'Unreliable' witnesses see suspects in 6-year-old's murder walk free

Cape Town - The family of little Saadiqah Lippert reacted in shock on Monday as the two men accused of her murder were set free.

In a shocking turn of events in the Western Cape High Court on Monday, Samier Slamang, 24, and Waylon Botha, 22, were acquitted on all 13 charges against them, including the murder of six-year-old Saadiqah, and charges relating to organised crime.

Acting Judge A Langa said the state’s case was weak and their witnesses “unreliable”.

The child was shot in her stomach in May 2016 while standing in her grandmother’s driveway in Bokmakierie.

She was rushed to Groote Schuur Hospital where doctors fought to save her life.

Doctor Rowan Dhar testified that she died because she had lost too much blood.

Waylon Botha, 22, was acquitted on all charges, including the murder of six-year-old Saadiqah.

During the trial, witnesses changed their testimony, and warrants of arrest had to be issued against four of the witnesses after they failed to arrive at court to testify.

One of them, Shaheen Haas, Saadiqah’s uncle, was even jailed after he told the court he didn’t want to testify because his son’s life had been threatened.

He will now spend 18 months behind bars after failing to produce evidence of these alleged threats.

Slamang and Botha, who both belonged to gangs in Bokmakierie according to the state, have maintained their innocence.

Slamang said Saadiqah was like a child to him and he and his wife looked after her since she was a baby.

Saadiqah’s mother Chemieze Francis said she could not believe it when people told her he had shot her daughter.

On Monday, the accused walked out of court as free men.

Samier Slamang was acquitted on all charges, including the murder of six-year-old Saadiqah.

Their defence lawyer, Bruce Hendricks, says they were “very happy” with the outcome, but that it was not unexpected.

Last week, defence advocate Ross McKernan brought an application to have all the witness’ statements dismissed.

“The state’s case was weak and they could not give the Judge a reason to continue with the prosecution,” said Hendricks.

“My clients were very happy to prove they were innocent. The witnesses the state brought were unreliable and every single one of them had changed their story once they were sworn in at court. It was inevitable that they would walk free.”

Saadiqah’s heartbroken mother did not want to comment on Monday.

Grandmother Malikah Francis says she leaves justice in God’s hands.

“We put our faith in the justice system and I believe the judge could have done more, but Allah will see that we get justice for Saadiqah. There is nothing left to say,” says the grandmother.

'Vampire' victim is crazy and a devil worshipper, says accused

Cape Town - A woman who claims she was attacked by “vampires” says the two suspects have been released and have since “put out a hit” on her.

Theresa Simons, 53, from Brooklyn spoke to the Daily Voice about the alleged attack which occurred in November 2016, in which she claimed she was robbed, drugged, bitten and had her blood sucked, allegedly by her friends.

The mother-of-four claimed she narrowly escaped death after her drinking buddies suddenly turned “demonic” and tried to suck her blood, telling her that “the devil wanted her”.

The accused appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court again on Monday, where the matter was postponed to 8 September for further investigation.

Vincent Walters, 49, and his girlfriend Noleen de Grame, 50, had been charged with robbery and attempted murder. The rape charge was dropped after no physical evidence was found.

“His girlfriend held me down and he bit me on my stomach, on my lower back, he even stabbed me,” Theresa said at the time, showing the puncture wounds on her hip.

Theresa Simons, 53, of Brooklyn, says she was attacked by 'vampires'. Picture: Bertram Malgas/Daily Voice

According to Theresa, the “suffering in jail” was too much for Noleen and she decided to tell her the truth.

“She was there for money. She helped Vincent out of fear for her life. If she went against him she would also have been hurt,” says Theresa.

Now Theresa claims Vincent is trying to kill her. She says two weeks ago, “Vincent’s friends” attacked her in a pub.

“A woman and three men came at me right there in the bar. I was beaten up and bleeding, crawling around in the broken glass on the floor and they kept on until a man helped me. They actually tried to kill me,” says Theresa, adding that she didn’t drink that night.

