Author: Silver Sibiya

The Department of Basic Education says it is confident that the 2025 matric examinations will proceed smoothly across Johannesburg, with all systems in place to ensure minimal disruptions. Speaking to Newsnote on Thursday morning at Forte Secondary School in Dobsonville, Soweto, Chief Director for the Johannesburg Region, Dennis Makwakwa, said the department had taken every precaution to ensure readiness as thousands of matric learners sat for their first major paper — English First Additional Language. “We have made sure all our systems are in place. Our monitors and invigilators are well-trained, and our learners are ready for the exams,” said…

A young man who survived a deadly gang shooting in Westbury has spoken out about the heartbreaking moment his friend died protecting him. Carl Mentor still carries a bullet lodged beneath his ear a constant reminder of the chaos that unfolded when gunmen opened fire on a group of teenagers on Tuesday. Two young lives were lost, including 18-year-old Teagan Ruiters, who Carl says sacrificed himself to save him. Speaking outside the house where the shooting took place, Carl’s voice trembled as he recounted the horror.  “We were sitting on the stoep (porch) with my friends when about five guys…

The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department’s (JMPD) Tactical Reaction Unit (TRU) has arrested seven South African Police Service (SAPS) officers for extortion and kidnapping. This follows an undercover sting that exposed their alleged attempt to extort an illegal miner, known as a Zama Zama on Wednesday. According to Joburg MMC for Public Safety, Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, the incident unfolded when the SAPS officers allegedly demanded a R5,000 bribe from the miner after discovering gold-refining materials in his possession. The demand later ballooned to R30,000, and the officers allegedly drove their victim to a loan facility to secure the payment. Before the…

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has announced a sweeping transformation of the province’s controversial community wardens, known as Amapanyaza, who will soon serve as provincial traffic wardens, border patrol officers, and by-law enforcers. Briefing the media in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Lesufi said the move follows months of review, retraining, and legal alignment to integrate the wardens into Gauteng’s formal law enforcement framework. “The wardens will cease to exist in their current format. They will now form part of the Gauteng Traffic Police, the Special Law Enforcement Unit, and other strategic partners,” Lesufi said. The premier explained that the redeployment aims to…

Police have launched a manhunt for suspects following a gang-related shooting in Westbury, Johannesburg, that left two teenagers dead and four others injured on Tuesday evening. According to Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili, officers from the Sophiatown SAPS responded to reports of gunfire in the area and found six teenagers suffering from gunshot wounds. “Two of the victims were declared dead on arrival at hospital, while four others are receiving medical treatment,” Muridili said. Preliminary investigations suggest the shooting was linked to ongoing gang violence that has plagued the Westbury community for years. “It is reported that the six,…

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane says the province’s 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations began smoothly, with all districts starting on time and no major disruptions reported. A total of 16,968 candidates sat for the three-hour Computer Applications Technology (CAT) Paper 1 practical examination on Tuesday. Chiloane noted that only four examination centres experienced minor technical or power-related issues, all of which were swiftly resolved to ensure no learner was disadvantaged. At Letsibogo Maths, Science and ICT School of Specialisation in Meadowlands, Soweto, a power outage that began Monday afternoon was mitigated with a generator. Similarly, PJ Simelane Secondary School…

Residents from Bekkersdal, Westonaria, and Randfontein have called on mining giant Sibanye-Stillwater to reconsider its planned retrenchments, warning that the decision will worsen unemployment and fuel illegal mining activities across the West Rand. On Monday, dozens of protesters gathered outside Sibanye-Stillwater’s head offices in Westonaria, demanding that the company suspend the job cuts and engage directly with affected communities. The demonstrators also handed over a memorandum outlining their concerns and expectations. Community representative Paseka Ndevu criticised the retrenchments as a “cost-cutting exercise” disguised as restructuring, accusing the company of putting profits ahead of people. “This is not about unprofitability — it’s about cutting costs while ordinary workers suffer,” Ndevu said. “We understand the challenges the company faces,…

The City of Johannesburg’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) has strongly condemned an attack on firefighters and a newly delivered fire engine in Soweto on Thursday afternoon, as crews battled a shack fire in the Elias Motswaledi Informal Settlement. The incident occurred around 3pm, when EMS teams responded to reports of a fire that had broken out among several informal structures. While attempting to extinguish the flames, the firefighters came under attack from a group of residents who began throwing stones at the fire truck — a brand-new, state-of-the-art vehicle handed over to the City just two weeks ago during the…

With the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations set to begin next week, Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Matome Chiloane, has urged Grade 12 learners to stay off social media and focus on their studies. Speaking at the NSC Pledge Signing Ceremony held at Vorentoe Hoërskool in Rossmore, Chiloane cautioned learners that social media can easily become a distraction during the critical exam preparation period. “Disconnect from social media during this critical period,” he said. “These platforms, which can be wonderful tools for connection, too often become breeding grounds for anxiety, false information, and cyberbullying during…

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) and ActionSA have made notable gains in the latest round of by-elections, capturing several wards previously held by the African National Congress (ANC) and signalling a continued shift in local political dynamics. The PA secured two major victories — one in Soweto’s Ward 29 under the City of Johannesburg and another in the Western Cape — while ActionSA took control of Ward 7 in the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality in the North West. In the tightly contested Soweto race, the PA unseated the ANC with 30% of the vote, further consolidating its growing presence in Johannesburg.…