Cerise du Plooy

Skokgolwe het deur die dorp getrek toe verskeie inwoners Dinsdagaand omstreeks 19:15 in die Pick n Pay Mini Mark, op die hoek van Oranje en Paul Krugerstraat, beroof is.

Volgens die woordvoerder van die Carletonville SAPD, sers. Busi Menoe, het vier swaargewapende mans die winkel binnegegaan en ván die kopers van hul selfone, juwele en kontant beroof.

Me. Wilma Meintjies, een van die slagoffers van die roof, en haar seun, Willie, het uit die winkel gestap nadat hulle inkopies gedoen het.

"Toe ek in my motor is, het ‘n man met ‘n AK47 geweer die deur oopgeruk en geskree ‘get out, get out,’". Haar seun was ook reeds in sy motor agter haar toe dit gebeur. Die twee was in verskillende voertuie omdat haar seun haar na werk na die winkel gevolg het.

Meintjies sê die sleutel het tussen die sitplekke ingeval waar haar kantoorsleutels ook gelê het. Die rower het die kantoorsleutel opgetel en gevra of dit haar motorsleutel is. "Toe ek nee sê het hy langs my in die voertuig in geskiet."

Meintjies sê die rower het na haar seun ook geskiet. "Die koeël is deur sy motor se voorruit en deur een van die kantruite uit. "Hy het nog agter die stuurwiel gesit en is net-net gemis."

Toe Meintjies die winkel binnegaan het sy net mense op die vloer sien lê. "Daar was binne ‘n hele swetterjoel rowers met handwapens wat besig was om die mense te beroof."

Die rowers is met Meintjies se grys BMW weg, maar die voertuig is later die aand in Protea Glen in Soweto gevind.

Met druktyd kon geen verdere inligting bekom word nie. Lees aanstaande week meer.

Cerise du Plooy

Ouers van ‘n jongman wat Saterdag 30 Januarie in ‘n ongeluk dood is, is ongelukkig oor die diens wat hulle van die polisie ontvang het.

Mnr. Pieter de Beer (26) is net voor 20:00 by ‘n familie funksie in Westonaria op sy motorfiets weg om ‘n vriend by die Oos-Driefontein ingang te ontmoet. Hy en sy vriend sou van daar weer teruggaan na die funksie toe.

Pieter se ouers, mnr. Tienie en mev. Sandra de Beer sê dat hulle seun nooit teruggekom het na die funksie nie. "Hy was ‘n jong, ongetroude man, was baie verantwoordelik en ons het aangeneem dat hy toe maar saam sy vriend erens anders heen was," sê hulle. "Ons het hom probeer bel, maar sy foon was af."

Wat die De Beer’s nie geweet het nie, was dat hul seun reeds 20:00 deur ‘n motor op die P111 doodgery is.

"Ons het Sondagoggend opgestaan en gereed gemaak vir kerk," sê Tienie. "Ek het gekyk of Pieter al by die huis was, want as hy uitgegaan het was hy gewoonlik so 00:00 – 02:00 weer tuis. Hy was nog nie by die huis nie en ons neem toe aangeneem dat hy by sy vriend geslaap het."

Net voordat die De Beer’s die huis verlaat het om kerk toe te gaan, het hulle 08:05 ‘n oproep van insp. Capé van der Mescht van die Carletonville SAPD ontvang. Hulle het na die polisiestasie gegaan en daar die nuus ontvang dat hul seun die vorige aand in ‘n ongeluk dood is.

"Ons seun se beursie het R 1 800 in gehad, asook ‘n A5 papier met ons en talle ander mense se nommers en nóg ‘n klein papiertjie met ons nommers op," vertel Sandra. "Maar ons is eers twaalf ure na sy dood ingelig daarvan." Sy se die R1 800 wat in Pieter se beursie was is ook weg.

Die De Beer’s sê hulle het ‘n man by die polisiestasie gevra hoekom hulle eers so lank na die tyd ingelig is oor hul seun se dood. "Hy het net gesê dat dit donker was en die polisielede op die toneel seker nie mooi gekyk het nie." Die De Beers voel egter dat daar sekerlik ligte in van die voertuie was en as dit nie voldoende was nie, kon hulle sekerlik by die polisiestasie waar daar lig was weer gekyk het."

Die De Beers is ook nie tevrede met die ongeluksverslag nie. Volgens die verslag het die drywer van die Opel Astra wat in hul seun, vermoedelik van agter vasgery het, nie ‘n bestuurs- of leerlinglisensie nie. Hy is ook nie vir bloedtoetse geneem nie. By die polisiestasie is vir hulle gese die polisie kan sien of iemand dronk is of nie en hulle besluit dan self of hulle iemand gaan laat toets of nie.

