Category Archives: South African News

eNCA | At least one dead after car ploughs into pedestrians in Times Square

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NEW YORK – One person died and about 19 were injured when a speeding vehicle struck pedestrians on a sidewalk in New York’s Times Square on Thursday,

The driver of the vehicle — reported to have been a former member of the Navy — was arrested.

The car hit the pedestrians at the height of lunch hour at 45th Street and Broadway.

AFP

News24.com | Woman chases down mugger in hearse

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George – A Riversdale woman has told how she used a hearse to chase down a man who had snatched a pensioner’s purse.

The incident happened at about 15:30 on Monday afternoon near Avbob funeral services’ office in Riversdale, Netwerk24 reported.

Dihanna van Wyk, who works for Avbob, says she was in the office when she saw an elderly woman run up the street.

“The tannie was shouting and had her hands in the air. I saw someone run ahead of her.

“I could see that something was wrong and decided to drive there to see what was going on. At that stage, the only vehicle at the office was a hearse.”

Van Wyk jumped into the hearse and drove up to Cobie Ray, 72, a resident of the Huis Ou Meule by Droom retirement home.  Ray told Van Wyk that a man had snatched her purse.

Van Wyk drove further up the road, but didn’t see anything. “I saw two boys standing in front of a house and stopped to ask if they’d perhaps seen a man run past them. They had and I told one of them to get into the hearse and come along.”

At the old train station Van Wyk and the boy saw the alleged purse snatcher. He took the money out of the purse, threw it down and made a beeline to get away. Van Wyk picked up the purse and the boy set off after the thief. Another man came to their assistance, the thief was caught and pinned to the ground.  

Van Wyk, meanwhile, had driven to the police station. The police went back with her and arrested the alleged culprit. The money was also recovered and given back to Ray.

“The tannie was very grateful to get back her purse and money,” said Van Wyk.  

“I found her in the bank, where she wanted to stop her cards.”

eNCA | Date set for Zuma challenge of state capture report

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JOHANNESBURG – President Jacob Zuma’s challenge to the State of Capture report has been set down for three days in October.

Zuma indicated late last year that he would take the report by former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela on judicial review.

The report recommends that Zuma establish a commission of inquiry, but it must be headed by a judge selected by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.

READ: Zuma asks courts to set aside State of Capture report

The president maintains that the appointing of judges to head commissions is his prerogative.

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has yet to say whether she’ll oppose the challenge in the North Gauteng High Court.

In February, she said her office had sought legal advice to oppose the president’s application to review the report.

eNCA

News24.com | Car found at UCT linked to missing Free State engineer

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Cape Town – A car that was abandoned at the University of Cape Town belongs to a Free State man who has been missing since February.

Jacobus Kriel’s silver Toyota Prado had been in a parking lot at UCT for the past three months. His uncle Izak de Villiers identified it on Wednesday morning, Netwerk24 reported.

On Tuesday, a secretary at the university had asked Volksblad for help finding the car’s owner.

It was subsequently determined that the Prado, registration number FMD 616 FS, belonged to the 29-year-old Kriel, who was an electronic engineer. He was last seen near Reitz, Free State, on February 10.

The secretary, who asked to remain anonymous, said several workers had reported the car to the university’s traffic department, which reported it to police.

She said many of his personal items, including a laptop, two-way radio, and a packet of cigarettes were left in the car.

“It’s very strange and I cannot believe that no one misses this person.”

His mother, Mercia Kriel, 56, was relieved at the news.

“For months we had nothing. At least we have something to work with now.”

She said her son had left home on February 10 to explore South Africa. His cellphone had been off since February 11. The following day, R3 000 was withdrawn from his bank account in Carnarvon in the Northern Cape.

Kriel said they became worried when they did not hear anything from him on his birthday, March 31. They reported him missing to police.

“We gave him a chance and hoped he would make contact, like in the past. It is not in his nature at all. He always informs us what is happening in his life, no matter where in the world he finds himself.”

She said, after he returned from Thailand in November last year, he was ill and was diagnosed with bipolar mental disorder. He had, however, refused to accept the diagnosis.

“He has been using medication for a few months, but has stopped. We are not worried about his survival, but about his state of mind.”

Kriel said they remained hopeful that he would be found.

“After three months, anything could have happened, but we are still hopeful. We pray, believe and trust that our son will be found.”

eNCA | 25th miner pulled from disused mine shaft

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WELKOM – The bodies of 25 miners have been recovered from a Harmony Gold mine shaft in Welkom, Free State.

They are believed to have died in an explosion on Thursday last week.

The company suspects the blast was the result of illegal mining.

Harmony Gold Unlimited spokesperson Max Manoeli said on Wednesday: “Basically, the mine is no longer operating and was shut off. So how they got into the mine, it was breaking and entering, but because the mine is no longer operating it was a very unsafe practice that they did.”

