Picture: Two men nabbed for dealing in illegal diamonds
By BAKANG MOKOTO
2 February 2026- The police in the Namakwa District said they are vigorously committed to dismantling illegal mining activities currently experienced in the area. The police said during ongoing disruptive actions, their members in Port Nolloth dealt illegal diamond trading a hard knock when they apprehended and arrested two men while operating from a parked vehicle.
The Namakwa District police spokesperson, Captain Ivan Magerman said on 30 January 2026 at approximately 11:10am, a tip-off was received, claiming that two men were selling diamonds from their vehicle in town. Magerman said the police acted swiftly and located the identified Nissan Light Delivery Van opposite the beach.
“Upon searching the vehicle, members discovered a substantial amount of unpolished diamonds concealed in the steering wheel cover of the vehicle. The value of the diamonds is yet to be determined. Two men aged 25 and 34 respectively, were arrested and are expected to appear in the Port Nolloth Magistrate’s Court soon on charges related to the illegal possession of unpolished diamonds.
“The arrest demonstrates the commitment of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Namakwa District to combat illegal diamond dealing and related crimes.
2 February 2026- The Republic of South Africa (RSA) president, Cyril Ramaphosa will on 3 February 2026, deliver a keynote address at the Innovative Building Technologies (IBTs) Summit. The summit is a two-day event at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg.
Ramaphosa spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya said the gathering brings together government, the building and construction industry, academia, investors, and civil society to advance innovative solutions for the delivery of sustainable human settlements.
Magwenya said held under the theme: “Mainstreaming Innovative Building Technologies for Sustainable Human Settlements”, the IBT Summit aims to accelerate the adoption of Innovative Building Technologies (IBTs) to enhance the delivery of housing across South Africa.
“IBT’s offer viable and cost-effective alternatives that enhance efficiency through lightweight structures, energy-efficient designs, prefabrication, and environmentally sustainable construction methods.
“The Summit comes at a critical time as South Africa continues to confront a significant housing backlog, rapid urbanisation, and the increasing impacts of climate change,” he said.
Magwenya further said the objectives of the IBT Summit include strengthening policy integration for IBTs within human settlements, fostering collaboration and investment between government, the private sector, non-profit organisations and international stakeholders and showcasing disruptive innovation in construction. He added that the Summit will promote IBT’s as solutions for disaster-resistant and climate-resilient housing, supporting community rebuilding efforts and ensuring better preparedness for future crises.
“In addition, it aims to raise awareness among beneficiaries, policymakers, and industry stakeholders about the affordability, speed, and sustainability of Innovative Building Technologies.
“The President’s participation in the IBT Summit affirms government’s commitment to addressing inequality and reversing pre-1994 spatial planning patterns, as articulated in the 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA),” said Magwenya.
Meanwhile, the Summit will take place at Nasrec Expo Centre, Johannesburg on Tuesday at 10am.
2 Tlhakole 2026- Monna wa dingwaga di le 44 o solofetswe go tlhagelela kwa kgotlhatshekelo ya Taung mo letsatsing la gompieno mabapi le ditatofatso tsa polao. Go begwa fa banna ba, ba tlile ka konteraka kwa motseng wa Modimong, gaufi le Taung.
Go begwa fa go ile ga tsoga nganginyaso magareng ga bone fa ba ne ba itisitse kwa ntlung e rekisang nnotagi ka Lamatlhatso.
Sebueledi sa sepodisi mo sedikeng sa Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Warrant Officer Tryphosa van Rooyen, are go begwa fa mmelaelwa a ile a tlhaba motswasetlhabelo wa dingwaga di le 33 ka thipa. Van Rooyen are go begwa fa mmelaelwa a ne a tshwarwa le go latofadiwa ka polao.
“Mmelaelwa o solofetswe go tlhagelela kwa kgotlhatshekelo mo letsatsing la gompieno. Dintlha tse di shupang se se tlhodilweng polao, di tla netefadiwa fa dipatlisiso ditswelela,” van Rooyen wa tlhalosa.
2 February 2026- The North West Provincial Legislature will be conducting oversight week in various municipalities under the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District from 3 until 6 February 2026. The Legislature said the program is aimed at strengthening oversight and public participation and to promote accountability and transparency in government.
