Gauteng Premier Welcomes Establishment of SAPS Specialised Units to Combat Organised Crime

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Gauteng Premier Welcomes Establishment of SAPS Specialised Units to Combat Organised Crime

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR 

LISTEN HERE : @KASIBC_AUDIO

The Premier of Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, has welcomed the establishment of two specialised units by the South African Police Service aimed at addressing high-priority crime threats in the province.

Premier Lesufi said the creation of these units represents an important step in strengthening the fight against organised and violent crime, which continues to threaten communities, businesses and the overall stability of the provincial economy.

Gauteng remains the economic hub of our country and we cannot allow criminal syndicates and organised crime networks to undermine the safety of our residents and the confidence of investors,î said Premier Lesufi.

The establishment of these specialised units demonstrates the seriousness with which law enforcement agencies are approaching the fight against complex and coordinated criminal activities,he said.

The Premier noted that organised crime has evolved significantly in recent years, often involving sophisticated networks responsible for crimes such as illegal mining, infrastructure vandalism, extortion, and other forms of coordinated criminal activity. He emphasised that combating these crimes requires specialised skills, intelligence-driven operations, and strong collaboration between different law-enforcement agencies.

The fight against organised crime requires targeted interventions and specialised capabilities. These units will strengthen the ability of the police to investigate, disrupt and dismantle criminal syndicates operating in our province,he he said.

Premier Lesufi further stressed that reducing crime levels is one of the Gauteng Provincial Governmentís key priorities. The Province continues to work closely with law enforcement agencies and community structures to ensure that residents feel safe in their homes, places of work and public spaces.

The safety of our communities is non-negotiable. We will continue to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts to ensure that criminals are brought to book and that our province becomes safer for everyone,he said the Premier.

The Gauteng Provincial Government will continue to collaborate with the South African Police Service, community policing forums, municipalities and other stakeholders to strengthen crime prevention initiatives and restore public confidence in the justice system.

Premier Lesufi called on communities to work with law enforcement agencies by reporting criminal activities and supporting initiatives aimed at combating crime.

Government alone cannot defeat crime. It requires the collective effort of communities, law enforcement and all sectors of society to build safer neighbourhoods and protect the future of our province, he concluded

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ANC Committee Chair Chooses Lunchbreak over Prisonbreak Accountability

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ANC Committee Chair Chooses Lunchbreak over Prisonbreak Accountability'

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR 

LISTEN HERE : @KASIBC_AUDIO

 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is outraged over the Select Committee on Security and Justice failing to hold SAPS accountable for detainee escapes.

In the last year alone, 284 detainees have escaped police custody nationally and a hundred of them are still roaming the streets.

Three detainees have escaped from police custody in the Western Cape in just the last two weeks. Ill-discipline and corruption by the SAPS puts escapees back on the streets where they continue to terrorise communities.

The DA had called Western Cape Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Patekile to committee to answer for the growing crisis of escapes on 18 February 2026. Members were not allowed to interrogate the SAPS presentation because committee chairperson Jane Mananiso of the ANC ended the meeting early to have lunch.

Patekile is now allowed to hide behind written responses instead of having to answer questions directly. 

The ANC doesn't care about crime in the Western Cape or about keeping SAPS accountable. They go on lunch while dangerous detainees escape from custody and ravage communities.

Since the meeting, detainees have escaped from Wynberg Court and in Phillipi-East. In Ceres, a SAPS member is alleged to have helped a detainee accused of domestic violence escape custody.

The SAPS blames "administrative errors" and infrastructure pains. The DA refuses to accept these lame excuses and calls on SAPS to address ill-discipline and corruption within its ranks

It is unacceptable that Parliament has lunch while potential criminals escape and communities suffer. The DA will call for the Western Cape Provincial Commissioner to come back to committee and account for systemic failures in the custodial system.

This time the Committee should prioritise accountability, not lunch.

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Motshekga refuses to answer if Ramaphosa approved Iran joint Naval Exercise, despite U.S. offer of Goodwill

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Motshekga refuses to answer if Ramaphosa approved Iran joint Naval Exercise, despite U.S. offer of Goodwill

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR 

LISTEN HERE : @KASIBC_AUDIO

The Minister of Defence refused in Parliament on Wednesday to confirm whether the President’s authority over the SANDF was respected during Exercise Will for Peace.

The DA asked the Minister a straightforward constitutional question: whether the Presidency issued any instruction, guidance or limitation regarding Iran’s participation in the exercise and whether that instruction was complied with.

The Minister refused to answer.

In any constitutional democracy, confirming that the Commander-in-Chief’s instructions were complied with should be the easiest question a Minister can answer.

