
Almots 16,000 people nabbed for various crimes countrywide, reveals SAPS
JOHANNESBURG - Almost 16,000 people have been arrested for various crimes countrywide in a week.
The South African police revealed in a statement that its operations have led to the incarceration of more than 200 rape suspects.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) says the highest rates of KwaZulu natal has the highest number of suspects nabbed for rape which is more than a quarter of the total 255.
Police spokesperson Amanda van Wyk says they have also managed to stop a drug trafficker.
'Also, on Friday, 23 May 2025, a 39-year-old Brazilian national was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport after arriving from São Paulo. The suspect was in transit to Benin when police intercepted him during a search. Cocaine valued at approximately R1.4 million was found wrapped around his legs.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Eyewitness News
31 minutes ago
- Eyewitness News
The normalisation of femicide in South Africa
Bonolo Mahlatsi 6 June 2025 | 12:09 Femicide Gender-based violence (GBV) Women's Month A memorial service was held for Olorato Mongale in Bloemfontein on 29 May 2025. Picture: Katlego Jiyane/EWN Femicide, gender-based violence (GBV), and violence in general have become an integral part of life for South African women. This horrendous crime is a national crisis, plaguing society as a whole. Despite South Africa's robust legal framework, policies and strategic plans aimed at tackling GBV and femicide, such scourges are still escalating and appear to be deeply rooted in societal norms. The epidemic of femicide that South Africa is and has been facing is misogyny amplified, normalised, and reproduced. It has become normal for women to be violated and ostracised while already being vulnerable. The violence against women, and its normalisation, has once again come under the spotlight with the murder of Olorato Mongale, who was killed by a man she went on a first date with. The unfortunate and untimely passing of Olorato, a reminder of what South Africa has become for women, hit home for many individuals, including her friends, who tried to find her after her phone location indicated she was in a dangerous place. Upon realising she was missing, social media posts were circulated seeking assistance from the public about her whereabouts. Olorato was a postgraduate student. Her body was found in Lombardy West in Johannesburg on Sunday, less than two hours after she was picked up. THE SOCIAL MEDIA NARRATIVE However, as if the murder of yet another young woman was not bad enough, it was unfortunate to read the comments posted on social media, such as: "Why did she go out with a stranger?" "Why did she not drive herself to the date?" The posts blamed her for not taking extra measures to avoid putting herself in danger. The comments continued despite people learning about the safety measures Olorato had put in place, including sharing her location with friends. The comments suggest she did not know any better. Another grim and unfortunate instance of femicide was that of Sbusiso Lawrence, a KwaZulu-Natal man who took a disturbing video of himself 'unaliving' (killing) his partner in December 2024. Lawrence's video sparked outrage after he shared the traumatic incident on social media, where he attempted to justify his actions, saying he was triggered by being mistreated in their relationship and was seen with blood on his face. After confessing, he was later found hanging from a tree near the murder scene. The normalisation there was in people asking, "Why did she leave him? He was a good man." And even when it was later revealed that he had previously attempted to unalive her, negative remarks were still made about the victim. The narrative of victim-blaming became apparent following that incident. Again, we observed social media comments that her actions provoked his behaviour, which led to her death. The social media commentary is an invisible finger-pointing exercise that serves to blame women. And there are many other cases. It is such behaviour that normalises and perpetuates violence against women. There is advice cautioning women to avoid becoming victims, such as 'don't walk alone at night, don't wear provocative clothing or short skirts'. However, the same cautions aren't used against men to say they shouldn't violate women. The unfortunate incidents show that social media has unfortunately become a breeding ground for victim-blaming. Victim-blaming has become a normative part of our thinking that goes unchallenged. Social media commentary that pushes the victim-blaming narrative fosters a culture of negativity on social media and only adds salt to the wound, which is another form of deviant behaviour illustrating gendered stereotypes. These narratives pushed through social media commentary obstruct sympathy and support for those who have suffered and those afflicted. Start confronting femicide and GBV to alleviate the dangers Generally, we observe the normalisation through social codes and social media posts that place the blame on women. What is unfortunate is that despite having such social codes that essentially spell out the terms in which women should conduct themselves, all in the name of being 'safe,' women still become victims of femicide and GBV. The normalisation of femicide and GBV is disheartening and inhumane; we need to start confronting it to alleviate the dangers they pose. How many mass movements will it take for women's voices to be heard that we live in constant fear day and night? Why should we suffer at the misogynistic hands of men? Such deviant behaviour cannot in any way be normalised. The danger of continuously normalising such behaviour will get to a point where it will no longer feel wrong. We will soon be celebrating Women's Month, with our faces bowed with despondency from heartbreaking news we would have learned about since the year started and from previous years. Shortly after that, we will be celebrating 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, aware of the constant fear women live in. The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and the Portfolio Committee on Women should start stepping up intentionally and practically advocating for women (young and old) and uproot the persisting issue with the help of all women to mobilise our cry for help, safety, and not having to live in constant fear. Until that happens, as South African women, we will live in fear and be failed, which is appalling. Do we deserve to be treated like we are sub-human? Bonolo Mahlatsi is a Senior Student Experience Officer in the Centre for Teaching and Learning, and a Sociology master's graduate, UFS. She writes in her personal capacity.


