Salutes Leaders and Volunteers on MANCOSA Graduation

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA 

Salutes Leaders and Volunteers on MANCOSA Graduation

The Inkatha Freedom Party Youth Brigade National Executive Committee (IFPYB NEC) extends its heartfelt congratulations to the KZN IFPYB Provincial Chairperson, Comrade Mncendisi Maphisa, MPL, and all dedicated Youth Brigade leaders and volunteers who successfully graduated from MANCOSA in various fields of study.

This remarkable achievement goes beyond personal success — it stands as a powerful testament to the IFP Youth Brigade’s commitment to leadership through learning. It affirms that the movement’s leaders continue to lead by example through their relentless pursuit of education and self-improvement.

The IFPYB firmly believes that effective political leadership must be underpinned by intellectual depth and professional competence. These newly acquired qualifications represent critical tools in advancing the Youth Brigade’s mission of service and empowerment within our communities.

Education remains the cornerstone of sustainable growth, effective governance, and community upliftment. An educated leadership is essential to addressing persistent challenges such as youth unemployment, inequality, and limited access to education—especially among young people in rural areas.

Through their dedication to self-development, these graduates are strengthening the IFP’s capacity to deliver on its vision of comprehensive development and liberation, turning aspiration into tangible reality.

The IFP Youth Brigade salutes their commitment and looks forward to their continued contribution as educated and principled leaders within the Party and across the province.

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Alarming Rise of Suicides SAPS

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA

 

Alarming Rise of Suicides SAPS 

Alarming rise of suicides in the South African Police Service tragically reflects the strain facing those in the line of duty.

DA calls on National Police Commissioner to take decisive action in saving lives.

DA in Parliament will also ensure reforms are implemented.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned by the alarming rise in suicides within the South African Police Service (SAPS). Recent reports reveal that, on average, one police officer takes their own life every week. 

This is not just a statistic; it is a tragic reflection of the immense psychological strain borne by those tasked with protecting our nation.

The DA extends its deepest condolences to the families and colleagues of those who have lost their lives. Every one of these tragedies represents a devastating failure of a system that continues to neglect the mental health and wellbeing of its members.

This crisis cannot be separated from the deep systemic issues within SAPS. Chronic under-resourcing, inadequate training at police colleges, long working hours, and relentless exposure to trauma have all created an environment of burnout and despair. Equally concerning is the lack of regular psychological debriefing and the continued stigma around seeking mental health support within the police service.

The fact that SAPS continues to dominate the headlines for all the wrong reasons, from corruption scandals to mismanagement and political interference, only adds to the psychological burden on officers who are doing their best to serve with integrity. These men and women on the ground feel abandoned and demoralised, forced to work within a system that too often undermines their efforts instead of supporting them.

The DA calls on the National Commissioner and SAPS management to take urgent, decisive action to address this crisis, including:

- The immediate rollout of mandatory and confidential mental health support and debriefing sessions after traumatic incidents;

- The integration of comprehensive mental health training and resilience programmes at all police colleges;

- Improved working conditions and resource allocation to relieve operational pressure; and

- Leadership accountability to ensure that the wellbeing of officers is prioritised alongside operational performance.

Our first responders face unimaginable trauma daily, they should not also have to face it alone. Protecting those who protect us must be a national priority.

The DA will be raising this matter in Parliament and through the Portfolio Committee on Police to ensure that SAPS implements urgent reforms to safeguard the mental health of its members.

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Flamingo Heights Flats Residents Continue To Suffer

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA

Flamingo Heights Flats Residents Continue To Suffer

The DA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) notes with deep concern the ongoing delays in finalising the transfer of ownership of units at the Flamingo Heights flats in Tongaat - a project first begun more than six years ago to provide residents with long-overdue title deeds and security of tenure.

According to the latest status report by eThekwini Municipality - tabled at a recent KZN Human Settlements portfolio committee - while key steps including land audits, town planning layouts, and Surveyor General approvals have been completed, the project remains stalled due to persistent bureaucratic inefficiencies and poor interdepartmental coordination.

This includes the discovery that Erf 2379 Tongaat - the land on which Flamingo Heights stands - is still classified as a public open space which has further delayed the process pending closure and rezoning applications.

Residents of Flamingo Heights have waited too long for what they were promised - dignity through ownership.

This situation is symptomatic of eThekwini Municipality’s inability to plan, communicate, and execute effectively. The DA regards it as unacceptable that residents continue to live in uncertainty while red tape and administrative mismanagement delay their right to ownership.

The DA will work with its Housing portfolio colleagues in eThekwini in a bid to;

• Fast-track the Closure of Public Open Space application through Real Estate and Town Planning departments and set a fixed timeline for approval

• Establish a dedicated multi-departmental task team to oversee the remaining stages, including Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, 2013 (Act No. 16 of 2013) (SPLUMA) compliance, rezoning and title deed issuance, with clear accountability and monthly progress updates

• Implement transparent public reporting mechanisms to allow residents to access updates without bureaucratic barriers and;

• Engage directly with beneficiaries to ensure that they are informed of timelines, processes and their rights throughout.

