By JN Reporter
Authorities have confirmed that the number of undocumented foreign nationals arrested during the Easter weekend roadblocks has climbed to 36, as enforcement operations intensify to assert control and curb illegal entry.
The latest arrests follow the detention of four Mozambican nationals — including an infant — after the vehicle they were travelling in was stopped on the N1 near the Verkeerdevlei Toll Plaza outside Bloemfontein on Monday.
According to Free State Community Safety, Roads and Transport spokesperson Hillary Mophethe, two men, a woman and a one-month-old child were found travelling without proper documentation.
“One of the suspects’ passports was last stamped in 2025. The suspects were arrested and taken to the police station after failing to produce valid documentation at the roadblock,” said Mophethe.
The arrests come days after 32 Zimbabwean nationals — including young children and infants — were detained on Friday when a bus they were travelling in was stopped on the N1 near Bloemfontein. The incident has sparked debate, with Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae raising concerns about possible official involvement in allowing undocumented foreign nationals to pass through borders and across provinces undetected.
However, the Border Management Authority (BMA) earlier stated that the group had been properly processed at the Beitbridge border post in Musina.
According to BMA Commissioner Dr Michael Masiapato, the bus entered the country carrying 43 passengers.
“All underwent mandatory health screening, luggage scanning and immigration checks. Their passports and visas were verified as legitimate, and each passenger had sufficient remaining days on their 90-day entry limit,” said Masiapato.
Meanwhile, 12 children have been taken to a place of safety, while 11 women and five men are expected to appear before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner Doctor Michael Masiapato will, on Monday, monitor the processing of travelers and curbing of criminal activities at the Beitbridge Border Post in Musina, Limpopo.
Authorities are anticipating an increase in traffic volumes as holidaymakers make their way back into the country following the Easter holidays.
The Beitbridge border Post has been in the news after a bus carrying undocumented foreign nationals, including children, was intercepted near Bloemfontein in the Free State. BMA has confirmed that the bus was processed at the Beitbridge border post but says was carrying documented foreign nationals.
BMA says it is not clear where the undocumented foreign nationals boarded the bus.
BMA also says it’s prepared to to deal with high influx of travellers.
Meanwhile, police have arrested more than 1000 suspects in various parts of Limpopo during ‘Operation Shanela’. About 500 of the suspects are undocumented foreign nationals.
The arrests were made in the week leading into the long Easter weekend.
Officers also recovered suspected stolen items. The suspects will appear in various courts soon.
“The Provincial Commissioner of Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, commended members for their unwavering commitment and the strengthened collaboration with stakeholders, including other law enforcement agencies. These results demonstrate our collective resolve to ensure safer communities during the Easter period, when there is increased movement of people across the province,” says Provincial Police Spokesperson Malesela Ledwaba.
*This Article was first published by SABC
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture, Joe McGluwa, has voiced strong disappointment and concern regarding the last-minute postponement of the 2026 Autumn Athletics National School Sport Championships. This event was due to take place from 8–12 April at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. Still, the sudden decision has been described as a significant failure in both planning and accountability by the department.
“This postponement is unacceptable,” McGluwa stated.
“It reflects a failure of basic planning and due diligence. The stadium's unavailability was foreseeable and avoidable, yet provinces were instructed to proceed with procurement and logistical arrangements.
As a result, provinces have already incurred substantial costs for accommodation, transport, and contractual obligations; costs that now translate into financial losses and reputational damage.”
McGluwa’s remarks highlighted the broader implications of this decision, “This breach of trust is deeply concerning. Communities, learners, and educators have planned in good faith. For many young athletes, this event is the highlight of their sporting year, only to be let down by poor planning.”
The Chairperson further emphasised that his committee had made it explicitly clear to Athletics South Africa during their recent appearance before the committee that sport is not merely a luxury; it is a critical component of youth development and social cohesion.
“Sport is a constitutional commitment to youth development, equity, and social cohesion, and a means of living if one reaches the top echelons of professionalism. When planning collapses at this scale, it undermines the very purpose of national championships,” he said.
In light of these failures, the committee has demanded full accountability from the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
“We require a clear explanation of how this lapse occurred, immediate clarity on revised dates and venue, and a concrete plan to compensate provinces for the financial strain already incurred,” McGluwa stated.
Beyond logistical issues, McGluwa stressed the importance of respect towards all stakeholders involved in school sports, stating, “This is about respect – respect for our youth, our educators, and the communities that carry the weight of school sports in our country.”
He further urged both the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and the Department of Basic Education to manage national school sport with diligence and foresight, calling for professionalism, coordination, and respect for all involved provinces and stakeholders.
As a final note from the committee, McGluwa extended his best wishes to all athletes, including those from private clubs competing in various sporting codes over the Easter Weekend, and he urged everyone to remain safe on the roads during this busy period.
*This article was first published by IOL News
The arrest of Sergeant Fannie Hezekiel Nkosi, who is embroiled in the controversial Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, has ignited fierce debate over the South African Police Service's (SAPS) commitment to transparency and accountability. Nkosi’s detention comes amid allegations of serious misconduct, further compounded by the police's refusal to confirm his identity following a recent raid on his Pretoria home.
