrogant” attitude.

“He wanted to come with a wheelchair on to the dance floor – where people are dancing. Now people are drinking – what’s going to happen if someone were to push him? If you are drunk and by mistake bump him, you will fall and we’ll get into trouble,” said Singh.

He said Govender had been offered an alternative table.

In an e-mailed letter to the night spot, Govender said: “Upon arriving at the entrance, the bouncer asked my wife and I to step aside and wait… 10 minutes later, the manager, Eugene, came down and spoke to the bouncer (not addressing us at all) and told him to tell us we were not going to be able to go into the club because I was in a wheelchair. At that point, my wife approached the manager and asked him why.”

An argument ensued and the club then offered the couple the table at the entrance which, at first, they refused.

“

We advised the manager that we were joining a table of about 15 people, but he refused to allow us in. The table was on the other side of the club, facing the dance floor.”

After being denied the contact details of the club’s owner, he said, they then contacted the Gateway branch.

“I spoke to the manager, Wesley, and he was confused as to why they were not allowing us in. He even offered to set up a table for us and asked us to bring our party there, which I appreciated,” he said.

In the end, the couple took the table that was offered to them. “For the sake of our party, we eventually decided that we would abide by the manager’s rules,” said Govender.

But, he said, the ordeal had left him “disgusted”.

The Mercury

The DA has admitted it was behind a cheeky billboard ad - "Load shedding. Proudly brought to you by the ANC" - on the M4.

 Durban - It was not the Christmas message the ANC’s eThekwini bosses were expecting from their official opposition. 

The DA has admitted it was behind a cheeky billboard ad on the M4 (Southern freeway), that shows in no uncertain terms who must take responsibility for the recent electricity load shedding.

“Load shedding. Proudly brought to you by the ANC”, it informs city-bound motorists just after the Clairwood on-ramp.

The ad, put up on Thursday evening

, was the DA’s response to the ruling party behaving as if it was not responsible for power utility Eskom, said the DA’s KwaZulu-Natal chairman, MP Hannif Hoosen.

He confirmed on Sunday that the party had paid for the ad.

“Eskom reports to the ANC. They messed it up. They must take responsibility. Hopefully they will come forward and do so,” said Hoosen.

“We will keep this message up for as long as possible. It is the only billboard with this message thus far.”

The ANC, however, is not amused, calling the ad illegal and nothing but a DA “prank”.

“The energy shortage is a global phenomenon, not just a South African issue,” said eThekwini Municipality Speaker Logie Naidoo, speaking on behalf of the party.

“The majority of the DA served in the old nationalist (National Party) government. The apartheid government did not cater for the energy needs of the vast majority of our people. Today we are bringing electricity even to informal settlements, something the Nats and right-wing parties never dreamt of,” said Naidoo.

He said the ANC was contemplating laying charges against those responsible.

Hoosen did not divulge the cost of the advert, and Face First Media, the billboard advertising company, said the amount paid was confidential.

“We are not responsible for the adverts displayed. We are an advertising platform, like radio, TV and print,” spokesman Stevan Wilken said.

ANC national spokesman, Zizi Kodwa, said it was not true the party was responsible for load shedding. Since 1994, more than 11 million new households had been given access to electricity, Kodwa said.

Similar billboards, and a similar row, occurred in Gauteng in March.

Daily News

Trolley and mall rage has reared its ugly head as staff brace themselves for the last minute Christmas "war zone".

Durban - Forget road rage: trolley and mall rage has reared its ugly head as staff brace themselves for the last minute Christmas “war zone”.

Two women got into a brawl over a trolley outside a toy shop at the Liberty Midlands Mall, Pietermaritzburg, last week. One of the women pulled out a can of pepper spray and sprayed her opponent into submission.

The two women were eventually escorted out of the mall by security.

A witness, Shanti Naidoo, said she could not believe her eyes when she saw two well-dressed women, one with a toddler in tow, fighting over a trolley.

“The mall was congested and there was hardly any space to walk, and here these two ladies were scratching each other’s eyes out, pulling hair and hurling obscenities at each other.”

