The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says it’s confident about the new evidence in its case against Digital Vibes and several other companies and their directors, former Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, and some of his family members.
The SIU has been given the green light by the Special Tribunal to introduce crucial new evidence in the R150 million Digital Vibes scandal, set to be admitted in court.
The SIU stressed that the affidavit is critical, warning that without it, important details about how public money was laundered through bogus business dealings could be lost.
Investigators say their findings show the Mkhize family, including Dr. Zweli Mkhize’s wife, son and a business associate, personally benefitted from funds meant for COVID-19 and National Health Insurance (NHI) communication contracts.
SIU Spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says, “It was very important for us to introduce their affidavit because we wanted to introduce crucial evidence that shows that certain respondents received money without rendering any service and we feel that if this was not introduced therefore the main case we are dealing with might be decided without the kind of information that was gathered after we start the application to the tribunal that’s why it was very important for us to do that.” – Reporting by Ntombi Mavimbela.
*This article was first published by IOL News
A Pakistan government helicopter crashed in the north of the country on Monday, killing all five people on board, a police official said.
The helicopter was carrying out "a test landing on a newly proposed helipad" in a mountainous tourist area when it came down, Abdul Hameed, a senior police officer in Diamer district, told AFP.
"Among the killed were two pilots and three technicians," he said.
The helicopter, which belonged to the Gilgit Baltistan government, crashed in the region's Diamer district around 10:00 am (0500 GMT).
It comes just weeks after a government MI-17 helicopter crashed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province while carrying out flood relief efforts, killing all five crew and pilots.
There have been several deadly helicopter crashes in Pakistan in recent years, including in 2022 when five servicemen and one of the army's top commanders were killed when their helicopter crashed during flood relief operations in southwestern Balochistan province.
*This article was first published by IOL News
Jubilant members of the International Pentecost Holiness Church (IPHC) during a church service. The Mpumalanga provincial government has urged churches to heighten security following a string of robberies at churches.
Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security, and Liaison, Jackie Macie, has called on church leaders across the province to ramp up security measures and protocols to better protect themselves and their congregants.
Macie was reacting to the recent spate of business robberies that occurred at church services in Bushbuckridge and KwaMhlanga.
“Two business robberies were reported at two separate places of worship in the Calcutta policing precinct. The third robbery was reported at KwaMhlanga during a night vigil on Friday, August 29, 2025, at around 11 pm,” the MEC said.
Macie said churches should enhance security measures by implementing steps, including working closely with the police; making arrangements with local security companies, especially for night services; and utilizing private security for monitoring premises during services and events.
He also urged churches to install CCTV cameras and alarm systems to deter and detect potential threats, designate a security team or ushers to keep an eye on the congregation and respond to incidents, and conduct risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities, such as isolated areas or unsecured entrances.
Churches are also urged to assess the likelihood of robbery or other safety threats based on location, time of day, and other factors.
"The recent attacks are a clear indication of moral decay in our society. Therefore, we must all work together by reporting suspects to the police. What happened in these three robberies is an indication that more still needs to be done to secure our communities,” said Macie.
“Men and women in blue should remain undeterred in their efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.”
Earlier on Monday, IOL reported that police in Mpumalanga are investigating the incident of robbery that occurred at a church in KwaMhlanga at around midnight on Friday.
Provincial police spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, said the robbery occurred while congregants were having a night prayer service.
“According to a (police) report, approximately 60 congregants were praying inside the church when six armed men stormed the premises. The suspects reportedly held the victims at gunpoint, ordered them to lie down, and robbed them of mobile phones, wallets, clothing items, and an undisclosed amount of cash,” said Mdhluli.
Thereafter, it is alleged that the assailants switched off the premises’ lights before they fled the scene with the stolen items.
Last week, the South African Community of Faith-based Fraternals and Federations (SACOFF) raised the alarm over the regular targeting of churches and other places of worship across South Africa, following several reports of violent attacks reported by IOL.
