The police are pleading with the public to assist them in locating the relatives of an unknown man who was allegedly found hanging from a tree in the veld along the Barkly road, Bloemanda on 28 November 2023.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Timothy Sam said, the body has since not been claimed and police are still pleading to the public to assist in locating the family of the deceased.
“The deceased was wearing a blue and grey coloured overall, with dark spectacles. The police do not have any information regarding his identity hence requested the assistance of the public in identifying the deceased.
“Anyone with information is urged to visit Galeshewe SAPS or contact Detective Sergeant Isaac Motlabi at 082 469 0546 or 08600 10111 or via the MySAPS App. All information will be treated confidentially,” he said.
Picture: The police conduct stop and search during Operation Shanela/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
More than 369 suspects were arrested during Operation Shanela for various crimes such as murder, attempted murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft out of motor vehicle and illegal possession of firearms.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Timothy Sam said this includes illicit mining, malicious damage to property, dealing and possession of drugs, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs as well as undocumented illegal immigrants.
“The suspects were also apprehended for stock theft and illegal possession of ammunition. The actions and police activities executed during the operations included, Vehicle Check Points (VCPs), stop and searches, foot and vehicle patrols, compliance inspections, drugs and other commodities smuggling.
“Several VCPs and roadblocks were conducted across the province during which a total of 3194 vehicles and 5657 persons were stopped and searched. Numerous compliance inspections at secondhand dealers, scrapyards, recyclers, private security, firearm dealers, formal and informal businesses, farms and mines were also executed,” he said.
Sam further said Operation Shanela is a weekly multi-disciplinary high density operation, which commenced on 25-28 January 2024 with a focus on the reduction of contact and violent crimes.
“More than 109 daily wanted suspects were also traced and brought to book for evading court appearances and contravention of court orders.
“The police confiscated large volumes of alcoholic beverages, drugs, non ferrous metal items and cash that is believed to be the proceeds of crime,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, expressed her gratitude to all law enforcement agencies for the collective efforts and actions executed during this period. She commended the community for their support and being whistle-blowers by reporting crime.
Picture: The illicit mining equipment seized by the police/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
More than 16 suspects were arrested for contravention of the Immigration Act and Illicit Mining Act in Kleinsee on 26 January 2024. The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Timothy Sam said numerous illicit mining equipment, including generators, jack hammers, drills, bags with diamond bearing gravel, sieves, shovels, crushers and cash that is believed to be the proceeds of crime were confiscated.
Sam said the suspects were arrested during a joint Operation Vala Umgodi between South African Police Service (SAPS) and South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
“The law enforcement agencies are relentless in combating illicit mining activities. The suspects will appear in the Port Nolloth Magistrate’s Court on 29 January 2024.
“The police will continue to disrupt illegal mining activities in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders,” he said.
Setshwantsho: Patrick Kgopodimetsi are ntlo ya gagabo e awa
Ka OBAKENG MAJE
Monna mongwe wa kwa Chiefscourt, gaufi le Taung, o kaile fa a setse a latlhegetswe ke tshepo morago ga go kwadisa ntlo ya RDP dingwaga di feta masome a mabedi, fela ga go nko e tswa lemina. Patrick Kgopodimetsi (37) yo o dulang mo ntlung ya mmu ya diphaphosi di le pedi are, fa e sale batsadi ba gagwe ba kwadisitse ntlo ya RDP fela ga go tle gore e agiwe.
Kgopodimetsi yo o tlhalositseng fa batsadi ba gagwe ba tlhokofetse mo ngwageng o o fitileng, are o ikuela go masepala o mogolwane wa Taung go mo tlhaga thuso.
“Ke lobaka re emetse ntlo ya RDP, fela ga gona ope o re thusang. Ntlo eo, ene e kwadisitswe ke rre o a ntsalang eleng, Maele Kgopodimetsi. Fela, o ile a tlhokafala mo ngwageng o fetileng. Se se botlhoko, ntlo e ya mmu e ya wa, mme ga gona ko re tla bonang thuso teng.
