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.
1 September 2025- The DA calls for immediate repair of major water leaks and urgent implementation of monitoring systems to address the crisis facing Matjhabeng residents. The DA said a recent oversight revealed shocking levels of water wastage, while residents suffer from water shedding and prolonged periods without supply.
DA councillor in Matjhabeng Local Municipality, Jessica Nel said the municipality’s failure to respond to massive water leakages is entirely unacceptable. Nel said in Ward 36, she identified several critical sites, where clean water is being wasted daily.
“At the Thusanong District Hospital reservoir, thousands of litres of water have been running to waste for months. Although two expensive quotations were submitted to the provincial government, a simple, cost-effective solution involving JoJo tanks could have been implemented at a fraction of the price.
“In 7de Laan, a municipal non-funded housing project, a leaking connection point continuously spills water. A basic tap installation would resolve the problem, yet nothing has been done,” she said.
Nel further said in Hospital Park (Baron and Antimoon Streets), a massive veld leakage has poured clean water into gutters and storm drains for weeks without repair. She added that these examples reflect a wider pattern across Matjhabeng.
“Leaks are ignored when no immediate solution is found, or responsibility is shifted between municipal, district, and provincial authorities.
“The result is enormous wastage of safe, costly drinking water, literally money down the drain,” said Nel.
She said although a WhatsApp reporting group exists for councillors, officials and Vaal Central Water, it is largely ineffective. Nel said that reports are ignored, accountability is lacking and residents continue to be without water.
“This neglect directly undermines the formal motion tabled by DA Cllr René Steyn earlier this year, which Council adopted. That motion called for rapid response to water leaks and burst pipes.
“He also called for proper road restoration after pipe repairs, capacity building in the Infrastructure Department. This includes regular reporting and accountability on water issues,” she said.
Nel said there is a need for oversight by the Water Crisis Ad Hoc Committee. She said despite the council’s adoption, the necessary measures have not been implemented, demonstrating the municipality’s disregard for its own commitments and duty to residents.
“The DA therefore demands immediate deployment of emergency teams to address major leaks, a dedicated WhatsApp group focused solely on emergency leaks and bursts.
This includes transparent monitoring of response times and repair progress.
“We demand escalation to provincial authorities, where officials fail to act. Accountability enforcement for officials who neglect their duties and it is unacceptable that preventable municipal mismanagement, not drought, causes water shortages,” said Nel.
She said they will persist until Matjhabeng addresses the leaks and restores reliable water service to all residents.
1 September 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it welcomed the update by Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, on the measures being implemented to combat Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). The DA said they note with particular importance that no new outbreaks have been recorded in the Eastern Cape since September 2024.
The DA spokesperson on Agriculture and Member of Parliament (MP), Willie Aucamp said Northern Cape and Western Cape remain FMD-free. Aucamp said there are currently 274 unresolved outbreaks in five provinces, of which 180 are in KwaZulu-Natal.
“KZN remains the epicentre of infection, and was the source of the Mpumalanga outbreak following the sale of infected cattle at auction.
“The announcement of a mid-scale vaccine production facility, due to be operational by March 2026, to strengthen South Africa’s self-reliance and reduce dependence on imports. Key steps to accelerate animal identification, expand diagnostic capacity, and intensify awareness campaigns,” he said.
Aucamp further said the establishment of an Industry–Government Task Team on animal disease prevention, management and control — a vital structure to ensure better coordination, enforcement, and accountability. He added that FMD has severe consequences for South Africa’s agricultural industry.
“It blocks export opportunities, increases costs for both producers and consumers and threatens jobs across the value chain. We are encouraged by the Minister’s commitments, but stresses that success will depend on an all-of-society approach.
“Farmers, industry, government, and civil society must all act responsibly and in the best interests of the agricultural sector and the broader economy,” said Aucamp.
He said the DA will continue to monitor the implementation of these measures, and hold the government accountable to ensure that FMD is brought under control and that South Africa’s agricultural industry is protected.
Meanwhile, Steenhuisen indicated that the Ministry of Agriculture has been flooded with media queries about the occurrence of foot-and-mouth disease in especially two provinces, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
He said concerns were raised about meat safety and interventions from the Department of Agriculture to contain existing outbreaks and prevent future outbreaks.
“We would like to put the facts on the table and ask all citizens to make it their business to obtain knowledge about how to mitigate the spread of this disease.
“After all, biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility. The department has ordered 901 200 doses of vaccines to the value of over R70 million,” he said.
Picture: ANC stalwart, the late Dikgang Uhuru Moiloa
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
1 September 2025- The African National Congress (ANC) Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, will lead a homage visit to the family of the late Dikgang Uhuru Moiloa in Kagiso Township, near Krugersdorp.
The ANC national spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu said Moiloa was a loyal revolutionary, a servant of the people and a stalwart who dedicated his life to the struggle for liberation and the building of a democratic South Africa. Bhengu said Mashatile, joined by national and provincial leaders of the ANC, will pay respects to the family in honour of his contribution to the movement and the nation.
“The homage visit will take place at
Father Gerald Martin, Kagiso Township on Tuesday at 1pm,” she said.
