Witness A’s testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has connected the dots and shown a web of systemic rot where a police officer became a hitman on behalf of the criminal syndicate that sought to eliminate a ‘threat’.
Cellphone evidence, CCTV footage, and car-tracking information presented by Witness A at the commission put controversial businessman and murder-accused Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe, and police officer Warrant Officer Michael Pule Tau, among others, at the centre of the murder of Armand Swart, an employee of a Vereeniging engineering company, who was shot dead after alleged hitmen mistook him for his boss.
Molefe is out on R400,000 bail for the murder of DJ Sumbody. He is charged alongside three alleged hitmen, Tau, Musa Kekana, and Tiego Floyd Mabusela.
It was revealed that Tau’s cellphone is the one that gave links to the investigators, showing that the cop was in constant communication with Molefe.
Witness A, a detective with the SAPS’s organised crime unit in Gauteng, testified at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating allegations of collusion and corruption between politicians, senior police, prosecutors, intelligence operatives, and elements of the judiciary, levelled by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
His testimony was held partially in camera, where the public was able to hear his voice but not see his face. This, according to the commission, was done for the safety of the witness.
He detailed what started as being asked to attend to a crime scene in April 2024, where Swart was shot dead, allegedly mistaken for his boss. The company Swart worked for had uncovered a 4 650% overpricing on small engineering parts at Transnet.
According to Witness A, cellphone evidence showed Tau and Molefe communicating about what appeared to be the information of a company where Swart was employed.
Car-tracking information showed that Tau would visit Molefe’s home, driving his Mercedes-Benz Viano. The same car was spotted on CCTV footage ‘scouting’ the area where Swart was employed a day before the murder.
Witness A said that when he and his colleagues got to the scene, three people had already been arrested.
“We started interviewing individuals, and one of them was a police officer, who identified himself as Michael Pule Tau. Musa Kekana was the driver, the other individual we cannot name because he was not linked to the murder,” Witness A said.
At least four cellphones were recovered from the suspects, one of them a burner phone, which Witness A described as not having an internet connection (a phone that cannot be easily traced).
A rim of a Mercedes-Benz, 15 used cartridges, and a firearm were recovered by the police from the murder suspects when they were arrested following the murder. These would lead to other scenes, one in Bramley — the home of Kekana — and a third scene in Kliprivier, where Mabusela was arrested, according to Witness A.
*This article was first published by IOL News
The homework is done, the pencils are sharpened — and it’s all systems go for the Class of 2025 as the final exams officially begin this week.
Pupils will start with computer applications technology practicals and a mix of foreign languages, including Hindi and German on Tuesday before all matrics sit down together on Thursday for English — the first major paper of the season.
They will write English first additional, second and home language papers across the country.
Education minister Siviwe Gwarube said her department was ready for the country’s biggest test of the year, with 903,561 learners registered to write — the highest number since public matric exams began in 1996.
“This year’s exams represent the culmination of 12 years of effort, resilience and collaboration between learners, teachers, parents and communities,” Gwarube said. “Education remains the heartbeat of SA’s future.”
A total of 162 question papers have been set, moderated and printed under tight security, she said. Each exam truck is GPS-tracked, and every stop is logged to protect the integrity of the papers.
For learners with disabilities, papers have been adapted into Braille, large print and SA Sign Language.
Over 130,000 pupils have attended study camps this year to brush up on tough subjects like maths and science, while teachers received extra support in underperforming districts, Gwarube said.
Pupils also got digital study packs, Mind the Gap booklets and online tutorials to help them prepare.
Contingency plans are in place for load-shedding, protests or bad weather, including backup venues and generators to ensure exams continue without disruption.
Encouragingly, more than 259,000 learners will write maths this year — a welcome turnaround after years of decline.
“When we get the basics right, we reduce repetition, dropouts and improve participation,” said Gwarube.
Last week, pupils, parents and teachers took a Pledge of Integrity, promising honesty and fairness throughout the exam period.
Gwarube said: “Our systems are secure, our educators are prepared, and our learners are ready.”
The exams run from October 21 to late November, with the overall results to be announced on January 12 and released the following day.
The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) said it wished all the candidates who will be sitting for the exams "the best of luck".
"The importance of these examinations cannot be overstated," the union said.
"They mark the culmination of 12 to 13 years of schooling and serve as a gateway to tertiary education.
"The examinations also play a crucial role in benchmarking the quality of SA's education system."
SADTU said the journey of the Class of 2025 has not been easy.
"Their learning was disrupted by the [nationwide] Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 during their Grade 7 and 8.
