The biggest opposition party in South Africa says it has requested an investigation into what it claims are overpriced contracts for maintaining ministers’ opulent houses.
This comes after the ANC government revealed that between 2019 and 2022 it had spent nearly $5m (£4m) maintaining dozens of properties occupied by public servants.
The controversy adds pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was elected on promises to root out corruption after his predecessor Jacob Zuma’s term was marred by political and financial scandals.
Adding South African spice to an old joke, the opposition Democratic Alliance says “at least we finally can answer the question of how much money it takes for ANC cadres to replace a lightbulb”.
Alleging brazen corruption, it says the bill for bulbs was almost a $1,000 at one ministerial mansion in Pretoria.
Then there was the $70,000 kitchen renovation and $2.5m spent on generators in ministers’ homes – while most have been struggling with South Africa‘s worst power cuts.
It is already the most unequal country in the world. Corruption may be making the chasm between the “haves” and the “have nots” even wider.
South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile stated that the administration is optimistic that its emergency purchase programs would end the country’s energy problem.
State-owned power company Eskom’s board has approved three emergency procurement programmes that now only require the approval of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, which will host hearings on Friday, local media reported.
“Apart from appointing the minister of electricity, we have announced we are now embarking on procuring emergency power. Government is determined to keep the lights on,” Mr Mashatile said on Thursday.
He said, in some instances, Eskom would use diesel to keep the lights on, adding that the government was still committed to renewable energy.
His remarks came shortly after Eskom issued a statement on Wednesday warning that the country’s power system was severely constrained, with a high likelihood of prolonged power outages during winter.
South Africa is braced for a harsh winter after the state-owned power utility Eskom predicted widespread power outages.
“With the winter season upon us, our power system will be even more constrained…weather forecasters are anticipating a much colder winter and these challenges will result in high electricity demand”, said Eskom chairperson Mpho Makwana on Thursday.
The country is currently experiencing “stage 6” load shedding, where consumers go without electricity for up to 12 hours a day. With “stage 8” load shedding expected this winter, consumers will have up to 16 hours of no electricity every single day.
Stage 8 power cuts would require up to 8,000MW to be shed from the national grid. This is likely to cause more businesses to shut down, further job losses and a high possibility of civil unrest.
Even though officials insist that the risk of a blackout is low, many South Africans are worried that the worst case scenario is very likely.
A trade advocacy group has called for the removal of VAT on chicken in order for families to be able to feed themselves as the country stumbles “into a hunger pandemic.”
Francois Baird of the Fair Play Movement has warned that regular load shedding, or power blackouts, in South Africa was also contributing to the problem.
“The real effect is on the health of the nation,” Mr Baird said, adding that rising inflation and unemployment meant many people could no longer afford to pay for food.
He said that 27% of children under five were stunted in South Africa because mothers don’t get enough protein while pregnant and this carries on after the children are born, adding that the problem was worse in rural areas.
“Everything possible must be done also to assist small farmers.”
He said that reducing the cost of chicken by removing VAT would help address this, as chicken was a major source of protein for many people in South Africa.
He added that food prices were outpacing people’s salaries, warning that an essential basket of food costs more than the minimum wage per month.
Eight out of 10 South African school children struggle to read by the age of ten, an international study has found.
South Africa ranked last out of 57 countries assessed in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, which tested the reading ability of 400,000 students globally in 2021.
Illiteracy among South African children rose from 78% in 2016 to 81%.
The country’s education minister blamed the results on school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Describing the results as “disappointingly low”, Angie Motshekga also said the country’s education system was faced with significant historical challenges, including poverty, inequality and inadequate infrastructure.
In many primary schools “reading instruction often focuses solely on oral performance, neglecting reading comprehension and making sense of written words”, she added.
South Africa’s education minister said the disappointing results were a result of school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic
The study showed that 81% of South African children could not read for comprehension in any of the country’s 11 official languages.
Alongside Morocco and Egypt, South Africa was one of only three African countries which participated in the assessments to monitor trends in literacy and reading comprehension of nine- and 10-year-olds.
Based on tests taken every five years at the end of the school year, the new study places countries in a global education league table.
Singapore secured top spot in the rankings with an average score of 587, while South Africa ranked last on 288 points – below second-last Egypt’s average of 378. The scores are benchmarked against an international average of 500.
