Cape Flats mom reveals how she survived six years of her life in Angola's most notorious jail after she was convicted for drug peddling. This is part two of Diary of a Drug Mule.

The Daily Voice brings you part two of the Diary of a Drug Mule, the saga of a Cape Flats mother who put her body on the line to give her children a better life.

On Thursday, desperate Mitchells Plain mom Roekieyah Lorraine Benjamin, 45, revealed that she was recruited to transport drugs for an international cartel in Brazil in 2010.

The single mom, who worked at a take-aways in Lentegeur, said the recruiter came to her workplace to “interview” her.

She has refused to reveal any more details about the recruiter, as she still fears for her life.

Benjamin was promised R20 000, which she was going to use toward a house for her and her three children, aged 18, 15 and 8 at the time.

She went through with the plan in February 2010 and flew to Sao Paolo in Brazil, where she swallowed 100 cocaine-filled capsules, which she was to transport to the Quadro De Fevereiro airport in Angola.

Here she and a South African man she met at the airport were taken in for questioning, and after police found drugs in his luggage, she was accused of working with him.

She was caught when her stomach started working, and she defecated 85 cocaine capsules, which Angolan airport police found.

Read more: I swallowed 100 cocaine capsules

She was imprisoned without trial.

The unemployed Eastridge woman reveals how she survived the next six years of her life in Angola’s most notorious jail, the Central Prison of Luanda, and how she was eventually freed.

The US State Department described prison conditions in Angola as “life threatening,” with guards regularly beating, raping and torturing inmates.

Among the problems are overcrowding, inadequate food, water, medical care and sanitation, which have led to deaths.

For the first time in her life, Benjamin saw the inside of prison, and she was horrified.

“The prison was nothing like South African prisons, it’s worse,” said Benjamin.

“Although they provided extra-mural activities like hairdressing, even knitting, the circumstances were bad. There was no clean water, the prison itself was dirty, if you sat somewhere there would be heaps of dirt, they do not know of hygiene, fresh water or fresh vegetables.

“The water you needed to dig out of a pit and mix it with bleach and it would have to stand for a week before you could use it to wash yourself – you cannot drink it. Or you would get water out of the river and wash yourself.

“You have to live off mineral water. They live off samp and beans and fish, which is very hard. I didn’t eat the food but had the bread and the milk.”

Thankfully the mom said she was never abused by inmates or guards.

She said at the time of her arrest, she hid away her SA SIM card. Inside jail, she borrowed a fellow inmate’s cellphone, and called home.

“I told my family to tell my children the truth, I didn’t want them to think I abandoned them,” she said.

She met three other South African women in the jail.

To make life easier, she learnt Portuguese and tried to get her Grade 12.

Benjamin would only see the inside of court three-and-a-half years later, in 2013.

“I received a letter and a court date. The judge asked how I felt. I told her I feel bad because of what I did and she sentenced me to four years. I contacted my brother to tell him I would be freed in February 2015.”

But then she received bad news – a second hearing was held in absentia, and the judge gave her four more years, after the SA man she was caught with was found guilty of drug peddling.

Benjamin said she became disheartened and depressed, and even abandoned her studies.

“The only thing that kept me going was the thought of seeing my kids again,” she said.

But then two years later, a miracle happened.

Eighty-eight prisoners – who had served more than half their terms and whose crimes did not involve murder or robbery with firearms – were to receive a presidential pardon.

“I couldn’t believe it at first, I was so relieved and so happy,” she said.

Benjamin flew home with donations from a Mormon church.

She finally got to see her children again on December 24, 2015.

But it was a bittersweet moment.

“I came back to no home, no furniture, no job and my children all grown up,” she said with regret etched on her face.

While she is free, Benjamin now faces the uphill battle of getting a job and a home of her own.

She and her 14-year-old daughter currently sleep on a mattress on the floor of her uncle’s bedroom.

The desperate mom said: “I will do anything, even be a tea girl or a cleaner, just to get my own place.”

*If you can help Benjamin, contact the Daily Voice via SMS on 32832 or call 021 488 4087.

Daily Voice

Fifteen metered-taxi drivers arrested in Cape Town after a protest against Uber turned into a slanging match with police.

Cape Town - Fifteen metered-taxi drivers have been arrested after participating in a protest against the Uber taxi service.

The drivers called the Uber taxis “illegal” and demanded transport MEC Donald Grant remove them.

The taxi drivers gathered on Thursday outside the provincial legislature hoping to hear from Grant. They wanted to know how Uber “continues to operate illegally”. About 150 metered taxis blocked Long street in the CBD.

Fifteen drivers were arrested on charges of public disorder.

David Drummond, the spokesman for the metered-taxi industry, said they had tried in vain to obtain answers from Grant’s office.

“Our lawyers are at Caledon Square and trying to arrange their release,” said Drummond, who also owns a fleet in Table View with 40 drivers. “We feel the police were unnecessarily rough.

“Representatives from the industry met with Grant four weeks ago and agreed to wait two weeks for answers. The weeks have passed and despite many e-mails to the department, they have refused to engage with us, hence today’s meeting which led to the taxis congregating in Dorp and Long Streets.”

