The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has commended the vigilance of customs officers at OR Tambo International Airport for uncovering 23 kilograms of narcotics, cleverly concealed as molded artwork with an estimated street value of R37 million, as reported by IOL. The stash, comprising crystal meth and fentanyl, was destined for New Zealand. Astute customs inspections flagged the suspicious items, leading to the discovery of the hidden drugs. SARS promptly handed over the seized narcotics to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation.
On a different note, IOL reports that the 10111 emergency call center in South Africa, established with optimism in 2007, has fallen short of expectations. It grapples with staffing shortages and technical glitches, leaving communities feeling neglected. This inadequacy has prompted communities to seek alternative, sometimes violent, means of protection, while affluent areas have resorted to private security services, underscoring the deep-seated inefficiencies in the police response system. Despite government promises to upgrade and invest, the system’s failures persist, shedding light on the substantial lack of political will to address its fundamental flaws.
In another development, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) has alerted the public to a counterfeit TikTok account purporting to be Deputy Minister Pinky Kekana. The fraudulent account dupes users with promises of trading lessons for a fee exceeding R50,000, according to EWN. The DPME clarified that Kekana does not own a TikTok account nor provide any educational programs, cautioning social media users against engaging with the deceitful account to avoid falling victim to scams.
For more news from South Africa and the latest updates, stay tuned for our next briefing.
