3 Children killed in a Fire in Khayelitsha

A Fire that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday Morning at Endlovini informal Settlement in Khayelitsha has claimed the lives of 3 children,2 Boys and a Girl who sustained fatal burn wounds

The City’s fire and rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse stated that emergency crews from four nearby fire stations responded to the scene where a structure in the Endlovini informal settlement was destroyed

Crews from Lansdowne, Mfuleni, Khayelitsha and Strand responded to the scene which completely shattered the structure and left approximately 14 persons displaced.

The cause of the Fire is not yet known

Pic supplied by Pixaby

Done by Lizeka Tsotetsi

 

Anti-Gang Unit probes triple murder in Bishop Lavis

Western Cape’s Anti-Gang Unit are probing the circumstances surrounding a triple murder that occurred in Bishop Lavis, on Tuesday evening.

The police’s Andre Traut said two males aged 46 and 48 and a 25-year-old female were shot and fatally wounded in Bosberg Street.

‘’According to reports an unknown suspect entered the premises and fired several shots at the victims. The victims sustained gunshot wounds to their heads and were declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel,’’ said Colonel Andre Traut.

The police spokesperson said the motive for the murders are unknown and that the suspect fled the scene and is yet to be arrested.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the My SAPS App. Callers may remain anonymous.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

Duo sentenced for murder of Gift of the Givers volunteer

Two men have been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for the murder of the Gift of the Givers volunteer, Amieroodeen Noordien. Noordien, along with three others, were at a tuck shop in Surwood Walk, Hanover Park, on the evening of 19 May 2018, when bulletins rang at them. Twenty-year-old Noordien did not survive.

The Western Cape High Court handed down the sentenced to the duo on Monday, for the hideous crime they committed. 27-year-old Adrian Carelse and 22-year-old Raiden Lekutu were found guilty of murder, attempted murder and the illegal possession of a firearm.

The Western Cape police management welcomed the sentence and commended the investigating officer and the prosecution team for a job well done in securing the sentences.    

 Gift of the Giversn founder, Dr. Imitaz Sooliman, applauded the courts  sentencing

‘’This wonderful news has come too late for Ameerodien's mother, who unfortunately has passed on. Our special thanks goes out to Sergeant de Vries, the late Colonel Charl Kinnear and the anti-gang unit that responded timeously, resulting in the suspects giving themselves up within 72 hours of the killing.’’

Sooliman described Noordien as dedicated.

‘’Ameerodien was a dedicated Gift of the Givers volunteer, who together with other youth, were focused on moving away from the tentacles of criminal gangs to a life of service to those in need, and in the process provide honest earnings (we pay our volunteers in cash and kind) for the wellbeing of their own families.’’

PICTURE - Gift of The Givers: Ameerodien Noordien 

‘’We look forward to justice for the hundreds of other families who have suffered a similar fate like Ameerodien. We as a community and a nation have a critical role to play to mould our children and guide them to the right path being exemplary in our behaviour, and identifying fearlessly those within our communities that act with impunity. The only way to end crime is to ensure that we don't produce criminals within our nation,’’ he added.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

WC MEC sends stern warning to drunk drivers; WCG receives blood testing kits

The Western Cape’s Mobility MEC, Daylin Mitchell has sent a stern warning to motorists driving under the influence of alcohol. This comes after Provincial Traffic Services last week arrested 81 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol.

‘’I want to send a stern warning to all drivers who are driving under the influence of alcohol, that the law will take its course and there will be repercussions. Drunk drivers be warned. In the Western Cape we have a zero tolerance policy on drunk driving.’’

‘’If you are going out and consume alcohol, please get a designated driver or get a lift home. There is no excuse for drunk driving. The safety of all which is fundamental for the dignity of the province’s citizens is my top priority,’’ added Mitchell.

The department received blood testing kits on Monday. According to the MEC, the province has enough blood testing kits until April 2023.

‘’The kits received will assist Provincial Traffic Services to successfully continue to conduct drinking and driving operations across the province. The drawing of a blood sample will be for prosecutorial purposes, and we will continue with the same practice over the festive period to arrest motorists who feel they have the liberty to drive drunk and show blatant disregard for any other innocent road user,’’ said Western Cape’s Mobility MEC, Daylin Mitchell.

Mitchell said the stock received does not affect the already shortage of drunk driving testing kits across the country.

Furthermore, the department recorded 26 fatalities on Western Cape’s roads between 21 to 27 November. Of these, 14 were pedestrians, 5 passengers, 4 drivers, 2 motorcyclists, and a cyclist died in the past week.

 

PICTURE: MEC Mitchell at Bush Radio

Done By: Mitchum George

NSRI study finds under-4's are more prevalent to drownings; 81% of males drown more in SA

A study conducted by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) indicates that it is an assumption that drownings occur frequently in the ocean, and an abundance of resources are deployed to prevent these drownings.

