Author: Silver Sibiya

National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, together with senior police top brass, is expected to convene a high-level meeting in Bapong, near Brits, on Monday to assess the extent of illegal mining activities in the area. The meeting will include officials from the Departments of Mineral Resources and Energy, as well as Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, as part of a coordinated government response. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to eradicate illegal mining, which has severely disrupted the livelihoods of local communities and caused extensive environmental damage. “We are here to find…

With the festive season officially upon the country, transport hubs are once again buzzing with activity as thousands of travellers make their way to holiday destinations and family homes. At Johannesburg’s Park Station, one of the country’s busiest transport interchanges, long queues, packed waiting areas and fully booked buses signal the start of the annual festive travel rush. Travellers from different parts of Johannesburg and beyond are embarking on long-distance journeys, many eager to reunite with loved ones after months and in some cases years apart. There was a sense of excitement and anticipation among commuters as buses departed for…

Residents of the Wembley Informal Settlement in Turffontein, south of Johannesburg, say they are being unfairly targeted by the City of Johannesburg following a raid conducted on Friday morning. The operation was led by the Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Mlungisi Mabaso, and involved the disconnection of illegally connected electricity as well as the arrest of 10 people, most of whom are undocumented foreign nationals. Resident Pamela Kiti, who has lived in the settlement for a decade, says the City initially relocated them to Wembley as a temporary solution after they were evicted from the Johannesburg CBD. “They brought…

Johannesburg residents in several areas will experience water supply interruptions as Johannesburg Water undertakes planned maintenance on the Palmiet water supply system.Johannesburg Water Board Chairperson Dineo Majavu says the water cuts will be implemented in three phases starting today, as part of essential infrastructure maintenance aimed at improving system reliability. Majavu was speaking during a media briefing held in Langlaagte on Friday.The Palmiet system is a critical component of Johannesburg’s bulk water infrastructure, supplying water to large parts of the city. Johannesburg Water says the maintenance is necessary to prevent unplanned outages, address ageing infrastructure, and ensure long-term water security.…

Deputy National Commissioner responsible for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, says it is deeply concerning that houses and roads in parts of Bapong, near Brits in the North West are caving in due to illegal mining activities. Mosikili briefed the media at the local police station on Thursday afternoon after a tour to the hot spots and said police have successfully halted illegal operations in the village. She also dismissed widely circulated social media posts claiming that armed men were guarding illegal mining sites, calling them misleading and false. “I repeat, those posts are misleading and false. The private security officers seen…

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has rejected reports that he is positioning himself for the role of Deputy President. He addressed the media on the sidelines of the ANC’s 5th National General Council (NGC), currently underway at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg. The NGC is one of the ANC’s highest policy-review gatherings, held between national conferences. It brings together delegates from across the country to assess the state of the organisation, review policy implementation, and set priorities for the coming years. Although leadership issues often dominate political speculation around such meetings, the NGC is not a decision-making forum for electing…

Informal clothing traders outside the ANC’s National General Council (NGC) in Boksburg say sales have dropped to their lowest levels ahead of the Christmas season a time when they usually rely on major ANC gatherings to boost their income. This comes as ANC delegates have arrived at the Birchwood Conference Centre in luxury vehicles, some escorted by VIP protection, creating a stark contrast with traders who say they are barely making enough to survive. Nompumelelo Ngema, who has been selling clothes for 15 years, says business has never been this quiet during an ANC event. “Business is a bit slow.…

Madlanga Commission Commissioners Advocates Mahlape Sello, Sisi Baloyi and Sandile Khumalo have paid a courtesy visit to the family of Marius van der Merwe — known to the inquiry as Witness D — at their home in Brakpan. Van der Merwe was shot and killed outside his house last Friday night in front of his family. The commission’s evidence leaders spent more than an hour with the grieving relatives to offer condolences. Flowers placed outside the home remain as a tribute to his memory. Police say Van der Merwe had declined formal witness protection, despite earlier receiving death threats. Investigators…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says Freedom Charter was the vision of the Constitution. He was addressing delegates during the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Boksburg Tuesday night. He says about 50 000 people were inspired to be part of this historic document. “From across the country, people responded in their numbers, leading to the Congress of the People, which was the biggest single gathering of representatives of the people in South Africa,” he said. “To have the Freedom Charter drafted, the ANC sent 50,000 volunteers across the country to collect ‘freedom demands’ from ordinary people, a…

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has rejected Alfeco as the preferred business rescue practitioner for SA Steel Mills, citing the company’s alleged poor business practices. Workers from Vereeniging staged a picket outside the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) offices in Sandton on Tuesday, where they have now handed over a memorandum of demands expressing their concerns. NUMSA spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said the business rescue process appears to show a clear bias in favour of Alfeco. “The company that we think that the business rescue practitioner wants to pick is a company called Alfeco,” she said. “We reject…