Limpopo province has made history after conjoined twin boys born in January at Mankweng Hospital outside Polokwane were successfully separated in a seven-hour surgical procedure on Tuesday.
The twins were born on January 28, with initial assessments indicating they were joined at the abdomen.
They underwent a complex separation surgery led by Professor Nyaweleni Tshifularo.
The operation, which began at about 7:45am and concluded shortly after 3pm, lasted approximately eight hours.
Tshifularo said the procedure was highly complex because the twins were joined at the trunk and shared certain organs.
“This is indeed a great day for the province, the country and for my team, including the specialist nurses I work with,” he said.
“As we have said before, these were identical twins whose separation was incomplete during development. They were delivered here, and after assessing our capabilities, we decided to proceed with the surgery locally.
“We are pleased to report that the babies have been successfully separated. They are alive, they are well, and their mother is overwhelmed with joy,” he said.
He added that the team began preparations early in the morning, including a session of pastoral care for support before the procedure.
“We started at 7:45am and by 3:10pm we were done. The babies were joined at the trunk, shared some organs, which made the surgery highly complex. However, we delivered, and we are very excited,” he said.
The twins were born to a 29-year-old woman and were referred from Maphutha Malatjie Hospital in Namakgale.
Medical staff there identified the condition during labour and arranged an urgent transfer.
Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba described the operation as a historic achievement for the province’s healthcare system.
“Today we mark a remarkable milestone in our provincial healthcare journey,” she said.
She praised staff at both Maphutha Malatjie Hospital and Mankweng Hospital for their swift and effective response.
“When the mother presented with no prior history, doctors and midwives were able to detect the condition through ultrasound and immediately transferred her. Mankweng Hospital acted quickly and delivered the babies within an hour.”
Ramathuba said the successful operation demonstrates the growing capability of rural healthcare facilities.
“This is not just a triumph for the medical team, but a celebration of hope, determination and community spirit,” she said.
“For the first time in South Africa, a rural hospital has carried out such a high-level procedure. This achievement changes the healthcare landscape in our province and reaffirms the potential of rural hospitals.”
She added that the twins are in a stable condition following the surgery.
“They have been transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit, where they remain under close medical supervision. They are intubated and on ventilators as part of their post-operative care,” she said.
*This article was first published by IOL News
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has rejected claims that former police minister Bheki Cele continues to control the South African Police Service (SAPS) and is “ruling from the grave,” calling them “a lie.”
Masemola made the remarks on Tuesday while appearing before an ad hoc parliamentary committee established to examine allegations against SAPS.
“I don’t know how to describe it. I haven’t talked to Minister Cele,” Masemola said.
“I talk to all the generals, and there’s no conniving. We talk about work, and that’s where it ends.”
He added that, to his knowledge, most senior officers do not communicate with Cele.
“I don’t know where this notion of ‘ruling from the grave’ comes from, but it is an incorrect statement. It’s a lie,” he said.
The claims emerged during testimony by former deputy national police commissioner Lieutenant General Francinah Vuma, who has alleged victimisation and attempts on her life following protected disclosures she made while in office.
Vuma appeared before the committee last week on Wednesday as part of its investigation into alleged corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system.
Vuma, who was appointed in 2017, was suspended by Masemola in 2022.
The suspension remained in place until her retirement in January.
During proceedings, evidence leader Bongiwe Mkhize also said controversial North West businessman Brown Mogotsi had claimed that Cele was “still in control of police operations and ruling from the grave”.
Mogotsi also alleged that Masemola has close relationships with Cele, Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo, Major General Patrick Mbotho from Limpopo, and the Western Cape provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General (Advocate) Thembisile Patekile.
Cele served as a Minister of Police from February 2018 until his tenure ended on June 2024.
Responding to the allegations, Masemola denied any improper relationship with Cele.
“I’m not sure what ‘ruling from the grave’ means,” he said.
“If Mr Mogotsi and Vuma can provide dates, times and places where we met Minister Cele on these matters, we can verify that.”
He said the last time he spoke to Cele was regarding a pension-related payment.
“Since then, I have not spoken to him,” he said.
Masemola added that other senior officers, including Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Khumalo, also rarely communicate with Cele.
“I wouldn’t know how he is ‘ruling from the grave’ because we are managing the police. We receive directives from the current minister, and the job gets done,” he said.
He maintained that Cele is not interfering in SAPS operations.
“Minister Cele is not involved in police matters now,” Masemola said.
“During his tenure, he was visible and engaged, but now he is no longer part of operational matters.”
Masemola said that if any interference had occurred in Vuma’s environment, it had not been reported to him.
