Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-10-24 i Pretoria News

New Year’s Eve is not just a date on the calendar; it’s a chance to reflect on the past year and embrace new beginnings. As the clock ticks down to midnight, the world comes alive with anticipation and celebration. What better way to mark this momentous occasion than by travelling to a new destination? Whether you seek the thrill of vibrant city celebrations or the tranquillity of serene landscapes, travelling offers a unique opportunity to create unforgettable memories and connect with diverse cultures. Embrace the adventure, connect with new people, and start 2026 with excitement and joy. Here are some of the best destinations to celebrate the New Year, each offering its own flavour of adventure and excitement. A dazzling countdown: Dubai, UAE Dubai is famous for its extravagant New…

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi remains unconcerned by the DA’s announcement yesterday that it plans to table a motion of no confidence against him. The DA attributes this decision to his “failed and costly Crime Prevention Wardens programme”, widely known as AmaPanyaza, as it claims to have the necessary numbers to successfully oust him. This comes hot on the heels of Lesufi’s announcement that the AmaPanyaza will be disbanded over the next 36 months, with wardens undergoing retraining to become fully-fledged traffic officers. The DA views this decision as an admission of failure and a vindication of their long-standing criticisms of the programme. Lesufi’s spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, was dismissive of the DA’s efforts. “To date, they’ve not won a single motion since the establishment of the 7th Administration…So it’s clear…

Suspended Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, allegedly wanted information about the Armand Swart murder case, not to brief the national commissioner as an official report, but to ‘brief’ the side of the suspects. This was according to Witness A, who testified at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday, detailing the call between himself and the national head of Organised Crime, Major General Richard Shibiri. Witness A is a detective with the SAPS’s organised crime unit in Gauteng, and Armand Swart was an employee of a Vereeniging engineering company. He was shot dead after alleged hitmen mistook him for his boss in April 2024. The company Swart worked for had uncovered a 4 650% overpricing on small engineering parts at Transnet. Witness A said Shibiri’s call…

Tshwane’s most vulnerable residents are counting on the city’s Food Bank for essential food parcels but the facility’s ability to deliver has been stretched to the limit due to staff shortages. This was a pressing concern raised by the members of the Section 79 Community and Social Development Oversight Committee during their recent visit to the facility. Located at Tshwane Fresh Produce Market in Pretoria West, the facility serves as a storage facility and distribution hub for food parcels, operating under the city’s Department of Community and Social Development. It provides social relief to vulnerable families and supports non-government organisations (NGOs) that care for homeless individuals. Committee Chairperson Rebecca Monchusi expressed concerns over logistical hurdles hindering the Food Bank’s ability to meet growing operational demands. She said that among concerns…

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) says it has spent R239.4 million on road accident claims by foreign nationals between April and September 2025. The RAF said that in response to the questions from IOL News. According to the RAF, this figure includes all claim expenditure – capital or costs – related to foreign claimants. “From April 2025 to September 2025, R239.4 million was paid towards claims by foreign nationals. “This amount includes all claim expenditure – capital or costs – related to the foreign claims,” RAF spokesperson McIntosh Polela, told IOL News. The revelation comes in the wake of a tragic bus crash in Limpopo, which claimed 43 lives. According to the Limpopo provincial government, 34 of the victims have been identified by their families. The bus, which was carrying…

Mamelodi Sundowns are aware of their shortcomings in continental football over the last nine years, which is why they want to maintain their momentum and build their character. Sundowns last ruled the continent in 2016 when they won their maiden CAF Champions League crown under coach Pitso Mosimane. They came close to winning the title last season but lost to Pyramids at the final hurdle. Enter the current campaign. All eyes are on coach Miguel Cardoso to finally lead his troops to the promised land as that would be one of the few reasons strong enough to retain him for another season. After receiving a bye in the first round of the preliminary qualifiers, Sundowns showed their determination to reach the group stage by hammering Nigeria’s Remo Stars 5-1 in…

South Africa recorded their fifth consecutive victory against Pakistan Women on Tuesday in the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. It marks the first time the Proteas Women have achieved five straight wins in a World Cup tournament. Independent Media looks back at five standout performances that led South Africa to this historic milestone. Tazmin Brits – 101 vs New Zealand In the second match of the tournament, South Africa desperately needed someone to step up after being bowled out for just 69 in their opening game. Tazmin Brits answered the call, blasting 101 – her fifth century of the calendar year – becoming the first South African woman to achieve that feat. Her innings set the tone for the team’s resurgence.…

The Trump administration’s plan to overhaul the US refugee resettlement process, including a drastic reduction in overall annual admissions, coincides with a concerted effort to prepare thousands of White South Africans to relocate to the United States through the system, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post and people familiar with the effort. If the administration succeeds, almost all people admitted to the US as refugees - as many as 7 000 from a maximum potential pool of 7 500 - could be Afrikaners, a group not traditionally eligible for the program but one that President Donald Trump says has been tyrannized by South Africa’s Black majority. The remainder may be chosen because of their ability to speak English or their views on “free speech,” people familiar with…

