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Flying squad officers arrested for kidnapping‚ hijacking and armed robbery

SAPS. File photo.

Three Germiston Flying Squad police officers are in custody after allegedly kidnapping‚ hijacking and robbing drivers of two vehicles in Krugersdorp West on Saturday.

Prince Ngobeni‚ Godfrey Manisha and Maphoko Masemola allegedly committed the crime on the Rustenburg road at about midday.

Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said the suspects had stopped the truck driver and his escort.”The driver of an escort vehicle‚ a 1400 van‚ was forced out of his vehicle and ordered into a police vehicle. One of the police officers also jumped into the truck and forced the driver to sit on the passenger seat.

“The victims were driven into an open veld and forced to lie on the ground while firearms were pointed at them. They were also robbed of a substantial amount of money before the officers drove away‚” Dlamini said.”They remain in custody and will reappear on June 14 for their bail application‚” Dlamini said.

Communities are urged to take every possible steps in reporting corrupt members and those involved in criminal acts. Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant General Deliwe de Lange has ordered a full investigation into the activities of these arrested police officers.

“Taking action against bad elements in the service must be seen as a commitment by management to work towards a better police service‚” de Lange said.

Limpopo deputy speaker ordered to pay back some of his R125‚000 cellphone bill

Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane. 
Image: Gallo Images / Sowetan / Antonio Muchave

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has recommended that the deputy speaker of the Limpopo legislature pay back part of a R125‚000 cellphone bill racked up on a trip to the United States in 2014.

My office contacted Ms Maite Toona with a view of obtaining reasons for her suspension‚ but she elected not to cooperate‚” Mkhwebane said.

Mkhwebane indicated that Masoga did not accept her findings or her proposed remedial action.

This report was one of seven that Mkhwebane released on Monday as part of her office’s quarterly media briefing. Mkhwebane clarified that in her 20 months in office‚ her office had received over 25‚200 complaints.

More than 21‚000 of those complaints had been finalised.

“Some of these are matters that should not be coming to the Public Protector‚” Mkhwebane said‚ adding that they could be dealt with by different state organs.

Only complex issues‚ which amounted to 50‚ received formal reports.

Mkhwebane said that Lehlogonolo Masoga had abused financial resources.

“The allegation that the Deputy Speaker incurred an exorbitant or unreasonable mobile telephone bill whilst on an official trip in the USA in August 2014 is substantiated. The actual total bill incurred for the month of August was R138‚701.99 which was inclusive of subscription services‚ roaming data usage‚ international roaming services‚ domestic data usage and VAT‚” said Mkhwebane’s report into the matter.

Just over R100‚000 went towards roaming data charges while he was on the trip.

Shots fired at upmarket Pretoria shopping mall

A jewellery store in the upmarket Menlyn Mall in Pretoria was robbed late Monday afternoon.

Police spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach said four men entered the mall before proceeding to The Vault store and smashing a shop window with a hammer.

“They took an unconfirmed number of Rolex watches.”

They fired shots at the mall security officers that tried to stop them when they fled in two white cars in Gobie Street. One car was a BMW.

“No-one was injured during the incident.”

When TimesLIVE phoned the mall’s helpline‚ the person that answered said‚ “No problems right now.” They then cut the call.

No arrests have been made.

DJ Zinhle on AKA: We are at a good stage & space in our lives

DJ Zinhle says that her and AKA have got very different parenting styles.

Even though AKA and DJ Zinhle had a rocky end to their relationship, with some of their issues being thrown into the spotlight by the rapper shortly after their split, the pair are apparently in a really good space at the moment.

Just the other day the pair and their daughter Kairo had lunch together for Mother’s Day and speaking to Sowetan, DJ Zinhle gave Mzansi the 411 on how things are going with her baby daddy.

“Co-parenting is going well. Kiernan and I are at a good stage and space in our lives. He’s very supportive and a good dad. We are different. He’s stricter than I am and I think Kairo enjoys the dynamic. Good co-parenting comes from a good relationship and it’s just about putting all your other differences aside and focusing on the child.”

Since AKA’s split from Bonang, some fans have been rooting for the pair to get back together. The internet even created a whole magazine cover to imagine the family together.

Superbalist commercial not racist, ASA rules

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has dismissed a complaint that a television commercial of online retailer Superbalist is racist and offensive.

The commercial features different models wearing clothes and accessories that Superbalist sells.

Brenda van der Hoff complained about a scene where a white woman is shown on a television wearing braids in a hair salon filled with black women.

The caption on the television reads: “Is it appropriation or celebration?” The voice–over says: “The world is watching‚ listening‚ telling our story‚ theirs‚ hers and mine. Show them.”

Van der Hoff complained that a woman in the salon rolls her eyes and her facial expression shows that she thinks the white woman’s braids are “ridiculous”. Van der Hoff believes it is fine for black African women to wear their hair as weaves‚ braids or natural‚ but a white African woman is judged for doing the same.

Thinus Welthagen believes the commercial is racist‚ because the only white woman is “depicted as “telling a story that it is not hers to tell”. “She has braids and that is seen as a bad thing.”

Superbalist said the salon scene was a take on Kim Kardashian’s Instagram post in January this year in which she was wearing similar braids‚ which led to debates on cultural appropriation.