“Rena le dingwaga di le 20 re kwadisitse ntlo, mme ga go direge sepe. Ke ile ka leba kwa masepala, mme ga gona thuso. Ke ne ke kopa gore ba ba maleba ba ntlhage thuso,” Kgopodimetsi wa tlhalosa.
Moagisani wa ga Kgopodimetsi, Maserame Karope (61) are o na le sebaka e le moagisani wa ga Kgopodimetsi, mme seemo se a tshelelang mo go sone ga se jese diwelang. Karope are, se se botlhoko, ene ya re ka phitlho ya ga rragwe Patrick, ntlo ile ya wa setopo se le mo ntlung.
“Re kopa gore puso e thuse lelapa le, gonne seemo se ba tshelelang mo go sone ga se sentle le eseng,” Karope wa tlhalosa.
Kgabagare, molekgotlha wa kgorwana e, Kealeboga Seboko are: “Ga nkake ka ba ka ganela gore Patrick a ka tswa a na le dingwaga dile 20 a tsentse kopo ya ntlo. Fela, nna kena le dingwaga di le pedi fela ke le molekgotlha. Jaanong, seo se raya gore ke fitlhetse seemo ka mokgwa o seleng ka teng, mme se ke se tlhaloganyang ke gore ntlo e Patrick a bua ka yone, ke ntlo ya kwa lelapeng la bone.
“Jaanong, fa seemo se ntse jaana, o tshwanetse gore o ele tlhoko gore kgang e ga e kitla e tsosa ketsaetsego mo lelapa, gonne o ka tlogana o fa motho a le nosi ntlo mme seo se tsose tlhatlharuwane. Ga gona bothata gonne ntlo eo, e setse e netefaditswe gore e teng, mme se ke tlileng go se dira ke go golagana le ba lelapa, mme bone ba tlhope kemedi ya bone.”
Seboko are ba lelapa ba tla tlhalosa gore, ntlo e e tlabe e agiwa, ga ese ya motho ope, mme ke ya lelapa. Seboko are jaanong, ga nkitla a naya motho a le nosi ntlo, ntle le netefaletso ya lelapa.
“Ntlo ya ko ga Kgopodimetsi e netefaditswe, mme Patrick ene a tswelele a kwadise ntlo e eleng ya gagwe fela jalo, gonne rona rele masepala, ga re beng ba mantlo. Lefapha la matlo le dipuso selegae ke lone le ikarabelang ka matlo.
“Gongwe o tla atlega fa nako e ntse e tsamaya. Mo lenaneng le ke nang le lone, ntlo ya kwa ga rra Kgopodimetsi e teng mo lenaneng, fela mong wa ntlo ene ke Maele Kgopodimetsi yo a setseng a hulere,” Seboko wa tlhalosa.
The police in Mahikeng request the community’s assistance in locating the missing Otsile Alfred Sebolao (36), who resides in Signal Hill, outside Mahikeng. The North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said Sebolao was last seen on 27 December 2023.
“A search was conducted in the village and the surrounding areas, but that did not yield positive results. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a white t-shirt and blue tracksuit trousers.
“He is dark in complexion, brown eyes, with a medium built body, 1.6m in height with long black hair. Anyone who may have information regarding his whereabouts is requested to contact the Investigating Officer, Sergeant Phale on 060 987 7601,” he said.
Mokgwabone further said individuals can call the South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Stop number on 08600 10111. He added that anonymous tip-offs can also be communicated via the My SAPS App from one smartphone.
A man who was arrested for murder was remanded in custody by the Bloemhof Magistrate’s Court on 26 January 2024. Johny Johannes Potgieter (27) allegedly fatally stabbed his friend, Jamie Van Tonder (47) with a knife in the early hours of Monday morning (22 January 2024).
