SPECIAL FEATURES - The African Mirror

Dec

03

2025

In DR Congo’s Uvira, pro-government militia actions show abuses aren’t just an M23 problem

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

LIFE for people living under occupation by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, which has seized vast swathes of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been marked by widespread human rights abuses and economic turmoil. Yet in the lakeside city of Uvira, suffocating daily pressures and abuses come not from the rebels but from the army and, especially, pro-government militias, who claim to protect the city and fight the M23. This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By a journalist in Uvira and Patricia Huon “Their bombs are affecting the entire population, when they should be aimed at the…

Dec

02

2025

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

Five arrested in South African mercenary trafficking ring as Zuma’s daughter resigns from parliament

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

FIVE suspects appeared in Kempton Park Magistrates Court on Monday, facing charges of violating South Africa's Foreign Military Assistance Act, marking the first arrests in a widening scandal that has already claimed the political career of former President Jacob Zuma's daughter and exposed a sophisticated human trafficking network recruiting South Africans to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) announced the arrests of Nonkululeko Mantula (39), Thulani Mazibuko (24), Xolani Ntuli (47), Siphamandla Tshabalala (23), and Sfiso Mabena (21) following a dramatic week that saw siblings turned against each other at the highest levels of…

Nov

29

2025

By MARELIZE ISABEL SCHOEMAN

Thousands of criminals reoffend in South Africa – better data would show where the justice system is failing

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

IN a recent statement, South Africa’s minister of correctional services said more than 18,000 parolees had reoffended in the past three years. They included 209 committing murder and 330 rape during 2024-25. This is one of the country’s most pressing justice problems, yet it remains poorly understood. It’s called recidivism: a situation where an individual who has already served a sentence commits another crime and is arrested, convicted or sentenced again. Academic and media reports suggest that many released prisoners commit another crime and are sentenced. However, South Africa lacks a standard definition for recidivism or a consistent way to…

Nov

28

2025

By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Brothers stole $4 million meant for Minnesota’s homeless—then the program collapsed

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

WHEN trust became currency, two brothers gambled with the lives of America's most vulnerable—and lost The dream had always been to build something lasting. For Asad and Anwar Adow, two Somalian brothers who'd made their way to Minnesota, America represented possibility. But somewhere between ambition and greed, that dream curdled into something darker. On a cold Monday in November 2025, Asad Ahmed Adow, 26, stood before a federal judge and spoke a single word that would reshape his future: "Guilty." His brother Anwar, 25, had done the same just weeks earlier. Together, they had orchestrated a scheme so audacious, so…

Nov

27

2025

By JOVIAL RANTAO

Hyundai gets its hands dirty – So women don’t have to… unless they want to

MOTORING NEWS

IN a refreshing departure from the tired old stereotype of women drivers being mystified by anything under the bonnet, Hyundai Automotive South Africa has put its money where its mouth is. On 21 November, the brand rolled out its "Heels on Wheels" initiative at the Fourways dealership, where spanners met stilettos and oil dipsticks got demystified. And before you roll your eyes at the cheeky name, consider this: women make up a whopping 55% of Hyundai's South African customer base. That's not a niche market segment – that's the main event. From Dashboard Panic to Dashboard Pro The interactive workshop…

Nov

27

2025

By The African Mirror

Luxury Redefined: The GWM Tank 500 Black Edition arrives

MOTORING

THERE are SUVs that transport you, and then there are SUVs that transform you. The GWM Tank 500 has always belonged to the latter category, and now, with its striking new Black Edition styling, this seven-seat luxury powerhouse has raised the bar once again. Already a commanding presence in South Africa's flagship SUV segment, the Tank 500 now emerges with an aesthetic that's as bold as it is refined. Think gloss-black mesh grille. Dark-chrome roof rails. Blacked-out mirror caps. Imposing 18-inch black alloy wheels. Every detail has been meticulously crafted to deliver a stealthier, more sophisticated stance - one that…

Nov

25

2025

By AMANDA GOUWS and JOSEPH AYODELE KUPOLUSI

South Africans have lost trust in the police, in parliament and in political parties – what that means

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

FOR democracies to function well, citizens have to trust their institutions. Every incidence of bad service delivery or corruption will influence how much citizens trust institutions. The latest incident that will most likely shake confidence in South Africa’s political system, and specifically the police and the criminal justice system, is the accusation by General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, provincial commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal province, that members of these institutions are involved in organised crime. The accusations are being investigated by the Madlanga Commission and heard in parliament by an ad hoc committee. General Mkhwanazi alleged that the police minister, other members of the…

Nov

22

2025

By LAMINE DOUMBIA and MAHAMADOU BASSIROU TANGARA

Bamako is under pressure, not under siege: the difference and why it matters

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

MALI has been struggling for over a decade to defeat “jihadists” around Gao, Kidal and Ségou. Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), linked to al-Qaida, is believed to be the most vicious of the terrorist groups operating there, based on the scale of its attacks. The group’s aims include the imposition of its strict interpretation of Islam and sharia. Recently, it raised the ante with attacks in certain zones in Mali. This has put strain on trade routes and the supply of essential commodities, including fuel. Consequently, there have been media reports raising concerns about the deepening security crisis in the…

Nov

20

2025

By CLAUDE SENGENYA and PHILIP KLEINFELD

Life under the M23: What our reporting reveals about rebel rule in DR Congo

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

SINCE late 2021, the M23 rebel group has swept across vast areas of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, displacing millions of people and installing its own systems of governance as it drives one of the country’s biggest crises in decades. Heavily backed by troops from neighbouring Rwanda – long supported by some of the world’s most powerful countries – the M23 has made especially large gains this year, seizing DRC’s biggest eastern cities and threatening to topple the Congolese government altogether. The group has framed its takeover as a liberation for communities long neglected and repressed by state authorities…

Nov

19

2025

By FOLAHANMI AINA

Nigeria’s new terror threat: JNIM is spreading but it’s not too late to act

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

THE Sahel region, south of the Sahara, is notorious for being the global epicentre of terrorism. With a combined population of 75 million people, the region has accounted for more fatalities than any other on the African continent since 2021. In 2024, deaths from terrorism across the region stood at 11,200: more than half of Africa’s toll that year. The situation has deteriorated following the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The three countries are among the most affected in the troubled region. As of June 2025, these countries contributed to the more than 2.9 million people who have…