Let’s wrap up some of the top stories happening in South Africa this week.
NTHABISENG NHLAPO’S SON TAKEN TO A PLACE OF SAFETY AFTER VIDEO OF HER ABUSING THE 1-YEAR-OLD WENT VIRAL
Nthabiseng Nhlapo, the mother of the 1-year-old boy who was shown being battered by her in a video, has taken him to a place of safety.
After a video of Nhlapo striking her toddler went viral on social media, she made two court appearances: one on Monday and one on Thursday.
The event was reported to the police by the child’s father.
Mbali Hlope, the Gauteng department head for social development, agriculture, and rural development, said they would consult with Nhlapo’s family to determine the best course of action.
THABO BESTER AND DR NANDIPHA MAGUDUMANA COMPLAIN ABOUT TREATMENT FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES
The couple appeared in court this week, where their lawyers told the court of their mistreatment in prison.
Thabo Bester’s lawyer says his client remains cuffed while inside his cell for 23 hours a day.
Dr. Nandipha Magudumana’s lawyer says her client was mistreated when she was transported from the Bizzah Makhate correctional services in Kroonstad to court in Bloemfontein on Tuesday morning.
Furthermore, Bester’s lawyer says the client reported a R350 000 wedding ring, cellphone, watches, and Zambian currency missing when he arrived at Lanseria airport following his arrest in Tanzania in April.
The two appeared alongside 10 accused in the Bester prison escape.
The case has been postponed to 11 October 2023.
MORE THAN 40 ILLEGAL MINERS ARRESTED IN THE WEST OF JOHANNESBURG
During Operation Shanela, police in Johannesburg’s west have detained over 45 unlicensed miners.
A collaborative law enforcement team under the direction of Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, Commissioner of Gauteng, conducted Operation Shanela in the Jerusalem informal settlement.
Tonnes of petrol cylinders, generators and booze have been recovered in the operation in Jerusalem.
Foreigners without legal status are among those detained, according to Mawela.
NEW ONLINE PLATFORM FOR PROTECTION ORDERS GETS GREEN LIGHT
Government is piloting a system in a number of provinces that will enable victims of domestic violence to apply for protection orders online.
“The violence perpetrated by men against women and girls is an assault on our common humanity. Women do not feel safe in their homes, on the street, in places of work and study and worship,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday.
The President made these remarks during his keynote address at the commemoration of Women’s Day at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
He told South Africans that government has responded to the call for tougher bail conditions for perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV).
“Effective from earlier this month, no police bail may be granted to persons charged with rape or if the victim was in a domestic relationship with the perpetrator. Such bail applications must be formally applied for in court. If the accused was in a domestic relationship with the alleged victim, the court has to issue a protection order against them before releasing them on bail.
“Also effective from earlier this month, gang or serial rapists face life imprisonment, as do perpetrators of date rape, marital rape, child rape and incest,” the President said.
In addition, as of earlier this month, gang or serial rapists face life imprisonment, as do perpetrators of date rape, marital rape, child rape and incest.
TAXI STRIKE IN CAPE TOWN CALLED OFF
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has ended the minibus taxi drivers’ strike after more than a week of unrest.
Santaco, a taxi association, claims to have resolved a dispute with the government.
They will utilise the following 14 days to work towards the release of any vehicles they believe have been wrongfully seized, according to the statement.
NO PRISON TIME FOR JACOB ZUMA
Jacob Zuma, a former president, is now a free man. After turning himself in at the Escourt prison earlier this morning, he was granted a special release.
This comes after the Constitutional Court dismissed Zuma’s bid to overturn the Supreme Court of Appeal’s finding that his release from prison was unlawful.
Zuma only served two months of the 15-month jail term before his release on medical parole by then Correctional Services Commissioner Arthur Fraser.
The Department of Correctional Services said that he was one of thousands of inmates who had been granted such a remission in a bid to alleviate overcrowding in prisons.
This means the former president will not be serving the remainder of his sentence.
CHILD RAPIST NTOKOZO ZIKHALI SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
Ntokozo Zikhali, a child rapist, was given a life sentence for kidnapping and raping a 9-year-old girl.
Only a few days have passed since his innocence in the murder of 4-year-old Bokabo Poo was established.
Ian Cox, the case’s acting judge, claimed that the state had not offered any supporting documentation.
Zikhali was charged with Poo’s gruesome murder after his dismembered body was found in a Wattville veld last year.
GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES SOLAR AND INVERTER LOAN SCHEME
The National Treasury has launched the Energy Bounce Back Loan Guarantee Scheme (EBB), an initiative aimed at alleviating the impact of continuing difficulties resulting from unreliable power supply for small businesses and households.
The EBB aims to generate 1000MW in additional generation capacity as well as facilitate resilience to loadshedding for micro and informal businesses. Resilience measures include power storage assets without generating capacity, like batteries and inverters. The EBB is a complementary intervention to the tax measures announced in the 2023 Budget Speech. Applicants may therefore apply for both tax and EBB measures.
TSHWANE MUNICIPALITY FIRES 93 EMPLOYEES INVOLVED IN STRIKE
The Tshwane municipality fired 38 of its employees who took part in a strike after weeks of a walkout by municipal workers.
The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) has been holding rallies across the nation’s capital city since last month.
As a result of the intimidation of its employees, the city has had to halt many of its services and close some of its clinics.
According to a statement made public on Monday by City of Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink, the labour court has not provided any protection for the workers’ right to strike.
2024 MEDICAL AID RATES INCREASE BY OVER 5%
The 2024 medical aid rates have increased by more than 5%, according to the Council for Medical Scheme (CMS).The COVID-19 pandemic’s effects are still being felt by the medical systems.
Mondi Govuzela, a senior manager in charge of benefit management at CMS, is concerned about the decline in medical programme enrollment.
According to Govuzela, the industry is also being badly impacted by the ongoing increase in private healthcare expenditures.
MULTICHOICE STOPS DSTV SERVICE IN MALAWI
After Malawi’s government was successful in rejecting MultiChoice’s most recent price rises, the company immediately discontinued providing DStv services in Malawi.
The judgement comes in response to a high court decision prohibiting the broadcaster from implementing further price rises for the country’s DStv service. This comes after Malawian regulators rejected the most recent pricing increases proposed by DStv. The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) was granted a temporary injunction by the High Court of the nation at the end of July.
Share your thoughts on this article and join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook.
