Friday 16 April 2021

Farm attack, woman attacked, violently assaulted and stabbed, Sundra

 

South Africa: Farm attack, woman attacked, violently assaulted and stabbed, Sundra

Oorgrens veiligheid

Farm attack, woman attacked, violently assaulted and stabbed, Sundra
Farm attack, woman attacked, violently assaulted and stabbed, Sundra

A farm attack took place on the morning of Tuesday 13 April 2021, at 10:00, on a smallholding in Sundra in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Anke Strydom (39) opened the door slightly to let her small dogs in when an attacker forced open the door and violently attacked her. The attacker pinned her to the ground and beat her relentlessly with his fists.

Strydom fought back and managed to kick the attacker off her. The attacker then lunged at her with his knife and in attempting to defend herself she was stabbed right through her forearm.

Strydom fled to one of the bedrooms where she held the door closed with her feet whilst retrieving a firearm.

The attacker bashed on the bedroom door and as he gained entry to the room Strydom pointed the firearm at him and threatened to shoot him, this caused the attacker to flee.

The attacker fled, having taken nothing, even though the woman’s handbag was standing at the door. It seem as if the attacker was intent on causing harm and not planning to rob anything.

Strydom contacted the neighbourhood watch for assistance and she was rushed to a hospital in Springs for urgent medical attention.

A case was registered with the Sundra SAPS who are investigating, but there have been no arrests. There is no other information available at this stage.

Read about more farm attacks here

Information supplied by Oorgrens veiligheid

South Africa Today – South Africa News

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4000105380692891751/9016427799444264246

9 Farm attacks, 2 farm murders in South Africa, 1-15 April 2021

 

South Africa: 9 Farm attacks, 2 farm murders, 1-15 April 2021

The Rome Research Institute of South Africa

9 Farm attacks, 2 farm murders in South Africa, 1-15 April 2021
9 Farm attacks, 2 farm murders in South Africa, 1-15 April 2021

In the first fifteen days of April 2021, there have already been nine farm attacks and two farm murders in South Africa. During this period, one farm attack was successfully averted.

During the month of March 2021, there were thirty six farm attacks and five farm murders in the country whilst two farm attacks were successfully averted.

During the month of February 2021, there were seventeen farm attacks and three farm murders. One farm attack was successfully averted.

During January 2021 there were twenty one farm attacks and three attacks were successfully averted.

Read about more farm attacks here

Information supplied by The Rome Research Institute of South Africa


https://southafricatoday.net/south-africa-news/9-farm-attacks-2-farm-murders-in-south-africa-1-15-april-2021/

Thursday 15 April 2021

New York Parent Files Lawsuit to Marry Adult Child

 

New York Parent Files Lawsuit to Marry Adult Child

Prince Harry places the wedding ring on the finger of Meghan Markle during their wedding service in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 19, 2018. See PA story ROYAL Wedding. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Jonathan Brady/PA Wire


A New York parent who wishes to marry their own adult child filed a lawsuit to overturn the incestuous practice, saying the matter should be up to the “individual.”

“Through the enduring bond of marriage, two persons, whatever relationship they might otherwise have with one another, can find a greater level of expression, intimacy and spirituality,” the parent, who seeks to remain anonymous, argued in the Manhattan federal court claim filed April 1.

“The proposed spouses are adults,” the filing continued. “The proposed spouses are biological parent and child. The proposed spouses are unable to procreate together.”

According to New York law, incest is a third-degree felony with a penalty of up to four years in prison. Incestuous marriages are also considered void, and spouses are punished with a fine and up to six months in jail.

Marriage licenses in New York City require potential spouses to write down their birth parents and sign off saying there are “no legal impediments to the marriage,” according to the Office of the City Clerk’s marriage license page.

The parent is asking a federal judge to declare the incest laws unconstitutional and unenforceable in their case, which the lawsuit cites as falling under the category of “Parent and Adult Child Non-Procreationable” couples.

