The draw, taking place at the SuperSport studios in Johannesburg, South Africa, will set the stage for 48 teams competing for a place in the prestigious tournament.
Ghana, who have won the AFCON trophy four times, will be hoping for a favorable draw to secure their spot in the tournament, which will be held in Morocco from December 2025 to January 2026.
The qualifiers, starting in September 2024, are crucial for the Black Stars as they seek redemption following consecutive group stage eliminations in recent editions of the tournament.
Ghana’s last AFCON victory was in 1982 in Libya, and the team is eager to reclaim their former glory.
With a new era in Ghanaian football, the Black Stars aim to overcome recent challenges and make a strong bid for the 2025 AFCON title.
The draw for the 2025Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)Qualifiers is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 4, 2024.
This draw, to be held at SuperSport Studios, will determine the groupings for the qualifiers leading to the tournament in Morocco.
Forty-eight nations, including preliminary round winners Chad, Eswatini, Liberia, and South Sudan, will be allocated into 12 groups of four teams each, competing for spots in the finals.
Among the notable nations confirmed for the draw are reigning African champions Cote d’Ivoire, as well as Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, and others.
The qualifiers are set to commence in September 2024, with the aim of determining the initial 24 nations advancing to the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in 2025.
Following the excitement of AFCON 2023, where the host nation secured their third title against expectations, the upcoming qualifiers promise a series of compelling matches on the road to the 35th edition of this prestigious continental event.
At the memorial service for the late South African singer Bulelwa Mkutukana, better known by her stage name Zahara, family, friends, and admirers are gathered in Johannesburg.
The celebrated Afro-pop singer passed away earlier this week following a brief illness.
It was reported that she suffered liver problems while she was in the hospital.
The family stated that they did not believe there was a malicious motive behind her passing.
On December 23, she is scheduled to be buried in the Eastern Cape.
Zahara, a famous singer from South Africa, has passed away, according to the country’s culture minister.
She was in the hospital with liver problems and the government had been helping her family for a while, according to Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa.
The singer became famous in 2011 with her album Loliwe, which was popular all over Africa.
In 2019, Zahara talked about her struggle with drinking too much alcohol.
“Zahara and her guitar made a big and long-lasting impression on South African music,” Mr Kodwa posted on X, which used to be called Twitter.
The family said the musician is in the hospital and asked people to pray for her.
She died on Monday night in a hospital in Johannesburg at 36 years old, according to SABC, a public broadcaster.
Zahara’s family wrote on her Instagram that she was a kind and loving person. A symbol of hope, a present, and a thing that brings us and many people around the world good fortune.
Fans are feeling sad and remembering good times with her on social media.
“One X user posted that she left us with really nice music. ”
Zahara released five albums and won many awards from all over the world, as well as in her own country. In 2020, she was chosen for the BBC’s 100 Women list.
The person who writes songs used her opportunity to talk about violence against women in South Africa. She said it happened to her too.
Last year, Zahara said in a radio interview that she makes music not to be famous, but to help people feel better when they are sad.
Ten years after Nelson Mandela, a famous person who fought against apartheid, passed away, a South African TV station called eNCA went to the house where he lived before he died. They found that the house had been left empty and was not in good condition.
Famous people like Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, and Michelle Obama visited former President Mandela at his house in Houghton, Johannesburg.
On Friday, they showed parts of the run-down home, like the garden covered in weeds and the dusty ceiling in the bedroom where Mandela passed away.
Mandela’s grandchildren used to live in the house, but they had to leave because the city turned off the electricity because Mandela’s trust didn’t pay the bills. eNCA told the media.
“I left because my family trust was causing problems. ” Mandela’s grandson, Mbuso Mandela, said that we had to keep asking the trustees to pay the water and electricity bills. He moved out around 2019.
Some people in South Africa are very sad and upset on social media. They want Mandela’s family and the government to fix up his old house to remember and honor him.
The Johannesburg home where Mandela first lived after he was released from prison has been turned into a fancy hotel called Sanctuary Madiba. It is very different from how it used to be.
Ex-Johannesburg mayor Thapelo Amad caused trouble when he shared a picture of himself holding a gun to show support for the Palestinian group Hamas.
