South Africa P.I.G.

South Africa cannot handle security for it's own citizens let alone crowds of international football supporters

Alexandra court still a security risk More escapes feared with Christmas approaching <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTaQerSW2X3b6mIJWLNVCc_zhkqgkISu3xfDIjnhO2pMxVMSJTaTZvCt8aQw6AG1GCzzfbA4-4tP-iObINzFKe4u-Ah4oVeV8q2iQ8FF8XiQlIeJCg2KPAoHqSVQ3aZ9PczZUXSxmdZmH/s1600/SandtonKnifeGang.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410052168705564834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTaQerSW2X3b6mIJWLNVCc_zhkqgkISu3xfDIjnhO2pMxVMSJTaTZvCt8aQw6AG1GCzzfbA4-4tP-iObINzFKe4u-Ah4oVeV8q2iQ8FF8XiQlIeJCg2KPAoHqSVQ3aZ9PczZUXSxmdZmH/s400/SandtonKnifeGang.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" /></a>The Alexandra Magistrate's Court has seen three notorious gangs escape from its cells in four years - but lessons are not being learnt as virtually nothing has been done to increase security since the last jail break in September. (Pic) Sandton Knife Gang With Christmas approaching, a police source at the court has warned that criminals would grow more desperate to avoid spending the holidays behind bars. After the Razor Gang broke free on September 10, the Justice Department admitted the court's security was not in "the best state of health" and promised "urgent" intervention. But almost three months later, all they can boast is a change of locks at the holding cells (which was done immediately after the escape as the criminals ran off with the keys) and bold plans for the future. "Nothing has been done," said the police source. "Our cries for help are falling on deaf ears. We've been crying for two years about how dilapidated the building is." The source said there was a lot of talk emanating from meetings, but no actual work on the ground. The court's electric fence is torn and broken; the walls need raising and fixing; many windows are smashed; locks and leg irons are old and often faulty; and entrances are not policed properly. Last year, the main prisoner gate came crashing to the ground and lay broken for two months, with prisoners being led in and out through a gap. On top of that, The Star has reported how the court has constantly been plunged into darkness, suffered water cuts and was cut off from the outside world by dead phone lines. In 2006, the vicious Sandton Knife Gang escaped from the court, were recaptured and later convicted. In September, the violent Razor Gang and members of a gang that robbed a jewellery store broke free. Many, including alleged leader Raymond "Razor" Zulu, were rearrested and appeared in court last week. But they returned to the same court in which they overpowered a group of orderlies, before jumping over the walls and escaping. The police source said that officers have been rearranged to boost security, but no new members have been assigned. Justice spokesman Tlali Tlali said meetings have been held to discuss increasing officer visibility and placing a senior official in the holding cells.

South Africa cannot handle security for it's own citizens let alone crowds of international football supporters

Alexandra court still a security risk More escapes feared with Christmas approaching The Alexandra Magistrate's Court has seen three not...

11:50 AM

Brothers attacked and shot by gunmen

With blood dripping from gunshot wounds in the neck and stomach, brothers Pieter and Rodney Bezuidenhout rushed through morning rush-hour traffic to get to a Pietermaritzburg hospital after being shot. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-L1e7E2cpdrJ4SgUprbfe8JFViA45XaiLzMGUBT4QZ2HJftXDHI7wexm-FFydzgguaLgAeQZVvsjpo3YTmaLsFVoSPkXL7IKdWE4EJUCVj7Xzo8_xCTobyNvsBILltAKmJ3dV2Uao4mH/s1600/crime-gunshot.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410096685972707650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-L1e7E2cpdrJ4SgUprbfe8JFViA45XaiLzMGUBT4QZ2HJftXDHI7wexm-FFydzgguaLgAeQZVvsjpo3YTmaLsFVoSPkXL7IKdWE4EJUCVj7Xzo8_xCTobyNvsBILltAKmJ3dV2Uao4mH/s400/crime-gunshot.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 210px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 210px" /></a>Two brothers, who narrowly escaped death in a dramatic shooting on Monday, drove through morning rush-hour traffic with blood dripping from gunshot wounds to get to a hospital in Pietermaritzburg. Pieter, 57, and 59-year-old Rodney Bezuidenhout are recovering from neck and stomach gunshot wounds respectively after they were shot by gunmen at their workplace in the Mkondeni industrial area. "The bullet went through my neck, from one side to the other. The doctor said if it was one centimetre further I would be dead," said Pieter. "They were shooting to kill, they were there to kill us." The two brothers were driving towards their workplace at Wayne's Scrap Metal when they were attacked by four gunmen. "I saw this vehicle was driving straight at us, but when I slowed down, this car stopped right in front of our bakkie blocking my way." Pieter put his vehicle in reverse. "When I tried to [reverse], a man jumped out from the passenger seat with a gun in hand and cocked it. I shouted to my brother to lie down. "The man fired a shot through the windscreen and it went through my neck and out through the window. "Another gunman jumped out and fired again, the second bullet went through the passenger's door, hit my brother on the side of his back and went out through his stomach and hit me on the side, ricocheting on my ribs." While the guns were blazing, Pieter did not stop, but put the bakkie in first gear and drove off. "I could feel that I had been hit in the neck and my brother was shouting for me to drive because he had been shot, not realising that I also had been hit." He drove from Old Field Road to Murray, turned into CB Downes, then along the N3 highway into Alan Paton Avenue towards the city. "I was terrified, I had been shot and my brother was lying next to me bleeding … it was terrible. I had to drive on the roadside and drove through red lights sometimes and the traffic was hectic, but I didn't stop until I got to the Medi-Clinic hospital." Pieter was treated at the hospital and later released but his brother is in a critical condition. Pieter said another bullet hit the back of his bakkie. Police spokesperson Inspector Joey Jeevan said the motive is unknown. She said the attackers were driving a Toyota Cressida. Three expended 9mm cartridges were found on the scene.

Brothers attacked and shot by gunmen

With blood dripping from gunshot wounds in the neck and stomach, brothers Pieter and Rodney Bezuidenhout rushed through morning rush-hour tr...

11:09 AM

UK fans warned about hijacking

Warning for England fans England fans warned of World Cup ticket scams and crime <a class="l" onmousedown="return clk(this.href,'','','res','1','&sig2=HbybvV3-ipzw47G8zZbyjQ','0CAgQFjAA')" href="http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?England_fans_warned_of_World_Cup_ticket_scams_and_crime&in_article_id=735358&in_page_id=34">England fans warned of World Cup ticket scams and crime Metro.co.uk</a> <a class="link-text" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/sep/10/england-fans-tickets-south-africa-world-cup" name="&lid={trailItemImageAndTrailText}{England fans warned of ticket scams and tourist dangers in South Africa}&lpos={trail}{1}">England fans warned of ticket scams and tourist dangers in South Africa</a> <a class="link-text" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/22/south-africa-worldcup-crime-fears" name="&lid={trailItemImageAndTrailText}{Crime fears grow as South Africa readies for football World Cup}&lpos={trail}{1}">Crime fears grow as South Africa readies for football World Cup</a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJV1MV1CNVW8IJxDdSSgVpGibnWXqps1HtGtl2wTBXxSx703vtBRZ6I0HRlhhcoteMM29O80UAF8ovjJKvhXLSxqaUGxFBeUOHIuPDyIxXdW1NKmXCSvY2p1oQTvXDuCTBkoIjAMjxKFM/s1600/englandfansST_warning.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409696307231929042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJV1MV1CNVW8IJxDdSSgVpGibnWXqps1HtGtl2wTBXxSx703vtBRZ6I0HRlhhcoteMM29O80UAF8ovjJKvhXLSxqaUGxFBeUOHIuPDyIxXdW1NKmXCSvY2p1oQTvXDuCTBkoIjAMjxKFM/s400/englandfansST_warning.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 196px" /></a>Danny Jordaan has laughed off reports that British fans arriving in South Africa for next year's World Cup could be at risk of car hijacking when they leave OR Tambo International Airport. This comes as reports claim that the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link from the airport to Sandton City will not be ready. Gautrain concessionaire Bombela has a contractual agreement signed on September 28, 2006 to have the airport link operational by June 27, 2010. If they fail to meet this requirement, they run the risk of incurring penalties. Despite this, the British Foreign Office says fans hiring cars and taxis on arrival here should be on their guard. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64gug1pOy9mociW__LT5WQ09SYSpSP1XBZpGDkCYGODdJcnDefOOe54Yz_bLQqhsoznZwe3WNh0mlfWPkvjuD68aEZ9ujuTZv1HZDbIx6LZOG8dTOEppKzK2Dgfhv-itcu53WaZQVvHAn/s1600/south-africans-2010.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409699823261022546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64gug1pOy9mociW__LT5WQ09SYSpSP1XBZpGDkCYGODdJcnDefOOe54Yz_bLQqhsoznZwe3WNh0mlfWPkvjuD68aEZ9ujuTZv1HZDbIx6LZOG8dTOEppKzK2Dgfhv-itcu53WaZQVvHAn/s400/south-africans-2010.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 298px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 242px" /></a>"It is crucial that those planning to travel to the region are aware of what measures they should take to stay safe," Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant was quoted as saying. Yesterday, the chief executive of the 2010 Local Organising Committee, Danny Jordaan, rubbished the concerns as baseless. "Their cricket team has been here for a while and we have had the British and Irish Lions tour coinciding with the Fifa Confederations Cup, but not a single incident was reported. "He said he was baffled by the reports.

UK fans warned about hijacking

Warning for England fans England fans warned of World Cup ticket scams and crime England fans warned of World Cup ticket scams and crime Met...

