Category: Crime & Corruption News

A 24-year-old woman is expected to appear before the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court today, after she allegedly murdered her three-month-old baby girl.

The horrific incident happened on Friday evening in Avontuur near Middelburg.

On the day of the incident, the woman and the baby reportedly visited the infant’s father at the farm where the latter works.

Upon their arrival, the man refused to let them in and the woman allegedly threatened to kill the baby.

It is said that the woman then threw the infant on the ground.

The matter was then reported to the police, whereupon on the arrival of the paramedics, the child was certified dead. Police opened a murder case and immediately arrested the suspect.

The investigation by the police has since revealed that the woman is originally from Zimbabwe and she is not in possession of legal documents to be in South Africa, hence a charge of contravention of the Immigration Act has been added to the murder charge.

The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Thulani Phahla, has strongly condemned the incident and labelled it as inhumane.

“Parents should not use children to settle their love triangle scores,” Phahla said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says as government moves into the second year of the National Strategic Plan aimed at tackling gender-based violence and femicide, a comprehensive strategy is being developed to tackle the problem.

The President said this when he responded to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces on Thursday.

“As we move into the second year of the National Strategic Plan, we are focused on strengthening accountability at all levels of government and society.

“We are developing a comprehensive national GBVF prevention strategy, including evidence-based social and behaviour change programmes.

“If we are committed to working together as a country – as government, communities, civil society, organised labour, business, academia, traditional leaders and the faith community – we will succeed in ending violence against women in South Africa,” he said.

This comes after the President, in his State of the Nation Address in June 2019, committed himself to strategies aimed at effectively tackling gender-based violence and femicide.

Following this, the Emergency Response Action Plan was implemented to further strengthen the fight against gender-based violence and femicide, and provide justice for the victims and survivors.

This was a short-term plan implemented over six months through partnerships between civil society networks, government, development partners and academic institutions.

The National Strategic Plan on GBVF was approved by Cabinet in March 2020.

The plan, the President said, builds onto the Emergency Response Action Plan, and focuses on improved accountability, responsiveness to the needs of survivors, addressing impunity and driving a comprehensive prevention agenda.

“We are beginning to see positive results through various joint interventions.

“In February 2021, we launched the private sector GBVF Response Fund, where an initial amount of R128 million was pledged.

“Legislative reform has been a critical component of the National Strategic Plan,” the President said.

Last week, the National Assembly passed three bills, namely, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill; Domestic Violence Amendment Bill and Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill.

These three Bills are now on their way to the NCOP.

“I would encourage the NCOP to carefully consider these three important Bills with a sense of urgency, within the legislative mandate of the NCOP.

“We have introduced several innovative initiatives to facilitate access to support and justice.

“This includes a SMS notification system for applications for domestic violence protection orders, which was launched at all district courts in January 2021,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President said the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill, once passed, will make it possible for complainants to apply for protection orders online.

“Thirty-two regional courts are ready for designation as Sexual Offences Courts.

“There are plans for the establishment of six additional Thuthuzela Care Centres.

“As at March 2021, all police stations had the necessary sexual assault DNA kits to assist victims and survivors,” said the President.

GBV command centre

South Africa has a Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC), which operates under the Department of Social Development.

The centre operates a national, 24hr/7days-a-week call centre facility. The facility employs social workers, who are responsible for call-taking and call referrals.

The centre operates an emergency line number – 0800 428 428.

This is supported by a USSD, “please call me” facility: *120*7867#.

A Skype Line ‘Helpme GBV’ for members of the deaf community also exists. (Add ‘Helpme GBV’ to your Skype contacts).

A SMS based Line 31531 for persons with disabilities (SMS ‘help’ to 31531) also exists.

The centre is able to refer calls directly to SAPS (10111) and field social workers, who respond to victims of GBV.

KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza, has urged parents to protect children from all forms of abuse, violence and inhumane treatment.

“Protection of children is our responsibility. We have to protect these children from exploitation, violence and abuse. We cannot keep quiet when we see children in our neighbourhood being abused,” Khoza said.

