Latest news with #Mashaba
Eyewitness News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
ActionSA calls for NPA head Shamila Batohi to be suspended
JOHANNESBURG - ActionSA is calling for the suspension of National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Shamila Batohi, saying the organisation has failed to successfully prosecute some high-profile cases. The party was picketing outside the Justice Department in Pretoria on Thursday, to hand over a memorandum of demands which includes that Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi begin the process of removing Batohi. The party has criticised the NPA for its handling of recent matters including the rape case of Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso, and the corruption involving Moroadi Cholota and former African National Congress (ANC) member of Parliament Zizi Kodwa. ActionSA supporters gathered outside the Justice Department offices to hear party leader Herman Mashaba express his dissatisfaction with the performance of the NPA. ALSO READ: • Investigating Directorate to submit fresh extradition application for Guptas • Dearth of investigating skills among reasons for delays in prosecuting big corruption cases, SCOPA hears Mashaba said Batohi is incompetent and has caused dysfunction within the organisation. Kubayi was, however, not available to receive the party's memorandum. Mashaba said Batohi's incompetence can't be justified. "It's an excuse, it's nonsense it's unacceptable, she must not really treat us as South Africans who are fools." The party has given the department seven days to respond. ACTIONSA CALLS ON CITIZENS TO BOLSTER ITS CALL ActionSA has also urged members of the public to support the call for the removal of term began in 2018 at the peak of the state capture commission of inquiry, with the promise of prosecuting high-profile corruption six years on, there's been little movement in that direction, with Batohi citing a lack of resources for Mashaba says this is an excuse that South Africans should reject."We know it's only going to be through pressure by all South Africans to hold them accountable because the ANC [African National Congress] of Cyril Ramaphosa is determined to break down the rule of law in our country." While Kubayi was not present to receive the memorandum, a representative met the marchers on her behalf.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Central residents urged to adhere to gun laws
Pretoria Central SAPS are encouraging residents to obtain the correct certification to carry firearms in light of a recent spate of illegal possession arrests. While expressing his approval over his station's recent successes, station commander Brigadier Hlengane Gibin Mashaba said illegal firearms pose a serious risk to public safety. 'We want to call on all people who have firearms to ensure they complete their firearm competency training, thus ensuring they meet the legal requirements to possess a firearm,' Mashaba said. In the most recent arrest, a 19-year-old was taken into custody after police recovered a firearm in his possession, which he did not have a permit for. A team led by Captain Nthuteng Mogotsi, consisting of Constable Itumeleng Kgasago, patrollers Thoko Nchabeleng, Samuel Mathato, and Mpho Chaka, were conducting stop-and-searches in the inner city. At around 23:00, they came across a white VW Polo on Eeufees Road. '[When] approaching the vehicle, the members requested permission to search the car. They recovered a calibre loaded with one round hidden in a cabin. Unfortunately, the suspect did not have a valid document to possess the firearm. Steps were taken to confiscate the firearm for further ballistic analysis, and the suspect was taken to the station and charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm,' said Constable Thabang Nkhumise. The arrest came on June 17, a few days after two suspects had been arrested for possession of two unregistered firearms and another for the same charge in separate instances. The 19-year-old suspect is expected to appear at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court pending further investigation. The other three suspects remain in custody pending investigation and to address verification. Nkhumise said the block around the station and magistrate's court has had a power outage for the past three days, delaying a lot of cases. ALSO READ: Trench in Equestria reopens after poor repairs, claim motorists Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
ActionSA demands Batohi's removal over NPA's ‘growing failures'
ActionSA has asked the justice minister to initiate Batohi's removal and begin a process of investigating deep-rooted dysfunction within the NPA. ActionSA members yesterday marched and protested outside the office of the minister of justice in Pretoria to demand the removal of the national director of Public Prosecution Shamila Batohi due to what it described as the growing list of failures by the NPA under her leadership. Action SA president Herman Mashaba led the protest, which saw some victims sharing their injustices by the NPA before a memorandum of demands was signed and handed over to a representative of the minister. Demands to justice minister In the memo, the party demanded that the minister, as the Cabinet member responsible for justice and constitutional development, engaged President Cyril Ramaphosa to exercise the powers afforded him under Section 12 of the National Prosecuting Authority Act and initiate the formal process for the removal of Batohi. A call for Batohi's suspension and investigation into NPA Mashaba said the process must begin with her immediate suspension, pending an investigation into the systemic dysfunction in the NPA. ALSO READ: Hawks and NPA explain why corruption investigations and prosecutions take long 'While acknowledging that overhauling and correcting the NPA does not begin and end with the removal of Batohi, it remains an important first step in demonstrating that continued poor performance will be met with decisive action. 