The NSRI briefed the media on Monday, ahead of the festive season, to present its study of fatal drownings from 2016 – 2021. The data used for the study were obtained from the South African Police Service.

In recent years, research into fatal drownings has increased, highlighting fatal drownings as a serious public health concern.

Low- and middle-income countries have been referred to as having the highest burden of global drownings. Approximately 90% of the annual global drownings occur in LMICs. Furthermore, Africa has been reported to have the highest drowning rates .

Varying reasons have been cited as contributing factors for the high burden of fatal drownings in LMICs, which include, but are not limited to, the lack of drowning prevention initiatives, the lack of regulations and policies related to drowning prevention, insufficient water safety awareness and education campaigns, and a lack of basic swimming skills

Dr. Cleeve Robertson NSRI CEO, says they will use the study to better interventions

‘’An organisation like the NSRI, data like this is fundamental to us launching interventions and prevention activities. Understanding the drowning society is very important to design solutions to prevention.’’

Dr. Jill Fortuin, Executive Director of Drowning Prevention at NSRI said Fatal drowning incidents are prevalent in children in the age group under 4, with 2 755 drowning incidents reported.

‘’This clearly confirms that this age group is a huge concern. It has the highest drowning across all age groups. One child drowns one day across

Fortuin says the data in the study is based on reported fatal drownings, so it is possible the number of South African drownings could be more.

‘’We only receive one set of drowning data, so there could be situations were there was no body found or someone hasn’t reported a drowning as it hasn’t occurred. Furthermore, this data gives us one perspective. Things like where was the pre-event.

Furthermore, in the study, it was found that more males drowned in South Africa compared to females. Males represent 81% of all the drownings for the time period of the study.

The KwaZulu-Natal province has the most reported drownings, with 2 114 drownings recorded from 2016 to 2021, followed by the Eastern Cape with 1 869, Gauteng has 1 006 reported drownings, and the Western Cape recorded 864 drownings in the 6 year-period.

‘’ During the month of January, the number of fatal drownings was recorded as 1171, whereas February recorded 931 and November recorded 882. Sundays were the day of the week when fatal drownings (n = 1591) occurred more frequently, followed by Saturdays (n = 1503). Fatal drownings have been most frequently reported as occurring between 16:00 and 19:59 (n = 2639),’’ said Dr. Jill Fortuin, Executive Director of Drowning Prevention at NSRI.

The research findings highlight that fatal drownings are most likely to occur in January and February; these months are the warmer months in South Africa. Research has indicated that the drowning incidence was higher in warmer months due to the increase in waterrelated activities [15]. The day of the week reported as the day when fatal drownings frequently occur is Sunday, which is a recreational day when people can visit dams, beaches, swimming pools, etc. With these results, adequate drowning prevention interventions can be implemented. For example, increasing lifeguard coverage during the months of January and February, especially on Sundays, with a focus on the time period from 16:00 to 19:59,’’ she added.

The study revealed that the highest number of drownings occurred in freshwater, with 3 713 drownings reported from 2016 to 2021

‘’ Fatal drownings occurred more frequently in freshwater in South Africa during the 2016 to 2021 period. This is in keeping with the findings of the epidemiology of drowning in other LMICs, which indicates that drownings are common in small bodies of water, such as cisterns and wells, as they are more commonly used than saltwater bodies,’’ said NSRI CEO Dr. Cleeve Robertson

The message this festive season, says the NSRI, is to be cautious.

“With the festive season upon us, we are urging extreme caution to South Africans who will be making their way to the coast to not drink and swim, supervise children in and around the water and ensure that you know the emergency number,” said Dr. Jill Fortuin, Executive Director of Drowning Prevention at NSRI.

 

Compiled by: Mitchum George

Unemployment rate in SA drops by 1% in the 3rd Quarter

SA's official unemployment rate decreased by 1,0 percentage point at the end of September.

Unemployment dropped from 33,9% in the second quarter of 2022 to 32,9% in the third quarter of 2022. This is according to the Stats SA's Quarterly Labour Force Survey covering the third quarter of the year, which showed that 204,000 jobs were gained between the second quarter of 2022 and the third quarter of 2022.

The jobs were gained mainly in manufacturing.

The number of unemployed persons decreased by 269,000 to 7,7-million and discouraged work-seekers also decreased by 54,000 to 3,5-million in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the previous quarter. The number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement increased by 264,000 between the two quarters, resulting in a net increase of 210,000 in the not economically active population

During the period under review, there were 123,000 jobs created in manufacturing, 82,000 in trade, while construction created 46,000 and transport 33,000 jobs.

