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North West Premier Job Mokgoro on Wednesday thanked the police for arresting two suspects linked to school burglaries in the province.

During the arrest, police recovered various items stolen during the burglaries in Sunrise Park in Rustenburg on Monday night.

The police reported that they arrested a 32-year-old Mozambican national who is suspected to be illegally in the country and recovered a projector as well as six cellphones from him.

Premier Mogoro further thanked the police for the arrest of a second suspect in the same area who was also found in possession of a projector and 12 cellphones inside his bakkie which was also seized by the police.

The police also recovered a notebook laptop in Modderspruit near Brits.

Premier Mokgoro also thanked the SAPS North West Provincial Commissioner, Lt. Gen Sello Kwena and members of the SAPS for the arrests and further urged the community to provide any information that may lead to the arrest of more suspects to the police.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) has pounced on eight suspects allegedly behind the plundering and collapse of the Venda Building Society (VBS) Mutual Bank.

Four suspects were arrested when the Hawks descended on 10 properties in Gauteng and Limpopo on Wednesday morning. While the further three are expected to hand themselves over to the investigators, the warrant of arrest on the eighth suspect is yet to be effected, as he is in COVID-19 isolation.

The seven are expected to appear before the Johannesburg High Court, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court.

The arrests are a culmination of a two-year marathon investigation. The bank was placed under curatorship in March 2018 after it experienced liquidity challenges over 18 months. Problems included a failure of the board of directors and executive management to manage the bank’s rapid growth funding and its liquidity.

Advocate Terry Motau, in his investigative report titled ‘The Great Bank Heist’, uncovered massive fraud amounting to R1.9 billion, which was looted from the bank.

Addressing the media on the development, National Hawks head, Advocate Godfrey Lebeya, and the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Advocate Shamila Batohi, said more arrests are expected to be made, as investigations unfold. Lebeya said the eight face 47 ranging criminal counts.

“These are five counts of Patterns of Racketeering Activities, in contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998, POCA; 12 counts of theft; seven counts of fraud; 15 counts of corruption, in contravention of the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004, and seven counts of money laundering [POCA],” he said.

The Hawks began investigating the case in 2018 after the South African Reserve Bank, through the Chief Executive Officer of the Prudential Authority, reported a criminal case.

“The complainant in this case formed an opinion in his then capacity as the Registrar, that VBS Mutual Bank was in financial difficulties and as such, would be unable to repay deposits made with VBS when legally obliged to do so,” said Lebeya.

On 13 November 2018, upon the application of the Prudential Authority, VBS was put under compulsory winding up by the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria. A provisional liquidator was appointed on 14 November 2018.

Lebeya said an investigation revealed that as at 11 March 2018, there was a general deficiency in the monies received by VBS amounting to R2.2 billion.

Uncovering a scam

The scam, he said, was hatched on 4 July 2017 when the board of directors for VBS approved financial statements for the year ending 31 March 2017, making VBS to look richer while it was in fact insolvent.

“The financial statements were shockingly inflated,” he said.

It is also alleged that the bank’s chairman and CEO signed the directors’ responsibility statement to the Annual Financial Statement that was prepared by its Chief Financial Officer.

Lebeya said the Hawks’ investigation has revealed that the 10 men, who are the suspects, either unduly directly or indirectly benefitted from at least R122 million that was not due to them.

He commended the investigation team, which comprised the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Unit, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), Financial Intelligence Centre and the Liquidator, for their key roles in the investigation.

Batohi said the arrests mark a mammoth step in the progression of the case.

“This gives assurance that the team is hard at work and has been since this matter commenced in August 2018.

“It gives assurance that indeed, the relevant authorities are making headway in key cases. While today’s developments are an important milestone, we all know that a lot of work still lies ahead.”

She said while it is imperative the matters are expeditiously concluded, the team has to be meticulous in probing each detail of evidence.

“We have to do this to ensure that justice does prevail and the rule of law prevails as well. We owe it to the investors of the bank, in particular, the elderly men and women of Limpopo and beyond, who lost their hard earned money and lifetime savings. We have an obligation to all South Africans to deliver justice in this matter, as they have in many ways been victimised by this crime,” Batohi said.

As the number of COVID-19 cases increase to 76 334, the Health Department says it is pleased about the results of the affordable life-saving drug used to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients.

