Picture: The accused, Rossyln Crossingham/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
9 July 2025- The grandmother (72) briefly appeared at the Douglas Magistrate’s Court for fraud and alternative theft. This comes after the accused, Rossyln Crossingham was arrested by the Hawks Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team in the early hours of today.
The Hawks spokesperson in Northern Cape, Warrant Officer Nomthandazo Mnisi said it is alleged that during 2012, the accused was a co-director of the company named Rowen Tree 60 Pty Ltd with two other directors. Mnisi said Crossingham allegedly withdrew an application for renewal of prospecting mining rights, which was in the process at the Department of Minerals Resource and Energy (DMRE).
“Later in 2015, Crossingham together with her co-directors, resolved to sell the company and the withdrawn prospecting mining right to a known businessman in the Northern Cape for an amount of R100 000. After the conclusion of the sale agreement, but before the businessman could make payment, she sold the company to the complainant and withheld the letter withdrawing the prospecting mining rights, thereby misleading the complainant as though the prospecting mining right was valid and in good standing.
“Consequently, the complainant accepted the offer and paid an amount of R1 368 000. After the complainant paid the monies to the seller of the rights, an amount of R100 000 was then paid to a personal account belonging to one of the Directors of Rowan Tree 60 Pty Ltd,” she said.
Mnisi further said the series of fraudulent transactions resulted in the complainant losing an amount of R1 368 000. She added that more arrests are imminent.
“Crossingham was granted R15 000 bail and the case was postponed to 5 August 2025,” said Mnisi.
9 July 2025- The Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola said after lodging an internal investigation, she can confirm that the details depicted in the social media post currently circulating is not that of Brigadier Kenneth Baloyi, the Acting District Commissioner of John Taolo Gaetsewe District.
Otola said the investigation revealed that the details are not that of a public servant.
There are allegations that the person by the name of Kenneth Baloyi has close ties with the accused, Vusimuzi Matlala and he was once the Director of his company. According to allegations, the said Baloyi was appointed as a Captain in Kuruman Police Station due to his connection with Matlala.
“The police are making an urgent plea to the public to refrain from posting unverified or incorrect information on social media platforms without verification as it portrays negatively on the organization and implicated persons involved,” she said.
Picture: Kwazulu Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi
By BAKANG MOKOTO
9 July 2025- The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron said he has received the directive from the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, mandating three committees to consider, on an urgent basis, in terms of their respective mandates, the wide-ranging allegations regarding security matters that have implications for the country’s national security made by the Kwazulu Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and then report to the National Assembly(NA).
“The mandate is clear and the committee will endeavour to urgently conclude the necessary processes to determine the parameters, format and structure of the envisaged process.
“But of utmost importance is the need for urgency in finalising modalities to set the process in motion. To this end, a legal opinion, which has already been requested, is necessary to ascertain the best possible approach,” he said.
Picture: The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson/Twitter
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
9 July 2025- The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson said they investigated failed or mismanaged projects such as the Telkom Towers project and the IDT Oxygen Plant tender and began the work of understanding why they failed. Macpherson said they have been repurposing public assets for the public good, including releasing unutilised state properties to be used as shelters for victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and launching a partnership with AgriSA and AgriBiz to support food security.
“We began cleaning up the department through lifestyle audits and a ghost employee audit. We have started reforming the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to ensure it enables skills transfer and becomes a hand-up towards permanent employment,” he said.
Macpherson further said they know things are not yet perfect, but they are on the right track. He added that the exciting part is—they are only getting started.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament (MP), Edwin Macrae Bath said they resoundingly backed Macpherson’s DPWI Budget, turning SA into a construction site. Bath said they debated in the National Assembly today in support of Macpherson’s Budget for the department, because it is succeeding in turning South Africa into a construction site – with new mega projects, an infrastructure boom and a R1 trillion investment plan.
“The DA celebrates that the department under Macpherson is cleaning out the rot inherited, with 400 senior officials undergoing lifestyle audits. The DA recognises the barnstorming success of Macpherson at fighting organised crime in the public works space where the “construction mafia” were holding projects ransom for personal gain.
