Day: February 26, 2023

The City of Cape Town has advertised a tender for the sale and development of the Parow sub-precinct 1 site, located in the vicinity of the Library and Diving Licence Testing Centre. Last week the City had advertised another tender for a second precinct in the Parow area along the Voortrekker corridor. These well-located sites are proposed for social housing developments.

The two projects will together provide more than 600 social housing opportunities once completed. The proposal to sell and develop this well-located land forms part of the City’s Accelerated Land Release for Affordable Housing Programme to unlock development opportunities in areas across the city.

‘The Social Housing Programme is a critical spatial intervention where the City leverages its strategically located land assets to foster change in the way that the City of Cape Town functions. With the release of the Parow sites, the City is leveraging its land assets as a regeneration strategy to stimulate private sector investment in the area.

‘We are absolutely committed to enabling social housing in and near urban centres of the Cape Town metro. The City has more than 50 parcels of land in the pipeline for release to the private sector, for affordable housing development in the short- to long-term.

‘We have three social housing projects under construction currently, with a combined yield of more than 1 300 opportunities. A further estimated 1 600 social housing opportunities will also be unlocked through the release of an additional five City-owned land parcels within the city. This demonstrates the City’s commitment to developing land for social housing on well-located land, close to economic opportunities and public transport,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi.

For more information and how to apply for social housing opportunities:

https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Apply/City-housing-and-properties/Housing-opportunities/Apply-for-social-housing

Facts about social housing:

It is managed by accredited social housing institutions (SHIs).

SHIs are solely dependent on rental income. They receive no operational grants. They are able to service their debt finance through rental income.

As with any rental contract, tenants formally enter into lease agreements. The landlord is the SHI.

If tenants do not adhere to their lease agreements, the responsible SHI will follow the necessary legal process. Tenants must therefore pay to stay as the rental money is used for the day-to-day operation and upkeep of the complex.

The City has nothing to do with the day-to-day management of SHIs, the rental amount or evictions for not paying.

Before potential beneficiaries can apply for social housing, they are required to register on the City’s Housing Needs Register.

Projects are developed on well-located, accessible land in and near urban centres.

It is not low-income subsidised government housing, such as Breaking New Ground (or the commonly called RDP housing and it is not City Council Rental Units).

It is managed with 24-hour security and access control.

The City may sell City-owned land at a discounted price for social housing developments to make projects economically viable.

Social housing offers improved access to social facilities and other amenities.

A single grant subsidy can benefit on average five households versus one household for Council rental units.

Social housing adds value to vacant pieces of land.

Social housing has the potential to improve property values in an area.

Source: City Of Cape Town

GQEBERHA – The importance of crime scene preservation cannot be overstated or overemphasized and the first responders’ action, or lack thereof will either help in the investigations or hamper/destroy crucial evidence.

In many instances, the latter plays out and critical evidence is lost because the first responders at crime scenes are usually civilians or private security companies. SAPS Humewood with the assistance of the Provincial Criminal Record Centre felt there was a dire need to educate the communities to assist them in establishing a water tight cases through crime scene management.

A workshop was held on Saturday 25 February 2023 with three neighbourhood watches, CPF members, private security companies, metro police and 13 new constables. In-depth information was done by WO Phillip Bekker, a crime scene expert. During his presentation, he focused on the response from first responders as it is important for them to know what to do, until the necessary role players arrived at the crime scene. He emphasised the importance for first responders at a crime scene to know what to do and what not to do. Private security companies often arrive at crime scenes prior to the arrival of SAPS and they needed to know exactly how to preserve a scene.

Everyone who attended, thoroughly enjoyed the work session and left knowing what to do in the future at crime scenes so investigations could lead to the arrest and successful prosecution of suspects.

Educational work sessions such as this, will prevent the risk of contaminating evidence as investigators try to avoid contamination at all costs.

