22 September 2026 – The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) has warned members of the public about an impostor allegedly pretending to be its acting Investigating Director, Advocate Ntuthuzelo Vanara. The imposter is reportedly using Vanara’s name and image to solicit critical information relating to a matter before court.
IDAC spokesperson, Henry Mamothame said it has established that the telephone number being used does not belong to Vanara. Mamothame said the matter was brought to the attention of the acting Investigating Director by law enforcement officers.
“The information on the imposter’s conduct was brought to the attention of Vanara by law enforcement officers. The matter would be referred to the police for investigation. We urge members of the public to remain vigilant and avoid falling victim to the alleged criminal conduct.
“Members of the public are urged to be vigilant and not to fall victims of criminality by the imposter. IDAC strongly condemned the conduct and said Vanara remains focused on the IDAC Reset Project, which is aimed at reforming the organisation and strengthening public trust as it continues to fulfil its mandate of fighting corruption,” he said.
22 September 2026 – Two men convicted of multiple poaching-related offences in the Kruger National Park have each been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment by the Skukuza Regional Court. Ephraim Bheki Siwela (43) and Kobus Simon Sambo (40) were convicted on seven counts, including trespassing in a national park, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm for the commission of an offence, conspiracy to commit an offence, unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of a dangerous weapon.
The case dates back to 30 May 2021, when suspicious movement was detected in the Pretoriuskop Section of the Kruger National Park. Aerial surveillance was deployed and investigators tracked two sets of footprints.
Field rangers later discovered a firearm and hunting knives before finding Siwela and Sambo hiding in nearby vegetation. Investigations subsequently established that the footwear worn by the accused matched the footprints being tracked.
During the trial, both accused pleaded not guilty.
The state prosecutor, Lot Mgiba, led evidence from the park’s Technology Operations Manager and presented expert evidence linking the footprints to the accused’s footwear. Ballistic analysis also linked the recovered firearm to the accused.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Monica Nyuswa said the sentence demonstrates the importance of coordinated efforts in combating wildlife crime. Nyuswa said this successful prosecution highlights the effectiveness of coordinated anti-poaching operations and demonstrates the value of collaboration between conservation authorities, law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors in combating wildlife crime.
“The sentence sends a strong message that people involved in poaching and related criminal activities will face serious consequences. The NPA remains committed to protecting South Africa’s wildlife heritage and ensuring that perpetrators of environmental and wildlife crimes are held accountable through the criminal justice system.
“The court imposed various sentences on the accused, with several of the sentences ordered to run concurrently with the eight years sentence for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number,” she said.
Nyuswa further said the three-year sentence for trespassing was ordered to run consecutively, resulting in an effective 11 years imprisonment sentence for each accused. She added that the court also declared both men unfit to possess firearms.
22 September 2026 – A man (27) has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court after being convicted of raping his cousin (9) in the Mpumuza area of Pietermaritzburg in December 2020. The accused was 21 years-old when the offence was committed and that he and the complainant lived with their grandmother.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Kwazulu-Natal, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said on the day of the incident, the two were alone at home while their grandmother was at work. Ramkisson-Kara said although they slept in separate rooms, the accused entered the child’s bedroom and raped her before threatening to kill her if she disclosed what had happened.
“The complainant reported the matter to her mother a week later when she came to fetch her for the school holidays. The matter was subsequently reported to the police and the child was referred to the Edendale Thuthuzela Care Centre for medical and psychosocial support.
“During the trial, the state prosecutor Nosipho Kunene-Ngcobo led evidence from the complainant and her mother, who was the first person to whom the child disclosed the rape. The Victim Impact Statements (VIS) prepared by the complainant and her mother were also presented to the court, with assistance from Court Preparation Officer, Nokuvela Mlotshwa,” she said.
Ramkisson-Kara further said the child continues to experience the psychological effects of the offence. She added that the complainant described the psychological trauma she continues to endure, stating that she no longer feels like a complete human being.
Ramkisson-Kara said the victim’s mother told the court that the incident had profoundly affected her daughter’s emotional wellbeing, resulting in behavioural changes and negatively affecting her studies. She said the court deviated from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment, finding that the accused’s youthfulness at the time of the offence, together with the principle of proportionality, constituted substantial and compelling circumstances.
