Man nabbed for impersonating cop in Shelly Beach
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said on July 22 at about 18:10, a police officer who was on his way home from work noticed a silver Mercedes Benz with police registration number plates at a mall in Shelly Beach.
'The vehicle was circulated and the registration number was found to belong to a different vehicle. The suspect was approached, searched and found with a fake police appointment certificate, fake firearm, a traffic police reflector jacket, blue lights and a fake Hawks working permit ' said Netshiunda.
The suspect is due to appear in the Port Shepstone Magistrate's Court tomorrow (Thursday).
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald's Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Man sentenced for defrauding Amtola Water Board in tender scam
Mthobeli Ngwenze appeared in the East London Magistrate's Court where the sentence was handed down. A 46-year-old man has been handed a five-year suspended sentence for defrauding the Amatola Water Board in a water tanker tender worth over R215 000. Mthobeli Ngwenze appeared in the East London Magistrate's Court, where the sentence was handed down. Fraud The East London-based Serious Corruption Investigation team of the Hawks secured the sentencing of Ngwenze and his company after they were found guilty of defrauding the Amatola Water Board. Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba said the case stems from an incident that took place on 26 August 2020, when Ngwenze, acting on behalf of Hard Castle Consulting (Pty) Ltd, knowingly submitted fake vehicle registration documents in a bid to win a service contract. 'The Water Board had made it clear that only proof of ownership of water tankers would be accepted. No leased vehicles or hired trucks were allowed. 'Despite this, Ngwenze submitted forged documents for a vehicle in an attempt to mislead the Board. As a result of his actions, the company was unlawfully awarded the contract and paid R215 776,' Fumba said. ALSO READ: ConCourt sets date for MK party's case against Ramaphosa over Mchunu Guilty After a detailed investigation by the Hawks, Ngwenze and Hard Castle Consulting were charged with fraud, forgery and uttering. Fumba said they both pleaded guilty to the charge of fraud. 'On 25 July 2025, sentencing was handed down in the East London Magistrate's Court. The company, Hard Castle Consulting (Pty) Ltd, was fined R100 000. Ngwenze was sentenced to five years of direct imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years. 'The provincial head of the Hawks, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, welcomed the sentence and believed it sent a strong message that dishonesty in public procurement would not go unpunished,' Fumba said. Chinese nationals fined Last week, three Chinese nationals were fined a collective R400 000 after the South African Police Services' (Saps) provincial Organised Crime Investigation unit found abalone worth nearly R2 million at an Olierivier Farm premises on 26 April. The men appeared in the Kimberley Regional Court on Thursday for contravening the Living Marine Resources Act and money laundering. They managed to escape prison time after being found guilty and each sentenced to 36 months, wholly suspended per count. ALSO READ: Man sentenced to life for murder of KZN ward councillor
IOL News
11 hours ago
- IOL News
PRASA Scandal Deepens: R7. 5 Billion Rail Project centre of focus
The Prasa headquarters were raided on Wednesday. Image: Jacques Naude/Independent Newspapers A high-level investigation into procurement irregularities at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has intensified, following a dramatic raid by the Hawks at the agency's Braamfontein headquarters. While public attention has largely focused on Maziya General Services following the release of a whistleblower report, mounting evidence now suggests that some of PRASA's most serious procurement failures — costing taxpayers billions — may lie elsewhere. On Wednesday, the Hawks' Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, supported by the National Prosecuting Authority's Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, executed a search-and-seizure operation. Laptops, mobile phones, and documents were taken from four of PRASA's top executives: CEO Hishaam Emeran, acting chief procurement officer Asif Rehman, head of legal Nompumelelo Gamedze-Phasha, and chief financial officer Brian Alexander. Brigadier Thandi Mambo, spokesperson for the Hawks, confirmed that the operation formed part of an ongoing investigation, but declined to comment further. 