TRAGIC LOSS OF FOUR LEARNERS CAR ACCIDENT IN EKURHULENI @KASIBCNEWS

Gauteng MEC for Education, Mr Matome Chiloane, is saddened to confirm the tragic loss of four learners from Tom Newby Primary School, Rynfield Primary School and an ECD centre following a fatal car accident that took place this morning on Monday, 10 March 2025, on the N12 in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni. 

It is alleged that the accident involved a collision between multiple vehicles on the N12 westbound near the Putfontein Road off-ramp in Daveyton, resulting in the tragic loss of life of four learners. One of the vehicles happened to be a private scholar transport, which was transporting the learners to school. Law enforcement agencies are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident to establish the exact cause. 

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The deceased include two boy learners in Grade 1 and Grade 3, who were siblings from Tom Newby Primary School in Benoni; a Grade 1 boy learner from Rynfield Primary School also in Benoni, and a Grade R boy learner from an ECD centre that is still to be identified. Additionally, another girl learner in Grade 3 from Rynfield Primary School is in critical condition as a result of the accident, and has been admitted to a local hospital for urgent medical care. 

The GDE Psycho-Social Support Unit has been dispatched to both Tom Newby and Rynfield Primary Schools to provide immediate counselling services to learners and educators in the aftermath of this devastating incident. 

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of these young learners whose lives were tragically cut short by this unfortunate incident. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families, friends, and the school communities during this painful period. The Department stands ready to provide the necessary support to all affected,” said MEC Chiloane. 

South Africa and India Sign MOU @KASIBCNEWS

South Africa and India Sign MOU @KASIBCNEWS

The National School of Government (NSG) and the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to foster collaboration in capacity building, research, consultancy, and knowledge sharing to enhance governance and public sector performance.

The partnership will enable both institutions to utilize their expertise in training, research, advisory services, and professional development to equip public servants with the necessary skills and competencies to drive national development.

Key areas of cooperation under this MOU include:

• Capacity building and training programs for public sector professionals.
• Joint research initiatives to inform policy and governance best practices.
• Advisory and consultancy services.
• Knowledge sharing and networking platforms.
• Exchange programs.

The collaboration between the two institutions will take various forms, such as facilitated field study tours, seminars, workshops, and information sharing, to foster mutual learning and professional growth.

The NSG principal, Prof Busani Ngcaweni, said, “Partnerships are a key focus for the NSG as they enable us to expand the depth of training delivery and diversity and allow access to expertise that we do not have. This collaboration with ASCI aligns with NSG’s mission to build a highly skilled and ethical public sector. We aim to strengthen governance and service delivery through joint research, training, and advisory programs."

Prof Ngcaweni added that the signing of the partnership marked the beginning of a strategic partnership that will enhance public sector capacity and capabilities, promote good governance, and facilitate international best practices in administration and management. The signing of this MoU is a milestone in the growing bilateral relations between South Africa and India.

These relations were forged during the struggle against apartheid, with India becoming one of the first countries in the world to impose sanctions against the apartheid regime and bringing the issue of apartheid to the attention of the United Nations and other relevant international platforms

GAUTENG 634 SUSPECTS ARRESTED @KASIBCNEWS

The Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP) and the Gauteng Traffic Wardens (GTWs) working with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other stakeholders conducted High Density Operations and Operation Shanela throughout the 07th of March 2025 to 09th of March 2025. 

The weekend long operations yielded six hundred and twenty-nine (629) arrests across Gauteng and form part of the provincial government’s integrated efforts to intensify the fight against crime and prevent lawlessness in Gauteng.  

In the City of Ekurhuleni, law enforcement officials made two hundred arrests (200) arrests within the Primrose, Katlehong, Elsburg, Crystal Park, Boksburg, Springs, Zonkizizwe, Daveyton, Germiston, Tsakane, Ivory Park, Kempton Park, Nigel, and Actonville policing precincts. 

A total of thirty-eight (38) undocumented foreign nationals were arrested, while 16 persons were arrested for selling liquor without a license and twenty seven (27) suspects for possession of drugs. Other charges included drinking and driving, common assault, theft, drug dealing and murder amongst other things.  The City of Tshwane made one hundred and eighty-seven arrests (187), with forty-five (45) of those being for drinking and driving, eighty-six (86) for public drinking, twenty-six (26) for contravention of the immigration act and seventeen (17) for possession of drugs. 

