Contact Me
Subscribe
Posts
All Comments
Search
Followers
Blog Archive
- ► 2012 (246)
- ► 2011 (708)
- ► 2009 (882)
About Me
- A Stuijt
- Retired South African medical journalist, ex-Sunday Times of Johannesburg.
SAPS news Feb 19 2010
21:16 | 
Posted by
A Stuijt |
Summary Feb 19 2010: The widow of murdered Pretoria Flower Market co-owner Kushalen Naidoo kills herself just before his cremation service; two black women sentenced for beating up Afrikaans Alzheimer sufferer Regina Anderson; six pupils injured when shotgun ‘goes off’ at Verulam HS; 77-year-old Suzanne Grobler survives being trussed up for six days after robbery; graphic artist Rudi Venter walks free after mismatched blood-DNA proves he did not kill his wife; Peaches Geel murdered with mom Olivia just after the child’s 13th birthday dinner; 14-year-old Jaco Vermeulen of Bronkhorstspruit and retired NP-politician Inus Aucamp awarded damages over false SAPS arrests over trumped-up complaints; robbers ordered customers to loot a Bangladeshi’s shop in Daveyton; ; a police constable shoots dead her constable-boyfriend and a female police captain in his bedroom: and tries to kill herself… A depressed Bloemfontein constable shoots and injures his lover and kills himself… Just another normal day in South Africa:
-----------------------------------
Widow of murdered Kushalen Naidoo (28) of Pretoria Flower Market kills herself
2010-02-18 Shortly before the cremation service for Mr Mushalen Naidoo -- the murdered co-owner of the Pretoria flower market – was to be held at his parental home in Raslouw Centurion, his grieving widow Farzaana, 23 killed herself police announced. Mr Naidoo was killed execution-style while sitting in his car - waiting for his wife’s return from a Varsity College lecture. Nothing was robbed during his murder. The couple had been married for two years. http://www.beeld.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1928/3b0d1a4f06104f4daf009e0bd3a2124d/18-02-2010-11-36/Vrou_pleeg_selfmoord_net_voor_man_se_roudiens
His bereaved father Bala said earlier he could not understand the manner of his only son’s death. His son had been visiting Menlyn Park shopping centre east of Pretoria while waiting for his wife Farzaana to return from her Varsity College lectures where she is studying. Naidoo senior believes his son was ‘attacked by criminals’ and then taken to Menlyn Motor City in Garsfontein Road. “There must have been a hell of of shooting;’ said his father. “I know my son also fired off shots but they won.” Police said a security guard saw a vehicle parked right behind Naidoo’s car; reporting that a passenger had climbed out and walked over to Naidoo’s car’s left side. “When that person took out his gun the security guard ran away’ said police - to alert colleague; screaming at him to call the police just as they heard shots being fired. Police don’t know the number of people in the assailant’s car nor the direction it had taken after the murder. Beeld writes that Naidoo’s car was fired at at least eight times. Naidoo leaves behind his father Bala; mother Amerdo (61), and four sisters. http://www.beeld.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1928/bf3dedd029ff43e69c1c9f7baa36fe56/18-02-2010-01-18/Eienaar_van_mark_sterf_in_%E2%80%98helse_skietery%E2%80%99
”Shotgun goes off” at Verulam KZN school – six pupils injured
Six high school pupils were wounded when a gun ‘went off’ at a high school in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal reports The Mercury on Feb 18 2010. Education authorities reacted with outrage after six children were injured when a shotgun being carried in a school bag at a Verulam school went off. On the same day at another school a pupil also was stabbed to death.
