STONED TO DEATH!

IF he thought his gun would save him, he was wrong!

The young man was one of two thugs who allegedly robbed a shop in Solly Msimanga Village between Nellmapius and Buffer Zone in Mamelodi, Tshwane on Saturday.

When they tried to run away, people from the kasi chased after them.

One got away but the other fired shots at the crowd and hit two people.

“I will shoot you. Go back to your houses!” he screamed but this just seemed to provoke the crowd.

The man was eventually cornered at a stream in Buffer Zone, where the angry crowd caught up with him and stoned him to death.

When they were sure he was dead, they placed his gun on his chest.

Lucky Moabelo (27) said people in the village tried to escape.

“The thug was holding a gun.

“But when residents saw a crowd hot on his heels they joined in and cornered him at the stream.

“He undermined the residents.

“This will be a lesson to other robbers that residents won’t tolerate guns, especially if they are in the hands of criminals.”

Lucky said he was disappointed that parents allowed their children to look at the dead man. “I wonder how the kids will sleep at night without having nightmares. As an adult I’m still in shock.”

Mamelodi East police spokesman Captain Michael Mbewe said cases of murder and attempted murder were registered but no arrests have been made.

Tuks prof wants share of real dad's R50 million estate

Pretoria - University of Pretoria professor Eben Maré has turned to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to declare his adoption null and void, more than 51 years after he was adopted one day after his birth in 1966.

If this is successful, it will pave the way for Maré, a maths professor and Absa senior official, to inherit from his biological father, Pieter Bezuidenhout, who died in 2016 after he was murdered in the driveway of his home in Pretoria.

Bezuidenhout, 67, owner of the company Bus Rentals, has left an estate worth more than R50 million. However, he died intestate as he never had a will.

Maré said it was not about the money, but he felt that as one of Bezuidenhout’s five biological children, he should inherit as well. “Fair is fair and why should I not inherit, simply because I was adopted?” he told the Pretoria News

He claimed that his biological mother, Sophia le Roux, was forced into giving him up a day after his birth. This, he claimed, rendered his adoption in terms of the law illegal and of no force.

Le Roux, who fell pregnant when she was 17, was never married to Bezuidenhout. As having an illegitimate child in those days were unheard of, she was forced to give up her son.

Maré said his adoptive parents, Johannes and Eugene Maré, who are now both in their 80s, had not told him that he was adopted, but he found out about it in 2012.

He subsequently located his biological parents. “I started to know my father four years prior to his death and we had a good relationship. My first words to my father, when I met him, were not: ‘Am I in your will?' But he also never told me during our time together that he did not want me to inherit. I am his son and it is only fair that I inherit.”

Apart from Maré, Bezuidenhout has four other children, who stand to inherit from his estate.

One of the siblings, Conan Devy, meanwhile, obtained permission from the court to enter the fray in this unusual legal battle.

Devy is opposed to Maré’s application and said he was not entitled to share in Bezuidenhout’s fortunes. According to him, the main purpose of Maré’s application to have his adoption overturned was so that he could inherit. He added that as things stood, the estate would be divided into four equal shares, between himself and his siblings.

He disputed Maré’s claim that, as his biological mother was forced to give him up, it made his adoption null and void and thus, in turn, entitled him to inherit.

Devy said Maré and his biological mother, who is assisting him in his application, “are making a quantum leap” with this allegation, as the adoption must first be set aside before Maré could be entitled to inherit from the deceased.

Maré’s lawyer, Gerald Maree, said the Children’s Act of 1960 made it clear that a child could not be given up under duress. As this was the case here, Maré’s adoption was thus of no force and he stood to inherit from his father, he said.

They also have the alternative of attacking the Intestate Succession Act, which stipulated that an adoptive child could not inherit from his or her biological parent if the latter had died without a will.

Maree said that as they were taking a constitutional point, this case would probably end up in the highest court in the country.

“My client is not a money grabber; it’s all about principle,” he said. He could not say at this stage how big the estate was, but it was estimated at well over R50m.

Maré, meanwhile, said this was not about him, but about his children and grandchildren.

“No money will bring him back. But what is right is right. The question is not about me inheriting, but rather why my father’s killers have never been caught.”

Zuma had to vacate office, says Paul Mashatile

The president's exit has to be handled internally within the ANC, says the government party's treasure-general.

It’s time for SA President Jacob Zuma must step down from office to avoid creating two centres of power in the country, says Paul Mashatile African National Congress (ANC) treasurer-general.

The best way to avoid a power tussle between Luthuli House and the Union Buildings, Zuma had to vacate office, said Mashatile During an interview with CNBC Africa on Friday.

“Our view is that there should be a change of guard. You need to transfer power, you can’t have two centres of power. We want to see a situation where there is one centre with no tension, and the best possible way is if the state president exits,” Mashatile added.

Mashatile’s comments come amid mounting pressure on Zuma to resign as the country’s head of State ahead of Thursday’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) in parliament. He confirmed that the ANC’s top six officials were expected to meet with Zuma this weekend.