Ramkisson-Kara said the accused was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment and declared unfit to possess a firearm. She said the court further ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders and the National Child Protection Register.
“The NPA remains committed to combating sexual offences and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). This commitment is reinforced through the continued expansion of the Thuthuzela Care Centre network, which has grown from 55 centres in 2020/21 to 66 centres currently operating across the country.
“The centres provide integrated medical, legal and psychosocial services to survivors of sexual violence, supporting a victim-centred response while contributing to the prosecution of offenders and reducing secondary victimisation,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
22 September 2026 – A man (46) was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by the Botshabelo Regional Court for rape. This comes after he raped his stepdaughter (15) in Botshabelo, Free State.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in the Free State, Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the accused cannot be identified in order to protect the dignity, privacy and identity of the victim, who was a minor when the offence was committed. Senokoatsane said he is the father to the victim’s older sister.
“The Botshabelo Regional Court heard that on the night of 14 November 2024, the accused arrived at the victim’s home and asked for a blanket. After the victim opened the window and showed him where the blanket was kept, he entered the house instead.
“He later entered the victim’s bedroom and raped her before warning her not to tell her older sister. The following morning, the accused again entered the victim’s bedroom. The incident was witnessed by his granddaughter (11), who encouraged the victim to report the matter.
“The victim initially struggled to disclose the rape because of fear. She later revealed what had happened after family members noticed that she was emotionally distressed and questioned her,” he said.
Senokoatsane further said the court found the state’s witnesses credible and reliable. He added that the court found the state witnesses to be credible, reliable and consistent in their accounts.
“The victim’s evidence was corroborated in material respects by the accused’s own admissions. During sentencing proceedings, the state prosecutor, Kelley Mthwalo argued that the accused had occupied a position akin to that of a father figure in the victim’s life and had failed in his duty to protect and care for her.
“A Victim Impact Statement compiled by Melissa Mphulenyane was also presented to the court, detailing the emotional and psychological impact of the offence on the victim. The court found substantial and compelling circumstances to justify deviating from the prescribed minimum sentence and sentenced the accused to 25 years’ direct imprisonment,” said Senokoatsane.
He said the NPA welcomed the sentence and commended the prosecutor, investigating team and other role-players involved in securing justice for the victim. Senokoatsane said the outcome demonstrates that perpetrators of sexual offences, particularly those who abuse positions of trust within families, will be held accountable for their actions.
He also commended the victim for her courage in reporting the offence and participating in the criminal justice process, despite the trauma she endured. Senokoatsane said the NPA remains committed to prosecuting sexual offences and all forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) without fear, favour, or prejudice.
Senokoatsane said the NPA would continue working to ensure that victims and survivors are treated with dignity, protected throughout the criminal justice process and afforded access to justice.
22 September 2026 – The Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul will lead the province’s 2026 Heritage Day celebrations at Matjieskloof Sportsground in the Namakwa District on 24 September 2026. Saul will be joined by the Northern Cape MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Mangaliso Matika, other Members of the Executive Council, as well as leaders from the Namakwa District and local municipalities.
Saul spokesperson, Naledi Gaosekwe said the event will be held under the theme: “Celebrating Our Living Heritage: Strengthening the Ties That Bind Us.” Gaosekwe said the theme highlights the importance of living heritage as an expression of identity, memory and belonging.
“Living heritage is expressed through our languages, music, dance, rituals, oral traditions, indigenous knowledge, craftsmanship, beliefs and customs. The celebrations will also coincide with the Annual Provincial Indigenous Games Festival, which will take place across all five districts of the province.
“The festival will feature nine traditional games, including Kgati, Morabaraba, Intonga, Diketo, Jukskei, Kho-Kho, Dibeke, Drie Stokkies and Ncuva. The Indigenous Games would provide communities with an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on traditions while ensuring that cultural heritage is passed on to younger generations,” she said.
Gaosekwe further said the Indigenous Games give communities a practical opportunity to celebrate traditions and practices that continue to shape South Africa’s diverse cultural identity, while passing this heritage on to younger generations. She added that the programme will begin with a commemoration, followed by Saul’s keynote address and a Heritage Parade bringing communities together to celebrate the province’s cultural heritage.
