Day: December 21, 2022

NELSPRUIT – The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela invites both print and electronic media houses to join in as she embarks on a tour to inspect various sites in the province of Mpumalanga as part of 2022 Safer Festive Season Operations.

DETAILS OF THE EVENT ARE AS FOLLOWS:

The Provincial Commissioner of SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela will be visiting the following areas

On Thursday, 22 December 2022 the General will be at Oshoek Port of Entry at 11:30 am then proceed to N2 Road in Mkhondo.

On Friday the General will visit Lebombo Port of Entry, Komatipoort and also inspect various road blocks around.

Members of the media are requested to RSVP with Colonel Donald Mdhluli on 0826086540.

Source: South African Police Service

North West Health MEC, Madoda Sambatha, has urged parents and caregivers to take their children for immunisation against measles at their nearest healthcare facilities.

This comes after the Centre for Vaccines and Immunology and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) recorded a measles outbreak in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District on 2 December 2022.

Sambatha said the province has to date confirmed 36 confirmed cases of measles, with Ngaka Modiri Molema recording 29 cases, Bojanala three, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati two and Dr Kenneth Kaunda District two cases.

“This situation is alarming and we urge our community to take action and protect their children by bringing them to healthcare facilities and immunisation outreach campaigns rolled out throughout the province.

“The department has enough vaccines to deal with measles in the province, therefore, we urge our community to share the message and raise awareness about this outbreak and mobilise for more children to be protected through immunisation,” Sambatha said.

Last week, the NICD said a total of 169 cases of laboratory-confirmed measles cases were reported from 11 October to 7 December 2022 across four provinces, including North West, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng.

“From epidemiological week 40 to week 49, laboratory-confirmed measles cases increased in Limpopo and Mpumalanga to 98 and 50 cases, respectively. A measles outbreak was declared in the Ngaka Molema District in the North West on 2 December 2022 and in Ekurhuleni District in Gauteng on 6 December 2022.

“The age of [patients] across the country ranges from two months to 42 years, with 44% of cases in the five to nine years age group and 28% in the one to four years age group. Of the 169 cases, 125 had an unknown vaccination status, 18 were vaccinated and 26 were unvaccinated,” the NICD reported in its last report.

Measles symptoms

According to the NICD, measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus and patients with measles present with fever and with a rash.

The rash looks like small, red, flat spots over the body. The rash does not form blisters, and is not itchy and painful.

“Other signs include cough, conjunctivitis (red eyes) and coryza (running nose). Complications of measles can include diarrhoea, dehydration, brain infection (encephalitis), blindness and death.

“Complications are more serious in those who catch measles as young infants (under two years of age) and in children who are malnourished,” the NICD said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

BLOEMFONTEIN – On Tuesday 20 December 2022 members of Mangaung Metro Tactical Response Team were mobilised during the early hours to operationalise intelligence in Navalsig Police Station precinct. Information was gathered on suspicion that fake currency notes were being manufactured at a house at a given address.

The police arrived at the identified unit in a building at about 02:30. The team searched one of the rooms and found fake US Dollar notes inside a drawer. The 41-year-old male residing in the unit was questioned about the origin of the bank notes and he failed to give satisfactory explanation. The suspect was then arrested for possession of counterfeit bank notes.

A case docket was opened at Navalsig Police Station. The suspect will appear in Bloemfontein Magistrate Court on Thursday 22 December 2022.

Source: South African Police Service

Four men have been denied bail in the Carletonville Magistrates’ Court for their alleged involvement in illegal mining.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, said the four men – Bethuel Ngobeni, Nhlahla Magwaca and the Sechele brothers, Thabo and Moseki – are part of six men are alleged to be kingpins in illegal mining activities in South Africa.

At least two others, Dumisani Moyo and Kudzai Mashaya, also remain behind bars on similar charges.

“The six are facing seven counts of unlawful dealing in precious metals, three counts of fraud and money laundering. Four of the accused, Ngobeni, Magwaca, Moyo and Mashaya, are also facing four counts of being illegal in the country.

“It is alleged the six men ran an operation, where they illegally collect precious metals from disused and abandoned mines, processed and sold them. It is further alleged that with the proceeds they got from selling the unlawful metals, they bought properties using falsified names,” Mahanjana said.

She said in their bail application, Ngobeni and Magwaca claimed to be South African citizens who “both have emotional ties to the country”.

“However, the State witness from the Department of Home Affairs told the court that after investigation, it was found that both Ngobeni and Magwaca had fraudulently acquired South African identity documents. It was further revealed that Ngobeni’s real name is Zingaiyi Dhliwayo and Magwaca’s real name is James Sigaoke,” she said.

Mahanjana added that the court also questioned the methods that the accused earned their income.

“In his judgment, the magistrate said that the defendant did not provide enough facts to prove how the Sechele brothers managed to accumulate so much profit through the said electrical appliance distribution business that Moseki Sechele owns because it appears that the business is dormant.

“He added that it does not make sense why Ngobeni and Magwaca have properties that are registered under their girlfriends’ names… [meaning] that they are trying to hide the proceeds of the crimes committed,” she said.

The accused are expected back in court on March 7 next year.

Source: South African Government News Agency

JOE GQABI DISTRICT – The Eastern Cape does not only boast with the most beautiful coast line but we also have nature reserves with extraordinary sunsets and landscapes of which one is at Oviston in the Joe Gqabi District situated in the Venterstad policing area.

