The International Criminal Court (ICC) withdrawal plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa has been clarified by the South African administration.
On Tuesday, Mr. Ramaphosa announced that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) had decided to leave the ICC due to “unfair treatment” during a state visit by the president of Finland.
South Africa may postpone the deadline for closing many of its highly polluting coal-fired power plants, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, as the country struggles with debilitating daily electricity shortages.
South Africa may delay shutting down many of its highly polluting coal-fired power stations, President Cyril Ramaphosa said Monday, a move that could stem a crisis of daily electricity blackouts but would slow a shift to greener energy sources.
South Africa is Africa’s most developed economy but is experiencing rolling nationwide blackouts, sometimes for more than 10 hours a day, because of an electricity shortfall. The blackouts, which have become worse over the past year, have been deeply damaging to the economy and to the popularity of Ramaphosa’s government ahead of national elections next year.
Under the new plan, which Ramaphosa outlined only broadly in his weekly letter to the nation, South Africa will consider a delay in the decommissioning of some of its 14 coal plants to help ease the electricity cuts, known as “load-shedding.”
About 80% of South Africa’s electricity is provided by coal. The nation is the world’s 16th-largest emitter of greenhouse gases overall, at about 1.13% of global emissions, and 45th per capita based on 2019 data, according to ClimateWatch.
“In some cases, it may be necessary to re-examine the timeframe and the process of decommissioning or mothballing of coal-fired power stations temporarily to address our electricity supply shortfall,” Ramaphosa wrote. “Few would argue that we should close down power stations even as we experience load-shedding.”
The blackouts are cutting electricity to South African homes and businesses and its 60 million people several times a day, usually in two-hour blocks.
Ramaphosa wrote that South Africa was still committed to the world’s climate targets but had to balance that with its energy security requirements and the immediate priority of ending, or at least reducing, the power cuts. He pointed out that South Africa wasn’t the only country leaning on coal to address short-term energy supply problems.
“A number of countries in Europe that had decommissioned or mothballed their fossil fuelled power stations are recommissioning them to address the current energy shortage as a result of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia,” Ramaphosa wrote.
Extending the life of the coal stations would throw scrutiny on South Africa’s Just Energy Transition policy, for which it has already received pledges of $8.5 billion from the United States, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union to help phase out fossil fuels.
Under the policy, South Africa has committed to reducing its reliance on coal for its electricity by at least 50% by 2035. It says it will need at least $84 billion to complete the transition to “net zero” carbon emissions from its electricity generation by 2050.
The president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, arrived in South Africa on Wednesday, April 19, along with his family and other staff members.
Their arrival in the Eastern Cape province was widely reported by major media outlets that said he had landed on a US$1.1 million runway he built with his own money.
South Africa’s News24 portal reported: The wealthy ruler is in the country along with an entourage of 500, including other members of the UAE royal family, staff and top artists who are expected to perform for the family to mark the end of Ramadan.
The royal family and their guests are said to have brought their own furniture, cars and gym equipment for their two-week stay in the Eastern Cape, the report added.
The ruler of Dubai was the last to arrive and was met by Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, members of the UAE royal family, staff and artists, who landed at Bulembu Airport near Bhisho on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday respectively.
More details from News24 report: UAE president lands in Eastern Cape on R20m runway he built for himself and his entourage.
Al Nahyan touched down in the royal private jet on Wednesday at around 14:00 and was immediately airlifted in one of five choppers that he brought into the country on a cargo plane.
One of the choppers is an air ambulance, the protection unit will use another, one transports the president, while the other two have supplies.
A government official said: “We accepted 500 people in the Eastern Cape since Sunday. This is because the president brought his family and staff, including protectors, doctors and entertainers. On Wednesday alone, we had 15 air traffic movements at the airport. I can confirm that there has been no single incident since Sunday, and we did not compromise any air traffic regulations.”
Highly placed sources claimed Al Nahyan would spend two weeks at a private game resort he built from scratch earlier this year after buying a big piece of land in the province two years ago.
While many have been left stunned by the landing of international flights at an airport that was decommissioned for passenger travel decades ago, News24 can reveal that the UAE ruler’s private jet, cargo jet and UAE airlines used the airport because the size of the aircrafts are too big for the runway and turning circle at Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport in Gqeberha. The Gqeberha airport is the Eastern Cape’s only international port of entry by air.
The UAE ruler requested to land at an airport near his Eastern Cape resort.
Bulembu Airport, which was the only airport of the Ciskei homeland, was decommissioned in the 1990s. It was the only airport with the potential for improvements that would meet the standards of the UAE planes in the province.
In a gunfight with police on Thursday during a foiled cash theft, nine alleged robbers, according to South African authorities, were slain.
As the suspects were en route to attacking a vehicle carrying money in the morning, a police tactical response squad tracked the group to an address in Sebokeng, a township south of Johannesburg, according to police.
“A shootout ensued,” police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said. “A total of eight suspects were certified dead at the scene while the ninth suspect died in hospital”.
Three others were wounded and had been taken for treatment at a nearby medical facility.
The group was believed to be behind a spate of cash heists on armoured security trucks in Johannesburg’s Gauteng province and surrounding areas.
Six rifles, explosives “ready to be detonated” and four vehicles were seized at the scene, Mathe said.
Robbers often target vehicles transporting cash in crime-ridden South Africa.
Earlier this week, two bystanders were killed and one wounded after they were caught up in a robbery in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, and randomly shot at.
Celebrity South African doctor Nandipha Magudumana has been in the news for her role in the Thabo Bester case.
Dr. Magudumana is facing charges of murder and aiding the convicted rapist and murderer Bester’s escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein last May.
But who is Dr. Magudumana?
Before the scandal, Magudumana was adored by many and acknowledged as a celebrity doctor in South Africa.
Born in Bizana, a small town in the Eastern Cape, in 1989, she dreamed of being a doctor from age six. In her teen years, Dr. Magudumana moved to KwaZulu-Natal in Port Edward, where her mother raised her.
She attended Port Edward Primary School and then went to Port Shepstone High School.
Shortly after finishing high school, Dr. Magudumana began her tertiary journey in Johannesburg, enrolling at Wits University.
After several years of studying, she obtained a BSc in Health Sciences from the university. She went on to study medicine at Wits, where she got a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 2013.
Married
She got married to Dr. Mkhuseli Magudumana the same year. But the current status of their relationship is unknown.
It did not take long for Dr. Magudumana to find employment at Edenvale Hospital where she worked between 2014 and 2015 before moving to the Far East Rand Hospital in 2016.
The following year, she opened Optimum Medical Solutions in Morningside, Sandton. The skincare and aesthetic clinic specialises in non-surgical treatments.
The doctor also founded another business named VitaPush and co-owns Arum Holdings, which deals with healthcare consultancy and IT services.
Lavish lifestyle
Known for her lavish lifestyle, luxury mansions and cars, the famous doctor was on the Mail & Guardian 200 Young SA, SADC Top 100 Young Leaders 2018, and Top 20 Most Influential Young South Africans 2018.
She was known for keeping her social media followers updated on events in her life. Not too long ago, she posted video clips of her lavish birthday celebrations and that of her two daughters, attended by her celebrity friends.
With a successful life, many are wondering when and how the doctor met Bester.
Modelling agency
It is said that Dr. Magudumana first came across the “Facebook rapist” Bester back in 2006 as a student at Wits. According to reports, Bester oversaw a modelling and promotions agency, where Dr. Magudumana became one of the promo girls.
That was where their relationship started. But the pair lost contact in 2011 as the doctor married Dr. Mkhuseli.
A few years later, in 2020, news broke that Dr. Magudumana revealed she got engaged to Bester in an affidavit. In 2021, it was reported that the couple established a property renovation firm, Arum Properties.
But in May that year, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) suspended the doctor from medical practice.
The HPCSA had previously said Magudumana had been suspended for “failure to pay annual fees when they were due on 1 April 2021”.
Abusing women
With the couple’s lives seemingly going well, it was discovered that Bester, through his modelling agency, was abusing women. He committed more crimes, such as rape and murder.
He was sentenced to life in prison at the Mangaung Correctional Centre.
Visits to prison
It did not take long for Dr. Magudumana to reach out to Bester in jail, and she started visiting him in prison.
On May 3, 2022, Bester, who was said to be living his best life in jail, was declared dead while at the Mangaung correctional facility.
Three days later, a body alleged to be that of Bester was collected from the state mortuary by Dr. Magudumana, who argued that she was his customary wife.
But a post-mortem confirmed that the body was not Bester’s. The latter had faked his death in a prison fire and fled to Tanzania with the help of Dr. Magudumana.
It is alleged that the celebrity doctor played a significant role in planning Bester’s escape. She is said to have stolen three unidentified bodies from Free State mortuaries, two of which are believed to have been reserved for Bester’s last failed prison break attempts. The third body was allegedly used as a decoy and remains unidentified.
After the prison escape from Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May 2022, the couple lived in hiding for almost a year until they were spotted in Sandton City at Woolworths, with Ground Up reporting that they were shopping together with the doctor’s daughter.
Escaped to Tanzania
In March 2023, Dr. Magudumana and Bester escaped to Tanzania, leaving behind the doctor’s two daughters who were in school at the time — and their Hyde Park mansion. The school is said to have informed the doctor’s estranged husband to pick up the girls.
The fugitives were arrested two weeks ago in Tanzania and returned to South Africa last Thursday on a private charter flight.
They have already appeared in court, with Dr. Magudumana appearing on Monday at the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court.
While her father, Zolile Sekeleni, who is accused of aiding Bester to escape from prison was granted bail, the doctor, along with two other accused, remain in custody.
They will return to court in May for their formal bail applications.
Home affairs minister for South Africa, Aaron Motsoaledi, has disclosed how much it cost the government to extradite the pair Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana from Tanzania, where they were hiding out.
