Category: News

The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Mpumalanga has made a major breakthrough with the apprehending of a 23-year-old man with about R4 583 370 worth of suspected cocaine on the N4 freeway during a minor accident in Valencia near Nelspruit on Thursday afternoon.

According to a police report, a white KIA bakkie pulling a trailer was traveling on the N4 road when the trailer somehow broke from the truck, resulting in a slight accident.

The police from Nelspruit SAPS attended the accident scene and on arrival discovered that the courier vehicle had spilled about eight crates of a white powder.

As members were suspicious, they called their counterparts from the K9 Unit of the police as well as members from Directorate for Priority Crime Investigative (DPCI) Unit.

Substances found, weighing at about 11 kilograms and suspected to be cocaine, became subject to a police investigation.

An inquiry was opened and the confiscated substances will undergo tests while the driver was taken in for further questioning.

Police believe the consignment could have been on its way to places in the Gauteng province, however, investigators will share more light as the probe continues.

Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, commended members for their vigilance and reiterated a call for members of the public to work hand in hand with the police in the fight against crime.

Consumers will have to reach deeper into their pockets this coming month as the price of petrol is expected to increase from Wednesday.

The price of both grades of petrol (93 ULP and LRP) and (95 ULP and LRP) is set to increase by 37 cents a litre.

This means that a litre of 95 petrol, which currently costs R25.12 in Gauteng, will now cost R25.49 cents a litre as of Wednesday.

Other consumers will breathe a slight sigh of relief as the prices of both grades of diesel, paraffin and LP Gas are expected to decrease.

The price adjustments were announced by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).

The adjusted prices are as follows:

• Petrol (93 ULP and LRP): 37 cents increase.
• Petrol (95 ULP and LRP): 37 cents increase.
• Diesel (0.05% sulphur): 30 cents decrease.
• Diesel (0.005% sulphur): 36 cents decrease.
• Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale): 19 cents decrease.
• Single Maximum National Retail Price for illuminating paraffin: 25 cents decrease.
• Maximum LP Gas Retail Price: 46 cents decrease.

The department explained the adjustments in prices in a statement on Monday.

“The average brent crude oil price increased from 84.22 US Dollars (USD) to 88.10 USD per barrel, during the period under review.

“There was a lot of volatility in the market during this period. The main contributing factor is the growing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and sustained production cuts by OPEC+ [Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries] countries.

“The average international product prices of petrol increased following the higher brent crude oil prices and anticipated demand for the driving season during the period under review. The diesel, illuminating paraffin and LP Gas prices decreased on average due to seasonal changes and reduced demand in the Northern Hemispheres as they move away from their winter season.

“The movement in product prices has led to a lower contribution to the basic fuel price (BFP) of petrol by 34.41 cents a litre and higher contributions to the BFP of diesel by 39.33 cents a litre and illuminating paraffin by 22.35 cents per litre,” the DMRE said.

A weakening Rand was also a contributing factor.

“The Rand depreciated, on average, against the US Dollar [from 18.04 to 18.90 Rand per USD] during the period under review when compared to the previous one. This led to higher contributions to the basic fuel prices of all products by about 2.50 cents per litre on all products,” the department said.

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Professor Blade Nzimande, has commended the crucial role played by the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) in the country’s skills development.

“As the Department of Higher Education and Training, we are proud to state that while we provide the overall strategic and policy direction, our SETAs continue to play a crucial role in implementing and facilitating skills development within their respective sectors,” Nzimande said.

Speaking at the SETA Skills Summit currently underway in Boksburg, Gauteng, Nzimande said through their sector-specific focus and experts, SETAs contribute significantly to addressing skills gaps, skills mismatches, promoting employment and enhancing productivity within their respective industries.

“Our SETAs also play a crucial role in aligning training and development efforts with the needs of employers and the labour market, thus ensuring the development of a skilled and capable workforce that can become a catalyst for economic growth and development.

“The policy context for the work that is done by our various SETAs derives from such critical policy instruments as our country’s Master Skills Plan, the White Paper for Post School Education and Training, the National Skills Development Plan, and the National Development Plan 2030,” Nzimande said.

The Minister reiterated that the policy instruments are not only critical for enabling the country to articulate and implement a coherent human resource development plan, but it also ensures that “we embrace a skills development approach that is collaborative and sustainable, as opposed to a piecemeal and competition-driven approach”.

Held under the theme, “Together, Skilling the Nation”, the two-day summit aims to provide an opportunity for the sector to reflect on its execution of the mandate of skills development.

