Author: Malebogo Putu
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…
More than six months after the death of former Zambian President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, his remains continue to lie in a South African morgue, ensnared in a protracted legal and emotional tug-of-war between his family and the Zambian government. As of December 23, 2025, the latest twist in this saga came when South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal granted the Lungu family permission to challenge a prior High Court ruling that favoured repatriation of the body to Zambia. This decision prolongs the uncertainty, highlighting deep-seated political divisions and questions of national versus personal dignity in one of Africa’s most unusual…
In a bid to accelerate a long-delayed infrastructure upgrade, South Africa’s Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo and Deputy Minister in the Presidency Kenny Morolong conducted an oversight visit on Tuesday to the Brits Water Treatment Works in the North West province. The inspection comes amid mounting pressure to resolve chronic water shortages that have plagued the Madibeng Local Municipality for over a decade, affecting tens of thousands of residents in this resource-rich but inequality-scarred region. The Brits Water Treatment Works, a flagship project of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), is designed to bolster water supply for…
The number of people arrested for violating traffic laws since the start of December has increased by 16.2% compared to the same period last year, largely due to intensified law enforcement operations being conducted nationwide. In addition, 53 pedestrians were arrested for jaywalking on freeways, and 26 motorists were arrested for attempting to bribe traffic officers. This is according to the preliminary report of the 365 Days Arrive Alive Road Safety Campaign for the 2025 festive season, which was released by the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy for 1 December – 16 December 2025, during a media briefing on Friday…