Archives

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has approved a temporary extension of operating times at front offices by two hours.

This according to the department, is to deal with the high demand for smart ID cards and passport services at Home Affairs offices.

This extension, from 08:00 to 17:30 with effect from Tuesday, applies to the 198 modernised Live Capture offices which can process smart ID cards and passports.

“The department usually receives a higher volume of applications during school holidays. To meet the demand during this period, we have extended operating hours,” Motsoaledi said in a statement on Monday.

Motsoaledi emphasised that this is a temporary extension.

Twelve examiners of vehicles and administration clerks are set to appear before the Polokwane Commercial Crimes Court in Limpopo on multiple counts of fraud related to the issuing of motor vehicle road worthy certificates.

“It alleged the suspects, who were employed by the privately-owned Polokwane Vehicle Testing Station, manipulated and abused systems to issue roadworthy certificates for vehicles that were not physically presented to the station for testing. The offences were committed between 2019 and 2021,” the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said on Wednesday.

The modus operandi allegedly involved the use of the identity document of an innocent person to create an impression that he had presented the vehicles at the testing station for roadworthy tests to be conducted.

Test sheets would allegedly be filled, as if the vehicles were tested when in fact they were not.

The suspects will appear in court on Thursday following the arrest by the RTMC National Traffic Anti-corruption Unit (NTACU) and the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (the Hawks).

“The Road Traffic Management Corporation welcomes the arrests and calls on the courts to pass a harsh sentence against the suspects, as unroadworthy vehicles are a major contributory factor to road crashes, injuries and fatalities in the country. The alleged conduct of these suspects undermines national efforts to make South African roads safer,” the RTMC said.

The World Health Organisation estimates that road crashes cost most economies 3% of their economies. Last year, South Africa’s cost of crashes was estimated at R198.79 billion.

“The ratio of road fatalities per 100 000 people in South Africa currently stands at 20.5 and is lower when compared to the death rate for Africa, which stands at 27.21 per 100 000 human population. However, this ratio can increase unless all efforts are made to rigorously enforce laws and deal harshly with fraud and corruption,” RTMC said.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation has called on citizens to report suspected acts of fraud, corruption and malfeasance to ntacu@rtmc.co.za or by WhatsApp to 083 293 7989.

Optimum Coal Mine will pay back some R6.9 million in unpaid motoring licenses and fees after it signed an Acknowledgement of Debt (AoD) with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

According to the unit, the fees and penalties were racked up between January 2018 and November last year.

“The AoD emanates from the SIU’s investigation under Proclamation R.37 of 2017, which authorised the SIU to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration in the affairs of the national and provincial Departments of Transport. The SIU’s investigation focused on any conduct by officials or agents of the department or any other person who relate to the registration of motor vehicle ownership and/or licensing details and non-payments of motor vehicle licensing fees, arrears and penalties.

“After sifting through eNatis data, the SIU has determined that the department is owed a sum of R6 914 304.52 in respect of the trucks and smaller vehicles owned by Optimum. The SIU then wrote a letter of demand to Optimum to pay the licensing fees, arrears and accumulated penalties on those vehicles. Optimum will pay the debt in six equal instalments of R1 152 384.09. The last payment will be in August 2023,” the SIU said.

The corruption busting unit said the AoD does not preclude any future legal action against the mine.

“The SIU is empowered to institute civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal in its name to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during its investigations caused by acts of corruption, fraud or maladministration. In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996, the SIU refers any evidence pointing to criminal conduct to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for further action,” the unit said.

At least seven people have appeared in the Molopo Magistrate’s Court on allegations that they defrauded the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) of some R2 million.

The seven – including two former Employment and Labour department employees – were arrested by the Hawks in the North West on Saturday and are facing some 220 counts of theft, fraud and money laundering while an eighth suspect is still being sought.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) North West regional spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said an investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation and the Priority Crime Specialised Investigation unit found suspicion that the accused concocted a scheme of fraudulent claims from the UIF.