Nzimande said the collaborative approach is important, considering the unacceptably high number of unemployed young people in the country, and the urgent challenge of people who are ‘Not in any formal Education, Employment, or Training (NEET)’.

“It is estimated that more than 3.3 million young people in our country between the ages of 15-24 are not in employment, education, and training and unemployed. This is something that must concern all of us.

“It is therefore understood that a collaborative approach will ensure a coordinated and targeted approach to skills planning, funding, quality assurance, and monitoring, resulting in a skilled and competitive workforce that contributes to economic growth and social development,” Nzimande said.

The Minister also encouraged SETAs to focus on high impact areas, including infrastructure development for the provision of service delivery; significant reduction in unemployment including graduates; sustainable entrepreneurship and cooperatives which promote elf employment; and fundamental rural development.

He also urged them to focus on digitisation and the advancement of technological infrastructure and development to benefit the country, and effective and efficient shared services on information and communications technology.

Cabinet has commended the millions of taxpayers who have filed their tax returns to help the South African Revenue Service collect tax revenue of R2.155 trillion for the 2023/24 financial year.

“This is R52 billion more than the previous year and demonstrates the robustness of the local economy, despite challenging local and international conditions,” a Cabinet statement said on Monday.

The increased revenue helps government to fund the country’s service delivery projects and other socio-economic development programmes.

Cabinet held a special Cabinet Meeting on Wednesday, 10 April 2024.

Since its inception, SARS has collected R21.6 trillion in net tax revenues. The R21.6 trillion tax collections represents a compound growth of 9.9% per year since the inception of SARS in 1997.

READ | 30 Years: reflections on SARS

This has funded the South African democracy and touched the lives of millions who would be destitute without government support and services.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has warned the public not to fall for a scam involving the impersonation of SIU head, Advocate Andy Mothibi, and other members of the unit.

“The scammers are trying to solicit funds from members of the public in the name of Advocate Mothibi and the SIU.

“The SIU has taken steps to investigate and determine who these people are and their motives. We urge the public to be cautious and not fall prey to these scammers,” the unit said.

The unit said it will take legal action against those impersonating its members.

“Adv. Mothibi and the SIU staff members will never ask any member of the public for funds, especially for bribery or to make investigations disappear.

“The SIU will not hesitate to take legal action against anyone impersonating the SIU and its staff members,” the SIU said.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Northern Cape has executed several operations, including numerous compliance inspections at second-hand dealers, scrapyards, recyclers, private security, firearm dealers, formal and informal businesses, farms and mines.

Operation Shanela, the weekly multi-disciplinary, high-density operation, commenced on Monday, 15 April to Sunday, 21 April 2024.

According to the police, the focus was on the reduction of contact and violent crimes in crime hotspots and the operation led to 525 arrests.

“Actions and police activities executed during the disruptive actions included, vehicle check points (VCPs), stop and searches, foot and vehicle patrols, compliance inspections, smuggling of drugs and other commodities,” the SAPS explained.

READ | 297 suspects arrested in N Cape

The police said VCPs and roadblocks were conducted across the province leading to 2 270 vehicles and 4 617 people stopped and searched.

Meanwhile, 382 suspects were arrested for murder, attempted murder, rape robbery, assault, burglary, malicious property damage, dealing and possession of drugs, illicit mining and possession of counterfeit goods.

Others who were detained included those who had suspected stolen stock, undocumented illegal immigrants, possession of precious metals as well as illegal dealing in liquor that resulted in the closure of 10 liquor outlets.

In addition, 143 wanted suspects were traced and arrested by detectives for evading court appearances and contravening court orders.

“The police confiscated large volumes of alcoholic beverages and non-ferrous metal items during inspections.”

Police also seized a large amount of drugs and cash believed to be the proceeds of drug dealing during different raids and operations across the province.

VIEW | Police carry out crime reduction duties in the Northern Cape

The Provincial Commissioner of the Northern Cape, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, indicated that the success of Operation Shanela is due to the support of various communities and the multi-disciplinary approach with several roleplayers.

The Commissioner said the police will continue to combat any unlawful actions and ensure that victims of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) are given special care and attention.

“The SAPS invites the public to rate the police efforts in fighting contact crimes by participating in the ‘rate our service’ online survey to assist the police in improving services,” Otola added.

Police are urging residents to refrain from illegally connecting electricity because of the serious danger it poses and possibly death.

