Lephalale Express Online News

17/10/2025

CAPE TOWN, October 17 – Defying global economic headwinds, South Africa’s luxury goods market is surging toward 15% growth this year, buoyed by affluent shoppers’ appetite for tactile retail experiences and Sub-Saharan Africa’s rising economic clout, according to Euromonitor International data released on Friday. The $1.5 trillion global luxury industry shows remarkable resilience, with physical stores capturing 81% of personal luxury sales worldwide....

CAPE TOWN, October 17 – Defying global economic headwinds, South Africa’s luxury goods market is surging toward 15% growth this year, buoyed by affluent shoppers’ appetite for tactile retail exper…

10/10/2025

OSLO/CARACAS, October 10 — Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, drawing sharp criticism from activists who called the selection a politicised endorsement of regime-change efforts against President Nicolás Maduro government. The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Machado’s “unwavering commitment to democratic values,” but omitted reference to her advocacy for U.S.-led sanctions on Venezuela or her historical appeals for foreign military intervention....

10/10/2025

MPUMALANGA – South African authorities arrested a pharmacy owner and four employees during a Thursday raid in Acornhoek for operating an unlicensed facility dispensing unregulated medicines, including high-risk Schedule 1-6 drugs. The Hawks’ Mpumalanga Serious Organised Crime unit, health regulator SAHPRA, and local police shuttered the pharmacy after verifying tip-offs about its illicit activities. Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi confirmed 50-year-old owner and four staff members were arrested – two women (35, 44) and two men (35, 48) – failed to produce required qualifications and licenses....

MPUMALANGA – South African authorities arrested a pharmacy owner and four employees during a Thursday raid in Acornhoek for operating an unlicensed facility dispensing unregulated medicines, includ…

09/10/2025

LEPHALALE, Limpopo, October 9 — A multi-million rand sports stadium in Ga-Seleka Village, built to honour ANC activist Captain Jimmy Thulare, remains abandoned since its inauguration in 2014. Democratic Alliance (DA) criticises Lephalale Mayor Aaron Mokgetle for excluding the community from using the facility. The stadium, funded through a municipal infrastructure grant requiring 15% allocation to sports facilities was touted in 2014 as a hub for soccer, athletics, and other sports, with capacity for 3,500 spectators....

LEPHALALE, Limpopo, October 9 — A multi-million rand sports stadium in Ga-Seleka Village, built to honour ANC activist Captain Jimmy Thulare, remains abandoned since its inauguration in 2014. Democ…

08/10/2025

Photo_Russia and Ethiopia Forge New Nuclear Power Alliance – A Landmark for Africa Energy Future MOSCOW, October 8 — Russia and Ethiopia agreed on Wednesday to advance Addis Ababa first nuclear power plant during World Atomic Week in Moscow, a move aimed at bolstering clean energy in East Africa. State nuclear firm Rosatom and Ethiopia Electric Power Corporation signed an action plan outlining steps to develop the project, including forming a working group, drafting a feasibility study roadmap, and preparing an intergovernmental agreement....

07/10/2025

CAPE TOWN, October 7 — Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema derailed a parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee hearing on Tuesday, demanding police commissioner Ndlandla Mkhwanazi retake his oath before testifying and condemning the committee’s acceptance of unsworn evidence as a “constitutional farce.” Malema halted proceedings minutes after Mkhwanazi’s scheduled appearance, insisting the KwaZulu-Natal police chief could not be questioned until formally sworn in....

07/10/2025

JOHANNESBURG, October 7 — Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema on Tuesday morning accused Parliament Ad Hoc Committee of legal impropriety, rejecting claims that a “supplementary statement” could substitute an original submission during proceedings probing allegations raised at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. The hearing, meant to grill KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Ndumiso Mkwanazi over evidence from the Madlanga Commission, temporarily urgent minutes after opening as Malema revolted against procedural chaos....

06/10/2025

Bloemfontein — Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) decisively upheld Prince Misuzulu ka Zwelithini legitimacy as Zulu monarch on Monday, quashing legal challenges to his 2022 recognition and ending a four-year succession dispute rooted in customary law and statutory compliance This ruling came after appeals from the President of South Africa and the Minister of Cooperative Governance, who sought to challenge lower court decisions that questioned the legitimacy of the king identification and the President recognition of his status....

03/10/2025

CAPE TOWN – A nationwide police offensive against illicit alcohol production has exposed a R16,5 billion underground industry poisoning communities and draining state coffers, with Western Cape authorities arresting six suspects this week. In Thursday’s coordinated raids, officers stormed a Stellenbosch farm in Faure, uncovering an industrial-scale facility stocked with capping machines, chemical-filled containers, and hundreds of counterfeit bottles. Five Malawian nationals were detained, while a subsequent Woodstock warehouse search yielded prepackaged liquor and the arrest of a 53-year-old Chinese suspect....

01/10/2025

POLOKWANE, October 1 – A 66-year-old crèche transport driver appeared in Morebeng Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday charged with ra**ng a three-year-old girl in Botlokwa village, sparking condemnation from Limpopo safety officials. Selaelo Justice Mongalo, husband of the childcare facility’s owner, was arrested on September, 25 after the victim’s guardian noticed distress and pain following a late drop-off. Medical examinations confirmed sexual assault, police said....

01/10/2025

JOHANNESBURG, September 30 – Electricity power utility, Eskom reported a R16 billion after-tax profit for the 2025 financial year, its first positive result since 2017, crediting operational reforms and anti-corruption measures under a three-year turnaround strategy. Chairman Mteto Nyati said the state-owned firm had evolved from a "crisis-ridden entity" inherited in 2022 into a "sustainable, investable" player preparing for energy market liberalization....

01/10/2025

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), President Julius Malema boldly addressed his supporters outside the East London Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, shortly after a ruling found him guilty of discharging a firearm during a rally in 2018. Magistrate Twanet Oliver delivered the verdict, convicting him on five counts related to the Fi****ms Control Act. Sentencing is set to commence in January 23, 2026....