"Die verslag sê ook dat die Astra groen was, terwyl hy einklik blou was," vertel Tienie. "Die skets op die verslag sê absoluut niks, behalwe dat daar ‘n dubbelpad, genoem die P111 is," vertel hy kwaad en wys na die skets.

Toe die De Beer’s by die polisie gekla het oor die skets, het hulle saam gestem dat dit ‘n wettige dokument is. "Maar toe ons hom vertel dat ons ‘n prokureur gaan sien, het hulle skielik gesê dat ‘n ongeluksverslag eintlik net uitgemaak word vir versekeringsdoeleindes."

Maandag 22 Februarie wou die De Beer’s vir insp. Mpho Menzi, die ondersoekbeampte, sien. "Ons is gevra om net ‘n paar minute te wag. Na twee en ‘n half uur is hulle gevra om hul nommer vir Menzi te los.

Die bestuurder van die Astra wou intussen met die De Beer’s in verbinding tree en het ‘n nommer gelaat. Die De Beers het toe ‘n afspraak met hom gemaak.

Saterdagaand het Menzi die De Beer’s vir die eerste keer geskakel en gese as ons iets wil weet ons met hom kan praat en dat ons geen reg het om die man wat in ons seun vasgery het, te skakel nie."

Maandagoggend 1 Maart was die De Beer’s weer by Menzi maar al wat hy gese het is dat hy nog niks weet nie dat hulle net moet wag totdat hy die forensiese verslag ontvang.

"Ons het gevra of iemand ons net kan wys waar ons seun gelê het, want ons het stukke motorfiets en selfoon sowat 30 meter van waar die ongeluk glo gebeur het, opgetel en vind dit vreemd dat as hy van agter af raakgery is, die agterwiel nog heel is.

Ons voel die persoon wat ons kind, heel waarskynlik teen ‘n baie vinnige spoed doodgery het, word beskerm, en sy motor word na sy huis gesleep na die ongeluk," vertel Pieter se pa hartseer, "maar my seun se motorfiets, wat uit die Astra se masjienkap gesny moes word, moes ek eers voor teken."

Tienie sê dat dit die eerste keer in sy lewe is dat hy die polisie nodig het, maar bitter teleurgesteld is en kan sien dat hulle nie daar is wanneer mens hul regtig nodig het nie.

"Insp. Capé van der Mescht se diens en bedagsaamheid was uitstekend en vir hom wil ons graag baie dankie sê."

Die Carletonville SAPD se stasiekommissaris, dir. Marinda Theron, het in verbinding getree met die De Beers. Teen druktyd het sy gewag dat hulle haar skakel sodat verdere ondersoek ingestel kan word.

Cerise du Plooy

On Friday, 26 February at approximately 05:40, an accident involving a police vehicle took place on the corner of Annan and Gold Streets.

The police apparently received a complaint of a housebreaking in progress at the bowling club in Lignite Street.

Two police officers who had just reported for duty responded to the call, and on their way to the scene, collided with a beige Mazda 323 in Annan Road.

An eyewitness, Mr Chris Lourens, watched the accident take place. "I was driving toward the station and as I passed ABSA, the traffic light being green for traffic travelling up and down Annan Road, I heard the sirens and saw the blue light," said Lourens. "It did not seem as though the police vehicle was going to slow down, so I braked."

Lourens says he was right, and that the vehicle did, in fact, not slow down but continued ahead over the red traffic light. "The next minute, the state vehicle collided with a Mazda 323 coming up Annan toward 007."

Lourens says that if he had not slammed on brakes, the police vehicle would have collided with him from the side, and could potentially have injured him seriously or even fatally.

Lourens provided the driver of the Mazda, as well as one policeman at the scene with his number, and offered to give a statement as eye-witness.

"I realise that the officers were on their way to a crime scene, but they still have to slow down and, only if there are no other vehicles at the crossing, may they drive over a stop or a red light."

The two police officers and the driver of the Mazda were removed from the scene by an ambulance and treated at the Gold Fields Leslie Williams private hospital. According to Sgt Busi Menoe, spokesperson of the Carletonville SAPS, a case of reckless and negligent driving is being investigated by the Carletonville police.

Cerise du Plooy

Carletonville and Fochville are looking untidy due to all the advertisements stuck on road signs and lamp poles and wherever else the guilty parties think a free advertisement would fit.

"We currently have serious problems with people removing, damaging, spraying on and advertising on road traffic signs in Merafong, especially in Carletonville and Fochville," said Mr Chris Spies, spokesperson of Merafong.

Apparently two case dockets have been opened in the last few months. One suspect who had stop signs and street name boards in his yard was arrested for possession of stolen property and another for damage to property, as he was advertising on stop signs.