Speaking to the Portfolio Committee on Tuesday, Mr. Motsoaledi insisted that he wanted to dismiss the public notion that Bester and Magudumana were repatriated from Tanzania in great comfort and luxury.
Bester was re-arrested in Tanzania last Friday, having fled from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May 2022 by faking his death and planting a corpse in his cell. He was arrested together with his girlfriend, celebrity doctor Magudumana, in Tanzania.
Bester, a convicted murderer and rapist, has already appeared at the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court and will be back in the dock on May 16.
Assisting in prison escape
Magudumana also appeared in court for her alleged role in helping Bester escape prison. In addition, Magudumana’s father, Zolile Sekeleni, along with former G4S employee Senohe Matsoara and camera installer Teboho Lipholo are charged with assisting Bester to escape from prison.
Mr. Motsoaledi has set the record straight, stating that the R1.4 million [$80,000] chartered flight was the cheapest option.
He also revealed that Bester could not return to South Africa on a commercial passenger flight as it would have been careless and would have taken a while to transport the pair.
The minister confirmed that 14 officials had to travel to the Kenya-Tanzania border to repatriate the two fugitives.
Why not commercial flight
“I don’t think any aircraft [company] would have allowed that situation. I don’t remember where thugs of this nature flew around the world on commercial flights. We have never deported anybody on a commercial flight,” said Mr Motsoaledi.
“When we deported Congolese Papy Sukami… imagine we put that man into an aircraft with other innocent passengers on a commercial flight. I am sorry, but we cannot do that, as much as we want to save money.”
“If we did that, you members of parliament would be tearing me apart for being careless. We took the cheapest flight. This was the best option over going on a commercial flight.”
Mr Motsoaledi said that Tanzanian officials had wanted Bester and Magudumana to be handed over to immigration officials.
“They opted on deportation, not extradition or any other system,” he said.
“And when a person is deported to your country of origin, they are handed only to immigration officials of that country, not any other authorities. And the Tanzanians said they are not prepared to hand over Thabo Bester to police.”
Over the next five years, South Africa has been able to secure new investment commitments from investors totaling around 84 billion US dollars.
President Cyril Ramaphosa met with investors as part of the fifth South Africa Investment Conference. The Chief Executive Officer of the South African Breweries, Richard Rivett-Carnac explains that their investment pledge is expected to create forty thousand jobs in the country.
“ We are committing R5.8 billion and will invest the full amount by the end of this year. It’s primarily for the expansion of our brewery in Gqeberha. It was a project that was started last year and will be completed this year. And this is at the back of last year’s investment commitment to invest in 4 point five.,”
While President Ramaphosa has put forward his multibillion-dollar US investment target, South Africans on the street believe that he needs to focus on eradicating electricity blackouts in order to boost investor confidence.
“I feel like President Ramaphosa should be focusing on sorting out our electricity problem because in terms of business, we are losing more than we are profiting because of the extra provisions we have to make for electricity,” explains Miles Thomas, a South African citizen
Kavish Ramanand, also a South African citizen raises concerns regarding the expenditure of the funds injected by investors.
“If people are willing to invest then that’s great. The first thing they need to look at is the issue of corruption and protecting the funds. I think also load-shedding.” said Ramanand
Cebo Ngema, a South African citizen insists that President Ramaphosa’s energy investment plan will turn around the country.
“They can invest and the electricity crisis will be alright meaning they can continue with the business. Not everything is about electricity. We do have generators now to boost businesses,”
The South Africa Investment was first introduced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018 to help attract more investors to the country.
In response to Thabo Bester‘s escape from a privately managed jail, South Africa’s Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said to MPs on Thursday that he will not step down.
Following his arrest last week in Tanzania, Bester was transported to South Africa on Thursday in a specially chartered aircraft.
For luring his victims, he is referred to as the “Facebook rapist” and uses the social networking site.
In addition to him, his girlfriend, the well-known doctor Nandipha Magudumana, was also deported after being taken into custody.
The minister expressed regret and claimed whole responsibility for the prison breach.
“I am not going to resign because I did what I was supposed to do,” Ronald Lamola told a parliamentary committee on justice.
He said the department of correctional services has a duty of ensuring inmates were kept in custody until the end of their sentences.
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
Thabo Bester, a South African rapist and murderer who faked his own death in prison last week before being recaptured in Tanzania, is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
New allegations against Thabo Bester include breaking and entering and violating a dead body, according to the police.
The police spokeswoman confirmed that he will appear before the Bloemfontein magistrate court, although it is unknown whether he will do so in person.
Bester was convicted in 2012 for the rape and murder of his model girlfriend Nomfundo Tyhulu, and he was sentenced to life in prison at the time of his escape.
He was transported to a high-security prison in the capital, Pretoria, on a specially chartered plane on Thursday after being deported from Tanzania.
Thabo Bester, a murderer and rapist who faked his own death in prison and escaped to Tanzania has now been deported.
Following his arrest last week in Tanzania, Bester was taken to South Africa via a specially chartered aircraft.
He was detained alongside his girlfriend, the well-known physician Nandipha Magudumana, who has since been deported.
With assisting Bester in escaping from custody, her father is accused.
Bester evaded capture for a year following the time it was believed he committed suicide by setting himself ablaze in his cell in the South African city of Bloemfontein.
A manhunt was launched last month after a new post-mortem investigation revealed the body was not actually his.
The celebrity doctor’s father, Zolile Sekeleni, and a suspended prison warden, Senohe Matsoara, have been charged with murder, arson and aiding and abetting Bester’s escape.
The two men appeared in a magistrate’s court in Bloemfontein earlier this week.
They were not asked to plead, and no further details were given of the charges.
The case was postponed to 17 April for a possible bail application.
Two other people have also been arrested in connection with Bester’s escape, but they have not yet been formally charged.
Bester has been taken to a high-security prison in the capital, Pretoria, while his girlfriend has been taken to court in Bloemfontein.
She will be charged with murder, fraud and helping Bester escape, police said.
Bester is also expected to face fresh charges following his shocking prison break.
He is known as the “Facebook rapist” for using the social networking site to lure his victims.
He was convicted in 2012 for the rape and murder of his model girlfriend Nomfundo Tyhulu. A year earlier, he was found guilty of raping and robbing two other women.
Two South African football club officials who were held in a Libyan hotel for nearly three weeks due to a money dispute say they feared for their safety during the experience.
“When you see how Benghazi is – vandalised buildings, the army – you will get scared. We don’t see that often in South Africa,” physio Tebogo Amos Dhlomo told journalists on Tuesday.
After the game, they were held at the hotel due to unpaid bills, according to South African media reports.
Uncertainty surrounds the issue, however a club official is cited on the news24 website as blaming problems with electronic payment systems for forcing cash payments.
According to other accounts, the matter was settled as a result of the South African sports ministry’s intervention.
Mr Dhlomo and media manager Rufus Matsena returned home on Sunday but narrated their ordeal on Tuesday at a media briefing attended by government officials.
After a video of the Dalai Lama acting inappropriately toward a boy went viral, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a South African opposition group, has demanded that Indian authorities detain and prosecute the Tibetan leader for child abuse.
The 87-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader can be seen in the video inviting a young child to “suck his tongue” while kissing him on the lips at a public gathering.
The incident seems to have occurred in February at the temple of the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala.
The Dalai Lama has apologized, saying that he regrets the occurrence, in response to a widespread international outrage over the matter.
In Tibet, sticking one’s tongue out might be a sign of welcoming.
The EFF said the “lame apology” should be rejected as it came a month after the incident.
Its statement said the Indian authorities needed to send a stern warning “to all those who dare to harm children that they will be prosecuted harshly regardless of their status”.
The Dalai Lama has been living in exile in India since fleeing Tibet in 1959, following an uprising against Chinese rule there.
South African billionaire Johann Rupert has retained his position as one of the wealthiest businessmen on the continent, with his net worth moving closer to the $13-billion mark thanks to the recent exceptional performance of his stake in Richemont, a Swiss-based luxury goods group.
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which tracks and compares the wealth of the world’s top 500 billionaires, ranks Rupert as the richest man in South Africa and the second-richest on the African continent.
Rupert’s net worth has surged by $1.81 billion since the start of the year, climbing from $10.9 billion to $12.7 billion at present.
The rise can primarily be attributed to his 9.14-percent stake in Richemont, which owns premium brands such as Cartier, Chloe, Dunhill, Alaa, and Delvaux, and represents the bulk of Rupert’s fortune.
Richemont’s shares on the SIX Swiss Exchange have surged by nearly 10 percent since the beginning of this year, buoyed by positive investor sentiment sparked by the company’s impressive sales figures in the third quarter of its 2023 fiscal year.
During the reporting period, the luxury goods group’s sales figures skyrocketed to over €15 billion ($16.3 billion), surpassing its first nine-month sales figure of €12.77 billion ($13.9 billion) in the 2022 fiscal year.
The sales boost was primarily fueled by a surge in Japan’s sales from just under €855 million ($929 million) in 2022 to almost €1.29 billion ($1.4 billion).
As luxury watch consumers may be reevaluating wearing watches for safety reasons, Richemont has rolled out a digital platform called Enquirus to shield its revenue and aid global law enforcement agencies in their efforts to combat the rampant theft of luxury watches and jewelry.
Enquirus offers a gamut of features that enable owners of exquisite timepieces and jewelry to report theft or loss with ease. Customers can now verify the authenticity of the items they intend to purchase by checking whether the product has been flagged as stolen on the platform.
The digital platform, already boasting 175 leading luxury watchmakers and multiple jewelers preloaded, is now accessible to the entire luxury industry. Owners can now register their collections seamlessly on the platform using brand and serial numbers.
