Author name: Scott Balson

A trio of critical issues is gripping South Africa, highlighting systemic challenges in service delivery, public safety, and governance. The nation’s pressure points are on full display, encompassing a collapsing water system, a resurgence of deadly taxi violence, and a creative sector in revolt over a lack of transparency. The crises raise fundamental questions about […]

Rubbish is piling up in some of Cape Town’s townships because contractors are not meeting their obligations, according to the City of Cape Town. Contractors appointed on 1 September 2025 under the Community-Based Refuse Removal programme to service these areas have failed to meet key contractual obligations, the City said in a statement on 21

 Up with Life’s Rising Costs – Dr Chris Blair shares his views “Imagine that you are a factory worker in Johannesburg, scraping by on a modest wage. Your rent has gone up again, electricity bills are biting harder, and the price of maize meal – that staple in your kitchen – feels like it has

A 29-year-old man has been arrested for the alleged rape of a 27-year-old woman at a local tavern in Zaaiplaas. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 02 November 2025. According to police reports, the victim was at the tavern when the suspect allegedly grabbed her, forced her to the ground, and sexually

South African Police Service (SAPS) have opened an inquest following a devastating house fire in the early hours of Sunday, which claimed the lives of a 29-year-old man and two young children. The incident occurred on 02 November 2025 at a residence on Banto Holomisa Street in Khayamnandi, Despatch. According to reports, SAPS Despatch responded

A 41-year-old man was arrested on Monday afternoon, 03 November 2025, for the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. The arrest occurred at approximately 14:00 in the Shabalala Trust area of Dundonald after members of the Highway Patrol Unit, who were conducting routine patrols, acted on intelligence regarding a man allegedly in possession of

Police in the Waterberg District have apprehended a 29-year-old male suspect in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred on Sunday afternoon. The incident took place at Block 7 of the RDP houses, adjacent to a local tavern, on 02 November 2025, at approximately 17:21. According to police reports, authorities were alerted to a murder

The Police in Lebowakgomo, under the Capricorn District, have arrested a 20-year-old female learner following an incident in which a fellow learner was poured with boiling water at a  Secondary School in Seleteng Village. The incident occurred on Sunday, 26 October 2025, at about 04:30, while learners were camping at the school in preparation for

A 20-year-old female learner has been arrested by the Lebowakgomo Police in connection with a violent incident at a Secondary School in Seleteng Village, where a 19-year-old male learner was doused with boiling water. The attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 26 October 2025, at approximately 04:30. According to police reports, the learners

The Polokwane High Court has sentenced Mahlatse Tolonyane Mathote Matebane, a 32-year-old man from Manapyane Village, to an effective 25 years of direct imprisonment for a spree of violent crimes committed across the Sekhukhune District. The conviction and sentencing follow extensive investigations by Detective Sergeant Raymond Phago of the Sekhukhune District Investigation and Tracking Task