The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
Businessman shot and killed in Hazyview
The Hazyview police in Mpumalanga are in search of a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of a businessman at Sand River Trust on Wednesday. According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, the SAPS responded to reports of a shooting at a popular eatery in the area. Lowvelder reports that when SAPS arrived, they found the victim, Eddie Khoza, lying motionless on the ground and covered with a blanket. 'Police investigations have indicated that a man entered the premises posing as a customer. The suspect suddenly drew a firearm and shot the victim at point-blank range. The victim is said to have attempted to get help but collapsed in the street and was further shot by his assailant, who then fled the scene on foot. Emergency medical services later declared him dead at the scene,' Ndubane says. She says multiple shell casings were recovered at the scene. The police are appealing to the public for assistance in locating the suspect. Anyone with information that could aid the investigation is urged to contact Detective Captain Eddie Raphakgadi on 082 449 0231. Alternatively, call Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or share information via the MySAPS app. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!

IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Philippines Scam Hub Targeting South Africans Exposed Whilst Local Regulator Remains Selectively Silent
South Africans are falling victim to sophisticated international scams, including a recently exposed call centre in the Philippines. As the Financial Sector Conduct Authority remains silent, troubling inconsistencies in regulatory enforcement come to light. While South Africans were being systematically defrauded by sophisticated international scam operations, including a recently exposed call centre in the Philippines that specifically targeted our citizens, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority's response has revealed troubling inconsistencies in regulatory enforcement. International Exposure, Local Silence According to Rolling Stone Philippines, a scam hub disguised as a call centre in Cebu City was recently shut down after YouTube hacktivist "mrwn" leaked CCTV footage of its operations on May 18, 2025. The operation, which specifically targeted South African victims, was raided by Philippines authorities on May 21 following the viral exposure that garnered over 1.6 million views. The Philippine Star reported that the investigation was prompted by the hacktivist's frustration over authorities' initial lack of response, leading him to "take matters into his own hands". Multiple Philippine agencies—including the Philippine National Police, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Centre, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group—immediately launched coordinated investigations into the call centre's activities. Yet despite South Africans being the primary targets of this international fraud operation, the story has received virtually no coverage in local media, and there has been no public statement from the FSCA regarding South African victims or any collaborative efforts with Philippine authorities to protect our citizens. "What we are witnessing is a regulator that appears capable of decisive action when it chooses to act but demonstrates concerning silence when South Africans are being targeted by international fraud syndicates," said a leading regulatory expert. "The contrast between swift action in some cases and prolonged inaction in others suggests priorities that don't align with genuine consumer protection." A Pattern of Selective Enforcement This silence stands in stark contrast to the regulator's approach to other matters. As previously reported by IOL, the FSCA's handling of the Astrix Data investigation—involving what has been dubbed the "Scam Empire"—demonstrates a troubling pattern of regulatory inconsistency that undermines public confidence in financial oversight. Despite mounting evidence of systematic fraud involving hundreds of millions of rands, fake identities, manipulated trading platforms, and sophisticated cryptocurrency laundering schemes, Astrix Data and its associated entities continue to operate with active FSCA licences. The regulator has been aware of complaints since late 2023 and announced an investigation in June 2024, yet nearly a year later, no regulatory action has been taken. "The Astrix matter represents a fundamental test of regulatory competence," the expert noted. "We have overwhelming evidence making global headlines of systematic fraud, fake identities, manipulated platforms, and yet the regulator maintains that it needs more time to investigate whilst licensed operations continue to potentially harm consumers daily." More concerning still, new iterations of these types of pressure cooker operations continue to emerge. Trade FT, operating under FSP number 53871 and linked to Grand Trading Pty Ltd, represents the latest evolution these types of entities. Despite benefitting from AI-themed third party affiliate marketing advertisements featuring unauthorised images of celebrities like Patrice Motsepe, Elon Musk, and Trevor Noah, and despite glaring red flags including no registered Key Individuals listed for its FSP number, Trade FT continues to operate without regulatory interference or even an official warning to the public from the regulator. "When you see entities