Latest news with #CommunityPolicingForum
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Support and sobering crime stats welcome new district police commissioner
The newly appointed Johannesburg District Police Commissioner, Major General Nhlanhla Kubheka, was officially welcomed into her new role on July 15 during a strategic meet-and-greet held at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways. An event marked by both celebration and sobering honesty about the state of crime in the city. The session, attended by Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairs, senior officials from the Department of Community Safety, correctional services, and other stakeholders, offered the general messages of support and a firm pledge of co-operation. 'We acknowledge the sacrifices and hard work of our police officers, and we pledge to support you in your mission to keep our city safe,' said Nonhlanhla Dlamini, from the Gauteng Department of Community Safety. 'We are excited to see the positive impact your leadership will bring, but we won't be able to build a safer Johannesburg if stakeholders aren't actively participating. Everyone must come on board.' Also read: City cracks down on illegal informal settlements in Fourways While a recent crime overview revealed a decline in incidents, Dlamini stressed that the perception of safety remains a key concern. 'Even with stats going down, people don't feel safe in the spaces they live in. That's why Johannesburg Central has been identified by both the provincial and national government as a priority zone. If Johannesburg is safe, South Africa is safe.' Adding further weight to the discussion, Nasi Moase, director of correctional services at Leeuwkop Prison, shared startling figures that reflect the scale of the justice system's burden. 'We currently have 3 489 offenders at Leeuwkop alone. Across Johannesburg, that figure stands at 10 769, with 4 753 sentenced offenders and 6 016 remand detainees. Leeuwkop doesn't accommodate remands, only sentenced inmates.' She added that community corrections, which covers parolees and those on house arrest, is also under strain. 'Leeuwkop has a caseload of 1 131 parolees, and Johannesburg sits at 2 077. Among those, 865 have absconded from Leeuwkop's parole supervision, a criminal offence, and Johannesburg, as a whole, has 2 945 absconders.' Also read: Douglasdale SAPS nabs 54-year-old in drug bust Moase also flagged the issue of lifers and foreign nationals in correctional facilities. 'Leeuwkop is detaining 872 lifers, and Johannesburg has 696. Together, our facilities are holding 5 014 foreign nationals, 457 at Leeuwkop and 4 557 across the rest of Johannesburg.' Despite the overcrowding, Moase assured the new district commissioner of their unwavering commitment. 'We are not saying stop. Keep on arresting them. We will take care of them. We will guard them with the Department of Correctional Services Act (DOFA).' The commissioner said, as she took the stand, that her leadership would be grounded in action, discipline, and meaningful collaboration. 'As the captain of the ship, I will lead.' Kubheka outlined a six-pronged mission that prioritises integrated policing, stronger partnerships, and social impact. Also read: Deadly street racing allegations prompt DA to seek Lesufi's urgent intervention At the core of her mission is a deep belief that: 'Criminals are very few among us,' and that united communities have the power to shift the tide on crime. Kubheka also pointed to recent success stories, particularly in tackling violent and organised crime. 'We have recorded commendable successes through multidisciplinary operations. These include Operation Shanela 2, Valamgodi, and various high-density operations.' Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
The Citizen
6 days ago
- The Citizen
Mother gets bail after fatal stabbing of son in Alexandra
The Alexandra Magistrate's Court has granted R5 000 bail to a 40-year-old Community Policing Forum (CPF) member accused of murdering her 21-year-old son. According to Alex News, the woman, a mother of four, appeared for a formal bail application yesterday. She faces a single count of murder after her adult son was stabbed to death, allegedly by her, on July 5 at their home in Alexandra. Kitchen argument turned fatal The prosecution said the incident followed an argument in the kitchen, sparked by the son's apparent intoxication. The dispute escalated, culminating in the fatal stabbing, witnessed by two of the accused's minor children. Describing the charge as a Schedule 5 offence — a serious crime requiring stringent bail scrutiny — the state acknowledged its gravity but did not oppose bail. 'There is no element of premeditation that the state is alleging,' the prosecutor said, emphasising that the act was not planned. The state urged the court to balance the interests of justice with the needs of the accused's children, especially her infant. Defence cites community ties The defence presented the accused's affidavit, which underscored her deep roots in Alexandra. In it, the accused revealed that Alexandra is not only her home, but also her family's and her workplace as a CPF member. She noted that she does not have any travel documents. It was on the basis of this affidavit that the defence assured the court the accused posed no flight risk. The defence stated that the accused has no prior convictions, pending cases or protection orders. In her affidavit, she also committed to not interfere with witnesses or the ongoing investigation should she be released on bail. Court ruling and bail conditions After a two-hour adjournment, the magistrate delivered her ruling. 'There is no evidence before this court that she may attempt to flee justice,' the magistrate stated, citing the accused's lack of travel documents and strong community ties. She also found no evidence suggesting the accused would commit further crimes, intimidate witnesses or disturb public order. Bail was set at R5 000, with conditions including that the accused report to the Alexandra Police Station once a week, be moved to an alternative home, and have no contact with witnesses. She was, however, allowed to reunite with her infant child. The case was postponed to August 13 for further investigation. Alex News knows the identity of the accused but has chosen to withhold it to protect the privacy of the minor witnesses involved. 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
The Citizen
6 days ago
- The Citizen
Court grants bail to CPF member accused of son's murder
