Picture: The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi
By BAKANG MOKOTO
2 September 2025- The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi will deliver the keynote address at the 2025 Book Roundtable Conversation under the theme: “Justice, Gender and the Unfinished Work of Freedom.” The round table will be hosted by Prof Mandla Radebe, author of the Book “Apartheid Didn’t Die”.
Kubayi spokesperson, Terrence Manase said this roundtable brings together thought leaders, authors, and stakeholders to engage on critical issues at the intersection of justice, gender, and freedom. Manase said the event will take place at EmpowaWorx House, 364 Pine Avenue, Ferndale, Randburg on Wednesday at 3pm.
2 September 2025- Two learners from Lesedi Secondary School who are facing a charge of premeditated murder, were granted bail by the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court. The accused, Mlehalinye Montasi (20), a Grade 12 learner, was granted bail of R6 000, while Kgotlhello Mathabathe (19), a Grade 10 learner, was granted bail of R3 000.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana said the duo is accused of stabbing and killing fellow learner, Grade 10 pupil Lethabo Mokonyane on 17 June 2025.
Mahanjana said it is alleged that after writing exams, Mokonyane was on his way to the school gate when the accused confronted him. She further said a fight allegedly ensued, during which one of the accused restrained him while the other stabbed him multiple times with a sharp object.
“Mokonyane was rushed to the hospital, where he died a few hours later. In court, the accused applied for bail, citing the need to continue with their schooling. The state prosecutor, Karabo Sebela opposed bail, arguing that Montasi is in the country illegally and therefore poses a flight risk.
“She further submitted that both accused are known to the witnesses and may interfere with them,” said Mahanjana.
She added that the magistrate nevertheless granted bail, with strict conditions that the accused must attend court proceedings until the finalisation of the trial, may not interfere, directly or indirectly, with witnesses and must subject themselves to correctional supervision and comply with all imposed rules.
“The matter was postponed to 10 October 2025 for Regional Court,” said Mahanjana.
Picture: The Director of the School of Government Studies at North West University (NWU), Professor Kedibone Phago/Supplied
By REGINALD KANYANE
2 September 2025- The Director of the School of Government Studies at North West University (NWU), Professor Kedibone Phago said South Africa is preparing the most sweeping reconfiguration of local government since 1996. Phago said the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, has unveiled a plan to reduce dysfunction, shore up finances and restore public trust in the country’s 257 municipalities.
“At least 35 of these are now deemed dysfunctional, crippled by empty coffers and chronic failures in basic service delivery. The reform is bold in scope.
“Dysfunctional municipalities may be disbanded. Leadership requirements will be professionalised, ending politically motivated appointments that have hollowed out administrative competence,” he said.
Phago further said a new framework of minimum skills for senior managers is being developed. He added that a comprehensive review of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government, launched in May, will underpin both legislative reforms and the drafting of a new funding model.
“Several bills are in the pipeline. Amendments to general local-government law, stricter rules for unstable coalitions, and a legal framework for interventions in failing municipalities.
“I believe the scale of the intervention is overdue but warns against cosmetic fixes. We need to ask ourselves how the local government can respond more effectively to residents’ needs,” said Phago.
He said the main problem is that this process focuses on the political process as a means to fix systemic rot. Phago said yet it is the political process that has brought the country to a point where most municipalities are not only dysfunctional, but have become highly toxic places to work and do business.
“This points to the chilling climate professionals face. Most would rather seek employment elsewhere than work in local government.
“Sadly, it is not only municipalities in rural areas that are marred by grand corruption. Even in metropolitan areas we have witnessed killings of professionals investigating corruption,” he said.
Phago said cases in Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg abound, with no end in sight. He said unless individuals with “material interests” are removed, reform will merely resurface old problems under new laws.
“The dysfunction is not monolithic, but bifurcated. Rural municipalities often lack economic activity, making them entirely dependent on transfers from the national fiscus.
“Places lacking basic municipal services can neither create nor attract middle-class families who would pay for services,” said Phago.
He said urban and metropolitan areas, by contrast, have stronger revenue bases but are plagued by procurement capture. Phago said the political elite and their cronies have hijacked Supply Chain Management (SCM) processes.
“Resources are diverted from serving residents to serving providers. This has become chronic and requires institutional capacity and leadership to fix.
“Most striking is a call for technocratic rigour. Why don’t we use a scientific process to inform the shake-up, Minister?” he asked.
Phago proposes that no municipality should exist without substantial economic activity proportional to its population. He said moreover, councils that consistently underperform – as flagged by the Auditor-General or forensic investigations – should be stripped of their financial powers and placed under a centralised CoGTA agency until the end of their term.
“It is such drastic reconfiguration steps,” he argues, “that would help reduce dysfunctionality within the local-government system and restore public trust.
“For now, CoGTA has named a handful of municipalities for immediate intervention: Ditsobotla in the North West, Kopanong and Mafube in the Free State, Emfuleni in Gauteng, Thabazimbi in Limpopo, and even the eThekwini metro,” said Phago.
He said the ambition is commendable. But as Phago cautions, only reforms anchored in professional standards, enforceable oversight and economic viability will succeed.
“Anything less risks replicating the hollow politics of the past three decades. South Africa’s great municipal experiment may finally be under way.
