Latest news with #PietermaritzburgRegionalCourt
Eyewitness News
26-05-2025
- Eyewitness News
Suspect to make first court appearance for threatening Ramaphosa
JOHANNESBURG - A suspect is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday morning following his arrest for making threats against President Cyril Ramaphosa, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, and a prominent local businesswoman. The 28-year-old was arrested in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, on Friday after a case was opened against him earlier in May. The suspect is alleged to have sent multiple threatening messages targeting the head of state, the Cape Town mayor, the businesswoman and her family. Hawks spokesperson Thandi Mbambo said the suspect, whose identity has been concealed until his first court appearance, was transported from Gauteng to the Western Cape, where he will appear. "The matter was reported to the Cape Town-based Hawks' CATS team, which conducted a swift investigation resulting in the suspect's apprehension in Gauteng and is expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrates Court on Monday, 26 May 2025, where he will face a charge of intimidation." In a separate case, Mbambo said a KwaZulu-Natal man has been handed a five-year jail term for circulating pornographic images that he had altered to include the faces of Ramaphosa, former Police Minister Bheki Cele, and his wife, Thembeka Ngcobo. "Scebi Thabiso Nene (37) has been convicted and sentenced by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court on 23 May 2025 for multiple contraventions of the Cybercrimes Act."
Eyewitness News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Man starts serving sentence for cyber crimes after digitally manipulating images of Ramaphosa, others
CAPE TOWN - A man has begun serving time behind bars after being convicted of digitally manipulating images of President Cyril Ramaphosa and other high-profile figures. Scebi Thabiso Nene, 37, was sentenced by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court to five years for cyber forgery, and an additional three years for cyber uttering and the unlawful disclosure of intimate data. The sentences will run concurrently. ALSO READ: Man arrested for allegedly issuing threats against Ramaphosa Nene was convicted for downloading and editing images of Ramaphosa, a former police minister and his spouse, as well as a former national police commissioner. "He manipulated these images by superimposing their faces onto pornographic content and subsequently distributed the altered images via WhatsApp and official Presidency email channels," said Hawks spokesperson HAWKS' SPOKESPERSON Thandi Mbambo. This sentencing followed a separate incident in which a 28-year-old man was arrested in Germiston for allegedly making threats against President Cyril Ramaphosa and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. He is expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrates Court on Monday.
The Citizen
25-05-2025
- The Citizen
Man jailed for image manipulation of Ramaphosa, Cele
The NPA has sent a strong message that cyber abuse and the non-consensual manipulation of intimate images will not be tolerated, following the sentencing of a KZN man to five years of direct imprisonment. Scebi Thabiso Nene was sentenced by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court after pleading guilty to cyber forgery, cyber uttering, and disclosing intimate image data. His crimes included distributing manipulated pornographic images bearing the faces of President Cyril Ramaphosa, former Police Minister Bheki Cele, and former National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole. According to NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, 'This created a false impression that the images were the authentic images of the complainants. Nene then disseminated these manipulated images.' The court heard that between September 2022 and May 2023, Nene sourced and altered images to create the false and damaging material. His actions have been classified by the NPA as a form of digital abuse – targeting prominent figures with doctored explicit content. The NPA's decision to pursue custodial sentencing marks a growing trend in taking a firm stance against online harassment and image-based offences, particularly those intended to humiliate or defame. In mitigation, Nene claimed he had become mentally distressed during his time working at Coca-Cola between 2018 and 2019. He told the court he believed he was being followed and made several attempts to seek help from various police stations, the Hawks, and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid). He said his concerns were dismissed, which he claimed contributed to his mental state and actions. Despite expressing remorse and telling the court he regretted his actions, the court handed down a sentence of five years for cyber forgery and three years each for cyber uttering and disclosing intimate image data. The sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective five-year term behind bars. The NPA welcomed the judgment, reinforcing its intent to treat cyber harassment and the abuse of intimate image data with the seriousness it deserves. 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!
The Citizen
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Man sentenced for manipulating and sharing images of Ramaphosa
The suspect manipulated images of Ramaphosa and other high profile individuals by superimposing their faces onto pornographic content. A 37-year-old man has been convicted and sentenced for multiple contraventions of the Cybercrimes Act after he downloaded images of President Cyril Ramaphosa and other high-profile individuals, manipulating them and sharing them on social media platforms. Scebi Thabiso Nene appeared in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court last week, where he was convicted and sentenced. The conviction stems from incidents occurring between September 2022 and May 2023. Downloading images Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo said Nene unlawfully downloaded images of high-profile individuals, including Ramaphosa, a former Minister of police (Bheki Cele) and his spouse, and a former National Commissioner of the South African Police Service. 'He manipulated these images by superimposing their faces onto pornographic content and subsequently distributed the altered images via WhatsApp and official Presidency email channels'. ALSO READ: Hawks arrest suspect for making threats against President Cyril Ramaphosa Arrest Mbambo said the matter was reported to the police and a case docket was handed over to the Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in Gauteng for investigation. 'Nene was traced and arrested in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. He initially appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates' Court, after which the case was transferred to the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court'. Nene was sentenced to five years direct imprisonment for counts 1 to 67 (Cyber Forgery) and three years direct imprisonment for counts 68 to 254 (Cyber Uttering and Disclosure of Intimate Data) 'The court ruled that the sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective five-year direct imprisonment term,' Mambo said. Threats against Ramaphosa Last week, a 28-year-old suspect was arrested in Gauteng for making threats against Ramaphosa. The suspect was arrested and led away handcuffed in Germiston on Friday by the Hawks' Crime Against The State (CATS) unit, which is part of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation based in Gauteng. Mbambo said the arrest followed a case reported earlier this month. Other threats 'On Monday, 12 May 2025, a complainant, who is the CEO of a Cape Town based company, allegedly received a voice message from the suspect, in which threats were made against the President of South Africa. 'The suspect is also alleged to have sent multiple threatening messages targeting the complainant, her family and the mayor of Cape Town,' Mbambo said. Mbambo added that the matter was reported to the Cape Town based Hawks' CATS team. The man is expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Monday, 26 May 2025, where he will face a charge of intimidation. ALSO READ: Instagram makes all teen accounts private in push for child safety [VIDEO]