The North West Provincial Legislature’s Manager: Communications, Library and Registry Services, Vuyisile Ngesi said during the program, Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) will interact with different provincial departments and Members of the Executive Council (MECs), mayors, accounting officers and members of the Municipal Public Accounts Committees (MPAC). Ngesi said different portfolio committees will conduct oversight visits to various projects in the district to check their status quo and challenges therein.
2 February 2026- The North West Department of Education said it wishes to warn and caution the public about an individual who calls Small, Medium and Macro Enterprises (SMME) operators, under the pretext of being a departmental official working within the Supply Chain Management Unit and demands R100 000. The department said it is reported that a number of SMME operators have been calling the department trying to confirm if this is true or not.
The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi condemns the actions of the individual who is calling the SMME operators. Motsumi said on behalf of the department, she strongly condemns the actions of this individual who is trying to extort R100 000 from the community members.
“I am calling those who have received these calls to report the matter to the police. Let them be found and rot in jail. The department is currently looking at the processes of instituting legal actions against those behind this horrible action,” she said.
2 February 2026- The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it welcomes the judgment handed down on 30 January 2026, by the Constitutional Court of Appeal, which ruled in favour of the state and dismissed the appeals brought by the accused in the Nulane matter. The IDAC said the court’s decision affirms the state’s position and allows the prosecution to proceed once it re-enrolls the matter as it makes tireless efforts to do so.
IDAC spokesperson, Henry Mamothame said the NPA views this judgment as an important affirmation of the rule of law and the principle that all persons are equal before the law.
Picture: The Chairperson of the Committee, Nathan Oliphant
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
2 February 2026- The North West Provincial Legislature’s (NWPL) Ad Hoc Committee established to investigate allegations of interference against the North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi by the Naledi Local Municipality mayor, Clifton J Groep, has concluded the second round of its public hearings held at Sun City from 26 to 31 January 2026. The Ad Hoc Committee commenced its work in November 2025, during which it held the first round of hearings from 24 to 27 November 2025, and heard testimony from a number of witnesses as part of the initial phase of its mandate.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Nathan Oliphant said following the extension of the committee’s mandate by the Legislature until 31 March 2026, the committee resumed its work for the second round of hearings. Oliphant said during the second round of hearings this week, the Ad Hoc Committee heard testimony from Thabo Appolus, former Director: Corporate Services at the Naledi Local Municipality, Modisenyane Thompson Segapo, former Municipal Manager of the Naledi Local Municipality, Aobakwe Mathonsi, a member of the ANC’s Regional Executive Committee in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Region and Special Advisor to the Executive Mayor of the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality.
“This includes Doreen Mariri, a Community Liaison Officer at the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality and Dithole Hendrick Moate, Director: Capacity Building at the North West Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA).
“North West Premier, Lazarus Kagiso Mokgosi, appeared before the Ad Hoc Committee on Saturday and concluded his testimony for the current round of hearings, with Adv Pule Seleka SC leading evidence on behalf of the Committee,” he said.
Oliphant further said Mokgosi will, however, continue to engage with the Ad Hoc Committee on 13 February 2026 and 14 February 2026, as part of the continuation of the Committee’s proceedings. He added that the committee remains committed to executing its mandate independently, impartially and without fear or favour.
“The committee’s work is guided by the principles of fairness, transparency and natural justice, and that it will consider all evidence placed before it objectively, without prejudging any party or outcome.
“We will in due course, advise on the next phases of the committee’s work, in line with the committee’s mandate and the Standing Rules of the North West Provincial Legislature. Further communication regarding the continuation of the hearings and related arrangements will be issued in due course,” said Oliphant.
2 February 2026- The Department of Basic Education (DBE) said it wishes to correct misinformation and to firmly dispel claims that foreign learners are “overrunning” South African schools. The department said such assertions are patently false and are not supported by any credible evidence.
The Minister of Department of Basic Education (DBE), Siviwe Gwarube said any attempt to use the education sector as a platform for scapegoating, social division or political opportunism, must be unequivocally rejected as a deliberate attempt to sow division and cause unwarranted harm to otherwise peaceful relations within communities and schools and most importantly, to the wellbeing, dignity, and safety of all children. Gwarube said according to verified national enrolment data, foreign learners constitute only 1.8% of the total learner population in South Africa.
“This figure includes children of ambassadors, diplomatic missions, United Nations agencies and other international organisations who are lawfully present in the country and whom South Africa has a responsibility to host in line with its international obligations. Conversely, 98.2% of learners enrolled in public schools are South African citizens.
