Latest news with #SAPS
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Elsies River parents fear for children's safety after deadly daytime shootings
A 27-year-old man was gunned down in an alleged gang-related shooting. Elsies River parents are concerned about the safety of their children after two separate shooting incidents in the middle of the day left three people dead on Wednesday. Communities such as Eureka Estate, Clarke Estate, Uitsig, Ravensmead and surrounding areas have been under siege from continuous gun violence. School learners had to scramble to safety when a 27-year-old man was gunned down in an alleged gang-related shooting in Gladiola Street at 2.10pm when returning from the shop. Earlier in the day, two people aged 30 and 40 years were also gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Eureka Estate around 12.30pm on the corner of 40th and 42nd Avenue. Residents are fearing for their lives and one parent is hoping that her kids will stay indoors during the school holidays as the gangsters run riot on the streets. The parent said: 'I am a bit relieved that the schools are closing, but we still have people who need to go to work early and come back safe. 'When they are not shooting, they are targeting the cars, smash-and-grab and throwing cars with stones.' Another added: 'They shoot at any time. I have to fetch my children from school and be vigilant always because they don't care if it is children or adults, they shoot. 'We stay in the house but we are still not safe because bullets travel and we need to go to the shop and they like standing on the corners.' Police say that additional boots on the ground have been deployed in the Ravensmead policing precinct. Police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi reported: 'Ravensmead police responded to a complaint on Wednesday June 18 2025. Upon their arrival in Gladiola Street at about 2.10pm, they found the body of a man who sustained a gunshot wound. 'The victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel. Reports suggested that the victim returned from a local spaza shop when an unknown gunman opened fire, fatally wounding the 27-year-old man. 'The motive for this attack is believed to be gang-related. The unknown suspect fled the scene and is yet to be arrested.' Of the drive-by shooting, Sergeant Wesley Twigg said that SAPS detectives are investigating two counts of murder. He confirmed: 'Police members responded to a complaint of a shooting and upon arrival on the scene they found the victims with gunshot wounds to their bodies. Both victims were declared deceased on the scene...' According to reports a white Toyota Corolla drove up to the victims and opened fire. Cape Argus
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Brakpan cops rescue boy (4) abandoned in cold after hijacking
A tense search for a four-year-old boy kidnapped during a hijacking on Wednesday evening ended in a happy reunion. Brakpan Herald reports that with help from local security teams and CPF patrollers, Brakpan police officers found the child unharmed. Local SAPS rural safety and sector managers Sergeant Phatudi Mashifane and Constable Zunaid Rustoff were patrolling along the R23 (Heidelberg Road), a notorious hijacking hotspot, when at around 23:00, they came across a family that had been hijacked and kidnapped by three armed men in Kempton Park. The couple had been left stranded in their vehicle. 'They told the SAPS members that the men left them inside their hijacked VW Polo GTI after the vehicle ran out of petrol on the R23 towards Tsakani, not far from a petrol station,' says Constable Audrey Buthelezi, Brakpan SAPS Sector 1 manager and communications officer. 'The couple was frantic. They informed the officers that one of the hijackers had left with their four-year-old boy. 'The two SAPS members called for backup and started searching the area for the missing child and suspects. 'While searching, the SAPS members and personnel from private security companies were calling out for the child with hope that the child would respond if he heard them. 'The boy responded to one officer's voice, and he was found in the wet and icy bushes alone and unharmed.' The child was reunited with his parents, and the search continued for the suspects. With the assistance of a drone, the suspect who left with the child was located in the bushes near Dalpark Ext 1. 'The victims positively identified the suspect as the one who left with the boy. The 28-year-old was immediately arrested and detained at the Brakpan Police Station, charged with hijacking and kidnapping.' He was expected to appear in court within 48 hours. Brakpan SAPS Vispol commander Colonel Robert Makopo applauded the outstanding rescue efforts of the police members, the CPF patrollers and private security companies. He further commended the officers for their dedication and vigilance, and their efforts to combat crime. The security companies involved were Secure Tech Security, CP Security and Graphite Security. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Herald
6 hours ago
- The Herald
Four arrested after charred bodies found in KwaNobuhle
Swift police work saw four young suspects arrested within hours of the gruesome discovery of two burnt bodies in KwaNobuhle on Wednesday. Police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said the four male suspects were aged between 16 and 23. The bodies of two females were found by goat herders at about 7am, near the boundary of the Nyosi Wildlife Reserve and KwaNobuhle, adjacent to Fourth Avenue, Khayelitsha. Acting Eastern Cape provincial commissioner Maj-Gen Thandiswa Kupiso commended the KwaNobuhle police on the arrest. 'The swift apprehension of these suspects is a result of diligent police work and co-operation within the community. 'We assure the public that we are treating this case with the utmost seriousness,' Kupiso said. Gantana said the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murders was ongoing and further details regarding the charges the suspects faced would be disclosed as the case unfolded. 'The SAPS urges anyone with additional information related to this case to come forward and assist with the investigation.' The Herald
Zawya
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Case Backlog at Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) Contributing to Lack of Consequences within South African Police Service (SAPS)