The North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said, Potgieter allegedly then went to his parents’ place and alerted them of the incident. Mokgwabone further said his parents accompanied him to his place, where they found Van Tonder’s partially burnt body with a stab wound in a backroom.
“The police were summoned to the scene and that led to the arrest of Potgieter. A knife and blood-stained clothes were seized. His murder case was postponed to 5 February 2024 for formal bail application,” he added.
Picture: Nthapelang Primary School in Matolong village
By OBAKENG MAJE
South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region has slammed the North West Department of Education after Taung DailyNews exposed the dire situation at Nthapelang Primary School in Matolong village, near Taung, where toilets were used as classrooms.
SANCO provincial spokesperson, Mzukisi Jam said they are deeply concerned with strong displeasure regarding the decision taken by the school principal and the School Governing Body (SGB) at the school to repurpose toilets as classrooms. Jam further said this decision made due to a shortage of classrooms, is not only unacceptable but also creates an unconducive environment for the learners.
“The situation also infringes upon their basic human rights. The start of the 2024 academic year in the province has witnessed an overwhelming surge in the number of learners, exacerbating the issue of overcrowded schools.
“It is disheartening to note that year after year, little to nothing is being done by the provincial government to address and resolve the persistent problem of classroom shortages. The Nthapelang Primary School is equipped with only six classrooms and is forced to accommodate 220 learners, spanning from Grade R to Grade 7,” he said.
Jam added that the amalgamation of Grade R and Grade 1, as well as Grade 5 and 6 at the school, further exacerbates the challenge. He said during discussions with the Head of the School, it was disclosed that the SGB, parents, and school management collectively agreed to convert an unused toilet into a classroom due to the underutilization of the pit ablution block.
“We are profoundly dismayed and raise concerns about how the department allowed the situation to escalate to a point, where the school principal felt compelled to make such a decision. This suggests a concerning lack of proactive intervention by the district office and the department in addressing the alarming incident at schools, particularly, at Nthapelang Primary School.
“This unfortunate circumstance not only burdens teachers and principals with immense pressure but, more importantly, compromises the quality of education provided to the learners. We are wondering whether the district office was aware of the school’s dire situation of shortage of classrooms,” he said.
Jam said they anticipate that, the department should have prioritised this matter and taken steps to ensure that, the school prevented the repurposing of toilets as classrooms. He said such actions compromise the integrity of the department.
Meanwhile, the North West Department of Education spokesperson, Mphata Molokwane said: “The recent situation at the school, where toilets were unfortunately used as classrooms has been addressed. Upon learning of the situation, the department immediately dispatched officials to the school to resolve the issue and on the next day, learners were back to their normal classrooms.
“The department found that the principal committed a serious mistake by utilizing the toilets as classrooms even when the school had enough classrooms for learning and teaching. The department also found that, the principal made another error of taking teachers from neighbouring schools.”
Molokwane said the principal acted universally by transferring teachers to his school. He said it is important to clarify that, the situation was immediately rectified as soon as the department became aware of and all learners are back in proper classrooms.
A man was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Mogwase Regional Court on 26 January 2024 for raping a minor. The accused (33) was also sentenced to five years for kidnapping. The North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said the accused dragged the girl (12) into the bushes in Morogong village, Ramokokastad, outside Rustenburg in December 2020 and raped her.
“The matter was reported to the police and the accused was subsequently arrested. The court further declared the accused unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000). Moreover, the court gave an order that the accused’s name be included in the National Register for Sex Offenders,” said Mokgwabone.
Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, commended the Investigating Officer, D/Constable Balungile Makaya of Mogwase Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and the Prosecutor, Advocate Tebogo Mokoka, as well as other role players for their collaborative efforts to ensure that the accused gets a hefty sentence.
Five accused persons were sentenced to a combined 115 by the Gauteng North High Court in Pretoria for kidnapping, robbery aggravating and murder on 26 January 2024. In October 2020, Lebogang Tshabalala (29), Everjoy Sibanda (20), Lucky Motholo (25), Kagiso Matlhabe (22) and Kamogelo Modise (23) kidnapped and killed Neo Modubu (34).
