Day: April 26, 2022

EASTERN CAPE – Kolekile Lungisa Nkululeko Ntlabati (31) appeared in East London Magisterial court for allegations of tax fraud on Monday, 25 April 2022.

This follows his arrest by the East London based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team of the Hawks on the very same day. It is alleged that Ntlabati on July 2019, as the sole director of Elohim (PTY) Ltd, Intelligent Building (PTY) Ltd and Lungisa Construction and Tool Hire was registered at South African Revenue Services (SARS) for Value Added Tax (VAT). It is alleged that the Ntlabati submitted false documentation and claimed undue tax returns from SARS through e-filing.

It is further reported that SARS processed and paid the refund into the business accounts of the companies. On discovering the inconsistencies SARS reported the matter to Mthatha based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team of the Hawks for a probing which culminated in the arrest of Ntlabati and his entities on 25 April 2022. The prejudiced value surpassed R 2.4 million.

Ntabati appeared in East London Magistrates’ court and was released on R10 000 bail. The matter was remanded to 23 May 2022 for copies of the docket.

 

 

Source: South African Police Service

PRETORIA – The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS) General Fannie Masemola has commended the National Task Team responsible for investigating and addressing organised criminal syndicates involved in Kidnappings for ransom after a three-year-old girl was reunited with her family safe and unharmed.

The girl was kidnapped last Thursday at a school in Springs by a woman who pretended to be the little girls child minder. Following her kidnapping, her alleged kidnappers had demanded millions of rands for her safe return.

At about 20:00 on Monday evening, the Task Team led a multidisciplinary team comprising of various disciplines in the SAPS including the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) Gauteng Traffic Police, Netcare 911 and various security companies to an area near East Gate Mall where ransom money was meant to have been paid to secure the safe return of the little girl.

As soon as the suspects arrived to collect the ransom money, the team swooped in on the four suspects and rescued the little girl.

The National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola has commended the team for their hard work and dedication.

“Well done to the team who have ensured the safe return of the little girl, well and alive. The team’s sleepless nights has definitely paid off.  We also thank our stakeholders for playing their part in ensuring that together we close in on these suspects and apprehend those who are behind this crime. This should definitely serve as a deterrent to others who are involved in such criminality.  We are surely closing in on these syndicates, their days are indeed numbered”, said General Fannie Masemola.

At the scene, police also seized and recovered two unlicensed firearms as well as two vehicles.

The South African Police Service takes this opportunity to encourage parents to provide full names and details of the next of kin or guardians of their children at schools to ensure strangers do not have easy access to their children.

 

 

Source: South African Police Service

POTCHEFSTROOM – Two murder accused appeared in the Itsoseng Magistrates’ Court after being arrested for two separate cases of murder.

In the first incident reported late in the afternoon of Saturday, 23 April 2022, an argument allegedly ensued between two men in a tavern in Zone 3, Itsoseng.  It is further alleged that a 36-year-old Tumelo Ferdinand Khoane stabbed Lesego David Motlhajoa (37) with an unknown sharp instrument in the street, just outside the tavern. The victim, Motlhajoa, fell on the ground. He was certified dead shortly after the incident by Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS).

Initial police investigations resulted in the arrest of Khoane. He was upon appearance before the court on Monday, 25 April 2022, on a charge of murder, remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Tuesday, 3 May 2022.

In a second unrelated incident in the early hours of Sunday morning, 24 April 2022, 22-year-old Onkokame Clemet Mogatwe and Thabeng Mogotlhe (28) allegedly had an argument at a tavern in Gasehuba Section, Bodibe Village, in Itsoseng. According to information received, Mogatwe stabbed Mogotlhe with a sharp instrument. He was rushed to a local clinic, where he was certified dead shortly after his arrival. Mogatwe was arrested the same day and he appeared before the Itsoseng Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 25 April 2022, on a charge of murder. He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Thursday, 5 May 2022.

The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, lauded the Itsoseng police for their quick response that led to the arrest. He reiterated that the police will continue to work hard to ensure that criminals are removed from society.

