FOUR SUSPECTS APPEAR IN COURT FOR ROBBERY AND POSSESSION OF A STOLEN VEHICLE AS WELL AS POSSESSION OF SUSPECTED STOLEN PROPERTY
Voice note by Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, Spokesperson of the South African Police services in Mpumalanga
Nelspruit : Four suspects aged between 27 and 31 appeared at the Nkomazi Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of robbery and possession of a stolen vehicle as well as suspected stolen property.
According to the police report the suspects, on Wednesday, 15 December 2021, approached a man on his way home from work, pointed him with a knife and dragged him to a bush nearby. They then robbed him of his cellphones, an Apple iPhone and Huawei as well as the clothes he was wearing. The suspects then left the man in the bush, naked and drove off in a Colt bakkie.
The victim then found his way to Tonga police station, reported the matter and a case of robbery was opened. They then manage to track one of the cellphones which led them to Kamhlushwa where they found the suspects driving in a Toyota Rav 4 and also recovered fifteen cellphones suspected to be stolen.
Police then circulated the vehicle and discovered that it was stolen at Verena. Additional charges of suspected stolen property and possession of a stolen vehicle were then registered.
The four suspects were remanded in custody and will appear on 22 December 2021.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, 16 December 2021 police at Tonga as well as members from the South African Defense Force recovered four stolen vehicles at Dludluma en route to Mozambique. The suspects fled when they saw the officers.
The Police Management in the province has commended the efforts of the police officers and also applauded their alertness.
Mpumalanga – The R573 Road between Kwaggafontein and Moteti has claimed nine lives this morning around 05h00.
This happened when a light Delivery Vehicle (LDV) overturned. Eighteen more people sustained serious injuries and they are currently receiving treatment at nearby KwaMhlanga and Philadelphia hospitals respectively.
The bakkie in which 9 people were killed and 18 more seriously injured
Eight people died at the scene while one person succumbed while being transported to the hospital while another one died at the hospital.
The deceased are all males and they were passengers. The seriously injured people include the driver.
It is believed that the driver of the vehicle may have lost control and the vehicle veered off the road before crashing on the side.
The investigation into the crash is already underway. Overloading is one of the things that the probe will look into.
Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Vusi Shongwe is deeply saddened by these crashes that continue to leave many families devastated.
He is therefore once again urging motorists to be always on high alert on the road.
Meanwhile, Shongwe is sending condolences to the bereaved families and also wishing those who were injured a speedy recovery.
WIFE OF LATE POLICE OFFICER AND HER ACCOMPLICE ARRESTED FOR MURDER
Police spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi
MPUMALANGA: A 28 years old female who is a Magistrate Court Interpreter and her 39 years old accomplice were arrested on Wednesday 14 December and Friday 16 December 2021 respectfully, for the murder of the late Sergeant Joseph Christopher Kutu of Witbank Tactical Response Team, who was fatally shot in his house in July 2021.
On Tuesday 14 December 2021, intelligence-driven information was received about the whereabouts of the suspect who was wanted for a house robbery and murder of the police officer. The operation was conducted at a house in Siyabuswa A. The suspect was found and arrested in the back room of the house where he was renting. The suspect was arrested and detained for further investigation.
During further investigation, the wife of the late police officer was linked and arrested on Thursday 16 December 2021. The duo will appear before the Emalahleni Magistrate Court on Friday, 17 December 2021. Investigation continues.
POLICE MANAGEMENT WELCOMES THE ARREST OF A MAN SUSPECTED TO BE BEHIND RAPE INCIDENTS AROUND ACORNHOEK AREA
Nelspruit: The management of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, headed by the Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Buti Lekubu has welcomed the arrest of a 37-year-old man suspected to have orchestrated rape and robbery incidents that were carried out between November 2019 and December 2021 at Acornhoek area near Bushbuckridge in Ehlanzeni District.
