Crackingdetective
LAURENO’CONNOR-MAY
LAUREN.OCONNOR-MAY@NOVUSMEDIA.CO.ZA
The moment detective Const Jade Jacobs knows acase is watertight, he feelsa surge of energy.
“It’s like something that shakes in your body or moves electricity —that Iget whenIget aconviction or Iarrest someone,” the 29-year-old detective at Lentegeur Police Station’s serious andviolent crime unit said That surge struck twice in recentmonths, after Jacobs closed two cold cases for murder that had been handedtohim as filestolearn on when he joined the unit in 2022. The killers, who were both gangsters, received 15year prison sentences.
LEARNINGONCOLDCASES
Jacobs has been in the police service for seven years. Within three months of joining Lentegeur Police Station from Steenberg, his commanding officermoved him to the serious andviolent crime unit becausehe had been studying investigation through Unisa and knew thearea well. He has lived there for 22 years. The Aloe High alum was given old, unsolved dockets to work on which he inherited from officers no longer with the police. “They gave me dockets for me to learn on and to investigate,” he said. “Although Iwasn’t experienced in police investigation, because I studied investigation and it’s to do with law,Ihad knowledge. I’m aquick learner.”
AMURDERFROM2015
One docket dated back to Sunday 1February 2015. There werenoleads and no witnesses. The victim —afather —had been stabbedata party.
When Jacobs received the docket in 2023, he went back to the area, spoke to neighbours and visited the house where the attackhad taken place
He tracked down the man who had given the victimalift to hospital. Then he tracked down the girlfriend of the main suspect, who could notbetraced at the time. After interviewing herand bringing her to understand that shewould be complicit, she gave
himthe full account of what had happened that night.
Shesaid thatthe man hadbeen stabbedafteranargument broke out over alcohol andmoney.
Accordingtothe neighbour who had rushedhim to hospital, the man had come running up to him desperate for help.
As they drove,the dying man namedhis attacker. Those were hislastwords Armedwith awarrantofarrest
and asolidcase, Jacobsbrought MorneKock, agang member, to court. Kock pleaded guilty.
On Monday 30 March thisyear he was sentenced to 15 years in prison at the Mitchells Plain Magistrates’ Court.
CLOSURE
For the victim’sfamily, the newswas almost too much to believe
DetectiveConst Jade Jacobs
Housingservices goestoTafelsig
The City brought itshousingservices to Tafelsig, giving residents access to awide range of support without having to travel far, make calls, or send emails.
The Human Settlements Directorate recently held its Housing City Tour: Bringing YouHome initiative in the area, offering residents aone-stop shop for housing-related help.
WHATSERVICESWEREAVAILABLE
Residentscould apply for housing, get assistance with homeownership and rental housing, andaccess other related services on theday. Atotal of 73 title deeds were alsohanded overtohomeowners.
The initiative was supported by other City departments, making it ajoint effort to bringservices to people where they live.
REPAIRSCARRIEDOUTINTHEAREA
City teams alsocarriedout repairs and upgradestoanumber of public housing units in Tafelsig. Thework included replacingexternal doors, fixing plumbing and carpentry problems, maintaining roofs and ceilings,and repairing walls.
TITLE DEEDSHANDED OUTTORESIDENTS
TheMayco member for human settlements,Carl Pophaim, encouraged residentstotake advantage of thesevisits “We will continue visiting communities as service delivery efforts progress and we encourage residentstovisit and engage with our teams when we are in their neighbourhoods,”hesaid.
HOWHOUSINGISALLOCATED
TheCityselects beneficiaries of housing projects in line with itsHousing Allocation Policy and Housing Needs Register. This process is designed to be fair and open, prevent queue-jumping, and ensure that housing goes to thosewho qualify under SouthAfrican law. . Residentscan contact theCityfor more informationortoupdatetheir detailsonthe HousingNeeds Register: Telephone: 021444 0333
Website: https://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/ HWL2012Online/
Email: housing.db@capetown.gov.za
WINEMAKERWINSAWARD
Tafelsig winemaker,Denzel Swarts,has wonthe Growing InclusivityAward at the 2026 Wine Harvest CommemorativeEvent Swarts is pictured herewith Cape Town MayorGeordin Hill-Lewis.
