Stories from South Africa

The Boxburg Magistrates Court granted bail of 30,000 rand each to Guruleni Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Chulias Mkhwanazi and city manager Khaisul Rudla. City spokesperson Pakameel M. Benghase stated the matter is expected to be discussed at an upcoming council meeting to determine a way forward. Administrative work in the city will continue despite the ongoing case.

Lawyers for witness Mokhotzi sent a letter to the SABC complaining about the conduct of evidence leader Matthew Chaskalsen. The lawyers claim Chaskalsen approached the client in a manner intended to portray him as dishonest. Mokhotzi reported being subjected to aggressive and humiliating questioning during his appearance before the commission in November last year. He is expected to return to the commission at a later stage. Mokhotzi's lawyers stated in a letter to the SABC that the questioning was skewed and intended to portray the witness as dishonest. A witness named Mohodsi has alleged that the commission subjected him to skewed and biased questioning. Mohodsi claimed that leads he provided were not pursued and that evidence was selectively framed and presented. He also disputed being referred to as a state agent, stating there is no evidence to support that claim.

Suspended Suwan E Metro Police Department Deputy Chief Omashe Lameeni continued his testimony at the Malanga Commission on Tuesday. The testimony concerns allegations of tender interference. The commission is currently on its 98th day of proceedings. The testimony included questioning regarding his role in communications between suspended City of Johannesburg Chief Financial Officer Gareth Nisi and suspended organized crime unit member Sergeant Funding Coursey. The inquiry specifically addressed issues involving the payment of invoices. The testimony focused on the deputy chief's communications with suspended CFO Gareth Nisi and suspended sergeant Funding Coursey regarding invoice payment issues.

Education MEC Le Buang Maile stated that at least 48% of schools in Gauteng are overcrowded. The announcement was made during a news segment on SAfm. The figure represents a portion of the province's educational infrastructure. Building the required 200 new schools would cost 35 billion rand. Of the current 70 billion rand budget, 52 billion rand is allocated to educator salaries and only 8 billion rand goes directly to schools. Officials stated the province must think outside the box to address the crisis. The situation was described as chaotic during audits. Johannesburg officials announced that prefabricated classrooms will be brought to Brewer Primary School by next week to address severe overcrowding. The school currently holds approximately 2,000 students, which is more than double its intended capacity.

Absa has hired the former CEO of Deutsche Bank South Africa to lead its investment banking division.

Firefighters are working to contain a fire at a Denel state-owned weapons manufacturing plant in Makassar, near Somerset West in Cape Town. The cause of the blaze has not been specified.

The Office of the Auditor General has established a dispute resolution mechanism to reach consensus with various metropolitan municipalities regarding audit outcomes. Acting head of audit outcomes, Tamsa Ngozi Gordy, is briefing the standing committee on public accounts on this process. The mechanism aims to facilitate amicable resolutions with municipalities such as those in Gauteng and Mangaung.

A fire occurred this morning at the state-owned weapons manufacturer Denel in Makasa, near Somerset West. The extent of the damage is currently unclear and no injuries have been reported. Cape Town disaster risk management spokesperson Sonika Letigan stated the impact of the incident has been limited to the Denel site. Fire and rescue services are on site to assist.

The Madlanga Commission is currently hearing testimony regarding Umashi Dlamini, the suspended deputy police chief of the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD). Dlamini faces accusations of tender irregularities involving security contracts. During proceedings, suspended police sergeant Fani Nkosi testified that Dlamini allegedly compiled a list of seven preferred service providers.

Over 52,000 unregistered SIM cards have been linked to the graylisting of South Africa. These cards reportedly facilitated the theft of millions of rand from the country's microeconomic sector. The report suggests this issue contributed to the nation's graylisted status. This activity was cited in a report as a factor leading to South Africa's graylisting.