The Portfolio Committee on Police is concerned that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) continues to face a huge case backlog, which negatively impacts on its ability to deliver on its mandate. The committee met with both IPID and the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) on the revised annual performance plan and strategic plan. 'IPID plays a critical role in ensuring accountability from the South African Police Service (SAPS), and the backlog directly undermines this drive. While the committee has noted various interventions to clear the backlog, the reality is that victims of police abuse of authority remain without recourse,' said Mr Ian Cameron, the Chairperson of the committee. The committee is concerned that there is a backlog of 14 469 cases carried over to this financial year and has called for urgent strategies to remedy the concern. While the committee welcomes the R126.3 million additional funding over the medium term and is hopeful that it will significantly contribute to reducing the case backlog, it is concerned that the additional allocation without clear plans to overcome some of the internal systematic challenges will not resolve the problem. A major impediment for the IPID is the proportionally high case per investigator ratio, and the nominal increase of employees from 387 in the 2025/26 financial year to 421 in the 2027/28 financial year will not adequately resolve the challenge. In the context of the increasing cases reported to IPID, it is necessary to ensure that the directorate is adequately capacitated to increasing demand. Meanwhile, the committee acknowledged IPID's intentions to implement a new digital case management system that will enable the entity to monitor cases and ensure better tracking and communication with victims. Notwithstanding the plan, the committee has urged IPID to effectively implement the plan, as a functional system might have a positive impact on the case backlog. The committee also welcomes the establishment of the internal investigation, Forensic Services, quality assurance and research units. The committee is of the view that the envisioned capacity will ensure that IPID will have the skills set it needs to investigate complex reported corruption cases. The implementation of the recommendations made by IPID to SAPS is also a point of concern for the committee. The meeting today highlighted a concerning trend of SAPS seemingly ignoring strong recommendations made by IPID. 'This phenomenon erodes the effectiveness of IPID and its mandate and the committee resolved that there is a need for a laser focus on the rate of implementation of the recommendations,' Mr Cameron said. Meanwhile, the committee agreed with the Minister of Police that there must be a general improvement in the conduct of SAPS members. 'The bottom line is that there is no place in the SAPS for rogue police officers who engage in criminal activity. While the IPID provides the necessary checks and balances, the SAPS members must always be fit and proper for the service they must render to the people,' Mr Cameron emphasised. With regard to PSiRA, the committee has acknowledged the intention to implement a digital strategy that will ensure a seamless interaction process with users. Of major importance is functionality, such as verifying the training of private security officers through the digital platform. The committee also welcomes the intention to increase PSiRA's footprint to ensure that private security companies in Limpopo, Northern Cape, North West are able to access its services more easily. Also, the intention to increase monitoring operations will be critical in ensuring that private security companies are legally registered and compliant with legal prescripts. The committee has always emphasised the importance of the private security industry in efforts to combat crime in the country. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Daily Maverick
12 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Eastern Cape cop back at work after pleading guilty to armed robbery, 12 more still on duty despite criminal records
A Nelson Mandela Bay police officer who pleaded guilty – in a disciplinary hearing – to charges of armed robbery, possession of stolen property and the possession of an unlicensed firearm has returned to work after a two-month suspension. The DA's Yusuf Cassim however said there were serious irregularities with the officer's disciplinary hearing. A police officer who was working in the child protection unit at the Mount Road Police station in Nelson Mandela Bay has been reinstated, although redeployed to a different police station, after pleading guilty on charges of armed robbery during a disciplinary hearing. This was confirmed by Eastern Cape MEC for Community Safety, Xolile Nqatha, in a written reply to the provincial legislature. Nqatha said the docket for the armed robbery case was opened in Stormsriver and that the criminal matter is still ongoing. He also confirmed that 12 police officers with criminal convictions are currently serving in the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the province, and 217 cases involving police officers are under investigation. Most of the convictions were for police officers helping prisoners escape. The cases included: A police officer at Mount Road SAPS was convicted of assault with the intent to do serious bodily harm. He has received a suspended sentence; An officer in Kareedouw was found guilty of fraud and fined R12,000 in court, of which R6,000 was suspended; An officer working at the Graaff Reinet SAPS was convicted of reckless and negligent driving and paid an admission-of-guilt fine; Officers in Paterson, Tsolo and Kirkwood have all been convicted of helping prisoners escape and received prison sentences of between 6 months and a year; and An officer in Mthatha paid an admission of guilt fine of R1,500 for fraud. The Democratic Alliance's Yusuf Cassim criticised the fact that 12 police officers with criminal convictions, and hundreds more facing criminal charges, are still active members of the Eastern Cape SAPS. 'Not only have these officers broken the law they swore to uphold, they also violated the trust of the residents they serve, some going so far as putting criminal elements back on the street in a province where you are more likely to be raped or murdered than anywhere else in the country,' he said. He said the officer from Mount Road SAPS accused of armed robbery had returned to duty this month, but was redeployed to Kinkelbos SAPS. 'The officer pleaded guilty in an internal disciplinary hearing to aggravated robbery, possession of stolen property and unlawful possession of a firearm, receiving a two-month suspension without pay. The criminal case against him remains ongoing.' He said the officer's disciplinary hearing was chaired by a captain despite the SAPS Discipline Regulations of 2016 requiring that an officer with the rank of brigadier or higher must chair the case. 'This breach raises serious questions about other disciplinary cases that have allowed convicted criminals to remain in positions where they are supposed to enforce the very laws they have been found guilty of breaking,' he said. 'Were their disciplinary hearings also chaired by junior officers? Were proper procedures followed before allowing these criminals to remain in the service? Who authorised these outcomes?' he asked. 'I will be writing to the National Commissioner to request a comprehensive review of all SAPS members with criminal convictions or pending criminal charges in the Eastern Cape, including an examination of the disciplinary processes followed in each case and whether these processes complied with national regulations,' he said.
