28 April 2026 – A former employee at insurance company, Neo Moalusi (32) was arrested for allegedly defrauding her former employer R3.6 million. Moalusi briefly appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in Rustenburg on 28 April 2026, facing six counts of fraud.
The Hawks spokesperson in North West, Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula said Moalusi was served with summons to appear in court on 15 April 2026, following an investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation into allegations of defrauding her former employer of over R3.6 million. Mathebula said it is alleged that between 2023 and 2024, she created fictitious insurance policy clients using particulars of unsuspecting victims.
“As a result, the life insurance company suffered an actual loss of over R3.6 million. Investigations revealed that the accused worked with seven others in defrauding their employer. Two of the seven suspects have already been served with summons to appear before court on 6 May 2026.
“Moalusi was released on warning and will re-appear in the same court on 6 May 2026,” he said.
Picture: Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi
By OBAKENG MAJE
28 April 2026- The Forum for South Africa (FOSA) said it has noted the decision by Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi to withdraw the Draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy following the shocking revelation that the document contained fictitious sources. FOSA said while Malatsi’s admission and withdrawal of the policy is a necessary step, it exposes a deeply concerning failure within the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies.
FOSA national leader, Tebogo Mashilompane said the inclusion of unverified, AI-generated citations in a national policy document is not a minor oversight — it is a serious breach of public trust and institutional integrity. Mashilompane said South Africans expect and deserve policies that are credible, evidence-based and subjected to rigorous human oversight.
“The use of artificial intelligence in government processes must enhance efficiency and innovation, not undermine the credibility of state institutions. FOSA is particularly alarmed that a document of such national importance could pass through multiple layers of drafting and quality assurance without detecting such glaring inaccuracies.
“This raises serious questions about the competence, accountability, and internal controls within the department. We therefore call for a full, transparent investigation into how this failure occurred. Immediate accountability and consequence management for all officials involved,” he said.
Mashilompane further said they call for a comprehensive review of all current and pending policy documents to ensure similar lapses do not exist. He added that the establishment of strict guidelines and oversight mechanisms governing the use of artificial intelligence in government work.
“Furthermore, this incident highlights the urgent need for South Africa to develop not only an AI policy, but one that is credible, properly researched, and rooted in ethical governance and human accountability. FOSA will continue to monitor developments closely and will not hesitate to take further action should the government fail to act decisively.
“South Africa cannot afford governance failures disguised as innovation,” said Mashilompane.
Picture: DA MPL in Free State Provincial Legislature, Roy Jankielsohn
By STAFF REPORTER
28 April 2026 – The Democratic Alliance (DA) said the poor attendance during the Republic of South Africa (RSA) president, Cyril Ramaphosa’s Freedom Day address in the Free State is a clear sign of a failing ANC-run province and growing public distrust in the ANC as a political party. DA said under the ANC, the Free State continues to suffer from failed service delivery at both municipal and provincial levels of government.
DA Member of Provincial Legislature (MPL) in Free State Provincial Legislature, Roy Jankielsohn said communities are left without water in their taps, forced to live among sewage spills and endure crumbling road infrastructure, all while being led by increasingly arrogant politicians. Jankielsohn said these realities are at the heart of the declining confidence in the ANC.
“The Free State has become synonymous with corruption and is, in many ways, the birthplace of state capture. While the DA agrees with Ramaphosa that every stolen rand is an attack on our democracy, it is deeply disappointing that he arrives in the province with rhetoric instead of announcing real criminal accountability for ANC members and others who have, and continue to, undermine our democracy through corruption.
“Free Staters need to see more arrests and less talk from the President. Even the Premier faces serious corruption allegations, yet Ramaphosa continues to keep her in office,” he said.
Jankielsohn further said in the upcoming local government elections, Ramaphosa and the ANC will not only face empty stadiums, but also empty blocks next to the party’s name on ballot papers. He added that Free Staters are tired of empty promises, stolen dreams, and a stolen democracy.
Picture: JB Marks Local Municipality speaker, Alderman Moithoesi Rosy Dassie
By BAKANG MOKOTO
28 April 2026 – The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it has formally submitted a notice of motion to remove the speaker of JB Marks Local Municipality, Alderman Moithoesi Rosy Dassie in terms of Section 40 of the Municipal Structures Act. The DA said this action follows a sustained pattern of conduct that has undermined council’s ability to function as an effective and impartial oversight body.
DA councillor in JB Marks Local Municipality, Heinricha Hodgson said the party’s motion is based on serious and ongoing concerns, including the speaker’s failure to act impartially, the inconsistent and biased application of council rules and the limiting of councillor participation. Hodgson said these actions have weakened oversight, shielded the executive from accountability and eroded public trust in council processes.
“Of particular concern is the manipulation of council proceedings through the irregular convening of meetings, the sidelining of councillor’s questions, and the tabling of incomplete or non-compliant reports before council. Such practices not only contravene established rules but also compromise informed and transparent decision-making.
“The continued failure to enforce council resolutions and ensure the proper functioning of portfolio committees further reflects a breakdown in governance under the current speaker. This is not merely a procedural matter,” she said.
