Western Cape police have appealed for help as they search for missing 8-year-old girl Jeneva Diergal, who was last seen playing outside a relative’s house in Klawer on the West Coast.
She disappeared on January 25 and since then, there has been no sight of the partially paralysed and mentally disabled girl.
The Pink Ladies organisation, which helps find missing children, indicated in a flyer that Jeneva may have left her 4-year-old cousin, who she had been playing with, to run in the direction of her mother and aunt as they were on their way to the shop. She disappeared afterwards.
She was last seen wearing a pink Barbie top with black leggings and she was barefoot.
“If you know the whereabouts of eight-year-old Jeneva Diergal of Klawer, kindly contact Captain Leon Matthys of Vredendal FCS on 082 334 8862, as she is being sought,” spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Andrè Traut urged.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) boss Robert McBride is taking his fight to keep his job to court.
McBride has filed an urgent application in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria asking the court to declare Police Minister Bheki Cele’s decision not to renew his appointment as IPID executive director “unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid”.
McBride’s term at IPID comes to an end on February 28 this year.
In a curt letter last week, dated January 24, Cele informed McBride that he had forwarded his decision not to renew McBride’s contract, to Parliament for consideration.
But in his affidavit filed at the High Court on Tuesday, McBride stated that the decision was not one that the minister was empowered to take.
He said the decision must be taken by the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Police, being the parliamentary committee responsible for appointing the executive.
“By purporting to exercise this power, the minister has undermined the independence of IPID. The minister has also contravened Section 6(3) of the IPID Act.
“Further, and in any event the minister’s decision is also unlawful in that he has failed to provide any reasons for his decision despite being called upon to do so. His decision is thus also unlawful for being irrational,” McBride said.
He also said the Portfolio Committee had thus far been prevented from taking the decision because of Cele’s conduct.
“The minister began by unilaterally taking the decision himself and allowing the portfolio committee to play his role,” he said.
“I emphasise that I accept that I have no right to have my appointment renewed, nor any guarantee that the employment contract will be renewed. However, I do have a right to have the decision regarding renewal taken lawfully by the body lawfully vested with this power – that is the portfolio committee – rather than the minister.”
Paul Morule, a preacher from Mahikeng claims that Coligny case witness Bonakele Pakisi had admitted to him he had lied and that he could no longer stay silent about it on January 19, 2019 in Coligny.
Pakisi, who is the only eyewitness in the infamous Coligny murder trial against two white men convicted for throwing a teenager from a bakkie, reportedly admitted to lying when he testified against Pieter Doorewaard, and Phillip Schutte, who were found guilty of the murder of Matlhomola Moshoeu in April 2017. (Elizabeth Sejake, Gallo Images, Netwerk24, file)
Former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi is expected to continue with his testimony at the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture in Johannesburg.
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Damning Agrizzi testimony resumes at state capture inquiry
Damning testimony by former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi at the state capture inquiry is set to continue on Monday.
Agrizzi has spent the last seven days at the Zondo commission giving testimony about how Bosasa allegedly paid millions of rand in bribes to top government officials in exchange for contracts.
Among those who have been implicated by Agrizzi is Gavin Watson, the CEO of Bosasa, whom he implicated as playing the central role in the alleged corruption.
The commission’s secretary Dr Khotso de Wee, former board chair of SAA Dudu Myeni, former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Minister of Environmental Affairs Nomvula Mokonyane, and former correctional services commissioner Linda Mti have also been implicated.
A once prosperous Karoo farmer has had to hire himself out to work on bigger farms after the crippling drought caused his annual turnover to drop from around R1.5m to R300 000 in three years.
Gottven Scheun, who has farmed sheep and Angora goats outside Beaufort West for 32 years, said the drought in his area was entering its sixth year.
“It’s the worst in living memory.”
To save money he has cancelled his life insurance policy, his medical aid and short-term insurance.
Eskom cut off his electricity after he was unable to pay the R10 000 to R12 000 monthly bill.
With the veld dead and the cost of feed high, Scheun has had to cut the size of his flock by 75% over the last few years.
‘It’s not easy’
He has not employed workers for two years as he could no longer pay them.
Now he is hiring himself out to work on farms less badly hit by the drought, where boreholes still produce water.
“We help each other out. Because my flock is so reduced there is not a full week’s work for me, so I physically go to work for some guys on bigger farms. That is a bit of income so I can put bread and butter on the table. I hire myself out. It is not easy,” Scheun said.
Most farmers were struggling on, but some had gone under.
“It’s so critical, some people have closed the gate and gone. Emerging farmers too, they said they can’t anymore and left.”