2:27 PM

Scandal of the missing dockets

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RRXYGgJyrOis57lgf1jp2Ze0o1O0UX1P_th4Qg1dMiA68wkyzDeaNJlLbUdQPZiys0TY2mYlNsDTbSVPEwW1VfKVlju2kL4WTxPUoG0UCWEd9uEIDT1oXzhyphenhyphenosseQPdTvP_Ll1-nTE-C/s1600/crime_police_blotter.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409661409852109762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RRXYGgJyrOis57lgf1jp2Ze0o1O0UX1P_th4Qg1dMiA68wkyzDeaNJlLbUdQPZiys0TY2mYlNsDTbSVPEwW1VfKVlju2kL4WTxPUoG0UCWEd9uEIDT1oXzhyphenhyphenosseQPdTvP_Ll1-nTE-C/s400/crime_police_blotter.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" /></a>Police officers lost 671 criminal dockets last year - in police stations. Now experts are pointing fingers at corrupt cops, saying this is the only explanation for a 1 500 percent spike in lost dockets in North West alone. Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa is incensed and has ordered a high-level probe into the scandal. So far, five police officers have been disciplined and fired for corruption. In the 2007/08 reporting period, police lost 427 dockets, Mthethwa said, responding to a question in Parliament. North West alone accounts for more that 40 percent of all the lost dockets in 2007/08 - with 260 being reported as missing. The year before, the province's police lost 17 dockets. KwaZulu-Natal takes the second spot, losing 275 dockets in the past three years. The figures for Gauteng showed that 182 dockets were reported missing in the past three years. The Western Cape was the only province to improve. From losing 139 dockets in the past two financial years, it managed not to lose a single one between April and September this year. The best-performing province is Mpumalanga. Police personnel there lost six dockets in 2007, one last year and none this year. In the past seven months, 152 dockets were lost in police stations across the country. More than half in North West. North West's Community Policing Forum board chairman Leonard Brown blames the provincial commissioner, Lesetja Beetha. "Our provincial management is very poor. The buck stops with the provincial commissioner. "Everything that goes wrong in the province, he is aware of. But to be aware and doing something about it are two different things. "Our police are sometimes very innocent but management is failing them," said Brown. A crime expert has blamed poor management in the province, arguing that corruption, negligence and work overload were the main causes. Johan Burger of the Institute for Security Studies said poor "command and control" at police stations and a lack of discipline were behind the losses. "A number of cases are sold or destroyed because of corruption. In some cases, the investigators are over-laden with case dockets and can't deal with the workload." At the heart of the problem was the lack of leadership within the police, Burger said. "Where there is command and control, there is regular inspection of case dockets by the station commander... where they disappear, it shows this is not carried out," he said. Historically, provinces like North West and Limpopo experienced low levels of crime, but recent trends, said Burger, showed a spike in violent crime in these provinces. While Burger could not explain the sudden rise in certain types of crime, it could be a factor in increasing the workload for the police. "There are more case dockets, and some of these crime syndicates may want to bribe police to make the dockets disappear," said Burger. Provincial commissioners did not escape criticism. "This shows that command and control is lacking here. The provincial commissioners have an internal inspectorate. They must use the inspectorate to go and determine, first, how big the problem is and then determine why it is happening and who is responsible. If anyone is found to have been corrupted, they should be charged," Burger added.

Scandal of the missing dockets

Police officers lost 671 criminal dockets last year - in police stations. Now experts are pointing fingers at corrupt cops, saying this is t...

2:05 PM

Barbaric Zulu bull slaughter all in the name of ’culture‘

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vEKJBxXa60ztQpb_N7wOp5J7jB9bUUHUocTVs3ogUxs_gpKa6mNaO8IXrWMBUtHceGLwaZHdLzSPW_oMC2XEqTJ1DW1L8ZJOKQc63WbDWZUfUt_btlpZGZmCFmm7IIingGZpVaoLxO_U/s1600/bull466.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407687635853880802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vEKJBxXa60ztQpb_N7wOp5J7jB9bUUHUocTVs3ogUxs_gpKa6mNaO8IXrWMBUtHceGLwaZHdLzSPW_oMC2XEqTJ1DW1L8ZJOKQc63WbDWZUfUt_btlpZGZmCFmm7IIingGZpVaoLxO_U/s400/bull466.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 215px" /></a>Will the application to the South African FIFA Soccer World Cup Committee by these ‘traditional leaders’ be approved? Well, your guess is as good as mine. Here ANYTHING is possible, including approval. After all, we do have a propensity for erring on the side of having populist political leaders.My little voice is screaming STOP. But it is guaranteed to remain unheard. Hence this post. There is also a petition to help prevent this abomination. Whether your national team is playing in the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup or not, please sign and ask others to sign too. <a title="Stop 2010 World Cup Animal Sacrifice" href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Stop-2010-World-Cup-Animal-Sacrifice" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Stop-2010-World-Cup-Animal-Sacrifice</a>Bid to stop 'cruel' Zulu ritualSouth African animal rights activists have agreed to meet Zulu groups in a bid to stop a bull-killing ritual, a senior official says. Cultural commissioner Pat Mkhize announced the meeting after a court case brought by Animal Rights Africa was postponed. They are suing Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, arguing that the ceremony, known as Ukweshwama, is cruel. A royal spokesman said the killing was a highly symbolic way of thanking God. Mr Mkhize said all parties had agreed to take part in talks in Durban on Tuesday. "We have called a meeting of all parties because we believe that this matter can still be resolved out of court," South African news agency Sapa quoted him as saying. 'Unfathomable' crueltyIt carries a YouTube rating of 18 and is not suitable for sensitive viewers. <object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TaxRE44Erss&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TaxRE44Erss&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Animal campaigners say the Ukweshwama ritual does nothing to strengthen nation-building, social cohesion or peace. In a statement, Animal Rights Africa quoted an eyewitness as saying the bull was tortured for 40 minutes during a previous ceremony. "Dozens [of people] trampled the bellowing, groaning bull, wrenched its head around by the horns to try to break its neck, pulled its tongue out, stuffed sand in its mouth and even tried to tie its penis in a knot. "Gleaming with sweat, they raised their arms in triumph and sang when the bull finally succumbed." <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp3NX0j1oyiLZxueH7ecl84mHZB5La4I-rkMERAp0nsXGOMJwha36__4oh1T0d2q3wMWyLGniUPAl6Zmpl_9IXHp0wlVY_49uqzxJiYU-q4hG0WrsjLTjtk369uWJDtuUKuoLhx9j0lLz/s1600/bullKilling.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407687950166251202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp3NX0j1oyiLZxueH7ecl84mHZB5La4I-rkMERAp0nsXGOMJwha36__4oh1T0d2q3wMWyLGniUPAl6Zmpl_9IXHp0wlVY_49uqzxJiYU-q4hG0WrsjLTjtk369uWJDtuUKuoLhx9j0lLz/s400/bullKilling.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 164px" /></a>The group's spokesperson, Michele Pickover, said the treatment of the bull was "unfathomable". "It physically pains us and is an affront to our dignity that an animal is made to suffer in such an overtly cruel and protracted way," she said. Royal spokesman Nhlanhla Mtaka told the BBC's World Today programme the activists had misrepresented the ceremony. "I have been attending this ceremony for 20 years and it does not happen the way they say it is," he said. "You will hear young men and old people singing Zulu hymns and people sitting down and teaching each other about the value and history of the Zulus." Zulu groups are adamant that the ceremony will go ahead on 5 December, saying their rights are protected by the constitution. The Pietermaritzburg High Court scheduled the next hearing of the activists' case for 1 December.See also <a title="View all posts in ritual animal slaughter" href="http://en.wordpress.com/tag/ritual-animal-slaughter/" rel="category tag">ritual animal slaughter</a>

Barbaric Zulu bull slaughter all in the name of ’culture‘

Will the application to the South African FIFA Soccer World Cup Committee by these ‘traditional leaders’ be approved? Well, your guess is as...

6:44 AM

'Hunt for honest African leaders a waste of time'

By: David Bullard - 5 November 2009Did you read that this year's Mo Ibrahim Award for good governance in Africa won't be awarded because the committee couldn't find anyone who deserved it? Probably not, because the dead tree media was full of salacious gossip about South Africa's very own Posh and Becks (God help us), Joost and Amor. Amor apparently farts like a horse when she is nervous according to a recently published book about her. She also doesn't like rugby. I also fart like a horse and am ambivalent towards the game of rugby as I explained recently. The difference is that Amor is suing the author of the book for R1m for mentioning this flatulent failing, coincidentally just before the launch of a book about her husband's amnesia about snorting coke and receiving sexual favours from an obliging young lass of 24. When this story first broke, Joost denied that it was him in the video saying the guy in the video was better endowed. That set the alarm bells ringing for me. When has an Afrikaner, and a rugby player to boot, ever admitted that another guy is better endowed? Hopefully this sordid little publicity stunt will push sales of the book. Where was I? Oh yes, I was explaining why you probably wouldn't have read anything sensible about the Mo Ibrahim award in the dead tree media because of their obsession with Julius Malema and mindless trivia (some would argue it's the same thing). Below: Former president of Botswana Festus Mogae during a last rally before the general elections. Mr Mogae was named the recipient of the 2008 Mo Ibrahim prize in London. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyH0y_H9sZBxRBFd-xntQ1kLJfKG24wBTZsyuibtkXxAy0P4bmylP2QKhQCe7SJj89kxrt3NDRXTlNSZNtQ-W6efjB3a1h2RPuhXp__Gwo-hrqaj-eLPR3vAsjeNYtIHtfjweqO-9g6mZM/s1600/botswana-festus-mogae.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407403540954970098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyH0y_H9sZBxRBFd-xntQ1kLJfKG24wBTZsyuibtkXxAy0P4bmylP2QKhQCe7SJj89kxrt3NDRXTlNSZNtQ-W6efjB3a1h2RPuhXp__Gwo-hrqaj-eLPR3vAsjeNYtIHtfjweqO-9g6mZM/s400/botswana-festus-mogae.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 363px" /></a>Mr Ibrahim, in an attempt to encourage outdated qualities like honesty, good governance, a willingness to bugger off when you've had your turn as president and showing a commendable restraint when it comes to getting your goons to smash your political enemy's head in with a machete, hands out £3m a year to the African political leader who best demonstrates these qualities. It's a wonderful gesture on Mr Ibrahim's part even if it does show him as something of a misty eyed optimist. Anyone who encourages good governance on the continent of Africa has my vote but very few do. Corporates like to pretend that they support transparency and above board dealing but they are the first to slip a large bribe into the right political hands. Just consider some of the blue chip names who are "alleged" to have persuaded our own politicians to buy this jet or that submarine. Small wonder that none of our senior politicians in the ruling party seem keen to open up the debate on the arms deal. It might spoil things for the next lot. And what about the ANC Yoof league's cosy relationship with the late Brett Kebble? Was that condemned by senior party members? Was it hell. If memory serves I remember the presidential rottweiller, Essop Pahad, almost leaping on the man's coffin at his funeral to warn against telling tales about the dead. The yoof league are merely the nursery slopes for the real thing. If you can learn to acquire wealth in unusual ways there then you are likely to be elevated to the grand trough of arms deals. One story I would love to read in the dead tree media is how Julius and the boys fund their lavish lifestyles. After all, a Mercedes C63 AMG is not a cheap car to buy or run. Who is the new Brett Kebble? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNp1QAmFcuNZGZydhU9Bh_aoUjhPVtXRVRyCSjI5gb1Km_Q5MSiDNE5p_Dn3PhxSUO3ggshSEjh-noN1v3-IAo04v604vXypL9s0gllnHf2xAyQqU7LHfFQ3DMQFczYMCXxEPHJzYflR-/s1600/africa-leaders_252742s.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407405228698783954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhNp1QAmFcuNZGZydhU9Bh_aoUjhPVtXRVRyCSjI5gb1Km_Q5MSiDNE5p_Dn3PhxSUO3ggshSEjh-noN1v3-IAo04v604vXypL9s0gllnHf2xAyQqU7LHfFQ3DMQFczYMCXxEPHJzYflR-/s400/africa-leaders_252742s.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 273px" /></a>It's tragedy enough that nobody on the entire continent of Africa was deemed worthy of the Mo Ibrahim award. It's even more of a tragedy that this country seems to be sliding inexorably towards a system that favours dodgy dealing. These days you don't even have to be openly dishonest to be a beneficiary. Even public servants are given telephone number amounts of cash as a thank you for not being too much of a thorn in the side to the government in the job they have just vacated. In this country we splash the cash to all sorts of deserving causes. If you're really lucky you can cock up the running of an entire parastatal and walk away as rich as a rock star. Maybe that's the problem. Perhaps Mo needs to up the amount. Who really gives a damn about winning the Mo Ibrahim award (with sniggers from other African leaders and talk of being a goody goody just an added deterrent) and a cash prize of just under R40m to blow? You can get multiples of that just by buying aircraft we don't need from the Brits. Since Mo Ibrahim is never going to be able to afford to pay more than what a smallish arms deal yields maybe he should consider dumping the project and give up on the fruitless search for a credible African politician. The money would be better spent on people who are not politicians. There are plenty of remarkable South Africans of all races who do much more to create a better world than do the politicians. They don't drive around in fancy BMWs paid for by the taxpayer or have lunches costing R100 000. They just get on with difficult tasks in very difficult circumstances. They are the people who deserve an award and a pile of cash. Or preferably, just the cash. *After 24 years as a trader in the global financial markets David Bullard decided to opt for an easy life and became a journalist. His iconic "Out to Lunch" column has been running for 15 years and is as offensive as ever. Not that he gives a damn...