NATIONAL head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Godfrey Lebeya allegedly sent a team of officers to the home of controversial businessman and murder-accused Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe to establish whether the operation leading to his arrest was legal. A helicopter belonging to the Gauteng Traffic Police, transporting DPCI members also known as Hawks, hovered over Molefe’s home for about 10 minutes during his arrest, not to help detectives working on the case, but to stop ‘a bogus operation’. At that time, the first team of Hawks members was already at Molefe’s gate, where the arrest was being effected by teams from the Organised Crime and Tactical Response units, monitored by the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT). Testifying at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, Witness A, a detective…

In the theoretical logic of realpolitik, that politics is driven not by ideals but by interests, Donald Trump’s latest foreign posture fits seamlessly within his long-established transactional diplomacy. It is a world where loyalty is measured in leverage and alliances in advantage. Within this frame, his recent message to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, direct, terse, and impatient, can be read not merely as advice, but as a command from patron to client: “Stop at the battle line and both sides should go home, go to their families, stop the killing, and that should be it.” That command gained sharper definition in the revelations reported by the Financial Times. During a recent meeting, Trump urged Zelenskyy to accept Russia’s conditions for ending the war, warning that Vladimir Putin had threatened to “destroy” Ukraine…

A helicopter flew across the stage, snow drifted from the ceiling, a train steamed in with “real smoke”, and a boat sailed beneath the lights. The grand opening of The Fatherland at the South African State Theatre was nothing short of a theatrical revolution. On Sunday afternoon, the 1 300-seat theatre was filled to capacity, with dozens standing in the aisles. The audience came expecting a show, but what they witnessed was history brought to life. Under the masterful direction of Aubrey Sekhabi, The Fatherland proved to be one of the most ambitious and emotionally charged productions ever staged in the country, reaffirming Sekhabi’s position as South Africa’s finest theatre director. The production, based on the life of the 100-year-old liberation icon, Dr Tlou Theophilus Cholo, opened to thunderous applause.…

The DA has accused Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya of misleading the public by claiming 1 220 forensic investigations were completed in the 2024/25 financial year, a figure disputed by the party. Moya made these remarks on Wednesday during a feedback session on the multiparty coalition administration’s performance since taking office last October. She mentioned that the 1 220 investigations related to R14.4 billion in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure. The DA’s Peter Sutton, Tshwane spokesperson for the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (Mpac), has contradicted Moya’s statement, saying it’s “unfortunate” she continues to mislead the public about the city’s true state of affairs. According to Sutton, the claim of 1 220 completed forensic investigations in the 2024/2025 financial year is “factually incorrect.” He expressed concern over the poor quality of…

The suspension of Inspector-General of Intelligence Imtiaz Fazel by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 15 October 2025 has unsettled the national conscience. The decision has generated a wave of speculation and concern. It comes at a sensitive moment when both the Madlanga Commission and Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee are examining allegations of irregularities in the security sector and criminal justice system. These concurrent developments have deepened public apprehension about the health of South Africa’s security institutions and the role of the Presidency in the oversight of intelligence. An effective and functional intelligence service is central to the stability, sovereignty, and integrity of any democratic state. It forms the invisible backbone of national security. Its task is to anticipate risks before they become crises, allowing the government to act with foresight rather…

The Bulls are as in the dark as much as anyone regarding the reported suspension of their utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels, but CEO Edgar Rathbone is expecting news from United Rugby Championship (URC) officials Thursday. Wessels stands accused – and has reportedly been found guilty – of grabbing a Connacht player in the genital area during the Bulls’ 28-27 win in Galway last week. If media reports are correct, Wessels has been banned for a hefty nine weeks and informed of the decision. This would also be a big blow for the Springboks as he would play no part in the imminent five-week tour of Europe. Rathbone told Independent Media: “We are awaiting official notification from the URC and expect to hear something on Thursday. The Bulls remain respectful of…

Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya has hit back at allegations that her administration squandered R777 million on water tanker operations in the first nine months of her term, calling the claim “incorrect”. Addressing a media briefing at Tshwane House yesterday, Moya explained that the figure reported in some media reports is based on a system extract showing total purchase orders, including R156 million in cancelled, duplicated, or unprocessed transactions. Moya clarified that the R777m figure represents procurement activity, not actual expenditure, citing that a verified financial report tells a different story. She explained that in the 2023/24 financial year, the city ring-fenced the tanker function and recorded R322m in expenditure, including R179m in unpaid invoices that were settled in 2025. As a result of the unpaid R179m, she said contractors descended…

The Afrikaner-only community in Kleinfontein, embroiled in a legal dispute with the City of Tshwane over a 2013 rezoning application for land initially zoned agricultural, has yet to receive a formal invitation to the city’s consultation with illegal township dwellers. This is despite the fact that the city had planned a meeting for yesterday with the legal landowners of the 17 identified illegal townships. Community spokesperson Dannie de Beer expressed uncertainty about receiving an invitation to the meeting, noting that the Kleinfontein community does not consider itself “illegal” given its ongoing efforts to formalise its status through previous interactions with the city. He, however, acknowledged that, despite the community’s legal dispute, the city had previously categorised the community as one of the 17 illegal townships. “We don’t have an invite,…

