Daily news update: Officer grilled in Meyiwa trial, Zuma arms deal case update, and more

In today’s daily news update: Another police officer took the witness stand in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, and Jacob Zuma agreed to the state’s proposal to expedite his application for the removal of State Advocate Billy Downer from the arms deal corruption case.

Meanwhile, the case against six men accused of the murder of whistle-blower Babita Deokaran has been postponed, and John Steenhuisen says the Moonshot Pact “is not just anti-ANC”.

Daily news update: 16 August 2023

Weather-wise, alerts have been issued for damaging winds and ‘high fire danger’ today – full forecast here – and Eskom said there will be no reprieve from load shedding…

Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. Here’s your easy-to-read selection of our top stories.

Senzo Meyiwa trial

Yet another police officer was grilled by defence lawyers as the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial continued at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Police officer Patrick Mthethwa took to the witness stand to offer his testimony.

Mthethwa, a key figure in the investigation, recounted the harrowing events of 26 October 2014, when the South African soccer star Meyiwa was shot and killed at the residence of his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo’s mother in Vosloorus.

READ: Senzo Meyiwa trial: Police witness accused of leaving crime scene unattended

Moonshot pact ‘not just anti-ANC’

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said the moonshot pact is not just an anti-African National Congress (ANC) project but an initiative to find solutions to the urgent problems in South Africa.

Steenhuisen announced a plan in early 2023 to gather all like-minded opposition parties in the country to form a coalition that would unseat the ANC from power in the 2024 general elections.

On Wednesday, seven political parties are expected to meet in Kempton Park for a convention to discuss terms of the moonshot pact and other issues on coalitions.

READ: Moonshot pact ‘not just anti-ANC project’, says DA’s Steenhuisen

Babita Deokaran murder

The case against six men accused of the murder of whistle-blower Babita Deokaran has been postponed to 22 August.

Phakamani Hadebe, Zitha Radebe, Nhlangano Ndlovu, Sanele Mbhele, Siphiwe Mazibuko and Siphakanyiswa Dladla made a brief appearance in the high court in Johannesburg on Tuesday to start their trial.  

They have been remanded in custody until their next appearance.

READ: Six men accused of killing Babita Deokaran likely to enter plea agreement and avoid trial

Zuma arms deal case

Former president Jacob Zuma has agreed to the state’s proposal to expedite his application for the removal of State Advocate Billy Downer from the arms deal corruption case.

Zuma’s lawyers and their state counterparts were expected to face off for arguments in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday, in a new application by Zuma to have Downer removed.

However, the Office of the Chief Justice cancelled the hearing to conduct a virtual case management meeting with all parties involved on the dates previously scheduled for the sitting.

READ: Zuma agrees to state’s proposal to expedite Downer removal matter in arms deal case

WhatsApp audio notes cybercrime

We’re living in the dawn of a new era, with technological advancements woven into the fabric of nearly every aspect of human life, such as WhatsApp voice notes.

It is a nifty little feature adding convenience to our lives by enabling quick and personalised communication on-the-go or while multitasking.

However, a new form of cyber threat has now emerged, harnessing generative artificial intelligence to clone voices.

And all it takes is a one-minute recording, and deep fake technology will do the rest – creating incredibly convincing imitations.

READ: Voice cloning: WhatsApp audio notes a 1-minute doorway to cybercrime?

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In other news today:

• Bible among items stolen in Mpumalanga house robbery
• Brics in Soweto: township economy dialogue launched
• Zama zama arrested after shootout with police in Riverlea
• Marike de Klerk’s killer to be freed on parole
• Pensioner scoops nearly R50 million PowerBall jackpot

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Yesterday’s Daily News recap

READ: Gordhan vs Malatji, Gerhard Ackerman sentenced, Zuma’s arms deal