“We support Hamas, Hamas supports us, and together we will free Palestine. ” “We will take over Al AQSA with our hearts and our determination,” Mr. Amad wrote on the picture he posted on Tuesday, but he has now removed.
Some X users think that the picture and the words in the caption encourage hate and violence.
“Tim Flack said that Mr. Amad’s tweet is worrying because it sounds aggressive and supports a violent group. He also said that he reported Mr. Amad to the South African Human Rights Commission. ”
Other people on the platform supported Mr. Amad’s message, but thought the photo of the gun wasn’t needed.
In a statement dated October 30, 2023, the High Commission also affirmed the abduction of a church deacon that occurred during the incident, which transpired on October 29, 2023.
“The attention of the High Commission of the Republic of Ghana has been drawn to an incident in which members of the congregation of the Johannesburg branch of the Ghanaian Church of Pentecost were robbed of their valuables at gunpoint and a deacon of the church kidnapped during church service on October 29, 2023,” the Mission said.
Ministry confirms robbery and kidnapping
The statement added that South African authorities were working to ensure the rescue of victims.
“The Mission is presently working with the Church in cooperation with the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) to ensure the speedy and safe release and return of the victim to his family. Kindly note that the South African Police is fully focused on the matter and is working hard to ensure the safe return of our compatriot,” the mission said.
The High Commission further advised members of the Ghanaian community in South Africa to take necessary precautions to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
🚨 Unbelievable! 😱
In a shocking incident caught live on camera, the #Johannesburg branch of the Church of Pentecost of Ghana was targeted by armed robbers in South Africa. 😮
🙏 Thoughts are with the congregation, and hope for the safe return of the kidnapped Deacon. 🇿🇦🇬🇭 🙌 pic.twitter.com/o06J90NVBm
The popular song “Water” by Tyla, a 21-year-old singer from South Africa, has entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week. This achievement comes after the song gained a lot of attention and became trendy on TikTok for several weeks.
This is the first song by a musician from South Africa to reach the US singles chart by themselves since Hugh Masekela’s song “Grazing in the Grass” in 1968.
I am a girl from South Africa who was born and grew up in Johannesburg. “This is nuts,” Tyla posted on Twitter Monday evening.
The musician’s song first appeared at 67th place and has caused the TikTok water dance challenge to become popular. As a result, the song has been used in over 500,000 videos on the app.
Amapiano is a type of music from South Africa that you can dance to.
The Billboard Hot 100 is a list of the most popular songs in the US that is published every week by the magazine called Billboard.
Billboard revealed that Tyla is joining the list on Monday night, before the complete list for this week comes out on Tuesday.
Water has already made a lot of achievements on Spotify and YouTube.
Nigerian artist Burna Boy has rescheduled a live concert that was originally planned for this weekend in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The concert, originally booked at the 90,000-capacity FNB Stadium, will now take place on 16 December, according to the event’s ticketing agency.
Ticket Pro cited several reasons for the postponement, including a “lack of ticket sales.”
But Burna Boy’s management company, Spaceship, is quoted by Nigerian mediaas blaming the concert’s promoters for not fulfilling their “contractual, financial, production and technical obligations”.
It said that the ticketing businesses had to make sure that ticket holders received a complete refund.
“Sadly, it is with great regret that we must inform you that, despite my team’s effort, the show in Johannesburg… will be cancelled,” the Punch newspaper quotes the management company as saying in a statement.
“Production vendors have still not been paid and as such, it is evident at this point that the agreed production standard needed for this venue size cannot be achieved,” it adds.
“Deepest apologies to all fans, looking forward to seeing you all soon,” it added.
Nigerian artist Burna Boy has rescheduled his live concert originally set for this weekend in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The event, initially planned at the 90,000-capacity FNB Stadium, has been postponed to the 16th of December, according to the event’s ticketing agency, Ticket Pro.
The postponement is attributed to various factors, including a reported lack of ticket sales.
But Burna Boy’s management company, Spaceship, is quoted by Nigerian media as blaming the concert’s promoters for not fulfilling their “contractual, financial, production and technical obligations”.
The statement emphasized that ticketing companies are responsible for ensuring that all ticketholders receive full refunds.
