Latest news with #Els
The Citizen
5 days ago
- The Citizen
Police officers charged with serious crimes remain on active duty as parliament demands reform
The presence of accused officers undermines the entire police service's integrity and effectiveness. The South African Police Service (Saps) faces mounting pressure to remove officers accused of serious criminal offences from active duty, with Parliament's portfolio committee on police demanding urgent Section 34 inquiries to determine fitness for service. The crisis has exposed deep systemic issues in Saps, where officers charged with rape, attempted murder and drug trafficking continue serving in frontline roles while public trust erodes. Criminology expert Willem Els warns that allowing accused officers to remain in uniform sends a dangerous message to communities. 'When the public sees that these officers are still in uniform after being accused of serious crimes like rape and all the others, it demonstrates to them or it gives them the impression that they are above the law and there's no accountability,' Els said. Specific examples of criminally charged police officers' cases The portfolio committee has identified multiple cases where officers facing grave charges continue their duties unimpeded. These include a police constable out on bail for rape who remains stationed at a local facility and an acting station commander facing charges of attempted murder and torture who retains his post. Other cases highlighted by committee chairperson Ian Cameron include a member who was caught selling police docket and later arrested for drunk driving while suspended, but has since returned to work. Furthermore, a court orderly found with over 900 Mandrax tablets continues deployment at a central Cape Town station, while a detective out on bail for drug dealing has reportedly resumed his duties. 'We cannot accept a situation where the police service turns a blind eye to such serious allegations, especially where the charges suggest direct involvement in violent or organised criminal activity,' Cameron said during recent committee engagements with the ministry of police and senior Saps management. ALSO READ: 1 police vehicle and 30 officers sharing 4 cellphones: Cape Town's crime struggle Constitutional challenges and legal framework The situation presents complex legal challenges rooted in South Africa's constitutional framework. Els acknowledges the fundamental principle that individuals remain innocent until proven guilty, creating inherent difficulties in addressing the crisis. However, Els suggests legislative reforms could address these challenges. 'Our legislation seems that it protects these officers more than it is supposed to, but that is our constitution, that is our law,' he explained, proposing immediate suspension once officers are charged with serious crimes to enhance transparency and public trust. During the committee meeting, national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola revealed a loophole that occurs allowing investigated officers to return to duty. 'Quite often, it happens that a departmental case lasts longer than 90 days. As you are aware that in terms of regulations suspension can only take 90 days and then it does happen that if the departmental case is not finalized, such a member comes back to work but normally we don't place that member at the same place where he was working,' he said. ALSO READ: Captain accused of raping trainee at Tshwane Police Academy suspended without pay Ipid response and jurisdictional boundaries The Independent Police Investigative Directorate clarified its role in addressing officers working while facing serious charges, emphasising that employment decisions rest with Saps as the employer. Ipid's mandate focuses on investigation and recommendation rather than direct disciplinary action. 'We are only investigating and once investigated, if it's a criminal offence, we refer the docket to the NPA for a decision. If there's a case to answer from an employer's perspective, we make recommendations to say can you please act against your member,' Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Shupin said. Shupin acknowledged the complexity of cases where court processes take extended periods of time, noting that criminal court outcomes can override internal Saps decisions. 'Sometimes we find that the state court might say they did not find their member guilty if it's a criminal offence. And you find that court processes take long and then the court finds the person guilty and sentences them to whatever number of years, then that would automatically overrule the Saps decision,' she said. ALSO READ: Mchunu to release SA's fourth quarterly crime stats Impact on police effectiveness and public safety The presence of accused officers undermines the entire police service's integrity and effectiveness. Els warned that such situations create 'a culture of impunity within the service, discourages whistleblowing and cooperation from the public and reporting of cases if they can't trust the police.' Echoing Els' sentiments, the committee emphasised that effective crime fighting requires removing officers accused of serious crimes to ensure only committed personnel remain in service. This becomes particularly critical given Saps' mandate to restore credibility and reestablish community collaboration. Proposed solutions and reforms Els recommends several immediate measures, including fast-tracking disciplinary hearings that currently experience lengthy delays. 