FROMPAGE1
“They thought this casewas closed. Theynever thoughtthatthey would get justice. So when Ifinally visited them and informedthem, they could not believe it Theymessaged me when he got sentenced to saythank you because honestly, after almost10years, obviously, you give up.”
AMURDERFROM2020
The second casewas opened on Saturday 1February 2020, afterClyde Lang was stabbedtodeath at aparty. Jerome Peters, alsoagangmember,was identified as the suspect but witnesses hadvanished and theaccused hadfailedtoappear in court.
WhenJacobs took over the docket in 2022, he went back to the beginning.
“The best thing when you get an old docketistostart from scratch,” he said.
He foundwitnesses andbuilt acase so thorough thatPeters had no room to manoeuvre
“Becauseofthe investigation that was completed and everything that was done, they actually take the easy way out and plead guilty,” said Jacobs.
On Thursday15January this year, Peterswas sentenced to 15 yearsinjail at theMitchells PlainMagistrates’ Court.
GROWINGUPTOMAKEADIFFERENCE
Jacobs grewupinthe area he now polices, surrounded by gangsterism, and says he always wanted to change that.
“I wanted to makeanimpact in my communityinapositive way,” he said. He was inspiredbyhis uncle, aformer
brigadier, Cecil Jacobs, who retired in 2020.
“As Igrew up, Iliterally saw this figure in front of me. He did investigations and I aspired to be like him,”said Jacobs.
STILLGOING
More cold cases are headed for courtin the next two to three months, Jacobs said. Among them is agang of robbers linked to over 40 house burglaries in the Montclare area. Since Jacobs arrested them, house robberies in the area have dropped to just two while the men have been in custody.
Thesolid detective work has earned him the respect of the community whom he says is largely on his side.
“Some community members arehappy for theseconvictions. Some of them can’t raise theirvoices, obviously for certain reasons and being fearful.”
However, others have threatened him, including some of the suspects.
“I was threatened that Iwould die before they could get convicted. That’s something Itake. Ijust trytodomywork. I’m not gonna let people put fear intome.”
Both the station and the Community Police Forum (CPF) congratulated Jacobs on his good work.
“As the Lentegeur CPF we want to commend the detective in getting these two convictions. It speakstoservice excellence through diligence, hard work and perseverance and Iwant to congratulate the detective services of Lentegeur police,” said Lentegeur CPF chair Michael Jacobs.
Aftercaredisplacedfromciviccentre
ALAURENO’CONNOR-MAY LAUREN.OCONNOR-MAY@NOVUSMEDIA.CO.ZA
nafter-school programme serving between 40 and 50 young people in Rocklands has lostits venue at the Rocklands Civic Centre afterthe Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) booked the space until March next year.
The EU Hub 2programme supports Grade 8toGrade 12 learners with academic and social help. Organiser Wendy Abrahamssaid she wassaddened by theloss, as efforts to findanew venue at nearby schools and churches had come to nothing.
“I’m really sad about this.I’m sadthat the children will not have aplace,” she said.
FEWERSESSIONSLIKELY
Abrahams said the programmemay now have to cutthe number of days it runs in Rocklands and share time at the nearby library instead. This couldmean learners receive support only once aweek.
“I don’t know how impactful that is goingtobeinterms of academicsupport, psychosocial support, and so on,” she said. Payingtobook the space was also not an option open to them.
“It wasn’t even discussed with us —we were just informed,” she said.
Ward councillor Danny Christians confirmed that he knew the centrehad
YOUTH PROGRAMME SCRAMBLESFOR ALTERNATE SPACEFOR TEENS AFTER IEC MOVES INTOCIVIC CENTRE
been cleared, saying it happened before every election. He noted thathetoo had to leave his office at thecentre and find otherspaces.
Christians said he would reachout to Abrahams and try to help her findan alternative venue.
