Sowetan
I don’t know the difference between a wig and weave — Nosiviwe
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has denied receiving R300,000 bribe money that was hidden in a wig, saying she does not know the difference between a weave and a wig as she usually opts for a headwrap or a shaved head. Mapisa-Nqakula, former defence and...
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SCHOOL EXISTS ONLY THAT ON PAPER
● Umkhumbane learners have been boycotting classes for a week over overcrowding, poor facilities and bullying by pupils where they are being accommodated
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GAUTENG STORM BRACES FURY FOR MORE
Gauteng metros remain on high alert following severe weather that battered parts of the province over the weekend, with more heavy rain, thunderstorms, and localised flooding expected. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) yesterday said Gauteng is...
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DO OR DIE IN RUGBY'S BREATEST RIVALRY
Springbok and All Blacks fans heading to FNB Stadium tomorrow have been warned to plan their journeys well in advance as the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) is expecting heavy traffic and severe delays around the Nasrec precinct. SA...
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Saturday’s rugby flypast put on hold
The flypast many South Africans had been looking forward to before the Springboks clash against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday has been cancelled. The tradition that has been ongoing since 1995 has now been put on hold after last...
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A PITSO BETTER RETURNS COACH
Newly appointed Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane says he is in a better position now to coach the national team than he was 14 years ago when he was sacked by the SA Football Association. When Mosimane first managed Bafana, between 2010 and 2012, he...
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R370,000 IN ATM DEPOSITS IN ONE HOUR
● Senior Hawks cop accused of 172 extra-judicial killings in KZN struggles to explain 37 R10,000 deposits into his home loan account ● Commissioners dismiss Govender’s explanation for the unusual night-time transactions as “nonsensical” and raise...
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BOY’S HORROR ‘CIRCUMCISION’
A Tshwane schoolboy is in pain after he was allegedly circumcised by four older pupils in school toilets. Police have opened a case of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm following the ordeal suffered by the grade 5 pupil at Sinqobile...
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ESTATE SHAME FEUD STEVE KEKANA FOR
An unresolved and bitter legal dispute over the estate of late music icon Steve Kekana, who died in 2021, continues to drive a wedge through his family. His five children, aged between 38 and 48, are pleading poverty and blame their stepmother,...
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BOSASA THE COST COLLAPSE OF
More than 4,500 former employees of Bosasa, now African Global Operations, say they’ve been left struggling for years as they wait for their outstanding salaries, retrenchment benefits and other payments after the company’s liquidation in 2019. The...
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CAT’S WEB UNRAVELS
WhatsApp messages have drawn strong financial connections between Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, tender tycoon Hangwani Maumela and the late taxi boss Jothan Msibi. For the first time yesterday, the Madlanga commission heard from Matlala how he was connected...
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VICTIMS MORE FORWARD STEP
The family of the late chief Hlengani Maswanganyi has joined a list of alleged victims of fraud committed by attorney Charlotte Tibana and her flashy metro cop husband Peter “Greater Gagash” Nonyane. The Maswanganyi royal family in Giyani, Limpopo,...
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ANOTHER ANC PLEADS CHANCE FOR
The ANC has presented its 2026 local government elections manifesto anchored on six promises. These include the provision of quality services and infrastructure; driving investment and job creation; ensuring safe, clean, and healthy communities;...
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Lillian Ngoyi Street in Joburg’s CBD is still undergoing rehabilitation despite the authorities saying the project will meet its August 30 deadline.
With less than two weeks remaining for the City of Johannesburg complete the rehabilitation of Lilian Ngoyi Street, several key components of the R230m project are still far from being finished. The city set August 30 as the deadline for the...
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JOKES, JABS & JEERS
While Fadiel Adams MP spent most of Wednesday at the Madlanga commission denying allegations against him, he also kept the chairperson and commissioners amused and irritated with his jokes and theatrics. His appearance last week ended with parliament...
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HOW GOT G-WAGON COP ARRESTED FLASHY
A suspicion over the source of funds used to purchase a R1.65m Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 at a Pretoria dealership in 2024 is what led to the arrest of Tshwane metro police officer Peter Nonyane, 36, also known as “Lamasweet” or “Greater Gagash...
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‘I DON’T WANT TO INCRIMINATE MYSELF’
● Matlala repeatedly invokes constitutional right as Madlanga inquiry probes R228m SAPS tender, alleged impala gift and R15m 'loan' ● Lawyer clashes with evidence leader over whether answers could expose crime-accused tenderpreneur to further criminal...