'South Africans are clear in their demand for us to fight to end the culture of impunity and to put the institution on notice that it must either deliver, or face the consequences,' he said. 'Genuine sense of hope' Mashaba said Batohi's appointment in December 2018 was intended to mark a break from the dark era of state capture, a period marked by political interference and institutional decay. 'Her arrival was met with rare national consensus and a genuine sense of hope that justice would finally be restored and those responsible for looting the state would be held accountable. Yet, nearly six years later, that hope has curdled,' he said. NOW READ: Batohi clarifies NPA infiltration claims to justice minister amid criticism
The Citizen
15-06-2025
- The Citizen
Life in prison for Polokwane paramedic who raped girl (14)
POLOKWANE – The Polokwane Regional Court has sentenced a 56-year-old paramedic to life imprisonment for the rape of a 14-year-old girl. The sentence was handed down last Monday following his conviction on rape charges. According to Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Hlulani Mashaba, the victim was at her homestead on the afternoon of April 12, 2023 when she was attacked by the accused, who was known to the family as a friend. Mashaba added that the victim was changing from her school uniform in her bedroom, when the accused entered and raped her. When the girl attempted to scream, the man threatened to kill her, or similarly in the event that she should report the incident to anyone, Mashaba mentioned. The matter was eventually reported to the Seshego police after the girl informed her parents. Following his arrest, the accused, who at the time worked in the city was released on bail and ultimately convicted and sentenced following thorough investigation and prosecution. In addition to the guilty verdict, the court found that the man was unfit to possess a firearm, and a search and seizure of all firearms in his possession was ordered. It was ordered that his particulars be included in the National Register for Sexual Offences and Sex Offenders. He was also found to be unsuitable to work with children and his particulars must be included in Part B of the National Child Protection Register. Provincial police commissioner Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe commended the successful conviction and the victim for her courage in reporting this crime. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
14-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Herman Mashaba questions Helen Zille's fitness for Johannesburg mayoralty
Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille has put her hand up for the Johannesburg mayoral position, but ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba accused her of being too anti-poor for the position. Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has launched a scathing attack on DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille's bid to become the City of Johannesburg mayor, saying she was not fit for the position as she did not have the interest of poor communities at heart. Zille, whose party is infamous for opposing pro-black transformation policies, was reported to have said that she had been approached to contest to become the mayor of Johannesburg, which is the hub of the country's biggest economy. It was reportedly said that she would consult her family before deciding on whether to enter the race. However, Mashaba, who resigned as the city's mayor and also dumped the DA in 2019 in protest against Zille's return to the party position as the federal council chairperson, said that as a South African citizen, Zille has every right to contest any position. But he questioned her ability to deliver services to the black and white areas equally. The former Western Cape premier did not waste much of her breath responding to Mashaba's attack. 'Not many people take Herman seriously anymore, I am afraid. 'All the data and evidence show that poor people in Cape Town have better service delivery than in any metro in the country,' said Zille. Mashaba stated that the DA-governed City of Cape Town continues to uphold the legacy of apartheid, as townships remain neglected. 'Helen shows a lack of interest in providing services to poor communities. 'In Khayelisha, Gugulethu, and Langa, the situation is worse than it was before 1994,' said Mashaba during his visit to Durban to collect views from the communities about the performance of the Government of National Unity this weekend. He stated that when he was still the mayor of Johannesburg under the DA, his efforts to deliver services to poor communities would be met with resistance from Zille. 'Anybody to say Cape Town is successful, is Khayelisha and Gugulethu not part of Cape Town? 'I resigned (as the mayor) because Helen was pressuring DA white councillors to put pressure on me, including approaching the ANC, to remove me as she had problems with providing services to poor communities.' Mashaba said ActionSA had to facilitate the removal of DA's Cilliers Brink as the City of Tshwane mayor because of an imbalance of service delivery. 'He was governing with ActionSA's support, but he was refusing to provide services to the black townships. 'That is why we said no, we cannot allow this man because they are not ready to change their act. 'My experience of Helen Zille is that she still suffers from the Verwoerd mentality, the system under which she was brought up, and unfortunately, it is the DA's DNA,' said Mashaba. He was referring to the apartheid mentality, whose architecture was former prime minister Hendrik Verwoerd. [email protected]
