Professional Update
A
monthly newsletter for KZN Attorneys from the Kwazulu-Natal Law Society

1 June 2009

This professional service draws attention to current and important items of news
 and members are directed to the hosts' websites

InfoUpdate 11 of 2009
Recent Judgments

Electronic copies of this information may be obtained from our librarians at help@lawlibrary.co.za or click on the underlined hyperlink where relevant

Magistrates Courts

Camperdown

ANC supporters to protest outside court - 4 May
ANC supporters will protest against the granting of bail to seven people appearing in the Camperdown Magistrate’s Court outside Pietermaritzburg on Monday. The seven were arrested in connection with the killing of Simisele Hlongwane who was taking part in an African National Congress celebration of election victory in Swayimani on April 27. Seven people were also injured in the attacks.
- The Citizen website

Cape Town

'Mutiny' Case

Special forces arrest crew after mutiny - 5 May
Ten Vietnamese nationals were arrested today following a mutiny on a fishing vessel outside Cape Town's Table Bay harbour, national police said. The police's special task force was flown in from Pretoria, boarded the Taiwanese fishing vessel Balena around 5.30am and arrested 10 of the 29 crew who had taken the captain and first officer hostage, said spokeswoman Director Sally de Beer. The 10 did not resist arrest and no force was used. They allegedly commandeered the vessel around 3pm on Monday, demanding that it enter the harbour. The 10 were currently in custody and faced charges relating to kidnapping and alternatively piracy - which involved any act of violence or detention on the high seas. They would appear in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Thursday. -
The Times website

Vietnamese sailors claim abuse at sea - 6 May
Mutineers arrested by a special police task force aboard a Chinese fishing vessel have claimed they were ill-treated and beaten by the ship's officers at sea. Cassiem Augustus, representative of the International Transport Federation in Cape Town, has suggested the men "acted out of desperation" after months of beatings and ill-treatment from their Chinese officers and fellow crew. "They apparently asked for the ship to stop in Cape Town so they could disembark and fly home", Augustus said. When the master refused, the men took control of the ship. -
IOL website

Germiston

Cops bust computer chop shop - 8 May
Police arrested three men allegedly running what they dubbed a "computer chop shop" in Johannesburg's Hillbrow on Friday. Captain Steady Nawa said police were given a good lead while investigating robberies which appeared to target computer equipment at several businesses and schools in the area. Three Cameroonian nationals were arrested and equipment worth at least R2,5-million was found when police swooped at around 1pm. - IOL website

Johannesburg

Major car-theft ring bust - 14 May
They channelled hijacked and stolen vehicles into the eNaTIS system, complete with false registration papers that turned them into legal used cars. But yesterday police were calling the arrest of eight licensing department officials in Gauteng a major breakthrough that has helped to crack a multimillion-rand car-theft ring that spans three provinces. Arrests were made in Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The case against the accused was postponed to May 21. -
IOL website

Kempton Park

'We deserve to be let off like Zuma' - 5 May
Two brothers accused of masterminding a multimillion-dollar airport heist want their prosecution stayed. Shaheed Rudolph and Rashdeen Rudolph claim they qualify on the same grounds advanced by African National Congress President Jacob Zuma for his stay of prosecution. The brothers brought an application in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court on Tuesday to halt their prosecutions. The advocate prosecuting the case, Willemien Vos, said the State had decided to prosecute the brothers, but later withdrew the charges. It had since reinstated the case. The Rudolphs were contending that the State should have sought their representations before prosecuting them again, said Vos. The case was postponed to July 6. -
IOL website

Letsitele

Giraffe stolen for meat - 4 May
Eight people appeared at the Letsitele Magistrate's Court on Monday after they allegedly stole a giraffe and slaughtered it, Limpopo police said. -
IOL website

Pietermaritzburg

Man used MXit to rob women - 7 May
A man who used MXit to befriend women and then swindled and robbed them, was arrested in Sinoville, Pretoria, on Wednesday. The 39-year-old Pietermaritzburg man had been swindling unsuspecting people using the social networking service since 2005, according to police spokesperson Mirna von Benecke. More than 50 charges of fraud, which are now being investigated, have been laid against the man. -
News24 website

Pmb fraud accused was a magistrate - 8 May
Alleged "Casanova" fraudster, Johan Carel Fouche, also known as "Johnny" or "JC", was formerly a relief magistrate who presided in courts throughout the province, including Pietermaritzburg, during the 1990s, Weekend Witness has learned. He appeared in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court yesterday in connection with 58 counts of fraud involving more than R67 000. Fouche resigned from the Justice Department during the mid-’90s, at which time he fell foul of the law. He said at this stage he is content to represent himself in court and would not apply for legal aid or hire a lawyer. He said he does not intend to apply for bail and was happy for the case to be postponed for a month. He was remanded in custody until June 8.
- The Witness website

Public figures in corruption trial - 2 June
Pietermaritzburg businessman Lucky Moloi, property developer Neville Watts, Msunduzi councillor Themba Zungu and council Speaker Alpha Shelembe will stand trial in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court in August on charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering. - Legalbrief website

Randburg

Drug case highlights NPA backlog - 21 May
An alleged American- Israeli drug dealer and money-laundering kingpin is fighting the State's bid to send him back to the US - because, he says, they have the wrong man. Now multi-millionaire Meir Elran's bid to avoid being sent back to the US, where he faces charges of running a massive ecstasy syndicate, is likely to further contribute to the National Prosecuting Authority's internationally embarrassing backlog of 52 extradition cases. Elran, also identified by US law enforcement officials as Meir Elran Ben Hamo, was arrested in Joburg in 2004. Two years later, the Asset Forfeiture Unit successfully seized his R12m game farm in Limpopo, a R2.5m mansion in Umhlanga, an S350 Mercedes-Benz and 22 local bank accounts believed to be the proceeds of crimes carried out in Belgium, the Czech Republic, the US and Israel. His legal team has confirmed he will challenge his extradition, which will be decided by the Randburg Magistrate's Court next month. - IOL website

Tonga

Three in jail following botched abortion - 12 May
Three woman have been arrested for murder following an alleged late-stage abortion, Mpumalanga police said on Tuesday. Under South African law, abortions beyond 20 weeks are illegal unless the life of the mother is in danger. -
IOL website

Wynberg

Joburg residents in court for invading RDP flats - 5 May
Forty-six people were arrested for allegedly breaking windows and doors to occupy newly built RDP flats in Marlboro near Alexandra, Johannesburg police said. Some members of the group appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Monday. Alexandra resident Daphne Sehota - who protested outside the Wynberg court in support of those arrested - said : "They have all been remanded to Sun City (Diepkloof Prison) till Friday". Commenting on why they had tried to occupy the flats, she said : "The community has just had enough. The government is doing nothing for us. We are living in a poverty-stricken environment". -
The Sowetan website

Alex flats 'vacant but not empty' : legitimate occupiers are waiting to move in - 6 May
The Alexandra Renewal Project says the flats invaded by 46 people over the long weekend were already allocated to specific residents, who are meant to move in next month. The project's acting director Neels Letter was commenting on the invasion of newly constructed RDP flats in 8th Street, Marlboro, Johannesburg. Letter, who is not involved with the selection of beneficiaries for these units, said : "The flats have been earmarked for occupation by residents of the Helen Joseph Hostel". -
The Sowetan website

InfoUpdate : an Information Service supplied by the KwaZulu-Natal Law Society