Category: News

Over 1 000 people were arrested in one week for various crimes in the Free State as part of Operation Shanela.

Operation Shanela consists of regular stop and searches, roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints; high visibility patrols, including foot patrols; the tracing of wanted suspects, with a focus on murder and rape suspects, and compliance inspections at liquor outlets and second-hand good dealers.

“The period starting 25 – 31 December 2023 saw police arrest 1 073 suspects for different crimes throughout the province. This includes detection and tracking operations.

“Operation Shanela is the SAPS [South African Police Service] crime-combating high density operation incepted in May 2023.

“During patrols [in the] last week of the festive season, seven unlicensed illegal liquor premises were closed.  Ninety-seven illegal firework traders were closed and their stock was confiscated.

“Through stop and searches, 33 knives were confiscated, while 32 people were arrested for possession of dangerous weapons.  Dangerous weapons such as knives and pangas were confiscated,” SAPS said on Tuesday.

Fifty-three motorists were arrested for driving while under the influence of liquor at roadblocks.

The fight against drugs also produced positive results, as 105 suspects were arrested for drug related crimes, which included the possession of drugs such as mandrax, cocaine, crystal meth and methcathinone (CAT).

Progress was also made in the fight against illegal mining.

“The Illicit Mining Task Team is hard on duty in the area of Lejweleputswa and 26 suspects were arrested for illicit mining after others were found in possession of gold dust and illegal mining equipment.  With that operation, 46 suspects were also brought to book after they were found to be contravening the Immigration Act.

“A multidisciplinary roadblock also ensured that 32 people [were] issued or received fines, as per traffic related services offences. This also saw police confiscate three unlicensed firearms and ammunition, and three people were arrested as a result thereof.  Robberies, murder and attempted murder saw 15 suspects being arrested,” SAPS said.

The public is urged to report any suspicious and criminal activities to Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS app.

Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, has expressed satisfaction with how the Gauteng Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responded to emergencies during the festive period.

The MEC joined EMS personnel on the ground on New Year’s Eve, as they responded to emergency calls as part of the Safer Festive Season campaign.

Nkomo-Ralehoko said the work done by the Gauteng EMS, who are also known as the Green Angels, during the festive period demonstrated that the resources the Gauteng Department of Health has invested both in personnel and equipment are being put to good use.

The operation kicked off at the EMS Communication Centre in Midrand, where MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko joined the dedicated team of call centre operators to respond to incoming emergency calls to ensure prompt and efficient responses to save the lives of those in distress.

During the critical period between 6:00 AM on Sunday, 31 December 2023, and 6:00 AM on 1 January 2024, the Gauteng Emergency Communication Centre recorded a total of 1 914 calls. These calls included various incidents such as accidents, medical emergencies, suicide, trauma cases, and others,” said the Gauteng Department of Health in a statement on Tuesday.

The breakdown of calls is as follows:

– Accidents (motor vehicle, motor bike, pedestrians, etc.): 102 calls.

– Medical emergencies (maternity, asthma attack, epilepsy, heart attack, collapse, etc.): 898 calls.

– Suicide-related (poisoning, hanging, overdose, etc.): 42 calls.

– Trauma cases (assault, gunshot, burns, etc.): 468 calls.

“Comparing this data to the previous year, we have observed a minimal decline in call volumes. Around the same period in 2022/23, the Emergency Communication Centre recorded 1 929 calls (105 accidents, 862 medical, 53 suicide/attempts and 482 trauma cases).

“The statistics of emergency cases attended to between 15 December to 1 January in 2022/23 and 2023/24 cycles show that most of the calls were medical related, followed by trauma cases, accidents and suicide related calls.”

There has been a decline in medical related cases from 18 121 to 16 876, while trauma related cases have increased from 5 795 to 6 000.

There is also a slightly positive decline in suicide-related cases from 771 to 702.  There was a slight increase in accident-related cases from 1 676 to 1 682.

The Gauteng Emergency Medical Services remains committed to its mission of saving lives and providing quality emergency medical care to the people of Gauteng.

