Category: Crime & Corruption News

The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has called on the law to take its course on the rape of minor children following reports of high learner pregnancies in Gauteng.

In a statement, the committee condemned the impregnation of learners and called on perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide to be held to account.

“The committee has noted with sadness the horrifying news of learner pregnancy in Gauteng, affecting girls as young as 10. This must be acknowledged for what it is, the rape of minors, and the law must take its course.

“Furthermore, the committee has also noted with shock the gruesome killing of the Fort Hare student Nosicelo Mtebeni by her boyfriend,” the statement said.

The committee urged the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) to “strengthen its programmes, particularly on GBV”.

“[This is] to ensure that all stakeholders, especially within the criminal justice system, are an effective force against GBV… Women and children live in terror in the face of violent men… The reported unavailability of rape kits at certain police stations is unacceptable,” the committee said.

It called on government to fast-track the implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF.

Police Minister Bheki Cele says police have so far arrested 42 people for their alleged role in the racially motivated murders in Phoenix, in KwaZulu-Natal.

Cele said this when he participated in a debate in the National Council of Provinces on Wednesday on the recent public violence, looting and destruction of property.

“A Special Investigation Team, comprising detectives from the national and provincial office, was deployed to KwaZulu-Natal to look into the deaths of 36 people killed in Phoenix.

“This team has hit the ground running and has so far arrested 42 people for their alleged role in the racially motivated murders.

“These arrests have been widely welcomed by the communities of Zwelisha, Bhambhayi and uMaoti where most of the victims reside,” he said.

Cele said this after beginning his debate in remembrance of the 359 people who died during the civil unrest that gripped Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal six weeks ago.

He said the team is also investigating the role of police in the violence and looking closely into the role played by seven private security companies operating in the area.

“A ‘Peace Committee’ was also established to rebuild the broken community relations between residents of these areas and Phoenix. The aim is to bring about peace and stability through working with residents and police.”

Cele said this forum has worked with the SAPS in facilitating the reporting of cases of missing persons.

“They have been at the forefront of assisting the bereaved families to identify the remains of their loved ones at the Phoenix government mortuary.

“This Peace Committee is playing a vital role in ensuring that the communities they represent are kept abreast with information at all times.”

Cele details damage to infrastructure

Meanwhile, the Minister said the violent unrest has left devastation and economic disruption in its wake.

“In this regard, the July unrests resulted in extensive damage to 161 malls, 11 warehouses, eight factories and 161 liquor outlets or distributors.

“Over 200 shopping centres were looted and damaged, while 100 malls suffered fire damage.

“Looting also took place in about 300 shops in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, damaging over 1 400 ATMs.”

Cele said the destruction resulted in 300 banks and post office branches being vandalised.

Also, 113 communication infrastructure was also significantly damaged as well as 1 119 retail stores were impacted and damaged.

“To date, a total of 16 instigators have been identified and arrested and are going through the court processes.”

Rebuilding efforts underway

Cele said the Parliamentary debate came at the time where joint efforts and partnerships of rebuilding are at an advanced stage between government and the affected communities.

“Such efforts must be encouraged and supported, by all of us regardless of our political affiliation.

“This we must do so in the spirit of ubuntu and political maturity, where we limit politics and contribute to nation building and social cohesion.”

Cele said while police continue to nourish and deeply value community partnerships,  government remains committed to building these to bring stability and will work with citizens to prevent the reoccurrence of the July mayhem.

“I would like to pause here and take a moment to show appreciation to the communities that have, within the ambit of the law, assisted police in maintaining the rule of law, amid the violence and chaos.

“These brave men and women worked together and in some cases assisted police together with the private security industry to safe guard infrastructure and keep their neighbourhoods safe.

“I have personally visited areas around Gauteng and in KwaZulu-Natal, where malls and other retail shopping centers were barely touched because of this collaborative work.

“It is at these areas and many more, in some sections in other provinces, where police and the SA National Defence Force maintained a strong presence around retail centers and other infrastructure. These initiatives also saw some community members and private security serve as force multipliers.”

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu says the department has provided food relief to communities that were affected by the outbreak of civil unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Zulu said this when the National Assembly considered the oversight report of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development on the impact of the civil unrest  in the two provinces on Wednesday.

Addressing the House during the debate, Zulu said departmental interventions included the provision of food through centre-based feeding programmes including early childhood development facilities, community nutrition development centres (CNDCs), drop-in centres, home community-based care and old age homes.