FALTERNATIVEACCOMMODATION
Francine Higham, Maycomember for community services andhealth said:
“Advanced Edukos is currently utilising two facilitiesinthe area: Strandfontein HallonMondays andWednesdays,and Rocklands Civic Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays
“Furthermore, users of Rocklands Civic Centre were engagedinFebruary regarding the facility’s unavailabilityfor athree-month period, during whichitwill be utilised by the Independent Electoral Commission(IEC) for the purposes of the upcoming voter registration weekends aheadofthe 2026 Local Government Elections
“The Department hasreviewed the availability of all other facilities within the sub-areaand confirms thatnone
are able to temporarily accommodate Advanced Edukosduring this period.
“We therefore proposed, as an interim measure,thatAdvanced Edukos extend its useofStrandfontein Hall from Monday to Thursday while Rocklands Civic Centre remains unavailable, andthen return to its regular schedule once the IEC’suse of thefacilityhas been concluded.
“Strict control measures must be implemented regarding the use of identified venues. This includes blocking off relevant dates. Organisations or individuals who already have bookings on affected dates, are advised to please approach the facility managers for further guidance.
“Any IEC related questions should be directed to the organisation.”
“It is importanttonotethat several City facilities have been identified for use during theupcoming Local Government elections by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
Campus on trackto accept applications
False Bay TVET College’s new Mitchells Plaincampus in Strandfontein is taking shape, with construction on schedule and the doorsset to open in time for the 2027 academic year
The project has made steady progress since the sitewas handed over in August 2024, thecollege’s acting marketing manager, Roshin Schmidt said in apress release.
Work moved from preparing theground and earthworks to foundation digging, which started on 23 October 2024.
The structure is now going up, with roofing and landscaping next on the list.Travellers along Spine Road in Bayview can already see how large the development is.
The campus is expected to be ready in the lastthree months of 2026, leaving enough time for student applications for the2027 academic year to be processed.
WHATTHECAMPUSWILLOFFER
Once open, the campus will be able to take up to 3000 students and offer courses across five areas: Engineering, Business, SafetyinSociety, Design and IT, and Hair and Cosmetology.
The college is also working to getapproval from the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations to offer new qualifications in Cosmetology and Creative Design.
ALONG-TERMINVESTMENT INTHECOMMUNITY
Students will have access to modern classrooms, workshops and learning spaces built to give them hands-on, practical training. Courses will range from traditional trades such as bricklaying, carpentry and plumbing to newer fields including artificial intelligence softwaredevelopment,
cloud administration, and cybersecurity.
Theland was transferred to the college in February 2021, and since construction began more than 30% of the suppliers used have come from the local area.
“The Mitchells Plaincampus is more than just anew facility; it is atransformative investment in the future of the community. It expands access to quality education while ensuring our programmes remain aligned with industry needs. Ourgoal is to equip students with practical, indemand skills so they can actively contribute to the economy.”
Campus manager Souchan Gasant-Jackson said: “Since 2005 we have worked to bring education closer to where our studentslive. This new campus builds on that vision. It reflectsthe unique spirit of Mitchells Plain—one of unity and resilience —and will continue to serve as abeacon of opportunity and hope.”
Thecampus has been designed with local residents in mind. It will include amultipurpose hall and auditorium available for community events, along with open spaces focused on student needs. Thedesign also ensures the campus can keep running during water or electricity outages.
TEMPORARYBASE REMAINSOPEN
While the new campus is being completed and accredited, the college will continue to operate from Cedar High School in Rocklands. Thecampus size is 12 156,87 m² and will have academic buildings, an administration block, amultipurpose hall, asports field, open learning centre and cafeteria.
Rocklands Civic Centrewillbethe home to theIndependent Electoral Commission forthe next fewmonths.
Entertainerhosts SwagJuicelaunch
Entertainer Chivonne Kemp, widely known as Von D, willhost his first SwagJuice Launch and Fundraiser, opening doors for up-and-coming entertainers who often lack access to the industry
The event —on16May from11:00 to 16:00, at Dagbreek Hall in Westridge, Mitchells Plain, next door tothe fire station —marks asignificant stepfor thenational music award winner,TV award recipient, actor, singer, rapper and entrepreneur on his business journey and commitment to creating opportunities for young people.
