Category: Crime & Corruption News

Thirteen suspects have appeared before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on charges of fraud, forgery, uttering, money laundering and corruption.

The accused were arrested for, among others, defrauding the Free State Department of Health.

Some of the accused were arrested on Friday, while others were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in Bloemfontein.

Those arrested on Friday include Motsumi Krisjan Polori (46) and Sarah Kenosi Legobate (44), both employees at the Department of Health.

Five company directors, including John Tsietsi Polori (50), Thabo Moeti (39), Mavuso Victor Kwababa (49), Simon Njonga (40) and Lebohang Beqezi (37) were also arrested.

Those arrested today include government employees David Motau (54), Mietje Johns (61), Limakatso Catharine Mabitle (62), Hillary Colleen Kala (56) and John Motsemme Chakane (65), and company director Mmalefa Charity Moloi (39).

It is alleged that during the course of a regulatory audit in the Department of Health, the audit team from the Auditor-General requested information on certain payments to service providers and subsequently queried the procurement processes that were followed.

As a result, an internal investigation followed, whereby it was discovered that false or forged “requests for payment advices” were submitted during the period of January 2011 until December 2015 for payments with regards to the service providers.

It is further alleged that no evidence could be found whether the actual services were rendered by the service providers.

A total amount of more than R8 million was paid to the service providers.

As a result, the Department of Health suffered a total loss of more than R8 million.

The matter was then reported to the police and a case was handed over to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in Bloemfontein for further investigation, which led to the arrest of the accused.

The case against the accused has been postponed to Wednesday, 22 September 2021.

David Motau, Motsumi Krisjan Polori and John Tsietsi Polori were released on R5 000 bail each, while the other accused were released on R2 000 bail each.

Parties involved in the conflict by the taxi industry in Cape Town have agreed to arbitration after the initial mediation process collapsed.

In recent months, there has been ongoing violence on route B97 that has resulted in fatalities on the part of operators, drivers and commuters, with concomitant property damaged.

The root cause of the conflict in the Western Cape stems from disagreement between the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA).

In an effort to resolve the matter, government has engaged both CATA and CODETA, as well as the provincial leadership of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) to find a sustainable long-term solution.

In a joint statement on Monday, the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, and Western Cape MEC for Transport and Public Works, Daylin Mitchell, outlined the following measures that will be implemented:

–        All legal operating licence holders for routes to and from Mbekweni, except for route B97,  must  commence services,  as  authorised  by  their  operating  licences  or  face  the legal consequences.

–        All  associations  must  instruct  their  members  to  return  to  service  in  line  with  the  authorities issued with their operating licences and must do so in a manner that is safe for the  public.   The  Registrar’s  Office  will  send  out  a  letter  to  all  associations  communicating  this  instruction.   All  routes  will  be  monitored  and  action  will  be  taken  against  associations and individual operating licence holders who are in breach of this instruction.

–        When  route  B97  is  opened,  only  legal  operating  licence  holders  will  be  allowed  to operate and will serve the full route from the authorised ranks and terminals.

–        Affected  municipalities  will  be  requested  to  place  a  moratorium  on  the  issuance  of new  operating  licences  and  applications  for  additional  authorities  on  all  affected  routes whilst also rationalising these services.

–        If  the  affected  municipalities  indicate  the  need  for  additional  services  on  route  B97, operating licences will be apportioned in accordance with the arbitration award.

–        The  Department of Transport will  meet  with  the  appointed  arbitrator  to  expedite  the  arbitration process and to issue an award within the shortest possible timeframe.

–        The Registrar’s Office will continue with the section 7(A)(20) inquiry to deal with the possible violations of the Code of Conduct and Standard Constitution and to deal with the issue of floor crossing, as well as to determine if the affected associations are still properly constituted  in  terms  of  applicable  legal  prescripts. The  Registrar’s  Office  will  make recommendations  to  the  Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE)  in  respect  of  actions  against  affected  operating  licence holders;

–        Should  there  be  further  acts  of  violence,  all  affected  routes  operated  by  the  two associations  will  be  closed  for  all  minibus-taxi  operations  for  a  period  determined  by  the MEC and affected operating licences will be suspended.  In addition, both associations will be suspended or deregistered by following the prescribed process.  This will be done in the interest  of  public  safety  and  other  operators  will  be  authorised  to  provide  replacement services.

–        Any other associations found to be involved in or promoting violence will similarly be suspended or deregistered by following the prescribed processes.

–        Any  association  that  henceforth  affiliates  to  a  region  or  so-called  ‘mother  body’ outside of its geographical area will be suspended by the Registrar’s Office.

