Latest news with #Boshielo
The Citizen
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Why has President Ramaphosa overlooked Deputy Police Minister Boshielo?
Deputy ministers are appointed to assist ministers in carrying out their duties, but The Presidency has confirmed that such appointments remain the sole prerogative of President Ramaphosa. The purpose of a deputy minister has again been questioned as chaos engulfs the police ministry. Firoz Cachalia will assume the acting police minister position on 1 August, but President Cyril Ramaphosa added more fuel to the fire with a shock announcement. The fallout has been endless since KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi rocked the security cluster with damning allegations against officials two weeks ago. Presidential prerogative The president announced on Tuesday that Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe will lead the police ministry on an acting basis until Cachalia takes over in two weeks. The Presidency confirmed on Tuesday that Mantashe will retain his mineral resources role, with many asking why Deputy Minister Polly Boshielo was not drafted in. Spokesperson for The Presidency, Vincent Magwenya, was asked why the president had not considered Boshielo for a promotion. 'The question assumes that there's a template or criteria, and it ignores the prerogative that the constitution grants to the president in appointing members of the national executive,' Magwenya told The Citizen. Before her appointment to Ramaphosa's Cabinet, Boshielo served as Limpopo MEC for transport and previously held the position of MEC for education. Boshielo had an earlier stint in the national assembly from 2014 to 2015 before being redeployed to Limpopo, where she was elected speaker of the provincial legislature. In addition to her ANC membership, the Seshego native has also been a member of the South African Communist Party. Staffing costs Boshielo addressed the question herself on Tuesday, stating that the temporary promotion would not be permissible. 'In terms of the law, the deputy minister can't be appointed as the acting minister, only if let's say there is a reshuffle,' Boshielo told SAfm. 'We are waiting for the acting minister to start working with us. Yes, we have spoken to our staff. I cannot lie to you, the morale is a bit low,' she added. Cachalia will act as the minister while a commission of inquiry investigates Mkhwanazi's allegations, raising additional questions about possible staff expenses. 'Yes, [Cachalia] will be able to bring his own staff once he has made his own assessment on how he will prefer to work,' Magwenya explained to The Citizen. 'He can also choose to use some of Minister Mchunu's staff. It will be up to him once he has made an assessment,' he added. Bloated Cabinet The purpose of deputy ministers was raised last year after Ramaphosa announced a bloated Cabinet to accommodate the government of national unity. ActionSA have led the charge to ditch deputy minister roles altogether, launching a Cabinet amendment bill to abolish the positions. The party states that doing so would save South Africa as much as R1.5 billion in salaries, support staff costs and perks. 'The president must seize this moment, right-size the Cabinet and restore effective governance,' stated ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip. '[This] Cabinet is not only one of the largest in the world but also deeply ineffective, with worsening socio-economic indicators reflecting a failure rooted in absent reforms,' he concluded. NOW READ: Minister perks and broader definition of corruption — ActionSA's legislative proposals
The Citizen
23-06-2025
- General
- The Citizen
City technician recovering in hospital after electric shock
A Tshwane electrician who suffered an electric shock while conducting tests to locate a faulty cable in Equestria on June 17 is reported to be in a stable condition, according to the metro. Spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the injured technician is being monitored after he was airlifted to Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg on June 18. The incident occurred during restoration efforts following a widespread outage that affected several suburbs in the east on June 16. The outage was linked to a trip at the Wapadrand Substation. Technicians were deployed the next day and traced the issue to a cable fault. However, while the team was conducting tests to pinpoint the fault, one of the electricians suffered an electric shock and sustained burn injuries. The substation transformer also tripped again. Emergency services were called immediately, and the injured worker was stabilised on site before being transported to hospital for further care. MMC for Utility Services Frans Boshielo, accompanied by senior managers, visited the technician on June 18. Boshielo said the visit was to assess the situation and give support to the family. 