Sources indicated it was a ‘show of force’ rather than a coup.
Both Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s famous ‘blue house’ and the Zimbabwean Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has been sealed off by heavily armed military personnel, Khuluma Afrika is reporting.
According to Reuters, Zanu-PF says it will not succumb to military pressure.
In a statement, the party said it stood by the “primacy of politics over the gun” and accused armed forces chief Constantino Chiwenga of trying to disturb the peace and stability of the impoverished southern African nation.
Cape Town – The investigation into how a Walter Sisulu University (WSU) student was incorrectly paid R14m and allegedly went on a spending spree for weeks before it was discovered, is still underway, university spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo said on Monday.
“We are still waiting for a report, so nothing has happened yet,” said Tukwayo.
This is after student Sibongile Mani was paid R14m in June for her monthly food allowance instead of the R1 400 she was entitled to.
Intellimali, the company which facilitated the payment on behalf of WSU and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), alleged that Mani did not report it to them, and it only came to light in August.
Mani reportedly went on a spending spree that included hair extensions and gifts for friends.
Intellimali quickly released a statement saying neither NSFAS nor the WSU had erred in any way and were not responsible for it. No student’s financial aid was affected either, it said.
The company reversed the funds, commissioned its own probe, and also asked the police to investigate the matter.
In a statement from Intellimali CEO Michael Ansell, the company said it paid R818 469.20 of its own funds to WSU to cover the loss of what the student allegedly spent.
Tukwayo said the university is still waiting for the outcome of Intellimali’s probe, and the police investigation.
“We heard that investigations are still going on, but nothing has happened yet,” said Tukwayo.
As far as the university was concerned, Mani would have to pay the money back.
However, Tukwayo said on Monday that since Intellimali had paid back the money Mani allegedly spent, the matter of recovering the money from the student now lay with Intellimali.
Comment from Intellimali and the police were not immediately available.
Johannesburg – A Revelation Church of God leader has condemned the violence that took place in Johannesburg on Sunday when congregants attacked a metro police officer.
However, Derrick Sibisi said that the unarmed congregants had been provoked.
Sibisi added that the matter could have been dealt with differently if it had received support from the mayor’s office, which congregants apparently wrote to a month ago.
The incident was captured on video and shared on social media.
The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officer and his colleague allegedly towed an illegally parked car, which belonged to a member of the church and which was causing traffic congestion.
However, after firing warning shots, he was disarmed, attacked and beaten unconscious.
The city identified the officer as Siphiwe Sebati.
Sibisi told News24 that the church did not condone what took place on Sunday morning, but added that things could have been different if they had received support from the office of the mayor in the City of Johannesburg.
“We wrote to the office of the mayor and the MMC [Michael Sun] a month ago to assist us to remove squatters who are illegally dwelling on the land that we have bought. They have not responded to us,” Sibisi said.
Sibisi added that the land would have been used for parking space and “to accommodate our 20 000 congregants who come to the church every Sunday and end up sitting outside”.
Sibisi said the church was alerted by a source on Friday that the JMPD was going to interrupt their church service on Sunday, apparently because they were a “nuisance church”.
He claimed that the congregants were provoked by the JMPD officer, adding that they were unarmed.
“The officer could have talked to the people instead of firing shots and telling us that we are telling him how to do his job. He fired the shots at his own risk. Our members wanted to disarm him, and you can see in the video that the other officers did not support him. The gun is what provoked our members,” he said.
News24 was unable to get in touch with representatives from the mayor’s office.
However, Sun said he did not recall receiving such a letter.
He said it was up to the church, as land owners, to apply for an interdict or a court order to remove the illegal squatters.
“It is difficult to accept this in response to the violence that they inflicted on the police officer… I have, since this morning, openly invited the church to do the correct thing and hand over the names of the criminals they are harbouring,” Sun said.
A suspect was arrested at the Johannesburg Central Police Station on Sunday after handing over the gun of the officer.
The person is expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The officer has since been discharged from Milpark Hospital.
Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba said in a statement that he was happy that the police had made an arrest.
“These were JMPD officers carrying out their lawful duties and serving the public. This wasn’t just an attack on the JMPD or Officer Sebati, but an attack on the rule of law within the city,” said Mashaba.
JMPD’s Wayne Minnaar condemned the attack on the officer, adding that he was merely doing his duty.
“We also condemn the removing of a firearm of a uniformed officer who is doing their work,” he said.
JOHANNESBURG – There’s been mixed reaction over a British school’s treatment of a 12-year-old Rastafarian boy’s hairstyle.
He was told to cut his hair or face suspension.
eNCA’s UK correspondent, Natalie Powell explains: “This is probably the first story that has come out in this way very publicly. Other children have faced similar things, but very often the parents will comply with these school uniforms regulations and cut the child’s hair. This is the first publicly outspoken parents.
“The response has been quite significant – a lot of people are quite shocked by this. On the hand, you’ve got those that say this is the school uniform policy. Interestingly, this regulation has only been introduced recently.”
The CEO and founder of natural hair products range, Afrobotanics says society needs to relook at traditions, particularly those around black hair.
Ntombenhle Kathwane was part of a discussion on the treatment of a Rastafarian schoolboy at a British School.
She says: “There are other things that have changed according to tradition, for instance, the way we disciplined our kids. Corporal punishment used to be a norm, used to be a tradition, it no longer is,
“When it comes to how black children look, it perpetuated a generation of racist young kids, not just black children who don’t feel good about themselves, but white kids who think that black kids are dirty. We still have schools that check if kids have lice in their hair because they have natural hair or braids. We need to embrace diversity as a tradition.”
