The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, has commended Wild Rangers from the Kruger National Park for arresting seven suspects and recovered illicit goods yesterday.
According to information, the rangers were on duty patrolling along the fence which separates South Africa and Mozambique.
They spotted a group of about 20 men from the side of Mozambique entering the Kruger National Park.
These men started running after being instructed by the rangers to stop.
Seven of them were however apprehended but others managed to flee.
The men were found in possession of illicit cigarettes, liquor as well as skin whitening creams wrapped in black plastic bags estimated to be worth about R 78 000.
The illicit goods that were confiscated were worth R 78 000
Police were notified about the incident and they charged the suspects with several cases including possession of counterfeit cigarettes, liquor, contravention of the Illegal Immigration Act as well as trespassing.
General Zuma has lauded the rangers for their vigilance which yielded positive results as they managed to recover the illicit goods as well as apprehend the suspects.
The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma
“We are delighted to have such men and women who are eager to fight crime. These rangers managed to intercept several suspects before the illicit goods could reach the targeted market,” said General Zuma.
Meanwhile the arrested suspects are expected to appear at the Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 03 August 2020.
All communities serviced by the Secunda Police Station are advised that this police station will be temporarily closed due to a member who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
The Community Service Centre will now be operated at No 06 Laing street opposite PG Glass Secunda.
To access the station, the community should call 079 329 4943, for all emergencies and complaints which will be attended accordingly.
The telephone lines at Secunda Police Station Community Service Centre will not be accessible for the duration of the closure. However, service delivery will not be hampered.
The building will be decontaminated and services will resume normally at the station on Monday, 03 August 2020.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) in Mpumalanga has conducted a search and seizure operation at the Nkomazi Local Municipality on Thursday.
The operation follows investigations in relation to alleged Covid-19 Procurement fraud wherein the appointment of contractors and service providers were inconsistent with the requisite procurement regulations.
The monetary value involved is approximately R 27 million.
The DPCI Serious Commercial Crime Investigation, Digital Forensic Laboratory and the local SAPS Criminal Record Centre seized several documents, which will assist in the ongoing probe, were seized from different offices.
Two suspects have appeared before the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 29 July for crime related to ATM bombings and other robbery aggravated incidents.
The suspects, aged between 44 and 59, were sniffed out at their hideouts at Mhluzi near Middelburg yesterday, 28 July 2020 and were found in possession of explosives as well as stained money.
Their arrest came after two ATMs were blasted in Badplaas on Monday.
This week alone, different heavily armed groups robbed filling stations at Badplaas, Mmametlhake and Kabokweni respectively.
The arrested suspects, 59-year-old Teli Elson Molotha and 44-year-old Sandile Victor Ngcobo, who are attached to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) stationed at Middelburg, were allegedly part of a group of six heavily armed men who stormed into a filling station in Badplaas, held a security guard at gunpoint and threatened to set him alight, detonated two ATMs and fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Police launched an Intelligence Driven Operation which led them to Mhluzi where the suspects were nabbed.
The court has remanded them in custody pending a bail application next week Wednesday, 5 August 2020.
Molotha and Ngcobo are also expected to appear at the Carolina Magistrate’s Court for the bombing of the ATMs in Badplaas.
In the meantime, the police have launched a manhunt for the outstanding suspects and therefore request the community to contact Detective Warrant Officer Nkosinathi Ndaba at 0823189530, for any information.
The Badplaas incident follows the ones of Kabokweni and Mametlhake which occurred on Monday, 27 July 2020, where armed suspects also attacked filling stations.
In Kabokweni, a group of about fifteen suspects emerged on foot firing shots randomly with high calibre weapons.
They blasted safes in the shop, took an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene on foot. No arrests have been made as of yet.
Anyone with information that may assist police in their investigation, on this issue, is requested to contact Detective Captain Shaka Nkosi at 0712001669.
Meanwhile the Mametlhake robbery was committed by more than three armed suspects who also blasted two ATMs and took an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene.
A security guard sustained injuries in the process which led police to open an additional case of attempted murder.
