Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-06-24 i Daily News

The National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) has revealed that South Africa’s largest banks accounted for the majority of banking complaints received in 2024, with a total of over 5 900 cases opened against them. Since its establishment a year ago, the NFO has recovered about R328.5 million for consumers who lodged complaints against financial institutions across the country. The NFO is an independent body that helps consumers resolve disputes with banks, insurers, and credit providers. It acts as a watchdog for fair treatment and helps people get their money back when things go wrong. According to the NFO: “Of the total amount of R328 550 212.58 recovered on behalf of complainants, the Banking Division of the NFO recovered R29 175 451.14; Credit R2 355 840.20; Life R202 854 491.24; and…

The embattled ANC-led Msunduzi Local Municipality in Pietermaritzburg is likely to have new political supervisors by the end of week following the exclusion of both regional chairperson Mzimkhulu Thebolla and regional secretary Samora Ndlovu from the leaked regional task team list. According to the unconfirmed list, Thebolla who is also Msunduzi’s mayor did not make it to the top five positions allocated to the task team, which will oversee the work of the ANC deployees in the six municipalities under the party’s Moses Mabhida region. His secretary, Ndlovu is also exempt from the list. The region encompasses Msunduzi, Umshwathi (New Hanover), Umkhambathi (Camperdown), Mooi Mpofana (Mooi River), Umngeni ( Howick) and Richmond municipalities. At the top of the list appears Nathi Mdladla’s name, who is said to be in the…

In their upcoming 2025 Fifa Club World Cup clash against Brazilian Série A side Fluminense, the equation is brutally simple for Mamelodi Sundowns: win or go home. But Sundowns’ Chilean midfielder Marcelo Allende remains unfazed by the do-or-die situation, confident that the South Africans will secure victory, advance from Group F, and book their place in the Round of 16. The match takes place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, US, at 9pm. After a promising start to the tournament with a win against South Korea’s Ulsan HD, Sundowns suffered a setback when they were defeated by Borussia Dortmund in their second game on Saturday. The results mean that only a win against Fluminense will suffice; a draw will not be enough due to Dortmund’s superior head-to-head record.…

The Springboks are treating the mid-year matches as four Tests, not a warm-up match and three Tests, as they start their international season against the Barbarians on Saturday in Cape Town. While the duel with the invitational side holds no status, Bok assistant coach Tony Brown says they won’t fall into an unstructured game and are focused on staying within their game plan to start the year on a good footing. That means the Baabaas can expect a forwards-centred clash against the world champions and looking at the predicted wet weather, the conditions might favour the hosts at the DHL Stadium (5.10pm kick-off). Brown, who was at the helm of the Boks’ evolution on the attack last season, is hopeful the forwards can lay the platform to allow backs like…

Brad Binder’s Italian Grand Prix weekend was a tale of two halves — despair on Saturday, redemption on Sunday. After a bruising crash in the sprint race left his Red Bull KTM buried in the gravel at Turn 1, the South African rebounded with grit and composure, fighting through the field from 15th on the grid to ninth in the Mugello main event. Now 13th overall, Binder’s 2024 campaign continues to unfold in a way few could have predicted at the season’s start. Early setbacks once again shaped the outcome of the weekend, with a disappointing qualifying position continuing a worrying trend. Binder has struggled to consistently crack the top ten in recent rounds, as crashes and poor grid placements have undermined his ability to challenge at the front. Over…

Municipalities are drowning in debt largely because they cannot collect the money they are owed, according to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa. Hlabisa made the remarks yesterday, at a national dialogue in Midrand, under the theme, “Every Municipality Must Work – A Call to Collective Action.” More than 300 representatives from political parties and municipal councils gathered to reflect on the relevance of the 1998 White Paper in the context of local government performance. Hlabisa emphasised that the gathering was meant to facilitate open dialogue rather than deliver firm decisions. “As we embark on this critical process, we recognise the crucial role political parties play in shaping the future of our local government system,” Hlabisa said. “Local government is where policies become services, promises become infrastructure, and…

The 30-year-old Constitutional Court is a living shrine to the supreme pledge of equality and justice in democratic South Africa. The real test of the highest court in the land is whether it is an effectual guardian of the people, especially of the most powerless and marginalised in society. In the injustice of apartheid, courts accorded legality to an inhumane regime and the judiciary was weaponised against the African majority. In democratic South Africa, justice must be done and seen to be done so that the historically disempowered can believe in the promise of a free and equitable nation. Early landmark judgments in the Constitutional Court affirmed the right of citizens to access life-saving HIV treatment, adequate water and housing. These judgments created an air of optimism that the apex…

The World Test Champions have not had much time to put their feet back up home after their heroics in England. Shukri Conrad has, though, refreshed the squad with a group of youthful stars looking to push for a place in the starting XI. Here, Independent Media’s Zaahier Adams picks five players that will hope to impress in Bulawayo. Kwena Maphaka The teenage fast bowler enjoyed a Test debut earlier this season in the New Year Test against Pakistan at Newlands, and was considered unlucky not to be selected in the 15-man travelling squad for Lord’s with Conrad opting for Lungi Ngidi’s experience instead. But with regular new-ball bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen rested, and Ngidi unlikely to feature in the first Test, it is an ideal opportunity for…

