A well-known tenderpreneur, Matome Sefalafala and the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lepelle Northern Water Board Phineus Legodi have appeared in Polokwane Commercial Crimes court to face a slew of charges of kidnapping, extortion and corruption.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said that 32-year-old Sefalafala and 42 year-old Legodi’s court appearance in Polokwane had followed a police investigation into the kidnapping of the Lepelle Northern Water Board’s acting CEO in November 2020.
“This follows the incident of 18 November 2020 when the acting CEO of Lepelle Northern Waterboard was kidnapped by the police officer, sergeant Gideon Matlala of Mamelodi police station,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.
“On 16 December 2020, Gideon Matlala was arrested by the Organised Crime unit in Gauteng and he appeared in Polokwane Magistrates court for kidnapping and extortion,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.
Malabi-Dzhangi said that during the police investigation into the kidnapping and extortion case, it allegedly became evident that both Sefalafala and Legodi were behind the kidnapping and extortion mission.
Malabi-Dzhangi said that the state had alleged that the former CEO of the Lepelle Northern Waterboard was influenced by Sefalafala to source out the police officer to kidnap the acting CEO. The goal was to then allegedly force him to authorise the payment of an amount totalling R2 980 962 under the pretence that the Lepelle Northern Water Board owed him this sum of money. He said it had emerged during the investigation that he was allegedly not owed any money by the water board.
Sefalafala and Legodi will appear together in court with Matlala on 23 September 2021 to face the kidnapping and other charges.
Apart from the latest kidnapping case, the water board has been riddled with corruption and maladministration allegations. It’s also at the centre of a R3 billion failed water project in Limpopo, aimed at 55 villages in Mopani district.
The Lepelle Northern Water Board is just one of several water boards across the country have been rocked by scandals involving millions of rands in recent years.
Definitely not what she ordered: A woman had the shock of her life when she bit into a hamburger at a fast food restaurant – only to discover she was chewing on a human finger.
The woman, Estefany Benitez had visited a Hot Burger outlet in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia on Sunday.
“At the moment of eating, I chewed on a FINGER,” she wrote in a lengthy Facebook post.
In one video clip that has been shared nearly 70 000 times online, Benitez said: “Here we are at the magnificent Hot Burger where a finger ended up in my burger. I’ll post a photo of the finger right away.”
She also reported the grim finding in her hamburger to a restaurant worker, who was apologetic and wanted to make things right with the aggrieved customer.
“Please tell me what you want and we will give it to you,” the staffer said.
The restaurant rep told Benitez that the burgers arrive at the restaurant pre-prepared and that they have never had such an incident occur before.
In her post, Benitez said they offered to close the restaurant while she was still there, but then carried on serving customers like nothing had happened.
Her post about her accidental cannibalismundoubtedly went viral, catching the attention of the company. A spokesperson has described the incident as unfortunate and clarified that an employee had lost part of his pointer finger while prepping the meat. Police would later confirm the story.
At the same time, the country’s Vice Minister for the Defence of User and Consumer Rights decided to temporarily close the branch and also impose a fine on the company.
Two men have been arrested for the brutal murder of an SANDF female soldier outside her house in Tonga near Komatipoort this week.
Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the SANDF was murdered on 9 September 2021.
“The SANDF member was in full uniform and in the early hours of the morning came out of her house, heading to work.
“Unbeknown to her that something evil would befall her. As soon as she came out of the house, she was reportedly attacked and stabbed several times to death by suspects before fleeing the scene, leaving her bleeding profusely.”
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Mohlala said 30-year-old Nondumiso Nicollin Mabila was found in a pool of blood by a relative.
“The woman’s relative was then informed that there was something suspicious at the SANDF member’s residence.
“Upon arrival, the relative discovered her lifeless body lying outside in a pool of blood, with what looked like stab wounds.”
He said police and medical personnel were notified, and upon their arrival at the scene, the woman was unfortunately certified dead by the paramedics.
A murder case was opened.