'Maybe they should look at bringing external presiding officers from the judiciary to oversee these cases and to hear these cases in order to fast track them,' he suggested. The criminologist said risk assessments for officers on bail should bar them from public-facing duties, while standardised procedures could ensure automatic suspension for any officer charged with serious misconduct. 'If a police officer is charged with any serious misconduct, they should be automatically suspended. That will bring about a uniform sort of procedures,' Els explained. ALSO READ: Two Cape Town police officers arrested for kidnapping foreign national Oversight and accountability mechanisms Ipid requires significant strengthening to address these challenges effectively. Els notes that Ipid has been 'stripped of a lot of their resources, underfunded, undermanned' and needs rebuilding to fulfill its oversight role properly. He added that parliamentary oversight committees could play more robust roles in holding police accountable, while international best practices from countries like the UK and Canada demonstrate the effectiveness of independent oversight bodies and mandatory reporting requirements for officer misconduct. Systemic issues and cultural reform The crisis reflects deeper problems within Saps' culture and recruitment processes. Els identifies poor vetting, substandard training, political interference, cronyism and nepotism as underlying problems. 'Political interference, cronyism and nepotism within the police is still very, very high. That is why the police service in South Africa is regarded as the most corrupt state body in South Africa,' he said. Els added that training standards have deteriorated significantly over the past two decades, requiring benchmarking against international standards. ALSO READ: Alleged rape at police academy: Popcru calls for transparency and justice Station-level accountability The committee has resolved to extend oversight to individual police stations, with plans for a special meeting with the Fleurhof station commander following allegations of an inadequate response in the case of missing 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek. 'Crime happens at police station level and while leadership of the SAPS at the national and provincial level must be held accountable, so are officers at the station level,' Cameron emphasised, highlighting the need for accountability at all operational levels. Broader criminal justice concerns Beyond officer misconduct, the committee remains concerned about disparities between arrests and convictions, indicating systemic failures throughout the criminal justice system. The lack of effective plans to combat gang-related violence, which significantly contributes to South Africa's high murder rates, requires urgent attention. 'There is no question that gang violence is a major contributor to the high murder rates in the country. An effective response plan must be developed and urgently implemented to combat gang-related violence,' Cameron said. Path forward Els warns that without addressing these fundamental issues, the problems will persist indefinitely. 'If we don't tackle that, we will be sitting here 10 years from now and we will asking and talking about the same challenges,' he said. The committee continues advocating for enhanced collaboration between SAPS and other government agencies, including the South African Revenue Service, to combat organised crime effectively. Additionally, concerns about lengthy vehicle maintenance periods highlight the need for adequate resources and tools to support police operations. NOW READ: 'It's a joke': KZN detective guilty of plotting commissioner's murder dismisses 10-year sentence
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Farmer's gruesome last moments as pet hippo 'like his son' mauled him to death
WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT: Army major Marius Els was killed by his pet hippo Humphrey, the 1.2 tonne animal had been living on his 400 acre farm for years Tragically, a South African army major was brutally killed after being savagely mauled by his own pet hippo in Free State province. The animal he'd reared from infancy and called his 'son' left him dead, submerged in the same river from which he had rescued the hippo during a flood. Marius Els, 40, suffered a brutal attack by the 1.2 tonne beast named Humphrey. He had taken the hippo to his 400-acre farm where it was trained to co-swim with humans. Footage of Els audaciously riding the 2,000-pound hippo went viral, leaving viewers in disbelief over such an achievement. However, warnings of the hippopotamus' untameable nature were repeatedly sounded as reported by The Guardian. Notably, a distressing episode occurred on Els' property when a man and his grandchild were forced to scale a tree to escape the aggressive animal while canoeing through its living quarters. While the two were eventually rescued by paramedics with Els' help, who lured the hippo away using an apple, concerns about the wild pet had been raised before. Louise Els, the farmer's pharmacist wife, harboured doubts after several worrying instances, including the hippo's threatening behaviour towards golfers and the fatal injuring of calves belonging to Els' business partner. Despite these ominous signs, Marius Els remained positive about their bond, saying: "Humphrey's like a son to me, he's just like a human. There's a relationship between me and Humphrey and that's what some people don't understand.", reports the Mirror US. "They think you can only have a relationship with dogs, cats and domestic animals. But I have a relationship with the most dangerous animal in Africa." Hippos are formidable creatures and are armed with giant canine teeth - they are said to kill more people every year than lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo and rhinos combined. After elephants and rhinoceroses, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal - with adults weighing up to three tonnes. Despite their hefty size, hippos have been known to reach speeds of 30mph. The South African farmer had also said his beloved hippo he referred to as "his pet" would come when called, frolic with him, and even let him brush its teeth. Els, who kept other wildlife such as giraffes and rhinos on his farm, believed Humphrey would return to him at the sound of his voice, describing the animal as "loveable" and akin to a "gentle giant". "It's a little bit dangerous, but I trust him with my heart that he will not harm anybody," Els had confidently claimed. "I can swim with him. I go in the water. He allows me to get on his back, and I ride him like a horse. He swims with me. He's like a son to me." Tragically, the man's trust was misplaced as the relationship took a deadly turn when Humphrey attacked, resulting in Els's death. An ambulance spokesman speaking to the Daily Mirror revealed paramedics discovered Els submerged in the river having suffered multiple bites from the hippo, though it was uncertain how long he had been in the water before being found.
Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
The secret part of the charity shop you're forgetting to check for unique buys – I found a perfect dress in mine for £2
The dress appeared to be handmade too, judging by the lack of label HIDDEN GEM The secret part of the charity shop you're forgetting to check for unique buys – I found a perfect dress in mine for £2 Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EVERYONE knows to check the bags and shoes section in charity shops for some amazing bargains. But there's a hidden section of thrift stores that people are forgetting to look in, and they're missing some incredible purchases. 6 Els hit the jackpot as she came across a stunning gold dress in the charity shop Credit: TikTok/@ 6 The one-of-a-kind dress was hanging in the fancy dress section Credit: TikTok/@ 6 It featured stunning beaded embroidery around the top and bottom Credit: TikTok/@ 6 She then showed off the dress - which she grabbed for just £2 - as she modelled it Credit: TikTok/@ Even Els, who's a pro at stumbling across hidden gems, admitted that she's never looked in the fancy dress section before. But she said in the video on her TikTok page that she's glad she did - as she ended up finding a one-of-a-kind, handmade gold dress for just £2. "Today I learned to never skip the Halloween costumes section," she wrote over the top of the clip, which showed her coming across the stunning outfit. The dress appeared to be leopard-print with gold detailing, with carefully encrusted gem cups and draped sections to make it even more flattering. The bottom was also embroidered with sparkling gem flowers - and Els managed to get the dress for just four Canadian dollars, the equivalent of £2. "Still in shock!" she captioned the video. She added in response to one question: "There is no tag, it looks handmade & the dress is not for sale, I'm sorryyy!" And the comments section was immediately filled with remarks from people stunned by her incredible purchase. "Looks very Roberto Cavalli," one said. "This is a professional belly dance costume, they cost hundreds of dollars!" another wrote. We went hunting in the charity shop's 'rag house' and were stunned by our discoveries - we found a £80 bag & £600 shirt As a third added: "I think this is ballroom Latin costume. "Look them up. They are soooo expensive!" "That and sunset pics at the