Reports indicate that defenceless women were sadly raped as well as robbed of their personal items during the said period at both Acornhoek and Calcutta areas. Several cases were separately opened to that regard and members of the Provincial Team from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, working with their counterparts at Acornhoek were assigned to investigate as well as ensure that the perpetrator is swiftly put behind bars.
Rape is not an option!
During the tour of their investigation, the team discovered that their suspect has been operating in the area for a while, preying on women where he allegedly raped and robbed them of their belongings.
The suspect was then apprehended at Acornhoek on Tuesday, 14 December 2021 by a team of SAPS experts from the FCS Unit after being sought by police for more than two years. He is due to appear in the Acornhoek Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 17 December 2021 facing charges related to rapes and robberies.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga has further made a clarion call to those who fell victims of violent crimes in the past but never reported such cases to come forward and immediately report at their nearest police stations. The General also appreciated the swift reaction by members from FCS which led to the suspect’s arrest
ANIMALS 101 -THE BENEFITS OF STERILISATION INCLUDES NOT JUST CURBING THE UNCONTROLLED BREEDING.
One female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years. One female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in six years. Our biggest struggle in animal welfare is the MASSIVE OVERPOPULATION CRISIS. There are just not enough homes for us to adopt our way out of this mess. Some statistics show that 9 animals will be euthanized for every 1 animal born in the domestic setting.
BENEFITS OF STERILISATION
Your pet will live a longer, healthier life.
Spaying and neutering helps prevent certain types of cancers.
For females it decreases the risk to develop Pyometra which is very dangerous.
Your spayed female won’t go into heat and cause behaviour changes for her and the males looking for a mate.
An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate! That includes digging his way under the fence to escape from the yard and once he’s free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males or being stolen.
Intact male dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house.
Neutered male cats and dogs fight less, resulting in fewer battle scars, the spread of contagious diseases and abscesses.
Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community because stray animals pose a problem for a few reasons including, they can get into fights, cause car accidents, become a nuisance and frighten people.
There are risks associated with pregnancy and it takes a toll on the mom’s body.
Having litters or veterinary care related to unsterilised animal health issues (cancers, fights, pyometra) can be expensive.
Spaying and neutering helps fight the pet overpopulation. Every year, millions of cats, dogs and other animals of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays, because there are just not enough homes. Sterilisation takes a few minutes, but the suffering of an abandoned animal, a lifetime.
Myth #1: If I’m a responsible owner who keeps my animals from wandering around, I don’t need to sterilise my animals. FACT: People who call themselves ‘responsible owners’ may have good intentions. Accidents happen, all the time! We have countless cases where another unsterilised animal got into that yard and guess what……a litter was born.
Myth #2: Real men need intact male dogs. FACT: Some guys get squeamish as soon as you suggest that they should neuter their male dog. Dude, lighten up and quit including Fido in your masculine self-image. Pets don’t have any concept of sexual identity or ego.
MYTH #3: My pet will get fat and lazy. FACT: Pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and don’t give them enough exercise.
MYTH # 4: It’s better to have one litter first. FACT: Medical evidence indicates just the opposite. Many veterinarians now sterilise dogs and cats as young as eight weeks of age. Check with your veterinarian about the appropriate time for these procedures and the breed.
MYTH #5: My children should experience the miracle of birth. FACT: Even if children are able to see a pet give birth – which is unlikely, since it usually occurs at night and in seclusion – the lesson they will really learn is that animals can be created and discarded as it suits adults. Instead, it should be explained to children that the real miracle is life and that preventing the birth of some pets can save the lives of others.
MYTH #6: It was an unexpected litter. FACT: If your pets are not sterilised, you can totally expect it!
MYTH #7: I want my dog to be protective. FACT: Spaying or neutering does not affect a dog’s natural instinct to protect the home and family. A dog’s personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones.
MYTH #8: My pet is so special, I want puppies or kittens just like her. FACT: A dog or cat may be a great pet, but that doesn’t mean her offspring will be a carbon copy.
