LATEST NEWS FROM SOUTH AFRICA


 

An explosive device found at Eastgate Mall in Bedfordview near Johannesburg on Monday could have caused major damage, eyewitnesses report. The device had been left in a suitcase in front of a jewellery store," said police spokesperson Captain Katlego Mogale. The police's bomb disposal unit disarmed the device in a controlled explosion after evacuating the mall. Business has since returned to normal. Police sources believe it was a premeditated crime. The suitcase reportedly was found beneath the escalator at the food court of the mall. Eyewitnesses said the device was planted near the only two restaurants that operate on gas.

 

- News24 report, November 29, 2011
 


 

Three suspected right-wing members planning to attack churches were arrested in Naboomspruit on Friday, Limpopo [Far North] police said. Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said the three were arrested at a farm near Naboomspruit when the police were called to an arson scene. "On arrival, members discovered that the farm is being used as a training centre for security guards who are then deployed to work on farms." He said the three men previously received training on the farm, but were kicked out last week after causing problems. They returned on Thursday night, and forcefully gained entry onto the farm. An argument started between them and people living on the farm, and they allegedly set alight two tents. He said that during the arrest, police confiscated several self-made weapons such as swords, bulletproof vests, helmets with spikes, batons with spikes and suspected bomb manufacturing material. "Further investigations revealed that the suspects might be involved in a religious cult and they were planning to attack churches during service times. "They believed that only Whites were to live in South Africa, the rest must be killed. "Leaflets believed to be occult-related were also found on the premises." Mulaudzi said photographs of different churches were found on their cameras and cellphones [mobile phones]. They were expected to appear in the Naboomspruit Magistrate's Court on Monday. They face charges of arson and possession of dangerous weapons. Mulaudzi said the right wing movement was not known and investigations were launched to probe its existence.

 

- News24 report, November 25, 2011

 


 

A primary school teacher has been hacked with a panga in front of a classroom full of pupils in Matlala, near Polokwane, Limpopo [Far North] police said on Wednesday. Lieutenant Colonel Ronel Otto said the 53-year-old man was teaching at Masehlong Primary School when his brother walked in and attacked him on Tuesday. She said some of the pupils tried to stop the assault, but it was too violent. The teacher was taken to hospital, but died shortly after arrival. His 40-year-old brother was arrested and charged with murder. He was expected to appear in the Matlala Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

 

- AfricanCrisis report, November 16, 2011

 


 

Solly Tyibilika, the first Black rugby player to score a Test try for the Springboks, has been shot dead in a Cape Town tavern. Western Cape police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk said two armed men entered a tavern in Gugulethu at 2pm on Saturday and began shooting randomly. "Two patrons were wounded and one of them, in his early 30s, died on the scene," he said. The perpetrators were being sought.

 

- Mail & Guardian, November 14, 2011

 


 

Official Police docket photograph of the murdered Afrikaner separatist leader Eugene Terre’Blanche, showing clearly that he was in the process of exposing himself when he was hacked down (but were his trousers pulled up prior to the taking of this photo?).

 

- photo sent by DDN (Arizona, USA), October 15, 2011

 


 

Terre’Blanche's fly was open and penis exposed

 

The first person to see the body of slain rightwing [sic] leader Eugene Terre’Blanche has testified that his belt was undone and his genitals exposed. "His pants and belt were open. His fly was open and his private parts were protruding,” paramedic Robert van Heerden told the High Court sitting in Ventersdorp on Friday. "There was moisture under the penis, but I can’t tell you what kind of moisture." He said he could not recognise Terre’Blanche, a person he had known for 25 years. "He had been badly hurt, cut and beaten," the paramedic said. "I didn’t expect to see someone in such a condition." Van Heerden spoke to the court in Afrikaans, which was translated into Setswana. He testified that the first thing Van Heerden saw when he entered the bedroom with a torch on April 3 last year was a pool of blood on the floor. Moving his torch around the room, he saw blood dripping from the bed onto the floor, and blood on the curtains and walls. He felt Terre’Blanche for a pulse and realised he was dead. Van Heerden said the body had cooled down and he could not tell how long it had been lying there. He said he did not move the body, and that no one “messed” with the evidence. He used a torch because the light switch was not working, and it was dark inside the farmhouse. Allegations of sodomy arose last year after police commissioner General Bheki Cele said a condom was found at the crime scene. Earlier in the trial, defence attorney Norman Arendse said: “There were allegations of verbal, physical and sexual abuse” and that witnesses were afraid to testify to it. The attorney, representing the minor accused, did not say who had been sexually abused.

 

- report by Miranda Andrew, October 14, 2011

 


 

A 56-year-old man will probably be unable to walk again after he was shot in the back by suspected criminals. “Love, what did we do wrong to deserve this? We have only been good to everyone,” said Charles Botha to his wife on Sunday. Botha, 56, from Stilfontein in the North West Transvaal, got up at about 02:00 on Sunday when he heard the bell, said his wife Carien Botha, 38. “I was in bed when it happened. My husband said he would go see who it was, perhaps there was trouble. My mom is ill, she has cancer.” Shortly afterwards, her 10-year-old son came running into the room, saying: “Mommy, there’s trouble.” “He and a friend were playing computer games and he heard the shots. I don’t know if he saw my husband but I locked him in the room. “When I got outside my husband was lying there. He said: ‘Bokka, someone has shot me.’ He had lost a lot of blood.” Botha is a supervisor at Village Main Reef’s Buffelfontein gold mine. He had walked out to the gate and apparently spoke to someone there. His wife said she didn’t know why he walked out there. “He has never done it before in his life. When he turned around to walk back to the house, they shot him twice in the back.” The suspect or suspects presumably tried unsuccessfully to climb over the palisade fence to gain access to their yard, said Botha’s wife.“The palisades are bent and a piece of material was stuck to the gate. It looked like they couldn’t get over.” Botha was rushed to Wilmedpark hospital where he was operated on and remains in ICU. “Doctors told me he would never walk again. Charles was always on the go. No one could keep up with him.  “He is the most wonderful person. He has always helped other people, even if things weren’t going well personally.” She said her husband had been very positive over the past three weeks after he had reason to believe that he could lose his job after the mine decreased staff. Police spokesperson Sergeant Karen Tredoux said police were investigating a case of attempted murder.

 

-  Beeld, October 10, 2011

 


 

What have Whites done for Blacks during apartheid? The list follows :- 

 

- The Apartheid government built ten Universities for Blacks including Medunsa which is a unique medical university that turned out 200 highly qualified Black doctors every year all at state costs, paid for by the White taxpayers. It also trained paramedics and nurses.

 

- Since 1970 the budget for Black education was raised by about 30% per year every year. More than any other government department.

 

- In the period 1955 -1984 the amount of Black school students increased 31 times from 35,000 to 1,096,000.

 

- 65% of Black South African children were at school compared to Egypt 64%, Nigeria 57%, Ghana 52%, Tanzania 50% and Ethiopia 29%.

 

-Amongst the adults of South Africa, 71% could read and write (80% between the ages 12 and 22). Compare this to Kenya 47%, Egypt 38%, Nigeria 34% and Mozambique at 26%.

 

- In South Africa, the Whites built 15 new classrooms for Blacks every working day, every year. At 40 children per class it meant space for an additional 600 Black students every day!

 

- In 1985 there were 42,000 Blacks at 5 universities in South Africa, about the same amount at the universities of the homelands.

 

- In an article called "Die Afrikaner" 11 Feb 1987, the quarterly magazine called "Vox Africana" Nr 29 4/87 stated that, South Africa had 5,8 million Whites and 18,2 million Blacks in 1987. The Whites paid 77% of the taxes and the Blacks only 15% ... despite this ... 56% of the government budget was spent on Blacks.

 

- During the time of Dr. Verwoerd the living standards of Blacks were rising at 5,4% per year against that of the Whites at 3,9% per year. In 1965 the economic growth of South Africa was the second highest in the world at 7.9%. The rate of inflation was a mere 2% per annum and the prime interest rate only 3% per annum. Domestic savings were so great that South Africa needed no foreign loans for normal economic expansion.

 

- Even Lord Deedes admitted, "White South Africa grew to become the economic giant of the continent, the other members of the Commonwealth virtually sank into poverty."

 

- At the hight of Apartheid in 1978 Soweto had 115 football fields, 3 Rugby fields, 4 athletic tracks, 11 Cricket fields, 2 Golf courses, 47 Tennis courts, 7 swimming pools built to Olympic standards, 5 Bowling alleys, 81 Netball fields, 39 children play parks, and countless civic halls, movie houses and clubhouses.

 

- In addition to this, Soweto had 300 churches, 365 schools, 2 Technical Colleges, 8 clinics, 63 child day care centres, 11 Post Offices, and its own fruit and vegetable market.

 

- There were 2300 registered companies that belonged to Black businessmen, about 1000 private taxi companies. 3% of the 50,000 vehicle owners in 1978 were Mercedes Benz owners. Soweto alone had more cars, taxis, schools, churches and sport facilities than most independent countries in Africa. The Blacks of South Africa had more private vehicles than the entire White population of the USSR at the time.

 

- Today Soweto has modern shopping malls like, Dobsonville Shopping Centre. In 2005 the Protea Gardens Mall opened. This was followed by the Baramall Shopping Centre and the Jabulani Shopping complex and the Maponya Mall. Experts say that Soweto has as much as 25% over-supply of retail space.

 

- The Canadian Medical Doctor, Dr Kenneth Walker wrote about Soweto, (I freely translate from "Verrat an Südafrika", Klaus Vaque, 1987,pg 41) "In Soweto I saw many homes that costs about $100,000 (1978) and that had a BMW in the driveway. All houses are single storey. Many are recently painted. Many had flowerpots in the windows and lawn in the front. Only 2% were shacks. If I had the choice to live in Soweto or in the apartment dwellings or "Projects" of New York, Chicago, or Detroit where there is so much crime, then I would not hesitate for one moment and choose Soweto."

 

- The biggest hospital in the world, Baragwanath with 3200 beds and at its peak almost 8000 staff had 23 operation theatres fitted out with the most modern medical equipment that existed in the world. Blacks were treated here, operated on at full state costs to the White-taxpayers for unlimited periods. The budget of this hospital was and is higher than the yearly budget of most small member states of the United Nations.

 

- Next door to Baragwanath is the St. John's Eye Clinic. The clinic is world famous for the treatment of Glaucoma, Cataracts, traumatic eye injuries and rare tropical diseases. All built and maintained by White taxpayer's money for Blacks.

 

- Baragwanath in 1978 employed 450 medical doctors in full-time service. It treated 112,000 in-patients and 1.62 million out-patients per year. The children and infant death rate with 34.8 per 1000 was lower than Harlem in New York.

 

- In 1982 alone, this hospital performed 898 heart operations of world quality.

 

- Ironically 90% of the blood donors for this hospital were Whites, who donated blood free of charge, totally voluntarily, to save Black lives. (Quoted from The Citizen, 2 April 1987).

 

- Whites have already given Blacks their blood. What more do they want?

 

- CensorBugBear Reports, September 9, 2011

 


 

Supporters of Julius Malema, the firebrand leader of South Africa's ruling party's youth league, have been accused of trying to "plant the seed of civil war", as hundreds clashed with police in Johannesburg. Gwede Mantashe, the African National Congress's Secretary-General, said the violence was the worst seen in Johannesburg's central business district since apartheid ended in 1994. Stone and bottle-throwing started early Tuesday morning and police responded almost immediately with rubber bullets, stun grenades and water canon fire. Car windows were smashed, rubbish bins were set slight and there were reports that people travelling to work were dragged from their cars and told to join the protesters. Several blocks around the ANC headquarters were sealed off with razor wire, behind which stood riot police with helmets and plastic shields. Clashes between police and supporters of Malema erupted in Johannesburg as the outspoken leader appeared before the ANC's disciplinary committee accused of "sowing dissent". "If this is an attempt to intimidate, it is not working," Mr Mantashe said. "Whoever brought this crowd here will have to take responsibility"

. Malema and his supporters are openly challenging President Jacob Zuma and the ANC leadership, who they accuse of trying to "silence" them in their calls for wealth distribution through mine nationalisation and Zimbabwe-style land seizures. The party has charged the Youth League president and his senior aides with sowing dissent in ANC ranks and bringing the movement into disrepute through attacks on Zuma and a recent call for the overthrow of President Ian Khama in neighbouring Botswana. Malema, who faces expulsion from the party in the coming weeks if found guilty, could form a breakaway party. During a postponement in the hearing, the 30-year-old emerged from the ANC's Luthuli House and was given a hero's welcome. Wearing a black beret and a black T-shirt bearing the slogan "Economic Freedom Fighters", he told the estimated 3,000 people who converged in a public square to hear him speak to stop attacking police and burning ANC flags. He reminded them that their gripe was with the current leadership, not the party of Nelson Mandela. But he said the ANC youth league and its "revolutionary struggle" was the "only hope" for unemployed and impoverished South Africans. "The silencing of the youth league is the silencing of the voice of the voiceless. The youth league is the only organisation that speaks on behalf of the poor," he said. He called on protesters not to attack journalists or police, adding: "You must know who is the enemy," at which the crowd roared: "Zuma is the enemy". Several journalists and a police officer were injured by flying rocks and broadcasting equipment damaged. Malema has often claimed the media who reported the corruption claims that have dogged him are backed by right-wing extremists and "imperialists". Kebby Maphatsoe, the chairman of the veterans' association of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the ANC formed by Mandela to fight apartheid, said the violence during the day was carefully organised. "Their actions are clearly meant to divide our communities and ultimately the South African society," he said. "Their deliberate actions are clearly meant to plant the seed of a civil war in our country." Bongani Mani, the president of COSAS, South Africa's student union, condemned the involvement of schoolchildren, some of whom were reportedly bussed in from Soweto in the middle of the day, still in their uniforms.