'Hunt for honest African leaders a waste of time'

By: David Bullard - 5 November 2009 Did you read that this year's Mo Ibrahim Award for good governance in Africa won't be awarded be...

12:14 PM

Officials have criminal records, ministers reveal

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8EQzOgc_D7Oh6pfY5fB6Zu3tFYZXFaPIwc9Y30Fd9fd2VRLC3cslp2kFZU4EDb8CmNZHDR-seMKDzTtFLMl73wvWVepKcG8lVuMVMqE8zUx2KNCZ4sEB72eN4_mEmvincbvY8nkPW8WX/s1600/Geoff_Doidge.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407318265478265570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8EQzOgc_D7Oh6pfY5fB6Zu3tFYZXFaPIwc9Y30Fd9fd2VRLC3cslp2kFZU4EDb8CmNZHDR-seMKDzTtFLMl73wvWVepKcG8lVuMVMqE8zUx2KNCZ4sEB72eN4_mEmvincbvY8nkPW8WX/s400/Geoff_Doidge.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 199px" /></a>Public Works Minister Geoff Doidge has revealed that his chief operating officer Solly Malebye - who he wants suspended for an unrelated matter - has a criminal record. The latest revelation about Malebye's criminal record emerged in a parliamentary reply from Doidge. DA MP James Masango had asked the minister if his department had policy guidelines for the appointment of people with a criminal record, and if any current staff members had criminal records. Doidge replied that the department had no such guidelines, also revealing that two employees - a "regional manager and the chief operating officer" - had criminal records. Doidge and Malebye have been embroiled in a bitter fight which saw the minister remove Malebye two weeks ago as the acting director-general for the department. This was after Malebye defied an instruction from Doidge to award a R45 million contract to law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr without putting it out to tender. Malebye argued that it was not the responsibility of the minister to award tenders and that it was against Treasury regulations. Doidge wants Malebye suspended for a dispute over a contract that happened 18 months ago - despite appointing him as acting director-general in April this year. When contacted for comment, Malebye refused to answer the question directly and referred questions to acting director-general Sam Vukela. Vukela was not available for comment, but departmental spokesman Koketso Sachane confirmed that the minister was referring to Malebye as "the chief operating officer with a criminal record". But he could not readily indicate what transgression had been committed by Malebye.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bM12JUIWiFhkjIg3qfaCQWnVYUfV4rdEPSB7RnAh-u7-9-e3RqnhdLzCfrN1t0Hxsr26U7Lt4WGbLP8Y_btNPXcUXHiPAlA7SuSS-uJBGDX6KkqWFmcsY8k2UMFe50b3dBsAcqv10t_B/s1600/Naledi-Pandor.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407318560739072546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bM12JUIWiFhkjIg3qfaCQWnVYUfV4rdEPSB7RnAh-u7-9-e3RqnhdLzCfrN1t0Hxsr26U7Lt4WGbLP8Y_btNPXcUXHiPAlA7SuSS-uJBGDX6KkqWFmcsY8k2UMFe50b3dBsAcqv10t_B/s400/Naledi-Pandor.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" /></a> A month ago, Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor also revealed that 12 members of her staff - ranging from senior managers to skilled employees - have criminal records. Pandor also admitted that she did not have a policy on the issue. <a href="http://www.star.co.za/" target="_blank">The Saturday Star</a> 21/11/09

Officials have criminal records, ministers reveal

Public Works Minister Geoff Doidge has revealed that his chief operating officer Solly Malebye - who he wants suspended for an unrelated mat...

7:00 AM

ANC black violence, death and destruction

ANC black violence, death and destruction

Warning - graphic images

11:47 AM

Civilised vs uncivilised

ANC violence in South Africa - Adult content! Not for sensitive viewers! This was taken around 80's or 90's by a Dutch film crew. I was a 'white' soldier which was part of 80 soldiers sent into dangerous places to keep peace just before 1994. I saw victims of these on a daily basis. The international media only showed one side of a story which made you think all whites were bad. It was the contrary. Like any country, police force's or armies in the world had your bad individuals. It is estimated that 3000 people died with the necklace murders. Do a google search on what a necklace murder is. This murder word, necklacing, was coined by Winnie Mandela herself. In some cases the victims were forced to drink diesel or petrol and even their hands and feet were cut off so they could not run away. The ANC used this uncivilised method, including killing civilians and children. <object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sf39waktLVQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sf39waktLVQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Civilised vs uncivilised

ANC violence in South Africa - Adult content! Not for sensitive viewers! This was taken around 80's or 90's by a Dutch film crew. I ...

