Pretoria – Page 13 – Pretoria.ws

Gauteng MEC shuts down vehicle testing stations

Two private vehicle testing stations in Soweto and Pretoria have been shut down due to alleged fraud and corruption. Gauteng roads and transport MEC Ismail Vadi said on Monday: ''The Innovative Roadworthy Testing Station in Soweto, owned by Themba Nxumalo, and the Hercules Roadworthy Centre in Pretoria, jointly owned by Ahmed Suliman Ismail and Afzal Abramjee, were closed down on Friday after an investigation by the provincial roads and transport department. ''As part of the Gauteng government’s commitment to improving road safety and its zero tolerance approach towards fraud and corruption, registration certificates of these two testing stations were cancelled on 1 March.'' He said the closing of the testing stations came after an investigation by his department and law enforcement authorities. Three vehicle examiners and one cashier were arrested at the Innovative Roadworthy Testing Station in Soweto in October 2017. ''Similarly, a management representative and th…

Transforming Pretoria’s heritage landscape continue

On Friday, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa gave a report-back on work being done to transform South Africa’s heritage landscape. He noted it was necessary to continue to dismantle the apartheid social structure, including the removal of colonial and apartheid-era monuments and place names. The process initiated by Mthethwa in 2015 was a response to incidents surrounding statues in public spaces, after the demand for the removal of a statue of Cecil John Rhodes at the University of Cape Town. It sparked a national debate over the transformation of the heritage landscape to foster a new national identity. Among the resolutions taken was that there was a need to create civic awareness and national consciousness using shared symbols such as the flag and national anthem, while offensive names and other "symbols of hate" should be removed. However, this did not mean every old name and statue had to be removed. Where such symbols reflected separate histories, an i…

Social media posts hamper Pretoria cash heist probe

False information on social media following a daring heist on the N4 on Friday was hampering investigations, police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said on Monday. He said some dishonest social media users were spreading misinformation that three suspects were later caught, shot and killed by the police. He warned that some people were misleading the public by posting photographs on social media. “Concerned citizens who sought justice need not be entertained by such reports, but work with the police to help catch the culprits.” Masondo was speaking on the incident which happened last week in which nine men armed with rifles shot at a G4 Security vehicle, forcing it to stop, on the N4 between Ga-Rankuwa and the R80. The suspects then overwhelmed three security officers out of the vehicle before using explosives to destroy the truck. Masondo said the security officers were not harmed in the process and the private companies involved in the cash-in-transit he…

Passasiers val treindrywers met klippe aan by Koedoespoort-treinstasie in Pretoria

Ontstoke passasiers by die Koedoespoort-treinstasie in Pretoria het twee treindrywers van die United National Transport Union (Untu) aangeval en die bestuurskajuite met klippe bestook. Dit volg nadat Metrorail-treine Woensdagoggend vertraag was. Luidens ’n verklaring deur Untu, het albei “ervare” treindrywers gevrees vir hul lewe en die lewe van die twee studente wat saam met hulle in die kajuit was. “Die passasiers het groot klippe voor die trein gepak en die trein met klippe gegooi. Die glas en klippe het op ons neergestort,” sê Kgaripane Mogashoa (42) in die verklaring. Sy het die treinbeheerbeampte gebel en is gemagtig om met die roete voort te gaan. Mogashoa was op pad van Pienaarspoort na Pretoria, maar moes noodgedwonge by ’n rooi sein stop. Volgens Mogashoa was die student wat saam met haar was, histeries. Die trein het veilig by die Pretoria-treinstasie aangekom. Mogashoa en die student ontvang berading. Sy was ook die treindrywer wat twee ja…

Kopiereg-werkswinkel in Pretoria: 24 Februarie 2018

Onthou die datum: Saterdag 24 Februarie 2018! Dit is die dag waarop ’n belangrike kopiereg-werkswinkel in Pretoria gehou sal word vir outeurs, kunstenaars, musikante, filmvervaardigers en die bedrywe wat in hul werk belê. Die parlement hersien tans Suid-Afrika se kopieregwetgewing. Die Kopieregalliansie, ’n groepering van rolspelers in die skeppende bedrywe, is in reaksie op die Wysigingswetsontwerp op Outeursreg gestig en is tans besig om openbare bewustheid oor relevante onderwerpe te skep. ’n Spesifieke fokus is die wyse waarop die wetsontwerp skrywers, kunstenaars, musikante, filmvervaardigers en die bedrywe wat in hul werk belê, sal beïnvloed. Die parlementêre portefeuljekomitee beplan om in Maart beraadslaging oor die wetsontwerp te hervat. Die Kopieregalliansie reël ’n geleentheid op 24 Februarie 2018 in afwagting van hierdie vergaderings. Die geleentheid sal vanaf 14:00 tot ongeveer 18:00 by die Universiteit van Pretoria se Musaionteater plaasvind. Die program …

