Category Archives: South African News

News24.com | Gigaba bought fancy suits in cash after visiting Guptas, state capture inquiry hears

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  • A former driver for ex-Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba has testified he believes some of the tailored suits worn by Gigaba were paid for with cash from the Gupta family.
  • The driver, whose identify has been kept hidden, says he was instructed by Gigaba to keep visits to the Gupta compound in Saxonwold secret. 
  • After visiting the Gupta residence, the driver said Gigaba would often head into Sandton to buy suits. 

Some of the tailored suits worn by former Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba were paid for in cash believed to be received from the Guptas, his former protector and driver told the commission of inquiry into state capture on Thursday afternoon.

The witness, whose identity was not revealed, told the inquiry headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that he was in June 2013 seconded from Transnet to join Gigaba’s security detail.

He escorted the then-minister on trips to the Gupta’s expansive compound in Saxonwold, Johannesburg, about six to seven times between July and December 2013.

The visits were unscheduled and Gigaba instructed him to not record them, as would have been the norm on an official trip.

“At some point the minister would carry a large sum of cash with him … one day I was with the minister when he opened the boot of his official vehicle to take out money to buy lunch for us. Inside the boot there was a bag which he opened, and there was a bundle of cash in it, in R200 notes,” said the witness, who gave evidence off-site.

Evidence leader Paul Pretorius asked if he knew where the money came from. He responded that he couldn’t tell at the time.

“But as we made some more visits I connected the dots to say the money came from the Saxonwold residence.”

“We would go to the Guptas and then to Sandton … he used to pay cash for his tailored suits,” he said. 

The witness also stated that when the minister ate at restaurants, he often paid in cash.

Gigaba was appointed minister of Public Enterprises in October 2010, a portfolio which oversees the state-owned companies. He held the position until 2014.

The witness told the inquiry that he was once part of a convoy that drove to the Gupta compound and Gigaba quickly jumped out of the car and got inside the residence. On one occasion he saw Brian Molefe, Eskom’s former acting CEO Matshela Koko, and Ben Ngubane, former Eskom chairperson, within the premises.

Former president Jacob Zuma’s convoy was once also seen leaving the premises, he said. 

Gigaba has not yet testified before the commission. 

News24.com | Covid-19: There are hopeful signs the virus has peaked, says SAMRC

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A medical staffer at the Nasrec field hospital in Johannesburg.

A medical staffer at the Nasrec field hospital in Johannesburg.

Photo by Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo

  • There are hopeful signs Covid-19 reached its peak at the end of July, says the South African Medical Research Council. 
  • Professor Debbie Bradshaw says the Western Cape stands out as having a much slower epidemic. 
  • Council president and CEO Glenda Grey says the downward turn of deaths is a positive sign the virus may have peaked in some parts of the country. 

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) says there are hopeful signs the Covid-19 pandemic reached its peak in all the provinces at the end of July. 

This is based on data from the Department of Home Affairs of the deaths registered on the national population register. 

The SAMRC’s Burden of Disease Research Unit publishes reports on weekly deaths in the country. 

In a statement released on Wednesday, the SAMRC said: “To calculate ‘excess mortality’ in a given period, the research team looks at the number of people who had died over this period compared to the number we would have expected to have died. The geographic pattern as well as the age pattern indicate that the excess deaths are related to Covid-19.”

READ | Ramaphosa to lift tobacco, alcohol bans and move to Level 2, say sources

It added the pandemic had different trajectories in the provinces.

The SAMRC’s chief specialist scientist, Professor Debbie Bradshaw, said the Western Cape, which was the first province to experience community spread, stood out as having a much slower epidemic.

“It took several weeks to set in and is now taking time to recede. In contrast, the epidemics in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal had much quicker increases,” Bradshaw added.

Safety

“We still urge South Africans to continue to wear masks, practice physical distancing, hand-hygiene and avoid crowds and congestion.”

Meanwhile, the SAMRC’s president and CEO, Glenda Gray, said they had urged doctors to ensure the accurate completion of death certificates especially if it was Covid-19 related.

She added this would be important in understanding the true impact of the pandemic. 

“The downward turn of deaths is a positive sign that the virus may have peaked in some parts of the country and is in keeping with the epidemiological models of the pandemic,” Gray said. 

The report on weekly deaths shows the “number of estimated excess deaths has begun to decrease, consistent with the trend in the number of confirmed Covid-19 deaths. Both are turning down”.

News24.com | Police brutality under lockdown: Public has ‘no faith’ in cops

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Police members.

Police members.