11:17 AM

SA-born beauty aims to lift Miss World crown for New Zealand

Kiwi from the Karoo comes back as a queen SA-born beauty brought up in Somerset West aims to lift Miss World crown for New Zealand <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gCsl1QWaIRU-3ucKv0gTx_KzFZcprVDlE08le7YEL8ja2DDFVFZ-73FZAUimcnAyMGMYdoqyZjcEhy9YLPwctY_ygq-mWthgiUCDcrngK4ybwBFCyj7Ps4mnSiMKec4PddDYyBV-gu4/s1600/Miss+New+Zealand+Magda.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNuZilEF8kAYdxbPBqXGYppXl9g2BtWPVh7LApztmIng5yywNTWpWHdryLptELSdTpecBbORxgI9Te8xb0sFfKL7sHTX5Xx6aH34znBqTSL-ttccIuOfXGEjFLu0gBrXhWOatvJw_ydJW/s1600/Miss+New+Zealand+M+Schoeman.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNMwlsuKriZkTM0gBJjolOXlEynyHnt8Miwf1nUtoc3unrx-X9OvD-AMOlW44PrI9wP4aosJPiKNPU2sk6ujlnicKUhiMfA9wr0jgQETvGpvIRZtfW-7LWBN_yNrxgZRrvnEKPpkhVx0/s1600/miss+newzealand+M+Schoemann"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406503486457086610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNMwlsuKriZkTM0gBJjolOXlEynyHnt8Miwf1nUtoc3unrx-X9OvD-AMOlW44PrI9wP4aosJPiKNPU2sk6ujlnicKUhiMfA9wr0jgQETvGpvIRZtfW-7LWBN_yNrxgZRrvnEKPpkhVx0/s400/miss+newzealand+M+Schoemann" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 172px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" /></a>One of South Africa's prettiest white exports returned home to try to lay claim to the title of the most beautiful woman in the world. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NWjzyRz-O_VVDAkX5bKLNP2i7FhGWGF-rBKew12tfsT5AeGykw1Dk7tHARCdOj-4efQ1yWg3KFrbaZxtOcbX1OtcoPLZeAZPsEqforoHjQG888ekK7fEeWfzg0hPnqf-JsmEo6087QE/s1600/Miss+New+Zealand+Magda.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQMmxPspG56GK5TsKWbwAjNWOcYBRRZB704hlFu0wELt1_TQkjf5IIJ-l-7Pw5tZVwfIMoOpYPtEDDuNI1BxUHGtN77pKzxcVyhvF-cftgx3pbxaxAEkZDDNuuHMpZYruutfdj2p9yw7v/s1600/Miss+New+Zealand+Magda.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406507529311235746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQMmxPspG56GK5TsKWbwAjNWOcYBRRZB704hlFu0wELt1_TQkjf5IIJ-l-7Pw5tZVwfIMoOpYPtEDDuNI1BxUHGtN77pKzxcVyhvF-cftgx3pbxaxAEkZDDNuuHMpZYruutfdj2p9yw7v/s200/Miss+New+Zealand+Magda.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 165px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" /></a>Magdalena Schoeman, 19, left South Africa as a six-year-old and arrived at OR Tambo International Airport as Miss New Zealand, along with over 100 beauty queens, for the finals of the Miss World pageant in Johannesburg next month. (left) - Magdalena Schoeman - (right) Schoeman was brought up in Somerset West, outside Cape Town, and has always maintained close ties with the folk of Oudtshoorn, where her father, Fanie, grew up and where her Oupa, also Fanie, 85, still lives. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAg_bEJsp_AqEL7D9xn87EeeHWACC_xgAoj22ZSFAatVibz4UtIsCPqfmaZF1NFG61JAWM2H11TiUgPqOfWBW2h6GAQctcoTE31sIuaS5jXkQd2f7UAmrFa82YO4NYXt25yTGtJe4SaSk/s1600/Miss+South+Africa+tatum-keshwar-2009-8-10-0-45-18.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfrUCLgqm0sJ58Jk58DsG3wsqV2WeV8Rpoiip19pKUBPTA-zkciT1uciiJ_W3byS-6OSvPUl0redt9j3dckWTsBwIqrk0dyC9mko7NEFP1l7Hpgv0GN_UOFM-YCHVV3Cb2WNo0s98apM/s1600/Miss-South-Africa+T+Keshrel.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-L8pmcBPYwKtlfNSO3qmeZPlnJ-rN4uzLKPWaD_up4se0x-JvCibToM8-jXRJbxdj8ptQSvLijHuqbh1Mb_WagQ8DU82SxP8QienwQ2scf3IiqrclE8Sh3qhbuI_OGDwKvVPk9lxrik/s1600/Miss-South-AfricaTatum-Keshwar-Universe-2009.jpg"></a>Next to ostrich feathers and leather, the leggy model has become the Little Karoo's most famous export, which may cause divided loyalties when she goes up against Miss South Africa Tatum Keshwar on December 12. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406509526847204562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUm1iCvEE5a6Pyz_JJqdis0IJ4BoflLUbHsJS7iuyPekv12ks_sCfGrXE6d25DXqgc1BBNhAUb3tp-rhZxv6YrE39BoklEicntKI9BZsH4CLHok6iGwKahyphenhyphensKMWCij8j9p6FyBiigkKcO/s320/Magdalena_Miss_NZ-World_with_granddad_Fabie_86_Oudtshoorn_moved_to_NZ_age_6%5B7%5D.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 274px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />Above -- this baie mooi meisie is Magdalena Schoeman, this year’s Miss New Zealand; with granddad Fanie, 86 in <a title="Oudtshoorn in SA and Alphen aan de Rijn in The Netherlands have cultural ties" href="http://www.stedenband.com/" target="_blank">Oudtshoorn</a>. Schoeman's smile for photographers masked her concern over one of her bags, containing her national outfit, make-up, shoes and New Zealand soccer shirt, that had gone missing. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406506683617015346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kpM5JOkktSC8KDgkCcYlLi7bfUKP3U5ERa9CkfnkDsz0YJkbXyMKe779fx8OCGm61iAJF-4GQ2SNHz2z7VXD-Hm9A1x6zva2zfSiybb9TN6KbgVXbZ1yLe1hdevEnrsDyZLwFGxlcAE/s400/missworld_Miss+South+Africa,+Tatum+Keshwar,+and+Miss+New+Zealand,.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 205px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />(left) - Tatum Keshwar -- (right) - Magdalena Schoeman In an interview, Dalena - as she is affectionately known to family and friends - said she still missed traditional South African "braais, melktert and koeksisters". <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56tyrILkyw7904Rx8C52nledTA9EMNPg0u6UJO8iRyuVmqjYmL1oeQN_GdR1TQeWjUqxoMOqtZKi9Knu4LIwtVUJNOHVxLcr9IUWHXG19I067EgZN3wLmNYBeOksYt49IbjtxNY5bTlw/s1600/Miss+South+Africa+tatum-keshwar-2009-8-10-0-45-18.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406505472004049298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56tyrILkyw7904Rx8C52nledTA9EMNPg0u6UJO8iRyuVmqjYmL1oeQN_GdR1TQeWjUqxoMOqtZKi9Knu4LIwtVUJNOHVxLcr9IUWHXG19I067EgZN3wLmNYBeOksYt49IbjtxNY5bTlw/s320/Miss+South+Africa+tatum-keshwar-2009-8-10-0-45-18.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 242px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" /></a>"Fortunately, the South African population in New Zealand has grown and there are shops that sell biltong and Simba chips," she said. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-laPYHP0gCQ4YAMIfTZaCHvSqJRBBqTUTDrkGVbrIVMbo4AnNktCBepqIdmbmqgx4qSqpCFTZ4H4Ez0ZelM_qcwNi6dT2TshKiXWe3fuhnYCdU5IEt37VmfIcecvcbjyMhfSoHlwyhtg/s1600/Miss-South-AfricaTatum-Keshwar-Universe-2009.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406507532695086594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-laPYHP0gCQ4YAMIfTZaCHvSqJRBBqTUTDrkGVbrIVMbo4AnNktCBepqIdmbmqgx4qSqpCFTZ4H4Ez0ZelM_qcwNi6dT2TshKiXWe3fuhnYCdU5IEt37VmfIcecvcbjyMhfSoHlwyhtg/s200/Miss-South-AfricaTatum-Keshwar-Universe-2009.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 152px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" /></a>She still maintains contact with her best friend from pre-school in Somerset West and when she's at home with her parents in Christchurch, they speak Afrikaans.(Left) - Tatum Keshwar - (right) The Miss World contest, now in its 59th year, will be broadcast live on SABC3, starting at 5pm on December 12.

SA-born beauty aims to lift Miss World crown for New Zealand

Kiwi from the Karoo comes back as a queen SA-born beauty brought up in Somerset West aims to lift Miss World crown for New Zealand One of So...

2:13 AM

Hunt on for this man in parking lot shooting

THIS is the face of a man who private investigators believe was part of a gang who tried to kill a woman they had followed from a bank. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmg19tPu3NWPD581P0V7Ua1k83kuPQi2_XO2NBNT9X7TGMhUMcBmrdBRPYJynESL51aCrmbYQ24Fw6s5Z_F6m7FvY9XZbHYUG8XWnCScrDliUIsOVl_ccYKItlcgbUwtEKH-oDt0SJJQI/s1600/criminal-wanted.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406269416617214546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmg19tPu3NWPD581P0V7Ua1k83kuPQi2_XO2NBNT9X7TGMhUMcBmrdBRPYJynESL51aCrmbYQ24Fw6s5Z_F6m7FvY9XZbHYUG8XWnCScrDliUIsOVl_ccYKItlcgbUwtEKH-oDt0SJJQI/s400/criminal-wanted.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 292px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" /></a>Saartjie Koen survived when the bullet fired pointblank at the back of her head grazed her skull. Her ordeal was captured on closed-circuit television two months ago. Now private investigators, who are trying to crack the case hope that a state-of-the-art identikit will help track down one of the suspects. The man in the identikit is believed to be between 20 and 23 years old, about 1.75 metres tall and speaks with a Northern Sesotho and Setswana accent. He also had a small moustache. Jeanette Naudé, who compiled the composite and profile, suspects that the man has robbed before, because he didn’t appear nervous during the robbery. Naudé developed the technique she used to compile a photo-likeness of the robber. She starts by drawing a sketch of the suspect, then, using an archive of photographs and the software program Photoshop, builds a face of the suspect. “In this case I would say that the compilation is about 70 percent accurate. It all has a lot to do with the person who we worked with,” said Naudé, who served 34 years in the SA Police Service before starting her own company, Crime Face. The robbery took place in August in the car park of Trio Trade in Silverton, Tshwane. CCTV footage revealed just how close Koen, 60, came to dying. The images show Koen driving into the premises of her family-owned business after she had withdrawn R50 000 at a bank in the area. What she didn’t notice was a white VW Polo pulling up to the gate of the premises. One of the occupants of the car held up the security guard at the gate while two accomplices approached Koen’s car. One of the men opened fire on Koen, hitting her in the right leg and left arm. As the man tried to grab her handbag, Koen fought back. His accomplice then came up behind her, placed his arm around her neck and shot her. The shot forced her to the ground. The robbers then made their escape. The CCTV footage indicated that a second vehicle, a white Toyota Venture, was involved. Koen is still recovering from the attack. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406271505510620530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDebnLpXB-NKyeBfUhNLeezwilNZCUi4Nn4hPs5iePxmFyAj2V1oOgaCM2_rA36cK7FXlvxPpclSebsAj_1j_qPiyGBSKHQVA21044-wLChqfYGPD3a43lQwcR1Xl94_7753f8wgWXJis/s400/crime-violent-attack.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 269px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />VIOLENT ATTACK: CCTV footage shows Saartjie Koen being robbed and shot in a parking lot.In an article that appeared in The Star last week, private investigator Daryl Els, of Christian Botha Investigations, appealed for Nombuso Nkosi to come forward as he believed she had information on the crime. She did come forward, and Els said she had been helpful. Els received another tip-off in the form of a phone call to a member of the Koen family. “A man claimed he was the driver of the Toyota Venture mentioned in The Star article. He said he hadn’t been paid his cut and that they then tried to murder him,” Els said. The man, whose name is known to The Star but can’t be identified as he is yet to be arrested, claimed he was hiding out in Polokwane. “He said he would like to tell us what happened and wanted R400 petrol money so that he could drive back to Pretoria,” explained Els. The man was supposed to meet Els on Thursday but didn’t pitch up. Anyone who recognises the suspect can call Els at 082 877 2168 or Frans Molokome at 082 682 0161. See Video - <a href="http://southafrica-pig.blogspot.com/2009/11/white-afrikaner-woman-survives-shot-to.html">Woman survives shot to the head by armed gang : VIDEO</a>

Hunt on for this man in parking lot shooting

THIS is the face of a man who private investigators believe was part of a gang who tried to kill a woman they had followed from a bank. Saar...

