Former police detective, Captain Roshanel Banawo, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment after being found guilty of conspiring to assassinate Umzinyathi District Commissioner Major General Francis Slambert. The Newcastle Regional Court confirmed on 14 May 2025 that Banawo had conspired to kill Slambert, not only once but on three separate occasions. The court referred to the motive as both personal grievances and professional disagreements with the commissioner’s work ethic. The former South African Police Service (SAPS) Captain served for…

The current leadership of the National Freedom Party (NFP), led by Ivan Barnes, is breathing a sigh of relief after the Pietermaritzburg High Court today ruled that it was correctly elected during the December 2023 conference in Durban. The court’s ruling comes after a group of five party members led by Mceleleni Mlangeni and Sithembile Msomi took the matter to court for final adjudication. The members sought to nullify the conference results, arguing it was marred by irregularities, including barring…

Two employees of the eThekwini municipality have been arrested for allegedly stealing 300 litres of diesel from municipal water tankers at eKukhanyeni near Verulam. According to a statement from the municipality, the two were arrested last week following a tip-off that prompted investigators to tail them. The investigators were driving around eKukhanyeni when they saw a municipal truck offloading diesel at a private residence while another truck was parked outside next to the gate of the same residence. The trucks…

The Pietermaritzburg High Court in KwaZulu-Natal has ruled that Ithala SOC Ltd (the bank) can continue operating pending an appeal in the Supreme Court of Appeal by the administrator, providing temporary relief for the bank’s customers and employees. In a court ruling handed down today, 9 May 2025, the court ruled in favour of Ithala following a dispute over the powers of Johan Kruger, the Repayment Administrator, who has taken over the operations of the bank following his appointment by…

The Minister of Higher Education, Dr Nobuhle Pamela Nkabane, has officially officiated the induction of the 6th Board of the National Skills Authority (NSA) on 6 May 2025. The newly appointed board is chaired by Asanda Luwaca, a leader with experience in skills development and youth empowerment. In an interview with African Times, Luwaca said the 6th board, appointed by Nkabane, is the result of a rigorous, meticulous, and clinical process that the Minister of Higher Education began. “What culminated from this process was a blend of diverse skills and competencies,…

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has cleared its name following claims circulating on social media, allegedly originating from the Durban University of Technology (DUT), that it was facing budget constraints. The message in question further claimed that NSFAS had closed its 2025 registration portal due to these purported financial challenges. NSFAS has dismissed these claims, stating that they are deceptive and do not reflect the scheme’s actual financial position or operational status. In a statement, NSFAS said, “Should…

Members of the Chatsworth community and surrounding areas in KwaZulu Natal who rely on the Chatsworth Reservoir 4 are facing delays in the restoration of water supply after an unfortunate incident on Monday, May 5. The eThekwini Municipality reported that the city’s water distribution officer was threatened and prevented by a group of community members from entering the reservoir to close the valves – a vital step required to allow the system to refill. Contemporarily, some of the affected areas…

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) led Newcastle Local Municipality in north-western KwaZulu-Natal says it is working on fixing its pothole-riddled roads and streets. This follows a public campaign by the Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party and Team Sugar South Africa (TSSA) last week to mobilize their members to fix the potholes mainly in the densely populated Madadeni township, thus shaming the municipality’s leadership. The party is also under fire for failing to keep the town clean and for failing to fix…

An undeterred Adv Dali Mpofu has launched a scathing attack on the Legal Practice Council (LPC), accusing it of wasting time by formulating “nonsensical” charges against him and later dropping them. He dismissed the charges as a politically motivated witch-hunt, but warned he would not be deterred from practicing as a lawyer and defending people who are challenging the status quo. On Wednesday, the hearings into Mpofu’s alleged misconduct were postponed at the LPC’s offices in Pretoria after the LPC’s…

Acting President Gwede Mantashe has used his Freedom Day speech to call out racial tensions and warn against romanticising South Africa’s violent past to score political points. In his keynote address during the National Freedom Day celebration held at AJ Swanepoel Stadium in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister also decried the alleged use of the country’s wounds by those who seek to score cheap political points. Mantashe, speaking on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who could not…