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CONTRACTOR LIFTS LID ON R16M THEFT
A whistleblower who accused Gauteng government officials, consultants and contractors of siphoning R16.9m from a school construction project says he alerted the department over a year ago about the irregularities but nothing was done. His allegations...
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HOW ‘GRIEVING’ I NAILED PARTNER
When the charred body of a young mother was found inside a Mercedes-Benz engulfed by flames in Midrand in 2023, it was initially thought her death was due to a freak accident possibly caused by a mechanical failure. Young mother Mahlako Rabalao was...
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Lorcia rocks Umthetho
Actor Sthembiso “SK” Khoza is back on the small screen with a character that demanded he delve deeper and not rely solely on the physical performance. Khoza portrays Zola in a new Netflix crime drama Umthetho, a seven-part SA adaptation of Brazilian...
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MIGRANTS R300m TO HOME SEND
The mass repatriation of undocumented foreign nationals has cost the state almost R293m, more than five times the department of home affairs’ annual allocation for deportations. The department is now seeking additional funding for an operation it says...
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KILLED WHILE OUT TO BUY FIREWOOD
The families of Jaydin Magerman and Rolene Lessing, two of the four people gunned down in Reiger Park, Boksburg in Ekurhuleni, on Friday night, believe the women were deliberately targeted. Chris Landsberg, who is representing both families, told...
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Bring back the magic, Banyana!
As Banyana Banyana prepare for a high-stakes Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) quarterfinal against hosts Morocco tomorrow night, students and sporting personalities have rallied behind the defending champions, urging them to bring home another...
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’SECURED HOW NOSIVIWE THE BAG’
The daughter and sister of the woman in the centre of the corruption and money laundering trial of former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula have testified about accompanying her to deliver cash bribes allegedly meant for the former...
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ZUMA PARTY’S SPHITHIPHITHI
Former president Jacob Zuma has elevated his son, Duduzane Zuma , to the powerful position of first deputy president of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party in a dramatic leadership shake-up that signals the clearest indication yet of who he wants to...
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Banyana stand united as one
Banyana Banyana legends Portia Modise and Noko Matlou have chalked up the team’s struggles at the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco to shoddy preparations and lack of support. “I am not surprised to see Banyana struggling,”...
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BANYANA VOW POWER TO PROGRESS IN WAFCON
Banyana Banyana utility defender Bongeka Gamede says the door is still open for them to qualify to the quarterfinals of the ongoing Wafcon in Morocco, even though their fate is in Ivory Coast’s hands. Banyana remain bottom of Group B after drawing...
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MADLANGA TRIGGERS SHAKE-UP IDAC
Explosive revelations at the Madlanga inquiry have triggered a major shake-up of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac). Minister of justice and constitutional development Mmamoloko Kubayi and the national director of public...
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TARGETED? UNJUSTLY
Outgoing Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) head Andrea Johnson has admitted that the decision to join suspended police commissioner Fannie Masemola in a criminal case alongside people charged with corruption and fraud was not based on...
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R9m SPORTS CENTRE
A barren piece of land that served as an illegal dumping site was allegedly used in a fraudulent scheme to steal R9m from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC). In 2021, Jeremane Petrus Sedibe, 54, of Protea Glen in Soweto, applied for NLC funding,...
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SHAMEFUL
National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) head Adv Andy Mothibi has withdrawn the prosecution of police crime intelligence officials, including its head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo, who were arrested over an alleged corrupt hiring of an engineer in...
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INSIDE GAMBLING SA’S ADDICTION
● Meet a gambler who lost everything, including his marriage, his career, more than R1m, and nearly ended his life ● Philips got addicted to the habit at only 13, is one of thousands of South Africans who have sought help to overcome the addiction
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BAFANA PITSO RETURN EYES
Revered SA coach Pitso Mosimane has confirmed he has held talks with the SA Football Association (Safa) about the possibility of replacing Hugo Broos at Bafana Bafana. Broos initially said he’d retire after the Fifa World Cup but it seems Safa wants...
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DAMAGING ‘ERROR’
● Idac boss concedes to Madlanga inquiry that corruption complaint against crime intelligence head failed the NPA Act’s legal test ● Commission questions the directorate’s mandate and competence after it sought an affidavit from MP Fadiel Adams...
