Day: January 19, 2023

EASTERN CAPE – Public Order Police members’ deployment from Umthatha acted on an intelligence driven operation which led them to a house in Dunga Street Duncan Village East London where they recovered a firearm and ammunition.

A 31-year-old male suspect was arrested and detained for being in Possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

The members circulated the firearm and it came out positive as per Knysna case.

The suspect will appear before East London Magistrate Court on 20 January 2023.

Source: South African Police Service

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) says it processed and paid out over R1 billion to 225 646 beneficiaries during December 2022 to ensure clients and their loved ones met their financial obligations during and after the festive season.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Labour said of the R1 billion, R876 million was paid towards unemployment benefits; R88 million towards maternity and parental benefits; R32 million towards dependants benefits; and R24 million towards illness benefits.

“I am very pleased that we were able to disburse the R1 billion to so many of our clients during the busy December period. I have no doubt that this R1 billion pay out in benefits went a long way towards helping our clients put food on the table during the festive break and planning for crucial items such as purchasing stationery and uniforms for children in the beginning of the new year as schools reopened around the country,” UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping said.

Since the inception of the special COVID-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (COVID-19 TERS) in March 2020 during the first lockdown, the fund has disbursed R62 billion to at least 5 million workers.

“For the Workers Affected by Unrest (WABU): Temporary Financial Relief Scheme that was established to assist workers who lost income as a result of the July 2021 unrest, the UIF has paid out R21 million to 6 404 workers,” Maruping said.

Maruping said the fund remains committed to providing social security to UIF contributors and their beneficiaries in line with the Constitution which states that “everyone has the right to have access to social security".

The Commissioner added that this year the fund will redouble its efforts to improve service delivery and continue paying out claims to qualifying clients and their beneficiaries as efficiently as possible.

“We will also be enhancing our Information and Communications Technology systems and launching a data free mobile Application (APP), a free USSD system, and a few other platforms to bolster and improve service delivery to our clients and stakeholders. Further announcements to these developments will be made in due course," Maruping said.

Maruping also acknowledged the dedicated UIF officials in all provinces who continue to make benefit payments to the clients possible.

Source: South African Government News Agency

NORTHERN CAPE – During the evening of Sunday, 18 December 2022, a 37-year-old female victim left a tavern in Marchand with her friends in a Toyota Quantam taxi.

The friends were dropped at their respective residences and the driver continued to drive with the victim who thought he was taking her home.

The driver stopped at an unknown location and picked up two other male persons. They took the cellphone and bankcard of the victim and drove with her in the direction of Pofadder.

At a later stage, the vehicle stopped and the driver dragged the victim into the veldt where he pinned her down, threatened her and the other male raped her where after he also raped her. They then left her naked in the veld and left.

Both suspects are aged between 25 and 30. One was speaking Afrikaans and the other one Tswana. One of the suspects had a tattoo on his left upper arm and a gold tooth in his mouth.

The other one had a gold watch and black goatee.

Any person that can assist in identifying any of the suspects in the identikits, can contact the investigating officer, Sergeant Zelda Mohuitshiwa on 073 351 0530 or Captain Vrede Myburgh on 060 984 3529 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

Source: South African Police Service

KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has welcomed the smooth start to the 2023 academic year as over 2.8 million learners across the province went back to school on Wednesday.

Dube-Ncube accompanied Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and Education MEC Mbali Frazer on visits to schools in Umlazi, Parlock and La Mercy to monitor the first day of school for coastal areas.

Speaking during the school monitoring visits, Dube-Ncube emphasised that quality education is an apex priority for the provincial government and expressed her satisfaction that learning and teaching started in earnest on the first day of the school calendar.

“The minor challenges experienced in some schools are being urgently addressed by the Department of Education. We were very encouraged by the active citizenry demonstrated by the community and members of the governing bodies in the schools we have visited.

“We also commend the dedication shown by educators. As the provincial government, we are fully committed to ensuring access to quality education therefore it is critical that teaching and learning begins from the first day of the school year,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier announced that the province will pilot online registration for schools in the province from this year.

This is in a bid to reduce the number of parents waiting in queues to enrol their children and so that all learners are enrolled within the stipulated timeframe.

“The process for admissions for the 2023 academic year started early in 2022 when admissions opened on 1 March 2022 and closed on 30 September 2022. A total of 209 665 learners have been admitted in Grade 1 and 237 987 learners have been admitted in Grade 8,” the department said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

WESTERN CAPE – Concerted efforts by police in the Western Cape to eradicate substance abuse which remains a contributing factor to serious and violent crimes as well as gender based violence and femicide, led to the arrest of seven suspects and the confiscation of drugs with an estimated street value of R100 000. These successes forms part of our mid-week crime combatting operations conducted in the Garden Route District.

On Tuesday, 17 January 2023 at about 19:30 Garden Route Crime Combatting Team (GRCCT) members who are deployed in crime stricken areas responded to information of illicit activities at flats situated at Potsolo Noyyeke Crescent, Lawaaikamp in George. The team operationalised the information and proceeded with a search of a premises when they found 800 mandrax tablets and R13 000 cash inside the flat. They confiscated the drugs and seized the cash. A 45 year old foreign national from Chana, was subsequently arrested in connection with the find. He is facing a charge of dealing in drugs.