The largest losses were recorded across finance with 80,000 jobs lost, 36,000 in private households, mining and agriculture recorded 1,000 losses each.

Done by Lizeka Tsotetsi

Bleak weekend as City's Emergency call centre sees increase in assault and domestic violence cases

Cape Town’s law enforcement officers arrested 18 suspects for various crimes over the weekend. This compared to the 242 arrests made in the past week.

Metro Police arrested an 18-year-old for being in possession of a 9mm pistol with a live round in the chamber. Officers were conducting general patrols on the R300 off-ramp to Stock Road, when they heard two gunshots nearby.

In a separate incident and Officers arrested a 20-year-old man for being in possession of an imitation firearm at the Company’s Garden. Other arrests made by officers includes six for the possession of a stolen vehicle in separate incidents in Hanover Park and Athlone, 4 suspects detained related to metal theft in Elsies River, and Six arrests were made related to a hijacking following a high speed chase from Observatory to Bonteheuwel

The mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith attributed the arrests to the City’s newly installed technology.

‘’That amounts to 18 arrests in just more than 48 hours, all thanks to officers being on the roads, conducting patrols, and being observant. And the list is even longer, but unfortunately, due to the volume of work done by our staff, we are not able to highlight each and every incident. We should also not forget the role that technology is playing, more and more, in our enforcement approach, as the arrests by the Highway Patrol Unit show.’’

Meanwhile, the City’s Public Emergency communication Centre saw a worrying increase in assault cases over the weekend. 178 calls were logged between Friday & Sunday. This is 45 calls more than the previous weekend.

Additionally, more than double the number of domestic violence incidents were called compared to the previous weekend

‘’It is utterly shocking, considering that the observance of the annual 16 days of activism campaign for no violence against women and children has just gotten under way. It is an indictment on our society – we simply need to do better,’’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

Forty-five people left displaced following Bonteheuwel fire

Forty-five people, including 15 children, have been left displaced after a fire ripped through Bonteheuwel, on Monday.

Ward councillor, Angus McKenzie said the incident happened in Bessie and Boekenhout street, destroying 15 structures and 3 homes.

‘’Thankfully there was no lose of life however a dog sadly perished in the blaze. 15 children and 30 adults lost everything in this fire.’’

Spokesperson for the City’s Fire & Rescue Service, Jermaine Carelse, said firefighters was alerted of the blaze at 11:35.

SCREENSHOT: Fire ravaged in Bessie Street, Bonteheuwel

‘’Upon arrival of the first crew, the officer, called upon additional resources to contain the spread of fire. A total of four fire engines, two water tankers and 24 firefighters battled the blaze which was extinguished at approximately 14:00.’’

Carelse said the cause of the fire is unknown, however McKenzie alleges the fire was caused by perpetrators slashing the fire hose.

‘’ Sadly the extent of the fire damage could have been prevented if individuals did not slash the fire hose. I am appealing to community members to advise who the individual is so that he can be arrested and accordingly charged for reckless and irresponsible actions.’’

The ward councillor pleaded with residents to donate non-perishable items, clothes, etc.

‘’Anyone able to help or assist can directly drop off donations in Bessie Avenue or Boekenhout Street, Bontehuewel,’’ said ward councillor, Angus McKenzie.

 

Done By: Mitchum George

NSRI appeals to water users to be safe

A 35-year-old woman from Mossel Bay has drowned at Glentana on Sunday.

NSRI’s Craig Lambinon said a local Neighbourhood Watch member had rescued the woman from the water.

‘’CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) efforts commenced. Sadly after all efforts to resuscitate the female were exhausted she was declared deceased by paramedics.’’

‘’The body of the female has been taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services. Police have opened an inquest docket,’’ added Lambinon.

Meanwhile, an 11-year-old rescued a toddler following a non-fatal drowning on Saturday

‘’At 14h32, Saturday, 26 November, NSRI Knysna duty crew were activated following of a incident, involving a child, at the Green Hole, Leisure Isle. On arrival on the scene medical treatment was commenced on a 3 year old male child that had been rescued from the lagoon reportedly by a youngster, aged approximately 11.’’

‘’The child was stabilised on the scene before being transported to hospital by ER24 ambulance in a serious condition. The swift response is commended,’’ added Lambinon.

The NSRI has appealed to water lovers to be cautious.

‘’We are appealing to bathers to only swim at beaches protected by lifeguards. Obey the lifeguards instructions and only swim where the lifeguards post their safety marcade swimming areas using their red and yellow flags.

Children should have responsible adult supervision when they are swimming at swimming pools, inland waterways, at beaches, and lagoons.

Lambinon encouraged water users to have a safety conscience mindset in and around water.

