The Lead

SAPS ‘capture’ web of intrigue widens with ‘Death Squad’ mastermind’s arrest

First came the “Cat’s” arrest. And then startling claims of SA Police Service “capture” by underworld figures. But the story certainly doesn’t end there. Sandton figurehead, Katiso “KT” Molefe, is now in police custody, too. It’s in connection with the 2022 hit on lounge club owner, DJ Sumbody, whose real…

22 Jul 28 min

Jozi’s construction cartel with alleged links to senior ANC councillor

A top councillor, wearing the ANC colours in the City of Johannesburg, stands accused of meddling in and stalling key public infrastructure developments in Gauteng, extorting payments before work can even start. Sithembiso Zungu, though, has denied the claims, threatening our man on the beat, News24 journalist, Tankiso Makhetha, who…

21 Jul 29 min

Who’s coup is it anyway? With Amanda Khoza

As the Ramaphosa administration grapples with a warring police force, a hollowed out South African Air Force and a scuppered Navy, how real or imminent is the threat of a coup d‘état in South Africa in 2025? It’s a difficult question to answer given Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s latest remarks…

17 Jul 33 min

Latest twist in unfolding police war, with Tankiso Makhetha

If claims are anything to go by right now, the top brass of the South African Police Service (SAPS) appears to be at severe odds following bombshell claims that shady figures have captured the police. Like Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has also been forced…

16 Jul 18 min

How one act of kindness helped a family find their homeless brother

It’s a complicated story like so many aspects of modern life. Relatives of a homeless man in Cape Town, “Luigi”, who’d gone viral for attending a Springbok match thanks to the goodwill of a fan, have since reunited, thanks in part to News24’s Good News coverage. Still, the sisters of…

15 Jul 30 min

What to expect from the inquiry into SAPS ‘capture’, with Karyn Maughan

Another year, another commission of inquiry. Mbuyiseli Madlanga, the soon-to-be retiring deputy chief justice, will be chairing the country’s umpteenth commission of inquiry, this time broadly looking into alleged criminal and political interference in the South African Police Service (SAPS).This follows KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s claims that the SAPS has…

14 Jul 30 min

Why is Gauteng’s R700m forensic super-lab still closed?

It’s a state-of-the-art facility meant to speed up the processing of post-mortems and toxicology reports to give grieving families much-needed closure. But Gauteng’s new R703m Forensic Medical Services super-lab in Johannesburg’s Auckland Park near the Helen Joseph Hospital remains a ghost town for now. It’s 98% complete, but the building…

10 Jul 32 min

Consensual sexts or unwanted advances? Judge President Mbenenge under fire, with Karyn Maughan

Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge remained under cross-examination this Wednesday over allegations that he sexually harassed a former court secretary, Andiswa Mengo. The now 41-year-old’s 2022-based complaint led to a tribunal brought by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), and if Mbenenge is found guilty of sexual harassment, he could…

9 Jul 27 min

The big, beautiful Trump tariff explainer with William Brederode

In less than a month, South African produce and products being shipped to America will face remarkably higher tariffs. This came after US President Donald Trump signed a letter to Pretoria, stating that 30% tariffs on certain South African exports will be effective from 1 August. President Cyril Ramaphosa, currently…

8 Jul 38 min

Is the SAPS captured? With Jeff Wicks

The gloves are off. In a startling Sunday press conference, KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial police commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, publicly claimed that the heart of the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been captured. Mkhwanazi alleges that Minister Senzo Mchunu has ties to the underworld and, together with deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya…

7 Jul 22 min

We chat about the Boks’ homeless superfan and a son’s cheeky Spur poster

From a good Samaritan who gave his extra Bok ticket to a homeless man, to a woman who reforged her legacy after a forced marriage at 14; good news editor Paul Herman is behind the mic to uplift and inspire in this edition of The Lead. Later in the show, a…

3 Jul 31 min

Charting the DA and ANC’s GNU collision course with Jan Gerber

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s surprise axing of DA deputy minister Andrew Whitfield has again set the cat among the government of national unity’s (GNU) pigeons. First, the DA issued the ANC an ultimatum: fire all ministers accused of corruption or forfeit its friendly budget vote. Since then, the DA has singled out two…

2 Jul 33 min

Are we seeing glimpses of Rassie’s grand plan for 2027?

The Springbok test season is in full swing with a convincing win over the Barbarians, a first on South African soil this past weekend. Now, the Boks’ sights are set on sinking Italy and Georgia in quick succession with the match-ups offering the front line-up, in particular, a considerable challenge. Building…

1 Jul 33 min

Can Starlink stake its claim in South Africa? With Carol Paton

Lesotho has granted Elon Musk’s satellite internet streaming service, Starlink, a decade-long licence to operate there. How did Lesotho get Starlink before South Africa? Specialist journalist Carol Paton explains in The Lead that the real reasons behind this are rather complex, as many local regulatory hurdles have to be cleared first. Communications…

30 Jun 25 min

101 dead in EC flooding after cold front, with another on the way

At least 101 people have died and thousands left homeless after flooding hit the Eastern Cape earlier this month. As survivors catch their breath and rebuild their livelihoods, another intense cold front is creeping closer to the province. With snow, showers and sweeping winds forecast, we speak to News24’s East…

26 Jun 39 min

The sinking SA Navy, with Sikonathi Mantshantsha

The South African Navy’s limited operational capability has been scuppered in recent years. Today, only five vessels can take to the seas along our expansive coastline, and they are restricted to patrolling around our harbours. If you’re wondering, “Who needs a navy anyway?”, then you’re sorely mistaken about the force’s…

25 Jun 36 min

Meet the rogue soldiers who allegedly killed top cop, kidnapped ISIS bosses

A dozen former and current South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members are, as we speak, in police custody in connection with the murder of a senior Hawks detective. In 2023, Lieutenant Colonel Ngwako Frans Mathipa was shot and killed near Hammanskraal Toll Plaza. Mathipa was tasked with investigating an…

24 Jun 32 min

Mashatile, his sister-in-law and the R180bn Lotto deal

Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s sister-in-law has reason to celebrate. It has been revealed that Khumo Bogatsu’s company, Bellamont Gaming, is among the key shareholders of Sizekhaya Holdings, the company that has won one of the country’s most lucrative government tenders: the latest licence to operate the lottery. It is quite the politically-connected…

23 Jun 24 min

Karyn Maughan demystifies the NPA’s extradition ruling headache

The way South Africa’s prosecutors go about extraditing the criminally accused from another country to face justice in a local court is currently under intense scrutiny. The crux of the matter is that in 2014, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruled in one particular case that only the country’s…

19 Jun 41 min

Iran, Israel conflict explained

Despite calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, the Middle Eastern nations have, in recent days, exchanged a volley of missile strikes, adding pressure to a very volatile geopolitical situation. Will America enter the fray, and can South Africa play peacemaker? News24 international correspondent Phillip de Wet provides his…

18 Jun 28 min