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 evol...
The Bloemfontein City Hall was filled to capacity yesterday for a day of prayer for reconciliation under the theme “Seeking God’s Face for the Healing of the Land”.
Led by Mayor of Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM) Gregory Nthatisi, alongside Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, the day was graced by various interfaith church leaders.
The Data and Information Officer for MMM, Themba Vryman, confirmed that the theme carried a profound message for attendees, and the large turnout reflected the city's diverse demographics, encompassing different classes, genders, races, youth, women, and persons living with disabilities.
He says recognising the church is a strategic partnership for community development and social upliftment- combating crime, substance abuse, gender based violence and Femicide (GBVF) and so many other socio-economic issues, together as one voice.
“These challenges cannot be resolved by the government alone. They require collective moral leadership and shared responsibility,” he said.
Nthatisi during his keynote address said, “I made a commitment that this Reconciliation Day of Prayer must outlive all of us and must receive the necessary support which will allow for this event to be sustainable, to grow and endure.
“I once again extend my sincere gratitude to all who attended, commend the organisers under the leadership of our church leaders, and call upon our community to make the 2026 Reconciliation Day of Prayer an even greater event, hosted at a larger venue,” concluded Nthatisi.
The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) national elective conference in Polokwane this week concluded with the unopposed re-election of Collen Malatji as president with suggestions that this will reinforce secretary-general Fikile Mbalula's ambitions of becoming party president.
The newly elected Top Five leadership alongside Malatji includes Francisco Dyantyi (31), who moves from provincial secretary to deputy president. Tsakani Shiviti (34), the ANC chairperson of Parliament’s portfolio committee on science, technology and innovation, was elected secretary-general.
Zamakhanyase Khanyase (31) was elected first deputy secretary-general, having served as national spokesperson in the previous administration. Jacob Tau will now serve as treasurer-general, and Venus Blennies-Magage (30), the MEC for finance, economic development and tourism in the Northern Cape, was elected second deputy secretary-general.
Malatji was re-elected uncontested for a second term in the early hours of Tuesday morning at the league's 27th national congress, held at the University of Limpopo under the banner of "Economic Freedom and Social Change: Now, Not Later."
IOL reported that EFF leader Julius Malema warned last week that Mbalula is on course to become the party’s next president unless there is a serious intervention to stop him, and that the party’s deputy president, Paul Mashatile, was still “trying to catch up”.
Speaking during a media briefing in Johannesburg, malema said that without decisive action, Mbalula is going to be the party’s next president.
“I warned you that there’s Mbalula. If they allow him to do what he’s doing, he’s going to lead them,” Malema said.
He added that if the ANC’s succession battle were a marathon, “Mbalula is ahead, Paul (Mashatile) is trying to catch up, and I don’t know how he will get there”
The lack of challenge for the top position, and against his entire slate of preferred leaders, has ignited debate over the ANCYL’s political autonomy and its function within the mother body.
Political analyst Sandile Swana said that the clean sweep was far from 'a spontaneous democratic exercise'.
“Clearly the re-election of Collen Malatji means that the ANC itself has orchestrated this outcome that they have had Malatji’s slate unopposed,” Swana said.
“So it was agreed ahead of time that these ones would be elected unopposed… that is not a natural outcome. It is always orchestrated… It signifies the fact that the dominant faction in the ANC wants a domesticated youth league.”
Swana’s comments highlight a long-standing concern that the ANCYL has been stripped of its historic independence, a change he traces back to the expulsion of former president Malema and his supporters.
“The youth league has not had its independence since the expulsion of Malema,” he added. “That is the situation.”
The conference, which took place from December 14, was held earlier than scheduled.
In August, the ANCYL national general congress in the Northern Cape resolved that the national executive committee (NEC) should convene an early conference, as many members were approaching or had exceeded the age limit of 35.
Despite the widespread perception of a pre-determined outcome, reports indicated that Malatji and his slate were expected to make a clean sweep precisely because no one had formally challenged him for the presidency.
However, prior to the conference, Malatji had publicly stated his commitment to internal democracy.
Reportedly he said that the ANCYL “believes in democratic practices and that he is willing to be challenged even from the floor.”
