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Charles Montgomery and Nicholas Holt of Holts Auctioneers will beundertaking valuation days in the following areas:

Thursday 15th May – Arms, Kudoesneck/Greysbok Avenue,Waterkloof, Pretoria

Friday 16th May – Kings, 54 Hunter Street, Durban

We will be conducting free valuations on modern and antiquefirearms, edged weapons and Military and can advise on

consigning these to the UK for auction in London in order to obtainthe best possible results.

Sales are held in London in March, June, September and Decembereach year.

FOR AN APPOINTMENT, CALL:

Charles Montgomery or Renate Smith

Tel: 021 – 797 8787 ext 5

Cell: 082 431 9256 • Fax: 021 – 797 9102om/03/09641932

AFRICA EDITIONGET ACOPYTODAY

The Star subscribes to theSouth African Press Codethat prescribes news thatis truthful, accurate, fairand balanced. If we don’tlive up to the Code, pleasecontact the PressOmbudsman at 011 4843612/8, fax: 0114843619.Website:www.presscouncil.org.za

QUICK

TAKEQUICK

TAKE11 perish in bus accidentELEVEN people were killed in a bus accident between Georgeand Oudtshoorn yesterday morning, Western Cape trafficauthorities said. “Ten people died at the scene and anotherperson died in hospital,” the province’s traffic chief, Kenny Africa,said. “Another 18 passengers were injured, nine seriously.” Ofthe 18, four were children. Africa said he was not sure if any ofthe deceased were children. The incident happened on the N12around 1.50am. – Sapa

Alleged child-killer, rapist in courtA MAN accused of raping a 9-year-old girl and then setting heralight appeared in the Bellville District Court, Cape Town,yesterday. Magistrate Cyril Krautz postponed the matter to June10 for a formal bail application. The man, 27, who may not benamed until he pleads to the charges, previously abandoned abail application. He was arrested on January 19 and hasappeared in court four times. Initially, he faced charges ofabduction, sexual assault, rape and attempted murder. Becausethe victim died in hospital from her burns on March 18, theattempted murder charge was changed to murder. – Sapa

Fishermen guided to safetyTWO FISHERMEN from Lamberts Bay on the West Coast wereguided back to shore yesterday after losing their way in thick fog,the National Sea Rescue Institute said. NSRI spokesman CraigLambinon said the men waited out Wednesday night on theirsmall, open fishing boat and dropped anchor until the fogcleared. Sea rescue craft found the men 9 nautical miles north ofLamberts Bay yesterday morning and guided them back to theharbour. – Sapa

Commission adjourns againTHE SERITI Commission of Inquiry into the 1999 arms deal wasadjourned yesterday, a spokesman said. This was as CaptainAndrew Reed completed his testimony, spokesman WilliamBaloyi said. The hearings will continue on Wednesday. Thecommission, sitting in Pretoria and headed by Judge Willie Seriti,is investigating allegations of corruption in the multibillion-rand1999 arms deal. – Sapa

Ailing sailor evacuatedA FILIPINO sailor with a suspected burst stomach ulcer wasevacuated from a bulk carrier off Port Elizabeth, the National SeaRescue Institute said yesterday. Spokesman Craig Lambinon saidthe MV India, sailing from Brazil to Singapore, had diverted toPort Elizabeth to rendezvous with the NSRI off the city. “Onarrival on scene, the patient, walking and in a stable andsatisfactory condition, was brought down the pilot’s ladder ontoour sea rescue craft,” he said. The sailor was taken to shore andreceived further treatment in hospital. – Sapa

Gang of five robbers arrestedFIVE men were arrested in connection with business robberies inSekgakgapeng, Mokopane, Limpopo police said yesterday. Themen were arrested on Wednesday evening at a house in thearea, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said. “The suspects terrorisedbusiness owners in the area in the past few months by robbingthem of cash, airtime and groceries,” he said. The men allegedlyoperated in a group, where two of them entered a shop,pretended to buy something, and then pointed a firearm at theshopowner before tying up the owner and workers. The threeother men then entered the shop, stole various items and fledthe scene. – Sapa

Cement truck blocks N1 northA TRUCK carrying cement overturned in Midrand yesterday,Joburg metro police said. Motorist were advised to use the OldPretoria Road as an alternative as all lanes on the N1 northheading to Pretoria were closed. JMPD spokesman ChiefSuperintendent Wayne Minnaar said a passenger in the trucksuffered minor injuries. – Sapa

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BRENDAN ROANEbrendan.roane@inl.co.za

THE STATE must narrow downmore than 56 000 pages of evi-dence in Radovan Krejcir’s kid-napping and attempted murdertrial, or his defence will again tryto strike the case off the roll.

The Czech fugitive, DesaiLuphondo, Siboniso Miya andHawks members Samuel “Sad-dam” Maruping, George Ntho-roane and Jan Mofokeng allappeared on the same chargesyesterday.

The charges relate to allega-tions the six were involved inabducting and torturing a man inJune last year after an allegeddrug deal went wrong.