 

PICTURE: NSRI

Done By: Mitchum George

Elderly woman collapses from heat whilst hiking on Table Mountain

An elderly woman was transported to hospital on Monday afternoon, after she collapsed whilst hiking on Table Mountain.

ER24 spokesperson, Russel Meiring said, the 67-year-old woman whilst hiking on the Platteklip Gorge, collapsed due to a heat injury.

‘’On arrival, medics found that the AMS Medical Helicopter had airlifted the woman from the trail and brought her to the base of the mountain.

‘’On assessment, medics found that the woman had sustained serious heat injuries and was in a critical condition. The woman was treated and provided with advanced life support interventions before she was transported to a nearby hospital for further care,’’ added Meiring.

He added that local authorities were on the scene for further investigations.

 

PICTURE: Pngtree

Done By: Mitchum George

36 yr old man arrested for Domestic Violence in Cape Town

 

Members of Operation Restore were conducting patrols in Sweet Home Farms informal settlement on Monday morning at about 00:30 when they were stopped by a member of the community who had a domestic violence related complaint.

The members assisted the complainant and went with her to her residence. The members found a male inside the house and was pointed out by the complainant as the suspect. The members wanted to search him but he refused and pulled out a firearm and pointed it at the members. A scuffle between the suspect and the members ensued and he was apprehended and the firearm recovered.

 A 36 year old male was arrested on charges of domestic violence, pointing of a firearm and attack on police.

The suspect is due to make a court appearance in the Philippi Magistrates court once he has been charged.

Done by Lizeka Tsotetsi

Crime stats July-Sept. 2022

Police Minister, Bheki Cele, along with Head of crime research in the SAPS Major-General Norman Sekhukhune released the crime statistics on Wednesday for the second quarter of the 2022/2023 financial year. The latest figures which runs from the 1^st of July to 30 September 2022, are compared to the same period last year when the country was under lockdown due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Between July to September 2021, the country was under Lockdown level 4, 3 and 2.

The police minister has expressed concern over women who are targeted in crimes.

In the three months of reporting, a double-digit percentage increase was recorded for murder, attempted murder and assault to cause grievous bodily harm, against women.

Over 13 000 women were victims of assault with intend to cause grievous bodily harm between July and September this year. More than 1 200 women were victims of attempted murder, and 989 women were murdered during this reporting period.

The rate at which women are abused, violated and some killed in South Africa remains worrying and unacceptable

As we edge closer to commemorating the commencement of the global 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign on the 25th of November, the reality is women continue to be victims of violent crimes in South Africa.

Over 10 000 rape cases were opened with the SAPS, between July and September this year.

From a sample of 8227 rape incidents that were perused, it was determined that 5 083 which is 62% of these incidents occurred at the residence of the victims or perpetrators. Cele revealed that 1 651 of the rape incidents occurred at public places such as streets, parks and beaches., and that 69 people were raped at abandoned buildings.

Delft in the Western Cape are one of the three top stations with the highest rape cases.

 

Mpumalanga is the only province to report     a decrease in rape incidents. Inanda police station in KwaZulu-Natal, Mthatha in the Eastern Cape and Delft in the Western Cape are the three top stations with the highest rape cases. Buses, taxis, trains and other modes of public transport, were the third most likely places of occurrence for rape incidents.

Police minister, Bheki Cele revealed that in just six months, 558 children were killed in South Africa from April to September this year. Cases of 294 children are being probed for attempted murder from July to September. Cele said 1 895 Assault to cause GBH cases, with children as victims, were opened with the police during this reporting period.

The crime statistics again show that we as communities continue to fail to protect some of the most vulnerable in society; our children.

It is on this note, that the SAPS continues to prioritize Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) related crimes.

Between July and September this year, the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit arrested 4 375 perpetrators of crimes committed against women and children. In the last two financial years, 822 perpetrators of GBV crimes were sentenced to life. 114 life sentences were handed down for GBV crimes in the first six months of the 2022/2023 financial year.

Cele said SAPS traced and arrested 410 rapists during this reporting period. 68 of them have been sentenced to life behind bars.

Members of the media,

It is very encouraging that the Criminal Justice System continues to send a strong message of zero tolerance on rape, through the stiff sentences handed out to rapists.

Allow me to touch on just a few of these sentences.

Six life sentences were handed down to Lebohang Nyoka in the Northern Cape for rape, housebreaking and theft.

 

For the rape of two minors aged 10, the courts sentenced Ernest Mckein to life in prison in the Western Cape.

In Gauteng, a 32-year old Diepsloot serial rapist, was found guilty and sentenced to 16 life sentences, plus 250 years in prison for robbing and raping 16 women.

32-year old Asha Moyo stalked and attacked his victims, threatening them with a firearm, before raping them.

His youngest victim was 13 years old.