Drummond said the Western Cape Metered Taxi Council had been dissolved by the government this week, “so there is currently no official body which represents the metered taxi industry”.

“Uber has 220 legal permits which have been uplifted, but has more than 2000 vehicles operating in Cape Town. Their vehicles also do not comply with city regulations as they are not branded or have a roof light. To these and other questions, we want answers.

“We are not opposed to e-hailing, and we think Uber is brilliant, but it needs to be used within a legal framework,” Drummond said.

“We want to know why government is not giving us answers and refusing to engage with us.”

Cape Argus

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Western Cape trains are set to become a lot safer as a R170bn national roll-out plan will see the rail infrastructure modernised and security systems upgraded.

Cape Town - Western Cape trains are set to become a lot safer within the next decade as a multibillion-rand national roll-out plan will see the rail infrastructure modernised and security systems upgraded.

This after Metrorail train driver Piet Botha was shot dead at Netreg train station this week. The R170 billion project by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), will see modern trains introduced to replace the ageing fleet, new depots upgraded and various stations revamped.

Metrorail spokeswoman Riana Scott said the project included modern signalling and train control systems, an integrated ticketing system, signage and telecommunications improvements.

Asked whether Botha’s death had emphasised the need for CCTV cameras at train stations, Scott said: “It has certainly proven its value.

“Equally important were the members of the community who displayed exceptional civic-mindedness to report the culprits which led to their arrests, for modernisation to work, trains and stations must be considered precious state resources and not targets for criminal activity.”

A memorial service for Botha was held at Netreg station on Thursday. Scott said the province had already seen the benefits of securing a 5km operational tunnel between Nyanga and Lansdowne bridge and 2km of in-section camera surveillance between Netreg and Bonteheuwel.

As part of the project, 16 stations in the province have already been fitted with CCTV cameras at a cost of R5bn. It was hoped CCTV camera recordings would provide proof to police to secure arrests and contribute evidence that would help secure convictions, and subsequently alleviate criminal activity in hotspots such as Netreg, Bonteheuwel, Nyanga and Philippi.

Each of the 16 stations have at least 30 cameras fitted, except for Cape Town train station which has 120 cameras due to its size and its large open public areas.

Yesterday, the province’s transport top brass, including MEC of Transport and Public Works

Donald Grant, Prasa board member William Steenkamp and Metrorail regional manager Richard Walker, addressed Netreg residents who had gathered to remember Botha.

But moments after their address, three men were shot in view of the officials opposite the Netreg train station.

Three gunshots rang out immediately after they left, forcing many people who were attending to take cover.

Two of the men who were shot were taken to Groote Schuur Hospital in a critical condition while the third fled the scene having sustained less severe injuries, said Emergency Medical Services spokesman Robert Daniels.

Constable Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed that cases of attempted murder are under investigation.

The possibility of the incident being gang related is also being explored, as the Community Policing Forum earlier admitted that gangs were the real authority in the area.

Botha’s wife, Tania, tried to hold back her tears when being addressed by Grant, who extended his condolences to the family.

He asked them to remain strong during these trying times.

Metrorail employee, Pieter Visser, who had been working with Botha for more than 20 years, described him as a “selfless, kind and loyal person who always wore a smile on his face”.

Cape Argus

Police have arrested a 39-year-old man after a couple were tied up and robbed by balaclava-clad men who stormed their Franschhoek home.

Cape Town - Police have arrested a 39-year-old man after a couple were tied up and robbed by balaclava-clad men who stormed their Franschhoek home early on Friday.

Police spokeswoman Constable Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed the incident and said the police were still looking for four suspects.

“The victims were asleep in their house when they saw five suspects, who wore balaclavas and dark clothes, inside their bedroom. The suspects tied up the complainants, demanded money and stole jewellery. They then fled with an undisclosed amount of money and jewellery.”

Last month, David Jenkins had visitors, Gert Grobe and his wife, Inge, at his wine estate in Franschhoek, when they were robbed at knifepoint by men wearingbalaclavas.

The four stole a pre-World War I Cartier watch and chain, cash and other valuables that included forks worth R500 000. Jenkins said: “Police said they have been after them (the gang) for about four years and this is the first time they have caught any of them.”

He added there has been no response to the R300 000 reward he was offering for his watch. “I thought there would have been because I put up a large reward.”

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said farmers and other residents were planning to meet next week to work out how to stop the robberies. “I won’t say Franschhoek is a target, this has been happening everywhere in the Boland, it is not just a Franschhoek problem.”

yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

Both traffic officers who were shot in a drive-by shooting in Harare, Khayelitsha have been discharged from hospital.

Cape Town - One of the two traffic officers injured in a drive-by shooting nearly a fortnight ago in Harare, Khayelitsha, was happy to be reunited with her baby after she was discharged last Friday.

Mandisa Plaatjie, 30, was hoping to see her son before returning to work after she was shot in what was believed to be an attempted robbery.

Plaatjie was wounded in the leg.

“I still remember the day as if it were yesterday.

