The leadership crisis at the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) deepened on Thursday after Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi announced the suspension of three senior investigators and a full review of all IDAC matters currently before the courts, following explosive evidence heard at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. Addressing a media briefing alongside National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Advocate Andy Mothibi in Pretoria, Kubayi confirmed that IDAC chief investigator Dylan Perumal, senior investigator Brian Padayachee and investigator…

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry continued hearing evidence on Thursday with the public airing of a recorded cellphone conversation between former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Advocate Andrea Johnson and IDAC state advocate Drushantha Ramsamy, a recording that formed a central part of the day’s proceedings. The commission heard the recording after Ramsamy testified that she decided to record the conversation because Johnson had already implicated her during earlier testimony before the commission. According to Ramsamy, the call took…

A 33-year-old Eastern Cape man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his 69-year-old mother after accusing her of bewitching him. The Sterkspruit Regional Court imposed the life sentence on Songezo Michael Moholei following his conviction for the murder of his mother, Maphumulo Moholei. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the attack was driven by accusations of witchcraft and took place in front of neighbours. Moholei appeared in court on a charge of murder and elected to plead guilty…

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry continued hearing evidence on Thursday, with Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) State Advocate Drushantha Ramsamy delivering damning testimony against former IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson. Ramsamy alleged that Johnson cultivated a culture of fear and intimidation within the organisation, frequently departed from established procedures and ignored concerns raised by staff members. Proceedings briefly came to a halt early on Thursday after evidence leader Advocate Mahlape Sello SC requested time for Ramsamy’s witness statement and its…

Two separate High Court judgments handed down this week have resulted in life imprisonment for four men convicted of brutal crimes against women, with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) saying the sentences demonstrate the courts’ continued commitment to holding perpetrators of gender based violence and femicide accountable. In the Western Cape Division of the High Court in Cape Town, Bakhokele Sigodi, 36, was sentenced to four life sentences and an additional 20 years’ direct imprisonment after being convicted of rape,…

Alleged political fixer Oupa Brown Mogotsi will remain in custody after the Johannesburg High Court dismissed his urgent appeal against the refusal of bail, clearing the way for his criminal case to continue while he remains behind bars. The ruling marks the latest setback for Mogotsi, who has now failed in three attempts to secure his release. His initial bail application and a second application based on what his legal team described as new facts were both dismissed by the…

The future leadership of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) will come under the spotlight on Thursday evening when Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi and National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Andy Mothibi brief the media following the resignation of former IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson. The briefing, is expected to outline measures aimed at ensuring continuity within the anti corruption unit while the process of appointing a new head gets underway. According to the Ministry of Justice,…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has secured a judgment in the Special Tribunal declaring unlawful and invalid a R9 million grant awarded by the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) for the construction of a sports complex in Protea Glen, Soweto, that was never built. The ruling sets aside the grant agreement awarded to the Motheo Sports and Entertainment Foundation and orders several individuals and entities involved in the project to repay millions of rand that had already been disbursed. The Tribunal…

Former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Advocate Andrea Johnson came under sustained pressure at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday as commissioners repeatedly questioned her about the basis on which she authorised investigations into the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), exposing apparent inconsistencies in her evidence. One of the most difficult moments of the day came when the commission asked Johnson a direct question: “Why were you investigating the PKTT? What was IDAC’s interest in the PKTT?” Johnson…

South African courts have handed down a series of lengthy prison sentences to convicted child sex offenders in KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and the Free State, as prosecutors and police intensified efforts to secure justice for victims of sexual violence. The cases, finalised over the past week, involve the rape, grooming and trafficking of children, with offenders receiving sentences ranging from 15 years’ imprisonment to multiple life terms. In KwaZulu-Natal, the Vryheid Regional Court sentenced a 32-year-old man to an…