Carletonville News Digest: The First 20 Days of 2026

The beginning of 2026 has been a period of intense activity for Carletonville. While the region celebrated a "gold rush" of academic success with the release of the 2025 Matric results, it simultaneously grappled with a deepening municipal leadership scandal, a series of violent house robberies, and a literal crumbling of infrastructure in Welverdiend.

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Academic Excellence: The Class of 2025 Shines

The release of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results on January 15, 2026, served as the primary highlight for the community. Despite a year plagued by water shortages and power instability, local schools showed remarkable resilience.

• Top Performers: Carleton Jones High School reclaimed its title as the top-performing public school in the area, maintaining a high pass rate and a significant number of Bachelor passes.

• Private Excellence: Aster Academy continued its tradition of excellence, securing a 100% pass rate for its 2025 matriculants, a benchmark for private education in the district.

• Hoërskool Carletonville: The "Callies" celebrated their top achievers with a public honors ceremony. The school noted that hard work and discipline were the primary drivers for their learners, who served as role models for the incoming 2026 grade.

• Regional Triumph: Overall, the Merafong City schools contributed significantly to Gauteng’s strong performance, with several local learners being recognized at the district level for distinctions in Mathematics and Physical Sciences.

 Education Spotlight: The Tragedy of Wedela Technical High School

While many schools celebrated the release of the 2025 National Senior Certificate results on January 15, the mood at Wedela Technical High School was one of mourning for a lost legacy.

• Zama-Zama Vandalism: On January 16, 2026, reports emerged detailing the catastrophic state of the school due to eight years of ongoing theft and vandalism by illegal miners (zama-zamas). Once a top-tier technical institution with massive workshops sponsored by AngloGold Ashanti, the school has been systematically stripped of its equipment, electrical cables, and even its windows.

• Academic Decline: The physical decay has translated into academic consequences; the school’s 2025 matric pass rate plummeted to 78%, down from its historically high performance.

• The Water Crisis within a Crisis: Currently, all 1,400 learners and staff must share a single tap connected to an external water tank because illegal miners damaged the main water pipes. Students and teachers are forced to carry buckets of water to the ablution facilities just to flush the toilets.

• Lack of Support: Despite promises from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) and the Merafong City Local Municipality to provide security, residents like Ayanda Tobo claim no help has arrived. Currently, only the Wedela CPF (Community Policing Forum) patrollers are attempting to stand against the armed illegal miners.

Municipal Crisis: The Mayor and the "Blue-Light" Accident

The biggest political story of the year broke on January 8, 2026, when the Executive Mayor of Merafong, Cllr Nozuko Best, was involved in a car accident.

• The Controversy: Allegations surfaced that the Mayor was using a municipal vehicle to return from an ANC political event rather than official government business.

• The DA's Response: On January 20, 2026, the Democratic Alliance (DA) formally wrote to the Municipal Manager, Mr. Dumisani Mabuza, demanding a full investigation. They argue that using municipal resources for political rallies violates the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and the Code of Conduct for Councillors.

• Accountability: The community is currently awaiting a report on who authorized the trip and whether the costs of the vehicle damage will be recovered from the Mayor personally.

Crime Snapshot: A Violent Start to the Year

The SAPS in Carletonville and Khutsong have had an incredibly busy start to 2026, dealing with a spike in "contact crimes" and house robberies.

• Blyvooruitzicht Trauma: On January 12, 2026, a 41-year-old woman in New Village was traumatized when armed robbers broke into her home during the night. The suspects fled with electronics and personal valuables.

• Reinecke Street Elderly Attack: On January 11, an 80-year-old woman was tied up during a violent home robbery in Carletonville. The suspects ransacked the house while she was restrained, highlighting a worrying trend of targeting the elderly.

• Khutsong Ext 5 Shooting: On January 18, a couple was held up by three armed men. When one of the victims didn't initially realize the severity of the situation, the attackers fired two shots into the ground to intimidate them before robbing the household of mobile phones and cash.

• Murder Prevented at 007: In a rare win for public safety, an alert pedestrian saved a life on January 11. He witnessed a man beating a homeless person with a metal pipe near the 007 Shopping Centre and flagged down a passing SAPS patrol. The suspect was arrested on the spot for attempted murder.

Sports: Speed, Endurance, and New Seasons

As schools reopened, the sports fields of the West Rand came alive with new records and high-stakes training.

• The Ultra-Marathon Star: Cornel Metcalfe, Fochville’s celebrated long-distance runner, made headlines in mid-January 2026 for her performance at the Longmore Forest Trail Run. While most were resting after the festive season, Cornel extended her personal record, solidifying her status as one of South Africa’s premier extreme distance athletes.