 

 

Source: South African Police Service

NORTHERN CAPE – The Kakamas Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit held a Gender Based and Domestic Violence campaign in Kakamas on Tuesday, 26 April 2022.

The outreach targeted the main roads in the vicinity Kakamas Hospital during which the team distributed pamphlets addressing GBV and other related crimes.

They also provided their cellphone numbers including various helpline numbers for victims to contact.

The Provincial Head for Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences, Brig Nicky Mills commended Capt Vrede Myburgh and the Kakamas FCS team and all SAPS units for their efforts in addressing GBV and also educating the community on the processes to be followed and services offered by the FCS units.

 

 

Source: South African Police Service

Executive Summary.

Africa’s East, Horn and Great Lakes (EHAGL) Region is experiencing increased frequency, severity and duration of crises, with new conflicts swelling displaced and

refugee caseloads. Increasingly protracted displacement is compounded by growing climatic shocks and inadequate humanitarian resources to meet the needs that these scenarios are generating. However, despite this challenging context progress is being made in the establishment, strengthening and reach of social protection’ policies, systems and programmes across the region alongside increased investment in these systems. This is often heavily resourced by development partners, as a more sustainable approach to humanitarian crises, but in some countries, there is an increase in tax-based domestic financing. COVID-19 has further accelerated efforts to scale up social protection systems, building on strong evidence of the efficacy of social protection systems in reaching the most vulnerable.

Within both humanitarian and development sectors there is growing recognition of the role that social protection can play in reducing poverty and addressing lifecycle risks and vulnerabilities. In many countries pilot interventions are proving effective and are influencing the approaches of governments and development partners and are being scaled up into government social safety net programmes. Delivery systems are improving and there is an increased focus on developing systems that are shock-responsive with the ability to scale up and respond to drought, floods or conflict. Despite resource, capacity, fragmentation and coordination challenges the number of vulnerable people supported by social protection systems is steadily growing. This is in line with the wider shift towards the use of cash transfers for humanitarian response. There is a growing body of robust evidence of the efficacy of social protection and social transfers in both development and crisis contexts.

The growth of inclusive social protection systems aiming to deliver more effective, efficient and sustainable solutions for vulnerable populations presents an opportunity for UNHCR. This entails re-examining ways of responding to the basic and protection needs of forcibly displaced communities and exploring the role that government social protection systems can play in meeting the needs of persons of concern (PoC), accelerating the agenda of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), and promoting inclusion, efficiency, sustainability and area-based solutions.

It is in this context that UNHCR has developed a global roadmap for inclusion of PoC in government social protection systems. This study aims to inform the implementation of this roadmap in the EHAGL region. It provides an overview of the social protection landscape in the region and categorises countries according to the level of development of their social protection systems. Nascent systems primarily invest in the expansion of social safety nets and access to social health protection and school feeding programmes, with parallel humanitarian programming. Some countries are also developing contributory schemes such as social insurance and contributory pensions, but to date these only reach a small proportion of the formal sector. Most of the population across the region, including refugees who are working, have livelihoods in the informal sector. There is growing recognition of the need to expand the reach of social insurance mechanisms and provide more flexible products tailored to informal sector workers and accompany the development of these schemes with outreach programmes to ensure uptake.

The study then maps existing levels of inclusion of PoC in social protection systems for each country. In most countries we see partial inclusion through, for example, refugee (largely urban) participation in national health insurance schemes, social registries or social safety nets (incorporating IDP populations or refugee and vulnerable host communities). In some countries, inclusion may be established at the policy level but not yet operationalized. In other countries, policy discussions are just beginning or have not yet begun. Opportunities for inclusion vary greatly across the region, determined by the context in each country, categories of

PoC, as well as the level of development of social protection systems.

The study identifies nine enablers of inclusion. These include the protection policy environment, financing, capacity, the level of development of the social protection system, inclusion of PoC in national data sets, ability of PoC to meet eligibility criteria, access to identity documents and financial systems and levels of UNHCR engagement in the sector (coordination, accompanying and monitoring inclusion). The study elaborates several recommendations for UNHCR to advance social protection inclusion at a country level. While these are aimed primarily at UNHCR country operations, they are equally relevant to other stakeholders including host governments, donors, and other development partners, who are interested to further PoC inclusion.