“These are funded by the department to implement food-related interventions, among others. Since the advent of the incidents of unrest, over 12 149 food parcels were issued in Gauteng province, feeding over 62 509 people who were adversely affected.

“Over the same period, an additional 100 430 people received meals from Community Nutrition Development Centres.”

The Minister said in KwaZulu-Natal, food relief was provided through the centre-based feeding programme and social relief of distress by the department and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).

“To date, 42 573 were provided with food at the CNDCs in that province, while 36 734 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) vouchers were provided to the people affected.”

R100 million from Solidarity Fund to help laid off workers

Meanwhile, said Zulu, the department has requested additional funding from the Solidarity Fund, to address the food challenges in the other provinces. The Fund has already pledged R100 million.

She said the support will, among others, target workers that have been laid off from industries that have closed down.

This includes households with a total income below the food poverty line of R585 a month, as well as applicants of social relief of distress administered by the department.

“The provinces started to implement the relief measures on the 16th of August 2021,” she said.

Zulu has called on different sectors of the economy to partner with government to help provide social relief to affected communities.

“Through re-invigorated people, public, private, civic, academic, multilateral partnerships, the department’s programmes continue to be responsive while new interventions are emerging.

“Donors, non-profit organisations, business and universities are becoming part of these emerging partnerships, innovations that are unnecessary to undo the adversity that these incidents of civil unrest have brought into the lives of ordinary people.

“Government is making a call for active citizenship that is targeted at the sustainability where food security, the well-being of South Africans and nation building are concerned.

“Within that frame, we encourage the establishment of targeted people, public, private, civic, academic, multi-lateral partnerships among all concerned,” she said.

Two senior officials of the Northern Cape Health Department were granted bail in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Monday where they appeared on charges relating to the alleged irregular awarding of personal protective equipment (PPEs) contracts.

Acting head of department Dion Theys and chief financial officer Daniel Gaborone appeared in the court after their arrest by the Hawks on Monday where they were granted bail of R20 000 each.

According to the Hawks, the two senior officials are alleged to have awarded PPE contracts to two companies “without following prescribed procurement procedures…the total cost involved is estimated to be at R43 million”.

The provincial head of the Hawks in the Northern Cape Major General Kholekile Galawe lauded the investigating team.

“The Hawks will continue to perform their investigative functions without fear or favour regardless of the position or status of the person involved,” Galawe said.

Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi, has expressed shock at the tragic death of a senior official in the department on Monday.

According to media reports, the official, Babita Deokaran, was shot and wounded outside her home shortly after dropping off her child at school. The 53-year-old later succumbed to her injuries in hospital.

In a statement, the MEC said the department was at a loss of words at the brutal and tragic passing.

“Ms Babita Deokaran was an invaluable member of the Gauteng Health team. She rose up the ranks in the public service in the last three decades after she joined as an accounting clerk,” she said.

Deokaran went on to become Chief Director: Financial Accounting at the GDoH and at times acted as the Chief Financial Officer, said the MEC.

In the statement, Mokgethi called on law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned and get to the bottom of the shooting.

The department sent a message of condolence to Deokaran’s family and colleagues for their loss.

The Department of Justice and Correctional Services has confirmed the extradition of former Mozambique Finance Minister, Manuel Chang.

Chang will be extradited to his home country where he will face several charges, including abuse of position and function, violation of budget laws, fraud by deception and embezzlement.

According to a statement released by the department, Chang was arrested in 2018 at O.R Tambo International Airport where he was on his way to Dubai.

Following his arrest, both the USA and the Mozambican government applied for his extradition and the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court ruled that he was extraditable to both countries.

“Before the accused’s surrender could be finalised, [Chang] brought an application in the High Court of South Africa against the Minister of Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, seeking his immediate transfer from South Africa to Mozambique,” the statement said.

Following this, Minister Lamola approached the High Court to clarify whether Chang still enjoyed immunity from prosecution as he was still a Member of Mozambican Parliament when then Justice Minister Michael Masutha decided that he be extradited to his home country.

The department said the High Court decided that extradition to Mozambique would “not make sense” as Chang enjoyed immunity from prosecution.

“It was understood that the Mozambican government sought to appeal the judgement, however, after several months, the Mozambican government made representations to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services.