“I want to commend our dedicated healthcare workers across the Gauteng health system, who have been working tirelessly during this busy period. Their dedication and professionalism is commendable,” said the MEC.

Nkomo-Ralehoko further expressed appreciation to the residents of Gauteng and those visiting the province for their continued cooperation and patience. She pleaded with them to make use of primary health facilities and only call the Emergency Communication Centre for actual medical and trauma emergencies, as this will greatly improve responses to those in distress.

“The statistics could be improved upon drastically if people were to act more responsibly and with consideration of others,” she said.

South Africa has offered its deepest condolences to the government and people of Japan following a series of deadly earthquakes that struck the country’s west coast region.

“The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor has, on behalf of the government and people of South Africa, offered South Africa’s sincere condolences to the government and people of Japan following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the country’s west coast on 1 January 2024 at 16h00,” said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in a statement on Wednesday.

It said that the 7.6 magnitude earthquake has led to extensive loss of life and rising numbers of severe injuries in its aftermath.

“In the ensuing five hours following the earthquake, a swarm of approximately 30 earthquakes were reported throughout Japan.”

Pandor said that the government and people of South Africa’s prayers are with Japan, particularly the families who have lost their loved ones in the wake of the tragedy.

She further commended the tireless efforts of the rescue and emergency personnel participating in the ongoing rescue operation.

The Ministry of Small Business Development has warned members of the public about a number of fake Facebook accounts, which purport to belong to the Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams.

The ministry has strongly condemned the fraudulent use of the Minister’s name, profile and pictures to create fake accounts, whose sole intention is to defraud and scam innocent citizens, especially small business owners.

“We would like to remind and advise all law-abiding citizens that neither the Minister nor the department will ever request ‘upfront fees’ from members of the public in exchange for accessing funding or business opportunities.

“To date, we have identified over 25 fake accounts that impersonate the Minister. We can confirm that the only legitimate Facebook account of the Minister is this one: https://www.facebook.com/stella.ndabeni,” the ministry said.

Anyone who has already fallen victim to this fraudulent activity is urged to report the matter to the police as soon as possible. The fake accounts have already been reported to Facebook.

South Africa has approached the International Court of Justice, under the Genocide Convention, with respect to acts committed by Israel in the context of its attacks on Gaza.

In a statement, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said South Africa was “gravely concerned with the plight of civilians caught in the present Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip due to the indiscriminate use of force and forcible removal of inhabitants”.

It said that as a State Party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, South Africa is under a treaty obligation to prevent genocide from occurring.

“Therefore, at a special meeting held on 8 December 2023, Cabinet directed that the International Court of Justice in The Hague be approached to obtain an order directing Israel, which is also a State Party, to refrain from any acts that may constitute genocide or related crimes under the Convention.

“An application in this regard was filed before the Court on 29 December 2023 in which the Court is requested to declare on an urgent basis that Israel is in breach of its obligations in terms of the Genocide Convention, should immediately cease all acts and measures in breach of those obligations and take a number of related actions,” said DIRCO.

It added that there are ongoing reports of international crimes, such as crimes against humanity and war crimes being committed, as well as reports that acts meeting the threshold of genocide or related crimes, as defined in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, have been and may still be committed in the context of the ongoing massacres in Gaza.

“South Africa has repeatedly stated that it condemns all violence and attacks against all civilians, including Israelis. Moreover, South Africa has continuously called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the resumption of talks that will end the violence arising from the continued belligerent occupation of Palestine.”

With just two days into the new year, motorists will breathe a sigh of relief at the pumps on Wednesday as the price of petrol is set to come down by between 62 and 76 cents a litre.

According to the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe, 93 (ULP & LRP) will decrease by 62 cents a litre, while the price of 95 (ULP & LRP) will decrease by 76 cents a litre.

This means that a litre of 95, which currently costs R23.25 in Gauteng, will come down to R22.49.

The price of Diesel (0.05% sulphur) will come down by 118.32 cents a litre.

