Hawks interfered in Molefe arrest, says political killings task team member:
The forensic evidence team leader of the political killings task team told the Mandlanga commission that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) interfered in the arrests of murder co-accused Katiso Molefe and Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Maxwell Wanda said that, during a takedown operation at Molefe’s Sandhurst residence in Gauteng, a group of Hawks police officers arrived at the scene.
Molefe was arrested on 6 December 2024 — a month before the task team was disbanded by suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu.
“We were addressed by our project coordinator to withdraw from the team, to go back to our offices because there was some letter of disbandment of the team,” he said.
Wanda told the commission that a “large number” of Hawks officers arrived at the Molefe takedown operation with “hostile attitudes”. He described the scene as “concerning” and said exchanges between the two units “were not friendly”.
“They came in numbers and I didn’t expect them to be that big. And when I interacted with them, they were a bit aggressive, demanding answers, posing questions to me,” he said.
Police links to cartels unravelled when 10 members of the KwaZulu-Natal-based task team assisted the Gauteng organised crime unit in the 2024 murder of Armand Swart — a Vereeniging engineer believed to be a whistleblower in a R1.2 million Transnet corruption scandal.
Anonymous police witnesses have previously told the commission that a Hawks helicopter appeared at the scene. When the interference failed, they subsequently received pressure from senior officers to doctor the case docket.
Witness A — a member of the Gauteng organised crime unit — previously told the commission the case’s ballistic report linking gun cartridges found at the Swart murder scene to other murders in Gauteng was redone. He implicated the head of the Gauteng organised crime unit, Richard Shibiri.
On Monday, Wanda told the commission the Hawks stood down at the Molefe arrest when Witness A showed them the J50 arrest warrant.
He said the operation was “official and legitimate”, backed by a warrant signed by the magistrate.
“Everything was official, so I wouldn’t expect it to be disturbed or to be interfered with until the execution is completed,” he said.
It appeared to be “interference” by the Hawks during a high-level arrest. He said operations are “highly sensitive and dangerous” and teams should be briefed on other units’ involvement.
A helicopter made a few circles around the house and flew away while he was speaking with the Hawks captain.
The Hawks said they were responding to a complaint that some individuals were impersonating police officers and were there to verify whether the operation was legitimate.
“After the explanation from myself and Witness A, they believed it was legitimate,” he said.
Wanga admitted that the political killing task team had arrived in unmarked vehicles, although they were wearing police bulletproof vests with the South African Police Service (SAPS) emblem on them.
He said a member of the Hawks handed him a phone with a call from Brigadier Lesiba Mokoena, who apologised for the Hawks’s intrusion and said they had been given wrong information.
“In my view, the conduct of the Hawks constitutes interference or disturbance with the legitimate takedown operation in circumstances where there was no basis for presence at the scene,” Wanga told the commission.
“It was also very concerning to me their actions and attitude towards us seemed to be consistent with that of a team looking to interfere in our operations as opposed to verifying if we were SAPS members,” he said.
Wanga said Witness A showed the forensic evidence team a fleet of cars at Molefe’s residence. They found four rifles with ammunition on the back seat of one of the cars. Lehasa Moloi, believed to be Molefe’s bodyguard, told officers the car and guns belonged to him.
After the Hawks withdrew from the scene, and Molefe was arrested, Wanda said Moloi asked him: “What is going to happen now because the person is a friend of the minister?”
He said the takedown operation subsequently moved to Matlala’s residence, but they found he had fled.
Microsoft launches AI partnership to empower TVET educators and students:
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is set to reshape the global workforce by 2030, with projections indicating that 70% of the skills required for existing jobs will change.
Even more striking, 30% of current jobs may no longer exist by then.
These insights were shared at the launch of a transformative new initiative to equip South Africa’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges and students with future-ready skills.
Ikamva Digital, a digital skilling platform co-developed by Microsoft Elevate and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), was officially launched on Tuesday at Microsoft South Africa’s headquarters in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
The initiative is supported by the department of higher education and training, underscoring the government’s commitment to digital transformation in education, alongside a network of implementation partners.
Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Ikamva Digital forms part of the Digital Skills for Jobs and Income II Project.
It directly addresses the urgent need for accessible, industry-aligned digital training across South Africa’s 50 TVET colleges.
The initiative is designed to empower young South Africans with in-demand digital skills and ensure that TVET graduates leave with recognised certifications, significantly enhancing their employability.