At the Brookside Mall, also in Pietermaritzburg, a woman and a man got into a verbal altercation over a parking spot on Saturday.

The two refused to budge over the spot, and as the drivers tried to get into the space, the cars smashed into each other.

Car guard, Sifiso Dube, said he had never seen anything like it.

“It was very busy. Cars were lined up in parking aisles waiting for an available space when these two drivers started fighting for a spot. They were both screaming at each other and neither wanted to leave. They both started edging into the space and then boom, their bumpers crashed,” Dube said.

Chris Chetty, a sales assistant at a mall in the city, said festive shopper rage was on the rise.

“People have no common courtesy anymore. Sales assistants are also at the receiving end of shoppers’ frustration because of the queues and congestion and we have to put our heads down and take it.”

Another retail shop manager, Margie Prinsloo, said malls became a war zone in the week leading up to Christmas.

“It’s every man, woman and child for themselves. Christmas shopping is only for the brave and the tolerant. If you have a short temper or are impatient, I suggest you stay home until after the new year,” Prinsloo said.

According to local conflict resolution therapist, Sandy Craig, people who find themselves at the mercy of their feelings over the festive shopping period, should jump into the e-shopping vortex.

“Online shopping is the easiest solution to avoid the craziness that has become Christmas shopping,” Craig said. It eliminated queues and parking lot trauma.

Daily News

All I heard and saw was a roaring bolt of lightning, says a KZN man who woke up to find his girlfriend and son dead after a lightning strike.

Durban - A man is “confused” after he and his 3-year-old daughter survived a lightning strike, which killed his girlfriend and their 6-month-old son in Nquthu, northern Zululand, this weekend.

Mthokozisi Shabangu, 28, of Mphondi area, told the Daily News on Sunday that he was dismayed at his survival with his 3-year-old daughter, Aphiwe Shabangu, who he was carrying when the incident happened on Saturday at about 6pm.

He was walking with his girlfriend Nokubonga Sithole, 24, and their son, Ayabonga Shabangu, both of whom died.

“I am still confused and shaking with fear when thinking about the tragedy,” Shabangu said..

All I heard and saw was a roaring bolt of lightning… after a while I woke up and struggled to stand up. I felt weak on my knees. I do not know what happened to them (Nokubonga and Ayabonga).”

Shabangu said that when he woke up, a lot of people had gathered to help, but it was too late for his girlfriend and son, who died instantly.

Shabangu said they had all been going to his nearby home. Shabangu was taken to Nquthu hospital. He was discharged late in the evening.

“We were just strolling on the gravel road when a mild rain fell,” he said.

Nokubonga’s sister, Busi Sithole, said she was shocked after receiving the news about her sister’s death.

“Everyone at home has been traumatised. The mood is very tense at the moment. It is painful. My mother had been attending a cousin’s wedding when she received the news. She had to be monitored closely after she collapsed the moment she heard about it,” Busi said.

The KZN MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, warned people to always be alert during thunderstorms.

“It is that time of the year when all of us need to be very cautious because of the weather. Our thoughts are with the families that have been affected by this incident and I would like to assure all members of the public that our disaster management centres have been activated and are more than ready to act when disasters strike,” Dube-Ncube said.

nkululeko.nene@inl.co.za

Daily News

Once a magnet for school-leavers looking for job security, the SAPS is now being shunned by white, Indian and coloured youth.

Durban - Once a magnet for school-leavers looking for job security, the SAPS is now being shunned by white, Indian and coloured youth, prompting police bosses to ask minorities to join.

And, with mostly black recruits taking up the junior ranks, it is also on the verge of falling foul of its employment equity targets.

To counter this, the SAPS has made a special plea to non-black matriculants and other job seekers to join the force.

Two factors, however – Monday’s deadline for applications, and the requirement that a candidate speak two languages – could thwart its efforts.

A media statement issued by the SAPS in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday urged last-minute applications from white, Indian and coloured communities.

“We are not receiving sufficient applications from white, Indian and coloured race groups. It is our intention to promote representivity through the filling of these posts,” police spokesman, Major Thulani Zwane, said.