beach would eatttt!" someone else suggested. While others shared their own similar finds in charity shops and on secondhand apps and websites. "Someone listed once listed a Emilio Pucci set as a clown Halloween set on Poshmark for $25," one wrote. "It haunts me to this day someone got so lucky lol!" Top charity shop tips for bagging a bargain Ross Dutton has been a manager for Crisis's charity shops for four years and currently runs the charity's Finsbury Park shop in London. Choose your area - As a rule of thumb, the posher the area, the better quality the clothes that are donated. Don't hang around - If you see something you like, buy it, as it'll likely be gone when you come back Look out for cut-off labels - Some of your favourite high street stores will have deals with local charity shops to donate stock that isn't sold during their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they need to cut the labels off the clothes. Stay at home - While some charities have their own site, like Oxfam and Crisis. many also sell from dedicated eBay stores, such as British Heart Foundation and Scope. You won't get the range of bargains that you would get in a physical store, but if you're looking for something specific it may be worth checking online too. "My fave dress was in the Halloween section," another added. "It's technically a black bird costume, but it's just a black dress with a strapless off the shoulder black feathered neckline. "I always check now!" "I worked at the thrift and everything fun/fur/sparkly/leather/baddie went into Halloween cause they didn't think it would sell," a third revealed. "Omg the shoessss too - there's so many good ones at Halloween!" "Halloween season is truly thrifting heaven!" someone else said. Els modelled the dress in another video, showing that it clung to her enviable figure and fit her like a glove. "Belly dance costume dress! It was made for you!" one gushed. "OHHHHHHHH MY GODDDDD!!! IT WAS EVEN BETTER THAN I IMAGINED!" another added. "You're not wearing the dress, the dress is wearing you - stunning!" a third commented. 6 She then modelled the dress in another video - showing it fit her like a glove Credit: TikTok/@
The Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The secret part of the charity shop you're forgetting to check for unique buys – I found a perfect dress in mine for £2
EVERYONE knows to check the bags and shoes section in charity shops for some amazing bargains. But there's a hidden section of thrift stores that people are forgetting to look in, and they're missing some incredible purchases. 6 6 6 6 Even Els, who's a pro at stumbling across hidden gems, admitted that she's never looked in the fancy dress section before. But she said in the video on her TikTok page that she's glad she did - as she ended up finding a one-of-a-kind, handmade gold dress for just £2. "Today I learned to never skip the Halloween costumes section," she wrote over the top of the clip, which showed her coming across the stunning outfit. The dress appeared to be leopard-print with gold detailing, with carefully encrusted gem cups and draped sections to make it even more flattering. The bottom was also embroidered with sparkling gem flowers - and Els managed to get the dress for just four Canadian dollars, the equivalent of £2. "Still in shock!" she captioned the video. She added in response to one question: "There is no tag, it looks handmade & the dress is not for sale, I'm sorryyy!" And the comments section was immediately filled with remarks from people stunned by her incredible purchase. "Looks very Roberto Cavalli," one said. "This is a professional belly dance costume, they cost hundreds of dollars!" another wrote. We went hunting in the charity shop's 'rag house' and were stunned by our discoveries - we found a £80 bag & £600 shirt As a third added: "I think this is ballroom Latin costume. "Look them up. They are soooo expensive!" "That and sunset pics at the beach would eatttt!" someone else suggested. While others shared their own similar finds in charity shops and on secondhand apps and websites. "Someone listed once listed a Emilio Pucci set as a clown Halloween set on Poshmark for $25," one wrote. "It haunts me to this day someone got so lucky lol!" Top charity shop tips for bagging a bargain Ross Dutton has been a manager for Crisis's charity shops for four years and currently runs the charity's Finsbury Park shop in London. Choose your area - As a rule of thumb, the posher the area, the better quality the clothes that are donated. Don't hang around - If you see something you like, buy it, as it'll likely be gone when you come back Look out for cut-off labels - Some of your favourite high street stores will have deals with local charity shops to donate stock that isn't sold during their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they need to cut the labels off the clothes. Stay at home - While some charities have their own site, like Oxfam and Crisis. many also sell from dedicated