More was to follow when another pupil was stabbed and killed at a North Coast school. At Verulam's Temple Valley Secondary School, pupils were moving between classes when a shotgun went off, spraying pellets in all directions. Police Superintendent Jay Naicker, said it was believed a pupil had the firearm in his bag and was showing it to his friends." The pellets hit the ground and ricocheted and hit six pupils - five girls and one boy." The pupil with the gun fled the scene but was later found and taken in for questioning along with three other pupils. Naicker said the police were investigating because the boys had handed over a 9mm firearm - not a shotgun. Netcare911 spokesman Jeff Wicks said the wounded pupils were treated and stabilised before being taken to Osindisweni Hospital. Five were discharged while one was expected to be kept in overnight. One of the injured pupils, who would not be named, spoke to The Mercury as she left the hospital. "While we were changing classes I noticed a group of pupils looking inside a bag and pulling at something. I then heard a big bang and pupils started screaming," she said. "Everyone was running around then I noticed I had been grazed on my knee." The chair of the school governing body, Devlall Teeruth, said security guards were posted inside and outside the premises and random checks were conducted on items being carried into the school. Naicker also reported that a 21-year-old pupil died after being stabbed during an argument with another pupil at Hlonono High School in Maphumulo, near KwaDukuza. A 17-year-old pupil stabbed the victim once in the back. "The victim tried to run away but collapsed and died on his way to hospital," Naicker said. Another pupil was wounded while trying to separate the two antagonists and was treated at a local clinic. The 17-year-old was arrested and charged with murder. On Thursday's events followed the murder of a Newlands West pupil, who was stabbed at school last week. A 17-year-old was arrested in KwaMashu. Education stakeholders said the incidents illustrated the need for metal detectors to be installed at schools and for school safety to be prioritised when Premier Zweli Mkhize delivers his state of the province address next week. National Teachers' Union spokesperson Allen Thompson said the incident should serve as a reminder that school safety was a critical issue. He said metal detectors and school fencing should be prioritised. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20100219063148622C918438
-----------------------------------------------
Two women sentenced for abusing Afrikaner Alzheimer patient in Heidelberg
2010-02-19 Wolfram Zweckler of Beeld reports from the Heidelberg magistrate’s court that two black assistants at a local nursing home were found guilty of beating and taunting an Afrikaner patient, Mrs C R Anderson 84 – known as “Auntie Regina’ – who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Lindiwe Anna Buthelezi (35) and Cecilia Sibeko (31) who worked for the Silwer Akker Retirement Home for the Elderly in Heidelberg, were found guilty of two charges; namely that on 26 March 2009 they had ‘beaten Mrs Anderson with an open hand or hands through the face; had pulled her hair and ears and generally treated her harshly with the intent to inflict serious injury to their patient.’ The two women were charged under Article One of the 1967 Law for Elderly Persons. The alternative charge of intent to inflict serious injury was also upheld by magistrate Gerhard Strydom – who also praised the home’s management for reporting the assault on their defenceless patient. The woman’s roommate had warned a nurse about the incident shortly afterwards - and when management reviewed the monitoring video tapes they discovered the beating and abuse the old woman had endured. She couldn’t testify about it herself – but medical examinations confirmed that she had incurred injuries because of the two women’s abusive behaviour.Buthelezi was sentenced to two years in prison while Sibeko – who was apparently ‘less involved and showed remorse’ was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid community service at the local police station. She was also ordered to follow a “Value of Life’ course and was moreover, ordered not to leave the Heidelburg magisterial distrinct without written SAPS permission. Magistrate Strydom said in his summary that residential homes often ‘hesitate’ to report such incidents; fearing that it would ‘place their institution in a negative light’. However -- he pointed out – “the exact opposite happens when they do report such abuse: when the whistle is blown people are assured that residents of such homes are being cared for and that whenever something does go wrong, such matters will then also be corrected”. - Beeld http://www.beeld.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1928/031fb7dc732148c8b1b4c4d99db27465/19-02-2010-12-21/2_gestraf_wat_oue_mishandel
13-year-old Peaches Geel of Krugersdorp - murdered with her mom Olivia after teen’s birthday dinner
February 18 2010 – KRUGERSDORP. Thirteen-year-old Afrikaans pupil Peaches Geel of Protearif Afrikaans primary school i
n Krugersdorp was shot dead on her last birthday – together with her mom Mrs Olivia Geel, 36. Peaches was shot with bullets from a pistol in the back, right-chest and right-arm and her mom was shot twice in the chest and the head, writes Beeld journalist Amanda Roestoff .