33 year old Pastor, Hlumelo Dywili was also sentenced to life in August, for the rape of a 33 year old congregant.

It is clear, the broader civil society, religious organizations and various community structures must sharply address the causes and preventative measures of crimes against women and children.

Such conversations combined with awareness programs and action by the SAPS, are important and do lead to prevention of these deeply disturbing gender based crimes.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As a Ministry, we remain extremely concerned about rapes at educational premises.

In the three months of reporting, 83 rapes occurred at educational facilities, including basic education schools and tertiary institutions.

One needs to take into cognizance that educational facilities refer to the scene of the crime and should not interpreted to imply that all perpetrators and or victims were pupils or students.

In terms of DNA backlog and Cele revealed that there is more than 111 thousand DNA specimens at SAPS’ forensic service laboratories.

Out of this figure, 67 905 is DNA backlog which, Cele says, has been reduced from over 241 167 in May 2021.

He added that the rest of the DNA specimens from the total 111 174 figure, 43 269 falls within the allocated time of 113 days.

Assurances has been made to this Ministry that the SAPS will meet its deadline of clearing the DNA backlog.

Ladies and Gentlemen, We have truly come a long way since the DNA backlog was first discovered at our forensic service laboratories in May 2021.

Daily work and interventions continue, to ensure the SAPS never goes back to the dark days, where the DNA backlog reached levels of over 200 thousand cases. ALL hands are on deck to capacitate and empower the forensic service laboratories to deliver a quality service for ALL South Africans.

With regards to assault cases and Cele said the levels of aggression and violence are worrying in South Africa. He revealed that the July to September months saw a record number of assault cases reported to the police in five years, with a  total of 85 640 assault GBH and common assault cases in the three months of reporting.

Arguments, road rage, provocation and misunderstandings as well as retaliation, revenge and punishment, remain the top motives for assaults GBH.

 

12 203 assault GBH cases took place behind closed doors; either at the home of the victim or the home of the perpetrator.

 

The second most likely place of occurrence for assault GBH was at public places such as street, open field, recreational center or abandoned buildings.

 

6 662 assault GBH cases were Domestic Violence-related.

 

This means the perpetrator and victim had some type of a domestic relationship.

Furthermore, 7 004 people were killed by other persons in South Africa in the second quarter of 2022/2023 financial year.

This is an increase of 841 more people murdered, compared to the same period last year, when the country was placed under COVID-19 Lockdown levels four, three and two.

Arguments, misunderstandings and incidents of road rage and provocations accounted for 956 murders in the country. Vigilantism incidents claimed the lives of 528 people while 362 people were killed during the commission of a robbery. Inanda, uMlazi, police stations in KwaZulu-Natal and Nyanga station in the Western Cape registered the highest counts of murder during this period. A total of 274 counts of murder were reported in those three areas combined.

In terms of police killings, and 22 police officers were killed during July to September 2022, this is two members less compared to the same reporting period last year. According to SAPS, Firearms remain the weapon of choice in most of the reported murders, 2 808 people were shot and killed. 961 of the reported murders in KwaZulu-Natal were as a result of firearms followed by Gauteng with 768 murders.  526 people died from gunshot wounds in the Western Cape.

Fighting crime has also come at a cost for members of the SAPS across the country.

It is on this note that this Ministry will never stop calling on SAPS members to defend themselves at ALL times from ruthless criminals whenever they are under attack.

It is quite simple; POLICE MUST MEET FIRE WITH FIRE!

Police Minister, Bheki Cele said more must be done to prevent and also respond to trio crimes that he says, are often carried out publicly in a violent manner.

A total of 356 vehicles were reported hijacked in Nyanga, Harare and Phillipe East combined, all in the Western Cape.

The month of July 2022, saw the majority of carjacking, robbery at residential and non-residential premises cases reported to the police.

Increases have been noted in crimes under sub category aggravated robbery.

Over 6 000 carjacking were reported to the police from July to September 2022.

While the Free State and Limpopo recorded decreases in carjackings, a 24% increase was observed nationally.

Kidnappings have doubled nationally with over 4 000 counts reported to the police between July and September 2022.

Carjacking, robbery and rape were the top three motives for the recorded kidnapping cases during July to September across the country.

Cele announced that 10 000 additional SAPS officers will in December be deployed for will police visibility during the festive season and beyond.

The police minister said More boots will be on the ground and escalated crime prevention and crime-combating operations will be a daily occurrence until the end of January 2023.

olice have their work cut out for them.

 

Communities, young and old also have a role to play towards lowering the crime rate in the country.

 

We encourage active participation against the common enemy of crime through formal involvement such as Community Policing forums (CPF) or other structures that enhance the policing footprint.