The study also showed that overall, girls were ahead of boys in their reading achievement in nearly all of the assessed countries, but the gender gap has narrowed in the most recent testing round.
South Africa’s struggles with its education system are longstanding, with significant inequality between black and white students a consequence of the segregation of children under apartheid.
Education is one the single biggest budget expenses for the government, which can lead to disappointment over poor performance in studies like this.
A lack of suitable reading materials and inadequate infrastructure in schools, often things like toilets, have contributed to the crisis.
In meetings held in Moscow, senior military officials from South Africa and Russia agreed to expand their cooperation and improve the combat readiness of their armies, according to a report from Russia’s defense ministry in the state-run Tass news agency.
The high-level talks come days after the US ambassador to Pretoria, Reuben Brigety, accused South Africa of supplying arms and ammunition to Russia, despite its professed neutrality in the Ukraine war.
The commander of South Africa’s land forces, Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, led the talks with his Russian counterpart, Oleg Salyukov, in Moscow, Tass reports.
“The sides discussed issues of military cooperation, and the implementation of projects geared to enhance the combat readiness of the two countries’ armies.
“The meeting between the military commanders yielded agreements on the further expansion of cooperation between the land forces in various areas,” the ministry is quoted as saying.
Last week, South Africa found itself at the centre of a diplomatic storm with the US after Mr Brigety said he was confident that arms and ammunition were loaded on a Russian ship at a naval base in Cape Town in December.
South Africa said it had no record of an arms sale, but President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an inquiry to investigate the allegations.
In his weekly newsletter published on Monday, Mr Ramaphosa said South Africa was under “extraordinary pressure” to take sides in the Ukraine war, but it would not do so in what was “in effect a contest between Russia and the West”.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) confirmed that senior military officers were currently in Moscow.
“It must be noted that South Africa has military-to-military bilateral relations with various countries in the continent and beyond,” the SANDF said in a statement, adding that the trip to Russia was planned well in advance.
The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) said the visit was the latest example of the South African government “unashamedly” showing its support for Russia.
Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, has declared that the government has opened a criminal investigation into a documentary about major financial irregularities involving the nation’s banking system.
The four-part documentary titled ‘Gold Mafia’ entailed a number of rogue businessmen who spoke about an extensive money laundering and gold racketeering business across a number of African countries.
Ramaphosa, responding to a question in Parliament said, the government took the allegations very seriously and that even though no arrests have been made, a formal probe had commenced.
“The government takes the allegations made in the Al Jazeera documentary titled Gold Mafia very seriously. We are committed to preserving the integrity of our financial system in the interest of the broader economy and ordinary citizens.
“With respect to actions currently being taken to investigate individuals who are alleged in the documentary to be criminally implicated an inquiry has been registered to investigate these syndicate and individuals,” he stated.
He said no arrests had been made at the time he was speaking but that, “details of steps cannot be divulged,” as the financial action taskforce investigates with the view to prosecute and prevent financial activities as were captured in the film.
Ghana was also mentioned in one sequel of the film, with Alistair Mathias a self-confessed money launderer stating among others that he was friends with president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who was a lawyer of his at a point.
The president told Al Jazeera that he had no recollection of dealing with Mathias before his lawyer also denied that he acted at a point for Mathias or his company. Alistair himself denied knowing Akufo-Addo.
After the documentary was aired, government wrote to Al Jazeera demanding a retraction and apology for some parts of their reportage but the Doha-based channel said it owed the president no apology because it had done due diligence in telling both sides of the story.
A documentary by Al Jazeera that revealed massive financial fraud involving gold and money laundering across several African countries has prompted the South African government to launch a criminal investigation.
The four-part documentary, called‘Gold Mafia’, featured interviews with rogue businessmen who admitted to running a lucrative gold smuggling and money laundering operation that exploited the loopholes in the banking system.
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said in Parliament that the government was taking the allegations very seriously and that it was determined to protect the integrity of its financial system for the benefit of the economy and the citizens.
He said that an inquiry had been registered to investigate the syndicate and the individuals who were allegedly involved in the criminal activities, as shown in the documentary.
