By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

A 36-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder by the North West High Court in Klerksdorp. Daniel Owusu Mintah brutally murdered Lovemore Ncube (5) back in 2018.

North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant Col, Amanda Funani said Ncube was last seen with Mintah at Indian Centre near Ikageng Location in Potchefstroom. Funani said Ncube went to the shops to buy some sweets, but he was reported missing after he failed to return home.

“It came out in court that Ncube met with the accused who took him to his residential place where he was assaulted and suffocated with a pillow. Ncube’s lifeless body was discovered under the bed by Mintah’s friend, who was searching for his cell phone. The police were alerted and Mintah was arrested. He has been behind bars ever since his arrest,” she said.

In another incident, Sipho Sunnyboy Molobe (53) was sentenced to a life and an additional 40 years imprisonment. Funani said Molobe shot and killed Albert Mosekwa Raseboya (39) at Oukasie Location near Brits back in 2015.

“It was reported during the incident that Raseboya who attempted to run away after Molobe and his accomplices demanded money from him, was shot and killed on the scene. The incident occurred at Raseboya’s place where he was operating a tavern.

“Molobe was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, 15 years in prison for robbery with aggravating circumstances, 10 years in prison for being in possession of an unlawful firearm, 10 years in prison for being in possession of unlawful ammunition, and five years in prison for housebreaking with intent to rob,” she said.

Funani added that the additional 40 years imprisonment will run concurrently with the life sentence. Molobe was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000).

North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena lauded the Ikageng and Brits Detectives for a sterling job which ensured that merciless murderers get hefty sentences.

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By REGINALD KANYANE

Three suspects aged 32, 43 and 45 are expected to appear at the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday for being in possession of endangered species. North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant Col Amanda Funani said police received a tip-off after three men allegedly tried to sell a pangolin worth R1.4 million at Waterfall Mall in Rustenburg on Thursday.

“The trio was apprehended by members of the Provincial Organised Crime Unit. According to information received, the police spotted a Silver Ford Figo vehicle with Gauteng Province registration numbers in the vicinity of the mall. The vehicle was approached for a search and a pangolin worth R1.4 million was found inside.

“All three suspects were arrested and charged for possession of endangered species. The North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant Gen Sello Kwena applauded the Provincial Organised Crime for the success.  Kwena also thanked members of the community for their valuable information which led to the arrest.

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By BAKANG MOKOTO

Two suspects appeared at Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court separately for fraud and being in possession of a stolen vehicle on Thursday. According to police, Equal Siyakhula Zitha (19) and Kamogelo Makua (20) were arrested in Phola near Ogies in Mpumalanga on Tuesday.

North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant Col Amanda Funani said the arrest comes after intensive investigations over fraudulent car deals at one of the car dealerships in Klerksdorp. Funani said during the arrest, Zitha was found in possession of a Ford Ranger.

“Our intensive investigations linked Makua to five fraudulent vehicle purchase transactions including the Ford Ranger found in possession of Zitha. The other two transactions were conducted in Vereeniging and Pretoria respectively.

“It was also established that the format of the salary advice and bank statements used by the suspects were possibly linked to a syndicate operating from Phola of which several cases were registered for fraudulent transactions between November 2018 and March 2020 in Witbank, Boksburg, Lydenburg, Sandton, Burgersfort, Whiteriver and Nelspruit,” she said.

The two accused were granted an R5000 bail each and will be back in court on 7 September 2020.

In a separate incident, an inquiry docket was opened after a Toyota Avanza which Zitha’s relatives traveled in to attend court, was seized, says Funani. She added that this comes after a preliminary investigation that revealed that the vehicle was sought for recovery by Wesbank.

She said the seized vehicle was allegedly bought in Klerksdorp using the same modus operandi.

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By OBAKENG MAJE

The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) and South African Police Service (SAPS) management embarked on a consultative engagement to strengthen their working relationship. This comes after reports of harassment by police officers against journalists while covering protests.

SANEF deputy chairperson, Katy Katopodis said they held a robust, frank, and successful meeting on a wide range of issues, including the working relations between journalists and members of the police.

“We have tabled concerns regarding the hindrance and harassment of journalists in courts around the country as well as the media’s experiences of harassment and injury by SAPS members, while in the field covering the Coronavirus crisis.

“In turn, SAPS tabled concerns regarding some members of the media obstructing police in their course of duty. Further, they outlined their new Online Policing Strategy to fight crime online. The details will be released at the later stage,” Katopolis said.

She further said the meeting agreed that despite specific serious incidents, the relationship between journalists and various units of the SAPS was primarily mutually cordial and reflecting the spirit of cooperation between the media and the SAPS. Katopolis added that both agreed parties agreed that the police and journalists can do their jobs without confrontations.

“It is possible for both parties to respect their various roles out in the field. Furthermore, the meeting decided to recommit to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed more than 10 years ago but is still relevant. It was agreed that this document needed to be updated and made relevant to the current times, before being signed by September.

“To make this work further, the meeting agreed to establish a team with representatives from both SAPS and SANEF to unpack the MoU. It will recommend a programme of action that includes training for journalists on crime scene etiquette and training for police officers on the critical role of the media in covering crime and protests,” she said.

Katopolis said the SANEF is committed to championing South Africa’s hard-won freedom of expression and promoting quality, ethics, and diversity in the South African media. She said the structure promotes excellence in journalism through fighting for media freedom, writing policy submissions, research and education and training programmes.

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