The recent remarks by the United States Ambassador to Pretoria, Mr Leo Brent Bozell, regarding the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) show that it is the ANC’s alignment with rogue and sanctioned nations which is the central problem of our relations with the United States of America - but the remarks offer a way out too.

When viewed as a good will gesture it is incumbent on the ANC to reflect on how its foreign policy blunders compromise South Africa’s global standing.

Rather than dismissing these remarks, the Minister should reflect on what they also reveal about growing international concern regarding the declining capability of the SANDF, lacking civilian oversight of our armed forces, and ANC alignment with rogue nations.

The U.S. Ambassador’s assertion that the SANDF may have disregarded the authority of the Commander-in-Chief, President Cyril Ramaphosa, during Exercise Will for Peace is very serious - but it shows that there is pathway out of the ANC’s ongoing alienation of some of our most lucrative trading partners.

The participation of Iranian naval vessels, including the vessel Shahid Mahdavi, operated by the naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has already raised legitimate diplomatic and security concerns.

The presence of such vessels in exercises hosted in South African waters is not a minor oversight failure.

It raises fundamental questions about who authorised the participation of these vessels and whether proper civilian and diplomatic processes were followed.

Yet nearly two months after a Board of Inquiry was reportedly initiated, South Africans are still waiting for clear answers.

The seriousness of the matter is underscored by the fact that the President has now assumed direct responsibility for the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Iran’s participation in the exercise.

Who authorised Iran’s participation? When was the Presidency informed? And was the authority of the Commander-in-Chief respected?

Civilian control of the military is the cornerstone of any constitutional democracy.

When a Minister refuses to confirm whether that principle was upheld, it inevitably deepens concerns about the state of governance within the SANDF.

South Africa deserves clarity, accountability, and respect for the constitutional chain of command.

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THE REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES ON THE CRISIS OF STATUTORY RAPE IN SOUTH AFRICA

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THE REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES ON THE CRISIS OF STATUTORY RAPE IN SOUTH AFRICA

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR 

LISTEN HERE : KASIBC_AUDIO

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supports the Report of the Portfolio Committees on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities; Basic Education, Health, and Social Development on the Crisis of Statutory Rape in South Africa, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday.

This report follows a motion introduced by the EFF in Parliament in 2024 calling for urgent national intervention to address the escalating crisis of statutory rape in South Africa. The motion recognised that the growing number of pregnancies among children under the age of 16 is not merely a social concern, but clear evidence that sexual crimes are being committed against minors.

Following the adoption of the motion, Parliament conducted multi-stakeholder engagements across provinces, including Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, where civil society organisations, healthcare professionals, educators and community leaders highlighted the devastating realities faced by children who are victims of statutory rape and the systemic failures that allow these crimes to continue.

The findings confirm that South Africa is facing a serious crisis of sexual violence against children. Between April 2020 and March 2023, approximately 11,500 babies were born to girls aged between 10 and 14 years old in South Africa, each case representing a potential crime of statutory rape.

The report further highlights serious institutional failures, including weak coordination between government departments responsible for child protection, the continued failure to enforce mandatory reporting laws, severe shortages of social workers, and the secondary trauma victims often experience when interacting with police, healthcare facilities and the broader criminal justice system.

The EFF therefore believes that urgent interventions must follow. Any pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection involving a child under the age of 16 must automatically trigger a criminal investigation by the South African Police Service. Government must also establish an integrated national reporting system linking the Departments of Health, Basic Education, Social Development and SAPS to ensure that cases of abuse are properly recorded, tracked and prosecuted.

In addition, the state must urgently address the shortage of social workers by employing trained graduates who remain unemployed while communities lack critical child protection services.

The backlog in DNA testing and forensic investigations must also be eliminated so that perpetrators of sexual violence are identified and prosecuted without delay. Safe houses and shelters for abused children must be expanded to ensure that victims are protected, particularly in cases where abuse occurs within their own families or communities.

The EFF supports the report and calls for the urgent implementation of its recommendations. Protecting children must remain a national priority, and all institutions of the state must act decisively to end the crisis of statutory rape in South Africa.

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Treasury on departure of Edgar Sishi to join International Monetary Fund

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Treasury on departure of Edgar Sishi to join International Monetary Fund

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR 

LISTEN HERE : @KASIBC_AUDIO

The Deputy Director General (DDG) Budget Office, Edgar Sishi, will leave the National Treasury at the end of March 2026 to join the International Monetary Fund.

Mr. Sishi joined the National Treasury in 2007 and has been an integral part of the senior leadership of the department for several years. He took over the Budget Office during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and has played a crucial role in navigating the public finances through unprecedented challenges. His leadership has helped to achieve the turning point in South Africa’s public finances that was evident in the 2026 Budget, with debt stabilising for the first time since before the 2008 global financial crisis. The improvement in public finances will support faster growth and lower borrowing costs, while protecting the future sustainability of social spending.

