The Democratic Alliance leadership in the North West canvassed in the Maquassi Hills as local elections nears, Head of Constituency, Don Van Zyl lead what they say was a productive week of community engagements in the municipality along with their potential dedicated councillor candidates  The party led a door-to-door campaign in the Ward 5, a ward they proudly won from the ANC in the December 2024 by-election. The party said, it was encouraging to reconnect with residents, reflect on the progress made over the past 18 months, and listen to the challenges that still require attention The party also conducted its oversight to areas experiencing water challenges as this has become a reoccurring issue "We also conducted oversight visits to areas experiencing ongoing water supply challenges before visiting the Tswelelang Library, where we found the facility closed at 12:00. Residents told us this has become a regular occurrence on Fridays and...

 Residents of Kgakala township at Ward 6 and 7 have welcomed the much-awaited solar and shopping complex projects will soon be constructed in the area Maquassi Hills Mayor, Mzwandile Feliti has been embarking on a a series of public consultation processes on Integrated Development Plan (IDP) Review and Draft Budget for the 2026/27 financial year tabled before the Council  Feliti has confirmed that the projects are expected under construction very soon, he says, these projects will assist in addressing unemployment in the municipality  "Yes, the new solar project is on its way and an advert for the position of the Community Liaison Officer will soon be out. Let me also take this opportunity to inform you that the construction of a shopping complex is also underway and the two massive projects will help a lot in addressing the challenge of unemployment here" - Maquassi Hills Mayor, Mzwandile Feliti The mayor further announced that a new settlement a...

   Leeudoringstad, Kgakala - The North West Department of Public Works and Roads has continued to improve road infrastructure in communities through its contribution to the Thuntsha Lerole Accelerated Service Delivery Programme, with road maintenance interventions undertaken in mid-July 2026 in Kgakala, Leeudoringstad As part of the department's service delivery programme, the road maintenance team prepared and processed the base layers for a 200-metre internal road in Kgakala in the Extension 4, enabling the municipality to proceed with installing block paving bricks The department also bladed 0.3 kilometres of internal access roads in Leeudoringstad and undertook maintenance work on a targeted 2.5-kilometre stretch of roads in Kgakala, Extensions 7 and 8 to improve accessibility for residents The interventions form part of the department's ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe and reliable road network that enhances mobility, supports local economi...

The father who murdered his two-year-old son, Oarabile Segonote, has been sentenced to 25 years’ direct imprisonment. Lucas Kgosi Mmakgathi, 49, was sentenced by the Madikwe Regional Court on 14 August 2026 after being convicted of murdering his son at Siga Village on 4 May 2024. The murder shocked the community after Mmakgathi took Oarabile from his grandmother’s home, reportedly telling the family that he was taking the toddler to the mall. The child was later found dead in the nearby bushes. During the investigation, it emerged that Mmakgathi had strangled his two-year-old son with a shoelace. Oarabile’s mother, Ofentse Segonote, describing herself as devastated by the death of her only child and saying she needed counselling. Following the latest court proceedings, the North West Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Arthur Adams welcomed the lengthy sentence, saying it demonstrated that perpetrators of serious crimes would be held accountable. Mmakgathi was senten...

On Wednesday, 19 August 2026 at approximately 21:00, police followed up on information that led to the arrest of eight suspects, aged between 19 and 31, along the Sannieshof/Ottosdal road. The arrests followed information received by the police regarding a group who allegedly planned to commit a robbery within the Delareyville policing precinct. The Delareyville Detective Unit, Delareyville Crime Prevention Unit and the Mahikeng Tactical Response Team (TRT) acted swiftly on the intelligence received. A vehicle fitting the description provided to the police was intercepted. During a search of the vehicle, police recovered an AK 47 rifle with ammunition and two pistols. One of the pistols was also found with ammunition. The suspects could not provide a satisfactory account for their possession of the firearms and ammunition. They were subsequently arrested and charged with possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. All the recovered firearms will be subjected to ballis...

A six year employment fraud scheme involving an irregular migrant, who allegedly used a South African national identity to secure employment, has ended with a six year sentence for fraud, following a detailed investigation by the South African Police Service in Brits. The court heard evidence that the 44-year-old suspect, Arlindo Fernando Timane, secured employment at a quarry in the Kareepoort area of Brits using a South African identity document, belonging to another person. The suspect worked for the company for approximately six years and accumulated about R900 000 in salary. The fraud came to light when the rightful ID holder approached SARS to submit his tax returns and was informed of an undisclosed source of income linked to an employer he had never worked for. The matter was subsequently reported to SAPS Brits and was investigated. During the investigation, fingerprint verification conducted with the Department of Home Affairs revealed that the suspect was not the ...