Hodgson further said when council oversight is compromised, service delivery suffers. She added that residents ultimately bear the cost through poor governance, lack of accountability and declining municipal performance.
“The motion will be considered at the next ordinary council meeting. The DA remains committed to restoring integrity, strengthening oversight and ensuring accountable governance in JB Marks Local Municipality,” said Hodgson.
Picture: The NWU’s professor in Zoology, Prof Henk Bouwman/Supplied
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
28 April 2026 – The North West University (NWU) said civilisations are rising and crumbling over eons and across galaxies. The university said interplanetary conflicts, alien races and worlds as vivid in description as they are difficult to conceive.
The NWU’s professor in Zoology, Prof Henk Bouwman who is specialising in ecotoxicology across multiple biological systems, said these were the realms in which his imagination roamed during his formative years. Bouwman said and still does.
“The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov — which follows a mathematician predicting the collapse of a vast galactic empire and attempting to preserve knowledge — and the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which follows the adventures of John Carter on Mars, were among the worlds to which he gravitated. Their influence, however, extended far beyond escapism.
“To me, thoughts framed by perceived reality throttle imagination and creativity. I would like to reference Arthur C. Clarke, who argued that progress is often hindered not by a lack of facts but by “a failure of imagination,” he said.
For Bouwman, fiction helped shape how he thinks as a researcher. Yet he fears many learners and young academics are increasingly missing out on the imaginative breadth that fiction can provide.
“Reading beyond strictly scientific material is not always something people prioritise, but fiction books, especially science fiction, have had a profound influence on how I think. Fiction is deeply inspiring because it broadens the mind and encourages you to think beyond narrow objectives. It prevents you from moving through life with blinkers on, focused only on completing a task and moving on.
“I sometimes see this limitation in students who are highly goal-driven; once the objective is achieved, the thinking stops, without always recognising wider consequences, implications and possibilities,” said Bouwman.
He further said in a time when entertainment is consumed in seconds rather than hours, imagination is rarely given the space to mature, let alone to listen to the back-of-your-mind thoughts. Bouwman added that niggling voice telling you something.
“How, then, will future researchers cultivate the ideas that drive ingenuity? Now may be the time to turn that page, embrace a sense of wonder, and be daring,” he said.
Picture: The North West MEC for DEDECT, Bitsa Lenkopane
By REGINALD KANYANE
28 April 2026 – The North West MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT), Bitsa Lenkopane said she has noted concerns raised by stakeholders regarding the recent implementation of the Biodiversity Permit System (CivicPAL) in the province. Lenkopane said the department has received feedback indicating that users are experiencing challenges with system access, registration and the submission of permit applications.
“These concerns arise at a particularly important time as the province enters a key period of the hunting tourism season. The MEC acknowledges the importance of a well-functioning permitting system during this period and wishes to assure stakeholders that the matter is receiving immediate attention.
“An urgent internal engagement has been convened with the relevant departmental units, permitting officials, and technical teams to obtain a full report on the implementation of the system and the challenges being experienced,” she said.
Lenkopane further said the department is currently undertaking a focused assessment, including a review of all relevant documentation, technical processes and operational arrangements, in order to identify the causes of the current challenges and implement appropriate corrective measures. She added that in the interim, the department is working to ensure continuity in the processing of permit applications and will communicate further guidance to stakeholders as soon as possible.
“We remain committed to ensuring that the biodiversity permitting system operates efficiently and supports both conservation objectives and economic activity in the province. Further updates will be provided following the conclusion of the current assessment.
“The department appreciates the cooperation and understanding of stakeholders during this period,” said Lenkopane.
28 April 2026 – The Republic of South Africa (RSA) president, Cyril Ramaphosa said 32 years ago, South Africa was born. Ramaphosa said the morning of 27 April 1994 did not begin like an ordinary day.
He further said it began with great anticipation, excitement and a determination by millions of South Africans to participate in the birth of a nation. Ramaphosa added that before sunrise millions of people stood in long lines – young and old, rural and urban, black and white.
“Many were exposed to heavy rain and burning sun but they waited with patience, pride and dignity to cast their votes for the very first time. More than 20 million South Africans participated in an election that was peaceful, free and fair. It was a celebration of the human spirit and its capacity to overcome adversity.
“It is an honour to mark this occasion here in Bloemfontein, where the flame of freedom was lit. It was here in Mangaung that the African National Congress (ANC) was born in 1912, bringing together for the first-time people from across our country to stand against oppression and dispossession,” he said.
Ramaphosa said this is a province that suffered terribly from the cruelty of colonialism and apartheid. He said here in Bloemfontein and in towns across the province, tens of thousands of Afrikaners and Africans were held in inhuman conditions in British concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War.
“Many thousands, mostly women and children, died. Their suffering stands as a shared, though unevenly remembered, chapter of South Africa’s past, one that calls for remembrance, honesty and humanity.
“This is a province with a history of courageous resistance. Women from the then Orange Free State were among the first to rise against the extension of pass laws in 1913, with protests breaking out in Jagersfontein, Winburg and Bloemfontein,” said Ramaphosa.
