Daily news update: Alleged Parliament arsonist’s bail application, Patrick Shai’s funeral, Komani Town Hall fire

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Daily news update 30 January

Parliament fire accused Zandile Mafe’s bail application postponed to Friday

Zandile Mafe, the alleged Parliament arsonist, will know on Friday whether his bail application is successful.

On Saturday, Mafe’s hearing at the Cape Town Regional Court was suspended.

State Prosecutor Mervyn Menigo said that Mafe had admitted to setting Parliament alight. Menigo said he did it because he wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign and he also wanted Chris Hani’s killer Janusz Walus to be released from prison.

Defence advocate Dali Mpofu, however, said that information had not been authenticated and accused the state of wanting to create sensation.

Patrick Shai struggled with suicide ideation for a while

Veteran actor Patrick Shai was laid to rest on Saturday at a heavily attended funeral in Soweto.  

Fellow actors Sello Maake-ka Ncube and Nakedi Ribane served as the joined masters of ceremonies and saw to it that proceedings at the Soweto Theatre ran smoothly. 

People such as Zwelinzima Vavi, actor Motlatsi Mafatshe and Israel Matseke-Zulu were in attendance.

Due to the fact that his passing happened shortly after he challenged Cassper Nyovest to a boxing match and insulted his mother in a highly talked-about video, many have attributed his death (and the fact that he took his own life) to the backlash he received on social media thereafter. 

However, numerous speakers at his funeral shared that Patrick Shai had privately battled suicide ideation for a prolonged period of time.

Police investigating after Komani Town Hall gutted by fire

Eastern Cape police have opened an inquiry after the Komani Town Hall, which houses the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, caught fire on Friday night.

“Saps members were patrolling the area when they noticed smoke coming out of the building, they went to investigate and they found municipal offices and the hall on fire. Firefighters were immediately called to extinguish the blaze but at that time extensive damage had already been incurred,” said police spokesperson Thembinkosi Kinana.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Kinana said that police had not made any arrests yet.

No injures were reported, he added.

Speaker of Amajuba District council murdered outside home in KZN

Reginald Ndima, the Speaker of the Amajuba District Council, was shot dead outside his home in Newcastle, in KwaZulu-Natal, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

By the time Ndima arrived at the hospital, he had succumbed to his wounds.

Ndima, an Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) member, was elected speaker of the council at the end of November after the local government elections.

‘Clear political influence from ANC’, says Sanef after SABC News boss sacking

The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) has expressed concern over “political interference” at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

The SABC on Friday confirmed the sacking of its group executive of news and current affairs, Phathiswa Magopeni with immediate effect.

The announcement came after Magopeni was found guilty of misconduct last month for failing to stop the broadcast of an interdicted episode of the SABC’s current affairs programme, Special Assignment. 

Sanef said that it was saddened by Magopeni’s axing, and suggested that the SABC’s decision was politically motivated.

Driver’s licence card printing machine returns from Germany as production resumes

Motorists affected by the breakdown in the driving licence card production machine will have to remain patient for a bit longer before they get an idea of how long it will take before they receive their cards.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula tweeted on Wednesday during a visit to the Driving Licence Card Authority (DLCA) offices in Pretoria that the broken driving licence card producing machine is fixed and back in operation.

However, the DLCA is remaining tight-lipped about the extent of the driving licence card production backlog and how long it will take to get rid of.