Teetuin by die Sammy Marks-museum moet deure sluit ná 25 jaar

Eers het die Pretoria Boeremark by die Pioniersmuseum in die slag gebly, toe is dit Tant Miertjie se kombuisrestaurant by die Willem Prinsloo-museum wat sy deure moet sluit. Nou is die nuutste slagoffer van Ditsong Museums van Suid-Afrika glo The Rose Garden-teetuin by die Sammy Marks-museum, wat sy deure ná 25 suksesvolle jare moet sluit. Volgens Werner Weinbeck (74), eienaar van die teetuin, is dit vir hom vreeslik hartseer om sy deure nou ná al die jare te sluit omdat Ditsong Museums glo besluit het om die teetuin op tender uit te sit. Werner Weinbeck, eienaar van The Rose Garden-teetuin by die Sammy Marks-museum, moet sy gereelde klante nou ná 25 suksesvolle jare groet. “Hierdie was my plek. Dis so mooi en rustig hier by die museum. Ek het elke dag met ’n lied in my hart kom werk. Dis die einde van ’n baie goeie hoofstuk in my lewe. Ek is verpletter, maar ek het nie ’n ander keuse as om aan te beweeg nie,” sê Weinbeck. Benewens die teetuin het Weinbeck ook…

Oom Paul statue excluded from monument; EFF threat to topple it

OOM Paul’s statue at Church Square is the subject of debate yet again, after the city council resolved to support a motion by the EFF that it be excluded from the Lalela Freedom of Expression Monument. However, there is still no mention of whether the statue will be removed or not. The resolution was passed during a council sitting on Thursday. It was opposed by the ANC, which said this would be “against the party policies on statues and heritage”. Last year, mayor Solly Msimanga said Church Square would be transformed into a place of open-air entertainment, called the Lalela Freedom of Expression Monument. Work has already started at the historic site. Msimanga said the Lalela project was aimed at bringing about vibrancy in public activities in the inner city. At the time, he said the statue would remain in place as the inner city regeneration project changed the face of Church Square around it. EFF councillor MoAfrika Mabogwane proposed that Paul Kruger’s st…

ANCYL, Vat Alles workers vow to bring Pretoria CBD to a standstill

No application had been received by Monday night for Friday’s planned shutdown of the city spearheaded by the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) Greater Tshwane region. Mayoral spokesperson Samkelo Mgobozi said: “We are aware of the planned shutdown. However, no application has been received to our knowledge and thus the march will be unprotected and illegal.” Mgobozi said the DA-led administration hoped there would be no loss to life or limb, or damage to property, and that proceedings would be conducted within the ambit of law. Metro Police spokesperson Nonhlanhla Mgiba also confirmed that no application had been received for the planned march. Mgiba said the City had only received a request for a march by former Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) employees. Mgiba said the ANCYL march had not yet been approved due to requirements still pending. However, the route to be taken would be communicated once the march was approved. “Should this march be approved, the …

Pretoria bus with passengers hijacked during feud between taxi operators

A bus with passengers was hijacked in Pretoria on Tuesday afternoon after a feud between several taxi operators on the city's express bus service. Sheila Lynn Senkubuge, Mayor Committee on Roads and Transport, said on Wednesday that the A Re Yeng bus was allegedly hijacked by "double crossed " bus drivers who disregarded an agreement between the Tshwane metro and three taxi ranks. The company entered the agreement with the taxi associations of Hammanskraal, Stinkwater and Eersterust in December 2017. According to the company, taxi drivers are reimbursed to no longer enter the city center, but to pick up and drop off commuters at a newly built taxi and bus stop at the Wonderboom Junction shopping center at R17 per ride. From Wonderboom Junction, commuters will then be transported with A Re Yeng buses to the city center at R8 per ride. This agreement was implemented on January 8. "On Tuesday afternoon, taxi drivers from all three taxi associations refused to take pass…

EFF Members created havoc at Swedish retailer’s stores in up-market malls in Pretoria

RED T-shirt clad Economic Freedom Fighters closed down South African branches of the international clothing retail giant H&M, including at Menlyn Mall in the city - and will close down any other shop that behaves in a racist manner. On Saturday EFF members stormed the Swedish retailer’s stores in up-market malls in Pretoria, Joburg and Cape Town, upending racks and pushing over shop dummies. A video taken at a Menlyn Mall shop has gone viral on social media. The reason for their violent protest action was an advert for an H&M product, a boy’s green hoodie, modelled by a young black child bearing the words: “Coolest monkey in the jungle.” After objections were first raised abroad, H&M apologised for the advert and withdrew the item from its online store. “We strongly believe that racism and bias in any shape or form, deliberate or accidental, are simply unacceptable,” H&M said in a statement. “We have got this wrong and we are deeply sorry.” But…