Magma News

News

Jul
01

‘Tsunami’ nabs gunman

HARD work coupled with a stroke of luck resulted in police arresting a gunman suspected to be involved in a dramatic Mountain Rise armed robbery in May. Senzo Thobani Ntombela (33) appeared briefly in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday after […]

Jun
30

‘I knew I should keep calm and co-operate with the armed robbers’

AN Eston man who fell victim to armed attackers yesterday knew he had to keep his cool in order to survive. Arnold Pretorius (41) endured a 45-minute ordeal at the hands of three men — two with guns and one […]

May
23

‘Bullets were thundering’

2015-05-23 10:45 POLICE yesterday made a breakthrough in a house robbery case in which a prominent KZN businessman was targeted. Two vehicles involved in the heist were found. Magma Security was yesterday alerted to an abandoned white Subaru Forester spattered […]

May
22

Crime war in Mountain Rise

ONE of Pietermaritzburg’s best known crime fighters was nursing a gunshot wound to the cheek last night after a dramatic confrontation with a gang of heavily armed robbers. Shaheen Sulieman, of Magma Security, responded to an armed robbery with friend […]

Dec
10

Beer hall gang nabbed

A NOTORIOUS armed gang that had been terrorising the Pietermaritzburg CBD has been arrested after making the mistake of robbing a security guard. The group of six men, some of whom carry guns, are understood to have been behind a […]

Nov
02

Suspect charged with Senzo Meyiwa’s murder

Zanokuhle Mbatha, who was arrested in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, on Wednesday, has been charged with the murder of Senzo Meyiwa. The 25-year-old, who is believed to be the man with dreadlocks in the Identikit police drew up this week, was picked […]

Sep
26

Robbery Kingpin Nailed

A CRACK team of PMB investigators nailed a prolific business robbery kingpin in a night-time take-down after a pursuit across two provinces. The man is allegedly responsible for a spate of heists and a double-murder in the Eastern Cape. His […]

Jul
24

Duo sentenced to life for rape and robbery

TWO men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping and robbing a woman at Eston last month. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Jay Naicker said Eric Baphelele Makhanya (36) and Msawakhe Tasolo Ndlovu (36) pleaded guilty in the Pietermaritzburg High […]

Jun
24

Bangladeshi businessman kidnapped in Northdale

A 24-YEAR-OLD Pietermaritzburg-based Bangladeshi businessman is missing after he was kidnapped at his brother’s shop in Northdale on Sunday morning. However, The Witness understands that one suspect has been arrested and is expected to appear in court this week. Jasim […]

May
19

Poachers’ brazen attack

IN the most brazen attack yet on South Africa’s dwindling rhino population, poachers darted and dehorned three female white rhinos in the popular Tala Game Reserve at Umlaas Road in broad daylight on Saturday. The poachers escaped undetected with their […]

Apr
15

8 men in court for farm attack

EIGHT men appeared briefly in the Ixopo Magistrate’s Court yesterday on robbery and other charges relating to an attack on David and Cheryl Biggs in their home in Sutherland Road, Ixopo, in March. The group includes a staff member of […]

Apr
14

‘No bail for robbers,’ Kwanalu urges court

THE KWAZULU-NATAL Agricultural Union (Kwanalu) is urging the courts not to give bail to eight men arrested for the attack on an Ixo­po couple. Koos Marais of the Kwanalu security desk said they were delighted that the attackers had been […]

Mar
29

KZN Farm killer gets life

Pietermaritzburg – A KwaZulu-Natal man was jailed for life on Friday for killing prominent Amanzimtoti sugar farmer Micky Hampson, 69. The farmer was shot dead after he told the man and his companion to leave his farm as they were […]

Mar
28

killer jailed for life plus 15 years’ imprisonment

TEARS flowed yesterday as the family of slain Eston farmer Mick Hampson (69) and a large contingent of farmers and supporters hugged each after his killer was jailed for life plus 15 years’ imprisonment. Sentencing Siboniso Mtolo (28), Pietermaritzburg High Court […]