“What makes me sad every time I think of it is that two days after the incident, my baby was turning six months old.

At the time of the shooting I had planned to make my way home to check on him and breast-feed before returning to work.

“Unfortunately I could not spend the day with him as I was still in hospital.

“But I am just happy I am alive. He still needs me.”

The other officer, Princess Nkomo, 29, was shot in the stomach. She was discharged on Wednesday.

The officials are on special leave for three months so that they can make a full recovery. The women said they were traumatised.

“I cannot begin to express how shaken I become every time I think about that day. Now I am grateful that we are both alive and recovering.

“I drove the car to the hospital that day and what was strange is that I had not felt anything while driving, but felt pain in my stomach minutes after arriving at the hospital. Other than that I am thankful we made it there.”

They were met by MEC of Transport and Public Works Donald Grant at the Athlone traffic department on Thursday.

It was initially believed the officers were shot for their firearms.

But Grant said it was a mistake to believe traffic officers always carried weapons, as it was up to each individual staff member to decide whether they wanted to arm themselves or not.

“It is unfortunate that there is a perception that all our officials carry firearms, but I want to say that some of our staff choose not to carry them.

“The Metrorail incident was also one which bothered us and was completely unacceptable.”

Grant said two suspects had been arrested in connection with the shooting.

nwabisa.masiza@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

The same gang suspected of petrol-bombing EFF branch commander Godfrey Tromp's campaign truck are allegedly behind his shooting.

Cape Town - Days after a notorious gang allegedly petrol-bombed an EFF election campaign truck in Vrygrond, the party’s branch commander in the area has been shot and injured.

Godfrey Tromp’s brother was also injured in the attack.

The 54-year-old branch commander and tavern owner survived four gunshot wounds to his body, struck in the shoulder, upper arm, mouth and hand.

It is still unclear if and how many wounds Tromp’s brother sustained.

Read: Truck set alight after extortion threat

The two are currently in a critical condition at Groote Schuur Hospital, according to a source in the Economic Freedom Fighters.

The brothers were ambushed just before 11pm on Wednesday night, as they pulled up in their red car outside Beth’s Tavern in Philemon Street.

Shocked tavern patrons ran out as shots rang out, and found them bloodied and unconscious in the car.

They immediately rushed them to hospital.

A party member who asked to remain anonymous told Daily Voice: “It’s the Funkies, the same gang that burnt out Godfrey’s car on Sunday night. “We believe it’s a revenge attack.”

On Sunday night, the gang tried to force their way into Beth’s Tavern, where Tromp had banned them from.

Tromp told Daily Voice on Monday the gang had been “harassing him for weeks”.

“I have a strict policy at my tavern; no gangsters allowed,” he said.

Tromp said after arguing for a while, the gang left but came back and petrol-bombed his bakkie.

Western Cape EFF Chairperson Bernard Joseph says he is shocked by the attempt on Tromp’s life.

“This is not a good thing, this has become extreme intimidation. Some of our members are in fear, many of them are still on the road but the fear factor might affect our members trying to mobilise and canvas for the EFF in respective areas,” Joseph said.

Captain FC Van Wyk says a case of attempted murder was being investigated.

“Circumstances surrounding this incident are being investigated. No one has been arrested as yet.”

Daily Voice

The Department of Transport and Public Works welcomed the arrest of two suspects allegedly involved in the shooting of two female traffic officers.

Cape Town - The Department of Transport and Public Works in the Western Cape have welcomed the arrest of two suspects who were allegedly involved in the shooting of two female traffic officers recently.

Princess Nkomo was shot in the stomach and Mandisa Plaatjie in the arm during a shooting in Harare in Khayelitsha last week.

In a statement, the department commended Harare police and those who contributed and came forward with information towards the investigation.

“The arrest comes after the officers were shot and wounded at Harare Square in Khayelitsha on 5 July 2016 at 11:25,” department spokesperson Byron la Hoe said. “The perpetrators took the officers’ cellphones and wallet.”

After the incident, Plaatjie drove herself and her colleague to the nearest hospital.

It is believed that the suspects wanted to steal the officers’ firearms, but both had chosen to work unarmed.

The suspects, aged 26 and 30 year old, were arrested on Thursday and are facing charges of attempted murder and armed robbery and are expected to appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

“This breakthrough is highly commended by management of the Department and Provincial Traffic Services,” La Hoe said. “This sends a strong message that those who are involved in criminal activities will be harshly dealt with.”

African News Agency

Bastille Day organisers beef up security after Nice atrocity.

Cape Town - Security has been drastically ramped up for the Franschhoek Bastille Day Festival this weekend, following a terror attack in France at a similar commemoration, in which at least 84 people died.

The Hawks are also on alert and said they were poised to strike if any information surfaced about potential terrorist activities in South Africa.

Late on Thursday a terrorist attack took place in Nice, France, with a gunman firing shots at a crowd watching fireworks as part of Bastille Day celebrations, after mowing down scores of people, including children, in a 2km rampage with a truck.

While no South Africans appear to have been killed or hurt, several were in the vicinity at the time.