The MEC emphasised that parents should know the whereabouts of their children at all times, and pay attention to what they tell them.

“We want to see more cases of child abuse behind closed doors being reported to the law enforcement agencies. It is unacceptable when parents protect those who violate children’s rights,” she said.

The MEC made the call during a handover ceremony of a mobile Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre at olwasini area in Umdoni Local Municipality, on Tuesday.

The department has funded a non-profit organisation, Tree, to the tune of R1.1 million to operate the ECD centre, pay salaries, provide maintenance of the truck, and the provision of nutritious food to children.

The centre will benefit children in Ward 2 and 18 from Umziwabantu and Umdoni Municipalities.

The handing over of the ECD was in line with Child Protection Week, which ended on Tuesday. During Child Protection Week, society is encouraged to promote the children’s rights and ensure their protection.

Khoza said mobile ECD centres play a significant role in ensuring that no one is able to conceal cases of child abuse, and also ensure child care and protection.

“It is the most important tool to ensure cognitive stimulation of children in their first 1 000 days. It is very easy to identify abused children when they attend ECD centres as our practitioners are trained to do so.

“We also do not expect children to be abused in ECD centres. People employed to take care of children have to go through a vigorous process of screening to ensure they have no criminal cases or were once involved in abuse of children,” Khoza said.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate has welcomed the bail denial of former Transnet Board member and Gupta family associate, Iqbal Sharma.

The Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on Tuesday ordered that Sharma remain behind bars until he appears again in court on 5 July.

This after the state proved that he was a flight risk as he had failed to disclose that he had transferred R264.4 million to Issar Global in 2016. The company is based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Investigating Directorate further told the court that the businessman’s South African assets account for 10% of his total assets.

“He has made more than 100 flights to and from the airports in the UAE since 2010. Sharma is a citizen of the world and has connections to several foreign countries. He additionally speaks three different international languages: French, Urdu, and Hindi,” Investigating Directorate spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said in a statement.

Sharma and three others were arrested on 3 June in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and the Free State. The three – former Free State, Agriculture, and Rural Development (FSDoARD) head, Peter Thabethe; former head of  the Free State Department of Agriculture (FSDoA), Limakatso Moorosi; and former FSDoA Chief Financial Officer, Seipati Dhlamini – have all been granted R10 000 bail.

Sharma is amongst 16 other accused who face charges relating to defrauding the Free State Department of Agriculture (FSDoA).

The fraud is in connection with a R25 million feasibility study in 2011 that was irregularly granted to Nulane Investment 204 (PTY) LTD, a company owned and controlled by Sharma.

The company had to provide a report to the department within seven months. Nulane, however, subcontracted the work to Deloitte Consulting Pty Ltd for R1.5 million.

Furthermore, said Seboka, it subcontracted the work already completed by Deloitte to Gateway Limited and paid them over R19 million.

“From there, the funds were diverted to Islandsite Investments 180 (Pty) Ltd (Islandsite), a company owned and controlled by the Gupta family. The accused face charges of fraud and money laundering. The former government officials are also charged with contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.”

The fifth suspect in the matter, Iqbal Sharma’s brother-in-law and a representative of Nulane Investments, Dinesh Patel, will formally appear on 15 June 2021, owing to health reasons. They are charged together with three companies, Nulane Investment 204 (Pty) Ltd (owned and controlled by Sharma), Wone Management (PTY) LTD, Pragat Investment (Pty) LTD and Islandsite Investments Pty Ltd.

The Investigating Directorate said the balance of the accused listed in the charge sheet are not currently in South Africa.

All the accused are expected back in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on 5 July 2021. The directorate has concluded Investigations, is ready to hand over the docket to the defence and start with the trial as soon as possible.

Over 1000 people have been arrested across the Gauteng province during an O Kae Molao Operation at the weekend.

The operation incorporating the Sedibeng, Sebokeng, Sharpeville and Evaton areas included roadblocks where 22 people were arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol.

The South African Police (SAPS) also closed a liquor shop in Sharpeville as it was found to be overcrowded and patrons were not observing social distancing measures.