The 2024/25 campaign has ushered in a new generation of exciting young talent, especially in midfield, where numerous players not only rose to the occasion but flourished when it mattered most. At the same time, seasoned professionals ontinued to impress, delivering high-calibre performances without letting up. With the midfield proving to be a hotbed of excellence, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has found himself spoilt for choice, as several standout players made compelling cases for national selection. Here, we highlight five midfielders who have emerged as strong contenders for the coveted PSL Midfielder of the Season honour. Teboho Mokoena The ever-reliable and experienced midfielder delivered yet another stellar campaign, acting as the vital link between defence and attack for Mamelodi Sundowns. Renowned for his thunderous strikes from both open play…

Liverpool’s record £116 million (about R2.8bn) Florian Wirtz transfer should be worrying to fans of rival clubs, not just because of the massive figure involved but the decisiveness with which they have moved in the transfer window. The arrival of the German international midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen was preceded by the £29m (R704m) signing of his former Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong as a potential replacement for right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. Bournemouth's attacking left-back Milos Kerkez is also expected to arrive at Anfield shortly in a £40m deal. His pending arrival is likely to signal the end of an illustrious Reds career for Andy Robertson, with speculation rife of an Atletico Madrid move for the stalwart defender. Rumours of another blockbuster move for Newcastle's lethal striker Alexander Isak are not going away…

THE umKhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has joined the calls for the removal of Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, saying she was not fit to hold the position. The party was responding to the calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove Nkabane over allegations of corruption at the Construction Sector Education and Training Authority (CETA) and claimed that she misled Parliament. Nkabane was already under scrutiny for misleading the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education about the composition of the panel responsible for recommending appointments to the boards of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), which appointed ANC-aligned individuals. This week, fresh revelations emerged in reports that she ignored whistleblower reports detailing tender fraud and governance irregularities at CETA, which has a budget exceeding R20 billion. The whistleblower, Tumiso Mphuthi, a…

Two soldiers from the South African National Defence Force were expected to appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in Gauteng, yesterday, on charges of murder and kidnapping. The soldiers, aged 36 and 51, were arrested on Sunday, June 22, at OR Tambo International Airport and in Centurion, Pretoria, respectively. The spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as Hawks), Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Singo, stated that the arrests were carried out by members of the Johannesburg-based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, the Headquarters’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, and the Tactical Operations Management Section. “The arrests are linked to the murder of Lieutenant-Colonel Frans Mathipa, who was fatally shot while driving on the N1 highway near Hammanskraal on August 6, 2023,” Singo said. “Following the shooting, his vehicle lost control and…

The organisation #UniteBehind has been granted permission by the court to join the proceedings in which five former board members of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) are challenging findings of corruption against them by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. In ruling in favour of #UniteBehind, the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg said the commuter activist organisation had demonstrated a direct and substantial interest in the review application of the five former board members. Acting Judge Xenophon Stylianou said that given the importance of the subject matter of the review application, it would be in the public interest and the interests of justice that #UniteBehind have leave to intervene as a respondent. The ex-board members want the court to review and set aside the findings and…

Call South African politics and politicians many things but predictable is not one of them. Fresh from Liam Jacobs crossing over from the Democratic Alliance to his political nemesis, The Patriotic Alliance, South Africans were treated to another bombshell this week. Former EFF founder turned former uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Secretary General, Floyd Shivambu announced he was mulling the idea of forming a new party of his own – but not yet. He will remain a member of MK for now. Confused? Don’t be. Its the chess game of politics. Shivambu is pulling off the same stunt as that of former president Jacob Zuma, now MK leader. Remember how Zuma made the shocking announcement he was leading MK while still a member of the ANC in 2023? He was later…

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has named a 26-player squad for the upcoming 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which will be hosted in Morocco next month. The defending champions head into the tournament with a balanced squad built on continuity, experience, and emerging local talent, as they aim to retain the continental crown they famously lifted in 2022. The absence of star striker Thembi Kgatlana has dominated headlines in the lead-up to the final squad announcement, but Ellis believes her side has enough quality to soldier on without her. “When we won the tournament in 2022, we played without her due to injury and the players stepped up,” said Ellis. “We have played with Thembi a lot of times after that – against the likes of Denmark and…

Glenrose Xaba is still hoping to qualify for the 5 000m and 10 000m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September, although the marathon remains a viable option for the in-form road and track star. Xaba revealed her ambitions for the global athletics showpiece after storming to victory in the Durban leg of the SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge on Sunday, clocking 31:54. The Boxer Athletics Club ace made light work of the challenge posed by Ethiopian duo Diniya Abaray (32:09) and an out-of-sorts Selam Gebre (32:25), who settled for second and third respectively. The holder of the SPAR Grand Prix title – and early favourite to retain it this year – took control of the Durban race shortly after the 7km mark. Her rivals could not live with…