 

 

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government is planning to set up 4 396 temporary accommodation sites as from the end of this week to accommodate families that are currently accommodated in community halls, churches and schools.

 

Giving the latest update on the response to the floods in the province on Sunday, KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Sihle Zikalala, said the construction of temporary residential units has started at Ilembe District, Ugu and eThekwini.

 

Zikalala said the provincial government is finalising the assessment of some sites in Durban in terms of their suitability for construction.

 

“We are encouraged by the support we are getting from the national government. An integrated approach involving three spheres of government is assisting to ensure speed and efficiency in the interventions,” Zikalala said.

 

Zikalala said that although government has reprioritised R1 billion towards disaster relief interventions, the province needs more than R1.9 billion to complete the work.

 

Over 54 people still missing

 

The Premier reported that, as of Sunday, 17 438 households have been affected by the disaster while 121 687 people were affected, and 435 people lost their lives.

 

To date, 54 people are still reported missing, with a total of 6 278 currently homeless, and 55 injured, due to the disaster.

 

“The number of those who remain in shelters is 7 245 people in eThekwini, 245 people in KwaDukuza shelters and the rest in Umzumbe Ray Nkonyeni, Umdoni. While at the shelter, residents receive mattresses, hot meals and vanity packs, which are being provided by South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), Department of Social Development and non-government organisations.”

 

He said many families have started laying to rest the remains of their loved ones.

 

A Task Team has been established to coordinate support provided by government to bereaved families and those affected by the disaster in various municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal.

 

“Allied to that, a Disaster Burial Policy was adopted by the Provincial Executive Council on 17 April 2022,” Zikalala said.

 

Clean-up campaign in affected districts implemented

 

To support the efforts of normalising the situation and the environmental impact after the floods, Zikalala said the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), together with municipalities, is implementing a clean-up campaign in the affected districts.

 

He said the campaign is being implemented through the utilisation of Community Works Programme participants, and the other component involves the use of yellow plant equipment as a supplementary resource.

 

“The campaign commenced on the 19 April 2022 in Ugu, eThekwini, iLembe, King Cetshwayo, Amajuba and Umgungundlovu and is proceeding very well.”

 

With regards to the cost of the damage so far, Zikalala said it is now estimated that the largest expenditure on rehabilitation will come from PRASA-related infrastructure.

 

The Premier expressed his appreciation for the donations from the people, including the Mpumalanga Province in the form of blankets, tarpaulins, water purification sachets and mattresses.

 

He also thanked SASOL for donations in support of the effected families, as well as AVBOB, which has set aside R3 million to assist with burial costs.

 

“We are also heavily indebted to the Motsepe Family Foundation which has generously donated R30 million to be used largely to cover the burial costs. In the hour of need our people have been pleased to discover that they are indeed not alone.

 

“We have seen our President Cyril Ramaphosa, our National Ministers and Deputy Ministers, the Faith-Based Community, Traditional Leaders, Business Leaders and all Political leaders descend on our shores to offer support.

 

Source: Government of South Africa

R28 Road closure for shoulder rehabilitation

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport wishes to notify motorists of the temporary closure of the R28 Southbound in Mohlakeng, Randfontein from Segaetsho Street to D93.

 

The closure is expected to be from 08h00 to 17h00 on Tuesday, 26 April 2022.

 

All traffic will be diverted onto the Northbound (contra flow fashion). Motorists can expect delays.

 

Scope of works include rehabilitation of the heavily eroded sections on the shoulder to ensure the safety of motorists and upgrading of stormwater management system.

 

The Department’s maintenance and repair programme gives priority to major routes (Provincial Roads) focusing on surface failures, grass cutting, shoulder rehabilitation, pothole patching and debris removal, amongst others.

 

This is part of the Department’s Smart Mobility strategy which prioritises ease of movement for people and services. As part of the programme, the department has dedicated extra-capacity towards road maintenance in an effort to enhance road safety.

 

The Department apologises for any inconvenience to road users.

 

 

 

Source: Government of South Africa