 

- Daily Telegraph, August 31, 2011

 


 

An elderly couple was murdered on their Heidelberg farm on Saturday morning, Gauteng [the PWV area] police said. Constable Tikoane Sonopo said a towing service called the couple's son after their car was found over turned on the R42 road near Vereeniging at 5.15am. The son went to his parent's Houtpoort farm just after 5.30am and found his 60-year-old mother tied up in the living room with multiple stab wounds. She was already dead. He found his father, also with multiple stab wounds, dead on the bedroom floor. Sonopo said the house was ransacked. A rifle and electrical appliances were stolen.

 

- AfricanCrisis, July 2, 2011

 


 

A couple in their 50s died after they were stabbed during a house robbery at their Airfield home in Benoni, The Star newspaper reported on Friday. Constable Tim Masilela said three men armed with knives arrived at the family home on Tuesday evening. Homeowner John Collen, 55, was stabbed repeatedly and his throat was slit when he tried to protect his family. His wife Sue ran into the house to get help and was chased by a second man who stabbed her and tried to slit her throat. She died in ICU from her injuries on Thursday. According to Masilela all this happened in the presence of their daughter-in-law Vivienne Haydock. She had been protecting her own daughter when the three took her and her mother-in-law's jewellery and mobile phone before fleeing.

- AfricanCrisis, June 13, 2011

 


 

The SANDF has run into severe problems that are eroding its infrastructure and propelling it towards an uncertain future. Massive transformation and severe budget cuts have changed the face of the SANDF from a battle-hardened outfit to one that is struggling to man, and run, the glittering array of weaponry bought in the arms deal. Spurred by a parliamentary report on the SANDF tabled in Jan 2011, the Cape Times investigated the changing face of the military and confirmed the findings of deep neglect. Last week, generals from different branches of the military assured the Joint Standing Committee on Defence that they were making progress in dealing with the problems. Based on the report and the findings of our investigation, these are the challenges the SANDF faces:

 

* A steady decrease in annual funding from 4.5 percent to 1.3 percent of GDP since 1994 has led to equipment decay and poor working conditions.

 

* Enlistment guided by short-service contracts has turned the military into an employment agency and young people equate joining with getting a civil servant's job, leading to problems when they are in battle situations.

 

* While they have been huge acquisitions of hi-tech weaponry and vehicles, the maintenance of older equipment has been neglected.  Budget constraints mean the

military has struggled to train personnel to man such arms deal purchases as the Gripen fighter jets, frigates and submarines.

 

* Before soldiers protesting about poor pay and conditions clashed with police at the Union Buildings in Pretoria in 2009, entry-level soldiers were earning R3 000 a month.  Pay has been increased, but scales remain skewed.

 

- Michael Kaplin (Cape Times), June 12, 2011

 


 

Investigations are under way into the murder of a third South Coast pensioner to have been killed by robbers in their homes. Police confirmed they have opened a murder docket to investigate the death of Louise Pitzer (71) of Umtentweni, who was killed in her home on Sunday. Pitzer was last seen on Saturday visiting friends in Margate. They tried to contact her on Saturday afternoon and became worried when there was no reply. They noticed that she did not show up for church on Sunday morning and alerted the police, who accompanied the friends to Pitzer’s home where her body was found. Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Zandra Wiid said the perpetrators had gained entry through a window from which they had removed the glass. “The glass was left hidden in the garden. They left with the deceased’s vehicle, a white VW Polo Vivo,” said Wiid. Police suspect that the murderers had been waiting inside the victim’s house for her return and then overpowered her. Pitzer’s dog, a terrier, was locked inside the house with her. “Detectives are still investigating to find out what else was taken from the house,” said Wiid. Pitzer’s son arrived from Durban yesterday. Her daughter is working in the medical profession in Saudi Arabia. The attacks on the elderly have raised concern among the community as well as the police. Wiid said police are working around the clock to find out who was responsible for the violent crimes. Early this month Pete Smith (84) was found dead in the bathroom in his home in Southport. His face and neck had been hacked with a bush knife. Sehodihul Sewpersadh (79) was robbed and murdered in Oslo Beach. Money and jewellery were taken from his home. He sustained a serious wound to the head and was rushed to hospital where he died from his injury. Gillian Wingrave (70) of Anerley and Ellen Nel (66) of Southport were attacked and robbed on the same day. They sustained minor injuries. Maureen Collam (66) of Southport was threatened by a man with a screwdriver. He entered the house when Collam opened the sliding door to let her dog out. “The fact that the perpetrators are targeting elderly people is of great concern to us,” said Wiid. She said police have put certain measures in place in the area and are working extra hard to identify the perpetrators. “It is a priority for us to ensure that these suspects are behind bars as soon as possible,” she added.

 

- report sent by RAM (New Zealand), June 6, 2011

 


 

A vervet monkey was burnt to death in Kagiso informal settlement, west of Johannesburg, after residents believed it was linked to witchcraft, The Star newspaper reported on Monday. "In an incident described as 'barbaric' by the Community-led Animal Welfare (CLAW), residents chanted 'kill that witch!', The Star said. It reported that the monkey wandered into the settlement last week Monday, May 23, and was pelted with stones, shot at by police, and then burnt to death. The monkey fled the mob and temporarily found shelter in a tree, but was pulled out, put in a bucket and doused in petrol. "Someone struck a match. (The monkey) got out of the bucket and dropped down dead. They continued throwing stones at it," Kagiso resident, Tebogo Moswetsi was reported as saying. Moswetsi was woken up by friends on Monday morning and told about the monkey; they said it was going around Kagiso "talking to people". He said he joined in the case as he was curious. He was the resident that climbed the tree and brought the monkey down. "I feel guilty; I shouldn't have taken it down from that tree. I dropped it down after someone poured petrol on it. I had no choice," Moswetsi said. CLAW manager, Cora Bailey, arrived at the scene and said she was devastated. "I felt devastated. You could barely tell it had been a living creature. There were very small children who looked very confused and frightened". Bailey explained animals fell victim to superstition, especially because they did not understand that such animals wander into townships because their natural habitat was destroyed or it was separated from its troop. "It was a quest to find a family," she said. Johannes Bapela, also a Kagiso resident, called Bailey after calls to police failed to deliver results, he told The Star. "They beat it up, then set it alight. I couldn't sleep that night because it was too traumatic," he said. He called the claims of witchcraft "totally baseless" and added it was more mob mentality than anything else.

 

- report sent by MH-GE, May 30, 2011

 

 

New Afrikaans mum Yvonne Kruger, 23 of Randfontein, warned the Potchefstroom Government Hospital that she could not give birth naturally because she suffered placenta praevia: the staff just ignored her: her baby, staffers claimed, was born dead: but that's not what the young mother, her husband and her parents experienced: they held the newborn in their arms, alive and crying for two hours immediately after the birth. The Kruger family believes believes that staffers at the hospital killed the baby. She had to go and identify the baby after it was all wrapped up inside a steamed-up plastic bag...She was admitted in January when she was six months pregnant. She repeatedly warned the Black nurses that she suffered from an unusual condition called placenta praevia - in which the placenta is attached to the uterus. The Black nurses just told her rudely to 'shut up'.   And hospital spokesman Nico Masiu claimed that there was “nothing wrong with Kruger, that she wasn't suffering from placenta praevia: they decided to have her deliver her baby 'naturally' without a caesarian section: because they wanted her to 'not have her suffer the trauma of a scar' - and then there were the risks connected to narcosis Yvonne said one of the nurses had even shoved a scissors into her vagina to break her placental shroud. The nurses claim that’s not true – but the hospital also denied that they had sent the Kruger family a bill for a blood-transfusion and blood tests she had never received: and the newspaper Sondag has the documentary proof to show that the family were definitely charged for extra-blood tests and blood-infusions. The hospital staffers insist that the baby, named Anuscha, was dead when she was born: however the parents Yvonne and Johan and her grandparents all testified that they held the baby and that it was alive for at least two hours afterwards, when the family was ordered to leave. Johan: 'we were all present at the birth. The baby cried and wept and none of the staffers would help her. They didn't even bother to put the baby in an incubator. They left her right there, screaming and crying.” He said Yvonne lost a great deal of blood during the delivery. He remained with her and the baby for two hours afterwards at the hospital and all that time, baby Anuscha was alive. "The nurses wrapped her in a cloth, put her inside an aluminium tray and left her right there. She was still alive when I was told to leave two hours later.”

 

- CensorBugbear Report, May 15, 2011 

 


 

South Africa’s controversial youth leader has said that White people who own land in the country should be treated like “criminals” because they stole it from Black people. Julius Malema, the head of the ruling ANC party’s youth wing, said attempts to return land through negotiations had failed and called for land seizures. “We have to take the land without payment, because the Whites took our land without paying and transformed them into game farms,” he told a local election rally. “They are criminals, they should be treated like that.” Malema, 30, is facing a race hate trial for singing the protest song Shoot the Boer.

 

-  Daily Telegraph, May 10, 2011

 


 

The Freedom Front Plus on Sunday afternoon identified the farmer who was murdered and his body dragged behind his bakkie outside Ottosdal on Saturday night, as 49-year-old Andre van der Merwe. The FF Plus expressed shock at the cruelty of the murder and said the government should help ensure the safety of farming communities. "The government and minister of police are slow to act against farm attackers, and the rural safety plan still exists only in theory," FF+ MP Pieter Groenewald said in a statement. The police's Brigadier Thulani Ngubane earlier said that three suspects had entered Van der Merwe's house at about 20:00. "They held him at gunpoint while they ransacked the house for money," he said on Sunday. "They shot him in the chest, the back, and in the head, then used [the farmer's] bakkie to drag him for about 1.2km ( ¾ of a mile) before the bakkie rolled." According to Ngubane his body was still tied to the Toyota LDV when police arrived on the scene on the Ottosdal-Delareyville road.

 

- AfricanCrisis, May 1, 2011


 

The Equality Court in Johannesburg this afternoon learned it now is more dangerous to be a farmer in South Africa than being a member of the police. This appears from the evidence of Prof. Christiaan Bezuidenhout, criminologist and expert on the influence of music on young people. Prof. Bezuidenhout was the first witness called by TAU SA in the case against Julius Malema and the ANC on the hate speech issue. Prof. Bezuidenhout testified that farm murders actually should be a special category of crime. Murders committed on farms in South Africa are 700 times higher than the average in the rest of the world. "It's now more dangerous to be a farmer than to be a policeman,” said prof Bezuidenhout. In 99% of the cases where a murder takes place on a farm production stops, and every farm murder cost the state R2 million.  The risk to be killed on a farm is about 30 times higher than in any other part of the community. The attacks are furthermore extremely violent.  Referring to the song "Shoot the farmers”, Prof. Bezuidenhout testified that he regards it as an inflammatory song. Young people look up to Julius Malema as a role model, and therefore it affects young people's perceptions and he makes an impression on them. Especially in violent communities people can easily be encouraged by such inflammatory music. In such communities role models play a bigger role. Songs that condone violence or scold people or groups as dogs can influence the youth so that they do not believe it is wrong even if they are not immediately turned to violence. Prof. Bezuidenhout said it is difficult to change the meaning of a song once it has been used in a certain context over a period of time. This is also applicable to the Malema song. This song is also not in line with reconciliation. Prof. Bezuidenhout suggest that “the song should be placed somewhere in a museum where people can look or listen to it but it certainly does not belong in the public domain."

 

- TAU SA media statement, April 13, 2011


 

A 38-year-old man was shot and killed while protecting his partner during a house robbery in Alberton, Beeld reported on Saturday. "He always said he would protect me to the end, until his death. And that was what happened - until his death," his partner Jenny Wilson told the newspaper on Friday. Juan de Villiers was robbed of his cell phone, wallet and three bottles of wine. The newspaper reported that after a party at their home on Wednesday night, De Villiers fell asleep on the couch in the living room. According to Wilson, two men attacked him and tied him up with shoe laces in the kitchen. "I don't know exactly what happened, but when I opened my eyes there were two men in my room," she said. She said one man grabbed her and she bit and kicked to get away, realising she needed to get out of the house. "I ran down the hall screaming for Juan to help. I pushed out the back door and before I could do anything Juan was there. "Three shots were fired and then it was quiet." De Villiers underwent an emergency operation at the Netcare Union Hospital in Alberton, but the machines that were keeping him alive were switched off a few hours later.

 

- AfricanCrisis, April 3, 2011

 


 

A South African rugby star has appeared in court for allegedly hacking three men to death with an axe. Local reports claim Joseph Ntshongwana, 34, carried out the attacks in revenge for the gang rape of his daughter that left her infected with HIV. Police said one of the alleged victims was decapitated, with his head found in a dustbin a mile away. Another victim's head "was left hanging by a thread". Ntshongwana is a former flanker for top-flight side Blue Bulls, based in Pretoria. It is reported that the girl was assaulted during a break-in at the family's home in Durban. Ntshongwana is accused of then stalking his victims over several days in nearby townships and slums before attacking them. Detectives arrested him at 1.30am on Wednesday. Police spokesman Vincent Mdunge said Ntshongwana was expected to appear in court to face three charges of murder and one of attempted murder after a fourth alleged victim managed to escape. He added: "They found clothes with blood stains and a hire car he may have used during the alleged attacks." According to The Telegraph, the suspect allegedly told a group of witnesses he would "kill 100 men if he could". The paper quotes a police source, who said: "He didn't seem to make any effort to try and conceal himself. He was just driving around the townships in a car, then he would get out and attack someone. "It was almost like he wanted to wipe out all the men from one particular area of the township." Police cannot confirm that his daughter was raped, saying this will be investigated at a later date. Ntshongwana has been remanded in police custody and is due back in court on 7 April for a bail hearing.

