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Issue 11 - 2019
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21 - 28 March 2019
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Inner City Gazette
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MEC urges women not to
withdraw abuse cases ‘I call upon men to hold a mirror to their faces and see the true reflection of who they are, whether they are providers and protectors of families or tormentors of their own flesh and blood.’ Staff Reporter news@inner-city-gazette.co.za
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MEC Sizakele Nkosi - Malobane
uring a dialogue on the impact of gender-based violence with hundreds of young women and other stakeholders on Monday, Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele NkosiMalobane blamed the withdrawal of gender-based violence cases by women, saying that undermines the work of law enforcement agencies. Also attending the event was #NotInMyName activists and Gauteng law enforcement officials, at the St George’s Hotel in Pretoria. Nkosi-Malobane said law enforcement agencies work to ensure the perpetrators of violence against women are dealt with accordingly, but in the process their work gets compromised
because some women are not resolute. “On the one hand, they raise alarm for the law to take its course, on the other some women succumb to manipulation and beg the law enforcement officers to withdraw the charges. These are some of the challenges we need to address as a society.” She applauded resolute women, singling out Bongekile Simelane, also known as Babes Wodumo. “Amid attempts to be manipulated by their abusive partners and husbands, they stand ground to ensure the perpetrators receive the full might of the law.” Simelane earlier this month broke her silence over her assault allegedly at the hands of her partner Mandla Maphumulo, known as Mampintsha. Nkosi-Malobane said her department adopted a 365-days integrated plan of
action to eliminate violence against women and children. “Men are not licensed by culture to act violently against the vulnerable in society, our children, nor are they authorized by tradition to behave brutally against women. On the contrary, culture dictates that real men must be protectors and providers of families. Positive tradition replicates good practices in society. I call upon men to hold a mirror to their faces and see the true reflection of who they are, whether they are providers and protectors of families or tormentors of their own flesh and blood. Whatever image they see in the mirror, tradition will transmit throughout the generations. The mirror of African culture is that of a loving people, who are sensitive to other’s weakness, and recognise and respect one another’s strengths,” she said.
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For further information contact Boston on 011 551 2000 Email: info@boston.co.za Visit www.boston.co.za, or Facebook
Boston
places the spotlight on learnerships as key to South Africa’s skills shortage
Learnerships combine on the job learning supported by a structured or institutional theory and academic learning component. This therefore gives you the opportunity to work while studying towards a nationally recognised qualification. With Boston City Campus & Business College’s extensive track record in corporate learnerships, and the numerous excellence awards it has received from various SETA’s, Boston is currently one of South Africa’s leading training providers and one of the industry’s leading authorities on learnerships. According to Dr Deonita Damons, HOD Learnerships at Boston, most South African companies will participate in learnerships over a vast terrain of disciplines. One of the outcomes of participation in the training becomes immediately evident in the contribution the corporates make to the economy through upskilling those who are underprivileged, unemployed or currently employed. Learnership agreements are entered into between the Learner (Employee), the Company (Employer) and the Training Provider, with each party having a vested interest in the success of the training intervention. These learnerships hold numerous other benefits for all parties involved. “Companies who run corporate learnerships receive major tax benefits. In financial terms this means that the employer can claim up to R80 000 for employees and up R 120 000 for people with disabilities that participates on a learnership in terms of the SA Revenue Service Learnership Tax Incentive (LTI) scheme. Learnerships are a real way to impart skills and to gain work-place experience, whilst at the same time addressing alleviation of youth unemployment and addressing scarce skills shortages within an industry” says Damons. “It is vital that companies’ efforts are encouraged and meaningful participation is sufficiently rewarded”. Damons explains that employers
