Latest news with #SiyabongaSithole
IOL News
16 hours ago
- IOL News
Outrage as mother and accomplices filmed allegedly forcing toddler to smoke drugs appear in court
Gauteng Social Development department, alongside children's rights activists, have condemned the actions of a mother and three accomplices who were filmed allegedly forcing a three-year-old boy to smoke drugs from a broken bottle pipe. Image: Siyabonga Sithole/IOL The Gauteng Social Development and other children's rights activists have condemned the mother of a three-year-old who, along with three of her accomplices, was caught in a viral video allegedly forcing the child to smoke drugs from a broken bottle pipe. It is not clear what drug was contained in the broken bottle, but the incident prompted the JMPD to effect an immediate arrest. The four suspects who are facing a charge of attempted murder and child abuse appeared briefly before the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on Thursday, where the case was postponed to Monday, August 4, to allow for the accused to get legal representation. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Speaking outside court, ActionSA MP, Dereleen James, said the recent spate of cases involving minors has become a common scourge in the country, adding that the government continues to fail the poor and vulnerable in society. "This is not an isolated case involving a minor. This is a case of gross neglect and deliberate assault and abuse. This is a case of attempted murder. I am sitting here and wondering if this child will have access to schooling and will be able to learn, purely because we know (the effects of) these types of drugs due to people who use them at an early age," she said. On Thursday, the Gauteng Department of Social Development condemned the alleged behaviour of the parents, saying it will be investigating the matter. "The Department wishes to categorically state that it is gravely outraged by the irresponsible behaviour of the toddler's parents and further commits to investigating the incident to provide the necessary intervention that will help the child. The Department further condemns actions that harm children, such as violence and negligence, and would like to emphasise the importance of positive role modelling and responsible behaviour to our children. This incident is both unfortunate and barbaric, and the Department welcomes the arrest of the three (3) suspects involved from Newclare in Johannesburg, including the mother who is detained at a police station," it said. The Department said it called on community members (particularly those who claim to be community activist and take to posting on social media) to instead take action against these kinds of incidents by reporting to the relevant institutions and/or law enforcement agencies. Siyabonga Monakali, on behalf of Ilitha Labantu, also expressed deep outrage following the circulation of the disturbing video. "The incident, which has drawn widespread condemnation, forces us to confront the cruelty of the act itself and the deeper societal decay it reflects. While the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department responded swiftly by arresting the three individuals involved, including the child's mother and the person who filmed the video, this case goes beyond criminality. It exposes a painful truth about where we stand as a society," he said. Westbury Councillor, Marilyne Smouse, slammed the government for its failure to provide basic and social services to the Coloured community, which she said is at the centre of social issues in Westbury and surrounding areas. "We need serious interventions. We need our voices to be heard, and we need the help of everyone on board. If it is not the drugs, it is the unemployment and the poverty in our communities. We need someone high up there to intervene and help us fight these drugs and other ills. There are plenty of young people who have finished school and university who could be utilised to help us fight drugs and social ills," she said.
The Star
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Zondo and SACC urge immediate action as South Africa's corruption crisis escalates
Siyabonga Sithole | Published 5 hours ago With the country's anti-corruption fight reflecting a worrying trend, former Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and the South African Council of Churches (SACC) have voiced their widespread condemnation of South Africa's endemic graft, which has now reached critical crisis levels. This comes on the back of a high number of high-profile corruption-related arrests implicating some of the country's leading political figures. The SACC stated that pastors who live and show off their lavish lifestyles at the expense of poor congregants are no different from corrupt politicians. This is as the SACC continues to reflect on the scourge as part of its National Anti-Corruption conference currently under way in Johannesburg. Opposition political parties and analysts have weighed in on the country's dismal attempts at reigning in the scourge. Zondo, speaking during his address to the conference's delegates on Wednesday, indicated that the bending of rules to favour certain important people was at the heart of the country's corruption problem. "We bend the rules when we have done something wrong because that has happened when it should not have happened. The church must be the one that leads us. It must tell the rest of us not to bend the rules. The rules apply to everybody," he stated. Zondo also questioned the resolution taken by the ANC in 2007 to disband the Scorpions in favour of the Hawks, currently tasked with investigating high-profile cases. The Activists and Citizens Forum, through its spokesperson, Denis Bloem, said corruption will be hard to beat as long as the ANC still holds power. "The country believed that under former president Jacob Zuma's administration, corruption was at its peak. However, the country was mistaken. Corruption is worse now and out of control under President Cyril Ramaphosa's administration. " The reason why there is no end to corruption is that the government is infiltrated by criminals masquerading as political leaders. Meanwhile, they are the biggest thieves. "General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told the country a few weeks ago that the South African Police Service is infiltrated by criminal syndicates and that some politicians are also on the payroll of these syndicates. Activists and Citizens Forum believe that corruption will not end as long as the ANC is in power. We know this so-called Government of National Unity is just a