 

- Yahoo News, March 31, 2011

 


 

Two Limpopo [Far North] women were stoned to death by people who accused them of being witches, police said on Tuesday. Cynthia Lemaho, 26, and 81-year-old Mupala Motopela were dragged from their houses and stoned until they died, said police spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi. When they were dead, they bodies were dragged back into their house and the house was set alight, destroying everything. Lemaho's two-year-old toddler and 12-year-old child managed to run away and were not hurt. Further details on what made locals accuse them of witchcraft were not immediately available.

 

- AfricanCrisis, March 22, 2011

 


 

One of Julius Malema's supporters is placing "updates" of farm murders on a Facebook page in the ANC Youth League leader's name. On Monday the FF+ warned that the ANC youth leader's controversial song "Shoot the boers, they are rapists" could incite farm murders. Malema's Facebook page has over 12 000 fans. One of them, Clearence Letlonkane, has been posting information about farmers being murdered, as reported on news websites, every few hours over the past few days. One of these updates reads: "3,000 farmers dead since '94... we lost more people than that... we r far from being even... So kill da boer, kill da farmer." Another one of his posts states: "They kept the wealth of our land... the little riches obtained is not merly (sic) enough to be shared equally amongst all of us... Hence it is that corruption persists... Crime will not rest until all that was stolen 4rm us is... all regained..." Letlonkane also writes that "eight people have been murdered on farms in Limpopo [the Far North] since the beginning of February". When questioned about this, he commented as follows: "I haven't killed anyone, but I am not sympathetic to those who have been murdered... sue me for not shedding a tear." Malema is not necessarily the creator or even involved with the page. Ernst Roets, national chair of AfriForum Youth, has indicated that they will use the Facebook posts as evidence during the hate speech case against Malema which they've submitted to the equality court. Anton Alberts, the FF+'s parliamentary spokesperson for economics, said in a statement on Monday that "one doesn't have to give the matter much thought to realise that Malema's utterances are creating an atmosphere which is beneficial to those who want to murder". "The FF+ will do its part to stop this scourge in the political and legal arenas. The farming community will have to start protesting publically against the murders and the lack of a commando system. Afrikaners should start learning to toyi-toyi." Floyd Shivambu, spokesperson for the ANC Youth League, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, but on Wednesday told News24 the ANC Youth League had nothing to do with the Facebook page. "People have always written nonsense on Facebook. We have complained in the past and it is very sad that people would use the name of Julius Malema for hate speech," said Shivambu. He said another Malema fan page had been removed from the social networking site after it had been found to contain hate speech. Asked whether he saw any connection between Malema's singing of a song calling for the killing of "boers" and Letlonkane's posts, he said there was none. AfriForum Youth is organising a march in Johannesburg on Friday to protest against Malema's behaviour. According to Roets, the court case is "an important priority, but it is also necessary for the public to make it clear that the behaviour of Malema and the youth league will no longer be tolerated". A letter of grievances and a list of over 1 600 farm murders will be handed to the ANC Youth League during the protest march. Those who have been affected by farm murders will also participate in the march. According to Roets, the protest will be "legal, peaceful and orderly". "The impression created by this protest will be in direct contrast to the ANC Youth League and Malema's irresponsible actions. Buses from Pretoria have been arranged and placards with slogans will be supplied."

 

- Beeld, March 15, 2011

 


 

A man has been shot dead and his wife seriously wounded in a house robbery in Elandskraal, Limpopo [Far North] police said on Saturday. Three armed men entered the couple's house at 01:00 hrs on Saturday and demanded money, Lieutenant Colonel Mohale Ramatseba said. The 52-year-old man was shot in the chest and died instantly. His wife, 40, was shot in her stomach and right leg. The robbers fled the scene on foot, with two mobile phones and an undisclosed amount of money. The woman was admitted to hospital, along with her son, 14, who witnessed the attack. The boy was unharmed. No arrests have been made.

 

-  AfricanCrisis, March 13, 2011

 


 

Right-wing nationalist Piet "Skiet" Rudolph and one of his followers have been arrested after a bloody fist-fight at a meeting at the Paardekraal monument in Krugersdorp. Beeld newspaper reported on Saturday that Rudolph, aged 63, was arrested with Willem Boshoff, aged 54, on charges of assault and pointing a firearm after attacking a member of "Volksraadsverkiesingskommissie", which was due to elect a committee to start negotiations with the government on a Boer homeland. A Krugersdorp resident who was at the meeting, said "an old man" believed to be Rudolph was seated at the back of the meeting and was shouting remarks during the proceedings. The man and another man - believed to be Boshoff - then sat down at the front of the meeting and began asking Kruger "attacking questions". According to Pro-Afrikaans Action Group (PRAAG) website, Rudolph accused Kruger of "doing a new thing" and said that the restoration of the Boer Republic "is the only possible political solution for the country". The Krugersdorp resident said the two men shoved the chest of Dan Roodt of PRAAG - one of the nominees for the committee. "I want to speak to you a little after the meeting," one of the men said. Boshoff allegedly hit Kruger "full on the face" with his fist. A struggle ensued, in which the speakers at the meetings and others separated the "grey haired man" from Kruger. The meeting ended and the police were called, the Krugersdorp resident told Beeld. Rudolph and Boshoff were subsequently arrested for possessing a small-calibre firearm, believed to be a Brownie, which had allegedly been pointed at one of the leaders of the committee. Roodt could not say at what point a gun was pointed at anyone. "I feel that Rudolph should be banned from attending any public meeting because he does not make any constructive contribution," Roodt said. Kruger, according to the Krugersdorp resident, said he would not let the incident put him off the goal of creating a Boer republic. Rudolph and Boshoff spent the night in Krugersdorp police cells. They appeared briefly in court on Friday morning. Rudolph was given bail of R1,500 and Boshoff released on his own responsibility. The case was postponed for seven days for further investigation.

 

- News24.com, February 19, 2011

 


 

The son and the sister of a man who was gruesomely stabbed to death and assaulted with a shovel along with his girlfriend have described how the couple's bloody bodies were found. Deon van Staden, 51, and Babs Strecker, 73, were murdered on Friday evening on their smallholding in Madikwe Village in Bethanie by someone who presumably knew them. "The shovel still lay close by," said Mabel du Plessis, 61, from Silverton, Pretoria, on Wednesday. Du Plessis said her brother, who serviced engineering machines, was still sitting in his fallen chair on the kitchen floor when he was found. "He was full of knife wounds and he was stabbed with a shovel at the back of his head and on his body. It looked like Babs tried to run to the bedroom because her feet were still lying in the kitchen doorway and she was also stabbed numerous times and hit on the back of the head with a shovel," said Du Plessis. A man who came to deliver wooden poles to her brother found their bodies. Deaan van Staden, 30, who arrived on the scene shortly after the police, said his father and Strecker were busy playing a board game when they were attacked. "They (the suspects) fled in my dad's red bakkie, with his 9mm pistol and other items and money that they stole from the safe. "There was no forced entry, which showed that they were killed by people they knew," he said. "What I saw, was indescribable. My father just sat in the chair on the ground. "I don't know anymore, I don't know anymore," he said softly. Du Plessis said she had spoken to her brother for the last time on Friday morning. She called again on Friday night and over the weekend but both of their phones were off. "I tried to get people to drive to the smallholding to see where they were but couldn't find anyone. "Crime is too high. We can't take it anymore," said Du Plessis. Police spokesperson Captain Adéle Myburgh confirmed that police were investigating two cases of murder.

 

- AfricanCrisis, February 10, 2011

 


 

The 78-year-old uncle of Solidarity's deputy general secretary, Dirk Hermann, has been killed in a farm attack, Beeld newspaper reported on Wednesday. Limpopo [Far North] police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ronel Otto confirmed that the body of Frik Hermann was found on his farm near Alma in Limpopo [Far North] on Tuesday. He was found by a friend with his hands tied behind his back. He had been dead for a few days. Dirk Hermann told the Afrikaans daily that his uncle had lived alone on his farm. "My uncle's number is 1,647 - he is the 1,647th farmer to be killed [since 1991, according the Transvaal Agriculture Union's statistics]. "There won't be any marches in the streets, he is just another number - the number before 1,648. That makes me furious," said Hermann. The Solidarity civil rights group last year launched an anti-crime campaign and delivered 16 000 letters to President Jacob Zuma ahead of his State of the Nation address, appealing to him to take action against sky-high crime rates.

 

-  SAPA report, February 9, 2011

 


 

Con artists are using their victims' fear of witchcraft to steal thousands of rands in the Silverton area, Gauteng [PWV area] police said on Monday. "We have these suspects that run over the area targeting individuals who have cash, and may be following them from the bank or ATM," said Captain Jan Hawane Sepato. When the scammers find a person carrying cash, they touch the victim with a grease-like substance. "They use grease and touch him and then a second person comes and says 'they have taken your money with magic'," said Sepato. The second con artist is often an elderly man who appears to be trustworthy. The elderly man will then convince the victim to go with him to another location so rituals can be performed so the money is not stolen with magic. They are then robbed of their cash. The most recent incident was this past weekend where a person was robbed of R8,000. Sepato said three incidents of the scam had been reported recently. All were conducted in business areas around banks and malls. In a variation of the scam, a "good Samaritan" presents fake police identification and offers to give the victim a ride to the police station. Once the victim is in the car he is then robbed.

 

- AfricanCrisis, February 6, 2011

 


 

A Black South African shouted “we are going to kill all you White people” before he allegedly shot and killed a White Afrikaner last week, in the latest anti-White hate crime that has gripped the Afrikaans community. Afrikaner-Boer Albie Greyling, 25, was shot above his left eye as he stood on the lawn of his mother’s home, reports Die Ou South Africa. The young paramedic student was bringing clothing there for a weekend stay when he stumbled across robbers who had pistol-whipped his 60-year old mother, Susan Barnard, while stealing US$70 in cash and her  mobile phone, an hour earlier. When the gangsters ran into Greyling and his friend Martin Vermeulen while fleeing the scene, they immediately started shooting at the unarmed Afrikaners – and while Martin managed to flee, Greyling was trapped behind the swimming pool. He yelled at them that they ‘could take everything but just leave him alone,’ said his mother, but the gangbangers opted to shoot him dead execution-style, with one yelling that they would “kill all you White people” in Afrikaans while fleeing. SAPS inspector Katlego Mogale said “no suspects were arrested.”

 

- AfricanCrisis, January 13, 2011

 


 

Employment fell 6.1 % in the first quarter of this year compared with the same quarter last year. South Africa shed 171,000 jobs in the quarter — a sign that, while the recession may be officially behind us, the effects will be long-lasting. According to Statistics SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey, released yesterday, the unemployment rate rose to 252 %, as heavy job losses in the formal and informal sectors outweighed those jobs created in agriculture and private households. Patrick Craven, the spokesman for trade union federation Cosatu, described the job losses as shocking, “It’s clear we are not coming out of a recession as far as workers are concerned.” The number of discouraged work seekers continued to rise and 1.84 million people have given up looking for work, 153,000 more than in the previous quarter. Jaco Kleynhans, the spokesman for trade union Solidarity said with the expanded unemployment rate rising to 32.5 % from 31.1 % in the fourth quarter, unemployment was now the biggest problem in South Africa. “We are close to saying that a third of South Africans are unemployed. It’s a crisis. We cannot fix social problems such as crime if you don’t deal with this,” Kleynhans said.

 

- Pretoria News, December 5, 2010

 


 

A chilling message written in Sotho on a piece of cardboard saying "We have killed them. We are coming back", was found on the gate of the farm where three people were brutally killed on Thursday. The victims of the murders were Attie Potgieter, 40, his wife Wilna, 36, and their 3-year-old daughter Willemien. It was suspected that little Willemien was shot so that she wouldn't be able to identify her parents' killers. Three farm workers were arrested on Thursday. Later, in townships in the area, three more suspects were arrested. According to early information, one of them is only 17 years old. The Potgieters were murdered on their 11th wedding anniversary. Arno Potgieter from the neighbouring farm, Van Tondersrust, spoke about the murders of his brother, sister-in-law and Willemien: "It is still half unreal. It was a terrible, terribly big shock." After her mother was killed, little Willemien was presumably taken to an outside room and shot in the back of the head. The body of Willemientjie, as she was called, was then apparently carried to her mother's body in the main bedroom. Her mother had also been shot in the back of the head. Willemien's body was found with a little pink ribbon still tied in her hair. In the house, a plate of food was still in the microwave. Potgieter's body was found outside the house, next to a fence at the back door. He was presumably surprised and hit on the back of the head with a sharp object, possibly a panga. He was also stabbed with a garden fork. When reporters arrived on the scene on Thursday, his body was covered by a pink blanket, on the spot where he had died. Potgieter was believed to have withdrawn R7,000 from the bank on Wednesday afternoon to pay salaries. According to information, the suspects arrested in the townships had paid the farm workers R500 each for information about the family's movements. Wilna, who had worked at OVK's Arlington branch for many years, was assistant branch manager at the time of her death. Her husband was a manager on the farm Tweefontein for Alex Macaskill, who lives in Marquard. He also ran cattle on a nearby farm, where his brother Arno lives.

- News24 report, December 3, 2010


 

Amanda Roestoff of Beeld newspaper reports that a 37-year-old Afrikaner security-camera technician Riaan Petrus Velloen was beaten up so brutally by the Florida police in Roodepoort that the healthy man died in the police cells within just hours. There were no charges against Velloen when he died in police custody, said his mother-in-law Mrs Ria Hogan, 50, grandmother of his son Kevin Hogan, 15. “Police claim he was drunk but he was not a drinker. We don’t know why he was arrested and there have been no formal charges lodged through the charge office,’ she said. She said her daughter received a phone call from Riaan’s sister – who informed him that he was beaten to death in the police cells. SAPS spokesman Lt.Col. Lungelo Dlamini indeed confirmed that Velloen died while in police-custody and that a ‘murder-dossier was opened to investigate ‘the incident’. Hogan said the family have no idea where he was arrested, or why. “It’s so heart-sore, because he was a kind, loving man who always tried to make you happy even if he had to put his own needs last. The police should be there to protect people – one cannot trust them any longer.’ His son Kevin was devastated about his father’s death. “He always listened to everything I ever told him and I will miss all the special things we did together. Velloen’s remains have not yet been released for burial because the investigation has not been completed. The SAPS ‘would not say whether any of the arresting officers would be criminally charged or prosecuted in an internal hearing”. They also did not offer their condolences nor regrets to the family.

