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The South African Police Service (SAPS) mourn the death of Major General Bafana Linda, head of Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Investigations (FCS).

In a statement released on Tuesday, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola acknowledged Linda’s demise as a “great loss” to the organization’s detective environment.

On Tuesday, Linda died away after a protracted illness.

Masemola said the senior officer, with 36 years’ service, “was an exemplary detective and a champion for justice for GBVF victims”.

“He was a greatly respected detective, who was devoted to the call of serving, protecting and securing lengthy convictions for crimes against women, children and vulnerable groups,” said Masemola.

In 2016, Linda was chosen to serve as the Deputy Provincial Commissioner (DPC) for Crime Detection in Limpopo. He entered the service in 1986 as a student constable and worked his way up through the ranks to the rank of Major General.

As National Component Head: Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offenses Investigations, he was relocated in 2018 to manage the SAPS 176 FCS and nine Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) units.

Linda investigated numerous high-profile cases, including that of convicted child serial rapist Fanwell Khumalo, who in 2004 was sentenced to 42 life terms for 38 rapes and four attempted rapes by the Johannesburg High Court.

Khumalo, a former chef who had catered to visiting Hollywood celebrities at Gold Reef City, was arrested on March 7, 2001 by a team lead by Linda, the investigative officer.

In 2016, Linda was received the National Commissioner’s certificate of recognition for exemplary service, among other honours and accomplishments.

“The organisation has lost one of its highly decorated, celebrated and dedicated detectives, who put the women, children and men of this country first through his dedication of serving. He was a man who understood his calling and remained committed to providing closure for victims and survivors of GBVF related crimes.

“His passing will be felt by all those who served with him and the victims and the families of the victims he assisted,” said Masemola.

Masemola commended Linda for his service to the country and for diligently pursuing suspects and painstakingly solving cases to secure the triumph of justice.

»SAPS mourns the death of Major General Bafana Linda, head of Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Investigations (FCS)«

In high-risk regions for rabies, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development has warned locals and tourists to be vigilant.

In a statement released on Monday, the agency said that rabies is prevalent in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga provinces, as well as along the border between the Free State province and Lesotho.

“The coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape are a particularly high risk for rabies. The public is advised not to approach, touch or pick up stray dogs and cats from these areas for whatever purpose.

“When picking up stray animals and homing them, you could aid the spread of rabies to other areas and provinces, and put your life and that of your family at risk,” the department warned.

The government has urged individuals to report stray animals to local animal welfare authorities and assist these organisations in caring for these animals.

“Remember that rabies may occur anywhere in South Africa and therefore, avoid handling animals that you do not know. Rabies is a very serious, mostly fatal zoonotic disease, meaning that it can be passed from infected animals to humans.

“Any mammal can become infected with rabies, but the biggest threat to human health is infected dogs and cats,” the department said.

When an infected animal bites, scratches, or licks a human, it transmits the rabies virus via its saliva.

Animals afflicted with rabies may exhibit a variety of behavioural changes, ranging from spontaneous assaults to excessive friendliness or even drowsiness.

Infected animals may drool excessively, be unable to swallow, incessantly vocalise (barking, whining, howling, etc.), exhibit strange behaviour, and sometimes become violent, or they may look feeble and unresponsive.

The illness affects the brains of both animals and people, and once clinical symptoms appear, there is no cure, and it is deadly in every instance.

“Therefore, if you suspect that you have been exposed to an animal that may have rabies, it is critically important to wash the wound very well with soap under running water and to immediately seek preventative treatment at your nearest healthcare facility. Doing this can save your life,” the department said.

»Government warns local residents and holidaymakers to be alert in rabies high risk areas«

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) in the province of North West has asked clients to visit their closest labour centres in order to get services and reduce the strain on neighbouring centres that are witnessing a significant client inflow.

This is due to an increase in demand for UIF services in the Rustenburg and Klerksdorp labour centres, relative to other nearby offices.

According to Sena Mhlongo, the director of the UIF in the North West, all labour centres in the province provide standardised services, regardless of their location.

Mhlongo advised against an influx of customers at a single site, as it might have a negative influence on claims processing turnaround times.

“To ensure efficient service delivery, we urge clients to utilise the offices that are within their vicinity, as processes are standardised in all our labour centres. Rustenburg and Klerksdorp are not different from any [labour centre],” Mhlongo said.

These are located at Mafikeng, Rustenburg, Klerksdorp, Brits, Lichtenburg, Potchefstroom, Vryburg, Taung, Mogwase, and Christiana.

Mhlongo said that all of these offices are equipped to provide all Department of Employment and Labour services. In addition, there are designated locations where mobile services are provided, and the schedule may be obtained from the local office.

