Category: Africa

Police Deputy Cassel Mathale, together with the Limpopo Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Jan Petrus Scheepers, will lead a Crime Prevention Ministerial Imbizo in Giyani, Thomo Village in Limpopo.

“The imbizo aims to provide a platform for meaningful and effective engagement between the South African Police Service (SAPS), traditional leaders, community members, and key stakeholders on collaborative efforts to combat and prevent crime,” the police said on Friday.

Saturday’s imbizo will also entail tackling gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), stock theft, as well as other prevalent crimes affecting Thomo Village and surrounding communities.

According to the police, the engagement aims to identify practical, sustainable solutions and strengthen partnerships in the fight against crime. – SAnews.gov.za

Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, has called on churches to take a firm stand against gender-based violence (GBV), child abuse, discrimination and other forms of injustice.

Letsike made the call while addressing the Central District Young Women’s Manyano 21st Annual Convention in Soweto.

“If the church could find its voice against racial oppression, it must find its voice against gender-based violence. If our church halls could become spaces in which oppressed communities organised for freedom, they must become safe spaces for survivors today,” Letsike said on Thursday.

The Deputy Minister noted that some of the most difficult “unmapped territories” confronting society are not geographical, but exist within homes, communities, and in some cases, churches.

These include violence against women, abuse of children, the vulnerability of persons with disabilities, poverty, unemployment, discrimination and the isolation experienced by many people.

She said women may enter churches while carrying the burden of unemployment, single parenthood, disability, financial dependence on an abusive partner or trauma caused by sexual violence.

“These realities do not disappear when the hymn begins. Our religion must therefore be capable of responding to the deepest social needs of the people who practise it. There is no justification for silence when abuse is taking place.”

The Deputy Minister also warned against using forgiveness to shield perpetrators from accountability.

“Forgiveness cannot be manipulated into immunity from accountability.”

Letsike said survivors often faced a second battle after surviving abuse – persuading their communities to believe them.

For women and children with disabilities, the risks can be compounded because of their dependence on others for transport, communication, money, personal assistance or care.

“The very relationship that should provide safety can become the relationship through which power is abused. That is why our approach must be intersectional,” she said.

Letsike also called for the inclusion and protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people, saying their dignity should not be regarded as less important.

“Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women are women. They experience the same economic pressures, violence and insecurity that other women experience, while sometimes also confronting discrimination because of who they are,” she said.

Equality cannot depend on a person’s sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, class, or where someone happens to live.

Letsike said faith communities should ensure that prayer is accompanied by action and service, noting that the Young Women’s Manyano is a prayer and service union.

“Not prayer alone. Prayer and service. The conjunction matters. Prayer turns us towards God. Service turns us towards one another.”

While government has established policies and institutions to address gender-based violence and femicide, including the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, Letsike stressed that no national strategy can succeed through government intervention alone.

“The success is determined in homes, churches, schools, clinics, police stations and communities.”

The Deputy Minister called on the church not to spiritually mediate conduct that requires legal and social accountability.

“A child who has been sexually abused requires protection. A woman whose life is threatened requires safety. A person with a disability who reports violence requires accessible justice,” Letsike said.

Reflecting on 70 years since the 1956 Women’s March, 50 years since the 1976 Student Uprising and 30 years of Constitutional Democracy, Letsike said South Africans should not merely admire previous generations but consider what courage requires of them today.

She said the “unmapped territory” could include confronting conversations about abuse, building churches where women could disclose violence without fear, ensuring that persons with disabilities take leadership roles, and challenging homophobia and the exclusion of LGBTI people. – SAnews.gov.za

A 27-year-old suspect is expected to appear in the Boksburg Magistrates’ Court today in connection with the brutal killing of two police officers and two civilians in Reiger Park, Ekurhuleni, earlier this month.

The suspect was arrested on Wednesday by the Serious Organised Crime Investigation team based in Germiston, following an intelligence-driven operation that traced him to Ekurhuleni.

The latest arrest brings to three the number of suspects identified and charged in connection with the murders.

The suspect faces charges similar to those of his co-accused.

Acting National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Lieutenant General Sphesihle Nkosi, commended the team for its swift and methodical response, which led to the suspect’s arrest.

“The Hawks will remain steadfast in their efforts to investigate and apprehend those who involve themselves in taking innocent lives, particularly the lives of our law enforcement officers,” Nkosi said.

Earlier, the Acting Minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia, commended the multidisciplinary team, following the arrest of a second suspect in connection with the tragic shooting that took place on 7 August 2026.

READ |  Cachalia commends arrest of second suspect in Reiger Park shooting
– SAnews.gov.za

A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years’ direct imprisonment for tampering with Eskom copper cables supplying electricity to households at Morgenzon, in Standerton.

Ncanawe Andrew Mngomezulu was sentenced by the Standerton Regional Court in Mpumalanga this week.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mngomezulu was seen cutting Eskom copper cables by a witness in May 2022. He subsequently fled the scene when he realised that he had been seen.

“The complainant informed her brother about the incident and subsequently reported the matter to the police and Eskom, leading to the accused’s arrest.

“In court, Mngomezulu pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations. He claimed that he had previously been involved in a casual sexual relationship with the complainant between 2018 and 2019,” the NPA said in a statement on Wednesday.

The witness told the court that Mngomezulu’s actions resulted in her home being without electricity for a month until Eskom repaired the damage.

“An Eskom technician also testified, confirming that the damaged copper cable was Eskom property. The technician further testified about the extent of the damage and the replacement value of the cable.

“The court found the complainant to be a reliable and credible witness and convicted Mngomezulu as charged,” the statement read.

