Police rescue 90 kidnapped Ethiopians locked up in ‘inhumane conditions’ in Joburg

Johannesburg – Police have rescued 90 Ethiopian nationals who were allegedly kidnapped and held captive in “inhumane conditions” at a house in Johannesburg.

The victims, who were between the ages of 15 and 30, were found on Friday night at a house in Rosettenville, south of Johannesburg after police received a tip-off.

Police spokesperson Captain Xoli Mbele said the victims were allegedly being held against their will and were forced to pay large sums of money to their captors.

“The victims were allegedly lured to South Africa with promises of jobs, but were instead held captive and forced to work as prostitutes or do other illegal activities,” Mbele said.

She said the victims were found in a “state of shock and fear” and were taken to a place of safety.

“Eight suspects, including two women, have been arrested and charged with kidnapping, human trafficking, and extortion,” Mbele said.

The suspects are expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Police are investigating the incident and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

MEC launches new racism probe at Pretoria High School for Girls after 12 pupils found not guilty

Pretoria – The Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has launched a new racism probe at Pretoria High School for Girls after 12 pupils were found not guilty of racism by the school’s governing body (SGB).

The probe comes after a video emerged on social media showing the pupils using racial slurs and making derogatory comments about black people.

The SGB initially found the pupils guilty of racism, but later overturned the decision, saying that the pupils did not intend to be racist.

Lesufi said he was “deeply concerned” by the SGB’s decision and said that he had instructed the department to launch a new investigation.

“Racism has no place in our schools and we will not tolerate it,” Lesufi said.

He said that the new investigation would be conducted by an independent panel and that the findings would be made public.

The SGB has welcomed the MEC’s decision to launch a new investigation.

“We believe that an independent investigation will help to clear the air and restore confidence in the school,” the SGB said in a statement.

The pupils who were found not guilty of racism have said that they are “relieved” by the decision.

“We are sorry for the pain that we caused, but we did not intend to be racist,” one of the pupils said.

The new investigation is expected to take several weeks.

Rwanda shuts down 185 churches – so far

Kigali – Rwanda has shut down 185 churches since the beginning of the year, according to the country’s interior minister.

The minister, Emmanuel Ngahanji, said that the churches were closed for violating building codes, operating without permits, or promoting hate speech.

“We want to ensure that churches operate in a safe and regulated environment,” Ngahanji said.

The closures have been met with mixed reactions from the public.

Some people have welcomed the move, saying that it will help to improve the quality of religious services and reduce the number of illegal churches.

Others have criticized the closures, saying that they are a violation of religious freedom.

The Rwandan government has defended the closures, saying that they are necessary to protect public safety and order.

The government has also said that it is committed to religious freedom and that the closures will not affect the rights of people to practice their religion.

CAPTURE CHRONICLES | Controversial KZN accountant bagged almost R8m from Mhlathuze Water bonanza

Pietermaritzburg – A controversial KwaZulu-Natal accountant who was implicated in the VBS Mutual Bank saga has been paid almost R8 million by the beleaguered Mhlathuze Water.

The accountant, Msunduzi Ngcobo, was paid R7.9 million by Mhlathuze Water for work that he did between 2017 and 2020.

Ngcobo was appointed by Mhlathuze Water in 2017 to provide forensic accounting services.

He was paid R2.4 million in the 2017/18 financial year, R2.5 million in the 2018/19 financial year, and R2.9 million in the 2019/20 financial year.

Ngcobo’s appointment was controversial because he was implicated in the VBS Mutual Bank saga.

In 2018, Ngcobo was named in the VBS Mutual Bank forensic report as one of the people who benefited from the bank’s looting.

The report found that Ngcobo received R10 million from VBS Mutual Bank.

Ngcobo has denied any wrongdoing and has said that he was not aware that the money he received from VBS Mutual Bank was stolen.

Mhlathuze Water has defended its decision to appoint Ngcobo.

The utility’s spokesperson, Siyabonga Maphumulo, said that Ngcobo was appointed because he is a qualified and experienced forensic accountant.

“Mr Ngcobo was appointed after a competitive bidding process,” Maphumulo said.

“He is a qualified and experienced forensic accountant who has a track record of success in the field.”

Death and dysfunction: Murdered corruption investigator kept death threat fears secret from bosses

Pretoria – A murdered South African corruption investigator kept fears that he might be killed a secret from his bosses, a commission of inquiry has heard.

The investigator, Babita Deokaran, was shot dead outside her home in Johannesburg in August 2021.

She was investigating corruption at the Gauteng Department of Health at the time of her death.

A commission of inquiry into Deokaran’s death has heard that she had received death threats prior to her murder.

However, Deokaran did not report the threats to her superiors.

Deokaran’s family and friends have said that she was too scared to report the threats because she feared for her life.

The commission of inquiry has also heard that Deokaran was working on a number of sensitive cases at the time of her death.

These cases included investigations into corruption at the Gauteng Department of Health and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa.

The commission of inquiry is expected to resume its hearings in September.