On Friday, organisers of the Franschhoek Bastille Day Festival held an emergency meeting after learning of the Nice attack.

Event manager Darielle Robertson said: “Everything’s been increased and tightened… We’re definitely increasing police, law enforcement, traffic and fire services.”

The festival is held annually to commemorate the storming of the Bastille as the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789.

Thursday’s ill-fated celebrations in France were marking the same event.

On Friday Stellenbosch mayor Conrad Sidego told Weekend Argus he would ask the Franschhoek Bastille Festival organisers if they would consider having a minute’s silence for those who died in France.

”The French brought their cuisine and wine to this area,” he said, describing Franschhoek as the place in South Africa with the strongest links with France.

The attack in Nice, condemned around the world, came barely a week after an unconnected alleged terror plot was foiled on South African soil.

Last Saturday four suspects were arrested in Gauteng on terror-related charges. Two of the four suspects, brothers Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsie, 24, allegedly planned to set off explosives at Jewish institutions or a US embassy in the country.

Weekend Argus

Cape Town deputy mayor Ian Neilson has offered condolences on behalf of the city and residents to mayor Patricia de Lille and her family on the death of her mother.

Cape Town – Cape Town deputy mayor Ian Neilson has offered condolences on behalf of the city and residents to mayor Patricia de Lille and her family on the death of her mother Gertrude Lindt.

“It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the passing of executive mayor Patricia de Lille’s mother Gertrude Lindt,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

Mrs Lindt, 86, fondly known as “aunty Winnie” died on Friday night after a long illness.

“As a mother, aunty Winnie was a pillar of strength to her family and was greatly admired and loved by her children. We extend our deepest sympathy to mayor De Lille, her family, and loved ones. We pray for strength and comfort during this difficult time,” Neilson said.

African News Agency (ANA)

Voters need to reject the corruption of the ANC and the chaos of the EFF and instead choose jobs, says DA leader Mmusi Maimane.

Cape Town – Voters need to reject the corruption of the African National Congress and the chaos of the Economic Freedom Fighters and instead choose jobs, a growing economy, and a nation united and working towards a better future, Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said on Saturday.

Speaking at the DA’s August 3 municipal elections iRally ye Nqubela (Keep making progress rally) in Khayelitsha in Cape Town, he said South Africa’s economy was in a very poor state, but it was nothing compared to the situation in Zimbabwe. There, the economy was in total meltdown. Zimbabwe was a good reminder of the choice facing voters in the election here.

“In South Africa, we have the ANC who for years has supported [Zimbabwean president Robert] Mugabe and helped him stay in power. And we have the EFF who not only supports Mugabe, but wants to recreate what Mugabe has done, here in South Africa. Mad, mad, mad!

“Or you can vote for the DA, the only party that has actually worked to create jobs in South Africa, and wants a prosperous, united future for this country. In this election, voters must reject the corruption of the ANC and the chaos of the EFF.

“We will never accept that for our country. We love this country, and we don’t want corruption and chaos. We want jobs, a growing economy, a nation united and working towards a better future.

“Corruption and chaos stop services from being rolled out. Corruption and chaos scare investors off. Corruption and chaos cost jobs,” Maimane said.

After 10 years of DA government, Cape Town was unrecognisable from the one the DA inherited from the ANC in 2006.

“This place was a mess when we took over. Infrastructure and maintenance projects stood abandoned. Posts weren’t filled. And not one single government department got a clean audit in the ANC’s last year here. The Cape Town you see today is a very different city to the Cape Town of 2006,” he said.

It offered its poor citizens the most generous package of free basic services of any metro in the country. It was building a world-class integrated transport system. It had hundreds of free Wi-Fi hotspots. It had new, state-of-the-art hospitals.

It was the only metro that respected public money. In the past financial year, the metros of Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Nelson Mandela Bay lost over R2.2-billion to corruption. In Cape Town, that figure was zero. But most importantly, it had the lowest unemployment figures of all the metros in South Africa.

“In Cape Town, 21.7 percent of people can’t find work. That’s still far too many, and we’re working very hard to bring that number down. But compare it to the rest of the country and you start to see what a success story Cape Town’s job creation project has been,” Maimane said.

Cape Town’s unemployment rate was a full 15 percentage points below the national average. It was eight percentage points lower than Tshwane’s, 10 percentage points lower than Johannesburg’s, and 12 percentage points lower than Nelson Mandela Bay’s.

“The DA has made great progress in Cape Town but we are not done yet. There is a lot more we need to do, and particularly in this city’s poorest areas. And I give you my word today that this is our highest priority.

“Now we have reached the point where our long-term plans for the city start to kick in. We are no longer just fixing faults and plugging holes – we are planning and building a truly world class city.”

This included a wide range of housing solutions, South Africa’s most advanced integrated transport network, the roll-out of broadband internet across the whole city, and it also included turning Cape Town into the greenest, most sustainable metro in South Africa.

“Let’s keep making progress in Cape Town,” Maimane said.

African News Agency (ANA)

The 15 metered taxi operators, charged with public disorder during an altercation with Uber drivers, have been released on a warning.