Four more liquor outlets were closed down, liquor confiscated and owners arrested after they were found operating without licences and being open during curfew time.

A further 20 people were arrested for contravening curfew hours.

“More than 132 other suspects were arrested in Sedibeng District, 179 in Ekurhuleni, 162 in West Rand and 433 in Tshwane during O Kae Molao Operations conducted over the weekend. The suspects were found to have committed offences that include assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possession of drugs, dealing in dagga, murder, fraud, housebreaking and theft, reckless and negligent driving, possession of suspected stolen property and possession of ammunition,” said Gauteng police on Monday.

Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela applauded the integrated multidisciplinary forces of O Kae Molao.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has called on police leadership to trace and apprehend the suspects involved in the murder of a staff member working in the communication section of the Office of the Premier.

According to reports, Hlengiwe Madlala’s lifeless body was discovered outside her home in the early hours of Sunday morning with multiple stab wounds, with her clothes placed next to her.

Madlala, from Songozima village in Vulindlela, outside Pietermaritzburg, was an Administrator in the Communication Unit at the Office of the Premier.

“By all accounts, this is one of the most gruesome acts of gender-based violence (GBV) committed on a woman in the province recently. Whoever did this was on a mission of murderous violence and set about to carry out this act in a cold and calculating manner,” Zikalala said in a statement.

Zikalala said GBV remains one of the worst scars on society, touching every community, regardless of race, faith or economic status.

“GBV has now become the second pandemic after COVID-19 and remains a real threat to the building of a united, prosperous, non-sexist, non-racial and equal society.

“There is clearly more work to be done on protecting women in KwaZulu-Natal from violence through prevention, awareness, care and support to the victims,” the Premier said.

“We must also strengthen the judiciary and support programmes which target women empowerment and provide closure for the survivors.

“Hlengiwe died a brutal and gruesome death at the hands of a callous perpetrator. She would have celebrated her 40th birthday in August this year. Unfortunately, her life has been cut short by this brutality,” Zikalala said.

The Premier has, on behalf of the staff and the entire provincial government, conveyed his sincerest condolences to Madlala’s family, especially her children “whom she loved so dearly”.

“May the whole family be comforted in this hour of great pain, and may they find strength in the great memories shared with Hlengiwe and use these to remember the good times spent with her. May her soul rest in peace,” the Premier said.

The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) will institute an investigation into allegations of conflict of interest levelled against company secretary, Bongani Mathebula.

At the weekend, the Sunday Times alleged that Mathebula had links to a law firm that was investigating possible wrongdoing at the PIC’s Daybreak poultry farm.

The PIC in a statement on Monday said while it was aware that Mathebula had been given an opportunity to respond to the allegations, the corporation would further probe the claims to satisfy itself that there was no wrongdoing.

“For its part, the PIC requested Ms Mathebula to respond particularly to the allegation that she is a relative to a director of and is a partner in a law firm which provides services to Daybreak, a company in which the PIC has 100% control on behalf of its clients,” the PIC said.

Mathebula, according to the statement, has assured the PIC that she is not a relative and has no relationship, personal or business, with Ntiyiso Mathebula of MNA Attorneys – apparently the predecessor to PJM Attorneys.

“Ms Mathebula states that during her precautionary suspension she was approached by Mr Pule Malahlela with an opportunity to join his new law firm, PJM Attorneys (PJM).

“She accepted the approach and got registered as an Associate of PJM Attorneys with the intention to enter into a partnership as one of the Directors of PJM. However, when she was reinstated as Company Secretary of the PIC, she informed Mr Malahlela that she could no longer pursue the envisaged partnership,” said the Corporation.

The PIC said, according to Mathebula, she only became aware that she was still registered as an associate with PJM Attorneys and that the company had since changed its name to MNA, when the Sunday Times brought it to her attention.

In relation to the appointment of board members to investee companies, the PIC said it needed to be stated that the appointment followed a due process, which culminates in the Directors Affairs Committee (DAC) of the PIC approving the candidates.

The DAC is chaired by the chairperson of the PIC board.