READ: Seventy foreign ‘zama-zamas’ arrested in Welkom

Free State police spokesman Lerato Molale said they had found out about the bodies only on Monday, when they recovered 11 of them, Thirteen other had been retrieved on Tuesday and one on Wednesday.

The South African Federation of Trade Unions strongly rejected any attempt by Harmony, the owner of the mine, to dodge responsibility for the disaster on the grounds that those who died might have been illegal miners.

“They are referring to workers who were not employed by the company but who are so desperate for a livelihood that they will risk working in unused mine shafts,” a Saftu statement said.

“But these workers are no less human and deserving of respect than ‘legal’ employees. They have families and dependents and the same right to earn a living.

“‘Legal’ and ‘illegal’ workers are all victims of exploitation, either by the ‘legal’ mine owners or the ‘illegal’ dealers who buy and sell the gold extracted by the zama-zama miners,” the union federation said.

Saftu demanded that so-called illegal miners be legalised, trained and given the opportunity to work, with the same rights and conditions as other workers.

It reiterated its call for the nationalisation of the mining industry under democratic control by workers and local communities, and sent its condolences to the families of the deceased.

eNCA

24 hours of Nissan and Datsun in the Free State

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Nampo is not a word unfamiliar to me. As a student at NWU, my friends and I used to frequent this (then not-so-big) agri festival almost every year, funnily enough. For platsak students, it meant easy odd jobs and easy money, with a vetkoek and koeksister thrown in the mix.

This year, however, my trip to Nampo looked a little bit different. Firstly, I didn’t arrive in a 1989 light blue Toyota Corolla (don’t judge the student car), but instead, in a sexy all-new Nissan Navara. And secondly, I couldn’t find a koeksister…

I won’t go on about the new Navara too much since I think you already know how I feel about it. However, I felt right at home behind the wheel as we set off to Bothaville.

A trip in this rugged redefined 4×4 pickup – especially the automatic – truly is a dream. The ride is smooth and it was great to give it a go on a different terrain such as the wide-open spaces of North-West and Free State – without hitting a pothole I might add.

The Woodstock of the farming community

Bothaville is, if you don’t know, considered one of the top agricultural areas in South Africa. I couldn’t help but gasp at the amount of bakkies and trucks parked on the festival grounds. This agri fest has surely tripled in size since I last attended. It’s basically the Woodstock of the farming community – bakkies, trucks, tractors, and hundreds of other machines with wheels and engines as far as the eye could see. 70,000 visitors frequent this festival over a span of three days, to give you a better idea.

Driving straight past the festival grounds, we made our way to the airfield where we swapped our Navaras for some spunky Datsun GOs. Even though a little bit tin-like inside, the Datsun GO is small yet incredibly spacious. What also stood out was its impressive ground clearance. I love that it’s a simple, uncomplicated, nippy little car and such a fun drive!

Arriving at Nampo in our Datsun GOs, we were met by the Nissan team who escorted us to the stand where we were shown a remarkable display of the NP200, NP300 Hardbody, and the all-new Navara pickup range and related accessories.

Also on the stand, was a full-sized model of the Navara’s award-winning chassis. We could inspect the five-link coil-sprung independent rear suspension and the twin-turbo diesel engine, as well as see its design and operation. I’d rather not ask how they got that colossal thing there without a trace of a scratch or mark. Absolutely impeccable.

After seeing Nissan’s comprehensive vehicle accessory range and, more specifically, the fully accessorised Navara looking all cool and rugged, I was ready for an off-road trip to the bush.

According to Xavier Gobille, director of sales, marketing and aftersales at Nissan Group of Africa, the all-new Navara was launched with 67 different Africa-tested and approved accessories including cattle rails and heavy duty off-road replacement bumpers, to name but a few.

Cool classics

From here, we make our way to the Bothaville Nissan Museum where we met Freek de Kock and marvelled at his legendary collection of over 80 perfectly restored classic Datsun and Nissan cars and pickups. Also on display was an example of every generation of GT-R and Fairlady Z models to date.

A charter flight back to Lanseria took us over the festival grounds, just to show me the full extent of bakkies, trucks, and agricultural equipment from above… It’s truly a sight to see.

Nampo runs until Friday, 19 May 2017. For more go to www.grainsa.co.za. Find Nissan at stands 125 and 126 near the Nampo Hall.

P.S. Keep an eye out for a more detailed article on this incredible Datsun heritage museum in Bothaville!

[Updated at 10:30am on 18 May 2017]

Fin24.com | LIVE: Governance board suggested 10-year pension for Molefe – Ngubane

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2017-05-16 09:52

Eskom chairperson Ben Ngubane has hit back at former mineral resources minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi’s claims that he and CEO Brian Molefe pressured him to help the Guptas takeover Optimum.

