Author: Larson Thebe
The Special Provincial Official Funeral of former North West Premier Kaobitsa “Bushy” Maape is taking place in Huhudi, outside Vryburg, on Saturday morning, with mourners gathering to honour his life and legacy. Maape passed away last Saturday following a short illness at a Johannesburg hospital. His death continues to prompt widespread tributes from political leaders, government officials and community members across the province and beyond. Deputy President Paul Mashatile is delivering the eulogy at the funeral service, which is attended by members of the Provincial Executive Council, mayors and other dignitaries. Maape served as Premier of the North West and…
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has announced a 32-member preliminary squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the selection heavily dominated by players from Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. The announcement comes as both clubs remain locked in the race for the 2025/26 Betway Premiership title. Orlando Pirates need a victory against Orbit College FC on Saturday to secure the championship, while a draw or defeat would see Mamelodi Sundowns retain the league crown. Sundowns are also chasing continental success as they prepare to face Morocco’s ASFAR in the second leg of the CAF Champions League final on…
Pretoria has condemned Israel following the arrest of South Africans aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters. Government has expressed serious concern over what it described as the abduction of South African citizens participating in the humanitarian mission. Officials warned that those detained could now face imprisonment in Israel despite being part of a civilian-led initiative aimed at delivering aid and raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the flotilla sought to highlight the urgent humanitarian needs of Palestinians in Gaza and deliver essential assistance to people…
The North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management MEC, Wessels Morweng, has instructed law enforcement authorities to clamp down on illegal taxi operators, commonly known as “seven-seater operators”. This follows a shutdown by taxi operators affiliated with the South African National Taxi Council, which brought the Mahikeng CBD to a standstill, affecting businesses and schooling. The taxi operators are complaining about the mushrooming of illegal ranks where unlicensed taxi operators transport passengers. According to the operators, these illegal operations are affecting their businesses, as some commuters are utilising their services, much to the detriment of legal operators. Morweng…
The Gauteng Department of Health has warned the public against the use of unverified and unregulated injectable substances for body enhancement and sexual performance purposes. The department’s warning comes after it launched an investigation into what it described as two serious cases reported in the Ekurhuleni region. The two individuals were admitted to a public healthcare facility with severe complications, including organ failure, following the use of unregulated substances obtained through informal channels. “These substances were reportedly administered for body enhancement purposes, including practices commonly referred to as ‘BBL’ procedures, as well as for sexual performance enhancement. “Preliminary findings indicate…
The Swartruggens Magistrate’s Court has postponed until next Friday the case involving 11 suspects arrested during a multi-million-rand drug raid at a farm in Brakspruit near Swartruggens on Wednesday. The National Prosecuting Authority said the matter was postponed for seven days to allow for interpreters, verification of immigration status and a possible formal bail application. The accused face charges relating to drug manufacturing, illegal possession of precious metals, illegal possession of hazardous materials and contravention of the Immigration Act. All suspects remain in custody. The arrests followed an intelligence-driven operation conducted by several law enforcement agencies, during which authorities confiscated…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed Minister of Social Development Sisisi Tolashe from her position with immediate effect. In a short statement released today, the Presidency did not reveal reasons for the dismissal of Tolashe and instead announced her temporary replacement to ensure continuity at the department. “In the interim, President Ramaphosa has appointed Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga as the acting minister in the portfolio pending a full-time appointment in due course,” read the statement. According to the Presidency, Tolashe’s dismissal is in terms of Section 91(2), which empowers the President to…
The City of Johannesburg says it has in the past few months collected about R100m in revenue following its crackdown on illegal outdoor advertising across the city. The city says this landmark achievement was done through its entity, the Joburg Property Company (JPC). The city has attributed the increase in collection to its ongoing compliance and law enforcement operations aimed at ensuring adherence to the City’s Outdoor Advertising By-Laws while improving revenue collection to support service delivery. “When we started this operation in January, many media owners came forward to engage with the city and enter into formal agreements. We…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed not to resign and stressed that he did nothing wrong following the Constitutional Court judgment into allegations relating to the theft at his Phala Phala farm in February 2020. Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Monday night in response to Friday’s Constitutional Court judgment, which found that Parliament’s impeachment vote on the matter was invalid and unconstitutional. The case was brought by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM), who argued that Parliament violated its own rules when it failed to appoint a committee to investigate the recommendations of the independent panel.…
The North West Department of Education says processes are at an advanced stage, to collect about R114 million in staff debt, which has been accumulating since 2003. The figure was revealed in a report by the Auditor-General South Africa, which found a financial loss material irregularity in the department’s payroll system “relating to salary overpayments due to employees who had resigned, retired or died and not being timeously removed from the personnel salary system, resulting in payments for services not rendered.” The department said the staff debt has accrued largely due to manual processes involved in submitting termination documents from…