ECOWAS activates standby force against insurgency

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has activated its Standby Force to curb terrorism and other transborder crimes in the subregion.

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, who disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Forty-third ordinary meeting of ECOWAS Committee Chiefs of Defence Staff said the economic growth of the region is dependent on stable peace.

The minister added that there is a need for members of ECOWAS to close ranks against all forms of threats against the region.

On January 29, 2025, ECOWAS recognised the exit of three of its former members Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic upon the expiration of a one-year notice period.

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However, in “the spirit of regional solidarity”, ECOWAS asked its member countries to still recognise the national passports of the three exiting countries bearing the ECOWAS logo until further notice.

Their departure from the bloc has fractured the region and is leaving the ECOWAS grouping with an uncertain future.

The three junta-led countries formally notified ECOWAS of their plan for an “immediate” withdrawal in January 2024, citing the organisation’s excessive dependence on France in particular.

Paris has become the common enemy of the three juntas, which now favour partnerships with countries such as Russia, Turkey and Iran.

However, ECOWAS required one year’s notice for the departure to be effective — that deadline falls on January 29, 2025.

The three Sahelian countries have teamed up to form a separate confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

ECOWAS activates standby force against insurgency

Policewoman arrested for murder of husband, female friend

A 42-year-old police sergeant, Nyiko Nyathi was arrested in connection with the kidnapping and brutal murder of her husband and his ‘female friend’ in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

The officer handed herself over to authorities at Bushbuckridge police station, according to Mpumalanga provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli.

She appeared before the Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court on Monday, March 10, 2025, facing charges for the m8rder of her husband and another woman.

“According to information, in February 2024, Lawrence Alba Mashego, 44, was reportedly attacked by a group of armed men at his house in Boikhutsong Trust in Bushbuckridge. The armed men robbed him of his Toyota Quantum and Ford Escort, then he got kidnapped,” said Mdhluli.

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“The two vehicles were reportedly used by the armed suspects as a mode of transport to reach a certain house in Zoeknog. At the house, they found Victoria Lebyane, 44, Mashego’s female friend, in possession of Mashego’s bank cards.”

Lebyane was then robbed of about R4,000 cash as well as some bank cards belonging to Mashego. After that, Mashego and Lebyane were m8rdered by the assailants.

“The matter was probed by the men and women in blue, where a thorough investigation was carried out, leading to the arrest of four suspects in connection with the incident. One of the suspects then pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 77 years imprisonment,” said Mdhluli.

As the police intensified their investigations, the police sergeant was implicated in the m8rder of her husband Mashego, and Lebyane.

Following the court appearance on Monday, the case was postponed to Wednesday, for a formal bail application.

Meanwhile, acting provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, has welcomed Nyathi’s arrest.

He emphasised that the law will take its course on anyone suspected to have committed crime, regardless of their social status or position.

“The SAPS remains resolute to be intolerant to any criminality within our ranks,” said Mkhwanazi.

Policewoman arrested for murder of husband, female friend

Man stabs 28-year-old girlfriend to death in South Africa

A 55-year-old man, Isaac Moeketsi Manonye was arrested for the m8rder of his girlfriend, Sarah Ndini (28) in Seshego, Polokwane, South Africa.

The accused appeared briefly in Seshego Magistrates’ Court on Friday, March 7, 2025. He abandoned his bail application.

It is alleged that on 05 March 2025 in Seshego, the deceased was in the company of a witness who was left at the gate of her homestead when she was entering the house.

However, when the witness was about to leave, she heard a noise coming from the house, and immediately, she sought help from the community members, who then arrived at the house to assist.

The accused then came out of his house with bloodstains.

The community members then entered the house and found the deceased with several stab wounds.

They requested a vehicle to take her to Seshego hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

The police were called, and the accused was then arrested.

The matter is postponed to 25 April 2025 for further investigations.

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The accused remains in custody.

Meanwhile, the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) in the Peter Mokaba Region has condemned the m8rder of Sarah and called for justice.

“The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) in the Peter Mokaba Regional Task Team is deeply outraged and heartbroken by the tragic and senseless murder of Sarah Ndini, a resident of Seshego Ward 13 Peter Mokaba Region Extension 133. Sarah was brutally k!lled yesterday, allegedly at the hands of her partner, who has since fled,” the group says in a statement on Thursday.

“We condemn this heinous act in the strongest terms and call on law enforcement agencies to act swiftly to ensure that the perpetrator is apprehended and faces the full might of the law. Gender-based violence (GBV) continues to rob our society of innocent women, and we cannot remain silent while women are being slaughtered in their homes, the very places where they should feel safe.

“The ANCWL Peter Mokaba Regional Task Team sends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community of Sarah Ndini. No family should ever have to endure such a loss. We stand in solidarity with all women who continue to suffer at the hands of abusive partners and reaffirm our commitment to fighting for justice and the protection of all women in our society.

“We call upon all sectors of society, government, law enforcement, community leaders, and civil society, to unite against gender-based violence. We must not only condemn these acts but actively work towards creating a society where women live free from fear.

The ANCWL will continue to support the Ndini family during this difficult time and will work tirelessly to ensure that Sarah’s death does not become another statistic in the ongoing scourge of femicide in our country.

‘’We urge anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspect to come forward and assist law enforcement in bringing him to justice. Enough is enough! Justice for Sarah Ndini!”

Man stabs 28-year-old girlfriend to death in South Africa