 

Mphakathi, Don’t look away, let us act against crime together;

 

 “IPHOYISA IPHOYISA NGOMPHAKATHI”

* NOTE: Words in bold were uttered by Police Minister, Bheki Cele

Western Cape High Court sentence foster mom to 30 years imprisonment for child murder

The Western Cape High Court sentenced Priscilla Morris to 30 years imprisonment on Thursday, for murdering her adopted nine-month-old child, Caswell Joseph Frans.

 Source: Western Cape High Court

 

The court also declared the 41 year-old foster mom from Vrygrond, unfit to work with children, unfit to possess a firearm and ordered her name be recorded in the National Child Protection Register.

According to the court, she told them that the child’s biological mother, Candice Frans, asked her to take care of him. Issues such as struggling with parental responsibilities and not having shelter at the time her child was one month and two weeks old, were the reasons for giving her child away.

The court also heard that Morris failed to mention that she had chronic health conditions and was on prescribed anti-depressants.

State prosecutor Advocate Evadne Kortje, argued in court that the cause of death was blunt force trauma and added that number of child murderers in the province is appalling.

“She subjected the deceased to various assaults during his short life, and the cause of death of the deceased was multiple blunt force trauma. The pain, suffering and agony of the defenceless baby is shocking, horrific, and inhumane”.

“The normalisation of child murders in our country and specifically in the Western Cape is shocking,” she said.

Morris has been convicted on two counts of child abuse, murder and defeating or obstructing the court of justice.

She also signed a plea deal and sentencing agreement with the state.

 

By Lulama Klassen

Four suspects arrested after threating driver of delivery vehicle in Kraaifontein

Four suspects are expected to appear in the Blue Downs Magistrate court soon, after they were arrested on Tuesday, for kidnapping the driver of a delivery vehicle and ordered him to pay cash or else face the risk of being killed.

PICTURE: SAPS

The police’s Jospeh Swartbooi said that a 39-year-old man was driving a light delivery vehicle near to Joostenberg Vlakte when he was stopped by the driver of a white Toyota Quantum.

‘’When he failed to stop the driver chased after him and forced him off the road. Four unknown males approached demanding cash. The suspects drove the complainant to a nearby financial  institution where he was forced to withdrew cash. Alarm was raised with Kraaifontein police who responded to the complaint and found the Toyota Quantum parked near to Sandringham Road. They searched the vehicle and confiscated cell phones and cash.’’

‘’Further interrogation led to the recovery of the keys to the complainant’s vehicle which were found in the possession of one of the occupants. The four males were arrested and detained on charges of kidnapping, extortion and possession of presumed stolen property,’’ added Warrant Officer, Joseph Swartbooi.

PICTURE: SAPS

 

Done By: Mitchum George

Over 128 000 WC learners missed school for 2 days, following SANTACO strike

The Western Cape’s Education Department (WCED) said that more than 128 000 learners did not attend school on Monday or Tuesday, due to the taxi strike.

SANTACO embarked on a two-day strike as they were unhappy about Government’s subsidy for the taxi industry; government’s by-laws on taxis; as well as the termination of the Blue Dot taxi project.

MEC David Maynier said school staff were also negatively affected, with 4 400 people missing work on Monday and Tuesday.

‘’On Monday, 128 699 learners in Grades 1 to 11 missed school, and on Tuesday, 128 747 missed school. What this means is that the strike cost 11% of the Grade 1 to 11 learners of the Western Cape two days of schooling.’’

‘’School staff were also negatively affected, with 2 435 missing work on Monday, and 1 965 on Tuesday. Most crucially, many schools had to reschedule exams, disrupting the end-of-year revision, marking, and administrative processes at our schools,’’ he added.

Maynier said despite this, candidates writing the 2022 NSC exams, in the province were all able to write their exams this week.

‘’On Monday, [out of 32 490], 354 Life Sciences candidates were affected by the strike, of which 297 wrote at alternate exam centres, and 57 arrived late at their designated centre but were nonetheless afforded the full time allocation for their exam.’’

‘’On Tuesday, [out of 27 055] 415 Geography candidates were affected by the strike, with 358 writing at an alternate exam centre, and 57 arrived late to their designated centre, and were also afforded the full time allocation for their exam,’’ he added.

MEC Maynier said that members have the right to strike, but said, other options should have been explored that would not have had such a disruptive impact on learners.

‘’The best interests of the children of the Western Cape should always come first,’’ he concluded.

 PICTURE: MEC Maynier

Done By: Mitchum George

City of Cape Town calls for calm, amid dog attacks

The City of Cape Town and the Cape Animal Welfare Forum have called for calm following tensions over pitbull attacks.

This comes after the latest incident saw residents taking matters into their own hands following three pit bulls attacking a young girl in Gatesville, Athlone, on Sunday.