“The [Hawks’] report further indicates that two of the suspects who are former employees of the Department of Employment and Labour in the North West Provincial Government at the Mahikeng and Klerksdorp offices, and four recruiting agents allegedly recruited unemployed individuals between 2019 and 2020. Those individuals were allegedly recruited under various false pretenses.

“Some of the claimants were allegedly informed that they were being assisted to lodge claims from the Drought Relief Fund; while others were allegedly claiming money from UIF; others were allegedly informed that they would be employed at the South African Revenue Services, while others were allegedly informed that they would be employed at Nomalalemba Project and other projects,” Mamothame said.

He added that the unsuspecting recruits were given money and instructed to open bank accounts – the cards of which were kept by the alleged fraudsters.

“In addition, the claimants were allegedly made to complete UIF claim forms masquerading as former employees of the Impala Platinum mine and Sibanye Ashanti Gold mine. Subsequently, the suspects allegedly processed their claims, resulting in the Department of Employment and Labour suffering a loss of over R2 million,” he said.

The UIF’s Commissioner, Teboho Maruping, has called for harsh sentences for those participating in illegal activities within the ranks of the fund.

“It would seem that criminals think the UIF is an easy target for fraud and corruption, when we are actually not. Our Risk and Anti-Fraud Unit will continue to monitor Labour Centres and in so doing work with law enforcement agencies to decisively deal with fraud and corruption committed by members of the public and government officials who enables it.

“Until the day arrives when the criminality towards the UIF stops, we will continue to catch and send perpetrators to prison, and we will maintain our call to the NPA to propose harsh sentences to the courts as a means of deterrence,” he said.

The suspects are expected back in court on Wednesday for a formal bail application hearing.

Police Minister, General Bheki Cele, has successfully wrapped up a five-day official visit to the People’s Republic of China, ahead of the upcoming 15th BRICS Summit to be hosted in Johannesburg in August 2023.

Cele led a delegation of senior officials from the South African Police Service (SAPS) headed by the Deputy National Commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili.

The official visit to the People’s Republic of China saw the South African and Chinese police delegations discuss, among other policing matters, the strengthening of China-South Africa practical law-enforcement cooperation and collaboration.

The three-city tour to Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai was characterised by engagements with various key safety and security role players of China.

China’s Minister of Public Security, Wang Xiaohong, hosted Cele and the South African delegation on 8 June 2023.

High on the agenda of the fruitful engagement was the establishment of a formal and rigorous policing exchange program of personnel capabilities and training between the two countries.

The two Ministers also reflected on security preparations of the 15th BRICS summit to be hosted in Johannesburg, where President Xi Jinping will join other Head of States and attend the summit in August.

Transnational and environmental crimes, the collaboration to deal with violent crimes in South Africa, through technological interventions and the safety of nationals residing in both countries also featured high on the agenda.

Cele said they have no doubt that the fruitful security and safety discussions on this trip will be cemented and put into action in the shortest possible time.

“While we share a rich history with China and have had several cooperations with our law enforcements over the years, we are encouraged by the new avenues being explored to boost South African techniques in law enforcement with our Chinese counterparts.

“The first price for both our countries is a revived policing partnership that will translate to the safety of citizens and the improvement of policing through technology, specialised skills and modernised South African police service that is people orientated,” Cele said.

Engagements with the management and senior officials from the Chinese Department of Public Safety and the China People’s Public Security University (CPPSU) ranked the most elite police academy in China; also formed part of the five-day official visit.

Members from SAPS specialised units, including the National Intervention Unit (NIU) and Special Task Force (STF) recently received combat and educational training and graduated from the university.

Cele and the South African delegation also throughout the week in the People’s Republic, visited police stations in Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai.

The delegation noted the country’s police station models which serve as one-stop service centre points for residents promoting transparency and an open-door policy between police and the communities they serve.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) has welcomed the decision by Cabinet to adopt and approve the publication of the draft Public Service Commission Bill of 2023 for public comment.

The bill was approved on 24 May 2023 and was subsequently published in the Government Gazette dated Friday, 9 June 2023.

The bill will enable the PSC to operate as an independent and impartial constitutional body, with the view to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the PSC within the public service.

