Category: Crime & Corruption News

Cabinet has approved that public consultations be undertaken on proposals to restrict the trade of illegally obtained scrap and processed metals.

Addressing reporters following this week’s Cabinet meeting, Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said the theft of scrap metal and copper cable from public infrastructure hinders the performance of the economy by imposing enormous costs.

“Some of the disruptions include the supply of energy and rail services due to vandalised rail tracks. They impose additional transport costs on commuters due to disrupted commuter transport. Vandalised and unsecured electricity cables pose safety risks to communities, especially children.”

Gungubele said Cabinet directed that the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition lead the consultations within a limited period, and solicit inputs from the public and relevant sectors.

The consultations will seek effective measures that government can implement to stop the vandalising of critical economic infrastructures.

Thereafter, Cabinet will pronounce on the approved measures, Gungubele said.

Deputy President David Mabuza says law enforcement agencies should be allowed to investigate the robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm without any interference.

The Deputy President said this when he was responding to a supplementary question by the DA’s Deputy Chief Whip Siviwe Gwarube. The question was asked as the Deputy President was dealing with questions related to performance agreements between the President and members of the Executive.

“I think that has been reported to the police and I take it that we should allow the respective law enforcement agencies to investigate without our interference and finally, make their investigation known.

“If they want to charge the President, they will do so at a proper time, so I think we should allow that process to unfold,” he said.

In another follow up question, the EFF’s Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi asked the Deputy President if he would be ready to resume the Presidential responsibilities, as provided for in the Constitution, in the event that the President heeded to calls for him to step down.

“I don’t think we have reached any point that seeks to say the President must step down,” he said, adding that the different institutions of the country must be allowed to investigate and make a determination on the matter.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (NPA AFU) has been granted an order in the Eastern Cape High Court to recoup at least R35 million in bogus Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) COVID-19 Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (TERS) applications.

This after an investigation found that during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Executive Officer of the Eastern Cape Transport Tertiary Co-Operative Limited (ECTTC), Dr Nokuthula Mbebe, made several bogus applications to the UIF for TERS payments.

The ECTTC is an umbrella organisation that assists co-operatives to comply with the law and ensure that the local transport industry is regulated.

According to NPA regional spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali, the applications made by the ECTTC were riddled with discrepancies.

“The ECTTC made applications on behalf of its own employees, as well as on behalf of the employees of the affiliate taxi co-operatives that belong to the ECTTC. There were a large number of irregularities… including applications for TERS benefits for 22 persons in the employ of government, 22 persons who were deceased and one person who was incarcerated at the time – persons who obviously did not qualify for the benefits.

“After further investigation, it was discovered that the information – with regard to the incarcerated person and at least one of the deceased persons – was incorrect. The AFU relied on information from the UIF investigators who, in turn, relied on information from the Auditor-General — information that was not accurate. The correct information was eventually relayed to the court with regard to the mentioned deceased person and incarcerated individual,” Tyali said.

He said a further 66 applications were made through the ECTTC, which resulted in a payment of some R220 million.

“When the UIF began to audit these payments, the ECTTC and its affiliate taxi co-operatives could not verify the correctness of the applications via documentary evidence or a paper trail. This is in contravention of the directives made in relation to TERS payments, as well as the Memorandum of Agreement that all entities applying for TERS funds must sign.

“The payments, as they stand, remain the proceeds of unlawful activities, as they do not comply with the law,” Tyali said.

The AFU had already been granted three preservation orders freezing 36 different bank accounts “belonging to the ECTTC, as well as its affiliate taxi co-operatives and linked business entities” and R35 million from these accounts will be reimbursed to the UIF.

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has contracted and deployed additional security along the Central Line in Cape Town following the shooting of two security guards protecting the recovery work between Bonteheuwel and Lavis Town.

The security guards are receiving treatment at a local hospital.

“Contractors were installing overhead copper cables on the line when two armed men in a black VW Polo fired ten shots at security,” PRASA said on Wednesday.

Police are investigating the incident and a case of attempted murder has been filed at the Elsies River Police Station.

“PRASA is on a journey of recovering stolen and/or vandalized rail infrastructure and is aware of the vulnerability of the recovery work to criminal syndicates and opportunistic criminals.

“We have contracted and deployed additional security on the lines we are recovering, but it is clear that we are under siege, and the criminals will stop at nothing to get what they want.