Mar
24

Ixopo farm attack

ARMED robbers “tasered” a well-known Ixopo farm couple, held a gun to their heads and repeatedly punched them on Friday night, while taunting them with references to the brutal murder of Underberg farmer Dan Knight. Knight was bludgeoned to death […]

Mar
21

Tears of relief in court

TEARS flowed yesterday as the family of slain Eston farmer Mick Hampson (69) and a large contingent of farmers and supporters hugged each after his killer was jailed for life plus 15 years’ imprisonment. Sentencing Siboniso Mtolo (28), Pietermaritzburg High […]

Mar
19

Emotional testimony

KWAZULU-NATAL farmer Murray Hampson gave an emotional and dramatic testimony in the high court in Pietermaritzburg yesterday, saying he stared down the barrel of a gun and saw the gunman squeezing the trigger. He was recalling the moments before his […]

Mar
18

Robbers Cought by Heavily Armed Guards

ALLEGED plans to once again target the Richmond Capitec Bank were coincidentally foiled when the heavily armed robbers realised there were police officers inside the bank on Monday. The robbers then turned on a soft target — a furniture shop — […]

Mar
18

Former cop Mdunge fights crime as top security officer

HE may not be in police uniform any longer, but Vincent Mdunge still wants to fight crime. “Having worked as a policeman for more than two decades, I am able to draw comparisons between the police and private security,” he […]

Mar
18

Richmond residents live in fear after spate of violent robberies

THE days of political violence in Richmond are long gone, but violence has returned in the form of robberies and murders that have locals living in fear. When The Witness visited the town last week, business people and residents expressed […]

Mar
13

App helps man track goods

PROMINENT Pietermaritzburg attorney Sundeep Singh, who was the victim of a car jamming incident in the city centre, has used the Find My iPad app to track some of his goods. Singh parked his Mercedes Benz e320 on the corner […]

Mar
12

Richmond struck again

ALLEGED plans to once again target the Richmond Capitec Bank were coincidentally foiled when the heavily armed robbers realised there were police officers inside the bank on Monday. The robbers then turned on a soft target — a furniture shop […]

Mar
11

Richmond robbers on run

RICHMOND police and private security officers were searching last night for a gang of seven men who robbed a local store, firing wildly as they fled the scene. The men took cash and stock, but failed in their attempt to […]

Mar
05

Suspected killer returned for work

THE day after his parents and brother were brutally killed in Richmond, Stefan Schutte admitted into his yard a man who worked for him as a gardener. That man was a former employee of his parents and, Stefan learnt with […]

Mar
04

Richmond murders: 3 arrested

Durban – A farm worker and two others have been arrested for the murder of an elderly couple and their son at theirRichmond smallholding at the weekend. Eckhardt Schutte, who turned 77 on Sunday, was shot with his wife, Elizabeth, 66, […]

Mar
01

Eight members of ‘sticky-tape gang’ arrested

POLICE believe they have broken the spine of the notorious “sticky-tape gang” — responsible for a spate of house robberies in the Cato Ridge and Camperdown areas — with the arrest of eight men yesterday. Police spokesperson Colonel Jay Naicker […]

Feb
22

Sticky tape gang strikes again

THE “sticky tape gang”, comprised of at least eight gunmen, yesterday used pliers to pinch the flesh of an elderly woman on a Camperdown farm. The gang, whose members use sticky tape to bind and gag their victims, has been […]

Jan
29

Death of a hero prince

SERGEANT Thamsanqa Zondi was a royal prince, a tough policeman — and a “mama’s boy”. On Monday night — after a massive gun battle on the streets of Richmond — the 30-year-old father-of-two showed what it means to be a […]

Jan
28

Heist gang’s rampage

GUNFIRE shattered Richmond yesterday afternoon in a bloody cash heist that left a security guard, a policeman and two robbers dead, witnesses said. The eight-strong gang, wielding AK47s, exchanged fire with security guards, sending locals scurrying for cover. Three civilians […]

Jan
28

Four killed in ‘chaotic’ Richmond shootout

SHERLISSA PETERS, LIAM JOYCE AND LAUREN ANTHONY Durban – Four people, including a policeman and a security guard, were killed and at least five people were wounded when armed robbers opened fire with AK-47s in a foiled cash-in-transit heist in […]