Ghana is yet to act in respect of a 90-day visa-free arrangement for ordinary passport holders with the Republic of South Africa (RSA), despite the challenges businesses and individuals currently have to go through to acquire a visa to travel to the Southern Africa nation.
AviationGhana sources close to the issue, explained that the South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Regional Cooperations tabled the offer more than a year ago so as to facilitate trade and investment between the two countries but Ghana is yet to accept the terms.
The Department offered a 90-day visa-free entry per year for Ghanaian ordinary passport holders. Persons who want to stay longer would have the option of applying for visa to enable them extend their stay.
However, Ghana is said to have asked for 180days – a length of time rarely granted in such visa-free arrangements between two nations.
Additionally, while the SA Department of International Relations and Regional Cooperations was seeking to have this done through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) since there already exist a bilateral relation between the two countries. However, Ghana say it is to table arrangement through Parliament before it can give effect to same.
The third issue is the removal of undesirable persons from the RSA. RSA wants the Government of Ghana (GoG) to bear the cost of returning its citizens who overstay their welcome or go contrary to the laws of RSA for which reasons they become unwanted in the rainbow nation. GoG disagrees with this, according close sources with in-depth knowledge about these discussions.
Despite these initial observations raised by Ghana, there has not been any further action on the South Africa visa waiver proposal. The RSA Home Affairs office says it has been waiting all this while for Ghana to act and move the discussions forward so as to actualize the said arrangement.
In a gunfight with police early on Thursday morning in South Africa, nine suspected armed robbers were dead, according to authorities.
Police Minister Bheki Cele, who visited the scene in the Sebokeng township south of Johannesburg, reported that three other suspects had been hurt. According to Cele, two of the injured suspects were hospitalized in critical condition.
The suspects were believed to be responsible for armed heists on vans carrying money in the area and were about to launch another robbery, police said.
Six firearms and explosives were recovered at the scene of the shootout and Cele said there were three cars outside the house “ready to roll” when police arrived at 4.30 a.m.
The suspects shot at police and officers “responded,” Cele said.
Travel scammer who defrauded families of more than £32,000 freed from jail.
Despite having received honors for his efforts as the director of the tourist agency On The Beach, Johnny Pollard defrauded 22 people.
In 2014, the 50-year-old had already won two prizes at the Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards.
He defrauded his victims in 2016 and 2017 out of £32,125 by offering them fake vacations to places including Australia, Dubai, Mexico, and South Africa.
After selling the bogus trips he would send ‘convincing’ confirmation letters and promise that more details would follow closer to the time.
However those details never came as just before departure day Pollard would ‘play the blame game’ and say a third party had cancelled their trip.
He would then spend that money on his weekly food shop and exotic holidays for himself.
One victim, who spent £4,000 on two holidays with Pollard, told police: ‘The defendant was persuasive and knowledgeable. The documents he sent over were extremely convincing and made me feel gullible. The whole time he did this consciously and cold-heartedly.’
Pollard, from Prestwich in Manchester, was charged with 22 counts of fraud.
He was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for two years after admitting to eight counts, as the remaining 14 charges were shelved because the complainants were either living abroad, moving away, or refusing to support the prosecution.
He was also ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and 200 hours of unpaid work when he appeared at Manchester Minshull Street crown court today.
Judge Recorder Ciaran Rankin said: ‘You are nothing more than a conman, a thoroughly dishonest man. You were selling false promises. You twisted and turned at every stage, making up more lies to cover your tracks.
‘There has been considerable financial hardship in many households as a result of your actions. A lot of their hard-earned money has ended up in your pocket. In your interview, unsurprisingly, you blamed others for your actions.
‘I have no doubt you are an intelligent man, and you used your intelligence to plant these stories.’
Adam Hodge, prosecuting, told the court: ‘The defendant was involved in this fraudulent activity for over a year. Many of the complainants in this case were his friends, the rest of which were friends of friends and acquaintances.
‘All the offences follow a similar pattern, relating to how the holidays were branded, sold and how the real intentions of the defendant were disguised.
‘In April 2017 one complainant started to hear rumours from friends and acquaintances about Pollard’s activity. When he told the defendant about these rumours he remarked that the ‘rumour mill had been working overtime’ and he was ‘doing everything he can’.
‘Each complainant spent a significant amount on holidays that would never be recovered. His excuse was that things were always outside his control.
‘He hid the truth and strung along the victims for as long as possible but did not have the means to pay them back.’
The court was told Pollard has three previous convictions for five offences, including theft by employee and deception.
In mitigation his lawyer, David Morton, said simply: ‘He is appalled by the way he has acted.’
Authorities in South Africa have asked Twitter to remove a video that allegedly incites violence against individuals who choose not to take part in protest marches scheduled for March 20.
The opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is organising nationwide marches to protest the country’s power crisis and has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign.
In a statement, the Film and Publication Board (FPB) said the video warns that any pupil wearing school uniform during the protests will be beaten up, as well as teachers and police officers.
The video was posted by a person claiming to be a member of EFF, it said.
“Internally, the FPB shall monitor the take-down by Twitter to ensure that no further dissemination or distribution by the public occurs,” the board said.
Members of the public have been advised not to share, re-post or distribute the said video and offenders could face prosecution for disseminating or distributing prohibited content.
Police have said they will be on high alert to avert any violence as the Julius Malema-led EFF party vowed to “shut down” the entire country on Monday.
Rudolph Erasmus, a South African pilot, thought it was just another trip until, at a height of 11,000 feet, he became aware of an additional passenger.
But instead of a person, a cobra was creeping beneath his seat.
“To be truly honest, it’s as if my brain did not register what was going on,” he told the BBC.
“It was a moment of […] awe,” he added, saying he initially thought the cold feeling on his back was his water bottle.
“I felt this cool sensation, sort of, crawling up my shirt,” he said, thinking he may not have closed the bottle properly and water might have been dripping down his shirt.
“As I turned to the left and looked down I saw the cobra […] receding its head backwards underneath the seat.”
He then made an emergency landing on his flight from Bloemfontein to Pretoria. The plane was carrying four others, as well as the snake.
A bite from a Cape cobra is lethal and can kill someone in just 30 minutes, so not wanting to cause panic, Mr Erasmus says he thought carefully before calmly telling those on board that there was an extra unwanted passenger.
He was also “so scared the snake might have gone to the back and cause mass panic”.
Image caption,A bite from a snake usually requires an overnight hospital stay as well as medicine to fight the venom
In the end, he decided the tell them. “I did inform the passengers: ‘Listen the snake is inside the aircraft, it’s underneath my seat, so let’s try and get down to the ground as soon as we can.’”
So how did the passengers react? Mr Erasmus described a moment of absolute silence: “You could hear a needle drop and I think everyone froze for a moment or two.”
Pilots are trained for lots of scenarios, but certainly not for dealing with snakes in the cockpit he said, telling the BBC that panicking would have just made the situation worse.
The plane made an emergency landing in the city of Welkom.
However, the presence of the snake, although shocking, was not a total surprise. Two people working at Worcester flying club where the plane first took off, said they had earlier spotted a reptile taking refuge under the aircraft. They tried to “grab” it, but without success.
Mr Erasmus said he tried to find the snake before boarding the aircraft with his passengers, but “unfortunately it was not there, so we all then safely assumed that it must have crawled out overnight or earlier that morning, which was on Monday”.
The slithering passenger is still missing, as engineers who then stripped the plane are yet to find it.
Mr Erasmus has been hailed a hero, with South African civil aviation commissioner, Poppy Khosa, praising his “great airmanship indeed which saved all lives on board,” according to the News24 site.
But the modest pilot says he doesn’t feel like he’s special for what he did: “I think that’s a bit blown up if I can be direct,” he said. “It’s also my passengers that remained calm as well.”
Marumo Gallants FC, a South African Premier Division team, claims to be attempting to settle a “financial dispute” that has left two of its staff members detained in a Libyan hotel for two weeks due to unpaid expenses.
It comes after Gallants’ game against Al Akhdar in the African Confederation Cup last month in Benghazi.
Rufus Matsena, the team manager, and Dina Dhlomo, the physiotherapist, were denied permission to leave the team’s lodging following the game because the club allegedly failed to pay the hotel bill and other expenses incurred during the stay.
In a statement, the club said they are in “communication with relevant officials to resolve the situation” and that the officials are “safe and waiting for the matter to be settled”.
According to Reuters, the South African government has stepped in to try and settle the matter.
The detention is the culmination of a trip described by the club’s English coach, Dylan Kerr, as a “nightmare”.
The team were delayed in Istanbul for three days while in transit, waiting for onward tickets to Libya to be bought.
They finally arrived in Benghazi on matchday and went straight to the stadium from the airport without their kit. The match had already been pushed back by three hours, but the hosts were not informed and arrived at the Matyrs of February stadium to find no officials and no opponent.
Despite a 4-1 defeat in Libya, Gallants finished top of their group to qualify for the knockout stages of the continent’s second-tier club competition.
But taking part in the tournament, with travel to Algeria and DR Congo as well as Libya, has strained the team’s finances to such an extent that on Sunday they needed financial support from provincial authorities to help cover expenses for their last group match against Saint-Eloi Lupopo in Johannesburg.
The club, who are currently bottom of the Premier Division, say they will not be making any further comment until its two employees in Libya have been released.
According to local media, a South African pilot made a safe emergency landing after spotting a snake under his seat.
On Monday morning, Rudolph Erasmus was transporting four people from Cape Town to the northern town of Nelspruit, but he was forced to terminate the flight when he felt something cold on his body, according to Times Live news website.
“As I turned to my left and looked down, I saw the [Cape] cobra putting its head back underneath my seat,” he is quoted as saying.
The bite of a Cape cobra can kill a man in 30 minutes.
South African civil aviation commissioner has hailed Mr Erasmus as a hero, news24 website reports.
