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The vigilance and swift response from members attached to the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) Combat Team has landed several suspects behind bars for possession of unlicensed and prohibited firearms, and illegal possession of ammunition and drugs.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) on Monday said members deployed in the Belhar precinct in Cape Town descended on a premises in Adam Tas Avenue, based on information received, and conducted a search for illegal firearms.

“This resulted in the arrest of a 27-year-old man for the possession of a prohibited firearm and illegal possession of ammunition. A CZ75 pistol, with the serial number filled off, and 12 rounds of ammunition were found in possession of the suspect,” the SAPS said.

Meanwhile, a 35-year-old man from Forest Village was arrested for the illegal possession of ammunition after he was found with a magazine and five rounds of ammunition.

“In another incident, members gathered information from different sources about a shooting that recently took place. A follow-up was conducted regarding the use of the firearm, which led to the arrest of a 33-year-old man, who was found in possession of a 9mm pistol and nine 9mm rounds of ammunition at a premises in Liesbeek Way,” the police said.

The suspect was arrested for possession of an unlicensed firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.

The team also discovered a .38 Special revolver, with the serial number removed, in the possession of a 16-year-old suspect after a thorough search was conducted at a premises in Mevede Street.

The suspect was arrested for possession of a prohibited firearm.

In addition, a search and seizure operation was conducted aimed to confiscate illegal drugs and ammunition in the area.

This led to the arrest of a 24-year-old male, who possessed 50 whole mandrax tablets and 19 sachets containing tik, 10 calibre rounds of ammunition and R640 in cash.

The suspect was apprehended for dealing in drugs and illegal possession of ammunition.

“During a tracing operation of wanted persons, the members arrested a 37-year-old man, who was wanted for an attempted murder case reported at Belhar SAPS in May this year.

“The suspects are expected to appear in the Bellville and Blue Downs Magistrates court soon on mentioned charges,” the police said.

The Ministry of Transport has announced that Leonard Ramatlakane has been relieved of his duties as a Board Member and Chairperson of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).

This follows an investigation by the entity on the misuse of one of its properties in Cape Town by Ramatlakane without due and proper processes being followed.

In a statement on Tuesday, Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga expressed her appreciation to the chairperson for his leadership and sterling work that led to the recovery of 13 rail lines by the entity, as part of its Rail Recovery Programme.

“This exceeded the target of 10 rail lines that were initially earmarked by PRASA for recovery. It is under Ramatlakane’s watch that PRASA was able to restore a sizable number of PRASA Rail services in various metros in the country, which has ensured that PRASA Rail reclaims its status as a mass mover of commuters in the Republic,” Chikunga said.

The rail lines and stations were hit by vandalists during the lockdown period and the Rail Recovery Programme was set up as a robust government response to that destruction.

The ministry said it is committed to a clean administration and governance across its entities.

The Director-General of the Department of Public Enterprises, Kgathatso Tlhakudi, has been dismissed following an inquiry into a complaint laid against him with the Public Service Commission.

The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, was mandated by President Cyril Ramaphosa to conduct the inquiry, which looked into whether or not Tlhakudi violated his employment contract.

“A due process was undertaken in which all the allegations were put to Mr Tlhakudi, who was represented in the inquiry. Having considered all the evidence presented, the chairperson of the disciplinary, Advocate Ramawele SC, found that Mr Tlhakudi breached his contract and made sanctions of dismissal.

“Minister Lamola has given effect to the sanction and has thus issued Mr Tlhakudi with a dismissal letter dated 2 June 2023, in terms of section 16B of the Public Services Act, 1994,” the Department of Justice and Correctional Services said.

The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) said it will be implementing the decision.

“The DPE can finally put all its efforts into advancing the reforms aimed at capacitating SOEs [State-owned enterprises] to deliver on their developmental mandate.

“This work will culminate with a series of critical outcomes, including the creation of the National Transmission Company of South Africa out of Eskom, the establishment of an infrastructure manager within Transnet Freight Rail, and the introduction of private partnerships for the Durban Container Terminal,” the DPE said.

Meanwhile, the DPE said it has noted the decision of the Constitutional Court to dismiss Tlhakudi’s application for leave for a direct appeal against a Labour Court decision to uphold his suspension.

