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A 48-year-old is due to appear before the Greytown Magistrate’s Court soon after being found in possession of firearms and ammunition.

This a multidisciplinary operation comprising members attached to the Pietermaritzburg Flying Squad, Pietermaritzburg Public Order Policing (POP), and local security companies.

“On Thursday, 13 February 2025, police conducted an informer operation following information regarding unlicensed firearms at a homestead in Ngome.

“Upon arrival, officers searched the premises and found two .303 rifles, two pistols, and ammunition. Further investigation led to the recovery of a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) uniform,” said KwaZulu-Natal police.

🚨 URGENT: SASSA Gold Cards Will Stop Working Soon – Get Your New Postbank Black Card NOW! 🚨

📅 Deadline: 28 February 2025

Time is running out! If you rely on a SASSA Gold Card to receive your grant, you must switch to the new Postbank Black Card before 28 February 2025 – or you will have trouble with your transactions after the deadline. 

All SASSA Gold Cards will be deactivated on 28 February 2025, regardless of the expiry date printed on them. The SASSA grants payments that started in the week of 4 – 6 February 2025 will be the last payments that will be made with SASSA Gold Cards. After that, you’ll need a Postbank Black Card to access your funds.

✅ How to Get Your Free Postbank Black Card:

Visit your nearest Checkers, Shoprite, Pick ‘n Pay, Usave, or Boxer and collect your card hassle-free.

You only need:
✔️ Your valid South African ID (or temporary ID).
✔️No extra paperwork.

💳 No waiting period!  

✔️ Instant activation – You can use the Black Card immediately!
✔️ It works at ATMs, stores, and anywhere that accepts bank cards.

✔️ Enjoy FREE benefits:

• 1 Free card replacement per year.
• 3 Free withdrawals in stores per month.
• 1 Free monthly statement over the counter.

📍 Find the Nearest Collection Point:

Dial 📲 120218*3#, then:
1. Reply 1 to continue
2. Reply with the number for your province

Don’t wait until it’s too late! Switch today and avoid payment issues.

For help, call Postbank: 0800 53 54 55 or SASSA: 0800 60 10 11.

📢 Spread the word – tell family and friends to switch NOW!

The clock is ticking for spaza shop owners and food businesses to register with their municipalities or face legal repercussions.

The deadline for registration is 28 February 2025.

📢 Why shop owners must register now

In November 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that spaza shop owners and food businesses had 21 days to register their businesses with their respective municipalities.

This followed hundreds of cases of foodborne illnesses in parts of the country, where nearly 30 people, including children, passed away after consuming snacks purchased at some spaza shops last year.

SAnews Report | Law enforcement urged to act on shops selling expired food

After the directive was issued by the President in November, an extension was granted for spaza shops and other food handling outlets to register by 28 February 2025, as reported by SAnews.

READ | Deadline for spaza shop registrations extended to February 2025

The directive to register spaza shops is meant to prevent dangerous foodborne illnesses and protect communities.

📍 Where to register

✅Business owners must visit their municipal registration centre on business days only (public holidays & weekends excluded).
✅ Call the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA) at 086 010 3703 or 012 748 9600 for support.

🚫 Non-compliance will not be tolerated. Law enforcement and health inspectors will deal with unregistered businesses and ensure strict food safety regulations are followed.

🚨Register today and protect your business, your customers, and your community.

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has raised concern over the ongoing accommodation crisis at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the Nelson Mandela University (NMU).

This comes as hundreds of students have been left stranded and forced to sleep wherever they find shelter.

In a statement on Tuesday, Higher Education Committee Chairperson, Tebogo Letsie, said the scenes at CPUT and NMU were deeply troubling, particularly following the committee’s recent oversight visits to institutions in the North West and Gauteng provinces to assess the state of readiness for the 2025 academic year.

“While institutions assured the committee of their preparedness, the current crisis underscores the urgent need for greater scrutiny of these assurances. The systemic failure to address recurring student accommodation shortages reflects a broader institutional and governmental neglect of student welfare,” Letsie said.

The chairperson has also condemned the involvement of private security forces at CPUT, which resulted in violent clashes and injuries to students.

“The use of excessive force is unacceptable. Security personnel must prioritise de-escalation and protection, not repression. Students advocating for their right to education deserve empathy, not violence,” Letsie said.

National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Administrator, Freeman Nomvalo, said the scheme has reached out to accommodation providers who have not received payment and has established payment arrangements with them.

Last week, the NSFAS called on accommodation providers, or landlords, not to demand a deposit or top-up payment from NSFAS-funded students.