PICTURE: Pixabay

The City’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, emphasized the aggressiveness of the dog depends on how they raised by their owners and added that the city has condemned the community`s retaliation attack on the dogs.

“The real problem is how dogs are raised and trained by their owners, but also inter-breeding which affects the temperament of a dog. Furthermore, this issue is not pit-bull specific. The incident in Athlone this week where members of the community killed three pit-bulls following an attack on a child has to be condemned in the strongest terms.”

“Firstly, animal owners have a responsibility to ensure that their dogs do not pose a threat to anyone and are kept within their properties, but it is also illegal to harm or torture an animal. If anyone has concerns about a dangerous animal, they must report it to the SPCA or Law Enforcement so that urgent action can be taken. We cannot have a situation where people take the law into their own hands in this manner,” he reiterated.

The City said its Law Enforcement Animal Control Unit is investigating the attack of the young girl.

 

By Lulama Klassen

Three suspects robbed a customer at gunpoint at Kenilworth Centre

Western Cape police are investigating a case of robbery with a firearm case after a customer was mugged at gunpoint in Kenilworth Centre’s parking lot.

The police’s FC van Wyk said the incident occurred approximately 10:50 on Monday.

“While he was still in the parking lot at the said mall, he was approached by two unknown males, both armed with firearms. The suspects forced him to lie down on the ground and grabbed his bag containing his personal laptop.’’

“The males fled in a silver VW Golf 5 towards Athlone. The employee sustained no injuries,” added Captain FC van Wyk.

Armed robbery at Kenilworth Centre, Thursday 21 November. pic.twitter.com/zAwLrf0JxN

— Robyn (inthe) Hood (@robynhoodcpt) November 21, 2022

Kenilworth Centre management confirmed the incident after a video of the robbery went viral.

“Kenilworth Centre confirms that an incident occurred when three suspects robbed a customer at gunpoint in the parking area at the mall. We are grateful for the SAPS and centre security who immediately responded to the incident. Fortunately, no customers, staff or tenants were injured," the statement read.

 Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to contact CrimeStop on 08600 10111.

 

PICTURE: Kenilworth Centre

Done By: Mitchum George

Western Cape MEC concerned over rise in pedestrian killings

The Western Cape’s Mobility MEC, Daylin Mitchell, has raised concerns over the number of pedestrians that was killed on the province’s roads.

Out of the 20 fatalities that were recorded in the past week, 14 were pedestrians, 3 passengers, and one each was a driver, motorcyclist, and a railway pedestrian.

Furthermore, traffic officials made 64 arrests between 14 to 20 November 2022, with the bulk of these (45) being for driving under the influence of alcohol. Other arrests includes:

5 x reckless and negligent driving.

4 x speeding.

4 x possession of fraudulent documentation.

2 x bribery.

1 x goods overloading.

1 x possession of stolen vehicle.

1 x obstructing or hindering an authorised officer in the execution of his/her duty.

1 x operating an unroadworthy vehicle

 

Mitchell urged pedestrians to stay clear from roads especially after consuming alcohol. According to Mitchell, a high percentage of pedestrians killed on the road in earlier years who were tested for alcohol had four times the legal limit for drivers.

‘’Always wear high visibility clothing, particularly in the evening and in bad weather. Walk in groups when possible.’’

‘’Slowing down will give you more time to avoid to pedestrians on the road. If you are travelling more slowly and you collide with a pedestrian, the pedestrian is more likely to survive.’’

‘’Be particularly careful when you come across child pedestrians. They may behave unpredictably, and may struggle to understand how quickly a vehicle is moving. Because children are short, in a collision, they are likely to be hit in the head and chest, and are therefore more likely to be killed,’’ concluded Western Cape’s Mobility MEC, Daylin Mitchell.

 

PICTURE: MEC Mitchell at Bush Radio

Done By: Mitchum George

More than 400 arrests made by LEAP officers within two weeks

Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers arrested 428 suspects in the past two weeks, for various crimes.

LEAP officers work alongside other law enforcement agencies, such as City of Cape Town, Metro police and SAPS. Officers are deployed in crime hotspot areas in the metro, including, Delft, Gugulethu, Harare, Khayelitsha, amongst others.

Of the 428 suspects arrested, 249 were for the possession of drugs, 43 for the possession of dangerous weapons, 12 for the possession of illegal ammunition, 9 for the possession of an imitation firearm, 4 were for the possession of an illegal firearm. The Western Cape’s Police Oversight & community Safety Department said confiscations occurred in the various areas where LEAP is deployed.

MEC, Reagen Allen, has called on communities to work with SAPS to combat crime

“LEAP continues to make life uncomfortable for criminals, which is exactly what we want. Criminal elements do not belong in our communities, as their sole purpose is to bring harm to law-abiding citizens. As the Western Cape Government, we want our residents to live in a safe and dignified manner, where they don’t have to fear any criminal.”