“[The] Constitutional Court’s decision was further vindication of its stance that Mr Tlhakudi has long sought to avoid accountability for his misconduct that arose from a complaint that was filed with the Public Service Commission for alleged unethical behaviour over a recruitment process in the department.

“Moreover, Mr Tlhakudi’s deceitful utterances and conduct in recent weeks, in which he has continued to peddle lies about the department and its political executive head, Minister Pravin Gordhan, has served to bring into sharp focus his utter disregard for due process, opting instead to portray himself as a victim through falsehoods,” the department said.

The department said the now former DG’s “attempts to undermine the DPE’s work of stabilising State-owned enterprises by alleging impropriety” in the deal to sell some 51% of shares in South African Airways to Takatso consortium “were doomed to fail”.

“The [department] reiterates the fact that Mr Tlhakudi was party to every step in the process that evaluated the interests that were received by the DPE for SAA. Additionally, he had authorised and provided oversight for the due diligence that resulted in the shortlisting of Takatso as the preferred SEP [strategic equity partnership], in line with specific criteria that he had formulated as part of the adjudication process,” the department said.

The City of Tshwane has cautioned residents of Hammanskraal not to buy or drink water from water tankers moving around in the area, as the water is not tested.

This after the city received disturbing news from community members, alleging that there are roaming water tankers selling water to residents in Hammanskraal.

“The city provides drinkable water to its communities in formal and informal areas in Hammanskraal free of charge. The water provided by the city’s authorised tankers has been declared safe for drinking after a series of tests conducted confirmed that it does not contain cholera,” the City of Tshwane said in a statement.

Officials from the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) have been activated and will conduct stop-and-search operations on any trucks transporting water without a valid permit.

Residents are urged to write down the registration numbers of the tankers selling water and to report these to the TMPD on 012 358 7095/7096. This number is manned 24/7.

At least 24 people have died of cholera to date.

The city reiterated its warning to residents not to use tap water for drinking purposes, but rather to use it for washing, cleaning and flushing toilets.

The city provides potable water to its communities through its contracted service providers who carry a letter or permit authorising them to dispense water.

“Anyone caught selling untested water without a permit will be arrested and prosecuted. Communities are urged to be circumspect of unscrupulous people allegedly taking advantage of the water situation in Hammanskraal by exploiting the vulnerability of people desperate for drinking water,” the City said.

The City has sampled water for testing from its various water distribution points, including hydrants and reservoirs, and the results have not shown any trace of cholera.

Confirmatory test results from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases that will pinpoint the actual source of contamination are still outstanding.

Former Northern Cape Transport, Roads and Public Works MEC, John Block, will today make a brief appearance in the Upington Magistrates’ Court in connection with a R51 million tender fraud charge related to the construction of a mental health hospital.

It is alleged that in 2003, Babereki Consulting Engineers CC was fraudulently awarded a tender as a structural civil engineer and project manager within the mental health hospital construction project.

During his tenure as political head, Block and former Head of Department, Patience Mercia Mokhali, appointed Babereki Consulting Engineers CC through their director, Tshegolekae Motaung, even though the company did not meet the necessary requirements.

The actual contract amounted to approximately R51 million.

The Acting Provincial Head of the Hawks in the Northern Cape, Brigadier Prince Mashimbye, welcomed the arrest, saying that they will root out criminality “irrespective of when it happened in order for justice to prevail”.

Block is incarcerated at the Upington Correctional Services centre. He was convicted of fraud, corruption and money laundering in 2015 and sentenced to a 15-year jail term. He, however, only started serving time in 2018 after multiple unsuccessful appeals in the superior courts, including the Constitutional Court.

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille says safety is one of the major issues affecting growth in the tourism sector.

De Lille said crime must be collectively addressed so that the sector can grow.

Addressing media after meeting the MECs responsible for Tourism and stakeholders in the tourism sector in Sandton on Monday, De Lille said crime affects tourism in many parts of the world.

“South Africa is no different and across the world, countries are grappling with these issues with instability and wars in some countries.”

The Minister said an enhanced visitor experience takes into consideration the improvement of local destinations through cleanliness, safety and security, access to information, as well as provision of quality services and an authentic experience.

“Tourism is not only an economic activity but an essential vehicle that promotes a mutual understanding between a tourist and host community. Tourism is recognised for its immense potential and its significant contribution to the economy.