Jan
21

Six-murder accused in court

THE family member who stands accused of murdering an Inanda mother and five of her children in December 2012 will remain in custody until his next court appearance on January 24. Tshepang Mokhali (25) appeared briefly in the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s […]

Jan
04

Escapee had a hit list of people to kill

NOTORIOUS KwaZulu-Natal escapee Sthembiso Vincent Shabalala (34) allegedly had a “hit list” of people he wanted to assassinate while he was on the run from police. He is also alleged to have called a key state witness who testified at […]

Dec
19

KZN residents take their safety in their own hands

PIETERMARITZBURG is joining a broader KZN citizen drive in a fight back against crime. While suburbs in the highway and Durban areas have opted for a slew of newly fixed guard houses, upmarket suburbs in Pietermaritzburg have chosen a variety […]

Dec
19

Robbery suspect returns for a drink

A CREIGHTON businessman watched in disbelief as the man arrested last week for allegedly robbing him at gunpoint, strolled into his bar — where the attack happened — and had a drink. The man was arrested with six others last […]

Dec
13

Hotel owner praises security firm for swift arrests

The owner of the Creighton Hotel, Chris Vermaak, has credited the work by Magma Security and Investigation for the swift arrests of seven suspects in connection with a robbery at his hotel last month. “There should be 20% credit going to […]

Nov
18

Iron-torture accused in court

TWO men appeared briefly in the magistrate’s court in Pietermaritzburg on Friday in connection with charges of housebreaking and robbery of Thornville widow Lena Maria Jackson (62) on August 30. Jackson was allegedly tortured by being burnt with a hot […]

Nov
14

Widow’s tormentors arrested

TWO men suspected to have been involved in the torture of a 62-year-old widow in Thornville two months ago have been arrested. The men were nabbed in the early hours of yesterday morning by police members from Thornville, the Pietermaritzburg […]

Nov
14

Men who tortured widow arrested

Pietermaritzburg – Two men suspected to have been involved in the torture of a 62-year-old widow in Thornville two months ago have been arrested. The men were nabbed in the early hours of Thursday morning by police members from Thornville, […]

Nov
12

Poachers caught.

On Friday the 8th November, Magma Security received information that there were two men walking with a wheelbarrow full of meat. Magma Security management and Camperdown SAPS proceeded to the area where the two men were found. The two men […]

Nov
11

Family held at gunpoint

RICHMOND crime fighter Ricky Jugree and members of his family are traumatised after themselves becoming victims of crime on Saturday night. Jugree, who runs a “crime watch” service, his wife Pam and their 14-year-old daughter Tashnika were held at gunpoint […]

Nov
07

Fourth suspect arrested in torture and robbery case

A FOURTH person has been arrested in connection with a robbery at Albert Falls last year during which members of two families, including a child, were tortured by having boiling water poured on them. The Pietermaritzburg Organised Crime Unit, in […]

Oct
29

PoLice crack farm killing – Security officers nab one Hampson murder suspect on way to Jo’burg

Hampson was driving on the farm with his son Murray, when they were confronted by two men who had allegedly trespassed onto their land. Magma Security’s Shaheen Suleiman told The Witness that his team spent sleepless nights searching for the […]

Oct
23

Five arrested for car jamming

FIVE more suspects have been arrested in connection with cases of vehicle remote jamming, this time in Camperdown, outside Pietermaritzburg. They are believed to be linked to more than six cases per day. Yesterday , The Witness revealed that up […]

Oct
07

Two in court for murder attempt

TWO men have appeared briefly in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court for the attempted murder of police officers and a security guard investigating the recent murder of an Eston farmer. Brothers Mfanelo (35) and Sphelele Dlomo (27) allegedly attacked the officers, […]

Sep
28

‘Drive away, Dad!’