But Noleen, who was released on bail in March, says Theresa “belongs in Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital”.

“She is a liar, a prostitute and a devil worshipper. She was drunk when she came to my house that morning. She drank eight prednisones (steroids for allergies), four bottles of bergie (beggar) wine and she started seeing the devil in the corners,” says Noleen, who has a passion gap.

“That woman ran and fell through my house. Her husband beat her up in my house. He bashed her head against the wall.”

According to her, Theresa accuses people of “raping her all the time” and she allegedly does this to extort money from them. She says Theresa tried to lure Vincent to her bed.

“She sat on the mattress in my house, pulled down her panties and told Vincent to come sex her, twice. She went to the toilet and told Vincent to come pull up her panties."

“That woman is crazy and will do anything for wine and money."

“I did so much for her, giving her food and money when she needed it. She makes me sick and she must just tell the truth,” she says.

Noleen claims Theresa demanded R30 to drop the case.

“I gave her that money and she went to buy bergie wine. She never withdrew the case,” she adds.

Civilians caught in crossfire as six killed in heist shootout

 A group of hungry factory workers in Parlock, north of Durban, were looking for a bite to eat when they found themselves at the centre of a dramatic shootout between police and a gang of armed robbers who had just stolen thousands of rand on Monday morning.

Six suspects were killed in the protracted gun battle, which saw police chase the gang from the scene of a cash-in-transit heist at Value Centre in Springfield to Parlock.

Two civilians were caught in the crossfire but Rescue Care’s Garrith Jamieson said paramedics treated them at the scene and by Monday afternoon they were in a stable condition.

Two more civilians were also treated for lacerations and other injuries they had sustained while trying to run from the gunfire.

The workers - who asked not to be identified - were taking a tea break when they heard the wail of police sirens.

“It was teatime and we had come out to buy some food when we heard the police heading our way,” one of the workers told The Mercury.

“We were watching for the police and then we saw a Mercedes.

“The guys in the Mercedes started shooting at the cops and then they (the suspects) started shooting at us,” he said.

The workers tried to duck for cover but police swooped on them, thinking they might be suspects. When the police realised they were just bystanders they let the men go and they ran off.

They said the gunfire had continued to echo through the area for several minutes afterwards.

Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said the drama unfolded when armed gunmen ambushed a G4S security guard at Value Centre and stole a cash box.

Police responded and two suspects, who had opened fire on police, were shot at the scene in Springfield. One died there and the other later at Addington Hospital.

Two more suspects were arrested in Springfield and five escaped in a silver Mercedes-Benz, which was thought to have been stolen.

Police chased the Mercedes- Benz to Parlock, where another exchange of gunfire left four suspects dead.

Video footage from that scene showed bystanders running in terror and hiding as heavily armed police came running past them, shooting at suspects and telling bystanders to “get down”.

Bloodbath

Gruesome photographs from that scene showed one suspect slumped over the front seats of the bullet-riddled vehicle and another lying across the back seat.

On Monday afternoon scores of local residents were out in the streets watching as a police helicopter circled Parlock in pursuit of one suspect who managed to get away.

On the ground, officers from the metro police dog unit and SAPS K9 units searched dense thicket for the man.

Officers from the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (the Hawks) were also at the scene.

The suspect had still not been located by late Monday afternoon.

Gwala said six firearms were recovered from both crime scenes and charges of possession of suspected stolen property - in respect of the Mercedes Benz - possession of unlicensed firearms, attempted murder and armed armed robbery were being investigated.

Inquest dockets have also been opened.

WATCH: First group of #IdolsSA Top 16 starts on a high note

Idols South Africa is well on its way to find its Top 10.

Last night, the first eight contestants of the Top 16 performed their hearts out to secure a spot, but their fate in the hands of South Africa. Idols SA viewers took to Twitter to rally behind their favourite performers.