Swana, however, remains unconvinced that the current ANCYL leadership under Malatji has demonstrated the necessary political clout or ideological clarity.
“Malatji has not been able to profile ideological clarity and a disciplined progressive program that is consistent and measurable in its progress,” Swana argued.
“The impact of the Youth league is subdued and hard to detect what exactly changes in the ANC. The emergence of people like Malatji as leaders is an indication that the youth league has lost its power for a long time,” he concluded.
The conference was also addressed by ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday, who called on the young people of the ANCYL to aggressively mobilise the country's youth behind the ANC in next year's local government elections.
Ramaphosa praised the youth for their "enduring spirit and immense contribution" to some of the declarations made at the party's recent National General Council (NGC).
In efforts to improve service delivery in the Free State, the Department of Community Safety, Roads, and Transport handed over 50 vehicles, valued at approximately R30 million, to various departments at the Government Garage in Bloemfontein yesterday.
The handover includes 15 vehicles for traffic and road safety.
They include 10 Volkswagen Polo sedans and five GWM (Great Wall Motors) double-cab pick-ups. Among these, two GWM double-cab vehicles were allocated to Traffic Management operations along the N3 corridor, while three were designated to support road safety awareness and outreach programs.
Additionally, the Department of Social Development received 35 GWM double-cab pick-ups to assist with community-based service delivery initiatives.
The Department of Health received 10 mortuary vans intended for the Department of Pathology to enhance emergency medical and forensic responses.
The Director for Forensic Pathology Services in the Free State Department of Health, Dr Joe Khoali, said the vehicles will make a significant difference in the department.
He says they will allow them to perform their duties without any challenges.
“In the Free State, we have 11 mortuaries, seven are used for dissection, and four serve as holding facilities.
“Until now, we have only had seven cars, which often break down due to high mileage, making repairs economically unfeasible,” said Khoali.
He explained that these new vehicles would be distributed across all facilities, allowing each worker to carry out responsibilities effectively.
MEC for Community Safety, Roads, and Transport, Jabu Mbalula, during the handover, emphasised the importance of not using the state vehicles for personal purposes.
“When we receive vehicles, we should not just put the papers under the carpet.
“These vehicles are tools for work, and we must clearly communicate to the people of the Free State that service delivery can be improved when state resources are allocated effectively."
He also highlighted that fleet management should be a priority for the government, especially concerning the transportation needs of various departments.
Mbalula encouraged everyone to travel safely during this festive season.
SOUTH Africa continues to lead the continent in scientific output, according to a new peer-reviewed study analysing a decade of African space science research.
Between 2014 and 2023, Africa published 2290 space science papers in recognised international journals, according to the research study.
South Africa produced 936 of these publications, just over 40% of Africa’s total output, demonstrating the country’s strong scientific capability in this strategically important domain.
The study was conducted entirely by Nigerian researchers, providing independent and objective insight into South Africa’s performance within the broader African landscape.
Across its Space Science and Earth Observation programmes, the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) published about 352 research papers during the same decade.
This reflects more than one-third (37.6%) of South Africa’s total space science publications and over one in every seven (15.4%) of Africa’s space science research publications.
SANSA said this contribution is particularly notable given SANSA’s small cohort of publishing researchers, supported by technical, operations, engineering and administrative expertise across the Agency.
“The research cohort has shown significant progress towards the transformation of the research group profile.
“Within the Space Science group, the gender balance has gone from eight men and only two women in 2014 to nine men and nine women by 2023,” SANSA said.
A 34-year-old petrol attendant has been arrested in Mpumalanga for allegedly cloning fuel cards and siphoning nearly R500,000 from unsuspecting motorists.
The arrest followed a joint investigation by two banks’ card fraud investigators, a Truckstop Inn fuel station and the Hawks’ Middelburg-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit.
According to the Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, the suspect is alleged to have cloned fuel cards during transactions when motorists paid using petrol cards at the fuel station. Investigations by the financial institutions revealed that card users suffered an estimated loss of R469,000.
The Hawks were alerted to the suspected criminal activity and operationalised the information. Officers swooped on the fuel station on Friday, 12 December 2025, where the identified petrol attendant was searched.