'Our technician was unfortunately injured by electrical equipment whilst on duty,' he explained. Boshielo said they met with the family at the hospital, who said they appreciated the presence of the city's officials. 'While it's still early to give any comment about his condition, we were nonetheless assured of the best care possible that is being afforded to him,' he said. Boshielo expressed his appreciation to the staff at Milpark and the family. 'In the meantime, we must allow him time to recover and to keep our colleague and his family in all our prayers.' He added that as the Energy and Electricity Department, they were anguished by the incident and wished their colleague a speedy recovery. 'We wish to inform our staff who need counselling to inform their managers so that they can be assisted as soon as possible. Safety of our employees is of importance, and we will comply with the OHS Act, Act no 85 of 1993 requirements.' Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ 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! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
02-06-2025
- The Citizen
Police hunt second suspect in Olorato Mongale's murder
Law enforcement will not rest until another suspect in the murder of journalist Olorato Mongale is apprehended, Police Deputy Minister Dr Polly Boshielo said. The 30-year-old was killed last Sunday after leaving her Johannesburg home to go on a date, reportedly with her alleged killer. Her body was found hours later in Lombardy East, sparking a multi-provincial manhunt for the suspects. Speaking at her funeral service held at City Hall in Bloemfontein yesterday, Boshielo called on the public — and those who know the suspect — to advise him to hand himself over to the nearest police station. 'We will also not rest until we find Bongani Mthimkhulu. If you know him, advise him to surrender to the nearest police station,' she said. The deputy minister emphasised that SAPS is committed to combating gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). 'The fight against gender-based violence and femicide is a national priority for the South African Police Service, and it is for this very reason that maximum resources are always deployed to investigate GBVF cases and also track down GBVF perpetrators,' she said. Upon learning of the case last Sunday, the SAPS swiftly mobilised resources, including the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Team and the Gauteng Provincial Investigating Unit, to assist the Sandringham Police Station in tracking down a perpetrator known as 'John'. The investigation led authorities to a lodge in Kew, Johannesburg, and subsequently to KZN, where they discovered a VW Polo vehicle with traces of blood. The vehicle was linked to Philangenkosi Makhanya, who was identified as 'John'. On Friday morning, police located Makhanya at a block of apartments in Amanzimtoti. When police announced their arrival, he opened fire, and officers returned fire, resulting in his death at the scene. In his possession, police found more than 27 ID smart cards belonging to various men and about 20 cellphones. Boshielo revealed that Makhanya and his alleged accomplice, Bongani Mthimkhulu, operated a syndicate targeting women across various malls in the country. 'We are still searching for Bongani Mthimkhulu because we have narrowed our investigation and now know that Philangenkosi Makhanya and Bongani Mthimkhulu were working together and they were a syndicate that was targeting women in various malls across the country,' she said. Syndicate The investigation has linked the duo to 22 cases of kidnapping and robbery, with women from across the country positively identifying them as the perpetrators. Highlighting the broader impact of the syndicate's activities, Boshielo noted that similar cases have been reported in Bloemfontein, Mbombela, Midrand, Pretoria, Potchefstroom, Lebowakgomo, and Johannesburg. Addressing the family at the funeral service, Boshielo reassured them of the government's commitment to justice. 'To the family, to the mother Poppy, we may not have been able to prevent the death of your child but be rest assured that one of her perpetrators is in permanent custody and will never rise up again to terrorise other women,' she said. The deputy minister called for a collaborative effort to end GBVF. 'GBVF is a crime that happens behind closed doors between two people that know each other and where we cannot always be as the police. Let's all stand together and work together to put a stop to GBVF in our country,' the deputy minister said. Police clear Fezile Ngubane In a statement on Saturday, the SAPS informed the nation that Fezile Ngubane, who was initially identified as a suspect in a syndicate targeting young women, has been cleared. This follows his father handing him over to the KwaMashu Police Station on Friday after learning his son was sought by police in the Olorato murder case. 