The teen and her mom were shot dead shortly after their return back home from celebrating the child’s 13th birthday at the Spur Restaurant in Key West shopping centre. A family member came across the two females’ bodies at 10pm in their home located at the corner of Main Reef Road and John Hoatson Avenue in Wentworth Park Krugersdorp. A male friend 41 was apparently also found dead at the scene: he had shot himself in the head. Police captain Jacob Raboroko said police are investigating the double-murder and have started an inquest procedure into the man’s death. Donna Lourens, headmaster of the murdered teenager’s school said it was ‘with deep pain and shock that we heard about the tragic death of one of our most beloved and popular Grade 7 pupils.”http://www.beeld.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1928/328174f1dc0c4bb49b622ab58d7c0564/18-02-2010-01-18/13-jarige_vermoor_op_haar_verjaardag
------------------------------
The State’s report about the unmatched DNA had been available for more than two years – was it kept quiet?
Two-and-a half years ago Rudi Venter from Douglasdale in Randburg was arrested for his wife's gruesome murder following the interpretation of the opinion of a police "expert" based on the pattern of the blood splatters at the crime scene. But on Monday February 15 2010 a different interpretation led to his freedom. Venter walked out of the Johannesburg High Court after the State withdrew the murder charge against him.
Graphic artist Rudi Venter has always maintained his innocence ever since August 2006, when his wife (her first name is not mentioned anywhere in the story) was bludgeoned to death with their son's baseball bat. At the time he told the police he’d seen two unknown men running out of the garage that morning. The men were never apprehended – instead Venter was arrested about a year later on the sole strength of a report compiled by a police "expert" – who turned out to be no expert at all: according to his currivulum vitae, he had merely ’attended seminars’ on the analysis of blood splatters on a crime scene and was thus regarded as an expert. However after further probing by Venter's defence team, it was discovered that the DNA samples obtained at the crime scene contained the blood of the victim and that of two unknown males. Venter's blood on the other hand was never found anywhere on the crime scene. This confirmed his version that he had seen two men running out of his home shortly before he discovered his wife's body.
The discovery regarding the DNA was made only a few days before Venter was due to go on trial on Monday, although the State's report regarding the DNA evidence had been available for more than two years. Lawyer Gert Nel commented : “this caused one to wonder whether this information had been withheld all this time or whether the police simply had not noticed it?” It was upon his obtaining the services of an independent expert from Cape Town to re-interpret the DNA results that Venter had been discharged.Meanwhile – Mrs Venter’s murder remains unsolved: the two men whose DNA was identified in the blood-spatters on the crime scene still remain missing… Venter's ordeal began in the early hours of August 31, 2006 when he and his unnamed wife heard something outside their home. They went to investigate, but found nothing. Venter later took their two sons to school as usual, but felt worried about his wife at home. He said that about two weeks before the incident he had noticed two men watching their home.When he returned home and opened the electronic garage doors, he saw two men running out. They appeared to have socks pulled over their hands. "They ran down the road and were gone. I went inside and found my wife in a pool of blood, lying on the floor. She was still alive and I tried to resuscitate her. She stopped breathing and died in my arms." Venter noticed that her head had been bashed in and a broken blood-splattered baseball bat, belonging to their son, was lying near her. Many of the bones in her hands and arms were broken, as if she had tried to fend off the blows.
The police never arrested any suspects, but took more than 100 pictures of the crime scene and gathered DNA evidence.Venter's legal team are now considering legal action against the State.http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/01fe96709e814cf39f2758e38ff79664/17-02-2010-09-46/Husband_gets_off_murder_charge
-----------------
77-year-old Afrikaner woman survives being tied up for six days after robbery…
This is the room in which 77-year-old heart-patient Ms Susan Grobler managed to survive for six days – trussed up, assaulted and then left alone by an armed assailant in her Vanderbijlpark home. Magdel Fourie writes that surprisingly the police are only investigating a case of ‘armed robbery’ – but not of attempted murder…
She was found weak and dehydrated six days later by neighbour Herman Leeuwner at around 5am on Wednesday-morning February 17 2010 writes Beeld newspaper. He was at the point of climbing into his bakkie to go to work – and was right next to Grobler’s house when he heard her desperately talking to herself saying in a soft voice: ‘if only I could get my hands loosened…’ He urgently contacted two other female neighbours – and they investigated when they couldn’t raise a reply on Mrs Grobler’s cellphone.