Following the verdict, the defence requested a lesser sentence based on “substantial and compelling circumstances,” which the state opposed.

“The state…submitted that the accused had been convicted of a prevalent offence that undermines service delivery efforts to communities. Prosecutor Mkhabela highlighted that vandalism of essential infrastructure has far-reaching consequences [which] negatively affected the complainant’s quality of life and forced her to relocate while the electricity supply remained disrupted.

“The court considered the mitigating and aggravating factors and emphasised that crimes of this nature require appropriate punishment that fits both the offence and the circumstances surrounding its commission. Mngomezulu was sentenced to 15 years’ direct imprisonment and was automatically declared unfit to possess a firearm.

“The NPA welcomes the sentence, which demonstrates that the courts will impose serious consequences on those who vandalise essential infrastructure and disrupt the delivery of critical services to communities,” the statement concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

Five suspects have been arrested for allegedly operating a multimillion-rand crystal methamphetamine manufacturing operation on a farm in Musina, Limpopo.

During the arrest on Thursday, authorities confiscated drugs and laboratory equipment with an estimated street value of R600 million, as well as an undisclosed amount of cash.
The suspects, aged between 20 and 47, comprise two Mexican nationals, two Zimbabwean nationals and a Malawian national.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), this is the third clandestine drug laboratory to be shut down in Limpopo. 

“The breakthrough follows a two-month intensive investigation into suspected drug manufacturing activities at the farm. The discovery has exposed an alleged sophisticated, industrial-scale operation believed to have been established for the manufacture of dangerous illicit substances destined for distribution,” the police said.

The discovery follows a high-impact, intelligence-driven operation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), in collaboration with SAPS, South African Narcotics Bureau Head Office, Crime Intelligence Head Office, Hawks Limpopo, Special Task Force, Drug Enforcement Agency and Homeland Security.

The Provincial Head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Major General Advocate Gopz Govender, welcomed the arrest, saying the operation sends a clear warning to organised criminal networks.

“We have struck at the machinery behind the drug trade. This R600 million seizure is not merely a quantity of drugs taken off the streets; it represents the disruption of an entire criminal enterprise. 

“We will follow the money; the networks and every person connected to this operation. There will be nowhere to hide,” Govender said.

The Provincial Commissioner of SAPS Limpopo, Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers, said the operation demonstrates law enforcement’s resolve to protect communities from the scourge of illicit drugs.

“We will not allow our communities to become markets for criminal syndicates. Those who manufacture and distribute these dangerous substances must know that law enforcement is closing in on them. This operation demonstrates that we will act decisively against the drug trade,” Scheepers said.

The five suspects are expected to appear before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges relating to the manufacture and possession of illicit drugs. 
Additional charges may be added as the investigation progresses. – SAnews.gov.za

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has paid tribute to 44-year-old Captain Julia Mokgosi for her resilience, compassion, and unwavering commitment to serving and protecting the most vulnerable members of society.

Mokgosi, who is attached to Head Office’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Investigation Unit, is being honoured for her role in the SAPS as part of the Women’s Month campaign, shining a light on extraordinary women in blue.

Her career commenced in 2002 when she was appointed as a Personnel Officer within Detective Services. 

Through dedication, professionalism, and perseverance, she progressed within the Detective environment and was appointed captain in the FCS Investigation Unit in May 2012.

With 24 years of dedicated service, Captain Mokgosi has consistently demonstrated commitment to the SAPS mandate and the pursuit of justice.

“Driven by a desire to make a meaningful contribution to the fight against crimes committed against women, children, and other vulnerable groups, Captain Mokgosi later transitioned into the FCS environment to broaden her experience and strengthen efforts aimed at protecting victims and supporting investigations into gender-based violence and related crimes.

“What makes her journey particularly inspiring is that her commitment to this cause is deeply personal. As a child, Captain Mokgosi experienced traumatic abuse and survived an attempted rape herself,” the SAPS said on Friday.

Instead of allowing these experiences to define her, she transformed her pain into purpose. 

“Through remarkable courage and resilience, she chose to dedicate her life to helping and protecting others who find themselves facing similar circumstances.

“Her personal experiences have given her a profound understanding of the fear, vulnerability, and emotional trauma often endured by victims of abuse. 

“This strengthened her determination to ensure that victims are treated with dignity, compassion, and professionalism while contributing towards creating an environment where justice can prevail, and hope can be restored,” the police said.

In her current role, Captain Mokgosi contributes to several key areas within the FCS environment, including the coordination of complaints against the police, conducting preliminary investigations into complaints against SAPS members, provincial coordination, performance management and Crime Administration System (CAS) fault coordination. 

Through her dedication and attention to detail, she contributes towards strengthening accountability, improving service delivery, and enhancing the effectiveness of the FCS environment nationally.

The SAPS said Captain Mokgosi’s professionalism, integrity, and commitment to continuous growth are evident in how she executes her responsibilities. 

“She has consistently demonstrated that leadership is not merely about position, but about service, empathy, and the ability to positively influence the lives of others.

“Through both her actions and her example, she reminds others that adversity does not have to determine one’s destiny and that challenges can be transformed into opportunities to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others,” the SAPS said.

Her resolve is inspired by her personal motto: “Make your life your message and be the change you wish to see in the world.” 

This principle guides her both personally and professionally. It reflects her belief that meaningful change begins with individual action, courage, and accountability. 

“As we celebrate Women’s Month, Captain Julia Mokgosi stands as a powerful example of resilience, courage and selfless service. 

“Her journey is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and illustrates how adversity can be transformed into a lifelong commitment to protecting others,” SAPS said. – SAnews.gov.za