Day: August 11, 2022

DURBAN – The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has welcomed the conviction of two looters who were arrested during the unrest last year. Police officers from Greenwood Park SAPS arrested the men as they attempted to flee from the scene in July last year.

On 11 July 2022 at 20:45, Greenwood Park police responded to reports of a service station being looted at Inanda Road in Durban by a large mob. The group pelted police officers with rocks damaging the police vehicle in the process. The two police officers stood their ground and arrested two men as the crowd began to flee the scene.

The two suspects Sihle Jali (41) and Sifiso Ngcobo (29) were detained at Greenwood Park SAPS on charges of public violence. They subsequently made several appearances at the Durban Magistrate’s Court and on Friday, 05 August 2022, they convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment for public violence.

“We wish to commend the arresting officers, the investigating officer as well as the prosecutor for ensuring that the perpetrators received a fitting sentence for their actions. This sentence sends a clear message that while the wheels of justice may sometimes turn slowly, criminals cannot escape their day of reckoning,” said Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.

Source: South African Police Service

WESTERN CAPE –The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) employee in Bellville, Phelisa Lande (45) has appeared in the Bellville Magistrate court on Wednesday, 10 August 2022 on a charge of fraud and was subsequently released on a R1000-00 bail.

This comes after she was arrested on Monday, 08 August 2022 by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Investigation team in Bellville for falsifying her qualifications.

In October 2021 there was a post advertised for Security official in the Hawks offices in Bellville. When she applied for the said position, the accused allegedly submitted a fraudulent matric certificate, which was one of the requirements for the post.

As a result, the accused was appointed as a Security official in Bellville, Western Cape office where she occupied the post on the 01 April 2022. Upon noticing the suspicious certificate, The Hawks’ vetted the qualifications with the Department of Education.

It was during this process that the allegation of fraud were discovered and further investigation revealed that the accused submitted the same qualification on her previous employment where she was employed as a security officer.

The matter has been remanded to the 06 September 2022 for legal representation.

Source: South African Police Service

PARKTOWN – Police in Gauteng remain resolute to recover unlicensed firearms and ammunition in circulation in a concerted effort to address serious and violent crime in the province. The past two weeks police in partnership with other law enforcement agencies and relevant stakeholders have recovered over 400 unlicensed firearms and nearly 3000 rounds of ammunition during operations, routine crime prevention patrols, stop-and-searches as well as through community tip-offs.

On Saturday, 06 August 2022 members of the Johannesburg K9 Unit arrested two suspects in Jeppe following a business robbery that took place earlier that same day in Bloemfontein. The members reportedly followed up on information they obtained that the suspects were making their way to Gauteng in a stolen white vehicle. The suspects’ vehicle collided with another vehicle following a car chase and shootout with the police. The duo was subsequently arrested and two unlicensed firearms and ammunition were recovered; another suspect evaded his arrest.

Community tip-offs also resulted in the recovery of two unlicensed firearms and ammunition this past weekend. Members of SAPS Rabie Ridge reportedly arrested three suspects and recovered two unlicensed firearms and ammunition in two separate incidents in Mayibuye and Phomolong respectively, after community patrollers alerted the police.

In another incident on the same day, police arrested a 35-year-old man in Evaton during Operation O Kae Molao for possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition. The suspect’s vehicle was searched during a multi-disciplinary roadblock which led the police to recover the firearm and ammunition.

All recovered firearms are subjected to ballistic tests to establish whether it can be linked to other serious crimes committed.

Community members are urged to report crime to their nearest police station, SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or alternatively leave an anonymous tip-off on the MySAPS App.

Source: South African Police Service