What this year taught us — and why HOPE still wins

Together, we turn the page on 2025.

I was born and raised in Rustenburg — a true, lifelong Rustenburger. I have watched our city grow, shift, struggle and rise again. I love this place deeply, but with that love comes concern, because the reality we face today is not the Rustenburg of years gone by. We are navigating some of the toughest social challenges our community has ever seen.

Before I speak about anything else, I want to say this:

Every call we receive… every WhatsApp… every inbox message… becomes a note.
That note becomes an article.
That article becomes awareness.
And awareness becomes action.

Thank you for trusting us with your stories — your fears, frustrations, victories, heartbreaks, and hopes. You guide our reporting. You shape our content. You help us shine a light where light is desperately needed.

Facing the reality of crime together

I love telling stories of hope and kindness. But honesty is also an act of love, and our truth here in Rustenburg is this:

Criminals are gaining more and more ground in our city and surrounds. We are facing violent crime. It is not “someone stole a handbag.” It is “someone was severely assaulted and their handbag or cellphone taken”. It includes first time offenders, perhaps desperate individuals — who turn to crime.

It is rape.

It is murder.

It is organised crime where businesses are brought to their knees because of the theft or where victims sometimes loose the majority of their earthly possessions.

Very often, in the rural areas surrounding our city, the only barrier between life and death is the fact that the people staying on smallholdings and farms are well organised and armed and able to chase intruders away. 

These are harsh words — but they must be said plainly. Silence will not save us.

Truth, unity, and collective action might.

To those who stand between danger and safety

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the Rustenburg Crime Combating Forum (RCCF) and every Community Policing Forum (CPF) team serving our neighbourhoods. After long workdays, you still choose to patrol at night — using your own fuel, your own time, your own vehicles. Your courage protects countless families who may never know your names.

We honour our SAPS officers too, who continue working despite overwhelming pressure and severe understaffing. My hope is that one day our police force will receive the resources and reinforcement it desperately needs.

And we must speak honestly about another harsh reality: crime pays. Recent legislation and the way South African law is applied in our courts consistently favours the accused, often leaving victims with little real protection or recourse. Criminals know how to exploit these legal safeguards and procedural loopholes, while victims have seen their rights and their power steadily eroded over the past few years. A suspect can be arrested today, is immediately released on bail for a shockingly low amount… and two years later, the case is still being postponed in the court. 

Justice delayed is justice denied.

Rustenburg deserves better.

Honouring our emergency service providers 

My profound thanks also goes to the Rustenburg First Responders, ambulance teams, emergency services, and medical professionals who rush toward danger when others run from it. This year brought moments where life hung in the balance, and you were there: steady, skilled, compassionate.

Our roads remain risky — from potholes to ongoing construction, to the tragic accidents, which far too often is caused by reckless driving.  As we enter the festive season, I urge every resident: buckle up, never drink and drive, slow down, be alert, and don’t overtake if it is not absolutely safe to do so — for your sake, and for the people who love you. 

Appreciation for leadership and upliftment

To mayor of Rustenburg, Cllr. Sheila Mabale-Huma, thank you for your ongoing efforts to uplift our municipality. Your cleanup campaigns and commitment to service do not go unnoticed.

To André van Dyk, Cllr Tanya Rothman, and the EPWP teams of Our Ward Matters (OWM) — thank you for your relentless, hands-on service. From clearing thick veld to delivering donations, you prove that real change happens through consistent, heartfelt action. Even rain couldn’t stop the work you do for Wards 16 and 17.

A special thank-you to NGOs, NPOs, old-age homes and churches

Behind every strong community stands an army of quiet heroes. To every NGO and NPO, thank you for stepping in where the need is greatest — feeding, uplifting, comforting, and carrying burdens others may never see. To our old-age homes, thank you for caring for our elders with dignity, patience, and love.

To every church and faith-based organisation, thank you for being pillars of hope — offering prayer, outreach, counselling, youth guidance, and humanitarian support. You bring light into places that would otherwise remain dark.

With thanks to our local industries and SMMEs

To our local industries and every hardworking SMME, thank you for pushing through even in difficult times, keeping hope alive. You are the engine of our local growth. Your resilience keeps Rustenburg moving forward.

Rustenburg — beautiful, powerful, worth protecting

Despite the challenges we face, Rustenburg remains one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Our mountains, our Kloof, our summer rain, the deep green that follows — all of it reminds us that we are privileged to call this place home.

Let us protect it.

Let us protect each other.

Let us choose hope over fear, unity over division, and action over silence.

Faith at the centre

As a Christian publication, it is our joy and privilege to say: Thank You, Heavenly Father, for watching over our staff, our readers, our town, and our publication throughout this year.

We place Rustenburg — and everyone in it — in Your hands.

Our final editions of 2025

This issue, dated 3 December, is our second-last publication of the year. Our final issue for 2025 will be printed on Wednesday, 10 December.

We will then take a well-deserved break and return refreshed. Our first print date for 2026 is Wednesday, 14 January 2026. During the holiday period, please keep an eye on our Facebook page for important updates.

From all of us at Platinum Weekly, we wish you a blessed Christmas. Thank you, Rustenburg, for your courage, your compassion, and for being worth fighting for.

— Myrtle