Source: South African Police Service

The Social Protection, Community and Human Development cluster announced on Sunday that the Gauteng Health Department is monitoring immediate contacts, including the workplace of a 24-year-old from Wattville, Benoni, who succumbed to the cholera.

“At this stage, there is no indication of contamination of public water resources with the [cholera] bacteria,” said Minister Angie Motshekga on Sunday at a briefing in Pretoria.

She was speaking on behalf of Ministers in the cluster.

Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla announced on Thursday the first death linked to the recent cases of cholera detected in South Africa, as the number of laboratory-confirmed cases now stands at five.

According to the Gauteng Department of Health, it has also traced 12 close contacts of the deceased, while two have already been referred to Tambo Memorial Hospital.

Motshekga said it is important for the environmental health officers and health promotion teams to monitor close contacts and keep them on high alert.

She also stressed the importance of health hygiene education, especially when handling drinking water and food.

Early this month, Phaahla announced the first two laboratory-confirmed cases of cholera imported from Malawi.

According to the Department of Health, the cases were confirmed in two sisters, who had travelled together by bus from Johannesburg to Malawi to attend a funeral.

Subsequently, the husband of one of the women was also confirmed to have cholera by laboratory tests. However, all three residents of Diepsloot have since recovered.

Measles

Meanwhile, the cluster stated that it has administered 4 742 545 measles doses since the outbreak.

The latest statistics reveal that 278 127 doses were given to children between six and 11 months, while 1 743 654 jabs were administered to those between 12 and 59 months, and 2 720 673 were given to those who are between five and 15 years old.

“The protection of children against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases is the collective responsibility of parents, guardians and healthcare providers.

“We are grateful to the contribution of the Basic Education sector. That contribution can only be effective if parents and guardians can sign the consent forms so that their children can be immunised at school,” Motshekga said.

The measles outbreak was reported in six of the nine provinces – Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Free State, North West and recently the Western Cape, which recorded four laboratory-confirmed cases in the City of Cape Town.

This brings the number of cases from 506 to 510 since the first outbreak in 2022.

The Department of Health, working together with sister departments and other stakeholders, has embarked on a nationwide child immunisation campaign against measles, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

TB

In addition, the cluster is calling on every sector of society, including through Parliament’s Tuberculosis (TB) Caucus, to join hands in the fight against TB.

“TB containment suffered the same fate for reduced testing, diagnosis, treatment and especially completion of treatment,” Motshekga said, adding that South Africa is one of the 30 high TB burden countries.

In March 2023, government, together with other partners in the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), will lead an annual World TB Commemorative event in Rustenburg, North West, as part of continued efforts to raise awareness about the epidemic and its burden on the healthcare system.

Infrastructure

The cluster also announced that it aims to improve the health delivery platforms, with some infrastructure projects being implemented this year.

High amongst the projects, according to Motshekga, is the construction of the new Limpopo Academic Hospital in Polokwane.

The 488-bed tertiary services and teaching hospital will provide specialist services, which will almost eliminate the need to transfer patients to Gauteng for various specialist treatments, including advanced surgery and intensive care unit (ICU) services.

The cluster also made pronouncements on other major infrastructure projects in the pipeline to replace old hospitals, which have already commenced in Eastern Cape, including the Zithulele District and Bambisana District Hospitals.

“Again, in Limpopo, the replacement of Siloam Hospital has already started,” Motshekga said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

POLOKWANE – The Police in Seshego have launched a manhunt for six unknown male suspects who, on Friday 24 February 2023, allegedly robbed two women, raped one of them and thereafter attacked motorists who stopped to rescue the victims by hacking one of them to death and seriously injuring the other at Madiba Park, Seshego outside Polokwane.

The two women aged 25 and 30 were reportedly walking home from the ATM at the filling station when they met about six unknown men at about 20h45.

The suspects robbed them of cellphones, money and a Jersey. One of the suspects grabbed the younger lady and pulled her into the nearby bushes and raped her.