 

- report on CensorBugBear, November 29, 2010

 


 

The Minister of Police has agreed to pay R500,000 to a Hammanskraal farmer who was allegedly tortured while kept in custody for 16 days. A settlement, in terms of which the minister agreed to pay farmer Willie Nel the money and his legal costs was made an order in the North Gauteng [sic] High Court in Pretoria on Monday. Nel claimed in court papers that he was unlawfully arrested at his smallholding near Hammanskraal without any probable cause in December 2002. He said he was kept in custody at various police stations and a house in Laudium and severely tortured by members of a special task unit. Nel and his wife Esther were arrested and accused of being members of the Boeremag after a corpse was discovered on his farm. His friend, Advocate Marius Bouwer, who was at that stage the operational commander of the police's anti-corruption unit, was in 2003 arrested in connection with the murder on the strength of a statement made by Nel. Nel later testified that he was tortured and forced to sign a statement that was already drawn up. The North Gauteng [sic] High Court in Pretoria in 2008 awarded Bouwer R205,000 damages for his wrongful arrest and three-day detention. Bouwer alleged his arrest was part of a campaign to drive White members out of the police force. Nel claimed in court papers that police cuffed him to a chair and kicked him on his kidneys, back and body with such force that he urinated blood and still experienced problems when he urinated. He alleged one of the policemen who arrested him, Sergeant Tommy Pooko, threatened to shoot him and told him he had not yet seen how he assaulted a Boer, causing him to fear for his life. Nel alleged he was falsely accused of being a member or taking part in the activities of the Boeremag, was falsely charged with armed robbery and assault and was refused permission to contact anyone while in custody. He claimed police also tortured him by administering electrical shocks to his private parts and suffocated him with a piece of rubber tubing and that he was then forced to sleep on a bare cement floor while in severe pain. Nel was arrested on various occasions in connection with a range of charges, but these were either withdrawn against him or he was acquitted. A damages claim by Nel's wife was earlier settled when the Minister of Police agreed to pay her R140,000. A psychologist, Kobus Truter, said in a report the couple both suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and Nel developed severe anxiety disorder after his ordeal. He said the couple was still confused about the 19 cases originally opened against Nel, but later withdrawn. Nel was extremely bitter and uncertain about his future as he felt he was being victimised by the police, the psychologist said.

 

- report sent by MHGE, Sussex, U.K., November 22, 2010

 


 

The British wife of a millionaire businessman was killed on their honeymoon in South Africa after the taxi they were travelling in was ambushed by armed men in Cape Town. Anni Dewani, 28, and her husband of two weeks Shrien Dewani, 30, had been to a popular nightspot in one of the city's townships and were thought to be returning home at around 11pm on Saturday night when two men armed with handguns forced the driver out of the car and drove away with them inside.

 

- Daily Telegraph, November 15, 2010

 


 

US law enforcement authorities have issued an extradition request to South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s son-in-law, Isaac Kwame Amuah, the Sunday Times reported. Amuah, husband of Makaziwe Mandela, the eldest daughter of Nelson Mandela, is wanted for a rape in 1993 in Hartford, Connecticut. He is accused of raping a student while he was an assistant professor at a community college there. Spokeswoman for the US embassy in South Africa Elizabeth Trudeau told French news agency AFP: “This is an ongoing criminal investigation so we cannot talk in detail about this issue. “However, generally in the case of any extradition request we work in close cooperation with the host government.” Amuah, a Ghanain national, allegedly skipped bail in the US and went to South Africa where he worked as the director of the Foundation for Research Development.

 

- SAPA report quoted in The South African, November 9, 2010

 


 

 

A 67-year-old partially-disabled Afrikaner pensioner Chris Bronkhorst, 67, was tortured with melting plastic and whipped repeatedly with a sjambok during a vicious daytime attack in his Walkerville smallholding home on Friday morning, September 29 2010. 

 

- CensorBugBear Report, November 3, 2010

 


 

ABSA bank has made demands to the SARU that there should be fewer White rugby players participating in the Currie Cup. "ABSA's actions speak of double standards and discrimination" says AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel.

 

- The South African, September 21, 2010

 


 

 

Striking South African teachers from the Tembisa township in the Transvaal. Picture sent by "Henry", August 31, 2010

 


 

South Africa's national strike has been characterised by violence and intimidation, with state hospitals worst hit. Six weeks after the World Cup, the positive mood of the country is suffering. Public servant unions, representing some 1.3 million workers, started the strike on Wednesday last week, demanding an 8.6 percent salary increase and R1000 monthly housing allowance. Schools have been shut down, hospitals barricaded and roads blocked, and protests across the country have become marred by increasing violence and intimidation. Despite this, the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) pressed ahead with demonstrations on Monday, with Cosatu spokesman Mugwena Maluleke reiterating: "We have to highlight our plight." Affiliates of Cosatu and the Independent Labour Caucus (ILC) were taking part in the mass action. The government announced last week that it would implement its seven percent salary increase and R700 housing allowance offer unilaterally within 21 days. But the offer has not been accepted, with Maluleke saying that unions would not stop with strike action until the public service and administration department had been forced back to the negotiating table. Several hospital deaths have been reported since the strike began last week, but authorities are cautious to link them directly to the mass action. The Star newspaper reported on Monday that three state hospital patients, who had been moved to private hospitals because of staff shortages caused by the strike, had died. The Gauteng [PWV area] health department said last week that two babies had died at Natalspruit Hospital. Gauteng [PWV area] health spokesperson Mandla Sidu said their deaths could not necessarily be linked to the strike, but added that the babies had not been properly fed. On Monday, The Sowetan newspaper quoted a mother, Busi Thwala, 28, as saying her baby died because of negligence. "They were busy singing while my baby was dying, " Thwala said. Meanwhile, two state hospitals turned away a 21-year-old man who needed emergency surgery after his hand had been chopped off, paramedics said on Friday. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Friday called strike action by public sector workers which interrupted vital medical care "murder". "If somebody gets into an operating theatre where somebody is being operated on and wants to disrupt somebody who is vulnerable, who is on life-support [ . . . ] that's murder, " Motsoaledi told media in Pretoria.

 

- The South African, August 23, 2010

 


 

On Wednesday, August 18th 2010, the First Lady of Georgia, Mrs. Sandra Elizabeth Roelofs, a cabinet minister, Mr. Mirza Davitaia, along with two deputy ministers, will visit TAU SA. A memorandum of cooperation will be signed between TAU SA and the government of Georgia to provide agricultural expertise to farmers in Georgia. Georgia has a great need for expertise for its agricultural sector after its own expertise had been destroyed by socialism in the former Soviet Union. A fact finding mission of TAU SA members to Georgia on invitation of the Georgian government will also be announced.

 

- TAU media release, August 17, 2010

 


 

Zindzi Mandela and a number of family members were attacked in their driveway in Johannesburg on Sunday night, as they were returning home after her father, former president Nelson Mandela, celebrated his 92nd birthday. Police spokesman Brigadier Govindsamy Mariemuthoo on Thursday confirmed a Radio 702 Eyewitness News report about the attack. "The driver was taking the children (home) and as they were getting into the gates, and getting out of the car, they were approached by two unknown men," said Mariemuthoo. They were ordered to lie down, but then the men decided to leave. However, they returned and searched the group, but then one of the men suddenly fired a shot. The victims' driver returned fire and the men left. Eyewitness News, who said they had been attempting to confirm the shooting with police since Monday before they could finally run with it on Thursday, also reported that a vehicle linked to the attack was recovered in Honeydew. However, Mariemuthoo said further details could not be confirmed as the investigation was still underway. The family is still coming to terms with the death of Zindzi's grandchild Zenani, who died in a car crash on her way home from the Soccer World Cup opening ceremony in June.

 

- The South African, July 22, 2010

 


 

A British couple who retired to an isolated seaside home in South Africa have been found dead in the boot of their Volvo after a suspected violent robbery. Mr and Mrs Early were originally from Britain, but had South African citizenship and had lived in Hebberdene for many years.A passer-by made the discovery after spotting an apparently unoccupied car which had crashed into a ditch in the town of Hebberdene, around 60 miles south of Durban in sub-tropical Natal province. Police called to the scene at around 8pm on Thursday found electrical appliances including a television and sound system inside the car along with the bloodied bodies of Chris and Jennifer Early, 69 and 62, in the boot. They traced the car back to the couple's home four miles away to find that it had been ransacked. Mrs Early was reportedly shot in the chest while Mr Early was hit over the head with what police believe was a bush knife, according to local reports. Police believe the pair were in their house when robbers struck on Thursday and were murdered there before being loaded into the boot of their own car. The robbers then drove away, police believe, but shortly afterwards lost control of the car and fled on foot. South African Police Warrant Officer Banie Pienaar said a neighbour reported hearing a gunshot at around 4pm on Thursday. "It seems that the gentleman was attacked outside their property in the driveway to their home," he said. "It looks like his wife was attacked inside the property. She had a gunshot wound to her chest. "It appears the bullet went straight through her heart, so she would have died instantly." Police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker said the small community of Hebberdene had been left "shocked and frightened" by the deaths. "This is a very unusual incident in this area and has really sent ripples through the community," he said. "We are baffled as to they should try to move their bodies like that. They could take whatever they wanted to there's just no reason for it."

 

- Daily Telegraph, July 20, 2010

 


 

South Africa is bracing itself for a wave of violence after the [Soccer] World Cup as police numbers are scaled down and anger towards foreigners increases among the country's poorest people. Experts have warned that in the country's most deprived areas there is renewed and growing resentment towards immigrants, who are perceived as taking scarce jobs and resources. There is widespread anger too about the R33 billion (2.9 billion) poured into hosting Africa's first football [soccer] World Cup while millions of people remain in poverty. Although an extra 40,000 police officers helped to ensure that the tournament has passed off smoothly with few incidents of violent crime, it is unlikely the numbers can be maintained. Despite government appeals for calm and pledges that police will remain on "high alert" for trouble, many foreigners say they no longer feel safe.

 

- Daily Telegraph, July 2, 2010

 


 

For the England Football [Soccer] team, meanwhile, there was the added ignominy of their stay in South Africa ending with them having their pants stolen. Five cleaners were each jailed for three years yesterday for stealing money, underwear and other items worth R7,000 from the team's Rustenburg base on Saturday night.

 

- Daily Telegraph, June 29, 2010

 


 

Armed gunmen tied up and robbed Australian soccer fans at their hotel in South Africa, with one victim also sexually assaulted. The robbery took place as the fans were returning to to their hotel in Nelspruit after the match between the Socceroos and Serbia. Another Australian guest at the hotel, Steve Gaynor, said four Nigerian men with rifles and handguns followed nine tourists, five of whom were Australians, back to the hotel and attacked them in their rooms. "I had watched the match from the hotel that night and about 12.30am three cars arrived back at the hotel and people started filing in," said Mr Gaynor, who had $10,000 worth of equipment stolen from his room. "I was in the bar and some people came in there while others went back to their rooms. "We were oblivious to what was going on. These poor kids were tied up, held at gunpoint and robbed. My room was robbed, but luckily I wasn't in there when they broke through the window." Mr Gaynor said one Australian had been sexually assaulted. One of the victims was an off-duty Australian Federal Police officer and had tried to keep the others calm during the robbery. "They took cash, jewellery and watches off the people they had tied up and stole phones and laptops," Mr Gaynor said. "I think they knew Aussies were in that hotel, they were targeting us. "It was robbery with violence. One guy was on the floor and the man had his boot on his head and told him not to move or he is dead - it was serious."

 

- HeraldSun.com.au, June 27, 2010

 


 

South Africa's police are investigating after thieves stripped a police station of all its contents, down to the kitchen sink. The office was under renovations and ready for re-occupation when the thieves hit, reports South Africa's Times newspaper. The robbers helped themselves to everything of value - including doors, cupboards, basins, cutlery, tiles, furniture, electrical equipment and mortuary fridges. Officers from the Carletonville police station, west of Johannesburg, have had to cram into three small rooms. The space is inadequate, and there with no holding cells or parking spaces. The rent costs the police about R127,000 ($17,000; �11,430) each month, reports The Times. It is not clear how the burglars managed to clean out the office without being detected by the security company contracted by the Department of Public Works to guard the premises. Democratic Alliance police spokesperson Dianne Kohler Barnard said that the Department of Public Works had "failed taxpayers". "How bizarre, that the police will now have to investigate a crime committed at a police station," she said. "It's absolutely terrible, but typical of Public Works. For them to allow that place to be stripped is outrageous." Public Works spokesperson Thami Mchunu said he was still gathering information about the incident. "I will give you the full details as soon as possible," he said, reports the newspaper.

 

- News International, June 25, 2010

 


 

Hundreds of disgruntled World Cup security guards had to be dispersed by police using rubber bullets and tear gas after a protest over low wages. About 300 workers refused to leave the stadium in Durban following Germany's game against Australia on Sunday night, claiming they had received only a fraction of the wages they were promised. Last night, stewards in Cape Town were said to have staged a walkout before the match between Italy and Paraguay, forcing police to provide security themselves.

