black violence – praag.org

Six boys suspended for school gang rape

The two seven-year-old school girls allegedly gang raped by six boys at a school in Vosloorus are receiving counselling and the perpetrators have been suspended.

The attack on the girls took place during school hours at Rebonthseng Primary on Monday.

The Gauteng Education Department says it was only informed of the incident by the local community on Wednesday.

Premier David Makhura and Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi have met with the parents of all the children involved.

The department says it is concerned by the way the incident was handled and is demanding reasons why school safety policy was not followed.

A couple of months ago the MEC dealt with a similar case at a school in Tshwane, and says it is a very concerning issue for the department.

The school governing body has suspended these boys, aged between seven and ten, for five days while they initiate a disciplinary process.

Lesufi has instructed that counselling must also be extended to the parents of all the children due to possibly being traumatised as well.

Source: eNCA

Cincinnati braces for black violence after police shooting

An Ohio police officer who shot a black man during a routine traffic stop was charged with murder Wednesday in what prosecutors called a “senseless” act motivated by anger.

“He wasn’t dealing with someone who was wanted for murder — he was dealing with someone with a missing license plate,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters told reporters.

The case comes as the United States grapples with heightened racial tensions in the wake of a series of high-profile incidents of African Americans being killed by police in disputed circumstances.

Deters said he hopes the swift action by his office will show that justice is being done in this case.

University of Cincinnati campus police officer Ray Tensing initially told investigators that he shot Sam DuBose in the head after DuBose tried to drive away and dragged the officer along with him.

“You will not believe how quickly he pulls his gun and shoots him in the head. It’s maybe a second. It’s incredible. And so senseless,” Deters said as he prepared to release the video.

A lawyer for Officer Tensing, Stew Mathews, disputed Deters’s comments during an interview with an Ohio television station and said that other video of the shooting would tell a completely different story.

The university shut down its campus and placed barricades at entrances out of concern that the news could lead to protest or even violence.

City officials pressed for peace and said they were prepared “for any scenarios that present themselves.”

A series of sometimes violent protests have broken out across the United States in response to other high-profile police shootings over the past year.

Cincinnati was struck by days of violent unrest following the police shooting of an unarmed black man in 2001.

Tensing, 25, had been a police officer for four years, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Black boy goes on shooting rampage

A 14-year-old black boy who allegedly went on a shooting rampage in Berea, Johannesburg on Thursday, firing nine rounds in broad daylight at people walking in the street, is back at home while one of his victims, who he shot four times at close range, is fighting for her life.

As workers and residents were enjoying their lunch outdoors, they saw a boy casually walking down the road shooting randomly at anyone he saw.

The attack started in Lily Avenue when he shot at a man in a parked car, narrowly missing him. He then fired at a pedestrian, missing him. He turned into Alexandra Street, where he shot another pedestrian in the leg.

Further down the road, he walked up to a 42-year-old woman who works as a cleaner in the Metropolitan building, and fired twice at close range, hitting her in the head and an arm.

He strolled away, but changed his mind, returned and fired two more shots, again at close range, hitting her in the arm and abdomen. It appears he knew her, as they live in the same backyard informal settlement a few streets away.

As she lay bleeding, the teen carried on strolling down the street, randomly firing his last bullets, one of which hit him in the foot.

He was taken to hospital and kept under police guard until he was discharged over the weekend into the custody of his parents.

Berea residents are furious that he is allowed to walk freely in the streets.

Source: IOL

Video of pupil being stabbed to death posted on YouTube

A video showing a KwaZulu-Natal pupil being assaulted and stabbed by a group of other pupils has been posted on YouTube.

The screams of other pupils who saw the attack are heard in the 50-second video. It had over 300 views two hours after it was uploaded onto the video sharing website on Wednesday morning.

In the last few seconds of it the injured boy is seen lying on the ground motionless and his attackers have moved from view.

Police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane said the 18-year-old died in a local clinic after the attack on Monday.

It was believed two groups of pupils started fighting during assembly at Isizimele High School on Monday. Two other pupils were injured in the fight.

Five pupils were arrested that day and were expected to appear in the Dannhauser Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. One of them was found in possession of a dangerous weapon.

Update: Youtube has removed the video.

Deputy President takes a swipe at black culture

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe inadvertently took a swipe at black violence on Saturday when he called on men not to hide behind culture to perpetuate gender-based violence.

He did not venture into racial differences however, but it is a well-established fact that gender-based violence is rife in black communities.

Despite concerted media efforts – with much-publicised high profile cases – to portray white men as equally violent, rape figures have increased dramatically since 1994, most involving black perpetrators.

Motlanthe was addressing a poorly attended National Men’s Rally at the Johannesburg Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The event was aimed at addressing issues of violence and abuse against women and children.

Under the theme of “Not in My Name”, Motlanthe addressed a stadium with many open seats.

He said that gender inequality was a huge stumbling block in fighting abuse.

He added that only if men helped defeat stereotypes and the classification of women could the scourge truly be stopped.

“If we take refugee behind culture, we will then perpetuate gender-based violence,” said Motlanthe.

After his address, Motlanthe was joined by Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities Lulu Xingwana and Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau in signing a pledge promising no form of violence against women and children would be enacted in their name.

The government is trying to fight worsening perceptions about the level of violence in South Africa, with little enthusiasm from most inhabitants, however.