“We commend the bravery and work of the security guards who defended the copper cables, and we would like to wish the injured guards a speedy recovery,” PRASA said.

The agency expressed confidence that the assailants will be apprehended.

“We… trust in the criminal justice system will help turn the tide against the theft of essential infrastructure,” PRASA said.

The City of Ekurhuleni has warned the public about scammers who are soliciting money from desperate home seekers claiming to put them ahead of the city’s waiting list for housing.

The city’s spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, said the latest scammers invite people who have applied for RDP houses (Government subsidised housing), through a statement to contact them for housing allocation.

“We distance ourselves from the scammer’s statement which is also an insult to the city’s brand. The city reassures the public that RDP houses and serviced stands are not for sale.

“The allocation of low-cost housing and serviced stands is conducted through a community consultative process wherein the city and councillors get in contact with the rightful beneficiaries to give them regular updates on the status of their housing allocation,” Dlamini said.

The public is urged to report any act of housing fraud to the authorities, namely South African Police Service, or the National Anti-Corruption Hotline: 0800 701 701.

The Department of Justice and Correctional Services has confirmed the arrest of alleged State Capture masterminds Rajesh and Atul Gupta at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Last year, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) had issued red notices for the two brothers.

Now, discussions on the extradition of the brothers back to South Africa are expected to get underway.

“Discussions between various law enforcement agencies in the UAE and South Africa on the way forward are ongoing. The South African government will continue to co-operate with the UAE,” the department said.

According to an NPA statement released in July last year, the brothers are wanted in South Africa in relation to the R25 million Nulane Investment fraud and money laundering case.

“The case relates to procurement fraud involving R24.9 million, paid between November 2011 and April 2012 by the Free State Department of Agriculture (FSDoA) to Nulane Investment 204 (PTY) LTD, a company owned and controlled by Iqbal Sharma.

From there, the funds were diverted to Islandsite Investments 180 (Pty) Ltd (Islandsite), a company owned and controlled by the Gupta family.

“The R24.9m was purportedly paid to Nulane to conduct a feasibility study for the Free State Province’s flagship Mohoma Mobung project, on the basis that Nulane had unique skills to perform the work.

“The group is charged together with three companies, Nulane Investment 204 (Pty) Ltd, Wone Management (PTY) LTD, Pragat Investment (Pty) LTD, Islandsite Investments Pty Ltd,” the NPA said at the time.

The other accused in the case are former government and state entity officials, former Transnet board member Iqbal Sharma, former Free State head of Department for Rural Development Peter Thabethe, former head of FSDoA Limakatso Moorosi, former FSDoA Chief Financial Officer, Seipati Dhlamini and Nulane Investment employee Dinesh Patel.

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has welcomed the sentencing of a former employee who was found guilty of cable theft by the by the Scottburgh Regional Court in KwaZulu-Natal.

Two PRASA security guards patrolling the rail reserve caught Sphiwe Mngadi and an accomplice in April 2018 with an estimated R1 million worth of copper. He could not explain why he was in possession of the 12 rolls of copper weighing approximately 192 kilograms.

“The security guards spotted him on our railway reserve in a PRASA marked vehicle. When the security guards noticed that the copper cables were removed they confronted him,” PRASA said on Wednesday.

The court found him guilty of tampering/destroying of essential infrastructure in the Mkhomazi area.

“Though the sentence is below the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, it does send a strong message to some of our rogue employees who think they can continue stealing critical rail infrastructure unabated with no consequences.

“Indeed the tide is turning against cable theft. To date, 454 suspects have been arrested for vandalism and theft, a total of 118 court cases have been finalised amounting to a combined 764 years’ imprisonment,” PRASA said.

The agency commended the work of the National Prosecution Authority (NPA), the prosecution team and the South African Police Service (SAPS) investigation team for the successful conviction.

“We welcome the NPA’s commitment to put more focus on copper cable theft given the critical role that passenger rail plays in our economy. Only a partnership between our law enforcement agencies will we be able to fight cable theft.

“PRASA would like to also commend the security guards for reporting this crime and testifying in court to ensure that the perpetrator is brought to book. PRASA does not condone any acts of criminality within the organisation and we have strengthened our internal processes and investigations to root out employees who are hampering and sabotaging the business,” the agency said.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the arrest of three people – including a high ranking Mpumalanga Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs official – in relation to alleged Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) corruption amounting to at least R5.9 million.