A former police Constable is expected to appear before the Standerton Magistrate’s Court today on allegations that he killed his girlfriend.

The 27-year-old suspect is alleged to have stabbed his girlfriend several times at his place of residence at Sakhile near Standerton. He then took the victim’s vehicle and handed himself over to police.

He led police, together with the medical team, to his house and upon their arrival the lifeless body of the woman was found in a pool of blood with visible stab wounds.

Police opened a murder case and immediately arrested the suspect.

A sharp object was confiscated at the scene which will form part of the investigation.

The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Thulani Phahla, has strongly condemned the incident and called on men to stop gender-based-violence.

“Women should be protected by men and not suffer senseless violence. We believe that justice will be served for this victim and her family,” General Phahla said.

Three police officers who had been arrested and criminally charged for corruption have lost an arbitration between themselves and the South African Police Services (SAPS) to keep their jobs.

“They were arrested by the Road Traffic Management Corporations’ (RTMC) National Traffic Anti-corruption Unit in 2018 and 2019 during undercover operations on the N4 in Mpumalanga targeted at corrupt police and traffic officers who solicit bribes from motorists,” the RTMC said on Monday.

The undercover agents used marked notes, which were handed to the officers on duty.

“The officers were recorded on video and audio during all three incidents. They were subsequently arrested and charged with misconduct. They were found to be in contravention of Regulation 5(4)(f)(Corruption) of the SAPS Disciplinary Code and dismissed on 27 August 2019,” RTMC said.

The officers applied to the Safety and Security Sectoral Bargaining Council for arbitration claiming they were unfairly dismissed. However, they lost as the recorded evidence clearly indicated they had acted unlawfully despite their denial of allegations against them.

They were also criminally charged according to the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act no 12 of 2004.

One of the officers has been found guilty and sentenced to four years imprisonment suspended for five years. The other two are awaiting trial.

“The outcomes of these trials provides further evidence that the work of our anti-corruption team is bearing fruit. We call on members of the public to assist by reporting suspicions of traffic related corruption to ntacu@rtmc.co.za or on WhatsApp line 0832937989,” the RTMC said.

The Office of the Military Ombud says it has finalised 70 percent of the cases received from members of the public against soldiers on duty during the 2020/21 financial year.

The South African Military Ombud Office briefed the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans on cases lodged by the members of the public regarding the official conduct of the members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

The office has finalised 70 percent of the 56 complaints lodged by members of the public regarding the conduct of the SANDF members deployed to enforce lockdown regulations due to COVID-19.

This is the highest number of cases brought by the public against soldiers in a single year since the establishment of the Military Ombud Office in 2012.

The complaints range from allegations of assault, damage to property, use of excessive force and general heavy-handedness by soldiers when enforcing the lockdown regulations.

The South African Military Ombud, Lieutenant General (Ret) Vusumuzi Masondo informed the Portfolio Committee that some of the challenges encountered by his office during the investigations of the complaints were the travel restrictions and social distancing protocols.

“We were only able to commence with investigations in the third quarter of the financial year. The turnaround times for investigations was therefore negatively impacted,” Masondo said.

Masondo said they have dismissed few complaints due to lack of evidence.

“Members of the public must provide all the necessary details to assist with the investigations,” Masondo said.

Those who lodge complaints should try to get the name of the soldier concerned from their name badge, car registration and provide a recording of the incident if available to assist with the investigations.

Amongst the cases dealt with by the Office was a matter reported by a tavern owner who alleged that on one particular afternoon, members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and SANDF visited his premises, stole and drank his alcohol, threw empty cans at him and thereafter assaulted him.

They allegedly stole cash amounting to R25 000 from a cash register and alcohol worth thousands of rands which they loaded in their police vans.

He was unable to get the names of the soldiers, however, the incident was captured on video and the identity of the soldiers were confirmed by the video footage.

The investigation is finalised with the preliminary report issued to the interested parties. The complainant’s name or identity is upheld by the Office.

To download a complaint form, members of the public are advised to visit www.milombud.org. Once completed, forward it via email to intake@milombud.org or fax 086 523 2296 respectively.