with no registered Key Individuals—a basic compliance requirement—continuing to operate whilst others face immediate sanctions, it raises serious questions about enforcement consistency," the regulatory expert observed. "This isn't about complex legal interpretation; it's about fundamental compliance standards being selectively applied." When the FSCA Chooses to Act The regulator's capacity for swift action becomes apparent when examining its treatment of Banxso. In that case, the FSCA moved decisively to provisionally withdraw the entity's licence before completing its investigation—a stark contrast to its approach with Asterix and its affiliated operations. The disparity is particularly striking given the evidence available. While Banxso demonstrated a willingness to work with regulators and voluntarily refunded R14 million to affected consumers, entities with documented connections to international fraud syndicates and systematic deception continue to operate with full regulatory approval. "The message this sends is deeply troubling," the expert continued. "Entities that cooperate with regulators face immediate sanctions, whilst those with sophisticated deception schemes appear to benefit from prolonged 'investigations' that allow continued operations. It's regulatory policy that incentivises non-compliance." The Human Cost of Inconsistent Enforcement Each day that deceptive operations remain active represents additional South Africans falling victim to sophisticated fraud schemes. The recently exposed Philippine call centre targeting our citizens is merely one visible component of a much larger ecosystem of deception that appears to operate with relative impunity. "Every day of regulatory delay represents real people losing their life savings," the expert emphasised. "Whilst regulators debate process and procedure, pensioners are losing modest investments of R3,500 and business owners are transferring millions to sophisticated fraud schemes. The human cost of inconsistent enforcement cannot be measured purely in rands—it's about destroyed trust in our entire financial regulatory system." "It is particularly telling that the very media organisations which trumpeted the Banxso affair in bold headlines, at times to the point of obsession, have remained conspicuously silent regarding these other cases and their far more serious implications. Such selective reporting may well have contributed to the external pressures that compelled the FSCA to act with such haste in one instance whilst turning a blind eye to far more egregious violations in others." Questions That Demand Answers The FSCA's selective enforcement raises fundamental questions about regulatory priorities and consistency. Why does an entity implicated in a global fraud scheme, involving fake identities and systematic theft of investor funds, continue operating without restriction whilst others face immediate sanctions for lesser allegations? How can the regulator justify the continued licensing of entities with no registered Key Individuals whilst simultaneously pursuing aggressive enforcement actions against compliant FSPs? What message does this send to would-be fraudsters about the consequences of sophisticated deception versus regulatory cooperation? "The inconsistency is so stark it appears almost deliberate," the regulatory expert noted. "You have to ask whether there are factors beyond public consumer protection influencing enforcement decisions. The pattern suggests a regulator that's either compromised by external pressures or fundamentally misunderstands its mandate to protect South African investors." A Crisis of Regulatory Credibility Financial regulation depends on consistent, transparent enforcement applied equally to all market participants. When certain operators appear to receive preferential treatment whilst others face the full force of regulatory action, the entire regulatory framework's credibility comes under question. The recent Philippine call centre raid demonstrates what coordinated, decisive action against scam operations looks like. Multiple agencies working together, swift response to evidence, and immediate shutdown of fraudulent activities. This stands in sharp contrast to the FSCA's apparent tolerance for ongoing operations despite overwhelming evidence of systematic fraud. "What happened in the Philippines should shame our local regulator," the expert concluded. "Foreign authorities acted within days of receiving evidence, whilst we have entities operating for years with active licences despite overwhelming evidence of systematic fraud. It's a damning indictment of regulatory priorities." South African investors deserve better than a regulatory system that appears to operate on double standards. They deserve protection that is consistent, predictable, and proportionate to the actual risk posed to consumers. Until the FSCA can demonstrate equal vigour in pursuing all entities that threaten investor protection—regardless of their sophistication, connections, or ability to maintain a veneer of compliance—public confidence in financial regulation will continue to erode. The regulator's silence on the Philippine scam operation targeting South Africans, combined with its inconsistent domestic enforcement, paints a troubling picture of regulatory priorities that seem divorced from the genuine protection of South African investors. This is not just an administrative failure—it represents a fundamental breach of the public trust that financial regulation is meant to uphold.