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RMR NEWSROOM
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Tutu wants Mugabe removed |
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Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu says Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe must be removed by force if he refuses to step down.
Speaking on a Dutch current affairs TV programme on Thursday the Nobel Laureate slammed the octogenarian leader for destroying a wonderful country.
The Archbishop said the world must tell Mugabe that he and his cohorts were responsible for gross violations and he was going to face trial in The Hague unless he steps down.
When asked if the former liberation leader should be removed by force the Nobel Laureate said yes by force if they must do so militarily.
Tutu believed the African Union and Southern African Development Community would have the capacity to remove Mugabe.
His comments came as Zimbabwe declared a national emergency to halt a cholera outbreak and the South African government announced an urgent intervention to provide food to the starving country. |
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City fighting filth in the capital |
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The Tshwane Council says it is in the process of employing contractors to remove rubbish from Pretoria's suburbs.
The capitals residents said trash has been piling up since last Friday in Soshanguve, the city centre and northern Pretoria.
The city said non municipal workers who had been employed through labour brokers tend to abscond on pay days and the backlog is a result of their absence.
The city's Console Tleane said they were working around the clock to fix the problem.
“The problem is more pronounced in Soshanguve especially in block XX.
However we are promising that we are addressing the problem. We have introduced a night shift that started on Tuesday,” said Tleane. |
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Police hunt for SAFA offices robbers |
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The South African Football Association says it is confident police will catch robbers who broke into its Johannesburg offices.
Five men raided the building on Wednesday night and took a number of computers and other valuable office equipment.
One staff member who was still working in the building was attacked and hurt in the incident.
SAFA's Morio Sanyane said they had CCTV footage which they hoped would assist police in their investigation.
“The footage on the cameras is very vivid so we are very optimistic that within a very short period of time those perpetrators will be brought to book,” said Sanyane. |
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Concerns mount for SA as Zim's cholera crisis continues |
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A leading human rights group has warned that Zimbabwe's cholera crisis is likely to spread through South Africa if conditions do not improve for asylum seekers pouring over the border.
Human Rights Watch said the lack of access to sanitation and clean water for refugees in Musina has contributed to an outbreak of the illness in the country.
It estimates refugees were pouring into South Africa at a rate of 500 a day and were living exposed to the elements and without regular access to toilets, showers, food and clear water.
Four hundred and fifty five South Africans were officially infected and seven citizens had died.
Government spokesperson Themba Maseko said officials in the country were working closely with the World Health Organization and neighbouring countries to improve conditions in Zimbabwe to alleviate the load on Musina.
“It is very clear that if we continue providing these services inside the country without any interventions taking place inside Zimbabwe itself.
Chances are that whatever services we are providing within our borders will constitute a magnate for people to cross the border to come and receive medical attention,” said Maseko.
Meanwhile, the situation in Zimbabwe remains dire, with government calling for international help.
It was a stunningly bad week in Zimbabwe.
President Robert Mugabe's government was finally forced to declare the cholera outbreak that had killed hundreds, a national emergency.
It appealed for help from donors while still blaming the crisis on western sanctions.
Zimbabweans were worried about cholera, but they were also desperate to get their hands on their money before prices went up again
Many were likely to have spent the night in bank queues after thousands thronged the streets on Thursday on the first day of new cash withdrawal limits. |
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Musos continue to shine internationally |
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South African musicians are looking to score big at next year's Grammy Awards.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Soweto Gospel Choir have both been nominated for different categories at the ceremony, which will be held in Los Angeles in February next year.
Both groups have already won two Grammy Awards each in the past.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Albert Mazibuko said this was the tenth nomination the group has received.
“It gives you the energy to carry on and then it makes you want to make more music,” said Mazibuko.
Soweto Gospel Choir's Lucas Bok said they were thrilled that both groups were up for awards in different categories.
“They have lived their lives in examples to us and it just makes us seem so proud,” said Bok.
The group also sang on the song Down To Earth which has earned Peter Gabriel a nomination for best song for motion picture. |
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Body of SA man in Brazil cremated |
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The body of a South African man who died in Rio de Janeiro after presenting symptoms of haemorrhagic fever has been cremated.
Health officials in Brazil carried out the cremation to prevent a possible outbreak of virus.
