Mpumalanga – Page 2

Black S. African gets 30 years for shooting ex-girlfriend at the office

A Mpumalanga man who shot dead his ex-girlfriend in front of her colleagues was jailed for 30 years on Friday, a Sapa correspondent reported.

Steven Johannes Malumane, 25, of Chochocho outside Hazyview, was sentenced by the Nelspruit Circuit of the Pretoria High Court for murdering Cynthia Mashego, 30, on the third floor of the Sanlam building in Mbombela on March 22 last year.

Mashego’s colleagues testified that Malumane entered their office around 8am and asked to speak to her. Minutes later, he dragged her into the corridor and a gunshot went off.

When her colleagues tried to see what had happened, another shot was fired, forcing them to close the door and hide in their office.

Judge Mmonoa Teffo noted that Malumane had insisted on speaking to her even though she was scared and had tried to avoid him.

“You found her with her two colleagues and she refused to speak to you. You insisted until her colleagues allowed her to speak to you,” Teffo said.

“She was very scared. She came and you spoke to her from the reception, went with her to the corridor where you shot her and left the building.”

A few minutes later, Malumane hijacked Vusimuzi Mabuza, threatened him with a gun, and forced him to drive to Chochocho, where police later arrested him.

“These offences you committed were serious and the circumstances were bad,” said Teffo.

“You shot a defenceless woman where she thought she was safe. Your actions have traumatised her co-workers and you never showed respect. If they knew you were going to kill her, they would not have allowed her to speak to you.”

Teffo said the State had pointed out that Malumane had pleaded guilty only when he realised there was overwhelming evidence against him.

He sentenced Malumane to 25 years’ imprisonment for murder, 10 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, seven years for possession of an unlawful firearm, and three years for possession of ammunition.

Five years of the robbery sentence would run concurrently with the murder sentence.

“All other sentences will run concurrently, meaning you will serve 30 years imprisonment,” Teffo said.

She granted him leave to appeal against the sentence. – sapa

Claudi van der Merwe found with her throat slit

A 33-year-old woman was found dead in a water pipe near a farm in Breyten, Mpumalanga police said on Monday.

A farmworker saw what looked like a person’s arms in a pipe on Saturday morning and informed his employer, who then called the police, Colonel Leonard Hlathi said.

Police found Claudi van der Merwe partially naked, with her throat slit. They thought the two black refuse bags found near her body were used to carry her there.

Hlathi said her Kia Picanto was found three kilometres away.

Van der Merwe was last seen on Friday afternoon at the guest house in Hendrina where she worked.

No arrests had yet been made. – Sapa

ANC names two new South African universities

The new university being built in Kimberley next year will be called the Sol Plaatje University, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.

A new university in Nelspruit would be known as the University of Mpumalanga, he said.

“Our young people are hungry for education,” Zuma told reporters in Pretoria.

“We are establishing these institutions because we want every province in the country to provide an institution of higher learning.”

He said the universities would initially take in fewer than 200 students each.

Zuma and Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande were giving an update on the progress made so far in establishing the two new universities.

During his state-of-the-nation address, Zuma announced that construction on the universities was expected to start this year.

He said that while the university’s would start operating next year, they would move into their new premises only in 2015. – Sapa

Most wanted Mpuma criminal in court today

One of Mpumalanga’s most wanted criminals, suspected drug-leader Douglas Mogakane, will appear in the Mhala Magistrate’s Court in Thulamahashe on Thursday.

A Sapa correspondent reported that Mogakane would appear in connection with more than 10 charges including from murder, armed robbery and carhijacking.

Mogakane, 27, was arrested in Pretoria after an armed robbery in July last year after he escaped from custody in Skukuza police cells on August 4, 2011.

On Tuesday, he appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on charges of business robbery, committed in Pretoria after his escape, which led to his arrest.

He was refused bail and the case was postponed to August 14, for further investigation.

Mogakane was transferred to Mpumalanga to face his other charges, police said.

“Mogakane is alleged to have committed a series of atrocious crimes including rapes, business robberies, armed robberies, house robberies, murder, car hijackings, theft of motor vehicle and possession of unlicensed firearms,” spokesman police spokesman Colonel Leonard Hlathi.

He said Mogakane would appear along with two others who are accused of being part of his gang.

“We hope the court does not grant him bail until his trial. After his escape from the Skukuza police cells Mogakane reportedly continued to terrorise the community of Mpumalanga, allegedly raping women, killing people and also hijacking cars,” said Hlathi.

Hlathi said some trial dates had been set.

“In some of his alleged cases, a trial date has been scheduled to take place during September, 11. He will not face the trial in the magistrate’s court but in regional court.” – Sapa

Foreigners getting social grants in South Africa

Mozambican and Swazi citizens who illegally receive social grants in South Africa are causing congestion at pay points in Mpumalanga.

Provincial Health and Social Development MEC Clifford Mkasi raised the problem at the launch of Social Development Month in Mbombela.

“People who are coming from neighbouring countries to collect social grants are becoming a nightmare in our department. These people are also sleeping over at the pay points because they don’t have a place to sleep, making the queues very long,” said Mkasi.

He said the problem was serious because more than 1.3 million people in Mpumalanga rely on social grants.

An interdepartmental campaign involving Home Affairs, Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Administration and the South African Police Service is to crack down on the offenders and ensure that only deserving people receive social grants.

“We have identified programmes aimed at ensuring that families stand on a solid ground of sustainable growth. In all activities, we will ensure that we bring a basket of programmes and services from the Department of Social Development, South African Security Social Agency and the National Development Agency,” said Mkasi.

Mkasi said the programmes include early childhood development, foster care, youth development, victim empowerment, HIV and Aids and older persons and people with disabilities.

“We are encouraging everyone in the rural villages to stay alert and engage with the department. This month creates an opportunity for the department to intensify dialogue with communities,” he said.

The MEC also promised to reinstate legitimate social grant beneficiaries who were temporarily cut off when their grants were reviewed.

“We need to review more than 100 000 beneficiaries annually so that we can be sure that there are no ‘ghost’ beneficiaries and it sometimes takes months,” he explained.

Social Development Month starts at the beginning of October and aims to take social development services to rural areas.

Some of the events lined up this month include the celebration of International Day for Older Persons in Mashishing and the International Day for Eradication of Poverty in Barberton. – Buanews