Mali summons French ambassador over Macron comments

Mali’s Foreign Ministry summoned France’s ambassador to Bamako on Tuesday over comments by President Emmanuel Macron that it said were unfriendly and disagreeable.

This is the latest salvo in a tense dispute between Mali and its key military partner France over reports Bamako could recruit Russian mercenaries as Paris reshapes its 5 000-strong counter-terrorism mission in the region.

Mali’s Prime Minister has accused France of abandoning it in the joint fight against Islamist insurgents.

Macron last week rejected the charge and questioned the legitimacy of the Malian authorities overseeing a transition to elections after two coups in just over a year.

In response, the Malian Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the French ambassador to inform him of the authorities ‘indignation and disapproval.’

At the meeting, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop “strongly protested (Macron’s) regrettable remarks, which are likely to harm the development of friendly relations,” the Ministry said in a statement.

It said Diop also called for the two sides to take a constructive approach and prioritise countering the insurgency in the region.

Violence in the Sahel, a band of arid land that borders the south edge of the Sahara Desert, has intensified in recent years despite the presence of thousands of United Nations, regional and Western troops.

Diplomatic and security sources have told Reuters that Mali’s year-old military junta is close to recruiting the Russian Wagner Group, and France has launched a diplomatic drive to thwart it, saying such an arrangement is incompatible with a continued French presence.

The post Mali summons French ambassador over Macron comments appeared first on SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader..

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Tsineng Police Station robbery suspect denied bail

The Kuruman Magistrates Court has denied bail to Pogisho Shuping, 41, who is facing charges related to the Tsineng Police Station robbery in the Northern Cape.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Mojalefa Senokoatsane said that Shuping had pleaded not guilty to the charges he was facing as accused number one in the matter. He had earlier applied for bail on 1 October. 

He is facing charges of possession of unlicensed firearms, possession of ammunition and robbery. 

“The accused was arrested after an incident where three armed men entered a police station in a village of Tsineng near Kuruman and robbed the station of various weapon  after tying up the officer on duty at the police station Community Service Centre,” Senokoatsane said.

“Weapons stolen during the robbery included 3 rifles, 2 shotguns as well as ammunition. After an intensive multi-disciplined investigation, the guns as well as ammunition were found at the residence of the accused,” Senokoatsane said.

Senokoatsane said that the state prosecutor had opposed bail given the seriousness of the schedule five offence charges that the suspect was facing.” “The accused will remain in custody until his next appearance on 11 November as the investigations are ongoing,” Senokoatsanes said.

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) earlier condemned the robbery at the police station.  The suspects had allegedly pointed a gun at a female police officer who was alone when the incident took place.

According to Popcru similar incidents have also recently taken place in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.

Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo told the SABC at the time said this was because police stations in rural areas are under resourced.

“Different police stations report on a regular basis that these are the challenges we’re facing and yet those reports do not amount to any form of action from the regional offices. So it’s got a lot to do with the fact that there are uneven allocation of resources within the SAPS,” Mamabolo told the SABC

“Police stations within rural areas are under-resourced whereas those in affluent areas are well-resourced. They have got surveillance cameras as well, sometimes they have security guards,” Mamabolo said.

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Kidnapping, extortion suspect who used toy gun in court

Thabang Mokoena, 23, whois facing charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, possession of dangerous weapon and extortion was denied bail in the  Atteridgeville Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) North Gauteng Regional Spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, said that the state had alleged that Mokwena and a male accomplice had approached  30-year-old Tumisang Mokgatle just after she had dropped her child at a crèche in Wespark in Pretoria West on on 14 September 2021. The men, who were driving a VW Jetta, had presented themselves to her as members of the SAPS Tracing Unit.  

“They indicated that a Polo Vivo motor vehicle belonging to the victim had a twin-vehicle that had been used in various robberies in the area. Mokoena and his accomplice then told Mokgatle that they were taking her VW Polo Vivo to Hartbeespoort Police station for verification,” Mahanjana said.

“One of them drove her car and on their way, they tied Mokgatle up and put her in the boot of the vehicle,” Mahanjana said.

 The kidnapping suspects later dumped her Polo Vivo motor vehicle at Hartbeespoort Dam where police found it later in the day.

“It is alleged that the two called Mokgatle’s brother, a practicing attorney in Pretoria, demanding R500 000 ransom money.  On 15 September 2021, police received intelligence information that the victim was kept at Kgabalatsane, in the North-West Province. The police followed up on the information and found the victim tied in a certain house in Kgabalatsane. Mokoena was found with the victim in possession of a toy gun,” Mahanjana said.

The state argued during the bail application that the court should not grant Mokoena bail because of the seriousness of his offence and the fact that there are suspects that are yet to be arrested in relation to the kidnapping and extortion matter.  

Mokoena did not testify in support of his bail application and the court ruled that he had failed to prove that exceptional circumstances existed in the interest of justice to permit his release on bail.

“His bail was denied,” Mahanjana said.

The kidnapping and extortion matter was postponed to 13 October 2021 in the regional court.

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SIU welcomes ruling that former Eskom boss forfeit R11m to state

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has welcomed the Special Tribunal’s judgment declaring R11 million held in the bank account of Thephunokheja Projects (PTY) Ltd, a company linked to suspended Eskom senior manager, as forfeited to the State. 

The funds were deemed to be nothing but proceeds of unlawful activities by the Special Tribunal, SIU spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, said on Tuesday.

He said the SIU had approached the Special Tribunal for forfeiture of the funds after it had received allegations from a whistle-blower that Petrus Mazibuko, Senior Manager: Coal Operations at Eskom was receiving unauthorised gratification from two Eskom suppliers, Commodity Logistix Managers Africa and Thembathlo Pty Ltd, through a bank account held by Thephunokhetja Projects. 

“The SIU investigation revealed that the only source of income into the account is from the two Eskom suppliers.  Furthermore, the SIU investigation uncovered no evidence that could point to a proposition that Thephunokhetja Projects rendered services or was legally entitled to claim for goods or services rendered to either Commodity Logistix Managers Africa and Thembathlo Pty Ltd,” Kganyago said.

The Special Tribunal found in its ruling, handed down on Monday 4 October, that Petrus Mazibuko, and his brother Shadrak Mazibuko together with Thephunokheja Projects had contravened section 3 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 2004 by accepting gratification from Eskom suppliers for their benefit in order to influence unjust result. 

Petrus and Shadrack Mazibuko are the directors of Thephunokheja Projects.

The Special Tribunal also found that the conduct of Patrick Mazibuko was in contravention of section 17(1) of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 2004, in that he, as a public official who acquired or holds a private interest in any contract, agreement or investment emanating from or connected with the public body. The parties were also ordered to pay costs of the hearing, including the costs of Senior Counsel. 

Fraud and corruption allegations may be reported via the following platforms: siu@whistleblowing.co.za / Hotline: 0800 037 774 

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