Category: Crime & Corruption News

Deputy Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Steve Letsike, has condemned the alleged rape of a trainee by a police instructor at the South African Police Service (SAPS) Training Academy in Tshwane.

According to reports, the trainee was walking with her platoon to their sleeping quarters when the police captain, who is also an instructor, called her to his office.

Once inside, he allegedly locked the door and threatened her with a misconduct charge related to a previous incident in April, where the police captain accused the trainee of failing to salute him.

Letsike commended the swift action taken by SAPS in arresting and removing the accused officer, who was taken into custody following the incident, which allegedly occurred on Tuesday, 6 May 2025.

“We welcome the swift action taken by [Police] Minister, Senzo Mchunu, in calling for the arrest and removal of the perpetrator from the SAPS institutions,” Letsike said.

Letsike described the incident as a “despicable act of violence”, emphasising that such abuse against any vulnerable member of community, particularly women, youth, and persons with disabilities, must be addressed with the utmost seriousness.

“The perpetrator must be brought to book, and let it be a clear and resounding message that no one is above the law,” the Deputy Minister said.

The Deputy Minister reiterated the department’s call for the protection of vulnerable groups by all members of society, especially law enforcement agencies entrusted with safeguarding the public.

She joined voices with Mchunu in calling on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to expedite the investigation processes and ensure that internal disciplinary procedures are strictly followed.

She also urged the IPID to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that justice is served, and that internal processes are followed diligently.

The suspect made his second appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate’s court last week Thursday.

The case against suspect was postponed to Friday, 23 May 2025, to allow IPID to conduct further investigation into other alleged sexual assault incidents against the police officer.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it will continue with its appeal of the Timothy Omotoso acquittal judgement despite his departure from South Africa.

Omotoso, who was acquitted of charges including rape, racketeering and human trafficking, left South Africa on Sunday.

“The South African legal system does not require active participation or presence of an accused person during the hearing of an appeal by a court. An appeal process requires the involvement of the legal teams of the appellants and respondents, the Registrar of the High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), as well as the judiciary.

“Timothy Omotoso is not a fugitive from justice; there are no legal grounds to prevent him from leaving the country. His departure means that person considered undesirable, is no longer enjoying his life in this country, pending the outcome of the appeal, which could take a long time to finalise,” the NPA said in a statement on Monday.

Furthermore, if successful, the prosecutorial body will apply for his extradition back to the country.

“The NPA will utilise all existing bilateral, regional and international cooperation treaties and mechanisms to ensure he is extradited to South Africa. These include our bilateral extradition treaty with Nigeria and the Commonwealth Scheme for extradition,” the statement concluded.

READ | NPA to appeal Omotoso judgement

At a recent media briefing, Cabinet noted and welcomed the NPA decision to appeal the recent acquittal of Omotoso and his two co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho.

Meanwhile, the Department of Home Affairs has noted Omotoso’s departure.

READ | Omotoso faces contravention of Immigration Act charges

The department had taken the controversial pastor to court for alleged contravention of the Immigration Act.

“This comes after the Minister of Home Affairs rejected an application submitted by Omotoso in terms of section 8(7) of the Immigration Act that sought to overturn an earlier decision of the Department to declare Omotoso as a prohibited person. The Minister’s decision meant that Omotoso was illegally in the Republic of South Africa.

“Upon his departure, Omotoso was still a prohibited person and given that he was illegally in the country, he was issued with a notification as an undesirable person, meaning that he will not be able to return to the country for five years.

“On expiry of that five-year ban, he will have to apply for his prohibition to be uplifted in terms of section 29 of the Immigration Act. The Department of Home Affairs continues to be guided by our unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law without fear or favour,” the department said.

Police have launched an investigation into allegations of corruption at the Mthatha High Court in the Eastern Cape.

This after reports that officials at the court are allegedly embroiled in a bribery scheme – soliciting payments from advocates to perform tasks already within the ambit of their jobs, including finding files that have seemingly gone missing, transcriptions and allocating dates for trial.