Earlier this week, the ANC’s national working committee (NWC) gathered and agreed that Zuma should not be allowed to address the nation during the Sona. Mashatile said the top six had promised the NWC to give it feedback on the issue, however, Zuma had to be engaged with and the matter surrounding his exit had to be handled internally within the ANC.

Is Prasa investing in the CONTROVERSIAL Nkandla Lender?

JOHANNESBURG - The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) is reportedly investing R1 billion with the bank that lent President Jacob Zuma millions to pay back the money in the Nkandla scandal.

The Sunday Times is reporting that senior Prasa officials have thrown their weight behind a move to ensure that the first R500 million tranche of the investment is paid to VBS Mutal Bank this week without any agreement signed.

Prasa officials have denied the R1 billion investment is being paid to the bank.

However, the Sunday Times says it’s seen correspondence from the rail agency’s acting CEO Lindikhaya Zide confirming the partastatl's commitment to the deal with a return of 8.25% per annum.

This is despite the bank not meeting the state entity's investment requirements and Prasa itself battling financially.

The bank made headlines in 2016 when it lent Zuma R7, 8 million to repay the state for non-security upgrades to his Nkandla homestead after the public protector found he had unduly benefitted from state spending.

#Man survives being struck by lightning

A man, believed to be in his late thirties, survived being struck by lightning in Midvaal on Friday afternoon.

ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak said the man was rushed to the Midvaal fire station at around 16:00 on Friday by bystanders.

“They explained to fire fighters and ER24 paramedics that he was struck by lightning while sitting under a tree,” he said.

Vermaak said the paramedics found that the man barely showed signs of life and proceeded to resuscitate him on scene.

“A short while later his vital signs returned and he was placed on life support,” he said.

Vermaak said the paramedics then rushed him to Sebokeng Hospital for further medical care.

He advised that people seek proper shelter during thunderstorms, and avoid trees, large metal objects or open fields.

SOURCE:News24

Two in critical condition after light aircraft crash

Two men were injured when their light aircraft crashed in a nature reserve in Rustenburg in North West on Saturday morning.

One of the injured was airlifted to hospital.

“Shortly after 9am‚ paramedics from ER24 and other services were alerted to the incident and responded to the scene.

Services that arrived on scene found the two men outside the aircraft. One of the occupants sustained minor to moderate injuries and was transported to a local hospital for further care.

The second occupant sustained moderate to serious injuries and was transported to a nearby station where ER24’s Oneplan Medical Helicopter airlifted him to hospital. Both are in a stable condition‚” said ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak.

“The exact circumstances surrounding the crash or event preceding the crash is not yet known. Local authorities attended the scene and will conduct an investigation‚” he added.

Horror:Five killed after a bakkie and a sedan collided

Police in Rusternburg are investigating the death of five people after a horrific accident along the N4 last night.

Five people lost their lives when a bakkie and a sedan collided.

Another occupant of the sedan escaped with minor to moderate injuries.

ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak says the driver of the bakkie was treated and assessed by another service on scene and later transported to a nearby hospital.

“Two women and three men succumbed to their injuries before paramedics arrived.”

Attorney sues Vodacom R700 000

A Cape Town attorney is taking on cellphone giant Vodacom and suing for R700 000, claiming his business was “crippled” for six months because the company suspended his services.

Marcello Stevens, from the law company, Marcello Stevens - Attorney at Law, said his woes with Vodacom began in June last year when he received a bill of R4 500 on a contract that, according to him, should have been R420 per month.

Stevens said he signed up for a top-up contract, only to discover later that what he received was an “open” contract.

The bill in question was for one of four contracts Stevens had with Vodacom and the contract was being used by his 11-year-old daughter.

Stevens told Weekend Argus that he switched off the data mode on his daughter’s cellphone for an entire month but still received a data bill even when no data was used.

The Stevens family has wi-fi at home and the daughter was only connected to that service.

The other three contracts were for staff at his law firm and he also had two data contracts with Vodacom.

The nework provider suspended all four cellphone contracts and the two data contracts when Stevens refused to pay an initial bill of R20 000, which was reduced to R9 000, but still Stevens refused to pay.

Now he is suing for R700 000 for loss of income for the past six months when the company was without the cellphone contracts and the two data accounts.

“When I first contacted them, they told me the additional charges were for Wireless Application Service Providers (Wasp), which I did not sign up for.

“As a small firm, the phone is our bread and butter. This has been the most frustrating thing to deal with,” said Stevens.

He said the contract was “closed” and no additional charges should have been incurred once his daughter had used her allotted two gigs of data and R44 airtime for the month.

Stevens said Vodacom’s suspension of all his contracts resulted in the firm losing business.

“I had a client who was going to pay me R500 000 for work but because I was not able to call him back, he took his business elsewhere,” said Stevens.

Stevens at Law already instituted civil proceedings against Vodacom and served a letter of demand on Vodacom’s attorney at the company’s offices on the Foreshore.

The company also registered a charge of theft and fraud at the Lansdowne police station.

