WeeklySA_AdminBUST: Suspect’s apprehension currently being transported to Cape Town for court appearance on Monday…
By Lehlohonolo Lehana
The Hawks have arrested a man in Germiston, Gauteng, for making threats against President Cyril Ramaphosa, Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and CEO of a Cape Town based company.
Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo said the arrest follows a case reported earlier this month.
“On Monday, 12 May 2025, a complainant, who is the CEO of a Cape Town based company, allegedly received a voice message from the suspect, in which threats were made against the President of South Africa.
“The suspect is also alleged to have sent multiple threatening messages targeting the complainant, her family and the mayor of Cape Town,” Mbambo said.
Mbambo added that the matter was reported to the Cape Town based Hawks’ CATS team.
“They conducted a swift investigation resulting in the suspect’s apprehension in Gauteng. The suspect is currently being transported to Cape Town and is expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 26 May 2025, where he will face a charge of intimidation.”
Mbambo said investigations are ongoing. In a separate incident, a Brazilian national has been arrested after being caught with cocaine worth an estimated street value of R1.4 million strapped to his legs.
SAPS national spokersperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the drug mule was in transit to Benin when he was intercepted by officers at the airport.
“He was pulled aside and during a body search, cocaine was found wrapped around his legs. He has been arrested and is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on a charge of drug trafficking”.
Mathe said police were intensifying their efforts to clamp down on the illicit trade of drugs. She said from January 2025 to March 2025, 23 306 suspects were arrested for possession of drugs.
Mathe added that a total of 3 471 suspects were also arrested for dealing in drugs.
These include six Mozambicans and three South Africans who were arrested in Standerton, Mpumalanga, after police dismantled a clandestine drug laboratory in the area.
Crime statistics
Meanwhile, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu today presented the quarterly crime statistics, covering the period from 1 January to 31 March 2025, which reflect both encouraging improvements and areas requiring intensified efforts.
The report showed reductions across multiple crime categories. However, sexual offences, including rape and contact sexual offences, as well as commercial crimes, recorded increases during the quarter.
The country’s four most crime-affected provinces, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape, contributed the majority of murder cases nationwide.
Among the 30 police stations with the highest murder rates, include 13-registered lower incidents, while two stations recorded no change.
The report also saw the murder of 22 police officers, including six killed while on duty and 16 off duty. Of these, Gauteng alone recorded 10 of these cases.
“This is not just a loss to the SAPS but to the entire nation. An attack on a police officer is an attack on the state, and those responsible will face the full might of the law,” Mchunu warned.
Nine percent decrease in stock-theft crimes
The report revealed an 8,9% decrease in stock-theft crime, which the Minister described as a serious threat to the agricultural sector and rural livelihoods.
“Stock-theft is one of the priority crimes for the police, as it not only threatens the financial stability of the country’s agricultural sector but undermines the livelihoods of countless families who depend on livestock for their sustenance and economic well-being.
“Back in March, we convened a stakeholder engagement in the Free State – this was well attended by various stakeholders from the Free State, KZN, Limpopo and Eastern Cape.
The focus of the engagement was to engage those largely affected by stock-theft on the measures employed by the SAPS and to engage on what can be done in strengthening those measures,” the Minister said.
He said the engagement was successful, and the department has full confidence in the various Stock Theft Units throughout the country.
Mchunu also highlighted that the police recently recovered stolen livestock in Qumbu, Matatiele, Maclear and Tsolo, during their operations.
The recovered livestock included 231 cattle to the value of R 2,7 million, 81 sheep worth over R 160 000, and 78 goats worth over R 150 000.
“We commend the various teams for this, and we urge them to remain vigilant and to continue in their efforts to fight stock theft,” Mchunu said. – Fullview, additional reporting by SAnews.go.za
Mirror Briefs
R51bn guarantee for Transnet
.South Africa’s transport and finance ministries have approved a R51 billion ($2.8 billion) guarantee facility to Transnet, the nation’s struggling rail and ports operator.
