R20 Million worth of Cocaine seized on a plot in Midrand, Gauteng

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA

R20 Million worth of Cocaine seized on a plot in Midrand, Gauteng

MIDRAND - A crime intelligence driven operation resulted in the discovery of R20 million worth of cocaine at a small holding in Midrand, Gauteng.

On Tuesday evening, 28 October 2025, a multidisciplinary team led by Crime Intelligence Head Office inclusive of Gauteng Organised crime unit, SAPS JHB K9 and members of the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) were following up on information of drugs that were being stored at a plot in Blue Hills, Midrand. According to further investigation, the drugs were brought into South Africa from a neighbouring country and were destined for Cape Town, Western Cape.

The cocaine was found hidden in a storage room on the identified plot.

A 56-year-old man who is believed to be the owner of the plot has been arrested and the cocaine weighing about 80kg has been seized.

The suspect is expected to appear before the Midrand Magistrate’s Court later on this week, on a possible charge of possession of drugs as well as dealing in drugs.

 MAKEKASIGREAT©®™ @KASIBC_AFRICA

KZN Transport SCOPA hearing reveals serious, ongoing failures

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA

KZN Transport SCOPA hearing reveals serious, ongoing failures

The DA is deeply concerned by the findings presented in the Auditor-General’s (AG) report and by responses received by SCOPA during its KZN’s Department of Transport (DoT) hearing held earlier today.

While the DoT received an unqualified audit opinion on its financial statements, SCOPA engagement has revealed serious and persistent failures in performance, compliance, and governance. 

This includes qualified findings on key service delivery programmes - namely, Transport Infrastructure and Transport Operations- where only 50% and 57% of targets were achieved respectively, despite full budget expenditure.

This is a clear indication of poor planning, weak project management, and a lack of accountability amongst errant officials.

The report also highlights repeat non-compliance with legislation, including R1.3billion in irregular expenditure and R4.2million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R4.2 million. In this regard, SCOPA requested consequence management reports from the DoT, however these were not forthcoming. Reports from the Provincial Audit Risk Committee and Treasury further reflect that 99.57% of irregular expenditure remains unresolved.

The DA is committed to ensuring that the culture of impunity within government comes to an end. Officials responsible for mismanagement must face disciplinary action and irregular contracts must be terminated.

Infrastructure projects such as the Klein Boesman River Bridge and road P242 rehabilitation represent systemic failures such as delays, poor workmanship and excessive professional fees. This while communities continue to suffer from unsafe and incomplete infrastructure.

The DA is also concerned by the DoT’s inability to pay service providers within 30 days, with 18% of payments overdue, and growing contingent liabilities now exceeding R9.5billion. 

These financial pressures threaten future service delivery and undermine the sustainability of small businesses reliant on government contracts.

During the hearing, SCOPA was assured by Transport MEC, Siboniso Duma and senior departmental leadership that the AG’s recommendations would be urgently implemented and that critical vacancies, including a Supply Chain Manager (SCM) Director, would be filled. It is also critical that a functional Project Management Office is established without delay.

The people of our province people deserve a transport department that delivers safe, reliable infrastructure and operates with integrity. As a responsible member of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA will continue to hold KZN’s executive accountable and push for clean governance and efficient service delivery.

MAKEKASIGREAT©®™ @KASIBC_AFRICA

MEC acts Unlawfully: forces hard-pressed parents to fork out more on School Fees

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA 

MEC acts Unlawfully: forces hard-pressed parents to fork out more on School Fees

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), under MEC Matome Chiloane, has acted unlawfully by announcing drastic funding reductions for Quintile 5 schools (the least impoverished and fee-paying schools) for the 2026 academic year after the legislated deadline had passed. 

This late communication has caused uncertainty and financial pressure for parents, who now face the possibility of hiked fees ensuing from belatedly announced funding reductions. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng slams this action and is considering legal action against the department to force the reversal of this decision.

The GDE’s decision to introduce the reduction after the legislated deadline of 30 September 2025 is not only invalid but also reckless and likely to harm thousands of learners in Gauteng. Accordingly, this decision must be reversed to provide schools with more time to adapt to the reduced funding.

For several years, the GDE has topped up funding for Quintile 5 schools so that they receive the same funding per learner as Quintile 4 schools. Although this was discretionary, it created an expectation that this would continue. Therefore, the decision to belatedly inform schools between 07 and 10 October of the substantial funding cuts is deeply concerning. This has affected School Governing Bodies (SGBs), who had already prepared their budgets based on the previous subsidy levels. 

