Latest news with #AthlendaMathe
The Herald
9 hours ago
- The Herald
No raid conducted at Dudu Myeni's house: police call out fake social media post
Police have dismissed claims the national intervention unit (NIU) raided the KwaZulu-Natal home of the late former SAA chair Dudu Myeni. This comes after a social media post claimed: 'The NIU raided Dudu Myeni's house and allegedly found R18m in a safe.' Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said no raid was conducted. 'The SA Police Service (SAPS) warns against the spread of fake news about a NIU raid in which R18m was found in a safe at a house in Richards Bay. 'The SAPS calls for responsible social media reporting and for users to verify information before sharing. 'No raid was undertaken by any unit.' Myeni died in 2024 after battling cancer. She served on the SAA board from 2009 until 2017, while Jacob Zuma was president, and was its chair for the last five of those years. Her role at SAA was marred by fraud and corruption allegations stemming from the commission of inquiry into state capture and she was said to have been instrumental in the crippling of the airline. She allegedly received R300,000 from Bosasa, supposedly for the Jacob Zuma Foundation. TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
12 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
No raid conducted at Dudu Myeni's house: police call out fake social media post
Police have dismissed claims the national intervention unit (NIU) raided the KwaZulu-Natal home of the late former SAA chair Dudu Myeni. This comes after a social media post claimed: 'The NIU raided Dudu Myeni's house and allegedly found R18m in a safe.' Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said no raid was conducted. 'The SA Police Service (SAPS) warns against the spread of fake news about a NIU raid in which R18m was found in a safe at a house in Richards Bay. 'The SAPS calls for responsible social media reporting and for users to verify information before sharing. 'No raid was undertaken by any unit.' Myeni died in 2024 after battling cancer. She served on the SAA board from 2009 until 2017, while Jacob Zuma was president, and was its chair for the last five of those years. Her role at SAA was marred by fraud and corruption allegations stemming from the commission of inquiry into state capture and she was said to have been instrumental in the crippling of the airline. She allegedly received R300,000 from Bosasa, supposedly for the Jacob Zuma Foundation.
eNCA
7 days ago
- eNCA
SAPS flagged with over 900,000 job applications but only 5,500 will be hired
JOHANNESBURG - As South Africa grapples with a worsening unemployment crisis, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been flooded with over 900,000 applications. These applications are just for 5,500 police trainee posts targeting young men and women aged 18 to 35. This influx of applications highlights the desperation of thousands of unemployed youth seeking stable employment. With the application window set to close on 18 July, young women accounted for the majority of submissions. According to police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, 527,673 applications have come from females, while 400,204 have come from male applicants. The Bigger Picture Unemployment Deepens In June, the Department of Labour recently released new statistics showing that the youth unemployment rate is now at a shocking 46.1 % Many young people are not just looking for jobs; they are also trying to gain skills and knowledge for the careers they want to pursue. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey by Statistics South Africa for the first quarter of 2025: The number of unemployed youth increased by 151,000, reaching 4.8 million. Employed youth decreased by 153,000, now totalling 5.7 million. The youth unemployment rate went up from 44.6 % at the end of 2024 to 46.1 % in the first quarter of 2025. Looking at the overall labour market:
The Citizen
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Controversial Brigadier not assigned to visible policing, but to Technical Unit
The police have refuted claims that a brigadier — allegedly currently out on bail for corruption charges and criticised for her lack of operational policing experience — was appointed to lead the Visible Policing (Vispol) unit in Pretoria's Moot district. In response to outrage over the appointment, national police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe clarified that the member was transferred to the Technology Management Service (TMS), where she will work in line with her qualifications, which include a National Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering and a BTech in Industrial Engineering. According to SAPS, she is not tasked with overseeing frontline policing operations but is filling a support role aligned with her expertise. 'The SAPS has lateral entry opportunities for individuals with specialised skills or expertise,' SAPS explained. 'These professionals are considered for positions that require specific skills other than policing, meaning policing won't be their core function because they are rendering a support function to the core mandate of SAPS. These professionals are employed based on their experience and qualifications, mainly in the support environments of the SAPS.' The police further pointed to several other examples of lateral appointments in the organisation: The Divisional Commissioner for Supply Chain Management, previously a chief director at National Treasury, joined SAPS in 2022. A 35‑year‑old Major General in the Hawks, who is a chartered accountant and certified fraud examiner, was appointed in 2021 from a parastatal and now heads forensic investigations. The SAPS CFO, with a BCom in accounting, joined at the rank of colonel 20 years ago. Lieutenant General (Dr) Bongiwe Zulu, now head of SAPS training, entered SAPS at colonel level at the age of 35 and holds two PhDs — in Education and in Criminology and Forensic Studies. This comes after the Democratic Alliance (DA) slammed the appointment as 'outrageous' and a clear example of nepotism, demanding it be reversed immediately to protect the integrity of the police service. 