Cape Town - The 15 metered taxi operators charged with public disorder after police fired several stun grenades and stormed an illegal gathering on Thursday were released on a warning after appearing in court, and will be back in court again on Tuesday.

Violence broke out when taxi operators protested against the presence of the taxi service Uber in Cape Town. Uber, widely perceived as one of the safest options available, has come under fierce attack from metered taxi operators, who said they would

“burn Uber down” because the service was making it impossible for them to make a decent living.

Responding to the threats, Uber said on Friday it was “working with all relevant stakeholders to resolve this as a matter of urgency”. Uber was “deeply committed to the safety of riders and drivers”.

At issue is Uber’s tariff structure. The cheaper Uber rates have enraged many established industry players who allege Uber is receiving special treatment.

Many of these grievances were discussed at a meeting of metered taxi operators on Thursday, where they took a decision to “cause maximum k*k in the city” and to attack Uber vehicles and their operators.

The meeting in a parking lot in District Six was attended by more than 100 operators. The meeting resolved that metered taxi operators would prevent Uber vehicles from loading passengers, taking away the keys of any drivers operating under the Uber banner.

“Uber is like a snake and we must cut off the head of the snake. Violence is the only way to solve the problem and this was the solution in London and in Paris where they burnt Uber cars and it worked,” a metered taxi driver said.

Earlier, the group had heard from David Drummond, spokesperson for the metered taxi industry interim committee, who said they had met provincial transport and public works MEC Donald Grant four weeks ago to discuss their concerns.

“At that meeting Donald Grant listened and we thought he was sincere and he said we would get a reply in two weeks. But it has now been four weeks and we have not heard from him,” Drummond said.

He said the metered taxi industry had approached the public protector to investigate collusion between Uber and government officials.

On Thursday the operators also blocked the entrance to Grant’s offices, demanding he come out and address them.

One of the frightened Uber drivers who jumped out of his vehicle in the chaos on Thursday said he was very concerned at what was happening.

“This is now dangerous for everybody, even for passengers,” he said.

Derick Onganisie, an Uber partner since 2013, said they had warned “this kind of thing would happen if the government does not urgently step in to address all the issues with all the relevant players”.

“Now you see it clearly, that we who are on the front line are getting attacked in what could well become an all-out war,” he said, adding part of the problem was there was no clear and definitive policy regulating tariffs, routes, permits and penalties for Uber.

Uber has maintained its activities are above board and it has fully engaged the relevant authorities.

“Policymakers have embraced our technology and provided much needed clarity on how driver-partners should be licensed, which has been very useful,” said Uber spokeswoman Samantha Allenberg.

Weekend Argus

zenzile.khoisan@inl.co.za

Robyn Fabian, 17, cowered in the kitchen of a coffee shop in Istanbul Airport and listened in horror as gunshots rang out and people screamed.

Cape Town - A city schoolgirl cowered in the kitchen of a coffee shop in Istanbul Airport along with several other travellers and listened in horror as gunshots rang out nearby and people screamed.

Sobbing and terrified, Robyn Fabian, 17, a pupil at Westerford High School in Newlands, phoned her worried mother who was in the UK at the time and told her she loved her.

About two hours later the teen again had to run for cover in the airport.

”There was this huge loud boom sound and the windows shook. There was a low-flying fighter jet… I hid under the table when the booms went off.

“Then downstairs in the arrivals area the military walked through. The (Turkish) president (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) landed and made a speech,” Robyn said.

She was one of several South Africans caught up in the dramatic events in Turkey where there was an attempted military coup this weekend.

Robyn had been on a history tour with a group from Westerford High School but instead of returning to Cape Town with them, she travelled to Scotland to join her parents and visit her grandmother.

She was returning alone to Cape Town via Istanbul where she landed at 10.30pm on Friday.

”I was sitting at a Starbucks around midnight. In the airport one Starbucks is elevated overlooking the area… I was sitting at a table with a group of strangers,” she said.

”All of a sudden people started running and shouting. There were gunshots. I didn’t know where it was coming from.”

She ran into the kitchen along with other travellers and staff from the restaurant.

”We hid in there for about 10 or 15 minutes.

”When things went quiet they emerged and tried to see what was happening.

”There was military outside the airport. Then protesters arrived,” the teenager said.

On Saturday Robyn’s mother, Danielle Guignet, was preparing to leave the UK and was staying in contact with her daughter via text messages.

Guignet said she had panicked when her daughter was out of wifi range for more than an hour and then contacted her in the early hours of on Saturday morning .

”She called me to say she loved me and sobbed,” Guignet told Weekend Argus.

Guignet had been so distraught that while Robyn was on her cellphone, she used a landline to contact her daughter’s history teacher Gordon Brookbanks, who had headed the Westerford tour group.

He advised Guignet on what to say to her daughter and later contacted police Major-General Jeremy Vearey, who had guest-lectured at Westerford and whose son had been part of the initial tour group, in the hope he could assist.

On Saturday when the situation had calmed down, Robyn desperately tried to get a flight out of Istanbul, but said there were no Turkish Airlines staff on duty.