Stevens said the only correspondence he received was when Vodacom’s attorneys asked for his banking details and the company turned on the calling ability for three of the four work phones, but the data services have not been activated.

Last year, Bidvest Car Rental executive, William Douglas, took action against Vodacom for allegedly being “billed without consent for content services”.

That matter is yet to be finalised.

Vodacom spokesperson Byron Kennedy, in an e-mail, told Weekend Argus: “Vodacom can confirm that it’s received communication from Mr Stevens and that we are treating this with utmost urgency with the aim of settling the matter.

“In the interim, we have reinstated the suspended line and will be conducting further investigations though Wasp. We will take appropriate action pending the outcome of the investigation.”

Spokesperson for the Right2Know campaign, Murray Hunter, told Weekend Argus the bottom line was that every day “there’s a new story of someone being ripped off by the high costs of data and airtime”.

“Yes, costs have come down as a result of public pressure, but they haven’t come down nearly far enough. There’s no excuse for a service provider racking up fees as high as R9 000 for basic data services,” said Hunter.

Hunter said they were focusing on Icasa’s public hearings on the cost of communication, which are set to take place next week in Johannesburg.

Murray concluded that Right2Know is “really encouraged by some of the creative models for cheaper communications which ordinary South Africans have championed”. Research showed that the price of data in South Africa remained unchanged for the last two years and it is still the most expensive in Africa.

South Africa’s mobile data prices have come under attack in recent months, with targeted social media campaigns like #DataMustFall.

The price of 1GB from South Africa’s two largest mobile operators - MTN and Vodacom - has remained at around R150 since 2014.

In 2016, MTN’s price per GB increased to R160, while Telkom has been the only operator to make any downward adjustment to its prices, now pricing at R99 per GB.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Siyabulela Qoza, told Weekend Argus “the battle to reduce the cost of communication is on our agenda because we believe that lower costs could contribute in stimulating economic growth”.

“Minister Siyabonga Cwele continues to call on mobile operators to look at ways in which they can reduce data costs These engagements have led to some relief,” said Qoza.

He said the department thought there was room for further reduction.

“In this regard, minister Cwele and minister Ebrahim Patel have asked Icasa and the Competition Commission to work together to probe the lack of effective competition in the broadband market, which results in the persistently high costs of data,” said Qoza.

Guard,Suspected robber injured in shootout

A cash-in-transit security guard and a suspected robber have been seriously wounded in a shootout on Twist Street in Johannesburg, paramedics said on Friday.

"Reports from the scene allege that a gang attacked the armed cash guards and a shootout ensued," said Netcare 911 spokesperson Nick Dollman.

The incident occurred at 12:23 on Friday.

Dollman said Netcare 911 Advanced Life Support paramedics, another private ambulance service, and City of Johannesburg EMS paramedics attended to the three victims at the scene.

"One of the armed cash guards, as well as a suspect, have been shot and they are both in a very serious condition and are being attended to by Advanced Life support paramedics. A female bystander, who was in a state of shock after being caught up in the incident, is in a stable condition and has been transported to hospital for further care," he said.

The police were on the scene to investigate the attack, Dollman said.

Traffic in the area was delayed due to the incident, he added.

Police were not immediately available for comment.

Rapper"Emtee" wants to marry a girlfriend

Rapper “Emtee” and his girlfriend Nicole Chinsamy (22) welcomed their second baby Logan, on 30 January.

In an interview with DRUM magazine Nicole shared how shocked she was when she first found out she was pregnant with her second child. The couple has been together close to six years and describes their first meeting as “love at first sight”.

Emtee added that he would like to marry Nicole sooner rather than later but she wants to complete her studies and start a business before they can walk down the aisle.

Nicole is still studying and she’s in her second year of studying fashion design at Sew Africa.

SibanyeGold miners rescued after being trapped underground

Welkom -  Rescuers on Friday saved all miners who were trapped underground at Sibanye-Stillwater's Beatrix gold mine in the Free State since Wednesday night when a power outage shut down their elevator to the surface. 

No fatalities were reported and eyewitnesses report that the number of miners trapped and then rescued is 952.

The workers were taken from the mine in busloads to the change house where they will receive medical attention and trauma counselling. The miners were trapped after a severe storm damaged power lines.

Speaking outside the gates to Beatrix Shaft 1 at around 4.30 am (SA time) a visibly relieved James Wellsted, Sibanye-Stillwater investor relations manager, said: "Right now we have rescued the first batch of workers and they have been taken to the change house where we will give them trauma counselling, health check-ups and more food if they are still hungry... We are very happy that the power has been restored. More groups of workers will keep on coming up to the surface and we think we would have rescued all of them in about an hour. We have not received any reports of injuries or fatalities from our rescue teams."

Workers coming for duty and concerned community members who had camped outside the mine were relieved when they heard the rescue operations had began.

Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane was expected to visit Beatrix mine later on Friday, where he would receive a briefing from the mine and the department's inspectors who are on site.

Unions representing the affected miners earlier on Thursday criticised Sibanye-Stillwater for not working fast enough to rescue the trapped workers.

African News Agency/ANA