Judge Somizi was not apart of last night's judging panel, because he was in Los Angles to attend the MTV Video Music Awards which was held on Sunday night.

Gugu Zulu was the first to perform, doing justice to Letta Mbuli’s 'There’s music in the air'.  Phindy sang Adele’s 'Chasing Pavements', followed by Lindo who sang Maxwell’s 'Lifetime'.

Sixteen-year-old Paxton performed Alessia Cara's 'Hero', while Faith sang Vusi Nova’s 'Memeza'. Christo gave Bruno Mars a run for his money when he sang 'Versace On The Floor' and funky Blessed took on Brenda Fassie's 'Promises'.

Thokozile became a favourite to many after she closed off the evening with a bang when she sang Beyonce's 'Dangerously In Love'.

The second group of the remaining contestants will perform next Sunday. The group consists of  Gabi, Hadassah, Mthokozisi, Thapelo, Botlhale, Minnie, Tee and Basetsana.

Voting is now open to make sure your favourite contestant is in the Top 10.

Somizi is not giving away R100k

A few Facebook users have been made the joke of the Twitter streets after falling for Somizi Mhlongo’s fake Facebook page promising 50 users R100 000.

The page, Somizi Mhlongo Official – Somgaga, has been posting statuses and pictures of the Idols SA judge and choreographer that were taken from his Instagram account. The page tries to post what Somizi would say, and to an unsuspecting eye, it looks like it came straight from the horse’s mouth.

However, the page took it a step too far after posting a picture of Somizi sitting on his BMW i8, and claimed to be giving away R50 000 to “50 lucky members”.

All they have to do is to share the post “as much as they can”, like the page and the comment “done”, and shem, people have been sharing and commenting. Who wouldn’t do it for R100 000? Winners will be announced on December 30, it claims.

“I’m paying it forward,” fake Somizi writes on the post.

The post has more than 7 000 comments, and has been shared more than 26 000 times, with people hoping to win the money. The page has 33 242 followers so far, which might increase as people keep sharing the post.

The real Somizi shared a screenshot of the post on Twitter to tell his followers the page was fake, and Twitter had a field day.

Fake page fake account pic.twitter.com/VXiyH6xLx2

— somizi somGAGA (@somizi) August 27, 2017

These were some of the comments on Twitter:

“Mina I am just amazed by those busy commenting yathandwa imali emzansi 100K pho.”

“Some people don’t have a life nje yazi. So you decide to take time and create an account and type all that? Could have used that time wisely.”

“I Knew It Immediately.Somizi Doesn’t Give Away Money For Nothing love u SomG.”

“I am waiting for my 100K in December.”

“I still don’t get why people open fake pages though mxm.”

“Thank you…. thought as much!”

“I don’t know how one shares a post as much as they want.”

“I was wondering WTF was going on, Somizi blessing us with 100k imagine, smh.”

Magosha gang strikes

When the bakkie driver saw the woman in her short, tight dress he stopped, hoping for some roadside punani.

But instead of having fun he found himself staring into the barrel of a gun.

The magosha turned out to be a member of a hijacking syndicate.

Luckily for him, he was able to point her out to cops when officers brought her to the station and her victim was already there, opening a case.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mack Mngomezulu said the man told cops he had stopped to pick up the magosha on Main Street, near Rynsoord in Benoni, yesterday at about 11.30am.

He said three men jumped onto the back of his bakkie and the woman got in the front seat.

“The victim was ordered to drive off. A short distance further on, two of the men produced firearms and told him to stop.

“They took him into the bush and tied up his hands with wire.”

He said the suspects took his two cellphones, wallet, cards, leather jacket, shoes and belt.

“They demanded his pin number for the bank card but he told them it was a work card and that he didn’t have the pin.

“The thugs left the victim in the bush and drove off in his bakkie,” said Mngomezulu.

He said cops patrolling the area saw a bakkie without number plates and licence disk parked off the road.

“They stopped and found the woman behind the steering-wheel. She couldn’t produce a driver’s licence or an ID book and police took her to the cop shop for further questioning.”