By Saturday evening Robyn had been booked on a flight home.

International Relations Department spokesman Clayson Monyela said while several South Africans were in Turkey, reports received indicated none was killed or wounded.

”There’s a bit of a delay with airlines authorising flights,” he said.

Monyela said eight of the South Africans in Istanbul were attending a Unesco World Heritage Committee event.

National Heritage Council spokesman Danny Goulkan was one of those eight.

He took to Twitter on Friday night saying he was “terrified of the gunfire” and gunshots were going off just one street away. At one point he tweeted: “A second missile just went off now.”

On Saturday he said the delegation felt safe “after a sleepless night of gunfire and panic”.

According to the Associated Press and Reuters at least 161 people – including many civilians – were killed, more than 1 400 people wounded and nearly 3 000 arrested after a faction of the armed forces tried to seize power using tanks and attack helicopters. Some strafed the headquarters of Turkish intelligence and the parliament in the capital, Ankara, and others seized a major bridge in Istanbul.

caryn.dolley@inl.co.za

Weekend Argus

Helen Zille has responded to an article that named her former adviser as a potential buyer of land in the vicinity of the Tafelberg site.

Cape Town - Western Cape premier Helen Zille has denied anything irregular took place in the proposed sale of the land on which the Tafelberg Remedial School is situated or the land near the school.

Zille was responding to a Sunday newspaper article that named her former adviser, Gary Fisher, as a potential buyer of the land that lobby group Reclaim the City wants to be used for low-cost housing.

Zille said the decision to dispose of the site had not yet been made and no undue influence was exercised in the process to date.

“There has been no undue influence in the decisions around the property to date, nor will there be as the process unfolds. Any decision will be based on our constitutional and legal obligations, including a consideration of the public comment received.”

She said a fair and open process had been followed, to the extent that the public participation process was reopened when a member of the public said she had not been afforded the opportunity to comment.

“The cabinet will make a determination on the property once all the approximate 5 000 submissions have been fairly considered, and in accordance with the constitution and other applicable laws. All the legal advice I have received at every stage of this process will also be available to the cabinet.”

She said Fisher had not been involved when the decision was taken to include the property in the Provincial Regeneration Programme’s mandate or the Department’s initial proposed disposal of the site to cabinet, despite reports that he allegedly purchased two properties in the vicinity of the Tafelberg site while he was working as a public official.

The lobby group said in a statement that the site was important because it was one of the few big pieces of government land left in Sea Point.

Thandeka Sisusa, a domestic worker and member of Reclaim the City said they had been fighting to live and own property in the area where they worked, for many years. “That land was promised to us a long time ago. W e were told that it would be for domestic workers. The thing that makes me angry is that we are not cared for.”

She said she lived in a single room near her employers and had no family in the city, so most of her life outside work was spent between the four walls.

“We sleep and cook in the same room and are not even allowed to have visitors. If you get sick you must be the one to go see your family and I don’t even have family here so it is very difficult for me.”

Thozama Adonisi, a supporter of the movement, said she was disappointed with the news because she thought the government was on their side. “We are furious because we have been fighting for a long time. It has been decades, we have been fighting for this. They promised us that we would be able to build houses.”

yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za

Cape Argus

The call for people to do good deeds on Mandela Day is still growing in momentum. Here’s one idea ...

Cape Town - Despite it being close to three years since the death of former president and world icon Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela - the call for people to do their 67 minutes of good for Mandela Day is still growing in momentum.

The day is in its 6th year running since it was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009.

Here is your chance to give back this Mandela Day.

1. Purchase a copy of the Cape Argus from any street vendor on Monday and receive your free beanie.

2. Give it to a homeless person.

3. Take a selfie of you and the homeless person and post it to any of our social media platforms or e-mail it to us. e-mail: argusnews@inl.co.za Twitter: @TheCapeArgus Instagram: @thecapeargus Cape Argus Facebook page

A lucky reader will win a Cape Argus hamper and a one-month free subscription to the Cape Argus.

The homeless person in the picture will win a grocery hamper.Competition opens on Monday and closes at 6pm on Monday night night. T's and C's apply.

Cape Argus

Cape Town station is set to get another facelift - this time a 120-room hotel, office and retail complex worth R1 billion.

Cape Town - Cape Town station is set to get another facelift - this time a 120-room hotel, office and retail complex on a part of the forecourt of the public transport exchange area worth R1 billion.

More than a year since Prasa submitted a rezoning application to allow for the development, it was approved by the council’s spatial planning, environment and land use management committee (Spelum) last week.

It approved the rezoning of 35 000² of the forecourt area on the western portion of the property, adjacent to Adderley Street, from a transport zone to general business.

Subject to Mayco approval, the rezoning paves the way for a consortium of three property developers to submit building plans for the development which willprovide for over 27 000² of office space and 17 866² of retail area, 175 parking bays, and a 3 000² medium-rangebusiness hotel over three levels. The development was not expected to exceed 54m in height.

Prasa would pay a development contribution for the upgrading of the local services infrastructure.