"We commend both learners and teachers for their resilience, hard work, and determination in overcoming these challenges and making it to this crucial stage."
SADTU said the exams should take place without incident.
"We call on all stakeholders in education – parents, communities, transport providers, and government – to offer their outmost support to learners during this critical time.
"We further urge everyone to uphold the principles of SADTU’s 'I Am a School Fan' campaign by protecting schools from thuggery, violence, and vandalism.
"We appeal to communities to ensure that roads leading to schools are not blockaded as part of community protests, and that school transport services operate smoothly so that learners can arrive safe, on time."
Western Cape education MEC David Maynier said: "We offer a special vote of thanks to our matric teachers, who are tasked with rounding out a child’s schooling and bringing more than a decade of investment in our learners to fruition.
"Our teachers have done an incredible job in supporting our candidates and helping to prepare them for the challenge ahead.
"Their efforts will continue to pay dividends long after our learners complete their exams. Our teachers have cemented the foundations of our children’s future careers, because behind every dream realised is a teacher who believed."
Maynier's Eastern Cape counterpart Fundile Gade said 122,030 candidates will write the exams in the province.
"We call upon all learners to write their exams with confidence, remembering that their effort today shapes their tomorrow," he said.
"The department remains resolute in ensuring credibility, fairness, and safety across all our examination centres."
In the 2024 matric exams, SA achieved a national pass rate of 82.9%, the second highest in the country’s history.
The Free State once again came out on top, followed by KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Western Cape, all performing above the national average.
Mpumalanga, North West and Northern Cape followed, while Limpopo achieved 79.5% and the Eastern Cape 81.4%, both showing steady improvement from the previous year.
Umalusi chief executive Dr Mafu Rakometsi also confirmed the council will no longer oversee the quality assurance or issue certificates for the National Certificate Vocational (NCV) levels two and three exams.
He said Umalusi will still handle quality assurance for NCV level four qualifications.
At the same time, Umalusi confirmed it is ready for the 2025 national exams for the national senior certificate and other qualifications.
Basic education parliamentary portfolio committee chair Joy Maimela also wished participants well.
“It is a very strenuous period in their academic journey," Maimela said.
"Please keep a watchful eye on them to ensure they are in a good state of mind and have an enabling environment to study.
"This is the culmination of 12 years of schooling leading to one final examination. We therefore call on parents, families, friends, educators, officials and communities at large to help create the best possible conditions for these learners to succeed.”
*This article was first published by IOL News
By Abigail Visagie
The search for Benjamin van Wyk’s(20) body, who drowned inside the Heidedal Quarry located behind Twin City Mall in Bloemfontein, is now in its third day.
On Thursday afternoon, Van Wyk (20) and two friends went swimming when tragedy struck.
He reportedly jumped into the water but was quickly overwhelmed and tragically drowned.
The Heidedal South African Police Services (SAPS) was immediately alerted and called to the scene, following an investigation conducted by the Bloemfontein Diving Unit.
Police Spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli confirmed that an intensive search commenced around the area where the victim was last seen, but had to be called off late in the evening due to poor light conditions.
The search will continue tomorrow..
Kareli says the Welkom Diving Unit was brought in to assist the operation on the second search day. However, due to the quarry's 50-meter depth, it was then determined that the body may have been carried by currents or rolled to a deeper section of the quarry.
“Divers are only permitted by law to go as deep as 30 meters; after that, machinery has to be procured from the private sector to assist with the retrieval of the corpse,” said Kareli.
“SAPS is working in close collaboration with the private sector and emergency services and utilising all available resources and pulling out all stops in an effort to locate and recover the body of the deceased,” said Kareli.
Kareli urged the community to refrain from swimming at the quarry.
By JN Reporter
Mangaung Metro Municipality Executive Mayor Gregory Nthatisi has made several changes to his Mayoral Committee (MMCs) as part of efforts to strengthen governance and improve service delivery across the metro.
The reshuffle, effected by Nthatisi on Friday, sees some councillors redeployed to new portfolios, while others retain their current positions, according to a reliable source within the ruling party’s regional leadership.
Journal News has reliably learned that Nthatisi received the go-ahead from the ANC’s Mangaung Regional Executive Committee before finalising the decision, with a formal announcement expected on Monday during a media briefing.
“The region has approved the reshuffle of the municipality’s mayoral committee, and the official announcement will be made by the mayor on Monday,” said a source close to the matter. “Comrade Nthatisi’s goal is to enhance efficiency and align the metro’s leadership team with the municipality’s strategic priorities — a move fully supported by the regional leadership.”
