Category: News

Customs officers of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) have seized 23kg of narcotics disguised as moulded artwork with an estimated street value of R37 million at the cargo sheds of the OR Tambo International Airport.

The customs officers were doing their inspection rounds last week when they came across a box headed for New Zealand.

The box contained items of moulded artwork, which looked suspicious. The officers used a narcotics test kit and some of the items tested positive for crystal meth, which weighed 10kg.

A test by the South African Police Service (SAPS) on other items tested positive for fentanyl, which weighed 13kg. The narcotics were handed over the SAPS for further investigation.

In a statement on Saturday, SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter praised the vigilance of the customs officers who detected the narcotics.

“SARS Customs will spare no effort in stopping the export or import of narcotics and any illegal substance which cause so much pain and hardship for families, particularly their youth.

“Drug smugglers must know that our Customs Division is fully committed to this objective, and will act without fear or favour against those criminals involved in the drugs trade. They must know that they will face the full might of the law,” Kieswetter said.

Four more suspects have been arrested for the killing in Soshanguve that claimed the lives of four people, including a teenager on New Year’s Day.

They were arrested during an intelligence-driven operation by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team based in Pretoria and the Hawks’ Tactical Operations Management Section (TOMS).

“The suspects, three males and one female, were arrested on the night of 06 January 2024 in various areas around Pretoria, which brings the total number of arrested suspects to six. Three firearms, an AK 47 and two pistols were confiscated.

“The suspects will appear in the Soshanguve Magistrate’s court on Tuesday 9 January 2024 on charges of murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm,” the South African Police Service (SAPS) said on Monday.

The two previously arrested suspects, Sipho Kgomo and Tshepo Mosemeni, will appear in court again on 12 January 2024.

The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) has cautioned members of the public and stakeholders of a fake TikTok account impersonating Deputy Minister Pinky Kekana.

The TikTok account “Pinky_Kekana3” has been fraudulently using the Deputy Minister’s name and photos while disseminating untrue promises of teaching clients to trade and quickly make amounts ranging from R56 000 to R67 000.

The department said this is false and “intended to swindle and scam innocent citizens”.

“For the record, Deputy Minister Kekana does not have a TikTok account and the Ministry and DPME do not offer any educational trading programmes about making money.

“Therefore, the public and stakeholders are urged to desist from following or communicating with the TikTok account “Pinky_Kekana3” to avoid falling victim to unscrupulous fraudsters,” the department said on Sunday.

The official social media accounts of the Deputy Minister are as follows:

• X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/Pinky_Kekana1
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PinkyKekana2
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinky_kekana1

The City of Ekurhuleni has warned the public to be aware of job scam messages that are being sent through social media purporting to be from the city.

The city said its job application process is not conducted through social media platforms or social media messaging.

“Our positions are strictly advertised on our website: www.ekurhuleni.gov.za/vacancies where permanent, temporal and fixed-term vacancies are advertised.

“The city strongly advises the public not to respond to unsolicited offers of employment or those who seek information claiming to work for or to be associated with the City of Ekurhuleni,” the city said in a statement.

The public is urged to note the following to avoid being scammed:

• All positions are advertised on the city’s website https://www.ekurhuleni.gov.za/residents/careers.html
• The city would never ask you for money in exchange for a job interview.
• The city’s email addresses are formatted as name.surname@ekurhuleni.gov.za
• The city has official office telephone numbers which start with 011 999 xxxx.
• Any communication and adverts of jobs will carry the City of Ekurhuleni logo and not Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
• The city does not request any payment to apply for a position.
• The city only uses approved email and telephonic communications, including face-to-face interviews.

Police have arrested a 27-year-old woman for allegedly murdering her 11-month-old baby girl in the Eastern Cape.

“It is alleged that on Friday, 5 January 2024, a man went into the bushes at the Nonyevu locality in Port St Johns to urinate when he found the baby in a refuse bag. He alerted the members of the community, and the mother was traced,” the South African Police Service (SAPS) said on Sunday.

According to police information, on 29 December 2023 the infant got sick and passed away at about 5am on 1 January 2024.

It is believed that the mother wrapped the child with a towel, put her in a plastic bag and threw her in the bushes at Nonyevu locality where she was living at the time.

“The mother was assaulted by the community and is hospitalised. She faces a charge for murder and will appear in the Port St Johns Magistrate Court. A post mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death,” SAPS said.

The Department of Home Affairs has issued an alert to citizens that its services are not available at the moment due to a technical problem on the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) mainframe which affects access to the National Population Register (NPR).

“We have contacted SITA [State Information Technology Agency[ and have been assured that its technicians and engineers are attending to the matter. We hope that this will not take long to be resolved,” said the department in a statement.

The department said it will provide further updates.

“The department apologises to citizens and clients for the inconvenience caused,” it said.

The Limpopo South African Police Service (SAPS) has launched a manhunt for unknown suspects following the gruesome discovery of a dismembered body of an unknown man in a shallow grave in Apel.

Community members who were collecting firewood in the bushes near Strydkraal alerted police about the body of a man buried in a shallow grave on Wednesday.

Upon arrival, police were able to retrieve the dismembered body with multiple injuries and some of his body parts which were buried along with him.

“Preliminary investigations indicated that the victim was brought to the scene by suspects driving in an unidentified motor vehicle. An initial investigation conducted at the scene also indicated that the victim was dragged for some metres to where the shallow grave was dug up, as there were trails of bloodstains. The victim suspected to be in his 30s was found wearing only underwear,” SAPS said on Thursday.

Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe described the incident is one of the most disturbing and inhumane incidents in the province.

“I have confidence in our investigating team that they will follow all possible leads to track down the suspects and bring them to book.

“We also appeal to community members to come forward with any information that can assist in identifying the deceased or apprehending the suspects,” Hadebe said.

Community members with information can contact Sergeant Martin Betha on 0636699344 or Lieutenant Colonel John Kubayi on 0825657602 or Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or the nearest police station or use MySAPS app.

Police have launched a manhunt for two suspects who allegedly raped three women and fatally stabbed one of them on New Year’s Day in Tsolo in the Eastern Cape.

“It is alleged that on Monday evening, 01 January 2024, at about 7pm two unknown men accosted three women who were walking in between the grazing fields. The two were armed with knives and started threatening their victims and demanded cash and cellphones. The women, aged between 18 and 19, were robbed of their cellphones and then raped,” the South African Police Service (SAPS) said on Thursday.

It is further alleged that when one of the victims tried to resist with some of her belongings, she was stabbed on her upper body.

“The two men tied up two of the victims before throwing them into a nearby stream. Moments later, the victims managed to free themselves and went to their relatives to report the incident. The third victim was later found dead at the scene. A case of murder was opened with three additional counts of rape for further investigation,” SAPS said.

Police are urging anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact the nearest police station.

The information may also be shared via the Crime Stop number on 08600 10111.

Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene expressed her deepest condolences to the family of the deceased teenager.

She further expressed her concern on the increase in reported rape cases during this festive period.

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) says a decision taken by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board (CSPB) on 24 November 2023 to place inmate Oscar Pistorius on parole remains valid and is to be enforced.

Pistorius’s parole will be effective from 5 January 2024.

“… Pistorius shall be admitted into the system of Community Corrections and will be monitored until the expiry date of his sentence in 2029,” said the department in a statement.

The department said while Pistorius had an elevated public profile, it did not make him different from other inmates or warrant inconsistent treatment.

“Consequently, the details in terms of transportation plans and time of release, shall not be made public. Disclosing such details may result in a security threat for the inmate and other stakeholders involved. Therefore, DCS has to carefully manage that particular risk.”

General parole conditions will apply to Pistorius.

“He will be expected to be home at particular hours of the day. He may not consume alcohol and other prohibited substances. Participation in other programmes that would have been identified by the CSPB will also be compulsory for him. Just like other parolees, Pistorius is restricted from conducting media interviews.”

The department said South Africa has opted for a victim-centred criminal justice system and as a result, inmates and parolees are never paraded.

Therefore, it said, media opting to camp outside any correctional facility may not be prevented from carrying out their work, as per their line of duty, but it would not be possible for them to get shots or moving visuals of Pistorius.

“Newly placed parolees may be vulnerable and do require a support system to adjust to the normal way of living. The caregiver (or family) is responsible for such support, working together with DCS monitoring officials,” the department said.

The year 2023 was a prolific year for the City of Cape Town as it hosted more than 1 200 events, which contributed nearly R4 billion to the economy and created job opportunities for its citizens.

From hosting Africa’s first Netball World Cup, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the first Formula E race in sub-Saharan Africa, the Loeries Creative Week, the return of Tweede Nuwe Jaar Minstrel Street Parade and many more — the year proved to be a success for the city’s sports, arts and culture sectors.

“Research studies on three key events hosted in the city during this period revealed a substantial R2 billion economic impact. This is a holistic impact on the economy, which includes direct and indirect economic impact, and destination marketing, among others.

“A further R1.9 billion in economic activity was generated by just 20 of the events hosted in the calendar year. This is the actual direct spend by event attendees, participants and event organisers in Cape Town. In addition, over 1.3 million people attended or participated in the top 40 events in 2023,” the city said on Thursday.

The City of Cape Town’s Events Permit Office permitted over 1 200 events in the calendar year.

From major international sporting events, top tier music concerts, cultural masterpieces and an abundance of lifestyle events, Cape Town had it all in 2023. Through its Events Support Process, the city supported more than 170 events during the period.

“The importance of these economic spin-offs from events cannot be overstated. We have seen over the last couple of years how events can become catalysts for growth for other sectors in the value chain, including accommodation and food, travel, local retail and tourism attractions here in Cape Town.

“We have also seen that an overwhelming majority of event organisers use local suppliers for logistics, equipment rental, security, production, staffing and hospitality. Additionally, hosting a number of local and international events has helped tremendously in promoting Cape Town as a premier tourism destination to a global audience.

“Event organisers have worked hard over the last 15 months with support from the City’s Events Department to get the events back in the direction we were headed before the pandemic. We would like to salute all involved for their hard work,’” the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said.

The top 20 events hosted in Cape Town in 2023 created over 26 000 job opportunities for people in the greater events ecosystem, including security, catering, logistics, production and transportation, among others.

The city is planning to keep the momentum for events going this year as well.

It has an exciting line up in the events space with the Tweede Nuwe Jaar Minstrel Street Parade, kicking off a year that will also feature the SA20 Final at Newlands, the Cape Town Carnival, Africa Travel Week, Comic Con Cape Town and the world champion Springboks will battle with the All Backs at DHL Stadium in September 2024.

For all the latest information on events in Cape Town, visit eventsincapetown.com.