Four suspects linked to Mfuleni mass murder arrested

Western Cape police has made a breakthrough regarding the mass murder that occured in Mfuleni on Sunday.

Officers arrested four men this morning suspected of killing the five men in a shack in Madikizela informal settlement.

Police spokesperson, Brigadier Novela Potelwa, said the suspects aged between 29 and 35 have subsequently been charged with murder and possession of illegal firearms with ammunition and are expected to appear in court soon.

 ‘’As part of the same investigation, vital intelligence also led the team to a location where they recovered four firearms (a rifle and three pistols) as well as rounds of ammunition. The confiscated firearms will undergo ballistic testing to determine if they were utilised in the commission of the Mfuleni murders or any other crime.’’

 

Done by: Stephanie van Rayen

Firefighters stationed at Mfuleni deliver baby

Two firefighters became midwives this weekend, when they helped deliver a baby at the Mfuleni Fire Station.

Joswin Lameyer and Khuselo Blaai were at the station, when a mom-to-be arrived, complaining of obstetric pains.

‘’They jumped into action and summoned paramedics from Macassar Fire Station, but the baby was not waiting, and so the two firefighters set about helping the mom deliver her baby, while receiving telephonic instructions from an Ambulance Emergency Assistant,’’ said JP Smith, Mayco Member for Safety & Security.

He explained that a few minutes later, a healthy baby boy made his appearance, and Lameyer and Blaai were able to clamp and cut the umbilical cord.

COURTESY: CoCT

Mom and baby were transported to the Site C Community Health Centre in Khayelitsha.

‘’This is such a wonderful start to the festive season and a real feel-good story. My best wishes to the mom and the newest addition to her family, and I also want to congratulate our firefighters for their quick thinking and putting their skills to good use to help welcome the newborn to the world,’’ said Smith.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

Mfuleni police constable accused for alleged rape of a female detainee

The case against a police constable accused for alleged rape will resume in the Blue Downs Magistrates Court, next week.

Constable Siyabonga Morris Mbane (40) who is stationed at the Mfuleni Police Station appeared in the Blue Downs Magistrates Court on Monday, for an alleged rape of a female detainee at the police station.

The 26-year-old victim alleges that she was raped by the accused in an empty cell, thereafter, she was taken back to her cell where she was locked with seven others. The incident allegedly occurred in the early hours of 28 November 2024.

According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), the victim was detained for allegations of kidnapping and attempted murder and was locked with seven other female detainees

‘’The victim reported the incident to the police officers who started their shift in the morning. The incident was reported to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and the police officer was arrested,’’ said Phaladi Shuping, IPID spokesperson.

The case was postponed to 9 December 2024, where Mbane is expected to apply for bail.

 

Done by: Elona Sibunzi

Fire broke out at Singabalapha

About fifteen people were left displaced after a fire broke out over the weekend, at the Singabalapha Informal Settlement, situated on the Main Road, in Observatory.

PICTURE: COURTESY IOL

The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services said the fire was extinguished just before 7a.m on Saturday.

‘’Services were notified at 5:57am of the incident and by 06:04 a crew from Salt River was on scene. The initial estimate is that five informal structures were affected and 15 persons left displaced. Fortunately no one was injured, and the fire was extinguished by 06:45,” said Jermain Carelse, City of Cape Town Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson.

He added that the cause of the fire was unknown at this stage.

 

Done by: Mitchum George

Ramaphosa officially launched SA's G20 presidency

President Cyril Ramaphosa has outlined South Africa’s key priorities during its year at the helm of the Group of Twenty (G20). The president officially launched the country's G20 presidency in Cape Town on Tuesday.

PICTURE: G20 logo (G20.org)

South Africa assumed the Presidency of the G20 this past Sunday, marking a historic milestone as the first African country to lead this influential group of the world’s largest economies.

Ramaphosa said the country will prioritise Africa’s development agenda, including climate change resilience, debt sustainability for low-income countries, and financing for a just energy transition.

He said South Africa will focus on tackling global economic and social challenges. At the same time, President Ramaphosa said the nation also intends to support the creation of a new engagement group, Township20, to spotlight the potential of South Africa’s township economies.

The G20 Presidency will culminate in the Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025, where world leaders will adopt a declaration outlining collective actions to address critical global challenges.

With over 130 meetings planned across all provinces, and thousands of delegates expected, the G20 Presidency presents an opportunity to showcase South Africa’s potential and hospitality.

At the same time, South Africa’s G20 Presidency website is officially live with the national flower - the King Protea – as the logo which reflects the country's identity, landscape, and cultural significance.The logo incorporates the South African flag's colours and a semi-circular design to represent unity and global collaboration.