He said they were arrested and imprisoned and their families were left without caregivers. Ramaphosa said instead of being broken, the women of the Orange Free State became more determined because they would not accept a system that denied them dignity and freedom.
“This was the site of the Witsieshoek Peasants’ Revolt of 1950 against the apartheid government’s oppressive land control policies. This was one of the most significant acts of resistance in rural South Africa.
“The revolt was about the livelihood of rural people regarding their cattle, wealth, security, identity and dignity that an oppressive government wanted to destroy. The Witsieshoek Peasants’ Revolt demonstrated that the struggle for freedom was also fought in the valleys, in the fields and in the hearts of rural communities,” he said.
Ramaphosa said it was fought by farmers in the rural areas, families and ordinary people who choose courage over silence. He said it was the people of this province that took Mama Winnie Mandela into their hearts and gave her comfort when she was banished to Brandfort in 1977.
“History is often told through great speeches and grand events. But sometimes, its most powerful chapters are written by ordinary people who choose humanity over fear. When Mama Winnie Mandela was banished to Brandfort, the apartheid rulers thought they were isolating her and breaking her spirit and influence.
“The people of Brandfort here in the Free State did something remarkable: they did not let that voice fade. They carried it. They strengthened it. And they made it their own. They united in compassion and that became stronger than the system of a apartheid itself,” said Ramaphosa.
He said last month, they laid to rest a son of this province, the first Premier of the Free State and a stalwart of the liberation struggle, Mosiuoa ‘Terror’ Lekota. Ramaphosa said he was a brave and principled leader who served this country with distinction.
“On this Freedom Day, we honour his memory. On that first day of our freedom, as a nation, we entered into a social contract to build a society anchored in human dignity, equal rights and freedom for all.
“Thirty years ago, the Constitution of the Republic, the legal foundation of that contract, was signed into law. That constitution became our birth certificate as a nation. Our Constitution, which is widely regarded around the world as one of the most progressive, visionary and influential constitutions ever adopted, is a powerful promise about freedom and stands as our collective shield – protecting the freedom our people fought for,” said Ramaphosa.
He said out of struggle came freedom. Ramaphosa said through the constitution, they have entrenched it as the unshakable foundation of the nation.
“We have come far. We stand here today not only as citizens of a democratic nation, but as custodians of a hard-won legacy of freedom. A legacy won in struggle. A legacy shaped by sacrifice, courage and an unbreakable belief in freedom and justice. There was a time in this country when freedom was not a right but a dream.
“It was a time when voices were silenced, dignity was denied to millions who were excluded from the life of the country they called home. But our people refused to accept that fate. They organised. They resisted. They endured. And they won their freedom,” he said.
Picture: The Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy, Samantha Graham-Maré
By STAFF REPORTER
28 April 2026 – The Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy, Samantha Graham-Maré will be the keynote speaker at the Easigas Clean Cooking Initiative (ECCI 2030) in Mogwase, near Rustenburg on 28 April 2026. Graham-Maré said Easigas is set to introduce its first-of-a-kind, women-led LPG bulk facility.
She said the ECCI 2030 is a scalable, community-driven programme accelerating access to clean, safe and affordable cooking solutions across underserved communities. Graham-Maré further said this initiative demonstrates how their G20 clean cooking legacy continues to expand across various parts of the country.
“I’m thrilled to speak at this event, particularly since the private sector is showing its commitment to advancing clean cooking. These interventions are empowering, life-changing and needed in many parts of South Africa. I am also pleased that a woman will be leading this LPG bulk facility,” she added.
Picture: An unroadworth scholar transport inspected by traffic official
By BAKANG MOKOTO
28 April 2026 – The North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management said it is expediting all outstanding scholar transport payments. The department said it is engaging with the Provincial Treasury to ensure a seamless process.
The North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management spokesperson, Charles Matlou said the outstanding payments were being processed on a weekly basis beginning last week. Matlou said they anticipated that all outstanding payments would have been cleared soon.
“The department wishes to express sincerest gratitude to scholar transport operators for fruitful engagements and for continuing to provide the service in spite of inadvertent delays in payments,” he said.
28 April 2026 – A man (40) was arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition in Ikageng Township, near Potchefstroom on 24 April 2026. The police said the search warrants were successfully obtained following the analysis of information received from North West Crime Intelligence Covert Operations.
The North West police spokesperson, Sergeant Kelebogile Morake said an intelligence-driven operation was subsequently conducted by the Provincial Anti-Gang Unit in collaboration with North West Crime Intelligence Covert Operations. Morake said during the search, one rifle with a magazine, one replica blow pistol and a magazine containing blank rounds.
“The suspect is expected to appear before the Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Court in due course,” she said.
Meanwhile, the acting North West Police Commissioner, Major General (Dr) Ryno Naidoo, extended his appreciation to the team involved and emphasised the importance of intelligence-driven operations. Naidoo further urged the police to continue efforts to eradicate illegal firearms from communities.
The Guardian 