“Great airmanship indeed which saved all lives on board,” Poppy Khosa is quoted as saying.
The pilot said he was unsure if he should tell his passengers after spotting the snake during the flight. He said he didn’t want to cause a panic.
“I just said, ‘listen, there’s a problem. The snake is inside the aircraft. I’ve got a feeling it’s under my seat so we are going to have to get the plane on the ground as soon as possible,” he is quoted as saying.
At Welkom, he was able to perform an emergency landing.
According to Mr. Erasmus, engineers who dismantled the aircraft did not discover the rogue reptile.
On Wednesday, he intends to fly the aircraft once again.
When officials of the British-owned security firm G4S failed to show up for a crucial committee meeting on a high-risk prison escapee, outraged South African MPs were left with little alternative but to postpone the meeting.
G4S has not responded to charges that its personnel assisted incarcerated serial rapist Thabo Bester in escaping from his prison in May.
Local reports allege that a dead body was placed inside Bester’s prison cell which was then set on fire, to make it look as if Bester had died in the blaze.
Bester has been at large ever since. A woman who had been dating the escaped convict without knowing his true identity only realised who he was when she saw his photo publicised.
Subsequent DNA tests on the charred corpse from the prison confirmed it was not that of Bester.
The case has shocked and angered many in South Africa.
Explaining its absence from Monday’s meeting, the security firm said “G4SCS SA is bound by statutory confidentiality obligations … and contractual confidentiality obligations.
“In order to enable G4SCS SA to fully and properly engage with the portfolio committee, it would need to be afforded the same protections which ordinarily would apply to those attending parliamentary committees.”
Ghana is yet to act in respect of a 90-day visa-free arrangement for ordinary passport holders with the Republic of South Africa (RSA), despite the challenges businesses and individuals currently have to go through to acquire a visa to travel to the Southern Africa nation.
AviationGhana sources close to the issue explained that the South African Home Affairs Department tabled the offer more than a year ago so as to facilitate trade and investment between the two countries but Ghana is yet to accept the terms.
The SA Home Affairs, which is separate from the country’s Foreign Affairs office, offered a 90-day visa-free entry per year for Ghanaian ordinary passport holders. Persons who want to stay longer would have the option of applying for visa to enable them extend their stay.
However, Ghana is said to have asked for 180days – a length of time rarely granted in such visa-free arrangements between two nations.
Additionally, while the SA Home Affairs office was seeking to have this done through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) since there already exist a bilateral relation between the two countries. However, Ghana say it is to table arrangement through Parliament before it can give effect to same.
The third issue is the removal of undesirable persons from the RSA. RSA wants the Government of Ghana (GoG) to bear the cost of returning its citizens who overstay their welcome or go contrary to the laws of RSA for which reasons they become unwanted in the rainbow nation.
GoG disagrees with this, according to close sources with in-depth knowledge about these discussions.
Despite these initial observations raised by Ghana, there has not been any further action on the South Africa visa waiver proposal. The RSA Home Affairs office says it has been waiting all this while for Ghana to act and move the discussions forward so as to actualize the said arrangement.
Push for E-Visa for a start
While Ghanaians struggle with booking appointments through the VFS to submit visa applications, Nigeria has been activated for online Visa Application processing. Which is more efficient and less frustrating?
While awaiting resolution of the issue, the Country Manager of South African Airways, Madam Gloria Wilkinson-Mensah, urged the institution of an online visa regime just as has been done for Nigerians traveling to South Africa.
“It will be a good alternative to the long-awaited visa waiver protocol between Ghana & RSA. With the AFCFTA secretariat in Ghana, headed by a South African, free movement of people and goods should start with these two countries as a goodwill gesture and commitment to the vision for the Continent.”
Background of the proposed visa-free travel to South Africa
In July 2019, Ghana along with 6 other countries, was penned down for a visa-free travel regime by South Africa Home Affairs office. The countries were: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Ghana, Sao Tome and Principe.
Promises were made by SA authorities to meet their Ghanaian counterparts to finalize the implementation by the end of August 2019.
A visa-free regime was approved for all the countries on the list a few weeks later with the exception of Ghana and Sao Tome and Principe.
In an effort to remove the African National Party (ANC) as the country’s ruling party in the national elections to be held next year 2024, the Democratic Alliance, which is the the largest opposition party in South Africa, re-elected John Steenhuisen as its head on Sunday April 1 2023.
In order to defeat his opponent, former Johannesburg executive mayor Mpho Phalatse, who received only 17% of the vote, Mr. Steenhuisen received 83% of the vote.
In an effort to remove the African National Party (ANC) as the country’s ruling party in the national elections held next year, the Democratic Alliance, the largest opposition party in South Africa, re-elected John Steenhuisen as its head on Sunday.
In order to defeat his opponent, former Johannesburg executive mayor Mpho Phalatse, who received only 17% of the vote, Mr. Steenhuisen received 83% of the vote.
Over the ensuing three years, he will be the party’s leader.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Steenhuisen said the DA will work with other “like-minded parties” ahead of the 2024 elections.
He, however, ruled out working with the ruling ANC and the smaller opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the upcoming elections.
Mr Steenhuisen took over the reins of the party in November 2019 following the resignation of then DA leader, Mmusi Maimane.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will be seeking re-election under ANC – whose popularity has declined in recent years.
The administration of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has formally exonerated some executives of the Students Representation Council (SRC) who were suspended in 2020 following accusations of financial mismanagement.
According to the management, former President of the SRC, Michael Abuah, and former Speaker of the SRC Parliamentary Council, Andrew Anokye Kyeremateng, the vice-president, Reginald Amo Yeboah and Financial Secretary, Derek Dadzie were exonerated by the school’s Disciplinary Committee after series of investigations over allegations of misappropriation.
“Following an allegation of misappropriation of funds levelled against you, a committee was constituted to investigate the said allegations.
“Based on the investigations conducted and the evidence elicited, the Committee concluded that you did not misappropriate the funds for your travel.
“The Vice-Chancellor, as the Chief Disciplinary Officer of the University, has considered the Committee’s report and accepted the recommendations of the Committee for your exoneration.
“I therefore, write on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, to exonerate you accordingly,” a letter signed by the Deputy Registrar of the University, Mrs Margaret Dzisi, dated March 23, 2023, stated.
The Management of KNUST in August 2022 issued a letter asking the president of the SRC and some executives to step aside of allegations of malfeasance.
“Pursuant to the allegations of misconduct against you for which reason the University has empanelled the Junior Member Disciplinary Committee (JMDC) to investigate same per letters referenced LWS/621A and dated August 18, 2022, I write on behalf of the Registrar to inform you to step aside as the President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) by close of today the 25th of August 2022, pending the outcome of the official investigations into the alleged matters,” the statement said.
“By a copy of this letter, the SRC Judicial Committee is to ensure, in accordance with the SRC Constitution, that no hiatus is created in the administration of the student body.
“The Judicial Committee should liaise with the Director of Students Affairs for the necessary actions to be taken for the effective running of the SRC Administration,” the notice said.
This was after the executives of the SRC had been accused of misappropriating funds meant for a trip to South Africa.
On Friday, protesters marched through Cape Town, South Africa, to voice their opposition to the harsh anti-gay law that took effect in Uganda last week.
The proposed law, known as the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023, is ready to be sent to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who is facing calls from the United Nations and the United States to reject it.
“Colonisation was enough, apartheid was enough, we can’t deal with this. Human beings need to be free from brainwashing strategies. They need to be free from unjust laws. So we are saying asSouth Africans stop the anti-homosexual bill”, said Author and activist, Siza Nobuhle, who participated in the march.
Human rights activist from ONG Safe Places International, Nyasha Masi Zhakata, added:
“What is happening right now in Uganda is whereby we have our people imprisoned in their own houses because of their sexuality. It angers me, it gets me so angry, it gets me so frustrated”, she shouted.
According to activists, if president Museveni gives his assent, anyone who engages in same-sex activity could face life imprisonment while repeat offenders could be sentenced to death.
Demonstrators marched in South Africa’s Cape Town this Friday against Uganda’s draconian anti-gay law put in place last week.
The proposed law, known as the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023, is ready to be sent to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who is facing calls from the United Nations and the United States to reject it.
“Colonisation was enough, apartheid was enough, we can’t deal with this. Human beings need to be free from brainwashing strategies. They need to be free from unjust laws. So we are saying as South Africans stop the anti-homosexual bill”, said Author and activist, Siza Nobuhle, who participated in the march.
Human rights activist from ONG Safe Places International, Nyasha Masi Zhakata, added:
“What is happening right now in Uganda is whereby we have our people imprisoned in their own houses because of their sexuality. It angers me, it gets me so angry, it gets me so frustrated”, she shouted.
According to activists, if president Museveni gives his assent, anyone who engages in same-sex activity could face life imprisonment while repeat offenders could be sentenced to death.
The total investable wealth currently held on the African continent amounts to US$2.4 trillion and its millionaire population is expected to rise by 42% over the next 10 years, according to the latest 2023 Africa Wealth Report, published by Henley & Partners in partnership with New World Wealth.
The report reveals that Africa’s ‘Big 5’ wealth markets — South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and Morocco — together account for 56% of the continent’s high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and over 90% of its billionaires.
There are currently 138,000 HNWIs with an investable wealth of USD 1 million or more living in Africa, along with 328 centi-millionaires worth USD 100 million or more, and 23 US dollar billionaires.
Despite a tough past decade, South Africa is still home to over twice as many HNWIs as any other African country, and an impressive 30% of the continent’s centi-millionaires.
Egypt takes the prize for the most billionaires, and Mauritius boasts by far the highest wealth per capita (average wealth per person) in Africa, at USD 37,500, followed by South Africa at USD 10,880 and Namibia at USD 10,050.
