Day: November 11, 2022

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Premier Alan Winde receives progress report on investigation into alleged link between Police and gangs

Premier receives progress report from Western Cape Police Ombud on investigation into suspected link between South African Police Service and gangs

This week Premier Alan Winde received a progress report from Western Cape Police Ombud (WCPO) Major General (Ret.) Oswald Reddy on his investigation into alleged links between officials from the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape and gangsters.

At the core of this issue are grave concerns that members of the SAPS in the province, among them senior officials, are colluding with gangs, to the detriment of the communities police are meant to serve.

The Ombud has informed the Premier that the probe is at an advanced stage. A team of investigators from the WCPO is considering the bundle of documents relating to the Western Cape High Court judgment which gave rise these disturbing claims. “I have been assured this matter is receiving the attention it deserves and will be finalised as soon as possible,” Premier Winde stressed.

The matter stems from a  judgment delivered last month in the Western Cape High Court which stated that there is evidence that top management structures of the SAPS in the province have been infiltrated by gang members. The Premier reiterated: “We must use all the resources available to us, such as the Police Ombud, to get to the bottom of this issue. These allegations horrify me, and we must get answers that will inform our next steps.”

The Premier asked, “Is there sufficient evidence around this matter to warrant establishing a Commission of Inquiry? We will consider our options once the WCPO investigation has been concluded.”

Provincial Police Oversight and Community Safety Minister Reagen Allen said, “We want to assure the residents of the Western Cape that we’ll do everything in our oversight role to address any form of collusion, corruption or criminal activity in the SAPS. The service is required to serve and protect us. This matter is highly upsetting, and we will not stand for it.”

Source: Government of South Africa

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Employment and Labour undertakes liquefied petroleum gas inspections 

Free State Department of Employment and Labour set to undertake liquefied petroleum gas inspections as gas usage peaks amid loadshedding

The Department of Employment and Labour, Free State is embarking on a series of inspections on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) installations, storage, filling and exchange sites. Leading the aforementioned initiative will be the department’s Inspection and Enforcement Services branch whose mandate is to enhance occupational health and safety, compliance and awareness in the workplace.

The objective of the campaign is to aggressively subject this industry to scrutiny through inspections, assess levels of compliance and enforce health and safety in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act No .85 of 1993) and Pressure Equipment Regulations, of 2009.

In light of the country’s current energy crisis, businesses and households have notably resorted to utilising gas as a primary solution. Albeit considered safe, if incorrectly used, gas may cause fire, explosion and poisonous fumes resulting in fatalities and/or damage to property. This risk must be managed through ensuring that there is requisite compliance from all gas users to prevent potential harm and fatalities.

Provincial Chief Inspector, Manelisi Luxande states that “this initiative seeks to monitor compliance of the Pressure Equipment Regulations, 2009 of Occupational Health and Safety Act – this legislation obligates the manufacturers, importers, sellers, suppliers, installers and end-users of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Equipment to ensure that the apparatus comply with the applicable South African National Standards (SANS 347, 10019, 10087, 1156-2, 1237 & 1539)”.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas users are urged to ensure that:

LP Gas equipment designed and manufactured for use in the Republic is conformity assessed and subjected to the requirement set in SANS347, and the Approved Inspection Authority(AIA) verified manufacturer certificate is available;

LP Gas equipment is operated and maintained within its design operating parameters (read manufacture certificate/ user manual before use);

LP Gas Cylinders storage and filling sites must be approved by the local authority;

LP Gas cylinders are stored and used in well-ventilated areas and away from flammable material;

LP Gas installations are done and maintained by suitably qualified gas installer who is registered with South African Qualification and Certification Authority Gas (SAQCC Gas).

Source: Government of South Africa

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Premier Bushy Maape applauds Police for swift arrest of stock theft suspects

North West Premier, Kaobitsa Bushy Maape has applauded  members of the South Africa Police Service for the swift arrest of seven (7) suspects aged between 25 and 49 who were arrested in the stock theft case near Ottoshoop outside Mahikeng.

A whistle blower from a farm in Ottoshoop alerted the police about the theft underway at around 02:00 yesterday morning. Police succeeded in apprehending seven (7) suspects, including a woman, with two trucks loaded with cattle.