The Recovery Trial, based at Oxford University, published results on the therapeutic merits of low dose dexamethasone, which are extremely promising, the Health Department said.

According to Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, the drugs are also “easily implementable” in South Africa.

“Dexamethasone is a well-known and widely used steroid, which has potent anti-inflammatory properties.

“It is used in allergic reactions, asthma and other conditions where the inflammatory component of the disease needs to be controlled for better outcomes,” said Mkhize.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has welcomed the initial clinical trial and said they are looking forward to the full data analysis in the coming days.

“For patients on ventilators, the treatment was shown to reduce mortality by about one third, and for patients requiring only oxygen, mortality was cut by about one fifth,” according to preliminary findings shared with WHO.

The agency said the benefit is only visible in seriously ill COVID-19 patients and not those with milder disease.

“This is the first treatment to be shown to reduce mortality in patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen or ventilator support.

“This is great news and I congratulate the Government of the UK, the University of Oxford and the many hospitals and patients in the UK who have contributed to this lifesaving scientific breakthrough,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Meanwhile, SA recorded 57 more COVID-19 related deaths, of which 44 are from the Western Cape, nine from the Eastern Cape and four from KwaZulu-Natal, bringing the total death toll to 1 625.

The Western Cape, with the highest infection rate, has 45 357 cases, followed by Gauteng with 13 032, the Eastern Cape with 11 039 and KwaZulu-Natal with 4 048.

The North West has 1 281, Free State 578, Limpopo 391, Mpumalanga 343, Northern Cape 211 and 63 are still unallocated.

Gauteng police have arrested a 31-year-old man in connection with the murder of Soweto mother-to-be, Tshegofatso Pule.

The 28-year-old had been missing for four days when her body, covered in stab wounds, was found on Monday last week, hanging from a tree in a veld in Roodepoort. Pule was laid to rest last week in Soweto.

In a statement on Wednesday, the police said the suspect was arrested on Monday following a crime intelligence operation. He was reportedly arrested while travelling from Mpumalanga.

Gauteng Police spokesperson Noxolo Kweza said the suspect would appear before the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court today.

Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, applauded the detectives for their swift response in the investigation into the death of the pregnant woman. As the investigations are still continuing, he appealed to communities for any further information that could lead to more arrests.

This arrest came swiftly after another suspect, a 50-year-old man, was nabbed in Eldorado Park on Monday in connection with the murder of a 42-year-old woman in Eersterust at the weekend.

The team of detectives, crime prevention and Tshwane district task team followed information to where the suspect was hiding.

“Gauteng police not only arrested the suspect in the Pule killing, but have also arrested suspects in connection with the attack that occurred at Jabulani hostel last week,” said Kweza.

Meanwhile, in another case, a multi-disciplinary team of detectives arrested two suspects in KwaZulu-Natal and recovered two firearms, including an AK47. The suspects led police to a further five suspects in Gauteng. The suspects in Gauteng were found with a further five firearms.

Mawela has applauded the team for their prompt response in the matter.

Some of the suspects have been linked to other cases, including murder.

People with information on criminal activity can call the SAPS emergency number, 10111, before a crime is committed or when a crime is in progress.

Callers that want to remain anonymous may contact SAPS Crime Stop on ‪08600 10111 or send a tip-off via MySAPS App, which can be downloaded on any android or iPhone. All information received will be treated with confidentiality.

Deputy Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Makhotso Sotyu, has urged South Africans to protect land from over-use as it provides food, water and energy.

“We all can play a role in combating the effects of desertification. As individuals and corporates, we need to change our behaviour, adopt efficient land use planning and more sustainable land management practices,” the Deputy Minister said on Wednesday.

She said these efforts will enhance the capacity of land to provide a wide range of goods and services.

“This call is more relevant, even as government continues to facilitate the transformation that is fundamental for the future of this country,” Sotyu said.

The Deputy Minister’s call comes as South Africa joins the global community in marking the annual Desertification and Drought Day on 17 June 2020.

The day is celebrated under the theme, ‘Food. Feed. Fibre’, highlighting the links between consumption and land.

“Key to the leading drivers of desertification and land degradation are unsustainable production and consumption patterns. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the feed for animals come from the land. The marking of the 2020 Desertification and Drought day is therefore another call for more efficient and sustainable practices,” said the department.