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HOW ‘FERRARI’ JOE CHEATED DEATH
The Johannesburg high court was yesterday taken back to the chaotic night that taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni drove into Centurion Golf Estate in his red Ferrari, only to be ambushed a few moments later by gunmen with AK47s travelling in a white BMW...
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MAUMELA EMPIRE GOING GONE!
● Alleged Tembisa Hospital looter suffers hammer blow as court grants NPA final forfeiture of his R326m assets ● Civil groups hail return of recovered funds to Gauteng health but call for criminal prosecutions to follow
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WHY SO EXPENSIVE MEAT IS
You are likely paying R12.10 more for a kilogram of beef mince meat than you did a year ago. The price of boerewors has also increased by R14.56 per kilogram and chicken portions by R5.96, while beef, pork and mutton sausages have risen by almost R20...
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I’LL RECEIPTS BRING — GAYTON
Sports minister Gayton McKenzie has promised to provide receipts of his department’s R31m World Cup junket as criticism for the splurge gains momentum. As the 2026 Fifa World Cup comes to an end this weekend, McKenzie has found himself trying to put...
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IS MCHUNU OFF THE HOOK?
Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has found no evidence of criminality against police minister Senzo Mchunu but concluded that serious governance and integrity...
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MADLANGA OF DELAYS
When the head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) submitted a medical certificate before the Madlanga commission on Monday morning which excused her from taking the stand, she became the ninth witness to have their testimony...
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Police open inquest into the death of Bafana Bafana player Jayden Adams
Norway and England players observe a moment of silence before their World Cup game in Miami in memory of Bafana Bafana star Jayden Adams, who passed away on Saturday.
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HOW MASHAZI & CO MILKED EKURHULENI
● Former EMPD boss faced disciplinary process for an unlawful blue-light deal for vehicles belonging to suspected crime boss Cat Matlala
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Police and the SA National Defence Force members,
accompanied by Sibanye Protection Services, arrested over 200 people over illegal mining activities during Operation Prosper conducted at Losberg Kloof Mine in Westonaria yesterday.
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TEXTS REVEAL KHAN’S DEALINGS TENDER
Police crime intelligence operation support boss Maj-Gen Feroz Khan allegedly had a hand in a tender facilitated by National Treasuty worth more than R50m for automotive spare parts. Evidence from Khan’s WhatsApp chats with entrepreneur Ismail Vally...
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A YEAR OF UNRAVELLING SAPS ROT
Today is exactly a year since KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi dropped the bombshell about criminality infiltrating the police and judicial system. His claims led to the establishment of the Madlanga commission which exposed...
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OSCAR'S WIN WON'T STOP SIU PROBE
The ANC is sticking by its cadre Dina Pule in the midst of a public onslaught over her appointment as minister of social development. Yesterday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula defended President Cyril Ramaphosa s decision to appoint Pule,...
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WHY GAUTENG FEW ARRESTS SHOOTINGS FOR
Only 21% of the more than 2,800 shooting incidents recorded in Gauteng in the first five months of this year resulted in arrests. The reason for this low arrest rate, according to Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi, is the unavailability of witnesses and...
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JUNE 30 PANIC SETS IN
● Acting police minister urges officers to protect demonstrators and everyone who lives and works in SA
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SIYABANGENA
Following SA’s famous 1-0 win over South Korea in their final Group A Fifa World Cup match on Thursday, former Bafana Bafana striker Katlego “Killer” Mphela has explained how Hugo Broos got it right. After a disappointing 2-0 defeat to co-host Mexico...
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Tyla leads SMag’s Class of 2026
Happy 10th birthday Sowetan SMag! This issue coincides with the 50th anniversary of the June 16 Soweto Uprising. In commemoration, we are throwing it forward by handpicking four of the hottest young stars we’ve billed the “Class of 2026”. Leading the...
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MKHWANAZI'S R14.9M GEMSTONES HEIST COVER-UP
Metro police officers implicated in the theft of R14.9m in precious stones made attempts to squash the career-ending case, including infiltrating the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), evidence before the Madlanga commission on Tuesday...
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HIGH COST OF JUNE 30
The government will spend more than half-a-billion rand on a special security operation to safeguard critical infrastructure and maintain public order ahead of the planned June 30 anti-migrant demonstrations, acting police minister Firoz Cachalia said...
