Author: Malebogo Putu

The 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) convened here on Friday against a backdrop of profound geopolitical instability, with the transatlantic alliance appearing more fragile than at any point since its inception as a new world order struggles to be born. As delegates from more than 120 nations gathered at the Bayerischer Hof hotel for the three-day forum, a series of concurrent crises underscored the conference’s stark annual report title, “Under Destruction.” The gathering, once a reliable platform for Western solidarity, has instead become the stage for an unfolding drama of diplomatic realignment, economic confrontation, and questions over whether the United…

The death of Wiandre Pretorius, a man implicated in testimony before South Africa’s Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into police corruption, has intensified concerns over witness safety and violence linked to the country’s troubled law-enforcement system. Pretorius died by apparent suicide on Saturday at a petrol station in Brakpan, east of Johannesburg, according to South African police and broadcaster eNCA. His death came just days after he survived a targeted shooting outside his home in Boksburg, in Gauteng Province, where gunmen fired at least 16 shots into his vehicle. Police said Pretorius was in the presence of his partner, Juan-Mare Eksteen,…

A woman was arrested in South Africa’s Limpopo province after allegedly stabbing a co-worker multiple times inside a retail store in what police described as a premeditated attack. Police said the 39-year-old suspect was apprehended at the scene in the Namakgale policing area on Thursday morning and is facing a charge of attempted murder. The 40-year-old victim was taken to hospital with multiple stab wounds. According to a statement from the South African Police Service, the victim was on her way to work when a colleague phoned to inform her that a woman was looking for her at the store.…

Five suspects were arrested over the weekend and are expected to appear in the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 2 February, on charges including murder, house robbery and possession of suspected stolen property in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 60-year-old man on a smallholding outside Humansdorp last week. According to Eastern Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli, officers arrested the five men, aged between 22 and 37, after they were found in possession of items believed to have been taken during the attack. The suspect group was linked to the murder of Deon du Toit, whose body…

Police in Port Nolloth have arrested two men after uncovering a cache of unpolished diamonds hidden inside a vehicle in the Northern Cape, authorities said Friday, in what officials described as part of an intensified crackdown on illegal mining and diamond trafficking in the Namakwa district. The arrests followed a tip-off received that two suspects were allegedly selling diamonds from a parked vehicle in Port Nolloth, a coastal town long associated with diamond activity. Police officers quickly traced the vehicle, a Nissan light delivery van, parked opposite the beach. During a search, officers discovered a quantity of unpolished diamonds concealed…

Police have taken a major step in the ongoing investigation into the December 2025 assassination of renowned media personality Warrick DJ Warras Stock, arresting a second suspect in connection with the high-profile killing that reverberated across the entertainment industry and beyond. Brigadier Brenda Muridili, spokesperson for the South African Police in Gauteng, confirmed that a 25-year-old Mozambican national was apprehended late on Friday, 30 January 2026, in the Marathon informal settlement in Primrose, Ekurhuleni, after a Crime Intelligence led operation involving the Provincial Investigation Unit (PIU) and Ekurhuleni Metro Police. The suspect, whose identity has not yet been released, is…

A 28 year old man accused of raping a 14 year old learner appeared before the Nkowankowa Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo on Friday, South African police said. The accused made his first court appearance on 30 January 2026 and was remanded in custody until 5 February 2026 for further investigation, according Colonel Malesela Ledwaba of the South African Police Service. Police said the charge stems from an incident on 28 January 2026 when the learner was allegedly attacked while walking home from school in Section A of Nkowankowa. The suspect, who was known to the victim, allegedly dragged her to…

Twenty-three alleged members of an international scam syndicate accused of swindling foreign investors of more than 1 billion rand were remanded in custody on Wednesday after appearing before the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court. The suspects face charges of contravening South Africa’s Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (FAIS Act). They were arrested on Jan. 27, 2026, in a coordinated, multi-agency operation led by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks. Arrests were carried out at various locations across Gauteng, including Bryanston, Randburg and Centurion. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the arrests followed prosecutorially guided investigations…

In a swift tit for tat response to South Africa’s expulsion of its top diplomat, Israel has declared South Africa’s senior diplomatic representative, Minister Shaun Edward Byneveldt, persona non grata and ordered him to depart within 72 hours. The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced the decision on X, stating that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar made the move “following South Africa’s false attacks against Israel in the international arena and the unilateral, baseless step taken against the Chargé d’Affaires of Israel in South Africa.” The statement added that “additional steps will be considered in due course.” This…

The South African government has formally declared more than 9,000 Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens commonly known as Amapanyaza as Peace Officers, resolving longstanding legal uncertainties surrounding their establishment, appointment and deployment. The announcement came during a joint media briefing on Friday, January 30, 2026, convened by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Ministry of Police, and the Gauteng Provincial Government. The move follows a report by the Public Protector, Adv. Gcaleka, released on October 22, 2025, which stemmed from a complaint lodged on September 27, 2023, by Advocate Paul Hoffman, Director of Accountability Now. The complaint raised allegations…