He said the hiring of those from minority groups would ensure the SAPS was able to meet its obligation in terms of Employment Equity Act (EEA) guidelines.

Today is the last day for applicants of all races between 18 and 30. There are vacancies for trainees (entry-level constables) at units, stations and at the provincial office.

Applicants must be able to meet a host of requirements including being able to speak two official languages and have a Grade 12 or equivalent qualification.

The recruitment drive comes in the midst of the SAPS being sullied in recent years, by allegations of political interference in appointments, corruption, fraud and officers being involved in criminal incidents such as murder, robbery and theft.

While this has helped tarnish the image of the rank and file – as well as the top brass – the high number of officers murdered on duty could also be a reason job seekers are giving the SAPS a miss.

Another is being overlooked for promotion despite years of service.

Some had 15 years’ experience with no chance of promotion, said the DA’s spokeswoman on policing matters, MP Dianne Kohler Barnard. The SAPS had shot itself in the foot, she said, by bowing to its political masters rather than applying common sense.

Salute

“Equally, they (long-serving members) have had 21-year-old recruits promoted over their heads and had to salute them and do their jobs for them,” she said yesterday.

“The drive to ensure representivity, rather than promotion according to merit, has had a flood of non-black police leave, only to be snapped up by the private security industry both in South Africa and overseas, where their expertise is valued.”

The SAPS had realised that it faced legal action for “major failings in its representivity drive”, said Kohler Barnard.

The primary reason the SAPS had fallen short on its employment targets was that members of minorities who had applied for employment in the past years were not considered, said eThekwini councillor, Patrick Pillay, spokesman for the Minority Front.

“The call for minorities to apply in the SAPS is long overdue. The MF was always vocal on Indians and minorities being sidelined in terms of promotions,” Pillay said.

Indian youth had become disillusioned with employment practices in the police service, he said.

“The latest opportunities must not just be seen as an employment equity exercise to meet targets that will satisfy the labour department, but must be seen as a process that will also see senior experienced Indian, whites and coloured personnel given promotion as well,” Pillay said.

Pillay argued it was unfair and “outrageous” for applicants to have to speak two official languages.

SA Police Union president, Mpho Kwinika, said on Sunday it was worrying that most of the new recruits were black, and that a special appeal had to be made to minority groups.

“In our previous intake, we did not attract these groups. We do not know the reasons for them not applying,” Kwinika said.

“At police colleges we find more black and coloured people. When I went to Pretoria West (SAPS) college, I could count not more than 10 white student constables,” he said.

“Many of the whites are in the security industry because it is booming. Or we have to ask ourselves if they have lost hope (wanting) to work for the SAPS.

“Maybe other race groups have given up because of the EEA where most black people are preferred in other jobs as well,” Kwinika said.

“We want an intelligent police service. So in calling these groups, they (police) must maintain the standard.”

New recruits sign a 24-month contract and undergo 12 months of training in the police academy and a police station. Trainees earn R3 175 a month and are provided with free meals and accommodation. Once they pass they become constables and earn R10 307 a month, including benefits.

Daily News

The families of the eight would-be officers who died during or after the RTI’s shambolic recruitment fitness tests nearly two years ago are yet to be compensated.

Durban -

Nearly two years have passed since eight would-be officers died during or after the Road Traffic Inspectorate’s shambolic recruitment fitness tests, and the process to compensate their families and other victims of the tragedy has yet to be finalised.

Lenny Nxumalo is one of eight who died after taking part in a 4km fitness test run at the Harry Gwala stadium in Pietermaritzburg in December 2012.

His father, Joseph Nxumalo, said life had been difficult since his son’s death.

Lenny was the family’s sole breadwinner and had two children. He was also taking care of his sisters’ three children.

“Since his death, life came to a standstill here at home. I battle to provide food for these children and our lives are falling apart.

“I’m heartbroken. In one of the numerous meetings we had with officials, government (KZN Transport Department) had requested an eight-week period, promising to return to us. I think we have passed that period now and no word.

Another victim of the December 27 and 28 fitness test was Sanele Ngcobo, found outside the stadium in what may have been a suicide, with a 13cm wound across his neck.

