Public assistance sought

EASTERN CAPE – The Eastern Cape Kidnapping Task team, headed by East London based Serious Organised Crime Investigation team of the Hawks, apprehended two suspects, Constable Mfundo Ntshiba (35) and Xolile Makhosini (37) on charges of house robbery, kidnapping and hijacking during the early hours of Wednesday, 06 July 2022.

It is alleged that on Tuesday, 5 July 2022, a house robbery and kidnapping of two (2) victims took place at Ndondo Square location in Cala at a loan shark’s residence. Three suspects, all dressed in police uniform, are alleged to have budged into the house of the alleged loan shark and robbed her of 98 bank cards, cash to the value of R22 000, her Ertiga vehicle and kidnapped her two brothers but, she managed to escape. The vehicle and two brothers were later found safe.

The victim is reported to have managed to identify one of the suspects as Ntshiba, who allegedly reported that he would be late for his night shift duties at his workplace, as he had a problem to attend to. Ntshiba was arrested and that led to the arrest of Makhosini his accomplice who is a taxi owner and a traditional healer.

During the arrest of the duo, a Toyota Fortuner, a Toyota Corolla and a VW Polo were confiscated as they are reported to have been used as instruments during the commission of a crime.

The suspects appeared in Cala Magistrate’s court on 7 July 2022. Ntshiba was denied bail by virtue of being a law enforcement agent while Makhosini was released on R3000 bail.

Ntshiba appeared thrice in court with the 25th of July being the last date where he is reported to have escaped under police custody after having been denied bail on the said date.

The task team is appealing to the public to assist with information that can lead to the location of Vuyisani Topo in the picture as he is believed to be the relevant person to assist in unlocking the case. Anyone with information can contact Constable Cabane on 082 371 6576 .The information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

Source: South African Police Service

Police need assistance in tracing a person of interest in a Batlharos rape case

KURUMAN – The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit are seeking assistance in tracing a person of interest in an alleged Batlharos rape case.

The female complainant reported that on Sunday, 31 July 2022 at about 03:50, she was on her way home from Gamonare Section in Batlharos, Kuruman when she was accosted by two unknown men.

The men dragged her into a nearby abandoned house and raped her several times. The suspects also robbed her of R300 and a cellphone.

The complainant described one of the suspects as being 1.55m in height, between 22 and 29 years old, dark in complexion, slender and was wearing a black hoodie.

Anyone with information of the person of interest in the ID kit must please contact Captain Caren Nel on 082 492 3920 or 053 712 9800 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or utilize the MySAPS app. The investigation continues.

Source: South African Police Service

Robbery suspects convicted

NORTHERN CAPE – Gakologelwang Lekgadi (31) and Tshepo Roses (38) were convicted and sentenced by Kuruman Regional court on Tuesday, 2 August 2022, for aggravated robbery.

The accused were arrested in 2018 for vehicle hijacking using a firearm in the Kuruman area. The driver and his female passenger were ordered to leave the vehicle and robbed of their cellphones. The Hawks Serious Organised Crime team took over the investigation resulting in the conviction.

The duo were sentenced for (2) counts of aggravated robbery and each sentenced to 10 years direct imprisonment on each count. Sentence will run concurrently.

The Provincial Head Major General Kholekile Galawe applauded the team for a job well done.

Source: South African Police Service

We Are One, the Largest Youth Volunteer Group, Launches in Korea

Young adults take the lead to practice Jesus’ love for a better future

NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — New Heaven New Earth, Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, launched a youth volunteer group called We Are One made up of 70,000 members in South Korea and 20,000 members overseas.

Chairman Lee Man-hee speaks at the We Are One launching ceremony

The launch ceremony took place on July 30th at the K Hotel in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, South Korea. Over 1,000 representatives attended the event in person and 90,000 volunteers joined through a live broadcast. The ceremony included live performances and a commemorative photo shoot. Covid-19 social distancing guidelines were in place, and participants were required to wear masks and have their temperatures taken before joining.

To commemorate the launch of We Are One, 70,000 youth will donate blood in 17 cities, including Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and Daegu, South Korea. The blood donation campaign will begin on August 27th and continue for three months.

“Congratulations on the launch of the Shincheonji youth volunteer group We Are One,” said Eom Jae-yong, president of the Seoul Southern Blood Center of the Korean Red Cross during a congratulatory speech. “Also, thank you for choosing to participate in the first volunteer activity as a blood donation campaign. It is expected that this will be a great help in dealing with the re-spreading of Covid-19 and the crisis situation.”

In addition to donating blood, We Are One plans to address national challenges and international crises. The group’s core focuses will include support service, creating a sustainable environment, world peace, and education.

“We discussed a lot about the problems that young people are facing today and their solutions,” said We Are One CEO Hong Jun-soo. “There are many members of the We Are One volunteer group with various talents, such as entrepreneurs, planning developers, designers, medical personnel, and social welfare experts. Together with them, we will solve the problems of the younger generation and take the lead in creating a better world.”

Shincheonji Church Chairman Lee Man-hee Lee also attended the launch ceremony. “We are born in this age and have an obligation to illuminate and develop this age,” Chairman Lee said. “If God the Creator is with us, nothing is impossible. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. People come first. Let’s all unite and make a better world.”

Contact:
Gina Del Gigante
6466287365
[email protected]

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1870477/Shincheonji_Church_of_Jesus_Chairman.jpg

We Are One, the Largest Youth Volunteer Group, Launches

Young adults take the lead to practice Jesus’ love for a better future

NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — New Heaven New Earth, Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, launched a youth volunteer group called We Are One made up of 70,000 members in South Korea and 20,000 members overseas.

