Category: Crime & Corruption News

Sentencing proceedings for a Mpumalanga businessman who attempted to bribe a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigator are expected to kick off at the Mbombela Magistrates’ Court this morning.

According to a joint statement by the SIU and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Sipho Mapala was arrested after attempting to bribe the investigator to make “a COVID-19 procurement investigation” against fellow business person, Gugu Bulunga.

“Mapalala was arrested in August 2021 during a joint operation with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation [the Hawks] when he was delivering a bribe of R50 000 to the SIU investigator,” the statement read.

According to the two agencies, Mapalala entered a guilty plea statement in which he acknowledged the wrongdoing.

“I knew it was wrong to provide money/payment to the investigator, as she was an official of the SIU. I gave this money to the SIU investigator to compensate the investigator and the other people the investigator referred to, to compensate them to crush the involvement of Gugu Bulunga.

“I wanted to help Gugu to get out of the mess which caused her severe anxiety and the threat to her life. I therefore admit that I corrupted the SIU investigator and that my actions were unlawful and punishable,” Mapalala said in the statement.

The case

According to the SIU and NPA, Mapalala and Bulunga’s troubles with the law began when the SIU launched an investigation into the affairs of the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads, and Transport which uncovered procurement irregularities.

“The SIU investigations revealed that the department contracted a service provider in the 2017/18 financial year for pest control services. However, when a National State of Disaster was declared, the Department varied the contract to include disinfection services in the Ehlanzeni District.

“The disinfection services were for buildings owned and managed by the Mpumalanga Provincial Government in the said District. After the disinfection, the service provider received multiple payments amounting to R4.8 million,” the statement read.

Immediately after the first payment of some R1.3 million, the service provider began to disburse the money to several entities and individuals.

“One of the entities that received money then made various payments which were traced to an Mpumalanga based law firm and two employees of the Department. The law firm bought a property to the value of R2.2 million and registered it in the name of a daughter of one of the two departmental officials.

“[During] August 2021, the SIU interviewed Bulunga … [who] was questioned about payments made to government officials and properties bought for government officials. Bulunga denied the allegations. Hours after the interview, Mapalala called an SIU investigator to declare that he is prepared to do anything to make the matter against Bulunga to go away,” the statement read.

The Department of Health says it welcomes the judgement that interdicts with immediate effect the strike action by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members and employees who are employed in an essential service.

“We believe this judgement will bring some form of stability in health facilities across the country,” the statement read on Monday.

This comes after Nehawu has been on industrial action since 6 March 2023 due to the collapsed wage negotiations.

According to the union, the strike was also driven by the “continuous implementation of austerity measures and the aggressive attack on collective bargaining by the government”.

The workers are demanding a 10% salary increase, while government has offered 4.7%.

Last week, Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, confirmed that preliminary figures show that four people are believed to have lost their lives “in a manner that could be directly attributed to the strike”.

The Minister continues to observe the situation and the impact of the strike on healthcare services throughout the country.

In some hospitals, protesters closed the main entrance of the health facility with burning tyres, preventing patients and families from entering the establishment.

The department instituted a court interdict last week against Nehawu to stop their members from obstructing the rendering of health services to patients, which the union appealed.

“This is a victory for the innocent, vulnerable and un-unionised patients who have suffered the consequences of the disruptive and violent strike action,” said the department.

“We also believe Nehawu will implement the judgement and inform its members to return to work as soon as possible.”

The Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans confirmed over the weekend that Irene Mpolweni, the department’s Director-General, has been placed on precautionary suspension.

However, the Ministry said it was not in a position to disclose the nature of the allegations or charges at this stage, as it must respect employer-employee confidentiality.

“We will pronounce once the entire disciplinary process has ran its course.

“However, we wish to place on record that this suspension does not necessarily presume guilt on her part. It is intended to allow the employer to gather evidence and establish facts.”

The department said an acting Director-General will be appointed in due course.

Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has welcomed the arrest of an immigration official with his police accomplice at the OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday.