No one has been arrested and the community can participate in the investigation by calling Detective Captain Solomon Moshime at 0820651355.
The Provincial Commissioner of South African Police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, has lauded police for the arrest and ordered them to thoroughly investigate these cases.
The Provincial Commissioner of South African Police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma
“We believe that the arrest of the two men is a great achievement and that more arrests are imminent,” said General Zuma.
Dis argumenteerbaar die mooiste lied wat ooit geskryf is; Kris Kristofferson se Sunday morning coming down. “There is something in a Sunday that makes a body feel alone”. Ry bietjie vroeg op ‘n Sondagoggend deur die dorp, en kyk. Veral in hierdie tye waarin baie kerke nie dienste het nie, en streng beperkings op mense se bewegings geplaas is.
Inderdaad. Sondae is refleksietyd, seertyd, verlangtyd, alleentyd vir baie mense. Meer akuut noudat ons belet word deur die inperkingsregulasies om by ouers, kinders en familie te gaan kuier. Vroegoggend al sien jy dit. In stede, in dorpe, op die platteland. As jy dan iewers heen moet ry, is die strate stil, meestal verlate.
Een-een loop kettingwinkels se werkers na hulle werksplekke toe. ‘n Eensame gemaskerde drawwer hardloop starend, skynbaar onbewus van die groot verlatenheid om hom. Die besige strate van die vorige aand, toe restaurante oop was, karre orals geparkeer was, is nou doodstil, amper soos ‘n skedel wat meewarig gryns. Net leë bottels wat skelm uitgedrink is en plastieksakke getuig dat hier wèl mense was, mense wat op ander dae as Sondag bestaan.
As jy deur plekke soos Hillbrow of Seepunt ry, dan beleef jy die alleenheid, die verlatenheid wat oor baie mense toesak op ‘n Sondag. Mense met verflenterde klere wat in restaurante se asblikke grawe waar ander mense se oordadigheid weggegooi is. Mense met plastieksakke vol besittings waarin hulle hele lewe is. ‘n Tandeborsel, ou Bic-skeermes, deurgeskifte waslap, verflenterde trui, dalk Zambuksalf vir die een of ander ou seerplek. Selfs dalk ‘n ID-boek of verweerde fototjie van lank, lank terug.
Met drome wat later deur die lewe verniel is
Toe hy, of sy, nog ‘n blinkoogkind was wat tussen pappa en mamma gestaan het. Met drome wat later deur die lewe verniel is. Die foto is hulle vashou aan hoop, hulle harnas teen identiteitsloosheid. Ek is ook mos iemand, meneer. Mense wat survive met ‘n helse lot pyn, soos Johannes Kerkorrel sing in sy lied Hillbrow. As jy by die robot stop en ‘n flenterkaalvoetkind, brandmaer, halfpad verkluim, vra jou: “Geldjie vir ‘n broodjie, my Lanie?” besef jy dat jy eintlik min verstaan van die lewe.
Dis nie net hulle, die ontbeermense, wat daardie Sondaggevoel het nie. Want sit jy langs Langebaan se strand Sondagvroegoggend of laatmiddag, sien jy dit ook. Die luukse Duitse motors, SUV’s en dubbelkajuite wat daar geparkeer staan, verkondig dat hierdie nie brugslaapmense is nie. Maar dieselfde gevoel van Sondagalleen is in hulle, ingeteel, geneties vasgelê.
Die middeljarige dame wat teen die see loop en kyk oor die branders, wie se alleenheid nie grense het nie. Miskien het sy en haar man hier kom aftree, en skielik, eensklaps, is hy weg. Soos die seerkrymense, is ook haar man se foto haar enigste hegtingspunt aan ‘n ánder lewe. Sy ontydige afsterwe was nooit deel van hulle planne nie. Want dis menslik om te wil leef asof eindelose tye op jou wag om geniet te word, om saam te wees, te ontdek, te reis, te geniet.