Some of the fastest-growing markets in the world
The 2023 Africa Wealth Report is the continent’s annual benchmark for wealth research and is now in its 8th year, providing a comprehensive review of the wealth sector in Africa, including trends among HNWIs, the luxury market, and wealth management.
Andrew Amoils, Head of Research at New World Wealth, explains that “for our purposes ‘wealth’ refers to an individual’s net investable assets (including property, cash, and listed company holdings). Africa is home to some of the world’s fastest-growing markets, including the likes of Rwanda and Mauritius.”
In terms of projections, Mauritius is expected to experience the highest wealth growth rate at 75% over the next decade (to 2032). This will make it the fourth fastest growing country in the world over this period in millionaire growth percentage terms, after Vietnam, India, and New Zealand.
Commenting in the report, Louisa Mojela, Group Chairman of the black women-owned investment company, WIPHOLD, says Africa is undoubtedly open for business. “Known as the continent with both the youngest and fastest growing population means that Africa naturally holds the greatest potential for investment prospects.
Additionally, having the dubious honour of also being the poorest continent opens up a myriad of opportunities from an investment growth potential point of view. Without doubt, Africa provides the broadest and most fulfilling opportunities for impact investing.”
Wealthiest cities and residential areas
Four of Africa’s Top 10 wealthiest cities are in South Africa — Johannesburg has the most millionaires in Africa, with 14,600, Cairo, in 2nd place with 7,400 resident HNWIs, is just ahead of Cape Town, which has 7,200. Lagos is in 4th position with 5,400 millionaires, and Nairobi is 5th with 4,700.
The other two South African cities in the Top 10 are Durban, in 6th place with 3,600 and Pretoria in the 8th spot with 2,400 HNWIs. South Africa is home to some of the world’s most upmarket residential areas including Clifton in Cape Town, Beachy Head Drive in Plettenberg Bay, and Sandhurst in Johannesburg.
According to New World Wealth’s latest figures, there are approximately 3,700 homes in South Africa that are valued at over USD 1 million. By this measure, South Africa ranks as one of the 20 largest prime residential markets in the world, well ahead of the other countries in Africa and in line with big emerging markets such as India and Brazil.
Namibia – Africa’s new frontier
Namibia is expected to be one of Africa’s fastest growing markets going forward, with high-net-worth growth of over 60% forecast by 2032. The country’s total investable wealth currently stands at USD 26 billion, with 2,100-dollar millionaires.
Its recently launched residence by investment offering is likely to attract more high-net-worth investors from across the globe as Namibia has much to offer, including a source-based tax system, which means that foreign residents are only taxed on the income that they generate in Namibia.
Commenting in the report, Catherine Shipushu, Senior Manager at the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, says the country is endowed with abundant natural resources including diamonds, uranium, copper, and gold.
“Namibia has one of the largest uranium reserves in the world and is currently attracting global attention with recent discoveries of gas and oil reserves off the coast.
With bold ambitions of becoming the sustainable energy capital of Africa, the country’s strategic location and world-class port make it an ideal gateway to over 300 million people in other African markets.”
Investment migration as an innovative financing tool
Dominic Volek, Group Head of Private Clients at Henley & Partners, says more African countries are setting their sights on attracting HNWIs by providing residence and citizenship through investment opportunities that have the potential to transform their economies by injecting essential foreign capital and encouraging sustainable growth.
“As wealth grows on the continent, and countries realize the benefits in aiding economic progress, we expect to see investment migration continue to gain ground in Africa in the coming years — not only on the demand side from African HNWIs looking to improve their travel freedom and economic mobility, secure location optionality, and mitigate risk, but also on the supply side, with more and more African countries looking to launch their own investment migration programs to increase the inflow of both capital and talent.”
Commenting in the report, Dr. Areef Suleman, Director of Economic Research and Statistics at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Institute, says when it comes to visa-free access to global economic output, the citizens of African countries and other developing nations with sizable and growing private wealth are at a distinct disadvantage.
“More than just a travel document, our passports can define our financial freedoms regarding access to international investment and business opportunities.
“Investment migration is attractive to investors who intend to maximize and stabilize their profits by diversifying their activities across more reliable economies, making this kind of investment a form of insurance against global volatility.”
In a daring prison break that shocked the nation, a convicted rapist who faked his own death is the target of a manhunt launched by police in South Africa, according to reports.
In May, Thabo Bester allegedly set himself on fire in a privately run prison in Bloemfontein, South Africa, according to authorities. However, at the weekend, police claimed DNA tests proved the charred remains found in the serial rapist’s cell belonged to someone else.
“At this point, our priority is to find this fugitive of justice and establish exactly how he faked his death,” police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe told reporters on Monday.
Called the “Facebook rapist”, Bester allegedly lured victims on the social media platform before raping and robbing them. At least one victim was killed. In 2012, he was sentenced to life in prison for rape, robbery and murder.
On Sunday, police said an autopsy revealed the person found dead in Bester’s cell had died from blunt force trauma to the head before being set ablaze. A murder investigation has been opened.
The case has sparked outrage in South Africa, where women’s rights groups have long accused the government of not doing enough to tackle violence against women.
“The unfolding of this story has been like a movie and sent shivers down everyone’s spines. … I can imagine what it did to the victims,” said Bafana Khumalo, co-director of the NGO Sonke Gender Justice.
From October to December, police recorded more than 12,000 rapes across the country.
Doubts about Bester’s death were first raised by local media outlet GroundUp in November.
Photographs purportedly showing the convict grocery shopping in an affluent Johannesburg suburb have since surfaced. Some women have also come forward alleging the convict made contact with them on social media.
Before his escape, Bester also reportedly ran a scam media business from inside prison using a false name.
According to local outlet News24, he posed as head of 21st Century Media, a phantom event and production company that was a supposed subsidiary of the American company 21st Century Fox.
The media company promoted a 2018 event that advertised Hollywood superstars but turned out to be a scam, the paper said. A video of Bester addressing a company event via video call from behind bars while pretending to be in New York has gone viral.
“The escape of Bester … is testament to the incompetence of the Correctional Services system, and the endemic corruption in the sector,” the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party said in a statement.
Police have appealed to the public for any information relevant to the case.
“We want to find people who are directly involved in this matter as well as his accomplices,” Mathe said.
After the gunpoint robbery of his £70,000 watch, Amir Khan worried that his kids would grow up “without their dad.”
On April 18, 2017, the 36-year-old former world boxing champion and his wife Faryal Makhdoom, 31, were being followed as they left the Sahara Grill restaurant in Leyton, east London.
A court heard gunman Dante Campbell, 20, forced Khan to hand over his bespoke, rose gold, diamond-encrusted Franck Muller watch – a gift to him following a boxing match that was worth between £60,000 to £70,000.
Khan, a silver medallist at the 2004 Olympics, previously told the court the robber pointed a gun in his face and said: ‘Take off the watch.’
The Bolton-born boxer, who retired last year with a record of 34 wins from 40 fights, has now opened up about the ordeal.
‘In that moment, you think the worst … that the kids could be growing up without their dad, that Faryal would be raising them on her own,’ he told the Sun.
‘Your life flashes before your eyes. I leant my head to the right because I thought, if he is going to shoot me, he can shoot the side of my head. I don’t want to see the bullet coming.’
Latest London news
Khan, who has been confirmed for the upcoming I’m A Celebrity in South Africa, added: ‘It was the first time I’ve ever seen a gun in my life. I could see down the barrel.
‘I remember looking back seeing where my wife was. She ran back on the road and screamed “help!”
Khan admitted that people told him he should have used his fighting skills against them.
But he said: ‘Are they stupid? I’ve got a family. It’s only a watch. My life means more to me.’
Campbell, of Hornsey, and getaway driver Ahmed Bana, 25, of Tottenham, both in north London, admitted conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of an imitation firearm during a trial.
They will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.
Ismail Mohamed, 24, of Edmonton, and Nurul Amin, 25, of Harringay, both in north London, were unanimously acquitted by a jury of conspiracy to rob Mr Khan.
Prosecutors had claimed Mohamed and Amin acted as ‘spotters’, dining in the restaurant to keep track of Khan’s movements and relay them by phone to Bana.
The Mission has also advised the Ghanaian Community to restrict their movements only to safe areas.
This directive is based on the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) nationwide protest.
The Commission in a circular said even inasmuch as the organisers have promised a peaceful event, previous ones have been violent.
“The Ghana High Commission in Pretoria presents its compliments to Ghanaians living in South Africa and wishes to advise that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a political party, has planned a ‘national shutdown’ scheduled for March 20, 2023”.
“While, the organisers have expressed their wish for a peaceful event, previous protests and demonstrations have had violent incidents.”
The Mission would, thus, like to advise members of the Ghanaian community to be vigilant to any such incidents, restrict their movements to safe areas, avoid mass gatherings and contact the police for assistance when required,” excerpts of the circular said.
Below is the full statement:
South Africans are anxiously expecting the outcome of the “national shutdown” today.
The radical opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, wants the country to come to a standstill due to a number of grievances.
Julius Malema, leader of the EFF, the third-largest party in Parliament, said South Africans are tired of rolling power cuts being implemented daily, corruption and unemployment among other issues.
TimesLIVE reported that sixty-year-old Judas Chiloane, a traffic chief, was allegedly gunned in the back seat of his Ford Ranger bakkie twice while his lover was unharmed.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed the report and revealed two arrests have been made in connection with the murder.
The police spokesperson said “The two men told us that they would normally go to the spot [where Chiloane was shot dead] to rob couples who use the area to engage in sex in their cars.”
Sekgotodi added that the two suspected robbers ambushed Chiloane and his side chick and snatched away his gun before firing shots at his thigh and upper body.
The lady sought help, and when the police came, they declared their colleague dead at the scene.
A source in the police force revealed to TimesLIVE that Chiloane was found with no clothes, and his uniform was on the ground.
