Category: News

The KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier has noted with concern the recent circulation of misleading job advertisements sent through various social media and other platforms purporting to be newly issued by the provincial government.

The Office of the Premier said upon close examination, the job advertisements mirror the references and appearance of the original job advertisements issued by the provincial government in August 2023, under the Sthesha Waya-Waya provincial recruitment drive.

“Those advertisements have closed, and the recruitment processes have been concluded and they are not being re-advertised. All approved provincial government vacancies are advertised on the provincial government e-recruitment system or departments’ websites.

“At this juncture, the Office of the Premier categorically states that these social media advertisements are not sanctioned by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government and are the work of unscrupulous and mischievous individuals seeking to exploit the aspirations of honest South Africans who are diligently searching for employment or considering career changes,” the Office of the Premier said.

The Office of the Premier has urged all citizens to exercise extreme caution and discernment when applying for any vacancies.

“We strongly advise against engaging with such fraudulent adverts and emphasise that any legitimate government vacancies will be formally advertised through credible newspapers as well as the official KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government e-recruitment system, http://kznonline.gov.za/kznjobs.

“The Office of the Premier and KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government remain committed to transparency and integrity in all its recruitment processes. We encourage the public to verify the authenticity of any job postings and to report any suspicious advertisements to the appropriate authorities,” the office said.

The Office of the Premier added that the goal is to protect the interests and well-being of all South Africans and ensure  that all opportunities are accessed fairly and legitimately.

A 49-year-old Portuguese businessman who was kidnapped for ransom last month, is the latest victim to be rescued by the police.

In the last six months, 12 businessmen and six students who had been kidnapped for ransom have been rescued by a multidisciplinary team led by the South African Police Service (SAPS) anti-kidnapping task team.

According to the SAPS, the Portuguese businessman was kidnapped from his business premises in Florida, Johannesburg, on 24 June 2024.

“On Monday evening, 1 July 2024, the team traced the victim to a home in Snake Park, Soweto, where he had been in captivity.

“On the same evening, members also arrested one of his captors in Turffontein, Johannesburg,” a statement from the Office of the National Commissioner of the SAPS read.

According to Eyewitness News (EWN), Portuguese South African butchery owners are being targeted in a spate of kidnappings in Gauteng.

The news organisation said that 20 Portuguese South African butchery owners and managers were kidnapped in the province since January last year, with one victim murdered.

EWN said ransom demands for the safe release of the victims range between R400 000 and R3.5 million, while in at least nine of these cases, ransom demands started from R10 million.

“The SAPS anti-kidnapping task team including other law enforcement agencies and private security have been working around the clock to find the businessman, safe and unharmed,” the police said.

The police believe that the 39-year-old suspect belongs to a syndicate that is responsible for at least four other kidnappings where businessmen were the target in the Johannesburg District.

“The team is currently tracing suspects who were working together with the man.

“In cases where the businessmen and students had been rescued, no ransom payment was made as a direct result of the expertise and capabilities of SAPS detectives, the crime intelligence unit and collaboration with private security.”

As per the police statement from January 2024 to date, 49 kidnappers who had demanded ransom payment from families of victims have been arrested in Gauteng, the North West and Free State.

In addition, 21 vehicles used in the commission of these crimes have been confiscated and eight firearms have also been seized.

“The SAPS is confident that working together with all stakeholders and community tip-offs, it will continue to take down more syndicates believed to be behind a spate of kidnappings for ransom across the country,” the SAPS added.

The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has announced a decrease in prices for all grades of fuel for July, bringing much needed relief to consumers.

This is the second month in succession that a fuel price decrease has been implemented.

The fuel prices for July are adjusted as follows:

• Petrol 93 (ULP and LRP): R1,05 decrease.
• Petrol 95 (ULP and LRP): 99c decrease.
• Diesel (0.05% sulphur): 30c decrease.
• Diesel (0.005% sulphur): 24c decrease.
• Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale): 18c decrease.
• Single Maximum National Retail Price for illuminating Paraffin: 24c decrease.
• Maximum LP Gas Retail Price: 22c decrease

In a statement, the department attributed the decrease in prices to several factors in the international market.

