Masabata Mkwananzi

Senior Multimedia Journalist at The Star

SA drivers to get relief as fuel prices projected to decrease in January

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

South African motorists can expect relief at the pumps in January 2026, with petrol prices projected to decrease by up to 54 cents per litre and diesel by up to ...

Trust in public education threatened as matric exam scandal deepens

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube awaits a preliminary report on the matric exam cheating scandal that has implicated department officials and affected multiple ...

Joburg MMC warns of criminal charges for illegal landlords at Ginger Park settlement

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

Johannesburg Human Settlements MMC Mlungisi Mabaso has vowed legal action against individuals acting as landlords at the illegally occupied Ginger Park settlement, ...

Breakthrough in Saulsville hostel mass shooting: ballistics evidence links seized firearm to killings

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, a spokesperson for the National SAPS, said ballistics analysis confirmed that the firearm recovered during the suspect's arrest was used ...

Tragedy in Doornkop: foundation steps in after fatal house collapse

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

After a deadly house collapse claimed three lives in Soweto's Doornkop area, the Collen Mashawana Foundation has stepped in with comprehensive support while Johannesburg's ...

Court ruling spurs change: Johannesburg set to mediate with informal traders over thorny disputes

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

The City of Johannesburg has welcomed a court decision referring its dispute with informal traders to mediation, while emphasizing its commitment to enforcing municipal ...

Children drinking alcohol: Video causes public outcry and investigation

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

The Department of Social Development has launched an investigation after a disturbing video emerged showing adults allowing children as young as four to consume ...

Collen Mashawana foundation rebuilds hope for Soweto family after fatal house collapse

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

The Collen Mashawana Foundation has pledged to build a new home for a Doornkop family who lost three relatives, including a one-year-old child, when their double-storey ...

Tragedy strikes as Doornkop house collapses, leaving family homeless and bereaved

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

A devastating building collapse in Soweto's Doornkop informal settlement has claimed the lives of three family members, including a baby, leaving survivors homeless ...

South Africa tops global generosity index: Ubuntu spirit shines in new study

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

South Africa has claimed the top spot as the world's most generous nation in a comprehensive global study measuring empathy, emotional support, and kindness rather ...

Tshwaku vs. ActionSA: The battle over Johannesburg’s hijacked buildings

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

ActionSA has formally requested Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to intervene in what they describe as potentially unlawful building reclamation efforts in Johannesburg. ...

Limpopo's twin horror: Police hunt culprits in brutal murders

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

After a 29-year-old man was found in Mankweng with stab wounds and a 62-year-old woman was found dead in Masehlana River on Boxing Day, Impopo police are looking ...

Court suspends eviction of 'hijacked' Hillbrow building as city intensifies property inspections

Masabata Mkwananzi and Zelda Venter|Updated

Residents of Clarendon Heights in Hillbrow have been granted a reprieve from eviction this Christmas, even as the City of Johannesburg intensifies its campaign against ...

SIU freezes property linked to late actor Presley Chweneyagae in Lottery corruption probe

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

The Special Investigating Unit has frozen property connected to late actor Presley Chweneyagae and associates in a major corruption probe involving R15 million in ...

Pearl Thusi confronts criticism: 'Words Hurt' — A deeper look into DJ Warras's memorial speech

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

Media personality Pearl Thusi has sparked controversy with her intimate anecdote at DJ Warras' memorial service, drawing criticism from industry figures and social ...

Fake news: City of Johannesburg denies cutting electricity at ANC's Luthuli House

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

The City of Johannesburg has officially refuted reports claiming that electricity was disconnected at the ANC's Luthuli House headquarters over an alleged R365,000 ...

Scammers are using fake traffic fines to target South African drivers during festive season

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

Scammers are taking advantage of the festive season and confusion around South Africa's new AARTO traffic system to trick motorists into paying fake fines. Learn ...

GBV tragedy: 21-year-old woman stabbed to death in Limpopo village

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

Police are searching for a 25-year-old man who allegedly stabbed his 21-year-old girlfriend to death in Mapuve village near Giyani, Limpopo. The attack, which occurred ...

Gauteng's mass shooting crisis: Latest tavern attack in Bekkersdal claims nine lives

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

Gauteng's crime crisis deepens as nine people are killed in a Bekkersdal tavern shooting, adding to a wave of mass murders across the province. With an average of ...

Justice delayed as ActionSA confronts NPA over Lily Mine trapped bodies

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

Nearly a decade after three workers were buried alive at Lily Mine, ActionSA is taking legal steps against NPA head Shamila Batohi for failing to pursue criminal ...

Festive season bonanza: Free landing fees for artists at Polokwane Airport

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

Polokwane International Airport announces special incentives for performing artists travelling by private charter during the 2025/26 festive season, offering free ...

Deadly tavern attack: Manhunt launched after nine killed in Bekkersdal

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

Police have launched an intensive manhunt after 12 gunmen opened fire at a Bekkersdal tavern, killing nine people and injuring ten others in a brazen late-night ...

City Power refutes claims of contractors' strike affecting Johannesburg electricity supply

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

City Power has strongly refuted social media claims that a contractors' strike is causing widespread electricity outages across Johannesburg. The utility company ...

Dangerously overloaded: Cross-Border buses intercepted in Limpopo's festive season crackdown

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

The Star has copies revealing that a fine of R3,000 was issued. The bus was subsequently released to continue its nearly 2,000 km journey to Malawi — a trip estimated ...

Justice served: 30-year-old gets 57 years behind bars for brutal murder

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

A 30-year-old Mpumalanga woman has been sentenced to 57 years in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of Sifiso Lucky Kubheka and other serious crimes. The ...