Stepchild murder accused remanded in custody and other brief reports

* More than 500 offenders have been arrested by the police’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit in the Umfolozi SAPS area of Zululand since January last year. – The Mercury * Police are calling on people who believe they may be victims of a Legal Aid swindle to contact them. Attorney Lucky Ngubane (26) was arrested this week for allegedly collecting payments for fines that had been suspended by the courts. Anyone who may have made such payments is asked to contact the Commercial Crimes Unit’s Supt Christopher Gumede at 082 935 1434. – The Mercury * More than 500 firearms had been handed in during the amnesty period for unlicensed and unwanted guns, Pretoria police said yesterday. These included one semi-automatic weapon. The amnesty period for the handing in of firearms with no questions asked is to end on March 31. – Business Day * Icasa is set to impose more specific licence conditions on the SABC to reflect its reorganisation into commercial and public service divisions. The commercial division will consist of SABC3 and radio stations Metro FM, Good Hope FM and 5FM. The public service division will include SABC1, SABC2 and 15 radio stations, including SAfm, Thobela, Umhlobo Wenene, Ligwalagwala, Lesedi and Lotus. – Business Report * Zimbabwe has set up a court to deal with disputes that may arise from next month\'s elections, the state-run daily newspaper, The Herald, reported yesterday. The Electoral Court is part of a series of steps that President Robert Mugabe\'s Government has taken after Zimbabwe signed up to a code of conduct for free and fair elections agreed by regional leaders last year. – The Witness * The Namibian Government has proposed amendments to the Income Tax Act aimed at clamping down on tax evaders. The amendments are aimed at tightening the screws on individuals who use loopholes in the system to evade tax in cross-border transactions, mostly with SA. – Business Report * Alleged hijack kingpin, Xolani Mliliwana (31), has appeared briefly in the Port Elizabeth Magistrates’ Court. His appearance was a formality prior to his being transferred to Gauteng. Mliliwana, who was among the country’s top 200 most wanted criminals, faces charges of several car hijackings, escaping from custody, theft of his police docket, attempted murder and possession of illegal firearms. – The Herald * Two men, Theuns Botha (43) and Marthinus Botha (62) have gone on trial in the Port Elizabeth High Court on charges of raping a 48-year-old woman with the reasoning capacity of a six-year-old. Both have pleaded not guilty. – The Herald * Mason Jansen (19) and Irvine Newfelt (28) went on trial yesterday in the Port Elizabeth High Court charged with the February 2004 kidnapping of Salvadore Bambie and his girlfriend, Samantha Singh (22). Singh was raped and stabbed to death and Bambie escaped by faking drowning in a salt pan after a heavy rock was tied to him and he was dumped in the lake. – The Herald