Category: #africanews

The family of one of the two women that were killed at an industrial site in Polokwane, Limpopo, on Saturday says the manner in which they died is shocking.

Aviation finance consultant at Investec Makoena Mabusela and businesswomen Tebogo Mphuti were shot and killed in what police suspect to be a hit.

The two were reportedly targeted inside a luxury vehicle while on a business trip from Midrand in Gauteng.

#sapsLIM Two women shot and killed by 3 suspects this morning. Fourth suspect was in a getaway car, a red Hyundai sedan with GP registration. Contact Brig Espach on 082 576 0743/ Lt Col Boshomane 079 894 5501/ #Crime Stop 08600 10111. NPhttps://t.co/budQeEh1SV pic.twitter.com/iYO31yBAZh

— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) October 10, 2020

Mabusela family spokesperson Mmakgabo Ramotshwela says they will not rest until justice is served.

“She died like a criminal, or like a gangster or whatever and she was a decent and respectful young woman. She is leaving behind the husband, a very good husband. She is leaving behind five children, two girls and three boys. We just want them to get the criminals, put them through the justice system and we get justice.”

Victims shot execution-style

The two ladies arrived in Polokwane on Friday night and booked themselves in a lodging facility.

They met with a property agent on Saturday morning, who took them to view a few buildings.

While at one building still in the car, three men approached them and without saying anything, opened the driver’s door and allegedly shot the two ladies dead.

Police say the three suspects then got into a getaway car which was waiting for them a few metres away.

A manhunt for the suspects is still underway.

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Another farm attack has been reported in the Free State. Thirty-one-year-old Andries Myburgh was attacked at his farm in Koffiefontein, near Bloemfontein.

Police spokesperson Motantsi Makhele says Myburgh was having lunch when he smelled something burning outside.

When he went to investigate he was hit on the head with an object.

Makhele says one of the attackers stabbed Myburgh with a knife and another doused him with petrol and set him alight.

“The victim managed to pull his firearm and the suspect fled. He fired a number of shots in the direction of the suspects and whilst firing he realized that he’s on fire and he jumped into the swimming pool. The two suspects fled on foot. ”

“The complainant alerted the police and neighbours. One suspect was identified as big approximately two metres tall. Wearing green overall trousers and a light blue shirt. The other one had a blue overall suit. Both suspects are unknown to the complaint,” he adds.

“The complaint had no serious injuries and was attended by medical personnel. Anyone with information is requested to phone the police at crime stop number 08600 10111 or report [the matter] at the nearest police station,” explains Makhele.

In the video below, a farm attack case has been postponed at Bronkhorstspruit court:

Last week, farmers in the Free State called for the return of the death penalty. The calls follow the murder of 21-year-old farm manager Brandon Horner in Paul Roux.

He was found with a rope around his neck and tied to a pole.

Two suspects charged with his murder made a brief appearance in the Senekal Magistrate’s Court.

In the video below, farmers in the Free State call for the return of the death penalty:

Meanwhile, the Senekal Magistrate’s Court in the Free State has denied bail to 51-year-old Andre Pienaar who is facing charges of attempted murder, malicious damage to property, and public violence.

The matter has been remanded until November 20 for further investigations.

Pienaar was arrested last week, following violence in which a group of farmers stormed the court building to demand that two suspects charged with the murder of 21-year-old farm manager Brendin Horner be handed over to them.

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Lawyer and activist advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi says the government has continued to send out what he terms mixed and confusing messages in the way it plans to implement its land reform programme.

At the weekend government laid out conditions under which land would be expropriated without compensation.

It says a new Bill submitted to Parliament will pass constitutional muster and reassure investors who are concerned about property rights.

Government says its aim is to enact legislation that would facilitate the confiscation of land without reimbursement in cases which it is unused, abandoned or poses a safety risk.

Ngcukaitobi explains why he thinks the government’s decisions lack clarity.

“On the one hand the government says that the Constitution does not make provision for the expropriation of land without compensation and therefore it’s necessary to amend the constitution to make that possible. On the other hand, they accept that the Constitution permits expropriation without compensation and that is why they wanted the Expropriation Act.”

The video below is Adv Ngcukaitobi’s interview on Morning Live:

“The reason is lack of policy co-ordination within the state and I use the state in broad terms because I’m quite aware that the process of amending the Constitution is being undertaken by Parliament and not by the executive,” explains Ngcukaitobi.

The suggested Expropriation Bill of 2020 has been gazetted and submitted to Parliament for consideration.