The case is Doe v. McSweeney, No. 1:21-cv-2806 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

https://www.breitbart.com/local/2021/04/14/new-york-parent-files-lawsuit-marry-adult-child/

Farm attack, woman assaulted, tied up – robbed vehicle lookout, Nelspruit

 

South Africa: Farm attack, woman assaulted, tied up – robbed vehicle lookout, Nelspruit

Oorgrens veiligheid

Farm attack, woman assaulted, tied up - robbed vehicle lookout, Nelspruit
Farm attack, woman assaulted, tied up - robbed vehicle lookout, Nelspruit

A farm attack took place on 14 April 2021, at 19:20, in the Uitkyk area outside of Nelspruit, in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. An woman was attacked and overpowered by two attackers when she arrived home at her smallholding.

The attackers ransacked the home and fled with two TV’s, personal items and the woman’s vehicle.

There is a lookout for the vehicle, a Maroon CITI Golf, with registration DHB 997 MP.

The woman was left tied up but did not suffer serious injuries. All role players responded by there have been no arrests. The police are investigating.

There is no other information available at this stage.

Read about more farm attacks here

Information supplied by Oorgrens veiligheid

South Africa Today – South Africa News

https://southafricatoday.net/south-africa-news/mpumalanga/farm-attack-woman-assaulted-tied-up-robbed-vehicle-lookout-nelspruit/

Farm attack, couple assaulted, tied up, American guest found in bush, Alicedale

South Africa: Farm attack, couple assaulted, tied up, American guest found in bush, Alicedale

Oorgrens veiligheid

Farm attack, couple assaulted, tied up, American guest found in bush, Alicedale
Farm attack, couple assaulted, tied up, American guest found in bush, Alicedale

A farm attack took place on the evening of 14 April 2021, on a farm in the Alicedale area, on the N10 road to Patterson, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Five armed attackers overpowered and assaulted Erica Fox and her husband in their home. The man was tied up and Erica was forced to open the safe.

The attackers stole jewelry and four firearms; two shotguns, a 9mm pistol and a revolver. Erica was then also tied up in one of the bedrooms.

At this stage there are conflicting stories regarding an American guest, Mr Jacobs, that was also on the farm. At the time of the attack he was either kidnapped by the attackers and later released, or he fled into the bush to take cover and hide away.

He was later found unharmed by patrolers and taken to the police station. This story is unfolding.

Local farmers and other roleplayers responded but there have been no arrests. Police are investigating.

There is no other information available at this stage.

Read about more farm attacks here

Information supplied by Oorgrens veiligheid

South Africa Today – South Africa News

https://southafricatoday.net/south-africa-news/eastern-cape/farm-attack-couple-assaulted-tied-up-american-guest-found-in-bush-alicedale/

Protesters Build Embattlements, Carry Improved Shields During Seige of Minnesota Police HQ

Protesters Build Embattlements, Carry Improved Shields During Seige of Minnesota Police HQ

Twitter Video Screenshot/Nic Rowan/Washington Examiner
3:45


Protesters in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, began placing embattlements on the streets outside the police headquarters building as the city’s curfew approached. They also carried improved shielding to allow protesters to hide from police projectiles while they throw objects at the police.

Washington Examiner reporter Nic Rowan tweeted a video showing protesters erecting “embattlements” on the street to provide cover for protesters attacking police.

A video tweeted by Daily Caller journalist Richie McGinnis shows the defensive tactics in operation as police fire crowd-control munitions.

As the curfew hour approached, police declared the demonstration to be an unlawful assembly.

Following the unlawful assembly, announcement police began deploying gas in an attempt to move the crowd back from the fencing.

Another group began a F**K the Police dance party away from the front lines.

The situation began to escalate as protesters began launching fireworks and throwing projectiles at police officers. The police responded by throwing flashbangs into the crowd, Fox News national correspondent Lauren Blanchard tweeted.

