News

North West police have launched a high-level investigation and deployed specialised units following the fatal shooting of Mahikeng community activist and traditional healer Thato Molosankwe.

Molosankwe was shot multiple times this morning (Wednesday, 20 May) at his home in Lomanyaneng.

According to police in the province, a case of murder and robbery was opened and will be treated as a priority.

Molosankwe was widely known in Mahikeng and surrounding communities as a vocal advocate for anti-corruption and corruption, working closely with local safety structures.

He was also a traditional healer and a community figure who often used his platform to raise concerns about crime, governance, and local economic issues.

Molosanke’s death has sparked an outpouring of grief and anger on social media, with many describing him as a fearless voice against criminality and corruption. Community members say his killing represents a devastating loss for grassroots activism in the area.

Residents in Lomanyaneng and broader Mahikeng have called for swift arrests, saying community leaders who work with law enforcement must be better protected amid rising concerns about targeted attacks

Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane has instructed provincial leadership to mobilise all available resources to track down those responsible..

Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or submit anonymous tips via the MySAPS platform, assuring that all information will be treated confidentially..

By Gomolemo Winkel  

Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has confirmed that the final report from the grievance hearing, involving allegations of sexual harassment against General Manager of Communications Qondile Khedama, was officially received on 11 May 2026.

Khedama was placed on special leave in December last year following allegations of sexual misconduct were levelled against him.

The latest development came from City Manager Sello Moroe on Friday, stating that the municipality is currently reviewing the findings in the report.

“The municipality is currently undertaking the necessary consultations and administrative processes to consider the findings and recommendations contained in the report.

“This process is being conducted in accordance with applicable labour legislation, municipal governance prescripts, principles of procedural fairness, and the municipality’s internal disciplinary and grievance procedures,” Moroe said in a media statement..

The municipality admitted that the matter has dragged on for an extended period, therefore raising an alarm among affected parties who have been awaiting closure on the issue.

 “We remain mindful that this matter has been pending for a considerable period and acknowledge the expectation for closure by all concerned parties.

“The intention is to conclude the process and communicate the outcome before the end of May,” he said.

Journal News sent an enquiry regarding the matter, but there was no response at the time of publication.

Labour intentions have escalated at Sol Plaatje Local Municipality in Kimberley, with contract workers protesting amid job cuts.

The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) is accusing the municipality of abandoning long-serving workers, while claims emerge that misinformation fuelled ongoing strike action in Kimberley

The workers staged protests outside the municipal offices in Ashburnham over the alleged termination of 137 fixed-term contract workers, whose contracts are expected to end on 29 May.

Today is the third day of the strike action that started last Friday. The protesting workers burned tyres and disrupted operations at municipal offices, preventing members of the public from entering the building.

Many of the affected workers have been employed in road maintenance and other essential municipal services and are now demanding permanent positions within the municipality.

SAMWU has vowed to intensify its fight against the planned terminations, arguing that long-serving workers are being unfairly discarded despite years of service to the municipality.

SAMWU Northern Cape Provincial Spokesperson, Papikie Mohale, says SAMWU will not stand by while workers who have dedicated years to keeping the city functioning are discarded without any job security.

“We are demanding that the municipality immediately stop these dismissals and engage with labour to find a lasting solution, he said.

Mohale also said workers remain deeply frustrated by the uncertainty surrounding their employment and warned that tensions could escalate further if no intervention is made.

Anonymous sources say the tensions have also been fuelled by misinformation circulating among workers regarding the status of the contracts and possible permanent appointments.

They say, despite these claims, uncertainty remains over whether management intends to review or reverse the termination notices.

Attempts to obtain comment from the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality were unsuccessful at the time of publication.

The death of struggle icon and former Premier of North West Kaobitsa ‘Bushy’ Maape has drawn tributes from political leaders and liberation veterans, marking the end of a life shaped by decades of activism, public service, and an unwavering commitment to education.

Maape died yesterday in Johannesburg after a short illness at 68.

For many in the province, Maape represented a generation of leaders forged in the struggle against apartheid. Long before he occupied the province’s highest office, he was an underground activist of the African National Congress, an operative of uMkhonto we Sizwe, and a political prisoner on Robben Island.

Maape served as premier from 2021 to 2024, a period during which he sought to stabilise governance in a province frequently under pressure due to service delivery and administrative challenges. Colleagues remember him as a measured, disciplined, and deeply committed leader who was deeply committed to ethical principles.

Premier Lazarus Kagiso Mokgosi described Maape as ethical and incorruptible, saying he consistently championed governance that put ordinary people first.

ANC spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, said Maape’s life reflected the sacrifices of a generation that dedicated itself to freedom, democracy, and development in South Africa.

In a statement, his family remembers him as a warm and humble figure whose wisdom, kindness, and laughter left a lasting impression on all who knew him.

Memorial and funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days.

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By Bernell Simons

After years of violence, lawlessness and mounting safety concerns at landfill sites, Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has finally pulled the plug on scrap metal recycling and second-hand goods trading at all landfill sites across the metro.

The municipality confirmed this week that the sweeping ban follows growing concerns over criminal activity, weak enforcement of permit conditions and repeated violent incidents linked to scrap operations — including killings at some landfill sites.

In what is being viewed as one of the municipality’s toughest interventions yet, Mangaung said scrap metal recycling and second-hand goods trading will no longer be allowed at any landfill facility within its jurisdiction.

“The Municipality has resolved that scrap metal recycling and second-hand goods dealing will no longer be permitted at any landfill sites within the Mangaung Metropolitan area,” the municipality said in a statement.

For years, landfill sites across the metro have become flashpoints for illegal activity, with complaints ranging from theft, violence and turf wars to poor access control and unregulated trading.

The growing presence of scrap operations has often created dangerous conditions for waste reclaimers, municipal workers and nearby communities.

Municipal officials said the decision followed consultations with external departments and stakeholders as concerns escalated over public safety and operational control at landfill facilities.

Authorities believe the ban will help restore order at sites that have increasingly become difficult to regulate.

However, the decision does not solve the broader humanitarian and social challenges surrounding landfill sites.

Informal settlements continue to expand around several dumping grounds where families and waste reclaimers live in makeshift shelters under harsh conditions.

Many residents lack access to basic services such as clean water, sanitation and electricity.

Community leaders and residents have repeatedly warned that landfill sites have become centres of desperation driven by unemployment, poverty and limited housing opportunities.

Environmental health concerns have also been raised over unsafe living conditions and long-term exposure to waste.

Reacting to the municipality’s announcement, AfriForum’s Christo Groenewald welcomed the move but cautioned that enforcement would be critical.

He said authorities must also confront the issue of informal settlements surrounding landfill sites.

“Regulation without relocation and proper enforcement risks shifting the problem rather than solving it,” Groenewald said.

Mangaung has warned that reclaimers who fail to comply with the new directive could have their permits revoked and may be denied access to landfill sites as enforcement measures begin.

The municipality now faces pressure to ensure the ban delivers lasting change without deepening the hardship faced by vulnerable communities who depend on landfill activity for survival.