“Sadly, it is with great regret that we must inform you that, despite my team’s effort, the show in Johannesburg… will be cancelled,” the Punch newspaper quotes the management company as saying in a statement.
“Production vendors have still not been paid and as such, it is evident at this point that the agreed production standard needed for this venue size cannot be achieved,” it adds.
“Deepest apologies to all fans, looking forward to seeing you all soon,” it added.
We’re all familiar with that sinking feeling in our stomachs when we realize we’re running behind schedule. Last Friday, Trevor Noah experienced this in real-time.
The South African comedian was scheduled to make an appearance on the 947 radio station in Johannesburg for a morning conversation. However, he arrived late for the interview due to heavy traffic, a bewildered taxi driver, and irate locals.
“There’s a bicycle fighting with a taxi driver,” he yelled frantically down a crackly phone line to the show’s hosts.
“That’s not in your traffic report,” the flustered star added, before announcing that he was “gonna get in with some guy,” eliciting screams of concern from the presenting team.
The 39-year-old, who quit the Daily Show in 2022 after an acclaimed seven-year run at the helm, finally burst into the studio shortly after.
“Can I just say, whoever is in this traffic, I feel you. We are together,” he laughed while explaining the ordeal.
“The driver I’m with doesn’t know where we’re going,” he recalled. “So I jump out of the car, said I’m gonna run.”
“While I’m running people are in the street – listening to your show – [are] hooting and shouting ‘Trevor it’s the other way! You’re going the wrong way, Trevor!’
“Then one guy decides to stop. He doesn’t just point, he stops the car. He says ‘Trevor, get in.’
“Then he took me to the wrong building!” Noah roared in exasperation.
A staff member eventually spotted him and escorted him to the studio, where Trevor Noah received a warm welcome with cheers and applause.
Born in Johannesburg, Noah initially gained recognition in the South African comedy scene before becoming the host of “The Daily Show” in 2015, succeeding the legendary Jon Stewart. In 2022, he left the show, expressing gratitude for the journey but also a desire to explore other aspects of his life.
“The Daily Show” has yet to name a permanent replacement for Noah, opting instead for a rotating roster of guest hosts, including Sarah Silverman and Al Franken.
Recently, Noah returned to South Africa, where he embarked on a series of 12 stand-up specials across the country. He has also secured a prominent deal with streaming giant Spotify to host a weekly podcast, set to premiere later this year.
Most of the emergency services teams have departed from the scene of one of South Africa’s deadliest fires, which engulfed a Johannesburg building on Thursday.
On Friday, police sniffer dogs were deployed to scour through the charred remains of the dilapidated structure in search of any remaining bodies.
The devastating fire, which occurred in a condemned five-story block, resulted in the tragic loss of 74 lives, with most victims suffering extensive burns that necessitate DNA testing for identification.
Authorities estimate that around 200 people were residing in the illegal housing created within the abandoned building.
While household fires are a common occurrence in Johannesburg, particularly in impoverished areas where candles and hazardous paraffin stoves are often used for lighting and cooking, Thursday’s blaze has underscored the city’s housing crisis.
Government across all levels is working around the clock to ensure that those who need assistance, from alternative accommodation to trauma counselling, are being looked after. #JHBFirepic.twitter.com/aEEJRjRxCi
Beyond the cordoned-off area, several survivors with visible injuries like head wounds and fractures await assistance.
Meanwhile, alongside the relatives of the deceased, some individuals have commenced the somber process of identifying their beloved family members at a nearby mortuary.
The exact cause of the fire remains a mystery, but forensic investigators were also present at the site on Friday, meticulously examining the scorched remnants of the structure.
South African firefighters are going back inside the Johannesburg building that caught fire on Thursday to search for any more bodies.
The fire happened in a crowded and unsafe five-story building. 74 people, including 12 children, died in the fire.
The fire department wants to make sure that nobody has been forgotten or left alone.
We don’t know what caused the fire yet, but forensic investigators are looking at the burned building to find clues.
People whose family members might have died in the fire are being requested to go to the mortuary and help identify the bodies.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the area in central Johannesburg on Thursday evening. He said that the tragedy was a warning for us to start dealing with the issue of housing in the inner city.