The immigration official had been under observation for some time due to his suspicious behaviour and suspicious lifestyle.

The net closed in on him on Wednesday evening when he was caught red-handed stamping nine passports of nationals from different countries as if those people had departed the country in February 2023 and returned on Wednesday.

Initial investigations established that a runner brought the passports to the airport and handed them over to the policeman, who, using the fact that he was in uniform, went through security into the immigration area.

He then linked up with the immigration official who proceeded to stamp the passports.

An undercover police officer caught and arrested them. It is believed that the immigration officer charged R2 000 for each passport he stamped.

The arrested immigration official and the police official are expected to appear at the Kempton Park Magistrate Court on Monday.

The police are on the trail of the runner and the owners of the passports.

“We are indebted to the brave and patriotic law enforcement officers for the arrest of each rascal that cheapens the status of our country. I am extremely encouraged by these patriotic acts and I am even more determined to continue the fight against corruption in Home Affairs,” said Minister Motsoaledi.

“The act of stamping passports for departure and re-entry of people who remain in our country is extremely worrying.

“The owners of these passports can commit crimes in the country and claim that it could not have been them because ‘they were not in the country’ at the time of the commission of the crimes.

“They can use our departure and re-entry stamps on their passports to argue their cases in court. This is simply inexcusable. It makes foreign nationals with bad intensions believe that South Africa is up for the take,” Motsoaledi said.

Motsoaledi issued a stern warning to criminals operating out of OR Tambo International Airport and other Ports of Entry that they are being watched every single day and law enforcement will pounce on them at any moment.

Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, has set up a team to investigate a report on the R143 million drought relief project, which was meant to address water supply challenges in Moutse in the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality, Limpopo.

In 2020, the Department of Water and Sanitation set aside a budget to address the water shortage in the area due to drought.

The funds administered by Lepelle Northern Water, as the implementing agent, were meant to supply and deliver water tankers and tanks in the villages of Moutse, and to develop and refurbish boreholes in order to ensure water security for the residents within the Sekhukhune District Municipality.

According to the report presented by Lepelle Northern Water during a recent community engagement hosted by Mchunu, 30 boreholes were drilled and refurbished, with 20 of them operational, as part of the drought relief programme.

A total of 1 800 water tanks were also installed, with 20 tankers procured to deliver water to communities.

However, members of the community disputed the report presented by Lepelle Northern Water and voiced a number of concerns ranging from corruption to non-functionality of the infrastructure that is meant to provide water to them.

Mchunu acknowledged the concerns and complaints raised by the community pertaining to the report, and later set up a team to follow-up and investigate the contents of the report.

The team will include the Chief of Staff from the Office of the Minister, Sikhumbuzo Zondo; Limpopo Provincial Head, Lucy Kobe, and the Mayors of Sekhukhune and Elias Motsoaledi.

Mchunu said he expects the team to keep him in the loop about the progress of investigation.

He also called on local leadership to ensure constant engagement with the communities they serve.

“It is clear to me that communities are not updated on the projects and programmes currently underway to address water supply challenges in their area. There is a need for frequent engagement with residents and they should be kept informed on what is being done to bring water to their area.

“We have noted with concern a feeling of resentment from community members in Moutse about the delivery of water, but we are hard at work, and we intend to provide the much-awaited water to the communities of Moutse,” Mchunu said.

The community engagement followed Mchunu’s visit together with Deputy Minister David Mahlobo and former Deputy Minister Dikeledi Magadzi to the Loskop Regional Bulk Water Supply Project, a trans-boundary water project between Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces that is under construction along the Elias Motsoaledi and Thembisile Hani Local Municipalities.

The project is expected to abstract water from the Loskop Dam and supply water to 21 villages under Thembisile Hani Municipality in Mpumalanga, and eight villages in Moutse-East in Limpopo, upon its completion.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, says the killing of traditional leaders and Izinduna is an attack on the State, as it threatens to destabilise an institution critical to the stability and order of society.