Witness A revealed that murder accused Katiso “KT” Molefe paid R2.5 million in bribes to secure his release on bail – despite facing multiple murder charges and a dark 20-year past abroad involving a fake passport, a gun, and drugs. On Tuesday, Witness A, a police investigator, told the Madlanga Commission that Molefe’s bail approval was not the result of legal argument but rather the exchange of millions behind closed doors. According to the witness, they had already been tipped off before the ruling. “Sources told us Katiso Molefe would get bail and that R2.5 million was going to make it happen,” he said. Molefe, who stands accused in the brutal killing of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart in April last year, has also been linked to the high-profile murders of…

The unfinished journey of Kenya’s most influential political challenger Thousands of Kenyans assembled in Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium, along with key African leaders, on 19 October 2025 to bid a final farewell to veteran politician and former Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Amolo Odinga. The passing of the 80-year-old political leader, Raila Odinga, on October 15, 2025, in Kochi, India, has evoked tears of sorrow as well as harsh criticism. Those who loved him have penned emotive tributes to Odinga, describing him as a true leader whose political vision, conviction, and contribution were instrumental in fostering democracy and unity in Kenya. His critics, on the other hand, remember him as a divisive leader who caused ethnic and political friction and did more harm than good. For better or worse, Raila…

The High Court in Pretoria has convicted police sergeant Kate Lindiwe Hlongwane, 45, of the premeditated murder of her husband, Russel Hlongwane, 40, who was also the father of their three children. Hlongwane was based at the Dube police station in Tshwane, under the visible policing unit. According to Gauteng regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Lumka Mahanjana, evidence presented in court showed that on January 27, 2024, Hlongwane visited a sangoma in Soshanguve. “Her husband was alerted by the vehicle tracker that the family car was in a high-risk area. He then drove to the location and found Hlongwane consulting with the sangoma,” said Mahanjana. “He instructed her to return home, and they each drove back in separate vehicles to their residence in Soshanguve Extension 7.” Later…

A slap across the face by a Tshwane chief licensing officer, meted out to a member of the public who was trying to renew her driver’s licence at the Centurion licence office, has cost the officer his job. The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) tried in vain before the Johannesburg Labour Court to have the dismissal of licence officer Silulami Mvinjelwa, a shop steward, overturned. It all started when the officer refused to accept a certified copy of a woman’s ID document. An altercation apparently ensued between him and the woman, only identified in the labour court judgment as Ms Basson. This, according to Basson’s evidence, led to the slap, which Mvinjelwa denied. According to him, he was only trying to help her by directing her to his supervisor,…

Hugo Broos has put his head on the block and named the person he believes should succeed him as Bafana Bafana coach after the 2026 Fifa World Cup in North America. Broos has been the apple of many eyes in South African football over the last few days. He led the team to the global showpiece for the first time since the 2002 edition, having only qualified as hosts in 2010. The event, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will not only mark a full circle for the Belgian, who competed in the 1986 World Cup with his native country in Mexico, but it will also be his last major tournament as a coach, as he’ll call time on his career. Broos’ career, which includes…

Proteas women’s all-rounder Marizanne Kapp insists South Africa need to continue improving their basics ahead of their final round-robin fixture against Australia women in Indore on Saturday. Following South Africa’s 150-run victory over Pakistan women in Colombo on Tuesday, the Proteas women registered their fifth consecutive win in the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup – a feat the team has achieved for the first time in World Cups. Kapp delivered a stellar all-round performance against Pakistan, scoring an unbeaten 68 and taking three wickets, earning the Player of the Match award. In previous games, various players have stepped up for the team, helping South Africa book a semi-final spot with two matches to spare. Despite what looks like a flawless round-robin campaign for the Proteas women thus far, Kapp…

TS Galaxy coach Adnan Beganovic says he will be wary of a dangerous Golden Arrows side, even though his team holds an impressive record against the KwaZulu-Natal outfit. The Rockets travel to the King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday (3pm kickoff) with both teams eyeing a place in the semi-finals of the Carling Knockout competition. Galaxy will be aiming to go one step further this time around after their 1–0 defeat to eventual champions Magesi FC at the same stage of the tournament last season denied them another shot at silverware. The Mbombela-based side will also be hoping to build on any positives they can find after being hit with another Fifa-imposed transfer ban – a situation that could make the coming seasons more challenging. Beganovic, who has guided Galaxy to…

Baseball is one of many American sporting codes that requires specialists in each position rather than players who can fulfil multiple roles. You’re basically pigeonholed early on – pitchers pitch, hitters hit, and catchers… well, you get the idea. But then Shohei Ohtani came along and blew baseball fans’ collective minds. Ohtani is Major League Baseball’s two-way marvel. His 160km/h fastballs and towering home runs belong to different universes of skill, yet he merges them seamlessly, night after night. The Japanese superstar doesn’t just play baseball – he bends its rules. For generations, the idea of a two-way player was seen as a romantic relic from baseball’s early days, long before the sport’s evolution into a system of hyper-specialisation. But Ohtani has shattered that orthodoxy, forcing coaches, analysts and opponents…