According to the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ), Chief Justice Mandisa Maya visited the court on Monday and met with Acting Judge President of the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court, Judge Zamani Nhlangulela, on Tuesday.

“The Chief Justice received a briefing on the ongoing investigation by the OCJ pertaining to allegations of corruption the department first became aware of in December 2024.

“In this regard, the Chief Justice was assured a case had been opened with the South African Police Service and that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation [the Hawks] had launched an enquiry into the matter. This process is running concurrently with internal investigations by the department,” the OCJ said.

READ | Office of Chief Justice has zero-tolerance for corruption

The Chief Justice has also requested the expedited implementation of the Court Online System in the Eastern Cape in a bid to protecting the integrity of the court.

“The Chief Justice has requested that the implementation of a Court Online System – an end-to-end e-filing, digital case management and evidence management system – in the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court be expedited.

“The Court Online System is currently being rolled out by the OCJ in all Superior Courts and will be implemented in the Eastern Cape Division within the next month. The operationalisation of the system will have the effect of protecting the integrity of court operations, enhancing access to justice, minimising manual processes and curbing the allegations of improprieties,” the OCJ said.

The OCJ said it is currently working to “review and strengthen internal controls” in the Eastern Cape Division in a bid to “safeguard the credibility of the court through the prevention and early detection of fraud and corruption”.

“The OCJ affirms that integrity and ethical behaviour are at the heart of its operations, guided by the department’s Fraud Prevention and Anti-Corruption Policy. The organisation is committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct, acting with honesty and being accountable to the public.

“The organisation treats complaints on alleged acts of fraud and corruption with the seriousness they deserve. The leadership of the OCJ will spare no effort, within its delegated powers, to prevent, detect, punish and eradicate wrongdoing in the organisation,” the OCJ said.

Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Nobuhle Pamela Nkabane, has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent signing of a proclamation authorising the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe the affairs of the National Skills Fund.

The SIU will investigate allegations of serious maladministration, improper or unlawful conduct by officials or employees of the NSF, and the possible mismanagement of funds allocated to the NSF.

The investigation will focus on serious allegations of maladministration, improper or unlawful conduct by NSF officials or employees, and the possible mismanagement of funds allocated to the Fund.

Particular attention will be paid to procurement and contracting processes related to skills development programmes, training projects, and the appointment of implementing agents for the projects listed in the proclamation signed by the President.

The scope of the investigation will include a wide timeframe, covering the period from 1 January 2013 to 28 March 2025. It will look into the conduct of service providers, suppliers, and other stakeholders involved.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Nkabane, who also serves as the Executive Authority of the NSF, confirmed that a meeting between the SIU and the NSF, has already taken place, where the SIU formally served NSF with a letter of intent.

She said the meeting provided an opportunity for a full brief on the scope of the investigation, and what will be required from the entity, to assist the investigation.

The Minister emphasised that the National Skills Fund, as a law-abiding entity within the Department of Higher Education and Training, will comply with the laws of our country.

This includes making available all necessary information to the SIU, and information on internal investigations initiated by the National Skills Fund and previous investigative reports.

“This we will do, not only because we are obliged by the law, but also because we believe it will allow the SIU to do its work with ease. We also believe this investigation and its outcomes will set the NSF on a new trajectory as it repositions itself as a catalytic change agent in our communities and the country at large,” the Minister said.

Nkabane reaffirmed the NSF’s important role in advancing national skills development across the country, and its ongoing commitment to support various initiatives, aimed at empowering and changing the lives of South Africa’s youth.

“We are committed to driving progress and unlocking the potential of our country’s workforce by addressing critical skills shortages,” she said.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) Serious Corruption Investigation component conducted a search and seizure operation at the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday.

“The operation relates to allegations of fraudulent Notices of Motion being unlawfully issued by an identified employee of that court,” the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation said in a statement.

