ZiMoja updates on the latest crime news in parts of the country.

GAUTENG: Three men accused of the murder of 5-year-old Ditebogo Phahlane abandoned their bail application yet again during their appearance at the Pretoria North Magistrate's Court yesterday. During their previous court appearance on 27 August 2024, Elia Moeko (36), Ali Sithole (30), and Nido Gumbe (29) indicated their intention to bring forth a bail application after previously abandoning their bail bid on 28 May 2024. All three men face charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Additionally, Gumbe, a Mozambican national, is facing a charge of having illegal status in the country. The men allegedly killed Ditebogo outside his home during an armed robbery targeting his father outside their home in Soshanguve. NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the matter was postponed to 4 December for further police investigations and a decision by the director of Public Prosecutions to consolidate the cases against the accused.

LIMPOPO: A 30 year-old suspect ,who is alleged to be the hitman in the brutal murder of a 49-year-old businessman on 5 June 2024, has handed himself to Groblersdal police station. The police said the deceased was residing at a plot in Uitspanning and reportedly involved in multiple businesses when he met his untimely death while travelling along the Elandsdoorn road between Dennilton and Loskop Dam. The victim, who was driving a silver grey car, was shot allegedly by an unknown male suspect who fled the scene in a blue BMW sedan. The 49 year-old businessman sustained gunshot wounds and was declared dead on the scene. Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said following intensive investigations by the police, a 30-year-old suspect realised that the police were close to apprehending him so he handed himself to Groblersdal SAPS, accompanied by a legal representative. He will appear in court soon.

KWAZULU-NATAL: Durban businessman Thoshan Panday has been arrested for allegedly defrauding SARS of R7.4 million. The 51-year-old businessman made an appearance in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Thursday. The state alleges that Panday was effectively in control of several entities that had received payments from the South African Police Services (SAPS) in an amount of approximately R47 million owing to a corrupt relationship with members of the Supply Chain Management Division of the SAPS. The payments were allegedly made in respect of services rendered to the SAPS preceding and during the Soccer World Cup in 2010. Panday is among the nine other accused who were arrested for the same matter and they all face charges of fraud and corruption.

NORTH WEST: An attorney and former municipal manager appeared in the Lichtenburg Magistrates' Court yesterday facing charges of fraud. Thouret Mampe Thabe Tiro (41), the director of Tiro Attorneys (PTY) Ltd and Tsietsi Isaac Shema (54), the then acting director of Corporate Services at the Ditsobotla Local Municipality were arrested earlier yesterday following an investigation into allegations of fraud relating to the procurement of legal practitioner's services for the municipality. It's alleged that in May 2021, Tiro Attorneys submitted a request for payment to the municipality for legal services he had rendered. It was revealed during the investigation that Tiro Attorneys did not render any services and that Shema and another suspect, who is still at large, allegedly approved the request for payment. As a result, the municipality suffered a loss of over R460 000,00 for services that were never rendered. The pair has appeared in court facing four counts of fraud and an alternative theft charge. They have been remanded in custody and their matter was postponed to 06 September 2024 for formal bail application.