Ramaphosa: I wish I could've done more

                                                                       Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa

Pretoria - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that living conditions for many miners were "inhumane" and that he wished that he had done more as an executive at the platinum producer Lonmin to improve them.

His comments to an inquiry into the police slaying of 34 striking Lonmin miners two years ago were the latest sign of political pressure on mining companies to implement social obligations required by the government but poorly observed.

"Living conditions that workers were exposed to is not something I can proudly say I can be associated with. In fact, they are appalling and inhumane," Ramaphosa, a former mining trade unionist turned tycoon, said in his second day of testimony.

Mbete to resume Parliament duties

                                                                                             Baleka Mbete

Johannesburg - Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete is expected to be back at work next week, Parliament announced on Tuesday.

"Ms Baleka Mbete is recovering well and is expected to resume her duties in Parliament when the new term starts on 19 August," it said in a statement.

"Ms Mbete was advised by doctors to rest and rebuild her strength following an intense election campaign in May."Mbete has reportedly only been in Parliament three times since taking her seat after the 7 May general elections.

NPA disappointed at Zuma son's no show

                                                                         Duduzane Zuma

Johannesburg - The National Prosecuting Authority is disappointed by the failure of President Jacob Zuma's son Duduzane, to attend an inquest at the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

"We are disappointed because we would have liked to have commenced with the inquest today, the matter has now been delayed for two months," said NPA spokesperson Nathi Mncube.

"Zuma lives in Johannesburg but could not make it to the court, while witnesses from as far as Marikana and Brits were in court by 09:00."

Zuma did not appear in court for the inquest hearing following an accident involving him in February, in which one person was killed.

Woman weeps as she recalls rape attack

 

Pretoria - A woman on Tuesday identified a Zimbabwean man as the robber who had raped and assaulted her in her home in Rayton in the east of Pretoria three years ago.

The trial of Zimbabwean cousins Progress Shoko, 28, and Howard Sekani, 31, in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria had to adjourn early when the woman, 37, became upset and started crying.

Shoko and Sekani pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, three of rape and three of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Decomposed body of child found in Lenasia

Johannesburg - The decomposing body of a child was discovered in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, on Tuesday evening, Gauteng police said.

"A passer-by noticed hair protruding from a rock near an informal settlement in Lenasia. He discovered that it was a human body and called the police," said police spokesperson Kay Makhubela.

The child's body was in a bad state of decomposition, and it was not yet known whether it was a boy or a girl, he said.