Dr Leonita Damons with a payroll of or more R500 000 per annum, must pay a 1% skills levy to SARS. This levy is then distributed in terms of the Skills Levy Act to Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) within the sector they operate. Companies must plan their skills development interventions (training) in advance by completing and submitting a Workplace Skills Plan(WSP) to their appropriate SETA. The due date for these plans is 30 April annually. The Broad‐Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) codes further encourages South African businesses to participate in corporate learnership programmes by allowing more favourable point scoring in terms of the new B-BBEE score card. According to Damons, six percent of the company’s wage-bill must also be spent on skills development for favourable BBBEE scoring. Companies must note that specific demographic criteria applies and must plan training in line with the employment equity and transformation plans. Many companies do see the benefit in this as they’ve grown tired of the
recruit, train and head-hunting cycle and realise that learnerships are a great way to grow and maintain their own talent pipeline. “South Africa has a fundamental critical skills shortage in various sectors and SETAs facilitate the implementation of relevant programmes within their sectors to reduce the barriers for entry and access to further learning. There are an estimate of 6.1-million unemployed people in South Africa of which 4,3 million have been unemployed for longer than one year. The grouping of people includes lowskilled, under-skilled, graduates and often people that are skilled in areas for which there are no longer occupations. This group also includes Grade 12 learners, who after leaving school require additional skills to enter the formal work sector of the economy. Graduates with university degrees who are also unemployed find a learnership is an excellent way to enter the formal world of work,” says Damons. For companies it becomes a question of which training provider will best meet the need to empower their employees. To this Damons says that “firstly it’s all about successful placement. Boston’s corporate learnerships for example, are so successful that a 70% placement rate is achieved for its Debt Recovery learnership. It’s also important to offer greater flexibility, especially whereby learnerships can be scheduled over weekends or in a shift programme or by offering the programmes at the employer’s place of work. As important is the scope of the different programmes on offer”. Boston currently offers 26 different programmes under the learnership auspice as well as a number of programmes under the Boston’s occupational framework. To find out more about Boston’s corporate learnerships programmes, please visit www.boston.co.za
21 - 28 March 2019
Court remands teenage murder suspects Nineteen-year-old Kulani Mathebula was on his way to school at around 7am last about a week ago when he was assaulted by three other pupils, believed to be from a nearby school. He was stabbed in the chest and died on the scene. Staff Reporter news@inner-city-gazette.co.za
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teenager accused of taking part in the murder of a Grade 11 pupil at Mondeor High School appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and the case was postponed to March 27 for further investigation, according to National Prosecution Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane. His co-accused, aged 13 and 15 have since accepted responsibility for the murder. Mjonondwane said the teens had been assessed by a probation officer and a report was presented to the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court last Friday. “The report was presented to the court. A preliminary inquiry was held and it established that two of the minors were accepting responsibility for the incident,” Mjonondwane said. Nineteen-year-old Kulani Mathebula was on his way to school at around 7am last about a week ago when he was assaulted by three other pupils, believed to be from a nearby school. He was stabbed in the chest and died on the scene. The three teenagers, a 13-year-old and two 15-yearsold boys were then arrested.
NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane
Mjonondwane said two of the boys were taking responsibility for the murder, and that the case had to be postponed to allow for the state to arrange a psychologist to further evaluate the two. Their case was postponed to March 29, and they were released into the custody of their parents. Mjonondwane explained that in the case of the 15-year-old boy who has not admitted guilt, the state has to prove its case. “The third suspect did not accept responsibility, which means the state has to prove criminal capacity,” she said. Mjonondwane added that while the court released the boys into the care of their parents, it comes with strict conditions. “The teens are allowed to attend classes at school, but have a curfew of 16:00 to be back home. They are also not allowed to leave home before 06:00. The boys are also required to be accompanied by a parent or guardian wherever they go. They are also allowed to attend church on Sundays under strict parental guard. They are not allowed to roam in the streets, and if they have to participate in any recreational activity, they must be accompanied by a parent or a guardian appointed by their parent,” Mjonondwane said.