Hundreds of people gathered late Wednesday afternoon outside the Brooklyn Center police headquarters. National Guardsmen and State police moved in to protect the building during the fourth night of protest following the shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright by police on Sunday.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehensions arrested former Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kimberly Potter on charges of Manslaughter II. The former officer was processed and released after she posted a $100,000 bond. If convicted on the charge, she could face anywhere from probation to 10 years in state prison.

https://www.breitbart.com/law-and-order/2021/04/14/protesters-build-embattlements-carry-improved-shields-during-seige-of-minnesota-police-hq/

what ‘nil’ compensation is likely to mean in practice

 South Africa: A Cheshire Cat and Two Red Herrings – what ‘nil’ compensation is likely to mean in practice

Last week the Ad Hoc Committee responsible for drafting an expropriation-without- compensation (EWC) constitutional amendment bill (the EWC Bill) invited three ministers, including minister of mineral resources and energy Gwede Mantashe, to put forward their comments on its draft to date.  

Custodianship without compensation 

EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu used the opportunity to urge once again that ‘the state be made custodian of all of South Africa’s land’, so that the government could then ‘redistribute it equitably’. 

Said Mr Shivambu: ‘Land could be repossessed by the state in the same manner as mineral and water had been under the MPRDA [Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2002] and the [National] Water Act of 1998. If the approach was to expropriate small parcels of land, piece by piece, every expropriation attempt would be met with litigation. The courts would be “swamped”.’  

By contrast, ‘state custodianship would involve a more “dependable” process’ and provide ‘a more sustainable approach to securing land redistribution’. He asked if Mr Mantashe, with his experience of custodianship under the MPRDA, for his perspective.

To which Mr Mantashe answered that the MPRDA was an important example of ‘restorative legislation’. This was because it ‘provided for the vesting of the nation’s mineral resources under state custodianship without the obligation to pay compensation’.  This had helped to speed up reform, while the Constitutional Court had ‘confirmed the legitimacy of this regime’ in the Agri SA case in 2013.

The Agri SA case

This case began when a company, Sebenza (Pty) Ltd, found it lacked the funds needed to convert an unused ‘old-order’ mining right it had bought in 2001 for R1m into a ‘new-order’ mining right under the MPRDA. This Act not only vested all mineral resources in the ‘custodianship’ of the state, but also required that all unused old-order rights be converted to ‘new-order’ rights within a year – failing which they would ‘cease to exist’. 

Since Sebenza could not afford the application fee for this conversion, its unused mining right came to an end after a year, prompting it to sue for compensation.  Agri SA, a lobby group for commercial farmers, many of whom had earlier owned unused old-order rights to the minerals beneath their land, took over the claim and brought it before the Pretoria High Court. 

The High Court found that Sebenza had lost all the competencies of ownership it had previously enjoyed, while the MPRDA had given the mining minister substantially similar rights. The state had thus acquired ‘the substance of the property rights’ that Sebenza had previously owned – and it made no difference that the state’s competencies were termed ‘custodianship’ rather than ‘ownership’. Expropriation had indeed occurred and compensation of R750 000 was payable. 

However, this ruling was in time taken on appeal to the Constitutional Court, which overturned it. The main judgment was penned by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, who ruled that ‘the assumption of custodianship’ did not amount to expropriation because it did not make the state the owner of the right in issue. 

Stated the chief justice: ‘Whatever “custodian” might mean, it does not mean that the state has acquired and thus become the owner of the rights concerned.’ No expropriation had thus occurred, and this meant that no compensation was payable. 

What the Pretoria High Court had seen as a meaningless distinction between the state’s powers as ‘owner’ or ‘custodian’ thus became an issue of major legal and monetary importance. 

Chief Justice Mogoeng’s approach suggests that Sebenza’s ownership of the mining right, for which it had paid R1m, had simply disappeared into thin air – rather like the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

The chief justice’s ruling was criticised by three of the judges hearing the case, who pointed out that expropriation does not necessarily require the state’s taking of ownership. His judgment also overlooks international law, which would have acknowledged Sebenza’s right to compensation.

Expropriation in international law and under South Africa’s Constitution

Under customary international law, as well as most bilateral investment treaties, expropriation is defined in a broad way to include both ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ expropriations. 

A ‘direct’ expropriation takes place when the state takes ownership of property. An ‘indirect’ expropriation does not involve the acquisition of ownership by the state and can take the form of either ‘custodial’ or ‘regulatory’ takings. 