The Department of Public Safety and Security have asked for assistance from the public. "We request that anyone with information regarding the people who damage the road signs and street name boards will come forward and in doing so, possibly help us make arrests."

Not only are these practices very dangerous for motorists and pedestrians, when, for example, stop signs are removed, but it is also very expensive to replace these boards.

It is a serious offence to damage and remove state property, and any person who fails to abide by the laws regarding this, will have to deal with the authorities.

Cerise du Plooy

A councillor from Carletonville, Mrs Valerie van Vuuren, recently assisted in a major breakthrough concerning an illegal abortionist in Carletonville.

Van Vuuren ripped a tear-off slip from a poster stuck to a lamp pole in front of the police station, and took it to the Station Commissioner, Dir. Marinda Theron.

Theron immediately called the necessary departments and an arrest of the abortionist, who calls himself a doctor, was made.

"Besides making a mess of our town with all the garbage they stick to our road signs and walls and lamp posts," said van Vuuren, "I am sure that there are young girls dying, not to mention their unborn babies."

The Herald did not manage to get any further information from the department of public safety and security, as the arrest of the abortionist was made by one of this department’s officials.

A World Health Organisation study on illegal abortions in South Africa has shown that while there are hundreds of legal abortion facilities, women still choose unregistered, unsafe abortion facilities.

The streets of many a town are littered with flyers advertising "safe and pain-free abortions" and official statistics show that the number of women under 18 seeking abortions has increased.

Only 4 423 women under 18 underwent abortions at state hospitals in 2001 but 10 000 women under 18 had abortions in 2006, according to what the Health Minister at the time, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang told MPs during parliamentary questions.

According to research, lack of knowledge about the Termination of Pregnancy Act, lack of awareness of early pregnancy signs, fear of the procedure and its consequences, denial of pregnancy, the stigma of openly seeking assistance, preferences for traditional medicines and family pressure are all factors which contribute toward young girls making the wrong decisions regarding their unborn babies and abortions.

Access to, and the cost of, proper abortion facilities are also major setbacks many of these girls experience and according to Jack Strachan of the private abortion clinic, Marie Stopes, they were "deeply" concerned at the proliferation of advertisements in newspapers and posters in public places offering abortion services.

The Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Act stipulated the "minimum acceptable standards that need to be put into place to ensure women have access to safe and controlled abortion practice", he said.

A Pretoria News reporter, Samantha Steele, investigated an illegal ‘abortion clinic’ in Pretoria and was shocked at the outcome. After the ‘doctor’ had tried to conceal her real identity and location, Steele and a fellow reporter were, eventually, able to find her and granted an appointment.

The woman could not quite tell Steele (who was not pregnant) how far along she was, but simply offered her help in the form of pills.

She was instructed to take four pills orally, and said that the other three would be inserted into her cervix.

"This would supposedly ‘bring the baby down. "You will bleed heavily because you are further along than three weeks, and you’ll have some light cramping. "But it is okay. I have had some girls come back for more abortions, so you see, you can get pregnant again," she tried to soothe her new patient.

The risks regarding illegal abortions are endless.

It is the duty of all residents to remove illegally pasted adds from lamp poles, walls and road signs to prevent this kind of thing from happening and ruining lives.

Adele Louw

Vir inwoners van sekere dele van Carletonville is die parke wat vroeër jare die dorp versier het nou ‘n seer oog.

Mense wat in die omgewing van Jan Wilkenspark in Carletonville woon, kla al vir weke by die Herald dat die park in "’n vreeslike toestand is". Behalwe dat dit glad nie netjies lyk nie, is die gras blykbaar al so lank dat inwoners bekommerd is dat misdadigers daarin kan skuil.

Met die Herald se besoek aan die park die afgelope week het die park se onderhoud beslis veel te wense oorgelaat.

Die gras was plek-plek amper ‘n meter hoog en papiere en glasstukke het die wêreld vol gelê.

Die park by die sirkel in Oranjestraat het ook dringend aandag nodig. Volgens ‘n inwoner wat oorkant dié park woon, mnr. Bernard Fischer, maak hy en sy tuinwerker, mnr. Mishack Nthini, gereeld self die park skoon. Hulle tel onder meer bykans elke oggend papiere in die park op. Hoewel die munisipaliteit al twee keer dié seisoen die gras gesny het, groei dit so vinnig dat die park slordig lyk indien dié taak nie meer gereeld verrig word nie.

"Ons help al 15 jaar om die park netjies te hou. Vroeër het die munisipaliteit darem die gras gesny, nou doen hulle dit nie eers meer nie", het ‘n ontstelde Fischer verlede week aan die Herald gesê.