For any other inquiries, customers can contact the management of the labour centres.

Clients may also use the department’s internet portal, which is open 24 hours a day and can be reached at www.labour.gov.za.

»Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) in North West province urges clients to visit their local labour centres«

The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has expressed shock and sorrow after Saturday’s horrific drowning tragedy at Durban’s North beach.

The eThekwini Municipality has confirmed that three people, including a teenager, drowned on Saturday after being dragged out to sea by rip currents at Durban’s North Beach.

According to the municipality, it took 35 lifeguards and another team of paramedics to undertake a mass rescue attempt and treat more than 100 persons involved in the tragedy.

“Despite the best efforts of the emergency response team, three people lost their lives, with others were transported to hospital. We are devastated by this sad loss of life. We have asked for an urgent report from our disaster teams and eThekwini Municipality,” the municipality said in a statement.

Dube-Ncube has sent condolences to the bereaved families and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.

“We are devastated by this sad loss of life. We have asked for an urgent report from our disaster teams and eThekwini Municipality,” Dube-Ncube said.

»KZN Premier expresses shock and sadness following the drowning at Durban’s North beach«

Dr. Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education and Training, welcomed the decision of the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council (GPSSBC) to dismiss the application of the department’s former Director-General, Gwebinkundla Qonde.

Qonde said that he was treated unjustly. This follows a similar suit that was denied earlier this year by the Labour Court.

The former Director-General requested that the GPSSBC assess whether he had been exposed to an unfair labour practise in relation to his demotion. On 2 December 2022, GPSSBC Commissioner PM Ngako heard the application.

Ngako determined that the GPSSBC cannot adjudicate the applicant’s disagreement because he did not utilise the Grievance Form at Annexure A to file his grievance in accordance with the grievance process outlined in Chapter 10 of the Senior Management Service (SMS) Handbook clause 1.2 and 6(a).

The Commissioner thus claimed that Council lacks the authority to decide on Qonde’s dispute.

“As a result the applicant failed to comply with the grievance procedure set out in Chapter 10 of the SMS Handbook, conditions that are peremptory. He failed to refer his grievance in a prescribed form. In terms of the SMS Handbook, the applicant failed to lodge a grievance before referring a dispute to the Council.

“The two letters of complaint that he wrote to the President was not in compliance of the grievance procedure as set out in the SMS Handbook and the Public Service Act. As result I find the applicant has failed to exhaust internal grievance proceedings before referring his unfair labour practice dispute to Council and as result Council does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate over the applicant’s dispute,” said the Commissioner.

Nzimande said that the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council’s decision has vindicated him.

“This decision reafirms that the Public Service Act and the SMS Handbook, are the basic legal prescripts governing senior public servants’ employment in the public service,” Nzimande said.

Minister stated that it is distressing that Qonde, a former Director-General of the Department of Higher Education, failed to understand these fundamental regulations.

“It is clear that Qonde was looking for something to tarnish the Minister’s reputation for political reasons. All those gullible media houses and other detractors who climbed on the bandwagon to try and discredit the Minister will take note of these outcomes and developments,” Nzimande said.

»Minister of Higher Education and Training welcomes the GPSSBC’s decision to dismiss the application by the department’s former DG«

After returning from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Victor Gomes has OFFICIALLY announced his retirement from refereeing.

Gomes had already determined his destiny some months ahead to the FIFA World Cup, with rumours of him hanging up his whistle.

At the time, however, neither the South African Football Association (SAFA) nor the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had received official correspondence from him.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) reportedly attempted to persuade the 40-year-old Gomes to change his mind shortly after the possibility of his retirement became public knowledge.

Gomes disclosed to Robert Marawa on Marawa Sports Worldwide (MSW) that he is retiring from the field but not the game.

[LIVE] “The dream started when I was only a child. Now that I’ve achieved the World Cup I’m grateful and ready to spend time with my family. The 8 hour flight was enough for me to make the decision to retire. We discussed this with my wife.” says Victor Gomes.@robertmarawa #MSW

— Sowetan LIVE (@SowetanLIVE) December 19, 2022

Gomes said that he would continue to help raise the South African flag since football is in his blood.

He said:

“The dream started when I was only a child. Now that I’ve achieved the World Cup, I’m grateful and ready to spend time with my family.

“The eight-hour flight was enough for me to make the decision to retire. We discussed this with my wife.

“I believe I’ve been better than those who have come before me, and I want others to come and also do better than me.

“Football is in my blood, I will leave the field but I will still contribute towards lifting the SA’s flag high.”