They alll knew she was very security-conscious yet the front gate was open as well as the security gates at her front and back doors. When they went inside Mr Leeuwner found the old Afrikaans lady lying on her bedroom mat with her hands tied behind her back and her feet tied up with shoelaces – and the feet were also attached with a rope to her dressing table. After he freed her from her bonds he called the police and emergency services and she was rushed to Sebokeng hospital where she was treated for severe dehydration, acid burns and facial injuries. Mrs Grobler – her face beaten purple – told the newspaper from her hospital bed that she was busy baking chicken in the oven for her daughter Carla Oosthuizen’s visit. She lives about six blocks away but had let her mom know that she could make it after all – as her grandchild would be visiting her. She promised to visit her mom on Thursday instead. When Mrs Grobler put out her rubbish bags on the pavement she was grabbed by a man armed with a pair of scissors – who forced her inside her house and beat her in the face. He demanded her bank cards and threatened to kill her she said. Shortly after the assault she’d lost her consciousness – except for a brief moment during which he had beaten her across the face again she said. At one stage this attacker had pulled off the old lady’s panties – but gratefully didn’t rape her she said: he just sat on top of her after he tied her up. “I begged him to loosen my hands and feet but he ignored my pleas’. He then left her alone – without food; without her required heart medication; without any water. And she remained like that for six days. When Beeld visited her her legs were still covered in huge acid boils where her urine had burnt through her skin. Her daughter said it was a miracle that her mom survived at all – six days without food and water. “I believe God kept her body strong’ she said. Police inspector Kinnie Steyn said Mrs Grobler’s jewellery and bank cards are missing and they are investigating ‘a case of residential robbery.’ http://www.beeld.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1928/653759527e66407db4134bafbce4eb27/18-02-2010-12-34/Vrou_(77)_l%C3%AA_6_dae_alleen_in_huis
-------------------
R50 000 in damages awarded to 14-year-old Jaco Schalk Vermeulen over false SAPS arrest…
2010-02-18 Jeanne-Marié Versluis of Beeld newspaper reports that Jaco Schalk Vermeulen has obtained a court order from Judge Willem van der Merwe of the Pretoria High Court; ordering that the Ministry of Safety and security pay R50,000 in damages for arresting him without an arrest warrant - as a 14-year-old -- and keeping the youngster in a police cell with a bag over his head without contacting his legal guardian on 11 September 2005.
Jaco Schalk Vermeulen of Bronkhorstspruit was arrested without an arrested warrant by three police officers supposedly for stealing from a motor vehicle. However he was releated three-and-a-half hours later without any charges. During his detention a bag was pulled over the Grade-Eight pupil’s head to intimidate him and he was told that he would be ‘f…ng beaten and similar threats. There was no objective evidence that Mr Vermeulen could be linked to the crime he was being charged with according to the court documents. The young Afrikaner pupil was badly traumatised by the event and his wrists were marked by the tight handcuffs he’d been held in. The Department did not object to the demand for R50,000 in demands and also did not object to paying interest rates if the amount was not paid to the attorney by 23 March, writes Versluis. The initial claim had been R250,000..http://www.beeld.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1928/a49d2d39ba4c43f7aa38e968b81de131/18-02-2010-01-18/R50_000_oor_seun_in_tronksel_gegooi_is
Retired Nat politician Inus Aucamp gets R30,000 in damages for illegal arrest by ‘rogue SAPS elements’…
BLOEMFONTEIN – Nearly three years after veteran National Party politician Inus Aucamp was arrested for publishing a letter critical of an ANC-politician, he will be paid R30,000 in damages by the SAPS because of his crude and illegal arrest four months later - on 17 November 2007. He was rudely arrested after a tennis game, dumped in a police cell and finger-printed… merely for daring to criticise his previous personal assistant; who now is the ANC politician Jan van der Merwe.
Nearly three years after NP-politician Inus Aucamp’s arrest - a Bloemfontein magistrate agreed that the R30,000 settlement reached between Aucamp and the Minister of Police was made an order of the court; also ruling that Aucamp had been arrested illegally and without an arrest warrant over a minor charge of crimen injuria. The case was dropped on 16 January 2008 by the office of the public prosecutor. Aucamp had been arrested just after a tennis game at his Bloemfontein home by a police officer of the Park Road police station who showed up at Aucamp’s home in Universitas and had dumped him in a police van.
