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Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe, a witness who testified at South Africa’s Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, has been shot dead in Brakpan, police confirmed on Friday evening. Police confirmed that Van der Merwe was shot dead in Brenthurst, Brakpan, Ekurhuleni. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe told The Citizen that police management were en route to […]

Brumelda Zuma, daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, is expected to be sworn in as a member of parliament for the opposition uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, replacing her half-sister who resigned amid allegations of involvement in a Russian military recruitment scandal. A leaked internal letter dated Dec. 2 from MK party secretary-general Bongani […]

Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi received at least R70,000 ($3,900) from tender tycoon Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala through three of his companies, the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry heard on Thursday. Bank statements presented to the commission showed transfers from companies owned by Matlala into Mkhwanazi’s personal account between May and December […]

Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department acting head Julius Mkhwanazi admitted on Wednesday that he refused to submit his fingerprints for criminal record checks during a department-wide vetting process in 2022. Testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria, Mkhwanazi said he and nearly 200 officers under his command in the Specialized Services Division declined […]

Former Ekurhuleni City Manager Imogen Mashazi on Tuesday claimed she was prejudiced during her testimony before South Africa’s Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, with her attorney requesting additional time to gather documents after commissioners challenged her failure to substantiate serious allegations. Mashazi’s attorney, Mr Moosa, addressed the commission in Pretoria on his client’s concerns following two […]

Suspended South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu will testify before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday afternoon to answer allegations he aligned himself with criminal networks and used his political influence to protect individuals under investigation. Mchunu’s testimony comes amid serious allegations that he may have aligned himself with criminal networks and used his […]

My Fellow South Africans, I wish to address you this evening about the way South Africa led and managed the G20 process, culminating with the G20 Leaders’ Summit that concluded its work exactly a week ago. Allow me to express my profound gratitude to you all, as my fellow compatriots, for ensuring and enabling our […]

South African police arrested four men at Johannesburg’s main airport who were allegedly heading to Russia to join the military, authorities said on Saturday, as investigators probe a suspected recruitment network operating in the country. The Hawks, South Africa’s elite crime investigation unit, said the men were intercepted at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday […]

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former South African president Jacob Zuma, has resigned from parliament and all structures of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party amid allegations she recruited young South African men to fight for Russia in Ukraine. MK Party national chairperson Nathi Nhleko announced the resignation at a media briefing in Durban on Friday. The […]

South Africa’s Democratic Alliance laid criminal charges against uMkhonto weSizwe Party lawmaker Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla on Thursday over allegations she recruited young men to fight for Russian forces in Ukraine. The DA filed the charges at Cape Town Central police station, citing new evidence including around 100 WhatsApp messages from a group allegedly administered by Zuma-Sambudla. […]

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described as “regrettable” U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 summit, calling it a punitive measure based on misinformation. Trump said on Wednesday that South Africa would be excluded from next year’s G20 gathering in Miami, citing what he called the […]

Lawyers for incarcerated businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala have requested a postponement of his testimony before a parliamentary committee investigating police corruption, threatening court action if the panel does not respond. Matlala’s legal team sent a letter on Tuesday requesting the planned proceedings be delayed, citing his lack of preparation. The lawyers are also citing poor […]

Catholic bishops and civil society groups in Zambia are preparing to lead nationwide protests on Friday against the government’s constitutional amendment process, which critics say lacks legitimacy despite a court ruling that declared it unconstitutional. The Oasis Forum, a coalition of lawyers, churches and women’s groups, has called citizens to march from Freedom Statue to […]

A Hawks captain told South Africa’s Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday that he was ordered to verify whether a police operation at the home of alleged crime boss Katiso Molefe was legitimate. Captain Dail Nortjie concluded brief testimony focused on the December 2024 arrest of Molefe, who faces murder charges including the killing of […]

South Africa’s Parliament will convene at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre this week to hear testimony from incarcerated businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, a central figure in investigations into alleged criminal infiltration of the country’s justice system. The Ad Hoc Committee established to investigate allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal provincial police head Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is scheduled […]

South Africa’s Hawks police unit is investigating former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla over allegations she recruited 17 men who are now trapped fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine, police said on Sunday. The criminal case was filed by Zuma-Sambudla’s half-sister, Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube, at a Johannesburg police station on Saturday. Zuma-Mncube, 53, is […]

A Catholic priest in Zambia has called on the opposition Patriotic Front to bury former president Edgar Lungu before selecting new leadership, highlighting tensions as the party prepares for a convention while Lungu’s remains lie unburied five months after his death. Father Elias Muma of St Mbaaga Kawama Catholic Parish in Kitwe said during a […]

South Africa’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party rejected the G20 Leaders’ Declaration on Saturday, denouncing the document as neocolonial despite its focus on African development priorities. The left-wing populist party, which serves as South Africa’s official opposition, issued a statement calling the 122-point declaration adopted at the Johannesburg summit a continuation of global power imbalances that undermine […]

Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube has opened a criminal case against her half-sister and two others, accusing them of human trafficking and fraud relating to 17 South African men trapped fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine. Zuma-Mncube, the eldest daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, filed charges on Friday evening at Sandton Police Station against Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, […]

South Africa defended its decision to refuse handing over the G20 presidency to a United States embassy official, saying the diplomatic protocol for such a transfer shows appropriate respect to Washington despite the absence of senior American representatives. International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said on Saturday it would not be proper for President Cyril Ramaphosa […]

South African police shot and wounded a suspected carjacker who attempted to hijack a vehicle carrying elite officers hours before the start of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg on Friday evening, authorities said. The incident occurred on Empire Road when the suspect allegedly jumped into the road and aimed what appeared to be a […]

Group of 20 leaders meeting in South Africa adopted a declaration addressing climate change and African development on Saturday despite United States opposition, with the document approved at the summit’s opening rather than its traditional conclusion. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa departed from G20 protocol by asking leaders to adopt the declaration at the start […]

Two construction workers were killed on Saturday after a truck lost control and struck them on South Africa’s N3 highway near the Marianhill Toll Plaza in KwaZulu-Natal province, emergency services said. The truck collided with the workers on the roadside before veering down an embankment around 11 a.m. local time on the N3 Durban-bound section, […]

South African police fired tear gas and pepper spray at dozens of protesters outside the G20 Leaders’ Summit venue on Saturday, after demonstrators attempted to move closer to the Nasrec Expo Centre where world leaders are meeting. Members of Operation Dudula and the uMkhonto we Sizwe party clashed with police near the summit venue, leading […]