The Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party has fired its Secretary-General, Floyd Shivambu, for visiting fugitive Prophet Shepherd Bushiri in Malawi during the Easter weekend. At a press briefing attended by former President Jacob Zuma and other senior party officials in Durban on Tuesday, June 3, MKP Chairperson Nathi Nhleko said the party’s top leadership structure found that Shivambu’s trip violated the organisation’s constitution. Nhleko, reading a party statement, said the national officials reflected on the implications of Shivambu’s unauthorised trip to…

Police have found and seized the car that was allegedly used in the killing of Olorato Mongale, and the elderly man identified as the owner of the vehicle has been arrested. The 30-year-old journalism graduate from Rhodes University and a student at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) was reported missing after going on a first date with a man only known as “John”. National Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said police intelligence led investigators to the notorious KwaMashu township in…

Road Accident Fund (RAF) CEO Collins Letsoalo has been placed on an immediate special leave. This was revealed by Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa today, May 27, 2025 during an update on the investigation by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) into the RAF. He was briefing Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa). Hlengwa said he received reports about the leaked preliminary SIU report which implicated Letsoalo in likely wrongdoing in a R79 million lease for the fund’s Johannesburg…

Police have arrested a suspect identified as Induna Zwelithini Buthelezi (43) in connection with the brutal killing of Umngeni Local Municipality Councillor Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, who served as the DA’s Chief Whip in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands region. Ndlovu was gunned down at his Masosheni home near Mpophomeni in December 2023. Buthelezi, who is facing separate charges of murder and attempted murder in the Impendle Magistrate’s Court, will appear alongside co-accused Thobani Masobho Hlongwa (31) and Khayelihle Shabalala (31) when the Ndlovu…

In a move to strengthen its relations with Africa, Russia has announced plans to establish and resume diplomatic missions in seven African states. The move highlights the Russian Federation’s re-engagement with the continent and the cementing of economic, political and security ties with the global South. According to Tatiana Dovgalenko, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s newly established Department of Partnership with Africa, the country will reopen embassies in Niger and Sierra Leone and establish new missions in Liberia,…

The Uthukela District Municipality has finally opened theft cases with the police after critical water pumps were allegedly stolen from water stations servicing several townships and villages. The charges follow sustained pressure from the Democratic Alliance (DA) over the municipality’s continuous failure to find and arrest the thieves responsible for the disruptions and prolonged water shortages in uThukela. DA Chairperson in Uthukela, Councillor Thys Janse van Rensburg, said in a statement: “These theft involved the removal of large industrial water…

A wildfire at the Effingham informal settlement in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, that broke out on Sunday night, 18 May, has left a family mourning after claiming the life of a 29-year-old and leaving over 20 people homeless. The deceased was burnt beyond recognition and has been identified as Ayanda Ziqethu, who is originally from Port St John’s in the Eastern Cape. KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Armstrong Duma, confirmed the fatality and extended his condolences. “We extend our…

A male medical intern doctor at the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, died on duty on 12 May 2025 after his supervisor denied him sick leave. Reports indicate that the supervisor denied him leave because the intern had allegedly exceeded allocated leave days, forcing him to work while unwell. The young doctor had recently been diagnosed with diabetes. The Public Servants Association (PSA), representing a large constituency of healthcare professionals across Kwa-Zulu Natal, has issued a state of…

Parents, learners and teachers at Sibongumbomvu Combined School in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, are reeling after its entire batch of computers was stolen weeks after being donated. The incident occurred in the early hours of 13 May 2025, just weeks after the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies handed over a brand-new cyberlab to the school. Criminals looted the entire facility, stealing 20 donated laptops, the school’s own IT equipment, and causing extensive infrastructure damage. According to a joint statement from…

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…