–        Government will request the South African Police Service (SAPS) to open an inquiry in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act to investigate the on-going violence and to prioritise reported cases.

–        Law enforcement capacity and deployment will be reviewed and strengthened in the affected areas.

–        Any  allegations  of  corrupt  activities  or  clear  acts  of  favouritism  on  the  part  of  law enforcement  or  regulatory  officials  will  be  investigated  based  on  evidence  submitted  by complainants.

The Western Cape Education Department has reiterated its call to communities to take ownership of schools by protecting them following incidents of vandalism.

The call comes after 38 schools in the province reported incidents of vandalism, burglary, or attempted burglary over the July school holidays.

“I am extremely disappointed that our schools have once again been targeted by ruthless criminals while closed for the holidays. Our schools are already operating in difficult circumstances, and the last thing they need is to be further disrupted by damages and theft,” MEC Debbie Schäfer said.

Among the items stolen over the holidays included sports equipment, gardening and maintenance equipment, fencing, building fixtures, lighting and electrical cables, IT equipment, stationery, kitchen equipment, and food for school meals.

Even where nothing was stolen, the MEC said attempts by the criminals to gain access to a school property, caused damage to infrastructure.

She noted that in some cases, wanton vandalism appears to be the motive, and instead of stealing anything, the perpetrators simply destroyed anything from furniture to bathroom fixtures.

“These are pointless and malicious acts, with our children on the losing end as a result. To damage your local school is self-sabotage. Someone somewhere is going to be offered the goods stolen from our schools for sale. If this happens, please report it immediately.

“We had an incident last year when a member of the public reported seeing cans meant for use in the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) at a shop, which led to a speedy arrest,” Schäfer said.

R10m spent on repairs

Schäfer added that while the total cost of repairs and replacing stolen goods is still being assessed, the department has spent an estimated R10 million repairing damages in the 2020/21 financial year “money that could have been spent on supporting our schools”.

“Unfortunately, one of the incidents this holiday period resulted in the death of a security guard who confronted perpetrators. We offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends, and the school community. The district office has also offered counselling support to the school,” the MEC said.

The public is urged to report any suspicious activity in the vicinity of schools to the police, or the Safe Schools hotline on 0800 45 46 47.

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has seized illicit cigarettes from a number of Cape Town traders valued at R6 million.

The SARS Customs National Rapid Response Team, together with the South African Police Service (SAPS), seized the consignment on Thursday.

In a statement, the revenue collector said the raid saw 443 master cases, each containing 50 cartons of various brands of cigarettes, seized in the intelligence-driven operation.

SARS said the operation was part of its heightened focus on illicit trade in cigarettes and tobacco products to protect the local industry and broader economy.

The revenue service said the involvement of other enforcement agencies reflects government’s approach in which various departments co-operate for a more effective use of resources, greater impact and visibility.

SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said the import of illicit cigarettes and other goods such as clothing and textiles, counterfeit medicines or remedies, as well as second hand motor vehicles, amongst others, destroys local industry and contributes to the shedding of jobs.

“These activities also rob the country of much needed revenue that enables government to deliver basic services to the poor and vulnerable, such as old age pensions, and offer relief to struggling businesses and their employees following the recent riots,” he said in a statement.

Kieswetter said there were also health risks for consumers, as illegally imported cigarettes do not comply with South African health regulations and pose a serious health risk to smokers.

“There is also a strong connection between these activities and international crime syndicates involved in human trafficking, gun-running, drug-smuggling and terrorism.

“SARS has a mandate to facilitate legitimate trade and will not tolerate illicit trade that harms our economy and our people, which is aligned with our strategic objective to make it hard and costly for those who do not comply with our tax and customs and excise legislation,” the Commissioner said.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has warned the public about job scammers following the arrest of a 35-year-old suspected job scammer in Polokwane on Thursday.

The victim allegedly saw a job advertisement for general workers on Facebook and promptly applied online.

Within a few days, he was invited to attend interviews at a hotel in Polokwane. He was requested to bring R210 for police clearance.

The victim became suspicious as more money for uniform was demanded from him and alerted the authorities.

When the Hawks’ Commercial Crime Investigation members pounced on the suspect, she was about to conduct more job interviews, as other unsuspecting job seekers were flocking into the hotel.

The Hawks’ preliminary investigations revealed that the company the accused claimed to be working for does not exist in Polokwane.

It was further established that the suspect provided fraudulent proof of payment to the hotel for the venue fromwhere she was conducting the interviews.

The suspect is expected to appear in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court today to face charges related to fraud.