A ‘custodial’ taking arises when the state takes custodianship of property. As Mr Shivambu stresses, the government has already done this as regards all water resources (under the National Water Act of 1998) and all mineral resources (under the MPRDA). 

A ‘regulatory’ expropriation arises when the state’s regulations impose losses on an owner – for example, through price controls on minerals that prevent their sale at market value – but the government makes no attempt to take ownership of the assets in issue.

International law requires the payment of compensation for both direct and indirect expropriations. So too does Section 25 of the Constitution (the property clause), which, in the absence of legislation to the contrary, should be interpreted in a manner consistent with international law.

The real purpose of the EWC and Expropriation Bills 

The real purpose of the EWC and Expropriation Bills is to prepare the way for:

  • the vesting of all land in the custodianship of the state without compensation being paid, as Mr Shivambu and Mr Mantashe have recommended; and
  • the introduction, also without compensation for resulting losses, of prescribed asset and other rules that will require pension funds, banks, life insurance and other institutions managing R16 trillion’s worth of savings to invest these in Eskom, other failing SOEs, and the government’s ‘infrastructure’ bonds.

The EWC Bill will pave the way for state custodianship of land by providing that nil compensation may be paid for land and ‘the improvements thereon’ in circumstances to be set out by Parliament in future legislation. 

Once the Constitution has been amended along these lines, a statute vesting all land and improvements in the custodianship of the state could be enacted. A court would have to confirm that ‘nil’ compensation should be paid in this instance – but Chief Justice Mogoeng’s flawed Agri SA ruling would be used to help secure this outcome.

The Expropriation Bill will pave the way, not only for state custodianship, but also for the regulatory takings to be aimed at the asset management industry (and many others too). Its major contribution to these goals lies in its broad definition of property – as ‘not limited to land’ – and its narrow definition of ‘expropriation’.

The Expropriation Bill defines ‘expropriation’ as meaning the ‘compulsory acquisition’ of property by the state. This definition is clearly modelled on Chief Justice Mogoeng’s ruling in the Agri SA case. It is also clearly intended to confine the payment of compensation to instances of ‘direct’ expropriation: where the state takes ownership of assets. 

Once these definitions have been adopted and given the capacity to trump all other law (as the Expropriation Bill provides), no compensation will be payable for the indirect expropriations that will occur when the state takes custodianship of all land – or when it introduces regulations giving it control (but not ownership) of the country’s massive pot of pension and other savings.

How do we know the state wants land custodianship and various regulatory takings?

The government has already tried to vest all non-urban land in the custodianship of the state via the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Bill of 2014. In January 2019, moreover, a senior land department official, Masiphulo Mbongwa, told the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos (Switzerland) that the government planned to amend the property clause in the Constitution and then vest all land ‘in the people of South Africa’ via a National Land Act similar to the National Water Act and the MPRDA. 

As regards regulatory takings, the ANC pledged at its Nasrec national conference in 2017 to ‘investigate’ prescribed assets for pension funds and other financial institutions. It has already begun amending Regulation 28 under the Pension Funds Act, though compulsory investment into state and SOE bonds has yet to be introduced.

Many other regulatory takings could also be introduced. Among other things:

  • BEE ownership targets could be pushed up to 51% or more, without any compensation being paid for forced sales at prices below market value;
  • foreign security operating in South Africa could be subjected to 51% ‘indigenisation’ requirements, again without compensation being payable;
  • export and price controls could be placed on platinum and other minerals to prevent their sale at global prices;
  • price controls could be imposed on all private hospitals and other private healthcare providers under the National Health Insurance (NHI) system; and
  • compulsory licences could become mandatory for Covid-19 vaccines and many patented medicines, allowing them to be copied in return for low or nil compensation.

All these interventions are already in the policy pipeline – and are likely to be enacted into law once the EWC and Expropriation Bills are in place. Combined with land custodianship, these indirect expropriations will enormously expand the power of the state. They will also be effective in transforming the ‘ownership, management, and structure’ of the economy – which is one of the key goals of the SACP/ANC alliance in this ‘second phase’ of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).

