Masabata Mkwananzi

Senior Multimedia Journalist at The Star

R91 million spent, but grass grows wild and waste chokes roads in Emfuleni

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

Emfuleni Municipality has spent over R91 million on grass cutting and dumpsite clearing, yet communities remain overwhelmed by waste and neglect. With just 38 operators ...

City of Johannesburg faces credit downgrade amid audit delays

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

ActionSA has raised concern over the Global Credit Rating (GCR) outlook downgrade of the City of Johannesburg, linking it to delayed audited financial statements ...

Woman arrested for allegedly torching ex-boyfriend’s home after breakup dispute

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

A 40-year-old woman was arrested in Limpopo after allegedly setting her boyfriend’s house on fire shortly after their relationship ended. The blaze destroyed property ...

How Emfuleni municipal official was shot dead in brazen daylight attack

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

An Emfuleni Local Municipality finance official was gunned down while waiting for her car to be serviced in Vanderbijlpark. A viral video shows a gunman approaching ...

Tragedy strikes South African school sports once again

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

Heartbreak strikes again in South African school sports as Nhlakanipho Buthelezi, a Grade 9 learner, collapses and dies during a rugby match. This tragedy highlights ...

'Big Brother Mzansi' couple Thato Mokoena and Gash1 split after three years of marriage

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

Reality TV star Thato Mokoena has confirmed the end of her marriage to Gashwan Brandon Mthombeni, saying she walked away due to irreconcilable differences following ...

Fake ‘king’ saga deepens as five more suspects arrested in Limpopo fraud crackdown

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

A Limpopo man accused of posing as a king and appointing his own traditional leaders is at the centre of a growing fraud case, with five more suspects now arrested. ...

South Africa cracks down on illegal immigrants – over 3 million undocumented reside here

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

The Department of Home Affairs South Africa has deported more than 109,000 undocumented immigrants over the past two years, reflecting a sharp increase in enforcement ...

Constitutional Court orders CPS to repay R81 million in social grants saga

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

The Constitutional Court of South Africa has ordered Cash Paymaster Services to repay over R81 million in unlawful profits to the South African Social Security Agency, ...

SACP lashes out at Trump over war threat to Iran amid fragile Middle East ceasefire

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

The South African Communist Party has strongly condemned US President Donald Trump over threats to target civilian infrastructure in Iran, calling it a “commitment ...

South Africa launches Lenacapavir, a groundbreaking HIV prevention injection

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

South Africa has received 37,920 doses of Lenacapavir, a six-monthly HIV prevention injection aimed at improving adherence and expanding protection among high-risk ...

Armed gang terrorises Thohoyandou filling station, customer shot

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

In the early hours of Monday, April 6, a gang of ten armed men raided a filling station in Ha Budeli, Thohoyandou, leaving a male customer shot and several vehicles ...

Panyaza Lesufi faces backlash over controversial Gauteng cabinet reshuffle

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is under growing political pressure following his controversial appointment of EFF Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga as Finance ...

A 53-year-old captain granted bail after alleged multi-million fraud from SAPS

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

A senior SAPS officer accused of siphoning millions from the police’s financial system has been granted R50,000 bail. Captain Johannes Jansen Van Rensburg allegedly ...

Former hardware store employee arrested for defrauding customers out of over R600 000

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

A former Sekgosese hardware store worker is set to appear in Bolobedu Magistrate’s Court, accused of defrauding customers of over R600 000 through fraudulent invoices. ...

Missing helicopter team found safe after night in Kruger National Park

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

A search operation in the Kruger National Park ended in relief after a missing helicopter crew comprising a pilot, two SAPS investigators and an environmental crime ...

R2 billion question: Auditor-General and Public Protector set to probe funding for Matthew Goniwe School

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

More than R2.2 billion allocated to the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance is under investigation, with the Auditor-General set to probe recent payments ...

Deputy mayor Nokuzola Kolwapi charged after viral gun incident at homecoming celebration

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

The National Prosecuting Authority has charged Bitou Deputy Mayor Nokuzola Kolwapi after a December 2025 video showed her firing a 9 mm firearm during her son’s ...

Businessman Bonelala Mgudlwa launches legal battle against ruling R14m on PPE contracts

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

Bonelala Mgudlwa has rejected a Special Tribunal ruling declaring two COVID-19 PPE contracts unlawful. The contracts, worth over R14 million, implicated his company ...

Sixteen of 32 undocumented foreign nationals caught in a bus on the N1 near Bloemfontein due in court

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

32 undocumented foreign nationals were intercepted on a cross-border bus, with some allegedly picked up in South Africa. Several are expected to appear in court ...

Gauteng Health Department dismisses allegations of alarming heart surgery deaths at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

The Gauteng Health Department has dismissed claims of high heart surgery deaths at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital as “misleading,” while the DA alleges a deepening crisis ...

Community in mourning as Diepsloot boy dies in police shooting

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

A 17-year-old boy was allegedly shot by a police officer in Diepsloot, igniting community protests and prompting an urgent investigation by IPID. Conflicting accounts ...

North West agriculture official faces court after allegedly accepting bribes for government tender

Masabata Mkwananzi|Published

A North West agriculture official has appeared in court after allegedly pocketing over R13 000 in bribes from a service provider in exchange for influencing a government ...

Masuku welcomes court's dismissal of the legal challenge to ANC Joburg leadership

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

A legal challenge to the ANC Johannesburg leadership has been struck off the roll, but Stan Itshegetseng says the battle is far from over, warning that deeper questions ...

ActionSA launches Citizens’ Support and Intervention Helpdesk to enhance government accountability

Masabata Mkwananzi|Updated

ActionSA has launched a Citizens’ Support and Intervention Helpdesk to ensure government responds to South Africans’ complaints. The platform will escalate unresolved ...