Author: Madebe

CLOUD of grief has settled over a community in South Africa’s North West Province following the tragic death of a 12-year-old learner whose passing has left residents heartbroken, angry, and searching desperately for answers. What began as an ordinary school day ended in a tragedy that has shaken the community to its core — and set off a national conversation about the safety of children within South African school environments. The child is gone. The family is devastated. And the questions being asked are ones no parent should ever have to ask. What We Know According to early reports, the…

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…

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…

African casting: She went for R10,000. She Left With Nothing But Shame. They Told Her She Was Too Old 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…

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…

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,…

Prominent Zimbabwean televangelist Passion Java and his wife, Lily Java, have confirmed the dissolution of their marriage after more than a decade together, with both parties pledging to remain committed co-parents to their three sons. Lily Java broke the news publicly, disclosing that the couple’s union had already been legally dissolved before her announcement. “After prayer, counsel and much reflection, I want to formally acknowledge that my marriage has been legally dissolved for some time,” she said in a statement. She described the decision as one reached with deliberate care, characterised by what she called “sobriety, clarity, and conviction.” Lily…