President @CyrilRamaphosa announces an inquiry into our Gold Mafia investigation in South Africa’s parliament. He says authorities will ‘thoroughly investigate’ individuals exposed as ‘criminally implicated’. #GoldMafiapic.twitter.com/9Ow74fnDVr
— Al Jazeera Investigations (@AJIunit) May 12, 2023
He added that no arrests had been made yet and that he could not disclose more details as the financial action taskforce was working on the case.
The documentary also mentioned Ghana, where one of the self-confessed money launderers, Alistair Mathias, claimed to be friends with president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who had once been his lawyer.
However, Akufo-Addo denied knowing Mathias and his lawyer also refuted that he had ever represented Mathias or his company. Mathias later retracted his claim and said he did not know Akufo-Addo.
The Ghanaian government demanded an apology and a retraction from Al Jazeera for some parts of their reportage, but the Qatar-based channel refused to do so, saying that it had done its due diligence and presented both sides of the story.
The US ambassador to South Africa has “unreservedly apologized,” according to South Africa’s foreign ministry, for saying that the nation sold weapons to Russia.
On Thursday Reuben Brigety alleged a Russian ship was loaded with ammunition and weapons in Cape Town last December.
South Africa says it has no record of an arms sale and President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an inquiry.
On Friday the White House national security spokesman would not be drawn on details of the allegations.
But John Kirby said it was a “serious issue” and the US had consistently urged countries not to provide support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Writing on social media after meeting the foreign ministry, Mr Brigety said he was “grateful for the opportunity to… correct any misimpressions left by my public remarks”.
He said in the conversation he “re-affirmed the strong partnership between our two countries and the important agenda our presidents have given us”.
Meanwhile a South African cabinet minister hit out at such “megaphone diplomacy”, saying South Africa could not be “bullied by the US”.
“It is the US which has sanctions against Russia… they must not drag us into their issues with Russia,” Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, a minister in the presidency, told public broadcaster SABC.
Her bullish comments followed a Kremlin statement saying President Vladmir Putin had spoken to his South African counterpart by phone and the two had agreed to deepen “mutually beneficial ties”.
There is no dispute that a Russian ship, known as Lady R, docked at a naval base near Cape Town last December – prompting questions from local politicians at the time. Whether the ship was supplied with arms before returning to Russia still needs to be established.
If the accusations are true, South Africa will have violated its own Arms Control Act, which commits to “not trade in conventional arms with states engaged in repression, aggression or terrorism”.
In the same act, South Africa describes itself as a “responsible member of the international community”.
South Africa is one of a handful of countries that has abstained from a number of UN votes on the conflict and has refused to publicly condemn Russia, insisting it is non-aligned on the matter.
For months the regional superpower has been saying it instead supports a mediated settlement to the conflict.
Supplying arms while claiming to be neutral would not only rubbish that stance but would leave South Africa with a lot to answer both to its citizens and the international community.
Some in the governing African National Congress (ANC) appear to have a lingering affection for Russia because of the then-USSR’s support for their fight against white-minority rule. But in present-day South Africa, many have been asking questions about whether this love affair truly serves South Africa’s interests.
Experts say the country has more in common and a much bigger trade relationship with the West. Some are worried about a possible economic impact if ties with the US strain further.
The country’s currency, the rand, which has been struggling for weeks as a result of months of rolling power cuts, weakened even further following the US ambassador’s accusations.
It is an additional problem that South African citizens can scarcely afford.
The investigation into claims that South Africa sent weapons to Russia during the continuing conflict with Ukraine has been welcomed by the country’s defense ministry, according to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The inquiry will offer the department an opportunity to ventilate its side of the story with concrete evidence,” a spokesperson from the department said.
This comes as South Africa’s Head of Diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, said the country’s foreign minister will speak to her US counterpart, Anthony Blinken later on Friday.
On Thursday, the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, claimed that a Russian ship was loaded with ammunition and arms in Cape Town last December.
President Ramaphosa’s office said it was disappointed by the claims and said no evidence had been provided to support them.
The country has maintained claims of neutrality over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In the midst of a diplomatic dispute over allegations of arm sales to Russia, South Africa is attempting to mend fences with the US.
US ambassador Reuben Brigety has claimed a Russian ship was loaded with ammunition and weapons in Cape Town last December.