South African officials insisted it was very unlikely the 53-year-old engineer died from the deadly arena virus which claimed four lives in September.
The man underwent a shoulder operation at Morningside Medi-Clinic in October where the virus claimed its first victim.
“Medical experts have said it is highly unlikely that the death of a South African who passed away in Brazil is related to the arena virus” said the clinic's Melinda Pelser.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said it was still waiting for blood test results to determine the man's exact cause of death. |
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Investigations uncover spy agency involvement |
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Indian newspapers are on Friday reporting that the government has proof that Pakistan's Military Spy Agency was involved in the Mumbai attacks which includes evidence supplied by the FBI.
The Hindu newspaper said investigations into the terrorist attacks uncovered the names of handlers and trainers of the gunmen and the locations where the training was held.
At least 170 people died and dozens more were wounded when the terrorists targeted five popular buildings.
The lone surviving gunman told police he attended four training camps in Pakistan over the past 18 months. |
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Bangkok's airports operating |
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South Africans who have planned their holidays in Thailand this festive season have been urged not to panic about flights into Bangkok.
Dozens of South Africans were stranded there after anti-government protestors blockaded off the city's two airports last week, but the first flight back to Johannesburg is scheduled to take off at the weekend.
South Africa's Ambassador to Thailand Douglas Gibson said there should be no problem with incoming flights in the next few days.
“It's a beautiful country and it looks as though the political problems are put on ice, if they want to come in the next day or two I think they might have problems about landing the day after. I think that there is no problem at all,” said Gibson.
The first direct flight from Bangkok to Johannesburg will be early on Sunday morning. |
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Transport officials on standby as the holiday rush begins |
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The country's transport officials say they are ready for the holiday rush which is expected to begin on Friday.
Holidaymakers were expected to pack the roads leading to the coast this weekend as schools close for the festive season.
The Transport Department's Colin Msibi said officials would be deployed throughout the country.
"With the research that we normally do we have identified specific hazardous where the accidents will normally happen. So indeed we are ready for the rush,” said Msibi. |
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DA asks the minister to intervene |
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The Democratic Alliance is waiting to hear from Health Minister Barbara Hogan about plans to sort out the apparent poor state of the Medicines Control Council.
The DA said mismanagement and delays in MCC approvals were serious cause for concern.
It said clinical trials of an important HIV/Aids drug was in jeopardy because the MCC still had not approved it some 18 months after the application was made.
It is understood the selenium supplement for Aids patients could postpone the onset of the full blown Aids.
“Well we have written to the minister explaining what's going on and we are hoping she will intervene immediately to address this particular issue that's the short term goal,” said the DA's Mike Waters. |
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Sacred Heart mourns the drowning of one of their own |
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A memorial service will be held on Friday for a seven-year-old girl who drowned in a pool at the Sacred Heart College.
Kefuoe Seakamela died on Tuesday.
She was found floating face down at the Observatory school's swimming pool.
As questions about her death remain unanswered friends, family and Sacred Heart College representatives will gather to pay tribute to the little girl.
The school said it was co-operating with authorities to get to the bottom of the tragedy.
Zindzi Mandela who regarded the seven-year-old as her own said she was determined to find answers adding she will miss the little girl.
“She was unique very pure soul and a very tough little girl. And she loved water she loved to swim; you know she was a good swimmer like her dad,” said Mandela.
Officials from Sacred Heart College and Seakamela's parents will meet after her funeral next week to talk about the incident in the hope of finding closure. |
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Family wants justice |
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The parents of a murdered property agent thrown from a building in the Johannesburg CBD have written to the Provincial Police Commissioner Perumal Naidoo complaining about police incompetence in investigating the case.
Adrienne Jacobson and Hilton Aberman said they were furious nothing had been done to bring their son's killers to book.
25-year-old Darryn Aberman was stabbed in the back and thrown from a block of flats in Braamfontein.
Both Jacobson and Aberman complained they were not officially informed about Darryn's death, an autopsy was done without their permission and the investigating officer was not following up on tip offs they provided him with.
“And am actually pleading now for somebody to do something because I need these people found and I need justice done” said Jacobson.
Hillbrow police's Bheki Mavundla said this was a sensitive case and investigators were using intelligence techniques to track the suspects.
