A Democratic Alliance lawmaker has challenged Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela about appointments to education authority boards that she claims remain hidden from public view. Karabo Khakhau sent a letter on Monday, October 28, asking why the minister had not disclosed the names of officials overseeing 20 billion rand in training funds nearly a month after their selection. Records indicate Manamela announced the appointments on Wednesday, October 2, just days after they became effective on Monday, September 30. The discrepancy suggests either incomplete information or a breakdown in communication between the ministry and parliament.
The authorities govern skills development programs across 21 industries and receive five-year...
KwaZulu-Natal's culture official urged international leaders to safeguard artists' rights as artificial intelligence transforms creative production. Provincial executive Mntomuhle Khawula addressed Group of Twenty representatives at a working group session in Zimbali on Monday. He said technology presents opportunities for innovation but threatens compensation and ownership protections for musicians, filmmakers, and designers. The official positioned the province as a gateway for partnerships between Africa and global markets.
South Africa hosts Group of Twenty cultural policy discussions from Oct. 27 through 29 ahead of the main summit in Johannesburg next month. Khawula emphasized that creative sectors employ millions of young people...
The African Union requested financial support from Group of Twenty members for creative industries across the continent at a cultural policy meeting in KwaZulu-Natal. Angela Martins from the union's culture division told representatives on Monday that film, music, and digital arts generate employment for young Africans while contributing to economic development. She emphasized that fair compensation systems must reach artists in underserved regions as technology creates distribution opportunities.
South Africa convened the three-day Group of Twenty Culture Working Group session ahead of November's summit in Johannesburg. Martins connected cultural preservation to climate adaptation strategies and urged nations to fund heritage sites...
Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale learned about his superior's decision to dissolve a specialized murder investigation unit through social media posts rather than official government communication. Mathale testified on Tuesday before parliamentary investigators that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu never consulted him before issuing the December directive to close the Political Killings Task Team. The deputy minister initially dismissed online reports as fabricated, since the announcement seemed implausible without advance notice.
Mathale told committee members he remained uncertain whether President Cyril Ramaphosa received notification about dismantling the unit that investigated politically motivated homicides in KwaZulu-Natal...
South Africa launched an electric vehicle demonstration project over the weekend to prove the viability of long-distance travel as the country celebrates Transport Month. The Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation collaborated with the South African National Energy Development Institute and Nelson Mandela University's Uyilo e-Mobility Program to conduct the journey from Johannesburg to Gqeberha using a Volvo XC40 electric vehicle. Officials collected performance data across multiple provinces to inform infrastructure planning and policy development.
The vehicle traveled through Gauteng, Free State, and Eastern Cape while researchers monitored battery consumption, charging duration, and terrain effects. The demonstration...
Police arrested four people at an unauthorized gold processing operation in Booysens on Tuesday after officers seized materials worth 1 million rand. The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department worked with the Hawks investigative unit and private security firms to shut down the facility that held a valid registration but allegedly refined stolen ore from illegal miners. Three suspected miners and one manager face charges related to violations of precious metals regulations after authorities found processed gold and raw materials at the industrial site.
The suspects attempted to pay officials 20,000 rand to secure their release and were subsequently charged with additional bribery. Acting Police Chief Eldred Fortein said law...
An 11-year-old acrobat from Mafube Municipality secured a position on South Africa's team for the World Dance Competition at Disney World next year. Khwezi Mazibuko must raise 85,000 rand for travel expenses after collecting 1,600 rand through community fundraising. She began acrobatics training at age seven and earned her international qualification through the DTMA Nationals competition organized by Dance Connection.
Mazibuko lost her father at age three, and her mother, Nomsa Tshabalala, supports her athletic pursuits as a single parent. The young athlete competes in hockey, netball, and tennis alongside her acrobatics performances. Tshabalala has contacted potential sponsors and distributed promotional materials throughout...
A South African court delayed ruling on prosecutors' request to challenge the acquittal of Nigerian preacher Timothy Omotoso and two associates after a hearing on Monday. Judge Irma Schoeman will decide whether six legal questions merit review by the Supreme Court of Appeal. Authorities charged Omotoso with 63 offenses related to rape and human trafficking before his April acquittal.
Defense attorney Peter Daubermann argued the state seeks to relitigate factual findings rather than address legitimate legal errors. The National Prosecuting Authority maintains the trial court ignored critical evidence when clearing Omotoso of crimes allegedly committed against young church members. Immigration officials deported the televangelist to...
Former police commissioner Riah Phiyega rejected accusations of improper dismissals after testifying before Parliament's corruption investigation committee. She defended her 2013 restructuring decision that removed deputy commissioner Leah Shibambo from operational duties. Phiyega stated lawmakers pressured her administration to reduce six deputy positions because the management structure had become inefficient.
Shibambo testified on Monday that she learned of her replacement at a media briefing via a text message, without formal notification. Courts ruled in 2014 that the dismissals violated labor procedures because officials failed to conduct proper consultations. Former police minister Bheki Cele accused Phiyega of weakening law...