“As projects of the department grow, delivering economic growth, Macpherson is a leading job creator in South Africa – which the DA is proud to endorse. New leadership has narrowed the department’s focus to jobs, lower living costs, and ethical governance,” Bath said.
He said the PMTE is finally showing results, with billions in property released and increased investment in maintenance. Bath said EPWP reforms and infrastructure projects are gaining traction, with over 1 million jobs targeted and R11 billion committed.
“Ethical leadership is being prioritised, with audits, advisory boards, and digital upgrades underway. The ‘Adopt-a-Municipality’ pilot links national support to local needs, improving services and creating jobs,” said Bath.
The DA Member of Parliament (MP), Erik Marais shared the same sentiments. Marais said the department leads all public infrastructure, guided by the National Infrastructure Plan 2025.
“Macpherson is driving ethical governance, investor confidence, and the #LetsBuildSA initiative. Government plans to invest over R1 trillion in infrastructure, including Salvokop and small harbour projects. EPWP targets 1 million jobs a year and supports long-term employment through skills training.
“The department must digitise procurement, tighten financial controls, and improve local oversight,” he said.
9 July 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration today welcomed the announcement by the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, to institute three critical spending reviews aimed at improving the efficiency, integrity and developmental impact of government expenditure.
The reviews, announced during the Minister’s budget vote debate, will focus on standardising the remuneration of executives and board members of public entities, auditing and eliminating ghost workers and investigating the persistent underspending and delivery failures associated with infrastructure conditional grants at the provincial and municipal levels.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Jan de Villiers said these reviews are not only welcome but long overdue. De Villers said they echo the committee’s consistent calls for a professionalised public service, one that is results-based, provides value for public money, and adopts a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, waste and political patronage.
“We support the development of a standardised remuneration framework for public entity executives and board members. Salaries must be fair, transparent and directly linked to the entity’s mandate, complexity and performance.
“There can be no justification for exorbitant pay packages where service delivery is in crisis or entities are failing. On the issue of ghost workers, we reaffirmed the committee’s view that this is not a minor administrative flaw, but a form of organised, systemic corruption that siphons off public funds and undermines trust in the state,” he said.
De Villiers said these are not invisible names on paper – these are real funds stolen from the public. He said the committee calls for these audits to lead to consequences.
“We want to see prosecutions, dismissals and systemic reform. The committee will continue to monitor this process closely, and a joint oversight meeting with the Treasury and the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) is scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.
“The committee also welcomed broader government efforts to professionalise the state, including the digitisation of human resource and payroll systems, the introduction of lifestyle audits and the rollout of skills audits within departments,” said de Villers.
He said this followed a briefing by the DPSA and the National School of Government this morning on the government’s progress in digitising the public service and aligning training and upskilling with departmental needs. De Villiers said the creation of a professional, merit-based and non-partisan public service is both constitutionally mandated and essential to improving service delivery for all South Africans.
“Skills audits are particularly critical as they allow us to assess whether departments are staffed appropriately and whether officials have the qualifications and competencies needed to fulfil their mandates.
“Responding to this morning’s briefing, the Chairperson said digitisation and upskilling will help empower officials and drive improved service delivery, particularly in under-resourced areas,” he said.
De Villiers said they must know not just who is employed in the public service, but whether they are fit for purpose. He said skills audits, alongside digital transformation and standardised pay, create an opportunity to reconfigure departments to meet the needs of the public better.
“Where upskilling is required, it must be supported. Where restructuring is needed, it must be done responsibly. The committee remains committed to actively overseeing these reviews, focusing on results rather than rhetoric.
“We are planning a joint meeting with the Department of Public Service and Administration and National Treasury in the third quarter of 2025 to obtain further updates, including a detailed progress update on the ghost worker audit, implementation of lifestyle audits and alignment between performance and pay in the public sector, as well as consequence management for those involved in fraud and maladministration,” said de Villiers.
He said they will not allow these reviews to become another policy gesture. De Villiers said they must be executed with urgency, rigour and public accountability.
9 July 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) said the handover of the Kommetjie investigation report to the Hawks is long overdue, but it is an essential first step toward justice. The DA said for months, secrecy has smothered this tragedy, fuelling suspicion and outrage.
