[ON AIR] Crime expert Thabang Bogopa unpacks some challenges facing SAPS officers on #ThePeoplesCourt #DStv403

A suspect arrested in connection with the first murder in Kempton Park in July might be a foreign national, with authorities now working to establish his identity and nationality through police and prison fingerprint records. Read on https://tinyurl.com/4r79ffad #news #FingerprintProbe #SuspectNationality #CrimeEvidence #KemptonPark

🚨 POLICE HUNT WHITE CAR LINKED TO A KEMPTON PARK KIDNAPPING Update: We have not been told when the incident occurred but its not a recent incident. We waiting for more details from the investigator then will give full details. SAPS has registered a kidnapping case in the Kempton Park area and is urgently appealing to the public for information about a white vehicle captured on CCTV in connection with the investigation. ⚠️ IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING: Police have warned members of the public NOT to approach the vehicle or anyone suspected to be involved. Anyone who spots the vehicle should keep a safe distance and immediately alert police. Acting Provincial Commissioner General Fred Gagana and specialised police teams are following multiple leads in the Ekurhuleni region as the investigation continues. 📍 If you recognise this vehicle or have credible information, contact: 📞 Sgt Gadebe: 082 646 7903 🚔 SAPS Emergency: 10111 📱 Report anonymously through the MySAPS App 👮 Or contact your nearest police station. 🎥 The CCTV video is in the comments below. Please share this post responsibly and help get the information to the right people. Do not confront or follow the vehicle yourself. #KemptonPark #Gauteng #SAPS #Kidnapping #PoliceAppeal #CommunitySafety #SouthAfrica

OPERATION CORONA | SANDF DELIVERS — NOW GO AFTER THE KINGPINS: The latest operations by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) under Operation CORONA show the vital role our soldiers continue to play in safeguarding South Africa’s borders and supporting law enforcement. Over the past weekend, soldiers operating along the Zimbabwe–South Africa and Botswana–South Africa borders made seizures exceeding R1.4 million. These included: • A Great Wall Motor Tank 300 valued at R729,000 at Echo Station 1 • Illicit cigarettes worth R305,860 at Pump Station • Illicit cigarettes worth R282,337 along the Botswana border • Illicit alcohol worth R28,000 • Dagga worth R50,700 • Illicit groceries and goods worth R12,000 In one incident, suspects allegedly fired at soldiers before fleeing across the border into Zimbabwe. These results demonstrate that Operation CORONA is making an impact. But seizures are only one part of the battle. WE MUST GO AFTER THE KINGPINS. Cigarette smuggling is a major organised-crime problem. We cannot keep arresting foot soldiers and confiscating consignments while the people financing, coordinating and profiting from these criminal networks remain untouched. Follow the money. Identify the networks. Arrest the kingpins. Prosecute them. Every seizure must become an intelligence lead. Every arrested suspect must potentially lead investigators to those higher up the chain. The real measure of success cannot simply be how many cigarettes or goods are seized. It must be how many criminal syndicates are dismantled and how many kingpins are put behind bars. Our soldiers are doing their job on the ground. Now SAPS, the Hawks, prosecutors and other agencies must follow the trail all the way to the top. SEIZE THE GOODS. ARREST THE SMUGGLERS. DISMANTLE THE SYNDICATES. GO AFTER THE KINGPINS. @TaxJustice_SA @sarstax @NPA_Prosecutes @SAPoliceService @SANDF_ZA

SERIAL KILLER AND POLICE OFFICIAL SENTENCED TO FOUR LIFE TERMS EACH FOR VIOLENT CRIMES The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the sentence handed down by the Pretoria High Court, in which Rassie Hlabirwa Nkune (37) from Mpumalanga, and former police official Jacob Mothibe Chego (41) , previously employed at the White River Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit (VCIU), were each sentenced to two life terms for two counts of premeditated murder, two life terms for two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, 5 years each for four counts of kidnapping, 5 years each for fraud, and 5 years each for defeating the ends of justice. In addition, Nkune was sentenced to 15 years each for two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances. The court ordered that the sentences should run concurrently with that of life imprisonment and declared them unfit to possess a firearm. THE CRIMES On 16 March 2022, Mr Mogashoa received a call from Chego informing him that his vehicle, reported stolen in 2018, had allegedly been recovered and was being held at the White River police vehicle impound. The following day, Nkune, posing as a police officer, contacted Mr Mogashoa and arranged to collect documentation. On 19 March 2022, Mr Mogashoa, his wife, and their two minor children (aged one and eight) travelled to Benoni, where they picked up Nkune. The Murders: While en route to the impound, Nkune instructed Mogashoa at gunpoint to stop in an open veld in Etwatwa. He forced the couple out of the vehicle, leaving their two young children inside. Nkune forced the couple into the veld and shot both in the head. The mother was six months pregnant. Aftermath: Nkune returned to the vehicle, drove with the children to another area, abandoned them, and fled. The eight-year-old child took the younger sibling and walked along the N12 highway seeking help. A woman assisted them and took them to a nearby police station. INVESTIGATION & ARREST Following investigations, Nkune was arrested while already in custody, serving a life sentence for the murder of two women in a separate case. On 16 April 2024, Chego and his co-accused, Elvis Press Makhubela (now deceased), handed themselves over to police at Springs police station. COURT PROCEEDINGS Both Nkune and Chego pleaded not guilty. However, State Prosecutor Advocate Tholoana Sekhonyana presented compelling evidence, including testimony from the eight-year-old child and Nkune’s associate, proving the accused’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In delivering judgment, the Court found: • State witnesses credible, reliable, and corroborated by objective evidence • Nkune and Chego jointly planned and executed the crimes SENTENCING During sentencing, the accused asked the court to deviate from prescribed minimum sentences, citing minor children. Advocate Sekhonyana argued that they showed no remorse and committed a gruesome murder in front of two minor children while the mother was six months pregnant. Victim Impact Statements: • The minor child expressed that the incident affected his schoolwork, causing his grades to drop • Both families indicated the incident affected them psychologically, physically, and financially The Judge agreed with the state that no substantial and compelling circumstances existed to deviate from prescribed minimum sentences. NPA STATEMENT “The NPA remains committed to ensuring that perpetrators of violent crime, including those in positions of trust, are held accountable for their actions. This sentence sends a clear message that those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain will face the full might of the law.” FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS This case demonstrates that even police officials who abuse their positions will face justice. The use of DNA evidence and testimony from young witnesses underscores the importance of thorough investigation. #NPA #Sentencing #LifeImprisonment #PretoriaHighCourt #Murder #Kidnapping #Fraud #PoliceAccountability #JusticeForVictims #Etwatwa #WhiteRiver #VaalTriangle #Sedibeng #FezileDabi