“It is alleged that the said employee has been issuing fraudulent Notices of Motion to undocumented foreign nationals to prevent their deportation to their countries of origin.”

This matter was formally reported to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) in March 2025

“This search and seizure operation specifically targeted one office and an individual believed to be central to the commission of these offences. Exhibits were seized for further investigations,” the statement said.

Nationwide Vala Umgodi operations conducted during the month of April has led to the arrest of 1 857 suspects of different nationalities.

“These suspects were arrested for illegal mining related offences and various other crimes such as murder, attempted murder, unlawful possession of explosives and possession of counterfeit goods,” the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement on Tuesday.

“More than 100 unpolished diamonds were seized during three separate Vala Umgodi operations in and around the areas of Kleinzee and Port Nolloth and Northern Cape leading to the arrest of 15 illegal miners,” the police said.

Other items seized during Vala Umgodi operations in April 2025 include:

• 27 unlicensed firearms,
• 385 rounds of ammunition,
• 71 vehicles that include sedans, bakkies, trucks, big mining machineries, trailers, and tractors,
• 341 phendukas and 6 phenduka stands.

In the same month in the Free State, the SAPS’ Bomb Disposal and Explosive Experts, with the support of a private security company, seized 290 detonators. These explosives were allegedly left abandoned by illegal unground miners at Kopanong mine.

On 21 April 2025 in Gauteng, an intelligence-driven operation in Primrose and Rietvlei, resulted in the arrest of 10 illegal miners. In Primrose, a joint operation at Marathon/Rasta informal settlement led to the arrest of eight individuals found in possession of various equipment that include phendukas, steel balls, gas cylinders, and generators. Two of these suspects were also found in possession of unlicensed firearms and live ammunition.

In KwaZulu-Natal, an intelligence driven operation by members who are deployed to Operation Vala Umgodi in the province led to the arrest of five suspects. They were found in possession of R1.5 million worth of Eskom property in the vicinity of Empangeni and Mtunzini policing precincts on 06 April 2025.

A Vala Umgodi operation in Limpopo led to the arrest of 69 illegal miners and undocumented foreign nationals in and around Sekhukhune, Vhembe, Mopani, and Capricorn Districts between Saturday, 12 April 2025 and Sunday, 13 April 2025. Various illegal mining equipment were also seized.

On 26 April 2025, the Vala Umgodi team deployed in Mpumalanga arrested 38 suspects during a disruptive operation carried out at Simile informal settlement in Sabie and at Skoonplaas informal settlement in Pilgrims Rest.

In the North West, a total of 21 accused appeared in the Brits and Mogwase Magistrates’ Courts on 24 April 2025, for contravention of the Immigration Act, 2002.

These suspects were apprehended during Vala Umgodi operations executed on Wednesday, 23 April 2025 and Thursday, 24 April 2025, in Witrandjie village near Sun City and Majakaneng village, outside Brits respectively.

Out of 21 accused, three were found guilty by the Brits Magistrate’s Court and sentenced to six months imprisonment or a fine of R2000 wholly suspended. The court also ordered that the accused be deported to their countries of origin. The other accused were remanded in custody until their next individual appearances at both Mogwase and Brits courts.

Operation Vala Umgodi is government’s response to prevent and combat illegal mining activities in the country.

Since its inception in December 2023, more than 20 000 suspects have been arrested while over 600 firearms, that include imitation firearms (toy guns) and 14 000 rounds of ammunition have been seized through Vala Umgodi operations.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has called on 24-year-old Thato David Madisha and Sello “Skhalo” Uoane to hand themselves over to the police at their nearest police station.

The two are wanted suspects in the case of murdered journalist, Aserie Ndlovu, and his partner Zodwa Mdhluli.

Police believe the pair may have played a role or have information on the alleged kidnapping and killing of the couple.

“While tracking teams are on the ground searching for the pair, the two suspects are also advised to voluntary hand themselves over,” the South African Police Service said in a statement.