The building used to be a safe place for women and children who were mistreated, but when the rental agreement ended, it was taken over without permission, as explained by President Ramaphosa to the press.
Several homes near the fire location have been declared unsuitable for habitation.
However, these old buildings are left behind by their owners or the city authorities. They are occupied by families who pay rent to criminal gangs that control them.
Some of the people who use the buildings are undocumented migrants, mainly from other African countries.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, a derelict building in the South African metropolis of Johannesburg caught fire, killing at least 74 people, including several children.
“We have now 74 fatalities and 52 people injured who were transported to various healthcare facilities for further medical care,” Emergency Management Services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi said.
A resident of the abandoned five-story building believed that 200 individuals were residing there illegally, many of whom were foreigners.
Residents talked about how tough it was to flee the fire, and those who did so expressed gratitude for their survival.
“It was so difficult for us to get out, others had blocked the corridors with beds, but I managed to get out with my kids, one who is 13 years and the other almost 3. We did inhale quite a lot of smoke, but at least we managed to get out. What is very sad is others died inside,” said resident Nobuhle Zwane.
An official reported that bodies were found heaped up at a security gate that was closed, preventing people from fleeing the fire.
“There was a lot of us running, trying to find the fire exit and a lot of people eventually died because of the smoke inhalation,” said Kenny Bupe, a survivor caught up in the blaze while visiting a friend.
Investigations are continuing to determine what cause the blaze, but one resident said he thought he heard a blast.
“There is something that exploded in the flat that we stay in on the ground floor. I think it’s gas. People were cooking at night, we had no electricity the whole day and night,” said Mthokozi Xaba.
As search and recovery operations continue, officials said the death toll could still rise. The blaze was the deadliest in the country in recent years and one of the worst worldwide.
A fire in a building in Johannesburg has killed at least 73 people, including seven children. Over 50 other people got hurt.
The authorities are not sure what caused the fire at the five-story building in the city center. The building was empty, but homeless people were living there.
During a news conference, the city of Johannesburg admitted that they owned the building. However, they explained that it had been taken over by cartels.
The spokesperson for the emergency services, Robert Mulaudzi, told the BBC that firefighters were able to bring out some of the people inside.
He said the fire destroyed the building, and they were still looking for more people who might have been hurt or killed.
In a separate interview with Newzroom Afrika, Mr Mulaudzi said the youngest child who passed away was only 18 months old.
Officials who handle disaster management are there to assist and give help to people who have survived the disaster in that area.
Mr Mulaudzi said that once the emergency services were done looking for victims, they would give the scene to the South African police.
“We are going up the building to find and collect the bodies,” Mr Mulaudzi said.
Mulaudzi shared a video on platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that showed fire trucks and ambulances outside a building. The windows of the building were burned.
In simple words: Pictures showed dead bodies placed in a row near the building that had caught fire.
A lady talked to reporters saying that she was outside the building looking for her 24-year-old daughter.
She said that when she heard the building was on fire, she had to come here quickly to find her.
Now that I am here, I feel anxious and unsure because I do not understand what is going on. I am feeling very worried because I don’t know if my daughter is safe or not.
The building is in an area that used to be a commercial district in South Africa‘s main economic center. Mulaudzi said that it was being used as a place where people lived without official permission.
The inner city neighborhood is known for “hijacked” buildings, which means some undocumented immigrants, mostly from other African countries, have taken over these buildings illegally.
Mr Malaudzi informed the BBC that the building was empty before, but now homeless individuals have taken refuge there due to the extremely cold winter season.
He said that because there was no official agreement to live there with a contract, the building was not taken care of properly. Makeshift structures and trash made it difficult to find and save people.
Lebogang Maile, the politician in charge of housing in the province, said that there is a long-lasting problem with housing in the area, and there are 1. 2 million people searching for a place to live.
When the Mayor of Johannesburg, Kabelo Gwamanda, was asked if his administration would take the blame for the tragedy, he said that the government is handling the issue of cartels taking over buildings that is happening all over the city.
After the fire, lots of people in South Africa on social media are criticizing the harmful online attacks that certain individuals have made towards the fire victims and survivors.
Renowned boxing legend, Floyd Mayweather, is currently on an African tour, making stops in various cities across the continent.