“They shot him in the leg. He tried [to] escape to the driver’s side, and he was shot again … The officer tried to speed off for about 124m but succumbed due to injuries sustained. It seemed like the suspect took his firearm and other items and [fled].”
Judas Chiloane’s brother Richard said they do not know this side chick he was with when he was murdered:
“We do not know that lady, I haven’t even seen her. What we know is that my brother was a good man who loved his family and was also a member of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC). He did not drink or was involved in anything wrong.”
He admitted that the father-of-three might have had lovers on the side, but the family only knew his live-in girlfriend.
South African security forces have said that 87 people had been arrested in the last 12 hours across the country over public violence ahead of planned protests by the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party.
The EFF has called for a national shutdown to protest crippling power cuts and demand the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The party is demanding that President Cyril Ramaphosa step down because he is allegedly not running the country properly.
“On the 20th of March, we have to shut down this country to show the whole world that we are concerned about the state of affairs. We can’t fold our arms,” Julius Malema, leader of the EFF, said in a video message on the weekend.
He said the shutdown could be the beginning of an unstoppable revolution. The party has requested non-essential workers to remain home or join the protest.
The party’s main constituency are the poor and working class Black South Africans who feel left out of the country’s prosperity since the governing African National Congress (ANC) ended white minority rule in 1994.
Ramaphosa warned Thursday that the EFF’s planned protests were not a mere shutdown but an attempt to overthrow the government.
Of the eighty-seven arrested, 41 were in Gauteng, the province which includes the capital Pretoria and the main city Johannesburg, 29 in were in North West province, and 15 in Free State, National intelligence body NatJOINTS said in a statement, adding that there has been arrests in other provinces such as Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.
Parliament said in a statement on Sunday that the South African military would deploy 3,474 troops for a month until April 17 to prevent and combat crime in cooperation with the police.
“Law enforcement officers are on high alert and will continue to prevent and combat any acts of criminality,” NatJOINTS said.
No matter who you are, you cannot protect yourself from Hugo Broos’ criticism. This time, the Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder, Andile Jali, was the target of the Belgian coach of Bafana Bafana’scriticism.
Regarding the claims that he recently showed up to a practise drunk, he said to the Sunday World: “We have to improve, there are a lot of things that are still not professional – I was frustrated when I heard that a player like Andile Jali, who has to show the young players what and how to do things, was alleged to have arrived at the club training session drunk – come on.”
Broos was steadfast in his refusal to heed the clamour for Jali to be chosen for the national team based on his performances in the 2021–2022 Premier Soccer League season.
Chiefs and Pirates are criticised by Broos It goes without saying that Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are currently subpar teams.
This is as Mamelodi Sundowns tightens its stranglehold on football in South Africa. Bafana Bafana coach, Hugo Broos has expressed his annoyance with the Soweto giants for their slide into near irrelevance, suggesting that it was undermining the national team’s ambition to return to the top.
Broos lays into Chiefs and Pirates
It is no secret that Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are mediocre outfits at the moment. This is as Mamelodi Sundowns tightens its stranglehold on football in South Africa. Bafana Bafana coach, Hugo Broos has expressed his annoyance with the Soweto giants for their slide into near irrelevance, suggesting that it was undermining the national team’s ambition to return to the top.
Why Mudau slapped Motlohi
It remains the slap that was heard around South Africa and its impact still reverberates today. Mamelodi Sundowns legend Daniel ‘Mambush’ Mudau assaulted teammate Charles Motlohi following another crushing final defeat to Kaizer Chiefs, this time in the 2001 BP Top Eight decider. Former footballer Sipho Nunens has revealed what truly happened on that infamous day, according to The Citizen.
As the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) prepare to hold a nationwide protest, the Ghana High Commission in South Africahas urged members of the Ghanaian community to exercise caution and limit their movements.
In a circular, the High Commission warned Ghanaians to avoid mass gatherings and contact the police for assistance when required.
The High Commissionalso encouraged members of the Ghanaian community to contact the Mission in case of emergency or any occurrences that affect them directly.
South Africans are nervously awaiting a “national shutdown” Monday announced by the radical opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, which wants the country to come to a standstill due to a number of grievances.
Julius Malema, leader of the EFF, the third-largest party in Parliament, said South Africans are tired of rolling power cuts being implemented daily, corruption and unemployment among other issues.
The party is demanding that President Cyril Ramaphosa steps down because he is allegedly not running the country properly.
“On the 20th of March, we have to shut down this country to show the whole world that we are concerned about the state of affairs. We can’t fold our arms,” Malema said in a video message on the weekend.
He said the shutdown could be the beginning of an unstoppable revolution. The party has requested non-essential workers to remain home or join the protest.
Ramaphosa warned Thursday that the EFF’s planned protests were not a mere shutdown but an attempt to overthrow the government.
On Sunday, he informed parliament that 3,474 members of the South African National Defense Force have been deployed to support the police in the prevention and combating of crime and preservation of law and order.
South African police have taken down a video from Twitter that appears to urge violence against people who choose not to participate in protest marches planned for March 20.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), an opposition party, have organized statewide marches to protest the nation’s electricity shortage and have demanded that President Cyril Ramaphosa step down.
The Film and Publication Board (FPB) issued a statement in which it said that the video warns that teachers, police officers, and students who are wearing school uniforms during the protests will all be physically assaulted.
The video was posted by a person claiming to be a member of EFF, it said.
“Internally, the FPB shall monitor the take-down by Twitter to ensure that no further dissemination or distribution by the public occurs,” the board said.
Members of the public have been advised not to share, re-post or distribute the said video and offenders could face prosecution for disseminating or distributing prohibited content.
Police have said they will be on high alert to avert any violence as the Julius Malema-led EFF party vowed to “shut down” the entire country on Monday.
Mr Malema insists the protests are not illegal and has warned that anyone who attempts to stop them would “meet their maker”, News24 reported.
South African Rapper, Costa Titch, who passed away over the weekend after collapsing while playing at a music festival in Johannesburg, continues to be remembered by South Africans.
The musician, Constantinos Tsobanoglou, was 28 years old. His family announced his passing on Instagram.
The rapper collapses twice on camera before falling off the stage, according to social media footage. Whether he passed away on stage or in a hospital is the subject of different claim
“It is with deep pain that we find ourselves having to acknowledge his passing at this time,” his family said.
“We are thankful for those emergency responders and all those present in his last hours.”
It did not not mention the cause of death
Costa Titch’s song Big Flexa made him a star across the continent.
His death comes a month after another popular South African rapper AKA was assassinated.
Police said the gunman had approached AKA from behind and shot him at close range in the side of the head.
South Africa, ranked as one of Africa’s “Big 5” wealth markets alongside Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, and Kenya, collectively holds more than one half of the continent’s total wealth.
With a total private wealth exceeding $650 billion, South Africa maintains its position as Africa’s largest wealth market and most industrialized economy.
Many individuals within the country have seized the opportunities within and outside its economy to create wealth for themselves while simultaneously contributing value to society.
Johann Rupert is a prime example.
As a prominent luxury mogul and billionaire businessman, he holds the notable distinction of being South Africa’s wealthiest individual, and the second-richest man in all of Africa.
This is largely attributed to his diverse business interests, spanning from luxury ventures in Switzerland under Richemont, to private investments in South Africa through Remgro Limited.
With numerous other ultra-wealthy individuals vying for a spot on the coveted richest list, it has become increasingly crucial to keep an eye on the top seven wealthiest South African billionaires and track the growth of their fortunes since the beginning of the year.
This is especially vital as global equities undergo a rebound after a lackluster performance in 2022.
#1 Johann Rupert
Net worth: $12 billion
Source: Diversified
Johann Rupert is South Africa’s wealthiest man, with a net worth of $12 billion stemming from his investments in luxury goods companies Compagnie Financiere Richemont, Reinet Investments, and Remgro, a South Africa-based investment vehicle.
His net worth has risen by $1.04 billion from $10.9 billion at the start of the year to $12 billion due to the performance of his 9.14 percent stake in Richemont, a Swiss luxury goods company with a diverse portfolio of premium brands including Chloe, Dunhill, Alaa, Cartier, and Delvaux.
#2 Nicky Oppenheimer
Net worth: $8.5 billion
Source: Diversified
Nicky Oppenheimer is the second-richest South African billionaire and the third-richest billionaire in Africa, with a net worth estimated to be around $8.5 billion.
His fortune is held in private equity investments in Africa, Asia, the United States, and Europe through the London-based Stockdale Street and Johannesburg-based Tana Africa Capital.
In 2012, the billionaire sold his family’s 40-percent interest in De Beers to Anglo-American for $5.2 billion in cash, bringing his family’s 80-year ownership to an end.
Since the start of 2023, Oppenheimer’s net worth has increased by $475 million.
#3 Patrick Soon-Shiong
Net worth: $8.5 billion
Source: Healthcare
Patrick Soon-Shiong, the Chinese-South African transplant surgeon, bioscientist, and biopharma billionaire, is the 24th richest person in the world, with a reported net worth of $8.81 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
He became a billionaire through his development of the cancer treatment Abraxane and the subsequent sale of his pharmaceutical companies, APP Pharmaceuticals, and Abraxis BioScience, for a combined $7.5 billion.
He now holds a 76-percent stake in late-stage immunotherapy firm ImmunityBio, which has contributed an additional $811 million to his net worth.
#4 Patrice Motsepe
Net worth: $2.8 billion
Source: Mining, Investments
Patrice Motsepe, a South African billionaire mining tycoon and the founder of African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country.
Established in 1997 as South Africa’s first Black-owned mining corporation, ARM has extensive holdings in iron, coal, copper, gold, platinum, and other precious metal mines.
Motsepe’s current ownership of ARM stands at 39.7 percent, and the company is now worth more than $1.3 billion.