Alexandra Magistrate's Court granted R5 000 bail to a 40-year-old Community Policing Forum (CPF) member accused of murdering her 21-year-old son. The woman, a mother of four, appeared for a formal bail application on July 24, facing a single count of murder after allegedly stabbing her adult son to death on July 5 at their home in Alexandra. The prosecution said that the incident followed an argument in the kitchen, sparked by the son's apparent intoxication. The dispute escalated, culminating in the fatal stabbing, witnessed by two of the accused's minor children. Also read: Fifth suspect added to Tebogo Thobejane's attempt murder case Describing the charge as a schedule five offense, a serious crime requiring stringent bail scrutiny, the state acknowledged its gravity but did not oppose bail. 'There is no element of premeditation that the state is alleging,' the prosecutor said, emphasising that the act was not planned. The state further urged the court to balance the interests of justice with the needs of the accused's children, especially her infant. The defence presented the accused's affidavit, which underscored her deep roots in Alexandra. In the affidavit, the accused revealed that Alexandra is not only her home, but her family's home, and her place of work as a CPF member. She further noted that she does not have any travel documents. It was on the basis of this affidavit that the defence assured the court that the accused posed no flight risk. The defence further said the accused has no prior convictions, no pending cases, or protection orders. In the affidavit, the accused also committed to not interfering with the witnesses or the ongoing investigation should she be released on bail. Also read: MK Party pledges sustained pressure in Vusimuzi Matlala criminal case After a two-hour adjournment, the magistrate delivered her ruling. 'There is no evidence before this court that she may attempt to flee justice,' the magistrate stated, citing the accused's lack of travel documents and strong community ties. She also found no evidence suggesting the accused would commit further crimes, intimidate witnesses, or disturb public order. Bail was set at R5 000, with conditions that, among others, the accused would report to the Alexandra Police Station once a week, be moved to an alternative home, and have no contact with witnesses, though she was allowed to reunite with her infant child. The case was postponed to August 13, for further investigation. Alex News knows the identity of the accused, but has chosen to withhold it to protect the privacy of the minor witnesses involved. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
News24
18-07-2025
- News24
Three men gunned down in late-night Khayelitsha shooting
A police investigation is underway following a shooting in Harare, Khayelitsha, on Thursday night that left three men dead. The victims – aged 29, 30 and 43 – were found with multiple gunshot wounds on Ntlazane Road around 22:00. Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said officers were called to the scene, where they discovered the bodies. Detectives from the provincial Serious and Violent Crime Unit have taken over the case and are following leads to identify and apprehend the gunmen. 'The motive for the attack is yet to be determined, and all investigative avenues are being explored to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident,' said Traut. The violence shook residents in the area, and many were too fearful to speak openly. 'It all happened so fast,' one neighbour told News24. 'We were sleeping when gunshots rang out. I jumped out of bed and told my children to lie on the floor until it stopped.' In a statement, the local Community Policing Forum condemned the killings and urged residents to assist law enforcement. 'If anyone saw or heard anything, please come forward. We don't yet know why these men were targeted, but we are pleading with the police to leave no stone unturned.' The Khayelitsha shooting comes just a day after three men were killed in a similar attack in Gugulethu. In that case, police said four armed men stormed a house and opened fire, fleeing with several cellphones and a firearm. Two other people were injured and remain in the hospital. Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS app. All reports will be handled confidentially, and tipsters may remain anonymous.
The South African
14-07-2025
- The South African
Dead body found in a bush in Umlazi H
A dead body was found on the side of a railway line in a bush in Umlazi H, Durban, on Monday, 14 July 2025. Community members and security officers patrolling the railway discovered the dead body and immediately informed the police, who made their way to the area. Forensics were also summoned to the scene, where they examined the body and discovered that the deceased was a female believed to be in her teenage years. DEAD BODY DISCOVERED IN UMLAZI H The deceased was found half-naked with both her hands and legs tied by a rope. There was also a bruise on her forehead with a pinch of blood drooling down her face. The South African reached out to the police for comment but they were unable to provide feedback at the time. Durban authorities arrive in Umlazi to collect the dead body found in the bush next to the railway line. IMAGE: Nomndeni Ndlovu. Sicelo Ntanzi, a community member who lives nearby, said that he did not hear any noise or see suspicious activity, as there was also load shedding. He says, 'To be honest with you, this comes as a shock because I did not hear anything at all. To make matters worse, there was also load shedding in the area in the past few days, so it was dark and it would have made it challenging for anyone to see anything.' The area has been plagued by a string of crimes in the past few months. Nomzamo Gwala, a resident, says that there was a shooting incident in the area a few months ago. 'This other time at the beginning of the year, there was a group of drunk men who were walking on the railway at night, who started fighting and swearing at each other. Their fight quickly escalated into a deadly gunfight when they started shooting at each other.' 'This area is really bad and we have tried multiple times to protect this area and even tried to form a Community Policing Forum (CPF), but it did not work,' says Gwala. Former security officer and CPF member, Bhekisizwe Mkhabela, said that they did start a policing forum in the area, but it ended up not working as they did not receive enough support. 'You know, when we started this, we had high hopes of bringing change in our community, as many people had lost hope in the police, but then things went astray.' 'There was a meeting held where we were told that we were going to be assisted with vehicles that would patrol in the area, but that did not happen. More and more people started leaving as they felt like they were not receiving support,' Mkhabela explained. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