North West Education MEC Dr Sebonta Francinah Desbo Mohono has called on the department’s senior management to strengthen accountability, integrity, teamwork and service delivery to improve education outcomes across the province. Speaking during her inaugural engagement with senior management in Mahikeng, Mohono said officials must work collectively and respond urgently to challenges affecting learners and schools.  Mohono highlighted infrastructure backlogs, calling for greater decentralisation of responsibilities to districts to speed up project implementation and monitoring. The MEC also emphasised the need to embrace technology, strengthen collaboration on scholar transport, and promote food security and learner wellbeing. Mohono urged senior officials to work with urgency and purpose, stressing that there is no room for complacency in delivering quality education to the people of North West. Wolmaransstad Link proud partner of Learners Classroom Wolmaransstad ...

  On Monday, August 17, 2026, businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala appeared before the Madlanga Commission and refused to answer the majority of questions posed to him regarding his alleged involvement in corrupt activities within the South African Police Service (SAPS).  Represented by Advocate Annelene van den Heever, Matlala consistently invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination, citing pending criminal charges related to the controversial Medicare24 tender.  Matlala stated that he remains an accused person in an ongoing criminal trial and is entitled to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.  Consequently, he declined to provide evidence that could potentially be used against him in court. This stance prevented the commission from obtaining testimony on key allegations, including claims that he bribed senior police officials such as Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, Maj-Gen Richard Shibiri, and Sgt Fannie Nkosi. He also refused to comment on...

Police in Port Alfred are warning elderly people to be aware of rising target incidents by criminals  “A lifetime of hard work can vanish in a single phone call,” was the frightening message on the 19th August 2026, at an informative, fraud awareness campaign conducted by SAPS Port Alfred, in collaboration with Absa Banking Institution. This is the stark reality facing local seniors as the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Port Alfred reports an alarming spike in highly sophisticated imposter scams explicitly targeting the town's elderly residents. To combat this growing threat, SAPS Port Alfred Management, in a powerful collaboration with Absa Banking Institution, hosted an urgent public fraud awareness campaign on Wednesday, 19 August 2026.  The initiative, spearheaded by Community Police Officer (CPO) Warrant-Officer S Pienaar, aimed to pull back the curtain on the cruel psychological tricks used by fraudsters and equipped senior citizens with the tools nee...

The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers, has welcomed the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of three unlicensed firearms, 39 rounds of ammunition, a magazine and two toy pistols during separate operations conducted in the Waterberg and Vhembe Districts. The operations form part of intensified policing operations, including Operation Retshepeng, targeting illegal activities and illegal firearms across the province. A 37-year-old Zimbabwean national, Ndlovu British, appeared before the Tomburke Periodical Court on Thursday, 20 August 2026, following his arrest after two unlicensed firearms and ammunition were recovered at the Grobler’s Bridge Port of Entry in the Tomburke policing area. The suspect is remanded in custody until 17 October 2026 for further investigation after abandoning his bail application. It is alleged that on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, at about 08:00, members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) ...

  A multi-disciplinary team carried out Operation Basadi. The operation was led by the Ehlanzeni District Commissioner, Major General Dorah Xaba, and the efforts resulted in the confiscation of counterfeit and illicit goods valued at over R600 000 in Ehlanzeni District in Mpumalanga on 20 August 2026. The operation was conducted in partnership with various stakeholders, including Traffic Officials, South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs, Department of Home Affairs, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), vehicle tracking companies and private security personnel. The operation focused on a roadblock on the N4 Road near the Nkomazi Toll Plaza. The operation further zoomed into the tracing of wanted suspects, raiding of shops suspected of trading in counterfeit and illicit goods. Thirteen (13) undocumented foreign nationals were arrested at the roadblock while Traffic fines to the value of about R76 400.00 were issued to motorists for contravention of the National Road Tra...

The South African Police Service and emergency services responded on Saturday morning (16 August 2026) to a report of a newborn baby found at a dumping site put inside a black plastic bag in Wolmaransstad According to initial reports, a member of the public discovered the baby boy at the site earlier on Saturday. Emergency medical personnel were immediately called to the scene The infant was found to be alive and was stabilized on site before being transported to a nearby hospital for further medical checkups and care. He is currently receiving treatment and is under observation by medical staff Wolmaransstad SAPS has opened a case and investigations are underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and to locate the baby’s mother or caregivers Police urge anyone with information that may assist in the investigation to contact the Wolmaransstad Police Station or the nearest police station. Information can also be provided anonymously via the C...