News today: Zuma, ‘debt-check’ road blocks, Mkhwebane vote criticism, Tshwane job cuts

News today includes Zuma suffering a second court loss less than 24 hours after the Gauteng High Court dismissed his application with costs in a unanimous judgment.

Meanwhile, Supra Mahumapelo clapped at criticism over him toeing the party line and voting for the removal of advocate Busiswe Mkhwebane. 

News Today: 13 September

In today’s weather update, a weather alert was issued for damaging winds along the eastern coast. Other parts are at risk of fire and damaging winds. Full weather forecast here.

Oh, also… Eskom slapped South Africa with stage 5 and 6 load shedding.

Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way.

Zuma’s second loss

The Presidency has welcomed the dismissal of former President Jacob Zuma‘s leave to appeal the setting aside of his private prosecution of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Zuma suffered a second court loss on Tuesday,  less than 24 hours after the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg dismissed his application with costs in a unanimous judgment.

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said: “As we have always maintained from the onset, the private prosecution had no basis in law and constituted an abuse of private prosecution provisions.”

CONTINUE: ‘Zuma private prosecution had no basis in law’ – Ramaphosa

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Mahumapelo claps over Mkhwebane vote

The ANC’s Supra Mahumapelo has clapped at criticism over him toeing the party line and voting for the removal of advocate Busiswe Mkhwebane. 

Mahumapelo was among the 318 MPs who voted in favour of Section 194 committee report to remove Mkhwebane. 

He received applause from many at Cape Town City Hall when he said “yes”. 

CONTINUE: ‘I owe you no accountability’: Mahumapelo claps back at Niehaus over Mkhwebane vote

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City of Tshwane workers’ dismissal

Seven City of Tshwane employees face the axe from their jobs amid a prolonged dispute between the metropolitan municipality and municipal workers over salary increases.

The city served the workers, whom it accused of being strike “instigators”, with intended letters of dismissal on Tuesday morning.

This after the workers allegedly prevented buses from resuming operations, suspended for more than a month due to the wage dispute.

CONTINUE: City of Tshwane workers face dismissal over disrupting bus services amid strike

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City of Joburg defends debt-check at roadblocks

The City of Johannesburg has defended collecting unpaid rates and service bills from motorists at roadblocks.

The city council joined the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) at roadblocks over the weekend to collect outstanding municipal debt owed by residents. 

At the roadblocks, residents with overdue municipal bills were made to pay or arrange to settle the outstanding amounts.

CONTINUE: ‘We were not forcing ourselves on people’: City of Joburg defends debt-check at roadblocks

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Hunt for slumlords

Four men believed to be the masterminds behind a number of hijacked buildings in the Johannesburg CBD have been taken in for questioning.

The men were found during an Operation Shanela raid in Vanderbijlpark, in the Sedibeng district on 9 September.

Police spokesperson, Brigadier Brenda Muridili told the media via an official statement that police had stormed into a building in the area, where they found the four men.

CONTINUE: Hunt for slumlords: Four suspected building hijackers held for questioning

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In other news today:

• Snow in some parts of KZN
• Gordhan will not be ‘bullied’ into rushing sale of Mango
• EFF reserves right to legally challenge Mkhwebane’s removal
• Senzo Meyiwa trial postponed to allow accused to be examined by doctor
• Buthelezi died of a ‘heartbreak’ because of his estranged relationship with Misuzulu – daughter

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Yesterday’s News recap

READ: ‘Flight risk’ Nandipha, police errors, Meyiwa trial ‘discrepancies’