The DA spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans and Member of Parliament (MP), Chris Hattingh said choosing to push ahead with a high-risk vertical transfer exercise, despite clear weather warnings and a blatant disregard for critical safety protocols, was more than reckless. Hattingh said it was a decision that cost lives.
He further said the evidence now confirms what many feared. Hattingh added that catastrophic failures in planning, risk management and operational oversight directly led to the deaths of Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Hector and her two colleagues.
“But, these were not isolated mistakes, they are the predictable consequence of a defence force stripped bare by years of financial neglect, collapsing capabilities, and absent leadership. This is what happens when critical skills are lost, equipment is left to rot, and operational safety becomes an afterthought.
“That the Hawks see possible grounds for culpable homicide charges underscores the gravity of the failings on that day. Justice delayed is justice denied. The families of the fallen deserve closure. South Africans deserve answers. If negligence is proven, those responsible must be held fully accountable, swiftly and without compromise,” he said.
Hattingh said the lives lost at Kommetjie must not become just another footnote in the SANDF’s growing list of avoidable tragedies. He said the DA will continue to fight for transparency and accountability in the SANDF.
“We will push relentlessly for the full truth around Kommetjie to be made public and for those responsible to face the consequences of their actions or inaction. Our armed forces must be rebuilt into a professional, well-led institution that protects both its own members and the people of South Africa. Kommetjie must mark a turning point, not another cover-up,” said Hattingh.
8 July 2025- A man (37) was arrested by the Upington Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit for stock-theft at Twee Rivieren. The accused, Melvin Vilander allegedly smuggled the meat of two cattle into South Africa from Botswana on 26 June 2025, near Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
ZF Mgcawu District police spokesperson, Omphile Masegela said the transaction took place over the borderline fence of RSA and Botswana without legal documents. Masegela said the police received a tip-off and followed it up.
“The meat of two cattle carcasses were recovered. The accused could not provide reasonable explanation for being in possession of the meat. The value of the meat recovered is R13 000.
“A case was then opened and the investigation was handed over to Detective Warrant Officer Jacques Ockhuys, who effected the arrest after thorough investigation,” she said.
Masegela said Vilander had already appeared before court and granted a R1000 bail. She said a case has been postponed for further investigation.
Picture: The North West MEC for Finance, Kenetswe Mosenogi
By OBAKENG MAJE
8 July 2025- The Office of the Premier in the North West came out gun blazing and defended the then acting North West Premier, Kenetswe Mosenogi, who allegedly misled the Portfolio Committee on Premier and Finance Office regarding appointments of Heads of Departments. The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi spokesperson, Sello Tatai said they have noted the statement and media reports regarding allegations of misconduct and perjury against then acting North West Premier, Kenetswe Mosenogi on the appointment of Heads of Departments.
Tatai said it is important to clarify the facts. He further said there was no misrepresentation to the committee.
“On 5 June 2025, the accounting officer of the Office of the Premier read a report to the Portfolio Committee on Premier and Finance, which indicated that the administration was awaiting the decision of the Premier/Acting Premier on the appointment of Heads of Departments for Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism, and that of Education.
“In that report, the accounting officer made it abundantly clear that the candidates recommended were unfortunately all males. There was therefore no need to hide anything from the committee. It is also important to declare that even though a decision had already been taken, it first had to go through administrative processes,” he said.
Tatai added that this being the case, Mosenogi could not pronounce on the appointments as decided then, until assurances were made that such administrative processes had been concluded. He said given a proclaimed lack of knowledge about such appointments from the side of the administration, Mosenogi could not possibly proceed to make public pronouncements about such appointments.
“Mosenogi did not make any declarations about the appointments in the committee meeting and as such, cannot be deemed to have misled the committee or perjured herself. She was, however, duty bound to allow administrative processes to be concluded before making any representations to the committee about the HODs’ appointments.
“Mosenogi has publicly acknowledged in the committee meeting the need to improve gender representation and inclusivity in the senior management echelons and that the current statistics are regrettable and must be corrected,” said Tatai.
He said the North West Provincial Government, through the Office of the Premier, has and is still making a commitment to embark on a plan of action to rectify the transformation targets as regards gender, disability and youth for the previously disadvantaged groups. Tatai said the Office of the Premier rejects the claims of misconduct and perjury as unfounded and misleading.
