Author: Malebogo Putu

Lesedi Molapisi, a 30-year-old Botswana national, remains ensnared in Bangladesh’s unforgiving judicial system, sentenced to death on May 27, 2024, for smuggling 3.145 kilograms of heroin into Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in January 2022. As of March 21, 2025, her appeal—lodged with the Bangladeshi court—awaits a hearing date, according to Botswana’s High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh, Gilbert Mangole. Speaking to local media on March 19, Mangole noted, “We last checked on Molapisi in December; she was in good health but indicated she was afraid,” confirming she has not been executed amid Bangladesh’s political turbulence following Sheikh Hasina’s ousting in…

A 41-year-old Mozambican national, linked to multiple vehicle theft and hijacking cases, has been arrested in Emanguzi, KwaZulu-Natal. The suspect, described as a serial offender, was previously convicted in five separate cases in Gauteng and Mpumalanga. According to a media statement released by Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk of the South African Police Service (SAPS), the arrest was made on Monday, 17 March 2025, by the Emanguzi Task Team. The team intercepted the suspect while he was driving a stolen truck with two trailers along the R22 road in Thandizwe, Emanguzi. “Upon inspection, the team discovered that the truck had…

A 43-year-old foreign national has been arrested in connection with a major drug bust in Wynberg, Western Cape. The arrest followed a joint operation conducted by the Anti-Economic Crime Task Team and the Provincial Counterfeit and Illicit Policing Team on Wednesday, 19 March 2025. According to a media statement released by Anelisiwe Manyana, spokesperson for the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape, the operation took place at approximately 05:00 at Grand Central Flats on Wynberg’s Main Road. During the search and seizure, officers discovered 365 Boss mandrax tablets, 130 grams of tik (methamphetamine), 20 grams of cocaine,…

A tragic bus accident near OR Tambo International Airport early Tuesday morning has left 12 people dead and 45 others injured, according to officials from the City of Ekurhuleni. The incident occurred at approximately 6:45 a.m., sending shockwaves through the community and prompting an outpouring of grief from local authorities. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, including OR Tambo, Thembisa, and Edenvale, for treatment. The cause of the accident remains under investigation, with police and other stakeholders combing the scene for evidence. Initial reports have not indicated whether other vehicles were involved. Andile Mngwevu, the Member of the Mayoral…

Six suspects were arrested on Saturday, March 8, 2025, just hours after a brazen cash-in-transit (CIT) robbery in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng. The swift police response led to the recovery of stolen cash, firearms, and vehicles allegedly used in the crime. According to Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, spokesperson for the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng, the robbery occurred earlier that day when a cash van was loading money at an ATM. “The suspects accosted the security guards at gunpoint, disarming them of a rifle and a pistol before fleeing the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash,” Nevhuhulwi stated. The suspects…

In a landmark achievement for lunar exploration, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 successfully landed on the Moon early Sunday morning, carrying a suite of NASA science and technology instruments. The landing, which occurred at 3:34 a.m. EST near Mons Latreille in Mare Crisium, marks a significant milestone in NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and the broader Artemis campaign. The Blue Ghost lander, now in an upright and stable configuration, is the second CLPS mission to deliver NASA payloads to the lunar surface. This mission represents Firefly Aerospace’s first lunar landing and a critical step in advancing commercial…

Angie Stone, the soul icon and pioneering rapper best known as a member of the groundbreaking female hip-hop trio The Sequence, died tragically in a car accident early Saturday morning. She was 63. The accident occurred in Montgomery, Alabama, as Stone was returning from a performance. Her representative, Deborah R. Champagne, confirmed the news to TMZ stating that Stone was the only fatality in the crash, which involved a commercial vehicle. Born Angela Laverne Brown on December 18, 1961, in Columbia, South Carolina, Stone grew up in a musical household. Her father, a deacon, and her mother, a choir director,…

In a series of intelligence-driven operations, members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the North West Province have made significant arrests, underscoring their commitment to combating crime in the region. The operations, conducted in Boitekong and Lichtenburg, led to the apprehension of multiple suspects involved in copper cable theft, immigration violations, and burglary. Boitekong Copper Cable Theft and Immigration Violations On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Boitekong Visible Policing members acted on a tip-off regarding suspicious activity at the Dichibidung informal settlement near Rustenburg. According to Captain Mpho Manyoba, SAPS North West spokesperson, “The team received information that individuals…

In an unprecedented move, South Africa’s Cabinet has postponed the tabling of the 2025 Budget Speech, originally scheduled for February 19, to March 12, 2025. The decision has sparked widespread criticism from opposition parties, who accuse the government of incoherent governance, internal divisions, and a failure to prioritize the needs of the nation. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana was set to outline the government’s financial, economic, and social commitments in the National Assembly on Wednesday. However, Cabinet cited the need for further deliberations to ensure the budget strikes a balance between public interests, economic growth, and fiscal sustainability. “The annual budget…

In a move to bolster small-scale farming and rural economies, the North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has launched two key initiatives aimed at improving food security, increasing market access for farmers, and ensuring sustainable agricultural development in the province. On Friday, February 14, Agriculture MEC Madoda Sambatha officially handed over greenhouse tunnels worth R2.5 million to JT Farm Fresh, a Bokfontein-based farming enterprise in the Madibeng Local Municipality. The investment, part of the Provincial Accelerated Service Delivery Programme, Thuntsa Lerole Reloaded, is expected to enhance the farm’s production capacity, allowing for year-round cultivation and improved crop…