“Police are continuing very well with the investigations,” said Mavundla.
The parents were now hoping commissioner Naidoo would act in order to bring them closure sooner rather than later. |
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Motlana honoured |
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Businessman Richard Maponya says the Soweto suburb of Diepkloof should be renamed in honour of political activist Dr Ntato Motlana.
The tycoon was among hundreds of people who paid tribute to the struggle veteran in Soweto on Thursday.
Motlana died following a long battle with cancer on Sunday at the age 83.
Maponya said his old friend should be remembered for his service to the people of Soweto.
“If I had the influence, I would name one of the suburbs here. I would name Diepkloof Ha-Motlana. I am saying this because he had a very successful surgery there and this surgery was operating 24hrs,” said Maponya.
Gauteng Premier Paul Mashatile said he would consider the businessman's suggestion.
“Yes its something we would definitely consider, we need to pay tribute to him in the most appropriate way,” said Mashatile.
Meanwhile, several high profile South Africans including former president's Thabo Mbeki and Nelson Mandela also came out to honour the man who was described as the son of Africa. |
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Police bust a syndicate |
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Police have urged victims of house or business robberies in Pretoria to go to the Kameeldrift Police Station where they could find their stolen goods, after a bust of a major crime syndicate operating in both Johannesburg and Pretoria suburbs.
Police siezed cell phones, watches, lap tops, paintings and other goods worth approximately R40 000 when they raided a townhouse in Sinoville.
Five firearms and R100 000 in cash was also found.
Suspects were arrested on Wednesday.
The police's Dennis Adriao said people would have to give proof that they own the goods.
“If people can identify their property then we can link this syndicate to that robbery, at the same time advise people to try and mark especially their electronic property it makes it much easier for us to track down the owner once we recover large amounts of stolen property,” said Adriao.
The men were expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Friday. |
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7 arrested as police step up the fight against crime |
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Police have vowed to fight fire with fire as festive season crime combating operations throughout the country kick into gear.
One suspected robber was killed and his four accomplices wounded during a shootout with police in Midrand on Thursday.
Officials had received information of an imminent robbery at the corporate park and lay in wait for the gang to arrive.
The police Dennis Adriao said police were quick to arrest the seven gunmen when they tried to storm a business around six in the evening.
“The police did identify themselves and the suspects started shooting at the police. Police returned fire killing one suspect and injuring four and arresting the other two,” said Adriao. |
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Alleged bribe-takers ignore police |
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Safety and security officials remain baffled after four testing station employees, who were meant to be arrested, fled after being tipped-off.
The four were allegedly part of a six member syndicate involved in bribe-taking at the Vanderbijlpark Licensing Department.
Only two women were taken into custody.
The four employees who promised to hand themselves over to authorities on Thursday did not pitch up.
Instead, they sent their lawyer to phone the local police station and saying they would only surrender on Monday, but the authorities would not budge saying, when the four appear in court they would be denied bail.
The Community Safety Department's Jaylin Chetty defended his colleagues.
“My unit is excellent they are very honest, integrity is very high standard and I assure you that it was not from my unit,” said Chetty.
Meanwhile, a Johannesburg optometrist is out on R500 bail for issuing a fake eye test certificate to a partially blind man who paid him a R300 bribe because wanted a driver's license. |
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Alcohol and cultural beliefs major causes of drownings |
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Authorities say cultural beliefs and alcohol are the major causes of drownings especially over the festive season.
Police launched a water safety campaign on the Vaal River on Thursday where members of some churches were being baptised.
More than 140 bodies were recovered from Gauteng's dams, lakes and rivers since November last year.
“Cultural belief the people they baptise in the water in the river, it's not safe firstly the water is not safe, secondly 95% can't swim,” said the police's Rian Opthof. |
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Three Major India airports on high terror alerts |
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In a delicate balancing act United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has met both Indian and Pakistani leaders in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.
In Delhi she called for restraint.
Rice said she had reasonable and responsible discussions in both capitals.
The assault on India's commercial capital killed more than 170 including six Americans.
“The whole world is not necessarily completely safe but I feel as though everybody is doing everything they can do at the moment,” said worried Mumbai residents. |
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