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The arrests were made within the Ga-rankuwa, Sunnyside, Erasmia, Pretoria central, Bronkhorspruit, Rietgat and Ekangala policing precincts. Law Enforcement Agencies within the Sedibeng District Municipality made one hundred and five (105) arrests for cases which include selling liquor without a licence, selling illegal cigarettes, possession of drugs, Assault GBH and possession of illegal firearms within Sebokeng, De Deur, Orange Farm, Barrage Vanderbijil Park. Many of the arrests were for undocumented persons, which included seventy-eight (78) suspects.  

The City of Johannesburg yielded a total of eighty-four (84) arrests for charges including driving under the influence of alcohol, public drinking, possession of drugs, selling liquor without a license, assault GBH and robbery, house robbery and stolen goods. 

The arrests took place within Eldorado Park, Mondeor, Lenasia, Bramley, Naledi, Dieplsoot, Braamfischer, Dobsonville, Doornkop and Cosmo City. The West Rand District Municipality made fifty-nine (59) arrests for cases which include undocumented persons, shoplifting, house breaking and theft, M.I.T.P intimidation, possession of drugs, dealing in liquor without license, drunk and driving, common assault, assault GBH, contravention of protection order and assault GBH, domestic violence, failure to appear at court and possession of suspected drugs. 

The arrests were made within the Fochville, Kagiso, Magaliesburg, Westonaria, Krugersdorp and Muldesdrift policing precincts. “Cases such as public drinking, drinking and driving, undocumented persons and possession of drugs continue to plague our communities and pose a serious threat to the safety of residents. 

The Gauteng Traffic Police commends the work of law enforcement officials in working together to ensure that perpetrators of these crimes are brought to book. 

The officials will continue to conduct these operations to root out elements of crime in our communities,” said the Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson Mr Sello Maremane. 

CHINESE NATIONALS GUILTY HUMAN TRAFFICKING @KASIBCNEWS

Long-awaited sentencing in the trial of seven Chinese nationals found guilty of human trafficking and child labour postponed

The sentencing proceedings in the trial of seven Chinese nationals found guilty of human trafficking and child labour at the Gauteng South Division Court in Johannesburg were today postponed to late next month (April).

The defence represented by Counsel J. Kruger applied for the postponement of the sentencing proceedings and this request was granted. Kruger said in Court today that the defence was still seized with studying the judgment that found the accused guilty. He also told the Court that the defence was yet to obtain medical evidence of accused number six, who he disclosed that she has been “hit by a stroke”.  

The seven Chinese nationals were on 25 February 2025 found guilty on 160 Counts. The criminals are: Kevin Tsao Shu-Uei, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying, and Zhang Zhilian. The accused are facing schedule six offences.  

The Chinese were found guilty of not registering with the Compensation Fund and declaring their operations; failure to keep records of their earnings; failure to submit their return on earnings; failure to pay and declare assessments; failure to maintain a safe workplace; failure to report incidents; failure to register and declare with Unemployment Insurance Fund Commissioner; failure to inform the Commissioner on Unemployment Insurance changes; guilty of human trafficking; aiding/facilitating human trafficking; bondage; benefiting from victims of human trafficking; assisting illegals to remain in South Africa.

The seven criminals were arrested on 12 November 2019 in a joint operation carried out at their premises -  Beautiful City Pty Ltd based at Village Deep in Johannesburg. The joint inspection blitz was carried out by the Department of Employment and Labour’s Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch together with the South African Police Service (SAPS)/ Hawks Unit and the Department of Home Affairs, this following a tip-off.

The joint operation uncovered illegal immigrants some of whom were minors working under horror conditions and kept in the locked premises of Beautiful City. The factory produced cotton fibre sheets.

The six accused were remanded in custody, except accused number six (Dai Junying) who is out on medical grounds. The accused came to the Court being pushed in a wheelchair. The sentencing proceedings are now set for 29-30 April 2025

NGOs under investigation for Money Laundering and Terror Financing @KASIBCNEWS

The Department of Social Development has noted attributed statements in recent media reports that 50 SA NGOs are being probed for terror funding and money laundering. The Department would like to put it on record that there are No such NPOs.

The Department convened a symposium with NPOs and other stakeholders to make the NPO community aware of South Africa’s obligations with regard to the implementation of anti-money laundering and the counter terror financing measures. The aim of the symposium was to strengthen consultation mechanisms between government and NPOs. It focused on deficiencies in SA’s measures to protect NPOs from exploitation to fund terrorist organisations as identified in the 2021 FATF Mutual Evaluation. 

The FATF reiterated its findings relating to these deficiencies in its 2024 Mutual Evaluation Follow Up Report on South Africa (available on file:///content/dam/fatf-gafi/fur/South-Africa-Follow-Up-Report-2024.pdf.coredownload.inline.pdf).

