Latest news with #Masango
The Citizen
7 days ago
- The Citizen
Alleged killers of Mpumalanga cop traced to Eswatini
On August 14, the Royal Eswatini Police (REP), with the assistance of Commissioner Vusie Manoma Masango, traced three suspected killers to Eswatini. Lowvelder reports that the suspects allegedly shot and killed Sergeant Lawrence Mtshweni on August 8, while he and fellow officers were responding to a burglary at a business centre in Schoemansdal. According to the REP, two additional suspects were later traced to the Sishweleni region. When they noticed the police, they allegedly opened fire, prompting officers to return fire and fatally shoot both suspects. In a statement, National Commissioner of Police General Fannie Masemola thanked the cross-border operation and Masango for assisting in tracing the killers to Eswatini. 'On behalf of SAPS and Mtshweni's family, we would like to thank the REP, led by Masango, as well as the Umbutfo Defence Force for assisting Mpumalanga SAPS in locating these killers. We look forward to strengthening and deepening our co-operation on law enforcement matters. 'The attacks and killing of our police officers are a serious concern, and we call on communities to help put a stop to these killings. From April 1 to date, we have already lost six police officers; we cannot afford to lose more. We need as many boots on the ground as possible to prevent and combat crime,' says Masemola. Further investigation led Eswatini police to Mantambe in Shiselweni, where a third suspect allegedly took his own life with a pistol before police could arrest him. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli extended his condolences to Mtshweni's family. 'Mtshweni's sacrifice is a stark reminder of the risks our police officers face every day. It is a profound loss, not only for his family and friends, but for the entire SAPS community and the society he diligently served. Thank you for allowing him to dedicate his life to serving our nation. Your support and sacrifices have undoubtedly contributed to his ability to uphold the values we hold dear in SAPS.' SAPS leadership, led by Masemola, will attend the funerals of three members who died in the line of duty this past week. Mtshweni will be buried on Saturday, August 16, in Schoemansdal. 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. Read original story on
The Citizen
08-08-2025
- The Citizen
Four-year-old from Eldorado Park dies after alleged abuse by father
A little girl died in hospital after allegedly suffering severe abuse by her father in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg South. A four-year-old girl from Eldorado Park, Johannesburg South, who was allegedly beaten and sexually assaulted by her father, has died in hospital. Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital admitted the little girl on Wednesday, after police responded to a complaint of the father physically abusing his child. Found by police with injuries on Wednesday When the police arrived, they were directed to a backyard shack that was closed. The police discovered a man with a young boy and a young girl inside. 'They noticed that the girl who was sleeping in the bed had head injuries, bruises and a swollen eye,' the Gauteng police said. ALSO READ: Massive child abuse material seized in Standerton operation [PICS] The man who claimed to be the children's father did not provide a clear explanation about what happened to the girl. Girl died in hospital on Friday The police subsequently arrested the father and rushed the girl to the hospital for treatment. She tragically died in hospital on Friday, the police confirmed. The 32-year-old father was initially charged with attempted murder and child abuse. After further investigation, the South AFrican Police Service Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units arrested the victim's mother on Thursday and charged her with defeating the ends of justice. ALSO READ: Four suspects face attempted murder charges after viral child drug video The mother reportedly confessed to police during interrogation that she knew about the abuse. She also claimed that she was also a victim of abuse. Father charged with murder and rape The father made a brief appearance at the Protea Magistrate's Court on Friday to a full gallery of community members. The case docket has been changed to murder, and a charge of rape has been added. Responding to the news of the girl's death, Not In My Name founder Themba Masango expressed frustration over the lack of severe consequences for heinous crimes, suggesting a referendum on reinstating the death penalty. 'This is terrible, and we are angry. We are hoping that the court and the justice system will throw the entire book of the law at this person,' Masango told SABC.