The North West police spokesperson, Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said Modubu’s parents, reported him missing in Brits on 28 October 2020 after he failed to return from Crocodile Mine, where he worked. Mokgwabone further said the missing person’s body was found three days later with hands tied at the back.
“A murder case was registered at Mooinooi Police Station for investigation. In conjunction with PPS security officers, the investigator managed to piece together evidence and that led to the arrest of four of the five accused in Brits and Oukasie Location between 19 and 20 December 2020.
“After PPS security officers spotted a white Toyota Avanza on 19 December 2020, which the accused used to commit the crimes. The accused made several appearances in the Brits Magistrate’s Court until their case was transferred to the High Court,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mokgwabone added that the fifth accused, Kamogelo Modise was later arrested in Diepsloot and joined his co-accused on 1 February 2022. He said Lebogang Tshabalala, Everjoy Sibanda, and Lucky Motholo were acquitted on a charge of murder.
“However, all five accused were found guilty of kidnapping and robbery aggravating. Kagiso Matlhabe and Kamogelo Modise were also found guilty of murder. As a result, all accused were each given three years imprisonment for kidnapping.
“Furthermore, four of them were each sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for robbery aggravating, while Lucky Motholo got 10 years for the same offense. Regarding the murder, Kagiso Matlhabe and Kamogelo Modise were each given 15 years imprisonment,” said Mokgwabone.
Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, applauded Sgt Leornard Mapataka for his meticulous investigation that resulted in the sentencing of five accused to a combined 115 years imprisonment. Kwena also lauded the prosecutor, advocate Salome Scheepers, and PPS security officers for their hard work and cooperation to ensure that justice is served.
“The sentences will indeed serve as a warning that crime does not pay,” he said.
Picture: Bafana Bafana players against Tunisia/Google
By OBAKENG MAJE
Bafana Bafana bid farewell to Korhogo on Saturday and will be heading to San Pedro, where they will face Morocco at Stade Laurent Pokou in the eagerly anticipated Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Round of 16 showdowns between the two sides on Tuesday night.
Bafana Bafana coach, Hugo Broos’ team had made CAN Village in Korhogo their home away from home since arriving in Côte d’Ivoire on 11 January 2024 ahead of the tournament group stages.
With qualification to the next round secured after a comfortable 4-0 win against Namibia, a goalless draw with Tunisia and a 0-2 defeat to Mali, the South African senior men’s team have now turned their attention fully to Morocco.
Broos said: “We are thankful that my charges have already met the North Africans in the last few months and know what to expect on Tuesday. You will remember that, Bafana Bafana defeated the FIFA World Cup semi-finalists 2-1 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier played at a vociferous FNB Stadium on 17 June 2023.
“So, we know and understand how this team plays, as we have played them before. We have also won against them and nothing is impossible. In this AFCON, we are seeing that nothing is impossible and I believe in my players. I believe they can do it and I know that they believe in themselves too.”
He further said Mothobi Mvala and Khuliso Mudau, suffered knocks during the final Group E game against a very physical Tunisia, which saw both players spending time in the sick bay for most of Thursday and Friday. Broos added that the two players sat out training during the two days.
“Mothobi took a knock while Mudau is recovering very well. I was surprised that he was able to walk the next day, but he is still in recovery for now. Both players are with the medical staff and they are being treated around the clock to ensure that they are fit for selection on Tuesday,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana captain, Ronwen William has issued a call to South Africans to continue to support the team as they head to San Pedro with the hope that the next stop will be Bouake afterward and then Abidjan.
“I would like to urge all South Africans to stand by us through thick and thin. Like every other team, we need support, and this means everything. This sacrifice we make is not only for us but also for everyone back home. It is our goal to make you proud,” he said.
The Guardian 