Beaufort West estate agent Ian Taylor said “quite a few” local farmers wanted to sell, but there were no buyers for farms.
“The market is dead.”
Facebook post indicating the extent of the drought in the Karoo. (Supplied)
Dean Gous of Agri Central Karoo said some drought-stricken farmers had so little cash flow that when fodder was donated from farmers upcountry, they could not afford the diesel to drive to Beaufort West to collect it.
“They can’t afford a telephone anymore, and now some are taking from their pension money. We’ve had bad droughts before, but never as long as this.”
Gous said Karoo farmers had two options: to sell the bulk of their flock to regions not as badly hit by drought or to send them to the abattoirs for slaughter.
Falling sheep prices
But the price abattoirs pay for sheep has dropped to such an extent that selling them is not economical.
“It went down to R70 a kilogram, and now it’s gone down to R56 a kilogram – and from that they still subtract money for slaughter fees.
“But the consumer is not getting that cut in the meat price. In Cape Town the consumer pays about R180 a kilogram. Somebody is making a killing, and it’s not the farmers.”
This week lamb loin chops in a Cape Town Pick n Pay cost R184.99 a kilogram.
Gous said the average rainfall for the region was 266mm from September to March. From September last year to date, the central Karoo had got only 16mm.
Although it got 150mm last summer, this had fallen in very small amounts throughout the season.
“It was 2mm here, 3mm there. You need a good 60mm rain in one go to get the grass and veld to grow, and then small follow-ups. That didn’t happen.”
Eskom bills
Another heavy cost to farmers is electricity as Eskom charges them a “fixed cost” in addition to the cost of the electricity they use. They say the fixed cost makes up 52% of their Eskom bills.
Most farmers need electricity to drive the deep borehole pumps.
Farmer Johnny Theunissen said the fixed cost was to pay for the cost of the electricity lines and connection to Eskom until this was paid off.
“But that should have been paid off 20 or 25 years ago, and we are still paying. Guys can’t pay their Eskom bills and so they’re cut off and can’t run their borehole pumps. We’ve asked Eskom and we’ve asked organised agriculture to cut this fixed cost, but they keep shifting the goal posts,” Theunissen said.
However, Eskom said it was a misconception that farmers had paid off the fixed costs over the years.
It said only a small portion of the capital cost of rural lines was covered by the upfront connection charges and the rest had to come from tariffs and cross-subsidies. The charges also did not cover the cost of operating and maintenance.
“If we don’t recover it from the customer, someone else has to pay for it. Already large industry customers contribute a very large amount to these rural subsidies,” Eskom said.
Dried up boreholes
In Beaufort West 18 of the town’s 40 supply boreholes have dried up as the water table drops.
Hein Rust, disaster manager of the Central Karoo District Municipality, said the sewage reclamation plant was delivering about a million litres of water a day that bolstered the borehole supply.
It had a capacity to deliver 2.4 million litres a day, but because people had cut water consumption, the amount of sewage water feeding into the plant had dropped.
“Overall the situation is bad, but we do still have water in Beaufort West.”
Households have their water cut off for three hours a day, with one section of the town cut in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
Water supply is shut down at night between 19:00 and 06:00.
These measures are to allow the borehole water to accumulate in the reservoirs to a level where there is enough pressure to distribute it to the town.
“We’ve got 22 boreholes still delivering because they draw from different aquifers.”
Day Zero
Water is not cut off in hospitals, old age homes and businesses.
Asked if Beaufort West would have a Day Zero, when all boreholes ran dry, Rust said it was not easy to say.
“In Cape Town it was easy to tell because the water in the supply dams could be measured. With boreholes you can’t tell when Day Zero will be.”
On Saturday, 18-year-old Sharon-Lee Williams registered to vote for the first time.
For others in her position, this would usually be a rather nondescript, bureaucratic event, to be sorted out in a few minutes. But Williams found herself in the midst of the DA’s campaign maelstrom.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane, DA provincial leader Bonginkosi Madikizela, candidate for the Western Cape premiership Alan Winde, DA MP and spokesperson on corruption Phumzile van Damme, DA Women’s Network chairperson Nomafrench Mbombo, DA Western Cape deputy leader and MEC Albert Fritz and election campaign spokesperson on youth Luyolo Mphithi, together with their media staff and other DA-supporters – altogether about 22 people in DA-blue – descended on Williams’ house in 7th Avenue, Eastridge, Mitchells Plain, with the media in tow.
Unfazed in the sudden glare of the media spotlight, and with Maimane’s arm around her slender shoulders, Williams told the media she finds everything rather exciting and that she is looking forward to registering to vote for the very first time.
