Families Await Closure as George Probe Continues
At least 35 people still need to be interviewed as part of an investigation into the collapse of a building at a construction site in George, reports News24. Sixty-two people were pulled from the rubble after the building collapsed on 6 May. The death toll stands at 34, with some families waiting more than a week for confirmation their loved ones had died after the building collapsed. Following the collapse, multiple probes were launched: one by the provincial government, another by the police, and a third by the Department of Employment and Labour. Meanwhile, families who lost loved ones in the collapse were struggling to come to terms with their grief.
70-Year-Old Drug Mule Caught with R600,000 at Cape Town Airport
A 70-year-old man, who is suspected of being a drug mule, is scheduled to appear in court next week. He was apprehended at the Cape Town International Airport for having drugs valued at R600,000, reports IOL. The Western Cape spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi, said that the arrest was a joint operation conducted by the Hawks' South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau team based in Bellville and the Border Police stationed at the airport. The suspect will appear at the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Monday, June 10, 2024.
Wholesaler Jailed for 15 Years Over R16 Million Fraud
The Johannesburg magistrate's court has sentenced Suhayle Ballim to 15 years imprisonment for defrauding the South African Revenue Service (Sars), reports TimesLIVE. Ballim used his business, SHL Wholesalers, between February 2004 and April 2007 to submit fraudulent VAT refund claims worth R16 million to the South African Revenue Service (Sars). The court determined that the supporting documents Ballim provided to Sars were fraudulent, as they falsely indicated exports that would allow SHL Wholesalers to claim input tax. After Ballim was convicted on May 9 2022 on 39 counts of fraud, he frustrated the finalisation of the matter with many applications for postponements. Phindi Mjonondwane, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), said in a statement that the trial lasted 14 years due to tactical delays employed by Ballim.
