The SA Human Rights Commission yesterday welcomed the "proactive" role played by the government in the passing of a resolution by the United Nations Human Rights Council to protect the rights of gay people.
Commission spokesman Vincent Moagi said: "The commission is pleased that the UN has firmly placed on its agenda issues relating to the rights of LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sexed]." - Sapa
Homeowner held for attempted murder
A 35-year-old homeowner was arrested for attempted murder in Fordsburg, Johannesburg, yesterday after shooting a suspected burglar in his house.
Gauteng police spokesman Warrant Officer Xoli Mbele said the man was arrested at 10am after he had shot a 30-year-old man inside his house who had attacked him with a steel pipe.
The wounded man was taken to hospital under police guard. He was arrested for housebreaking, theft and malicious damage to property.
"The owner of the house was arrested for attempted murder and his firearm was seized." - Sapa
Bureaucracy delays sex offence case
Bureaucracy has delayed court proceedings involving two brothers accused of sexual offences against male staff at a sawmill in Blackheath, near Cape Town.
The two face seven charges - three of serious assault, two of rape and two of indecent assault.
At Tuesday's proceedings, the prosecutor told magistrate Linda van Tonder that an advocate at the Directorate of Public Prosecution had in fact made a decision, but the decision first had to be confirmed by one of the deputy directors. The matter was postponed to July 1. - Sapa
Cele warns hoax bomb callers
National police Commissioner General Bheki Cele warned people phoning in hoax bomb scares and using illegal explosives yesterday.
"Any individual who maliciously creates a bomb scare will be prosecuted; no person is above the law, including police officers," Cele said in the statement.
Colonel Tummi Shai added police management was "extremely concerned about the illegal use of explosives in the public domain".
She said this also gave rise to a number of hoax bomb scares. - Sapa