Two red herrings

This is where two red herrings merit a mention. The first is the belief, sedulously fostered by the SACP/ANC and many commentators – that the EWC and Expropriation Bills deal solely with land and are aimed at transferring individual plots into the ownership of ordinary black South Africans to provide redress for past injustice. 

In reality, state custodianship of land will strip all owners of the rights they now enjoy and terminate any hope of gaining title for millions of black people. Instead, South Africans will be turned into tenants of the state: obliged to pay rent for what (in many cases) they used to own – and vulnerable to summary eviction at bureaucratic whim to make way for ANC luminaries and other favoured cadres.

The second red herring is that the ‘nil’ compensation for which both bills provide will be narrowly applied to land which has been ‘abandoned’ or is being held solely for speculative purposes. In fact, nil compensation will apply to all land taken into state custodianship – which could be all land in the country. And nil compensation will also apply to all the losses that people will suffer from asset prescription and other regulatory takings.

Both these red herrings are as unbelievable as the Cheshire Cat’s capacity to fade away and disappear. That both are nevertheless so widely endorsed shows the power of ANC propaganda – and how astute the SACP/ANC alliance has been in weaving a complex web of rules which are hard to understand and easy to discount.  

https://dailyfriend.co.za/2021/04/15/a-cheshire-cat-and-two-red-herrings-what-nil-compensation-is-likely-to-mean-in-practice/

‘In good shape but inappropriate’: Canadian MP scolded for walking around NAKED during official session

‘In good shape but inappropriate’: Canadian MP scolded for walking around NAKED during official


A female Canadian MP raised a point of order about appropriate attire for official Parliament business, after her male colleague was caught inside his office wearing not a stitch during a Question Period live stream.

“Perhaps remind the members, especially the male members, that suits and ties are called for,” MP Claude Debellefeuille of the Bloc-Quebecois said on Wednesday, raising a point of order. She was referring to her colleague William Amos of the ruling Liberal party, who was captured on the stream inside his office, completely naked.

Noting that Amos was “in very good shape,” Debellefeuille nonetheless said he should be “reminded of what is appropriate and to control his camera.”

Amos, 46, represents Quebec’s Pontiac riding, just across the river from the Canadian capital of Ottawa. He was first elected in 2015. 

“This was an unfortunate error. My video was accidentally turned on as I was changing into my work clothes after going for a jog. I sincerely apologize to my colleagues in the House of Commons for this unintentional distraction,” he said in a statement. “Obviously, it was an honest mistake and it won’t happen again.” 

Amos’s unfortunate state of deshabille was not inflicted on the general public, as he was not speaking during the Question Period, but only on the MPs and their staff watching the internal feed.

He is unlikely to face punishment from Liberal whip Mark Holland, who told CTV he was “utterly mortified” by the incident but doubted there was any ill intent involved.

“This is a warning to everybody. You've got to really always assume that [the] camera is on and be very careful any time you wander anywhere near that camera that you're dressed appropriately,” he told the broadcaster.

https://www.rt.com/news/521070-naked-canada-parliament-zoom/

Wednesday 14 April 2021

Farm attack: Family, including disabled daughter, violently assaulted, Balfour

 

South Africa: Farm attack: Family, including disabled daughter, violently assaulted, Balfour

Oorgrens veiligheid

Farm attack: Family, including disabled daughter, violently assaulted, Balfour
Farm attack: Family, including disabled daughter, violently assaulted, Balfour

A farm attack took place on 13 April 2021, at 17:00, on the farm Klipfontein in the Grootvlei / Balfour area in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Between five and seven armed attackers overpowered Fanie and Susan Gouws along with their disabled daughter in their home and brutally assaulted and tied them up.

The attackers, who gained entry to the home, attacked the family and shot and killed the family dog. They demanded money and firearms.

The attackers used a steel pipe to viscously assault the family.

The family suffered serious injuries during the attack. The attackers then fled on foot with only cell phones after something disturbed them. Susan Gouws managed to free herself went for help. All roleplayers responded.