Members of the public are urged to be cautious when searching for jobs as there are scammers who target desperate job seekers.

Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi says the Department of Employment and Labour is committed to assist workers who have been affected by the recent events in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Nxesi said businesses or companies in distress following the unrest may also apply for the normal Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS).

Addressing the media on Wednesday, Nxesi said the recent events in the two provinces may lead to a temporary lay-off from work or an outright retrenchment.

“The Unemployment Insurance Fund has a basket of benefits that can serve as intervention mechanisms to support the affected workers and companies,” Nxesi said.

“According to our own assessment, about 75 000 employees have been affected by the destruction in the two provinces,” Nxesi said.

He said it should be mentioned upfront that there is currently no benefit quite suited to the current situation.

“The COVID-19 TERS benefit was established as an intervention for a specific state of disaster situation. Therefore, the current benefits under the Unemployment Insurance Act are the only interventions available to cover the affected workers,” Nxesi said.

Nxesi said in order to ensure that the basic tenets of the Act are not violated, his department is drafting a special directive dealing with the plight of the affected workers in the two provinces.

“The spirit of the directive will be to ensure that workers, who would not normally qualify for these benefits due to non-compliance of the employer with the Act that they are able to access these benefits.

“However, I should emphasise that it will not be a free for all, the criteria to determine who qualifies is going to be stringent and payments will be based on the resources available.

“Whilst it is our desire to pay all affected workers, it should be borne in mind that the Fund’s resources are limited,” Nxesi said.

Nxesi said he had instructed his department’s officials to gather data of businesses that have been affected and also to perform an analysis of those who will afford to carry their employees’ salaries during this period.

“On the basis of this analysis we shall be able to indicate the benefit calculation that we will follow, whether it is a flat rate across the board, an Income Replacement Rate, or a combination of the two depending on the circumstances and nature of the particular application.

“All details pertaining to who qualifies, the payment structure, the application process and the duration of the payment period will be outlined in the direction to be issued shortly. We are mindful of the urgency of the matter.

“We therefore commit to expediting the process of drafting and approval of the directive. The UIF already has a system in place that will help fast-track the payments,” Nxesi said.

Nxesi explained that applications for TERS are made via the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), and an independent adjudication committee evaluates all proposals and makes a recommendation to the Director-General of the Department of Employment and Labour.

“It is a reality that some of the businesses will not fully recover from the damage they have suffered, which will result in retrenchments.

“The UIF will ensure that it prioritises those retrenched employees in some of the Labour Activation Programmes that are designed to place retrenched workers in employment opportunities,” Nxesi said.

North West Premier, Professor Tebogo Job Mokgoro, has welcomed the arrest of five suspects for the murder of two police officers who were stationed at Mareetsane police station.

As reported by the SAPS, the five were arrested yesterday in Logageng village near Tshidilamolomo, Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Detective service, Tactical Response Team and members of the Local Criminal Records.

Premier Mokgoro, who was shocked by the brutal killing of the two officers, applauded the multi-disciplinary team’s swift response to this case and said the arrest of these suspects should send a strong message to perpetrators of criminal acts who do not have regard for the law.

“As we strongly condemn this despicable incident, we call on the members of the public to always work closely with law enforcement officers in the fight against crime and appreciate the work they do in keeping our areas free of criminal acts,” Mokgoro said.

Premier Mokgoro, who expressed confidence in the work of the law enforcement agencies and the country’s justice system, also conveyed the provincial government’s message of condolences to the families and colleagues of the late Constable Ngakaemang Ntsekeletsa (50) and Sergeant Mojalefa Horatious Molete (42).

It is alleged that on 26 July 2021 around 9pm, the two police officers were on patrol duties with a state vehicle when they came across a vehicle loaded with suspected stolen goats.

The members reported the incident to the commander and mentioned that they would be bringing the suspect’s vehicle to the police station.

About an hour later, the police reported that they were not far from the police station.

However, the police officers never arrived at the police station and they could not be reached on both their cell phones nor the police radio. A manhunt for the police officers was immediately launched.

Government has set aside R36 billion financial assistance and incentive relief to businesses hardest hit by the recent riots in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal with the aim of helping them get back on their feet.

Revealing the economic support package on Wednesday, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said the government had to intervene.

He said South Africa was fortunate enough to have the South African Special Risks Insurance Association (Sasria). To this end, Treasury Director-General Dondo Mogajane said Sasria would be allocated about R3.9 billion “immediately” to ensure that in need businesses were supported.

Further to this, employment tax incentives of about R5 billion were releasing back to businesses in the form of their employment initiatives.