“The average Brent Crude oil price decreased from 82.98 US Dollars (USD) to 82.24 USD per barrel, during the period under review. The main contributing factors are the increased production by the US and other non-OPEC countries amid slow economic growth globally.

“The average international product prices of petrol decreased following the lower Brent Crude oil prices during the period under review. The movement in product prices has led to a lower contribution to the Basic Fuel Price (BFP) of petrol by 93.66 – 99.65 c/l, diesel by 17.55 – 23.80 c/l and illuminating paraffin by 16.87 cents per litre,” the department stated.

Furthermore, the Rand’s strength against the dollar also influenced prices.

“The Rand appreciated slightly, on average, against the US Dollar (from 18.46 to 18.44 Rand per USD) during the period under review when compared to the previous one. This led to lower contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices of all products by about 1.50 cents per litre on all products,” the department added.

The adjusted prices are to take effect from Wednesday, 03 July 2024.

Operation Shanela has nabbed 967 suspects in the Free State last week.

Police in the province say 50 suspects were arrested for possession of drugs, with nine being arrested for rape, four for murder and 14 for attempted murder, while 28 were arrested for possession of dangerous weapons.

Twenty-one suspects were arrested for property crimes; 45 were arrested for malicious damage to property and 107 were arrested for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

In Virginia, on 26 June 2024, members of Crime Intelligence provided information on two suspected vehicles seen around petrol garages.

Three suspects were arrested after an illegal firearm was found in the vehicle in which they were driving. The second vehicle, a VW Golf, was traced and found with three occupants, and a firearm was also found and confiscated.

In another incident, a vehicle was traced and stopped. All three males found in the vehicle were also arrested after a 9mm firearm was found and confiscated.

In Rouxville, one foreign national was arrested after his bakkie was stopped at a roadblock and while the police were searching the vehicle, they found boxes of illicit cigarettes worth an estimated R12 million.

In Springfontein, two males, aged 23 and 25, were arrested after they were stopped by highway patrol on the N1 and dagga worth an estimated R1.7 million was found in the back of their bakkie.

In Batho, an illegal foreign national was arrested after he was found with an unlicensed firearm. This is after police received information that the suspect might have been part of a group that robbed a tuckshop.

Detective tracing operations, as part of Operation Shanela, saw more than 215 suspects, who did not have the legal documents to be in South Africa, being taken to Home Affairs for further handling.

Thirty-three people were arrested for driving under the influence, while 253 drivers were fined for contravention of the Traffic Act.

Operations are continuing throughout the province and community members are urged to continue providing information on crimes taking place, and to work with police to identify possible suspects.

Eskom’s Kusile Unit 5 has achieved commercial operation, adding some 800MW to the grid.

This comes as the power utility has maintained at least 90 days of uninterrupted electricity supply.

Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane said the move is part of the power utility’s focus on its recovery plan.

“We stated in our winter outlook…that we would add new generation capacity to the grid with Kusile Power Station Unit 5, as part of our intense focus on delivering the Generation Operational Recovery Plan. This addition is part of a total of 2500MW that will be added before the end of this calendar year.

“Eskom will continue to focus on implementing operational recovery, strengthening governance and future proofing the organisation to enable energy security, growth and long-term sustainability to the benefit of South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa,” Marokane said.

Kusile Power Station is located in Mpumalanga.

The power utility’s Group Executive for Generation Bheki Nxumalo added that the addition of the much-needed megawatts is a result of the collective efforts of all Eskom employees.

“The delivery of the unit, as part of our Generation Operational Recovery Plan, showcases the remarkable achievements possible when our 40 000 employees work together as a collective.

“I extend my gratitude to all Eskom employees and contractors for their diligent work in bringing this unit to commercial operation. This achievement aligns with our commitment to maximising grid capacity,” Nxumalo said.

According to Eskom, the unit was first synchronised to the grid in December 2023 but will now “begin contributing power, increasing Kusile Power Station’s total output to 4000MW”.

“Since its synchronisation…the unit has met performance expectations, supported the grid and helped to reduce load shedding. Upon completion, Kusile Power Station will consist of six units, producing a maximum of 4800MW.