eBay stores, such as British Heart Foundation and Scope. You won't get the range of bargains that you would get in a physical store, but if you're looking for something specific it may be worth checking online too. "My fave dress was in the Halloween section," another added. "It's technically a black bird costume, but it's just a black dress with a strapless off the shoulder black feathered neckline. "I always check now!" "I worked at the thrift and everything fun/fur/sparkly/leather/baddie went into Halloween cause they didn't think it would sell," a third revealed. "Omg the shoessss too - there's so many good ones at Halloween!" "Halloween season is truly thrifting heaven!" someone else said. Els modelled the dress in another video, showing that it clung to her enviable figure and fit her like a glove. "Belly dance costume dress! It was made for you!" one gushed. "OHHHHHHHH MY GODDDDD!!! IT WAS EVEN BETTER THAN I IMAGINED!" another added. "You're not wearing the dress, the dress is wearing you - stunning!" a third commented. 6 6
The Irish Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
The secret part of the charity shop you're forgetting to check for unique buys – I found a perfect dress in mine for £2
EVERYONE knows to check the bags and shoes section in charity shops for some amazing bargains. But there's a hidden section of thrift stores that people are forgetting to look in, and they're missing some incredible purchases. 6 Els hit the jackpot as she came across a stunning gold dress in the charity shop Credit: TikTok/@ 6 The one-of-a-kind dress was hanging in the fancy dress section Credit: TikTok/@ 6 It featured stunning beaded embroidery around the top and bottom Credit: TikTok/@ 6 She then showed off the dress - which she grabbed for just £2 - as she modelled it Credit: TikTok/@ Even Els, who's a pro at stumbling across hidden gems, admitted that she's never looked in the fancy dress section before. But she said in the "Today I learned to never skip the Halloween costumes section," she wrote over the top of the clip, which showed her coming across the stunning outfit. The dress appeared to be leopard-print with gold detailing, with carefully encrusted gem cups and draped sections to make it even more flattering. The bottom was also embroidered with sparkling gem flowers - and Els managed to get the dress for just four Canadian dollars, the equivalent of £2. "Still in shock!" she captioned the video. She added in response to one question: "There is no tag, it looks handmade & the dress is not for sale, I'm sorryyy!" And the comments section was immediately filled with remarks from people stunned by her incredible purchase. Most read in Fabulous "Looks very Roberto Cavalli," one said. "This is a professional belly dance costume, they cost hundreds of dollars!" another wrote. We went hunting in the charity shop's 'rag house' and were stunned by our discoveries - we found a £80 bag & £600 shirt As a third added: "I think this is ballroom Latin costume. "Look them up. They are soooo expensive!" "That and sunset pics at the beach would eatttt!" someone else suggested. While others shared their own similar finds in charity shops and on secondhand apps and websites. "Someone listed once listed a Emilio Pucci set as a clown Halloween set on Poshmark for $25," one wrote. "It haunts me to this day someone got so lucky lol!" Top charity shop tips for bagging a bargain Ross Dutton has been a manager for Crisis's charity shops for four years and currently runs the charity's Finsbury Park shop in London. Choose your area - As a rule of thumb, the posher the area, the better quality the clothes that are donated. Don't hang around - If you see something you like, buy it, as it'll likely be gone when you come back Look out for cut-off labels - Some of your favourite high street stores will have deals with local charity shops to donate stock that isn't sold during their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they need to cut the labels off the clothes. Stay at home - While some charities have their own site, like "My fave dress was in the Halloween section," another added. "It's technically a black bird costume, but it's just a black dress with a strapless off the shoulder black feathered neckline. "I always check now!" "I worked at the thrift and everything fun/fur/sparkly/leather/baddie went into Halloween cause they didn't think it would sell," a third revealed. "Omg the shoessss too - there's so many good ones at Halloween!" "Halloween season is truly thrifting heaven!" someone else said. Els modelled the dress "Belly dance costume dress! It was made for you!" one gushed. Read more on the Irish Sun "OHHHHHHHH MY GODDDDD!!! IT WAS EVEN BETTER THAN I IMAGINED!" another added. "You're not wearing the dress, the dress is wearing you - stunning!" a third commented. 6 She then modelled the dress in another video - showing it fit her like a glove Credit: TikTok/@ 6 It clung to her figure in all the right places Credit: TikTok/@
