Photo: iStock/The Citizen/Cheryl Kahla
In today’s news, EFF members – including leader Julius Malema – are ordered to apologise for disrupting the 2023 Sona, an Eastern Cape gunman kills three pupils and injures a fourth, and police recovering R100 million in counterfeit goods as well as seizing 30 vehicles in Belville.
We also look at the fire at Springfield Park China Mall, the rape of a Grade 12 learner right before Matric exams, the recovery of an unidentified body under the N1 bridge in Klip River, how there have been fewer than five cases of bird flu in November, but the price of eggs could still go up and the Hawks briefing Parliament about their 33 State Capture arrests.
Six Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members, including Julius Malema, have been ordered to apologise to President Cyril Ramaphosa over the 2023 State of the Nation Address (Sona) incident where they stormed the stage during Ramaphosa’s address.
The order is with reference to the 9 February incident, when Julius Malema, Floyd Shivambu, Marshall Dlamini, Sinawo Tambo, Vuyani Pambo, and Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi jumped on the stage at the Cape Town City Hall, where Ramaphosa was giving the speech, despite National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s order for them to leave the chamber.
The Eastern Cape has lost four pupils to shootings in just over a week, and the motive for the murders is yet to be established.
In the latest incident, three pupils were shot dead, while one was critically injured after a gunman opened fire on them while they were studying together in Mdantsane on Sunday evening.
Police recovered fake clothing, watches, perfume and other items valued in total at R100 million, and seized 30 vehicles, during an operation in Belville on Wednesday morning.
Spokesperson, Colonel Andrè Traut said this follows efforts by police in the Western Cape to clamp down on the illegal trade of counterfeit goods in the province, and entire truckloads were confiscated during the integrated operation.
FIREFIGHTERS from the eThekwini Fire Department are still at the Springfield Park China Mall where a fire broke out at about 01:00 this morning (Wednesday).
Bheki Hadebe, division commander for the eThekwini Fire Department, told Northglen News at 07:20 that the fire had been contained.
The Free State police are on a hunt for an unknown motorist after a Grade 12 learner was kidnapped and raped in Welkom.
The matric learner, 18, was accompanied by her mother’s cousin on October 13 at around 3.15pm to wait for a taxi outside Reitzpark Primary School in Welkom.
Joburg search and rescue teams have recovered the body of an unidentified woman under the N1 bridge in the Klip River.
The body was recovered just before 12pm on Wednesday.
The SA Poultry Association (Sapa) says the peak of the avian flu pandemic appears to have passed, but its effects will be long felt.
More than 50 outbreaks of two strains of avian flu (HPAI H7 and 10 HPAI H5) have so far been reported, with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development calculating the loss of around 1.4 million chickens by 21 September. By early October, around 2.7 million chickens had been culled.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) have made 33 arrests from the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture.
The Hawks briefed parliament on progress made since the last state capture report was handed over to President Cyril Ramaphosa last year.
Managed by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), the Department of Social Development‘s R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant is in its third cycle, helping more than 7.5 million eligible South Africans since May 2020.
In his Medium-Term Budget Speech (MTBPS) at the beginning of November, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that National Treasury had allocated an additional R34 billion to aid the continuation of the programme for another year.
As the country prepares for 16 days of activism for no violence against women and children, gender-based violence activists have called the sentence handed to Orlando Pirates player Thembinkosi Lorch an insult.
Lorch was on Tuesday handed a suspended jail sentence and fined R100 000 for assaulting his girlfriend, Fundiswa Mathithibala. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said Lorch’s sentence was suspended for five years on condition he is not found guilty of committing a similar offence during the period.
Gripping footage of an enormous Cape cobra “teeing off” with a menacing slither before lunging over a marker at Melkbosstrand’s Atlantic Beach Golf Club, caused quite a stir when it was recently shared online.
The terrifying yet fascinating sight of one of the deadliest snakes on the African continent and his nemesis locked in battle on the very same golf course is captured in a second video along with the petrified cameraman’s reaction…
The defence in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has argued one of the accused was assaulted by the police until he “soiled” himself shortly after his arrest.
Sergeant Bathobakae Mogola was cross-examined by the defence in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Moja Love has confirmed the passing of Sthembele Gaju, who was popularly known as Gogo Mathambo.
According to the channel, Gogo Mathambo passed away after a short illness.
After the shock ambiguous announcement last week that he was assumedly quitting weed, US rapper Snoop Dogg had the last laugh when he shared that he was actually speaking about a new smokeless product, not giving up smoking marijuana.
“I have an announcement, I’m giving up smoke. I know what you thinking, ‘Snoop, smoke is kind of your whole thing but I’m done with it. I’m done with the coughing, with my clothes smelling all sticky icky, I’m going smokeless. Solo stove pit fire, they take out the smoke,” said Snoop Dogg, real name Calvin Broadus Jr, in the new advert.
Restaurant Week South Africa is held every year during autumn and spring.
During these periods, customers get to enjoy a 3-course dinner or 2-course lunch at very affordable prices at some of South Africa’s best restaurants, which are often not affordable to dine at under normal circumstances.
Orlando Pirates have issued an official statement on Thembinkosi Lorch following the court’s sentencing on his assault charge.
Lorch was this week, handed a three-year direct imprisonment sentence – suspended for five years – and a R100 000 fine after he was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
Former SA Open champion Christiaan Bezuidenhout is hoping familiar surroundings will help him get over a lean patch when he tees it up at the Joburg Open at Houghton Golf Club on Thursday.
Bezuidenhout was the talk of the town a few years ago when in good stretch from late 2019 and through 2020 he won three times on the DP World Tour, capturing the Andalucia Masters, the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the SA Open.
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