Sanele’s aunt, Thembi, said the University of Zululand student had

left behind a three-month old son when he died.

She said the department had also requested eight weeks’ grace from her while they tried to settle the matter.

“We agreed on that request with the hope that by then we would bring the matter to finality, but until now we have not heard from them (department). Life has been a nightmare after his death,” the aunt said.

In 2012, the department had advertised traffic officer posts and in December recruits had to undergo fitness tests. As a result of the deaths, a commission of inquiry was set up in March last year.

After more than four months the commission found that the department was to blame for the deaths.

In August this year Premier Senzo Mchunu and MEC Willies Mchunu met the families of the deceased and the injured to hand them the report of the commission.

Snippets of the report made available to the media revealed that the commission recommended disciplinary action against the officials involved in preparations for the test.

It recommended the injured be paid R10 000 in compensation while the amount to be paid to the families of the deceased was kept under wraps.

The commission found that proper measures were not put in place when the test was arranged. It also found that 40 700 applicants were invited to the exercise at the stadium.

This number translates to exceeding the stadium capacity by 7 350 on each of the two days of the exercise.

Premier Mchunu, when approached for comment, referred the Daily News to the transport department saying “they are handling the matter”.

Department MEC Mchunu could not be reached for comment by the time of publication. His spokesman, Kwanele Ncalane, denied there had been an agreement that the department would make contact with the families within eight weeks.

Daily News

Vandals have damaged and stolen parts of the Westville nativity scene - even a wired-down doll depicting baby Jesus.

Durban - Vandals have damaged and stolen parts of the Westville nativity scene – even a wired-down doll depicting baby Jesus, leaving only its ripped arm behind.

The Christmas display, put together by organisations and volunteers two weeks ago at the intersection of Buckingham Terrace and Attercliffe Road, was damaged on Saturday. Helen Canon, who has overseen the project for nine years, sent out a strongly worded message on the Upper Highway Facebook page.

“To the hooligans who stole baby Jesus and a sheep, you are really not funny or clever at all! What pleasure do you get from trashing your own neighbourhood? Please do the right thing and return them.

“Please (parents) ask your teenagers if they have any information,” she wrote.

The display includes a stable, lighting, props and mannequins.

This year’s organiser, Jennifer Strachan, yesterday repaired the cow’s tail, which had been ripped off, replaced the shepherd’s cloak as well as the baby Jesus doll.

“I have looked all around the area... can’t seem to find the stolen items. Baby Jesus was tied down in the crib with wire. The person pulled it out and left his arm tied to the crib,” she said.

“The sheep was also tied to the stable with wire. Obviously not tied down enough.”

Other damage includes the removal of Joseph’s beard and theft of one of the shepherd’s cloaks. Vandals had also punched holes in the roof and broken the cow’s horn. The cow’s tail was found nearby and repaired.

“We need fibreglass to repair the donkey’s head and camel,” Strachan said.

She said it was not the first time this had happened and it probably would not be the last.

In this “crazy time of year” with increased crime and bad tempers, she said it was up to everyone else to stand firm, and be the light for others who desperately needed it

.

Daily News

The death toll in reported road accidents countrywide since Sunday has reached 25.

