Category: Key Issues

The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) is expected to launch a campaign for public comments on the state of equality in the human rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex Plus (LGBTQI+) community in South Africa on Tuesday.

The Chapter Nine institution says the campaign – dubbed the #LGBTI+equality project – will help it identify areas where it may intervene when necessary in order to ensure “the achievement of LGBTQI+ equality” in the country.

“The objective of the project is to assess the state of LGBTI+ equality in South Africa 27 years after the achievement of democracy in South Africa. Whilst acknowledging the progress over the last decades of our democracy… [the project] also means a re-look at the areas where there has been little to no progress and even regression in important areas of transgender inclusion, forced divorces and intersex genital mutilation,” the commission said.

The commission said it would like public comments on the following related to the human rights of LGBTQI+ individuals:

Criminal justice.

Right to education.

Labour and employment.

Access to healthcare for transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons

Any other human rights issues deemed crucial for the achievement for LGBTI+ equality in South Africa.

According to the CGE, although legislation has in theory made discrimination against LGBTQI+ individuals against the law, in practise, these individuals still face hate.

“The eradication of explicitly discriminatory legislative provisions from South Africa’s law books has not eradicated societal prejudices that entrench and encourage discriminatory practices and actions in employment, access to health, criminal justice and safety and security.

“Whilst the Constitutional Court has recognised and declared unconstitutional various exclusionary provisions, this has had little effect on improving the life chances of the LGBTI+ community as a whole,” the commission said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has launched the “Country in Blue” campaign aimed at increasing police visibility across the country.

Under the campaign, drone policing will also be introduced in some crime hotspots.

The launch took place on Saturday at the Inanda policing precinct in Durban, an area which over the years has recorded the highest rates of contact crimes, including sexual offences and murder.

Police Minister General Bheki Cele; the Deputy Minister of Police, Cassel Mathale; the National Commissioner of SAPS, General Khehla Sitole; Provincial Commissioners; members of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) and traditional leaders attended the launch.

The Country in Blue concept will see all security forces, civil society and government agencies working together.

Through this concept, all operational SAPS vehicles on the road will have their emergency warning blue lights switched on from sunset to sunrise (18:00 to 06:00).

Additional operational vehicles will also be marked in a bid to ensure that police presence is enhanced.

The concept further aims to deter all forms of criminality and is embedded in the Community Policing Strategy, which mobilises more community patrollers to work closely with SAPS members as force-multipliers.

Under the theme, ‘Extending our reach through blue light visibility’, its overall goal is to prevent and combat crimes including gender-based violence and femicide, carjacking, business and residential robberies, and the proliferation of firearms.

Sitole said the Country in Blue concept is one of several crime combatting strategies to maximise police visibility.

“Because we want to be everywhere at all times, we are going to introduce drone policing in certain areas to ensure that we are visible. This in a bid to normalise and stabilise problematic areas, such [Inanda].

“Our slogan is squeezing the space for criminals through a declaration of a psychological war, for being everywhere all the time. They won’t have anywhere to go,” Sitole said.

Cele called for better collaboration between communities and the police.

“Policing has changed and this means police stations are no longer the centre of policing – streets should be centre of policing.

“More boots and blue lights on the ground not only means police officers are visible at all times to deter criminality but officers should also be quick to respond to the needs of communities,” Cele said.

SAPS continues to call on citizens to take an active part in preventing and combatting crime by naming and shaming criminals within communities.

This information may be brought to the attention of the SAPS through the MySAPS App, which can be downloaded on any smart phone or by calling the Crime Stop number on 0860010111.

Source: South African Government News Agency

On 26 January 2020 at 20:00 a complainant was walking along Warwick Avenue when he was approached by the accused, who threatened him with a knife and took all his belongings (cellphone plus cash of R550).

No injuries was sustained by a complainant during the robbery.

Immediately detectives from Durban Central SAPS started with their investigation. The accused Allen Ndlovu was arrested on 01 February along Lancers road in Durban after being identified by the complainant.

The accused was denied bail and had been in custody from the day he was arrested.

On 13 September 2021, Allen Lucky Lushaba aged 21 years was found guilty in Durban Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment for robbery. The accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Source: South African Police Service

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says it has concluded investigations into corruption and irregularities in contracts in the Limpopo province totalling at least half a billion Rand.

This was revealed by SIU head Advocate Andy Mothibi.

