CAPE TOWN – Five suspects were arrested on Monday after paramedics were robbed at gunpoint while assisting a heart attack patient in Heideveld.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Andrè Traut said the suspects were between the ages of 20 and 27.

“At around 00:30 the paramedics were held at gunpoint by six suspects and robbed of personal effects in Carol Court, Heideveld, while assisting a heart attack patient,” Traut said.

According to Traut the suspects fled the scene.

READ: Under police escort, South African ambulances brave attacks

Sergeant Darryl van Noie from the Manenberg detective branch was assigned to the case and by 3am his efforts had led to the arrest of the five suspects, the recovery of the stolen items, as well as a toy firearm allegedly used in the execution of the crime.

Traut said the sixth suspect managed to evade arrest and was being sought.

Western Cape Government Health Department spokesperson, Robert Daniels confirmed that an Emergency Medical Services ambulance was robbed at gunpoint.

“The staff were left uninjured, but severely traumatised,” Daniels said. “They were robbed of personal items including money, car keys, cellphones and their driver’s licenses. A case of armed robbery was opened with Manenberg Police Station and the staff are receiving trauma counselling.”

The suspects were due to make a court appearance in Athlone.

African News Agency

While the leaked tranche of Gupta emails reveal the government and the Guptas to have maintained very close channels of communication over recent years, they did not share everything. It may have displeased the Guptas’ pals in high places, for instance, to learn that the family was hoping to persuade the Dalai Lama to attend an ANN7 event in 2014 as an honoured guest. By SCORPIO and AMABHUNGANE.

“Your Holiness,” began the letter signed by former Oakbay Investments CEO Nazeem Howa.

“I write to you on behalf of the shareholders and management of African News Network, South Africa’s youngest and most technologically advanced television news station, to invite you to be our special and honoured guest on September 6, 2014, at the inaugural South African of The Year awards ceremony which will take place as part of our first anniversary celebratioofn” [sic].

The letter was dated August 18, 2014, meaning that ANN7 was giving the Dalai Lama under three weeks’ notice of the event they wanted him to attend, amaBhungane reports.

Howa outlines what the evening would consist of – “a musical journey through South Africa’s 20 years of freedom” – and assures the Tibetan spiritual leader that the event “will be attended by leading opinion-shapers across the spectrum”.

The CEO proceeds to make some bold claims about the Guptas’ TV station.

“Since its launch, ANN7 has been receiving accolades for its coverage of, among others, Madiba’s death and funeral and the 2014 national elections,” he writes. “It is fast transforming the broadcast landscape in our country with pioneering and innovative concepts.”

Howa concludes: “We hope you will join us as our special guest to hand over the Lifetime Achievement Award as well as to help us celebrate the remarkable strides we have made as a news channel over the past twelve months as well as the achievements of remarkable South Africans.”

After sending the letter to the office of the Dalai Lama, Howa forwarded it to Sahara CEO Ashu Chawla. Chawla in turn sent the mail on to Naresh Khosla, who was the vice-president of Sahara’s Indian operations, until leaving in late 2015.

“I’ll work on this and revert in the morning,” Khosla replied.

Since 1959, the Dalai Lama has been living in exile in the northern Indian city of Dharamsala.

Emails show that Khosla had previously served as a go-between in dealing with visas for Indian citizens visiting Sahara Computers in Johannesburg. He had on several occasions asked officials at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Co-operation for assistance in expediting the visas of Indian guests of the Guptas to South Africa.

If Khosla did attempt to intercede, his efforts were in vain. By August 20, Howa had received a response from Tenzin Taklha, the Dalai Lama’s secretary.

“I regret to inform you that His Holiness will not be able to accept,” wrote Taklha. “His Holiness’ travel schedule for 2014 and even parts of 2015 has already been finalised and it will not be possible to consider your invitation. In all honesty, we receive many invitation requests for His Holiness and it is not possible for us to accept the majority mainly due to the lack of time in His Holiness’ full schedule.”

Planning documents for the event the Dalai Lama was invited to – ANN7’s 2014 South African of the Year award ceremony – show that the organisers had hoped that the Dalai Lama would present a “Spirit of Humanity” award, together with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The minutes of a planning meeting for the event record: “Need to properly address Dalai Lama.”

In the unlikely event that the Dalai Lama had accepted ANN7’s invitation, even the Guptas might not have had the necessary clout to see the South African government issue him with a visa.

The Tibetan Holy Leader has been unable to enter South Africa for the last 13 years, having been refused an entry visa in 2009 and 2011. To deny the Dalai Lama a visa to attend Tutu’s 80th birthday celebrations, but allow him one to walk the red carpet at the ANN7 awards, may have raised some eyebrows.

Given that the Dalai Lama’s office turned down the invitation, we will never know what would have happened if he had accepted. There is no evidence from the leaked emails to suggest that the Guptas or their employees discussed the matter with anyone from the South African government.

• Scorpio is the Daily Maverick’s new investigative unit. If you’d like to support its work, click here.

