Latest news with #NtathuNdlovu
The Citizen
7 days ago
- The Citizen
Police bust KZN dagga farm disguised as vegetable plot, 14 arrested
Fourteen people, 10 of who are foreign nationals, were arrested in the early hours of this morning during a police raid on a five-hectare dagga plantation in Babanango, north-west of Melmoth in KZN. According to Zululand Observer, the intelligence-driven multidisciplinary operation involved SAPS Zululand District, Vryheid and Ulundi K9 units, Vryheid Search and Rescue, Home Affairs immigration officers, Zone 3 Task Team members, and Ulundi Municipality Crime Prevention officers. 'The operation… was executed after intelligence uncovered approximately five hectares of dagga plantation masquerading as a vegetable farm,' says KZN SAPS spokesperson Captain Ntathu Ndlovu. 'During the operation, 14 suspects were arrested, 10 of them foreign nationals.' Pieces of South African National Defence Force uniform, machetes, and processed cannabis were also found in the suspects' possession. The suspects, aged between 19 and 40, will appear in the Babanango Magistrate's Court soon. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
24-06-2025
- The Citizen
Taxi association slams police after passengers shot in KZN
Two taxi passengers were shot in Umhlali, KZN, last night after police allegedly mistook their vehicle for one involved in a hijacking. The North Coast Courier reports that, according to initial accounts, members of the Police Emergency Services task team identified a taxi matching the description of a hijacked vehicle and attempted to intercept it. Police spokesperson Captain Ntathu Ndlovu confirmed that Umhlali police are investigating two counts of attempted murder. 'Police received information that a stolen vehicle was spotted on the N2, resulting in a high-speed chase. After various unsuccessful attempts to stop the vehicle and observing its blatant disregard for road safety, officers opened fire to bring it to a halt,' said Ndlovu. No arrests have been made, and no fatalities were reported. Among the injured were a 39-year-old man, critically wounded after being shot in the chest, and a 26-year-old woman who was shot in the leg. The owner of the taxi, who asked to be identified only as Mr Ndlovu, said the driver noticed a vehicle following him after dropping off a passenger in Shaka's Head. As he approached the Umhlali traffic lights, shots were fired. 'That's when he stopped. But I'm told the police continued firing even after the taxi had halted. The vehicle had number plates, passengers and association stickers. They could have just pulled it over,' said Mr Ndlovu. Richard David, the spokesperson for the Dolphin Coast Taxi Association, condemned the shooting. 'There was no need to open fire. Taxi drivers are stopped regularly. This was reckless and now innocent people are injured. It could have been avoided,' he said. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
20-05-2025
- IOL News
Investigation launched into alleged rape of six-year-old girl at KwaZulu-Natal school
The DA held a picket outside the Esikhaleni police station on Tuesday over what the party said was the slow response to the rape case of a six-year-old girl. Image: Supplied KwaZulu-Natal police are investigating the alleged rape of a six-year-old girl in the toilets of a primary school in Esikhaleni, outside Empangeni last month. SAPS spokesperson Captain Ntathu Ndlovu said that an investigation is underway. 'Empangeni Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit detectives are investigating a case of rape following an incident in which a six-year-old girl was allegedly raped at a school at Esikhaleni on 25 April 2025. Investigations into this matter are ongoing,' Ndlovu said. The KZN Department of Education has also acknowledged the incident. Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said: 'Yes, we are aware of the matter and it's being attended to.' 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ The incident comes after the public outrage around the alleged rape of a 7-year-old girl at a private school in Matatiele, Eastern Cape. The National Prosecuting Authority has recently announced that its Eastern Cape division had declined to prosecute the case. However the DA has criticised what it calls "institutional inaction" regarding the incident. DA provincial education spokesperson Sakhile Mngadi alleged that while the incident reportedly took place on April 25, the police only visited the school on Monday. Mngadi led a picket outside Esikhaleni SAPS on Tuesday, where a memorandum of demands was handed over, calling for urgent interventions. The picket was attended by civil society groups, local residents, and the victim's mother, who marched alongside DA leaders, demanding justice. 'The mother's presence today was a powerful reminder of the real human cost of government and police inaction. She should never have had to fight for something as basic as justice for her child,' said Mngadi. In its memorandum, the DA called for a transparent criminal investigation, immediate psychosocial support for the child and her family, a review of the school's safeguarding policies, and disciplinary action against anyone found culpable. The DA has also submitted a parliamentary question to KZN Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka demanding answers on whether a departmental investigation is underway and what support has been provided to the learner and her family. It has also asked for the school's history of safeguarding compliance and whether any previous disciplinary concerns were raised about staff or others linked to the school. The DA cited SAPS crime statistics for 2023/24, which revealed that more than 16,000 cases of child rape were reported nationwide, an average of 44 children raped per day, many of them under 10 years old. 'This is not just about one child, it's about a system that is failing all our children. Schools should be places of safety, not scenes of trauma,' said Mngadi, who also urged that the issue be treated as a national emergency. THE MERCURY
IOL News
14-05-2025
- IOL News
An accused person attempting to escape from custody at court was gunned down by an orderly
During an attempted escape at the Melmoth Magistrate's Court, an accused was fatally shot, leading to an investigation of the incident and a reassessment of court security protocols. Image: SAPS A PLAN to make a daring escape from custody during a court appearance went awry for an accused person who was attending a sitting at the Melmoth Magistrate's Court on Monday. He attempted to grab the gun of a court orderly while in a courtroom and his two accomplices who were appearing alongside him assaulted the policeman. Another policeman who was present shot and killed the accused who was trying to dispossess the orderly of his firearm. KZN police spokesperson Captain Ntathu Ndlovu said Melmoth police were investigating an inquest, which relates to a case of escaping from lawful custody, attempted murder, and assault GBH (grievous bodily harm), following an incident that occurred at the Melmoth Magistrate's Court when three suspects allegedly attempted an escape. 'Reports indicate that the three suspects, aged between 22 and 26 years, were in court when one of the suspects allegedly attacked and attempted to disarm a police officer, and the other two suspects allegedly started to beat the officer,' Ndlovu said. 'One suspect was fatally shot, and the other two suspects have been re-arrested.' Ndlovu said no other fatality was reported and that investigations were ongoing. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ Reacting to the incident, the Justice and Constitutional Development Ministry commended the prompt response but expressed concern over the incident. The ministry said preliminary reports indicated that an accused person in custody allegedly gained access to a court orderly's firearm. However, in a quick response, a second court orderly discharged his service firearm, killing the accused. The accused was declared dead at the scene. 'While the full details of the incident, including the identity of the deceased and the exact sequence of events, are still under investigation, the ministry is encouraged by the professionalism displayed by court officials in a high-pressure situation,' ministry spokesperson Terrence Manase said. 'Their actions undoubtedly prevented a potentially greater tragedy.' Manase said that despite the distressing incident, court operations at Melmoth were not disrupted, and the regional court continued to serve the public as scheduled. 'This reflects the resilience and commitment of the justice system and its officials to uphold the rule of law.' Manase said the police were conducting a thorough investigation, and a full report was expected soon. 'The ministry has also initiated its own internal review of court security measures,' Manase said. He said Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi had requested an urgent briefing and stressed the critical need to immediately enhance security measures within all court premises. 'The department is working closely with law enforcement to ensure enhanced safety measures are urgently implemented to safeguard all court users,' Manase said. DAILY NEWS