Miskien dink sy aan die grootpaaie en voetpaaie van haar lewe: wortels wat lê in ‘n stowwerige Karoodorpie, of iewers op die Hoëveld. Hulle troue iewers in ‘n plattelandse kerk, ‘n uitdagende loopbaan wat sorgvuldig beplan is om op aftrede by die see uit te loop. Ontnugterde kinders wat nou in Australië of Kanada bly. Oorblywende familie wat vêr is.
Nou is dit, op hierdie Sondagmiddag, net sy en die see
Nou is dit, op hierdie Sondagmiddag, net sy en die see. Met die meeue wat haar angstig dophou om te kyk of sy nie dalk vir hulle ‘n ietsie te ete gooi nie. Ten minste sien iemand haar raak, of eerder, iets wat ook asemhaal, en beweeg, en geluide maak, soos Jan Rabie skryf in sy kortverhaal Ek het jou gemaak.
Op die stoep van die restaurant teen die strand sit ‘n man. Hy teug stadig aan sy glasie wyn. Suig diep aan sy sigaret. Hy het die wêreld se tyd, hy is nie haastig nie. Want hy het eintlik nêrens om heen te gaan nie, behalwe die eenmanwoonstel waar hy minimalisties lewe. Bank, TV in die sitkamer. Enkelbed met laaikas. Ou Supersonicradio waarop hy na RSG luister. En stapels boeke.
Maar hy lees nie eintlik meer nie. Hy het sy lus daarvoor verloor. Hy blaas die rook stadig uit, en mymer oor hoe irrelevant ‘n meestersgraad word as jy in elk geval niks anders oor het nie. Geen loopbaan, gewese vrou wat nou gelukkig getroud is met iemand anders, kinders wat wie weet waar is. En hy, wat eens ‘n gerekende man was, wie se loopbaan sy lewe opgeslurp het, wat stories oor reise na Istanbul en Brugge en Amsterdam en Washington kan vertel, is op hierdie Sondagmiddag slegs ‘n onbekende, anonieme wyndrinker wat sit en kyk hoe die son agter Schaapeneiland ondergaan.
Hy probeer onthou hoe dit voel om te lag. Niemand stel belang in ‘n ou man met ou stories nie. Hy kyk na die pa en die ma wat op die strand saam met hulle witkopdogtertjie ‘n sandkasteel bou. Met torinkies en gragte en dryfhoutbruggies. Hy onthou hoe hy en sy vrou en kinders ook in ‘n ander lewe sulkes gebou het. En die hoogwater daardie selfde nag nog daaroor gespoel het. As hulle die volgende dag gaan kyk het, was daar niks oor nie.
Saam met hom in die restaurant is daar lawaaierige stadsjuppies. Hulle tokkel almal op hulle selfone, en wys vir mekaar die prentjies op Facebook en Watsapp van verweerde katte en babelasmense wat kerm en kreun: “No, not Monday again! I don’t want to go to work. Wake me up when Friday comes”. Hulle lag luidrugtig. Die een snaakser as die ander een.
In die hoek sit ‘n ou en kitaar speel en sing: “How can you tell me that you’re lonely? Let me take you by the hand, and lead you through the streets of London. I’ll show you something to make you change your mind.”
TWO ALLEGED MOZAMBICAN RHINO POACHING SUSPECTS TO STAND TRIAL
MPUMALANGA – Two Mozambican nationals who are being accused of possessing rhino horns and shark fins will finally get to stand trial after the Middelburg Regional Court set 28 October 2020 as their hearing date.
The father and son duo, Alberto Ernesto Nharreluga (47) and Alberto Erneto Nharreluga (Jnr) (27) were arrested in April 2019 after being found in possession of two rhino horns and shark fins.
Alberto Ernesto Nharreluga(47) Father
Alberto Erneto Nharreluga (27) Junior – Son
Suspected poachers
The rhino horns and shark fins were found by members of Flying squad on the N4 next to Belfast hidden inside their vehicle while the two were travelling from Mozambique to Gauteng.
During the arrest, the suspects tried to entice the police officials with a kickback but failed.
The Serious Corruption Investigation members were alerted and they processed the crime scene and charged the suspects with possession of endangered species and an additional corruption charge.
