The legal representatives of Julius Malema have issued a formal demand to media personality Ngizwe Mchunu, accusing him of making defamatory statements during a widely circulated interview on 28 April 2026. According to the letter from England Slabbert Attorneys Inc., acting on behalf of Malema, the comments were made during an interview with “King Zoso” outside the Union Buildings and later spread across platforms, including X and TikTok. In the interview, Mchunu allegedly claimed that Malema had received R60 million…

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) findings into the misuse of National Lotteries Commission (NLC) funds have drawn a response from media executive Makhudu Sefara, who has denied any wrongdoing and accused investigators of misrepresenting the facts. Sefara, the editor of the Sunday Times, was placed on “special leave” on Tuesday, hours after it was revealed that a company of which he was the sole director was linked to a lottery-funded project under investigation by the SIU. According to SIU, his…

Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the youngest son of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, will be deported to Zimbabwe on Wednesday after pleading guilty to firearm and immigration offences. While his 33-year-old cousin, Tobias Matonhodze, was sentenced to direct imprisonment, Mugabe avoided jail after the court imposed hefty fines that will ultimately see him deported. This is linked to a February 2026 shooting incident in Johannesburg. The matter was finalised at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court, where both accused appeared following the violent…

South Africa’s fight against poaching is showing renewed momentum, with recent enforcement operations and court convictions underscoring a coordinated push to clamp down on environmental crime across the country. Over the long weekend, ranger teams from South African National Parks (SANParks) recorded a series of successful operations in Table Mountain National Park, targeting activities ranging from abalone poaching to theft and illegal harvesting of protected plant species. According to SANParks, a targeted night operation conducted on 23 April by its…

A fresh controversy has erupted within South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU), after the Department of Basic Education (DBE) awarded a R1.6 billion textbook tender to a little-known Cape Town company with no proven track record. The company, Lighthouse Publishers (Pty) Ltd, is understood to have secured the lucrative contract to supply foundation phase textbooks, sparking widespread concern about possible procurement irregularities and oversight failures. The GNU, formed after the 2024 general elections when no single party secured an…

Two senior officials from the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality have been released on bail after appearing in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, following a weekend in custody on charges of fraud and corruption. Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi and Ekurhuleni City Manager Kagiso Lerutla were each granted bail of R30,000. The pair face charges of fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice in a case that has drawn widespread public attention. The court ruled…

The Gauteng Provincial Government has sounded the alarm over worsening overcrowding in public schools, revealing that nearly half of all institutions in the province are operating beyond capacity as rapid population growth continues to outpace infrastructure development. Addressing residents on Tuesday, MEC Lebogang Maile outlined the scale of the crisis, describing the education system as a reflection of broader structural pressures facing Gauteng, including urbanisation, migration and constrained public finances. Gauteng’s learner population has more than doubled over the past…

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba is expected to hand-deliver a memorandum to Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia on Tuesday, calling for immediate national intervention in the disappearance of 27-year-old Mazwi Mpumelelo Kubheka and escalating safety concerns in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni. Kubheka, a local spaza shop owner, was reported missing on 2 April after leaving his home to deposit money at a bank. He was last seen in Marimba Gardens and has not been found. Nearly a month later, no arrests have been…

South Africa’s policing leadership is under intense public and political scrutiny following the court appearance of suspended national commissioner Fannie Masemola and the appointment of Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane as acting head of the South African Police Service. Masemola appeared in court this week, facing charges linked to alleged contraventions of the Public Finance Management Act. The charges relate to alleged financial misconduct and procurement irregularities within the police service, including failures to comply with prescribed financial management procedures. On…

Law enforcement authorities across South Africa are intensifying road safety operations ahead of the Freedom Day and Workers’ Day long weekends, warning that increased traffic volumes and risky behaviour could reverse recent gains in reducing road fatalities. The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) says it will deploy additional officers across Johannesburg, with a particular focus on pedestrian safety as fatalities involving people on foot continue to account for a significant share of deaths on the city’s roads. JMPD spokesperson Xolani…