The rape victim managed to free herself and ran to the road, calling for help. A vehicle with five occupants reportedly stopped next to her and she was busy explaining what had happened when the same suspects accosted them. They brutally hacked one of the men with a sharp object and he died at the scene. Another occupant was stabbed and seriously injured.

The Police were alerted and on arrival at the scene they found the deceased with gapping wounds. The injured victim was taken to hospital.

The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has ordered that these ruthless criminals be hunted down and brought to book.

The suspects were reportedly speaking a foreign language believed to be Zimbabwean nationals. The Police are appealing to anyone with information about the suspects to contact the nearest Police station, crime stop number 0860010111 or they may send message via MySAPSApp.

Cases of murder, attempted murder, rape and robbery were opened and investigations are continuing.

Source: South African Police Service

On Friday 24 February 2023 members of Operation Restore were deployed in Mfuleni policing precinct to combat crime when they executed a search warrant in Wydgelee Crescent, Wesbank. The members searched the premises and found crystal meth and mandrax tablets and an undisclosed amount of cash. A 47-year-old man was arrested on a charge of dealing in drugs.

He is due to appear in the Blue Downs Magistrates court on Monday.

Furthermore members of the Maitland Flying Squad arrested a 56-year-old male for the possession of an imitation firearm and ammunition in Gugulethu on Saturday evening. The members followed up information of firearms at the premises and searched it. An imitation firearm with 11 rounds of ammunition were confiscated.

The same members searched a premises in Samora Machel where they found three unlicensed firearms with 28 rounds of ammunition. Three males between the ages of 34 and 37 were arrested for the possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

Once charged the suspects will make their respective court appearances in the Athlone Magistrates court.

Source: South African Police Service

UPDATE: Patrick Kommireddi was positively identified by his family on 30 November 2022 at Phoenix Mortuary. It is alleged that he was knocked down by a vehicle on Monday at Merewent. A case of culpable homicide was opened at Wentworth SAPS for investigation.

Source: South African Police Service

ZWELITSHA – The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene has hailed the work of the detectives who pounced on four (4) male suspects implicated in the murders of family members in Thantseka Village on the 2nd February 2023, in Bityi.

On the day of the incident at about 20:00 in the evening, the suspects entered a homestead in Thantseka and fatally shot an elderly woman aged 62 and her 13-year-old grandson. They further proceeded to the second house a few meters from the first homestead where they also shot and killed a 44-year-old woman who was described as the daughter of the elderly woman.

On Wednesday 2023-02-14 at about 13:00 Serious and Violent Crimes and Tracking Team, received information which led to the arrest of the alleged 26-year-old male suspects at Mabeleni locality in Mthatha. On Sunday the 19th February 2023 the investigation led the team to the arrest of a 37-year-old male suspect at Phingilili Locality, in Mthatha. On Thursday the 23rd February 2023, the detectives in concert with crime intelligence followed up on information which led them to Rustenburg to trace the two outstanding suspects. Subsequently, at about 23:00 the information yielded positive results as it led the team to the arrest of a two (2) 38-year-old male suspects at Seraleng Location in Rustenburg.

During the investigation, two firearms live ammunition and magazines were confiscated. A vehicle believed to have been used in the commission of the offence was also recovered. Two suspects Ntlangiso Aphelele Dumo (26) and Chwayitile Mthetheleli (Mtheza) (37) who were arrested in Mthatha villages were brought before court on the Thursday the 23rd February 2023 on murder charges. The case was remanded to the 23rd March 2023 for a formal bail hearing. They remain in police custody.

“During my visit to the affected families, I made a firm commitment that my police officers are not going to sleep until the culprits are found. I am on record as having made it clear that the process of investigation seems longer, but it guarantees positive outcomes such as the breakthrough we have made in Bityi. Now we must allow those who murdered innocent people to face justice in the courts of law.”

The latest two suspects to be arrested, are expected in Bityi Magistrate court on Monday the 27th February 2023 on Murder charges and possession of unlicensed Fire-arms and ammunition.

Source: South African Police Service