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Johannesburg – The beleaguered Gupta family received much-needed relief this week in the form of a R70 million value-added tax (VAT) refund payment that raised serious eyebrows and concern in the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

News24 and City Press have learnt from four independent sources that the payment caused a huge fallout in SARS that necessitated the intervention of tax boss Tom Moyane.

SARS refused to comment on the matter and did not deny Moyane’s personal involvement in the Guptas’ windfall.

In the same week that the extent of the family’s capture of the state was laid bare through a massive email leak, SARS paid more than R70 million for the benefit of Oakbay Investments in a transaction that insiders say was far from regular.

The payment went through after various legal consultations both within and outside SARS caused by the closure of the Guptas’ bank accounts in South Africa. The family allegedly wanted the money to be paid into an overseas bank account or into the trust account of a lawyer.

VAT refunds are normally only paid into a taxpayer’s account, and not into the account of any proxy, SARS insiders say.

Closed accounts

The Gupta family has had issues with their banking after numerous South African banks closed their accounts citing “suspicious transactions” and reported them to the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC). South Africa’s four biggest banks closed accounts linked to the Gupta family more than a year ago, citing the need to comply with international banking rules when dealing with customers and concern over their reputations.

The family, led by brothers Atul, Ajay and Rajesh, asked then finance minister Pravin Gordhan to stop the banks from terminating their accounts, spurring Gordhan to seek a court order in October stating that he cannot prevent lenders from cutting clients. Judgment was reserved in March.

Gordhan’s application included a document from the FIC, listing 72 reports of suspicious transactions totalling R6.8bn ($520m) that implicated members of the Gupta family and their companies. The court ruled that the document was not relevant to the application.

In September last year Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane, who has been at the receiving end of the Guptas’ largesse, announced a judicial commission of inquiry into the banks’ actions. This was later denied by Cabinet and President Jacob Zuma rebuked Zwane.

In March this year the Bank of Baroda’s South African branch also started closing accounts of companies controlled by the Gupta family.
The Mumbai-based lender was said to be winding down its relationship with companies related to the Gupta family to ensure it is in compliance with banking rules.

– Read more: Bank of Baroda SA closing Gupta accounts

It is unclear which bank account the family is currently using to trade and pay employees from. The Guptas originally requested the money to be paid into a bank account abroad.

“SARS officials refused because this would be contrary to the law and SARS procedures,” said one inside source. “SARS got an in-house legal opinion which confirmed it may not be done.”

Oakbay then allegedly asked if the money could be paid into a lawyer’s trust account.

This time SARS sought a legal opinion from an external senior counsel. Again the legal opinion came back saying the refund could not be paid in this way.

SARS officials then refused to make the payment on the basis that it wasn’t lawful and SARS policies didn’t allow it to happen.

Moyane intervention

At this point Moyane allegedly intervened and secured the payment to the Guptas. According to sources the refund was made begrudgingly by SARS staff and left tax employees feeling despondent and angry.

News24 and City Press was given a name of an unknown private company into which the VAT refund payment was finally made, but couldn’t confirm the veracity of the claim.

The Gupta family and their businesses are handled by the VIP taxpayer unit within SARS. This unit is intended for politicians, political parties, past and former senior government officials and their families and certain top business people considered strategic.

SARS spokesperson Sandile Memela would not confirm or deny anything, citing Section 69 of the Tax Administration Act, 2012, that doesn’t allow SARS to discuss or divulge information about the tax affairs of a taxpayer or trader.

“This includes comments on possible refunds paid to a taxpayer or trader.”

Gert van der Merwe, the lawyer for the Guptas, said he was not aware of any refund, but if any money from a refund was paid into a lawyer’s trust account, it wasn’t his.

“I haven’t received any payment from SARS.”

Media queries sent to Oakbay on Friday remained unanswered.

London – Just minutes before Saturday’s terror attack in London, pubs were crammed with revellers enjoying a balmy night out in a trendy part of the city, many of them watching the Champions League final on big screens.

And then terror struck yet again at London’s heart as a van smashed into pedestrians before its occupants went on a stabbing rampage, bringing bloodshed to the streets of the British capital.

Within minutes, six people had been killed and three attackers shot dead by armed police. Dozens more were wounded.

People enjoying their evening out near the River Thames told of how their night became a nightmare in seconds as they witnessed the attack unfold.

‘I saw her bounce up in the air’

First, a white van veered wildly into pedestrians crossing London Bridge, with those who managed to avoid the attack rushing to aid those who were hit.

The van deliberately swerved into groups of people at speed, eyewitnesses said.

“I saw this van going left and right, left and right, trying to catch as many people as he could,” Alessandro told BBC radio.

“There were five or six people that we tried to help, they were young people.”

Mark, another witness, was in the middle of London Bridge, taking pictures of Tower Bridge downstream.

“It was swerving from side to side. I could see it hitting people,” he said of the van.

“It hit one person about 20 foot (six metres) in the air. Poor girl. I just saw her bounce up in the air.

“There must have been about five or six people on the ground, they must have been seriously injured,” he told BBC radio.