 

- Daily Telegraph, June 15, 2010

 


 

Three British students on a college field trip to South Africa were killed yesterday in a horrific tour bus crash. Two 19-year-old girls died instantly in the tragedy, which cast a shadow over today's opening of the World Cup in Johannesburg. Last night, the dead girls were named in tributes on Facebook as Sami Lake of Syson, Leicestershire, and Eleanor Payne of Hinckley, Leicestershire. Dan Greenwood, 22, also of Syson, died later in intensive care at hospital. Their four-wheel-drive safari vehicle skidded and flipped over on mountain roads described as treacherous near the northeastern city of Nelspruit. Robin Baard, spokeswoman for the Nelspruit Medi Clinic said there were two casualties in intensive care, six in 'high care' and three in the general wards. Two are scheduled to go into theatre today. Those admitted to the hospital included the two course lecturers. Another four were discharged to a hotel for the night where they joined three other members of the group in the city, which is hosting World Cup games. The bus had come to rest close to the edge of a hill and emergency workers feared it would roll over as they freed the injured. Efforts were being made to bring staff and students home as soon as possible. Police said no other vehicle appeared to have been involved in the crash on the Bulembu Road a few miles from the town of Barberton. Officers were last night waiting to interview the bus's Zimbabwean driver.

- Daily Mail, June 11, 2010

 


 

Thousands of soccer fans stampeded the gates outside the Makhulong Stadium, in Tembisa on the East Rand, where Nigeria played North Korea [the DPRK] in a World Cup friendly on Sunday. It is believed chaos erupted at one of the gates when officers were controlling access to the stadium. Around 20 people were injured in a stampede outside the stadium. It is understood non-ticket holders barged through the gates earlier to watch the game. One police officer was also injured in the incident. Authorities shut all gates as a measure of crowd control leaving some ticket holders stranded outside. "People were injured as a result of the stampede. That is why we had to close the stadium", said the police's Mveli Nhlapo.

 

- Eye Witness News, June 8, 2010

 


 

When guests arrived for a braai on Saturday on a farm near Potchefstroom, they discovered their host's body with a chain around his ankles. The murderer presumably attacked 40-year-old Johan Strydom with an iron rod at his gate on Saturday at about 13:00, Lesego Metsi, North West police spokesperson said. He was then tied to the back of his Mazda Drifter bakkie with a rope and dragged to his store room. According to Metsi, the murderer then closed the store room's door and fled with the bakkie and Strydom's mobile phone and wallet. The bakkie was found deserted later on Saturday in Potchefstroom and a 21-year-old man was arrested. He led the police to two other men, but at this stage they are not being connected with the murder. However, the same two men were arrested on Sunday morning after the police found some of Strydom's stolen property in their possession. Ernst Meiring, who had been in the Duet congregation in Potchefstroom with Strydom, said he and another friend discovered the body when they went to the farm for a braai. "We looked for him because he wasn't there and he'd been expecting us. We found him in the store room." Jurie Schoeman, Strydom's good friend and one of the first people at the scene, said there was a chain bound around Strydom's ankles. "Johan's hands were badly bruised. We think he fought back. He was such a good person. We just don't understand why this happened." According to Schoeman, Strydom would have testified in court later this month, after recently catching a robber in a house on the neighbouring farm where his aunt, Martie Strydom, lives. The man was released on bail. Schoeman said Strydom told him a week ago about how he was receiving strange calls. Each time he answered, the phone would be put down. "About two months ago they broke into Johan's house and he then also reported a case of burglary." Meiring said Strydom "wouldn't even hurt a fly". According to Schoeman, who is also a farmer in the area, Strydom always put others first. "He treated his workers well and he was always the peacemaker. This is a very big loss for us."

 

- News24, May 16, 2010

 



Another White baby has been attacked and beaten nearly to death by ANC black thugs South Africa. One-year-old White baby Marizaan Kruger is critical in hospital intensive care with a fractured skull, her tiny body battered and bleeding from the eyes, nose and ears. Two ANC black thugs age 23 and 25 attacked baby Marizaan Kruger while robbing her parent
's home in Robin Hills near Johannesburg.

 

- report sent by Snowy Smith, Durban, May 6, 2010

 


 

A Dutch tourist has vowed never to set foot in South Africa again - unless it is to give evidence against the man who gagged, robbed and raped her twice in the Cape Winlands. Yvonne Petronella Den Hollander, 62, is suing the four-star Lord Charles Hotel for failing to keep her safe and is claiming R1.7-million in damages for the terrifying ordeal she endured. Den Hollander, a divorced mother of two, was brutalised within hours of checking into the luxury hotel. She was put on antiretrovirals after the attack, and underwent psychological counselling for trauma. In court papers, she accused the hotel of negligence and failure to put in place measures that could have prevented her ordeal. Speaking to the Sunday Times this week through her lawyer, Luuk Rijnen, she said she would never again set foot in Africa, except to face her attacker in court. The trip to South Africa was a dream come true after she had saved up to pay for an affordable 17-day holiday package which included a trek in the Drakensberg mountains, a visit to Swaziland, a trip to the Kruger National Park and Natal. It was shortly after arriving at the Lord Charles Hotel, ahead of a tour of the Cape Winelands, that the trip turned into a nightmare. In the statement to the police after the incident, she said she was convinced she would be killed by the rapist. "He made me lie on the bed with my face down. He took the telephone wire. With this he tied my ankles. I was lying on my belly with my hands and feet tightly tied to my back. "I remember that he made this quite tight. After this he put blankets and pillows over me, so I was afraid now he would shoot me because of all this noise-insulating material." Her assailant had been hiding behind the bathroom door when Den Hollander returned to her room after a few drinks with her tour group. The hotel, however, is defending the claim and in turn said Den Hollander was negligent with her own safety by not properly locking her room door despite written warnings. The hotel said it had taken "reasonable steps to guard against harm to guests by among other things, engaging the services of an independent contractor". Group chief executive officer for Command Security Services, Shaffie Mowzer, said on Friday that what had happened was both unfortunate and tragic but the company could not comment. "The case was investigated by the police and there was never any finger pointed at the company or at the work we do." The hotel further stated in court papers that Den Hollander had, upon arrival at the hotel, signed a disclaimer absolving it of any liability. It read: "The Lord Charles accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage or injury that may occur on our premises." The hotel has applied to the court to compel her to pay R200,000 in security for costs. Rijnen said Den Hollander broke down when he told her about the R200,000 security required. But Den Hollander has vowed to fight on. "She says it was only after realising that, if she stopped now without fighting back, she would feel raped twice. "She has now pulled herself together and says she refuses to be bullied," Rijnen said. Den Hollander told the Sunday Times via e-mail: "Did they change anything? Or do they just try to push me away so no-one finds out how unsafe it is?"

 

- Sunday Times (Johannesburg), April 25, 2010

 


 

 

General De La Rey rides again! On Thursday 19 April, a group of brave young Boers [Afrikaners] showed some fantastic initiative, and reclaimed their birthright in clear terms. As of yesterday morning, Nelson Mandela Drive in Pretoria was renamed "GENERAAL DE LA REY WEG". A small group bearing the Freedom Flag (the flag of the old Boer Republic of the Transvaal - Die Vierkleur) arrived at the intersection of Proes Street and the former Nelson Mandela Drive, and proceeded to plant a street sign. The name plate was embedded in solid concrete. From this day on, every "Nelson Mandela" street across South Africa will be known colloquially as "Gen. De La Rey Ave"! In recent years, the racist anti-White ANC regime has steadily been plundering and vandalising the property and heritage of White South Africans, (with a special vindictiveness reserved for the Afrikaners) renaming towns and cities founded by Whites (not a single one of which had existed before the arrival of Whites). The terrorist regime went out of their way to victimise especially Afrikaans monikers, but has received massive resistance with their recent efforts to appropriate Pretoria, Potchefstroom and Lydenburg. Just last week, the fat Black sheboon mayor of Standerton in the Eastern Transvaal ordered the destruction of a Boer Great Trek era monument, much to the chagrin of Whites countrywide. The destruction of our heritage is but a single aspect of the genocide being perpetrated against White South Africans in general. Numerous Whites are being exterminated daily, under the guise of crimes such as hijacking and violent house invasions. Even unarmed, cooperative Whites are being executed at point blank range, making it crystal clear that robbery is a secondary motive - the primary motive is to kill - by ANC-regime sanctioned death squads roaming our cities, towns and rural areas. Historically, every revolution the world has seen was followed by a phase known as "The Terror" in which atrocities were committed against certain targets. In South Africa, things are no different. The Black on White genocide serves a dual purpose - one, to exterminate the White population in a low level civil war under the guise of "crime", and two, to terrorise the rest of the Whites into fleeing the country, so that Blacks can take possession of their jobs and their houses.



- report sent by "Henry" (Pretoria), April 23, 2010

 


 

South African police are investigating whether there was a link between homosexual sex and the murder of far-Right leader Eugene Terreblanche at him farm. Police had earlier said a pay dispute led to the killing of Eugene Terreblanche. Puna Moroko, the lawyer for Chris Mahlangu, 28, the elder of two people accused of the killing, said that "something shocking happened on that day". A police spokesman confirmed that was among possibilities being investigated. Police had earlier said a pay dispute had led to the killing of Mr Terreblanche, on the political margins since his efforts to preserve apartheid in the early 1990s. "We are not going to focus on one thing," said Musa Zondi of the Hawks investigative unit, adding that a sexual link was among the many accusations being made over the case. "We will investigate all pertinent facts that have a bearing on the matter," he said. General Jan Mabula, head of the Hawks in the North West Province, said the suspects' clothes were to be examined as part of checks into whether there was a sexual link. Mr Terreblanche, the leader of the Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB), was hacked and battered to death on April 3 and found with his trousers pulled down after a murder.

 

- Daily Telegraph, April 12, 2010

 


 

Eugene Terre'blanche may have been murdered after sexually assaulting one of his workers, South African police confirmed yesterday. One of the two accused of bludgeoning to death the 69 year-old Afrikaner told his lawyer that the attack was in response to homosexual advances by his employer, who was buried last Friday. "My instructions from my client are that there were sexual acts going on and it sparked the murder of Mr Terre'blanche," Puna Moroko, attorney for 28-year-old Chris Mahlangu, told a local newspaper. Clothes belonging to Mahlangu, and a 15 year old co-accused, who cannot be named, will now be re-examined in the light of the new line of inquiry. Mr Terre'blanche was found murdered and "unrecognisable" following a beating with a bar and machete, his trousers were also around his knees. However, new accusations and revelations are beginning to emerge which depict Mr Terre'blanche, a father of one adopted daughter, as a sexual predator, who did not discriminate between Black and White victims. The Afrikaans newspaper Rapport reported that a teenage member of Mr Terre'blanche's movement, the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) had to be taken to a safe house after alleging sexual abuse at the hands of the powerful leader. Newly elected AWB leader Steyn van Ronge, confirmed that the teenager spent nights alone "in Terre'blanche's arms" at the remote farm house, but that the leader "felt sorry for him because his parents were divorced." Mr Terre'blanche was murdered at a small cottage on his farm outside Ventersdorp where he often chose to stay alone rather than returning to be with his wife and daughter at the family house in the town, 12 miles away.

 

- The Sun, April 11, 2010




 

The South African Government today announced the introduction of a special "Soccer Tax" to take effect on the 1st of June, just a few days before the World Cup kicks off. The �103 tax, which will be levied on all foreigners entering the country from 1 June, will apparently be used to offset expenses incurred in readying the country for the big event.

 

- message circulated by 1st Contact, April 1, 2010

 


 

"White farmers being wiped out" says The Times UK newspaper. The Times reported on Sunday that "White farmers are 'being wiped out'" and that the ANC song "shoot the boer" was fanning the flames Since 1994, around 3000 white South African farmers have been murdered. Pieter Cillier, a fruit farmer, was shot twice in the chest at Christmas time, while his daughter slept at his side. "They shot him through the fridge from the back door - the bullets came straight through here, into his heart. He never had a chance," says Pieter's brother, Russouw Cillier. "More White farmers have been killed than British soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Yes, we are at war here." In a remote farming community in KwaZulu-Natal [Natal], Nigel Ralfe, a 71-year-old dairy farmer, and his wife Lynette, were gunned down as they milked their cows last week. Ralfe was critically injured while his wife Lynette died. The Times article comes in the wake of the song "shoot the boer" being banned in South Africa. Earlier this month, Julius Malema President of the ANCYL, opened a public rally by singing "Dubula Ibhunu", or "Shoot the Boer". "Malema's comments are creating an atmosphere that is conducive to those who want to commit murder. He's an accessory to the wiping out of farmers in South Africa" said Anton Alberts of the right-wing Freedom Front Plus party. The High Court in Johannesburg ruled on Friday, that the use of the words is unconstitutional and unlawful. In a letter to his ANC counterpart, Gwede Mantashe, the secretary general of the Independent Democrats, Haniff Hoosen said the current climate about the singing of the song, is reminiscent of pre-1994 intolerance. "... some amongst us have either failed to see the danger of our  actions and words, or simply do not care. "As a consequence thereof, they have regrettably been unable to resist the temptation of hate speech and the blatant promotion of racial intolerance and violence." 