LIVE NEWS FEED

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Last Updated at 15:27

14:08

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Molefe ‘retired’ to protect new wife from media frenzy – Eskom chair

Cape Town – Eskom CEO Brian Molefe asked chairperson Ben Ngubane if he could exercise his early retirement option to shield the woman he was about to marry from the media frenzy following the Public Protector’s State of Capture report in November 2016.

Ngubane shared this insight into Molefe’s thinking with media on the sidelines of the African Utility Week, after the Eskom CEO cancelled his opening address speech one day after resuming his role.

The Eskom chair said Molefe “was absolutely devastated” by the State of Capture report in November 2016. “He came to me and said he thinks he needs to exercise his early retirement option,” he said.

Ngubane said he tried to persuade Molefe that over the long period this will be disastrous for him. “He even told me that he was getting married soon and he couldn’t have his wife waking up every day to these funny things in the press,” said Ngubane.

“I told him that the board accepts that you want to exercise your early retirement option.”

Ngubane said it then became an administrative issue of the Eskom Pension Board. “We were not even aware of the quantum (R30m pension payout) that was involved.”

Molefe shed tears during a media conference last year when Eskom first addressed the Public Protector report, which implicated him with the sale of Optimum coal mine from Glencore to Gupta-owned Tegeta. Soon afterwards, he announced he was stepping down as CEO to clear his name.

12:51

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Eskom chair Ben Ngubane tells the story behind the Tegeta coal deal

Ngubane moving on to 2015 load shedding and sale of Optimum to Tegeta in his impromptu media briefing at #AUW2017:

“Do you realise that winter was coming and we still had load shedding? Then the quarrel with Optimum and Glencore surfaced, because Glencore wanted us to give an export price per tonne of coal, which then would have increased from R150 to more than R500 per tonne of coal. Then Brian said we can’t do that.  

“He (Molefe) was looking for an alternative because Optimum said it won’t provide a single ounce of coal to Hendrina Power Station. That would have meant that we would be losing 2000MW immediately. And it was going to be winter.  

“He (Molefe) did a lot of negotiations with Tegeta, which was the nearest mine to the power station. I am surprised when people say, ‘why was he speaking to Tegeta or Oakbay or whoever. He had to. And then indeed we did not have load shedding. 

“We had sufficient coal trucked in, brought in, and built up the stocks to more than a million tonnes of coal.       

“Now we are having another problem, because Treasury has not signed our coal purchase agreements.          

“And now we are in winter and winter is getting bitter. The people are using electricity like crazy – 34 000 MW.”        

12:42

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Ngubane on why Molefe wanted pension payout

Eskom chairperson Ben Ngubane on CEO Brian Molefe’s reaction to the damning Public Protector report on state capture and why he wanted to exercise his pension payout option:

“He (Molefe) was absolutely devastated. He came to me and said he thinks he needs to exercise his early retirement option.”

Ngubane said he tried to persuade Molefe that over the long period this will be disastrous for him.

“He even told me that he was getting married soon and he couldn’t have his wife waking up every day to these funny things in the press.

“I told him that the board accepts that you want to exercise your early retirement option.”

Ngubane said it then became an administrative issue of the Eskom Pension Board. “We were not even aware of the quantum (R30m pension payout) that was involved.”

12:31

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Ngubane explains R30m pension payout for Molefe

Eskom chairperson Ben Ngubane responding to CEO Brian Molefe’s R30 pension payout: “No, no (when asked if Brian Molefe held a gun to the Eskom board over the R30m pension payout). 

“When (Brian) Molefe came in 2015, there was a problem because we came with an understanding that he was going to be permanent. 

“After we had signed those contracts it came about (through Cabinet) that it can’t be permanent; it must be five years. 

“The losses that he would suffer because of that change came to the fore and our people in governance sat with him, recommended to the board (this is way back – 2015) that if we buy 10 years pension for him to compensate for the gap that we created in his pension when he retired in five years’ time.”

12:24

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Eskom chairperson Ben Ngubane on why Brian Molefe skipped #AUW2017: “He (Brian Molefe) was going to be here, but somehow he was called to Parliament for something. 

Asked if Brian Molefe would be embarrassed to open the African Utility Week, Ngubane laughed …”embarrassed!?” 

“He (Brian Molefe) is to start where he left off. It’s going to be for the good (of the people). He will make electricity affordable for the people.

“Our objective is to lower the cost of electricity in the country. (We will do this) by paying back the government guarantees, generating enough revenue, creating savings through efficiencies like the design to cost programme.  

“We are going to move forward.”