“I urge communities to work with and support all law enforcement agencies, including LEAP, other City of Cape Town law enforcement entities and SAPS. We have to work together if we are to be effective in our fight against crime,” added Allen.

PICTURED: MEC Reagen Allen with Bush Radio's Mitchum George

Done By: Mitchum George

Bomb threat received at Liberty Promenade

It is business as usual at Liberty Promenade Mall, Mitchell’s Plain, after the shopping complex received a bomb threat, on Tuesday.

‘’The safety and security of shoppers, staff and tenants is of the utmost importance to Liberty Promenade, and all security protocols have been put in place,’’ Liberty Promenade said on its Facebook page.

‘’As a precautionary measure, the decision was made to evacuate Liberty Promenade with immediate effect. Liberty Promenade, together with the South African Police Service and emergency services, continue to monitor the situation closely; and all necessary precautions shall be adhered to during this process,’’ it added.

The police’s FC van Wyk said an email was sent to the mall’s security email address, warning of a possible bomb on the premises.

‘’The Provincial Bomb Disposal Unit (explosives unit), assisted by handlers of the Provincial K9 unit entered the building in search for suspicious parcels or objects. Nothing was found. We can confirm that the building has been declared safe for business as usual,’’ said Captain Frederick Van Wyk.

Liberty Promenade apologized for any inconvenience caused, and thanked shoppers for their patience.

‘’Liberty Promenade would like to sincerely thank shoppers, staff, tenants, safety and security officers for their cooperation during this process.’’

 

PICTURE: Liberty Promenade Shopping Centre

Done By: Mitchum George

Man shot and killed in Westridge, Mitchell's Plain

Mitchell’s Plain police are investigating a case of murder after a 42-year-old man was shot and killed in Westridge, on Tuesday. It's alleged that the victim was an e-hailing driver.

WARNING: GRAPHIC

(Video supplied)

The police’s Joseph Swartbooi said the motive for the attack is unknown.

‘’Mitchells Plain responded to a complaint and upon arrival in Park Avenue, they found the body of an unknown man who sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body. The 42 year old man was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel.’’

‘’The motive for the attack is unknown. The suspect/s fled the scene and are yet to be arrested,’’ added Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi.

Anyone with information is kindly requested to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111

 

Done By: Mitchum George

Three pit bulls set alight by angry Gatesville community, after attacking a young girl

Three pit bulls were set alight by angry Gatesville residents after the dogs had attacked a young girl on a field, over the weekend.

Supplied/SPCA

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA says this is the second incident of dogs being set alight in one weekend. The child sustained severe injuries and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

‘’The community took matters into their own hands and attacked the dogs – stoning, stabbing and hitting the animals with various objects before burning them to death.’’

Supplied/SPCA

SPCA Inspector Jeffrey Mfini, who rushed to the scene after the SPCA received the report, found the dogs still burning. Mfini extinguished the fire but all the animals had succumbed to their injuries.

‘’The dogs’ bodies were taken to the SPCA premises in Grassy Park, where post-mortems will be conducted.’’

Supplied/SPCA

The SPCA urged the public not to take matters into their own hands.

“We urge the public to contact the SPCA if a dog behaves aggressively or tries to bite someone. We will take the dog immediately. People must not take matters into their own hands – no animal deserves to endure brutality and suffering,” said the SPCA’s Chief Inspector, Jaco Pieterse.

“It is tragic that a child was harmed and in turn, the animals were brutally attacked. No dog should be roaming the streets. Responsible pet owners ensure their animals are kept within their properties. If your home is not adequately fenced, don’t get a dog,” he added.

Furthermore, the SPCA says it does not support the petition to ban or outlaw pit bulls, but agreed that stronger regulations/legislation with regard to the keeping and breeding of power breed dogs, needs to be implemented.

‘’While the SPCA movement’s mandate is the prevention of cruelty to animals and promoting good animal care, the SPCA also values human lives. Not only do people suffer from dog attacks, but other animals are also victims and have been mauled to death.’’

 ‘’In many instances, the aggressive animals themselves have also been subjected to extreme abuse and cruelty in the manner in which they are kept, trained and even killed. This is an issue where both human and animal lives have been placed in danger by irresponsible people who lack the skills and knowledge required to handle power breeds.’’

The SPCA said compulsory sterilisation and owner permits in order to keep power breeds, would be a step in the right direction.

‘’Compulsory sterilisation, at the cost of the owner, would assist in preventing power-breed puppies from being easily accessible to irresponsible people.’’

‘’Compulsory permitting would assist in being able to hold power-breed owners accountable for their pets,’’ it added.

 

Done By: Mitchum George