On Thursday, an operative team from the police's Special Investigations Task Team — a unit announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in January to probe criminal cases linked to the inquiry — raided Nkosi's residence. The search resulted in the seizure of a substantial cache of illicit items, including numerous firearms, unlicensed ammunition, a hand grenade, and various police case dockets.
Despite indications that Nkosi was the focus of the operation, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe refrained from confirming this, leading to accusations of secrecy.
Anti-corruption advocate Yusuf Abramjee publicly condemned the police's lack of transparency, questioning why details of Nkosi’s arrest were being withheld when similar cases are frequently publicised.
“It is troubling that the police routinely announce arrests that reflect positively on them, yet when one of their own is implicated, silence prevails,” Abramjee lamented. “This inconsistency raises severe doubts about their commitment to fighting crime and maintaining public trust.”
Nkosi, attached to the Gauteng Organised Crime Unit, was already suspended due to prior allegations that he acted as an intermediary between suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and alleged figures linked to crime cartels. With the recent discovery of official case dockets during the raid, questions surrounding internal controls within SAPS are now more pressing than ever.
As the police confirmed the execution of a search and seizure operation, Mathe acknowledged ongoing investigations but declined to disclose the name of the officer involved, simply indicating that further information would become available after Nkosi's court appearance. This has not quelled public speculation, as social media is rife with discussions asserting the officer's identity as Nkosi.
The Madlanga Commission, a judicial inquiry separate from the task team responsible for Nkosi's arrest, has highlighted numerous officers, including Nkosi, for potential criminal investigation. While Abramjee urges transparency, he stresses that withholding details not only compromises public confidence but could also hint at deeper issues within SAPS.
*This article was first published by IOL News
By Bernell Simons
A fierce power clash in embattled Matlosana Local Municipality has laid bare a municipality in turmoil, with leadership divisions now spilling into open conflict for control in the crumbling corridors of the Klerksdorp Town Hall.
The crisis centres on Municipal Manager Lesego Seametsa, who has refused to reinstate dismissed Chief Financial Officer Mercy Phetla, arguing that doing so would violate the law — a stance that has plunged the matter into the courts.
Seametsa’s stance has ignited a governance crisis stretching from council chambers to the courts, exposing deep fractures in a municipality already buckling under service delivery failures and financial strain.
The conflict traces back to a disciplinary process against Phetla, conducted under the Local Government Disciplinary Regulations for Senior Managers.
After hearings in December 2025, she was found guilty on multiple counts of misconduct and dismissed.
In a sharply divided vote, councillors rejected the findings and pushed through a resolution to reinstate Phetla — a move that blurred the line between oversight and interference, and one Seametsa refused to accept.
According to Seametsa, the dismissal has already been implemented, warning that reversing it would violate the law and potentially expose the municipality to further legal risk.
“Invoking the Municipal Systems Act and any attempt to pressure officials to act outside the law may amount to an offence,” she said.
In a February 24 special sitting, councillors moved to place Seametsa on precautionary suspension, citing “serious misconduct” and “non-performance.”
Seametsa has since confirmed receiving the notice and responding formally. An acting municipal manager has already been lined up.
A civic organisation, Nova Matlosana in Action, has rushed to the High Court in Mahikeng, challenging council’s decision to reinstate Phetla.
By Lerato Mutlanyane
Hailing from Bloemfontein, the City of Roses, Palesa “Lisa S” Sentso is stepping into her own spotlight — and bringing a sound that refuses to be boxed in. First known as part of the duo Harmonic Squared, which made waves on the Bloem music scene in 2018, Lisa S has since evolved into a solo artist with a deeply personal and distinctive voice shaped by her life journey. “My music is inspired by life experiences — the good and the bad. I actively practice mindfulness, and I try to reflect that in my music,” she shared. Her growth has been fuelled by sharing stages with established names in the industry, along with appearances on Metro FM’s Heatwave and vari ous television platforms — experiences that have sharpened both her confidence and artistry. Now, Lisa S is carving out a lane of her own. Blending afrobeats, bossa nova, jazz, and R&B, her sound is a rich, genre-fluid expression of creativity and re silience — something refreshingly different from anything Bloemfontein has produced before. But beyond the stage persona lies a grounded and driven individual. “Lisa is just a normal girl,” she says, embracing her identity as an independent, educated woman. She holds an honours degree in Psychology and is also a qualified life coach — a balance that feeds directly into the depth and authenticity of her mu sic. In December 2025, she released her six-track EP, Gratitude, a project that captures her evolving sound and introspective storytelling. It’s a body of work that invites listeners to connect — and pre pare, so they don’t get lost in the lyrics when she performs live. And that moment is coming. Lisa S is set to take the stage for her first solo show on 24 April 2026 — a defining milestone for an artist on the rise. In a world dominated by algorithm-driven play lists, Lisa S offers something rare: a voice that demands to be experienced live.
