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AFP
01-08-2025
- AFP
Old images mislead about taxi violence in South Africa
'Taxis set alight in Sisa North West. Members of the community became angry after Taxi drivers stopped vehicles with more than three occupants on their way to work forcing them to use their Taxis,' reads a Facebook post published on July 24, 2025. The post, shared more than 3,400 times, includes two pictures of burning minibuses — vehicles commonly used in South Africa's informal public transport sector. Image Screenshot of the misleading Facebook post, published on July 24, 2025 Similar posts circulated on X, garnering over 13,000 likes, and on TikTok and Instagram. However, the claims are misleading. 2022 violence A reverse image search revealed that the pictures have been online for more than three years and first featured in local articles and community newspapers that described two taxis set alight at Thembelani Mine in Rustenberg in the North West province (archived here and here). 'The incident occurred after some taxi operators had allegedly beaten up three mineworkers for taking away their business by ferrying passengers using their vehicles,' Platinum Weekly, a local community paper, reported on May 20, 2022. The photos were also published on X, with the same caption as the claims circulating in 2025 (archived here). Taxis set alight in Sisa North West. Members of the community became angry after Taxi drivers stopped vehicles with more than three occupants on their way to work forcing them to use their Taxis. — CrimeInSA (@sa_crime) May 17, 2022 The same claim was debunked in 2024 after another X user posted the misleading pictures (archived here). Provincial police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone told AFP Fact Check on August 1, 2025, that they are 'not aware of recent incidents of taxi violence'. Not so in other provinces, however. In neighbouring Gauteng, officials announced the formation of a specialised task team in July to combat ongoing taxi violence after at least 59 people linked to the industry were killed in the first three months of this year (archived here and here). Image Screenshot of July 18, 2025, interview with the provincial government Another task team is operating in the Western Cape, in partnership with the local taxi industry, to quell a similar spate of deadly disputes over lucrative routes (archived here).
IOL News
19-06-2025
- IOL News
Dr. Nandipha Magudumana and the emotional toll of bad choices: when love becomes a life sentence
Dr Nandipha Magudumana is not just a headline or a meme - she's a woman who has lost her medical career, her children, her freedom and public favour all for a man. Image: CrimeInSA/X In her most recent court appearance, Dr. Nandipha Magudumana looked nothing like the woman South Africa once knew. Once styling in designer heels and confidence, she now looks worn out, hollow-eyed, visibly thinner and almost unrecognisable. Her gaunt figure, drawn face and lifeless eyes left social media users stunned. 'Nandipha looks like a shadow," a user on X wrote, while another bluntly added: "Nothing ages you faster than stress." Meanwhile, Thabo Bester, the convicted killer and fraudster with whom Magudumana allegedly orchestrated a dramatic prison escape, sat in the same courtroom appearing well-groomed and composed. Video Player is loading. 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Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 1/ The recent court images of Dr. Nandipha Magudumana since her detention have sparked debate about her wellbeing & state of mind, so here's my in-depth thread 🧵 about her psychological state based solely on visual cues & time in prison… — KrucbalXqution (@KrucbalXqution) June 18, 2025 That difference between the visibly broken woman and a calm Bestern has ignited conversations far beyond just this high-profile court case. It's now become a mirror of how society views mental strength, gender and the emotional cost of bad choices. So, why does it often seem that women carry the emotional burden more visibly, especially when they're the ones on trial for making destructive choices in the name of love? The breakdown isn't always about guilt, it's about being human. "Independent Media Lifestyle" spoke to Dr. Giada del Fabbro, a Johannesburg forensic psychologist to help unpack what's going on beneath the surface of this tragic transformation. Magudumana once had it all - a successful career, a public image and two young daughters who looked up to her. Image: X "This perception that women 'break' while men 'endure' is rooted more in social conditioning than biology," explained del Fabbro. She added: 'Women are taught to express emotions of sadness, anxiety, even shame while men are rewarded for suppressing theirs. The public watches Nandipha fall apart and reads it as a weakness. But what if it's just honesty?" Every time I see Dr Nandipha Magudumana, I can't stop thinking about her kids. How do you even begin to explain to them that you chose a convicted murderer over them and threw your entire life away for crime? Shuuuu — ✨Pebbles (@PebblesNeo) June 17, 2025 It's easy to forget that Dr Nandipha is not just a headline or a meme. She's a woman who has lost her medical career, her children, her freedom and public favour - all for a man - one that doesn't appear to be losing sleep. Smart women, destructive choices The bigger question still lingers: how does someone so accomplished fall into such a toxic trap? Dr. Nandipha Magudumana is a perfect example that you can be highly educated and still be a fool. Educated fool.