Author: Kgaogelo Magolego

Tensions are mounting between the ANC-led coalition government and the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the City of Tshwane, with water tankering tenders emerging as the latest point of dispute. The opposition party has accused the administration of normalising the use of water tankers. The two parties addressed the media in Pretoria on the sidelines of Thursday’s Council meeting, where they exchanged accusations. DA Caucus Leader Celliers Brink highlighted the rising costs of water tankers under the ANC-led coalition and expressed concern that some communities receiving tanker water already have access to running water. “The DA’s main concern is not water…

Brown Mogotsi has attributed his absence from the Madlanga Commission to severe jetlag, which he says triggered diarrhoea, dizziness and general illness following his appearance before an ad hoc parliamentary committee in Cape Town. The committee is investigating allegations of drug cartel infiltration and political interference in the criminal justice system. Mogotsi’s scheduled testimony before the commission last week had to be postponed after he failed to appear. When he finally took the stand on Wednesday, he admitted he was still unwell. “Coming back from Cape Town since Friday, I was not okay,” he told the commission. “Like you say,…

The Higher Education Department will not be held to ransom by officials resisting governance reforms within the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs). Speaking to the media in Pretoria on Tuesday, Minister Buti Manamela said the department remains committed to implementing reforms despite ongoing legal challenges. “Our interventions have attracted litigation. I will not litigate these matters in public — that is the function of the courts, and we respect the judicial process. What I will say is this: governance reform cannot be held hostage by litigation. We are confident in the legal basis of each intervention. The courts will…

Public Works Minister Dean McPherson is facing widespread condemnation after it emerged that the department spent at least R350,000 on travel and accommodation for his boyfriend, who accompanied him to the BRICS Summit in Brazil. Political parties criticized the move, highlighting what they see as hypocrisy from the Democratic Alliance, which has long opposed government wastage yet appears to allow such extravagant spending by one of its ministers. “At a time when schools are falling apart, clinics are crumbling, and the department itself is failing to maintain its head office to acceptable safety standards, the Minister saw it fit to…

The Madlanga Commission was forced to take an early adjournment after self-proclaimed police informant Brown Mogotsi failed to appear to conclude his testimony. Evidence Leader Mathew Chasckolson told the commission that Mogotsi only notified them this morning that he was ill, making it impossible to schedule another witness. Proceedings have now been adjourned to Wednesday morning. Chasckolson said Mogotsi was expected to answer questions that had not been posed to him either at the commission or during the parliamentary ad hoc committee probing similar allegations—specifically, political interference in the criminal justice system and its alleged infiltration by drug cartels. “Mr.…

The Madlanga Commission has criticised controversial blogger Musa Khawula for making public his communications with its officials. Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said discussions with persons of interest and potential witnesses are intended to remain strictly confidential to protect those involved. Michaels addressed the media during a doorstep briefing following the commission’s adjournment on Wednesday. “We certainly do not want to engage in public discussion on individual matters between the Commission and those concerned,” Michaels said. “In this instance, the individual chose to go public and share his account. For our part, we will not respond to that discussion in public.…

The Madlanga Commission has continued to encounter difficulty obtaining clear responses from suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, whose testimony entered a fifth day marked by repeated evasiveness. Sibiya struggled to explain why he shared confidential police documents with Fannie Nkosi, whom the commission believes acted as an intermediary between him and alleged criminal Cat Matlala. According to the commission, Nkosi allegedly passed the files on to Matlala. Sibiya initially defended the action on the basis that Nkosi is a police officer, before later suggesting the documents were already in the public domain — arguments rejected by the commission.…

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has been rocked by findings of widespread corruption involving officials who allegedly facilitated the unlawful entry and naturalisation of foreign nationals. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) released the findings during a joint media briefing, revealing that foreign nationals who benefited from fraudulent activities collectively earned about R181 million through employment and business activities over a 20-year period. According to SIU head Leonard Lekgetho, the investigation followed a whistleblower’s allegations that foreign nationals were fraudulently obtaining asylum seeker permits, which were later used to secure permanent residence and ultimately citizenship. Authorities conducted search-and-seizure operations at…

Senior police leadership has closed ranks amid persistent allegations that high-ranking officers underwent cosmetic procedures allegedly funded by suspected criminal mastermind Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. At a media briefing in Pretoria on Friday to announce crime statistics, National Commissioner Major-General Fannie Masemola invited Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia to stand and defend General Khosi Senthumule, the Deputy National Commissioner responsible for forensics, who is the latest senior official to be linked to Matlala. Another of Masemola’s deputies, Shadrack Sibiya — currently suspended over alleged ties to the underworld — implicated Senthumule while testifying before the Madlanga Commission. He alleged that she…

The controversy over alleged Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) payments continues to dog the South African Police Service (SAPS), as investigations into cartel infiltration of the criminal justice system unfold. Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has reignited the debate, claiming that his fellow deputy, Lieutenant General Khosi Senthumule, received a butt lift funded by alleged criminal mastermind Vusimuzi Cat Matlala. Sibiya raised the allegation during his testimony at the Madlanga Commission, seemingly aiming to shift attention toward Senthumule, whom he feels betrayed by. “I am advised that it has been alleged that Generals in Tumula personally benefited from Matlala…