According to information received, Sebongile Tsoleli, previously MMC for IDP and Performance, has been appointed to Corporate Services, replacing Manthuse Letawana, who moves to Economic Development.
Logan Kruger, formerly heading Finance, has swapped portfolios with Deputy Mayor Lulama Titi-Odili, who previously led Public Safety. Titi-Odili will now serve as MMC for Finance, while Kruger takes over Public Safety.
Meanwhile, Theodorah Mosala, who oversaw Waste and Fleet Management, has been redeployed as MMC for IDP and Performance.
Attempts to obtain comment from ANC Mangaung regional spokesperson Ncamile Nxangisa were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
Dealing with one department at a time, the Premier said her administration will not focus solely on eradicating corruption at senior levels of government but will also extend efforts to include junior employees.
Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae vows to take a tough stance against corruption.
By: Matshidiso Selebeleng
Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae has reaffirmed her commitment to tackling corruption in the Free State by uprooting it at all levels of employment in government. In an interview with lifestyle magazine, Ignited Woman, Letsoha-Mathae declared that her administration will not focus exclusively on eradicating corruption at senior levels of government, but also expand it to junior employees who are involved in government procurement procedures.
“If they think I am coming for senior managers, I am even coming for those clerks who are requesting quotations. Today I am dealing with one department, I am moving one person from the other department to the other, even HODs,” said Letsoha-Mathae.
She also hinted at the possibility of scrupulously rotating government staff to remove them from their comfort zones, where they can casually be tempted to take part in illicit procurement practices. Said Letsoha-Mathae: “This is what we are going to do as the province…you can’t say you are going to change the lives of the people (and) empower the Free Staters, when the same supply chain managers are the ones in the same positions.”
The Premier further queried why service providers from outside were being prioritised instead of local businesspersons. She firmly stated that the latter approach is flawed, highlighting abhorrent incidents that are being perpetrated in other provinces, where bidders sometimes find themselves at the mercy of gun-toting assailants during tender briefing sessions.
“I want to tell you seated here, that what is happening in other provinces, when there is a briefing session and people just come in with guns and say: those who are not from here (get) out. We must address that before we reach that stage.”
“Let us address this issue and empower the people of the Free State,” stated Letsoha-Mathae. The Free State has indeed not been spared in the nationwide scourge of procurement corruption.
According to the 2023/2024 financial year annual report from the office of the Premier, in March 2022, a service provider was appointed to investigate irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure identified by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) during the financial years 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/20.
In this investigation, 144 audit findings were related to irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure; 25 of them were finalised and acknowledged by the accounting officer on 25 May 2023. It was through this investigation that additional irregular expenditure was discovered to have been incurred during 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/20, amounting to R28 768 000.
By 31 March 2024, 49 more investigations were finalised, but not acknowledged by the accounting officer. Excerpts from the report read: “The disciplinary recommendations contained within these investigation reports have not been implemented, as required by PFMA 38(1)(h)(iii). Management expects that the remaining investigations will be completed by 31 March 2025.”
The report indicated that no independent service provider was appointed to investigate instances of irregular and fruitless, and wasteful expenditure incurred during the period 2021 to 2023 and further states that no internal investigations have been performed by management to determine if disciplinary steps need to be taken against liable officials,” the report mentioned. Noting that Letsoha-Mathe only assumed her duties as Premier in June 2024, the annual report covering her tenure as Premier is yet to be released.
…After their now-arrested mother left them with their eight-year-old sibling for hours
By: Lerato Mutlanyane
Two young children, aged one and three, died in a shack fire in Caleb Motshabi, Bloemfontein, on Monday, 13 October 2025. A third child, aged eight, managed to escape the blaze. Police have opened a case of child neglect and culpable homicide.
The children’s mother appeared briefly in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 16 October 2025. According to reports, the 30-year-old mother allegedly left her three children alone in the shack at around 6 pm and returned four hours later to find it completely destroyed by fire.
The Department of Social Development revealed that 9,485 cases of deliberate child neglect and 595 cases of abandonment have been recorded in South Africa. Free State MEC for Social Development, Mathabo Hlalele, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy.
“We send our condolences to the family of the children who died in the fire. It is heartbreaking for such young lives to be lost in this manner. Our thoughts are with the family,” said MEC Hlalele. Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae also voiced concern, recalling a similar incident in Reitz in May, where two siblings died in a shack fire.
“We must do better as parents, particularly mothers. We cannot continue losing our children in this manner,” said Premier Letsoha-Mathae.