Roger Sedres/Gallo Images via Getty Images

  • UKZN lecturer, Dr Bronwynne Anderson, believes that the policing system continues to fail the most vulnerable groups in society. 
  • Professor Sadhana Manik says the public has no faith in police officers.
  • The police say they are striving to be professional and ethical.

Policing systems are failing women and children, according to Dr Bronwynne Anderson of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

Anderson participated in a webinar hosted by UKZN on Wednesday afternoon, which focused on policing during the lockdown and the responsibilities of the police, versus citizens’ rights.

“When we started Level 5, there was a high rate of police brutality simply because, I believe, and some data will show, that police are not really trained adequately to deal with these types of disasters,” she said.

She said that what had been neglected was the high rate of intimate partner violence, gender-based violence and domestic abuse.

“Why has the high rate of gender-based violence soared and escalated during this time?” Anderson asked. 

“Definitely, policing systems are failing our women, our children, our LGBTI and vulnerable citizenry and lots needs to be done…”

She said, despite having protection orders, women were still killed. 

Police were reminded to remember the oath they took not to enforce brutality on citizens. 

READ| Instances of police, military brutality evidence of state’s limitations – researcher

“Covid-19 has exposed our inefficiency and ineffectiveness of policing systems,” she added.

UKZN Professor Sadhana Manik believes members of the public have “no faith” in the police. 

She said immigrant businessmen had also expressed “fear and reluctance” to report crimes. 

“Immigrant shop owners in South Africa have been experiencing the looting of their shops, violence, victimisation, extortion and torture and all of this had happened pre Covid-19 and it has continued during the pandemic,” she said

Manik continued:

The aura of police corruption and brutality is something that we need to acknowledge at some point in time during this pandemic if we want to transform this sector.

She also mentioned Collins Khoza and America’s George Floyd as examples of police brutality. 

In March, days after the start of the national Covid-19 lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus, 40-year-old Collins Khosa died at his home in Alexandra, Johannesburg, News24 reported.

Khoza was approached by SANDF members who asked about a vacant chair and half a glass of alcohol next to it, according to court papers filed by his family.   

The family said Khosa replied that he was allowed to drink at his home, but the soldiers allegedly did not take kindly to the comment.

‘Bad apples’

They allegedly assaulted Khosa, poured beer over his head, held his hands behind his back while they choked and beat him, slammed him against a wall, and used the butt of a machine gun to hit him. Khoza was already dead when the ambulance arrived.  

ALSO READ| OPINION: After Collins Khosa and George Floyd – learning how to breathe again

Meanwhile, Floyd died on 25 May when a US police officer pressed his knee against his neck for nearly nine minutes while he repeatedly said he could not breathe. 

SAPS’ Mbali Mncati, who is the section head for vulnerable groups and victim empowerment, said the Khoza matter was “one of the things that was brought to the attention of the national commissioner and the national management about some of the gross violations that may be conducted out there, and I must say it is taken extremely seriously.

“I think the national commissioner [Kehla Sitole] ensured that the proper steps were made to address this issues and we know it has been a name that is familiar with us, in the sense that it is used as the name of what to avoid and the sort of thing that brings a lot of shame and disgrace upon a really noble profession.

“And what we have been striving towards is being professional, ethical conduct, protecting members of the public and not violating members of the public.”

Mncati also admitted gender-based violence was a problem. 

“We have an offender who is locked down or living with the victim, and that is really quite a challenge,” she said.

She added that officers would “always offer” the necessary assistance to individuals.

However, should “bad apples”  fail to assist, the public should report them to station management.

Notice of the suspension of a licence in terms of the Insurance Act 18 of 2017 – Nestlife Assurance Corporation Limited

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Publish Date: 2020-08-12
Category: PA Post Insurance Act Notices

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News24.com | Zondo Commission: Fuzile and Van Rooyen have different recollections about appointments

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Lungisa Fuzile (Felix Dlangamandla)

Lungisa Fuzile (Felix Dlangamandla)

  • Former Treasury DG and Van Rooyen’s lawyer went back and forth over the appointment of the adviser and chief of staff.
  • Fuzile and Van Rooyen have different versions of what took place at the swearing-in at Union Buildings in 2015.
  • Fuzile believes Van Rooyen’s lawyer did not deal with the material issue during cross-examination.

Former Treasury director-general (DG) Lungisa Fuzile and Des van Rooyen’s lawyer engaged in a tense exchange over the irregular appointments of two advisers during the former finance minister’s infamous “weekend appointment” in December 2015.

This comes after Van Rooyen’s lawyer, advocate Kgomosoane Mathipa, raised the appointment of Mohamed Bobat as the minister’s adviser and Ian Whitley as his chief of staff.