The investigations are mainly centred on 60 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) procurement or COVID-19 contracts totalling at least R486 million and involving 42 service providers.

“These investigations are now in the support phase. Essentially, the investigations have been concluded…now we are busy either with the civil litigation process [and] the investigators are supporting that process to ensure that there are recoveries, if we have made referrals for disciplinary action, those matters are receiving attention and if we have made referrals to the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority], those matters are also receiving attention,” Advocate Mothibi said.

The SIU head said the unit had also concluded investigations in the provincial Health Department related to PPE procurement worth R193 million.

He said 33 health employees were referred for disciplinary action and 10 referrals were made to the National Prosecuting Authority for a decision on prosecution.

Mothibi highlighted that with the conclusion of all the investigations, certain steps are now being taken to either recover money or to take action against those accused of wrongdoing.

“Where there’s irregularities, we send matters to the Special Tribunal or to the courts, to cancel the contracts and to recover monies.

“Where there’s criminal evidence, we refer it to the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority] by law so that they can take the decision to prosecute and where there are officials who are guilty of misconduct in the process of these irregularities, we then send those to the…head of departments,” he said.

Companies have also been referred for blacklisting to prevent them from doing business with the state in the future, the South African Revenue Service has been requested to investigate certain companies and the Competition Commission been alerted to some investigations.

Investigations were conducted into the Limpopo Road Agency where irregularities were found in contracts worth R86 million and the Mopane District Municipality where the SIU is in the process of recovering R1.2 million after irregularities were found. A further R17 million is “under consideration for recovery”.

The unit also investigated the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality where several referrals have been made to the NPA for decisions on criminal prosecutions as well as the Unemployment Insurance Fund – specifically the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) – where the SIU found that R6.8 million should be recovered from companies who allegedly irregularly benefitted from the scheme.

An investigation into the Mogalakwena Local Municipality is still ongoing.

Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha vowed that those officials who have been referred for disciplinary action will face serious consequences.

“There will be consequences…there will be disciplinary action. I also hope the NPA will receive the information positively and charge those who are supposed to be charged,” he said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The swift reaction of Manenberg Crime Prevention Unit landed three suspects behind bars for the illegal possession of a firearm. The members were patrolling the Heideveld area last night when they responded to a shooting incident in the area. In Falcon Road they spotted the suspects and discovered a .38 Special revolver and four rounds of ammunition in their possession. The suspects aged 22, 23 and 29 were arrested and are expected to make their court appearance in Athlone to face the charges against them.

In Samora Machel the Provincial Integrated Team arrested a 52-year-old female after she was apprehended in possession of a .38 Special revolver and 55 rounds of ammunition during the early hours of yesterday morning. She is expected to make her court appearance in Athlone once she has been charged.

Meanwhile in Vanrhynsdorp members of the Malmesbury Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit arrested four suspects who were caught in possession of 1326 endangered Conophytum Acutum succulents. The suspects are expected to make their court appearance in Vanrhynsdorp today.

Source: South African Police Service

The vigilance of a member, attached to the Eden Cluster Crime Combatting Team (CCCT) who were conducting stop and search crime prevention operations in Enkuluekweni Street, Zone -5 in Thembalethu last night, Saturday, 25 September 2021, ensured the apprehension of a 36-year-old suspect in connection with the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

The members on patrol spotted the suspect in the mentioned street and upon approach, the suspect suddenly started to run from the members and jump the fence of one of the homes. Members immediately gave chase and noticed how the suspect disposed of something on the ground, whist fleeing. The member attached to the Eden Cluster caught up with the suspect and apprehended him. Upon searching the suspect, the member found a revolver with life rounds of ammunition as well as two cartridges in his possession. The revolver’s serial number was erased.

The recovered firearm was handed in as evidence and will be sent to our forensic Laboratory for ballistic tests to determine whether it might have been used in the commission of serious and other crime.

The suspect is being detained at the Thembalethu SAPS holding cells and is scheduled to appear in the Thembalethu Magistrates’ court on Monday, 27 September 2021, facing charges relating to the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

The Acting Eden cluster Commander, Brigadier Phumzile Cetyana commended the members involved in the arrest of the suspect for their vigilance and endurance to bring culprits of crime to book. “Their effort to eradicate the proliferation of illegal firearms and ammunition does not go unnoticed and create a safer environment for the Southern Cape residents”, he concluded.

Source: South African Police Service