The bill will also ensure that the mandate of the PSC is extended to municipalities and public entities.

The draft Public Service Commission Bill is available for public comment on the PSC website, www.psc.gov.za, under the heading of ‘Legislation’ and under ‘Latest news’.

All interested parties and organisations are invited to submit written comments on the draft bill by no later than 30 days from the date of publication by:

(a)         e-mail to: Shukratm@opsc.gov.za and NontobekoN@opsc.gov.za

(b)         hand delivery to: Block B, Office Complex – Public Service Commission, 536 Francis Baard Street Arcadia, Pretoria, drop off at the reception.

(c)          post to: The Director-General, Public Service Commission, Private Bag X121 Pretoria, 0001

The name, email address and telephone number of the person or organisation submitting the comments should be indicated.

For more information, members of the public are advised to contact Advocate Shukrat Makinde on 072 244 6453/012 352 1188, alternatively Ms Nontobeko Ngubane on 012 352 1032.

The Customs Division of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) has begun to destroy illicit and smuggled cigarettes, valued at R43 million, at the Beitbridge border post.

In a statement on Monday, SARS Deputy Commissioner, Johnstone Makhubu, said 2 000 master cases (or 20 million) cigarettes will be destroyed and that destruction of the illicit and smuggled cigarettes is likely to last a few days.

The illicit and smuggled cigarettes were seized in multi-agency and intelligence-driven operations as part of the Customs division’s tobacco strategy, led by its National Rapid Response Team. These efforts are supported by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), the South African Police Service (SAPS) and its Hawks unit, as well as the Immigration division of the Department of Home Affairs.

Makhubu said that in one such operation in February this year at the Beitbridge border post:

• A total of 1 211 master boxes of illicit cigarettes (with the brands of Remington Gold, Chelsea and Royal Express), with an estimated value of R26 million, were seized.
• Four people were arrested and criminal cases were opened with regard to dealing in the smuggling of illicit cigarettes.
• Four trucks, one bakkie and one tractor with a trailer, which were used to carry the illicit cigarettes (with an estimated value of over R3 million) were detained.

“SARS has a zero tolerance for persons or organisations that are involved in tax crime or illicit trade, and  SARS will pursue them relentlessly,” Makhubu said.

Illicit trade robs the government of much-needed revenue and destroys industries, exacerbating unemployment, poverty and inequality.

The illicit products, which are being imported or exported, include second hand motor vehicles, poultry, clothing, leather and textiles, essential infrastructure (copper and steel) and gold, among others.

An inter-agency working group (IAWG) has been set up to deal with all aspects of illicit trade.

SARS Director of Customs and Excise, Beyers Theron, said that as part of its far-sighted planning, Customs has put in place measures to grant benefits to compliant traders through the Accredited Economic Operator Model.

These benefits include cost-savings and quicker turnaround times, amongst others. Similarly, SARS is busy implementing SMART border technology to increase its detection capability and response to non-compliance.

“Since the inception of its coordinated and focused investigations Customs has been conducting over the past three years in the tobacco and cigarette industry, there has been a noticeable shift to increased cross-border smuggling using  ‘runners’. These are not individuals smuggling these cigarettes as an entrepreneurial opportunity but organised criminal syndicates exploiting the unemployed and the poor by employing individuals as runners to carry goods, often for miles, across borders.

“These runners carry at least two master cases of illicit cigarettes on their backs per run, often repeating these trips multiple times. These cigarettes are then loaded into trucks, small goods vehicles, cars and taxis that wait at locations along the border for distribution to their intended destinations on the local market,” Theron said.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Working on Fire programme is deploying a second contingent of 200 firefighters and 13 managers to assist in ongoing fire suppression operations in the Canadian province of Alberta.

This follows the deployment of 200 firefighters and 15 managers on 3 June 2023. The group (Mzanzi Hotshots 2) will leave for Edmonton, Canada, on Wednesday from Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport.

“We are proud of the fact that South Africa is again able to assist Canadian firefighting teams in their battle to bring the wildfires under control.  The extensive experience and training of these firefighters will significantly enhance efforts to effectively suppress and manage the wildfires in Alberta,” Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, said on Monday.