In 2010, Prasa Corporate Real Estate Solutions (Prasa Cres) invited development partners to undertake and manage the redevelopment of portions of Cape Town Station.

A consortium comprising ERIS Property Group, Accessio and Emira Property Fund was selected to partner with Prasa, Prasa Cres and Intersite. Eris Property Group’s development manager Dacre Hattingh said construction was only expected to get under way next year, with completion set for mid-2019.

The rezoning application was submitted to the city over a year ago, but was delayed because of the finalisation of a site development plan for more than 6 000² of residual retail space as a result of the World Cup upgrades.

While a leasing arrangement between Prasa and the developers was still under discussion, it was expected that the complex would be leased for a period of 45 years.

Hattingh said a hotel chain group had not yet been decided on, but that there had been interest from a particular group. The hotel was expected to be fairly simple, serving the overnight needs of businesspeople.

The proposed development of the public transport forecourt follows two major upgrades to the Cape Town Station over the past eight years - the R408 million overhaul of the station for the 2010 World Cup, including the Adderley and Strand Street concourses which were completed in 2011, followed by the R126m redevelopment of the Parade forecourt, which was completed last year.

In a report to Spelum, city officials who assessed the application said the proposal would unlock economic development, job and business opportunities in the city centre.

Furthermore, it would enhance the station, was in keeping with the immediate context of the area and in line with its densification policy.

The application was also subject to a heritage impact assessment given the heritage value of the site and the buildings.

The city’s main concern, however, was the increase of traffic to the area.

The main vehicular access would be via Old Marine Drive.

A transport impact assessment for the application revealed that the daily peak trips for the proposal was in excess of 150 trips. This translates to an increase of two vehicles a minute to the surrounding road network which is seen as significant in the context of the CBD.

But the Spelum report noted that hotel guests would probably be brought to and taken from the property via tourist bus services.

It was expected that staff employed in the office and retail complexes would use public transport, minimising the need for excessive private parking. “The anticipated traffic impacts are manageable, even though additional studies must be undertaken,” said the report.

Cape Argus

A “known criminal” has led police to a mosque in Cape Town where they found stolen goods worth over R1 million.

Cape Town - A “known criminal” has led Cape Town police, looking for stolen bikes, to a mosque where they found stolen goods worth over R1 million.

Four men have been arrested, including two caretakers at the Stegman Road Mosque in Claremont.

The two Malawian nationals were back at the mosque on Sunday, where one told Daily Voice he felt “bad” over the whole saga.

The two have been working at the mosque for over eight years, and were arrested on July 6 after cops found the stolen goods in their living quarters, which were separate from the mosque.

The duo, and two other suspects, a 42-year-old from Manenberg and a 35-year-old man from Hanover Park, appeared in court last Monday on charges of theft and possession of stolen goods, and were released on bail.

Police seized 140 items, including plasma TVs, power tools, and 21 bicycles that had been stolen over the course of a year.

Claremont SAPS Station Commander, Colonel Enolium Joseph, said the goods had been stolen from areas like Rondebosch and Mowbray.

On Sunday, Muslims attending afternoon prayers at the mosque identified the suspects.

One of the men admitted: “I am one of them who were arrested. I went to jail but I am out now. I feel bad for what happened.”

The other man denied the allegations, shouting at his friend to remain silent.

The men refused to talk after that.

Colonel Joseph says members were responding to a house-breaking in Claremont on Wednesday, 6 July, where two bicycles had been stolen.

While viewing security footage, police recognised “a known criminal in the Claremont area”, he explains.

“When police drove around, they found this person and asked where he takes his stolen goods.

“He said he was trading with men at a mosque. They sold the stuff to two Malawians who worked as caretakers. This has been going on for a year.”

The Manenberg man took police to the Stegman Road Mosque, where cops found the stash in their quarters.

Naziem Jamie, the chairperson of the Stegman Road Masjid Committee, told Voice of the Cape radio no other members of the mosque have been linked to the crime.

Joseph said there would be a public viewing of the stolen goods at Claremont police station on Saturday.

Daily Voice

In commemoration of Mandela Day and giving 67 minutes doing something positive, events are happening across the Western Cape.

Cape Town - In commemoration of International Nelson Mandela Day and giving 67 minutes doing something positive, events are happening across the Western Cape. Organisations are calling volunteers.

* The South African National Zakah Fund (Sanzaf) staff will be serving food at the Maternity and Cancer Wards at Groote Schuur Hospital and the Mitchells Plain and Bonteheuwel Day hospitals.

* Join the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in cleaning up the Liesbeeck River in Observatory from 12.30pm, the Edith Stephens Wetland Park in Philippi from 11am and the Plankenbrug River in Stellenbosch from 10.30am.

* The Friends of the Valkenberg Trust is hosting a Christmas in July celebration for the 480 patients of Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital in Observatory. The non-profit organisation works with staff at the institution to help comfort patients during their stay. Donations of Christmas trees, lights, clothing and unwanted household items are welcomed. E-mail events@friendsofvalkenberg.co.za or call 021 447 9962.

* Cape Town Beach Cleanup and Clean C invite people to gather at 6pm at Big Bay to commence a 67-minute stroll along the sand.