Aucamp’s ‘crime”? The veteran Bloemfontein politician – ainfluential National Party and community-leader for 23 years before his retirement – had described ANC-politician Jan van der Merwe as follows in his letter published in Volksblad newspaper:
- “Jan ‘Kruiper’ Van der Merwe gives new meaning to the term megalomania… If there is one feller who knows how to ‘operate’ it’s our Janneman. His ascendancy after he’d arrived in Bloemfontein as a lost political hitchhiker has been phenomenal It is only exceeded by the meteoric speed in which he keeps coming back to earth. Only my intervention prevented him from being suspended from the Democratic Alliance; he was also suspended as executive-secretary of the New National Party – the first in ninety years - and he also met his match in the Afrikaner Bond. He’s a master at using others to feather his nest but then continuously makes the mistake of befouling it himself. That makes him a political backrider and despicable crawler,’ wrote Aucamp at the time. (my own interpretation from the original Afrikaans).
Law-abiding citizens increasingly targetted by rogue elements of the SAPS:
After the court order Aucamp’s attorney Chris Gerber issued a statement which said that ‘law-abiding citizens are increasingly targetted by rogue elements within the SAPS who victimise and criminalise them while criminals flourish. “A lack of discipline, control, ethics cause this. It’s an absurdity and a a disgrace that people now have to call upon the courts to protect themselves from certain elements within the SAPS.’
- Aucamp was tot in 2004 23 jaar lank in die politiek betrokke, onder andere as hoofsekretaris van die Vrystaatse NP, parlementslid, lid van die Vrystaatse wetgewer, lid van die Vrystaatse uitvoerende raad, adjunkspeaker van die wetgewer, langer as tien jaar leier van die Vrystaatse (N)NP en voorsitter van die Vrystaatse DA. - Volksblad http://www.volksblad.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/2114/11f2b17245d64e23b1e98837f9f99a08/16-02-2010-05-32/Polisie_moet_Inus_Aucamp_betaal_n%C3%A1_inhegtenisneming
---------------------------
Bangladeshi’s shop robbed in Daveyton: customers ordered to loot
17 February 2010 – In a clearly xenophobic attack targetting shopowners from Bangladesh a supermarket was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash, cellphones and cigarettes – and then the four gunmen ordered other customers to loot the rest of the shop. Four armed men entered the supermarket, east of Johannesburg, at 10am on Wednesday, rounded up customers and instructed the owners to give them money.
Captain Alfred Nakana, a police spokesman, said: "After taking the money, cellphones and cigarettes, they instructed all customers to take all the things they had intended to buy and leave the store without paying for them... they did as told." The men then fled the scene. No one was injured and no arrests have been made. In an unrelated incident, four men have been arrested for dealing in dagga in Daveyton during a "clean-up". The police confiscated dagga with the street value of R12 000. The four are expected to appear in the Daveyton Magistrate's Court on Thursday. Note: Police did not mention the politically-laden word ‘xenophobic’ – I did. http://www.thestar.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=nw20100217194720472C845069
2010-02-17 Virginia Keppler of Beeld reports that two unnamed police officers were shot dead on Valentine’s Day at the police barracks in Silverton Pretoria. The shottist then tried to commit suicide. The tragedy occurred on Sunday at 4 pm when a woman constable came across her friend also a constable and a female police captain in his bedroom.
Police superintendent Lungelo Dlamini said the woman constable first shot dead her boy-friend and when the female captain tried to intervene she also shot the woman. The constable-shottist then jumped in a police vehicle and fled the scene – with police in hot pursuit and cornering her near Macdonald’s fast-food restaurant in Sunnyside. The constable then shot herself in the chest. She was taken to a Pretoria hospital under police guard. http://www.beeld.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1928/f9f603f3ed644bbfa23eac848cc71a2d/17-02-2010-12-12/Vrouekonstabel_skiet_vriend,_kaptein,_toe_haarself
Depressed Bloemfontein constable Desmond Mathikge shoots lover and himself
2010-02-18 Dirk Kok and Vicus Bürger report in Volksblad that several days after the ‘severely depressed’ Bloemfontein SAPS constable Desmond Mathikge 34 of the local Police record centre was discharged from hospital he shot and injured his lover – and then shot himself dead. Questions are now being asked as to why Mathikge’s service-pistol was not taken away from him due to his serious depression.