Their trial was due to begin inthe South Gauteng High Court,sitting in the Palm Ridge Magis-trate’s Court, but the accused’slegal team formally applied forthe case to be struck off the roll

before trial proceedings began.Krejcir’s lawyer, advocate

Annelene van den Heever, saidthe State had prejudiced herclient by not handing over vitalinformation.

They had repeatedly re-quested further particulars fromprosecutors – which the Statewas likely to use during the trial– so they could prepare theirdefence.

They were also arguing thatit would be impossible for themto read through separate evi-dence material given to them lastweek – more than 56 000 pages ofinformation downloaded fromcellphones belonging to all six –in order to be prepared for thetrial.

State prosecutor Louis Mashi-ane said he had already suppliedthe defence with an affidavit thatlisted the relevant pages, esti-mated to be about 100 pages.

However, Judge Colin Lamont

later ordered Mashiane to handover copies of the relevant pagesto the defence by no later than1pm today.

If he failed, Van den Heeversaid outside court, they wouldapply again for the matter to bestruck off the roll.

Another request Van denHeever made was for the State tohand over the receipt of a J88form, a medical report thatdetails injuries.

When Mashiane objected,Judge Lamont said he couldunderstand why the defencewould want this information. Hesaid it would allow them time toadequately prepare their cross-examination questions.

Van den Heever also requestedthat the names of people men-tioned in the docket be revealedto the defence in confidence asshe said these names wereblacked out in the documentgiven to them by the State.

State pressured over Krejcir evidenceSanders murder accused back in dockFour held over R87m robberyAN INVESTIGATION by the Hawks has led to the recovery ofjust under R1 million and the arrest of four people.

On Wednesday morning, the police raided two separatehomes in Carolina and eMalahleni in Mpumalanga andfound R990 000 stashed in a washing machine in a yard, andanother R6 000 in a shop.

“We arrested four people at their respective residences,”said Hawks spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko.

These were the first arrests made in connection withthe R87 million SBV cashpoint robbery, which occurred ineMalahleni on April 27.

Ramaloko said two of the arrested men were employeesof the SBV cash-in-transit company and worked at the cashcentre, while another was a police reservist in Witbank.

The security guards poisoned during the incident remainin a critical condition in hospital. – Mpiletso Motumi

TEBOGO MONAMA

NEARLY two years after formerboxing heavyweight CorrieSanders was murdered, the trialof three men accused of murder-ing him started in the NorthGauteng High Court yesterday.

Paida Fish, Chris Moyo andSamuel Mabena appeared beforeJudge Ferdi Preller on sevencharges related to the events thatled to Sanders’s shooting on Sep-tember 21, 2012 at Thatch HavenCountry Lodge in Brits during arelative’s 21st birthday.

Sanders died the next day inhospital. The three are chargedwith murder; two counts of mali-cious damage to property, afterthey damaged two cars at thevenue; armed robbery; unlawfulpossession of a firearm; unlawfulpossession of ammunition; andthe attempted murder of one ofthe guests, who was shot andinjured during the altercation.

They all pleaded not guilty tothe charges.

The men were arrested a fewdays after the murder at theOukasie informal settlementoutside Brits.

Sanders’s second-round TKOwin against Vladimir Klitschkoon March 8, 2003 is consideredone of the best performances bya South African boxer.

Klitschko was considered theheir apparent to the great LennoxLewis, so Sanders’s win was a

great achievement, especially asKlitschko is back at the top again.

On the first day of the trialyesterday, the first officer toarrive at the scene, ConstableTumelo Maluleke, told the courtthat when he got to the lodge,there was an ambulance parkedoutside, apparently with Sandersinside.

“Gert Sanders approached meand said the blood (on the venuefloor) was his brother’s. I thenasked everyone to exit the roomin single file so I could secure thecrime scene and cordon it off, sothat it was not contaminated. Ithen placed boxes where therewere cartridges.”

Maluleke said Gert told himthat he could identify the threemen who committed the crime.

Sanders’s family, includingGert, were present but did not sitin the courtroom.

The case was expected to con-tinue today.

CHAMP: Corrie Sanders

Women want action on kidnapped girlsNigerian government must find them and bring them home, say Joburg protestersJOYCE LEEjoyce.lee@inl.co.za

WEARING bright-red lip-stick and colourfulclothing, the crowd of

women pushed against the irongates of the Nigerian Consulateyesterday.

“Bring back our girls. Theyare ours. They are our future,”they yelled, as security guardslooked on from behind the walls.

The crowd of more than 200Joburg residents marched downRivonia Road from Sandton Cityto the Nigerian Consulate,demanding that the Nigeriangovernment rescue the kid-napped girls, bring them home,and provide for therapy to helpthem cope with the trauma.

The protesters joined theglobal #BringBackOurGirlsmovement, which aims to putpressure on the Nigerian gov-ernment to find the missingschoolgirls.

Most of the girls, about 270 ofthem, were kidnapped by BokoHaram, an Islamist rebel group,from a school in Chibok, Nige-ria, on April 14.

Boko Haram recently re-leased a video saying they wouldsell the girls into slavery.

Led by organisers from theJoburg’s Young Women’s Chris-tian Association, the SouthAfrican National Aids Counciland the Positive Women’s Net-works (PWN), the crowd took upone lane of the two-lane road,singing and cheering, “Viva thespirit of the girls”.