As a partner within KZN’s Government of Provincial Unit (GPU), the DA remains committed to empowering communities through secure property ownership, efficient public administration and transparent governance.

Flamingo Heights should be a model of successful urban regeneration and housing reform, not another example of government paralysis. 

The DA will continue to hold eThekwini Municipality accountable until every qualifying resident receives their title deed and the dignity that comes with it.

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Granting of Bail to JMPD Officers and Condemns Unlawful Arrest by SAPS

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MMC for Public Safety Dr Mgcini Tshwaku Notes Granting of Bail to JMPD Officers and Condemns Unlawful Arrest by SAPS

The MMC for Public Safety, Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, notes with relief the granting of bail to members of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) Tactical Response Unit (TRU) and Recovery Unit following their unlawful arrest and detention by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Bekkersdal.

We have now been able to speak directly with our members about the events that transpired, as SAPS had previously denied JMPD Internal Affairs access to them during their detention. Below is the sequence of events as recounted by the affected officers:

On 17 October 2025, JMPD TRU officers, acting on credible intelligence regarding a suspected stolen Toyota Hilux belonging to an illegal miner (zama zama) who had been underground for nine months, located the vehicle at a premises in Bekkersdal.

Accompanied by an informant who could identify the vehicle, they arrived at the location, requested assistance from a tow truck to facilitate inspection, and knocked on the closed gate. 

Two individuals emerged from the premises and fled by jumping over the back wall, damaging the electric fence in the process. This suspicious behavior confirmed the officers’ intelligence, prompting them to lift the gate to gain entry and pursue the matter. 

The suspects escaped, and while the officers were examining the vehicle—noting its Free State registration and absence of a license disc—to verify the VIN and confirm its status, SAPS officers arrived on the scene. 

The SAPS members accused the JMPD officers of robbery in the area, pointed firearms at them, confiscated their phones and service firearms, and handcuffed them without specifying any charges. At Bekkersdal police station, a captain who recognized one of the officers claimed this was not their first such incident, ordered them into cells without providing any documentation or allowing them to make phone calls, and seized their belongings. 

The officers were then transferred to Randfontein SAPS, where detention  was refused, before being moved to Kagiso SAPS for the remainder of the weekend, with explicit instructions that they not be placed in the same cell.

On 20 October 2025, they were transported for a court appearance, but the venue changed multiple times—from Randfontein to the Western Area court—resulting in them being held for the entire day. The charges against them were altered three times during their detention. Ultimately, four officers were granted bail, while another required a formal bail application due to a protection order against him.

Based on the information provided by our arrested members, it is clear that SAPS abused their power in this incident. There have been numerous prior cases where SAPS members have abused their authority against metro police officers, including instances of shooting and killing them. This unlawful arrest not only undermines inter governmental relations but also compromises public safety by hindering legitimate law enforcement operations against crime.

We request the Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and COGTA MEC Jacob Mamabolo to address these escalating tensions between South African police and Metropolitan. Memorandum of agreements have been signed, that SAPS and Metropolitan must work together and there will be no limitation on where Metropolice works. 

The City of Johannesburg calls for an urgent investigation into this matter by the Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, to prevent further erosion of trust between law enforcement entities and to safeguard the rule of law. 

The JMPD remains committed to combating crime and protecting the residents of Johannesburg, and we will not be deterred by such baseless interference.

  MAKEKASIGREAT©®™ @KASIBC_AFRICA

Gauteng government to launch Tswa Daar, a massive anti- substance abuse campaign

KASIBC_AFRICA ONLINE EDITOR

Gauteng government to launch Tswa Daar, a massive anti- substance abuse campaign

The Gauteng Provincial Government led by Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Members of Executive Council (MECs), will on Monday 27 October 2025, launch Tswa Daar!, a massive campaign to combat substance and alcohol abuse in communities across all five regions in the province. 

This initiative is part of a broader effort to save lives, restore dignity and build a healthier, safer Gauteng. It reflects the provincial government’s commitment to tackling substance and alcohol abuse head-on, with care and urgency.

During the launch, at all sites there will be multidisciplinary teams of nurses, social workers, doctors, police officers, and government officials will be deployed to provide immediate support to substance users and their families. A central database will be created to understand the scale of substance abuse and ensure fair allocation of resources.

While rehabilitation centres have limited capacity, the Gauteng government is working with Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) and other institutions to meet the demand. 

Services available on all sites will include medical assessments, affidavits for rehabilitation admission, identity document applications, profiling for job and training opportunities and outpatient treatment. 

Parents, community and religious leaders, businesses, and all Gauteng residents are urged to join government in breaking the cycle of substance 

and alcohol abuse.

