Author: Malebogo Putu

South Africa has declared Ariel Seidman, the Israeli chargé d’affaires in Pretoria, persona non grata and ordered him to depart the country within 72 hours, escalating already strained relations between the two nations amid ongoing disputes over Israel’s actions in Gaza. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) announced the decision in a media statement on Friday, accusing Seidman of “a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty.” These violations include the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against President Cyril Ramaphosa…

The South African Police Service’s Crime Intelligence unit in Kraaifontein uncovered an illegal alcohol manufacturing operation while pursuing information related to an unlicensed firearm, police said on Wednesday. According to Constable Ndakhe Gwala of the South African Police Service in the Western Cape, officers were on a mission to recover an unlicensed firearm when they identified a residence in Antilope Street, Uitzicht, as a possible location of a person of interest. Crime Intelligence members enlisted the assistance of Durbanville SAPS officers, and on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, police descended on the premises. Two Congolese nationals, aged 23 and 24, were…

South African Police arrested six alleged bogus investment scammers along with 25 call centre agents on Tuesday in a coordinated operation targeting an international fraud syndicate, law enforcement officials said. The suspects, aged between 38 and 61, were arrested in Johannesburg, Gauteng, for contravening the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (FAIS Act) 37 of 2002. The arrests followed a joint takedown operation involving the Gauteng Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation, Hawks’ Priority Crime Specialised Investigation, Hawks’ Tactical Operations Management Section, the Gauteng Tactical Response Team, Hawks Legal Services and Hawks Communication Services. They were supported by Gauteng Crime Intelligence,…

Police have arrested seven suspects and seized 10 unlicensed firearms, including an AK47 assault rifle and an R5 rifle, following an intelligence-driven operation in KwaMaphumulo, KwaZulu-Natal. The suspects, aged between 26 and 66, were arrested during a multi-disciplinary operation led by intelligence units and supported by members of the Durban K9 Unit as well as Technical Response Teams from KwaDukuza, Ulundi and Empangeni. According to police, the operation targeted individuals suspected of possessing illegal firearms and of involvement in serious crimes, including cash-in-transit robberies, taxi violence, car hijackings, stock theft and murders. Police officers moved in on a homestead comprising…

Police are investigating a murder case after a 33-year-old woman was found dead from multiple stab wounds following an argument with her boyfriend at their home in Extension 12, Kanana, near Orkney, on Saturday night, January 24, 2026. According to police, the couple arrived at their residence when neighbors heard them arguing. During the commotion, the woman fled the house, jumped over a fence into a neighboring yard, and knocked on the neighbor’s door seeking help. When the neighbors opened the door, they found the woman lying on the ground, with her boyfriend also present at the scene. The neighbors…

Gauteng police have arrested the 22-year-old driver of the private scholar transport vehicle involved in a deadly collision that claimed the lives of 12 learners in Vanderbijlpark on Monday morning, authorities confirmed on Tuesday. The accident occurred at approximately 07:00 on Fred Droste Road (R553) on 19 January 2026 when a private commuter scholar transport vehicle collided with a side tipper truck while transporting learners to school. Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said police visited hospitals and the mortuary to verify the fatalities and confirmed that 12 learners died at the scene. Five others were taken to nearby…

Persistent heavy rainfall has triggered deadly flooding across parts of South Africa, prompting urgent warnings from authorities and the declaration of a national disaster, officials said on Sunday. In Limpopo province, the Department of Transport and Community Safety has urged motorists, pedestrians and all road users to exercise extreme caution, particularly near low-lying bridges and flooded roads, following incidents in the Mopani and Vhembe Districts. The department reported in a statement that the adverse weather has led to dangerous road conditions, with flooding-related incidents and loss of lives. Distressing reports have been received of people losing their lives after attempting…

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said he was “deeply devastated” on Monday after a tragic scholar transport accident in Vanderbijlpark claimed the lives of 12 learners, marking one of the deadliest school-related road incidents in the province in recent years. The accident occurred at approximately 7 a.m. on Fred Droste Road when a private scholar transport vehicle collided with a side tipper truck. According to preliminary reports, 11 learners were certified dead at the scene, while a 12th learner later succumbed to injuries in hospital. Three other learners sustained critical injuries and are receiving urgent medical care at local hospitals.…

South African police arrested two suspects on Friday after uncovering an illicit alcohol manufacturing operation at a house in Dobsonville, Soweto, in a case that highlights the continuing challenge posed by illegal alcohol and cigarette production to the country’s economy and public health. According to a media statement issued by Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng, the arrests followed intelligence information that was operationalised by members of the Johannesburg K9 Unit. The suspects were found actively manufacturing illicit alcohol at the premises. Police confiscated machinery allegedly used in the illegal operation, as well as…

South African police, working in cooperation with local farmers, arrested four men on Saturday in connection with the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, in an incident that authorities say underscores the growing role of community–police partnerships in rural crime prevention. According to a statement issued by Constable Thuto Bobelo of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the North West, the arrests were made around midday on Saturday, 17 January 2026, along the R511 road near Kameeldrift, in the Assen policing area. Police responded to a complaint after members of the local farming community stopped a white Hyundai…