“We remain committed to ethical leadership which includes governance practices such as transparency, accountability as well as adherence to the rule of law,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Premier and Finance, Nathan Oliphant said: “We have requested urgent investigations by the Commission for Gender Equality and the Public Service Commission into alleged non-compliance with recruitment and selection procedures by the Office of the Premier.
“This follows the appointments of Heads of Department (HoDs) for Education and for Economic Development.
During a recent follow-up meeting with the Office of the Premier, Director-General Paul Mogotlhe acknowledged that, while advertisements for the HoD positions—along with the post for the Department of Social Development—encouraged applications from women, persons with disabilities, and marginalised communities, the selection panel ultimately recommended two male candidates for the vacancy in the Dept of Econ Dev, Conservation & Tourism and 2 males and 1 female for the vacancy in the Dept of Education, 2 male Heads of department have since been appointed.”
Oliphant said they have noted with concern the continuing underrepresentation of women in senior roles. He said currently, there are 324 males and only 127 females occupying positions at level 13 and above across provincial departments and entities.
“We express disappointment that the report from the provincial government showed no progress since the previous meeting.
We were misled and the provincial government indicated that no appointments were made in our sitting on 5 June 2025 and subsequent report that 2 men have been appointed for vacancies preferred for female candidates and persons with disability.
“Despite this, the appointments proceeded and did not reflect the advertised criteria. We are calling on both the Commission for Gender Equality and the Public Service Commission to investigate potential bias and discrimination against women, people with disabilities and marginalised communities,” said Oliphant.
8 July 2025- A man (39) was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by the Galeshewe Regional Court in Kimberley for killing his girlfriend. The accused, Theophilus Chabalala killed his girlfriend in Rhythm City, Kimberley on 25 May 2024.
The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Timothy Sam said on the fateful day, the two had a domestic altercation in their shack. Sam said Chabalala grabbed a knife and fatally stabbed the victim in the presence of their two minor children.
“The accused was found guilty on a case of murder and sentenced to 12 years direct imprisonment and was declared unfit to carry a firearm,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Frances Baard District Police Commissioner, Major General Gabathata Makgari, commended the Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Isaac Motladi, for the meticulous investigation of the case and for ensuring that perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) are brought to book. Makgari said the police are encouraging the public to rate the police efforts in fighting crime by participating in the RATE OUR SERVICE online survey to assist the police in improving services and to report criminal activities via the MySAPS App or 08600 10111.
8 July 2025 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, said he welcomes the findings of the Section 59 investigation panel, which has uncovered systemic racial discrimination in the implementation of fraud, waste and abuse systems by medical schemes and administrators. Dhlomo said the report paints a concerning picture of the disproportionate impact that medical schemes’ fraud, waste and abuse systems have had on black healthcare providers.
He said the statistical evidence presented by the panel’s expert, clearly demonstrates that black providers were significantly more likely to be found guilty of fraud, waste and abuse compared to their non-black counterparts. Dhlomo said the panel’s analysis revealed that across the three major schemes investigated – Discovery, GEMS and Medscheme – black providers were between 1.5 to 3.5 times more likely to be identified as guilty of fraud, waste and abuse.
“In certain disciplines, such as physiotherapy, psychology and social work, the risk ratios for black providers were even higher, reaching up to 12 times more likely to be found guilty. These findings are deeply troubling and point to systemic flaws in the design and implementation of the fraud, waste and abuse systems.
“It is unacceptable that black healthcare providers have been subjected to such blatantly discriminatory treatment, which has undoubtedly had a devastating impact on their livelihoods and the communities they serve,” he said.
Dhlomo said the committee commends the panel for its thorough and independent investigation and welcomes the recommendations made to the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) to ensure the ongoing monitoring of the fraud, waste and abuse systems to prevent further discriminatory outcomes. He stated that he is in discussions with the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi about the report.
“The aim is to ensure that the Minister, the Department of Health, and the entities that the committee oversees and that have been implicated will be invited to provide a briefing to the committee on the findings, outcomes and recommendations presented in the report.
“We cannot allow such systemic discrimination to continue unchecked, as it undermines the transformation of the healthcare sector and the constitutional right to equality,” said Dhlomo.
The Guardian 