'To protect the integrity of our investigation, we cannot disclose details at this time,' she said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Sources familiar with the matter say that Maziya's contracts went through all required internal processes, including evaluations by the Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC), Board Adjudication Committee (BAC), and the Executive. Notably, Maziya's work appears to be one of the few bright spots in PRASA's recent efforts to restore passenger rail services. Maziya has been actively involved in rehabilitating key corridors in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Trains are now running along previously dormant routes, and infrastructure upgrades are visibly in progress. In contrast, another massive PRASA project — unrelated to Maziya — valued at R7.5 billion, appears to have stalled completely. That project, which has already consumed R2.5 billion in public funds, was meant to refurbish trains and improve network reliability. Instead, many of the trains procured remain idle, in disrepair, or have been discarded entirely. With no clear operational outcomes, the R7.5 billion deal is increasingly viewed by insiders as one of the most costly and unproductive contracts in recent memory. Now, PRASA is reportedly exploring the option of cancelling that contract. However, legal experts are warning that such a move could trigger far-reaching consequences.'Terminating a contract of this size and complexity isn't something that can be done lightly,' said Mesela Nhlapo, CEO of the African Rail Industry Association. 'Even if there were procurement irregularities, the agency could face massive financial penalties or protracted litigation. These contracts often contain strict arbitration clauses and early termination fees.' Nhlapo added that the implications for the rail industry are broader than just this case. 'This is one of the biggest financial missteps in South Africa's recent transport history. The reputational and operational damage to PRASA and the country's commuter rail system is enormous. Investors and industry players are watching closely.' PRASA, for its part, has acknowledged receipt of the whistleblower's report and confirmed it will appoint an independent panel to investigate. 'The board takes the allegations seriously,' said PRASA spokesperson Andiswa Makanda. 'In line with our whistleblower policy, the first step will be to appoint an independent investigator.'
IOL News
17 hours ago
- IOL News
Hawks continuing investigation into mysterious theft of R200 million drugs theft at DCPI offices
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, has confirmed that the investigation into the circumstances surrounding this elaborate heist is ongoing, yet clarity remains elusive. Image: File More than four years after R200 million worth of drugs vanished from the Port Shepstone Serious Organised Crime offices in 2021, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), known as the Hawks, states that the circumstances surrounding the disappearance remain uncertain and are still under investigation. At the time, the Hawks announced the launch of an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding this unexpected break-in, which set tongues wagging over the R200 million cocaine theft. However, the VP Justice Foundation, through its founder, Visham Panday has questioned whether anyone has been held accountable for the theft. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ With the ongoing spotlight on police inflitration by alleged drug kingpins, Panday has placed the blame squarely on Major General Lesetja Senona, the head of the province's Hawks. "How come General Senona was not suspended when the drugs disappeared from his watch. He is still being paid a salary, when more than 200 million worth of drugs were allegedly stolen. Now that the NPA has launched the investigation, heads are rolling. That surprises us as the VP Justice Foundation, we want to know why Senona and his team are not arrested. We know about the investigation, but the question is, what are they doing about it?" he said. In 2021, responding to the break-in, Hawks spokesperson, Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo, in a statement, said the incident was suspected to have occurred between 4 pm and 7 am, after which a case of business burglary having been registered for further investigation. 'The suspects gained entry into the building by forcing open the windows. One of the safes in the office, which was used to store exhibits, was tampered with. The suspects stole 541kg of cocaine drugs to the street value of R200 000 000 and ransacked the office where safes were kept,' she said. This week, Mbambo said the Hawks are investigating the matter stating:"Investigation into the theft of drugs at the DPCI Port Shepstone still continues and details thereof cannot be made available to the public so as to protect the integrity of the investigation." In an email to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Gosai and Incoporated said it is aware of the NPA investigation involving Major General Senona related to the R200 million drug theft. "Our clinet calls for the immediate suspension of General Senona and other implicated persons, pending the finalisation of the investigation and decision, and instructs that he is the person in the possession of the evidence whichhwhich could be of assistence and is prepared to meet with the NPA to handover." However, the NPA was never able to confirm the alleged investigation into the matter following attemps to get comment from the NPA with Generl Senona also not available to respond to the allegations.