“Additionally, Kusile is equipped with wet flue gas desulphurisation (WFGD) technology, making it the first power station in South Africa and Africa to use this emissions abatement technology. WFGD removes sulphur dioxide from flue gas before it is released into the atmosphere, ensuring compliance with international air quality standards.

“Construction of the remaining Kusile Unit 6 is progressing as planned, with it expected to be synchronised to the grid in November 2024,” the power utility said.

A 55-year-old suspect is expected to appear before the Zeerust Magistrates’ Court in the North West  today after being nabbed for illicit cigarettes over the weekend.

Police had received information from a farmer on Thursday evening about suspicious activities on his farm in Zeerust, leading to the arrest of the 55-year-old male and the recovery of illicit cigarettes worth R1.5 million.

The farmer had spotted an unknown truck parked on his farm. On arrival, the police approached the truck and found a male inside.

Upon searching the truck, illicit cigarettes were found and the man was arrested, while the truck and cigarettes were confiscated.

Investigations into the matter are underway by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI).

This was the second bust of illicit cigarettes within three days. In the first incident, police and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) confiscated illicit cigarettes with an estimated street value of R8 million in Makgobistad last Tuesday.

The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, commended the farmer for his vigilance and cooperation, which led to the discovery and subsequent arrest of the suspect.

The highest decision-making body of the World Customs Organisation, the WCO Council, has re-elected the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Commissioner Edward Kieswetter as its Chairperson for a second term.

Following his re-election (2024 – 2025), Kieswetter said the WCO is becoming ever more important, given the technological and big data innovations that facilitate trade, the growth of eCommerce, as well as global uncertainties taking place in the geo-political landscape.

“The key objectives of the WCO and all its member countries is to promote legitimate trade, to prevent trade in illicit and harmful goods, and ensure the safe movement of goods and travellers across the borders that divide the world.

“It is known that customs unites, whereas borders divide. But the unity amongst the customs community must be directed towards a common transformative goal that brings economic and social well-being to all citizens of member States,” Kieswetter said on Sunday.

He said it was an honour that he was once again entrusted to provide this transformative leadership of such a vital organisation as the WCO in the prevailing turbulent times.

“Central to the role of the WCO Chair is to ensure that the WCO Secretariat has both the capacity as well as the orientation to serve the needs of customs administrations around the world,” the Commissioner said.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has completed considering the approving of all 178 licenced electricity distributors’ tariff applications for the 2024/25 financial year for effective implementation on 1 July 2024.

“NERSA processed the 2024/25 distributors’ tariff applications in line with the provisions of the Electricity Regulation Act and also in compliance with the High Court order in the Nelson Mandela Chamber of Business,” the Regulator said on Friday.

The applications were published on the NERSA website to solicit comments from affected parties, which were taken into consideration in the decision-making process.

Distributors were required to submit their tariff applications for the 2024/25 financial year based on their cost of supply studies.

Those distributors without the cost of supply studies were required to provide NERSA with a breakdown of their electricity distribution-related costs.

The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has joined the global community in calling for more efforts to raise awareness of the rights of persons with albinism.

Albinism is a genetic condition that affects around one in 4 000 people in South Africa.

It is a rare condition that can result in a lack of melanin pigment, and people with albinism in South Africa are considered to have a lifelong physical impairment and disability.

The department’s Director-General, Advocate Mikateko Maluleke, said access to adequate learning, participation in economic opportunities and employment remains a challenge for learners and youth with disabilities, including those with albinism in South Africa.

“The National Albinism Task Force in South Africa and Amnesty International called on the South African government to take immediate steps to respect, promote, and fulfil all the rights of persons with albinism and ensure that all those who violate such rights are held accountable.

“For this reason, we call on all the youth of South Africa to support all the youth programs and initiatives from civil society; government, and the private sector aimed at educating and creating awareness on albinism,” Maluleke said.

Maluleke highlighted that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa guarantees that everyone has the right to life, emphasising that people with disabilities, especially youth with disabilities, are particularly at risk and require specific measures to protect this right.

“The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, through its Disabilities Rights Awareness Campaign continue to encourage civil society organisations and the private sector to invest in public educational programmes that will help to dispel the misconception and discriminatory practices on albinism,” Maluleke said.