According to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey, released on 12 August, youth aged 15 to 34 remain particularly vulnerable in the labour market. In Q2 2025, the number of unemployed youth rose by 39 000 to 4.9 million, while youth employment increased by 31 000 to 5.7 million. The youth unemployment rate remained unchanged at 46.1%.
Vukani Mngxati, the newly appointed CEO of Microsoft South Africa, on 1 October, expressed his commitment to addressing unemployment by ensuring that all South Africans benefit from AI skills through this landmark public-private partnership.
“‘Ikamva’ means ‘the future’ in isiXhosa,” Mngxati explained. “This platform allows us to build a future where no one is left behind in the AI revolution.”
Reflecting on his own journey, he added, “I was born in Ixopo, a small town in KwaZulu-Natal. A kid like me, who was given a chance, would want others — whether in cities or rural areas — to have the same opportunity. I know firsthand the power of acquiring these skills. That’s why I’m here.”
He emphasised that the initiative is about nation-building — ensuring that every young person leaves college equipped with a recognised, marketable skill.
Ikamva Digital is the South African adaptation of Microsoft Elevate, a global initiative that aims to boost AI literacy and skills among educators, students and nonprofit leaders. The platform offers free training, resources and internationally recognised certifications to help individuals prepare for the future of work.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 highlights rapid growth in fields such as data analytics, AI, cloud computing and cybersecurity.
In South Africa, demand for digital and green tech skills is rising, yet many TVET colleges face challenges, including outdated curricula and limited resources. Bridging this gap requires strategic investment and collaboration.
Naria Santa Lucia, general manager of digital inclusion and community engagement at Microsoft Philanthropies, described the programme as a cornerstone of Microsoft’s mission to build an AI-ready workforce through inclusive partnerships and accessible learning tools.
Quoting LinkedIn’s chief economic opportunity officer, Aneesh Raman, she noted that 70% of the skills required for today’s jobs will change by 2030.
“This isn’t about jobs disappearing — it’s about a fundamental shift in the skills needed. It’s an opportunity for South Africa to harness its talented youth and tackle unemployment through new capabilities,” she said.
Microsoft Elevate Africa aims to train 20 million people in digital and AI skills, with recognised certifications. To date, the initiative has reached 6 million individuals and trained 1.4 million learners in South Africa.
Tiara Pathon, AI skills director at Microsoft South Africa, highlighted the urgency: “As automation transforms industries, and 39% of core job skills evolve by 2030, platforms like Ikamva Digital are essential. This is more than a learning tool — it’s a gateway to opportunity, inclusion and economic resilience.”
Already, over 4 000 young South Africans have completed training and passed exams for eight certifications. Three TVET colleges have joined the programme, with plans to expand across the sector.
Tobias Muehler, head of the TVET unit at GIZ, reinforced the importance of the initiative: “TVET colleges are the backbone of vocational training in South Africa. Yet many face challenges with outdated content and limited resources. Ikamva Digital is designed to close these gaps by offering demand-driven, accessible learning that aligns with both global standards and local needs.”
© Higher Education Media Services
Heads roll at Zimbabwe’s power utility over Mnangagwa Sona blackout:
The Zimbabwe Electricity and Distribution Company suspended its managing director after a power outage in parliament on Tuesday, during which President Emmerson Mnangagwa delivered 10 minutes of his State of the Nation address (Sona) in the dark.
Abel Gurupira will go on effective forced leave, the power company said in an internal memo.
However, he will enjoy his full benefits and not maintain contact with any of his colleagues until an investigation is wrapped up.
The Clerk of Parliament, Kennedy Chokuda, said initial investigations point to a circuit breaker failure.
“The loss of power supply to key systems occurred when the parliament building was running on a generator as the main source of supply, with [Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority] power as a standby. When supplies were lost, the generator was still running but not supplying power,” he said.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that a circuit breaker supplying the load had tripped.
“The restoration took longer than expected, resulting in part of the Sona being delivered without power.”
However, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda suspected foul play.
“We will go beyond what happened and trace the culprits and deal with them accordingly. Those that will be found wanting will regret the day of their existence,” Mudenda told parliament.
The matter has generated jokes on social media.
Some dubbed it “when the state of the nation address meets the state of the nation”, a reference to the country’s decades-long electricity shortages.
Others wondered why the recently commissioned Mount Hampden parliament operated without solar backup.
Last year in November, during the budget presentation by finance minister Mthuli Ncube, there was a power outage which was blamed on a thunderstorm.
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