Rhino Horn found Hidden
Last week Thursday, the Nharrelugas attempted to apply for bail but their effort was unsuccessful.
Their trial on both alleged crimes, possession of endangered species and corruption, will kick off on 28 October this year in the Middelburg Regional Court while they are remanded in custody.
MYSAPSAPP
SAPS is turning to technology to turn the tide against crime
During the launch of the Safer Festive Season Operations on Friday, 25 October 2019, at Umlazi, South of Durban in KwaZulu Natal, the SAPS, together with the mobile service provider, Vodacom have launched a SAPS App called MySAPS mobile applications.
A first of its kind on the continent, the MySaps mobile App was designed to provide South Africans with a new and easy way to access policing services and information.
The new app will allow citizens to interact with law enforcement officials more effectively by:
TWO SUSPECTS APPEAR FOR POSSESSION OF EXPLOSIVES AND BANKNOTES FOLLOWING ATM BOMBING, POLICE LAUNCH MANHUNT FOR OTHERS
Two suspects have appeared before the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court today, for crime related to ATM bombing and other robbery aggravated incidents. The suspects aged between 44 and 59, were sniffed out at their hideouts at Mhluzi near Middelburg yesterday 28 July 2020 and were found in possession of explosives as well as stained money. Their arrest came after two ATM’s were blasted in Badplaas on Monday. This week alone, different heavily armed groups robbed filling stations at Badplaas, Mmametlhake and Kabokweni respectively.
The arrested suspects, 59-year-old Teli Elson Molotha and 44-year-old Sandile Victor Ngcobo, who is attached to the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) stationed at Middelburg, were allegedly part of a group of six heavily armed men who stormed into a filling station in Badplaas, held a security guard at gunpoint and threatened to set him alight, detonated two ATM’s then fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Police then launched an Intelligence-Driven Operation which led them to Mhluzi where the suspects were nabbed. The court has remanded them in custody pending a bail application next week Wednesday, 05 August 2020. Molotha and Ngcobo are also expected to appear at the Carolina Magistrate’s Court for the bombing of the ATM’s in Badplaas. In the meantime, the police have launched a manhunt for the outstanding suspects and therefore request the community to contact Detective Warrant Officer Nkosinathi Ndaba at 0823189530, for any information.
This Badplaas incident follows the ones of Kabokweni and Mametlhake which occurred on Monday, 27 July 2020, where armed suspects also attacked filling stations.
In Kabokweni, a group of about fifteen suspects emerged on foot firing shots randomly with high calibre weapons. They blasted safes in the shop, took an undisclosed amount of cash then fled the scene on foot and no arrest has been made as yet. Anyone with information that may assist police in their investigation, on this issue, is requested to contact Detective Captain Shaka Nkosi at 0712001669.
Meanwhile the Mametlhake robbery, was committed by more than three armed suspects who also blasted two ATM’s and took an undisclosed amount of cash then fled the scene. A security guard who is responsible to guard the place, sustained injuries in the process which led police to opening an additional case of attempted murder. No one has been arrested and the community can participate in the investigation by calling Detective Captain Solomon Moshime at 0820651355.
The Provincial Commissioner of South African Police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, has lauded police for the arrest and ordered them to thoroughly investigate these cases. “We believe that the arrest of the two men is a great achievement and that more arrests are imminent,” said General Zuma.
MYSAPSAPP
SAPS is turning to technology to turn the tide against crime
During the launch of the Safer Festive Season Operations on Friday, 25 October 2019, at Umlazi, South of Durban in KwaZulu Natal, the SAPS, together with mobile service provider, Vodacom have launched a SAPS App called MySAPS mobile applications.
A first of its kind on the continent, the MySaps mobile App was designed to provide South Africans with a new and easy way to access policing services and information.
The new app will allow citizens to interact with law enforcement officials more effectively by:
“Coffee grown worldwide can trace its heritage back centuries to the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau. There, legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans.
The story goes that that Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed that after eating the berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night.
Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer.
