A restaurant manager who allegedly strangled and killed a KwaZulu-Natal woman before burying her body in his yard at Amaotana (Inanda) in Durban will spend at least two months in jail after abandoning his bail application.  Mfanafuthi Kunene, accused of killing Ayabonga Mjilo, abruptly gave up his bid for bail when he appeared before the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday, January 6. According to KwaZulu-Natal police, Kunene (37) was the last person seen with Mjilo (22), who disappeared on December 23,…

In an unprecedented move within the Zulu royal family, King Misuzulu KaZwelithini has filed for divorce against one of his wives, saying their marriage has broken down. The King has three wives and ascended to the throne in May 2021 amid a tussle with his brother Prince Simakade Zulu.  In papers quietly filed before the Pietermaritzburg High Court in KwaZulu-Natal and seen by African Times, the Zulu monarch detailed the “irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.” This is the first time…

The Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party is contesting another litmus test by-election in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday torn apart by two provincial factions. This is after yesterday the Electoral Court upheld the registration of Sthabiso Nkabinde as the party’s candidate for ward 2 by-election in Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg) in the province’s Midlands where the party performed well during the May 29 provincial and national elections. The troubles started when two posters of candidates emerged and were circulated to the public for support. One…

The KwaZulu-Natal teacher who shocked the country when he allegedly killed his wife-to-be and recorded a live social media video boasting about the tragic incident has a history of “unusual behaviour”, his colleagues have revealed. Sbusiso Lawrence Nkaba, a teacher at Ziphozethu Primary School in KwaDukuza just outside Durban, posted the body of his bruised and bloodied girlfriend on Facebook on Tuesday night, December 17, before taking his own life.  In the video, with blood stains all over his face,…

Drakensberg, South Africa – The rolling hills of Bonjaneni served as the backdrop for the third annual Rural Inclusion and Sustainability Film Festival (RISFF), a celebration of creativity and community empowerment. Over November 29-30, villagers gathered to explore themes of sustainability, conservation, and economic inclusion through the lens of film. This year’s festival at Emazizini village in Bonjaneni area near Bergville, KwaZulu Natal, struck a powerful chord with its diverse programming. Local and international films, such as the conservation-focused Rhino…

The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government Director-General has suffered another legal blow after the Durban High Court dismissed her application to have her trial separated from the rest in the Mhlathuze Water Board corruption case. The controversial Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize wanted to have her case speeded up, citing prejudice if tried later with the other 16 accused including Durban based lawyer, Ralph Sithembelo Mhlanga. Judge John Olsen called Mkhize’s application “premature” and dismissed it. “In the circumstances, separating the trial of the…

The ANC-run eThekwini municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is facing the prospect of being sued for allegedly breaching an agreement with an event organising company. The municipality allegedly entered into an agreement with Ezombuso Group, a company owned by Sibongiseni Jaca, to sponsor the hugely popular 503 music festival. The festival was originally held in KwaMashu to promote township tourism in the INK (Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu) zone, townships in the northern side of Durban. As part of the agreement inked in 2022,…

The R80 million drugs busted by the KwaZulu-Natal police earlier on Friday was shipped from Brazil in South America and disguised as kidney beans destined for the South African market.  Police said the ship that delivered it left Brazil early last month and docked in Durban over the weekend. Acting on intelligence gathered about the ship, the police searched the container and found pure cocaine. “Police received information about a vessel which left Brazil at the beginning on November and…

The police in KwaZulu-Natal are hunting for a foreign pastor who runs a church in Umbilo in Durban to answer why his house in Pinetown was being used to manufacture fake hair products. The discovery was made on Tuesday while police were following a trail of a flow bin which was stolen at Westmead industrial site near Pinetown in the west of Durban.  Intelligence information led the police to a house in Somerset Place in Pinetown where the stolen flow…

The police have officially confirmed that they have arrested three top political office bearers at the Nongoma Local Municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal earlier on Friday. However, they did not reveal the charges except that the suspects will appear in court on Monday where they would be presented with the charge sheet. “The SAPS confirms that there are politicians and officials attached to the Nongoma Local Municipality that have been arrested. They are expected to appear in court on Monday morning.…