MYTH #9: It’s too expensive to have my pet spayed or neutered. FACT: The cost of spaying or neutering depends on the sex, size, and age of the pet, your veterinarian’s fees, and a number of other variables. Whatever the actual price, spay or neuter surgery is a one-time cost – a relatively small cost when compared to all the benefits. It’s a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and litter, to treat cancers or injuries from fights.
MYTH #10: I’ll find good homes for all the puppies and kittens. FACT: You may find homes for all of your pet’s litter, but each home you find means one less home for the dogs and cats in shelters. Also, in less than one year’s time, each of your pet’s offspring may have his or her own litter, adding even more animals to the population. The problem of pet overpopulation is created and perpetuated one litter at a time.
MYTH #11: Preventing pets from having litters is unnatural. FACT: We have already interfered with nature by domesticating dogs and cats. We domesticated the dog around 15 000 years ago and the cat 8 000 or even more, years ago. In doing so, we helped create this problem. Now it’s our responsibility to solve it. It’s also unnatural to be killing so many of them in our pounds and shelters each year.
MYTH #12: A pet’s behaviour changes dramatically after surgery. FACT: The only changes in behaviour you’ll see are positive ones with less aggression.
MYTH #13: We don’t need to neuter males, because they aren’t the ones having the litters. FACT: This is the most prevalent myth yet the most ridiculous. It takes two to tango. A female can have one litter at a time, but the same male can impregnate many females in a short time.
MYTH #14: Dogs and cats should not be spayed until six months of age. FACT: While this was the recommendation several years ago, it is no longer recommended to wait until a dog or cat is six months of age to spay, with a few exceptions.
MYTH #15: Dogs and cats should be allowed to come into heat before being spayed. FACT: Spaying a dog or cat after the first heat cycle actually increases the risk of mammary cancers developing later in life. Spaying prior to the first heat cycle is the most current recommendation.
Picture from Be Wise Sterilise
WHY ARE RESCUES SO STRICT WHEN IT COMES TO STERILISATION?
It is counterintuitive to our mission as rescuers to allow puppies, kittens, birds or bunnies to be homed where there are any unsterilised animals. We would not have this massive overpopulation crisis if people sterilised their pets. Be extremely weary of any organisation that is not asking why you have unsterilised pets or who breeds themselves and we have such organisations locally!
Thanks for tuning in! During these festive times, please remember to keep your pets safe, not to give animals as gifts and prepare for fireworks if you have noise-phobic pets.
Long sentence for convicted rapist – Three life terms and another 40 years
Gcina Gama (36) will serve three life terms and 40 years imprisonment after the eMalahleni Regional Court found him guilty of multiple counts of rape, murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The accused pleaded guilty and was subsequently charged along with his co-accused Siyabonga Fana Dlamini (42) who pleaded not guilty and the state applied for separation of trial. Dlamini`s hearing is set down for 28 January 2022.
The court heard that between 2018 and 2020, Gama and Dlamini were harassing women who were hitch-hiking on the N4 road in eMalahleni Mpumalanga. In one incident, two women were in the company of Musa Maluleka (the deceased) when Gama and Dlamini emerged. The pair attacked the trio, robbed them of their belongings and gang-raped the women, they further stab Maluleka who succumbed to his injuries.
State prosecutor Maureen Nkosi, addressed the court about the scourge of gender-based violence in our society and its impact urging the court to impose a suitable sentence. The court sentenced Gama and also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
The Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Sonja Ntuli, said this sentence demonstrates that the criminal justice system is effective and working tirelessly to protect the victims of crime, and also grateful to the investigations team for presenting a solid case that ensured justice to the victims.
FOUR SUSPECTS ARRESTED FOR FRAUD AND CORRUPTION – THEY MADE FALSE STATEMENTS
MPUMALANGA – Four suspects, Mr Malamba Frans Khoza (60), Mr Shibu Neclous Mabiloane (44), Ralf Baleseng Mabunele (22) and Makabateng Sylvia Mohlala (50),were arrested by members of the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation Mpumalanga for Fraud and Corruption on Tuesday 14 December 2021, at Dientjie policing area.