🚮 — Masemola Amo (@Masemola_Amo) June 17, 2025 "Highly educated women aren't immune to psychological vulnerabilities," del Fabbro said. "Attachment trauma, emotional manipulation and a deep need for acceptance can cloud judgement. Over time, toxic partners erode logic. What may seem like a choice is often the result of prolonged psychological entanglement.' Thabo Bester, the convicted killer who orchestrated his escape from prison with the alleged help of his girffriend, looks dapper and unstressed in court. Image: CrimeInSA/X In other words, intelligence doesn't shield anyone from emotional exploitation, especially when love is used as a weapon. Magudumana may have started out in control, but slowly, piece by piece, she lost her grip. In South Africa, public scandals involving women are almost always laced with moral judgement. As netizens critiqued Magudumana's weight loss, her complexion, her no-name brand make-up and her supposed regrets, fewer people seemed to ask why Bester, the man at the centre of the scandal, appeared unfazed. Rather, the comments were about how composed he was. 'Thabo is glowing' was just one comment that highlights this. "There's a double standard," del Fabbro explained. 'Women are judged on more than their crimes; they're judged on their looks, motherhood, femininity, even how they cry in court. Men face public scrutiny too, but theirs rarely includes their emotional state or domestic roles.' That difference between the visibly broken woman and the composed man has ignited conversations far beyond just this high-profile court case. Image: X Magudumana isn't just facing criminal charges. She's carrying the extra burden of betraying the image of the "perfect woman" as professional, maternal and composed. 'People forget that emotional expression is not weakness. It's often a sign of just how much someone has endured.' Many South African women relate to Magudumana's unravelling. Not because they've seemingly helped a criminal escape but because they've made mistakes, silenced their instincts or stayed in toxic relationships out of fear or misguided love. "I feel sorry for her," said one woman online. "I've made bad choices for a man too. The shame is real." Dr. Nandipha Magudumana during a recent court appearance, looking like her problems are bearing down on her. Image: CrimeInSA/X Fewer things impact our mental health quite like poor decision-making. When we regret the choices we make, it's easy to overthink things, place blame, worry and become anxious. When we talk about bad decisions, we often focus only on the person who made them. But behind every headline and court appearance is a ripple effect, one that quietly crashes into the lives of innocent people, especially children and close family. Magudumana once had it all - a successful career, a public image and two young daughters who looked up to her. So, why do people stick to bad choices, even when things fall apart? Experts say it's often because decisions are made in the heat of the moment, driven by emotion instead of logic. Whether it's falling in love with the wrong person or making a risky move, strong feelings like fear, love, or desperation, can cloud our thinking. And once we've gone down that path, we tend to double down. We try to protect the choice even if that means making more poor decisions to cover up the first one. Now imagine this ripple, a mother behind bars. Children grow up with unanswered questions and a sense of possible shame. Parents and relatives left to explain the unexplainable. And family names dragged through headlines. And while the law may be dealing with her crimes, her "community" is dealing with the ripple effects of her decisions. This courtroom drama might fade from the headlines. But the lessons about mental health, emotional manipulation and the gendered cost of scandal, are here to stay.
The Citizen
05-05-2025
- The Citizen
Video: Taxi and bakkie collision leaves 15 dead in the Eastern Cape
An inquest docket has been opened following the deaths of 15 people in a head-on collision between a minibus taxi and a bakkie, the Eastern Cape Transport Department said yesterday. 'A total of 15 people have died and five others sustained injuries in a head-on collision involving a fully loaded minibus taxi and a bakkie. The accident occurred on the R63 road between Adelaide and Maqoma (Fort Beaufort) at about midnight on Saturday,' said the department in a social media post on Facebook. 15 PEOPLE KILLED IN EASTERN CAPE ACCIDENT Fifteen individuals have lost their lives and five others were injured in a head-on crash involving a fully loaded minibus taxi and a bakkie. The incident took place on the R63 road between Adelaide and Maqoma (Fort Beaufort) last… — CrimeInSA (@sa_crime) May 4, 2025 It is alleged that the white Quantum, travelling from Qonce (King William's Town) to Cape Town, collided head-on with an Isuzu double cab that was travelling from Adelaide to Kwamaqoma. According to the department, the driver of the Isuzu died on the scene and 13 passengers in the Quantum were also declared dead on the scene, including the driver. The six other passengers in the minibus taxi were rushed to hospital for treatment. One of them later died, taking the number of deceased to 15. Minister @BarbaraCreecy_ and the Deputy Minister @MkhulekoHlengwa express their condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in a fatal road crash on the R63 between Adelaide and Maqoma in the Eastern Cape on Saturday, May 3, 2025 — Department of Transport (@Dotransport) May 4, 2025 'An inquest docket has been opened for further investigations as both drivers died in the accident,' said the provincial department. – Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