Volgens Fischer is daar soveel glasstukke in die park dat dit onveilig vir kinders is om daar te speel. Die lang gras maak dit ook onveilig vir vroue

Die bevelvoerder van die polisie op Carletonville se misdaadvoorkomingseenheid, supt. Johan Theunissen, sê dat lang gras in openbare parke beslis ‘n skuilplek vir misdadigers kan wees.

Dit maak dit veral maklik vir skelms om hul slagoffers dop te hou. Verál vroue wat deur parke met lang gras loop, kan makliker deur misdadigers wat daar skuil, aangeval word.

Theunissen sê egter dat die polisie ‘n goeie verhouding met die munisipaliteit het en nie aarsel om die munisipaliteit te kontak indien dit lyk of daar ‘n problem in ‘n spesifieke park is nie.

Die munisipaliteit tree dan gewoonlik vinnig op om die gras te sny, wat weer tot ‘n afname in misdaad lei.

Volgens die Merafong munisipaliteit word gras in die area volgens ‘n vasgestelde skedule gesny. As gevolg van die baie reën wat die afgelope seisoen geval het, kan die munisipaliteit egter nie voorbly met die grassnyery nie.

Adele Louw

Die vier mans van Deelkraal wat ‘n jaar gelede in ‘n groot polisie-klopjag gearresteer is, het weer verlede week in die hof verskyn.

Mnre. Frikkie van As, Riaan Engelbrecht, Wolraad Woltemade Stoltz en Bobby McIntyre het op 17 Februarie in die streekshof op Klerksdorp op aanklagte van diefstal van goud, onwettige besit van goud en die onwettige verwerking van ru-goud in die hof verskyn.

"Die saak is uitgestel sodat dokumente aan die mans se verdediging beskikbaar gestel kan word", sê kapt Hennie Flynn van die edelmetale-afdeling van die polisie se georganiseerde misdaadeenheid in Potchefstroom.

Die mans het nie gepleit nie.

Van As en Engelbrecht se borg van R10 000 elk is verleng terwyl Stoltz en McIntyre se borg van R5 000 ook verleng is.

Die mans is in Februarie 2009 gearresteer ná die polisie op ‘n onwettige goudverwerkingsaanleg tussen Klerksdorp en Orkney toegeslaan het. Ongeveer 120 ton onverwerkte edelmetaal met ‘n geskatte waarde van R5 miljoen is op die toneel van die onwettige aanleg gevind terwyl nog sowat 2,5 kg onverwerkte edelmetaal by ‘n smelter gekonfiskeer is.

Die goud is na bewering van Harmony Gold gesteel.

Abrie Bronkhorst

Simon Magakwe, the 24-year-old 100 metre South African Champion from Carletonville, is determined to achieve gold at this year’s South African Championships as well.

Competing against South Africa’s top athletes and carrying his running shoes in a plastic bag, he became an overnight sensation after winning the 100-metre sprint at the South African Championships in Stellenbosch last year. Magakwe, born and raised in Itsoseng near Mafikeng and a resident of Carletonville since 2005 is now the fastest man in South Africa.

Magakwe ran in the second Yellow Pages competition on 26 February this year and despite of the weather condition till won the 100 metre race with a time of 10.65 seconds. Unfortunately he could not run his best in the 200-metre race because he suffered an injury. During the Provincials held in Potchefstroom this year he won the 100-metre sprint with a time of 10.40 seconds as well as the 200-metre race with a time of 20.90 seconds.

Magakwe trained with Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt, who shared some techniques with him from May until the end of July last year. "It was very nice to train with him, the practice programme was great. I like his styles. He is a good guy, humble, fun to be with and he likes to laugh a lot," Magakwe said.

In 2009 Bolt smashed his own world record in the men’s 100-metre in a time of 9.58 seconds at the Track and Field World Championships in Berlin. Bolt led from beginning to end, smashing his record of 9.69 seconds which he set at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In the 200- metre race, Bolt eased through and was clocked as the fastest ever at 19.19 seconds – taking 0.11 seconds off his own World Record.

Magakwe’s fastest time on the 100-metre sprint so far was during last years South African Championships in Stellenbosch where he finished with a time of 10.21 seconds. "I’m willing to improve that soon," he says confidently. "I practice from Monday to Saturday, but a day before my race I relax", he says.

Magakwe will be running in the third Yellow Pages competition in Potchefstroom at the McArthur Stadium on Thursday, 4 March. This event will broadcast live on SABC 2 at 18:00. Living in the fast lane he now practises hard for the SA championships in Durban on 20 and 21 March. Simon Magakwe is still practising with coach Annatjie Smit from Carletonville.