The drastic reduction from R879 to R301 per learner places schools in a serious financial predicament and will almost certainly lead to significant increases in school fees.

The decision by MEC Chiloane to cut funding for Quintile 5 schools is both unlawful and unacceptable. This action must be subjected to judicial review to ensure that MEC Chiloane is held accountable and that the rights of learners in these schools are fully protected. 

Unfortunately, this behaviour reflects a broader pattern under Premier Panyaza Lesufi's leadership, where MECs act without regard for the consequences, assured that they will not be held responsible.

The DA stands in solidarity with the parents of our learners whose rights to critical information have been violated. We will submit written questions to ascertain what prompted the funding reduction, why the deadline for announcing the reduction was missed, how many schools are affected and if there are any schools that will continue with topped-up funding.

A DA-led government would ensure that all funding decisions are communicated promptly and in full consultation with schools, particularly where budgetary constraints necessitate adjustments. 

This would enhance transparency and accountability within the education system, protect learners and parents from undue financial pressure.

MAKEKASIGREAT©®™ @KASIBC_AFRICA

PARLIAMENT’S ENDORSEMENT OF COMPROMISED IEC CANDIDATES

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA 

PARLIAMENT’S ENDORSEMENT OF COMPROMISED IEC CANDIDATES 

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes with deep concern the decision by Parliament to adopt the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs’ report on the filling of vacancies in the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). This decision, driven by the ANC and its GNU partners, the DA and the IFP, disregards the findings and recommendations of the panel chaired by Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, which raised serious concerns about the competence, temperament, and suitability of Mr. Mosotho Moepya and Judge Pillay to serve in the IEC. 

Despite the Chief Justice’s report identifying serious shortcomings in these candidates, Parliament has chosen to endorse them. This demonstrates the true agenda of the Government of National Unity, to capture and control the IEC as part of a broader plan to manipulate the outcome of the 2026 national elections. The panel chaired by the Chief Justice raised specific concerns about Mr. Moepya, stating that he appeared defensive, unwilling to acknowledge weaknesses within the IEC, and dismissive of suggestions to improve the Commission’s systems. 

The panel further observed that he lacked the necessary soft skills of empathy and sensitivity required of a leader, and that he failed to present any credible ideas on how to address institutional weaknesses, including the growing voter apathy in the country. On Judge Pillay, the panel found her to be defensive and reluctant to acknowledge the challenges the IEC faced during her tenure, and further expressed dissatisfaction with her views on diversity and voter participation. 

The EFF is deeply disturbed that, despite these findings, the ANC and its GNU partners chose to appoint individuals the Chief Justice’s panel did not consider the most suitable. They ignored highly competent and recommended candidates such as Mr. Abrahams, opting instead for individuals whose performance and leadership have already raised questions about the IEC’s ability to conduct free and fair elections. 

The EFF has never contested the outcome of any election, but we have consistently raised legitimate concerns about the IEC’s glaring operational failures. These include dysfunctional voter management devices, the Commission’s inability to register more voters, and persistent discrepancies in the capturing of results, where votes are often swapped to the benefit of the ANC and the DA. Our own post-election audits have revealed numerous cases of EFF votes being wrongly captured by the IEC across the country, while the ANC and DA were allocated more votes than they received. When we raise these discrepancies, the IEC responds with arrogance and dismissal. If these issues are not addressed, they have the potential to plunge the country into post-election instability and permanently damage our democracy. 

We have never remained silent when the ANC deployed questionable individuals to lead the IEC, from Mashinini, Tlakula, and Janet Love, to now Mr. Moepya and Judge Pillay. This pattern of deployment is part of a deliberate strategy by the ruling elite to weaken the independence of the IEC and manipulate electoral outcomes. Parliament’s decision to overlook the Chief Justice’s report confirms that the GNU’s so-called unity is not about protecting democracy, but about preserving political power through the capture of independent institutions. It is a unity in corruption and control, not in principle or integrity. 

The National Assembly has once again second guessed the outcomes of statutory bodies as it did with the Public Protector Report on Nkandla, and most recently, with the Independent Panel led by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo and its recommendations regarding the Phala Phala matter.   

It is a cause for concern that the National Assembly is relapsing to its infamous constitutional delinquency which characterised the Fifth Administration, and utilising majoritarianism to undermine the integrity of institutions of democracy. The EFF will consider any recourse available to reverse this irrational majoritarian resolution of the National Assembly which threatens our electoral system. 

The EFF rejects the adoption of this report and the appointment of compromised individuals to the IEC. We call upon all South Africans to remain vigilant against the systematic capture of democratic institutions by the ANC and its GNU partners. 

