News today: Census 2022, egg donations, Senzo Meyiwa trial, woman axed, and more

News today includes DNA evidence failed to link the five men accused of Senzo Meyiwa’s murder to the crime scene, and a young woman’s life was cut short when she was murdered on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the results of the Census 2022 showing that 62 million people live in South Africa, and Constitutional Court has declared a certain section of the Divorce Act unconstitutional.

News Today: 11 October

In today’s weather update, the weather service has warned about the possibility of severe thunderstorms resulting in localised damage to informal houses’ roofs over an open area and structural damage to homes and car ports in two provinces.

Here’s what you need to know.

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

DNA evidence fails to link five accused to crime scene

DNA evidence has failed to link the five men accused of Senzo Meyiwa’s murder to the crime scene, the court heard on Tuesday.

Forensic analyst Mmampshedi Masetla took the stand again on Tuesday, where he testified about the DNA samples taken from Kelly Khumalo’s house in Vosloorus, where Meyiwa was shot dead.

Although previous witnesses testified one of the suspects was wearing a scotch hat, which fell during a scuffle, DNA evidence on Tuesday suggested the suspect was not one of the five accused.

CONTINUE: Senzo Meyiwa trial: DNA evidence fails to link five accused to crime scene

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62 million people now live in SA

The results of the Census 2022 shows that 62 million people live in South Africa, with most of them living in Gauteng where 15 million people were counted.

The Northern Cape had the smallest population at 1.3 million, while the Western Cape moved from being the fifth-largest province in terms of population size in 1996 to the third largest in 2022.

Statistician-General, Risenga Maluleke, handed the results of Census 2022 to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday at a ceremony at the Union Buildings.

CONTINUE: Census 2022: 62 million people now live in SA

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Woman axed to death on her 21st birthday

A young woman’s life was cut short when she was murdered on Saturday, allegedly by a man who tormented her since grade eight.

Carmen Gouwers was murdered on her 21st birthday in a brutal attack. She was allegedly struck on her head, arm, and back with an axe until she was blue and later raped.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg told The Citizen, they were investigating a case of murder.

CONTINUE: ‘Her mother keeps calling her name’- Woman axed to death on her 21st birthday

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Section of Divorce Act unconstitutional

The Constitutional Court has declared a certain section of the Divorce Act unconstitutional.

The apex court handed down judgment on Tuesday, upholding a previous ruling from the High Court in Pretoria that found Section 7(3) of the act was unconstitutional.

The court ruled that Section 7(3) of the Divorce Act creates a “differentiation between marriages concluded out of community of property that are terminated by divorce and by death on the other.”

CONTINUE: ConCourt declares section of Divorce Act unconstitutional

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Egg donations save baker’s business

Three years after Davy Tsopo lost his job amid the Covid-19 pandemic, he again feared the worst when the avian flu outbreak threatened to shut down his business.

Cakey by Davy was established by Tsopo after the former dishwasher turned to baking during the lockdown as a way to raise money to feed his family, including a newborn.

His journey from the restaurant’s kitchen sink to owning his own successful baking business inspired the nation several years ago but was almost undone by eggs shortages from the avian flu.

CONTINUE: ‘Baking is my future’ – Egg donations save cleaner-turned-baker’s business

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In other news today:

• Depressed SA: Mental illness costing the nation around R161bn a year
• Woman kidnapped during hectic CIT heist found
• Rand Water can restrict areas using too much water – here’s what happens if they do
• TikTok ‘doctor’ goes AWOL: 6 things you should know about Matthew Lani
• ‘The law must take its course’: Reeva Steenkamp’s family reacts to Oscar Pistorius’ parole eligibility

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Yesterday’s News recap

READ: ‘Dr Matthew Lani’ saga, Israel-Hamas conflict, Oscar Pistorius parole