SA’s 2012 Crime Statistics Overview, Things Are Looking Up

Yesterday, the SAPS released the latest Crime Statistics Overview and, although it might not always seem like it, crime is on a steady downward trend.
BREAKING: Shootout Between Police And Robbers In Woodstock

Four men were arrested following an attempted robbery, shootout and accident in Woodstock this morning.
Police Commissioner: SAPS Should Not Be Sorry Over Lonmin Shooting

The images of Thursday’s Lonmin shooting are still fresh in the minds of people all around the world. While some Lonmin employees are returning to work for fear of losing their jobs, some face the difficult task of accepting reality in the aftermath of the shooting, including the SAPS.
Scam Warning: “SA Holidays” Is Busy Debiting From People’s Accounts For No Reason

Another debit order scam has been recognised after many bank account users, across all banks, have noticed that amounts of money have been disappearing from their accounts in the last few weeks. The offending company is a fictitious holiday company called “SA Holidays,” deducting up to R399 per month from innocent citizens.
Police Issue Warning Against Vigilanteism Following Necklacing Over Weekend
The SAPS have issued a stern warning against persons taking the law into their own hands. This is following the necklacing of a 32 year-old man in Khayelitsha over the weekend. The man was out on bail, and was suspected of the theft of a cellphone.
Man Receives R90 000 Payout For Wrongful Arrest
South African police are not the public’s favourite people despite much of the great work that they do. Recently, stories of police brutality, corruption in the police force have emerged – do I even need to mention Bheki Cele? So when someone finds themselves behind bars for 18 months – for all the wrong reasons, it’s nice to see that something is done about it.
Treasury Recommends Police Reduce Staff By 9 000
This morning the Treasury issued a report in which it recommended that the SAPS reduce staff by 9 000. In a country with one of the highest crime rates in the world, the recommendation seems questionable at best.
Shifting Mdluli Simply Not Good Enough
Politicians reacted angrily at the decision to move Lieutenant-General Richard Mdluli out of his crime intelligence position yesterday. A collective feeling amongst opposition parties was that this was simply not good enough, and that Mdluli should be suspended again.
Sexwale Affidavit On Mdluli Amongst Stolen Documents
We had been wondering what might have been stolen from advocate Muzi Sikhakhane’s home in Northcliff, Jozi, last month. Sikhakhane is acting in a matter against controversial police crime intelligence boss, Lieutenant-General Richard Mdluli. Turns out, one of the documents stolen was an affidavit penned by Tokyo Sexwale, which accused Mdluli of abusing state resources.
BREAKING: R55 Million In Assets Seized From Dawie Groenewald And His Rhino Poaching Buddies [PICS]
The Hawks raided the home of one Dawie Groenwald this morning, in an “uncapped asset forfeiture” (read: repo raid) worth an estimated R55 million. This is part of one of South Africa’s biggest wildlife cases involving rhino poaching and trade in their horns, and we’ve got photos from the raid, and the police statement, after the jump!
Enraged Father Tracks Down Daughter’s Killers, More Efficient Than Local Police
When Vusimuzi Silwanyan’s daughter was brutally murdered last week he left it to local police to deal with the matter. After they failed to make headway in the case he took matters into his own hands, and apprehended the killers in just five days.
Abalone Raid Stirs Local Rage In Hangberg Near Hout Bay
While South Africans took the day off yesterday to reflect on Human Rights Day, the small community of Hangberg near Hout Bay was rocked by violent protests as residents took to the streets to lash out against a police taskforce that raided local homes looking for abalone poachers.
Sleepy Grabouw Reels After Violent Race Riot
Black and coloured residents of sleepy Overberg town, Grabouw, were at each others’ throats yesterday as racial tensions exploded over attacks on a local school.
Vicious Police Brutality In Vaalwater, Limpopo [VIDEO]
A video clip of a uniformed police officer brutally attacking and detaining an individual has been brought to our attention. The footage, allegedly filmed in Vaalwater, Limpopo, clearly incriminates a Vaalwater police van, and a uniformed police officer who appears to still be on duty. N5FW.
Everyone At The Maitland Police Station May Well Be Dying – Spare A Thought
In the Maitland police station in Cape Town 85 staff took a total of 6 579 sick days in one year, at an average of 77,2 days each. Click through for a list of South Africa’s most chronically afflicted police stations.
27 School Pupils Greeted By Police – For Being Late To School
How’s this? I was late to school every now and then, but I was never met with police. This seems a little hardcore: 27 pupils who arrived late for school were greeted by a group of police officers waiting for them. This comes after 700 students and some teachers arrived late to the same school on Monday.
TV Presenter Catches Out Corrupt Cops
You may never have heard of TV celebrity and author Zanele Mbokazi. It would mean you’ve never watched SABC1’s Gospel Gold show, for which she used to be presenter, but anything’s possible. However all of that is beside the point. Because Zanele is now even more famous for something else: helping to bust some very naughty SAPS officers on Sunday.
Breaking: Cape Town Police Arrest Heavily Armed Man In Woodstock
Cape Town police arrested an as yet un-named man today holding a virtual armoury of weapons, and a literal pharmacy of illegal narcotics in Woodstock. What was this man on a mission packing? We’ve got the whole list!
Torching Of Pinelands Train Sparks Call For More Metrorail Cops
Vandalism on Western Cape Metrorail coaches has gotten so bad that the rail company is enlisting the services of more police officers as a last resort. Yesterday, somebody set fire to a Pinelands train, leading to the arrest of at least 14 rail workers.
KZN Police Officer Jailed For Life
A former KwaZulu-Natal cop is going to have to spend a long time on the wrong side of the bars, having been sentenced to life imprisonment today for killing three people. The 28-year-old ex-cop, Judea Ntuli, went on an insane shooting spree in 2009, during which he killed two SAPS colleagues and a schoolboy.
How Not To Be Accused Of Being A Witch
Long, long ago, being accused of witchcraft and getting burnt at the stake was all just part of growing up, and something you’d just have to contend with. But far from being resigned to the past, witchcraft rears it’s ugly head in our modern midst.