During this tour, Mayweather aims to promote and support local boxers under his brand, The Money Team.
One of the highlights of his tour was his recent visit to Zimbabwe, where he was accompanied by his entire entourage.
The visit garnered significant attention and excitement among boxing enthusiasts and fans in the country.
However, it was Mayweather’s extravagant visit to South Africa that truly made headlines.
During his time there, he made an unprecedented move by practically buying out the entire Gucci store.
This extraordinary act was captured in a viral video on Twitter, showing Mayweather leaving the store surrounded by a substantial security detail, a sight rarely seen even for celebrities.
What makes this incident even more remarkable is the reason behind it.Mayweather’s visit to the Gucci store in South Africa was not merely a display of lavish spending; it was driven by his desire to support and uplift the local community.
By making such an extravagant purchase, he sought to draw attention to the store, encourage sales, and ultimately contribute to the economy and livelihoods of the people in the region.
Through his African tour, Mayweather is not only showcasing his star power but also using his influence to make a positive impact on the lives of aspiring boxers and the communities he visits.
His commitment to supporting local talent and businesses has left a lasting impression on fans and locals alike, solidifying his reputation as more than just a boxing legend but also a philanthropic figure.
According to local reports, as cited by Marca, the 46-year-old departed the store after splurging a staggering amount on his shopping spree – believed to exceed $7 million.
The particular video in question was filmed at a Gucci store situated in Sandton City, Johannesburg.
Mayweather to empower African youths
Meanwhile, beyond the glitz and glamour, Harare reports that Mayweather’s Motherland Tour carries a profound purpose of empowering the youth and inspiring the next generation.
The flamboyant retired boxer intends to spearhead projects aimed at generating job opportunities for young people across Africa, recognising their potential and capacity for greatness.
Mayweather also reportedly plans to make undisclosed donations to both Zimbabwe and South Africa, demonstrating his commitment to giving back to local communities.
Mayweather spotted in Sandton City
It’s not every day that you bump into a superstar while shopping in a mall, yet this was the case for boxing fans who visited Sandton City recently.
Earlier, Sports Brief reported on Mayweather touching down in Harare, Zimbabwe, commencing his highly anticipated three-day visit to the African nation.
Money, who was invited to the country by prominent businessman and boxing enthusiast, Scott Sakupwanya, arrived in his private jet worth a cool $50 million.
Authorities have said that an explosion has occurred in the heart of Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday evening, resulting in the death of one person and injuring 48 others. Panyaza Lesufi, the premier of Gauteng province, which encompasses Johannesburg, addressed the media on Thursday, revealing that 12 of the injured individuals remain hospitalized.
Emergency services are currently at the scene, assessing the extent of the damage and evacuating people as needed.
Due to the incident’s gravity, several streets in this typically bustling area of South Africa’s commercial hub have been closed to traffic.
While the cause of the massive explosion is yet to be definitively determined, Gauteng officials suspect that it might have been triggered by a rupture of underground gas pipes.
Witnesses reported feeling the ground shake and hearing a loud bang just before a section of Breet street collapsed, causing overturned cars and minibus taxis. Video footage illustrates the significant impact, showing a wide split in the road resulting from the incident.
The first snowfall in more than ten years shocked Johannesburg residents on Monday, as some children experienced snow for the first time.
Johannesburg last saw snow in August 2012, but other parts of South Africa frequently get snow throughout the southern hemisphere winter months of June to August.
Jennifer Banda revealed to Reuters that she was pregnant the last time it snowed after having her photo taken on Nelson Mandela Square in the business area.
On social media Johannesburg residents described the snow as “pure magic”, “hectic” and a “wonderful start to the week”.
University of Witwatersrand professor of physical geography Jennifer Fitchett told South Africa’s Times newspaper that the snow was unlikely to last, and had been caused by a surge in humidity, cold temperatures and a cold wind.
A man leads a horse as snow falls in Delta Park, Johannesburg. Photograph: Wikus de Wet/AFP/Getty Images
“It happens once every 10 years or so. We’re not an area that has a lot of snowfall and that’s partly because in winter we have dry conditions. We’ve got a strong, high pressure cell which is why we don’t have any or very little rain in winter months. And so don’t have much moisture in the air.”