“The National Treasury thanks Edgar for his dedicated service to the department and to South Africa, and congratulates him on his new post,” said the Director General of the National Treasury, Dr Duncan Pieterse. “The departure of a senior official is always challenging for the institution, but Edgar has built a strong team at the Budget Office, and I have full confidence in their ability to maintain the very high standards set under his stewardship,” Pieterse said.

From 1 April 2026, three Chief Directors with direct exposure to the budget process will act on a rotation basis, beginning with Mr. Marumo Maake, who was previously acting Head of the Budget Office from April to October 2025).

The National Treasury will begin a recruitment process for a new permanent DDG Budget Office as soon as possible.

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Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe on Student and Stakeholder Helpdesk resolving over 55 000 Student Queries

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Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe on Student and Stakeholder Helpdesk resolving over 55 000 Student Queries

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR

LISTEN HERE : @KASIBC_AUDIO

The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Dr Mimmy Gondwe, is pleased to announce that the student and stakeholder Helpdesk in her office has successfully handled over 55,000 queries from across the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector since its establishment in August 2024.

Deputy Minister Gondwe established the Helpdesk immediately after taking office, serving as an interface between the PSET sector and students, and the wider public seeking help and information.

So far, the DM’s helpdesk has managed 57,283 queries, with around 55,121 resolved and closed, achieving a 90% resolution rate.

The DM’s Helpdesk provides quick, personalised support to students and stakeholders, focusing on enquiries about the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), registration status, and issues such as delays in results, diplomas, and certificates.

“The work of the Helpdesk closely aligns with my vision of connecting higher education with our communities. Every day through the Helpdesk, we support students and stakeholders by providing a direct platform for them to escalate their queries and grievances. It pleases me to see the Helpdesk growing and reaching the 55,000 milestone in resolved enquiries. This shows we are making a difference and positively impacting students and stakeholders,” said Deputy Minister Gondwe.

To effectively assist students and stakeholders, the DM’s helpdesk works closely with the department’s internal Exam and Diploma section and with the TVET and University branches within the Department and NSFAS.

“With the increasing volume of queries, we are now transitioning to a digital Helpdesk for a faster, smarter, more accessible solution. In the meantime, please contact my Helpdesk by email at Dmsdesk@Dhet.gov.za,” said Deputy Minister Gondwe.

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US-Iran conflict: South Africans stranded while DIRCO dithers

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US-Iran conflict: South Africans stranded while DIRCO dithers

CHANON LECODEY MERRICKS ONLINE_EDITOR 

LISTEN HERE : @KASIBC_AUDIO

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply alarmed by the lack of accurate and credible information disseminated by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) to South Africans stranded in Gulf countries and states in the broader Middle East affected by the ongoing US-Iran conflict.

Thousands of stranded citizens have expressed to us directly or via social media that DIRCO and Embassy e-mail addresses bounce back, phone numbers do not work, calls remain unanswered for days on end, or that the DIRCO Mobile Travel App is faulty.

It has been nearly 4 days since the US-Iran conflict broke out and grounded the Middle East’s international airlines indefinitely, making onward travel virtually impossible as rogue drones and missiles permeate much of the affected airspace.

The DA now calls on DIRCO to urgently make available dedicated and accurate phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and local support call centres to assist South African citizens who are stranded or in distress.

This is a matter of grave importance: DIRCO incompetence on this matter may cost South Africans their lives.

The Democratic Alliance Abroad (DAA) in locations around the Middle East is able to assist with the latest information or recommendations for stranded South African citizens during this unprecedented time. DA Abroad can be contacted for information or recommendations via the following two e-mail addresses: contact@da-abroad.org or mary.paccard@da-abroad.org

While DA Abroad cannot act on behalf of DIRCO who has the legal mandate and responsibility to help and protect South Africans abroad, we are a resource to provide assistance as and when possible.

The DA will update members of the public timeously and consistently as and when information becomes available to us.

In the interim, South African citizens trapped in Middle Eastern locations should abide all safety alerts and directives communicated by relevant authorities.

These include taking up shelter and remaining indoors when directed.

The DA insists that DIRCO must open reliable communication channels and emergency consular services for these trapped SA citizens, urgently.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation is entirely under the control of an African National Congress (ANC) Minister, in the Government of National Unity (GNU). We call on Minister Ronald Lamola to take seriously his mandate and urgently address the dire lack of emergency consular services within the South African foreign service which now places thousands of lives in mortal danger.

DIRCO must come to the table and fulfill its duty to the people of the Republic wherever in the world they may find themselves.

This is no time for the system to be offline.

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