The allegation created a diplomatic storm and South Africa has said it has no record of an approved arms sale.
But the government also said it valued a “cordial, strong, and mutually beneficial” relationship with the US.
An inquiry looking into the claims has been set up, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed on Thursday.
South African authorities have expressed disappointment over what one official describes as “megaphone” politics by the US ambassador, referring to Mr Brigety’s news conference on Thursday where he made the scathing accusations.
The BBC understands that behind the scenes the government is more than disappointed – they have been angered by what some see as the US trying to strong-arm South Africa into aligning with it over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “by any means necessary”.
Officially, the department of international relations has said Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor will be speaking to her US counterpart Antony Blinken on Friday afternoon.
They’ve also said they will be officially issuing a complaint against Mr Brigety through diplomatic channels – a reprimand of sorts.
While the US has provided no evidence of the accusations yet, South Africa’s presidency on Thursday said it would set-up an enquiry which would be chaired by a retired judge to investigate the alleged incident.
The presidency told the BBC that the terms of that inquiry, as well as when it would begin its investigation, would be communicated in due course.
There is no dispute that a Russian ship, known as Lady R, docked off the Cape Town coast last December – prompting questions from local politicians at the time. Whether the ship was supplied with arms before returning to Russia still needs to be established.
But it’s about more than a diplomatic row between old trade partners.
If the accusations are true, South Africa will have violated its own Arms Control Act, which commits to “not trade in conventional arms with states engaged in repression, aggression or terrorism”.
In the same act, South Africa describes itself as a “responsible member of the international community”.
The government said on Friday that they had no record of arms being sold to Russia – and that if this happened – it was done covertly.
Even this possibility does not bode well for South Africa, at best it would speak to a government that does not have a handle of the country’s affairs and at worst, would suggest something far more sinister – complicity in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
South Africa is one of a handful of countries that has abstained from a number of UN votes on the conflict and has refused to publicly condemn Russia, insisting it is non-aligned on the matter.
For months the regional super-power has been saying it instead supports a mediated settlement to the conflict.
Supplying arms while claiming to be neutral would not only rubbish that stance but will leave South Africa with a lot to answer both to its citizens and the international community.
Russia seems to stir feelings of nostalgia for some in the governing African National Congress, for the then USSR’s support for their fight against apartheid. But in present day South Africa, many have been asking questions about whether this love affair truly serves South Africa’s interests.
International relations experts have pointed out that South Africa has more in common with some in the West, including the US, on matters of democracy and international law, and a far greater trade relationship with the West than with Russia.
They’ve said it’s a relationship that may have been useful at a time in history for ANC activists, but in a world where Russia is increasingly being viewed as an aggressor and human rights violator following its invasion of Ukraine – are these really the friends South Africa needs?
Some are worried about possible economic implications for South Africa, if relations with the US strain further.
The country’s currency, the rand, which has been struggling for weeks as a result of months of rolling power cuts leaving homes and industries in the dark for up to 12 hours at times, crippling the economy, weakened even further following the US ambassador’s accusations.
It’s an additional problem that South African citizens can scarcely afford.
As reported by the local media, the US ambassador to South Africa accused the South African government on Thursday of supplying weapons and ammunition to a Russian cargo ship that was subject to sanctions in the latter part of last year.
“Among the things we noted was the cargo ship’s docking in Simon’s Town naval base between the 6th and the 8th of December 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel in Simon’s Town as it made its way back to Russian,” Ambassador Reuben Brigety II told regional media, including News24.com.
“We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel, and I would bet my life on the accuracy on that assertion,” the ambassador also said in a video released by Newzroom Afrika, a local news channel that was also at the briefing.
“The arming of the Russians is extremely serious, and we do not consider this issue to be resolved, and we would like SA to [begin] practicing its non-alignment policy,” he said, according to both news outlets.
In response to the ambassador’s claims, South Africa has summoned Brigety to Pretoria. In a statement released on Twitter Friday, Clayson Monyela, the head of public diplomacy for the South African foreign ministry, said it would “demarche the USA Ambassador to South Africa following his remarks yesterday.”
Monyela said a detailed statement would be released following the meeting. South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor would also speak to her US counterpart, Secretary Antony Blinken, about the matter, he added.