It last snowed in 2012 and before that 2007, she said.
A view of a snow-covered streets during snowfall in Johannesburg. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Snow falls in Johannesburg once every five years on average, with heavier snow like that seen on Monday occurring once every 10 to 20 years, University of the Witwatersrand climatology professor Francois Engelbrecht told the Daily Maverick news website.
South African Weather Service meteorologist Wayne Venter told the Daily Maverick the conditions were not exceptional and could not be said to be due to climate change.
A woman throws snow in the air at a plaza in front of an office building in Johannesburg. Photograph: Wikus de Wet/AFP/Getty Images
South of the city in Brackenhurst, a Reuters photographer saw children making snowballs and snow angels in a school’s grounds.
“I’m trying to warm the engine so that it can start … otherwise I will kick the bike all day,” he said.
Children play in the snow at Laerskool Orion, a school located in Brackenhurst, a suburb south of Johannesburg in South Africa. Photograph: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters
The South African Weather Service has issued warnings because of the cold front that has struck Gauteng province, which contains Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria.
Snow also fell on Monday in the coal belt in Mpumalanga province, where many of struggling utility Eskom’s power stations are located.
Eight police officers have been suspended from duty following a disturbing incident in Johannesburg where civilians were allegedly assaulted on the side of a motorway.
The incident, which took place earlier this month, involved officers from the VIP protection unit responsible for Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s security.
In a video capturing the incident, the officers can be seen forcibly removing the civilian-clothed military trainees from their vehicle and subjecting them to physical assault.
Make these thugs famous! Allegedly cops of VIP protection unit. This is an atrocity. This is what happens when the police is used as an iron fist for the state. Apparently in Johannesburg today. What will happen to them @SAPoliceService? Whatever happened to serve and protect?! pic.twitter.com/mkImtSNpmw
One of the victims was rendered unconscious after being kicked in the head. The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
The release of the video sparked widespread outrage in a country where concerns have been raised about the necessity of extensive protection for the political elite while ordinary citizens face the brunt of rampant crime.
The first snowfall in Johannesburg since 2012 has occurred as the nation as a whole experiences frigid weather. Farmers are urged to shelter cattle, and locals are urged to take extra care to stay warm.
Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga have also been reported to have snow, according to South Africa’s weather service.
“The public is advised to keep warm during these conditions,” said the South African Weather Service (Saws) in a statement.
Weather experts have also urged initiation schools in the Eastern Cape to exercise increased caution over the coming week as they keep an eye on hundreds of teenage boys who will be having traditional circumcision rites performed on remote mountaintops throughout the province. The Xhosa ethnic group views this ritual as a rite of passage into manhood.
Throughout the week, the chilly weather is anticipated to last.
“No major disruptions have been caused by the snowfall at this stage,” Saws spokesperson Hannelee Doubell told the BBC.
A notorious South African killer who faked his own death to escape from a maximum-security prison has been discovered after nearly a year of living in a mansion with his well-known doctor lover.
Thabo Bester, commonly known as “the Facebook rapist,” and Dr. Nandipha Magudumana were both captured in Tanzania last Friday.
The couple and the additional person who was found with them both had numerous passports and were detained as they attempted to enter Kenya, according to South African Police Minister Bheki Cele.
Bestor was escorted back to Johannesburg under heavily armed guard on Thursday, while Magudumana followed closely behind in a separate white van.
Nicknamed ‘The Facebook Rapist’, Bester escaped from prison after faking his own death (Picture: Department of Correctional Services)
She is expected to be charged with murder as part of the elaborate jailbreak plot, which involved sneaking a dead body into the prison where Bester was held to help him fake his own death in a fire and escape.
A prison guard and Magudumana’s father have already been charged with murder in connection with the body of a man who was found burned beyond recognition in Bester’s cell.
Police say the unidentified man died of blunt force trauma to the head before the fire took place.
Bester was convicted of one count of murder and two counts of rape in the death of his then-girlfriend, model Nomfundo Tyhulu. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 75 years in 2012.
He was known as ‘the Facebook rapist’ due to his propensity for using social media to lure victims to his home before assaulting them.