“We commend the SAPS for their swift response and arrest of stock theft suspects in the early hours of the morning. This demonstrates dedication in the fight against crime in our communities especially stock theft which is affecting our emerging farmers” said Premier Maape

The wave of stock theft in the province has a negative impact on the emerging stock farmers in our rural communities. Agriculture is one of the cornerstones of the economy in the province and provides for the food security of individual households and addresses poverty alleviation through small-scale communal farming”.

Premier Maape has encouraged communities to work together with the police in dealing with stock theft and other criminal activities affecting their communities.

The seven (7) suspects will appear before the Mmabatho Magistrate court on Monday (14 Nov 2022).

Source: Government of South Africa

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Unemployment Insurance Fund condemns death threat against staff member

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) is extremely concerned about a death threat that was made to a staff member who is auditing companies that benefited from the Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Covid-19 TERS).

Earlier this week, the Fund was alerted by a law enforcement agency that an employer made an anonymous threat to kill the UIF official if the audit proceeded. The audits on employers are part of the UIF’s “follow the money” project to ensure that the right amounts of money were paid over to workers at the right time and that employers did not abuse the money.

UIF Commissioner, Teboho Maruping, has strongly condemned the death threat, saying that the Fund would not be deterred from auditing all employers who benefited from the R62 billion paid to date through Covid-19 TERS.

“As the UIF, we view the threat in a very serious light. Equally, we are gravely shocked and disturbed by this threat against the official who is a dedicated public servant, committed to ensuring that workers’ monies were not abused. 

Since the inception of Covid-19 TERS, the Fund has observed with great disappointment how some employers received monies but failed to pay it over to their workers. In some instances, we learnt with disgust that employers were paying over only part of the monies and not the full amounts, and that companies were using funds for other than the intended purposes.

Therefore, these malicious and criminal acts to interfere with our audit process will not be tolerated and we shall continue doing our work without fear or favour,” said Maruping.

To date, at least 10 people have been convicted and sentenced to direct imprisonment or suspended sentences for fraud, theft, and money laundering in relation to the Covid-19 TERS. The most prominent case was a matter where 20 years of direct imprisonment was meted out to Bookkeeper, Lindelani Gumede, for R11 million worth of Covid-19 TERS fraud.

Another 30 suspects have also been arrested for Covid-19 TERS related offenses and the Fund anticipates more arrests as Phase 2 of the “follow the money” project, which started in July 2022, continues.

Source: Government of South Africa

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Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube unveils integrated festive season safety plan in KwaZulu-Natal to curb crime

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube issued a stern warning to criminals that law enforcement agencies in the province are tightening the grip on all forms of crime, mainly contact and violent crimes during this festive season.

Officially launching the KwaZulu-Natal Integrated Safety Month and Festive Season Campaign today, Premier Dube-Ncube said that police in the province are ready to take the war to criminals.

The Premier was joined by Minister of Police General Bheki Cele, MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Sipho Hlomuka, Mayor of eThekwini Municipality Mxolisi Kaunda and Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

“The vision of government is ensuring that the people of KwaZulu-Natal live in a safe and secure environment. Women, children and vulnerable groups should feel protected and have confidence in the Criminal Justice System to effectively apprehend and prosecute criminals. We are launching this festive season campaign at a time when our country is focused on the 16 Days of Activism for no violence against women and children. There is a lot of work that the provincial government is doing to mobilise society to root out this scourge.

There will be heightened visibility in all corners of our province including integrated crime prevention and crime combatting operations on provincial and national roads, rail environment, ports of entry and the border line. The people of our province, visitors and business must rest assured that all law enforcement agencies working with stakeholders in KwaZulu-Natal are on board to ensure a safe, peaceful, and incident-free festive season,” said Premier Dube-Ncube.

Premier Dube-Ncube highlighted that special intelligence-driven operations will be implemented in cooperation with all our law enforcement agencies.

“We are encouraged to see the state of preparedness and unity of our law enforcement agencies and stakeholders. Police made numerous arrests this morning, as were out on the streets of the Durban Central Business District conducting law enforcement operations and raids in various buildings that have deteriorated into drug dens and crime havens.

We are here today to unveil our plan which involves all sectors including civil society, business, the taxi industry, community policing forums, and many more joining hands to arrest crime during the festive season. We are ready to thwart all the criminal networks, we will be at their rear and flanks,” Premier Dube-Ncube said.