ESTON sugar cane farmer Micky Hampson was killed yesterday after he and his son, Murray, confronted two men who had trespassed on their farm. Magma Security’s Sha­heen Suleiman said the father and son were talking to workers at about 1 pm […]

Aug
31

Special Events – Close Protection Services (CPS)

Magma Security CPS is undertaken by a highly experienced team under the strict supervision and personal attention of Shaheen Suleiman (Director). The experience of the CPS team extends from local government officials to international celebrities enabling the Magma Security team […]

Aug
01

Kidnapping ordeal over for PMB man

PIETERMARITZBURG shopkeeper Solai­man Rahaman was reunited with his family yesterday after a 15-day kidnapping ordeal. Rahaman (41) said he was chained in a locked, dark room. “I prayed that God must bring back my life, as they kept me in […]

Jul
24

Man’s 22-day ordeal

WHEN Underberg businessman Mohsin Patel was approached by two men in police uniform, he had no reason to be suspicious and readily agreed to answer their questions. However, Patel (25), whose family runs a supermarket in Himeville, soon realised the […]

Jun
22

Local champ third in Italy

MOUNTAIN BIKING CURRENT UCI Downhill World Champion Greg Minnaar finished third in the second round of the Downhill series of the 2013 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano, which took place at the popular Val di Sole track […]

Jun
18

South Coast MTB riders shine

SCOTTBURGH — South Coast riders Evan van der Spuy (Varsity College) and Hayley Smith (Bell Equipment) flew the local flag high, claiming victory in the men’s and women’s events at the popular Magma Security Scottburgh MTB Classic. On a course […]

Jun
17

Investigations

Our investigation team are highly trained and have wealth of experience in Security Investigations. This Investigation Division has perfected and mastered a pro–active approach to risk management and loss control with particular attention to fraud. Headed by Shaheen Suleiman (Director), […]

Jun
17

Farm Watch

Keep Your Farm Secure. Magma Farm Protection is geared to serve the agricultural sector. Personnel are highly trained and equipped to service all facets of the agricultural sector familiarising themselves with agricultural clients and surroundings.   Our personnel are proficient […]

Jun
08

Riders tested in Howick

MOUNTAIN BIKING Patrick Belton (Team Jeep) took the honours at last weekend’s Sappi Howick Classic, while Eszter Erdelyi powered her way to victory in the women’s race. With exceptionally dry conditions and a galeforce wind, fears of the event’s possible […]

May
04

Technical

Let’s get Technical Magma Security prides themselves with  highly competent technical teams: •  Maintenance Team •  Installation Team • Assessment Team The team comprises of a technician and a wire man. Reminiscent of the industry regulating bodies, our technical division […]

May
04

Monitoring

  Domestic alarms Commercial alarms Surveillance cameras Vehicle movement  

May
04

Armed Response and Escorting

  Domestic alarms Commercial alarms Surveillance camera violations Unauthorized vehicle movement  

Feb
07

N3 murder suspects arrested

TWO suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of Abdul Munaf Moosa and the rape of a woman who was his passenger in December last year. The men, aged 26 and 39, were arrested in Pietermaritzburg and Umlazi, […]

Feb
01

Robbery: three held over shooting

THREE people who are suspected in the shooting of a 67-year-old Scottburgh woman in her home in the early hours of Sunday morning were arrested on Wednesday. The suspects, one of whom had a gun, are alleged to have broken […]

Jan
04

Guarding

  Commercial guarding Agricultural guarding Domestic guarding  

Apr
24

Man held over kettle torture

A MAN who arrived at court to face a charge of armed robbery was arrested by detectives of the Pietermaritzburg serious and violent crime unit on suspicion of being a member of the “boiling water gang” that terrorised a family […]

Aug
19

Hold-up accused face 31 charges

A FORMER employee of Fidelity Guards told the high court in Pietermaritzburg yesterday how gunfire suddenly erupted as pensions were about to be paid out at the Jabula Store at Mid-Illovo on May 6, 2008, and he was threatened by […]

Aug
15

Saddle syndicate hobbled

POLICE and a private security company have arrested five men in the Mid-Illovo, Camperdown, Mophela and Sankontshe areas said to be part of a huge syndicate that steals and sells horse saddles as far as Lesotho and the Transkei. The […]

Aug
12

Cops nab copper thieves with security firm’s help

FOUR suspects, believed to be working for a syndicate that buys stolen copper in the Camperdown area, were arrested yesterday after police followed a tip-off from a local security company. The suspects were caught with copper wire they had stolen […]