“Safety is one of the major issues affecting the tourism sector and as partners, government and the private sector agreed tourism safety is a priority that we need to address collectively so that we can grow the sector and remove any obstacles standing in the way of that objective.

“We discussed the risks related to tourism and the strategies and actions that need to be implemented to improve tourism safety, as agreed to in the 2018 Tourism Safety Strategy,” De Lille said.

De Lille met with stakeholders, including the National Prosecuting Authority and the SA Township and Village Tourism Organisation (SATOVITO), to discuss the risks related to tourism safety and measures that need to be implemented to improve tourism safety.

Also taking part in the meeting was the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the private sector, including the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA).

“As government, we want to form partnerships with the private sector to address this, including deploying more safety tourism monitors, to key tourist sites and using technology to improve tourism safety,” De Lille said.

She said the meeting agreed on the establishment of the National Tourism Safety Forum (NTSF) to coordinate integrated safety response mechanisms for tourists in distress.

De Lille said the meeting agreed on the employment of the Tourism Monitors Programme (TMP).

The Minister said this is part of the broader government intervention that involves training, mentorship and deployment of unemployed youth in identified tourism attractions and sites.

According to De Lille, the key objectives of the TMP are enhancing tourism safety awareness at key tourism attractions and sites, upskilling of unemployed youth and reducing tourist vulnerabilities.

“The key performance areas of the appointed tourism monitors include, but are not limited to, patrolling within the identified attraction areas, raising tourism awareness and providing information to tourists, and reporting any crime incidents to SAPS and other relevant enforcement agencies,” De Lille said.

Government’s efforts to avoid load shedding at essential service facilities continues with some 76 hospitals already excluded from the rolling power cuts, while work for 46 others is ongoing, says Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.

This as the North Gauteng High Court ordered that hospitals, schools and police stations be exempted from load shedding. The court also gave the Public Enterprises Minister 60 days to ensure that those public facilities have sufficient electricity supply.

According to Gordhan, the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) had already initiated efforts with the Health Department and Eskom to identify 213 facilities that need continuous electricity supply.

“The DPE initiated the work to segregate these hospitals, working with the Department of Health. As government, we are continuously working to determine what other facilities can be isolated from the integrated grid. In certain instances it is not possible,” he said.

Turning to load shedding itself, Gordhan said government has increased efforts to increase Eskom’s generation capacity and bring down load shedding.

The power utility continues to battle breakdowns and delays in returning generating units to service at power stations resulting in increased stages of load shedding.

“It is regrettable that as a country we do not have an adequate supply of electricity. This is the reason we have load shedding, and our efforts are targeted at ensuring that our generation capacity is urgently increased.

“The load shedding that is affecting families, schools, health care and business facilities is regrettable. This is not wilful, and it is not in the absence of continued and determined efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of load shedding,” Gordhan said.

The department said Gordhan has cautioned against political point scoring related to load shedding.

“Minister Gordhan said it was disheartening that some political elements were so devoid of any empathy and were seeking to use the suffering caused by load shedding to score cheap political points. Most notable in this regard were the attempts by Build One South Africa (BOSA) Leader Mmusi Maimane to capitalize on the suffering of citizens for political mileage.

“Minister Gordhan said the DPE’s decision to appeal the recent ruling by the North Gauteng High Court on load shedding was about ensuring that current and ongoing efforts to stabilize the national grid were not compromised due to the ongoing need to balance supply and demand for electricity.

“The Government has expressed regret at the hardship that load shedding has imposed upon the citizens and has vowed to press ahead with coordinated efforts to urgently increase the country’s electricity generation capacity to mitigate the impact and the severity of load shedding,” the department said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Madam Justice Mahube Betty Molemela as President of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) starting from 1 June.

The position became vacant following the appointment of then President of the SCA, Mandisa Maya, to the position of Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court last year.

The President said the appointment is in line with government’s transformation agenda.

“Justice Molemela’s appointment adds impetus to the continuing transformation of key institutions of our democracy, including the judiciary. Justice Molemela is an outstanding jurist who will play a critical role in entrenching justice for all South Africans,” President Ramaphosa said.

A statement by the Presidency explained that Molemela was appointed following consultations with the Judicial Service Commission and party leaders in the National Assembly.