“If I had known about it, I would have addressed it,” he said.
The committee continues.
*This article was first published by IOL News
uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party MP David Skosana has said that the allegations made by SAPS KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi have shown that there is no smoke without fire.
Skosana was speaking on the sidelines of Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Tuesday, where National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola appeared before the committee.
Masemola reiterated his earlier testimony regarding the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), saying suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu had overstepped his authority by ordering the unit’s dissolution.
Masemola said he had approved Mkhwanazi’s request to brief the public on the work of the PKTT, but not to present his own findings.
“Remember, I said he asked to go and brief on the work of the PKTT, and I said yes, proceed on that, but not on my report,” Masemola told the committee.
After getting an opportunity to question Masemola, Skosana said that from where he is sitting, after having listened to the testimony from the upper echelons of the South African Police Service (SAPS), there are a lot of contradictions.
“In my view, there are a lot of things that contradict each other. You know, when you listen to other generals who came in here - the former deputy national commissioner (Lt-Gen Francinah Vuma) and the others - and what they are telling us as well, (it shows that) we have to get the truth. There's always another side to the story, in every story.
“We will have to apply our minds and make sure that, with the legal team, we get to the bottom of this. Lt-General Mkhwanazi was very clear about the interference and all these things which are happening in the security cluster - whether it is correctional services, justice, or police,” Skosana said.
“We need to make sure that these underlying problems, which have engulfed the country, in terms of our safety as a country, and the interference, we have to get to the bottom of them.
“There should be consequence management, and people have to be prosecuted. Indeed, there is no doubt about that. They might deny, because these are still allegations, but these allegations have to be tested,” Skosana said.
The Ad Hoc Committee will see the return of Mkhwanazi, on Wednesday, who will be the last witness before the committee. Mkhwanazi recently had his contract renewed for a further five-year term, officials confirmed this week.
Skosana said that Mkhwanazi has done the country proud.
“If you listen to what is happening here at the Ad Hoc Committee and at the Madlanga Commission, there will be consequences once they finish their job and give the report to the president.”
Skosana said whether the officials act on the report is another story, but that “indeed it's (been) a revelation irrespective of knowing exactly what is happening in the country”.
“There are people who are in charge but who are not in offices, but there's no smoke without fire; obviously, it means there's something wrong in the country, which has to be reset.
“We must reset this country, the police service, and the judicial system,” Skosana said.
“Though I'm not happy in terms of the judicial system, (as) we didn't touch much on that, but we need to dig deeper.
“Maybe next year, you know, we'll have another joint committee, where we'll deal exactly with the judiciary of this country. Because I can tell you, if we don't fix our judiciary, we are wasting time with the police.
“Police will arrest people, at the end of the day, those people will be out of jail within no time, you know? So we need to make sure as well that the SAPS (and judiciary) are strong.”
*This article was first published by IOL News
By Lerato Mutlanyane
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has always been a city of innovation and implementation.
Now, it’s setting its sights on the sky. A new collaboration with aviation leader Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) promises to transform the city’s airport from a simple transit point into a powerful engine for economic growth.
In a media briefing this morning at the Bram Fischer International Airport, the Manguang Metropolitan Municipality, led by City Manager Sello Moroe joined by the General Manager of the ACSA, Faith Zwane and other stakeholders from the Department of Transport, responsible for aviation, as well as Provincial Department of Economic Development, gathered to officially announce the collaboration that will be formed to stimulate and build the economy of Mangaung.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) marks a shared commitment to unlock opportunities that will benefit the people and businesses of Mangaung, as the Bram Fischer International Airport plays a vital role in connecting our province to the rest of South Africa and beyond.
This partnership will birth landside development to bring efficient and cost-effective integrated transport accessibility to the residents of Manguang, signage with regards to access to the roads that are coming into the airport, and the establishment of a functional cargo airport, and there are plans to maximize the use of small airports such as the Thaba Nchu and The Tempe Airports.
Based on economic development, collaborative initiatives such as these are set to stimulate the economy with a primary factor of prioritizing the logistics sector through the tourism element looking at the huge trade investments, which will help create jobs that will benefit the entire value chain of the residents of Mangaung, including the community, and small business development. And lastly establishing the city as a logistic and commercial hub.
This MOU with the municipality aligns with the district development model, which is an ecosystem that the government is using to ensure collaboration and partnerships with an outcome of job creation, economic growth, and developments that are based on trade and investment promotion.
The plans of the Memorandum of Understanding are set in concrete.
“Airports are not just a gateway for passengers and cargo, but they play a very catalytic role in economic opportunities for the provinces and connecting the Free State to the rest of South Africa and the world. Through this partnership with the municipality, we aim that we're going to strengthen the role of airports as key drivers of tourism, as you've mentioned, trade, investment, as well as important for us, job creation.”