21 - 28 March 2019
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Cops engage in shootout with hijackers Staff Reporter news@inner-city-gazette.co.za
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shootout between police and armed hijackers brought traffic to a standstill in the industrial area of Langlaagte on Tuesday. Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said a hijacking was reported around midday and officers went to the scene
and ended up chasing after the perpetrators. “The armed men started shooting at the police, who then returned fire. But the suspects managed to get away. They then abandoned their vehicle in Mayfair. We will disclose further information in due course,” Masondo said. It is not yet clear if any of the officers or suspects were hurt.
Captain Mavela Masondo
Robber jailed after dramatic escape bid Johannesburg - Last Friday the Regional Court sentenced a man to 15 years imprisonment for robbery and escaping from custody, according to police. Police spokesperson Captain Xoli Mbele said William Mohulatsi, 37, was appearing at the Johannesburg High Court at corner Kruis and Pritchard streets for murder cases in August last year, when he stabbed a correctional services officer twice in the upper body and tried to escape. “The incident took place after the officer opened the holding cell to take
him to court. He took a cellphone and wallet of the officer, uncuffed himself, cuffed the correctional officer and locked him inside the holding cell before he fled the scene,” Captain Mbele said. He added that Mohulatsi also robbed a security guard of his cellphone and gate remote control. “He ran out of the court and security guards gave chase. Community members and JMPD officers also gave chase and apprehended him at corner Rahima Moosa and Rissik streets,” Captain Mbele said.
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21 - 28 March 2019
More cops deployed amid loadshedding An illegal dumpsite in the Joburg CBD
Impounding hike for illegal dumpers Johannesburg - The City of Joburg has approved an increase in impoundment fees for first-time illegal dumpers, which is from R2 970 to R10 000. The City’s Public Safety Department tabled the report to amend the tariff of charges in terms of the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 and Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003. The proposed amendment will see the impounding fee rise from R2 970 to R10 000 for a first-time offender, R15 000 for a second offender and a hefty R20 000 for a third-time offender. The Department also proposes that after the third offence, the vehicle
used in any illegal dumping be forfeited to the state. The report was approved in council and will be published for public comments. The City’s Public Safety MMC Michael Sun said illegal dumping is fast becoming a plaque throughout the city. “Many illegal dumpers operate lucrative businesses by collecting refuse, rubble and even toxic waste to dump in parks, roadside, open spaces and rivers,” he said. Sun added that though JMPD efforts such as the Anti-illegal Dumping Hotline and the Anti-illegal Dumping Undercover Unit are yielding positive results, there are still daily occurrences of illegal
dumping all around the city. “We receive daily reports of illegal dumping, ranging from residents dumping trash outside their premises, to shop owners disposing commercial refuse on non-collection days and industrial refuse being dumped openly. We need to hit the lawbreakers where it hurts most. The current impound fee of R2 970 does not serve as a serious deterrent for operators, who charge up to R2000 a load,” Sun said. In January, eight trucks were impounded for illegal dumping. Sun urged residents to support the City in its effort to curb illegal dumping by reporting unlawful such activities to 082 719 1361.
Johannesburg - The JMPD has deployed officers and traffic pointsmen in and around the city to ease traffic congestion amid the load shedding period. On Monday the City’s Department of Public Safety appealed to residents to have patience during Eskom’s rolling blackouts which have caused traffic mayhem on the city. The department’s spokesperson, Luyanda Longwe said the current rolling blackouts left many traffic lights down, resulting in heavy traffic congestion. “To make matter worse, some of the black-outs are during peak hours, where traffic flow is at its highest.” Public Safety MMC Michael Sun said Eskom’s load shedding has put unnecessary pressure on the already stretched metro policing capacity. “As of the morning of 18 March, we had deployed 153 metro police officers and traffic pointsmen across the city to di-
Public Safety MMC Michael Sun
rect traffic, and this deployment is set to increase as we receive more complaints in the coming days.” The JMPD crime prevention units within each region have increased patrols in order to deter any opportunistic crime such as smash-and-grabs which may occur due to the congested traffic. The department urged motorists to be more vigilant by ensuring their bags, cellphones and valuables are kept out of sight. Emergency Management Services (EMS) also advised residents to be extra cautious when using candles and other flame-lit lighting devices, which may cause fires when left unattended. “Residents must ensure that candle sticks and other flame-lit lighting devices are secured properly, and not left unattended. Parents are urged to take extra care of their children with open flames as these may cause injuries and serious fire accidents,” said Sun.