We will continue to defend the independence of the IEC and fight for free, fair, and credible elections that reflect the true will of the people. 

MAKEKASIGREAT©®™ @KASIBC_AFRICA

Cape Flats communities bleed while SAPS drags its feet

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA 

Cape Flats communities bleed while SAPS drags its feet

The past weekend once again exposed the brutal reality faced by communities across the Cape Flats. Our neighborhoods have been turned into war zones, our streets stained with blood, and our people left to live in fear, while the South African Police Service (SAPS) continues to fail in protecting the very citizens it is mandated to serve.

In Lotus River, five men came under fire in Nita Street on Sunday morning. A 32-year-old man died on the scene, while four others, aged between 18 and 42, were left wounded. The Grassy Park SAPS, which oversees the area, is currently under strain, with 28 detectives each managing 156 dockets. The station has 113 active SAPS members and is operating with a 27.56% vacancy rate.

In Overcome Heights, the Muizenberg SAPS registered yet another murder following the fatal shooting of a 34-year-old man on Rasta Road. The incident is suspected to be gang-related. The Muizenberg station has 21 detectives, each handling an average of 101 dockets, and 81 active SAPS members, with a 24.30% vacancy rate.

In Mitchells Plain, violence flared once again over the weekend. A 50-year-old man was gunned down in Tafelsig on Friday, while another man was shot and wounded in Platteklip Street. Later in the weekend, a 70-year-old woman in Beacon Valley was shot in the stomach, and in Eastridge, a 32-year-old man was killed while another was wounded — both incidents believed to be linked to gang activity. The Mitchells Plain SAPS currently has 110 detectives managing 82 dockets each, supported by 393 active members, and is functioning with a 15.12% vacancy rate.

These numbers expose a policing system that is chronically under-resourced, over-stretched, and failing our communities. Detectives are drowning under impossible caseloads, stations are crippled by high vacancy rates, and operational capacity is collapsing, yet national SAPS management remains silent and unmoved.

Benedicta van Minnen MPP, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community Safety said: “Our communities are bleeding. Mothers are burying their children. Children grow up normalizing gunfire. The Cape Flats has become a battlefield, and the national government’s centralized control of policing is costing lives every single day.”

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape reiterates our urgent call for the devolution of policing powers to the Western Cape. Provincial and local authorities, who understand the realities on the ground, must be empowered to manage policing resources, appoint leadership, and direct safety strategies that work for our communities.

This is not about politics; it is about saving lives. The time for talk is over.

We cannot continue to mourn while Pretoria drags its feet.

We demand:

• Immediate reinforcement of SAPS resources to all high-crime precincts in the Cape Flats.

• Filling of all critical vacancies within the next quarter.

• Transfer of policing powers to Provincial and local government to ensure accountability, responsiveness, and community-driven safety interventions.

Our message is clear: devolution now, before more lives are lost.

MAKEKASIGREAT©®™ @KASIBC_AFRICA

GOLD REFINERY LINKED TO ZAMA ZAMA SYNDICATES IN BOOYSENS

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA

​GOLD REFINERY LINKED TO ZAMA ZAMA SYNDICATES IN BOOYSENS

​The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), the Hawks, and two Private Security companies confirm a major breakthrough in the fight against illegal mining, announcing the successful uncovering and dismantling of a clandestine gold refinery in Booysens, Johannesburg.

​The operation was conducted by the JMPD K-9 Unit in collaboration with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) and two Private Security companies following intensive intelligence-gathering and surveillance. The raided facility is believed to have been operating as a key processing hub for illegal mining (Zama Zama).

​While the facility holds legal registration to process precious metals, investigations revealed it was illegally processing gold-bearing material for illegal miners, a contravention of its registered mandate.

​Four suspects were arrested on the scene. This includes three individuals, two males and one female, identified as suspected illegal miners (Zama Zamas) and the male manager of the facility. The suspects have been formally charged with the contravention of the Precious Metals Act (possession and dealing in precious metals) and bribery after they attempted to bribe the officials with R20 000 for their release.

Authorities seized gold-bearing material and processed gold with an estimated street value of R1,000,000. The facility has been shut down pending further investigation.

​JMPD Acting Chief of Police, Acting Commissioner Eldred Fortein, stated: "This joint operation sends a clear message, the JMPD, alongside the Hawks, is aggressively targeting the entire value chain of illegal mining. We are not just focusing on the individuals underground, but on the sophisticated, illegitimate infrastructure, like this refinery, that enables illegal miners to operate. We will continue to disrupt these criminal networks that threaten the safety and economic stability of our city."