“The effect of the representations by the Mozambican authorities changed the facts of the matter particularly on the question of immunity from prosecution. As the facts stand now, [Chang] is not immune from prosecution and has been duly indicted by the Mozambican government,” the statement said.

Nkangala District Municipality executive mayor, Thembi Sarah Masilela, and eight others were on Monday each released on R10 000 bail by the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court for allegedly defrauding the council of R215 000.

In a statement, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) said the group in September 2019 colluded to ensure that fraudulent documents were processed for payments for services, which were never rendered.  As a result of this, the municipality lost in access of approximately R215 730.

The accomplices were all charged for theft, forgery and Contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PMFA).

Hawks spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi said the accused were granted R10 000 bail each and the case was postponed to 10 September 2021 for the matter to be transfered to the Serious Commercial Crime Court.

A manhunt is underway to find the killers of a 62-year-old taxi owner who was shot and killed at the weekend, said Mpumalanga police.

The taxi owner was brutally killed during a business robbery at Vosman near Witbank around 5:30pm on Saturday.

“The said business robbery incident reportedly occurred in the presence of other shoppers. It is said that a group of armed suspects stormed into the supermarket at a Mall in Vosmanof,” said the South African Police Service (SAPS) of the incident where the shoppers were held at gunpoint.

Multiple gunshots were reportedly fired and it was later discovered that the taxi owner was shot and he was certified dead at the scene.

Police have opened a case of business robbery together with an additional charge of murder.

”The investigation is underway and currently nothing seems to have been taken during this robbery.”

Anyone who can assist in the investigation may contact the Branch Commander, Colonel One Thobejane at 082 372 2195 or call the Crime Stop number on 08600 10111.

Alternatively, members of the public can send information via the My SAPS APP. All received information will be treated as confidential and callers may opt to remain anonymous.

Cabinet has called on all eligible businesses affected by the recent civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng to apply for industrial loan support at zero-percent interest, under the R3.75-billion Economic Recovery Support Package offered by government.

“The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) and its development finance institutions – the Industrial Development Corporation and National Empowerment Fund – have put together a funding package to support various business recovery interventions. This includes the rebuilding of infrastructure, equipment, fittings for premises, stock and working capital,” a Cabinet statement said on Thursday.

The funding will help to alleviate the socio-economic challenges facing businesses affected by the unrest.

Cabinet has welcomed and endorsed the announcement by JP Morgan to provide financial and non-financial support to the tune of R340 million through the Abadali Equity Equivalent Investment Programme (EEIP).

The programme consists of Abadali Fund – a Black Business Growth Fund and Abadali Grant (R40 million).

Energy

Cabinet also welcomed this week’s gazetting of the regulations that increase the threshold for embedded generation from the current one megawatt (MW) to 100 MW.

In June 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the amendment of Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act, 2006 (Act 4 of 2006) to increase the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s licensing threshold for embedded generation projects to allow for more private generation of electricity.

“Companies in energy-intensive sectors will now be able to generate their own electricity without the need for a licence. The new generation capacity will increase energy security by reducing reliance on the power grid and unlocking significant private sector investment.

“These initiatives will support inclusive economic growth and job creation within the small and medium-sized businesses, particularly in the manufacturing and green economy sectors,” Cabinet said.

Meanwhile, South Africa is expected to participate at the upcoming World Expo.

Cabinet approved the participation in December 2019 but the event was subsequently postponed due to COVID-19.

“The multinational event, which is held every five years in different countries, provides a large and attractive market to showcase South African goods and services to a global audience. It will be held as a hybrid of virtual and on-site exhibitions in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 1 October to 31 March 2022,” Cabinet said.

The dtic will next week host a media briefing to unpack South Africa’s participation at the World Expo 2020.

Two suspects have appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on charges of fraud, money laundering and theft, alternatively contravening the provisions of the Tax Administration Act.

“This followed their arrest by the members of the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team shortly before their court appearance,” said Hawks spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi on Tuesday.

The pair appeared in court on Monday.

The accused registered the company called Fundzani Trading CC in March 2018. It is alleged that 41 year-old Rejoice Sindisile Magagula who was the owner of the company subsequently submitted false and unlawful tax returns to the South African Revenue Service (SARS), claiming and prejudicing the revenue service an actual loss of more than R203 681.

After receiving the money, she transferred some of the money to Matilda Velelent Shongwe.

The accused were released on R2000 bail each and the case was postponed to 15 September 2021.