11:20 AM

Another victim of reckless 'blue-light brigade'

Probe after thousands of rands' damage is caused to brand-new car <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qbyPtDWwD3xe9-PQN_HXm35rcjMki8CfKjkaYnfzF-qojkdWM0vAmWFC8bfPJR0uaSfHpTiVHwhNh3dOGUl1q1cZge58felitmMupwZPdetz8KmR3Y3OvIwmFio8px_OUzn0M6nC7SM/s1600/motorcade-pres.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCOHZ2ooCraoF4q-o_KhWUdl_qE4Iw1sy7AVSleNM4GCayEOZOMHeVe-BoSthDl0bkyU6BJMWW3DPHmQSTX_M3qiqkThucIyHsMW4G-PjbjEAaZtgxsPolj27lHkhKrpLjXojnFNY09M/s1600/saps-blue-lights.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406306866066789458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCOHZ2ooCraoF4q-o_KhWUdl_qE4Iw1sy7AVSleNM4GCayEOZOMHeVe-BoSthDl0bkyU6BJMWW3DPHmQSTX_M3qiqkThucIyHsMW4G-PjbjEAaZtgxsPolj27lHkhKrpLjXojnFNY09M/s400/saps-blue-lights.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" /></a>A cancelled birthday lunch spent at a police station and a shattered rear-view mirror on his beautiful new Subaru - Johann Scholtz was having a bad day. He had just fallen victim to a "blue-light brigade" screaming through Sandton, would have to cough up the insurance excess, lose his claim-free history and - through his taxes - would ultimately land up paying for the damage. But the VIP officers who sliced off Scholtz's mirror had, without knowing it, picked the wrong car to damage: one filled with three lawyers from one of the country's most prominent legal firms. Scholtz and his colleagues chased down the offenders and took meticulous notes of vehicle makes, registration numbers and even what building the VIP member walked into when the brigade reached their destination. The Star understands that the VIP being transported was former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. National police spokesman Senior Superintendent Vish Naidoo confirmed that the cars were from the Presidential Protection Unit and that a case of reckless driving would be investigated. However, Naidoo declined to confirm which VIP was being transported or on what business. He said the docket would be taken to the prosecutor, if it was found that somebody was at fault. In a letter to The Star, Scholtz recalled every detail of the accident that took place on November 13. The attorney, celebrating his 47th birthday on the day, was parked at the corner of Rivonia and Protea Roads near Illovo, northern Joburg, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. It was about 12.30pm and Scholtz was on his way to his birthday lunch. Suddenly, a black BMW X5 - with its siren wailing and blue lights flashing - "charged down the right-hand line at break-neck speed, squeezed through a gap and hit my rear-view mirror, with bits flying through the air". It then allegedly ignored a red light, cut across two lanes and performed an illegal left-hand turn with a BMW 7-series following in its slipstream. Scholtz had bought his metallic-silver Subaru Forester a month ago and was devastated to see the damage. He followed the two BMWs to where the VIP apparently entered a business building. He confronted the driver of the car that had hit him, but found him unfazed by what had happened. "The nonchalant manner in which he did so (suggesting they go to report the case at a police station) suggested to me that he was no stranger to the procedure," Scholtz said. The accident was reported to the police, but the driver refused to tell Scholtz who the VIP was or what emergency had justified such reckless driving. What he did allegedly concede was that the VIP was late for a meeting and had put pressure on him to drive as fast as possible. "He simply drove off, leaving me feeling angry, frustrated and violated in my citizenship," Scholtz said. Scholtz, an Illovo resident, is busy getting quotes to replace the mirror, but fears it will cost thousands of rands as the entire door will have to be opened up. "Why was that person entitled to charge through the traffic at high speeds if they were late for a meeting ... I would like to know what kind of emergency justifies this?" <a href="http://www.star.co.za/" target="_blank">The Star</a> 20/11/09

Another victim of reckless 'blue-light brigade'

Probe after thousands of rands' damage is caused to brand-new car A cancelled birthday lunch spent at a police station and a shattered r...

11:10 AM

'Culture does not justify cruelty'

It is not surprising that there are conflicting views about the Zulu rite of slaughtering a bull as part of the Ukweshwama, or First Fruits festival. However, although people might have a right to their opinions, it does not follow that their opinions are correct. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvxaR58scbdWXys13MJoOvKud_8FbdBVNay9rNvKx3pyKIvmuBUMVlGvW6t4os8Dy9lM8vJ-xSqxPcLYGDO6h-dZlXv5vGqz3RJVckxUxGC1V21o1Dh6LAnO32IJ8l61BA52C4zXLTG8/s1600/nigga_eat.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405942171928799618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvxaR58scbdWXys13MJoOvKud_8FbdBVNay9rNvKx3pyKIvmuBUMVlGvW6t4os8Dy9lM8vJ-xSqxPcLYGDO6h-dZlXv5vGqz3RJVckxUxGC1V21o1Dh6LAnO32IJ8l61BA52C4zXLTG8/s400/nigga_eat.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 283px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" /></a>Indeed, when two opinions are inconsistent with one another, at least one of them must be false. Moreover, a right to an opinion is not in itself a right to act on it. This applies equally both to those whose opinion is that they should interfere with others and to those whose opinion is that they should be immune from interference. Therefore the crucial question in the debate about the First Fruits festival is: Who is right? Is the proposed ritual slaughter of a bull morally acceptable? Is it the sort of ritual that should be legally protected? The ceremony is performed by young males who are entering manhood. They take hold of the bull and force it to the ground. They rip out its tongue, force handfuls of earth into its mouth, gouge out its eyes and mutilate its genitals, among other things. The bull eventually dies, but not before it has endured considerable suffering. (Claims that the bull does not feel pain as a result of the herbs fed to it are entirely implausible.) Opponents of this rite argue that treating the bull in this way is cruel, on account of the suffering that the bull experiences, and that cruelty is wrong. Defenders of the practice respond that this rite forms part of Zulu culture and that all people have a right to practise their culture. To evaluate this cultural defence of the ritual, it is helpful to spell out the argument's premises and conclusion in a general way. In other words, the defence of the practice takes the following form: <ul><li>Some action, X, is a cultural practice. </li><li>People are entitled to practise their culture. </li><li>Therefore, X may be performed. </li></ul>Once we see the form of this argument - what we might call the "culture argument" - its weakness is readily apparent. We see that the argument can be used to defend not only this particular bull-killing rite, but any other cultural practice too. If X is the practice of "beating one's wife" or "excising one's daughter's genitals" or "sacrificing a human", the culture argument concludes that the practice may be performed. But even those who think that killing the bull is permissible would surely deny that these other cultural practices are acceptable. If that is the case, then it must be seen that X cannot be justifiable merely because it is a cultural practice. In other words, the (unqualified) second premise of the argument is false. The culture argument, therefore, is an extremely poor argument in defence of the bull-killing ritual, or any other practice. This is not to deny that cultural practices can have immense value for people. It would be unfortunate if we lost sight of this. Where there is nothing wrong with a practice, the fact that it is culturally valued accords it a certain weight. In rejecting the culture argument, we are only rejecting the claim that cultural value has decisive moral weight. We are denying that any cultural practice, no matter what it is, can be acceptable just because it has cultural value. We can recognise that a cultural practice can be immoral even though it is immensely valuable to its practitioners. Rejecting the cultural defence of the bull-killing rite is not sufficient to show that the rite is wrong. There are many culturally valuable practices that are not wrong. Although the culture argument fails, it remains possible that a cultural practice could be defended in some other way. Defenders of the Zulu rite might argue that animal slaughter is widely practised in South Africa. Millions of animals are killed every year for food. Why, they might argue, is there so much outrage about killing a single bull while the slaughter of millions of animals in abattoirs is accepted by many? This argument claims that opposition to the Zulu rite is inconsistent with the widespread acceptance of animal slaughter. People's moral judgements are often inconsistent and it is fitting to challenge inconsistencies. For example, there is something strange about Westerners who think nothing of slaughtering pigs, sheep, and cows for food but object to consumption of dogs in the Far East. However, there are a few things to note about employing a consistency argument in defence of the bull-killing rite. First, there is a crucial difference between the slaughter of animals in abattoirs and the particulars of the First Fruits bull-killing rite. Although slaughter of animals in abattoirs is cruel, dismembering a live and fully conscious animal is even more cruel, simply because the death (or at least the onset of unconsciousness) is much more protracted. There is nothing inconsistent in opposing greater cruelty while not opposing lesser cruelty. By contrast, there is an inconsistency in condoning greater cruelty while one opposes lesser cruelty. Second, although consistency is necessary for a good argument, it is not sufficient. It is possible to be consistently wrong. By contrast, those who are only inconsistently wrong are at least right about something. I, and many others, happen to think that this is true of those who oppose the ritual killing of a bull but permit the slaughter of animals in abattoirs. They are right about the former and wrong about the latter. There are excellent reasons, which I shall not rehash here, to think that rearing and killing animals for food is morally indefensible. The interests of animals are taken insufficiently seriously, just as the interests of blacks, Jews and others have been taken insufficiently seriously in other times and places. It is thus not sufficient to assert, as some have done, that "justice is for human beings and not for animals". The racist and the anti-semite can as easily argue that "justice is for whites, not blacks" or that "justice is for Christians and not Jews". It is simply not a good argument. While there are differences between animals and humans, what they have in common is the capacity to feel pain. That surely must be relevant when we think about how we should treat animals. And we do indeed treat it as relevant, which is why we have legislation prohibiting cruelty against animals. Unfortunately, this legislation is applied inconsistently. If people were to rip live dogs and cats apart, this would certainly be taken much more seriously by the authorities than the proposed dismembering of a bull is being treated. At stake are not merely Zulu cultural practices, but practices of all cultures. There is no human culture that has not embodied some morally indefensible practices at some time or another. Progress would never have been brought about if people were complacent about cultural practices. Finding fault with cultural practices does not require that they be abandoned entirely. Instead they need only be transformed, to use a term that will be familiar to South Africans. Zulus can foster their community spirit, give thanks and induct their young men in many possible ways that do not involve inflicting suffering on others. Indeed, causing suffering to defenceless animals seems to be a strange way of proving one's manhood. Instead, a bull might, for example, be adorned and feted - as a masculine symbol, if that is what is required - rather than being emasculated and mutilated. That would be transformation. Non-Zulus should not think smugly that their own cultural practices are acceptable. There is much criticism to go around. For example, our entire society, I have suggested, should rethink how it treats animals. Otherwise future generations will look back on our generation's cruelty to animals and charge us with the barbarism that most people today think is characteristic of only isolated practices - such as the Zulu rite and Spanish bullfighting. Criticising the cultural practices of others is much easier than criticising one's own. But this does not mean that criticising the rites of others is impermissible. It means only that we all need to be as vigilant in criticising our own cultural excesses as we are in criticising those of others. While the slaughter of animals in abattoirs is wrong, the dismembering of a live bull is still worse and thus deserves special criticism. On the long road to justice towards animals in South Africa, ending this practice is a step that must urgently be taken.<a href="http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/280943">Animal slaughter to bless stadiums for World Cup</a>In less than in eight months, one of the biggest sporting events in all of sports, the World Cup, will open in South Africa. The African nation will cater to 500,000 tourists and play in ten different stadiums. However, according to Zolani Mkiva, Chairman of the Makhonya Royal Trust, officials will slaughter ten cows to bless each of the ten stadiums, reports <a href="http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/091023/odds/odd_us_world_rituals">Reuters</a>.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GhJh8zSNr2EMGH4ixlmoEFPGufe0h6AkNvUt9kRHk4hk8guBlclNQd79bjfo68Rjl92z3EKR9jCGwVFph_Y3VtfflXYcqvT8rOLTG3wLxNaav5fiuf49JK5u9K6WF6E3drFK__7AQxbk/s1600/quotestart.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406578085541646802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GhJh8zSNr2EMGH4ixlmoEFPGufe0h6AkNvUt9kRHk4hk8guBlclNQd79bjfo68Rjl92z3EKR9jCGwVFph_Y3VtfflXYcqvT8rOLTG3wLxNaav5fiuf49JK5u9K6WF6E3drFK__7AQxbk/s400/quotestart.gif" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 19px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 14px" /></a><blockquote>We must have a cultural ceremony of some sort, where we are going to slaughter a beast. We sacrifice the cow for this great achievement and we call on our ancestors to bless, to grace, to ensure that all goes well. It's all about calling for the divinity to prevail for a fantastic atmosphere,” said Mkiva. “We believe that from the start we've got to do things in accordance with our own traditions.” </blockquote>

'Culture does not justify cruelty'

It is not surprising that there are conflicting views about the Zulu rite of slaughtering a bull as part of the Ukweshwama, or First Fruits ...