The three, Deputy Director Raymond Manzini, his brother Chris Manzini and businessman Moses Ndlovu were arrested on Monday and were each granted R15 000 bail at the Mbombela Magistrate’s Court where they appeared on charges of fraud and corruption.

According to SIU spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, the arrests come after the unit investigated the department.

“SIU investigation … revealed that Gatjeni Trading [owned by Ndlovu] was solely requested to quote for the supply and delivery of PPE in March 2020. However, after the PPE contract was awarded, Ndlovu approached Chris Manzini to take over the purchase without the approval of the department.

“SIU investigation further revealed that Chris Manzini, also approached his brother Raymond Manzini, who is a government official, to provide funding for the purchase and delivery of PPE. Raymond Manzini allegedly financed the purchase, in contravention of the provisions of Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004,” Kganyago said.

According to Kganyago, the department official allegedly received money from the company shortly after payments from the department were made.

“Gatjeni Trading handed an invoice to Raymond Manzini, the financial provider, for the Department to effect payment. Immediately after payment was received, a significant sum of money was transferred to Raymond Manzini’s bank account,” he said.

The case is expected back in the Mbombela Magistrate Court on 28 July 2022.

Hawks’ National Head, Lieutenant General, Godfrey Lebeya, has expressed disappointment at the alleged involvement of officers from the Directorate in criminal activities.

This comes after two officers from the Hawks national headquarters, a Lieutenant Colonel and a Captain working at Supply Chain Management, were on Friday arrested by the the Hawks’ National Priority for Violent Crimes and Tactical Operations Management Section.

Hawks spokesperson, Brigadier Thandi Mbambo, in a statement said: “Information about a Lieutenant Colonel who intended to supply SAPS ammunition to a traditional healer was received, which culminated to a sting operation being conducted”.

She said the 43-year-old female traditional healer was subsequently arrested at her place of residence in Soshanguve on Friday after an exchange was made.

“She was charged with illegal possession of ammunition and possession of suspected stolen property following the seizure of other items suspected to belong to the state,” said Mbambo.

She said further investigation led to the arrest of a female Lieutenant Colonel who was charged with theft and dealing in ammunition whilst the female Captain was arrested and charged with defeating the ends of justice after it was discovered that she tried to conceal evidence in this matter.

The traditional healer will appear in the Pretoria North Magistrates’ Court whilst the two members will appear in the Pretoria Central Magistrate’s Court today.

“We expect all our members to be beyond reproach and will ensure that the alleged culprits face the full might of the law. We shall continue to act without fear or favour regardless of the status of those who transgress the law,” said Lieutenant General Lebeya.

Cabinet has strongly condemned all acts of racism in the country, including the reported incidents at the Good Hope Seminary High School and the University of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape.

This comes after the Stellenbosch University urinating incident where a white student is seen in a video degrading and humiliating a fellow black student by urinating on his study material.

The incident caused widespread anger that such acts still take place in a country with a bitter past like South Africa, a past which the country fought so hard to overcome.

“These deplorable acts go against the constitutional values on which our democratic country was founded, which include human dignity, non-racialism, non-sexism, social justice, equity and respect,” said Minister in The Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, during a post Cabinet media briefing on Thursday.

“The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 is our guide towards eradicating the despicable divisions and injustices of the past. Parents are urged to teach children to reject racism and embrace diversity, as part of our concerted drive to promote nation-building and social cohesion.

“Let us work together to expose racism wherever it is treated as the norm and send a clear message that there is no space for it in our democratic country,” he said.

On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa used his weekly newsletter to the nation to speak against racism which is still part of the daily South African experience.

President Ramaphosa said it is more troubling that such incidents are happening at schools and places of higher learning, adding that a number of the people involved were born after the end of apartheid.

“While the incident at the University of Stellenbosch may seem like an aberration – an appalling act that has been roundly condemned – the truth is that racism is still a feature of everyday life in South Africa. The sooner we recognise that reality, the sooner we can change it,” the President said.

President Ramaphosa said that racism, here and around the world, is driven by feelings of superiority on the part of those who perpetuate it.

“Ending racism is not just about changing attitudes; it is also about changing the material conditions that still today separate black and white South Africans.

“We have come too far and the sacrifices made have been too great for such appalling acts of racism to turn us against each other. Rather, we must use this incident to confront the issue of race and racial inequality in our society,” President Ramaphosa said.