Mathipa put it to Fuzile that Bobat was first introduced to him by Van Rooyen as his special advisor, during Van Rooyen’s swearing-in ceremony at the Union Buildings. Van Rooyen then asked Fuzile to “expedite” Bobat’s appointment, the commission heard on Tuesday.

Fuzile responded, saying this was not true and that it was Bobat who introduced himself, not Van Rooyen.

“I found him there, I got the impression that they did not know each other,” Fuzile said.

Mathipa said his client believed he had introduced the two, after the swearing-in ceremony.

“I deny that,” Fuzile said in response.

Mathipa then put to Fuzile that he had not told the truth around the matter of Van Rooyen confusing the roles of the two men in his office.

“Mr Fuzile [in your statement] you say, ‘Mr Van Rooyen instructed me to expedite the process of formalising the appointment of Mr Mohamed Bobat and Mr Ian Whitley as advisor and chief of staff respectively’.

“But the difference, though, is that when you went to testify at the commission, you then said he [Van Rooyen] confused their positions, in his very office.

“But in your statement, the only time you say that Mr Van Rooyen confused the positions of the two people was at the meeting with the executive management.”

Fuzile then responded to Mathipa, asking what his point was.

“You didn’t tell the commission the truth, that’s what I’m saying. Because he did not confuse them.”

Fuzile denied this and said what was important was the fact that due process hadn’t been followed in the appointments.

Fuzile responded saying:

No, I thought the most material thing you would have tried to deal with… is that he hadn’t followed due process to appoint them. That is the material thing, rather than he confused their names, to be honest with you.

Mathipa stood his ground, insisting Fuzile’s claims of Van Rooyen confusing the roles of both men was not true, and put it to him that he had lied to the commission.

READ: Des van Rooyen wants to cross-examine former Treasury DG Lungisa Fuzile

Fuzile also dug in his heels, saying the fact that he only mentioned the ‘confusing’ once in his statement did not mean it had not happened on other occasions.

“He may have confused them again… and I may not have mentioned it in my statement. Does it make it a lie simply because I don’t repeat it?

“I deny that simply because I don’t repeat it, that he confused them, it makes it a lie.”

Mathipa then moved to a part in Fuzile’s statement, where he had said that, as a director-general, he regarded himself as the chief advisor to the minister of finance.

He put it to Fuzile that, at no stage, did he advise Van Rooyen he was not entitled to appoint Bobat and Whitley until the process was formalised.

“You never said that to him?” Mathipa asked.

“I did not know that the minister does not know that people do not work without a contract. Twice, I reminded them of the ministerial handbook and I went further to ask them to familiarise themselves with it.

“You don’t consider that to be advice to him in your world?” Fuzile said in response to the Mathipa’s question, which he described as “misplaced”.

The commission continues with Van Rooyen’s evidence.

News24.com | LIVE | WHO wants to review safety data of Russia’s vaccine

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Explainer: When will a Covid-19 vaccine be ready?

Around the world, politicians, drugmakers and regulators offer contradictory outlooks on when a Covid-19 vaccine will be ready. Much depends on what ‘ready’ means and for what group of people.

Some key questions around the timeline are:

When will we know a vaccine works? More than half a dozen drugmakers around the world are conducting advanced clinical trials, each with tens of thousands of participants, and several expect to know if their Covid-19 vaccines work and are safe by the end of this year.

The most optimistic timeline comes from AstraZeneca Plc, which is running a study in Britain that it says could be completed as early as August.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert, said last week that a trial by Moderna Inc could produce decisive results by November or December. Others will come later, some much later.

But some experts are skeptical that the trials, which must study potential side effects on different types of people, can be completed that quickly.

When will the first shots be ready? Several drugmakers are building manufacturing capacity so they can begin production as soon as vaccines are approved by regulators. Some efforts are backed by a US government program called ‘Operation Warp Speed’.

Fauci expects “tens of millions” of doses to be available in early 2021, and that by the end of the year there could be more than a billion.

Several companies say they each expect to make more than 1 billion doses next year. That could mean several billion available by the end of 2021.

When can I get it? First supplies late this year or early next would likely go to those in rich nations who are deemed by governments to work in essential industries or who are at greatest risk from the virus. That is likely to include people with other issues such as diabetes, healthcare workers, and members of the military.

Countries including Canada, Japan, Britain, and the United States have locked in deals putting their citizens first in line for inoculations as they become broadly available during 2021.

When will the world be inoculated? The wait time for Covid-19 vaccines will likely be longer for people in developing countries, which don’t have early supply deals. Some countries may struggle to pay for vaccines.