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“Police from Tonga immediately began with their investigation, which led to the arrest of Thabo Mambane, aged 21, and Ndumiso Mabila, aged 31.
“The two suspects were remanded in custody during their court appearance earlier this week, and they will appear again before the same court for a formal bail application on 27 September 2021.”
Lieutenant General Manamela said she would do everything in her power to ensure that the province of Mpumalanga becomes safe for all, including vulnerable groups.
She also applauded members for their hard work, dedication, and commitment they bestowed, which led to a breakthrough in this case.
The Constitutional Court will on Friday morning hand down judgment in the application to have its earlier decision to sentence former President Jacob Zuma to 15-months in jail for contempt of court rescinded.
Zuma wanted the apex court to overturn its earlier judgment arguing that his rights were violated as incarceration did not follow a criminal case.
(1/2) Judgment on Friday, 17 September at 10h00: Is the judgment and order of the Constitutional Court, sentencing former President Zuma to imprisonment for contempt of court, rescindable? And should it be set aside? (JG Zuma v Secretary of the Judicial Commission and Others)
— Constitutional Court (@ConCourtSA) September 16, 2021
Zuma’s contempt of court conviction and sentence stemmed from his defiance of the Constitutional Court order to continue to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.
Representing the former president in his rescission case, Advocate Dali Mpofu had argued that his client is the only prisoner in the country who was jailed without trial.
But on behalf of the State Capture Commission, Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi said Zuma refused to state his case and chose to make disparaging remarks against the apex court.
But last week, Zuma was granted medical parole after serving two months of his sentence.
Arthur Fraser stands by his decision to release Zuma on medical parole:
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen says the granting of medical parole to Zuma makes a mockery of the judicial system.
The party applied to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to review and set aside a decision to put Zuma on medical parole.
The Helen Suzman Foundation also launched an urgent application before the North Gauteng High Court requesting the reasons behind National Correctional Services Commissioner Arthur Fraser’s decision to place Zuma on medical parole.
DA seeks review of Zuma’s medical parole:
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West Africa’s main regional bloc on Thursday imposed sanctions against the junta in Guinea and those slowing Mali’s post-coup transition – its toughest response yet to a run of military takeovers.
The move was agreed at an emergency summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Accra to respond to last week’s putsch in Guinea and perceived slow progress towards constitutional rule in Mali following a coup last year.
Regional heads of state decided to freeze the financial assets and impose travel bans on Guinea’s junta members and their relatives, insisting on the release of President Alpha Conde and a short transition.
“In six months elections should be held,” said ECOWAS Commission President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou at a briefing.
The bloc also piled more pressure on Mali’s transitional government, demanding they stick to an agreement to organise elections for February 2022 and present an electoral road map by next month, according to the post-summit communique.
Anyone in Mali hindering preparations for the elections faces the same sanctions as those imposed in Guinea, it said.
Leaders who took part in the summit hailed this more hardline stance.
West and Central Africa has seen four coups since last year – political upheaval that has intensified concerns about a backslide towards military rule in are source-rich but poverty-stricken region.
“I welcome the strong actions of the summit to safeguard democracy, peace, security and stability in the sub region,”Senegalese President Macky Sall tweeted.
Coup leaders in Guinea are holding consultations this week with various public figures, groups and business leaders in the country to map a framework for the transition.
Late on Thursday they said they were also expecting a delegation of regional heads of state to visit Conakry for talks on Friday.
Soldiers behind the September 5 coup have said they ousted Conde because of concerns about poverty and corruption, and because he was serving a third term only after altering the constitution to permit it.
Meanwhile, the putsch in Mali was largely precipitated by a security crisis, which has seen militants linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State extend their influence across the north and centre of the country.
The new Malian authorities’ pledge to hold presidential and legislative elections early next year has been undermined by their failure to meet various deadlines, including the start of voter roll updates and the presentation of a new constitution.
The transition was dealt a further setback in May when the colonel who led the initial coup, Assimi Goita, ordered the arrest of the interim president and then took over the role himself.
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