Daily news update: SA mourns Mpho Moerane, sexual assault allegations at UCT and Mkhwebane in court

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Daily news update 19 May

Former Joburg mayor Mpho Moerane passes away

The former mayor of Johannesburg Mpho Moerane has passed away.

Family spokesperson Mike Maile made the announcement during an urgent media briefing outside the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

“The Moerane family is extremely saddened over the untimely passing of their son and father Mpho Moerane following his involvement in a car accident. Comrade Mpho was admitted at the intensive care unit section of this hospital were he received maximum expert medical treatment, support and care around the clock for injuries he sustained.”

WATCH: Police investigating after teachers caught beating children at Pretoria crèche

Police are investigating two Pretoria teachers who were seemingly caught on camera beating children at Darwin’s Educational Playground Aftercare crèche in Pretoria.

Camera footage show the teachers, a mother and her daughter, manhandling and beating toddlers at the crèche in Pretoria Gardens.

According to a report in local community paper Pretoria Rekord, the crèche is owned by two sisters, Lizelle Guida Zimmermann and Lucinda Correia, who also teach at the school.

Their mother, Anna Peyper Correia, is also involved as a teacher.

UCT probing sexual assault allegations against professor

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has launched an investigation into the sexual assault of a student, allegedly by a professor at the university.

This after a student accused a UCT professor of raping her on the university premises.

“I reported this to UCT and for months they failed to act/suspend rapist. UCT has instructed me to not report the matter and keep it ‘internal’. I received threats from rapist. I’m in witness protection,” tweeted the student on Wednesday.

She further alleged the university funded the alleged perpetrator’s legal fees.

Abramjee’s leaked SMS meant to influence Mkhwebane’s interdict outcome, Mpofu tells court

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s lawyer, advocate Dali Mpofu on Wednesday defended the Public Protector’s latest application to reverse the rescission judgment against her, taking a dig at the “so-called Stalingrad police” who claim that this application was a delaying tactic.

The interdict hearing resumed in court on Wednesday in her bid to halt Parliament’s impeachment process against her.

The matter was back at the Western Cape High Court after it was postponed on 26 April due to an alleged leak in connection to Mkhwebane’s rescission application.

Watch: Gauteng traffic cop charged with attempted murder after shooting motorist

A Gauteng Traffic Police officer has been suspended after he was caught on camera assaulting a citizen.

A video which circulated on social media shows the officer in Gauteng Traffic Police uniform dragging and stepping on a man’s head while he was lying injured on the road.

In the two-minute clip, the officer can be heard shouting “stay down you are under arrest” during the incident that took place in the East Rand almost three weeks ago.

It is alleged that the officer – who was armed – confronted the motorist because his car was not parked properly.

Inflation remains at 5.9% in April, with food and transport costs causing concern

Inflation remained at 5.9% in April, the same as in March, but 0,6% higher compared to April in 2021, with the annual inflation rate for goods at 8,5%, down from 8,7% in March and 3,5% for services, up from 3,4% in March.

According to Statistics SA, this was the third time that the inflation rate came so close to the upper target for inflation of 6% required by the Reserve Bank. The last time the inflation rate breached 6% was in 2017.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank meets tomorrow to decide on an interest rate hike to keep inflation down.

Ntshavheni, Ndabeni-Abrahams ‘parasites’ for spending R3 million on hotels, say EFF

The EFF says it’s “appalled and disgusted” by the revelation that the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies spent a staggering R15 million on accommodation, in just three years, for the department’s two ministers, their deputies, and staff.

This after a parliamentary response from the department’s acting director-general (DG), Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyani, revealed that Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and her predecessor, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, had spent a total of R15,345,562.86 on accommodation since May 2019.

Of this amount, R3,615,001.95 was spent on Ndabeni-Abrahams and Ntshavheni’s accommodation from May 2019 to May 2022.   

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