“I also want to motivate the other youngsters, it is your future, so make a choice,” she said, with Van Damme nodding in agreement beside her.
She said the most important thing government can do, is to create jobs for young people.
After graduating high school in 2017, Williams spent last year at the Chrysalis Academy, a non-profit organisation mainly funded by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Community Safety, the very same the department where she is currently doing an internship. Next year she will apply to become a law enforcement officer.
The entourage left her home on foot for the voting station – the Mitchells Plain library. As they left, some of the blue-T-shirted members of the group started chanting: “We are? DA! We are? DA!”
After the last chant, a young girl from a neighbouring house blurted out, much to the amusement of journalists within earshot: “We are? ANC!”
Passing through a market area, Maimane was often stopped by people who wanted their picture taken with him.
However, the adulation wasn’t universal.
“The DA is robbing the people. They give houses to the black people,” a man said as the entourage passed him by.
“EFF!” a young man shouted.
“Waar’s die joppe wat julle ge-promise het?[ Where are the jobs you promised?]” another man shouted, seemingly annoyed. “Julle is ‘n klomp skelms, man! [You’re a bunch of crooks, man!]”
“Dis Helen se mense [These are Helen Zille’s people],” said a fruit vendor as the blue entourage passed him by.
“Hey DA! Where’s the sweaters, man?” asked a man with an imposing grey beard.
“Daai’s Mmusi Maimane, nè [That’s Mmusi Maimane, right]?” one man said to another.
At the voting station, Maimane went in with Williams, introduced himself as “Mmusi” to the attending Electoral Commission staff, and explained that he was accompanying Williams as she registered to vote for the first time.
Within minutes, a smiling Williams was registered.
“I’m very excited, I’m feeling happy,” she said to the media outside the library.
“I thought it was going to be a really long process, but it was really quick and easy. It went really fast,” she said.
Maimane said it was special to share the day with Williams. “She encouraging all her friends, all young people, let’s get out there, let’s vote to build one South Africa for all,” Maimane said.
While the DA congregated in front of the library’s entrance, a stern official of the Electoral Commission asked them to move to the side. They went to the DA’s stall a few metres away, for more photos or videos and singing.
Not far away was a lone, elderly woman in an ANC T-shirt. While the DA sang, she chanted “ANC!”. Winde went over to her, and she said her name is Eleanor Buthelezi and she will vote ANC until she dies. Winde said she is nevertheless welcome to a cup of tea at the DA’s stall.
A smile spread across his face as he noticed a brown envelope behind Buthelezi’s chair. “Did Rasool give you that brown envelope?” he asked, with a hint of mischief in his voice.
A few steps away from the blue brigade Williams stood, in her black summer dress, when News24 approached her to ask what she makes of this whole hullaballoo.
“The encouragement was great. I’m thankful,” she said.
Asked if she believes voting will make a difference to her future, she said: “I believe so, yes.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa won’t act yet against officials linked to wrongdoing, a die-hard UK fan inked his arm with Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach’s signature and Angola decriminalizes same-sex conduct.
Have a look at some of our top stories of the day:
President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he will wait for the outcomes of all judicial commission of inquiry to be finalised before deciding whether he should suspend government officials implicated in wrongdoing.
The Mokgoro commission of inquiry has heard that the North West Director of Public Prosecutions declined to prosecute suspended deputy prosecutions boss Nomgcobo Jiba for fraud and perjury.
Gwen Ngwenya, the DA’s head of policy, resigned after sending a blistering letter to party leader Mmusi Maimane. She describes a party seemingly in shambles, unable to take difficult decisions, writes Pieter du Toit.
Our members and leaders should be beyond reproach and should be the high moral standards through which society sets its own standards of morality, writes Ronald Lamola.
Human Rights Watch says the southern African nation of Angola has decriminalized same-sex activity and banned discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The family of André Hanekom, the 61-year-old South African man who died in custody in Mozambique on Monday, believes he was poisoned.
Hanekom died in the early hours of Wednesday in a hospital in Pemba ahead of his court appearance on terrorism charges in that country, which was scheduled for next week.
“We suspect he was poisoned,” Hanekom’s daughter Amanda told News24. “We need to confirm this by having blood tests done, but we first need to recover his remains.”
Amanda said the family feared Mozambique authorities would incinerate Hanekom’s body to “get rid of evidence”.
Hanekom, a business owner from Palma, who lived in Mozambique for 26 years, was first arrested in August 2018 in what initially appeared to have been a kidnapping.
He was allegedly abducted from the parking lot of the Amarula Hotel, just north of Palma, in August last year by four men who wore balaclavas.