A member of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Land Reform, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Patricia de Lille, says South Africans will have an opportunity to participate as Parliament considers, debates and consults on the Bill.

“The Constitution provides that compensation for expropriation must be “just and equitable” having regard to all relevant circumstances. the bill outlines circumstances when it may be just and equitable for nil compensation to be paid. She added it does not prescribe that nil compensation will be paid in these circumstances. The Bill provides that the amount of compensation will be determined by the courts.”

Tensions in rural areas

Earlier, Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza, announced that a task team will be set up to investigate growing tensions in rural areas, saying the Interministerial Committee on Land Reform is concerned about the violent crimes taking place in South Africa’s rural areas and the impact it has on the agricultural sector.

“The issue that the IMC resolved on the task team is because beyond just ordinary crimes. In the meeting that Minister Bheki Cele had in New Castle area where there was an imbizo that included farm workers, farmers, communities, some of the issues that was raised as matters that increase tension among those communities related to land issues and stock being kept.”

Part 2 of Adv Ngcukaitobi’s interview on Morning Live:

-Additional reporting by Liela Magnus

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A witness broke down in tears at the North West High Court, when relating the incidents that led to the death of his police colleagues, three days before the 2012 Marikana massacre. Abraham Masinya, who was a video operator for the Public Order Police Unit related to the court the incidents that led to the hacking of his colleagues Sello Lepaku and Tsietsi Monene.

Three mineworkers were also killed in those squabbles that broke out between police and striking Lonmin employees near the mine’s Karee Shaft.

Masinya says warrant officers Monene and Lepaku were hacked to death with pangas and spears in Marikana.

Warrant officer Solomon Baloyi who got injured in the process was air-lifted to hospital as he sustained serious stab wounds during the killings.

All in all, five people were killed on that fateful day. The mineworkers had just had a heated argument with the police, led by the former North West Deputy Police Commissioner, William Mpembe.

Mpembe at that time was pleading with the striking Lonmin mineworkers to hand over the weapons they were carrying. The striking mineworkers said then, that they had the weapons for self defence.

In court, Masinya said he could not record all the events of that day. Masinya who was based at the public order police unit in Rustenburg during the killings said his video camera had stopped recording as he could not stand and watch his colleagues being killed in that manner.

The trial continues on Wednesday, with Masinya expected to be cross-examined by the defence lawyers. Mpembe and his five co-accused are facing the murder, attempted murder, and defeating the ends of justice charges.

The state argues that Mpembe gave instruction that police fire stun grenades and teargas to disperse the striking mineworkers on that day, leading to the clashes.

It has been 8 years since the massacre:

Author: Sylvester Serame

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Farmers in the Eastern Free State say they lose over a million rand a month due to stock theft. This was raised during their meeting with Police Minister Bheki Cele and State Security Minister, Ayanda Dlodlo, today.

The meeting was an attempt to quell tensions in the area following a violent protest that erupted in Senekal last week after two men made a brief appearance for the murder of 21-year-old farm manager Brendin Horner. The Ministers also visited Horner’s family.

The farming community has pleaded with ministers to make crimes against the community a priority. Chairperson of Rural Safety in the Eastern Free State, Herkie Viljoen says for years the farming community has been asking for assistance from government.

“We lose about R1.5 million per month due to stock theft. We have been struggling for a long time regarding this. We have been begging for help but we got nowhere. We are appreciate that the minister was here today I think he heard it is unfortunate that this come only after a young man’s life was lost.”

Grain SA’s representative in Paul Roux, Fanie Mashinini, says farmers have suffered a lot.

“We are struggling; there have been too much criminal activities in the farms. We just want justice to be served.”

Horner’s killers will face the music

Addressing the farm community, the Ministers stressed that those responsible for Horner’s murder will be brought to book.

Minister Dlodlo says the matter will be handled by the crime prevention and security cluster.

“We visited the family and we told them we will make sure that all is done to address this issue at hand.”

Minister Cele raised concerning over the fact that the two men accused of Horner’s murder have previously been arrested 16 and two times respectively for stock theft.

The farming community has on the other hand given Minister Cele three weeks to address farm attacks and stock theft in the area.

Meanwhile, 51-year-old Andre Pienaar who was arrested a group of demonstrators stormed the court building when the suspects in Horner’s murder appeared in court, has been remanded in custody until November 20.

He is facing charges of attempted murder, malicious damage to property and public violence.

SABC News’ Aphumelele Mdlalane elaborates on the case and the Ministers’ visit:

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