South Africa's Rocket League team secured a spot at the FIFAe World Cup after finishing second to Morocco in the African qualifiers held from Oct. 24 to 26. The squad defeated Seychelles in the quarterfinals and Egypt in the semifinals before losing the championship match. Team members Breyden Keith, Gareth Spiers, and David Morgenrood advanced through group-stage matches to secure automatic qualification for the global tournament in Riyadh.
The South African Football Association selected players from competitions at Comic-Con Africa and Telkom VS Gaming between July and September. Association chief Lydia Monyepao said the qualification creates opportunities for young athletes pursuing careers in gaming. The team will compete against...
South Africa's Traditional Affairs Ministry issued regulations on September 26 to improve safety at cultural initiation schools following reports of deaths and injuries at unregistered facilities. The rules establish oversight procedures for the National Initiation Oversight Committee and the Provincial Initiation Coordinating Committees, which monitor ritual practices across communities. Officials can conduct inspections and close non-compliant schools while requiring medical evaluations and parental consent for participants.
The regulations address problems at ceremonies where young people undergo traditional rites marking their transition to adulthood. The government mandates registration of all initiation schools and bans alcohol...
A court in Ekurhuleni sentenced a 47-year-old man to four life terms for raping a 13-year-old cancer patient who became pregnant and contracted HIV. The Tsakane Regional Court ordered his registration as a sex offender and banned him from child-related employment. The orphaned victim disclosed the assaults to a social worker after the family friend threatened her silence between 2022 and 2023.
Magistrates in Mothibistad directed mental health evaluations for 28-year-old Keobakile Matshidiso following allegations he killed Sylvia Pule and her son Phillip on Oct. 18. Prosecutors said the nine-year-old boy died defending his mother from an attempted sexual assault in Cassel village. Officials opposed bail ahead of the evaluation scheduled...
Former President Thabo Mbeki endorsed allegations from KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi about political meddling in law enforcement on Monday. Mbeki spoke with Economic Freedom Fighters legislator Mbuyiseni Ndlozi for the African Renaissance Podcast's first episode. The former leader said he would have immediately requested details from Mkhwanazi about criminal networks within government structures if still serving as president.
Mbeki attributed governance problems to changes in the leadership of the African National Congress after 2007. He rejected Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's proposal to revise the constitutional language about South Africa belonging to all residents. The interview received more than 14,000...
Religious leader Mo'hau Khumalo criticized Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale after he required assistance taking an oath before Parliament's corruption investigation committee on Monday. The commentator questioned how ministry officials could disband specialized police units while admitting they were unfamiliar with department operations after nearly one year in their positions. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu dissolved the Political Killings Task Team investigating 300 murders in KwaZulu-Natal despite claiming limited knowledge of police procedures.
Khumalo called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint new leadership as South Africa recorded 27,000 murder cases in the latest fiscal year. Former Police Minister Bheki Cele testified...
A volunteer traffic monitor from Mamelodi East will receive formal employment and compensation after helping students cross a dangerous intersection for two years without payment. Tshwane transportation official Tlangi Mogale announced on Monday that Tebogo will enter the city's BaStrata program following recognition from a social media video showing his daily work. The municipality plans to install pedestrian crossings at the location and provide support for his small business.
Mogale met with Tebogo on Monday morning alongside Ward 97 Councilor Nalenda Demhalu at the site where he assists children. The official said the appointment reflects broader efforts to incorporate informal safety volunteers across Tshwane into municipal...
Police ballistics chief Brigadier Mishak Mkhabela told a judicial inquiry on Monday that errors in a forensic report about engineer Armand Swart's murder resulted from typing mistakes rather than deliberate tampering. Swart died in April 2024 after gunmen mistakenly targeted him instead of a colleague who exposed corruption at Transnet. Investigators found omissions in the ballistics analysis that failed to mention 15 AK-47 cartridges and used incorrect case numbers.
Four weapons recovered after the shooting were connected to 24 additional violent crimes across South Africa. The ballistics unit faces a backlog of more than 41,000 pending cases with 29,000 firearms awaiting examination. Mkhabela defended his laboratory's work before the...
Thousands marched through Durban's central business district on Monday after seven-year-old twins fell down an open elevator shaft at their apartment complex, killing one child and leaving the other in critical condition. Protesters delivered demands to HOMii Lifestyle property managers and police officials before dispersing in heavy rainfall. The twins plunged from the fourth floor to the basement at the Pixley ka Seme Street building on October 18.
Police opened an inquest and rejected accusations about a missing witness statement from their case file. Father Khaya Dlamini accused investigators of arriving late to the scene and mishandling evidence. The family buried Aphelele on October 25, while his sister Aphile remains...
Police in Gauteng have arrested 38-year-old Tebogo Mnisi for allegedly killing two cousins in an execution-style shooting in Mamelodi East. Tshiamo Moramaga, 22, and Baleseng Moramaga, 21, died from gunshot wounds to the head on Sunday morning after witnesses heard a heated argument on Sompisi Street. A third woman survived the attack and remains hospitalized.
Officers apprehended Mnisi at a Pretoria filling station on Sunday after receiving a community tip. He faces two murder charges and one attempted murder charge, with an appearance scheduled at Mamelodi Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. The victims shared a rental room and were returning from an outing when the violence occurred around 4 a.m.
Tshiamo worked as a beauty therapist...