This after some landlords asked NSFAS-funded students to pay a deposit or top-up payment in order to get access to the approved private accommodation.

According to the Standardised Fixed-Term Lease Agreement, the rent will be paid monthly to the accommodation provider (lessor) by NSFAS, on behalf of the lessee (NSFAS funded student), in accordance with the NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal.

The agreement states that the lessor may not require or permit the lessee to pay a deposit, top-up payments, or any other forms of payment to the lessor, or any other person in connection with this agreement, including payment of rent, while awaiting payment from NSFAS.

The lessor shall have no recourse against the lessee for any default in the payment of rent by NSFAS.

The NSFAS terms and conditions for private accommodation providers’ participation on the student accommodation portal also states that: “Where the NSFAS-funded student is defunded due to an incorrect decision by NSFAS, the student will not be liable for payment of any arrear rent to the accommodation provider, up until the date of being defunded.”

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga has confirmed that the remains of fallen South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops are currently delayed due to medical processing in Uganda.

The Minister stated that the soldiers are now expected to return to South Africa by Thursday, following the necessary procedures.

Motshekga addressed Parliament during an urgent debate to discuss the deployment of South African troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), held in Cape Town on Monday.

The discussion follows the tragic deaths of 14 SANDF soldiers in the DRC, as their families await the return of their loved ones’ remains.

“I must say, from the latest reports, yes, indeed, the delay is disheartening. From the reports we are receiving, they are still in Uganda, undergoing all the medical processes, and we also are pressing very hard to get our deceased.

“We were hoping that we’ll get them by today, but by the latest, we are told that Thursday they will be here,” she said yesterday.

Motshekga informed the Members of Parliament (MPs) that the soldiers were under heavy attack from the M23 as fighting in the Goma region intensified, with the rebel group engaging fiercely against the Congolese armed forces.

The SANDF soldiers are part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), which aims to help restore peace, security, and stability in Africa’s second-largest country.

The Minister announced that the soldiers would be laid to rest with full military honours.

Meanwhile, International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Ronald Lamola, has dismissed the opposition MPs’ proposal to withdraw South African soldiers from the DRC, stating that this action would be worse than surrender.

“Abrupt withdrawal as called upon by some in the House, is not even a tactical retreat, it is even worse than a surrender as with the number of armed groups in the area, there lies ambush,” he said.

Lamola stated that the South African government welcomes the leaders of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the East Africa Community (EAC), who called for a ceasefire and dialogue in the DRC over the weekend.

This follows a SADC – EAC Heads of State and Government Summit on the security situation in the eastern DRC, in which President Cyril Ramaphosa also took part.

He believes that the recent summit of SADC and the EAC, has clarified the way forward regarding the conflict in eastern DRC.

The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has announced the adjustment to the toll tariffs effective from 1 March 2025.

The tariffs are adjusted annually in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as obtained from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

The annual toll tariffs will increase by 4.84%, as published in the Government Gazette of 7 February 2025. This rate is less than last year’s 6.25% adjustment.

SANRAL’s General Manager for Communications and Marketing, Vusi Mona, explained that toll revenue is necessary to maintain, operate and improve toll roads, as well as to service debt incurred to implement a toll road project.

“The funds go a long way towards ensuring that SANRAL fulfils its mandate of delivering quality road infrastructure that adds value to the lives of South African citizens,” Mona said on Monday.

He further said that key economic infrastructure, such as the national road network, is a precondition for providing basic services such as electricity, water, sanitation, telecommunications and public transport.

“This road network therefore needs to meet industrial, commercial and household needs. SANRAL is empathetic to the South African public, considering the current state of the economy. However, it is equally important to introduce the adjustments to ensure that the agency continues to deliver safe and quality roads to the benefit of all road users,” Mona said.

SANRAL is an entity of the Department of Transport

The Department of Correctional Services has launched a manhunt for an inmate who escaped from the Pollsmoor Correctional Centre in the Western Cape.

According to the department, the 35-year-old man, Yanga Wayithi, was assigned to work within a team maintaining the grounds of the facility.

Wayithi is serving a six-month sentence for theft and trespassing.

“The South African Police Service (SAPS) has been notified, and a case of escape from lawful custody has been opened. The Department of Correctional Services’ tracing team is actively working to ensure a swift rearrest.

“Additionally, an internal investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances of the escape, with the findings informing any further action to be taken,” the department said.

The public is warned to “remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities” as the department continues its search for the escaped inmate.

“Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available,” the department concluded.

The process to identify 13 accident victims killed in a crash along the R40 road near Kapama in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, is set to get underway.

This as the Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provincial Governments will work together to identify victims of the accident that occurred on Saturday, 08 February.

A task team has been established and is scheduled to convene on Tuesday to commence with the identification process.

The fatal collision between a Toyota Quantum and a Ford Ranger, resulted in both vehicles being completely burnt with passengers trapped inside.

According to police reports, the Toyota minibus taxi, which was carrying nine passengers along with the driver, was involved in a head-on collision with the Ford bakkie which had five occupants.

“Sadly, all 10 people in the Quantum perished on the scene. It is believed that the occupants of the Quantum are from Mpumalanga province.

“Three passengers from the Ford Ranger also lost their lives, while three others sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital for medical treatment,” the Limpopo Provincial Government said on Monday.

READ | At least 13 die in Limpopo crash

In response to this tragedy, the Limpopo Provincial Government has established a team comprising officials from the Department of Health and the Department of Transport and Community Safety.

This team will work closely with officials from the Mpumalanga Provincial Government to facilitate the identification process and conduct DNA tests to ensure a dignified handover of the deceased to their families.

Limpopo Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, has commended the MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Violet Mathye and her team for their swift response following the accident.

The Premier has expressed her heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

She also extended her sympathies to the Mpumalanga government, as some of the deceased were from the neighbouring province.

“This is a heart-breaking tragedy, and our thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones in this devastating accident. As we mourn, we also call for vigilance on our roads to prevent further loss of life. Our government will provide the necessary support to assist the affected families during this difficult time,” Ramathuba said.

Former State Security Minister Bongani Bongo has been granted R5 000 bail, following his arrest for alleged corruption.

Bongo (47) made a brief appearance at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, after his arrest in the morning of the same day.

Bongo is accused of offering a bribe to evidence leader in Parliament’s Eskom inquiry, Ntuthuzelo Vanara, in 2017, and also contravening the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004 (“PRECCA”).

He is being re-tried after he was acquitted by former Western Cape Judge President, John Hlophe, who dismissed the charges against Bong in 2021.

However, the matter went back to the court after Supreme Court of Appeal Judge John Smith, appealed the decision, and ordered that the matter be heard afresh, granting the retrial.

“It is reported that during September to October 2017, the accused approached a member of the then Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises to allegedly arrange a meeting to prevent the next sitting, where Eskom board was to account.

“Eventually, the suspect secured the meeting wherein he indicated that the Portfolio Committee sitting with the Eskom board cannot proceed as planned and indicated that was possible if the member named his price,” National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya said on Tuesday.

Bongo is expected to reappear in court on 4 March 2025.

The accused, a former member of the National Assembly, was sworn in as a Member of the Executive and Cabinet, and the Minister of State Security, a position he occupied until 28 May 2024.

All MP’s are bound by the Code of Ethics, and all other ethical and other obligations and duties arising from the Constitution, the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act, No. 4 of 2004, and the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004 (“PRECCA”).

Lebeya vowed that the Directorate will continue to execute its mandate without fear, favour or prejudice.

He also commended the investigating team and encouraged the prosecution team to ensure the South African citizenry receive the deserved justice due to them.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed four new proclamations authorising the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of maladministration and corruption at Ithala Development Finance Corporation, the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality, Llepele-Nkumpi Local Municipality and Greater North Transport.

Ithala Development Finance Corporation

Proclamation 243 of 2025 authorises the SIU to investigate serious maladministration in connection with the affairs of the Ithala Development Finance Corporation situated in KwaZulu-Natal, focusing on tendering for the supply, implementation, and maintenance of an integrated banking solution.

The probe will determine if contract payments adhered to national treasury guidelines were irregular, wasteful, or led to financial losses for the department or state.

The SIU will also investigate any unlawful conduct by Ithala employees or officials that may have resulted in improper benefits.

“Furthermore, the investigation will assess whether fraudulent actions occurred, identify any resultant losses or damages, and examine any irregular or unlawful behaviour by Ithala employees or other entities.

“The Proclamation covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that occurred between 1 January 2017 and 31 January 2025, as well as any related activities before 1 January 2017 and after the date of the Proclamation that are pertinent to the matters under investigation or involve the same persons, entities, or contracts,” said the SIU.

Greater Kokstad Local Municipality

Proclamation 244 of 2025 directs the SIU to probe two tenders by the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. These tenders are:

• For the appointment of a service provider to supply and renew software licences for three years.
• For the appointment of a service provider to supply customer care and IT service desk solutions.

