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Daily news update: Ntuthuko Shoba guilty, Nhlanhla spends weekend in jail and Zandile Mafe case postponed
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Nthuthuko Shoba in the dock at the High Court in Johannesburg, 6 January 2022. He is accused of ordering a hit on his pregnant girlfriend Tshegofatso Pule. Picture: Neil McCartney
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Daily news update 26 March
Ntuthuko Shoba found guilty of Tshegofatso Pule’s murder
The High Court in Johannesburg has found Ntuthuko Shoba, the man accused of ordering a hit on his pregnant girlfriend Tshegofatso Pule, guilty of premeditated murder.
Acting High Court Judge Stuart Wilson on Friday delivered judgment in the murder trial. He found that the state proved beyond reasonable doubt that Shoba plotted to have Pule killed in 2020.
Shoba, a former JSE analyst, was found guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
“On count one of the indictment, I find you guilty of the premeditated murder of Tshegofatso Pule. On count two of the indictment, I find you not guilty of obstructing justice,” Judge Wilson said.
Operation Dudula leader, Nhlanhla ‘Lux’ Dlamini, to spend weekend behind bars
Nhlanhla “Lux” Dlamini, the leader of the vigilante group Operation Dudula, will spend the weekend behind bars at the Johannesburg Central police station.
This comes after the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on Friday postponed his bail application to Monday.
Dlamini was arrested on Thursday afternoon just after his interview with KayaFM in Rosebank, Johannesburg. He faces charges of malicious damage to property, theft and burglary.
Dlamini’s arrest comes after Soweto resident, Victor Ramerafe, opened a case against him after members of Operation Dudula ransacked his home on Sunday in search of drugs.
How South Africans sell their identities to foreigners for just R500
A multi-disciplinary operation involving the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, cash-in-transit task team, Department of Home Affairs’ Anti-Corruption, and Johannesburg Central Tactical Response Team, has resulted in the arrest of 29 suspects for alleged fraud, corruption, contravention of the Immigration Act and possession of suspected fraudulent documents on Thursday.
The suspects were arrested on Thursday evening at the Home Affairs office in Krugersdorp, following intelligence received regarding the fraudulent passport allegations countrywide.
Niehaus heads to court to shed ‘Toy soldier’ image
Disbanded Mkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association former spokesperson Carl Niehaus claims he has finalised a combined summons against retired chairperson of DMV military veterans data base verification committee Major General Enoch Mashoala for Defamation.
Niehaus came under the spotlight after he apparently failed a military veterans’ verification test in the Eastern Cape by former military generals from liberation movements who were verifying former combatants listed in the Department of Military Veterans database.
During the verification process, it emerged that Niehaus was apparently never really trained as a freedom fighter in the African National Congress’ (ANC) Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) military wing, despite having served time as a political prisoner.
Death threats against municipal CFO who uncovered shady dealings
Mercy Phetla – chief financial officer and acting municipal manager at Mamusa Local Municipality in North West province – has received death threats after she uncovered corruption and irregular payments within weeks of taking up the CFO position in April 2021.
And she’s not backing down.
There was an attempt to suspend her in December 2021 on charges of fraud and corruption, but she continues working away at her job – without pay, and having been removed as a signatory to the municipal bank account.
Court case against alleged Parliament arsonist Zandile Mafe postponed
The case against Zandile Mafe, the man accused of starting the fire that destroyed large parts of Parliament, has been postponed to May.
Mafe appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court on Friday on charges arson and terrorism.
The postponement was granted after the state requested it.
NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the state needs at least six weeks to finalise its investigation.