The organisers request walkers to contribute in a beach clean-up. Bring a donation for the Do One Thing (DOT) box. The goal is to distribute 1 000 boxes to kids around Cape Town, and donations requested are a bar of soap, facecloth, toothpaste, toothbrush, colouring books, crayons, pencils and a buff or a head scarf. Call 082 873 1962.

Cape Times

Independent Media, in conjunction with Ladles of Love, celebrated Mandela Day by handing out sandwiches and soup and warm jackets to homeless people.

Cape Town - Independent Media, in conjunction with Ladles of Love, celebrated Mandela Day by handing out sandwiches and soup and warm jackets to homeless people in Church Square in the Cape Town CBD on Monday.

Lesley Byram from Independent Media’s marketing division said that that they had managed to get sponsors like Albany, Pick n Pay and the Wellington group to provide some of the supplies.

“These sponsors donated bread, butter, sausages, and margarine in helping putting a hand out to those in need of it,”Byram said after Independent staff made 1 800 sandwiches.

Ladles of Love spokesperson, Claire Cowley, said celebrating 67 minutes emphasised the way Mandela Day should be celebrated by helping those in need.

“We started with only few people in the organisation giving the homeless people warm jackets and something to eat,” she said. “They are also normal human beings, somebody should take care of them!

“As we are celebrating Mandela day, we joined with Independent Media and decided to feed the homeless and give them warm jackets as it is winter season”, said Cowley.

Siphokazi Sono, a homeless person, was very excited in celebrating Mandela Day with Independent Media and the Ladles of Love group.

“It makes sense sometimes why am I living, because I believe I am not alone on this planet,” she said. “There are people who care for us, and I am grateful to celebrate Mandela Day with these great people.”

African News Agency

Cape Town radio and TV personality DJ Yuzriq "Mr Meyer" Meyer says he is overwhelmed by all the Pokémon love his video is getting online.

Cape Town - A Cape Town radio and TV personality says he is overwhelmed by all the Pokémon love he is getting online.

The Bush Radio DJ made fun of the latest global gaming craze, Pokémon Go, by creating a uniquely Cape Town video, and it has become a hit on social media.

 Yuzriq “Mr Meyer” Meyer, 24, from Woodstock, said he had no idea his video would cause such a stir.

It was inspired by the game, where players are so eager to catch Pikachu and his pals that they’ve gotten themselves into trouble, like the two men who fell off a cliff in America, and the four teens who got lost in caves in England.

In the video, Meyer is running around in the streets with his phone pointed in front of him, looking for the invisible Pokémon creatures.

His cameraman friend can be heard laughing as Meyer tries to dive under a car and bite into a fence to get to the hidden Pokémon.

Meyer says the responses to the videos were just as crazy.

“Guys from Hanover Park and Manenberg have messaged me to say: ‘Nah man! Daar is Pokémon in die bra se yard ek gaan’it haal hie want hy is ‘n gangster. (No man! There’s Pokémon in that guy’s yard. I won’t go get it because he is a gangster),’” said Meyer.

He added: “I’m not planning on it, but if I get a good idea and I’m inspired then I’ll make another video.”

Pokémon Go has become the most downloaded cellphone game of all time.

Daily Voice

While their classmates sit at desks, some pupils at a Strand school have to take their notes while balancing their books on their laps.

Cape Town - While their classmates sit at desks, some pupils at a Strand school have to take their notes while balancing their books on their laps.

Teachers at Nomzamo Primary say the pupils have been without desks since January and claim that while they had reported it to the school’s leadership, the problem has still not been resolved.

But the Western Cape Education Department said nothing had been reported to its district officials and they were not aware some of the pupils at the school didn’t have desks.

In a recent e-mail to the Cape Argus, the teachers said the school had borrowed a few desks.

But Grade 3 teacher Noluthando Magodla said the borrowed desks and chairs were too big for the pupils in her class and couldn’t be used.

She said that except for her own class, she knew of one other class where some of the pupils also didn’t have desks.

“The children use their laps to write on.”

According to the teachers, they have written to Education MEC Debbie Schäfer to highlight their concerns about the desks and other issues at the school, including unhappiness about the acting principal.

Schäfer’s spokeswoman, Jessica Shelver, said the district director would investigate the matter today.

She said the provincial education ministry was not aware of any correspondence to Schäfer’s office from the school’s teachers.

In January, the school was also in the news after five classrooms were burnt. The fire, which was believed to have been set deliberately, happened just days after the school was hit by thieves.

The thieves opened manholes on the school premises and ripped out underground copper cables. The school and the high school next door were left without power.

The damage was estimated at about R100 000.

In 2012, the Cape Argus reported that Grade 1 pupils at another primary school in Strand, ACJ Phakade, had to lie flat on their stomachs on the classroom floor or balance their books on their knees because they had no furniture.

Donald Grant, who was the Education MEC at the time, visited the school and apologised to the pupils and also said an inquiry would be launched. Desks and chairs were delivered days later.

ilse.fredericks@inl.co.za

Cape Argus