Chairman Lee Man-hee speaks at the We Are One launching ceremony

The launch ceremony took place on July 30th at the K Hotel in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, South Korea. Over 1,000 representatives attended the event in person and 90,000 volunteers joined through a live broadcast. The ceremony included live performances and a commemorative photo shoot. Covid-19 social distancing guidelines were in place, and participants were required to wear masks and have their temperatures taken before joining.

To commemorate the launch of We Are One, 70,000 youth will donate blood in 17 cities, including Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and Daegu, South Korea. The blood donation campaign will begin on August 27th and continue for three months.

“Congratulations on the launch of the Shincheonji youth volunteer group We Are One,” said Eom Jae-yong, president of the Seoul Southern Blood Center of the Korean Red Cross during a congratulatory speech. “Also, thank you for choosing to participate in the first volunteer activity as a blood donation campaign. It is expected that this will be a great help in dealing with the re-spreading of Covid-19 and the crisis situation.”

In addition to donating blood, We Are One plans to address national challenges and international crises. The group’s core focuses will include support service, creating a sustainable environment, world peace, and education.

“We discussed a lot about the problems that young people are facing today and their solutions,” said We Are One CEO Hong Jun-soo. “There are many members of the We Are One volunteer group with various talents, such as entrepreneurs, planning developers, designers, medical personnel, and social welfare experts. Together with them, we will solve the problems of the younger generation and take the lead in creating a better world.”

Shincheonji Church Chairman Lee Man-hee Lee also attended the launch ceremony. “We are born in this age and have an obligation to illuminate and develop this age,” Chairman Lee said. “If God the Creator is with us, nothing is impossible. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. People come first. Let’s all unite and make a better world.”

Contact:
Gina Del Gigante
6466287365
[email protected]

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1870477/Shincheonji_Church_of_Jesus_Chairman.jpg

Sphera Named a Market Leader for Carbon Management Software in Independent Research Report

Sphera’s ESG software was recognized in inaugural report on enterprise carbon management solutions by independent analyst firm

CHICAGO, Aug. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sphera®, a leading global provider of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance and risk management software, data and consulting services, has been named a leader in the carbon management software market by Verdantix, an independent analyst firm, in its newest Green Quadrant report.

The Green Quadrant Carbon Management Software report aims to help organizations better understand the market evolution of the carbon management software ecosystem by taking a deep dive into the current software platform offerings. The benchmark report, based on the proprietary Verdantix Green Quadrant methodology, assessed 17 capability and 10 market momentum categories. The analysis was also based on a two-hour, live brief and product demonstration, vendor responses to 103 questions and customer interviews.

Sphera was awarded the highest score among vendors for carbon emissions calculation engine, data modelling for both Scope 3 upstream and downstream and carbon disclosure management. Sphera’s strong capabilities in the storage, sourcing, calculation and coverage of emissions factors were noted by Verdantix. Sphera’s Product Sustainability LCA Database (formerly GaBi), which covers over 15,000 datasets and contains LCA models for more than 700 grid mixes across 92 countries, was cited as a key differentiator. According to the Green Quadrant report, “Sphera is particularly well-positioned to serve firms in need of understanding their products’ carbon footprints and identify emissions hotspots within the supply chain,” and that Sphera “offers pre-built data models for upstream and downstream Scope 3 calculations.”

Sphera also received top scores for net-zero strategy development, data acquisition and data management, with automated data capture capabilities and integration with internal IT systems noted as key strengths. Additionally, Sphera received the highest score among vendors for carbon financial management. As noted in the report, “Asset managers and private equity fund managers can leverage Sphera’s financial data aggregation capabilities to collect information from different divisions, funds and portfolio organizations.” Just this year, the Blackstone Group, one of the largest private equity firms in the world and Sphera’s investor, integrated Sphera’s carbon accounting solutions into its emissions reduction program, which seeks to reduce carbon emissions by 15% across a number of Blackstone’s portfolio companies.

“We are very proud to be recognized by Verdantix as a leader in carbon management software,” said Paul Marushka, Sphera’s CEO and president. “Sphera is committed to helping our customers develop robust, science-based net zero targets that are measurable, actionable and auditable. And we’re excited to see the acknowledgement and validation of our solutions that have been adopted by leading companies across industries. Bringing innovative solutions to market that enable organizations to assess their emissions baseline, accelerate their decarbonization efforts and improve corporate sustainability performance is critical to our mission of creating a safer, more sustainable and productive world.”

Carbon accounting is an essential part of any climate strategy. Sphera’s carbon accounting and reporting solution enables companies to easily collect GHG emissions data, automatically calculate their organization’s carbon footprint, address and solve Scope 3 quantification challenges and respond to a multitude of reporting frameworks and stakeholder initiatives. The report also noted that for companies wanting both software and consulting from one firm, “Sphera offers an integrated solution, incorporating software, data and consulting expertise. [Its] sustainability consultants advise clients on defining net zero objectives and strategies that are then tracked in the software.”

About Sphera

Sphera is the leading provider of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance and risk management software, data and consulting services focusing on Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability (EHS&S), Operational Risk Management and Product Stewardship. For more than 30 years, we have served over 6,700 customers and a million-plus users in 80 countries to help companies keep their people safe, their products sustainable and their operations productive. Learn more about Sphera at www.sphera.com. Follow Sphera on LinkedIn.

Contact:
Astrid Dickinson
[email protected]