Communities who may know their whereabouts or may have any information are advised to contact the investigating officer in this case, Lieutenant Colonel Maboko on 0720302794‎‎.

Uoane is currently out on parole for rape.

Four people have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Ndlovu and Mdhluli.

The suspects have been charged with murder, theft and car-jacking.

According to information provided by SAPS, police have discovered two lifeless bodies believed to be that of Ndlovu and Mdhluli. The couple has been missing since 18 February 2025.

The discovery of the bodies is the result of a lengthy and thorough investigation by a multi-disciplinary team of law enforcement agencies. The effort has led to the arrest of four suspects, who are currently in police custody.

A 42-year-old suspect is expected to appear before the Pretoria Magistrate Court today, following his arrest on Saturday morning in Petrus Steyn, in the Free State province, on charges of fraud and impersonating a police officer.

The suspect impersonated the National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI).

In October 2024, the suspect allegedly contacted a prominent South African businessman residing in Gauteng via WhatsApp, falsely claiming to be Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, the National Head of the Hawks.

Using a profile picture and personal details resembling those of Lebeya, the suspect deceived the victim.

It is alleged that the suspect claimed that the mobile phone of the victim had been hacked and, under the pretext of assisting with a security breach, requested the victim’s personal information.

Believing that he was communicating with the real National Head of the Hawks, the victim provided personal details and contact information of close associates.

The suspect later solicited money, claiming to have successfully “de-bugged” the victim’s mobile devices. An amount that is more than R100 000 was subsequently paid by the victims.

“I am happy that the individual who pretended to be me has now been caught. Those who have been tricked should come forward,” Lebeya said.

Following a thorough investigation, the suspect was apprehended and is expected to appear before the Pretoria Magistrate Court today.

The community is warned against making payments to police officers, as they are not authorised to solicit money for services rendered.

Police have arrested two men, aged 32 and 35, in East London for their alleged involvement in multiple crimes, including hijacking, house robberies, and cash-in-transit heists.

They are expected to appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court today.

The arrests followed a Crime Intelligence-led operation, supported by specialised police units, which tracked the suspects across the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

The suspects were allegedly holding meetings at a business in East London. Police located one of their vehicles, a stolen Toyota Starlet, on Amalinda Main Road. The 32-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene.

Further investigation led to the arrest of the 35-year-old suspect, who was found with a stolen Toyota Verso. The car had been reported stolen in Muizenberg in February 2025.

Police also recovered two more stolen vehicles — a VW Polo and a Nissan NP200 — linked to thefts in Berea and Rondebosch in 2023 and 2024.

During the operation, officers seized all the stolen vehicles, along with ammunition and a pellet gun resembling a real firearm.

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has passed condolences to the family of murdered prosecutor, Elona Sombulula.

Sombulula, a young district prosecutor in the Eastern Cape, was shot during the evening of 29 April this year.

The Minister paid a visit to Sombulula’s family and was accompanied by National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head, Advocate Shamila Batohi and other senior officials.

“This is one of the prosecutors… who was committed and coming from our Aspirant Prosecutors programme but already showing promising signs.

“He was already dealing with complex cases and some of the suspicions are that it could be one of the cases that he was dealing that led to his demise,” she said.

The Minister said law enforcement agencies are working around the clock to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

“I have spoken to the Minister of Police and appealed that… they… must ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous act face the might of the law so that the family can find justice.

“We don’t want to find prosecutors being scared to do their work because they are fearing for their lives. [When our] people go to our courts, they [must] find prosecutors prepared to work, sacrificing and making sure that they do what is right but not [risk] their lives,” Kubayi said.

Last week, Batohi sharply condemned the murder as an attack on the rule of law.

“Any attack on a prosecutor is an attack on the rule of law, on justice and on the very foundation of our constitutional democracy.

“Our deepest condolences to Mr Sombulula’s family and loved ones. We will honour his memory by continuing the work he so bravely carried out,” Batohi said.