HOWTHEEVENTWORKS
Entry costs aR50 donation,which includes acomplimentarySwag Juice on arrival. VonD is aiming forat least 70 people attending.
Theevent is backed by Young Dynasty NPOand BluedownsFest, which have contributed towards securing the venue and helped with logistics to ensurea successfullaunch
Entertainer Chivonne Kemp
Free workshop on wills and estatesinStrandfontein
ResidentsofStrandfontein and surrounding areas are invited to afree community workshop on drawing up a Last Will andTestament, on Thursday 14 May.
The event is hostedjointly by the Strandfontein Community Police Forum (CPF) andNadia MosesReal Estates, and is open to everyone at no charge.
The workshop aims to help community membersunderstand why having avalid will matters, andhow to plantheir estates properly —including howtoreport a deceased estate to theMaster of the High Court.
Topics to be covered on the day include:
. The importance of aLastWill and Testament
. Shari’ah compliant wills and estate planning
. Deceased estate reporting and planning
will be on hand to answer any legal questions.
DETAILS
Theworkshop takes place at 5Cruiser Street,Strandfontein Hall —the brown face-brick building on the corner of Welgelegen and Cruiser Street.Doors open at 10:30 for an 11:00 start.
Participants are encouraged to think about theirassetsand beneficiaries beforehand, and to come prepared. Take along: your identitydocument (ID) and acopy of it,proof of address (such as arates account or similar) and the ID numbers of the chosen beneficiaries On theday, participants will be helped to draw up theirlast will and testament free of charge.
FUNDRAISING EVENT TO OPEN DOORSFOR UP-AND-COMING ENTERTAINERS
. Complications anddelays in estate administration
AQUESTION-AND-ANSWERSESSION
Lawyers specialising in deceased estates
Organisers ask participants to confirm attendance in advance. To book or for more information, contact:
. SandySchuter: 071947 8294; . CharleneMorris: 061824 0511or . Nadia Moses: 084 6778459.
THINKING OUTLOUD
Classrooms arestill filledwithdreamers
Returning to my old school recently brought back memories Ihad not thought aboutinmany years.
Ihad dropped my nephew off anda wave of nostalgia hit me. It felt asthough Ihad stepped into my younger self's world which was full of hope, dreams and determination. Iremembered sitting in those small bluechairs, staring out the windows and imagining afuturefar bigger than thecommunity. Even as achild,I knew there was more. Ikneweducation could unlock opportunities.
Icome from apoor background. My parents worked hard and there were many things we simply could notafford. I neverarrived at school wearing the latest fashiononcivvies day.Sometimes paying school fees felt impossible formyparents butthey never allowed our financial situation to become an excuse. Education was non-negotiable in our home. My parents remindedmethat no one could takeknowledge awayfrom me They believed education could change the direction of my life. Lookingback now, I realisethe sacrifices they made to ensure
EDUCATIONWAS NON-NEGOTIABLEIN
my sister and Ihad that opportunity.They may not have been able to give us material things, but they gave us discipline, encouragement and areason to strive My way of thanking them was simple, Iworked hard.Istudied,respected my teachers and made sureIachieved good marks. Iknew that every test passed and every report card improved brought me one step closer to abetter future.
Today as Iwatch learnersmaking their way to school in the morning,I cannot help but feelconcerned. On some days it is already 08:30and some are strolling to school with no sense of urgency. Some look disengaged and uninterested.It makes me wonder what haschanged. Have our young people become disconnected? Or are they simply overwhelmed by the realities they face daily?
Today's learners are growing up in aworld filledwith distractions, social pressures and uncertainty. Many are exposed to unemployment, violence, povertyand social media influences that can easily make education feel less important. For some, it maybedifficult to dream about the future when survival feels like the priority. This iswhy motivation cannot come from schools alone. Parents, communities, teachers and mentors all have arole to playin shaping young minds. Children need to see examples of perseverance. They need encouragement and guidance. Most importantly, they need hope. We cannot expect young people to value education if society appears to undervalue their potential.Sometimesall it takes is one teacher, one family member or one opportunity to inspireachild.