“Today's MOU signing signifies a mutual commitment to collaboration and it further creates a framework at which we're going to hold each other accountable, City Manager, in terms of making sure that we work together to unlock these opportunities that I've just mentioned and improving infrastructure on the joint and ensure that development initiatives are aligned to a broader strategic priority for the city” said Faith Zwane, General Manager of the Airports Company South Africa.
By: Matshidiso Selebeleng
A Final Salute to the Stalwart Who Championed National Unity Beyond Party Lines
The mortal remains of anti-apartheid revolutionary, Mosiuoa Patrick “Terror” Lekota, were laid to rest in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 14 March 2026.
The liberation hero was honored with a Category Two official funeral following his passing at age 77 after a prolonged illness.
Lekota was remembered for his fierce struggle against injustice and his unwavering commitment to racial unity after the dismantling of apartheid.
Family, friends, and fellow patriots gathered to speak highly of his lifelong dedication to serving the South African people.
His political journey began in the 1970s at the University of the North, where he joined the South African Student Organization (SASO). Driven by a passion to restore human dignity, he sought to build a country where all citizens could coexist peacefully.
In 1974, Lekota was arrested under the Terrorism Act after organising rallies to celebrate Mozambique’s independence.
He subsequently spent eight years on Robben Island as a political prisoner alongside icons such as Nelson Mandela.
Tshehla Lekota, speaking on behlaf of the family, noted that despite his high-profile roles, he remained humble at home.
“He was the Premier, he was the Chairperson of the NCOP, Minister of Defence, President of COPE, and many other organisations,” he said.
"Despite all that, he never showed or demonstrated even the smallest thing that he was that high person; he was just Mosiuoa,” Tshehla added.
Former Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, described Lekota as a man with a giant heart who transcended political boundaries.
“We gather here to take leave of the giant-hearted Lekota,” Manuel stated in his tribute.
“The colors of many political organisations are represented here because, in many respects, Lekota was bigger than any political organisation.”
Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae remarked that Lekota belonged to a generation that confronted daily injustice as a lived reality.
She emphasised that, like many of his peers, he paid dearly for his unwavering commitment to freedom.
ANC Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, praised the stalwart as a patriot who understood that a nation’s destiny is shaped through sacrifice.
“He was among those who carried the dream of freedom through prison cells and relentless political struggle," Mbalula noted.
Delivering the eulogy, Deputy President of South Africa, Paul Mashatile, said Lekota’s vision proved that a nation’s strength lies in reconciliation and harmony.
“He reminded us that democracy is not a gift, but a responsibility,” Mashatile asserted.
After a long career in the ANC, he founded the Congress of the People (COPE) in 2008, serving as its president until his passing.
Lekota’s legacy includes serving as a founding member of the United Democratic Front and the first Premier of the Free State.
By Bernell Simons
The spread of fake news has once again placed the MUCCP Clinic under intense public scrutiny, with the Free State Department of Health warning that outdated and unverified claims circulating online are reigniting anger at a facility that has already faced recent controversy.
The latest social media post, which alleged a medical emergency at the clinic, was widely shared this week despite officials insisting the incident never happened. According to the department, the story appears to stem from an old report dating back to 2024 but resurfaced online as if it were a current event, drawing renewed criticism and emotional reactions from the public.
Health officials say the situation is particularly sensitive because the clinic was recently in the spotlight following an after-hours incident involving a frail elderly man. The man’s family alleged that they arrived late at night expecting help from the clinic, which residents say is known for offering 24-hour services, but found the gates locked and security refusing entry while the patient was seriously ill.
That earlier incident sparked outrage in the community and raised questions about after-hours access to care — making the facility vulnerable to further backlash when new claims appear online.
“This is fake news stemming from 2024. I personally attended to that call and there was never such a patient,” departmental spokesperson Mondli Mvambi said.
In a response posted on Facebook, the department warned the claim had been repeatedly recycled online without proof.
“Please remove this — it is fake news. This fake news has been recycled without any proof for over two years now. Please stop denting the image of our health facilities with falsehoods. We respectfully ask you to remove this with immediate effect or we shall have to consider our legal options as a remedy and relief against the damages that such fake news causes to the image of the Department, its employees and public perceptions,” said Mvambi.
Mvambi warns that the rapid spread of misinformation can inflame tensions and put pressure on staff working in already strained conditions.
He urged the public to verify information before sharing it, saying viral falsehoods not only damage reputations but can also undermine trust in public health services and place frontline workers at risk.
