Author: Malebogo Putu
A 28 year old man accused of raping a 14 year old learner appeared before the Nkowankowa Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo on Friday, South African police said. The accused made his first court appearance on 30 January 2026 and was remanded in custody until 5 February 2026 for further investigation, according Colonel Malesela Ledwaba of the South African Police Service. Police said the charge stems from an incident on 28 January 2026 when the learner was allegedly attacked while walking home from school in Section A of Nkowankowa. The suspect, who was known to the victim, allegedly dragged her to…
Twenty-three alleged members of an international scam syndicate accused of swindling foreign investors of more than 1 billion rand were remanded in custody on Wednesday after appearing before the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court. The suspects face charges of contravening South Africa’s Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (FAIS Act). They were arrested on Jan. 27, 2026, in a coordinated, multi-agency operation led by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks. Arrests were carried out at various locations across Gauteng, including Bryanston, Randburg and Centurion. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the arrests followed prosecutorially guided investigations…
In a swift tit for tat response to South Africa’s expulsion of its top diplomat, Israel has declared South Africa’s senior diplomatic representative, Minister Shaun Edward Byneveldt, persona non grata and ordered him to depart within 72 hours. The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced the decision on X, stating that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar made the move “following South Africa’s false attacks against Israel in the international arena and the unilateral, baseless step taken against the Chargé d’Affaires of Israel in South Africa.” The statement added that “additional steps will be considered in due course.” This…
The South African government has formally declared more than 9,000 Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens commonly known as Amapanyaza as Peace Officers, resolving longstanding legal uncertainties surrounding their establishment, appointment and deployment. The announcement came during a joint media briefing on Friday, January 30, 2026, convened by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Ministry of Police, and the Gauteng Provincial Government. The move follows a report by the Public Protector, Adv. Gcaleka, released on October 22, 2025, which stemmed from a complaint lodged on September 27, 2023, by Advocate Paul Hoffman, Director of Accountability Now. The complaint raised allegations…
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…