Friday, June 8 2018

A father who allegedly accidently shot his son at a Johannesburg school faced a charge of murder on Thursday. Emanuel Tshabalala‚ 51‚ had tears streaming down his face when he applied for bail in the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court‚ saying he wanted to bury his son. The state did not oppose bail and the court took into account the fact that he had handed himself over and had cooperated fully with the police. Magistrate Maggie van der Merwe said: “I can only describe this incident as a tragedy.” Tshabalala was sleeping in his car after dropping off his 16-year-old son‚ Luyanda Themba Tshabalala‚ for evening classes on Tuesday. He was woken by knocking on the window and‚ thinking he was in danger‚ discharged his firearm. He said in an affidavit presented to court that after firing the weapon‚ Luyanda said: "Daddy‚ it's me". The child died on the way to hospital. The case continues.

Corruption case against top cop withdrawn

The state has withdrawn its corruption case against former acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane after failing to persuade the magistrate to grant a three-month postponement for further investigation. Phahlane‚ his co-accused and wife Beauty‚ and Pretoria used-car dealership owner Durant Snyman walked out of the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria on Thursday, smiling after the state withdrew the case. Magistrate Nicca Setshogoe refused to grant any further postponements‚ saying “when the investigation is complete‚ you can bring the matter before court”. The three were facing six counts of corruption for allegedly receiving or accepting gratifications from Snyman‚ who is said to have helped forensic-supply companies doing business with the police to pay kickbacks to Phahlane and his wife‚ who is a brigadier in the SA Police Service.

Treasury fights back against EFF’s Shivambu

It was a "figment of the Economic Freedom Fighters’ imagination" that Treasury deputy director-general Ismail Momoniat had "usurped the powers of the minister‚ the director-general and other fellow deputy director generals"‚ the Treasury said on Thursday. It was responding to comments made by EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu during a finance committee meeting on Tuesday. Shivambu objected to the repeated presence of Momoniat at finance committee meetings‚ saying this undermined African leadership. "The attack on the integrity of the Ministry of Finance and National Treasury by the EFF is exceptional because of its vitriol and simply the scale of the EFF’s ignorance of the workings of the Treasury and the ministry‚" the Treasury said. The nature of Momoniat's responsibilities meant that he was the right person to represent the Treasury on all matters related to tax and financial sector policy.

Legal big guns likely absent for Zuma appearance

Without clearance from the Presidency‚ Jacob Zuma's preferred legal team is likely to be absent when he appears in the Durban High Court on Friday. A legal source said on Thursday that advocates Kemp J Kemp and Hoosen Gani had not yet received clearance to act for the former president. "Without clearance, Zuma's attorney Michael Hulley or a junior counsel will have to represent Zuma in court. It will be just an adjournment anyway‚" the source said. The state is currently funding Zuma's legal battle pending a North Gauteng High Court application brought by the DA for the former president to pay his own way. However‚ the legal source said it was unlikely that Zuma would go into a "full criminal trial" without his preferred legal team. National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said he could not predict what would happen in court on Friday.

Tutu deserves more honours: Dali Tambo

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has given South Africans more to live for‚ during his lifetime of commitment to theology and human rights‚ a top Johannesburg school said on Thursday as it honoured the clergyman. At a ceremony naming the Gate House Quad at St John’s College after the Nobel Peace Prize laureate‚ the school praised Tutu for his “valuable” lessons and contributions to the liberation of the country. Dali Tambo‚ son of the late former ANC president Oliver Tambo‚ said the naming of the quad was “a beautiful thing”. He said Tutu had played a major role in the liberation of the people of South Africa. “[This ceremony] is a small thing‚ but it has great significance. I congratulate him and the college for having made this initiative and we hope that there will be many more honours for him while he is still with us.” Tutu‚ now 86 ‚ has lived with prostate cancer for two decades and has been in and out of hospital in recent years. He lives in the Western Cape with his wife‚ Leah.

Gun owners who don't renew licences face chop

As many as 400‚000 gun owners who failed to renew their firearm licences on time will have to get rid of their guns or hand them over to the police as they are now deemed to be in illegal possession of the guns. On Thursday, the Constitutional Court upheld an appeal by the minister of safety and security by dismissing a high court order that declared that two sections of the Firearms Control Act of 2000 were constitutionally invalid. The sections concerned the expiration and renewal of firearm licences. Under the previous act‚ a licence to possess a firearm lasted for life. The Act of 2000 changed this. Many old-order licence holders complied with the transitional provisions while others failed to do so. In a unanimous judgment‚ Justice Johan Froneman said the provisions in the act were not vague.