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Most wanted rape
suspect nabbed Johannesburg - The most wanted alleged serial rapist in Gauteng was arrested on Saturday last week at an informal settlement in Grasmere, according to police. The serial rape suspect, Sipho Mbatha, 32, allegedly terrorised women in Lenasia and Soweto. He was wanted for over 10 cases of rape, kidnapping, pointing of a firearm, attempted murder and armed robbery. Mbatha could be linked to over 20 cases of rape and other violent crimes, according to police sources. Another armed man was also arrested together with Mbatha. The man, believed to be a friend, could also be linked to some of the sexual offences that Mbatha was wanted for. Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said Lenasia detectives pounced on Mbatha while he was inside a shack at the informal. “The detectives found Mbatha in possession of a toy gun. He later revealed where a real firearm could be found. Police went with Mbatha to a
shack in the same area where the real weapon was found. The shack belonged to a man who Mbatha claimed was his friend. Police searched the shack and recovered a 9mm loaded pistol. The man who Mbatha claimed was his friend was arrested for possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition. Investigations whether the two Sipho Mbatha Pic: SAPS could be linked to more offences are continuing,” said Dlamini. roperties Mbatha, who uses several Rental Management surnames, including Ntomand Letting bela and Mthethwa, was out on parole after being conCommercial Management victed for a rape in Paulpietand Letting ersburg, KwaZulu-Natal. He was sentenced to 15 years in Property and Maintenance of the units prison. “Mbatha is known for terRenovations, Cleaning rorising residents of the Plus Garden Service Lawley informal settlement near Lenasia and other parts Council bills payments and of Soweto. He would threatmanagement of en to kill the victims if they Municipality account’s report him to the police. A Contact warrant for his arrest was BOTHWELL MANYAME issued relating to more than 083 387 6015 \ 073 850 6363 10 cases of rape, kidnapEmail: ping, pointing of a firearm, attempted murder and armed rentals@dlpproperties.co.za www.dlpproperties.co.za robbery,” said Dlamini.
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SAFA boss controls pressure for Banyana Sports Reporter SAFA vice-president Ria Ledwaba says it will not be the end of the world if Banyana fail to progress beyond the group stages at this year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup in June. The nation hopes that Banyana will emerge from the global showpiece’s group stages in France in June, but Ledwaba says people must manage their expectations. “Let’s be realistic‚ we are going to our first World Cup and you are already putting conditions. Let the girls go there and enjoy themselves; they have already done the Olympics where they showed us that they can participate. We want them to go out there and enjoy themselves‚ participate and show that South Africa is one of the
countries they must look out for at the next World Cup. Chances are we can go to the second round. I don’t see that not happening because of the quality of players we have. But if we don’t qualify it will not the end of the world. The girls have done us proud so far by taking us to the Africa Cup of Nations, and we are excited and proud of them.” Ledwaba said people must not read too much into the poor results when Banyana recently took part in the Cyprus Cup, but lost all their matches. “You must understand that the teams that were there at the Cyprus tournament are world class. If you compare our performances then and now‚ you can see that there are improvements.” She added that Banyana are in the
strongest group in the World Cup. “With countries like Germany and Spain it is not going to be easy. But I am confident with the quality of players we are taking there. Our players are experienced and eight of them started at the HPC academy. They have accumulated experience over the 15 years they have played in the national league, and through the national teams. There are prospects of them going there and doing well because preparations have been done by winning the Cosafa Cup, where they beat a strong team like Cameroon in the final. We also beat Nigeria at the recent Cup of Nations and the results are there.” Ledwaba also confirmed that the National Women’s League would start after the World Cup in August.
Safa vice president Ria Ledwaba