Johannesburg -The death toll in reported road accidents countrywide since Sunday has reached 25.
In Mpumalanga, four people, including a baby, were killed when two vehicles collided on the R37 near Nelspruit on Monday.
The accident happened when one vehicle overtook another, said ER24 spokesman Pieter Rossouw.
“When ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene, they found extremely damaged vehicles on both sides of the road.”
“In addition to the fatalities, three other people sustained injuries.”
Four men died when two bakkies collided on the N11 outside Ladysmith, in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
“Paramedics from KZN emergency medical services and a private ambulance service have treated three other patients on the scene. One of the patients is critically injured,” said provincial emergency services spokesman Robert Mckenzie.
The injured were taken to hospital in Ladysmith.
Another man died and two others were injured when their vehicle rolled in Waterfall, KwaZulu-Natal.
“It is believed the driver lost control of the vehicle. It rolled several times and all three occupants were ejected from the vehicle,” said ER24 spokeswoman Chitra Bodasing.
One of the passengers was declared dead on the scene, another sustained critical injuries and the driver sustained moderate injuries.
“Paramedics treated and transported the patients to hospital,” said Bodasing.
In Pietermaritzburg a man died when he was thrown from his vehicle on Ottos Bluff Road.
“ER24 paramedics attended to the scene and on arrival found a vehicle about five metres off the road and on its side,” said Bodasing.
“Paramedics could see where the driver of the vehicle drove through a fence. The man was ejected from the vehicle. Paramedics found him lying close to the roof of the vehicle.”
Paramedics were notified after a farmer came across the accident  while driving through the area.
Earlier in Soweto four men were found dead inside a car in what appeared to have been an accident in Snake Park in Dobsonville.
Warrant Officer Kay Makhubela said the four were found trapped inside a car on Sunday.
“It appears the car hit rocks before it crashed into a tree,” he  said.
“They were declared dead at the scene. It is not clear what caused the car to hit a tree, we have opened a culpable homicide case.”
Another man died in a head-on collision on Witkoppen Road in Bloubosrand, Johannesburg, ER24 paramedics said.
Spokesman Werner Vermaak said the man was found trapped in his Jeep on Sunday.
Fire-fighters used hydraulic equipment to free him from the wreckage.
“Sadly he sustained fatal injuries and there was nothing that paramedics could do for him,” Vermaak said.
The driver of the other vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, sustained moderate injuries.
Ten people were killed on the N1 between Leeu Gamka and Beaufort  West in the Western Cape on Sunday.
“Two people were killed in a light delivery vehicle, while another eight people were killed in a minibus taxi during the collision,” said transport MEC Donald Grant.
He said eight other people sustained minor to serious injuries.
“The cause of the crash is not yet known, but early indications suggest that fatigue may have played a role in this horrific crash.” - Sapa

Parents who were forced to move provinces or towns at short notice, when school admissions had already been finalised, would have their children accommodated.

Durban - Parents who were forced to move provinces or towns at short notice, when school admissions had already been finalised, would have their children accommodated.

However, securing a place at the first choice of school was not a guarantee, education officials and governing body associations said on Monday.

Many schools did set aside a few places each year to cater for such emergencies, and provincial education departments did have the obligation of ensuring that every child was placed in a classroom.

“Approach the school you want your child to be enrolled at, and if you aren’t able to get in, approach the provincial education department,” said Tim Gordon, the head of the Governing Body Foundation.

“If the school closest to you can’t take your child, go to the next closest, and try there as well.”

He stressed that both parents and schools needed to be reasonable, and that a parent who was sensible in their approach had a much better chance of securing a place than one who was “demanding or belligerent”.

“In the end, if your child has no place at all, and is still of compulsory school-going age, the department has a constitutional obligation to place the child somehow and somewhere. It is very seldom that a school is genuinely so full that it can’t take just one more child,” he said.

“However, parents must understand that the chances of getting into the most popular schools in the province are usually much smaller.

“These schools are likely to have a number of children who applied on time still on the waiting list, which certainly complicates the issue,” he said.

Paul Colditz, the head of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools, said that schools belonging to the organisation were advised to keep one or two spaces open per grade.

As soon as parents became aware of the possibility of relocating, they should contact schools in the area to where they would be moving.

“Certain schools being full is a problem, because of the huge difference between the number of functional and dysfunctional schools,” Colditz said.

He suggested that parents who were unable to finalise a lease agreement or offer to purchase property at short notice should consider keeping their child at their present school for a little longer, while get their name on to the waiting list.

The national and KwaZulu-Natal education departments have committed their various district offices to helping parents who were battling.

“There is no negotiation; all they need to do is to approach the district office of the area and ask for assistance when schools open.

“The district office will determine, based on available spaces, where the learner should be accommodated,” said Basic Education Department spokesman Elijah Mhlanga.

The Mercury

Twelve Thai women, who police alleged worked as prostitutes from a Durban North property, have pleaded guilty to keeping a brothel.