On Monday last week, IOL reported that the police in Mpumalanga launched an investigation into a case of business robbery that occurred at a church in Mkhuhlu, Calcutta, on Sunday. Three unknown suspects allegedly stormed the church while congregants were worshipping, and shots were fired during the incident.
“It is with deep concern and sorrow that we note the escalating trend of violent robberies taking place in churches across South Africa. The recent spate of incidents, particularly in Mpumalanga, reflects not only a blatant disregard for the law but also a total lack of respect for the lives and dignity of fellow South Africans,” said Pastor Bert Pretorius, president of SACOFF.
“Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peace, healing, and refuge. They are spaces where people gather in faith and unity to seek the presence of God. For criminals to boldly storm into these sacred spaces with firearms, firing shots and stripping congregants of their dignity and possessions, is not only an attack on individuals but also on the spiritual fabric of our nation.”
Bert, who is also Senior Pastor at the 3C Church, told IOL that it is shocking and unacceptable that in South Africa today, “one cannot even worship without fear of violence”.
Last month, IOL reported that a church service in Klipfontein, Witbank, was violently interrupted when a group of armed suspects stormed the premises, robbing and kidnapping nine congregants, including the pastor.
Two suspects were arrested, and the victims were later found, said Brigadier Donald Mdhluli.
“According to a report, on this fateful day, a group of more than five armed males stormed into the church premises, threatening the congregants with firearms. About nine church members, including the pastor and church elders, were present at the time, and were ordered to lie down,” Mdhluli said at the time.
The victims were subsequently searched by the armed intruders and tied with cable ties before being robbed of their mobile phones, wallets containing bank cards, laptops, as well as a computer screen belonging to the church.
On the other hand, the South African Union Council of Independent Churches (SAUCIC), which represents affiliated federations of charismatic, evangelical outreach mission ministries and pentecostal churches, has raised the alarm about the escalating trend of church robberies, particularly around Mpumalanga.
Speaking to IOL News, national spokesperson of the SA Union Council of Independent Churches, Pastor Lesiba Kgwele said the frequent robberies suggest that churches are viewed as “soft targets by heartless criminals” who have no regard for the sanctity of life.
“The firing of gunshots in the house of the Lord shows the extent to which the criminals are desperate and will not stop at anything. Churches are therefore advised to take precautionary measures and minimise cash transactions for tithes as well as offerings particularly during evening services,” said Kgwele.
“We are appealing to police not to leave any stone unturned until the culprits who defiled the house of the Lord and put the lives of congregants at risk are behind bars.”
*This article was first published by IOL News
South Africa is losing more than R250 million every day to criminals in the shadow economy, Tax Justice South Africa (TJSA) said, calling for illicit trade to be declared a national emergency.
“Every rand looted results in a school not built, a hospital not equipped, a home not delivered,” said Yusuf Abramjee, founder of Tax Justice SA. “This crisis is stealing the future from our people.”
Illicit cigarettes alone cost the country an estimated R28 billion a year, while illicit alcohol contributes to losses of about R16.5 billion annually, according to the organisation.
The warning comes in the wake of the African Union’s new “Mbeki II” report, compiled by the High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows (AU HLP), which shows that illicit financial outflows from Africa have worsened since former President Thabo Mbeki first exposed the issue a decade ago.
Instead of leading the fight against the problem, Abramjee said South Africa has “sunk deeper into the problem”.
He cited the country’s greylisting by global financial watchdogs in 2023 as a sign of government inaction.
“We were greylisted by financial watchdogs in 2023 because the government failed to act. Yet still nothing changes,” Abramjee said.
“Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia investigation laid bare massive international money laundering through South Africa. Two years later, not a single arrest has been made. Criminals are laughing at us, while honest, hard-working South Africans pay the price.”
The AU report paints a stark picture of weak enforcement, fragmented initiatives, and political apathy in the face of a worsening crisis.