 

- The South African, March 29, 2010

 


 

Nigel Ralfe was milking the cows on his South African farm, as he had done every evening for 50 years, when four men came into the yard asking to buy milk. When the 69-year-old told them he had none to sell, he was shot at point-blank range. Bleeding from wounds to his neck and arm, Mr Ralfe was pistol-whipped before being marched to the farmhouse where his wife, Lynette, was bathing the couple's three granddaughters, all aged under five. "I had no choice but to tell my wife to come and unlock the back door. As soon as she opened the door, they shot her three times. She didn't even have time to speak," Mr Ralfe told The Sunday Telegraph. Mrs Ralfe, 63, staggered into her bedroom, bleeding heavily from the chest, and collapsed on her bed where she died soon after. As the gang ransacked the house, the bewildered children emerged from the bathroom to find their grandmother's body. "They were very confused and upset and kept asking me what was wrong with granny. I told them to go to the other bedroom, shut the door and stay in their beds. Luckily they listened to me," Mr Ralfe said, speaking from Doornkop farm, in the Midlands of Natal where his family has farmed for four generations. Eventually, the attackers fled, taking only some binoculars, a phone and an old pistol. Despite his appalling ordeal only two weeks ago, Mr Ralfe has returned to the 2,000-acre farm to "keep working, keep going - what else can I do?" In South Africa it is safer to be a miner than a farmer. At least two White farmers or their family members are murdered every week. Last year alone, 120 were killed. With a radical new policy on land expropriation being mooted by the ruling African National Congress (ANC), talk in rural areas frequently turns to South Africa becoming the next Zimbabwe. As one farmer said: "About a dozen White farmers were killed in Zimbabwe in the last decade in an unlawful government land grab. We lost 10 times that many just in 2009 - and we are in a country where farmers are allegedly at peace with the government. What does that say about our future?" The attack on Doornkop farm would normally receive only modest media coverage, such is the frequency of rural violence. However it was the third farm killing in a single weekend, all apparently without clear motive and coming just a few days after a high-profile ANC politician repeatedly chanted: "Kill the Boer" [farmer in Afrikaans], at a student rally. The revival of the refrain by Julius Malema, the firebrand leader of the party's Youth League, immediately prompted outrage among opposition politicians and farmers' groups, who seized on the timing of Mrs Ralfe's murder. The opposition Democratic Alliance's spokesman on safety issues, Sizwe Mchunu, said: "It is our belief that this senseless attack was incited by the proliferation of hate speech which is the hallmark of Julius Malema." Demands that the president, Jacob Zuma, rein in his subordinate and force him to apologise went unheeded. Instead Zuma claimed the chant "Kill the Boer" to be a harmless "struggle song". But a spokesman for the Freedom Front Plus said: "Malema was nine years old when Mandela was freed. He was never part of the 'struggle'. If he sang the song today, it has to be judged in the context of 2010 and the fact that farmers are being killed weekly." Malema has made no comment on the latest development. Certainly, he seems confident of the unqualified support of the president, who has tipped him as a future leader of the country. At 29, Malema's position as head of the ruling party's Youth League gives him enormous sway within the movement. While Zuma is disliked by much of the White population, Malema is widely loathed as a quintessential example of the new ANC elite. His lifestyle - he has three homes and a fleet of vehicles - comes under regular scrutiny. But he has never been subject to a police investigation and no allegations of corruption have been proved against him. The chant is now a focus for a wide range of fears and resentments felt by the White population. In particular, relations between the Black government and the minority Afrikaners are at their worst since the end of apartheid. It is also an unwanted reminder of the past as the country tries to portray a successful, modern image in the run-up to this year's [Soccer]World Cup.

 

- Sunday Telegraph, March 28, 2010

 


 

The South African government admitted yesterday that it was worried about violent protests breaking out during this summer's World Cup. The country has been rattled by escalating township protests over the past month, with impoverished communities demanding access to basic services. Recent demonstrations have been marred by shootings, arson and stonings, prompting the government to raise the security levels as the June 11 World Cup kick-off nears. South Africa already suffers from high instances of violence: carjackings are common and an average of 50 killings are reported each day. "Obviously we are concerned," said Themba Masek, a government spokesman. "The violent and destructive nature of some of the protests is unacceptable. We do not want to see these demonstrations, especially during the World Cup, when the country's attention and focus should be to be the best host ever." The head of the South African army announced a security shake-up on Thursday in the face of escalating violence. Lieutenant General Solly Shoke told a press conference in Pretoria that the armed forces would take over responsibility for border patrols on April 1 in order to free police to fight crime. "We are ready to help where needed with the World Cup," he said. "All army leave has been cancelled over this period. We will be on high alert." Organizers are expecting 350,000 foreign visitors to attend the four-week football tournament, which is being held in Africa for the first time. The economic boost to the South African economy has been revised downwards, however, because of slow ticket sales. Hotels are stepping up security to reassure fans they have little to fear, despite the country's reputation. Private companies are also offering their services to visitors concerned about safety. Lt Gen Shoke said he did not expect any threat to the tournament. "This World Cup is not about security," he said. "It's about enjoyment. People must be allowed to come here and enjoy the soccer." The border patrols are part of South Africa's push to prevent trafficking in drugs or people. The country proposed its first direct legislation to target trafficking last week, with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The new law will not be in place before the World Cup, but South Africa will train police to use existing legislation to tackle trafficking. Ngoako Ramatlhodi, the chairman of parliament's justice committee said: "Anticipation of an increase in trafficking, especially for sexual purposes, ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, has focused attention on South African ability to deal with trafficking."

 

- Daily Telegraph, March 26, 2010

 


 

The dunes at Monwabisi beach, used by tens of thousands of Cape Flats residents, are covered in large patches of sewage. Normally treated upstream at the Zandvliet Waste Water Treatment Works, the treated sewage flows along a stream through the dunes before being piped out to sea. But on either side of the stream are large, thick patches of stinking untreated sewage. During an inspection at the site on Tuesday last week, City of Cape Town Utility Committee member Bertus van Dalen said he was unsure of the exact cause for the sludge polluting the dunes, but it was likely due to overflows from the Zandvliet treatment works. This happened because the infrastructure was not maintained, he said - and the problem of untreated, or semi-treated sewage spilling from Waste Water Treatment Works, was becoming a national problem. DA deputy shadow minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Annette Lovemore, said only 32 out of approximately 970 water treatment plants around the country complied with the requirements for the safe discharge of sewage. With a compliance level of only 3%, South Africa's rivers and coastal waters are becoming increasingly polluted, posing a danger to human health, as well as the environment. This could cause major environmental damage to water sources, considering that with an approximately 80% treatment works compliance level in the Western Cape, 27 of Cape Towns rivers and water bodies have unacceptably high levels of ecoli, according to the City of Cape Town's Inland and Coastal Water Quality report for the 12 month period ending September 2009. 16 beaches out of the 40 water samples taken from the False Bay coastline failed to meet the stringent 80th percent compliance that measures eight out of ten samples must contain more or equal 100 indicator organisms and Monwabisi was one of the beach's to avoid. While only six beaches out of 28 along the Atlantic coast failed the stringent 80th percent compliance test. Out of 27 inland systems including rivers and wetlands the Soet River in the Strand area was worst affected as it once again had a zero percent compliance meaning that sample results during the 12 month period were all greater than 1000 counts (of faecal coliform - including E. coli)/100ml. Water bodies commonly used for recreational purposes had the following intermediate contact compliance levels Rietvlei 83%, Zeekoevlei 64%, Zandvlei 64% and Milnerton Lagoon 25%. All which are similar to those of the previous quarter. However the much anticipated report is yet to be released by the department as it was delayed several times. Department of Water Affairs media liaison officer Linda Page said the report would definitely be revealed soon but was unable to give a specific date as we are busy liaising with the municipalities. We trying to get the municipalities to perform better those that were doing badly despite denying that the report was not released because of its findings, she said. Van Dalen said rivers have also built up sludge over the years with some even up to a metre thick as the situation aggravated due to lack of clean up. He said there is no easy solution as infrastructure must be able to cope with the demand coming through instead of spilling over. While storm water and sewerage systems need to be upgraded regularly likewise with capacity as demand was exceeding due to urbanisation, said Van Dalen. "Ordinary maintenance such as drains being cleaned regularly is critical to avoid sewerage spills."He said back yard dwellers are aggravating the situation as storm water over flows into the system because they often don't have access toilets facilities from their landlords despite paying rent. While even if they did access water it was very little and therefore forced to dump their night soil into the storm water drains in the morning, said Van Dalen. Hence the polluted rivers from dirty storm water that drifted towards it while rivers didn't need treating in the past as it was only rain that made up the pure storm water. Dr Jo Barnes, senior lecturer in the faculty of health science at the University of Stellenbosch, said water born diseases is expected to increase because untreated sewerage is a carrier of it. Barnes said as the crisis on our hands is not enough as there are people suffering from malnutrition, Tuberculosis and HIV/Aids. She said apart from the mines, informal settlements and failing municipal systems such as blocked drains and overburdened sewerage works are the major source of contributors. Barnes said rural areas and dorpies are even worse off because they use water for irrigation purposes which unfortunately could have ripple effects.

 

- AfricanCrisis, March 20, 2010

 


 

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has launched an astonishing attack on Nelson Mandela, accusing the former president of failing black people. In an interview published in a UK newspaper, she also called Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu a "cretin". Her comments follow her surprise absence from the 20th anniversary celebration of Mandela's release from prison on February 11. In yesterday's unprovoked attack, she described the international icon [sic] as a betrayer who had turned soft and let down the black people of South Africa. She alleged that Mandela had become a "corporate foundation" who was "wheeled out" by the ANC globally to collect money. She and Mandela married in 1958, but divorced in 1996. Madikizela-Mandela, 73, who holds the first position on the ANC's national executive committee, was interviewed by Nadira Naipaul, the wife of novelist VS Naipaul, for the London Evening Standard. Her comments have been met with dismay by an ANC spokesman who told the Cape Argus that the party was distancing itself from the attack. In the interview, Madikizela-Mandela was quoted as saying: "This name 'Mandela' is an albatross around the necks of my family. "You all must realise that Mandela was not the only man who suffered. There were many others, hundreds who languished in prison and died. "Mandela did go to prison and he went in there as a young revolutionary but look what came out. "Mandela let us down. He agreed to a bad deal for the blacks. Economically we are still on the outside. The economy is very much 'White'. "I cannot forgive him for going to receive the Nobel (peace prize) with his jailer, (FW) de Klerk. Hand in hand they went. Do you think De Klerk released him from the goodness of his heart? He had to. The times dictated it, the world had changed." Dave Steward, head of the FW de Klerk Foundation, immediately laughed off the slur. "If Winnie Mandela is criticising FW de Klerk at the same time as Mr Mandela, then Mr De Klerk would feel that he's in good company and on the right side of the equation." Madikizela-Mandela also spoke of her own struggle against apartheid, and admitted to having been scared. "Yes, I was afraid in the beginning. But then there is only so much they can do to you. After that it is only death. They can only kill you and, as you see, I am still here." In addition, Madikizela-Mandela laid into the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, chaired by Tutu, before which she appeared in 1997 and which implicated her in gross violations of human rights. She said: "What good does the truth do? How does it help anyone to know where and how their loved ones are killed or buried? "That Bishop Tutu who turned it all into a religious circus came here (Soweto). He had a cheek to tell me to appear. I told him that he and his other like-minded cretins were only sitting there because of our struggle and me." A spokesperson from Tutu's Milnerton office said hat the Archbishop was in Washington DC and would respond, if he chose to, tomorrow. In the interview, Madikizela-Mandela also claimed that the ANC was exploiting her ex-husband. "Look what they make him do. The great Mandela. He has no control or say any more. "They put that huge statue of him right in the middle of the most affluent White area of Johannesburg. Not here (in Soweto) where we spilled our blood. "Mandela is now like a corporate foundation. He is wheeled out globally to collect the money."

 

- AfricanCrisis, March 10, 2010

 


 

An eldery couple was murdered in their home in Tinmyne in Limpopo on Friday, police said. Superintendent Ronel Otto said the couple, a man aged 70 and his wife, 54, were out in town when two men arrived at their house in Tinmyne near Mokopane at around noon on Friday. "The suspects overpowered two workers on the property, forced them into the house and tied them up," said Otto. When the couple returned, they were severely assaulted with stones. The couple was allegedly beaten to death and left their bodies were left in a patch of grass next to their house. "The suspects ransacked the house and fled in the couple's red Mercedes Benz." The vehicle was later found burnt out next to a road, 20 km (12.5 miles) from the house.The two workers succeeded in freeing themselves and walked approximately 2km (1.25 miles) to the Tinmyne Police Station to request assistance. "The Police request anybody who might have seen the suspects driving around in the car and who can provide more information, to contact their nearest police station," said Otto.

 

- AfricanCrisis, February 20, 2010

 


 

Yet another elderly couple have been brutally murdered in the city, bringing to six the number of pensioners killed in Pretoria over the past month. The bodies of Theuns Venter - who celebrated his 85th birthday last week - and his wife Suzie, 83, were discovered by their grandson when he returned from his night shift as a security guard on Thursday morning. Police are also investigating the possibility that the woman might have been raped. As neighbours and relatives comforted each other outside the quaint old house on the corner of Mortimer Avenue and Louis Trichardt Street in Mayville, the couple's dog finally came out from underneath the furniture, where she had been hiding for several hours. Police spokesperson Inspector Wanda Olivier said their grandson Hain Engelbrecht, 32, arrived at the house at about 6.15am. Although the couple were very security-aware, the front gate, security gate of the front door, the front door and the back door were open. It did not appear that the doors and gates had been forced open. Seeing that his grandparents' 1984 model minibus was missing, Engelbrecht ran into the house. He found his grandfather in the living room. "He was lying on his stomach and his hands and feet were tied with electrical cables believed to have been cut from appliances in the house. We suspect he was hit over the head with a blunt object," Olivier said. The grandmother was lying in the passage. She was not tied up. It is believed she was strangled with a piece of cloth that was found nearby.The couple's minibus and Engelbrecht's PlayStation were the only items taken.

