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Daily news update: Thabo Bester in court | South Africans linked to Isis | Prasa reinstates fired CEO
Here’s your morning news update: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories.
Photo: iStock/The Citizen/Cheryl Kahla
In today’s news, the judge said Thabo Bester’s lawyer was leading the court in circles by asking for more time with the accused despite this already being provided, two South Africans have been sanctioned by the United States for allegedly helping expand Isis, and Prasa has reinstated fired CEO Zolani Matthews after a court ruling.
Also, construction at the Lesotho Highlands Water Project is set to be concluded in 2028, and Springbok centre Andre Esterhuizen has been banned for four matches for his dangerous tackle in the Test against Portugal.
News today: 25 July 2024
Thabo Bester: ‘We’re going around in circles,’ says judge
The convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester and his eight co-accused appeared in the Free State High Court for a pre-trial hearing in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
He was represented in court by new legal counsel after his previous lawyer, Mohamed Seedat, withdrew from the case due to difficulties in consulting with Bester and the financial burden involved.
US sanctions three, including two based in SA, for expanding Isis in Africa
The United States (US) government has imposed sanctions on three individuals – two of whom are based in South Africa – accused of expanding Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) activities in Africa.
The US Department of State said the three individuals are key financiers and enablers of Isis activities across central, eastern, and southern Africa.
Prasa reinstates fired CEO Zolani Matthews after Labour Court ruling
Zolani Matthews has been reinstated as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).
Prasa fired Matthews in November 2021, after eight months on the job, for a failure to disclose he also held UK citizenship and thus could not obtain top security clearance.
Water shortages: R100bn being spent but Gauteng will have to wait till 2028 for more relief
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is working on meeting the rapidly increasing demand for water in a country scarce on the resource.
Dormant water projects have been kickstarted in recent years after infrastructural upgrades suffered massive delays, sometimes up to a decade.
Senzo Meyiwa trial: State accused of fabricating data to frame Kelly Khumalo
The defence in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has poked holes in the state’s case as evidence showed that one of the accused, Mthobisi ‘Carlos’ Mncube, was in Johannesburg’s central business district (CBD) when the former Bafana Bafana captain was fatally shot.
Mncube’s cellphone records continued to be dissected by the defence on Wednesday in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, where five men are on trial for the murder of Meyiwa.
WATCH: Vuyo Dabula makes an epic screen comeback with ‘The Butcher’s Soul’
Actor Vuyo Dabula has made an epic comeback with a new role in Showmax’s highly anticipated film, The Butcher’s Soul.
After being shot in 2022, the thespian took a break to focus on his recovery.
Makhadzi documentary piques broadcasters’ interest in reality TV show
Following the announcement of an upcoming documentary about Makhadzi, the BET award-winning music artist has received calls from broadcasters to create her own reality TV show.
“The documentary is about her arrival in the country from the US, the three-day tour that took place in the province of Limpopo and her hometown performance at Mashamba Village,” Makhadzi’s manager Lucky Tshilimandila told The Citizen.
Bok centre Andre Esterhuizen cops lengthy ban
Springbok centre Andre Esterhuizen has been banned for four matches, following his dangerous tackle, that included head on head contact, during last Saturday’s one-off Test against Portugal in Bloemfontein.
Esterhuizen was initially yellow carded for the second minute tackle on Jose Lima, which forced the Portuguese player off the field with concussion, but following a review by the touchline officials, the card was upgraded to a red.
Memorable moments: A history of South Africa at the Olympic Games
South Africa has a spotted and storied history at the Olympics that goes back 120 years.
Most of the country’s population was not represented at the quadrennial showpiece until the early Nineties, and the consequences of Apartheid rule resulted in the nation missing out on seven editions of the Games.
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