'A multidisciplinary team led by the deputy [police] commissioner for crime detection in Gauteng, Major General Mbuso Khumalo, the SAPS National Anti-Kidnapping Task Team, and KZN and Gauteng investigating units have now cleared Ngubane following a thorough interview and preliminary investigation. 'According to a preliminary report, Ngubane washes cars for a living and stays in the same neighbourhood as deceased Philangenkosi Makhanya,' said the SAPS. Makhanya allegedly identified Ngubane as a soft target and took his ID smart card, using it to Rica Sim cards that Makhanya would use to commit his long list of kidnapping and robbery crimes targeting young women. Ngubane's ID was among the 27 smart cards found in Makhanya's possession. 'The SAPS has also released the parents of one of the two suspects in the case after their statements were taken down. Police are sitting with at least 20 cases where women have come forward identifying the suspects as those that kidnapped and robbed them. 'The search for Bongani Mthimkhulu continues, and police once again call on him to hand himself over at his nearest police station,' the police said on Saturday. –
TimesLIVE
01-06-2025
- TimesLIVE
'Olorato was known for her grace, intelligence and quiet boldness': family and friends bid her farewell
Deputy Minister of police Polly Boshielo has issued a stern call to South African parents to stop protecting their children when they commit crimes, especially in the face of the country's ongoing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) crisis. Speaking at the funeral of 30-year-old murder victim Olorato Mongale in Bloemfontein on Sunday, Boshielo stressed that the actions of family members who shield perpetrators often lead to further harm against women and girls, who are manipulated, targeted and ultimately victimised. This is after the mother of one of the suspects being sought for Mongale's murder tipped her son off about the police looking for him. 'I want to, at this point, appeal to parents and everybody who is in this room, if somebody has done something wrong, please, please, stop shielding them,' Boshielo said. Mongale, whose body was found last week after a nationwide search, is believed to have been the latest victim of an alleged romance scam syndicate that lured women under the pretence of love, only to rob and in some cases kidnap them. Boshielo said as soon as the case was brought to their attention last Sunday evening, the SAPS national anti-kidnapping task team ande Gauteng provincial investigating unit were immediately brought in to support the investigating officer from Sandringham police station to track down a suspect known as John. 'In no time, the team followed the tracks of the VW Polo and the two perpetrators,' she said. The investigation began at a lodge in Kew, Johannesburg, where the suspects had booked a room. The team then followed leads to KwaZulu-Natal, where they located the VW Polo at a panel beating workshop in Phoenix. 'The vehicle was found with traces of blood, which our forensic experts are still analysing,' said Boshielo. Philangenkosi Makhanya, identified as one of the main suspects, was killed in a shoot-out with police in Amanzimtoti on Friday. In his possession, officers found more than 27 identity cards and 20 mobile phones believed to belong to previous victims. His alleged accomplice, Bongani Mthimkhulu, remains at large. Police have linked the pair to at least 20 similar cases across the country, with women in several cities including Bloemfontein, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Nelspruit and Polokwane coming forward to positively identify the two suspects. 'Women from across the country have positively identified them as the pair that kidnapped and robbed them. Some cases have been reported where we are today in Bloemfontein. In Bloemfontein, we have one case reported in Park Road and one in Kagisanong with the same modus operandi. They met these guys at the waterfront mall and other malls in Bloemfontein, agreed to go out on a date with them and they were later robbed. Other cases have been reported in Nelspruit, Midrand, Pretoria, Potchefstroom, Lebowakgomo in Limpopo and Johannesburg,' Boshielo said. During the funeral service, Mongale's grandmother, Gogo Sisi, said she never got to hear a 'happy birthday' wish from her granddaughter on Friday.
eNCA
24-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
GBVF awareness march in Thohoyandou
POLOKWANE - Deputy Police Minister, Polly Boshielo, led a march against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in Thohoyandou, Limpopo. Thousands of people joined the march and later attended a community engagement with Boshielo and other government officials. WATCH | Crime stats | GBV cases rise Thohoyandou is one of the areas plagued by high levels of GBV and femicide in the country.