It is alleged that on the morning of 05 August 2018, an accident occurred on R532 Origstand Road, between Hlabekisa and Matibidi when a white Polo VW overturned with five (5) passengers inside, three females and two males who were severely injured. A case docket of reckless and negligent driving was registered. The matter was transferred to the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation for further investigation.
Sylvia Mohlala
During the investigation of the matter, it was established that the suspects made false statements. It was further discovered that the driver of the vehicle was without a driver’s licence ( Ralph). His mother (Sylvia ) colluded with Shibu who was not inside or near the vehicle during the accident, to state that he was the driver of the vehicle during the accident.
They went to the police station and further colluded with the branch commander who tampered with registers and changed the information of the real driver who did not have a drivers licence and put the one who was not present during the accident. The investigation linked the suspects with the crime and the case was sent to the Directors of Public Prosecutions for decision. Warrant of arrest was issued and executed on Tuesday 14 December 2021.
Ralph Mohlala
Mr Malamba Frans Khoza (60), former Branch Commander at Dientjie Detectives, now a pensioner, Mr Shibu Neclous Mabiloane (44), who made a false claim stating that he was the driver, Ralf Baleseng Mabunele (22), the real unlicensed driver and his mother Makabateng Sylvia Mohlala (50) were arrested.
Neclous Shebu
The four suspects appeared before Dientjie Magistrate Court on Tuesday, and they were granted R10 000.00 bail each and the case was postponed to 10 February 2022 for further investigation.
Maintenance Failure or Sabotage? That is the question on everyone’s lips regarding GMM electricity failures.
Govan Mbeki Municipality has been plagued by increasingly more frequent power failures over the past few months.
Bethal has been constantly without power for hours on end. eMbalenhle struggles despite the new mobile transformer installed and lately, Secunda has suffered days without power.
The reasons for the power failures, excluding load-shedding, is very difficult to understand as no one will give a straight and truthful answer.
Councillors are inundated with residents demanding to know what the situation is. Frustrated residents have resorted to demanding that the Councillors must ensure that the power is immediately restored. Some have even resorted to verbal abuse.
But why is the electricity infrastructure failing?
Is it due to the lack of maintenance or is it due to sabotage?
A recent post on the Govan Mbeki Municipal Facebook page claims that the recent failure is due to sabotage.
Here is their post:
“The Govan Mbeki Municipality has managed to restore electricity supply to some areas in Secunda that were left in the dark following the theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure.
The team is working to restore power to all the outstanding customers.
We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation.”
As well as
“The Govan Mbeki Municipality together with Sasol are hard at work trying to restore power to most parts of Secunda.
This is due to sabotage that is currently happening to the GMM infrastructure.”
The most recent issue was the one of Ring Sub 1 (RSB1) in Secunda. RSB1 were giving problems for at least a month before finally breaking down 10 days ago. More than one cable fault was located between the main substation and RSB1. RSB1 was vandalised over several months and the remedy was to bypass the vandalised transformer and to add to other infrastructure overloading the Ring Sub. (In layman’s terms)
The electrical box at Hoërskool Secunda
Locating the cable fault proved problematic and this took several days. GMM has a thumper that is used to locate the fault but was unsuccessful. GMM requested help from Sasol in locating the fault on Monday 6 December. Sasol started on Tuesday, finding a fault late on Tuesday. This fault has now subsequently been fixed but another fault has been discovered in the general CBD area. The exact area is not yet known.
What is a Thumper?
A cable fault locator, or thumper, detects faults in electrical cabling by sending high-voltage electrical impulses into the cable system. … Thumpers provide high-voltage surges that cause voltage breakdowns and offer a reflection point for the pulse generated by the TDR.
In the meantime, while waiting for the main cable to arrive, 300m of cable were replaced in AG Visser street.