The arrested suspects are expected to appear in court soon. The JMPD and our stakeholders remain resolute in targeting the criminal enterprises supporting illegal mining activities within the Johannesburg Metropolitan area.

MAKEKASIGREAT©®™ @KASIBC_AFRICA

INTEGRATE THE GAUTENG CRIME PREVENTION WARDENS

ONLINE EDITOR @KASIBC_AFRICA

INTEGRATE THE GAUTENG CRIME PREVENTION WARDENS 

The uMkhonto weSizwe Liberation War Veterans (MKLWV) applauds the decision to integrate the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens (GCPW) into the law enforcement mainstream. We wish to commend and magnify the proposed 30 day plan tofinalize the appointment and retention of the CPWs as trafficwardens and welcome the collaboration between variousgovernment departments to ensure a smooth implementation. 

MKLWV views the initiative as a non partisan effort to enhanmce public safety, contrary to the narrative and claims that this move was inspired by a partosan agenda to gain the votes. The CPW’s have been a success story, despite facing opposition and challenges. Their efforts have brought a sense of order and safety to communities, earning the admiration of peace loving South Africans. 

We extend our gratitude to Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the collective leadership of Gauteng for their support of this initiative. Their pointed leadeship in carrying the hopes of over 8000 CPW’s and prioritising the safety and well being of Gauteng residents is not taken for granted.

Those who have consistently celebrated Gauteng government setbacks, seemingly are motivated by their opposition to transformative policies like BELA, NHI, BEE and other progressive public policies. We must remain committed to these principles of freedom and democracy enshrined in the Freedom Charter.

There was never a doubt from the MKLWV that this initiative was not informed by a partisan perspective as propagated by those opposing this initiative. 

All the peace loving South Africans will continue to salute the efforts of these young men and women who brought a sense of order and safety to areas once dominated by fear.

This courage and commitment has made the CPW a success story in-spite the doomsayers who continued to throw dirt in any meaningful path pointing at the transformative direction. 

They have taken our government to court figjting every public policy aimed transforming our country. We must never concede to these dirty and cheap battles that we have won as early as 1994. We extend our gratitude to the collective leadership of Gauteng led by Premier Panyaza Lesufi. Throughout this ordeal, this leadership has continued to vicariously walk in the shoes of the of these over 8000 CPW until the findings by the Public Protector. 

There is a sense of awe and veneration when you mention the name of the Premier to these crime fighters. They never doubted his collective leadership in resolving the stalemate. The MKLWV supports the transformative agenda driven by the Premier’s’ office, which aligns with the African National Congress’s (ANC) position. We will not condone any attempts to reverse this moral imperative and economic neccessity. 

Those celebrating this detour are perpetrating a false narrative that the Premier’s actions were partisan. Protecting vulnerable persons is a moral obligation not a partisan issue. Abandoning the CPW’s initiative would invite social upheavals, instability and anarchy. The SAPS requires reinforcement in crime infested areas, and the CPW has been a neccesary support. The Public Protector’s findings are a welcome relief and we hope they will pave the way for the continued success of the CPW.

There is no country in the world that can reconcile or give into no go zone area phenomena as it was the case in some of our townships at certain times. This was the neccesary reinforcement to the SAPS as they are unable to be in all these crime infested streets at the same time. 

The people of Gauteng will be happy to note that the Public Protector in her findings did not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Despite facing opposition from those who seek to undermine progress, the very people who opposed other progressive policies, go to the townships of Gauteng you will be told of many tales that demonstrates success story of the CPW. We extend our gratitude to Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the collective leadership of Gauteng for their unwavering support of the CPW’s. The Premier’s track record of fighting for the rights of the vulnerable and marginalized is well-known, and his leadership inspires hope in Gauteng. 

During his tenure as the MEC for the Basic Education in Gauteng, he went to court defending the Culture of Learning and Training when the Gauteng learners were prevented access to some of the public schools because they could not speak Afrikaans and these public schools were Afrikaans medium institutions.

The MKLWV supports the transformative agenda driven by the Premier’s office and will not concede to any attempts to reverse this security and Safety imperative. Abandoning this initiative would invite social upheaval, instability, and anarchy. 

Fortunately, the Public Protector has recognised the value of this initiative and has decided not throw the baby out with the bathwater. 

To falter is to betray, to stand firm is to honour! 

 MAKEKASIGREAT©®™ @KASIBC_AFRICA