Despite his net worth declining by $400 million since the start of 2023, from $3.2 billion to $2.8 billion, Motsepe continues to be a powerful force in the African mining industry.
#5 Koos Bekker
Net worth: $2.4 billion
Source: Media, Investments
Koos Bekker, a renowned entrepreneur whose smart investments and business acumen have propelled the success of companies like Naspers, a multinational holding company based in Cape Town, and Amsterdam-based Prosus N.V., an investment group, has established himself as one of Africa’s wealthiest individuals.
His impressive net worth of $2.4 billion is derived mainly from his stakes in Naspers (0.96 percent) and Prosus NV (0.89 percent), with his shareholding in Naspers alone being worth R13.53 billion ($740 million).
#6 Christoffel Wiese
Net worth: $1.1 billion
Source: Retail
Christoffel Wiese, a South African billionaire, built his fortune through his Pepkor retail empire, which expanded into other African countries.
After Steinhoff International acquired Pepkor in 2015, Wiese lost his billionaire status when the company disclosed accounting irregularities in 2017.
In 2022, Wiese regained his wealth through a settlement with Steinhoff, which included a five-percent stake in Pepkor. His main asset is Shoprite, along with holdings in Tradehold, Brait, and Invicta Holdings.
#7 Michiel Le Roux
Net worth: $1 billion
Source: Banking
Michiel Le Roux, who founded Capitec Bank, one of South Africa’s leading retail banks, roughly 21 years ago, derives the majority of his $1 billion net worth from his 11.41-percent shareholding in Capitec Bank, a Stellenbosch-based banking company.
His net worth has declined from $1.9 billion to $1 billion, mainly due to a $160-million surge in the market value of his equity position in Capitec Bank.
In order to save more animals from the Russian invasion, an animal rescuer who has evacuated 11 lions from the battle zone in Ukraine is scheduled to return there in a modified British ambulance.
While carrying out a quick operation to save a leopard and jaguar that are in danger of being kidnapped or killed by Kremlin forces, Lionel De Lange intends to provide aid to people.
The most recent expedition comes after his Warriors of Wildlife (WoW) group evacuated a pride of nine lions to the US, with the other two large animals coming to his beautiful refuge in South Africa, along with other groups and individuals.
The non-profit group has also rescued a bear, a wolf and cats and dogs since the full-scale attack began on February 24 last year.
Mr De Lange, 57, had been living in Kherson when war broke out and has since made five journeys back to the warzone, clocking up thousands of road miles in trips to dangerous frontline areas and temporary holding facilities in Romania.
He told Metro.co.uk that he is determined to continue showing ‘compassion’ to animals and humans, a year on from the start of the war
‘We have bought a retired British ambulance which is currently sitting just outside Kyiv and we are going to use it to take aid to where it’s needed,’ Mr De Lange said.
Lionel De Lange with friend Reon Human (centre) and Csaba Borsos, the mayor’s assistant in Targu Mures, Romania (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/@wowukr)
‘It can carry three and a half tonnes, it’s not an awful lot compared to what other organisations are doing but it’s three and a half tonnes that a village might not have. Then we will rescue animals, and people if needs be, and take them to safer areas.
‘I’m going straight down south to my old city, Kherson, where they desperately need help as they’re basically being shelled nearly every day.
‘The animal shelters are struggling and the people are struggling, so we’ll take in whatever we can. When I lived there, I bought a trailer to move animals around in and I’m hoping it hasn’t been stolen or destroyed, because then we’ll be able to hook it up around the ambulance and tow stuff around the country.’
The lion relocation is thought to be the biggest ever rescue of the species by plane from a war zone. In a hugely complicated undertaking, the big cats were temporarily relocated to Romania before being flown to Doha in the hold of a Boeing Dreamliner.
The converted British ambulance that Warriors of Wildlife has bought to carry out humanitarian work and rescue animals (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/@wowukr)
From there, the pride of seven adults and two cubs was transferred to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado while adult males Simba and Mir were taken to Mr De Lange’s Simbonga Game Reserve and Sanctuary in the Eastern Cape.
Aside from the obvious perils of bombs and bullets, the dangers faced by captive animals also include their keepers running out of money to feed and care for them and the risk of being stolen by occupying forces. Keepers who have stayed behind have also been in the firing line, including two workers found holding carrots and dog food after being allegedly being murdered by Russian troops in Kharkiv.
In November, video footage showed Russian lion park owner Oleg Zubkov stealing live creatures including a llama and a racoon from Kherson Zoo.
Other animals, including two camels, a kangaroo, a bison, some piglets, birds and wolves were slaughtered by the occupiers before the city was liberated, according to local authorities.
Eleven lions in Ukraine flying to US and South Africa after rescue effort
Zukov, who owns Taigan Lion Park in Crimea, was convicted of negligence last year after one of his tigers bit a one-year-old boy’s finger off.
The so-called ‘Lion Man’ claimed that he had been given permission to carry out a ‘temporary evacuation’ of the animals out of the warzone.
‘Zukov is a notorious animal trader and breeder with a big place full of lions in Sevastopol,’ Mr De Lange said.
‘He came in with a team and they stole all the animals. We are afraid that will happen in other places where we have worked in the past.’
While the Kherson trip will focus primarily on humanitarian aid and care for domestic and stray animals, Mr De Lange plans to use the ambulance to rescue a black leopard, which belongs to a critically endangered species, and a jaguar from another settlement.
He anticipates that the location, which lies to the south-east of Kharkiv, will be liberated by Ukrainian forces in coming weeks.
Simba in Romania ahead of his relocation to a haven in South Africa (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/Facebook/@wowukr)
The sanctuary owner, who is due to set off in a fortnight, plans to be no farther than a three-day drive away as he carries out the relief work in areas heavily damaged by the Russians.
‘All the permits are in place but the town is occupied by the Russians, so we are waiting for the Ukrainians to push them back,’ he said.
‘As soon as that happens we are going to rush in and pick up those two animals along with three big Italian mastiffs and take them out.
‘I’ll be sitting there a couple of kilometres back from the frontline and when they get there we’ll go in to pick up the animals quickly and make a run for the west. My biggest concern is whether they are still alive, we have been told that they are, but the information is sketchy.
They are prized animals and as the Russians are, if they can’t have something by towing it away, they just destroy it.
Lionel De Lange, founder of Warriors of Wildlife, is shown on the left next to British vet Gemma Campling with animal rescuer Tom, of Breaking the Chains, on the front right (Picture: Nathan Lainé/Magnus News)
‘If you look at the places that have been liberated within 24 hours the Russians are shelling and bombing the place, which is why it is important to help in the places which are liberated as quickly as possible.’
Amid devastating loss of life and a refugee exodus unprecedented in modern Europe, international efforts to save animals have been a constant part of the war’s backdrop.
British humanitarian volunteers Tim Locks and Jonathan Weaving are among those who have carried out mercy missions, carrying out the initial rescue of Simba from a frontline area in eastern Ukraine and driving the big cat in a van to Romania.
The team involved in the final lion extraction effort pose with Lionel De Lange (centre left) ahead of the flight (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/@wowukr)
‘It’s a compassion thing,’ Mr De Lange said. ‘I just love animals and I don’t think they should be abused in any way, shape or form.
‘They don’t ask to be there and a lot of owners have died staying in their homes and the animals have managed to survive. Other owners just ran for the border and left their animals behind, which I can understand as I was in the same situation waking up to shelling on the 24th.
‘Even for the animals which have shelter there’s very little food around and if there is it’s enormously expensive.
‘The people who are looking after animals in shelters and in the streets are some of the poorest people, so we will be doing all we can to help reduce the load.’
Simba looks alert as he settles into his new home at a wildlife reserve in South Africa after being repatriated (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/@wowukr)Mir is getting used to an outdoor reserve that gives him the freedom to roam (Picture: Warriors of Wildlife/@wowukr)
A guiding principle of WoW is that animals should never be left in zoos, making the long-distance relocations necessary.
Mr De Lange said Simba and Mir were settling in well at his 14,000-square metre reserve where they have a more natural habitat and weather.
‘Before they arrived Simba was the big tough guy and Mir was very calm and just got on with staying alive,’ Mr De Lange said.
‘At first Simba was completely terrified of his surroundings being a big cat who had never walked on grass or heard wind howling through the trees, he’d always been on tarmac and cement and behind bars.
‘It took four weeks before he ventured out of his night shelter, which we used as safe spaces for the lions when they first arrive so they can get used to the sights, sounds and smells.
‘After about six and a half weeks he just blossomed and found his roar.
‘They have both been out exploring and are doing very well. The sanctuary is like heaven compared to what they were used to.’
Following a lioness escape from a container in North West province, the South African police department has issued warnings to nearby residents.
According to reports, the lioness escaped while being transported on the back of a vehicle by its owner.
It’s unclear precisely when or how the large cat broke out from the shipping container; the owner was only made aware of the situation upon arrival in Tlakgameng, according to local media.
The lioness is said to have escaped from a container while on transit
Workers at nature reserves and farmers are looking for the wild cat.
The officials in charge of wildlife protection have requested information from anyone who witnesses the lioness.
The struggling South African government has announced that it will assume nearly two-thirds of the $23 billion (£19 billion) total debt of the state power company.
This occurs at a time when malfunctions at Eskom’s power plants have caused unheard-of power outages that are harming the nation’s economy.
The national treasury’s decision should release funds for distribution, transmission, and maintenance.
This month,President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of disaster due to the energy crisis, enabling the government to take immediate action.
Eskom has been plagued by corruption and mismanagement. It has received more than $14 billion worth of bailouts since 2008.
The latest move by the government comes as the outgoing Eskom chief executive, who was due to exit the company next month, leaves with immediate effect.