Acting Chief of State Protocol at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Clayson Monyela, detailed the development of the South African G20 logo with the King Protea, symbolising resilience and hope, as a central element.

South Africans are invited to visit www.G20.org for everything they need to know about the country’s G20 Presidency, media events and calendar meetings.

 

Done by: Mitchum George

A call for equal, equitable and dignified access to healthcare for all South Africans for World Aids Day 2024

The fight against HIV and Aids requires all South Africans to act together, says Deputy President Paul Mashatile.

Addressing the World Aids Day commemoration in Mdantsane, Easten Cape on Sunday, the Deputy President said while significant strides have been made in ensuring that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, the same cannot be said with respect to ensuring that 95% of people who know their status are on treatment and that 95% of people on treatment are virally suppressed.

“As of June 2024, only 79% of people who knew their status were on treatment, and only 93% of people on treatment were virally suppressed. As a country, we need to further increase HIV screening, diagnosis, and treatment initiation while maintaining treatment adherence to keep viral suppression rates high. We urge all government departments to incorporate HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis [TB] in their workplace health and wellness programs.’’

“In the same breath, we call upon political parties, trade unions, student organisations, and other formations to encourage their members and supporters to know their HIV status and those who know their status to seek treatment and to remain on treatment.

“Our traditional leaders need to continue to use platforms at their disposal, such as community meetings, izimbizo, traditional initiation schools, funerals and such events, to encourage their subjects to test for HIV and TB,” the Deputy President said.

World Aids Day, commemorated annually on 1 December, is commemorated annually across the globe in solidarity with the millions of people living with HIV as well as to raise awareness about the status of the epidemic, with a view to encourage HIV prevention, treatment, and care.

The 2024 theme: “Equal Rights, Equal Care” is a call for equal, equitable and dignified access to healthcare for all South Africans regardless of their economic status, gender, race or sexuality.

PICTURE: X - @GovernmentZA

According to Mashatile, Government would continuously rely on various stakeholders, such as religious leaders to mobilise all men and women who worship, especially those who are HIV-positive and have stopped treatment, to return to care.

The Deputy President welcomed the initiative by the Department of Health, working together with SANAC and development partners, to trace the 1.1 million people living with HIV and linking them to treatment from today to December 2025.

Mashatile said linking these 1.1 million people to treatment will enable the country to reach the UNAIDS targets of 95-95-95. This is 95% of people living with HIV know their HIV status; 95% of people who know their HIV status are receiving HIV treatment and 95% of people on HIV treatment are virally suppressed.

 “I would like to urge all the Premiers to make use of the Provincial Councils on AIDS to mobilise these sectors and others that are active in the provinces to help us find the 1.1 million people.

“All employers and employment organisations must come to the party.  This is a genuine battle, and if we fail to combat HIV and AIDS, it will ultimately lead to our downfall,” the Deputy President said.

Mashatile says South Africa remains the epicentre of HIV and is among those with the highest TB burden. Currently, nearly 8 million people in  South Africa are living with HIV, and TB remains the leading cause of death, claiming around 56 000 lives a year.

“We must always be cognisant of the fact that HIV is not only a public health crisis but also a developmental challenge and a human rights matter. Our approaches must be comprehensive, targeted, inclusive, and geo-specific.”

Girls are more vulnerable to HIV infection. About 1 300 new cases are being recorded on a weekly basis. Mashatile says the infection rate among boys of the same age, between 15 and 24, however, is almost three times less.

“A variety of factors, including the biological makeup of their bodies and their involvement in age-disparate relationships, contribute to this phenomenon. Nevertheless, we need more interventions designed for adolescent girls and young women.

Health Minister, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, said South Africa needed to put 1. 2 million people on ARV treatment.

“We need to work very hard to reach the 95 percent,” Motsoaledi said, referring to the UNAIDS targets.

Motsoaledi encouraged men especially to get tested for HIV and know their status.

 

Done by: Mitchum George

Six children amongst 8 killed when bus overturned in Worcester

The festive season has just about begun, and already road carnage has been reported.

Eight people, including six children,  has lost their lives, when the bus they were travelling in, overturned at approximately 07h15 on the N1 near Roux Park in Worcester, on Sunday.

According to reports, the bus was travelling from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town when it overturned. Multiple passengers sustained minor to serious injuries. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

The Western Cape’s Social Development Department says it is in contact with authorities in the Eastern Cape to trace the families of the victims of the N1 bus crash in Worcester.

"Social workers from the Western Cape Department of Social Development were on the scene shortly after the accident occurred to assist with psychosocial support, such as trauma and bereavement counselling,’’ said Jaco Londt, Social Development MEC.