This after three people lost their lives at the weekend in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), a property owner from Greenbushes in Gqeberha found her tenant’s lifeless body clutching on to wires on Saturday at around 2am.

The police believe that the 26-year-old man was attempting to connect electricity to his flatlet when he was electrocuted.

An inquest docket was opened and is being investigated by SAPS Kabega Park.

Meanwhile, later that evening around 9pm, a 24-year-old female in Rabie Village, Wells Estate, allegedly touched an illegal connection while crouching and died.

“An inquest docket was opened and is being investigated by SAPS Swartkops,” the SAPS statement read.

On Sunday, 21 April 2024, an 18-year-old girl allegedly stepped on an illegal connection and was electrocuted to death around 4:30am.

The police said the teenager and her friends were walking through an open space on Auburn Street, Booysens Park, when the incident occurred.

“One of the male friends attempted to help her, but after he was also shocked, he moved away.”

The police are currently probing the matter.

The Department of Higher Education and Training has warned that Trinity International Bible University is not a registered private higher education institution and not authorised to offer any qualifications, including honorary degrees.

In a statement, Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Professor Blade Nzimande, said he has become aware of reports on social media of honorary doctorates that have been awarded to some of the country’s top celebrities by Trinity International Bible University.

Nzimande said the Department of Higher Education and Training has written to Trinity International University before and warned them about continuing to operate illegally and for them to regularise their operations.

He said the department has also asked the Council on Higher Education (CHE) for guidance on how honorary qualifications should be offered, and by who.

“As the department, we have nothing against Trinity International Bible University or the celebrities they have chosen to honour. We are, however, deeply disturbed by the persistent disregard for the department’s regulations by the management of Trinity International Bible University.

“The department is considering more comprehensive and decisive action against Trinity International Bible University and all other individuals or institutions, who continue to undermine the department’s regulations,” Nzimande said.

The Minister said the department is willing to engage with Trinity International Bible University and the celebrities they have honoured to better explain their position.

“Most importantly, as the Department of Higher Education and Training, we have a legal responsibility to protect the integrity of our qualifications and that of our post school education and training system,” Nzimande said.

Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has welcomed the sentencing of a Home Affairs employee for issuing birth certificates to foreigners for cash.

According to the department, Amos Ngwenyama was sentenced to eight and six years imprisonment on two counts of fraud and corruption at the Giyani Commercial Court in Limpopo, on Friday. The sentences will run concurrently.

Ngwenyama was based at the Home Affairs office in Malamulele.

“Mr Ngwenyama was arrested following a joint investigation by the Home Affairs Counter Corruption Unit and the Hawks in Limpopo in 2023 for issuing birth certificates to undeserving foreign nationals in exchange for money.”

Motsoaledi reiterated his warning to officials involved in fraud and corruption that “their days are numbered”.

“We have no tolerance for any acts of corruption and malfeasance. Public members expect government officials to uphold the highest ethical and moral standards. They are also expected to be honest in serving the public and the state,” Motsoaledi said.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has welcomed the heavy fine imposed on Govan Mbeki Local Municipality for polluting water resources and contravening environmental legislation.

Govan Mbeki Local Municipality in Mpumalanga province was fined R150 million for five counts relating to contravening the National Environmental Waste Management Act and National Water Act.

The Bethal Regional Court in Secunda found the municipality guilty of causing significant pollution to the environment, interfering with waterworks, pollution of water resources, an act that detrimentally affects a water course, and failure to comply with compliance notices.

This comes after a series of intervention measures undertaken by the department against the municipality since 2019, in line with the Constitution and the Intergovernmental Framework.

Water and Sanitation Director-General, Dr Sean Phillips, said in December 2019 and March 2020, the department issued the municipality with directives to make representations addressing the risk assessment, intervention and potential rehabilitation plan, and to implement all the recommendations in respect of the underlying problem in their area of jurisdiction.

However, the municipality failed to respond and adhere to the conditions of the directives issued to them within the stipulated timeframes.

“In November 2020, the municipality compiled an assessment report and intervention plan with an approved budget for the commencement of a rehabilitation project in the area, however, no rehabilitation was implemented,” Phillips said.

Phillips commended the enforcement team, saying the judgement has asserted the department’s role as a regulator of the water and sanitation sector.

“It has been our resolve to take all transgressors of the National Water Act to task and send a strong message that if people and institutions do not comply, we will not hesitate to act, without fear or favour. We want to strengthen our role as a regulator of the sector in line with all the prescripts,” Phillips said.