‘Shot and kidnapped’
An AK-47 rifle was reportedly used to shoot him and he was driven off in a brown Land Cruiser which had the word “Safari” printed on its side.
However, authorities later said Hanekom had been arrested, not kidnapped, and that he had been facing “a number of charges”.
He had been in custody since.
“He was taken to hospital in a critical condition and admitted to ICU (Intensive Care Unit) on Friday. My mother, Francis, was allowed to visit him and said he was recovering well. [On Tuesday] he was able to sit upright and use his muscles, but [on Wednesday] he passed away.
“Hospital staff told my mother that my dad was struggling to breathe [on Wednesday morning]. How can that be, since he was getting better?”
The Citizen reported that Francis said Hanekom had been diagnosed with pneumonia, but that she suspected poisoning because “he was bleeding under his skin, there was blood in his urine and on his stomach tube”.
She further said she had to hear about his death from friends some five hours after he had died.
Heartbroken
News24 could not get hold of Francis, but she sent this reporter a WhatsApp message on Wednesday saying: “My heart is broken. Maybe I could have fought harder. I feel so sorry for our children…”
Phillip Strydom, the chairperson of the Mozambique Foreign Business Chamber, confirmed the family’s suspicion that Hanekom may have been poisoned.
“We will be writing a letter to the high commissioner to request that Hanekom’s remains be brought to South Africa for an autopsy,” Strydom told News24 on Thursday.
“If he was found to have been poisoned, we will push for this to be investigated by the attorney-general. It could have serious political implications,” Strydom said.
According to Strydom, poisoning is a commonly used method of “getting rid” of people in Mozambique.
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu directed High Commissioner to Mozambique Mandisi Mpahlwa to engage with authorities there to establish the cause of death, News24 reported on Wednesday.
Sisulu requested a feedback report, Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson Ndivhuwo Mabaya said.
Mabaya said the department was also engaging with the high commissioner to ensure that the family was assisted with obtaining the body.
“Most importantly, the minister also directed the high commissioner to engage with the authorities in Mozambique around this matter, so that we understand what has happened and what led to his death. As you are aware, the gentleman was in prison,” Mabaya said.
Mabaya said that the department would have more details surrounding Hanekom’s death and other arrangements in the coming days.
News24 previously reported that Hanekom and two Tanzanians were arrested on December 31, and were named by Mozambican authorities as allegedly being part of a jihadist group operating in the region. According to AFP, the group faced charges including murder and crimes against the state.
Allegedly, Hanekom had been responsible for the logistics of the group and was shot while trying to resist arrest in August. Weapons were reportedly found at his home.
His wife has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Hanekom’s family was left in the lurch many times as he was moved around, with them often not knowing where he was held and, when they located him, being denied access to him.
Court orders ‘ignored’
In addition, two court orders for his immediate release were issued but ignored by police, according to the family.
Strydom confirmed this, saying police in Mozambique may hold a person in custody for up to 60 days without them being charged.
A South African expat who had lived in Pemba for eight years, but who does not want to be named, told News24 that Hanekom was “anything but a terrorist. He was certainly not a jihadist.”
The man said the Pemba area was a smuggling hub for ivory, rubies and drugs, but could not confirm whether Hanekom was in any way involved.
“The oil and gas that were found in that region brought with it a lot of movement. You never know who is involved or what [Hanekom] was suspected of being involved with.”
Amanda’s sister Andrie previously told Netwerk24 that the family believed that influential people were misusing the Mozambican police, as they wanted to get their hands on Hanekom’s beach property in Palma, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
The family said they would continue their fight to clear Hanekom’s name.
Over the past fewweeksthe media has been grappling with how to cover the EFF’s controversial statements. The party’s leadership often make divisive, slanderous and factually incorrect statements at events the media attend. Do we allow them to say what they want, or do we limit our coverage of them? How can the media expose thisbehaviourwithout spreading the party’s offensive rhetoric at the same time?
Dr Glenda Daniels, associate professor in media studies at Wits University and SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) council member answered some of our questions.
GD: I have to say upfront that I, as a council member of Sanef, chair the subcommittee of ethics and diversity where we made decisions about the EFF at our last council meeting on Saturday.
The first and most important decision we made was to invite the EFF to meet with us. We did this. They then strung out some qualification based on race: yes, but not if we brought along that “white boy” [referring to Adriaan Basson, Sanef treasurer].
This is offensive. The next day they said they were too busy to meet – in fact, they are busy right up until elections.
We did the right thing by wanting to meet. Censorship is not the policy of Sanef. We are all busy, but their comments and vitriol on social media are serious enough to make the time to sit down and discuss.