“The claim that foreign learners are placing undue pressure on the education system is therefore statistically incorrect, misleading, and irresponsible. The department understands the frustrations of parents in high demand zones, who are waiting for placement of their children,” she said.
Gwarube further said the national and provincial departments are working to finalize placements and progress is being made, for example, KZN has placed 100% of applications and other provinces continue to make progress. She added that the DBE is deeply concerned by exaggerated and sensationalised reporting on the presence of foreign learners in schools.
“Schools must remain spaces of learning, inclusion, dignity, social cohesion, and safety not arenas for the spread of intolerance, hate, disinformation, or fear. Every learner, regardless of nationality or background, must feel protected, respected, and secure within the school environment.
“South Africa’s Constitution and education legislation are unequivocal: every child within our borders has the right to basic education, irrespective of nationality or documentation status. The protection of children and the safeguarding of their right to learn in a safe and supportive environment are paramount and non-negotiable,” said Gwarube.
She said schools and educators are not responsible for immigration enforcement. Gwarube said immigration management is a function of border control and national immigration authorities, not of school principals or education officials.
“The real challenges confronting the education system such as infrastructure backlogs, overcrowding, funding constraints for the appointment of additional teachers, and broader resource limitations are systemic and structural in nature.
“These challenges cannot be simplistically, inaccurately, or dishonestly attributed to the small minority of foreign learners in our schools. Even in the absence of foreign learners, many schools would regrettably continue to face pressures linked to underfunding, infrastructure deficits, and historical inequality,” she said.
Gwarube said the department therefore calls on political leaders, community structures, civil society organisations and the media to exercise responsibility and principled leadership. She said in these circumstances, true leadership fosters unity and upholds the values of dignity, safety and inclusion as enshrined in the constitution.
“Public discourse must be guided by these values, facts, evidence, and proper context. We must actively reject xenophobia, fear mongering and misinformation. Education is a unifying force in society. Our schools must be places of safety, dignity, and inclusion for all children.
“They must protect the rights of every learner and strengthen social cohesion and never be used as tools for division,” said Gwarube.
Picture: The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Lesetja Senona
By OBAKENG MAJE
2 February 2026- The police in KwaZulu-Natal said they would like to set the record straight on reports that the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Lesetja Senona was kicked out of his office and had his electronic devices taken away from him. The police said Senona has a dedicated Senior Manager’s parking bay reserved for him on the Parking Level 1 of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial HeadQuarters building.
The KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the parking is available for him every day at any time. However, Netshiunda said on 31 January 2026, unusual events happened at the Provincial HeadQuarters of police in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Senona arrived at the building and chose to park on the street parking opposite the building, not at his dedicated parking inside the building. Moments later he was joined by another Colonel, also from the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal. The Colonel left his vehicle and joined Senona in his vehicle for approximately 45 minutes.
“Later on, Senona and his secretary entered the building through the main entrance. On weekends and after normal working hours, everybody who enters the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial HeadQuarters building, regardless of rank, must sign a register. Senona breached that security protocol by going through to his office without signing the register,” he said.
Netshiunda further said his secretary signed, but only for herself. The Colonel, who also entered the building, also failed to sign the register. He added that, the unusual events of Senona coming to work on a Saturday, the parking of his vehicle on the street and not at his parking bay inside the building, the unusual in-the-car meeting on the street with a Colonel, and the failure to sign the mandatory register raised security concerns.
“The South African Police Service (SAPS) has a responsibility to safeguard sensitive information from leakage, and with Senona’s testimony at the Madlanga Commission revealing that he once sent out police documents to a private person, the unusual events on the day compelled the security personnel on duty, especially those who were manning the camera system, to inform the KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, about the unusual activities which they observed.
“Mkhwanazi instructed the security personnel to go to Senona to ask him what he was doing in the office. Senona chose to leave the office, and wanted to take the state computer and other documents with him. He was then asked to leave all state property behind, except for his official cell phone. Senona voluntarily left the keys of his office,” said Netshiunda.
He said in respect of internal police protocol, Mkhwanazi informed the acting National Head of the Hawks of what happened and asked him to send someone to fetch office keys which Senona had left with the officer in charge of security officers. Netshiunda said the police in KwaZulu-Natal are focused on executing their mandate of protecting the residents of the province and their property.
“Any other boardroom matter will be ventilated at the correct platforms at the right time,” he said.
The Guardian 