His purported girlfriend – according to his colleagues -- Ms Mary Lebone (34), married with three young children, is the supervisor in charge of the traffic officials of DeWetsDorp and Wepener. She now is in serious condition in hospital. Mathidge – married and with two children – pushed his service pistol into his mouth and pulled the trigger said his collegues. The drama played itself out while traffic managers of several Free State towns were holding a meeting in the testing centre. Lebone had let organisers of the meeting know that she’d be late and when she arrived with her official car in the parking lot Constable Mathikge stopped behind her in his green Volkswagen Golf – took out his pistol threw its holdster next to his car and rushed to Lebone’s motor-car. A security guard who was rushing towards them when spotting the pistol said it looked at first as if he’d tried to throttle her. “She screamed. Then the shots went off’, said the guard. South Free State Traffic chief Piet Nel, rushed from the meeting and said he found Mathikge on his back in a puddle of blood with his service pistol next to him. The seriously injured Ms Lebone was lying across his body – with the contents of her handbag; her cellphone and other belongings strewn across both of them.http://www.volksblad.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/2114/62d670daa9794c61829c52501f7a1ac8/18-02-2010-02-59/Konstabel_wond_minnares,_sterf_self_in_bloedbadLiefdesdriehoek
It WAS a world-cup football-related robbery
After the Pro-Afrikaans Action Group PRAAG posted an article stating that the YMCA in Braamfontein had been robbed by a group of about 25 armed men, FIFA, the international football federation denied that this robbery was in any way related to the Soccer World Cup. Even the daily newspaper Beeld dismissed PRAAG's allegations as an internet rumour that was false.
Roodt writes that ‘PRAAG has rechecked their facts with their source, and can confirm that the robbery in Braamfontein is World Cup related, but that FIFA has not officially taken over the administration of the YMCA building from the YMCA Board – this will only be done once its communication equipment has been installed for the football journalists…”
Praag writes that the (robbed) YMCA building in Smit street, Braamfontein IS earmarked as accommodation for 700 to 900 international journalists during the Soccer World Cup. Not only would they be provided accommodation at reasonable prices, but a Communications Center was also being equipped with the necessary computers, monitors, editorial and electronic equipment to allow them to make their reports for worldwide dispatch. It is this equipment that was robbed on Friday morning.
Case Number 731/02/2010 was reported to the Hillbrow police station in Johannesburg, in which the alleged “building materials” were robbed by robbers with knives and firearms, while the security guards were detained. The “building materials” refer to the electronic equipment which was being installed for the soccer journalists.
According to PRAAG's source -- who would prefer to remain anonymous for fear of losing his job -- contractors were installing the equipment when the YMCA building was robbed. Only when the building and the installation is finally completed, will the local organizing committee of the World Cup oficially hand over building to FIFA.
The fact that the YMCA building destined for use by soccer journalists, is not yet officially under FIFA's control is now being used to deny that any soccer related robbery ever occurred.
Should Austrian-based FIFA-boss Sepp Blatter be robbed on the street outside his hotel, one can certainly argue that he was robbed in his personal capacity; and that FIFA was not officially involved in the incident. Consequently the robbery is being seen as “just another robbery” which occurs on a daily basis in Johannesburg; and is being implied to have no “official connection” to FIFA or the World Cup.
Comment by the blog “Why I am a white refugee:” The fact that a center for soccer journalists was robbed of its communication technology before its completion and the arrival of the journalists in the country, speaks volumes about South Africas safety and security reality.”
Labels:
Bright Afrikaans pupil sues gov’t in Supreme court
2010-02-04 Edwin Botha, 18, left, is determined to matriculate from the Afrikaans Noordheuwel High School in Krugersdorp despite the fact that he underwent a merciless initiation procedure there -- which had caused a mental breakdown in October last year and landed him in ‘social isolation’ amongst his classmates.
While Edwin was forced to leave the school because of the trauma he’d suffered from this initiation before he could take his grade-eleven exams – the headmaster Dr J A C Fourie stated according to the court documents that he would advance the youth to Grade 12 because at that stage, he had five distinctions and two Bs in all his subjects.