The deployment of both teams comes in response to an urgent request from the Canadian Inter-agency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) in terms of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Canada and South Africa.

“Alberta has already experienced more than 550 wildfires this season, resulting in significant damage to property and infrastructure, and displacing thousands of people. Evacuation orders have been put in place in many areas,” the department said.

The MOU, signed in 2019, provides for the exchange of wildland fire management resources between the South Africa and Canada. It was put in place following two earlier deployments to Canada to suppress wild fires in Alberta and Manitoba.

“The 2023 deployment is the fifth collaboration between South Africa and Canada, in terms of the exchange of personnel. The 2023 Canadian deployment teams comprise highly qualified firefighters, with a minimum of three years of firefighting experience, and are trained in Canadian pump operation techniques,” the department said.

The teams also include members with previous international firefighting experience, which enhances their expertise in tackling complex fire situations.

“I would like to extend my best wishes to the team as you embark on your deployment to Canada to help put out the fires raging in Alberta.  You go to Canada to raise the South African flag and share your expertise and camaraderie with colleagues from other Canadian provinces to save lives, homes, businesses and large swathes of vegetation,” Creecy said.

The Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism has launched the Export Competitiveness Enhancement Programme (ECEP), which aims to support businesses that are export-ready or working towards meeting international market requirements.

“Expanding exports of products and services is a priority focus area of our provincial Growth for Jobs Strategy,” said Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC, Mireille Wenger.

According to Wenger, research shows that if the provincial government can increase exports by 10%, it can generate an estimated additional R6 billion to the Western Cape gross domestic product (GDP) and create more jobs.

“Enabling access to global markets is key to achieving breakout economic growth for the Western Cape economy precisely because exports create opportunities for domestic producers to expand and diversify their customer bases to grow their businesses.”

According to the MEC, the programme’s focus will be on developing and investing in the capacity of businesses to unlock export opportunities through a structured process, such as business turnaround or business improvement.

The project will also see an improvement to entrepreneurs’ skills and the business competitive position in relation to scale and efficiency. It will position the companies to expand into current markets, as well as new market opportunities.

Interventions target specific businesses and provide support mechanisms to improve the capability, competitiveness, productivity, and export growth of these businesses.

The fund has several activities, including:

• Product reformulation and refinement.
• International packaging, labelling and printing requirements.
• International product certification and standards for international market access.
• Product registration with relevant international bodies in export markets.
• International nutritional analysis and specialised shipping requirements.

“I encourage businesses in the Western Cape to apply for this exciting opportunity and look forward to seeing many more of our proudly Western Cape goods on shelves across the globe, and of course, to assisting many more businesses to expand, creating many more jobs for the residents of the Western Cape,” Wenger said.

Meanwhile, the application process closes on 30 June 2023.

State power utility Eskom says it remains committed to rooting out fraud and corruption within the utility.

This after a City Press report alleged over the weekend that police are planning to arrest a senior executive at Eskom on allegations that the executive is part of sabotage efforts targeting power stations to cause breakdowns.

“Eskom takes these sabotage allegations seriously and will allow the law to take its course. Eskom is committed to rooting out fraud, corruption and sabotage within its ranks and will fully cooperate with law enforcement to ensure the most effective and coordinated responses to any crime related to Eskom’s operations,” the power utility said on Tuesday.

Turning to the report itself, Eskom said it was “never approached by City Press to comment on any of its executives allegedly implicated in sabotage incidents”.

“However, we can confirm that City Press did approach Eskom on some allegations related to the awarding of a security contract, the involvement of an executive with a fuel supplier and on the statement made by the Minister of Police during his appearance at the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa).

“Eskom responded to questions from City Press in writing on 20 May 2023 to the best of its ability and knowledge. We, however, noted that City Press used Eskom’s response of 20 May 2023 as a comment to the alleged sabotage. It would have been prudent for City Press to seek a comment from Eskom on the allegations they published yesterday. We would like to confirm that Eskom is amenable to respond to any questions on these serious allegations,” the power utility said.