London resident Dee, 26, said she was sure it was a terror attack as the van careered southwards over London Bridge.

“And then there was a man with a knife, he was running, he came down the stairs and went to a bar,” she told AFP.

After the van crashed right by Southwark Cathedral, the stabbing spree began, with the attackers descending into Borough Market, a popular area of trendy bars and eateries on the south side of the bridge.

Taxi driver Chris told LBC radio he saw men brandishing long knives emerging from the van.

“Three men got out with long blades, 12 inches (30 centimetres) long and went randomly… stabbing people.”

Witness Eric saw the trio get out of the van and thought they were going to help those who had been hit.

However, they were “kicking them, punching them, and took out knives. It was a rampage.”

They then ran towards Borough Market with a shout of “this is for Allah”.

A van ploughs into pedestrians and several people are stabbed in central London, leaving at least 20 casualties pic.twitter.com/jQzuo2cTlX

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 4, 2017

Bleeding from the mouth

Alex Shellum, who was in The Mudlark pub near London Bridge said he saw a young woman stagger in.

“She was bleeding heavily from the neck and from her mouth,” he said.

“It appeared to myself and to my friends that her throat had been cut,” he told the BBC.

Police held people inside bars and restaurants for their own safety, telling them to get under the tables.

They were later asked to leave with their hands on their heads.

Frightened people were led away as police officers screamed at them to run. Many were in tears, with friends supporting each other along the road.

Roads were closed off and stations evacuated as police shouted at people to flee the scene.

Three attackers wearing hoax suicide vests caused mayhem, repeatedly stabbing one of the first police officers on the scene.

Within eight minutes of the first calls to the emergency services, the three assailants were fatally shot by armed police.

Blood on chef’s uniform

Gerard Kavanar, 46, who lives by Tower Bridge, told AFP: “There was lot of chefs in white costumes, one had blood on his shoulder”.

Police boats scanned the Thames in the dark while helicopters circled overhead and streets were cordoned off, AFP reporters said.

An emergency response helicopter landed on London Bridge, while emergency service workers rushed people on trolleys to waiting ambulances, AFP photographers saw.

Members of the public were seen leaving the scene wrapped in foil emergency blankets while armed police patrolled the scene.

Debris could be seen on the bridge where people had fled.

Several people on Twitter offered their homes for anyone left stranded by the attack.

One of those was Bea Corkhill, 17, who told AFP her boyfriend was chased by a man with a knife.

“I want to go home but I don’t know how,” she said.

At least 20 casualties in London ‘terrorist’ attack https://t.co/eEIf8wfnAa pic.twitter.com/m582YM6zy1

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 4, 2017

CAPE TOWN – The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has condemned the attack on a petrol station in Mpumalanga which left one petrol attendant dead and another seriously wounded.

Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi denounced the murder of petrol station attendant Eric Mhlaba, who was shot and killed over the weekend, and the wounding of Thulani Matjelele in the same attack in Mbombela.

[MOST READ] Police must prioritise #Eskom employee’s death, urges Numsa >> https://t.co/WqOlE2F5Ff pic.twitter.com/GxPJnoZbzX

— eNCA (@eNCA) May 31, 2017

Matjelele is in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

According to Hlubi, Mhlaba and Matjelele were on duty at the Shell petrol station on Andrew Street in Mbombela on Sunday when two men shot them at point blank range.

“Two men travelling in a Gold Ford Fiesta accused the attendants of not filling up their vehicle, after they had given them R100,”Hlubi said. “Following a fierce argument, one of the suspects returned to his vehicle, pulled out a firearm and shot them at point blank range, killing comrade Mhlaba instantly, and seriously wounding comrade Matjelele.

Read: Numsa threatens strike at Eskom

“The victim’s uncle, James Mhlaba who also works at the filling station, said the family was shocked and traumatised by the news”

“He was only 26 years old and had been working here for the past three years.”

According to Hlubi, later that same day, one of the suspects handed himself over at the Kabokweni police station. Police say he led them to the alleged shooter’s house where the SAPS found the second suspect with an unlicensed firearm in his possession.

“NUMSA denounces this brutal, cowardly attack on our members who were viciously attacked for simply doing their job. These criminals have robbed the Mhlaba family of their beloved son and breadwinner who made a valuable contribution to society. This senseless act has inflicted permanent suffering on the Mhlaba family.”

Read: Numsa threatens ‘mother of all strikes’ if Eskom closes plants

Hlubi said in 2014 a group of bikers were caught on camera assaulting a man who worked as a petrol attendant at a garage in Emalahleni, Witbank.

“NUMSA calls on employers to do much more to ensure the safety and security of Workers, especially at filling stations. Petrol attendants are at risk because they often work in isolated places in the middle of the night, making it easier for them to be victims of crime. We also commend the actions of the SAPS for swiftly arresting the alleged perpetrators.

“To the public we say: Respect our Petrol Attendants. Our members also deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. They are men and women who provide a necessary service to all of us, often at the expense of spending time with their families. They are vulnerable to being abused and yet they risk their lives to serve the public, often for low pay.”

African News Agency