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ANC
president Cyril Ramaphosa greets the crowds at Atlyn Mall in Tshwane during the voter registration weekend. The ANC and other political parties went on a campaign trail for votes for the upcoming November 4 local government elections.
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Tributes for jazz icon, Abdullah Ibrahim
The piano musical genius and antiapartheid activist Abdullah Ibrahim died in Germany on Monday. Born in Cape Town, a melting pot of cultural influences, on October 9 1934 and christened Adolph Johannes Brand, the young “Dollar” Brand, as he became...
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Soweto uprising, 50 years on
“There’s a little coloured girl inside of me that was made to believe that what I have to say is not important.” For archaeologist Lauren Powell, those words capture the experience of many young South Africans who feel unheard in spaces where...
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KID VACCINATE OR GET YOUR SUED
Parents who choose not to vaccinate their children could, under certain circumstances, find themselves facing civil lawsuits if their decision results in serious harm to another person. Child vaccinations across the country have slowed, with the...
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FATIGUED WORKER DIES AT OFFICE...
● Aunt says her call centre agent niece collapsed and died in the work toilet after falling ill ● She ended up calling the ambulance for Dhladhla as her manager at Cartrack allegedly delayed sending her to the hospital
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INSIDE INSURERS SCAM TARGETING PENSIONERS
● Lobby group helps victims who thought they gave their ID numbers for free food offer to people who claimed to be Sassa officials
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‘HAWKS IGNORED DRUGS HEIST WARNING'
● Col Jacob tells Madlanga inquiry his unit neglected securing R200m cocaine after attempted break-in at storage ● Investigating officer in the 541kg narcotics haul at Durban port admits partial blame for the missing drugs
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RESIDENTS TO PAY FOR JOBURG FAILURES
Johannesburg residents will soon pay a fixed water levy of about R124 a month as Joburg Water scrambles to raise billions needed for infrastructure upgrades. The proposed increase in the fixed connection fee planned to start in July, on top of the...
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TOUGH AHEAD TIMES
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to tighten their belts, saying the attack by the US and Israel on Iran continues to disrupt the global economy, hampering job creation and economic growth. Delivering the Presidency Budget Vote in the...
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EVICT NO MONEY ‘HIJACKERS’ TO
Johannesburg is too broke to afford rehousing occupants of 59 hijacked buildings it has reclaimed. The city has been on a clean-up campaign to take control of hijacked buildings and demolish illegal structures, and still faces the mammoth task of...
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BAFANA’S WORLD CUP VISA LIFELINE
● Minister McKenzie reveals breakthrough for group to travel after initial setback with few travel approvals outstanding
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R6M ‘MY STOLEN MANSION’ ID BOUGHT
Four months after illegally registering a shell company using a stolen ID, Oscar Nobungwana, 33, received almost R8m from a businessman allegedly at the centre of a syndicate linked to the looting of R2bn from Tembisa Hospital. The Special...
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OUR TEAM, OUR PRIDE
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has conceded trimming his squad from 32 to 26 for the Fifa World Cup was the most difficult task he’s had to do. Broos broke hearts of six players by leaving them out of the squad which leaves for the World cup this...
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Downs paint Mamelodi yellow
Mamelodi Sundowns players went on an open bus tour through the streets of Pretoria yesterday, celebrating winning the CAF Champions League trophy in Morocco on Sunday./Muzi
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MOGOTSI’S ‘BROWN LIES’
● Self-proclaimed political fixer gave police runaround when they sought him to give a statement on his alleged assassination attempt ● Court hears how he avoided calls from investigators, claimed to be seeing a doctor, later a sangoma before a...
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TRUCK WATER WARNING
More than R314m has been spent by Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni on outsourced water tanker services over the past three financial years. As Gauteng faces water infrastructure maintenance later this month, in June and July, more water trucking services...
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I-WEEKEND ENKULU!
SATURDAY Orlando Pirates' last chance to win the Premiership for the first time in 14 years. The Soweto giants need victory over relegation-threatened Orbit College. Anything less would mean Mamelodi Sundowns are crowned PSL champs again — for the 9th...
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TAINTED LEADER ANC RUN FOR WON’T MAYOR
As the ANC opened its public nomination for the selection of mayoral candidates, embattled Tshwane ANC regional chairperson Eugene Modise has recused himself from the race for mayoral chains. Deputy mayor Modise’s withdrawal, though not yet nominated...
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