Author: Malebogo Putu
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…
Persistent heavy rainfall has triggered deadly flooding across parts of South Africa, prompting urgent warnings from authorities and the declaration of a national disaster, officials said on Sunday. In Limpopo province, the Department of Transport and Community Safety has urged motorists, pedestrians and all road users to exercise extreme caution, particularly near low-lying bridges and flooded roads, following incidents in the Mopani and Vhembe Districts. The department reported in a statement that the adverse weather has led to dangerous road conditions, with flooding-related incidents and loss of lives. Distressing reports have been received of people losing their lives after attempting…
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said he was “deeply devastated” on Monday after a tragic scholar transport accident in Vanderbijlpark claimed the lives of 12 learners, marking one of the deadliest school-related road incidents in the province in recent years. The accident occurred at approximately 7 a.m. on Fred Droste Road when a private scholar transport vehicle collided with a side tipper truck. According to preliminary reports, 11 learners were certified dead at the scene, while a 12th learner later succumbed to injuries in hospital. Three other learners sustained critical injuries and are receiving urgent medical care at local hospitals.…
South African police arrested two suspects on Friday after uncovering an illicit alcohol manufacturing operation at a house in Dobsonville, Soweto, in a case that highlights the continuing challenge posed by illegal alcohol and cigarette production to the country’s economy and public health. According to a media statement issued by Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng, the arrests followed intelligence information that was operationalised by members of the Johannesburg K9 Unit. The suspects were found actively manufacturing illicit alcohol at the premises. Police confiscated machinery allegedly used in the illegal operation, as well as…
South African police, working in cooperation with local farmers, arrested four men on Saturday in connection with the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, in an incident that authorities say underscores the growing role of community–police partnerships in rural crime prevention. According to a statement issued by Constable Thuto Bobelo of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the North West, the arrests were made around midday on Saturday, 17 January 2026, along the R511 road near Kameeldrift, in the Assen policing area. Police responded to a complaint after members of the local farming community stopped a white Hyundai…
South African police have arrested two men in Kanana in connection with the theft of eight cattle, following an intelligence-led operation carried out on Saturday, 17 January 2026, the South African Police Service said. The arrests were made by members of the Kanana police, supported by the Provincial Crime Intelligence Overt Team, Provincial Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management, and the Stilfontein Stock Theft and Endangered Species (STES) Unit, according to a media statement issued by Constable Thuto Bobelo. Preliminary investigations revealed that Crime Intelligence had received information regarding the whereabouts of suspects linked to a reported case of stock…
In a bold escalation of his long-standing interest in acquiring Greenland, President Donald J. Trump issued a stark warning on January 17, 2026, threatening tariffs on eight European nations unless a deal is reached for the United States to purchase the vast Arctic territory from Denmark. The move has sparked widespread condemnation from NATO allies, highlighting fractures within the alliance and raising questions about the future of Arctic security amid rising geopolitical competition from Russia and China. Trump’s statement, posted on Truth Social, emphasized Greenland’s strategic importance, claiming that “China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing…
In the shadow of South Africa’s bustling highways and porous borders, a shadowy economy thrives, one carton at a time. Illicit cigarettes, smuggled from neighboring countries like Zimbabwe and sold at a fraction of legal prices, now dominate an estimated 75 percent of the market. This underground trade isn’t just a nuisance, it’s a multibillion rand juggernaut eroding tax revenues, fueling organized crime, and now, forcing major corporations to shutter operations. The recent announcement by British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) to close its Heidelberg manufacturing facility underscores a stark reality: when crime pays better than compliance, legitimate businesses and…