Desertification and Drought Day, formerly known as the World Day to Combat Desertification, is a United Nations observance day held on 17 June each year with the aim of raising public awareness on the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought.

It also serves as an initiative that propels the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in countries such as South Africa that are prone to serious drought and/or increased desertification.

The department continues to work with other government and non-state actors in implementing programmes that aim to rehabilitate the land and enhance the productivity of land.

“Through our various Expanded Public Works Programmes, we have been able to build the much needed infrastructure with an aim of preserving productive land whilst creating some form of resilience against the impacts of climate change.

“We will continue to make funds available for such programmes, as they do not only serve to preserve the environment, but also contribute to improving and sustaining the livelihoods of our people,” the Deputy Minister said.

The department has for years invested heavily on projects and initiative across provinces that provide employment opportunities in rural areas while restoring degraded landscapes.

“We therefore call on all hands on deck in protecting our precious natural resources that provide food, feed and fibre. All livelihoods and human existence are reliant on healthy land,” Sotyu said

As a signatory to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), South Africa works collectively with the all countries in the Africa region in advancing programmes and initiatives that combat and mitigate the effects of desertification and drought throughout the continent.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will today, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the African Union (AU), participate in a virtual Extraordinary China-Africa Solidarity Summit against COVID-19.

The summit is co-hosted by the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the AU.

The aim of the summit is to explore opportunities for African States to leverage multilateral cooperation through the FOCAC mechanism, so that resources and knowledge can be mobilised in efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

FOCAC is an official forum that coordinates cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and African States.

Due to technical constraints, not all FOCAC Member States have been invited.

Participants will include the Extended AU Bureau, which includes the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Republic of Rwanda and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Other participants will include Chairpersons of Regional Economic Communities (RECs), with the Republic of Madagascar representing the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Chad for the Community of Sahel–Saharan States (CEN–SAD) and the Republic of Rwanda for the East African Community (EAC).

The Republic of Gabon will represent the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Republic of Niger will represent the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Republic of Sudan will represent the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Libya will represent the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), while the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria and the Federal Republic of Nigeria will participate as initiating members of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

South Africa is under siege, with the number of women dying in the hands of men increasing since the easing of lockdown regulations under level 3, President Cyril Ramaphosa noted.

The President has since called for South Africans to end the culture of silence and report perpetrators to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

The country is still in shock after the gruesome murder of Tshegofatso Pule, whose stabbed body was found hanging on a tree in Durban Deep, Roodepoort — less than a month she was due to give birth.

Several other cases where women were either raped or brutally murdered have been hogging the headlines.

“It is a dark and shameful week for us as a nation. Criminals have descended to even greater depths of cruelty and callousness. It simply cannot continue.

“We note with disgust that at a time when the country is facing the gravest of threats from the pandemic, violent men are taking advantage of the eased restrictions on movement to attack women and children,” the President said.

In a statement, President Ramaphosa said he was struggling to come to terms with the violence inflicted on Pule, Naledi Phangindawo, Nompumelelo Tshaka and other women in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, whose bodies were found dumped in previous weeks.

The First Citizen has also bemoaned the level of barbarism and lack of humanity in the manner in which these defenceless women have killed.

“Tshegofatso Pule, who was eight months pregnant, was found stabbed to death and hanging from a tree in an open veld. It is also suspected one of the murdered Eastern Cape women was a victim of a mob killing.”

The Presidency mentioned another case of an elderly woman who was raped and a child found dead in a field, and two young women shot dead in KwaZulu-Natal.

“According to the SAPS, there has been an increase in violent crime, especially murders since we entered alert level 3. We need to understand what factors are fuelling this terrible trend and, as society as a whole, address them urgently,” the President said.

The President said he will be deploying Ministers and Deputy Ministers to meet with community leaders in all districts around the country as part of national efforts to combat COVID-19.

However, the leaders will also engage communities on this upsurge in GVB and look at ways to prevent the killing of women.

President Ramaphosa is also concerned that SA has one of the highest levels of intimate partner violence in the world and that about 51% of South African women have experienced violence at the hands of someone with whom they are in a relationship.

“In far too many cases of gender-based violence, the perpetrators are known to the victim, but they are also known to our communities. That is why we say this is a societal matter and not a matter of law enforcement alone.