Later the same day, 17 January 2023, while leaving the premises, they noticed suspicious activity taking place in a flat adjacent to the one they've just raided. They swiftly responded and while investigating, noticed a man grabbing a parcel on a couch. The vigilant members entered and found 207,35 grams of tik in possession of the occupant. Police confiscated the illicit substance and arrested the 37-year-old Nigerian national on a charge of dealing in drugs.

Furthermore, yesterday 18 January 2023, members attached to the GRCCT, K9 and Crime Intelligence conducted an intelligence driven operation at Ladismith and Zoar in the Klein Karoo. The search and seizure operation resulted in the arrest of three suspects aged 23 and 38, two for possession of drugs and one for dealing in drugs, after small quantities of tik, mandrax and R7080 in cash were found in their possession.

This same team, embarked on similar operations on Wednesday 18 January 2023, at drug outlets in Oudtshoorn, Jan Makai Street and Heideblom Avenue respectively. Upon searching the premises the members confiscated small quantities of tik as well as mandrax tablets. The search and seizure operations resulted in the arrest of two suspects aged 29 and 45. They are facing a charge of possession of drugs each.

Two of those arrested already appeared in the George Magistrates’ court. The other five suspects will appear in the respective local courts once charged.

These arrests and confiscations forms part of ongoing crime combatting operations under the theme under the theme “More boots on the ground to enhance visibility”.

Source: South African Police Service

Mpumalanga Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela, has welcomed the arrest of a third suspect in connection with the murder of a councillor in Mkhondo last week.

In a statement, provincial SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the team assembled to investigate the killing arrested a 40-year-old suspect on Monday.

The suspect, who is from uMbumbulu in KwaZulu-Natal, was taken in for questioning and ultimately charged with murder. He will today appear before the Piet Retief Magistrate's Court.

Councillor Sbonelo (Mthembu) Ntshangase (36), Sandile Khumalo (51) and Sizwe Mbingo (40) were gunned down in a shooting at the Longhomes Township in Piet Retief on Friday, 13 January 2023 at around 8pm.

“It is further alleged that suspects fired multiple shots at Mr Ntshangase who was in the yard, and also shot Mr Mbingo inside a bakkie who sadly died at the scene whilst Mr Khumalo was shot in the yard as well. Thereafter the suspects fled to unknown direction.

“The police in Piet Retief as well as the paramedics were informed about the incident whilst Mr Ntshangase and Mr Khumalo were privately taken to a nearby hospital. Mr Khumalo was unfortunately certified dead on arrival meanwhile Mr Ntshangase regrettably succumbed to his injuries moments later.”

A case of three counts of murder was opened and a dedicated team of experts in the field of investigation was immediately assembled by Lieutenant General Manamela.

On Tuesday police had reported that two male suspects had been arrested and an automatic rifle with ammunition were confiscated. They have been charged with possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

The Provincial Commissioner urged members of the public, including families and colleagues of the victims, to remain calm and allow police the space to investigate and bring all perpetrators to book while allowing due processes of the law to take their course.

"We have always stayed true and committed to our call of duty, that of preventing crime, and when crime has been committed we are obligated in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, to investigate and bring perpetrators thereof to book.

“We still need support from members of the public regarding further details which may assist in the investigation to come forth. We promise to treat such information with much delicacy," she said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The City of Cape Town’s Eerste River Library will celebrate 25 years of serving the community this month. Read more below:

The library opened its doors on 22 January 1998 with five staff members, two of whom are still at the library.

‘Eerste River library is a hub for the whole community. From learners coming to do their homework and meeting up with friends, to parents bringing their children to experience the magic of books and a place of safety after school and during school holidays.

‘Libraries are the places where knowledge, education and social interaction meet. Eerste River Library has become a beacon in the community,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross.

The library was renovated in 2018 when the kitchen, library aide workroom, assistant librarian workroom, hall, foyer and main library were revamped.

New tiles and carpets were placed, the computer area was moved closer to the circulation desk, a teen section was created, and study cubicles received new desks.

Librarian in Charge, Rene Jashim, who started 25 years ago as a senior assistant librarian, says the many community based programmes they’ve done over the years are all additional highlights.

‘The preparation leading to the renovation was exciting and challenging. I received input from the staff and shared our future plans with the community. Our library also flooded for the first time during the renovation, but in the end, our challenges felt minor when we opened our doors after the renovation and saw people’s faces light up when seeing the renovated library. All our hard work is worth it when residents get involved in events and we are able to empower and enrich their lives through programmes,’ said Mrs Jashim.

Eerste River has more than 35 000 items and the most popular are board books, picture books, Afrikaans and English adult fiction, and audio visual material.

‘The staff at all our libraries are hardworking, dynamic individuals who are passionate about their jobs and their communities. I want to encourage our residents to take ownership of these facilities and to make use of the opportunities they present,’ added Councillor Van der Ross.

Source: City Of Cape Town