Latest news with #Vispol
IOL News
4 days ago
- IOL News
Stolen Toyota Land Cruiser recovered: Mozambican national arrested in Mpumalanga
The Toyota Land Cruiser, reported missing from Marquard in the Free State, was intercepted by police in Mpumalanga. Image: SAPS Police in Mpumalanga have arrested a 23-year-old Mozambican national in connection with a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser bakkie. The vehicle, reported missing from Marquard in the Free State, was intercepted by authorities on Wednesday evening. According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, members of the provincial anti-hijacking task team, in collaboration with Vispol units from Ehlanzeni and Tonga, acted on a tip-off from the public. "The information was then followed by the police, and they intercepted the vehicle between Low's Creek and Kaapmuiden, at the corner of R38 Road and the N4 Road," Mdhluli stated. The stolen Land Cruiser was found fitted with false Gauteng registration plates. The driver was immediately apprehended and charged with possession of a suspected stolen vehicle. He is expected to appear in court soon. Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, the acting provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, praised the vigilant whistleblowers for their crucial information and commended the swift response of the police officers, which led to both the vehicle's recovery and the suspect's arrest. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The Toyota Land Cruiser, reported missing from Marquard in the Free State, was intercepted by police in Mpumalanga. Image: SAPS Last year, IOL reported that a 32-year-old man Brian Kagiso Mahlo appeared before the Thabamoopo Magistrate's Court in Limpopo on Monday for possession of a stolen vehicle, a white Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VX. 'His arrest comes after members of Limpopo SAPS provincial anti-smuggling task team received a tip-off about a stolen vehicle that was in the process of being smuggled out of the country to Zimbabwe, through Beitbridge port of entry,' Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, said at the time. The police team responded promptly, and the white Toyota Prado VX was spotted. The vehicle was intercepted along the R37 road from Lebowakgomo to Polokwane. The popular sport utility vehicle had been reported stolen in the Villieria policing area, in Tshwane. 'The police stopped the vehicle, and upon searching it, the driver, who is a South African, was unable to produce the valid documents for the vehicle. He was apprehended on the spot for possession of a presumed stolen motor vehicle,' said Ledwaba. IOL News
The Citizen
20-07-2025
- The Citizen
Westville cops caution elderly about fraud on Nelson Mandela Day
ON Friday, Nelson Mandela Day, members of the Westville SAPS dedicated 67 minutes to visiting the elderly at a retirement home in Dawncliffe, where residents were given tips on some topics, including fraud. The station's communications officer, Captain Elizabeth Squires, said the elderly are an 'important vulnerable' group, who on the day were advised not to give out their personal information, such as bank details, email addresses, and physical addresses. 'Daily, we open cases of fraud. Scammers are very convincing, so people should be cautious when buying anything on marketplace. They must verify everything before making an EFT because if it is too good to be true, then it is possibly a scam,' advised Squires. Also read: Watch: Pinetown SAPS makes sandwiches for Mandela Day The station's Nelson Mandela Day outreach programme was also attended by Vispol Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Adele Roos, along with Westville SAPS members Constable Rose Mshengu, Sergeant Zwelethu Khathi and Sergeant Thabani Dlamini, who also advised about general safety at the retirement home; how to safeguard personal belongings when out shopping; what to look out for to report to the police; and tips on how to prevent being a victim of a fraud scam. 'Emergency numbers were shared. The residents appreciated and welcomed the SAPS visit,' said Squires. 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!
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
18-06-2025
- The Citizen
Two suspects caught after robbery and shootout with Leandra Police
Two suspects, aged 37 and 40, were arrested during an armed robbery that escalated into a shootout with the police in Leandra on June 17. A 38-year-old police constable was wounded in the crossfire. According to Mpumalanga Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, police officers from Leandra were conducting routine patrols in the area when they encountered a robbery in progress. The suspects allegedly opened fire on the officers, who retaliated. It was during this exchange that the constable was shot in the hip. He was transported to hospital for medical treatment. Preliminary investigations suggest that a gang of about seven armed men, wearing police reflector vests, entered a liquor outlet in Leandra. They allegedly identified themselves as police officials on duty, investigating counterfeit liquor. The suspects reportedly questioned the owner and spent nearly an hour at the premises before trying to carry out an armed robbery. At that point, members of the Leadra Visible Policing (Vispol) unit arrived on the scene, prompting the shootout. Some of the suspects managed to evade arrest during the gunfire and fled, abandoning a white BMW 3 Series with a false registration number, as well as a white Ford Focus that had reportedly been stolen in Bronkhorstspruit in March. Both vehicles were seized and taken to the police station for further investigation. Believing that not all suspects had fled, police conducted a search of the area, which led to the arrest of two suspects who were found hiding in an enclosed storeroom. They were charged with attempted murder, armed robbery, and possession of suspected stolen vehicles. Crime scene experts are continuing to process the area, and further developments are expected as the investigation unfolds. Ndubane said the public will be updated as new information becomes available. The arrested suspects are expected to appear in the Leslie Periodical Court on Friday. The remaining suspects are still at large. Police are appealing to the public who may have information that could assist in their arrest to contact Detective Constable Thembayona Mkhulisi at 066 577 6013 or call Crime Stop at 08600 10111. Alternatively, tip-offs can be sent via the MySAPS App. All information received will be treated confidentially, and callers may remain anonymous. The Acting Provincial Commissioner of SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, welcomed the arrests and condemned the attack on law enforcement. 'Attacking police officers will be dealt with accordingly. We will not rest until the remaining suspects are brought to justice,' said the General. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