“It is also a symptom of the poison that has entered the core of our societal values, where crime has become the order of the day and where murders go unresolved,” Dube-Ncube said

Dube-Ncube said in a meeting with the South African Police Service in January 2022, it emerged that the police are investigating 51 murder cases going back to 2012, and to-date, 30 people have been arrested, while 18 cases are still pending in court.

“In two of these cases, the accused were found guilty. Six remain undetected,” Dube-Ncube said.

Briefing media following a Provincial Executive Council (EXCO) meeting, Dube-Ncube said possible motives behind the killings of traditional leaders include the struggle for chieftaincy, land disputes, family disputes and even taxi-related disputes.

She said the province of KwaZulu-Natal takes the safety and security of Amakhosi and Izinduna seriously, and during meetings with Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, EXCO made it clear that all stops must be pulled to end these murders.

“We have asked that the Security Cluster explore the feasibility of setting up specialised units such as a Traditional Leaders’ Safety Unit, whose task will be to look after the safety of traditional leaders, especially those whose assessments reveal a security threat. We have many traditional leaders who have mobilised safety committees in their areas to work with police in the fight against crime.

“As announced in the State of the Province Address, we as the province through the Department of Community Safety and Liaison, we are establishing the Community Safety Intervention Unit which will focus on the safety of Amakhosi and Izinduna.

“This unit will conduct security analysis on Amakhosi and Izinduna; engage with law enforcement agencies to facilitate deployments and investigations.  It will recommend tactical security measures to be taken and monitor intervention plans working with the SAPS,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier reiterated a call on all traditional leaders to collaborate and support government, as “we seek together to build a better KwaZulu-Natal for all.”

Backdated pay for Izinduna

Meanwhile, the Premier announced that the provincial government will start disbursing the funds for qualifying Izinduna, and they are going to receive their back pay.

She said the matter has been outstanding for quite some time and government has been seized with the task, not only restoring the dignity of traditional leadership institutions, but also adequately resourcing them as a way of affirming the role of traditional leadership institutions as a critical pillar of the systems of governance.

“We are moved by the fact that we have had a number of Izinduna who have passed on, who have been working with government to ensure the payment of Izinduna, even those that have passed on, receive their backdated payment.

“KwaZulu-Natal Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs together with the Office of the Premier have been seized with this matter and had several engagements with national government with a view to making available the funds to meet this obligation,” Dube-Ncube said.

She said the province has about 2 229 Izinduna and are the majority in the country.

The Police Ministry has called for a “whole of government and society” approach in fighting crime and preventing the proliferation of gang violence in the Sophiatown precinct in Johannesburg, Gauteng.

On Thursday, the Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele, led a delegation of the South African Police Service (SAPS), as well as the  Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko. They visited the policing area following an escalation of gang and drug related shootings in the Westbury and Newclare townships.

In the last week, six separate shooting incidents have claimed the lives of two people and 11 others were injured.

In a statement, the Police Ministry said Gauteng SAPS have since responded to the shootings through the additional deployment of specialised units of the service. They have also increased the police footprint on the ground.

Police are “tracking and tracing” those responsible for the rampant violence that continues to threaten overall safety of residents, SAPS said.

Following his visit to the area and speaking with community leaders, Cele has ordered for more sustainable interventions to deal with crime and the causes of crime in the area.

“It is quite clear that this community is in desperate need of complimentary interventions to address the drivers of crime such as poverty, inequality, unemployment, social welfare, housing and education.

“While police have to combat and investigate crime, a ‘whole government and whole society’ solution is the only way to permanently silence the guns,” Cele said.

The Ministry said that a return visit has been planned for 7 March 2023 to further assess the policing interventions in the Sophiatown policing area.

During the visit, the Minister and his delegation will also engage the community on the multi-pronged crime prevention intervention that will be ushered in, with the support of the provincial government, in line with the Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy.

National Hawks Head, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, has commended the Directorate’s Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team for seizing R30 million worth of suspected illicit cigarettes in Limpopo.