“Gender-based violence thrives in a climate of silence. With our silence, by looking the other way because we believe it is a personal or family matter, we become complicit in this most insidious of crimes,” President Ramaphosa stressed.

President Ramaphosa calls on criminal justice to do better

Citing the case of 36-year-old Sibongiseni Gabada from Khayelitsha, who was found murdered last month, the President said survivors of GBV believe the criminal justice is failing them.

Despite Gabada’s boyfriend allegedly confessing to the murder, the case against him was dropped, reportedly due to lack of evidence.

“For public faith in the criminal justice system to be maintained, gender-based violence needs to be treated with the urgency it deserves by our communities working together with our police.

“I urge the SAPS to act swiftly to track down whoever was involved in these murders and ensure there is justice for the murdered women and children. I also urge our communities to end the culture of silence and speak up. In doing so, you will be saving lives,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President has urged communities to work with the police and report any tip-offs they may have to the Crime Stop Hotline on 08600 10111 or send an anonymous SMS to Crime Line at 32211, or to call the Gender-Based Violence Command Centre at 0800 428 428.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has warned liquor licence holders against the sale of alcohol on a public holiday.

“Tomorrow, we will pay tribute to young people who laid down their lives in order for me and you to be free. We will also reflect on programmes that are aimed at ensuring that young people continue to be the motor-force of change,” Dube-Ncube said on Monday.

Annually, South Africa commemorates the Soweto youth uprising of 16 June 1976, a public holiday known as Youth Day.

According to the terms of Section 44 (5) of the Disaster Management Regulations as amended (28th May 2020), “the sale of liquor is prohibited on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and on public holidays”.

“As we move forward, I wish to reiterate once again that where any licence holder is found to have violated any of the provisions contained in the regulations or the sale of liquor in terms of the KwaZulu-Natal Liquor Licensing Act, the KZN liquor authority will recommend the suspension of the licence until the end of lockdown or for three months,” the MEC said.

Over the past two weeks, a total of 1 447 liquor traders across the province have been visited during business inspection, compliance and enforcement. Two liquor traders were arrested.

The MEC said inspections will continue throughout the province which has 8 000 liquor licence holders.

The Commission of Inquiry into Taxi Violence in Gauteng has been granted an extension of six months until August 2020.

The commission is set to finalise its report in September 2020.

The commission was set up following Proclamation 101 of 2019 to investigate the underlying reasons for the recurring conflict, violence, fatalities and instabilities in the taxi industry in Gauteng.

“Under the current level 3 of COVID-19 Regulations, the commission will proceed with its hearings during the week of 15 June 2020 and a detailed schedule will be published to inform the public on which days and at what times hearings will take place,” the commission said.

The hearing venue is fully compliant to mitigate the impact of Coronavirus, with social distancing and sanitisation being strictly observed.

The commission has called on any person or section of the public, including community structures, members of relevant communities and of the public, minibus taxi-type service associations, drivers, operators, conductors and rank marshals to contact the commission should they wish to give evidence.

Witnesses requiring assistance with the drafting of relevant legal documents will be assisted free of charge.

All potential witnesses are encouraged to contact the Commission Secretary on 066 390 0303.

Deputy Minister of Correctional Services Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa has tested positive for Coronavirus.

Government has expressed wishes of a speedy recovery to the Deputy Minister.

“Holomisa has our full support and we are looking forward to his full recovery in order for him to continue serving the people of South Africa with great valour and dedication,” Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu, said on Saturday.

The Deputy Minister is self-isolating at his residence and taking all the necessary precautions towards a full recovery.

All direct contacts of Nkosi Holomisa will be traced and they will be informed to quarantine.

The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said Holomisa is in good spirits and he is determined to defeat the virus, which has affected thousands of South Africans thus far.

“As the world has been grappling with this global pandemic over the past few months, Coronavirus has demonstrated that it does not have barriers for any section of society and that any person can be infected,” Mthembu said.

Government has reiterated its call for South Africans to take precaution and adhere to preventative measures.

These include wearing a mask, social distancing, and regularly and thoroughly cleaning hands with soap or a sanitiser that contains 70% alcohol.

People should also avoid crowded places and seek medical attention when they have symptoms of a fever, cough and difficulties in breathing.