1 September 2025- As part of the efforts to ascertain compliance with the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), the National Consumer Commission (NCC) has conducted compliance inspections in Pinetown, Pietermaritzburg, Durban CBD, Springfield, Inanda, Umlazi and Pavilion Mall in KwaZulu-Natal.
The commission said these inspections are part of its efforts to ensure that unsafe and expired goods (goods that have passed their shelf-life) are removed from the shelves.
The NCC spokesperson, Phetho Ntaba said during these inspections, the NCC joined forces with the South African Police Services, the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) and other enforcement agencies. Ntaba said they inspected food, clothing and blanket retailers, where various non-compliant practices to the CPA are still prevalent.
“The NCC inspectors uncovered widespread non-compliance in terms of product labelling. This includes goods on the shelves and refrigerators without ingredients, product descriptions, country of origin (in the case of clothing) or altered trade descriptions.
“This contravenes Section 24 of the CPA. This section requires that products be properly labelled with information like the country of origin, fibre content, and other prescribed information,” she said.
Ntaba further said in some cases, products were labelled in a foreign language. She added that these items include mayonnaise, vinegar and soya sauce.
“Some suppliers issue receipts that are written in a foreign language. This makes it difficult for consumers to interpret the receipt.
“This is a clear contravention of Section 22 of the CPA, which requires that goods must be written in plain and understandable language. The inspections further revealed that certain goods were sold while they had passed their sell-by, use-by or best-before dates,” said Ntaba.
She said the non-compliant goods include meat products. Ntaba said these items have the potential to cause harm and compromise the health of consumers.
“Some suppliers mixed food for human consumption and animal feed in one refrigerator.
“This practice compromises the quality of food, thus contravenes Section 55 of the CPA. Section 55 provides that every consumer has a right to goods that are of good quality, safe, and comply with applicable standards or any other public regulations,” she said.
Ntaba said another common practice identified during these inspections is that of suppliers who do not display the prices of goods, making it difficult for consumers to know the cost in advance.
She said this denies consumers the right to choose a supplier.
“Section 23(3) of the CPA stipulates that “suppliers of goods and services must not display any goods for sale without displaying to the consumer a price in relation to those goods.
“The Act further states that a price must be adequately displayed, expressed in the currency of the country, affixed to, written, printed, stamped, located upon, or applied to the goods or the band,” said Ntaba.
She said while suppliers generally issue sales records, however, these sales records are not consistent with the CPA. Ntaba said according to Section 26(3) of the CPA, a sales record or receipt, must have the following information: the name of the supplier or registered business name, VAT number (if any), address of the premises, date on which the transaction occurred, name and description of any goods or services supplied, unit price of the goods, quantity, total price before any applicable taxes, and total of the transaction, including applicable taxes.
“Some sales records contained terms and conditions that are unfair to the consumers (no exchange). This violates Sections 48 and 51 of the Act.
“Some suppliers display notices indicating that they do not replace or provide a refund on repaired goods. Section 56(3) of the CPA states that “if a supplier repairs any particular goods or any components of any such goods, and within a period of three months after the repair, the failure defect, or unsafe feature has not been remedied, or a further failure, defect or unsafe feature is discovered, the supplier must replace the goods or refund the consumer the price paid by the consumer,” she said.
1 September 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration on Monday said it has noted with concern reports relating to the repayment of R36 million based on a “ghost contract” of the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA).
The committee said this follows earlier media reports alleging that the GPAA paid Shula Developers, who allegedly misrepresented themselves as the landlord, R36 million upfront to lease a building for the GPAA’s headquarters.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Jan de Villiers said according to media reports, the developers paid the refund only after earlier reports revealed alleged irregularities. De Villiers said the refund reportedly did not include interest, which amounts to approximately R4 million.
“Responding to the report by News24, the committee will seek clarity on why such a large upfront payment was allegedly authorised, if the underlying contract was fraudulent and why the repayment was allegedly made only after the matter was reported in the media.
“The committee also wants to know which GPAA officials authorised the payment and whether they will face consequences if wrongdoing is confirmed,” he said.
De Villiers further said the committee will also seek clarity on whether the arrangement between the GPAA and Shula Developers constitutes potential corruption that now requires accountability from both the company and implicated officials. He added that the committee also expressed concern about reports that R26 million was paid to Dikeamo Architects for office designs linked to the same building.
“Not only would this represent wasteful expenditure on a property that could never be leased, but the sum itself appears unusually high for architectural planning services,” said the Chairperson.
“The committee will seek clarity on whether this payment was justified and whether there was any misrepresentation,” said de Villiers.
He said the committee will invite the GPAA to appear before it to account and outline steps being taken to investigate and recover any losses. De Villiers said the committee will write to the Auditor-General, the National Treasury and relevant law enforcement authorities to ensure that the full facts are established.
“They should ensure that an appropriate financial recovery, including interest, is pursued and that any proven corruption is dealt with decisively through consequence management and prosecution.
“GEPF members and pensioners entrust the government with their life savings. To see those funds placed at risk through such allegations is unacceptable,” he said.
De Villiers said the committee remains committed to ensuring that this matter is thoroughly investigated and that accountability is enforced.
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