In a bid to discourage the occurrences of stubborn crimes and to stipulate police duties the District Commissioner of Joe Gqabi District, Maj General Lindelwa Vellem, together with Capt Pretorius and the Station Commander of Venterstad, Capt Boorman, visited the Nature Reserve in Oviston with the aim of strengthening relations with the local police station at Venterstad.

Conversations were held with the rangers and the District Commissioner indicated that it was good to hear from the Range manager, Mr Jijana, as the manager, Mr Luyanda Gcaza, was out of town, that they always see the police conducting patrols around the site .

More information came out during the engagement which is of vital importance to the police.

The engagement was aimed at securing safety measures in the site and the Lodge as the Park is accommodating international and local tourists.

Both parties agreed that the Memorandum of understanding will be signed in January 2023 and Venterstad police will develop a Visitor’s Register whereby the police will append their signatures together with the Rangers on duty, of which safety concerns will be recorded there, and in turn, will be addressed procedurally.

As a way forward contact details were exchanged by both parties for ease of use when a need arises.

The Venterstad SAPS will continue to conduct patrols in the Park and the Lodge as it is situated a bit further away from the Park.

The visit by Maj Gen Vellem were much appreciated and both parties is looking forward in strengthening our partnership as SAPS is ready to serve all communities and partners in our policing of the Joe Gqabi District.

Source: South African Police Service

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has donated unused furniture to 25 community-based organisations in an effort to assist them continue to provide the valuable work that they do.

DPWI Minister Patricia De Lille has over the past few weeks has been handing over unused furniture to NGO’s across the Western Cape.

In a statement, De Lille said the furniture had been stored in the DPWI’s regional office storage for many years not being used as they were previously used at houses in the parliamentary villages and ministerial homes in Cape Town.

She said: “I requested the department to get the furniture ready to be donated to community based organisations who have many needs and who would make good use of the furniture that was no longer being used”.

The donated items include beds, stoves, chairs, fridges, couches, desks, book shelves, chest of drawers, washing machines, curtains, tables, lamps and pedestals.

The beneficiaries are organisations across the Western Cape, in Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Bredasdorp, Uniondale, Pacaltsdorp, Phillipi, Ceres, Worcester, Elsies River, George, Mossel Bay, Bishop Lavis and Vredenburg.

A total of 454 items were handed over to the organisations.

De Lille said one of the first centre recipients was the Nonceba Family and Council Centre in Khayelitsha, which cares for abused women and children.

“At the furniture handover we heard devastating stories of the women and children at the shelter and the important work that the centre does to care for the victims. The carers at the centre were grateful for the furniture donation and said it would be a great help.

“There are hundreds of organisations across the country doing good work to care for abused women and children and we must do more to support and help them with this work,” she said.

The Minister said while the period of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence was over, government should continue to advocate and act against GBVF and support structures and organisations that are taking in and taking care of victims.

“Everything we do to help victims can potentially save their lives. On behalf of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, I wish to thank all NGOs and community based organisations for the work they do in this space to care for our women and children.

“It is my hope that all the furniture items will be of good use to them and assist them in their operations at the various centres across the Western Cape,” she said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

WESTERN CAPE – The strategic deployment of police units as part of “Vala Konke” safer festive season operations in towns around the Garden Route District led to excellent results with the confiscation of drugs worth more than R300 000-00 and the arrest of 563 suspects for various offences.

These operations conducted in conjunction with Western Cape provincial traffic, municipal law enforcement and local traffic as well as other law enforcement agencies commenced on Friday, 16 December and concluded on Tuesday, 20 December 2022. Operations included static roadblocks, vehicle check points, stop and search operations, high density patrols in crime ridden areas, closing down of drug and illegal liquor outlets and visits to licenced liquor premises.

On Tuesday, 20 December 2022 Garden Route District Flying Squad members patrolling entry and exit routes to the region, noticed three persons at a hiking spot near the entrance to George, en-route to Oudtshoorn. The vigilant members immediately approached the trio of which one acted suspiciously. Police proceeded with a search when they found 950 Mandrax tablets and 428 grams of Tik with an estimated street value of R197 000 in the possession of a 25 year old woman. The members confiscated the find and arrested the suspect on a charge of possession of drugs.

Meanwhile, on Monday, 19 December 2022 Garden Route Crime Combatting Team (GCCT) conducted stop and search operations at the Knysna taxi rank in the central business district where they confiscated 400 grams of dagga. Police arrested a 32 year old man for possession of drugs.

Furthermore, on Sunday, 18 December 2022 Public Order Police and GCCT members searched a passenger bus at the Tsitsikamma Tollgate where they found 350 gram of Tik with an estimated street value of R120 000 stashed in a travel bag in the luggage compartment. The origin of the find forms part of an ongoing police investigation. The suspect is yet to be arrested.

In addition to above, forces on the ground arrested 107 suspects for drug related crimes, 42 for driving under the influence of liquor, 42 for possession of dangerous weapons, 5 for possession of ammunition and one for unlawful possession of ammunition. Police also confiscated one unlicensed fire arm, 10 rounds of ammunition, 172 Mandrax tablets, small quantities of heroin and Tik during the weekend operations.

Suspects arrested during the past weekend already made their first court appearances whilst the other suspects will appear in court once charged.

Western Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, lauded the those deployed for their vigilance and commitment to rid communities of items which threatens the safety of communities. “Safer Festive Season operations are in full swing with more boots on the ground to safeguard communities. Police deployment will be enhanced during this week to ensure that the public feel and are safe during the festive period, especially in the lead up to the upcoming weekend and beyond”, Lt Gen Patekile concluded.

Source: South African Police Service