buy this article By Kotie Geldenhuys Photo courtesy of Pixabay The bombing of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) has become a major and escalating criminal threat in South Africa, with highly organised syndicates using commercial-grade explosives to destroy cash machines and steal millions of rand each year. Many of these attacks are carefully planned and conducted […]
Violent attacks on ATMs Read More »
buy this article By Brig Dirk LambrechtsImage courtesy of FreePik QuestionA reader noted that drones are increasingly used by law enforcement agencies, including the SAPS and the Border Management Authority, as well as private security companies for crime prevention, including border and perimeter monitoring. Her concern is whether such footage can be used as evidence
Is evidence generated and/or presented by “drones” admissible in criminal proceedings? Read More »
buy this article By Kotie Geldenhuys Photo courtesy of Pixabay They plant, clean, cook and care, and yet, their presence often goes unnoticed. Foreign workers from neighbouring countries are filling essential roles in South Africa, but many do so without legal status. Is this a common occurrence and if so, what are the risks for
Warning! Employing undocumented workers is a crime Read More »
buy this article By Kotie Geldenhuys Photos/images courtesy of Freepik and Unsplash As South African cities continue to grow, so do the challenges that threaten the safety of their inhabitants. From overcrowded transport hubs to poorly lit streets and slow emergency response times, urban spaces can quickly become dangerous. But across the country, new ideas,
Safer cities, safer communities, a safer South Africa Read More »
buy this article By Annalise KempenImage courtesy of Freepik February is not only the “month of love” when Valentine’s Day is celebrated. If you are on social media, especially Facebook and TikTok, your timeline is likely to have been flooded by friends and family who “fell hook, line and sinker” for the caricature trend. From
Social media caricature and doll trends: Cuteness overload or privacy risks? Read More »
buy this article By Kotie Geldenhuys Photos courtesy of Freepik and BMA Across continents, beneath the official signs at checkpoints and immigration desks, a hidden world of transnational organised crime thrives, feeding on gaps in national borders, weak enforcement and international loopholes. Transnational organised crime includes a wide range of illicit activities, from money laundering
Borders reinvented – Safer & smarter borders Read More »
buy this article By Brig Dirk Lambrechts IntroductionThis National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Act 10 of 2024 (hereinafter referred to as the Amendment Act 10 of 2024), appears in English and Afrikaans in Government Gazette No 50713 dated 27 May 2024. Its main object is to amend the National Prosecuting Authority Act 32 of 1998 (hereinafter
National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Act 10 of 2024 Read More »
Buy this article QuestionOne of Servamus’s readers, who is a private investigator, reminds us that “a lot of the times a SAPS fingerprint expert takes a long while to report at a crime scene”. Accordingly, our reader wants to know whether an SAPS fingerprint expert is the only authorised person who may dust for, and
Private Fingerprint Experts Read More »
Buy this article QuestionA reader refers Pollex to the Constitutional Court (“the Concourt”) judgment of AK v Minister of Police [2022] ZACC 14 (CC), and 2023 (1) SACR 113 (CC). This is the case in which Ms AK claimed damages (Afrikaans: “skadevergoeding”) from the SAPS in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), in that the SAPS failed
buy this article Article by Kotie Geldenhuys Rugged dirt tracks criss-cross the sandy river embankment where indigenous shrubs once adorned the area. As the handler manoeuvres the excavator back onto the riverbank, it leaks hydraulic oil which leaves an unsightly trail while the air is filled with dirt and the smell of diesel smoke. The
Illegal sand mining: Damaging, dangerous and costly Read More »
