Author: Malebogo Putu

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…

A 38-year-old man, Elphas Ellias Shabangu, was sentenced to three life terms by the Volksrust Regional Court for the rape of three minors in separate incidents in Piet Retief and Volksrust, according to a joint statement by the National Prosecution Authority and the South African Police Service. The first incident occurred on October 11, 2023, at approximately 6:30 p.m. in Piet Retief. Shabangu approached an 8-year-old girl at her home near the gate, asking her to buy a box of matches from a nearby shop. He gave her 5 rand, telling her she could keep 2 rand. When she returned,…

The North West Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has confirmed an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, specifically within the JB Marks Local Municipality, raising concerns for the region’s livestock industry. According to departmental spokesperson Emelda Setlhako, the first case was reported by a private veterinarian who observed suspicious signs during a farm visit. “The State Veterinarian collected samples, which were sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI) to test for the disease,” Setlhako said, confirming the presence of FMD. A second incident was detected at an abattoir in Madibeng, where…

South African authorities intensified their fight against illegal mining with targeted operations at two major sites in Limpopo province, resulting in the arrest of four suspects and the seizure of equipment and materials, police announced on Saturday. The Vala Umgodi Task Team, acting on credible intelligence, conducted raids on Friday, June 13, 2025, targeting illegal activities at Sefateng Chrome Mine and Bokone Platinum Mine, according to Lieutenant Colonel Masekela Magoro of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo. The operations underscore the police’s “unwavering commitment to uphold the rule of law and protect the environment,” Magoro said. At approximately…

South African police in Leslie, Mpumalanga, are investigating the death of a 45-year-old man who allegedly took his own life after being accused of raping his stepdaughter, according to Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Province. The allegations stem from incidents that reportedly began in 2017, when the victim, then 17, was allegedly sexually abused by the man. The victim, now 25, disclosed the abuse to her biological mother in 2024. “Deeply disturbed by the revelations, the mother chose to separate from the suspect but did not report the matter to the police…

PORT ST. JOHN’S, South Africa — South African Police Service (SAPS) Tactical Response Teams (TRT) and Combat units arrested three suspects and confiscated unlicensed firearms, ammunition, and military-grade equipment in a two-day intelligence-driven operation in Port St. John’s, Eastern Cape, from June 12 to 13, 2025, according to Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana. Acting on intelligence linking illegal firearms to taxi violence and cash-in-transit robberies, the TRT Recce Team, supported by OR Tambo and Joe Gqabi Combat Teams, executed search warrants at two homesteads in Tombo A/A and Mthumbane. At the Tombo A/A address, a 46-year-old female suspect presented a firearm license…

A 51-year-old South African man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of his 10-year-old niece in January 2012, the Bloemfontein Regional Court ruled, following a case brought to light by the survivor’s courage to speak out in 2024. The conviction, hailed as a triumph of justice, was the result of the survivor’s bravery, the dedication of a police investigator, and the persistence of a skilled prosecutor, according to Captain Loraine Earle of the South African Police Service in Free State. In August 2024, the now 21-year-old woman revealed the abuse to a social worker during a counseling…

Helen Zille, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Federal Council chairperson, is mulling a bid for Johannesburg mayor in the 2026 local government elections, a move that could reshape the city’s fractious political landscape. In an interview with Radio 702, Zille expressed “unfinished business” with Johannesburg, where she spent her youth, and described the mayoral role as a chance to address the city’s spiraling crises, including weeks-long water outages in 2025 and rampant crime. She has until June 15 to apply, as the DA’s top picks reportedly declined due to the position’s low pay and high demands. Zille’s tenure as Cape Town…