rubber stamp for the ANC," said Bloem. Reflecting on the excessive levels of corruption and fraud in the country, Rise Mzansi national spokesperson, Mabine Seabe, said the country's problems are not new, adding that all societies are affected by corruption. "Corruption is not a recent phenomenon, nor is it unique to a particular sector of society. What is of alarming concern is that it has taken hold of every aspect of life, where almost every service requires or can be extracted through corrupt means. The Zondo Commission illustrated the industrial nature of corruption with both the private and public sectors lubricating corrupt actions," he said. As for the recent bombshell by KZN Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi, which has implicated senior politicians and the SAPS, Seabe welcomed the recently established Judicial Commission of Inquiry to look into the criminal elements in the country's political elite and the police. "Moreover, the allegations made by Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi point to a nexus between powerful elites and organised crime. "We believe that the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry and Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee to probe Mkhwanazi's allegations are well-placed to probe the alleged collapse and capture of South Africa's safety, security, and justice apparatus; hold those responsible accountable; and recommend the necessary reforms," Seabe added. Attempts to get a comment from the ANC, which has been accused of failing to root out corruption among its leaders, were unsuccessful at the time of going to print. However, this week, ANC Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, addressed the recent developments affecting Senzo Mchunu during the ANC's National Working Committee (NWC) meeting with the Provincial Executive Committee, saying the party welcomed Ramaphosa's decision to establish a judicial commission of inquiry to probe the allegations against Mchunu. "Senzo Mchunu has an opportunity now, in terms of the audi alteram partem principle, to also present his side of the story . Once we listen to that, it is also evaluated in terms of facts by a competent, independent judge, and a judicial commission, like the president appointed, then we can pass judgment," he said. [email protected]
The Star
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Eskom dismisses false claims of imminent load shedding in July
Siyabonga Sithole | Published 2 weeks ago Eskom has strongly rejected false claims circulating online about imminent stage 4 and stage 6 loadshedding from 6 July until 20 July with the power utility saying the country's power system remains stable with loadshedding suspended since 10pm 15 May 2025. " The Winter Outlook, published on 5 May 2025, covering the period ending 31 August 2025, remains valid. It indicates that loadshedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, loadshedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2. There are no planned outages of this scale. Misinformation causes unnecessary alarm. Stay informed—trust only official Eskom updates on our official platforms," the power utility said. This past week, electricity and energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said municipalities with a combined debt of over R100 billion have not been able to reduce the amounts they owe to Eskom. The minister added that the ongoing challenges could result in the total collapse of the South African electricity complex. The minister described Eskom's challenge of supplying electricity but being unable to collect revenue as an 'existential problem'. 'They are spending money they must collect from the bulk consumer, and where they are reticulating. They are finding it difficult to collect, so they're unable to reinvest back into their asset base. It's going to result in, if not managed, a total collapse of the electricity complex in the country," Ramokgopa said. On Friday, Eskom revealed that despite the high unplanned outages and severe weather conditions in parts of South Africa, the available generation capacity was enough to meet peak demand. The power utility also revealed that for the week of 20 to 26 June 2025, unplanned outages averaged 14 696MW, exceeding last year's figure by 2 815MW and the base case estimate of 13 000MW by 1 696MW. It said the increase was largely due to Medupi Unit 4, which has been offline since August 2021 and was scheduled to return on 30 May 2025. The delay in its return was factored into the unplanned outage calculations from 1 June 2025, adding 800MW. Year-to-date, average unplanned outages stand at 14 031MW. [email protected]
The Citizen
07-06-2025
- The Citizen
Pinetown SAPS officer to run his first Comrades
PINETOWN SAPS staff gathered in high spirits to offer their well wishes to one of their own who will run the Comrades Marathon. Detective Constable Siyabonga Sithole, who will be running his first Comrades, said it has always been his dream to run the ultimate human race. 'I was touched when I saw people living with disability starting and finishing the Comrades race, so I felt I owe it to myself to do it too.' Sithole said he started his running journey when he joined the police force in 2018. 'That's where I fell in love with sport, more especially running. Then I started with small races of 10km which I still run.' Asked how he balances his demanding job as a policeman and training for the gruelling marathon, Sithole said he trains in the afternoons after work. Also read: Sarah runs for another brown dog 'It does become challenging as I am a determined person. I also get training sometimes during the day as my job requires me to run after criminals,' he said with a smile, adding that he has prepared himself mentally to run the race. Qualifying for the Comrades is a big highlight of Sithole's life as it has changed his lifestyle positively. 'Work-wise, it helps me a lot because I keep fit, which is what my work requires. The support that I get from my colleagues is amazing, and I am growing as a person and as a police officer.' He encourages every South African to try this race at least once in a lifetime. 'This race is called 'isiko mpilo', which means 'a way of life'. I wish to further encourage youth to exercise as it helps prevent diseases.' Pinetown SAPS acting station commander, Colonel Ronnie Heeralall, said Sithole's commitment, dedication, and perseverance have paid off, thereby qualifying him to run an internationally recognised race. 'We, as SAPS Pinetown, are very proud of him and wish him all the best.' For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