In a multi-disciplinary sting operation with the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo, the Hawks, the South African National Defence Force and South African Revenue Services pounced on the contraband after receiving a tip-off.

Hawks spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke said after the team received a tip off about illicit cigarettes that were kept at a farm waiting to be transported to different destinations in the country.

“The Directorate in Limpopo is extremely determined to fight the smuggling of illicit cigarettes in the country by dismantling and paralysing the syndicate operations. This follows a successful discovery of suspected illicit cigarettes at a farm between Musina and Beitbridge port of entry on 25 February 2023,” said Maluleke in a statement on Saturday.

He said when the team arrived at the identified farm, they found a truck and a tractor with trailer loaded with suspected illicit cigarettes that were covered with brick pallets.

“A preliminary investigation led to the discovery of a bakkie and another truck in the vicinity that were also fully loaded with suspected illicit cigarettes. The value of the seized suspected illicit cigarettes is over R30 million. The team worked throughout the night trying to safeguard the exhibit and locate the suspects,” he said.

Five suspects, aged between 26 and 44, were arrested for contravening the Customs and Excise Act and are expected to appear in the Musina Magistrate’s court on Monday, 27 February.

Lebeya has commended the team for a good work.

“The work of the team is commendable. The DPCI [Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations] shall continue to dismantle organised criminal groups that decide to operate anywhere in our jurisdiction,” the Lieutenant General said.

 KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Education, Mbali Frazer, has established a Transversal Team to probe an alleged assault of an educator and the ambushing of the principal by a gunman at Sarasvati Primary School in Tongaat, North of Durban.

In a statement on Wednesday, the KZN Education Department said that the MEC’s Rapid Response Team is at work at the school to investigate the alleged incidences on school premises and will report its findings within 24 hours.

It is alleged that an educator was assaulted last Friday by her colleagues and the principal was allegedly ambushed and threatened by a gunmen.

“We as a Department of Education will not condone such violent behaviour on school premises and condemn such coward acts of crime.

“Schools are sacred places of teaching and learning and I call to order peace and discipline that should prevail in our centres of learning,” Frazer said.

Gauteng MEC for Transport and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has welcomed the arrest of a former departmental official and her accomplice on charges of fraud, theft and defeating the ends of justice.

The accused appeared at the Durban Magistrates Court on Tuesday for a bail application.

The fraud and theft are estimated to have cost the Department of Roads and Transport (through g-Fleet Management) around R16 million. The pair also face another charge of the use of state vehicles without authorised consent.

“Today marks a great milestone not only for the department but for the people of our province and the people of KwaZulu-Natal and the rule of law. A strong message must echo within the corridors of our department, especially to those who abuse their positions of trust and steal from the people.

“These individuals shamelessly used state resources with common cause to fashion a private business for themselves. They thought this net would never close in on them, but their day has finally come.

“As we embark on this important step of rooting out fraud and corruption, maladministration, malfeasance in our entity, the g-Fleet Management Agency, we would like to assure Gauteng residents that the trust they have bestowed upon us will not be betrayed,” the MEC said.

The arrests are the culmination of an investigation spanning six years by the department’s Fraud and Anti-corruption Unit, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations and the National Prosecution Authority (NPA).

The former employee was a regional manager for both the Eastern Cape and Durban regions of the g-Fleet entity, which is in the business of renting and leasing vehicles to state departments.

The MEC thanked the team for their diligence and painstaking efforts to follow on acts of wrongdoing and bringing those who are suspected of pilfering state resources to have their day in court.

“While our intervention has brought us to the province of KwaZulu-Natal, our net is cast wide to those dark corners where officials think they can get away with leeching on the resources of the democratic state for their narrow personal gain.

“Today, we have fired only the first salvo to looters of state resources, those who hollow out resources that are meant for the people of Gauteng for their personal gain. I want to take this opportunity to warn these elements that their days are numbered.

“As we fight these rogue elements amongst us, that we remind those who continue to work as trusted stewards and patriots of our democratic state that ethical conduct and honesty also pays,” the MEC said.