The Minisub near McDonald’s failed on Tuesday and were replaced on Wednesday. Some of the feed were relayed from this minisub to a portion of RSB1area to restore some power in the area. This minisub was subsequently overloaded and tripped.
The result was that most of the town was plunged into darkness.
Only RSB5, 6 & 7 could be restored. When restoring power from the Main Sub Station several minisubs exploded.
There is no protection on the minisubs and ring subs limiting the backlash into other subs. This resulted in several other subs tripping. The surge also succeeded in pinpointing minor faults in the network resulting that the ring sub tripped continually and it could not be reset.
RSB2 and Parts of RSB2, RSB3 and RSB8 as well as a few minisubs are still off affecting people in the following areas.
Lehman street, Hoërskool Secunda, Silkaatskop, the Airfield as well as the industrial area behind Builders, Lake Umuzi and the Central Business District. The industrial area at the Fire Station is also affected.
Vandalism mostly takes place when power failures occur. Although there might be an element of sabotage in some cases this cannot be proven. The Bulletin will try and secure the case numbers for these sabotage and vandalism cases if there are any.
The Bulletin searched for maintenance schedules on switchgear but struggled to find any as this is a specialised field.
Business owners from the affected areas met with the director responsible for electricity today in the Library Auditorium.
The group were frustrated and struggled to keep the tempers down.
It was explained to the group that the biggest problem is vandalism and sabotage.
“There is a meeting currently between GMM and SAPS,” the Director said, “this is to discuss the security situation.”
There were concerns that GMM does not accept help from the public sector. The officials made it clear that they will accept any help offered.
The problem of blaming everything on vandalism is that no responsibility is accepted for the poor maintenance of infrastructure. Little to no maintenance has been done for nearly 20 years.
Switching power on or off will leave residue in the equipment. Oil in the transformer should be changed regularly. Contacts should be inspected and cleaned.
There is also the problem of capacity and qualifications. Opposition parties have repeatedly asked to have a skill audit done. This was denied on several occasions and a motion to this regard was even steamrolled and denied by the ANC councillors. This is even while a document called the Financial Recovery Plan was accepted by the ANC majority in which a skills audit was proposed.
The obvious problem with maintenance is very noticeable if the open distribution boxes and even some minisubs are evident of this. It is easy for anybody to access the infrastructure and damage it.
These open boxes have been reported on several occasions but are never attended to, citing poor cash flow or now budget
The maintenance should start now to try and restore some integrity into the system. Residents are at their wits end with GMM
POLICE RECOVER R3.8 MILLION WORTH OF SMUGGLED ILLICIT GOODS STARCHED IN A TRUCK AT LEBOMBO BORDER, MAN ARRESTED
Nelspruit: A man, aged 37 has been arrested in the evening of Thursday, 11 December 2021 after being reportedly found in possession of illicit tekkies to the value of about R3.8 Million which are alleged to have been smuggled into South Africa through the Lebombo Border by the suspect.
Reports indicate that members of the SAPS from Lebombo Border were on duty on the said day when they noticed a suspicious truck driven by a certain man. The truck was coming from Mozambique into the country and the members then conducted a search where they discovered various brands of sneakers stashed inside. The man, who is a Zimbabwean National was then arrested and charged for possession of counterfeit goods.
The male suspect is due to appear in the Komatipoort Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 13 December 2021. The truck, which is worth about R3.5 Million was confiscated as it was reportedly used in the commission of the crime.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela has welcomed the man’s arrest as well as the seizure of the illicit items and the confiscation of the vehicle. The General further commended the members for their vigilance which shows that the Safer Festival Season Operation is yielding positive results.
Advent nooi ons uit na drie groot bewegings in ons lewe… hoe kan ons opnuut hierdie bewegings aanspreek en hoe kan ons anders na hierdie kerstyd kyk? ‘n Tyd van goeie nuus en van groot blydskap vir almal!
