A soft-spoken university student with aspirations of becoming a teacher has become the latest focal point in growing public discussions surrounding African Casting, a South African company currently under scrutiny following warnings issued by the South African Police Service (SAPS) regarding its recruitment methods. A Student With Quiet Ambitions The young woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, appeared in one of several filmed interview sessions that have been circulating widely online. Speaking in a calm, measured tone, she confirmed that she is currently pursuing a teaching qualification — a career path she described with evident pride despite her reserved…
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Police warn that mob justice threatens to derail investigation into disappearance of Lathitha Mtolo; human trafficking a suspected motive By Staff Reporter | Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal KOKSTAD — Fear and anger have gripped the community of Kokstad as the desperate search for a missing seven-year-old girl enters its sixth day, with authorities now battling both a complex criminal investigation and a surge of vigilante violence threatening to engulf the town. Lathitha Mtolo, who resides in the Marikana section of Kokstad in KwaZulu-Natal, was reported missing last Thursday afternoon after she failed to return home from playing with friends near her residence.…
A Limpopo woman’s admission that she accompanied her daughter to a flagged modelling agency has reignited urgent questions about the financial desperation facing South African students By Our Social Affairs Correspondent | Published: March 5, 2026 LIMPOPO — A mother from a rural Limpopo community has come forward with a deeply personal confession that has divided public opinion and cast a harsh light on the financial pressures facing university students and their families. The woman, known only as MaKhumalo, is a single mother in her late 30s. Her daughter, Andile, is in her early 20s and is currently enrolled…
A South African woman believed to be in her late 50s is at the centre of a growing controversy after footage of her visit to a Johannesburg-based talent agency, African Casting, began circulating widely online — exposing what critics are describing as a predatory scheme targeting vulnerable job seekers. The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, says she visited the agency after hearing that attendees received R10,000 following an interview — money she had hoped to put toward building her own home after years of housing insecurity. “The real reason I went there is because I want to build…
An e-hailing driver was robbed of his cellphone and cash by a group of young men in Westbury, western Johannesburg, in an incident captured on dashboard camera that has since gone viral on social media and reignited calls for urgent safety reforms within the ride-hailing industry. The driver had arrived at a designated pickup point when several suspects approached the vehicle and allegedly coerced him into surrendering his phone and cash before fleeing the scene. Footage from the vehicle’s dashboard camera spread rapidly across social media platforms, drawing widespread condemnation and prompting a broader public conversation about the dangers facing…
Young women cite unemployment and poverty as driving forces behind their decision TEMBISA, Gauteng — Three teenage girls from a local government high school in Tembisa have revealed they deliberately sought out African Casting — the agency at the centre of a growing controversy over alleged R10,000 payments — saying financial desperation drove their decision despite being aware of the risks involved. The three young women, all aged between 18 and 20 and speaking on condition of anonymity, sat down for an exclusive interview in which they described the economic pressures that led them to the agency run by Ivo…
Pamela Ncumisa Selani, 47, carried out three killings over two years — concealing all victims in a single shallow grave until restless spirits led a traditional healer to alert police in 2020. Published: March 1, 2025 Three Bodies, One Grave, Two Years of Secrets: The Case Against Pamela Selani A 47-year-old Pretoria woman has been handed three life sentences after a court found her guilty of murdering two boyfriends and her own teenage son — all of whose bodies were buried on top of each other in a shallow grave in her backyard. Pamela Ncumisa Selani’s crimes spanned from 2016…
Actor Meshack Mavuso Magabane bows out in a dramatic on-screen death, as the curtain falls on one of South African television’s most compelling antiheroes. JOHANNESBURG — After three turbulent seasons, Smoke & Mirrors is drawing to a close — and its most notorious character is going out in a blaze of violence. Jaxon, the ruthless businessman-turned-politician who has long cast a shadow over the fictional township of Emnyameni, is set to be killed off in scenes scheduled to air on Wednesday, 25 March 2026. The character, portrayed by award-winning actor Meshack Mavuso Magabane, meets his end at the hands of…
A close-knit residential neighbourhood has been gripped by anxiety and uncertainty after a teenage girl left her family home on an ordinary afternoon, telling her parents she was meeting friends — and has not been seen since. Authorities confirmed they are actively pursuing leads in the case. Family members say the girl gave no indication that anything was amiss before her departure. Neighbours, many of whom know the family well, described her parents as devoted and attentive — people who, in the words of one resident, “just wanted her safe.” The disappearance has set off an urgent community response. Residents…
A Makhanda community is grieving after the body of 14-year-old Endinako Dudu was recovered from the Kowie River, bringing a tragic end to a desperate search that had gripped the area for days. Endinako, a Grade 8 learner at Mary Waters High School, was reported missing after severe flooding struck the Makana Local Municipality earlier this week. She was on her way home from school when she was swept away by powerful currents while attempting to cross the Kowie River — a crossing that, on any ordinary day, would have been unremarkable. This was not an ordinary day. Heavy Rains,…