Day: June 1, 2022

POTCHEFSTROOM – Police in Taung request assistance in locating 45-year-old Goitsemodimo Frederick Chabane. He was last seen by his brother on Wednesday, 30 May 2022 at about 19:00 when he went to attend a ceremony at Mogogong.

He is small built with a black moustache and a scare on the left side of his head. He was wearing a blue pair of trousers, a white T-shirt, black Jacket and black grasshopper shoes.

Anyone in the community with information please can contacted the investigating officer on this case is D/Sgt TC Monehwe from Taung detectives on 082 469 0433, or Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or by using MySAPS app.

Source: South African Police Service

The City of Cape Town notes the continued unlawful occupation of the precinct around the Castle in the CBD, including the main applicant in a matter brought before the High Court. Legal representatives for Ndifuna Ukwazi had initially sought a High Court order “to restore free and undisturbed possession of the site” to unlawful occupants. However, this aspect is moot given the continued unlawful occupation, and the parties have agreed to a draft order, which was adopted during court during proceedings this morning.

On 25 May, the City conducted a multi-departmental operation to address criminal activity and improve safety and dignity in the immediate vicinity of tented camps in the CBD, including at the Castle precinct. The City’s enforcement services conducted crime prevention operations where necessary, with several units of drugs confiscated and arrests made.

The purpose of the operation at the Castle was to conduct waste clearing due to severely unhygienic conditions, including hazardous human waste. These clean-up operations occur regularly with the knowledge and consent of unlawful occupants.

No occupied shelters were knowingly removed, with the only shelter material removed during the operation on 25 May being four vacant, empty tents, as well as abandoned materials including plastic and bricks. These tents have been removed for safe storage at Ndabeni facility. As part of the agreed court order, contact can be made with our offices to arrange for any of the unlawful occupants to point out which goods they allege to be theirs and collect them.

At no stage did officials take any steps to deprive the unlawful occupants of their personal belongings, medication or ID books as has been alleged.

Furthermore, the City’s Streets By-law does not circumvent the need for a court order where a structure is considered a dwelling under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unauthorised Occupation of Land (PIE) Act. In those instances, it is necessary to obtain a court order, and ensure alternative accommodation at shelters or safe spaces has been offered, where this is just and equitable.

The agreed court order includes an interdict regarding the use of the Streets and Coastal by-laws to effect evictions, which has no legal effect as the City does not use these by-laws for the purpose of evictions, which are governed by the PIE Act.

Cape Town’s public places serve important social, community and economic purposes, and must be open and available to all.

No person has the right to reserve a public space as exclusively theirs, while indefinitely refusing all offers of shelter and social assistance. Accepting sustainable solutions off the streets is the best choice for dignity, health, and well-being.

A social assessment of those unlawfully occupying the Castle precinct was previously completed by the City and alternative shelter at Safe Spaces and shelters was offered. This offer of shelter still stands, and the City reserves the right to, in due course, institute legal proceedings in line with the law on unlawful occupations.

Care Programme

In the last year alone, from May 2021 – April 2022, the direct efforts of City officials have resulted in:

• 860+ people helped off the streets, through shelter placements, reunifying family and loved ones, and other forms of reintegration.

• 1150+ people participating in development programmes at City-run Safe Spaces

• 730+ EPWP work placements to help those staying at our Safe Spaces get back on their feet

• 720+ referrals for social grants, identity documents, specialised care facilities, and substance abuse treatment – with an 80% Matrix programme success rate to address addiction as a key driver of why people end up on the streets.

This is aside from what is being achieved by civil society, and the City is planning to do much more together with NGO partners and the national and provincial government, who together hold the constitutional mandate for welfare and homeless shelters.

The City’s Care Programme to help people off the streets has been increased to R77 million in 2022/23 as the only metro going above its municipal mandate to dedicate a social development budget to this issue.

In addition, R10 million has been set aside to expand shelter beds at NGO-run shelters this winter.

The Safe Space model includes dignified shelter, comfort and ablutions, two meals per day, access to a social worker on-site, personal development planning, ID Book and social grant assistance, access to substance and alcohol abuse treatment, skills training, help finding a job, and EPWP work placement.

Post-disaster approach to helping people off the streets

The two-year national state of disaster and related economic impact has led to unmatched levels of homelessness in the city, with many people are sleeping in public places, including sidewalks, parks, road reserves, and under bridges.