Using forth industrial revolution in enhancing policing

During this period, Premier Dube-Ncube said police will also be applying technology including drones to monitor high crime zones and capturing footage of criminal activities.

“Technology will be employed to chase criminals using facial recognition and follow me flight mode.  We can even enter into small unreachable areas to track criminals in hide outs. We will also be applying technology to track number plates and spot stolen vehicles. Our Smart Province concept also include smart policing. Technology overall can reduce the crime rate, improve investigation and assist in locking up offenders. It can also be used as early warning signal to prevent the deaths in disasters and properly loss,” said Premier Dube-Ncube.

The Province’s Festive Season Integrated Festive Season Safety Plan is anchored on the following actions and objectives of Building Safer Communities:

Strengthening the criminal justice system

Making the police service professional

Building community participation

Premier Dube-Ncube also expressed concern over the increase of road accidents that continue to claim lives and the economy.

“We call on the road freight industry to attend to the issue of errant truck drivers whose negligent driving has taken many lives in the province recently. We remember vividly the Pongola horrific accident. The multiple truck accidents a few weeks ago claimed more lives. Our roads cannot be turned into mass graves and places of untimely deaths. The Road Traffic Inspectorate has a huge responsibility to make every road user feel that when in KwaZulu-Natal you drive responsibly or face the music. We are exploring ideas around the spate of track accidents. This may include enforcing a curfew on freight trucks and redirecting vehicles to less busy roads. We are continuing engagements with the freight and logistics industry,” concluded Premier Dube-Ncube.

The province’s Integrated Safety Month and Festive Season Plan involves government and law enforcement agencies working with various stakeholders including business, community policing forums, traditional leaders, interfaith leaders and the taxi industry.

Source: Government of South Africa

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EV Metals Supply Chain Leader GreenMet Helps Secure Major Investment from Wall Street

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — GreenMet, a leading US-based developer of sustainable supply chains for critical minerals and metals for the United States, has helped secure a $50 million dollar investment from a division of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. for the development of Torngat Metals Ltd. rare earth project, one of the world’s largest rare earth projects, located in Strange Lake, Canada.

The rare earth project in the Torngat region of Eastern Quebec will be an important link in a new North American rare earth supply chain that will be essential to meeting electrification, defense, and economic security priorities.

GreenMet, led by former combat veterans of the US Army and public servants, including Drew Horn, a former Special Forces Commander who helped devise US strategic minerals policy while in the US government, is a leading global developer of responsible, sustainable, and secure supply chains for critical minerals and metals for the United States, and helped identify and develop the investment opportunity in Torngat.

“GreenMet, along with Libra Group,an international business group and strategic investor in GreenMet, is developing supply chain projects like this one throughout the globe and we are proud of our role in the initiation and collaboration of the Torngat Strange Lake project to help secure America’s clean energy future,” said GreenMet President & CEO Drew Horn. “This project will help reduce U.S. dependency on foreign critical mineral supply and processing capability, making this investment crucial for North American economic, defense, and energy security.”

“I am honored to be a part of the clean energy revolution in my role with GreenMet,” said Darrell Blocker, GreenMet Board Director. “After decades protecting America with government roles in national security and intelligence, including as the lead CIA officer in Africa, I know well the capability for global cooperation to tackle the supply needs for clean energy metals in the US as we establish an essential North American supply chain not just for the transition to electrification, but for our national security and economic success.”

About GreenMet

GreenMet (www.Greenmet.com) is a leading business developing the infrastructure for sustainable, reliable, and secure supply chains of critical minerals and metals to meet North American energy and technology needs. This includes the production of rare earth minerals & metals, and manufacturing of key magnets, battery material, and green steel. GreenMet is working with nations around the globe and its US partners to ensure US leadership in the transition to a green energy future.

About Torngat Metals Ltd.

Torngat is a private company developing the Strange Lake project in the Nunavik region of Québec to provide a long-term responsible supply of rare earths required for many high-tech and low-carbon technologies, including electric vehicles and wind turbines.  www.torngatmetals.com.

About Cerberus

Cerberus is a global leader in alternative investing with approximately $60 billion in assets across complementary credit, private equity, and real estate strategies. www.cerberus.com.