The firm’s board resolved on Wednesday that Andre de Ruyter would not be required to serve the balance of his notice period.
In an interview with a local TV station on Monday, Mr De Ruyter questioned the government’s ability to deal with the corruption at the utility firm.
A municipality in South Africa says it will charge some of it staff for misconduct after pictures surfaced on social media showing them sitting and sleeping on top of graves.
The workers are from the municipal’s parks department – which is responsible for the cleaning of parks and public facilities, according to local media reports.
It is unclear when the pictures were taken.
In a statement, Msunduzi municipality, in Kwa-Zulu Natal province, said it was aware of what it termed “disturbing photographs”.
“The municipality will not condone such behaviour and can confirm that processes are in place for the implicated employees to be charged for misconduct and for putting the municipality in disrepute,” it said.
Twenty people have been killed and 61 others injured after a bus and a cash-in-transit armoured van collided in South Africa’s Limpopo province,
On Monday night, around 20:00, local media reported that a bus had fallen off a bridge and into a river below, landing on its side.
Apparently, being trapped inside the bus caused the majority of the victims to pass away.
There is currently an investigation into the accident’s cause.
There have been heavy rains in the area. Emergency services were still on the scene on Tuesday morning, with heavy downpours delaying their work.
TRAFFIC UPDATE🚨 Tuesday, 14 February 2023
20 people were tragically killed and 61 injured in an accident, where a cash-in-transit van lost control and collided head-on with an oncoming bus, yesterday on road N1- 29 Mashovhela, towards Musina in Vhembe District.🕯🙏 pic.twitter.com/I1j1Z4MjtQ
— Limpopo Department of Transport & Community Safety (@TransportLimCom) February 14, 2023
After seven of its nine provinces were submerged by flooding brought on by heavy rains,South Africa declared a national disaster on Monday. Farmers also suffered losses, and roads and bridges were destroyed.
The national weather service expects the heavy rains to continue, according to a White House statement.
According to the statement, the government “declared a national state of disaster to enable an intensive, coordinated response to the impact of floods,” but no details regarding casualties were provided.
It claimed that the La Nia global weather phenomenon, which happens in the Pacific Ocean, was to blame for the intense rains.
“These conditions demand the provision of temporary shelters, food, and blankets to homeless families and individuals and the large-scale, costly rehabilitation of infrastructure,” the statement added.
Prior to joint naval exercises with South Africa and China, a Russian military frigate made a port call in Cape Town’s harbour on Monday.
The Admiral Gorshkov battleship was pictured in the harbour in a tweet from the Russian consulate in Cape Town.
The drills will take place in Richards Bay and the port city of Durban for ten days starting on February 17th.
Cape Town hosts #Russian frigate “Admiral Gorshkov”. The battleship arrived in the Mother City on its way to Durban where it will take part in joint 🇿🇦-🇨🇳-🇷🇺 naval drills scheduled for February 17-27. pic.twitter.com/RrByExX9H8
There has been some criticism that the exercise is not appropriate, given that it coincides with the first anniversary ofRussia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But the defence ministry has defended the planned drills, saying that South Africa has in the past hosted similar exercises with France, the US and countries from the Western Nato military alliance.
An autopsy report has reveals that a former professional rugby player from South Africa who was killed by police months after arriving in Hawaii had a degenerative brain illness common in American football players and other athletes who frequently sustain head trauma.
The finding could help explain Lindani Myeni’s bizarre behavior before the deadly 2021 confrontation with Honolulu officers. It also offers another layer of detail about a shooting that gained international attention during heightened calls for police reform following the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
An addendum to Myeni’s autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press shows his brain tissue was sent to the Boston University CTE Center, which found the 29-year-old father of two suffered from stage three chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Commonly known as CTE, the disease can only be diagnosed posthumously.
Stage four is the most severe level and experts say it’s alarming for someone as young as Myeni to have such a critical case of CTE.
Lindsay Myeni, who filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging police shot her husband because he was Black, said she was shocked to learn of the CTE diagnosis.
“I had no clue. He had no clue,” she said from Richard’s Bay, South Africa, where she now lives. “So it was kind of devastating because it felt like … someone was telling me like, hey, he died from racism at 29, but he was going to be killed from his favorite sport at 50 or 51 anyway.”
Police were called to a Honolulu home about a stranger who had entered uninvited. He said, “I have videos of you,” claimed a cat at the home was his, and made other strange comments, according to Honolulu’s prosecuting attorney, who decided not to pursue charges against any of the officers.
Police officials have said officers weren’t reacting to his race, but rather his behavior, which put officers’ lives in jeopardy. Prosecutors found that deadly force was justified because Myeni physically attacked officers, leaving one with a concussion.
He had been emotional earlier that day about family issues and the couple had visited numerous spiritual sites around the island of Oahu, Lindsay Myeni said, but he showed no signs of CTE symptoms. Those include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression and depression.
Dr. Masahiko Kobayashi, the Honolulu medical examiner who autopsied Myeni and concluded he died from gunshot wounds, said he suspected CTE after hearing about Myeni’s behavior and his contact sports past.
“The case of Mr. Myeni was really simple when I just determined the cause and manner of death. But the circumstances were very complex, and the public was greatly impacted by this case,” he said.
Kobayashi said he hoped the CTE finding might provide a clearer picture of what led to Myeni’s death.
However, CTE doesn’t help Lindsay Myeni understand what happened that April 14, 2021, night.
“To me, it still doesn’t answer any questions as to why you would shoot him,” she said.
Myeni’s behavior sounded like “classic symptoms” related to CTE, “confusion, disorientation, acting out in a very different way,” said Paul Anderson, a lawyer in Kansas City, Missouri, who represents families of athletes with brain injuries, but is not involved in the Myeni case.
The youngest case of stage three CTE diagnosed in medical literature was Aaron Hernandez, 27, making Myeni “an example of pretty severe CTE for someone that age,” said Dr. Daniel Daneshvar, an expert on the condition and Harvard Medical School assistant professor.
Hernandez, a former New England Patriots football star, killed himself in 2017 in the prison cell where he was serving a life-without-parole sentence for murder.
While people with CTE tend to have problems with memory, thinking, impulsivity, and paranoia, there could be other explanations, Daneshvar said.
“We can’t say for sure whether or not CTE in anyone’s brain can cause them to do any particular action,” he said.
The investigation by Alm’s office found that two days before the shooting, Myeni told his kickboxing instructor that he was going through “crazy African spiritual stuff.”
About 30 minutes before the shooting, Myeni interjected himself in a situation where police were investigating a vehicle break-in and had to be told to go away by both the victim and officers, according to Alm’s investigation.
The frightened woman called 911.
Officer body camera videos showed Myeni punching responding officers, leaving one with facial fractures and a concussion. Myeni continued punching an officer even after he was shot once in the chest, Alm said.
Bridget Morgan-Bickerton, a Honolulu attorney representing Myeni’s wife, said he wasn’t aggressive, “until he was subjected to unjustified aggression, being yelled at, at gunpoint, in the dark to ‘get on the ground’ with no announcement of who was asking.”
Three months before the shooting, the Myenis moved to Hawaii, where Lindsay Myeni grew up, believing it would be safer for their two Black children than in another part of the U.S.
As a single mother of a 2- and 3-year-old, she doesn’t know if she can ever return to Hawaii, so they’re in South Africa, where the couple met while she was on a Christian mission trip. But it’s difficult there, too.
“It’s like I even moved out of our little township that he’s from and moved to the suburbs because … it’s hard to even be at the house,” she said. “I just went for a birthday party back to his home and I’m like, oh, this is so painful.”
In an effort to address an energy crisis, the president ofSouth Africa has declared a state of disaster.
The government now has more authority to address the crippling electricity shortages that have gotten worse recently thanks to Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Thursday.
He insisted that South Africa would have an energy network that was more effective.
The opposition repeatedly interrupted the president’s annual speech to the legislature.
There was chaos in the chamber before his speech. At one point members of the Economic Freedom Fighters stormed the podium, before being forced to leave.
Mr Ramaphosa also said access to the witness protection programme for whistle-blowers that exposed government corruption was under way.
But that brings little relief to those whose relatives were murdered for exposing maladministration.
To address the rising cost of living, Mr Ramaphosa extended the relief funding which is earned by more than eight million unemployedSouth Africans.
Gauteng, the center of South Africa’s economy, is suffering from water shortages brought on by declining reservoir levels as a result of increasing water use.
As taps are running dry, Dr Ferrial Adam, Water and Environment Manager for the Community Action Network (WaterCAN) believes the cause for the crisis are factors like ageing infrastructure and inequality.
“We cannot deny that there is an additional element that is affecting people’s access to water and that is, on a local government level and municipal level. You have infrastructure deterioration and that is also leading to people not having sufficient water. There’s also the element of the unequal distribution of water in South Africa. Less than 40% to 45% have taps in their homes.” said Adam
Innovative solutions
To solve the issue of water shortage, Boitumelo Nkatlo, BN-Aqua Solutions Founding Director, developed a plant that purifies acidicwaterdisposed by mines. And this purified water can be used for drinking and irrigation.
“We all know that water is life and is a scarce resource. Our take is that we do have water underground. Millions and millions that we are in a position to take and treat and treat it at an affordable price because we are using waste material to treat this to a drinking stage.” explains Nkatlo
Sizwe Mavuso, Colsto Founder, came up with a water tank reuse model that could see water being preserved by communities especially in instances where taps run dry easily.
“The innovation was conceptualised around a construction site I used to work at where people do not have water whatsoever and it boiled down to affordability. The great thing about this solution is that we want to harvest water that we already have and that is grey water.” said Mavuso
According to Greenpeace, water is a very unevenly distributed resource meaning that millions of South Africans already drink water that was captured in reservoirs in excess of 400km away. This water insecurity risk is worsened by increasing climate change.
