Author: Malebogo Putu
A 24-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of Friday, 27 December 2024, in Tshing Location, Ventersdorp, for allegedly stealing an ambulance with a patient inside. The incident occurred late on Thursday, 26 December 2024, at around 23:55 in front of the local hospital.According to police reports, Emergency and Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) personnel were attending to a patient who had been placed inside the ambulance for transportation to a neighbouring hospital. As the paramedics were finalizing the handover process, the suspect allegedly seized the opportunity, climbed into the driver’s seat, and drove off with the ambulance — and…
Law enforcement agencies have intensified efforts to curb illegal mining activities, resulting in multiple arrests across mining hotspot areas, including Kleinzee, Riverlea, and Stilfontein. On Friday, 27 December 2024, Operation Vala Umgodi, a multi-disciplinary task force, raided the Nattubooi informal settlement in Kleinzee. Acting on intelligence reports, members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) arrested 15 undocumented persons, including 10 men and 5 women aged 40 to 49. During the operation, police confiscated two jackhammers from one of the female suspects and apprehended a 20-year-old South African male found in possession…
Business chambers in the Eastern Cape have pledged to support STEM education following meetings held on the 10th and 11th of December 2024 with Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ms. Nomalungelo Gina. The discussions focused on addressing South Africa’s STEM skills gap and boosting collaboration with industries.The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, represented by CEO Ms. Denise van Huyssteen, highlighted the urgent need to produce more engineers, as international demand poaches local talent. The chamber invited the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI) to collaborate on identifying critical skills needs and developing tailored upskilling programs.Similarly, the Border-Kei…
The Limpopo Provincial Government has praised the quick action of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Seshego, which resulted in the arrest of a 28-year-old man for statutory rape. The arrest follows an incident where a 13-year-old girl gave birth at Seshego Hospital on 25 December 2024. Over 1 360 babies were safely delivered at public health facilities across the country on Christmas Day. According to the National Department of Health, the number of teen mothers has decreased from 145 in 2023 to just under 90. Among the new teenage mothers is a 13-year-old who gave birth to a…
Acting Gauteng Premier Lebogang Maile will visit Eldorado Park on Saturday following the murder of a female traffic warden.”I am deeply disturbed by the senseless killing of our dedicated Traffic Warden. As the Gauteng Provincial Government, we condemn all forms of violence, especially against women,” said the Acting Premier ahead of his visit.The visit comes after the tragic murder of the warden who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend who is a police officer. “We will work tirelessly to ensure justice is served and support is provided to the affected family and community,” he said.Maile is set to visit the…
The Department of Health has announced that over 1 360 babies were safely delivered at public health facilities across the country on Christmas Day. This figure represents approximately 300 fewer births than the 1 708 babies delivered in 2023 and about 50 fewer than the 1 414 babies born in 2022. The births included six sets of twins that were safely delivered in public health facilities across the country. The first Christmas baby was born exactly at midnight at Osindisweni Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, followed by another delivery at 12:01 am at Nkhensani Hospital in Limpopo. Two deliveries were recorded at…
Tigane, 23 December 2024 – Police arrested a young couple on Monday after their 14-month-old baby girl was found abandoned in Tigane. Officers were called to the scene in the early hours, where they discovered the crying child left in front of a yard. Preliminary investigations revealed that the parents, aged 21 and 26, had left the baby at home to visit a nearby tavern. The mother allegedly sent the father to retrieve the child, but he abandoned her in the street after claiming to have been chased by unknown individuals. The parents later reported their missing child to the…
Bloemhof, 24 December 2024 – Six suspects were arrested during a Crime Intelligence-led operation in Bloemhof on Sunday morning, 22 December 2024, for drug possession and dealing.The operation, carried out by the Bloemhof Crime Prevention Unit, Public Order Policing, and the Anti-Gang Unit, involved searches of five identified residences in Bloemhof town, Coverdale Extension 10, and Boitumelong Extension 4.Police seized drugs valued at R66,000 during the operation. The suspects arrested include:1. Stanley Abuchi (40) – Dealing in drugs2. Kedirileng Kgwebane (39) – Dealing in drugs3. Chidi Emeodi (41) – Possession of drugs4. Davidson Okorie (55) – Possession of drugs5. Khayalethu…
Johannesburg, 24 December 2024 – Five suspects were arrested on Monday, 23 December 2024, for unauthorized borehole drilling in the Johannesburg CBD, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) confirmed in a statement.The arrests were made by the JMPD Tactical Response Unit after reports of illegal drilling activity on Nugget Street, near the intersection of Main and Fox Streets. Investigations revealed that unauthorized drilling had also occurred at two additional locations on Durban and Delvers Streets.The suspects, including the operator of a drilling truck, were detained at the Johannesburg Central Police Station. They face charges of tampering with critical infrastructure. The…
Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ms. Nomalungelo Gina, has intensified efforts to address South Africa’s critical shortage of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills by engaging with business chambers across the country. This week, she met with the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber in Gqeberha and the Border-Kei Business Chamber in East London to discuss partnerships aimed at bridging education gaps and creating a skilled workforce.These engagements form part of a broader initiative to foster collaboration between government, business, and education institutions. Deputy Minister Gina highlighted the importance of a value chain linking STEM education, skills development,…