“All-in-all, there’s about R36 billion in support that we are putting on the table. But we will be interacting within the parliamentary system,” he said.

Mboweni said Sasria would immediately commence paying out insurance claims “in order to assist those business to come back to life”.

“Sasria is a very special mechanism which was developed, unfortunately – but now we’re benefiting from it – during the apartheid periods to cover for riots, destruction of property and so on.”

Together with other insurance companies, the Minister said Sasria was speeding up the assessment process, the damage assessment process so that they can be able to assist companies to come back to life.

“We anticipate that this will cause maybe R15 to R30 billion which between Sasria and National Treasury will have to make sure that these are met,” he said.

“Of course, at the launch of our democracy, we did not really anticipate that we will have riots and destruction of property and so on because we’re a democracy and therefore we were supposed to resolve our differences peacefully, in discussions and debate.

“But unfortunately we have found ourselves in this position today and therefore, Sasria is going to become very handy in assisting us to come out of this difficult situation,” said the Minister.

Estimated costs of damage to property and infrastructure in eThekwini was around R15 billion. Combined with damages sustained in Gauteng, the figure is said to reach R20 billion. This excludes that over 150 000 jobs and 330 lives were lost during this period.

Five suspects were arrested during the early hours of Wednesday in Logageng village in the North West province for the murder of two police officers, Constable Simon Ngakaemang Ntsekeletsa (50) and Sergeant Mojalefa Horatius Molete (42).

The arrest was made by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Detective service, Tactical Response Team and members of the Local Criminal Records.

It is alleged that on 26 July 2021 around 9pm, the two police officers were on patrol duties with a state vehicle when they came across a vehicle loaded with suspected stolen goats.

The members reported the incident to the commander and mentioned that they would be bringing the suspect’s vehicle to the police station soon.

About an hour later, the police reported that they were not far from the police station.

However, the police officers never arrived at the police station and they could not be reached on both their cell phones nor the police radio. A manhunt for the police officers was immediately launched.

On 27 July 2021, the police were alerted by community members of blood stains on the road leading to the police station.

When the police visited the scene, a knife and a police badge belonging to one of the deceased was found and a second badge was found near Mareetsane road.

Further investigations led the team to a burnt state vehicle wherein the bodies of the deceased police officers were discovered.

The team followed all leads and worked tirelessly until they traced and arrested the five suspects who were allegedly found in possession of a 9mm pistol which was taken from the slain police officers.

A hammer, clothing with suspected blood stains and a vehicle have been seized for further investigation.

While condemning the acts of the perpetrators, the National Head of the Hawks Lieutenant, General Godfrey Lebeya, applauded the joint team for the swift arrest and recovery of the police firearm.

Lieutenant, General Lebeya, further expressed their deepest condolences to the families.

“We certainly hope that the families of our fallen police officers would find comfort in the arrest of suspects and look forward to successful prosecution on these criminal acts.

“An attack on the police is an attack on the state and this is why we will leave no stone unturned and will utilise all resources at our disposal to ensure those who commit such heinous acts against our officers in blue are found and face the full might of the law,” Police Minister Bheki Cele said.

The suspects will make their first court appearance on Friday at the Ganyesa Magistrate’s Court on charges of murder, malicious damage to property and possession of a stolen firearm.

Mpumalanga South African Police Service (SAPS) Commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela, has warned the public to be cautious and not fall prey to scams.

The warning by the Provincial Commissioner comes after a recent incident in Lydenburg where a woman was scammed of R205 000.

Provincial SAPS spokesperson, Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, said: “According to information reported, on 5 May 2021, a man approached the victim and introduced himself as Paul Bargye from Tanzania, which police believe is a false name. He alleged that he was running an investment company and wanted to sell shares to her”.

He said the victim fell for the trap and gave the suspect the said amount hoping that the proposal was real.

“After she had paid the money to the suspect, he then told her to go prepare herself so they can go sign for the shares. Few moments after, she called the suspect and he allegedly told her the police had arrested him. He further stated that they also took all the money.

“The victim drove to the police station to check if indeed he was arrested and was told that he had lied about his arrest. She then tried to call him but his phone was off.”

A case of fraud was opened and is currently under investigation. No one has been arrested and police are requesting the public to assist with information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect to contact the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Ruth Sithole at 073 020 9102, Lydenburg SAPS (013) 235 2222, or call the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111.

General Manamela appealed to the public not to trust people they don’t know with their money.

“If they want to invest, rather go to well established or reputable institutions for assistance. She further urged victims to report such matters at their nearest police station,” he said.