• High-Altitude Training: In nearby Potchefstroom, world champions and Olympic hopefuls gathered for high-altitude training. Several athletes from Carletonville-based clubs participated in these sessions on January 18-19, taking advantage of the region's elite facilities.

• Rugby and Netball: Laerskool Fochville and local high schools began their pre-season trials during the week of January 12, with "Callies" and "Fochies" already preparing for their traditional derbies.

• School Sports Economy: Local sports editors noted on January 19 that the "sports economy" in Merafong is growing, with more private sponsors backing local youth soccer and netball tournaments scheduled for February 2026.

Infrastructure and The Sinkhole Threat

Geological instability continues to be the "silent enemy" of Carletonville and Welverdiend, with residents losing patience with municipal delays.

• Welverdiend DIY Repairs: On January 18, 2026, residents of Welverdiend began a "DIY Pothole Repair" initiative. Motorists were forced to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid massive craters. Residents fear that if rain enters these deep holes, it will accelerate the formation of new sinkholes in the dolomitic soil.

• Greenspark Abandonment: Residents in Greenspark expressed outrage on January 16 after a municipal contractor reportedly abandoned road repairs on Patrys and Hawk streets, leaving the roads in a worse condition than before the project started.

• The R501 Discovery: On January 18, pedestrians walking along the R501 outside Carletonville discovered a human skeleton. SAPS have opened an investigation to determine if the remains are linked to a missing persons case from 2025.

• Sewage in Khutsong: As of January 16, a major sewage leak near a recent sinkhole in Khutsong remains unresolved, over a month after the ground collapsed, creating a significant health hazard for residents in the immediate vicinity.

Community and Social News

Despite the heavy news, the spirit of the town remains visible in its social and cultural initiatives.

• Merafong Family Picnic: Following the success of the December 16 event, local organizers held a feedback session on January 15, confirming that the event boosted the local economy by providing a platform for over 30 local vendors.

• Big Brother Mzansi Pride: Carletonville native Kokii Beuzana (26) made her debut on Big Brother Mzansi Season 6 on January 13, becoming a local celebrity overnight.

• Empowerment in Khutsong: The Build-A-Life Foundation launched a life skills program on January 13 aimed at empowering township youth through personal growth and career guidance.

• School Safety: In preparation for the school year, Wedela SAPS and community volunteers held a mass cleaning of local schools on January 17, removing debris and overgrown bush to ensure a safe environment for learners.

• Animal Welfare: The Carletonville SPCA (DBV) issued an urgent plea on January 18 for the adoption of dogs and cats that were abandoned during the festive season, noting that their facilities are currently at capacity.

• Merafong Family Picnic: Following the success of the December 16 event, local organizers held a feedback session on January 15, confirming that the event boosted the local economy by providing a platform for over 30 local vendors.

Agricultural Alert

The local farming economy is under threat as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) cases were confirmed to be rising in the Merafong area as of January 17, 2026. The agricultural union TLU SA has called for the government to declare a localized disaster to prevent the spread of the disease to commercial herds.

Key Dates at a Glance: January 2026

Date	Category	Event
Jan 8	Political	Mayor Nozuko Best involved in a municipal vehicle accident.
Jan 11	Crime	80-year-old woman tied up in Reinecke Street robbery.
Jan 12	Education	Private schools (Aster Academy) achieve 100% pass rate.
Jan 13	Culture	Kokii Beuzana enters Big Brother Mzansi representing Carletonville.
Jan 15	Education	Official NSC 2025 Matric results released to the public.
Jan 16	Infrastructure	Contractor abandons road repairs in Greenspark.
Jan 17	Agri/Health	TLU SA issues FMD crisis alert for Merafong farmers.
Jan 18	Community	Welverdiend residents start DIY road repairs to prevent sinkholes.
Jan 18	Crime	Human skeleton found along R501; Armed robbery in Khutsong.
Jan 20	Political	Formal DA request for investigation into Mayoral vehicle misuse.

The events of the first twenty days, ranging from the heartbreaking vandalism at Wedela Technical High School to the defiant "DIY" spirit of Welverdiend’s residents, reveal a town that is no longer waiting for municipal intervention to secure its future.

While the shadow of the R1.4 billion debt to Rand Water and the threat of geological instability loom large, the resilience of the Class of 2025 and the rising voices demanding political accountability offer a glimmer of hope. Ultimately, the story of Carletonville in 2026 will not be written by its struggling council, but by the residents, educators, and community leaders who continue to protect and rebuild the West Rand’s "Gold Rush" legacy from the ground up.