Family irate at culpable homicide charge after teen run over
'It's unfortunate [that] the woman has blatantly lied to the police, and they seem to believe her story,' Soyaya said.
He said the family was not happy that the driver was only arrested on Tuesday. 'And even then, we hear she was released on R5,000 bail the same night. We are also unhappy with the charge of culpable homicide — it should be murder.'
Sipho Dlamini, director of the Katlehong-based Mamello Theatre Production, which Thando belonged to, described her as a bright young talent with a promising future.
'She was a dedicated performer who wanted to be on stage dancing, acting and singing. She had the potential to reach international stages and TV. We had high hopes for her,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Panado and R35,000 missing: Edenvale raid leads to arrest of 10 police officers
Ten members from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) are expected to appear in the Germiston Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. Police in Gauteng arrested their colleagues on Monday while they were on duty on charges of theft and corruption. The arrests follow a raid in June. The spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), Lizzy Suping, said the arrested officers were involved in a multi-disciplinary operation by law enforcement initiated by the Premier of Gauteng. 'The accused officers raided a shop at number 7 Hermila Avenue in Edenvale, where they seized cigarettes and took cash amounting to R35,000 and three packs of headache tablets (Panados) to the value of about R5,000. They arrested the cashier for trading in illicit cigarettes and the other employee for violating immigration rules,' Suping said. However, the officers failed to record all items in evidence. 'It is also alleged that the accused officers failed to record all the merchandise seized from the shop at the police station. The shop manager allegedly disputed the quantity and type of merchandise booked in the occurrence book to the Station Commander,' Suping said. Ipid confirmed that of the arrested officers, one has the rank of sergeant while the rest are constables. [email protected] IOL
TimesLIVE
4 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Ten SAPS, EMPD officers in court for fraud and corruption
Ten South African Police Service and Ekurhuleni metropolitan police officers were arrested while on duty on Monday for their alleged role in corruption and fraud. They are expected to appear in the Germiston magistrate's court on Tuesday. 'It is alleged that on June 4 during a multidisciplinary operation by law enforcement, the accused officers raided a shop in Edenvale where they seized cigarettes and took R35,000 in cash and three packs of headache tablets to the value of about R5,000,' Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Lizzy Suping said. The nine constables and a sergeant arrested the cashier for trading in illicit cigarettes and another employee for violating immigration laws. 'It is also alleged that the accused officers failed to record all the merchandise seized from the shop at the police station. The shop manager disputed the quantity and type of merchandise booked in the occurrence book to the station commander.'
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
Allegations of quota-driven traffic fines raise concerns among Joburg motorists
Allegations emerge that JMPD enforces R7,000 daily fine targets, turning policing into a cash grab. The DA demands Premier Lesufi end revenue-based policing and restore public trust. Image: X Motorists in Johannesburg are increasingly becoming cash cows for the city, as alarming allegations emerged that Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers are being pressured to issue a minimum of R7 000 in traffic fines per day. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has criticised the alleged quota system, denouncing it as both unethical and unlawful political interference. The party is calling on Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to urgently eliminate all revenue-driven policing targets and reinstate integrity within law enforcement. Michael Sun, DA spokesperson for Community Safety, said JMPD officers are being incentivised with overtime pay, turning law enforcement into a money-making exercise instead of focusing on public safety. 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 ✕ 'To incentivise compliance with these targets, officers are reportedly provided with overtime payments, effectively transforming law enforcement into a commission-based revenue scheme. This pushes JMPD officers to aggressively pursue fines instead of focusing on their duties, such as bylaw enforcement, traffic management, and crime prevention.' He added that these concerning claims align with the growing trend of JMPD conducting excessive and random roadblocks at busy intersections, not for public safety, but to boost fine collection. 'Many of these operations are non-compliant with the National Road Traffic Act and SAPS Standing Orders. By reclassifying illegal roadblocks as 'roadside checks', JMPD evades crucial legal requirements, including proper authorisation by a senior officer, clear signage, adequate warning to motorists, among others,' Sun added. Responding to the allegations, JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla dismissed the DA's claims as false, stating: 'The JMPD would like to emphasise that our enforcement operations are conducted with the primary goal of maintaining safety and order on the city's roads.' He added that issuing citations is a normal part of an officer's duty when motorists violate traffic laws, describing it as a necessary step to curb lawlessness and encourage responsible driving. However, he firmly denied the existence of any quota system, stating: 'There is no quota that officers are expected to meet.' Fihla reiterated that the department's main priority is promoting compliance with traffic regulations to enhance road safety, not to meet any set number of fines. 'The performance of our officers is measured by their overall effectiveness in creating a safer environment for the community, and one of the ways is to issue citations, not by a predetermined target for fines. The integrity of our operations is paramount, and all actions are taken in strict accordance with the law,' he added. Political analyst Kenneth Mokgatlhe expressed concern over the alleged political interference, saying if the claims are accurate, it represents 'political interference of the highest degree.' He added, 'Corrupt politicians who have looted public funds are now trying to fix their financial mess by targeting poor motorists. The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) financial crisis is well-documented, and they are definitely looking for a shortcut to solve their financial conundrum. Remember that the treasury is on their case regarding their wasteful expenditure.' Mokgatlhe criticised Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, saying he often creates the illusion of action through noise and public spectacle rather than genuinely addressing pressing issues. 'He's all talk and no action. What happened to the poorly performing Heads of Department in his province? Instead of firing them, he simply reshuffled them. 'The ANC leaders are soft when they deal with corruption, especially when members of their factions are involved. Lesufi will not do anything regarding the deteriorating situation at CoJ because he failed to address the crisis at Emfuleni.' He added. With allegations such as these levelled against JMPD, motorists might wonder how the AARTO demerit system will be applied fairly, without putting pressure on metro police officers to meet certain traffic fine targets. The AARTO rollout is scheduled to begin in December 2025, but the points demerit system will not come into effect until 1 September 2026. This important reform aims to encourage responsible driving by assigning demerit points for traffic violations. Accumulating too many points? You could face licence suspensions or cancellations.
