Category: General

FREE STATE – Females from Free State engaged in August Women’s Month operations and activities aimed at addressing issues pertaining to Gender Based Violence. The operations which were focused at Thabo Mofutsanyana District after it was identified as the District with most reported incidents.

The operations resumed with tracing operations on the 25 and 26 August where wanted suspects in crimes against women and children were sought. A total number of 146 suspects were arrested for crimes which includes Contravention of Protection Order, rape,Assault GBH, Sexual assault, Crimean injuria , intimidation, theft and malicious damage to property among others.

On Friday the 27 August 2021, women in blue with, SAPS Women Network and Traffic officers engaged in roadblocks and stop and search operations in Bethlehem. Two suspects aged 27 and 30 years were arrested for possession of copper cable, two more were arrested for being illegally in the country and another two were arrested for dealing in dagga.

Further J534 fines including road traffic fines, drunkenness were issued. In continuation of Operation Basadi liqour stores were visited to check compliance.

The operation ended with a door to door campaigns where Gender Based Violence hotspots areas around Qwaqwa were visited and awareness created on such incidents. Victims of gender based violence and families in Namahadi and Tseseng. This follows an incident where a mother was arrested after her two kids and brother were found poisoned with a rat poison.

The Provincial Commissioner of Free State, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane, who led these operations and activties appreciated the efforts of females who braved cold weather conditions and took to the streets to raise awareness on crimes against women and children. During the burial of police constable Malikotsi Malinga who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend in Rietz, she said, “Let this be the last time where we get to bury females who died in the hands of their partners. She further said women should not suffer in silence but should report incidents of domestic violence”.

Source: South African Police Service

EASTERN CAPE – Men and Women in blue painted the entire Buffalo City District blue last night. Members were operating on different areas of the Buffalo City Metro.

Blue lamp patrols, Vehicle Check Point, Stop and Search was conducted. Also Shopping malls, taxi ranks, liquor outlets, business areas and food outlets were also visited. The operation that was conducted by members’ yielded to positive results and good arrests.

One hundred and twenty six (126) suspects were arrested from different areas facing different charges. The suspects that were arrested during the operation are between the ages of 23 and 47.

All suspects are expected to appear before the magistrate court on Monday, 30 August 2021.

Source: South African Police Service

The Durban Magistrates Court heard yesterday how the Umhlanga based theft accused, Lindelani Pert Gumede (38) unlawfully benefited from the Covid-19 Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Relief Funds of approximately R11 million.

It is alleged that between May 2020 and March 2021, Gumede submitted fraudulent documents to claim the UIF relief funds of approximately R11 183 526 million under four bakeries based in Gauteng. Further investigation revealed that Gumede was a private bookkeeper consultant for the four bakeries he allegedly defrauded.

A warrant of arrest was issued for his apprehension which led the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team in Germiston to execute the warrant in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal on Wednesday, 25 August.

Amongst other seized items during Gumede’s apprehension, police seized luxurious vehicles and land allegedly bought with proceeds of crime.

Hawks’ Priority Crime Specialised Investigation has secured a preservation order for Gumede’s financial and assets for further exploration.

Gumede appeared in court yesterday facing charges of fraud and theft. He was remanded in custody pending investigation. The case is postponed to Tuesday, 31 August 2021 for formal bail application in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.

Source: South African Police Service

A very observant and witty house robbery victim alerted SAPS Kabega Park detectives immediately after recognising her two laptops being advertised for sale on an internet site.

On Tuesday, 24 August 2021 at about 10:00, the victim and police visited a computer shop in Cape Road where she positively identified her laptops. A total of 22 laptops were confiscated by police. One laptop was also positively identified through its serial number of being stolen in a house robbery in Sandton. The 40-year-old male was arrested and detained on a charge of possession of suspected stolen property.

Daniel Daudo appeared in the Gqeberha magistrate court on Wednesday, 25 August 2021 and was released on R1000-00 bail. The case is remanded to 29 September 2021.

Police are appealing to anyone who was a victim of a house robbery or housebreaking where laptops were taken, to contact SAPS Kabega Park detectives, D/W/O Heinrich Minnie on 074 453 2738 or D/Sgt Aldre Koen on 072 288 6253 or SAPS Kabega Park on 041 397 6802. Serial numbers of the laptops will assist when proving ownership.

Source: South African Police Service

The spotlight will fall on women leadership in the public service when two departments host a webinar next week.

The Director-General of the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), Yoliswa Makhasi, and the Director-General in the Presidency, Phindile Baleni, will on Monday host the webinar as part of the national Women’s Month under the theme, ‘The Year of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke: Realising Women’s Rights’.

The webinar will highlight the challenges faced by women seeking to advance to leadership roles, as well as discuss the effectiveness of measures introduced to prioritize women empowerment and programs that advance the empowerment of women in the public service.

Women make up 53% of public servants, however, they only make up 33% of the senior management.

“This demonstrates that there is a disproportionately negative disconnection between intake of females at lower levels and senior management that must be addressed.

“Women have also shown to be in the majority in learning institutions and various other sectors of society. Yet, this has not fully found expression in the transformation agenda of the public service, especially at the leadership level,” Makhasi said.

As of 31 July 2021, the public service workforce had 1 216 812 employees, and of these, 754 534 (62%) were women and 462 278 (38%) were men.

Representation of women across all levels shows that there are more women than men up to level 10. However from levels 11 to 16, which are management positions, there are more men than women.

The Senior Management Service (SMS) category, which comprises levels 13 to 16, has 9 385 positions, with 4 108 (43.77%) filled by women and 5 277 (56.22%) by men.

The webinar will explore and come with concrete proposals on how to advance gender parity, promote equality and empowerment for women to advance to leadership positions.

The event will also reflect on challenges affecting women daily and workable solutions that could address them, look into programmes aimed at advancing the empowerment of women and girls, including the eradication of gender-based violence.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The South African Police Service Anti-Gang Unit detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding a shooting incident that left three men dead.

“Reports from the scene of crime indicate that the bodies of the victims were discovered shortly before 8pm (on Tuesday) in an open field in Gemsbok Road, Lotus River in the Grassy Park precinct.

“The victims had been shot multiple times,” the SAPS said.

Police said that preliminary investigations indicate that the incident is gang-related.

With regard to the identities of the deceased men aged 31, 35 and 37, police said it was too early in the investigation to release sensitive information.

Police have called on anyone with information that could help expedite the police investigation to contact them via the MySAPSApp.

Police also maintain that information received will be handled in strict confidence.

Source: South African Government News Agency