The facility is effective immediately to support Transnet’s “capital investment program and to enable it to meet its debt obligations,” the transport ministry said in a statement Thursday.
Transnet in its own statement said the facility will enable the company “to refinance maturing debt and ensure the organisation’s continued access to adequate resources and facilities.”
The package includes a R41 billion loan guarantee for funding over the next two years, and a R10 billion guarantee for managing cash flow related to debt payments and capital investments, the ministry said.
To raise funds on the back of the guarantees, Transnet will need to meet certain operational and logistics-sector reform conditions, similar to those required for a R47 billion guarantee facility it received in 2023. – Fullview/Bloomberg
DRAMA IN R1-B TENDER FRAUD CASE
The corruption case against former City of Cape Town councillor Malusi Booi, alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield, Stanfield’s wife Nicole Johnson, and nine others was provisionally has been withdrawn .
The former mayoral committee member was arrested in September 2024 and faced charges relating to alleged unlawful tenders worth more than R1-billion.
It was a short appearance at the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court for Booi and his co-accused. Booi was dressed in a black jacket and pants and shortly after his appearance alongside his former wife, it was announced that the charges against him had been dropped.
The provisional withdrawal of charges was announced after a brief appearance by the accused in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court. The other accused are :Suraya Manuel, Muhammed Amod, Randal Mullins, Brenda Mullins, Thuli Imgib, Nomvuyo Mnyaka, Lorna Ndoda, Siphokazi September, Kyle Stanfield, Barbara Johnson, and Pakamisa Nondabula.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Western Cape spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said : “Police discovered new evidence during their investigation, and it is apposite at this stage to provisionally withdraw the 16 commercial charges against the accused pending the finalisation of the investigation stemming from the newfound evidence. The state will reinstate the charges once the investigation has been finalised. – Fullview.
TRAPPED MINERS RESCUED
All 260 workers trapped underground at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Kloof gold mine since Thursday have been returned to surface, the company said.
The incident at the Kloof 7 mine began when a skip door on the rock winder opened unexpectedly at the loading point on Level 39, affecting operations on Levels 40, 41 and below. The malfunction left workers stranded underground whilst comprehensive safety inspections were carried out.
The first group of miners was brought to the surface at 1.30pm South African time on Friday, with the remaining employees safely rescued by approximately 7.30pm. At no point during the incident were workers at risk of injury.
Mine rescue and medical teams were deployed immediately to ensure the safety of all personnel, with food and water provided to workers whilst they remained at their underground stations. Sibanye-Stillwater said it decided to keep employees in place rather than use emergency escape routes which would have required lengthy walks through the mine workings.
‘’Safety remains our core priority, and we will not resume operations until we are confident that all the necessary remedial actions have been implemented, “ said Sibanye-Stillwater CEO, Neal Froneman in a statement.
All affected employees will undergo thorough medical examinations if required, whilst support has been extended to their families. Operations at the mine will remain suspended until the shaft is deemed safe for workers to return. – Fullview
D-DAY FOR KIDNAPPERS
The Western Cape High Court in Cape Town has transferred the Joshlin Smith case back to Saldanha Bay for sentencing proceedings which would be held for two days starting from Tuesday .
Victim impact reports from individuals and community members, as well as evidence from a human trafficking expert, are central to the State’s arguments in aggravation of sentencing for the three convicted of kidnapping and trafficking Joshlin Smith.
This is the final phase of the trial, which began on March 3, 2024 in the Western Cape Division of the High Court sitting in the Saldanha Bay Multipurpose Centre, and resulted in the conviction of Racquel “Kelly” Smith, Joshlin’s mother, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis, and their friend, Steveno van Rhyn, on counts of human trafficking and kidnapping stemming from Joshlin’s disappearance on February 19 last year when she was six years old.
Judge Nathan Erasmus ordered that Appollis and van Rhyn be transported back to Malmesbury Prison, where they had been held for the duration of the trial. Kelly will be moved to Saldanha. This is to avoid time constraints and bring the accused closer to the venue.
The State is expected to lead evidence in aggravation of sentence. – Lehlohonolo Lehana.