 

- AfricanCrisis, February 12, 2010

 


 

A cooked human head, a liver and a basket full of entrails were what police officers found when they searched the North West home of a man who claimed to have eaten his relative. The remains belonged to 57-year-old Gopolang Elias Serache, and he was killed and partially eaten because his alleged murderer said he had been told by his ancestors to consume human flesh. Serache went missing in Khunwana Village, near Delareyville, on Friday, according to police. His family reported him missing yesterday, and it was after investigators questioned the man with whom he was last seen that they learnt of his fate. The 30-year-old relative had confessed to the killing, police said. "He killed him with a knife on Friday at the old man's home and then, using a wheelbarrow, carried the body to his residence. There, he cut him into pieces like he was slaughtering an animal," said police spokesman Superintendent Lesego Metsi. Police who arrived at the suspect's home could smell decaying flesh, said Metsi. The dead man's head had been cracked open and parts of the brain consumed. There were intestines hidden in a basket and a cooked liver. "The man said his ancestors had instructed him to kill Serache, then cook and eat him," Metsi said. This latest case of suspected cannibalism comes as the Traditional Healers Organisation reported yesterday that about 1,000 families nationwide had claimed that corpses of their dead relatives had been harvested for muti before burial last year. "About 900 bodies had some parts missing, especially the breasts and genitals," said Phephisile Maseko, national co-ordinator of the healers' organisation. He expressed concern that in most cases, police were involved in protecting those people - often wealthy businessmen - who bought human body parts in the belief that it would boost their businesses.

 

- AfricanCrisis, February 9, 2010

 


 

Two reports this week revealed the chasm between what the SA Police Service finds important: while one in every three operational policemen - 50,000 in all - have been invited to a three-day jamboree to celebrate National Police Day in Bloemfontein at a cost of around R40 million, a farmer from North West - Mr. Wilhelm Rocher - spent a weekend in jail for defending himself against stock thieves caught red-handed. Mr. Rocher is out on bail. The fact that the police were only too ready to throw Mr. Rocher into a cell inspires little confidence in a system which continues to lose its focus. Before an investigation has begun, Mr. Rocher is deemed guilty and is thus marked for incarceration. (South Africa is replete with reports of mob justice being applied in townships where perceived criminals are assaulted and even murdered by groups. We rarely hear of any arrests after these incidents!) Mr. Rocher was arrested for murder in circumstances where he appears to be a victim, not a criminal. The fact that farmers must themselves pursue stock thieves says everything about the state of policing in South Africa. In any other self-respecting country, the thieves would have been apprehended by a police force charged with doing just that. In South Africa, a farmer finds himself facing possible imprisonment for taking over the duties of the state in order to defend himself and to regain possession of his own property!

 

One of the main reasons why overseas ticket sales for the FIFA World Cup are lagging behind expectations is South African crime. And crime can only flourish if the country's law and order apparatus does not function. Latest figures show South African ticket sales accounting for 79% of the total, with just over 50,000 tickets sold in the US, 41,000 in Germany and 15,000 in Australia. South Africa may face a serious setback regarding this event which is supposed to be a showcase. What will be revealed is the depth and breadth of South Africa's crime scourge, despite assurances by Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa that R1,3 billion is budgeted to assure the safety of visitors to the FIFA Cup. Thus policing and its concomitant functions of investigation towards ensuring conviction are so integral to South Africa's future that the spotlight placed on the police is well deserved. Unfortunately, the SAPS does not live up to its challenges - not by a very large margin.

 

In August last year, an agreement was concluded between farmers and the police that a special Task Team would be appointed to fully investigate stock theft in the Swartruggens area, where Mr. Rocher farms. This investigation never happened. Daily incidents of poor police behaviour are reported in various media. The TV programme Carte Blanche revealed last week in vivid detail how the "blue light" police cars force people off the road. A woman motorist and her husband were taken to a local station, beaten up and harassed because they didn't move out of the way quickly enough. Other reports have come to light of this type of banana-republic badgering. Between 2001 and 2009, the number of firearms lost by SAPS members or stolen from them increased by 166%. The SAPS has now ordered 4,000 new Beretta pistols at a cost of R16 million to replace the 3 000 odd that have been lost or stolen, and the SAPS is "unwittingly fuelling the illegal arms trade" declared the Democratic Alliance. Four thousand new pistols will be in circulation because nobody can find the 3,000 that have disappeared. On 15 September 2009, Minister of Police Mthethwa announced that legislation empowering police to respond more forcefully to dangerous criminals was close to finalisation. But if police are not around to enforce legislation, and the public is compelled to self defend, why would the public's actions be any less justifiable than a policeman's in the same situation? South Africa's crime conviction rate is one of the lowest in the world. In the 2007/2008 year, the number of crimes committed was 2.03 million. Of these, only 0.25 million resulted in convictions. One of the reasons - and there are many - could be the loss and theft of police dockets. From 2002/4 to 2008/9, the number of case dockets lost or stolen increased from the official figures of 343 to 668. The real figure is probably much higher. There is a huge skills deficit. The June 2008 Business Day reported that 60% of evidence gathered at crime scenes was unusable, due to poor collection which ruined the samples. The report quoted figures from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) which found that of the 42,000 samples sent to the biology unit of the SAPS forensic laboratory, 25,200 were not analysed. The ISS report found that forensic field workers were insufficiently trained. It was estimated that only about 10% of the 42,000 cases would eventually be analysed. (SA Institute of Race Relations Fast Facts January 2010)

 

Official statistics are dodgy at best. Reports are myriad of the SAPS doctoring crime figures to make the picture less alarming and for other more nefarious reasons. Recently, the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) found that crime statistics at Mountain Rise police station in Pietermaritzburg were manipulated. (Mail & Guardian Jan 29, 2010). As a result of the tampering Mountain Rise was the top station in Natal last year, and station officials received bonuses totaling R500,000 as a reward. Head of the station Hariram Badul has been arrested with three other policemen from the station for allegedly defrauding the state of R1 million worth of equipment, including computers which were recovered during a police raid. Also recovered were 147 dockets, six case book registers and three statistic registers. Many crimes were not registered on the case administration system. A whistle blower who reported this was suspended without pay. Badul had told his staff that only cases where the culprits were "easily obtainable" were to be investigated. The rest of the dockets were locked in a room. These unprocessed dockets were about to be burnt when the whilstle blower approached the courts. He has since been reinstated. Crimes that are heavily dependent on police action for detection have increased remarkably - illegal possession of firearms and ammunition has increased by nearly 50% from 1994 to 2008, drug related crime by about 135% and driving under the influence by more than 110%. (SA Institute of Race Relations October 2009) �This reveals negligence and incompetence within the SAPS which appears to be increasing. A Pretoria man who was attacked and shot during a botched robbery was told by a station commissioner to "find a private detective to look into the case". He was visited by a police officer in hospital after the incident and asked to pay R10 000 for the private investigator, and the man is now suing the SAPS. A woman died on the bathroom floor of the Eldorado Park police station after three police officers took her from her home for questioning after she had witnessed a crime. (The Star January 6, 2010) The woman, a thyroid sufferer, was held against her will and died because of complications setting in because of lack of a doctor's care. Deaths in police custody have declined from 334 in 2003 to 302 in 2007/8, but these are police figures and are in doubt. The SAPS is an integral arm of the government, but it is unable to function properly and this affects all walks of South African life. From farms to the cities, the crime figures are not abating. The private security industry flourishes, and without this group and our own defences, we would be all victims.

 

- TAU South Africa Bulletin, February 1, 2010

 


 

TAU SA is highly distressed over the fact that their chairman of the West-District, Mr. Wilhelm Rocher, had to spend a weekend in jail and is charged with murder after he defended his life and property against criminals, as stated by his president, Mr. Ben Marais. Information was received on Friday evening that livestock was stolen. Mr. Rocher with some other farmers tracked the thieves, confronted them and discovered that two of the animals were already slaughtered and in the thieves vehicle. The thieves were armed and opened fire after three warning shots were fired. One of the warning shots apparently found its mark and hit one of the thieves in the buttocks. It seems that he died of some other reason than the gunshot wound.

 

- TAU South Africa Media Release, January 25, 2010

 


 

Police on Thursday arrested one of two men who threatened in a television interview to kill fans at June's FIFA World Cup, causing uproar among officials fearful that South Africa's high crime rate will deter foreign visitors. The interview last weekend on the private channel e.tv unleashed days of controversy over both crime and freedom of the press after authorities issued subpoenas for two of the station's journalists to reveal their sources. A man who set up the interview with the two self-styled criminals was found dead earlier this week, apparently after committing suicide, e.tv and police said. The two men, whose faces were concealed, said on the programme they would commit armed robberies and murder during the month-long soccer spectacular which is expected to attract 450,000 foreign fans. They said this was justified as revenge for colonial wrongs. 

 

- AfricanCrisis, January 21, 2010

 


 

A Camperdown woman fleeing a man she believed might be a hijacker drove to a police station for safety. But instead of finding refuge, she was assaulted by her pursuer, who turned out to be a traffic officer, while police stood by and did nothing. To add insult to injury, the woman was then arrested by Camperdown police. Farmer PJ Ward said his wife, Jude, was driving in the fast lane along the N3 from Pietermaritzburg when a man in a white unmarked twin-cab bakkie tried to pass her. As she tried to move from the fast lane, the man placed a blue light on the bakkie's roof and chased after her. 'He choked her and banged her head on the ground' Suspecting a hijack attempt, Ward said, his wife decided to drive to the Camperdown police station because she thought she would be safe there. "My wife could not move immediately from the fast lane, so the man in the bakkie put up his blue light and pressed behind her. After she moved, the man wagged his finger at her. She decided to stop at a nearby police station for safety." However, said Ward, instead of receiving the protection she sought, his wife was assaulted in front of police officers. "When she got off her car, the man, who was wearing a brown traffic officer's uniform, attacked her by grabbing her neck and pushing her into the ground. He jumped on top of her and grabbed her bag. All of this happened in front of police officers, who just watched." He said the man, believed to be a member of the Road Traffic Inspectorate's public transport enforcement unit, told his wife, while on top of her, that she should look at his uniform and obey his orders. He said the man weighed about 120kg and was in his thirties. "He choked her and banged her head on the ground. These officers are supposed to protect the public, but instead they use their positions to show that they have power and should be feared," said Ward. He said his wife was traumatised by the assault and even more shocked when she later ended up behind bars for not obeying an officer's orders, while the traffic officer went unpunished. "What is wrong with the law enforcers in this country? My wife was only trying to find a safe place to stop so that she could talk to this man; instead, she was attacked." Ward said his wife was checked by a doctor for internal injuries. She was released on a warning to appear in the Camperdown Magistrate's Court today. "Jude had bruises to her neck and arms, and was bloodied as well," he said. "For 30 years I loved this country with all my heart, but now all I want to do is leave. I am tired of living in fear, not only of criminals, but of police brutality as well," he said, adding he was determined to return to the Republic of Ireland. He said he would contact the Irish Republic Embassy to report the matter and seek its assistance in leaving the country. Ward said his wife had been involved in a similar incident with local police last year, but they had decided not to report the matter for fear of being victimised. "Now we will not keep quiet, and since we have made this incident known, many people have come forward with similar horrific experiences involving the people who are supposed to protect us." Road Traffic Inspectorate spokesman Rajen Chinaboo said he did not have all the details of yesterday's incident at hand, but he said that motorists should not stop for people travelling in unmarked vehicles. This is how soccer spectators and tourists in South Africa can be expected to be treated by the cops. Don't say you haven't been warned. Rather DON'T COME! It's NOT SAFE.

 

- report sent by "Henry", South Africa, January 19, 2010

 


 

 

A British company is marketing "stab-proof" vests to football fans visiting South Africa during the World Cup. A British company, Protektorvest, earlier said it would provide stab-proof vests to tourists who feared being mugged or stabbed while visiting the country for the Soccer World Cup in June and July. The vests cost R510 and could be delivered free of charge at any hotel in Johannesburg or Pretoria.

 

- The South African, January 18, 2010

 


 

Cape Town police on Monday denied allegations that a British actress was "injured in a gang-related" attack in Cape Town on New Year's Eve. Victoria Smurfit, who starred in the BBC drama Ballykissangel, wrote publicly about the incident for the first time in the Irish Mail on Sunday. She claimed the taxi she and her family had been travelling in was shot at in the city centre, and that her elbow was injured by broken glass. "It was kill a tourist day. And we were in the way," she wrote.

 

- SAPA report, 11 January 2010

 


 

"Manto is dead. Good. " That was 5fm radio DJ Gareth Cliff's Twitter response to the forer health minister's death this week. Within hours, bloggers and tweeters had launched a cyber-attack on Cliff for his insensitivity, and now an ANC official is demanding an apology. Former deputy health minister Renier Schoeman on Thursday called on 5fm so-called shock-jock Gareth Cliff to apologise for his "vicious" remarks on the death of former health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. Schoeman, a member of the ANC, emphasised he was not speaking with any mandate or in any official capacity. "But, speaking as an ashamed South African - ashamed at the tasteless crudity and insensitivity of remarks by a fellow South African who should know better. "I had the privilege of working with Dr Manto as deputy minister of health for about 18 months and during that period saw first-hand her total commitments to providing adequate health care to all South Africans. Cliff posted on his Twitter account: "Manto is dead. Good. A selfish and wicked bungler of the lowest order. Rotten attitude and rancid livers - all three of them."

 

- The South African, December 22, 2009

 

[Ed. Renier Schoeman was of course the chief official of the National Party in Natal during the 1980s. His subsequent admission that he is a member of the ANC is therefore yet further proof that the NP was rotten to the core. Ed.]

 


 

Two girls, one aged three and the other six, were raped in separate incidents over the weekend in Johannesburg police said on Monday. Inspector Kay Makhubela said a woman laid a complaint with the police on Sunday night after she found a little girl, aged three, at a gate "shivering and unattended". "The complainant took the decision after she saw the child could not even walk," said Makhubela. He said the little girl was taken to a doctor and was receiving medical treatment. The little girl identified her grandfather, aged 51, as the alleged perpetrator. He was arrested on Monday morning and would appear at the Protea Magistrates' Court shortly. In a separate incident, a six-year-old child was raped in Jabulani on Saturday night. When her mother returned home around 7pm, the girl told her she had been raped. The child was taken to hospital for treatment and the mother opened a case of rape at the police station. The child told the police a man, aged 66, raped her. The man was arrested and would also appear in the Protea Magistrates' Court shortly.