Iwish those in power would take up that challenge. How many leadershavewalked throughthe halls of their former schools and asked themselves what they could do to create lasting change there?Build more schools, morelibraries and saferspaces for learning. Invest in these future leaders and give them areason to be excited Create opportunities that make learners eager to get to school because they can see afuture waiting for them beyond the classroom.
As Ileft the school that day, Irealised the classrooms are still filled with dreamers, children with untapped potential waiting to be nurtured. The challenge ismaking sure they do not lose sight ofthose dreams beforethey evenbegin.
-KAYLYNNE BANTOM
SLICEOFLIFE
CLIMBERSUNITEFORWCCHARITIES: Runners and hikers tackledPlatteklipGorge during the annual Cableway CharityChallengeonTableMountain.So farthis year they have raised over R964 000 that willhelppower the life-saving and community-driven work of four organisations: VolunteerWildfireServices (VWS),Wilderness Search andRescue (WSAR),Ubuntu Football Academyand SANParksHonorary Rangers.The publiccan stilldonateuntil Sunday 17 May.To pledge support,visit:www charitychallenge.co.za
PHOTO:NICK JOUBERT
Magmoeders vreugdeervaar
Hoe seer is seer?
Ek wens ek konvandag(Sondag10Mei) se trane —dié watoor my wangerol,asook die watdie padinwaarts kies —in'nemmer opvang.Ekwil seer meet Ek is heel,maar terselfdertyd stukkend. Ons is té geneig om voor te geedat als"oukei" is.
Soveel mensevier Moedersdag, maar vir baie van onsishierdie 'n diep seer dag.
Nesek, is daar soveel vanons watnie meer 'n mamma het nie.Die uitsoek én opmaak van'nspesiale geskenkie; die beplanning van'nheerlikesamesyn vir diehelegesin; en die dek van'npragtigetafel vir'n spesialepersoon ontbreek die eregas is niemeer met onsnie
Mygedagtesbly dwaal oor al die verskillende seer watvandaginhou: My hartsvriendinne watnie kinders konbaar nie;dié watkinders konaanneem, maar ook dieuitdagingswat saam met dit komindie gesig staar;elkeliewe mamma watstruikel om kinders alleen groottemaak, omdat pappavroeg sy engelvlerkies gekryhet;die watmoet baklei vir onderhoudsgeld;die watdie pa-rol moet vervul weens'nonbetrokkepa; diewat baklei teen 'n regstelsel watsyeie tydneem sodat geregtigheid kangeskied.
Ek dink ookaan die mammas watmoet sterk staan teen tieners watinopstand kom, watraadop,moeg of weerloos is;endie vrouenswat onder 'n hand deurge-
loop hetensukkelomhaar waardigheid en plek in die samelewingtevind, omdat sy die keusegemaak het dat genoeg genoeg is.
Dis julle.Dis ons. Hierdie is die ma's vandie wêreld watvandaggesalueer moet word,maar watsoms so misgekykword. Ons draswaar.Ons skouers hang bietjie vooroor,ensoms komons vaal en onopvallend, verstrooid en vergeetagtig voor.Daar is storms wat nooit ophou raas nie. Daar is mensewat luister,maar nooit hoor nie. Wees assebliefnet genadig! En vir die watwonder of God nogwakkeris. wanneer jy dit die minsteverwag, komverras Hy jou met 'n helderkleurigeEva wathaar ontferm oor'n alleen-mamma.
Daardie spesialevroue wiesehartesagterassag is; diéwat metsoveeldeernis en egtheid onsvrouwees, deuraldie krake, raaksien. Dis daardie Evawat inspring en 'n pakkie posofjou kinders nader trek om ietsie spesiaals vir jou te beplan,ofvir jou die styfstevan styfstedrukkiegee en so ekstrabietjie langer vashou. Magelkegebrokemoederhart geliefdvoel onder haar eie omstandighede en magdaar iewers 'n teken vir jou wees dat jy waardig mamma is. As jy nie voor jou kinders wilhuil nie. is vandagdalkjou dagwat jy dit kanloslaat terwyl jy saam met hulle deur die reën hardloop.Glo in jouself, ystervrou! Irushka, BRACKENFELL
CityofCape Town: quo vadis?