Twelve Thai women, who police say worked as prostitutes from a Durban North property, have pleaded guilty to keeping a brothel and immigration offences and have been ordered to return home.

In their guilty pleas in the Durban Regional Court on Monday, which were all similar, they said they had heard South Africa was a “nice place” where the people were friendly and where they would be regarded as “exotic”.

“In Thailand, most young women work as massage therapists or in the sex industry providing sexual services for money. As a result, many women travel to other countries where they can make decent money,” they said in their pleas.

They said they lived “as a family” at the Grosvenor Crescent property where they offered “massage services”.

They said they were aware that some of them were also paid for sex.

“They did this because they received extra money from clients in the form of tips and the clients came more regularly, which meant more money was made,” the pleas said.

From the money they earned, each woman paid R700 towards rent and R100 towards a common pool for other expenses. They admitted that since their money was pooled, they had illegally benefited from these illicit funds.

Two of the women, Wanna Sawusphol and Paweena Kongprateep, also admitted to one count of prostitution each and to accepting R500 and R1 000 respectively for sex.

All admitted that they had stayed in the country illegally when their permits expired.

A 13th woman, Mintra Tungrosanasombud, who was arrested at the property when she went there to deliver food, pleaded guilty to remaining in South Africa without a valid permit.

The women were arrested during a raid on November 6 by a provincial task team comprising the Hawks and Home Affairs officials, and members of the Asset Forfeiture Unit.

They have been in custody since their arrests.

Magistrate Fariedha Mohamed handed down a sentence of three years in prison, which was suspended for five years, to all the women on condition that they were not found guilty of similar offences in the period of suspension. They were also warned to leave the country before January 7.

Leon Barnard, who police alleged managed the brothel and rented the property, and his common-law wife, Nittaya Norisan, did not plead and their case was adjourned for further police investigations.

Attorney Ridewaan Sayed, who acted for the women, Barnard and Norisan, said they would return to Thailand this week at their own expense.

“They have also paid the expenses related to Home Affairs arranging for their departure.”

The women said they had made contact with Norisan while in Thailand and then arrived in the country to stay at the house.

Barnard and Norisan, who are out on bail, will appear in court in January.

The Mercury

Bruce Galloway, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances and was later found, is at odds with his former business partner.

Durban - Durban businessman Bruce Galloway, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances last year and was later found in Kloof Gorge, is at odds with his former business partner over money both men say they are owed.

Galloway, who said he was abducted from his home by armed robbers last July, was found three days later on a ledge in the gorge less than 5km from his home.

Although his version of events were the subject of online rumours and media reports, police ruled out foul play and were satisfied Galloway did not fake his abduction.

Yesterday Galloway brought an application for summary judgment in the Durban High Court claiming his former business partner, Boniface Ndokweni, owed him and his companies more than R1 million. But Ndokweni said in his opposing affidavit that a forensic investigation revealed that Galloway had been unable to account for R2.4m from the business and would be making a counterclaim.

According to court papers, Ndokweni and Galloway agreed in 2011 to run a Nongoma Spar through Castlehill Trading.

Galloway claimed that he, representing Waykim Management Services, and Ndokweni had an agreement in which Waykim would carry out financial administration, bookkeeping and accounting services for Castlehill Trading and would be paid 1 percent of the company’s monthly turnover.

Later the work being done by Waykim was taken over by G and M Investment Group, another company associated with Galloway.

It is alleged that Waykim loaned money to or made payments for Castlehill Trading and was owed R412 760. G and M was allegedly not paid for its services and was owed about R197 000.

Galloway said he also loaned money to the business and was personally owed R930 000.

He said it was agreed in July last year that the Nongoma Spar would be bought back by the Spar Group for about R2m.

Galloway said it was also agreed that he, and the companies he represented, would be paid what was owed from the proceeds of the sale with the remainder going to Ndokweni – but this did not happen.

The money is currently being held in the trust account of Ndokweni’s attorney.

In his papers, Ndokweni said he was involved in the daily running of the Spar while Galloway took control of Castlehill’s financial affairs.

He accused Galloway of mismanaging the finances, forcing him to sell the franchise to Spar.

