Let’s wrap up some of the top stories happening in South Africa this week.
MAGUDUMANA CLAIMS BESTER FORCED HER TO LEAVE SA , BAIL APPLICATION POSTPONED
Dr. Nandipha Magudumana will make another court appearance next week, on 4 September 2023.
This came after her attempt to obtain bail at the Bloemfontein Magistrate court on Wednesday was delayed.
Magudumana is one of those accused of helping rapist and murderer Thabo Bester escape in May 2022.
In April, she and Thabo Bester were both taken into custody in Arusha, Tanzania.
Magudumana said in court on Tuesday that she did not leave the nation with her lover Bester “voluntarily,” but rather as a result of pressure and threats from the convicted rapist and killer.
“I was defenceless, helpless and with no one to report to. I complied with his instructions and was taken out of the country against my will. At all material times, I had no control over the situation because I was scared of the threats,” she told the court on Tuesday.
“I did not voluntarily depart from the Republic of South Africa as I was threatened. I had no reason to leave the Republic of South Africa.”
ACE MAGUSHULE LAUNCHES HIS OWN POLITICAL PARTY
Ace Magashule, a former ANC secretary general, has launched his own political party, the African Congress for Transformation (ACT).
After being found guilty of violating ANC policies and the party’s constitution, Magushule was expelled from the organisation.
At a news conference held at Soweto’s Vilakazi Street, which was once home to both Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, he declared the founding of the ACT.
Several former ANC members are now part of the new party. Former controversial Hawks chairman Berning Ntlemeza, who is a member of the new party, was present at the ACT launch on Wednesday.
JOHANNESBURG CDB FIRE CLAIMS THE LIVES OF OVER 70 PEOPLE
The death toll continues to climb in the aftermath of a devastating fire that consumed a five-story building in Marshalltown, Johannesburg on Thursday. Emergency responders have been tirelessly engaged at the scene. Tragically, the fire has claimed the lives of over 70 people, including 13 children, and more than 45 people have been transported to various hospitals for treatment.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the site on Thursday and provided assurance that the government will aid those who have been displaced due to the fire in Johannesburg’s CBD.
The origin of the blaze in the hijacked building remains unknown.
ANOTHER TREMOR HITS PARTS OF JOBURG
On Wednesday night, another tremor hit parts of Johannesburg including Roodepoort in the West Rand and Soweto.
The South African National Seismograph Network recorded a preliminary local magnitude of about 2.7, which was corroborated by the Council for Geoscience.
Neither injuries nor damage were reported. In the past few months, Johannesburg has experienced numerous tremors, which have been attributed in part to reports of illicit mining.
NSFAS CITES TECHNICAL ERRORS FOR DELAYED STUDENT ALLOWANCE PAYMENTS
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) failed to pay university students their allowances on Thursday, revealing it was due to a technical glitch.
The financial aid programme announced in a statement Thursday night that it will pay students’ allowances on Friday via its direct payment mechanism.
Beneficiaries of the NSFAS were looking forward to receiving their living, incidental, and travel allowances.
FOUR PARTIES DECLARE R58 MILLION IN FUNDING TO IEC FOR Q1 2023/2024
IEC’s Q1 Political Party Funding Disclosure Report (2023/2024) was issued Thursday, covering April 1 to June 30, 2023. DA, ANC, ActionSA, and Build One SA declared a combined R58 million, with DA leading at R22,901,161.09, ANC at R20,000,000, and ActionSA at R12,164,160.00.
Build One SA declared R2,000,000 and a late R1,300,000. DA’s top donation was R15,000,000 from Fynbos Ekwiteit, while ANC got R15 million from Batho Batho Trust and R5 million from Chancellor House.
ActionSA received 60% of its donation, R7.2 million, from Victoria Freudenheim.
BALLISTICS EXPERT LINKS BULLET FOUND AT SENZO MEYIWA CRIME SCENE TO ONE OF THE ACCUSED
Ballistics expert Christiaan Mangena testified in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial at the High Court in Pretoria. He stated that the bullet discovered at the crime scene matched the firearm confiscated from accused number three, Mthobisi Mncube, who had been arrested earlier for illegal firearm possession.
This arrest later led to Mncube’s conviction for the murder of a taxi association chairperson in Alexandra.
Police found a bullet magazine with various calibers of ammunition during Mncube’s arrest, which was then compared to the ammunition found at Meyiwa’s murder scene in July 2020.
SIYA KOLISI SHARES GAME DAY BIBLE VERSE AFTER SPRINGBOKS VICTORY
After the recent victory against the All Blacks, South Africans are still filled with pride. Captain Siya Kolisi shared the game-day scripture that aided his preparation for the significant match.
Kolisi’s Instagram post: Last weeks game day verse:
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”
The Springboks are gearing up for the 2023 Rugby World Cup slated for September.
STAGE 4 LOAD-SHEDDING EXTENDED UNTIL SUNDAY
Eskom has announced that Stage 4 load-shedding will remain in effect until Sunday as they strive to enhance their power capacity. The power utility clarified that this measure is necessary to recover emergency generation reserves and perform essential generation maintenance for the upcoming week.
Eskom predicts a downgrade to Stage 2 load-shedding from 5am to 4pm on Sunday. The decision to implement the higher stage was made due to power loss from three generating units on the previous evening.
EFF IN TSHWANE DISRUPTS COUNCIL MEETING, DEMANDS REINSTATEMENT OF OVER 100 SAMWU WORKERS
The EFF branch in Tshwane caused disruption during a council meeting on Thursday, advocating for the rehiring of more than 100 SAMWU members who had been terminated.
These workers were dismissed for their participation in an unsanctioned strike organized by SAMWU-affiliated members.
Tensions escalated as Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink accused the EFF of engaging in violent and criminal activities. The city has been embroiled in a labor dispute with the union over its refusal to fulfill agreed-upon salary increases.
Brink justified the city’s stance by citing financial constraints that hinder any pay hikes. The EFF is committed to ensuring the reinstatement of the dismissed workers.
Share your thoughts on this article and join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook.
