Daily news update: Joburg Mayor’s no-show, croc attack & Sisulu on US ambassador

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

Daily news update: 14 May 2023

‘US ambassador ought to be expelled’, says Sisulu as Dirco insists there’s no evidence

Former Cabinet minister Lindiwe Sisulu says US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety should have been expelled for his claims that the country sold arms to Russia.

This follows the explosives claim by Brigety that his government was “confident” South Africa supplied arms to Russia when the cargo ship, Lady R, docked at Simon’s Town naval base.

Read the full story here

SA’s own Crocodile Dundee: Gutsy guide recounts underwater fight with croc

Having kept his wits about him, well-known and experienced trail guide Mark Montgomery narrowly escaped the jaws of a crocodile estimated to be 3.5m long on a recent Kruger Trail outing.

The attack in which the crocodile snatched him by his right hand and wrist, was a first for Montgomery who has no shortage in experience when it comes to encounters with animals.

Montgomery, a special knowledge and skills (dangerous animals) guide of the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA), has been a trail guide since 1998.

Read the full story here

Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda no-show at press briefing

Newly-appointed Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda failed to attend a media briefing intended to set the record straight about the fraud allegations surrounding him

In a clip by Kaya FM, Al Jama-Ah party representative Imraan Moosa explained that Gwamanda’s personal security guards were unavailable.

“Somebody just informed me that his protectors are unavailable this [Saturday] morning, and there are some security risks,” said Moosa.

Read more here

Cargo was unloaded, not loaded, from ‘Lady R’ in Simon’s Town – expert

As American anger over alleged South African arms exports to Russia threatens to badly hurt SA’s economy, there is still no clarity on what was loaded, or unloaded, from the Russian cargo ship at the centre of the controversy.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said SA categorically denied there had been any government-authorised sales of weapons to Russia. But she also left open the possibility that any such shipment may have been illegal.

“There is no official authorisation for weapons to be sold to Russia and Ukraine. Whether weapons were loaded or not; that’s another matter. There is no authorisation and if the weapons were loaded in the vessel, the inquiry will determine that.

Read the full story here