South Africa: KZN News Bites - Rural School Celebrated Its Matric Top Achievers

Celani Sikhakhane brings you KwaZulu-Natal's latest news.

uMzumbe: Rural kids of uMzumbe on the South Coast of KZN were celebrated for achieving top matric results in the Class of 2025.

The matriculants are from Mtumaseli High School at KwaGqoyisa village.

The school was built by Inkosi Calalakubo Khawula with the assistance of the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

One of the top achievers, Ngimphiwe Mzelemu, told Scrolla.Africa that despite being in a deep rural school, they worked hard with the help of their teachers to achieve great results.

He is planning to go to varsity to further his studies.

Madadeni: The Madadeni Regional Court on Monday, 26 January 2026, sentenced 34-year-old Siyabonga Christopher Xulu to life imprisonment for rape, and an additional five years for kidnapping.

The sentence came after the court heard how a 48-year-old woman was accosted by four suspects who dragged her to an open field at Drycut, Osizweni on 15 June 2019. On that fateful day, the victim was walking from work when four men grabbed her from behind. She was dragged to a secluded area where she was left with one suspect who raped her while his accomplices fled the scene.

The Newcastle Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences detectives investigated the matter and ensured that Xulu was condemned to spend the rest of his life in jail.

Impendle: The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, today conducted an oversight visit to the Impendle Local Municipality to address a deepening financial and governance crisis that has left the institution unable to meet its most basic obligations.

The MEC's intervention follows the municipality's failure to pay salaries to councillors and staff, a direct result of the total depletion of municipal coffers. During a stern engagement with the full council and senior management, MEC Buthelezi demanded immediate answers for the collapse of internal controls.

"A municipality cannot be a ship without a captain. This leadership vacuum has directly contributed to the current state of lawlessness and financial ruin we see today," said MEC Buthelezi.

To restore order, the MEC has issued a directive that a mayor must be formally appointed by Thursday, 5 February 2026.

Read the original article on Scrolla.