11:41

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Ngubane punts Eskom smart meter deal as Molefe skips conference

Cape Town – Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises Dikobe Ben Martins and Eskom chairperson Ben Ngubane said while South Africa has come a long way with electrifying the nation, key issues which require collaboration with the stakeholders attending the African Utility Week still need to be addressed.

Martins and Ngubane gave two keynote addresses at the opening of the power conference in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Ngubane announced that Eskom would become the first energy partner to endorse Huawei’s OpenLab in smart grid innovation. “The Huawei-Eskom collaboration will seek to develop the next-era of power internet of things, power cloud, transmission and distribution telecom and cyber security solutions, as well as advanced analytics for grid operations, in order to drive digital transformation in the industry,” he said.

Martins pointed to power outages in Africa reducing gross domestic product by 2% to 4% per year. He called on stakeholders at the conference to work together to find solutions to the power issues facing Africa and South Africa.

Eskom CEO Brian Molefe had been set to give the address, but Ngubane said he had been called away to tend to “urgent business”.

10:00

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Molefe cancels opening power conference

Cape Town – Eskom CEO Brian Molefe on Tuesday cancelled delivering a keynote address at the African Utility Week in Cape Town on Tuesday, a day after returning to his old job.

African Utility Week spokesperson Annemarie Roodbol told Fin24 that Eskom spokespeople had confirmed he would attend on Tuesday morning, but then there was a sudden change to the plans.

Eskom chairperson Ben Ngubane, who was set to speak after Molefe, will address the conference, as well as Public Enterprises Deputy Minister Dikobe Ben Martins.

The last-minute cancellation follows AmaBhungane’s expose on Tuesday, where former mining minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi alleged that Molefe and Ngubane pressurised him to help the Guptas takeover Glencore’s coal mine in 2016.

READ: Ramatlhodi spills beans on how Molefe ‘helped’ Guptas

It also follows mass resistance to Molefe’s return to Eskom, with the African National Congress seeking Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown to reverse her decision to reappoint Molefe and/or dissolve the Eskom board.  

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News24.com | AS IT HAPPENED: Van Breda’s neighbour heard ‘loud voices having an argument’

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We struggled with that, and also to check if he was pranking the line, asked for landmarks and surrounding streets to check he was calling where he was calling from. 

How did you think it was a prank? The way he sounded, Philander says. A normal reaction to home invasion or assault, person usually frantic, shouting, screaming, can’t recall contact numbers, confused.

eNCA | Trump defends ‘absolute right’ to share ‘facts’ with Russia

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WASHINGTON – Embattled US President Donald Trump insisted on Tuesday he had the right to share “facts” with Russia, one day after bombshell allegations that he divulged highly classified intelligence to Russian diplomats in the Oval Office.

According to an explosive report from the Washington Post, Trump revealed highly classified information on the Islamic State group during a meeting last week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Moscow’s man in Washington Sergey Kislyak.

In a shock twist, the information reportedly came from a US ally who had not authorised Washington to share it with Moscow, a potential blow to intelligence relationships based on trust that secrets will be kept.

“As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining to terrorism and airline flight safety,” Trump pushed back in an early morning tweet.

Trump wrote that he was motivated by “humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism.”

The US leader’s disclosure of classified information did not break the law, according to the national security blog Lawfare, but such revelations could expose sources and methods and “substantially harm” US intelligence gathering partnerships with foreign governments.

“This is perhaps the gravest allegation of presidential misconduct in the scandal-ridden four months of the Trump administration,” the blog said. “This story is likely to be immensely consequential.”

National Security Advisor HR McMaster denied the president revealed “intelligence sources or methods,” but acknowledged that Trump and Lavrov “reviewed a range of common threats to our two countries, including threats to civil aviation.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday dubbed the news “nonsense,” saying it was not worth confirming or denying.

AFP

eNCA | IPID wants police boss Phahlane suspended

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CAPE TOWN – Tensions were high in Parliament on Tuesday as acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane went up against police watchdog head Robert McBride.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) wants Phalane suspended.

The police watchdog says the acting police commissioner has been interfering with its investigations and instructing witnesses not to co-operate.

The IPID and SAPS briefed Parliament’s Police Committee.

Phahlane hit back, saying the IPID has been captured.

The acting commissioner then went on to tell MPs that IPID was dysfunctional and its independence was non-existent.

“Without any fear of contradiction, IPID as an independent body doesn’t exist … is not functioning.

“Under the current circumstances it might be safe to call it OPID – O’Sullivan’s Police Investigative Directorate,” said Phahlane, suggesting there was a nefarious relationship between Paul O’Sullivan and McBride.

“They [IPID] have been captured for far too long. We cannot allow IPID to be utilised to serve people’s personal agendas.”

– Additional reporting ANA

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