22 September 2026 – The police have arrested 17 270 suspects for various offences during Operation Shanela II between 14 and 20 September 2026, including two suspected serial rapists in KwaZulu-Natal. The operation comes as police intensify efforts to protect women, children and other vulnerable persons following the recent murders of nine women in Ekurhuleni.
The national police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said the arrests demonstrate the continued focus on serious and violent crimes. Van Wyk said Operation Shanela II continues to demonstrate the SAPS’s commitment to pursuing perpetrators of serious and violent crimes and bringing them before the courts.
“The first suspected serial rapist (46), was arrested on 17 September 2026, by detectives attached to the KwaZulu-Natal Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation and Investigative Psychology Unit. The police said he is linked to a series of alleged rapes committed between 2014 and 2025.
“He is allegedly linked to 14 cases in Cato Manor, one in Plessislaer and another in Taylor’s Halt. A second suspect (36), was arrested in Nongoma on 20 September 2026, by investigators from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. He is allegedly linked to the rape of 14 women in the Zululand District and Gauteng Province,” she said.
Van Wyk further said the police also arrested 188 alleged rape suspects across the country during the week, bringing the total number of rape suspects arrested over the past 14 days to 352. She added that detectives traced 1 936 wanted suspects through intelligence-driven and targeted operations.
“Other arrests included 143 murder suspects, 1499 suspects for assault with intent to cause Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), 690 for possession of dangerous weapons, 82 for possession of unlicensed firearms and 1 286 for possession of drugs.
“The police further arrested 2 422 suspects for contraventions of the Immigration Act and 748 suspects for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. During the operations, the police seized 135 unlicensed firearms, 1 110 rounds of ammunition, 1 099 dangerous weapons and 62 stolen or hijacked vehicles,” said van Wyk.
She said the operations also resulted in several significant breakthroughs across the provinces. Van Wyk said in Gauteng, three suspects — one man and two women — were arrested in connection with the murder of the ninth woman in a series of murder cases currently under investigation.
“In the Eastern Cape, two suspects were linked to an attempted murder investigation in Missionvale, while two suspects were arrested and three fatally wounded following the murder of two police officers in Libode.
“In other provincial successes included the arrest of a man in the Free State for possession of explosives, the seizure of suspected cocaine worth an estimated R300 million in Gauteng, an arrest linked to the alleged rape of a girl (9) in Limpopo, and the arrest of 38 suspects during an illegal mining operation in Mpumalanga,” she said.
Van Wyk said in the North West, the police recovered 61 livestock, comprising 46 goats and 15 sheep, following a stock theft incident in Pudimoe. She said in the Western Cape, nine suspects were arrested during intelligence-driven operations targeting drug-related crimes in Oudtshoorn.
“We will continue with intelligence-driven and targeted operations to disrupt criminal activities and ensure that those who commit serious offences are brought before the courts,” said van Wyk.
Picture: Illicit cigarettes confiscated by the police/Generic
By OBAKENG MAJE
22 September 2026 – A 38-year-old Bangladesh national, Palash Mohosin, has been sentenced by the Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court for possession of illicit cigarettes valued at approximately R93 878. Mohosin was arrested on 30 January 2024 after police found him in possession of the illicit cigarettes in the Potchefstroom precinct.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in North West, Lindiwe Mabasa said he was charged with contravening the Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1964. Mabasa said the state prosecutor, Nontenjwa Cain urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, highlighting the negative impact of the illicit trade in products on the country’s economy.
“The illegal trade in illicit goods has a negative impact on the country’s economy, and the State urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence. The court found Mohosin guilty of contravening Section 80(2) of the Customs and Excise Act and sentenced him to a R20 000 fine or 12 months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years.
“The suspension is conditional on him not being convicted of contravening Sections 80(1) and 80(2) of the Act during the suspension period,” she said.
Mabasa further said the NPA remains committed to working with law enforcement agencies to combat the trade in illicit goods within South Africa. She added that the NPA remains committed to working with law enforcement agencies to combat the trade in illicit goods and to ensure that those who deliberately contravene the laws of the country are held accountable.
Meanwhile, the North West Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr Rachel Makhari, welcomed the sentence, saying that although it may appear minimal, it sends a strong message that the illegal trade in illicit goods will not be tolerated. Makhari said that people who contravene the law must face legal consequences.
The Guardian 