Abramjee urged that illicit trade be placed at the top of the agenda in the forthcoming National Dialogue.
“This is a national emergency,” he said. “We are being looted on an industrial scale, and the government must act with urgency. South Africans deserve protection from the criminal syndicates that are bleeding us dry.”
TJSA said it will continue campaigning for urgent action and raising awareness about the scale of losses, which undermine both government and the rule of law.
*This article was first published by IOL News
Diesel customers can look forward to significant savings at the pumps from Wednesday, September 3, while petrol is looking set for a minor reduction.
Month-end unaudited data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) is currently pointing to diesel price reductions of between 55 cents (500ppm) and 56 cents (50ppm), and petrol price decreases of between 4 cents (95 Unleaded) and 12 cents (93 Unleaded).
Should these predictions materialise, a litre of 95 Unleaded petrol will cost R20.76 at the coast and R21.55 in Gauteng, while 93 Unleaded will retail for R21.39. The wholesale price of 50ppm diesel is expected to decline to R18.72 at the coast and R19.48 in Gauteng.
International petroleum and diesel prices are largely responsible for September’s adjustment, with the rand having played a minor role by providing 1.5 cents worth of relief to the equation. International diesel prices, in particular, have fallen during the preceding month, due to rising inventories, Bloomberg reported.
September’s diesel price decrease will, however, bring prices back to the same level as earlier this year.
*This article was first published by IOL News
Free State ANCWL chairperson cautiously echoed Naledi Pandor’s sentiments, adding that women are ready to lead the ANC
By: Abigail Visagie
The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) in the Free State has thrown its weight behind party veteran Naledi Pandor, following her hard-hitting remarks about the state of the organisation.
The former international relations minister declared that the ANC has lost its former glory, adding that South Africans now view the once-revered liberation movement with “disdain, horror and shame”.
In response to Pandor’s remarks, Free State ANCWL provincial chairperson Connie Msibi said the growing leadership of women at provincial and regional levels underscores Pandor’s point that women in the organisation must reclaim the ANC’s lost glory and historic mission.
“Each of us has our own way of presenting issues, so I won’t say whether Comrade Pandor was right or wrong.
“But as South African women, we are ready to lead. We must reclaim both our historic mission and the organisation’s glory,” said Msibi on the sidelines of the restoration of the tombstone of the late anti-apartheid activist Moipone Motabolapasa Motlhakwana in Mangaung, Bloemfontein, on Friday.
Speaking at the centenary celebration of erstwhile ANCWL president Gertrude Shope last Sunday, Pandor openly criticised her own party and urged her comrades to concede that the party has become a shadow of its former self.
“We have lost our glory, let’s not pretend about it. The people are looking at us with disdain. The people are looking at us with horror and shame.
“Comrades, this is our biggest fault line,” proclaimed Pandor.
She added that Shope would have insisted that the ANC, its Women’s League, and the Youth League need selfless, committed members who prioritise service to the people above all else.
These remarks ultimately drew mixed reactions from members within the party. While some call for retribution, other prominent figures within the party contrarily believe Pandor’s critique prompts the party to do some introspection.
ANC national executive committee member, Bernice Swarts, holds the view that Pandor’s account of the state of the ANC is more directed at branches and not individuals. Swart calls for greater accountability from the party’s leadership.
“If you are a leader and don’t provide solutions, you cannot claim to be leading earnestly. When people present challenges, it is your responsibility to respond with solutions,” Swarts said.
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula further absolved Pandor, asserting that there was nothing wrong with what she said given the context of her remarks.
“She spoke as a veteran, at a veterans’ event, and I am proud of her,” Mbalula responded when quizzed about Pandor’s statements at the ANC political environment and current developments media briefing on 26 August 2025.
He continued: “She was simply reaffirming ANC principles on a public platform, reminding members of the standards expected of them.
“Her words were fitting for the event held in honour of Mama Gertrude Shope,” stated Mbalula.