Benoni police then arrested the woman.

Mngomezulu said cops are investigating a case of hijacking and robbery. The three other suspects are still on the run.

Police said more arrests could follow.

#Traffic cop and mum shot dead

A  female traffic cop and her mother were shot dead on Sunday night.

COPS in Dennilton outside Groblersdal have launched a manhunt for the suspect who fatally shot two people on Sunday night, about 10pm at Malaeneng Section in Ntwane village.

Limpopo cops spokesman Moatshe Ngoepe said it is alleged that the suspect confronted the two deceased, shot and killed them before fleeing the scene.

On arrival, cops found the 26-year-old traffic officer and her 62-year-old mother with multiple gunshot wounds.

Ngoepe said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is a boyfriend to the deceased cop and that he fled the scene in a green Toyota Conquest which was later found abandoned near Siyabuswa filling station.

The deceased's official pistol and two magazines of ammunition are missing.

The motive behind this incident is not clear at this stage.

Ngoepe appealed to anyone with information which to contact Captain Richard Boshomane at 079 894 5501 or crime stop’s number 0860 010 111.

'Drunk' taxi driver ferrying schoolchildren crashes into tree

Johannesburg - The minibus taxi driver who crashed into a tree on Monday morning while transporting 13 schoolchildren was drunk, said the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) in a statement.

"The driver of a VW Kombi who was transporting children to school had to be arrested just after 7am this morning for driving under the influence of alcohol, he lost control of the Kombi and collided with a tree at the intersection of Yield Road and Thulare Street, Meadowlands Soweto," said JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar.

He said the children aged "around seven" were seriously injured and were taken to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

"The driver is likely to appear in the Meadowlands Magistrates Court today to face charges of drunken driving as well as for reckless and negligent driving," said Minnaar.

LOOK: Five suspected robbers killed in shootout

Five suspected armed robbers have been killed and one more arrested following two shootouts with police in Durban on Monday morning.

According to a police source, this took place after a cash-in-transit heist at Value Centre.

One suspect was killed at the scene.

The remaining suspects fled in a Mercedes Benz.

Police followed them to Parlock, north of the city, where it is believed the suspects crashed.

Another shootout followed and left four more suspects dead.

One suspect remains outstanding, and is believed to have fled on foot.

Police are currently scouring the area for him.

A police helicopter was circling the area in pursuit of the outstanding suspect while on the ground, emergency services were tending to suspects who were believed to have been killed when their car crashed during a police chase.

Several suspects at both scenes were injured.

Throngs of locals were crowded around the scene in Parlock, where a field had been cordoned off. The outstanding suspect was believed to be hiding in the field.

Rescue Care's operations director, Garrith Jamieson said that units from the emergency medical service were treating two people who had been caught in the crossfire in Parlock.

Another two civilians also suffered injuries.

The police communications team had not yet replied to a request for comment at the time of publishing.

This is a developing story.

RESIDENTS, Firms 'OWE Councils R49BN'!

GAUTENG municipalities are owed approximately R49 billion by residents and commercial customers, Finance MEC Barbara Creecy said on Sunday.

A household debt of R31.8bn, for services and taxes by residents, was the largest amount outstanding.

"This amount represents 65% or the largest share of debt due to municipalities for services in the province," Creecy said.

Commercial customers owed R13.5bn – approximately 27% of the debt. Government debtors accounted for 3% of the total outstanding amount. Creecy said that the debt for water (R14.6bn) accounted for nearly a third of the amount still owing.Property rates and electricity debtors owed 19% (R9.1bn) and 18% (R8.8bn) respectively.

Among the reasons cited for the debt were: disputes over the ownership of properties liable for municipal accounts; incorrect billing; the slow process of opening new municipal accounts; and the transfer and registration of RDP houses.

Furthermore, Creecy said, certain municipalities submitted their invoices late and others failed to split monthly accounts according to services and property rates.