»Victor Gomes announces retirement from refereeing«

The National Treasury is pleased with the recent passing of two bills by the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

Recently, both chambers enacted the General Laws (Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing) Amendment Bill and the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities (POCDATARA) Amendment Bill.

The Treasury said in a statement that the approval of the Bills reflects the government’s commitment to combating corruption and terrorism funding and constitutes “a giant step” towards South Africa’s compliance with the 40 recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (TAFT).

On 29 August 2022, Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana tabled the General Laws Amendment Bill to the National Assembly.

On 19 July 2022, Minister of Police Bheki Cele presented the POCDATARA Bill to the National Assembly. The NCOP approved both Bills on 13 December 2022, and they will be forwarded to the President for approval.

The two bills, if implemented, would strengthen South Africa’s adherence to worldwide best practises for tackling financial crimes and corruption.

Parliament also passed revisions to Schedules1, 2, and 3 of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) on 27 October 2022, after the 31 March 2022 acceptance of their tabling by the Minister of Finance.

The department said, “the approval of amendments to Schedules to the FICA, coupled with the passing of the two Bills, are significant steps forward in addressing weaknesses in the country’s ability to combat money laundering and fight financial crime as well as addressing the legislative deficiencies identified in the FATF Mutual Evaluation Report”.

»National Treasury welcomes passing of two bills by National Assembly and National Council of Provinces (NCOP)«

The Prime Minister addressed the Leaders Meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in Riga, Latvia.

Location: Riga

Delivered on: 19 December, 2022

Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered:

Prime Minister Krišjānis, thank you so much for hosting the summit. Thank you for hosting us all.

As you said, it’s an incredibly important time for this group to come together and discuss first and foremost the situation in Ukraine.

Volodymyr and his people have really inspired us all.

They have demonstrated that thanks to their determination, Putin is realising that he cannot win on the battlefield.

And that means he is now escalating the conflict in a way that is bringing about quite frankly appalling consequences for the people of Ukraine.

I saw it myself when I visited recently and I’m sure we’ll hear more about it soon.

The JEF nations, all of us around this table are some of Ukraine’s closest friends and allies.

We’ve taken a lead in supporting them thus far and I know we will continue to do so.

For me, I think there are three priorities for us to consider as we think about next year.

I think the first is ensuring that we deliver more military aid and that military aid evolves to meet the situation that we are now facing.

That means more air defence systems, it means artillery, it means armoured vehicles.

For our part in the United Kingdom, we have pledged to match or exceed the £2.3bn in aid that we provided this year next year and I would very much hope and encourage others around the table to do whatever they can to continue the strong support.

I think secondly, as Krišjānis alluded to, we must be clear that any unilateral call for a ceasefire by Russia is completely meaningless in the current context.

I think it would be a false call.

It would be used by Russia to regroup, to reinforce their troops and until they have withdrawn from conquered territory, there can and should be no real negotiation.

But what we can do is think about that time now.

Think about what we will do with regard to security assurances and that is the planning that I think this group can play an important part in.

And I think thirdly and lastly, we must continue to focus on degrading Russia’s capability to regroup and to resupply and that means going after its supply chains and removing the international support.

Particularly I’m thinking of Iran and the weapons that it is currently providing to Russia, which we should be very strong about calling out as we have done in the United Nations.

But also the economic consequences for Russia must continue to be severe and in that vein, the new oil price cap that the G7 have instituted and others have followed, I think, can be very helpful.

In conclusion, I’ll just say that I think our collective resolve is clear and we have and will continue to support Ukraine.

And that is first and foremost because their security is our security.

And, at that moment, it is a great honour for me to invite my dear friend Volodymyr to address us now.

»Opening remarks by the Prime Minister at JEF Summit«

It’s finally time to indulge in all the sweets you’ve been avoiding all year long. We can all agree that chocolate is the king of dessert flavours, and that chocolate mousse is one of the greatest ways to consume chocolate besides cake. For all the images you’ll be shooting of your holiday celebrations, a light chocolate mouse with berries is the perfect dessert. The air bubbles whipped into the mousse will have a noticeable taste.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH BERRIES TIPS

A gentle hand is essential for making the ideal chocolate mouse. To achieve the desired fluffiness in the whipped cream, an electric whisk or stand mixer is required. The chocolate can’t burn and melts more evenly over a double boiler than in the microwave. To serve, just top with more whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and your choice of fruit like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. Add some crunch with some crushed nuts.

Among the most enjoyable activities is making sweet treats for a celebration. This weekend, try this recipe for chocolate mousse with berries.

»CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH BERRIES RECIPE«