And what about Russia’s vaccine? Russia has become the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval to a Covid-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing.

The vaccine still has to complete final trials, raising concerns among some experts at the speed of its approval. Still, Russian business conglomerate Sistema has said it expects to put it into mass production by the end of the year.

– Reuters

News24.com | Anene Booysen’s rapist and murderer wants case reopened – report

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Johannes Kana is seen in court.

Johannes Kana is seen in court.

Lulama Zenzile, Gallo Images, Foto24

  • Anene Booysen, 17, was raped, disemboweled and left for dead in 2013 in Bredasdorp.
  • She was found at a construction site and died in hospital the same day. 
  • Johannes Kana confessed to raping Booysen, but denied killing her.

The man serving two life sentences for the rape and murder of Anene Booysen in 2013, has maintained his innocence and wants the case reopened.

Booysen, 17, was found at a construction site in Bredasdorp in the Western Cape on 2 February 2013.

She had been brutally attacked, disembowelled and raped. She was taken to hospital but died later that day.

READ | Anene Booysen killer gets life imprisonment

Johannes Kana was arrested and charged for the murder and rape of Booysen.

He was found guilty and sentence in November 2013.

Anene Booysen.

While Kana confessed to raping Booysen, he denied that he had any hand in her murder.

Speaking to EWN via telephone from a Free State prison, Kana said he was convicted on hearsay evidence.

READ | Who really killed Anene Booysen?

“There is no DNA evidence, there are no fingerprints in that place. So, I ask myself: how was I found guilty when there was nothing to support that finding?” he reportedly said.

EWN further reported that Booysen’s family had doubts about Kana’s guilt.

In 2014, City Press reported that evidence had been uncovered which points to other killers.

At the time, Kana’s lawyer, Pieter du Toit, said they could not launch a petition for appeal because he and the private detectives had run out of money.

– Compiled by Alex Mitchley

News24.com | Mkhize does not own PPE manufacturing company – health ministry

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Health Minister Zweli Mkhize

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize

Darren Stewart, Gallo Images

  • The health ministry has denied that Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize owns a PPE manufacturing company.
  • The ministry issued a statement after the claims allegedly circulated on various social media platforms.
  • The statement added that none of Mkhize’s family members involved in the manufacture, sale or distribution of PPE.

The health ministry has said Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize does not own a personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturing company.

READ | Gauteng govt tight-lipped on latest PPE tender corruption claims

The ministry sent out a statement on Monday after it became aware of a message circulating on various social media platforms which claimed that Mkhize owned a PPE manufacturing company.

“This message has appeared on various people’s Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp threads,” ministry spokesperson Lwazi Manzi said.

“We would like to categorically state that minister Mkhize does not own a PPE manufacturing company nor is he involved in any way in the manufacturing of PPE.

“In anticipation of any further emergence of fake news, we also categorically state that nobody in minister Mkhize’s family is in the business of manufacturing, selling or distribution of PPE.”

“We hope that this clarifies the matter and that all individuals that are either the originators of this content or those who have advanced the content by sharing or commenting will take the opportunity to immediately remove the content from their platforms and issue an apology to the Minister and to the public for advancing fake news.”

Manzi said creating or advancing fake news remained an offence under the national state of disaster, and added that the department would not hesitate to take action against those responsible.

“This kind of content is damaging to the reputation of honest, hardworking members of the executive. It distracts away from and undermines the important work of fighting the coronavirus.

“We implore members of the public to be circumspect in their engagement with social media content and not find themselves becoming agents of fake news and misinformation.”

– Compiled by Alex Mitchley

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News24.com | Covid-19: SA death toll surpasses 10 000 as cases rise to 553 188

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The Covid-19 death toll has surpassed the 10 000 mark.

The Covid-19 death toll has surpassed the 10 000 mark.

Photo by Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo

  • SA has seen an increase of 7 712 Covid-19 cases on Saturday, taking the overall total to 553 188.
  • The recovery rate is now at 73%.
  • The death toll has surged past the 10 000 mark.

The Covid-19 death toll in South Africa has risen by 301, taking the total past the 10 000 mark, according to Saturday’s update from Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.

The death toll now sits at 10 210, while the cumulative number of cases is now at 553 188. 

The latest recorded deaths were broken down as follows: 39 from Eastern Cape; 23 from Gauteng; 154 from KwaZulu-Natal; 22 from the Western Cape; 21 from North West; 5 from Northern Cape and 37 from Limpopo.

Mkhize said the current recovery rate of people who contracted the virus was now at 73%, after a total of 404 568 people recovered so far.

Mkhize said to date, 3 220 265 tests were conducted, with 36 607 being recent.