A card-cloning device was allegedly found in his possession, leading to his immediate arrest.
The suspect is expected to appear before the Balfour Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 15 December 2025.
Mpumalanga Hawks provincial head, Major General Nico Gerber, commended the collaboration between the financial institutions, the fuel station and law enforcement.
“Our investigation is still in its infancy phase, and we believe that as it continues, more information will be uncovered. There is also a possibility that more people may be linked to the illegal activities,” Gerber said.
“This is a testament to the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in addressing crime.”
IT has been nine months, and the police are no closer to catching the killers of brave whistleblower and community activist, Pamela Mabini, who was instrumental in the arrest of Nigerian televangelist pastor Timothy Omotoso for alleged sex trafficking.
Mabini was shot and killed in her car on the morning of March 7 outside her KwaZakhele home in Gqeberha, where the 46-year-old lived with her mother, two siblings and her niece.
Her murder sparked a widespread outcry and came just one month before Omotoso, and his two co-accused were acquitted of all charges, including rape, sexual assault and human trafficking.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson, Sandra Janse van Rensburg, told the Cape Times that investigations were ongoing and no arrests had been made.
Mabini was recently among those awarded the 2025 Blueprint Africa Whistleblowing Prize for her bravery.
Between 2015 and 2017, the Cultural, Linguistic and Religious Rights Commission (CRL) conducted an investigative study into the Commercialisation of Religion and Abuse of People’s Belief Systems. The CRL said that during this time, Mabini came forward about a case of alleged sexual violation and possible human trafficking in South Africa by a religious leader.
“That is how the case of Pastor Omotoso came into being,” the CRL said earlier this year.
Omotoso was arrested in 2017, accused of raping or sexually assaulting a number of his congregants, one reportedly since she was 14. He eventually faced 63 charges, including racketeering, human trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation, rape and sexual assault.
“As the Pastor Omotoso case unfolded, witnesses soon attracted unwelcome attention, placing them in harm’s way, that escalated rendering to vulnerabilities and posing a threat to their lives. This was further exacerbated by an inefficient witness protection programme, changes in the prosecution team and the presiding officer that required one of them to retell her testimony to the new team,” the CRL had said.
Omotoso and his two co-accused were acquitted in April this year. One month later, he reportedly left the country and headed back to Nigeria.
Mabini's cousin and family spokesperson, Luzuko Gaxamba, said: “The outcome of the case was not an easy thing to accept because nobody was expecting that outcome. Safe to say it was indicated because of the flaws made by the prosecution, but risking your life, taking out your time, all you have in support of the victims and in the end, you find there is no justice. We understand the NPA is appealing, but it is not a good thing because it kills the faith and the spirit of trying to expose this. The reason for being a whistleblower is you want justice to be served. If that fails, you don't feel good.”
Mabini’s family said it had been the third attempt on her life.
“It has not been easy for the family. Losing a daughter, a child, or a sister in that way will always be very traumatic for the family. Things have not been the same since her departure. Pamela was also the breadwinner of the family. She was supporting the family. She was looking after her elderly mother, her siblings and her niece," said Gaxamba.
Mabini is described as a selfless person who lived her life in the service of others, with Gaxamba adding that a whistleblower is prepared to risk their own life for the betterment of society.
“You are prepared to lay down your own life, you don't care or don't mind about how others are going to judge you, how they are going to retaliate against you. It is a sacrifice you make for the betterment of society.
“She stopped working to start an NGO because she saw a need. She would go out of her way as a development activist to support other people, especially the needy people. The NGO (Maro Foundation) was focusing on the fight for justice, supporting people, especially those subjected to gender-based violence. She went on further to support the needy children; those at school provide sanitary towels and other things. She would also go out and support the homeless by cooking and providing hot meals.”
The timing of the award, which came during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign, meant a lot to the family.
“There was no better time. We felt very happy and proud that at least there are people recognising her efforts”.
“We highly appreciate that award. When we talk of her legacy, our intention is to focus on three areas. We want to focus on advocacy when we talk about GBV. We want to look at training and development. How do we train people around these matters? Thirdly, we want to support victims.”