'We demand the immediate reversal of this indefensible decision and will use Parliament's accountability mechanisms to ensure full transparency about how such an appointment was made. 'This decision is nothing short of outrageous. The Brigadier in question was one of several senior Crime Intelligence members arrested just weeks ago on charges including fraud, corruption and abuse of SAPS secret service funds. SAPS management now claims this is a 'temporary transfer' under the Disciplinary Regulations, which allow for redeployment if a member's presence in their current post is untenable. But nothing in the regulations justifies failing to impose precautionary suspension, which exists specifically to protect investigations and institutional integrity in cases exactly like this.' Also read: Brigadier out on bail, no experience takes over key Pretoria policing job Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Brigadier out on bail, no experience takes over key Pretoria policing job
Brigadier out on bail, no experience takes over key Pretoria policing job A brigadier who has never worn a police uniform, skipped every operational rank, and is allegedly currently out on bail for corruption charges has been appointed to lead visible policing in Pretoria's Moot district. This move has sparked outrage among officers, politicians, and the public, who are calling it a blatant example of nepotism and a blow to police integrity. The Democratic Alliance (SA) has slammed as 'outrageous' and a clear example of nepotism, demanding it be reversed immediately to protect the integrity of the police service. 'We demand the immediate reversal of this indefensible decision and will use Parliament's accountability mechanisms to ensure full transparency about how such an appointment was made. 'This decision is nothing short of outrageous. The Brigadier in question was one of several senior Crime Intelligence members arrested just weeks ago on charges including fraud, corruption and abuse of SAPS secret service funds. SAPS management now claims this is a 'temporary transfer' under the Disciplinary Regulations, which allow for redeployment if a member's presence in their current post is untenable. But nothing in the regulations justifies failing to impose precautionary suspension, which exists specifically to protect investigations and institutional integrity in cases exactly like this.' It furthermore said appointing an untrained, operationally inexperienced officer to oversee front-line visible policing undermines public safety, the credibility of SAPS and the morale of honest, hardworking police officers who have earned their rank through service and merit. 'It also places ordinary constables and sergeants under the command of someone unfamiliar with the realities and risks of policing on the ground. The DA said this case exposes serious flaws in internal vetting, accountability and decision-making at the highest levels of SAPS leadership. 'It demonstrates how political interference and weak discipline continue to erode the professional standing of the service and demoralise career officers.' The DA demands the following immediate actions: -The National Commissioner must reverse this transfer without delay. -The Brigadier in question must be placed on suspension in line with the SAPS Disciplinary Regulations pending the outcome of her criminal and internal disciplinary proceedings. In response to the backlash, the police defended the controversial appointment, stating that the organisation allows for lateral entry opportunities for individuals with specialised skills or expertise that do not necessarily come from a policing background. According to Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, these professionals are brought in to support — rather than lead — operational policing, and are selected based on their qualifications and experience. 'It is not unusual for police to appoint individuals from outside the service if they possess the specific skills or qualifications required for a particular position. These lateral entrants do not necessarily progress through the traditional ranks of the police but are given a short induction — typically three to four months of police training — before assuming their roles.' Mathe cited several examples of senior officials who entered the service laterally: the Divisional Commissioner for Supply Chain Management, who was a chief director at National Treasury before joining SAPS in 2022; a 35‑year‑old Major General in the Hawks, who is a chartered accountant and certified fraud examiner appointed in 2021; the CFO of SAPS, who holds a BCom accounting degree and joined at Colonel level 20 years ago; and Lieutenant General Bongiwe Zulu, now head of SAPS Training, who entered at Colonel level at age 35 and holds two PhDs. In the case of the brigadier at the centre of the controversy, SAPS confirmed that she is currently employed in the Technical Management Services (TMS) division because she holds a technical qualification, which the organisation deemed valuable in that support environment. Mathe could not confirm the current cases against the brigadier. Also read: WhatsApp will STOP working on these phones – is your device on the list? Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