Given this situation, only a unique and unprecedented response will help people off the streets in Cape Town and ensure that public places are available for wider public use.

The City of Cape Town is proactively dealing with this situation by:

– Expanding City-run Safe Spaces beyond the CBD and Bellville: A total of R142m is allocated to operate and expand these facilities over the next 3 years.

– Stepping up efforts to assess the circumstances of those on the streets, and offer shelter or social assistance: City Social Development & ECD staff are currently busy with a city-wide process of conducting social assessments of those living on the streets. This includes the reasons for homelessness, physical and mental health, living conditions, sources of income. This will result in a referral for social assistance, which can include accommodation at a shelter or City-run safe space.

– Obtaining court orders regarding the unlawful occupation of public places –

Where the PIE Act is applicable, the City will acquire the necessary court order, and ensure alternative accommodation at shelters or safe spaces has been offered, where this is just and equitable.

Source: City Of Cape Town

NORTHERN CAPE – A team of Galeshewe Police Station Detectives led by Captain Stephen Du Toit embarked on a wanted suspects tracing operation on Tuesday, 31 May 2022.

Eight (08) suspects who have been on the run from the police for various crimes, attempted murder, assault, housebreaking and theft, domestic violence, business buglary, Shoplifting, and contravention of protection order were arrested.

The suspects have been evading court appearance dates and others violated court orders. The suspects were arrested at their respective residents in and around Galeshewe and will appear in the Galeshewe Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 02 May 2022.

The Acting Galeshewe Station Commander, Colonel Boipelo Kale commended members for bringing wanted suspects to book.

Source: South African Police Service

For two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected the event industry with numerous events being postponed or even called off. However, a review of the 2021/2022 financial year provides a glimmer of hope for the industry as well as those who rely on it for their livelihoods.

The City of Cape Town’s Events Permit Office has issued 436 permits to host events since the start of the financial year in July 2021.

A majority of the permits this financial year were issued in March when 64 events were approved by the permit office for that month.

This has more than quadrupled compared to the previous year when only 91 permits were issued in the 2020/21 financial year.

Pre-pandemic, the office issued, on average, more than 1 200 event permits annually.

Permits are required for all events with more than 200 participants or when the occasion will have amplified sounds, will require the closure of roads and structures to be erected.

‘This financial year has provided the perfect foundation for the industry to fully recover from the impact of the pandemic. This development is testament to the fantastic partnerships between the Events Department, various event organisers who have shown resilience and continue to showcase Cape Town’s expertise in hosting successful, world class major events,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

events including, among others:

• Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

• Africa Energy Week

• Loeries Creative Week

• Absa Run Your City races

• British and Irish Lions Tour

• Cape Town Cycle Tour

• Absa Cape Epic

• Suidoosterfees

• Silwerskermfees

• Red Bull King of the Air

• FAME Week Africa

• South African International Ballet Competition

• Miss South Africa

• National Youth Music Competition

• International Public Art Festival

• SA Innovation Summit

• Cape Town Carnival

• South Africa Disabled Golf Open

• Africa Travel Week

• Investing in the Mining Indaba

• Mitchell’s Plain Festival

‘This increase in permits also shows the appetite for events and the need to relax restrictions on event capacity, which will in turn assist organisers to earn livelihoods and bolster a struggling economy.

During the 2021/2022 financial year, Cape Town hosted a number of major

‘This also shows that organisers working with our events permit office as well as our service departments are able to successfully host major events without incidents,’ added Alderman JP Smith.

This month, Cape Town will play host to the month-long Jive Funny Festival, the United Rugby Championship knockout stages, the Encounters International Documentary Festival, Decorex Cape Town and Jazzathon.

Source: City Of Cape Town

Our efforts to eradicate the distribution of illegal drugs on our main entrance and exit routes in collaboration with our Law Enforcement counterparts are also gaining momentum with the confiscation of dagga to the estimated value of R4million last night (2022-05-31).

Provincial Traffic officials deployed on the N-1 near Beaufort-West were conducting routine vehicle checks on the N-1 when they pulled over an Isuzu LDV with dark windows that was en-route to Cape Town. They ensued with a search and discovered a large amount of dagga in the back of the vehicle. Members attached to Western Cape SAPS’ provincial Detectives Narcotics Unit were summoned to the scene and determined that the consignment was most probably about 500kg of Swazi-Gold-dagga with an estimated street value of R4-million.