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Cat-scan a ram for a prime chop

Choosing the best ram for breeding used to be a case of checking for foot rot, good lamb weight and a vigorous countenance. Now, farmers are turning to technology to find the perfect animals to produce the healthiest flock. Researchers at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and Scotland’s Rural College have been testing whether CT scanners can determine which animals will produce the best meat. The method causes no harm to the rams, and measures the fat and muscle content so that only individuals with the healthiest genes will be chosen for future breeding. Kirsty McLean, manager of the college’s CT Scanning Unit, said: “The CT machines are accurate enough to measure everything from spine length, to eye muscle area, to intramuscular fat levels, all of which is taken into account when working out how to produce the best-tasting meat. - The Daily Telegraph

Prince and paedophile: Charles roped into probe

The Prince of Wales has been asked to give a witness statement to a public inquiry about a paedophile bishop convicted and jailed for abusing young men. Prince Charles has been approached by lawyers acting for the independent inquiry investigating the disgraced bishop Peter Ball. The former bishop of Lewes and of Gloucester was jailed for 32 months in 2015 after he admitted abusing 18 teenagers and young men between the 1970s and 1990s. His abuse was first reported to the police in 1992 but charges were not brought and instead Ball accepted a caution and resigned. Charles had exchanged letters with Ball. A separate independent inquiry found last year that Ball had exploited his contact with members of the royal family but found no evidence that the heir to the throne nor any other member of the family had sought to protect or promote Ball. - The Daily Telegraph

It’s Drone & Gabbana at eerie Saudi fashion show

How do you stage a fashion show in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia during Ramadan? Use drones as models, of course. Fashion week in the capital Riyadh boasted outfits by top international designers, which billowed eerily down the catwalk, reports News.com.au. The reason was reportedly that there were men in the audience, but the event, where male fashion designers weren’t even allowed backstage at their own shows, has drawn ruthless mocking online. Saudi news site The New Arab quoted the organisers as saying the drones were a first for the country, and was meant to ensure the show was “Ramadan appropriate”. - Staff reporter

Court unmoved by Jesus speaking through a lion

Even with “Jesus” as their lawyer, a British Columbia, Canada couple lost their appeal in court where they claimed the government took away their child because of their beliefs. CBC reports that the Christian couple, known as AJ and DK, spoke in tongues and brought in a stuffed lion they claimed was giving them direct counsel from God. Witnesses were assured “it was their lawyer Jesus Christ asking the questions”. The one-year-old was removed because the parents reportedly refused medical tests and vaccinations because of their religious beliefs, the court heard. Having lost the battle for custody, it is even less likely the mother will be allowed to rename the child Jesus JoyoftheLord. - Staff reporter

Cat lover was a thief and she had no idea

Cat “thieves” have been warned against feeding their neighbours’ pets after a pensioner in Kent in the UK was handed an official warning by police for taking in what she thought was a stray. Before feeding the mewling cat at their back door, animal lovers need to check with their neighbours to ensure they are not inadvertently stealing someone’s pet, Cats Protection has said. The charity has begun a campaign to inform cat lovers about whether the animal they are feeding is a stray or not, and to prevent accidental “cat thefts. This comes after a pensioner was visited by three police officers and slapped with an official warning letter for feeding a cat she thought was a stray. Shirley Key, 79, noticed a skinny black cat in her greenhouse and fed it for more than a year, as well as buying it toys and paying a £200 vet’s bill. - The Daily Telegraph

Sound sickness claims more victims in China

The US State Department has evacuated more staff from China over fears they may have been hit by a mysterious illness that has struck other colleagues in the country and Cuba. The department said on Wednesday “a number of individuals” were sent to the US for further evaluation following initial screenings. A medical team was sent to the southern city of Guangzhou after an American employee who had experienced strange sounds was diagnosed with a brain trauma last month, reviving fears that a US rival has developed some kind of acoustic or microwave device. US officials have said the employee’s symptoms were consistent with the ailments that US diplomats experienced in Cuba last year. - AFP