The abbot shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery and knowledge of the energising berries began to spread.
As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian Peninsula, it began a journey which would bring these beans across the globe.”
Coffee is the first thing most people think of when they wake up in the morning. The aroma, the bold flavours and how that first sip makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Roasting coffee beans is an artform perfected by few and practiced by many.
The coffee-roasting process follows coffee processing and precedes coffee brewing.
It is the art of sorting, roasting, cooling and packaging or grinding different beans until the perfect mixture has been achieved.
To roast these beans, the roaster uses the endothermic (absorbing heat) process until the correct temperature is reached and the process turns into an exothermic (giving off heat) process.
After this has been completed, the roaster will then ensure the beans are air cooled.
But there are many traditional variations in bean roasting across the world.
Maree Verhoef decided during the lockdown that he is going to start roasting coffee beans. Coffee is not just coffee to him; coffee is a way of life.
Maree with his sample roaster
That is why he started Redemptive Coffee, a mobile coffee truck. He roasts all the different variations of beans himself that are sold at Redemptive Coffee.
The idea came to him during lockdown but his research and experimenting started long before. Originally, he thought he would start this small business one day when he retires.
“This is a passion of mine. I started this because I like to drink proper coffee,” Maree said.
He continued:
“We are Redemptive Coffee meaning that we save people from bad coffee. I also refer to a Redemptive Agent which in my case is Jesus. But the story behind all of this is that the coffee saves you.”
At the moment Maree is still roasting the coffee beans from home. He uses the freshest beans that he can find from his suppliers.
“Fresh beans mean that the beans you buy must be used within two weeks. If you wait longer than two months the beans are old.”
“With a light and medium roast, the taste will be fruitier compared to your darker roasts that will give you a bolder taste; caramel/chocolate flavours. I am aiming for the medium roast which is your caramel/chocolate flavours but trying not to much of the beans’ taste.”
He is currently experimenting with coffee beans from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Burundi and Costa Rica.
“I bought a sample roaster to roast the coffee beans with. The roaster uses gas. The beans will go into a drum and the drum turns. The airflow and heat cause the bean to go through various stages. The flavour you achieve at the end of the process is depending on how long you roast the beans in the certain stages.”
The Redemptive Coffee mobile truck is there to help people move fast through life but also to remind them to stop and smell the coffee and to remember that there is ALWAYS time for a coffee!
The Redemptive Coffee mobile truck
Maree’s passion and love for coffee was the reason he finished his barista course. As he talked about coffee, one could hear the excitement in his voice.
Redemptive Coffee is definitely a light in a time of darkness for the people of Secunda and hopefully soon Secunda will have its very own roastery!
An Intelligence Driven Operation conducted on 28 July in Standerton led to the arrest of a 35-year-old Control Prosecutor for allegations of corruption as well as defeating the ends of justice.
According to information available, the Prosecutor was alleged to have solicited bribes from suspects in an exchange for cases to either be withdrawn or struck off the court roll.
Police, through information gathered, followed up on this man’s activities where they pounced on him after he allegedly received an undisclosed amount of cash from a suspect in exchange for withdrawal of a case and was found with the cash.
The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, has welcomed the arrest and commended police for the sterling work.
General Zuma said that the wheels of justice cannot be allowed to stop rolling by corrupt elements within the system.
“The law must take its course without fear or favour and our efforts of rooting out corruption are continuing to yield positive results, ” said General Zuma.
Meanwhile the suspect is expected to appear at the Standerton Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 30 July 2020.
Driving with a vehicle full of cigarettes turned out to be a bad choice for a foreign national in eMbalenhle.
An officer was doing an address confirmation in an unrelated case when they notice suspicious behaviour from a Silver Toyota Carolla.
The officer turned back to investigate, and the Toyota sped off. The suspect could not negotiate the turn near the Skosana Butchery and crashed into a minisub station.
The driver crashed into the mini-sub as he tried to evade the Police
A large part of Ext3 in eMbalenhle will be without power because of the damaged mini-sub. The electricians have already started the repair process.