“Its success will depend not on the fanfare of announcements, but on whether the government dares to enforce the very discipline it preaches,” he said.
Setshwantsho: Sejanaga se se dirisitsweng mo kgetsing e se thopilwe ke sepodisi
Ka OBAKENG MAJE
2 Lwetse 2025- Kgetsi ya go tshola leruo le go belaelwang fa le utswitswe kgatlhanong le banna ba le bararo, Tshepo Molefe (37), Rebaone Matlhoahela (33) le Boikanyo Seetelo (35), e buseditswe morago ke kgotlhatshekelo ya Klerksdorp mo letsatsing la maabane.
Kgetsi kgatlhanong le Molefe, Matlhoahela ga mmogo le Seetelo, e buseditswe morago go fitlha di 8 Lwetse 2025, fa dipatlisiso di tsweletse. Banna ba, bat la nama ba letile kwa ntlolefitshwana.
Molefe, Matlhoahela le Seetelo, ba tshwerwe mabapi le go tshola (possession) dipudi tse go belaelwang fa di utswitswe. Go begwa fa banna ba, ba tshwerwe kwa tselakgolo ya N12 kwa Klerksdorp mo bekeng e e fetileng.
Setshwantsho: Dingwe tsa dipudi tae go belaelwang di utawitswe
Se bueledi sa sepodisi mono Bokone Bophirima, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone are sepodisi se ile sa longwa tsebe mabapi le go tsamaisiwa ga dipudi tse 26 tse di neng di le mo sejanageng. Mokgwabone are sepodisi se ile sa lalela banna ba, mme ba emisa sejanaga sa bone.
“Sepodisi se ile sa puruputsha sejanaga seo, mme ba fitlhela dipudi di le 26 tsa boleng jwa R50 000 mo sejanageng seo. Banna ba, ba ile ba tshwarwa morago ga go tlholega go neelana ka bopaki jwa gore dipudi ke tsa bone.
“Ba tlile go tlhagelela kwa kgotlhatshekelo ya Klerksdorp ka Mosupulogo mabapi le ditatofatso tsa go tshola dipudi tse go belaelwang di utswitswe mo go bone,” Mokgwabone wa tlhalosa.
Mokgwabone are go bonala fa dipudi tseo, di ne di isiwa kwa porofenseng ya Gauteng. Mokgwabone are sepodisi se tla sala kgetsi e morago le go upulola gore dipudi tseo ke tsa ga mang.
Kgabagare, go begwa fa dingwe tsa dipudi tseo, ele tsa kwa motseng wa Manthe, gaufi le Taung.
2 September 2025- Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has issued a rallying call to his players ahead of the crunch 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria in the coming days. The South African senior men’s national team will face Lesotho away from home on 5 September 2025, and then host Nigeria on 9 September 2025.
Broos said his charges have to fight with everything they have got in the two crucial matches.
“We are still strong enough to beat Lesotho, but again, we have to focus and we have to concentrate. We have to reach our level best, and we have to fight.
“Playing a good game of football is okay when we can do it, why shouldn’t we do it, but let’s start from the first game, from the first minute and fight for every second, for every square metre on the pitch and try to win that game,” he said.
Broos further said it would be a very good situation for them, if they could win the game on Friday. He added that this has been one of the most difficult camps he has ever overseen as the team has been plagued by a lot of injuries to key players.
“With the team already missing a host of regulars due to injuries and other off-field problems, our charges suffered another blow following the injuries to Ime Okon and Patrick Maswanganyi.
“I have called up midfielder Sipho Mbule and defender Thabo Moloisane as late replacements,” said Broos.
He said Kamogelo Sebelele and Mduduzi Shabalala accompanied him to the arrival press conference on Monday and they expressed excitement following Bafana Bafana’s recognition of the hard work they have delivered for their respective clubs.
2 September 2025- The stock theft case against the accused, Naledi Motheo (35), Goitseone Gwai (42) and Monnapula Lephoi (61), was postponed by the Atamelang Magistrate’s Court to 29 September 2025. Motheo, Gwai and Lephoi were granted R2000 bail each.
The North West police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said the accused initially appeared in court on 29 August 2025, following their arrests in Madibogopan village on 28 August 2025, for stock theft. Mokgwabone said according to information, the livestock owner realised in the early hours of Thursday morning, 28 August 2025, that his livestock was not in the kraal.
“With the assistance of his brother and a neighbour, they drove around and searched until they spotted two vehicles, a Toyota Avanza and a Toyota Hilux. The said cars were later found along the road at Dithwaneng Section.
“The police were called and on arrival, they found people loading goats in the bakkie. The individuals, with the exception of the driver, ran into the bushes while the female driver of the Avanza drove off from the scene,” he said.
Mokgwabone further said the livestock owner later identified 14 goats and four sheep as his and the driver was then placed under arrest. He added that the vehicle was confiscated.
“At around 6am, the driver of the Avanza arrived at the police station accompanied by a man and she enquired about the arrest of the Toyota Hilux driver.
“They were both arrested in connection with the crime,” said Mokgwabone.
Meanwhile, the acting North West Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng, indicated that this is excellent work aided by an alert owner and the quick response of the police to the complaint. Asaneng instructed that both the bakkie and the Avanza must be seized and subjected to the instrumentality procedure.
The Guardian 