2:05 PM

Highway robbers leave trail of terror

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHIXtqjzL3yIfr9Q7iD0q4WfRnF42knfipK-3akcRMJFtGIl8zJNNeq_Rc6KZlkVldaK4ubCPRAT3VXesfZBS6O4zHnkjpFZ0lA8sAacy5quEyddVmCe2Acf5xoxmp1wMKSkXonmDj2E/s1600/crime-alert-road-sign.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405935354794125922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHIXtqjzL3yIfr9Q7iD0q4WfRnF42knfipK-3akcRMJFtGIl8zJNNeq_Rc6KZlkVldaK4ubCPRAT3VXesfZBS6O4zHnkjpFZ0lA8sAacy5quEyddVmCe2Acf5xoxmp1wMKSkXonmDj2E/s400/crime-alert-road-sign.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px" /></a>Bands of roving “road pirates” have been stalking drivers along South Africa’s main highway raising concerns for the safety of tourists visiting for the 2010 World Cup Games. GANGS of robbers are launching lethal attacks against motorists on the R21 Highway - the main road linking OR Tambo International Airport to Pretoria. The gangs have left a trail of terror behind them over the past three months. Ambushes by the gangs have seen businessmen and a USAid agency employee being attacked and have left at least four motorists and a security guard seriously injured after they were shot by the robbers. The last attack occurred last Tuesday night when a businessman was shot in the legs as he changed his car's flat tyre. The robbers, who number between eight and 20, operate between the Tembisa Road Bridge and the N1 / R21 interchange between 9pm and 4am, with most of the attacks occurring near St George Hotel. The robbers either line rocks on the highway or throw debris off bridges onto oncoming cars. They target motorists using the north-bound lanes. While attacks have occurred since September, police have done little to warn the thousands of motorists who use the highway every day. The only warning has come from the Pierre van Ryneveld community policing forum (CPF). While police claim that they are conducting clandestine operations the gangsters seem to be operating with impunity with no arrests being made. Businessman Jannie Schoeman recently survived an attack near St George's Hotel. He was returning home from Midrand along the Olifantsfontein Road when he hit a pothole. "As I stopped and got out to change the tyre two men, armed with knives, attacked. "They stole my watch, wallet and cellphone. When I tried to escape they grabbed me and tied me up with barbed wire," he said, pointing to his scarred wrists. The men eventually let Schoeman go, threatening to kill him if he did not reach the road within two minutes. "I was terrified. I thought they were going to kill me," he said, adding that the Lyttelton police had been useless in trying to solve the attack, which had taken place in broad daylight. He said when he offered to take a detective to the attack site he was not interested. "It is just a matter of time before someone is killed," he said. CPF spokeswoman, Willa De Ruyter, said they were concerned about the attacks, "especially with the sudden increase in the past weeks and the fact that the robbers did not hesitate to shoot". She said they were aware of five attacks over the past two months, during which robbers attacked two different motorists on one night, a couple on their way home and a USAid agency employee. <a href="http://www.star.co.za/" target="_blank">The Star</a> 19/11/09

Highway robbers leave trail of terror

Bands of roving “road pirates” have been stalking drivers along South Africa’s main highway raising concerns for the safety of tourists visi...

1:31 PM

Ras Fried Chicken Unplucked wants to cluck the national anthem for the 2010 games

Ras Fried Chicken Unplucked wants to cluck the national anthem for the 2010 games

Pieter Stuurman, a car guard in Randburg says he can do a better job than Ras Dumisani. He admits he also doesn’t know the Xhosa and the Eng...

8:28 AM

As SA grows, what animal is it becoming?

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsbggMl7FQbHrKdAjibiDi7aeiJ2WmcblP-qbtBxYLt9RgfIxVgKRApcTJw2J4iPC4cGgm4V9iCcGy2U3mPXdlGOMfGbQm-c_vIyHPsrfIxpgZlAUTuDu6QSUp8jPceIdLkk69w74FJ8/s1600/decline+of+white+population.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405842091820492882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsbggMl7FQbHrKdAjibiDi7aeiJ2WmcblP-qbtBxYLt9RgfIxVgKRApcTJw2J4iPC4cGgm4V9iCcGy2U3mPXdlGOMfGbQm-c_vIyHPsrfIxpgZlAUTuDu6QSUp8jPceIdLkk69w74FJ8/s400/decline+of+white+population.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 253px" /></a>Flip Smit CHANGES in the growth, composition, mobility and income of the population are reshaping the South African spatial, economic and political landscape in unprecedented ways. This is resulting in many challenges, but is also creating opportunities. Where people could live, work and own property, and also how and where they could move within the country’s borders, was determined by legislation and social engineering for more than 300 years, but particularly in the past few decades. This all changed after 1994. The world-famous Professor Peter Drucker rightly remarked that demographics is the future that has already happened. But this reality usually dawns on policymakers when it’s already too late. When the past is projected unchanged into the future, bottlenecks are created and opportunities elude even astute business leaders. The following are some of the changes that can be pinpointed. • There is a rapid decrease in the natural growth of all four main population groups. • Deaths from HIV/Aids and related diseases take a high toll and suppresses population growth. • Rapid urbanisation not only transforms the appearance of cities and towns, but places enormous pressure on service delivery. • The sustained influx of immigrants brings skills, but also has negative consequences. Rightly or wrongly, immigrants are associated with crime and drug trafficking. • On the other hand, the loss of skills through emigration is one of the main reasons economic growth is just hobbling along. • The rapid ageing of the population places increasing pressure on welfare services, while the dwindling economy has many pension and medical aids staggering. • Drastic changes in income and spending patterns create new markets, while others dwindle or disappear. The gap between a small number of wealthy people and growing numbers of poor ones grows ever wider. The emergence of a growing middle class and the increase in the number of people working for themselves, rather than for employers, is encouraging. Population growth levels off The population growth is levelling off and the composition is changing. Annual births will decrease from about 1,2 million in 2001 to just over 1 million in 2021. Deaths 10e0 shown a relatively slow increase. Whereas the personal disposable income of blacks between 1990 and 2006 rose by 45%, that of whites rose by only 11%. The emerging middle class, whose members earn between R2 400 and R18 600 a month, has increased rapidly and already numbers between nine and 13 million. These “black diamonds” are the best insurance policy for stability. According to the Bureau of Market Research, the structure of the working population that earns more than R14 000 a month has changed rapidly. By 2006, the majority of this income group were working for themselves rather than for an employer. Economic growth is not filtering through to all strata of the population. More than two-thirds of high-income groups live in the Western Cape and Gauteng. Limpopo and the Eastern Cape remain the poorest provinces, with large numbers of people leaving. The inequalities between rich and poor keep growing. More than half of black people live in poverty. The number of whites living in poverty has increased at a greater rate than the number of blacks. At present, there are more than 600 000 poor whites. Before 1994, South Africa was a very polarised community on the basis of race, religion and values. A new polarised community is now emerging, with big differences between rich and poor — regardless of race or gender. South Africa finds itself in a transition phase between a past that was unreal and future expectations that are not realising very easily. • Professor Flip Smit - former principal of the University of Pretoria. <blockquote>SOME FINDINGS • There is a rapid decrease in the growth of all four main population groups. • Whites, coloureds and Indians are shrinking minorities. • Coloureds will become the second largest population group. • Gauteng is the smallest province, but produces more than a third of South Africa’s GDP. • Whites’ personal income contribution to the total income of all population groups dropped from 70,4% in 1960 to 43% in 2007. • In the same period, blacks’ contribution increased from 22,5% to 42%. • The emerging middle class has increased rapidly and already numbers between nine and 13 million. </blockquote>

As SA grows, what animal is it becoming?

Flip Smit CHANGES in the growth, composition, mobility and income of the population are reshaping the South African spatial, economic and p...