A crowd of foreign nationals gathered around the crashed Toyota and Police vehicle. The driver was taken into custody.
Seized Cigarettes
Cash found in the vehicle
Cash found in the vehicle
Suspect arrested
Suspected Cigarette Smuggler Caught in eMbalenhle
The vehicle was taken to the eMbalenhle police station by Emba Towing where it will be kept as evidence.
The vehicle was searched by the detectives and a large number of illegal cigarettes were confiscated as well as an unknown amount of cash. A further bag of coins was also found hidden behind a Sub speaker in the boot of the Carolla.
The suspect was taken to the charge office to be charged and is expected to appear in court in the next few days.
The illegal cigarette trade is not only damaging the economy but are even more damaging to a smoker’s health than approved cigarettes.
The following article appeared on the British American Tobacco South Africa website www.batsa.co.za
South Africa is the first country in the world to allow an illegal brand to become its top-selling cigarette.
llegal cigarettes today account for approximately 33% of all cigarettes sold in South Africa. Such cigarettes are particularly prominent in the informal trade, where they make up an astounding 42% of the informal market.
What are illegal cigarettes?
Illegal cigarettes are cigarettes on which the correct excise tax has not been paid. These can easily be spotted by their low price. There are 4 recognised categories of illegal tobacco products that can be fund globally, as described by the WTO:
Contraband: Smuggled into markets from either neighbouring markets or transnational routes
Illegal whites: Unbranded, mass produced, unpackaged smuggled loose cigarettes
Local tax evaded: Locally produced cigarettes that enter the market from production leakages in the manufacturing and excise declaration process
Counterfeit: IP infringement of tobacco brands
In any of the definitions list above, the typical marker is a retail price with a selling price that is significantly lower than either the taxes due or standard market prices. Transferring the concept to a local example, a pack of 20 cigarettes selling for below the Minimum Collectible Tax (MCT), as announced by the Minister of Finance each year, should be considered illegal, according to an Eastern Cape High Court judgment in 2015 (National Director of Public Prosecutions versus Adan, 2015).
As of 2019, the minimum collectible tax on a pack of 20 cigarettes is R19.16, making any pack selling for less than this suspect of being illegal.
Many assume that illegal cigarettes are smuggled into the country, or are counterfeit versions of legitimate cigarette brands. While such illegal cigarettes would indeed be illegal, these do not form the bulk of illegal cigarettes sold in South Africa.
Instead, South Africa’s illegal cigarette market is heavily dominated by local, licenced tobacco manufacturers who do not declare all their manufactured product to the South African Revenue Services (SARS). It is now estimated that over 90% of all illegal cigarettes in South Africa are manufactured locally, in factories that are quite visible in some of our biggest metropoles.
The latest Ipsos Tobacco Market Study, commissioned by the Tobacco Institute of Southern Africa (TISA), showed that RG cigarettes are now the top-selling brand in the country. In November 2018, the study revealed that RG brand sells for an average of R10 per pack, well below the MCT of R17.85. RG is manufactured by a SARS registered tobacco manufacturer, with a factory in Johannesburg.
Manufacturers of illegal cigarettes produce and earn profit on vast volumes of cigarettes, while paying SARS only a small portion of the tax owed. These manufacturers are widely known, and are reported to be significant funders of some of South Africa’s largest political parties. This under-declaration of volumes equates to tax evasion, and costs the South African fiscus, a conservative estimate of R8 billion every year.
In addition to depriving the Government of much-needed tax revenue, the illegal tobacco trade harms the social fabric of South Africa in many ways, with government’s Non-Communicable Disease health strategy the most impacted. Other studies done outside of South Africa have found that revenues from illegal trade support further criminal activities such as human trafficking, terrorism activities, and corruption, amongst other various examples of criminal activities linked to illegal trade.
Growth in locally produced illegal cigarettes has significantly eroded the value chain in the legal cigarette market. BAT South Africa’s business has declined by 30% since 2012, forcing us to adjust the size and structure of our business.
Facts and figures come from the latest Ipsos Tobacco Market Study, released in November 2018. Read the report here.