The occupants of the bakkie, a man and woman, 36-and-28-years respectively, were arrested on the spot and is due to appear in the Beaufort West magistrates’ court tomorrow, Thursday, 02 June 2022. They face charges related to Dealing in Drugs.

In addition to above, concerted efforts by the Rural Flying Squad members deployed in Kannaland and their strategic approach to eradicate and address the distribution of illegal drugs in this rural Kannaland-town, Ladismith, yet again yielded positive results when information received from the community was operationalized and led to the arrest of a suspected female drug pedlar.

On Friday evening, 27 May 2022, pounced on a Toyota Quantum Taxi that was enroute to Ladismith from Cape Town along the R62 between Ladismith and Barrydale. They pulled over the vehicle and ensued with a search of the taxi. The members discovered a plastic shopping bag containing 500 Mandrax tablets to the estimated value of R30 000.00 that was concealed in smaller plastic bags inside the shopping bag. Members confiscated the Mandrax tablets and arrested a 52-year-old woman for the possession of illicit drugs. The drugs are believed to be destined for distribution in Ladismith.

The suspect was released on Sunday evening on a warning to appear in the Ladismith Magistrates’ court on 10 October 2022, pending further investigation and the result of forensic tests.

Police provincial management has praised the members involved for their continued efforts to eradicate the prevalence of drugs in their communities through distribution major exit and entrance routes to the Western Cape Province.

Source: South African Police Service

A meeting is scheduled for this week with National Treasury to submit an application to continue the PEP project.

The City of Cape Town hopes to unlock additional funding from national government to continue a number of programmes that have come about through the Public Employment Programme (PEP).

In 2020, the Presidency announced an Employment Stimulus Plan in response to the devastating economic and jobs impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic recession.

As part of the plan, municipalities were offered the opportunity to upscale public employment programmes as part of their economic response and recovery plans.

The City of Cape Town was awarded R160 million by National Treasury after applying for funding.

The PEP funded programmes have helped created more than 3 000 temporary work opportunities for residents.

The projects have been administered via the national Expanded Public Works Programme portal, in collaboration with a number of City partners and NGOs.

‘The City of Cape Town already administers a very effective EPWP programme that creates thousands of work opportunities annually for persons who are registered on the database. This funding helped us create additional opportunities across a host of departments within the City, but also for external service providers who have partnered with us to ensure maximum benefit for beneficiaries,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.

Among the projects that were included in the PEP programme were:

• Alien vegetation clearing in Atlantis

• An illegal dumping clean-up campaign

• Fire prevention marshal project

• An addiction and reintegration support programme for homeless persons

‘As a caring local government, we are aware that many people continue to struggle with the devastation of a two-year pandemic, compounded by ongoing economic woes. The City is doing all it can to assist these vulnerable residents, and the funding that was made available by national government during the pandemic to stimulate job creation and economic opportunities has been used to good effect thus far. We hope to continue the very valuable projects that have come about because of the PEP funding, and that is why we are engaging with National Treasury on the way forward and hopefully unlocking additional funding,’ added Alderman Twigg.

Source: City Of Cape Town

The outstanding accused on Sekhukhune corruption case, Sergeant Masala Walter Muthurana (37) was arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation members for alleged corruption on Tuesday, 31 May 2022.

In December 2017, Muthurana was reportedly on duty as a van crew together with his colleague Sergeant Happy Ratau (42) who was a van driver patrolling in Sekhukhune policing area when they saw a suspicious tractor and pulled it over. The driver of the said tractor was searched and the police allegedly found cannabis in his pocket. The duo reportedly demanded gratification from the driver.

It is reported that a total of R2100-00 was paid by the victim to the police and he was subsequently released. The matter was later reported the Hawks for investigation.

After conducting a successful investigation, the first accused Sergeant Ratau was arrested at his workplace and was released on R2000-00 bail after making first in the Sekhukhune Magistrate’s court on Thursday, 9 December 2021.

Muthurana was sought by the police until he was arrested and brought before the Sekhukhune Magistrate’s court today, 1 June 2022 where he was joined by his co-accused (Sergeant Ratau). He was granted R2000-00 bail and the case was postponed to 7 July 2022 for both accused.

Source: South African Police Service