Magudumana, meanwhile, is a well-known doctor and businesswoman whose Instagram page has more than 146,000 followers.
In 2018, the glamorous medic was named one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 most influential young South Africans.
Bester staged his escape from Mangaung correctional centre in Free State province nearly a year ago, when he was formally declared dead by suicide after the fire in his cell.
Details were only made public and pieced together in the past three weeks, with critics claiming officials intentionally covered up the story.
MPs held a special parliamentary hearing on Wednesday into security failures that played a role in the breakout.
They questioned senior officials from the prison and British private security company G4S, which has a long-term contract to run it.
Three prison employees, the night supervisor and two guards who worked in the security camera control room, were fired due to suspicion they helped Bester escape amid the confusion of the pre-dawn blaze in his cell on May 3, 2022.
Although one was charged with murder, MP Glynnis Breytenbach said she suspected more guards and officials were bribed to get the body into the cell and help Bester escape.
‘How many palms were greased?’ she asked during the hearing. ‘Are you honestly telling us this escape of Hollywood proportions was done with the assistance of only three people?’
The prison and G4S officials conceded under questioning that a TV cabinet big enough to possibly hide a dead body was brought into the prison in an unauthorised vehicle hours before Bester broke out at about 4am the following morning.
Neither the cabinet nor the vehicle was searched.
They also said top prison officials gave Bester permission to be transferred to a single-occupant cell three days before his escape. The cell was next to a fire exit, which he is believed to have used to flee.
MP Xola Nqola said it was ‘not a coincidence’ that Bester was moved to that cell.
An internal investigation by G4S found the prison’s security camera recording system had a ‘power interruption’ at about the time of the escape.
More arrests are expected to take place.
For months after his escape, Bester and Magudumana, whom police identified as his ‘accomplice’, lived in a mansion in a wealthy suburb of Johannesburg, driving luxury cars while running a company that allegedly defrauded businesses out of hundreds of thousands of pounds, according to media reports.
Authorities only announced publicly last month that Bester did not die in his cell and had escaped after South African news organisation GroundUp reported that the charred body found in the cell was not Bester’s, according to findings from the post mortem examination.
The news and heightened public interest in the case appeared to have spurred Bester and Magudumana to flee the country.
It also produced heavy criticism against authorities for failing to warn people that a dangerous criminal was on the loose.
The parliamentary hearing focused on the initial prison failures and continued on Thursday
An investigation has commenced by the authorities in Johannesburg, the commercial center of South Africa, after a resident discovered blue water coming from her tap.
The resident had on Monday shared a picture and video of her frightening experience on social media.
A spokesperson for the water utility firm, Johannesburg Water, said it suspects the water was contaminated by copper in the building, but samples had been taken for testing, according to local reports.
There’s some coming out now again and they’re still blue, just lighter in colour … angisazi.@CityofJoburgZA@JHBWater can anyone at least let us know what this blue colour is in the water? Is it normal or safe? We are still water shedding in our area btw 🙃 pic.twitter.com/UrcTELA8T5
At least 15 people have been killed, and about 40 injured, by a huge fuel tanker explosion near a hospital east of Johannesburg.
The tanker appeared to have got stuck under a low bridge on Saturday morning in Boksburg city, about 100m from Tambo Memorial Hospital.
Patients were evacuated from the hospital’s casualty after part of the roof collapsed following the blast.
The truck was carrying liquid petroleum gas.
“Apparently, a gas tanker drove under the subway bridge and got stuck in there, and due to friction, it caught alight,” emergency services spokesperson William Ntladi was quoted as saying.
As firefighters tried to put out the blaze, there was a huge second explosion – captured on amateur video – that destroyed a fire engine and two motor vehicles.
There are fears the death toll could rise, as 19 people are in critical condition and 15 others are stable but seriously hurt, AFP reports.
Eyewitness Michael Kulinji described the blast as “more like a bomb” and told the Reuters news agency that he had seen the fire under the bridge.
Another witness, Jean Marie Booysen, said that she saw “immense flames at about 06:35 local time (04:35 GMT) and thought “this feels like 6.5 on the Richter”, according to Reuters.
Footage apparently taken in the immediate aftermath of the blast shows a number of dazed and burned people stumbling around a residential area near the epicentre.