Fanie was admitted to hospital with very serious head and body wounds after the assault. Police are investigating the attack but there have been no arrests.

There is no other information available at this stage.

Read about more farm attacks here

Information supplied by Oorgrens veiligheid

South Africa Today – South Africa News

https://southafricatoday.net/south-africa-news/mpumalanga/farm-attack-family-including-disabled-daughter-violently-assaulted-balfour/

Spicy vegetable curry with pumpkin fritters

 

Spicy vegetable curry with pumpkin fritters – A South African feast


A bowl of rich, aromatic curry is a hearty meal very few South Africans can decline. This spicy vegetable curry is a flavoursome dish super comforting and nutritious. This dish is perfect for an individual who prefers a vegan and /or vegetarian diet as it is completely plant-based.

Serve this satisfying curry dish with white basmati rice. It pairs really well with cinnamony pumpkin fritters to provide a striking contrast to the spiciness of the curry.

If you are a mom with kids, getting them to eat veggies can sometimes be a bit of a struggle. However, with this delicious curry dish, your little ones will not even know they are enjoying some tasty veggies! You may just need to adjust the spiciness level depending on the tolerance level of your children.

This spicy vegetable curry is amazingly versatile. You can simply use any veggies you have available.

If you prefer, you can serve the pumpkin fritters rather as dessert with ice cream.


Recipe by Candice BradfordCourse: Main Cuisine: South African Difficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

35

minutes
Total time

50

minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • SPICY VEGETABLE CURRY
  • 2 cups basmati rice

  • 10 ml canola oil / coconut oil

  • 5 ml ground cumin

  • 5 ml ground coriander

  • 1 onion, red or white, roughly chopped

  • 2 chillies, seeds in or out, chopped

  • fresh coriander

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 4 curry leaves

  • 10 ml crushed garlic

  • 5 ml tomato paste

  • 10 ml sugar

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 cup vegetable stock

  • 5 ml corn flour

  • 15 ml nartjie oros

  • 15 ml masala / curry spice

  • 1 cup pumpkin

  • ½ cup baby marrow

  • ½ cup cauliflower

  • ½ cup brussels sprout

  • PUMPKIN FRITTERS
  • 1 cup pumpkin

  • 1 egg

  • ¾ cup rice flour

  • 1 ml baking powder

  • 2 ml nutmeg

  • 2 ml cinnamon

  • 1 ml ground cardamom

  • salt

  • paprika

  • ¾ cup castor sugar

  • 5 ml cinnamon

  • oil

METHOD

  • Spicy vegetable curry
  • In a pot, bring the rice to the boil. Add the salt and allow to cook until done. Then, drain and set aside until later.
  • In another pot, heat the oil and add the chopped onion. Add the spices and sweat the onion with the spices. Add the bay & curry leaves as well as the chillies.
  • Next, add the Brussels sprouts and stir. Add the rest of the vegetables and the tomato paste and stir until the veggies are coated in the spices.
  • Add the salt, pepper, sugar and vegetable stock and stir. Next pour in a cup of water and add fresh coriander. Remember to keep some for garnish. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  • In a jug, add corn starch to the Oros and stir. Pour the Oros through a sieve into the curry. Stir the curry and simmer for a further 15 minutes on medium heat.
  • Plate the rice and curry and serve in bowls. Garnish with fresh coriander.
  • Pumpkin fritters
  • Cook the pumpkin until soft, drain and mash.
  • Add seasoning and beaten egg and whisk together.
  • Add a little rice flour until a batter is formed and add baking powder.
  • In a heated pan, add oil and drop spoonfulls of the pumpkin batter into the pan. Fry for 5 minutes until golden each side. Then, drain the oil on kitchen towel.
  • In a bowl, add the castor sugar, cinnamon and cardamom. Add the hot fritters and shake until sugar coated. Shake off the excess sugar and set the fritters aside.
  • Serve with curry or as a sweet dessert with vanilla ice cream.
  • https://www.thesouthafrican.com/food/recipes/spicy-vegetable-curry-with-pumpkin-fritters-a-south-african-feast/