Author: Malebogo Putu

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.…

Amid a mounting crisis caused by the resurgence of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), South Africa’s Department of Agriculture has launched a national indaba aimed at developing a long-term, coordinated response to the outbreak that continues to ravage the livestock industry. The two-day summit, opening Monday, is being held at the Agricultural Research Council’s Veterinary Institute for Molecular Pathology (ARC-VIMP) campus in Roodeplaat, northeast of Pretoria. It brings together senior government officials, veterinary scientists, agricultural experts, and industry stakeholders from across the country. The outbreak has affected several provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and most recently the Free State, prompting…

In an ongoing crackdown on illicit mining activities, five men aged between 25 and 38 were arrested in the Northern Cape on Sunday, 20 July, as part of Operation Vala Umgodi. According to Sergeant Merapelo Pilane of the South African Police Service in the Northern Cape, “The South African Police Service in the Northern Cape, through Operation Vala Umgodi, arrested five males aged between 25 and 38 years old for their alleged involvement in illegal mining activities and the possession of unpolished diamonds.” The arrests stem from two separate incidents. In the first, police teams deployed in the Namakwa District…

Three men were arrested and 14 stolen Merino sheep, valued at approximately R49,900 ($2,700), were recovered in a coordinated operation by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and private security in the Free State province, authorities said. The operation, which began on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 10:00 AM, was launched following intelligence that a group of male suspects was targeting a farm in Edenburg for stock theft, according to Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli of the SAPS in Free State. In the early hours of Friday, July 18, at approximately 4:30 AM, the operational team intercepted a white Mercedes-Benz panel van…