The price of Diesel (0.005% sulphur) will come down by 126.32 cents a litre and the price of Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale) will decrease by 93 cents per litre and the Single Maximum National Retail Price (SMNRP) for illuminating paraffin will come down by R1.24 per litre.

The fuel price adjustments were due to crude oil prices, international petroleum product prices; the Rand/US Dollar exchange rate; the implementation of the Slate Levy, and the octane differential between 95 and 93 petrol grades.

The average brent crude oil price decreased from 82.62 US Dollars (USD) to 77.35 USD during the period under review, mainly due to, increased production by the United States of America, Venezuela, Guyana, and other non-OPEC countries despite the announcement by OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) to cut production.

“The average international product prices of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin decreased in line with the lower crude oil prices. LPG prices increased due to higher freight cost. These factors led to lower contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin by 50.83 cents a litre, 105.81 cents a litre and 99 cents a litre, respectively,”

In addition, the Rand depreciated slightly on average, against the US Dollar (from 18.57 to 18.66 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 petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin by 5.30 c/l, 5.83 c/l and 6.00 c/l, respectively.

On the implementation of the slate levy, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy said the cumulative slate balance on petrol and diesel at the end of November 2023 had a positive balance of R1.8 billion.

“Therefore, a slate levy of zero cents a litre will be implemented in the price structure of petrol and diesel with effect from the 3rd of January 2024. This means that the motorists will benefit by 26.32 cents per litre since the slate levy will decrease from 26.32 to zero cents per litre.”

In line with the Working Rules to determine the Basic Fuels Prices (BFP), the 95 octane (unleaded) grade is the price-marker grade and the BFP-differential between 95 and 93 octanes is adjusted on the first Wednesday of each quarter.

The BFP octane differential has changed during the previous quarter and therefore the retail prices of 95 and 93 petrol octanes will be different in each fuel-pricing zone with effect from the 3rd of January 2024.

The Department of Health has welcomed the recall of the medical lubricant gel called Lubri-A, otherwise known as Sterile Lubricating Jelly.

This, after at least 380 patients developed a fungus infection, following use of the medical lubricant gel.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) undertook an investigation from January 2022 to December 2023 into an unusually high number of patients in hospitals across South Africa with positive cultures of a fungus called Wickerhamomyces anomalus, previously known as Candida pelliculosa.

“The Health Department applauds the NICD and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority’s (SAHPRA) decision to recall the contaminated health product.”

This product, according to the department, has been used in both public and private health facilities for medical procedures such as insertion of urinary catheters and ultrasound-guided insertion of venous catheters.

According to the NICD, current evidence suggests that a potential source of this fungus may have been a contaminated medical lubricating jelly used by health professionals across the health system in the country.

“This could have introduced the fungus into the bloodstream or other body sites in some patients,” the department explained.

“However, it is not yet certain if all cases in this outbreak represent true infections. A proportion of these cases may represent pseudo-infections.

“A pseudo-infection is a positive culture in the laboratory without a true infection in the patient which may occur, for example, if there was fungal contamination of the patient’s skin by contaminated lubricating jelly before collection of a specimen.”

An independent outbreak investigation conducted by the Western Cape provincial government earlier this year revealed that clusters of cases at two Cape Town hospitals may have been linked to the use of contaminated batches of lubricating jelly sachets.

The department said most of the cases at one Western Cape hospital were assessed to be pseudo-infections.

“This product has since been confirmed to be used by facilities with clusters of cases in several other provinces.”

The NICD reviewed public-sector laboratory records from 1 January 2022 through to 4 December 2023.

During this period, 380 patients with Wickerhamomyces anomalus positive specimens were identified in seven provinces.

“The department is working closely with SAHPRA, the NICD and the manufacturer Electro-Spyres to ensure the product in question is no longer used and is recalled with immediate effect and that all unopened lubricant sachets or batches are returned through the usual distribution channels.”