Delegates were informed about the recently launched NPO TF Risk Assessment that was undertaken to assess the nature of potential threats and inherent vulnerabilities that may potentially put NPOs in South Africa at risk of terror financing abuse (https://www.dsd.gov.za/index.php/documents?task=download.send&id=565&ca…).  

However, at no point during the symposium were any allegations made that NPOs in South Africa are implicated in terrorist financing or money laundering, or that the South African authorities are investigating any NPOs for involvement in these activities.

Just Energy Transition Plan (JETP) @KASIBCNEWS

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has noted the decision by US President Donald Trump to revoke international climate finance, including funds allocated to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Plan (JETP).

This is a blatant act of economic sabotage, proving once again that the United States uses financial aid as a tool to impose its will on sovereign nations. As the EFF, we have always stated that South Africa has been a willing experimental tool for transitions to alternative methods of energy generation, while being given incentives and exorbitant loans to abandon coal as our basesupply for energy generation. 

The US-funding has always been designed to encourage South Africa to abandon coal, and has trapped us in loan agreements for this purpose, and now this withdrawal of financing is yet another means to exhibit strength by the US in response to South Africa’s principled stance against Apartheid Israel.

It is no coincidence that this decision was announced just minutes after a parliamentary debate, initiated by the EFF, on the United States' decision to halt aid to South Africa. 

The timing of Trump’s move is a clear act of retaliation, exposing the deep-seated arrogance of Western imperialists who seek to punish nations that refuse to bow to their dictates. 

Trump’s actions confirm what the EFF has always maintained: foreign aid is a weapon of neocolonial control, designed to keep African nations dependent, vulnerable, and submissive to Western interests. 

The United States, under Trump’s racist and imperialist administration, has made it clear that it does not support genuine development but rather seeks to cripple South Africa’s progress towards energy sovereignty. 

We must ask: Why should South Africa’s ability to transition to renewable energy depend on the financial whims of a foreign power? The very fact that Trump can revoke such funding at will proves that our government has failed to establish true self-reliance in energy production. 

The ANC-led administration’s dependence on Western climate finance has now backfired, further exposing the dangers of outsourcing our developmental agenda to imperialist forces. 

The EFF maintains that South Africa’s energy transition must not be privatized or reliant on foreign donors. A Just Energy Transition must be fully state-led, ensuring that Eskom remains publicly owned and is capacitated to drive the shift to renewable energy. South Africa must immediately invest in alternative energy sources, utilizing its vast natural resources to develop independent, sovereign energy production. 

Workers and communities reliant on coal and fossil fuel industries must be protected, with guaranteed economic alternatives that do not leave them in poverty. Above all, South Africa must reject all forms of economic blackmail by Western powers and take decisive steps to resist US interference in our domestic affairs. 

South Africa must break free from Western control and take full charge of its energy future. The time for economic self-sufficiency is now. 

R350 MILLION COVID-19 Pandemic Grant Fraudsters @KASIBCNEWS 

The DA calls for the swift investigation and prosecution of 6,000 more State employees, found by the Special Investigations Unit to have unlawfully received the special Temporary Employment Relief grant during the COVID-19 Pandemic, while simultaneously receiving their government salary or remuneration.

An amount of R350 million is believed to have been stolen from the people of South Africa by this callous fraud, committed by State employees.

The SIU revealed to Parliament last week that over 6,000 state employees benefited from the TERS benefit, while also being paid by the state, through acts of fraud and corruption, which must be investigated and prosecuted.

Investigations into all 6,000 cases must now be undertaken by the Public Service Commission. The DA has written to the Chairperson of the Commission, requesting him to launch this probe without delay.

It must also be investigated as to whether officials at the Unemployment Insurance Fund, which administered the TERS payouts, contributed to this fraud, or played a role in the corruption of the process.

The Head of the SIU, Advocate Andy Mothibi, emphasised out of the SIU’s investigation that government employees manipulated the system for personal financial gain.

At the highest office of ANC Government, the Presidency, former Spokesperson Khusela Diko was herself implicated in an irregular PPE contract with her husband, and stepped down from her role, showing the heights from which the pandemic relief funds were plundered, misappropriated, and corrupted.

It appears that across Departments, State employees living in all nine Provinces cashed in on Pandemic Relief funds meant for those desperately in need, for their own selfish enrichment. Gauteng-based State employees were found to have been most implicated, with 1,665 cases in that Province alone.

The DA will push for the Public Service Commission to process these investigations, and hand them over to the police for prosecution, as soon as possible.