Jul
05

Fatal showdown

A WOUNDED fugitive was shot and killed as he tried to shoot a security guard to make good his escape from large contingent of law enforcers in Richmond outside Pietermaritzburg yesterday morning. Five of his accomplices were shot and killed on […]

Jul
05

Fatal showdown

A WOUNDED fugitive was shot and killed as he tried to shoot a security guard to make good his escape from large contingent of law enforcers in Richmond outside Pietermaritzburg yesterday morning. Five of his accomplices were shot and killed […]

Jul
04

Tip-off foils farm attack

Pietermaritzburg – Farm owner Craig Marwick has told how he and his family were told to stay put in their houses as police and security guards lay in wait for a gang of robbers. Five robbers were shot and killed […]

Apr
15

Woman fights off robbers

A WOMAN who operates a garden service fought off three men, including her employee, who tried to force her to give them money at her Cato Ridge home outside Pietermaritzburg yesterday morning. Ella-Marie Prinsloo (46) said the three attackers, including […]

Apr
08

Crime fighters foil hijack

POLICE, together with Magma Security and Investigations, have foiled the plans of six suspects who were on their way to allegedly earning R650 000 for hijacking a truck carrying eight vehicles valued at R2,5 million, in the early hours of yesterday morning. […]

Mar
22

Police recognise KZN security firm’s role in fighting crime

PROVINCIAL police have awarded a certificate of appreciation to Magma Security owner Shaheen Suleiman for his contribution in fighting crime in various parts of the province. The certificate was awarded in Durban last week. Suleiman has been working closely with […]

Jan
12

Suspected burglars shot

TWO suspected burglars were shot dead as they were waiting for a vehicle to collect them, together with the valuables they had stolen from a farmhouse in Camperdown outside Pietermaritzburg, on Monday night. The suspects were killed after they allegedly […]

Jan
12

Suspected burglars shot

TWO suspected burglars were shot dead as they were waiting for a vehicle to collect them, together with the valuables they had stolen from a farmhouse in Camperdown outside Pietermaritzburg, on Monday night. The suspects were killed after they allegedly […]

Jan
06

Angler’s gun found on suspect

A 22-YEAR-OLD man appeared in the Camperdown Magistrate’s Court outside Pietermaritzburg yesterday for allegedly assaulting and robbing a farmer. The arrest followed an intense investigation by police and Magma Security Service, which started on the December 29, the day Simon […]

Aug
03

Alleged poachers nabbed

TWO suspected poachers who killed a wildebeest at Duma Manzi private game farm on Sunday, July 25, have been stopped in their tracks by a security company working hand in hand with the SAPF. Police have confirmed that 20 wildebeest […]

Apr
19

Farm security men shoot two gangsters

TWO men suspected of being members of a gang which targeted farms in the Eston area have been shot dead by members of the Magma Security company. Magma Security owner Shaheen Suleiman said the gang had been stealing truck tyres […]

Feb
05

End of the road for hitman

A TAXI hitman wanted for a string of crimes in the taxi industry and for terrorising businesses and residents in the Thornville and surrounding areas was shot dead by police on the R56 road to Richmond yesterday afternoon. The ambush […]

Dec
01

Pair arrested for Richmond attacks

POLICE have arrested two suspects believed to be responsible for two recent farm attacks at Richmond. This comes in the wake of a second farm attack in two days, as an elderly couple were attacked by suspects who shot their […]

Feb
22

Ixopo: Murder came amid land dispute

“I don’t know what was worse, the assassination of his character or his death.” Veronica Denyssen, mother of Juan Sharpe (35), who was shot dead by an ex-employee of Duma Manzi Game reserve in Ixopo, said this in response to […]

Jul
03

Sleeping gang nabbed

Members of a housebreaking gang were arrested after being surprised while fast asleep in Hopewell near Thornville outside Pietermaritzburg, and goods estimated to be worth about R100 000 were recovered in the early hours of yesterday. Camperdown police, crime intelligence […]

SERVICES AT A GLANCE

* Special Events
* Investigations
* Monitoring
* Armed Response & Escorting
* Farm Watch
* Technical
* Guarding
* Security Consultation