Although there are no reports of fatalities linked to this contaminated product, the continued use of the product may place the health of patients at risk.

“The NICD will support hospital teams to investigate individual patient cases to establish if lubricating jelly was used for any medical procedures before the positive culture and if patients had evidence of a true infection and any adverse sequelae.”

The department has alerted the provincial health authorities and clinicians to place all suspected batches on hold until further information from the ongoing investigation is known.

“There is no need for members of the public to panic as the situation is under control. Healthcare professionals who have used this product have been urged to monitor their patients for any signs of an infection and to liaise with their local laboratories to check if any of their hospitalised patients have had a positive fungal culture after use of this product.”

The signs or symptoms will depend on the body site that is affected.

Meanwhile, the department said the recall is limited to the product called LUBRI-A (2.5g and 50g sachets) and does not affect other lubricating gel products authorised for sale in South Africa.

“The department will always prioritise the health of the population using safe and effective medical products to improve health status through the prevention of illness, disease and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.”

The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) has started adjudicating tenders worth R6.43 billion that will be awarded early in 2024 to boost the construction industry.

SANRAL’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Reginald Demana, said the 77 tenders for various road construction projects were advertised at the end of November 2023 under the road agency’s Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) and submission closed on 14 December.

“SANRAL is currently adjudicating 77 tenders which will give the construction industry a good start in the New Year, helping to create thousands of jobs and inject billions of rands into the economy.

“While the rest of South Africa is winding down for the festive season, SANRAL is working hard to get South Africa’s construction industry off to a flying start in the New Year. The fact that our officials are working through the holidays to adjudicate these tenders is an indication of our commitment to fulfilling the promises we made to the South African public and it shows that we are getting back to business as soon as possible.

“We understand the role that construction and infrastructure development plays in the construction industry and we are determined to overcome the disruptions which resulted from court challenges to our PPP adopted in May 2023.

“We are squarely focussed on developing, maintaining and improving the national road network in line with our mandate from government,” Demana said on Wednesday.

After several court challenges launched by construction companies, SANRAL announced on 24 October that it was withdrawing the PPP adopted in May 2023 and embarked on a countrywide consultation process with interested and affected parties to adopt an interim PPP.

The 77 tenders, which are currently being adjudicated, were advertised in line with the interim policy.

Demana stressed that SANRAL was making every effort to catch up on time that the industry had lost by putting out 86 of the less complex consulting and construction tenders that were cancelled and subsequently re-advertised at the end of November.

The CEO said 1 040 bids were received for the 77 tenders and this illustrated the significance of SANRAL projects in the construction industry.

The breakdown of the 1 040 bids is as follows:

• 124 bids for national contracts with an estimated value of R350 million;
• 279 received for the Northern Region (Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North-West) with an estimated value of R548 million;
• 247 received for the Eastern Region (Free State and KwaZulu-Natal) with an estimated value of R2.1 billion;
• 240 received for the Southern Region (Eastern Cape) with an estimated value of R2.83 billion, and;
• 150 for the Western Region (Northern Cape and Western Cape) with an estimated value of R600 million.

“We are encouraged and at the same time humbled by this overwhelming response. It also tells us that the numerous engagements we had with interested and affected parties across the country has paved the way for more effective collaboration with all our stakeholders in the industry,” Demana said.

The official shutdown period for the construction sector commenced on 14 December 2023 and will end on 9 January 2024.

While all conventional road construction will be suspended during this time, SANRAL’s Routine Road Maintenance teams remain on standby to respond to any incident on the national road network.

“We wish to thank all our consultants and contractors for working around the clock to keep our projects on track and within budget. May you all have a well-deserved break with your loved ones and stay safe wherever you may travel,” he said.

The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) has urged motorists to be patient on the roads this busy festive season as short-term single lane closures have been applied between the M13/N3 and Hammarsdale Interchanges for the placement of concrete barriers and for the re-marking of traffic lanes.

The single lane closures were applied last week, said SANRAL.

The Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), with the assistance of SANRAL contractor’s traffic accommodation team, will manage and monitor traffic during these closures.