Ghana’s Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has pleaded with the European Union to assist Africa by establishing universal customs tariffs on the entry of products.
In his view, regardless of the geographic locations, there should be uniform taxes on commodities transferred from European countries to African countries, rather than distinct ones.
Annoh-Dompreh, the Member of Parliament for Nsawam/Adoagyiri, stated this during a meeting with European Union officials on Friday at a conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Majority Chief Whip is currently in Johannesburg, representing the Pan-African Parliament’s President in a high-level meeting with European Union representatives.
Mr. Annoh-Dompreh also spoke on the Continental Free Trade Agreement, urging Africans to do their homework on the rules of engagement in order to get it validated, especially on the Customs Tariff, which is becoming essential in terms of destination, which has an impact on trade.
During the meeting, the European Union also promised to help Africa harness its raw material reserves in the Energy Transition Revolution.
The EU also promised to support the Pan-African Parliament’s Committees. The next review engagement, as gathered, will be in December 2022.
Hon. Annoh-Dompreh met with the delegations once more to discuss Sub-Regional Security, Cooperation, Energy Transition, and Investments, among other topics.
Fortune Charumbire, President of the Pan-African Parliament, named Annoh-Dompreh as Leader of All Special Delegation of the President’s Office across Africa two months ago.
He was given the task of leading the President’s Delegation to Special Missions.
The Majority Chief Whip was rewarded with the new role bestowed upon him by the New Pan-African Parliament President.
The U.S. embassy on Wednesday issued an alert warning of a possible attack on Saturday against “large gatherings” in northern Johannesburg, which the South African government.
“The U.S. government has received information that terrorists may be planning to carry out an attack targeting large gatherings in the area around Sandton,” a wealthy suburb north of the historic city center, said the alert, published on the embassy’s website and widely shared on social networks.
“There is no further information regarding the timing, method, or target of this possible attack,” the alert adds, noting that embassy staff have been advised to avoid crowds in that part of the metropolitan area next weekend.
In response, the South African presidency noted the US’s “terror alert” was part of “the US government’s standard communication to its citizens”.
The presidency said it was the responsibility of the South African security forces to ensure security and safety for all people in the country.
It said law enforcement agencies were monitoring any threats to the citizens and the nation.
“Should the need arise, the South African government will be the first to inform the public about any imminent threat,” the presidency said in a statement.
A minister in the presidency was quoted by local media on Wednesday as saying that the “alarm has been going on but up to this point it is not backed up by any evidence”.
More than 1,000 South African troops have been fighting in neighboring Mozambique since July 2021, helping the army deal with armed jihadist groups that have been wreaking havoc for the past five years, killing 4,300 people and displacing a million.
On Monday, several Western embassies, including that of the United States, advised their citizens to limit their travel to Nigeria because of the increased threat of terrorist attacks.
A haul of heroin hidden inside packs of baby food has been intercepted at Lagos’ main airport, according to an anti-drugs force.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with smuggling 23kg (50lb) of the drug on a South African Airways from Johannesburg, said National Drug Law Enforcement Agency spokesman Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
In a separate case, the anti-drugs agency said a public transport driver was arrested at the same airport on suspicion of “ingesting 90 pellets of cocaine” before attempting to board a flight to Dubai.
Officials in Nigeria have often described the prevalence of drug consumption in the country as alarming and endemic. It is also a transit point for various illicit drugs.
A Tanzanian businessman living in the South African city of Johannesburg has told the BBC Swahili service that it is very dangerous for foreign nationals to travel around at the moment because of the continuing hostility towards foreign nationals.
“The situation is really bad, there is no security,” said Yusuph Omar, who has living in South Africa for five years.
“People are being beaten and properties burned.”
Locals were targeting guesthouses – where some migrants live – and car-sale yards were being burned and looted, he added.
But Mr Omar said that in his opinion foreigners tended to work harder than South Africans.
Other African governments have been expressing fears this week for their citizens living in South Africa.
Many of the shops that have been looted belong to foreigners
On Wednesday, Jean Kamau, Kenya’s high commissioner to South Africa, confirmed that Kenyans were among the victims of arson and looting. Several Kenyans had also been attacked in Gauteng province, she said.