JOHANNESBURG – Analysts say a proposed cost-sharing student loan model may hurt the taxpayer.
The fees commission report, released by President Jacob Zuma on Monday, has recommended that banks should make loans available to qualifying students with the state guaranteeing repayment.
“Unfortunately for taxpayers in general, this is probably a soft way of getting them to pay tertiary education. What will happen if students start to default? And you would see a large number of defaults.”
The Davis Tax Committee says government can use R15 billion more from taxpayers to pay for tertiary education, but it says this can only be used for the poorest students.
The committee has released its latest report looking at various aspects of tax administration.
It’s also found that government’s current proposals for National Health Insurance (NHI) are unlikely to be sustainable without economic growth.
The committee, headed by Judge Dennis Davis, sees no need for a major overhaul of the country’s oil and gas tax laws.
The Fees Commission of Inquiry into free higher education has recommended that billions be redirected from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF towards the Technical and Vocational Education sector.
It wants R50 billion to be ring-fenced for infrastructure development.
The commission says it’s aimed at ensuring these colleges are institutions of first choice.
According to professor Steve Koch of the University of Pretoria, “It’s not practical at all to tap into pension and unemployment funds…Those funds have been contributed to by people that expect to draw on those funds, tapping into funds is not wise.”
Harare – Zimbabwe’s former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa could be charged with treason following his expulsion this week on allegations of undermining President Robert Mugabe, 93, a report says.
Mnangagwa, who fled the country soon after he was fired from his post, issued a strong worded statement in which he denigrated the nonagenarian.
Mnangagwa vowed to return and lead the ruling Zanu-PF and the country. He did not, however, mention how he planned on taking over power from the veteran leader.
This, according to NewsDay, had led to the formulation of treason charges against the ex-deputy president.
An unnamed government source said that the former Mugabe ally could be charged with “conspiracy to overthrow a constitutionally-elected government”.
Death sentence or life in prison
The report quoted the Information Minister Simon Khaya Moyo as confirming that various arms of the state security were studying Mnangagwa’s statement, adding that “an announcement on the appropriate action would be made shortly”.
A treason charge attracted a death sentence or life in prison in the southern African country.
Meanwhile, the privately-owned Zimbabwe Independent reported that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had pulled together a special unit to investigate crimes that were allegedly committed by Mnangagwa during his tenure in government.
The charges against Mnangagwa included the obstruction of justice, corruption, attempted murder and murder.
According to the unnamed sources, police were closing in on four cases of alleged murder that implicated the exiled ex-deputy president.
“Some of the specific cases include the alleged murder of a woman linked to the former vice-president, attempted murder of former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation news presenter Godfrey Majonga, looting of Zanu-PF companies and the Kwekwe goldfields deals and associated murders there,” said the report.
JOHANNESBURG – Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the South African delegation to the World Rugby Council announcement of the Rugby World Cup 2023 host venue in London.
“Deputy President Ramaphosa’s participation and leadership in this visit will once more demonstrate government’s support for and commitment to the effort to return the tournament to the African continent in the 21st century,” the Presidency said on Sunday.
The announcement, to host the 2023 tournament that will take place 200 years after the invention of the game of rugby by William Webb Ellis, is expected to take place on Wednesday in the British capital.
South Africa who hosted and won the tournament on home soil in 1995, will be competing against European nations Ireland and 2007 hosts France.
However ‘The Rainbow Nation’ needs to clear one final hurdle before the celebrations can begin.
The recommendation will now be put to the vote of the World Rugby Council in London on Wednesday.
All three candidates will appear on the ballot paper but World Rugby has stressed to its members that recommendation of the Evaluation Committee should be taken into consideration.
There are 39 votes at stake with a simple majority required to determine the eventual host nation.
The candidate nations do not have a vote.
Those eligible to vote in the secret ballot on 15 November are: Australia (3 votes), England (3), New Zealand (3), Scotland (3), Wales (3), Italy (3), Argentina (3), Canada (1), Japan (2), Georgia (1), Romania (1), USA (1), Asia Rugby (2), Oceania Rugby (2), Rugby Africa (2), Rugby Americas North (2), Rugby Europe (2), Sudamerica Rugby (2).
The Presidency announced that a high-powered delegation will again include Sport and Recreation Minister Thulas Nxesi, SA Rugby President Mark Alexander and CEO Jurie Roux.
Ekurhuleni – A man was shot and killed after being ambushed by hijackers who then drove off in his minibus taxi, which was full of family and friends returning from a picnic, Springs police said on Sunday.
“The deceased was driving the Quantum… they were coming from a picnic and he was dropping them off at their respective homes,” said Cluster Commander Major General Mumsy Mbele.
The incident happened on Saturday night.
As the vehicle reached the corner of Rumani and Rokana Road in Selcourt, Springs, they were accosted by five armed men.
“Suspects appeared from nowhere and stood in the middle of the road, shooting towards the Quantum.”
When they saw the driver was shot, the criminals approached the vehicle.
One of the men went to the driver’s side and shot him again, before pulling his body out the car and leaving it on the ground.
The shooter then got inside the vehicle.
“[The other criminals] came to the…passengers’ side and ordered everyone not to look at them.”
The suspects then drove away with all the passengers, which included children, inside the vehicle.
A woman sitting in the front passenger seat was told to direct them to the nearest cemetery.
“They went inside the old cemetery at Ext 3, Kwa-thema; they ordered everyone to give all their valuables.”
Amongst items stolen were cellphones, jewellery, shoes and cash.
The robbers then fled on foot.
Police have urged anyone with information about the incident to contact them, but warned they should not approach the suspects themselves, as they are dangerous.
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