“Furthermore, the traffic lanes on the N3 Northbound (Pietermaritzburg-bound) between the M13 and Hammarsdale interchanges will have long-term reduced lane widths from 10 January to 29 July 2024, as part of the construction process for the realignment of the N3 between Key Ridge and Hammarsdale,” SANRAL said.

Concrete barriers will be used to separate public traffic from the construction areas where the works will take place.

Traffic will be flowing on the slow, middle, and fast lanes, which will be reduced in lane width from the M13/N3 merge up to the Hammarsdale off-ramp.

“Motorists are urged to be patient during the closures and to plan and adjust their trips to ensure they arrive at their destinations on time, while adhering to sign posted speed limits. SANRAL apologises to the motoring public for any inconvenience caused and thanks them for their patience during road construction,” SANRAL project manager Jason Lowe said.

As thousands of holidaymakers are expected to descend on Durban shores for the festive season, eThekwini Municipality Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda has assured visitors and residents that the city’s beaches are safe for swimming.

Kaunda gave his assurance as he officially reopened the iconic uMhlanga Rocks Whalebone Pier to much fanfare and public applause, just in time for the bumper festive season in Durban.

Kaunda said the results conducted jointly with the Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology (IWWT) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) revealed an improvement of the beach water quality.

“The city’s results sampled on 12 December, as part of its weekly routine testing, have also revealed that of the 23 bathing beaches, 20 beaches are e-coli compliant with acceptable standards for swimming and other water recreational use.

“The safety of residents and visitors remains a priority and with constant testing, we want to assure holidaymakers and residents of their safety. These results confirm an improvement in our beach water quality, as most are compliant with excellent and acceptable standards for swimming and other recreational use,” Kaunda said.

The Mayor said the city has a team of expert scientists that are hard at work testing the water quality at the municipal ISO 17025 accredited laboratory.

Kaunda emphasised that the municipality is transparent with the results, which are shared publicly.

“If there are poor results, the pollution team immediately traces the source so that remedial work is done to stop the pollution,” he said.

The city also conducts re-sampling to ensure the quality of beach water so that an informed decision is made whether or not to close a particular beach.

Kaunda said the city will continue joint sampling with an independent organisation, including the IWWT and Adopt-A-River, whose samples are tested by Talbot.

“The city does daily monitoring of all 23 bathing beaches to make an informed decision. However, for joint sampling, only selected beaches are tested, and some of which are non-bathing.

“Beaches that have poor water quality are closed and the public is informed when the water at beaches has been tested and if they are safe for swimming. This routine weekly testing is continuing and conducted across all the city’s 23 bathing beaches,” Kaunda explained.

The beaches that are open include uShaka, Addington, Point, North, Bay of Plenty, Wedge, Battery, South, Country Club, Thekwini, Laguna, uMhlanga Main, uMdloti Main, Bronze, Westbrook, uMgababa, Toti Main, Reunion, Warner and Brighton.

The beaches that are closed include Pipeline, Winkelespruit and Anstey’s.

Thirty-four swimming pools are open, and these include the Laguna Paddling Swimming Pool, which was reopened recently after it was closed due to infrastructural challenges.

Kaunda also announced that the repairs at the popular Children Amusement Centre swimming pool, which is along the beachfront, are expected to be completed soon.

He said 65 beach guides will be stationed across the various city beaches to aid visitors and an additional 160 seasonal lifeguards have also been deployed to beaches.

“This attests to the fact that the city is ready to host a safe and memorable festive season for the anticipated 792 410 visitors expected to flock to Durban,” Kaunda said.

Increased police visibility

On safety measures, Kaunda said the city has beefed up its staff complement as well as increased police visibility at tourism precincts and along the beachfront.

“Further bolstering these efforts is that all Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in the inner city are operational. Law enforcement will also be out in full force, with about 168 contract security personnel employed for the duration of the festive season and the 62 new metro police vehicles will patrol the streets,” Kaunda said.