7:40 AM

Horrific black-on-white killings

As far as the rape, mutilation and murders of Channon Christian, 21 and Christopher Newsom, 23, some in the media are saying this case doesn't represent a hate crime. Well, it sure as hell doesn't symbolize a night of love and bonding between the young couple and those who butchered them. Was the cutting off of Chris' penis an act of human kindness? Was the cutting off of Channon's breast and pouring bleach down her throat an act of compassion and love? This was pure hatred, nothing less. How could any person of sound mind and thinking look at this case and say with absolute certainty that hate wasn't involved in the commission of the atrocities against Christian and Newsom? For full story <a href="http://www.sullivan-county.com/wcva/jl.htm">click here</a>. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405558494901897682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKKEW5fiY-lMndZvOxMCRwtAy53Fp5HQ3Ov7ICu7STqiNzpmE8tIV2mot7K1ShcYwFzEsrjoDwKcZlEuODO_15oLRgBJnNrXJ7iFWEDWEu1G9T8UxjEAJ08AMxAoOSVS4KLg82DEfWf4/s400/Channon+Christian+-+Christopher+Newson.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />Torture: Channon Christian was forced to watch the attackers rape and kill her boyfriend Christopher Newsom before she was murderedIt was the kind of crime that strikes terror into the hearts of parents everywhere. A bright young couple were carjacked after a Saturday night date and murdered in the most brutal way imaginable. Christopher Newsom, 23, was tied up and raped, shot in the back of the head and then dragged to a railway track and set on fire. His girlfriend, 21-year-old University of Tennessee student Channon Christian’s fate was even more horrific. Her death came only after hours of torture, during which time she was raped and savaged with a broken chair leg. She was beaten in the head and a household bleach was poured down her throat and over her bleeding and battered genital area in an attempt by her attackers to cover any evidence of rape – all while she was still alive. Then she was ‘hog-tied’ with curtains and a strip of bedding and a plastic bag was wrapped over her face. Her body was stashed inside five bigger rubbish liners and dumped in a bin, where, according to the autopsy report, she slowly suffocated to death. On Monday, the alleged ringleader of the gang accused of the killings goes on trial in Knoxville, Tennessee. One of the gang has already been convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405558497762742306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQUg2uAYthdexZD8S1NiXNmcdmpjNg-3a_hQTROrO6V9HLUMMpbFVvg-tbEZfzGaNuVD1lDOJZcS_OJeMxR_ya1eMcWL4cfa6g3pZGEolxlVr2UOYMp1oqKzExSwNkx52IVEutEwnQsI/s400/Channon+Christian+murderers.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 350px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />Lemaricus Davidson, centre, goes on trial over the murders this week. Letalvis Cobbins, top right, has been jailed for life. Eric Boyd, Vanessa Coleman and George Thomas will be tried after Davidson<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405558504038944738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja2R8GIyzWz-7RZ6OkgyZWc3pS9tnPKlt_6Z-h_6ldUjnJC7ValmEPmcvgSPbGm1kkMwCmF_qdmtlnloh6_VwH6Rc2FGhQNNdYNT-8et468nT9Q_L1ymBM6-uF3Rqcjhf0dxKXZkmuVA/s400/Channon+Christian+Cobbins+rapist.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />Life: Letalvis 'Rome' Cobbins was found guilty of multiple counts of first degree murder. He was also convicted of rape, kidnapping and robberyBut, even though the killings happened in January, 2007, they have attracted very little national and international coverage. That’s because they do not fit into the conventional contours of an attack in America’s Deep South, where a shameful history of racial intolerance has meant assaults by whites on blacks have historically been regarded in the context of race. In this case, the races were reversed: the victims were white and the four men and one woman charged in connection with the murders are black. Ironically, the case has now generated more publicity surrounding the furore over whether or not political correctness was behind the US media’s decision to largely ignore the story than it did for the murders themselves. Defence lawyers were quick to say that some of the accused dated white women and even prosecutors denied any racial overtones. ‘There is absolutely no proof of a hate crime,’ said John Gill, special counsel to Knox County District Attorney Randy Nichols. ‘It was a terrible crime, a horrendous crime, but race was not a motive. We know from our investigation that the people charged in this case were friends with white people, socialised with white people, dated white people. 'So not only is there no evidence of any racial animus, there’s evidence to the contrary,’ he added. But that hasn’t stopped conservative critics from blaming liberal bias in the US mainstream media for failing to cover the attacks. <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405558505866664610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dvCnZjM49f7xGd6OkCi9qt7En5LxTyapiaijxJLIjv86c-hOnMC9u_2o7roWTpWLLa-Gb_5A_K_HEGwatHtyDJZXX8GQ-IgLataNoMP_nsFjwRjlM_fGWPIB5dSnV3c3tuScU85BW_o/s400/Channon+Christian+21+Christopher+Nesom+23+-+2007.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 309px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />Victims: Channon christian, 21, and boyfriend Christopher Newsom, 23, were carjacked and murdered after a Saturday night date in Tennessee in 2007Columnist and right-wing blogger Michelle Malkin weighed in, saying: ‘This case – an attractive white couple murdered by five black thugs –doesn’t fit any political agenda. 'It’s not a useful crime. Reverse the races and just imagine how the national media would cover the story of a young black couple murdered by five white assailants.’ Country music singer Charlie Daniels pointed out the media frenzy that came after a black woman accused three white members of the Duke University lacrosse team of raping her. The players were later cleared after their accuser changed her story. But Daniels said on his website: ‘If this had been white on black crime, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and their ilk would have descended on Knoxville like a swarm of angry bees.’ <img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405558510466552226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGVf4SsYwpLtKwtOcjRGpuXzL_eVTo5dY8z_Prg3PEoUhHZASDMp7zTqSzfomjjuM2VhvqWNeU1wUsjSaUAQt4ezmdUwjD5OOxZoNs0qiPOXQqq6M_jSiSIVTk0Kaw_ZMVEvfwYdVAEM/s400/Channon+Christian+Hush+Crime+Exposed.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 317px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />Outrage: Campaigners believe the murders haven't received extensive media coverage because of race issuesMuch of the criticism over the scant coverage of the murders has been on the internet through blogs and websites. University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Reynolds said the American media has a ‘template’ for covering white-on-black crime but not the reverse. ‘I think it would have gotten a lot of national play faster if it had been a black couple kidnapped and killed by five white people,’ he told the local paper in Knoxville. According to court testimony, Chris, a talented carpenter and former high school baseball player, and college senior Channon had gone to a friend’s home after a date at a local restaurant when they were held up at gunpoint and carjacked on January 6, 2007. They were forced to drive to an old clapboard house in one of Knoxville’s toughest neighbourhoods, where their captors, some of them ex-convicts, subjected them to the nightmare ordeal. - dailymail.co.uk - on 16th October 2009 See also - <a href="http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/newsom.asp">http://www.snopes.com/politics/crime/newsom.asp</a>

Horrific black-on-white killings

As far as the rape, mutilation and murders of Channon Christian, 21 and Christopher Newsom, 23, some in the media are saying this case doesn...

12:54 PM

Global homicide: SA still has highest murder rate

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2py2TJPXmUV667gnEFyS_9EuPYMCJFdgsQU-3oca9RqzjUXa7LkoDo-H8r1hLqrWNg_r_OaT137_x1XuOy3l2see_y3I6oA8cSiGr2GAd48_x4sgj15W0CEmsxJG_kJaDZMfYr7jjuU/s1600/crime-statistics-za.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405217100424725666" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2py2TJPXmUV667gnEFyS_9EuPYMCJFdgsQU-3oca9RqzjUXa7LkoDo-H8r1hLqrWNg_r_OaT137_x1XuOy3l2see_y3I6oA8cSiGr2GAd48_x4sgj15W0CEmsxJG_kJaDZMfYr7jjuU/s400/crime-statistics-za.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 385px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 296px" /></a> Which countries have the highest murder rates? Find out with the latest data What do murder rates tell us about a country? When they are as extreme as Colombia's or South Africa's, do they shape our perceptions of the place? <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/22/south-africa-worldcup-crime-fears">Crime is rising in South Africa</a> less than nine months before the country hosts the football World Cup. But even with a murder rate dropping some 3% in recent years, South Africa still has the highest murder rate in the world. These figures, from the fantastic <a href="http://data.un.org/">UNdata</a> give us an insight into the latest figures. But, of course, the results can offer different interpretations. If there's one area where you can find a figure to suit your prejudices this is it. The UN data includes figures from the <a href="http://www.who.int/en/">World Health Organisation</a>, the UN and local police forces. So there is the South Africa (SAPS) murder rate on the chart of 39.5 - and then there's also a hugely different WHO figure of 69 murders per 100,000. See the individual country reports and then the figures as measured by UN, WHO. For the full data, go to the Google spreadsheet and find out for yourself. Download the full data here <a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=tAJzrYuGxXOGbU_HO2s_PrQ">DATA: download the full list as a spreadsheet, including sources and alternative measures</a>

Global homicide: SA still has highest murder rate

Which countries have the highest murder rates? Find out with the latest data What do murder rates tell us about a country? When they are as...

12:52 PM

Gardener, chauffeur accused of brutal family murders

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRtgK9QS29w8YQ_3Oqi-wSeXatxSPPn30WetjVBc4wkeFvBuPMYu8WS0VBo0i3o51cdI6NeMTzdnXshPl0WWAzhLWAWsse_mhfFV4TDvTgkmc9KL2rgPQWZxzXPiLrR1PeiGmCWnzbeY/s1600/crime-bijkersma-murders.bmp"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405174211333802578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRtgK9QS29w8YQ_3Oqi-wSeXatxSPPn30WetjVBc4wkeFvBuPMYu8WS0VBo0i3o51cdI6NeMTzdnXshPl0WWAzhLWAWsse_mhfFV4TDvTgkmc9KL2rgPQWZxzXPiLrR1PeiGmCWnzbeY/s400/crime-bijkersma-murders.bmp" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 309px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 280px" /></a>A black gardener Stephan Modise was charged with the May 1, 2008 massacre of a Dutch-origin immigrant family. Wheelchair-bound Mrs Hettie Bijkersma, her (Dutch) caregiver Ms Elsje Wouda and her husband Douwe -- a lecturer at the Krugersdorp Technical College -- were all savagely murdered and the family's maternal matriarch Mrs Jopie Durieux (83) critically injured. The massacre was discovered by their daughter, Mrs Hiltje Bijkersma on her return from holiday. The victims' throats had all been cut. Nothing was robbed. (The image depicts the traumatised children -- Ms Bakersma and her brother Douwe Jr, 25, (second-left) being supported by trauma councillors of Netcare911). Siblings relive horror deaths All Jan Bijkersma and his sister Hiltje wanted to do was hug and kiss their parents when they returned from holiday. An excited Hiltje rushed to the front door, and a broken window was the first sign that something was horribly wrong. "The curtain was slightly opened. I went towards the curtain and pulled it. I saw my father's legs lying on the ground and I then took two steps backwards." This was how Jan and Hiltje discovered their murdered parents when they returned to their Florida North home on May 2 last year after holidaying at Sabie in Mpumalanga. Yesterday, the siblings testified in the Johannesburg High Court against their former gardener and chauffeur, Stephanus Modise, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Douwe and Johanna Bijkersma, both 57, and Gelske Afke Wounda, 40, and attempting to murder Johanna Baecidina Durieux, 80. "I then went back to pull the curtain again and I then saw my father lying on the floor with his head covered in blood. Jan was behind me. I told him not to go inside the house, but he insisted on doing so," Hiltje testified. Jan testified that he "saw my mother's caregiver (Wounda) sitting dead on the sofa with her eyes and mouth wide open - I immediately knew the same thing had happened to my wheelchair-bound mother", Jan said. "I saw my mother in her electric chair. I did not want to look at her. It was a horrific scene," he said. The sibling's grandmother, Durieux, was stabbed in the neck but survived. Durieux died in July at a frail-care centre. While Jan was in the living room, his grandmother called out to him. "In Dutch, she said 'We've been attacked by a man carrying a long knife', before laying her face down on the floor," Jan testified. He then called the emergency services. When asked about their family's relationship with Modise, both siblings testified it was good when he started working for them in October 2004. The relationship, the court heard, turned sour when he allegedly became aggressive towards their mother, who was wheelchair-bound after one of her legs was amputated due to cancer. After the amputation, their mother organised a driving licence for the accused to enable him to become her chauffeur. Jan testified that in one incident, his mother became angry after Modise drove the family car aggressively. He said this was one of the factors that contributed to the family's decision to fire him. The court heard that prior to the decision to fire him, Modise apparently approached the family and asked for a wage increase. "My father told him that he was not able to give him an increase. He then advised him to learn a new trade and get alternative employment. He was lacklustre. My parents allowed him to stay until he got a new job," Jan said. Hiltje testified how Modise went to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration to lay a complaint of unfair dismissal against her parents early in 2007. The CCMA ruled against his parents, who agreed on a payout in favour of Modise. In August 2007 Modise apparently served the Bijkersmas with court papers, threatening to take them to the Labour Court for unfair dismissal. Nine months later, Modise allegedly bought a knife at a Roodepoort shop, which he used to kill his former bosses on May 1 - Workers' Day. <a href="http://www.star.co.za/" target="_blank">The Star</a> 17/11/09

Gardener, chauffeur accused of brutal family murders

A black gardener Stephan Modise was charged with the May 1, 2008 massacre of a Dutch-origin immigrant family. Wheelchair-bound Mrs Hettie Bi...