‘’I have also contacted my counterpart in the Eastern Cape, as some affected passengers are from there, so we may coordinate support efforts. DSD staff also helped the first responders to facilitate the transportation of affected passengers. They have assisted several families, and will continue to work with Health officials, and those from the Eastern Cape DSD, to render support as needed,’’ he added.

Western Cape Mobility MEC, Isaac Sileku, who recently launched the province’s festive season road safety plan, urged road users to prioirtuiise safety at all times

‘’The safety of road users remains our highest priority, and we commend the emergency services and first responders who are working tirelessly under challenging circumstances. The Western Cape Government will continue to assist in every possible way during this difficult time."

‘’We urge all road users to prioritise safety at all times, especially as we approach the peak holiday period. Let us work together to prevent further tragedies and ensure that everyone reaches their destinations safely,’’ he added.

 

Done by: Mitchum George

Another bloody weekend on Cape Flats

It was another bloody weekend on the Cape Flats.

Fatal shootings were reported in Vrygrond and Overcome Heights that claimed the lives of three people, including a child, and left others injured.

A taxi driver was shot and killed on Drury Road in Vrygrond and another in Retreat. At the Vrygrond taxi rank, a 16-year-old was shot and killed, while in Overcome Heights, a Retreat taxi driver was killed during a shooting that also injured a four-year-old child.

PICTURE: Pixabay

Meanwhile, five men were shot and killed in Mfuleni on Sunday afternoon.

‘’Information gathered from the scene indicates that Mfuleni police were called out to the Madikizela informal settlement at approximately 13:30 and upon arrival they found the bodies of five men with gunshot wounds between the ages of 19 and 30 in a shack on the corner of Polisa and Deputy Streets,’’ said Brigadier Novela Potelwa, Western Cape police spokesperson.

She said that the motive for the shooting is unknown at this stage and that no arrests have made. Mfuleni police have opened murder cases.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

Two suspects arrested for R1.3m illegal abalone near Khayelitsha

Maitland Flying Squad members arrested two suspects aged 32 and 39-year-old for the possession of abalone.

COURTESY: SAPS

''The members received intelligence about a motor vehicle that is on route on the N2 Highway with abalone. The vehicle was spotted near Khayelitsha and the driver sped off, to escape police presence, police eventually caught up to the vehicle and proceeded to search the vehicle as well as the occupants,” said Sergeant Wesley Twigg.

''They found 13 big bags containing abalone with an estimated street value of R1,3 million inside the vehicle,'' he added.

The suspects will be appearing in the Khayelitsha Magistrates’ court once they have been charged on the above mentioned charges.

 

Done by: Sihle Jezile

Minister Senzo Mchunu: Crime statistics of the second quarter of the financial year.

As communities continue to live in fear, the minister Senzo Mchunu highlighted murder, attempted murder, assault GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm) and rape, as first priority in curbing crime.

The overall decline was 51% of 17 in community serious crimes.

“Contact crimes decreased by 3.0%, property-related crime saw a reduction of 9.9%, and other serious crime decreased by 3.4%. Focusing on contact crime, the statistics indicate that murder decreased by 5,8%, sexual offenses by 2.5%, and robbery with aggravating circumstances by 8,8%. Additionally, rape decreased by 3.1%, while robbery at residential premises and non-residential premises decreased by 1.3% and 21.1%, respectively,” Mchunu.

Mchunu says, SAPS acknowledges that crime is still persistent in crippling communities and in response to that, double efforts in law enforcement, prevention and community involvement will take place.

Operation Shanela has been effective in arrests and confiscating illegal goods as well as border policing.

 “Operation Shanela has proven highly successful, leading to 262,396 arrests, 7,549 high-density operations, and over 8 million actions executed. Public Order Policing achievements in the second quarter of 2024-2025,” said Mchunu.

Done by: Sibongintando Hemeni 

DBE Minister Gwarube media update on matric exams

On Wednesday the 27^th of November 2024, Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube held a media update on matric exams. She reflected and mentioned the impact assault of learners in the Eastern Cape, which disrupted exams for matriculants.

Five learners were gang raped while preparing for exams in a local house and two weeks later, November 13^th , another girl was gang raped.

The minister commented on this.

 “As we observe the 16 days of Activism against Gender based violence and femicide, let these incidents be a railing call to all as South Africans to stand against these barbaric acts”, said Gwarube.

With the festive season peaking, and learners finishing up with their examinations, minister advised the learners to not be part of any pens down parties and avoid alcohol abuse and reckless behaviour.

 

Done By: Sibongintando Hemeni