The SIU said the probe will examine whether the procurement and contracting were made in a manner that was not fair, competitive, transparent, equitable, or cost-effective or in violation of applicable legislation, guidelines, or instructions from the National or Provincial Treasury.

This includes the municipality or the state’s unauthorised, irregular, or wasteful expenditure.

The probe will also look at any irregular, unlawful, or improper conduct by officials or employees of the municipality, its suppliers or service providers, or any other person or entity implicated.

The proclamation covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that occurred between 1 January 2022 and 31 January 2025, as well as any related activities before 1 January 2022 and after the date of the Proclamation that are pertinent to the matters under investigation or involve the same persons, entities, or contracts.

Llepele-Nkumpi Local Municipality

Proclamation 243 of 2025 mandates the SIU to investigate serious maladministration in the affairs of Llepele-Nkumpi Local Municipality in Limpopo Province regarding procuring and contracting for goods, works or services for six contracts. The contracts under investigation are:

• Tender relating to professional services for the closure and rehabilitation plan of the old dumping site in Zone A.
• The award of contracts in or about August 2015 for the electrification of Rakgoatha Village Extension, Mapatjakeng Village Extension and Motserereng Village Extension.
• The award of a contract in or about June 2016 for upgrading the access road from Units S to Q.
• The award of a contract in or about June 2016 for constructing the Madisha Ditoro small access bridge and upgrading internal streets and stormwater drains (phase 1) in Rakgoatha.
• The award of a contract in or about April 2016 for tarring 9 km of internal streets in Rockville and Unit S, Lebowakgomo.

The contract was awarded in or about December 2013 for refurbishing the Lebowakgomo Civic Centre.

• The contract was awarded in or about December 2013 for refurbishing the Lebowakgomo Civic Centre.

Greater North Transport

Proclamation 246 of 2025 authorises the SIU to investigate allegations of corruption in eight contracts and maladministration in six contracts at the Greater North Transport (GNT) in Limpopo Province.

The SIU will investigate the allegations of corruption of board members, officials or employees of the GNT or contractors, suppliers or service providers for the following tenders:

• Appointment of Raletjena Technologies and Trading (Pty) Ltd.
• extension of a contract between the GNT and Group 4 Security (Fidelity Cash Management) (Pty) Ltd.
• Appointment of Scania South Africa (Pty) Ltd to provide repair and maintenance services to the GNT.
• Procurement of 150 busses from Mercedes Benz South Africa (Pty) Ltd
• Procurement of 87 80-seater busses from MAN Truck and Bus South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
• Appointment of BB Truck and Tractor Services (Pty) Ltd to provide repair and maintenance services to the GNT.
• Procurement of legal services.
• Procurement of a fleet management system.

Furthermore, the SIU will also probe allegations of maladministration in the affairs of the GNT and any losses or prejudice suffered by the GNT or the State as a result of such maladministration concerning:

• Fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred by the GNT as a result of interest payments made to Africa Oil (Pty) Ltd;
• A settlement agreement concluded with Umvuzo Energy (Pty) Ltd
• The mismanagement of diesel supplies.
• The failure to collect the debt that was due and owing to the GNT
• An agreement was entered into between the GNT and emerging bus operators.

The probe will also examine whether the payments for these contracts adhered to national treasury guidelines and ascertain whether the payments were irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditures or financial losses for the department or the state.

Furthermore, the SIU will seek to establish if there was unlawful or improper conduct by the department employees, officials, agents, and any other person or entity to corruptly or unduly benefit themselves or others.

The investigation will also at whether fraudulent conduct occurred, including the causes of such maladministration, any losses, damages, or prejudice actually or potentially suffered by the department or the state, and any irregular, improper, or unlawful conduct by employees or officials of the department or any other person or entity.

The Proclamation covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that occurred between 1 January 2002 and 31 January 2025, as well as any related activities before 1 January 2002 and after the date of the proclamation that are pertinent to the matters under investigation or involve the same persons, entities, or contracts.

Beyond investigating maladministration, corruption, and fraud, the SIU said it was committed to identifying systemic failures and recommending measures to prevent future losses.

In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996 (SIU Act), the SIU will refer any evidence of criminal conduct uncovered during its investigation to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for further action.

Under the SIU Act, the SIU is also authorised to initiate a civil action in the High Court or a Special Tribunal in its name to address any wrongdoing identified during its investigation resulting from acts of corruption, fraud, or maladministration.