 

- SAPA report, December 14, 2009

 


 

Five people who are allegedly members of a rightwing group called the Jessurum brotherhood were arrested in the Boland area, the Hawks said on Sunday. According to spokesman Musa Zondi the five were arrested last week after they fought and laid charges against each other. "During the arrest, racist documents and literature were found in their possession. They believe that Black people come from devil therefore they are evil." Zondi said they were still investigating the cult and no charges had been laid against them in connection with their beliefs yet. The five, Johan Pretorius, 30, ex-cop and the alleged priest of the cult Peter White, 45, Jan Roodt, 64, Linda Coertze, 44, and a 17-year-old youth, were charged with attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of illegal firearms. They all appeared in court on Friday and were released on bail. According to the Rapport newspaper the group allegedly has links to the Suidlanders group, which in turn is linked to the Boeremag. The Suidlanders believe that all white people will be killed the day former president Nelson Mandela dies. The Jessurum group apparently believes that Black people are "animals" and refused to be questioned, touched by or receive food from Black police officers after their arrest. Rapport said they had several secret cells across the country, as far as Bela Bela in Limpopo province [Far North]. Zondi could not confirm this as the hawks were still investigating. The Jessurum group has even written a book called "Dimensions of Apartheid" to explain their principles.

 

- SAPA report, December 13, 2009

 


 

A security guard was shot dead during an armed robbery at a Spar store in Primrose in the late afternoon on Wednesday, Johannesburg police said. "Armed with assault rifles and pistols the robbers entered the supermarket and shot dead one security guard," said Captain Steady Nawa. He said the seven men then robbed the store of an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing the scene on foot.

 

- AfricanCrisis, December 3, 2009

 


 

A few dinner party comments fuelled by a few too many drinks has landed Bruce Fordyce in the hot seat with the Human Rights Commission. Allegations of Fordyce verbally abusing a woman at a dinner party with prominent members of the art community formed part of a charge sheet Fordyce was asked to answer to yesterday at the commission's offices. Fordyce's vitriol apparently heightened when he discovered the object of his verbal attack was Roberta McBride, a cousin of former "Umkhonto we Sizwe" [the ANC's overtly terrorist-wing] operative Robert McBride. Fordyce won a record nine Comrades Marathons, the first of his wins with some controversy when he wore a black armband to mark the 20th anniversary of the Republic of South Africa. Fordyce and McBride were being hosted by a British friend who had gathered some of his South African friends, shortly before the elections this year, for a dinner party. Roberta McBride was sitting opposite Fordyce and a relative of DA leader Helen Zille, when the "discussion" started. Initially the two men were discussing the role of Helen Suzman and the lack of recognition afforded her, with McBride weighing in by arguing there were countless others who went unheeded while Suzman was afforded the protection of Parliament and was paid for her opposition role. This stoked the fires with a heated discussion following. A friend passing the discussion joked that the men should be careful as Roberta was a McBride. McBride said she avoided Fordyce during the evening, although he passed a number of snide comments her way. "I noticed he appeared to be intoxicated," she said. Shortly before midnight McBride, on her way out and awaiting her children, encountered Fordyce, who told her to vote for the DA. "I replied that I was going to vote for the ANC because it was the only party that supported affirmative action and BEE and the development of our people. Both Bruce and this acquaintance (not Zille) told me that I didn't need affirmative action since I was a 'coconut', which I found deeply offensive," McBride wrote to the HRC. Fordyce then apparently turned to the case of Robert McBride, who he called "a crook" who "should have been strung up by the neck". The MK [terrorist] operative was convicted for his bomb attack on the Why Not Bar in Durban in 1986 which caused casualties at the adjoining Magoo's Bar. He was later granted amnesty before the "Truth and Reconciliation Commission". With her daughters, 19 and 12, now beside her, Fordyce is said to have shouted that McBride should not have been allowed at the party, ending his tirade with: "Just f*** out of here! Go!". "My 12-year-old was hysterical," said McBride. She herself had been deeply offended by the outburst and approached the HRC to seek justice. But the commission seems to have misinterpreted her complaint, sending a letter to Fordyce which misstates some of the facts and puts the argument down to a difference of political allegiance. On this version, Fordyce has denied all the allegations.

 

- AfricanCrisis, November 26, 2009

 

[ Our very good friend Keith Hulse was seriously injured in the Magoo's Bar explosion, his life being heroically saved by our other good colleague Alan Mountford who rushed him to the near-by Addington Hospital, in spite of the fact that his car tyres had been flattened by the explosion. Ed.]

 


 

South Africans are dying younger and in greater numbers, and HIV/AIDS is to blame, according to a report released this week by the South African Institute of Race Relations. Average life expectancy declined from 62 years in 1990 to 50 years in 2007; it is projected to fall even further by 2011, to 48 years for men and 51 for women, according to the Institute's annual South Africa Survey. The authors note that among 37 developed and developing countries, South Africa is one of only six where life expectancy fell between 1990 and 2007, with only Zimbabwe showing a steeper decline. The HIV/AIDS epidemic contributed to a 43% reduction in population growth between 2001 and 2008; a fall in birth rates also played a role. Although fewer children are being born, HIV/AIDS is creating an increasing number of orphans: of the estimated 2.5 million children who had lost a parent by 2007, more than half were orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS. According to the survey, by 2015, 32% of South African children will have lost one or both parents to the virus.

 

- AfricanCrisis, November 23, 2009

 


 

A Pretoria pensioner, who fought and survived both World War 2 and the Korean War as a fighter pilot, was found bludgeoned to death at his home. Frans Swemmer, 89, was found dead in the garage of his Waterkloof home yesterday morning by his girlfriend of 14 years, Anita Stander, 71. Stander discovered Swemmer's badly battered body lying sprawled in the passage of his Orion Street home where he had been dragged from the garage. A blood trail and a brown leather shoe outside the front door indicated from where Swemmer's killers had dragged him into his house. It is believed that Swemmer, whose white Mercedes-Benz, pistol, clothes and household appliances were stolen, was beaten on the head with a sledgehammer at about 7pm on Thursday night after he went to investigate the theft of beers from his fridge in the garage.

 

- AfricanCrisis, November 14, 2009

 


 

A 37 year-old barman was shot and killed outside the premises of Woodlands Sports Club in Durban on Monday morning. Police Captain Thulani Zwane said the man was outside the sports club when four armed men approached him. "It is believed that one of the armed suspects carrying an AK-47 opened fire on the man, fatally wounding him," said Zwane. He said the four men then fled on foot and nothing was stolen from the bar. Netcare 911 spokesperson Jeff Wicks said the barman had been walking in the courtyard when he was gunned down. "As he passed through the door, gunmen opened fire on him, with a high-calibre assault rifle's bullets hitting him twice in the chest and once in the head," said Wicks.

 

- AfricanCrisis, November 10, 2009

 


 

A major contributor to the outspoken blog 'SA Sucks' has been arrested early yesterday morning by what was called 'a massive contingent of police from no less than five different specialist units, ranging from Organised Crime, Cyber crime, vehicle theft, etc', who raided his home and confiscated all his computer equipment. Reporting on the incident, the blog said that his door was ripped off, his wife was not allowed to make calls, his children's cell phones [mobile 'phones] were confiscated, and his little daughters were forced out of their beds. Interestingly, the arrest is blamed by bloggers on White informers and intelligence agents who are, they say, desperate to justify their 'right-wing desks' under the new Zuma administration. The blogger was released early today, after the senior prosecutor refused to put the case against him on the Court roll, referring to the fact that the case against him is nineteen years old. 'SA Sucks' claims that the raison d'etre for its existence is the mass media's white-washing of the low-level genocide of Whites which started in the early '90s and has now reached unprecedented levels. The blog says that 'the media' has through their cynical support of murderous Marxist thugs managed to alienate so many of their readers that their 'despicable dereliction of duty' has now sprouted a 'veritable cottage industry' of citizen blogging. One of the reasons for the popularity of 'SA Sucks', it says, was the fact that readers could comment freely and that 'reader interaction was taken to new levels with blogs sprouting like milkweed'. Criticised for its often crude and crass language, the blog is nevertheless seen by many observers as a necessary outlet for the frustration felt by many hites, and a useful indicator of their feelings. Others have pointed out the fact that it does offer an accurate and truthful account of the rampant terror and crime gripping the country.

 

- Southern Cross Africa News, November 5, 2009

 


 

South Africa will miss a 2014 deadline to redistribute a third of the country's farmland from White farmers to the Black majority, officials say. Land reform official Thozi Gwanya told the BBC the deadline had been pushed back to 2025 owing to a lack of funds. He said more than $9.6bn (5.8bn) was needed to buy the remaining land. Influential ANC official Julius Malema has said land should be seized from White farmers refusing to sell - an option already rejected by ministers. In 1994 almost 90% of land was owned by the White community. Mr Gwanya said so far more than five million hectares have been distributed and about 20 million hectares remain to be bought. He said the current economic crisis meant the government had been forced to postpone its redistribution plans. But he said South Africa's constitution stipulated that land had to be bought - rather than seized - from the current landowners.

 

- BBC news report, November 3, 2009

 


 

Cosatu is to picket outside singer Patti Labelle's Sun City concert this weekend at the playing of a CD with lyrics insulting former president Nelson Mandela. The North West branch of the Congress of SA Trade Unions said on Wednesday it would march to the resort on Saturday to hand over a memorandum on its concerns. Cosatu has urged Sun City to ban the security firm Falcon Security, whose chief executive officer Ben Burger was arrested after the playing of the CD. Burger has already appeared in court over the matter. Falcon Security has provided security at the international resort for the past 14 years. The company announced earlier in the day that its operations manager Warren Alberts had been suspended over the CD incident. The company said it was investigating the playing of the CD at a Sun International staff function on Saturday. On Tuesday, police claimed that, during a competition, a CD was played "containing remixed lyrics of the national anthem" which called former president Nelson Mandela a "k*ffir". Burger appeared in the Mogwase District Court on Tuesday on a charge of crimen injuria, and was released on bail of R1,500. In a statement, it was said he attended the staff potjiekos family day at Sun City where various CDs were presented to be played. He did not hear a 15-second snippet of the song and was not near the company stand when it was played. However, he was surrounded by police after someone complained.

 

- AfricanCrisis, October 28, 2009

 


 

Right on cue, as the so-called VVK is gearing up to register members of the 'volk' to register and take part in the election of an own people's assembly,  Eugene Terre'Blanche, the controversial leader of the so-called Afrikaner Weerstands Beweging (Afrikaner resistance movement), has made a come-back in the media. Brought back into the political limelight, Terre'Blanche is pounced on by leftist journalists eager to regurgitate the old, worn and discredited digs at the more conservative, poorer sections of the White population of South Africa. Terre'Blanche held court to only about 30-odd Whites in his hometown of Ventersdorp. The relative insignificance of the gathering did not stop the left-leaning  media from writing at length about 'South Africa's far-Right', consisting of 'as many as 60 marginal groups', the 'rousing words from the past', but especially the 'Nazi-style Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB)' with its 'swastika-style flag' and its 'White supremacist leader', made out to be the leader of 'apartheid South Africa' rather than the leader of  the AWB organisation. Analysts have pointed out  that the traditional White Left in South Africa, largely discredited by the way the country has gone into decline under the sort of  forced unitary, Black regime it ushered in on May 10, 1994, is worried over the unmistakable feeling of alienation among Whites and a growing desire to get out from under Black rule. Hundreds of thousands of Whites emigrate, weakening the country's economic and structural backbone, while those who stay can only be kept in line by force and necessity to survive. Hammered by the recession, and literally terrorised by an ever-spreading wave of Black terror and crime, very few Whites still believe the propaganda of 'the miracle of 1994', 'democracy', 'human rights' and the much-vaunted safeguards of a supposedly independent judiciary. Instead, they are increasingly looking for a way out. In what is seen as a renewed attempt to control disaffected Whites inside known and easily-discredited 'resistance' structures, the so-called resurgence of the AWB is seen by cynics as artificial, a desperate ploy to herd the disaffected Afrikaners once again into a Nazi-labeled organisation that simply cannot win.

 

- Southern Cross Africa News, October 27, 2009

 


 

In yet another Black-on-White killing in the Cape, Willem le Roux, 53, and his wife Julie, 50, were brutally murdered on their small holding home near Plettenberg Bay last weekend. Preliminary autopsy results indicated that the wife was shot in the head, while her husband seemed to have been beaten to death. The killers took two laptops, a cellphone [mobile 'phone] and a revolver that belonged to the murdered couple.

 

- Southern Cross Africa News, October 19, 2009

 


 

Chris Hani's killer, Clive Derby-Lewis, remains behind bars, apparently a year after the parole board recommended he be released. He says that political meddling by the ANC government is keeping him in jail. Derby-Lewis's claims were rejected by Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula yesterday. Ministry spokesperson Sonwabo Mbananga said Derby-Lewis had not served the minimum time required for him to be eligible for parole. Derby-Lewis was sentenced to life in prison for the 1993 assassination of the SACP leader. Hani was shot dead outside his home in Boksburg. In a statement yesterday, Derby-Lewis said he had been kept in prison unlawfully for the past 12 months for none other than political reasons, although the parole board had recommended he be granted early release. "Justice is not available to those in South Africa who are deemed to be from the wrong political order," he said. "Notwithstanding the price I have paid in prison time for being convicted of killing Chris Hani, I have been left to rot in jail. The parole board... recommended that I be released on October 15, 2008, said Derby-Lewis."

 

- AfricanCrisis, October 16, 2009

 

[Clive Derby-Lewis was not convicted of being Hani's "killer", but only with providing the actual killer, the Polish immigrant Janusz Walus, with his gun - though even on this count the evidence against Clive Derby-Lewis was highly circumstantial - Ed.]

 


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