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THE MASS SHOOTING IN WESTBURY AND ONGOING MASS SHOOTINGS RELATED TO GANG AND EXTORTION VIOLENCE IN THE WESTERN CAPE

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ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA 

THE MASS SHOOTING IN WESTBURY AND ONGOING MASS SHOOTINGS RELATED TO GANG AND EXTORTION VIOLENCE IN THE WESTERN CAPE 

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) expresses its deep concern and pain to the victims and families of those whose lives were lost in mass shootings in Westbury, Johannesburg this afternoon. In what reflects continued lawlessness and bloodshed in our country, two teenagers were shot dead in Westbury, while five additional teenagers have been left wounded. It is of greater concern that the individuals who have been harmed with two fatalities in this incident, are said to have been involved in gang-related activity, and the attack on them was from a rival gang. 

It reflects the moral and social decay in our society, where teenagers as young as 14-years old, are engaged in violent activity wherein firearms are involved. This simply means that the culture of violence, crime and murder in South Africa has now been inherited by children and has embedded itself in our communities. Further to this, the ease of access to what is undoubtedly illegal firearms which is at the center of gang-violence in this country is a cause for concern which is not being appropriately addressed, especially considering that in some instances it is firearms which belong to SAPS which are involved in violent crime. 

These gang-related shootings in Westbury, follow what has become almost daily reports of mass shootings in the City of Cape Town, and recently in Philippi East, where seven people were shot dead in what is suspected to be related to ongoing gang and extortion related activities in the area.  

As the nation confronts the allegations of the capture of law enforcement agencies which are being unraveled in the Ad Hoc Committee of the Parliament of South Africa and the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, the streets of South Africa continue to be riddled by organized crime and violence. The release of individuals who are involved in these activities as repeat offenders on bail through our courts, further encourages an attitude of impunity, and cripple communities and whistle-blowers into silence. 

The EFF calls on law enforcement agencies in South Africa, including the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the South African Police Services (SAPS) and all its units and the Judiciary to use the opportunity presented by the exposure of corruption in our system to rise to the occasion and intensify the fight against drug cartels, criminal syndicates and organized crime. The criminal underworld ought not to find an opportunity in the collective reflection that the nation is undergoing regarding lawlessness, to increase their illegal activity and operations. Organized crime and violence by gangs and syndicates ought to at this stage wherein our law enforcement agencies are under scrutiny, be characterized as acts of domestic terrorism. 

Our nation should be on high alert and criminals should be more afraid now more ever, rather than continue their operations. 

Further to this, there must be complete transparency and constant updates regarding the apprehension of individuals involved in organized crime which include extortion rings and gangs. 

The EFF will continue to raise sharply all methods that can be utilized to track and uncover organized crime which has infiltrated law enforcement agencies in South Africa and will revive efforts to fight organized crime particularly that of extortion and gangsterism. 

We encourage all citizens to approach their police stations and their public representatives in municipal councils, provincial legislatures and in Parliament to report any member of SAPS who they suspect to be in collusion with criminal syndicates. 

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SANDF Starvation Scandal Highlights Systemic Rot in Defence Leadership

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ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA

SANDF Starvation Scandal Highlights Systemic Rot in Defence Leadership

130 naval recruits at SAS Saldanha have suffered starvation and poor accommodation.

The DA condemns systemic neglect and lack of accountability in Defence leadership.

Parliamentary questions will probe provisioning, planning, and budget for the recruits.

The DA condemns in the strongest terms the inhumane treatment of approximately 130 naval recruits who have, according to media reports, been stranded at SAS Saldanha since July, surviving on minimal food rations and living without proper accommodation as a result of ongoing construction delays at the Simon’s Town Naval Base.

For nearly three months the young recruits, who have completed their basic military training, have endured conditions that families have rightly described as “inhumane”. Confined to the base without day passes, denied sufficient food and prohibited from receiving parcels from home, they have effectively been punished for the Department of Defence’s own logistical failures.

This is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, SANDF members deployed to the DRC faced chronic ration shortages and delayed deployment allowances, forcing soldiers to buy their own food in a foreign operational theatre. 

In both cases, whether on home soil or in active deployment, the pattern is clear:

Budgetary and logistical failures lead to rationing and deprivation;

Command and leadership deflect responsibility by blaming discipline rather than fixing the system;

Action is only taken after media exposure, not through proactive leadership or internal accountability.

The military’s rank and file are being forced to shoulder the cost of institutional neglect. This is a disgraceful betrayal of the very people who volunteered to serve their country - all whilst the top brass are constantly playing golf at SANDF hosted golf days.

The DA will be submitting urgent parliamentary questions to Minister Angie Motshekga to establish:

Why proper accommodation and provisioning were not secured before recruiting and training these naval members;

Why no contingency plan was put in place when construction delays at Simonstown became known;

How much has been budgeted - and actually spent - on rations and accommodation for these recruits.

The Defence Force is meant to embody discipline, professionalism and service to the nation. It cannot do so while starving its own personnel and relying on newspaper headlines to take action.

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