“On 26 January 2023, the President nominated Madam Justice M B Molemela for the vacant position of President of the Supreme Court of Appeal and addressed a letter to the Judicial Service Commission, (JSC) initiating the consultation required in terms of Section 174(3) of the Constitution.

“The President requested the JSC to indicate its views on Justice Molemela’s suitability for appointment as President of the Supreme Court of Appeal. The Commission invited public comment on the candidacy of Justice Molemela, and held a public interview to assess her suitability for the position on 17 April 2023.

“Following the interview, the Chairperson of the JSC and Chief Justice submitted to the President the Commission’s views on the suitability of Justice Molemela to occupy the position of President of the Supreme Court of Appeal.

“The Chief Justice indicated that there had been no objections from the public or professional law bodies against Justice Molemela’s candidacy and that she had succeeded in her interview. Additionally, an overwhelming majority of the members of the JSC voted in support of Justice Molemela’s suitability,” the statement read.

Molemela was the Free State Division of the High Court’s first female Judge President and has had a career spanning some 15 years on the bench.

“During her 15 years on the Bench she has served as a Judge President of Free State Division of the High Court for a period of three years before her elevation to the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2018.

“She has also served as a Judge of the Labour and Labour Appeal Court, Acting Judge of the Competition Appeal Court and Acting Judge of the Constitutional Court for two terms in 2015. She holds a B. Proc degree (University of Fort Hare); LLB, LLM and LLD (Honoris Causa) (all three from the University of Free State),” the Presidency said.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DJOD) will lead a delegation to Malawi for the extradition hearing of controversial pastor Shepherd Bushiri and his wife Mary.

The hearing is expected to be heard in the Malawi High Court next Tuesday.

“In leading this delegation the department is fulfilling its role as a central authority. In the extradition context, a central authority is a designated government department that has the responsibility for receiving, managing and executing extradition requests.

“The delegation’s participation to the hearing is in line with section 6 of the Extradition Act of Malawi. [The delegation] consists of senior and highly experienced prosecutors from the National Prosecuting Authority, the Investigative Directorate and investigators from South African Police Services,” the department said.

In a judgement earlier this year, the court ruled that witnesses who will be called in the extradition hearing must be physically present in the court.

“The High Court further ruled that the witnesses required to traverse the provisions of this section are state agents who will be able to comprehensively address these issues,” the DJCOD said.

Bushiri and his wife are wanted in South Africa on charges of fraud and money laundering for their role in an alleged investment scheme worth some R100 million.

Employment and Labour Deputy Minister Boitumelo Moloi told employers that the Department has noted with concern that the agricultural and mining sector employers are employing undocumented foreign nationals.

Moloi was delivering her keynote address at an Employers Session held at the Kuruman Lodge in Kuruman on Thursday.

“There is a misconception that South Africans are lazy, resulting in employers hiring undocumented foreign nationals. This perception is not true. Farm murders are made worse because these undocumented foreign nationals cannot be traced or found as we do not have their details,” Moloi said.

Moloi told the gathering that the department is busy with the National Migration Policy which will assist with the regulation of employment of foreign nationals.

She called on employers to engage the government. “We need to talk to each other. You must tell us what you want from our learning institutions,” she said.

She warned the employers on the dangers of high level of unemployment among the youth in the country.

She said youth unemployment is a time bomb. “Imagine what will happen if one day, the youth decide to close your workplaces where you employ undocumented foreign nationals. The situation will be terrible,” she said.

The Deputy Minister said that the department has no intention to penalise undocumented foreign nationals, but would like to assist them in complying with the laws of the country.

She requested them to call the department if they in doubt or need assistance.

Moloi encouraged employers to utilise the department’s Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) to register their vacancies and use the system to get employees.

Following the meeting with employers, Deputy Minister Moloi went to Mothibistad where she launched a Mobile Employment Centre.

There she told the youths to use the facilities to their advantage and stop paying labour brokers for placements.

She warned them against their tendency to choose jobs, looking for higher post jobs as well as using social media platforms to their disadvantage.

Moloi said the youth must stop being selective on jobs because they will never know what they are best at until they try it.

She further encouraged them to clean their social media platforms as some prospective employers use them for selection.

The event was held in collaboration with other government departments, Sector Education & Training Authorities (SETAs) and the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality.

The Department’s Public Employment Service registered more than 700 job-seekers at the event and the project concludes today at Thabo Moorosi Multipurpose Centre.