Therecent “snot klap”mayor Geordin Hill-Lewisand his DA compatriots received in theHigh Court has reference.
Formonths we,the ratepayers of Cape Town, have berated himfor usingthe middle-class as avehiclefor apolicyofcross subsidisinghis socialist programme Nowthe courts have agreed with us andwhat does this young man do?Hetries to shame the ratepayers, who payhis inflated salary,intofeelingashamed for notagreeing to hisoutdated socialist agenda.Wedid not agreetoanunfunded spending spree on our dime to help him in avote-buyingcampaign
One wouldhavethought that during hisvarsity yearsheand hismanagementteamwouldtake cognancyofMaggie Thatcher’s famous words: “The problemwith socialism is that eventually yourun out of otherpeople’smoney”. And in 2025-’26 he and his team haverun out of money becausethisyearCoCT plans to borrowR1,2billion just to payfor previous years’ excessive spending.
In plainspeaking it meansborrowingmoremoney
to payfor borrowingprevious years, whilst spending moneytheydon’t have!Inwhatuniverse do these peoplelive?
We have seen howmunicipalities, including the City treatthe solidmiddleclass as agift that keepsgiving, hencethe increasing ratestaxation year on year.And year on year thesemunicipalities placatetheir staff andthemselveswith annual salary increaseswith no reciprocal performanceincreasesbecause the middle classkeep funding their ridiculous plans.
Typically like trying to provide brick andmortar houses to anyeconomic migrant who ends up without ahouse. And howdoes he plan to generatemore money? By increasingyour propertyvalue andrates purely on the basis of properties sold in your area,i.e youare taxedon“unearned profits”,the exactprinciple the British parliament struck down when Keir Starmer andRachel Reeves tried it
Do youthink the mayorwillheed ourcalls?Idon’t think so
Francois JMarais, DURBANVILLE
Stingray birth shows moremust be done
In the TygerBurger of 6May 2026 residents of Table View andMilnerton arequotedstating that the recent stingray birthing incident shows that the clean-up efforts arestartingtobeeffectiveand gives renewed hope that the lagoon is slowly coming back to life HowIwish that this were true! But what we witnessedonWednesday29April is that ashort-tail stingray femalewas stranded on the beachand through stress spontaneouslyaborted24 pups. Thesetinyreplicas of their mother stillhad their yolk sacs, whiletheir gills andother organs were not fullydevelopedyet
Sadly, theywerenot viableand none of them survived despitethe best efforts of communitymembers andrepresentatives of the TwoOceansAquarium. We canonlybut hope that at leastthe mother,who was escorted back intothe deep by the aquariumstaff, managed to recoverand survive. Is the heart-rendering lotofthesemagnificent creatures notjust another illustration of howthe volume of sewage that the CityofCape Town discharges into the oceankills marine life,degrades critical habitats, andharms the ecosystems on whichhumansdepend fortheir ownsurvival?
On Milnertonbeach dead fish, molluscs, crustaceans, starfish, jellyfishand birds, besides disgusting washed-up rubbish, bear witness to decreased dissolvedoxygeninthe lagoon andsea andthe wide array of toxic pollutants contained within sewage Please,Cityand Mayor, the cityneeds to work forour sea.
LViljoen,MILNERTON
Chop upsneed repairs
As burst pipe repairs areundertaken, the huge question is:isthis departmentnot reporting their recent workmanship to, Ipresume, another department to do proper repairs to coverthe massivepotholes? Rainyseasonisupon us, andwith the expected downpours, the huge potholes willbecome camouflaged. Thepreventivemeasures to restoresafetyfor allroadusers is of utmostimportance Many unnecessaryincidents need to be avoided. Thesolutionisworking hand in hand with the different departments, who as mentioned “chopup” the surfaces andthose who “repair”the chopped up surfaces. Safety please,for allroadusers TessaLuck,GOODWOOD
Legenddiesonthefield
