Author: Malebogo Putu
The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo has arrested a tenth suspect believed to be part of a notorious syndicate responsible for a wave of ATM bombings that struck the province between 2023 and 2024. According to Colonel Malesela Ledwaba of the South African Police Service in Limpopo, the arrest was made “during an ongoing intelligence-driven operation conducted by the Provincial Tracking Team aimed at tracing the remaining suspects.” Ledwaba said the 50-year-old male suspect was apprehended “on the night of Monday, 06 October 2025, at around 21:00, at a hideout in Stinkwater, Hammanskraal, in the Gauteng province.” The…
An 18-year-old father has been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of his five-month-old biological son at Jimmy Jones Village near Malamulele, Limpopo, in what police have described as a “heartbreaking act of violence.” According to a statement issued by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo, the incident occurred on Tuesday morning, October 7, 2025. The suspect was apprehended later that night, at approximately 22:00, following an intensive investigation by local detectives. The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, commended the swift action of law enforcement officers in apprehending the suspect. “I commend…
Five members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), among them a female soldier, are facing charges of corruption alongside two undocumented Zimbabwean nationals, in a case that has cast a fresh spotlight on the persistent challenge of cross-border smuggling and official corruption in South Africa’s northernmost province. The seven suspects, aged between 26 and 42, are scheduled to appear before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, September 18, 2025. According to police, they face charges of corruption, possession of illicit cigarettes, unlawful discharge of a firearm, and defeating the ends of justice. Their arrests on Tuesday, September 16,…
South African Police Service (SAPS) units in the Free State province conducted a series of raids targeting drug-related crimes in Bloemfontein and surrounding areas, resulting in multiple arrests and seizures, according to Lt. Col. Thabo Covane. Members of the Public Order Police (POP) Unit, while patrolling the Bloemspruit Police Station precinct, acted on a community tip-off about a drug post in Phase 4. “A search was conducted, during which Mandrax tablets and bankies containing Crystal Meth were found and seized,” Lt. Col. Covane said. A 38-year-old male was arrested, and cash believed to be proceeds from drug sales was confiscated.…
Police have launched an investigation into the fatal shooting of five men whose bodies were discovered at an open-cast mine in Tlhatlaganyane Village, near Sun City, authorities said Monday. Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone, spokesperson for the South African Police Service in North West, confirmed that a multi-disciplinary team is on the scene to gather evidence and determine the circumstances surrounding the killings. “The police will conduct an extensive investigation to ensure that those responsible are identified and arrested,” Mokgwabone said. The area is known for illegal mining activities and has previously drawn attention from South Africa’s National Parliament, with visits from…
The North West Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) is steadily advancing toward achieving a Clean Audit opinion, following four consecutive years of receiving an Unqualified Audit opinion with no material misstatements.In its most recent report, the Auditor-General attributed the department’s consistent audit success to the submission of credible, complete, and materially accurate financial statements. These submissions, according to the report, “fairly presented the financial performance of the Department.”MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Gaoage Oageng Molapisi, lauded the department’s trajectory while acknowledging that further improvements are still needed. “As a department that is supporting…
The Pretoria Magistrates’ Court has sentenced Thabo Xolani Masoka, 32, to life imprisonment for the rape of an 11-year-old girl with Down syndrome, in a ruling that underscores South Africa’s firm stance against gender-based violence. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the verdict, emphasizing its commitment to protecting vulnerable victims. The assault took place on September 18, 2022, in a block of flats where Masoka resided alongside the victim and her mother. According to court details, the incident occurred around 7:45 PM as the victim’s mother was closing her salon, located on the premises. The girl began walking home but…
A 64-year-old man from Mamelodi has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court for the repeated rape of his daughter, starting when she was 9 years old in 2010 and continuing until she was 19 in 2020. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the sentence, emphasizing its commitment to combating gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa. The court also declared the man unfit to work with children or possess a firearm, ordered his name added to the National Register for Sexual Offenders, and directed that his two granddaughters be referred to the children’s court for investigation. The…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane, following allegations of misleading Parliament and orchestrating controversial appointments to Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) boards. The decision, announced on Monday, marks a significant shake-up in the African National Congress (ANC)-led government, with Buti Manamela appointed as Nkabane’s replacement and Dr. Nomusa Dube-Ncube named deputy minister, according to a statement from the presidency. Nkabane’s removal stems from a scandal involving the appointment of ANC-aligned individuals, including Buyambo Mantashe, son of Mineral Resources and Petroleum Minister Gwede Mantashe, to lucrative SETA board positions. The…
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has issued a stern warning to the public regarding the unauthorized and illegal use of its name, logo, and brand by a group or organisation known as “Ubuntu Life.” The agency made clear that it has no affiliation with the entity and denounced any implication of a relationship between the two. “SASSA wishes to unequivocally distance itself from any association with this entity and to refute any claims or suggestions that Ubuntu Life is affiliated, endorsed, or contracted by SASSA in any capacity,” said Mr. Paseka Letsatsi, the official spokesperson for the agency.…