While elections were animportant moment for SouthAfrica, the country had to shiftits focus onto the missing girlsnow, said Ntsiki Mazwai, a poetand organiser of the march.

“In the AU, Zuma, you haveall the presidents in your hand,”said Prudence Mabele, execu-tive director of PWN, which isa non-profit organisation dedi-

cated to helping women livingwith HIV/Aids.

Mabele and two other organi-sers went to the consulate tohand over a memorandumurging action from the Nigeriangovernment.

“Stop playing politics withthe lives of girls that are miss-

ing,” Mabele read aloud from thepages.

Marchers heard reports thatanother group of protesters hadgathered in front of Parliament,only to be dispersed by policeafter about 15 minutes.

For many marchers, thesilence around the girls has sig-

nalled deep social issues aboutgender inequality.

“We as black women havebeen wronged. (The govern-ments) fight so hard for rhinos.Why can’t they fight for 300girls?” demanded Mazwai. “As ablack woman, it means I am subhuman.”

When the group reached thegates of the consulate and mencame out to greet them, theysaid: “We don’t want to hearmen’s voices. We want to hearthe women’s voices.

“We must act now,” one pro-tester said, after Mazwai ques-tioned whether the march would

bring any action. The girls have been missing

for more than three weeks. “We’re hoping they are

alive,” said actress Rosie Mo-tene, an organiser.

Meanwhile, the organisationIslamic Relief and the NelsonMandela Children’s Foundationissued statements saying theywere alarmed by the worseningsituation in Nigeria.

See pages 12 and 14

NEW FOCUS: A group of about 200 activists and celebrities marched to the Nigerian Consulate in Illovo to demandthat the Nigerian government find the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram. PICTURE: DUMISANI SIBEKO

ZELDA VENTER

IT WAS an emotional day forOscar Pistorius and his familyyesterday as they marked hismother’s birthday.

After taking his seat in thedock, Pistorius hugged a relativefor a long time, and it appeared asif they prayed together.

His sister Aimee also appearedteary as she hugged another fam-ily member for several minutes.

Sheila died 12 years ago, at theage of 42, on March 6, 2002.

While walking to the dockbefore proceedings yesterday, Pis-torius hugged a woman in thepublic gallery. It later appearedthat she was social worker Yvette

van Schalkwyk, who was asked bythe lower court in February lastyear to assist him emotionally andto monitor his behaviour duringhis bail application.

Van Schalkwyk this weekapproached the defence of herown accord and insisted on takingthe stand.

She said that she was upset byclaims in the media that Pistoriusput on an act “when he needed to”,by crying, and was emotional incourt to manipulate the situation.

The man she saw the day afterhe shot Reeva Steenkamp was a

broken person, she said. “He cried, he vomited, he was

broken about her loss and he kepton saying he felt sorry for her fam-ily, especially her parents. Heloved her.”

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel objectedto this evidence, but JudgeThokozile Masipa allowed it.

Van Schalkwyk said Pistoriushad told her of his and Steen-kamp’s plans.

“I saw a heartbroken man whosuffered emotionally.”

As part of Pistorius’s bailconditions last year, she submitted

four reports to the lower court,stating that he had consulted hispsychologist on a regular basis.Her report indicated that Pisto-rius was co-operative. Drug testsat the time were negative.

Nel, during cross-examination,told Van Schalkwyk she had seenPistorius a day after his arrest,when he was crying and felt sorryfor himself.

“Did he say he killed her or thathe shot her?” asked Nel. “Mostpeople are traumatised followingtheir arrest.”

Van Schalkwyk responded that

Pistorius had said “he missedReeva so much and that he hadaccidentally shot her”.

Nel said Pistorius’s versionwas that he thought he shot atintruders and not that he acciden-tally shot Steenkamp.

He also questioned whetherPistorius told Van Schalkwyk hewas sorry for what he had done.

Van Schalkwyk said Pistoriussaid he was sorry about what hap-pened. Nel retorted: “He told youhe missed Reeva. It’s all abouthim… One will expect he wouldshow remorse and accept what hehad done.”

Nel added it was not in disputethat Pistorius was traumatisedafter shooting Steenkamp.

THE NATIONAL Union ofMineworkers urged supportyesterday for the families ofthe more than 200 girlskidnapped by extremists inNigeria.

“We urge the South Africangovernment, religious groups,Congress of South AfricanTrade Unions and NGOs tojoin forces and support theaffected families,” NUMgeneral secretary FransBaleni said.

“We need to internalisetheir pain, and just imagine ifit was your child beingkidnapped.”

The schoolgirls wereabducted in the north-easternNigerian town of Chibok onApril 14 and have still not beenfound.

Baleni said the union wasalso concerned 11 more girlswere kidnapped on Sunday.

“NUM calls on thewhole world to fight thesebarbarians who are trying toblock children’s access toeducation.”

He said it was saddeningthat religion was beingmisused to terrorise andkidnap people. – Sapa

NUM speaksout onseized girls

‘I saw a heartbroken man who suffered’