His parents are suing the Gauteng Provincial Department of Education in the Supreme court on his behalf. The court case centres on an agreement between Botha's parents, Hugo and Zenda Botha and school head Dr Jac Fourie. Botha, who had initially intended to move schools, had a change of heart and asked to return to his old school in December. Dr Fourie reportedly gave a written undertaking that Botha would be moved to Grade 12 because of his excellent academic record. However, Botha later received a letter from the Gauteng education department advising him he could return to school, but only as a Grade 11 pupil. Botha launched the court bid a day before the start of the new school year.
Pending a final ruling, the court has ordered the school to enrol Botha as a matriculant this year, but he stands to be demoted if he loses the case.
Join Edwin Botha support group on Facebook:
The bright youth, who gained five distinctions in Grade 11 before he took his exam, also wants reinstatement as head-boy writes Beeld journalist Susan Cilliers. The shy youth said he is determined to matriculate with seven distinctions this year -- and wants to start university next year.
Edwin was forced to leave the school in October last year after the youth was subjected to ‘extremely harrowing initiation experiences’ after he was chosen as deputy-head boy. He was deeply humiliated and deeply hurt emotionally by the abusive experience and had been forced to leave the school before he could do his Grade 11 exams – he suffered a mental breakdown, according to the documents before the court.
On his Facebook page, Edwin Botha then initially spouted his anger about what had happened, accusing his teachers and school management of having left him in the lurch - specifically accusing the deputy-head Ms Renette Viljoen of ‘merely looking on’ during his violent initiation – and not intervening. He also noted that the head of the school had apparently merely shrugged and said it was ‘tradition’.
Parents refused to sign release form and would not allow the initiation:
Apparently before the initiation took place, his parents had refused to sign a release form with the school and said they wouldn’t allow it, informing the school authorities that the youth was already suffering from fear-syndrome and required regular medication to combat it. Even so, the school management still allowed the ‘very harrowing initiation’ to continue.
While Edwin was forced to leave the school because of the trauma he’d suffered from this, before he could take his grade-eleven exams – the headmaster Dr J A C Fourie stated according to the court documents that he would advance the youth to Grade 12 because at that stage, he had five distinctions and two Bs in all his subjects. The Gauteng Education Department however refused to allow this, saying that the headmaster did not have the authority to advance the youth to Grade 12. In January, the parents also took out a successful court interdict to force the school to admit him to Grade 12 pending the results of the Johannesburg High Court case. And that’s where he is now, although socially isolated and ostracised at the school, he said - ‘while some of the children and the teachers support me, others now refuse to talk to me since the court case,’ Edwin told Beeld newspaper.
sources:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/group.php?gid=318666661313
http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.com/2010/02/news-reports-feb-4-2010.html
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
The Times
http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article264324.ece
http://www.timeslive.co.za/news/article287357.ece
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
OFM - Free State
http://www.ofm.co.za/news.asp?nid=6313
http://www.ofm.co.za/news.asp?nid=6689
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Sowetan
http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1110765
http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1111065
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Cape Argus
http://www.capeargus.co.za/?fSectionId=3571&fArticleId=nw20100218095331125C785330
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
News 24.com
http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/f62f8ef1415a4c08a6fccd6df084712f/18-02-2010-11-36/Drop%5C_out%5C_case%5C_postponed%5C_again
http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/164780bf02c94c07a9e9a478c7e7dd69/04-02-2010-12-11/Dept_Drop-out_case_premature
http://www.nuus24.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1479/60b98717b32b4717a0b67cbbde81d8b4/18-02-2010-12-06/Gr_11_se_hofsaak_uitgestel
http://www.beeld.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1928/dbd965a895a14487a1c0ebe4c1ec361a/04-02-2010-11-09/Hof_hoor_skolier_se__saak_dalk_nie_aan
http://www.nuus24.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1479/84881a53f2414377b83ee9c328ee412b/03-02-2010-07-07/Skolier_pak_departement_in_hof
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Pretoria News
http://www.pretorianews.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=&fArticleId=nw20100204131229777C913024
http://www.pretorianews.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=1702&fRequestedUrl=%2Findex.php%3FfArticleId%3D5338171
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
Sunday Tribune
http://www.sundaytribune.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=&fArticleId=nw20100204131229777C913024
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
The Citizen
http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=115421,1,22