12:04 PM

F State govt spokesperson killed in car crash

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEdIQy9Sdy8XkZDKTm1eP0SeTvFxxwM8NzZ5vrfFdhoSycfjkREzXPKgxo5idq3UP5GV03S2dwia8KNaDLnWG6QKeDe69fii6tbBad_whcBWd-78I_kKtJTYbQfod4Z-AK475vNs9zJM/s1600-h/cars-flashy+wheels.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404467552009137106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEdIQy9Sdy8XkZDKTm1eP0SeTvFxxwM8NzZ5vrfFdhoSycfjkREzXPKgxo5idq3UP5GV03S2dwia8KNaDLnWG6QKeDe69fii6tbBad_whcBWd-78I_kKtJTYbQfod4Z-AK475vNs9zJM/s400/cars-flashy+wheels.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 207px" /></a>The latest members of government’s WaBenzi club, the elite club of big spender cabinet ministers who recently splurged R11-million on new luxury vehicles, the executive team of the Free State has taken top honours for the most expensive car splurge to date, beating eight other provinces to the line. Clockwise: Minister of communications Siphiwe Nyanda spent R2.2-million on two BMW 7-series limos; Free State premier Ace Magashule spent R1.3-million on a Merc S-600, giving new meaning to the term 'Free State bicycle'; minister of police Nathi Mthethwa needed two BMW X5s, setting the state back R1.3-million; and Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya, minister of women and children, needed a Range Rover for Pretoria and an Audi A6 for Cape Town, at R1.26-million. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0uCWFJUjpfd5gwhGtFOb6p37t_Jjhe9ZfBQgZtOTdOhUQVmGlcXSue697eYWvVv6WkURDuf5yU9o8gQuXRC4_NFkOpN1sq2Kxv7xnrwL60htBhy7ilJkW93tzYQAfNoMNhyUvDD-zW8/s1600-h/BMW+Z4.bmp"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404467891334569682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0uCWFJUjpfd5gwhGtFOb6p37t_Jjhe9ZfBQgZtOTdOhUQVmGlcXSue697eYWvVv6WkURDuf5yU9o8gQuXRC4_NFkOpN1sq2Kxv7xnrwL60htBhy7ilJkW93tzYQAfNoMNhyUvDD-zW8/s320/BMW+Z4.bmp" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 256px" /></a>Free State government spokesperson Teboho Sikisi passed away in car crash in the central parts of the province last night. Sikisi and another man died in the accident while a woman travelling in the car with them on the road between Bloemfontein and Bultfontein escaped with minor injuries. The second man who died in the accident may not be named yet as his next of kin are yet to be notified. The driver of the BMW Z4 that the three people were travelling in lost control of the vehicle and the car turned over in the adjacent field. It is still not known at this stage who the driver of the car was - but a case of culpable homicide has been opened. Sikisi has been the spokesperson for the provincial ANC leadership for more than three years and is a former ANC Youth League leader in the province. At the time of his death, Sikisi was also a member of the ANC's provincial executive committee in the Free State and acted as the party's provincial spokesperson. Sikisi was on his way home to attend his 3-month old- daughter's christening today.

F State govt spokesperson killed in car crash

The latest members of government’s WaBenzi club, the elite club of big spender cabinet ministers who recently splurged R11-million on new lu...

5:35 AM

Mom fighting to uncover son's fatal collision with VIP unit

Kyle Harris was killed when his car was hit by a police car in a convoy escorting a SA Reserve Bank (SARB) vehicle through an intersection along Hendrik Potgieter drive on Thursday 12 June 2008. Eyewitnesses said the convoy had run a red traffic light. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXMNA6ItbnxYD3bf9HU9BKwfl732P0opGGsghpr4smnCxJKyrMVAmCk1omG1bgL9YWAO5UuOHQjTE37CjmZqzOINlzuoHfC-irylA8cvRWBCI2jyGCTDX5BxLNzihqoXuXWSDNEGDvPw/s1600-h/crime-dead-body.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404327893216170418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXMNA6ItbnxYD3bf9HU9BKwfl732P0opGGsghpr4smnCxJKyrMVAmCk1omG1bgL9YWAO5UuOHQjTE37CjmZqzOINlzuoHfC-irylA8cvRWBCI2jyGCTDX5BxLNzihqoXuXWSDNEGDvPw/s400/crime-dead-body.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 235px" /></a>See <a class="l" onmousedown="return clk(this.href,'','','res','4','&sig2=lTpZZWA4gi9b366Zm__y8w','0CBQQFjAD')" href="http://www.mnet.co.za/Mnet/Shows/carteblanche/DisplayPrint.asp?ID=3543">Carte Blanche</a> story SA Blue Light cowboy convoys Somebody has to pay' for son's fatal collision with VIP unit Michelle Harris remembers clearly arriving at the accident scene - one car on its roof and the other smashed, unrecognisable, glass strewn across the usually busy intersection. But the scene that plays out in her head every day is the one where she sees a man lying in the road. His motionless body is covered with foil, his takkies poking out from underneath a blanket. On closer inspection she sees it's her worst nightmare come true. It is her handsome and bright young son Kyle (20). He is dead. All Harris and her family want is closure from that fateful morning last June, but they have received everything but. The court case involving Constable Johannes Ramalope from the police's VIP Unit - on trial for culpable homicide in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court - has dragged on for nearly 18 months. But Michelle isn't giving up. The 42-year-old Florida mother has quit two jobs, determined to investigate the case herself. "I couldn't trust the police to do their jobs. I needed to know what happened that day and I wasn't getting any answers from the police. "It was difficult from that first day because they were investigating one of their own." On the morning of June 12, Kyle drove his sister Maxcene to college. He would usually be back home by 9am. When he didn't arrive at 9.10am, Michelle started to worry. "He was going to be late for work, but that's not why I started to get anxious. I knew something was wrong." When her brother-in-law arrived to fetch Kyle for work, the pair went looking for the young man. They drove and eventually stopped while approaching the Hendrik Potgieter and Jim Fouché intersection in Roodepoort. "There was a traffic jam, we were stuck. But then I heard the sirens and I started to get butterflies in my stomach. "I told my brother-in-law that I was going to where the sirens were. So I got out and started running. As I came closer, I saw ambulances and, immediately after, I saw Kyle's car." After she had identified her son's body, police told her that a car in a VIP convoy had collided head-on with her son's. They said the convoy had been transporting Chinese diplomats to Pretoria. The occupants of the other car, which lay on its roof, had been taken to hospital. "Our lives changed that day. And nothing has changed since. I have made it my life's mission to see that the person responsible for my son's death is brought to book. Somebody has to pay, I don't care who." The court case was a comedy of errors, she says. It was postponed several times because investigators had failed to complete their investigations timeously. And at one point the docket "mysteriously" went missing. But Michelle refuses to accept officials' "incompetence". So she resigned from her job as a private banker at Nedbank, then as a sales manager at another company, so that she could focus on the investigation into her son's death. Michelle says she visited the scene a week after the accident, spoke to the driver of the tow truck, and gave details of witnesses to the police. This was after she went on radio and pleaded for witnesses to come forward, which they did. Harris also twice visited Assistant Commissioner Oswald Reddy, area commander of the greater Roodepoort area, to beg for help. The case was in court this week. Ramalope's colleague, Inspector Bernard Clifton, testified that the driver had been doing more than 100km/h at the time of the collision. Clifton testified that he was driving with Ramalope in a Ford Territory as part of a police convoy that, among others, had been escorting a Reserve Bank truck from Bloemfontein to Pretoria. Earlier, Captain Hendrik Willem Stölm, the commander of the convoy, testified that the vehicles in the convoy were driving along Hendrik Potgieter Avenue to get to the N14 highway before slow traffic on the N1 highway could pose a security risk. Clifton, meanwhile, claimed that Harris had moved from behind two rows of stationary vehicles in Jim Fouché Drive, across the intersection, and passed a marked VIP police car, which was parked in the middle of the road to block off traffic, before hitting the Ford Territory that was moving down Hendrik Potgieter, on the right front side. But State prosecutor Mardie Human disagreed. She said that due to the traffic islands regulating the flow of traffic, it would have been technically impossible for Harris to move past so many vehicles. Later Clifton admitted he was not familiar with the area. The magistrate, prosecutor and defence team were supposed to do an in-loco inspection, but a hailstorm in the Roodepoort area hampered plans to point out markers at the scene of the accident. The inspection will now take place on November 30. Michelle, who described her son as a humble, happy and intelligent young man, is determined to have her son's reputation reinstated. "They are making him out to be some kind of psycho on the road. It hurts us so much. I don't know what would have happened if I didn't push ahead, forcing people to do their jobs. "Kyle was loved and the world loved Kyle. He would always go to the ends of the earth for those who needed his help." Since Kyle's death, Michelle, her husband Clive and daughter Maxcene's lives have changed dramatically. They were an active group - always outdoors and enjoying music, movies and karaoke nights. But, mostly, the family fun has ended. "My family need to move on with their lives, we desperately want to. But we're still stuck with the court case hanging over our heads," says Michelle.

Mom fighting to uncover son's fatal collision with VIP unit

Kyle Harris was killed when his car was hit by a police car in a convoy escorting a SA Reserve Bank (SARB) vehicle through an intersection a...

5:09 AM