The Citizen
29-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Francisco accuses DA of overstepping in Ward 108 fire aid
ANC councillor Deborah Francisco said she welcomes political activity in her ward, provided it respects protocol and her role as the elected representative. Her comments follow a dispute with DA members distributing blankets to residents in Ward 108, which she claims bypassed her authority. As part of their 25th birthday blanket donation drive on July 25, the DA set eyes on Alexandra, hoping to provide relief and support to residents who lost everything after a huge blaze gutted their houses on Mandela Day. The DA's parliamentarian, Bridget Masango, said their donation drive was disrupted when Francisco confronted the team, insisting that no one can come to her ward without telling her. Also read: DA's fire relief donation ruffles ANC councillor's feathers But, according to Francisco, the issue was about the DA respecting ward boundaries and her role as a councillor in the area. 'This is councillor Francisco's ward. It was won by the ANC. So, what I was disputing is the way the DA is working—undermining me in my ward,' she shared. 'They must ask for permission. When you get into somebody's yard, you ask for permission. You don't just get in how you like.' She said even the council speaker, a non-ANC member, had followed protocol by notifying her before distributing items to fire victims, ensuring Francisco's presence as the ward's representative. 'The speaker informed me, and I was there. Even when Johannesburg Water comes to bring projects here in the ward, they talk to the councillor first.' She emphasised that the DA should have let her know about their plans in her ward. But her views were challenged by Masango. She said she found Francisco's actions 'somewhat blind to the destitute'. Also read: City Power drives free basic electricity registration in Alexandra on Mandela Day 'I am a constituency head of the area and should not be blocked while doing political work that even the Constitution allows,' Masango shared. Francisco insisted she had no problem with other parties' political work, but it should not interfere with her governance of the ward. 'When it comes to campaigning for members, they have every right to set up tables and campaign. I have no issue with their political work, but governance belongs to me. I don't interfere with their wards,' she concluded. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
The Citizen
28-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
DA's fire relief donation ruffles ANC councillor's feathers
A Democratic Alliance blanket donation drive in Alexandra's Ward 108 sparked a sharp confrontation on July 25 when ANC councillor Deborah Francisco halted the effort, insisting that no political activity could occur in her ward without her approval. According to the DA's member of Parliament, Bridget Masango, the party, marking its 25th anniversary, organised the drive to provide blankets to residents whose homes were ravaged by a recent fire on July 18. However, this rubbed Francisco the wrong way. Masango claimed Francisco interrupted the distribution. 'She came in, disrupted the meeting and said nobody can come to her ward without asking her or without telling her. And that no political work can happen in her ward unless it is done through her,' Masango shared. 'I have never heard that, and I have been in politics for long enough to have known that there are areas that are no goes for an opposition party.' Also read: City Power announces interim solution for Mahauzana's electricity woes Francisco firmly stated that the DA cannot donate to fire victims in her ward 'without doing things the right way'. 'Let them do it in their wards,' she stressed. 'Ward 108 is my ward. You don't come to my ward with donations… You will do the right thing. I am a councillor here; that lady is not a councillor here.' In an audio clip made available by DA councillor Strike Rambani, Francisco can allegedly be heard saying: 'Take the donations back to the DA. Already, we have donated enough.' Francisco emphasised respect for ward boundaries and existing systems, noting that all organisations would bring donations to her and write down what they brought. She even referenced her coordination with DA Ward 109 councillor Lori Coogan. 'I do not think I interfere in other people's wards. You can even ask the Ward 109 councillor. I refer her cases to her, and she refers my cases to me,' Francisco noted. Masango said that the DA would take the matter to the City of Johannesburg council, noting that there cannot be areas where registered political parties are restricted from doing their work. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
The Citizen
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
When clothes speak louder than words
From boarding school khakis to MAGA-red caps, clothes often carry meanings that go far beyond the wardrobe. Growing up, the phrase 'the clothes maketh the man' was an injunction to eschew jeans for chinos and T-shirts in favour of collared shirts. There's a lot of truth to it; try getting an upgrade on a flight when you're in slops, PT shorts and a slogan T-shirt, versus a suit and tie, or going to the boss to wheedle an increase. But just as the clothes we wear tell the world a little about who we want to be seen as, we've got to be careful of being condemned by association. For a while in the '80s, khaki clothing – the old tough cotton pants and button-up shirts beloved of farmers and boarding school pupils alike, was rendered toxic because of its association with rightwing extremism. The Brits had Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts; the Germans had Ernst Rohm's Sturmabteilung Brownshirts. South Africa had Eugene TerreBlanche's AWB in khaki. As a journalist in the early '90s, it was a strict rule not to go out on assignment wearing military surplus clothing, lest you be mistaken for a member of the security forces. At the same time, many of us writer types wanted to be mistaken as cool press photographers and deliberately wore the sleeveless cotton and canvas gilets loved by fishermen, hunters – and press photographers stuffing their lenses into pockets that normally took shotgun shells. ALSO READ: Gold and Glamour: Masango by Siphosihle dazzles at the Hollywoodbets Durban July It marked those of us who did it as poseurs in the newsroom and earned us the derision of our seniors, who literally had been there and done that without seeing the need to get the T-shirt, but it was harmless – and most of us outgrew it. Not all articles of clothing are so forgiving. Shemaghs and keffiyehs can be problematic for the unwitting: the Saudis and Emiratis wear red checked ones – while the black checked version has become synonymous with the Palestinian cause. Red hats are another, thanks to the unfailing efforts of Donald Trump's drive to Make America Great Again. I was wearing a red British and Irish Lions cap, of the exact shape and hue popularised by the tariff king, out on a walk last week when a passer-by looked me up and down witheringly. He shook his head pityingly. 'Xha! Sorry for you, né!' he said. It took 10 years for my khaki wardrobe to be socially acceptable again. Hopefully the radioactive half-life on my Lions' cap will be a lot less. NOW READ: Gold and Glamour: Masango by Siphosihle dazzles at the Hollywoodbets Durban July