“It later turned out that, behind my back, the first applicant (Galloway) had increased its (Castlehill) liabilities to an extent that impeded the further trading of the Spar.”

He said a forensic audit revealed that there was R2.4m which was unaccounted for but, he believed, that amount could be larger.

“I believe the counterclaim of the second respondent (Castlehill) and I could be much larger due to loss of profit, opportunity and income. I believe this sum will exceed the amounts that are being claimed by the applicants (Galloway and the companies).”

Ndokweni denied signing an agreement for Waykim to carry out work for Castlehill or that he verbally agreed to a similar arrangement with G and M.

He also denied that the companies had the authority to pay loans to Castlehill.

“I have made several requests to the first applicant (Galloway) to furnish details of the purported claims and he has not. Until such disclosures are made and a proper investigation is done, I dispute that the applicants have any claim against the second respondent (Castlehill).

Judge Peter Olsen granted an order adjourning the matter to the trial roll.

The Mercury

“There are individuals with an agenda to topple me”, says KZN police commissioner Major-General Mmamonnye Ngobeni.

KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Major-General Mmamonnye Ngobeni is not moved by her “detractors” who want her out.

Ngobeni, in an interview, was reluctant to talk about the calls for her ousting as the provincial top cop, and allegations around who had paid for her husband’s birthday.

“This matter, I’m made to understand, is still under investigation. There are individuals with an agenda to topple me so until such time that the investigation is concluded, I cannot provide a detailed comment on the matter.

“People had positioned themselves for the provincial police commissioner’s job, hence the attempts to drag my name through the mud. But unfortunately, the same position will be available after five years,” said Ngobeni in her office at the police headquarters.

She said her contract, which expired in September, was renewed on November 1.

Her troubles date back to when she testified before the Moloi Commission in May, 2012.

The inquiry sought to establish whether Bheki Cele, when he was national police commissioner, was fit to hold office. Cele had been suspended by President Jacob Zuma the previous year following two damning reports by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela on his alleged flouting of tender processes in two lease deals worth R1.6-billion.

In the wake of the release of the Moloi report into the Cele matter, the Daily News’s sister paper, Sunday Tribune, reported that DA police spokeswoman, Dianne Kohler Barnard, alleged that Ngobeni’s husband’s birthday party, in 2011, was paid for by “a businessman” who had previously been arrested twice.

It later emerged that the “businessman” was Thoshan Panday.

The Hawks then undertook to investigate Ngobeni, but later dropped the probe because there were no prospects of a successful criminal case against the commissioner.

In the Moloi report, Ngobeni and another senior police officer were criticised for allegedly misleading the board in their testimony during hearings to determine Cele’s fitness to hold office.

Asked to comment on the report at the time, Ngobeni reportedly said she had not seen it and had no comment.

During the Daily News interview, Ngobeni said she did not know Panday until after the allegations that he had paid for her husband’s birthday party.

She said the company that organised the party was paid for its services.

“I have been investigated three times about my husband’s party matter, and nothing was found against me. I’m disappointed with the way people would try everything to get what they want.

“I have a certificate from the public prosecutor indicating that the prosecutor declined to prosecute because there was no case against me, but individuals with ulterior motives continue to pursue the matter,” she said.

Surprise

Ngobeni explained that she had planned to throw a surprise birthday party for her husband, and because her involvement would spoil the surprise, she asked her team in her office to arrange the party.

“They (the team) went through the list of service providers and Panday’s company was selected to handle the party. I only knew Panday after the allegations that he had paid for the event. He (Panday) never paid for the event. He was paid for his service and I have an invoice to prove that. At the right time, the truth will come out,” she said.

She said those who disregarded the public prosecutor’s ruling that there was no case against her were undermining the justice system.

“Shrien Dewani was label-led a murderer for his wife Anni’s death, but justice found there was no case against him, yet people complained. No one is above the law and we need to respect the system,” she said.

Contacted yesterday, Panday took a swipe at the media for “haunting” Ngobeni.

“Why can’t you leave a black woman in power to do her job? Why don’t you haunt the white men in high positions?”

Daily News