The presence of the mysterious ‘Lady R’ cargo vessel caused significant speculation when it docked at the naval base in Simon’s Town near Cape Town in December last year. Cargo vessels routinely dock at Cape Town’s civilian harbor, not the naval base.
At the time, opposition member of parliament and shadow Defense Minister Kobus Marais said in a statement that goods were loaded off and onto the ship during the overnight hours and demanded answers from the government.
The US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control added the Lady R to its sanctions list in May last year for alleged weapons shipments, along with a host of other Russian-flagged cargo vessels.
The South African presidency called the explosive allegations “disappointing” and warned that the remarks “undermine the spirit of cooperation and partnership” between the US and South African government officials who had been discussing the matter.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement late Thursday that no evidence had been provided to support these allegations and that the government planned to form an independent inquiry into the matter.
“In recent engagements between the South African delegation and US officials, the Lady R matter was discussed and there was agreement that an investigation will be allowed to run its course and that the US intelligence services will provide whatever evidence in their possession,” the statement read.
CNN asked presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya why an inquiry was needed for events at South Africa’s own naval base.
“US intelligence services said they had evidence that they would only provide to us via a credible investigation or inquiry. We take the allegations seriously, and we want to have a credible independent voice to state the actual facts of the matter,” he said.
“Otherwise, we risk a back forth series of accusations and denials, which is not going to be helpful in the context of our bilateral relations.”
It is unusual for a US ambassador in South Africa to make such public accusations against the government.
The South African government has come under intense criticism for its stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has routinely abstained from votes condemning Russia at the United Nations General Assembly.
While South African leadership has repeatedly stated that they are neutral in the conflict and have frequently called for a negotiated settlement, their actions have come under increasing scrutiny from Western powers.
In February of this year, South Africa convened naval war games off its coast including both the Russian and Chinese military.
Later this year, South Africa will host the BRICS summit, a grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Russian President Vladimir Putin was invited to that summit.
South African officials have flip-flopped in their public commitment to the Rome Statute – the treaty that compels signatory nations to arrest individuals indicted by the court – after Putin was indicted for alleged war crimes in March.
While South Africa’s ruling party African National Congress has an ideological history with Russia and the former Soviet Union, the European Union and the United States are far bigger trading partners.
The United States has accused South Africa of sending armaments toRussia in a secret naval operation, creating a foreign policy dilemma for President Cyril Ramaphosa over the country’s links to the Kremlin and its stance on the Ukraine conflict.
Reuben Brigety, US ambassador to South Africa, told local media on Thursday that the US believed weapons and ammunition were loaded on to the Lady R, a Russian vessel under sanctions that docked at Simon’s Town naval dockyard near Cape Town in December.
“Among the things we noted was the docking of the cargo ship . . . which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition on to that vessel in Simon’s Town as it made its way back to Russia,” he said, in comments reported by South Africa’s News24.
“The arming of the Russians is extremely serious, and we do not consider this issue to be resolved,” he added.
“The US embassy and South Africa’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Ramaphosa’s office said it would respond “in due course”.
The rand dropped 2 per cent to 19.2 to the US dollar on the reports, its weakest level since April 2020.
South Africa has said it is non-aligned in the war, but Ramaphosa’s government is under pressure over signs it is favouring Russia, for example by holding joint naval exercises this year.
Ramaphosa has also extended an invitation for Russian president Vladimir Putin to attend a Brics leaders’ summit in Johannesburg in August — a move that has backfired on Pretoria after the International Criminal Court indicted Putin for war crimes. South Africa, a member of the ICC, would be legally obliged to arrest Putin if he travels there.
Sydney Mufamadi, Ramaphosa’s national security adviser, recently visited the US to explain South Africa’s stance and to try to preserve trade links.
The scandal over the Lady R is likely to overshadow these efforts.
Owned by Transmorflot, a company placed under sanctions by the US last year, the Lady R appeared to switch off its transponder as it made the stop in Cape Town after a voyage down the west coast of Africa.
After the ship left port, South Africa’s defence minister said it had delivered a consignment for the country’s defence forces, but provided no details on what the vessel may have picked up in Cape Town.
The South African government in January officially denied that it had approved any arms sales from South Africa to Russia since Moscow began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
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.
