Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-06-27 i Daily News

KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development and Tourism MEC Reverend Musa Zondi has accused the ANC in the province of misleading the financially constrained Ithala Bank customers for political point scoring. Reverend Zondi was reacting to the ANC’s claim that it had won a significant victory for bank customers – namely, that the bank would no longer be liquidated and that customers would soon be able to access their frozen funds. In a media briefing on Tuesday, the party said that it had convinced Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to guarantee all depositors. Initially, the minister had agreed to guarantee depositors up to R100 000. The party said this meant that the Prudential Authority (PA) had been removed from the bank’s administration, and a liquidation case was off the table. However, this was dismissed…

KwaZulu-Natal will have its first dedicated extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis facility (XDR-TB). This was revealed by Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer during his inspection of the construction site of the facility inside King Dinuzulu Hospital on Thursday morning. The MEC said the R154-million facility will be the first one dedicated to the disease, which was among the top killer diseases in the country. Meyer said the construction of the facility will free up a lot of space in the hospital, which it had to use to accommodate TB patients since it did not have a dedicated facility for them. “I am happy that the province will have a dedicated XDR-TB facility, which will cater to more patients from all over. This is a fulfillment of my responsibility as the…

uShaka Marine World is experiencing financial challenges and will receive a R14-million cash injection so that it remains a going concern. The majority of eThekwini councillors approved the payment to the Durban Marine Theme Park (DMTP) which is controlled by the municipality, at a council meeting on yesterday. uShaka Marine World is located along the city’s main beachfront and was conceived as part of the redevelopment of the Waterfront in 2003. The objectives of the creation of uShaka Marine was for it to be a strategic tourism facility for the city of Durban as well as the province of KwaZulu-Natal. uShaka Marine World entered into an indefinite agreement with the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), a Non-Profit Organisation, in which SAAMBR is responsible for the operations of…

Cape Town City FC’s stint in the top-flight Premiership came to a catastrophic end following a 1-0 defeat against Orbit College in a PSL promotion/relegation playoff clash on Wednesday. Players were left in shock as disbelief swept through the squad after the final whistle, their dreams of remaining in the Premiership dashed in a match that epitomised their struggles this season. Cape Town City, historically a formidable presence by finishing in the top eight for each of their previous eight seasons, found themselves failing to rise to the occasion when it mattered most. In what is a seismic shift in South African football, the club’s catastrophic fall to the First Division marks a spectacular decline for a team that was once a formidable presence in South African football. This season’s…

Orlando Pirates will head into the 2025/26 campaign with a clear objective – to close the gap on serial champions Mamelodi Sundowns and launch a more convincing bid for domestic supremacy. The Buccaneers have wasted little time in laying down a marker, moving decisively in the transfer market to rectify the issues that undermined their title challenge last season. While the Soweto giants finished 13 points adrift of Sundowns, that figure alone doesn’t accurately reflect their efforts throughout the season. Pirates were, for long stretches, the only team capable of forcing the reigning champions out of their rhythm. Although the final table shows a significant margin, the Brazilians were made to dig deeper than usual to retain their dominance. But pushing the champions and actually toppling them are two entirely…

The DA has given President Cyril Ramaphosa a 48-hour ultimatum to fire several ANC ministers and deputy ministers implicated in corruption or face the consequences. The ultimatum comes after Ramaphosa’s sudden decision to remove DA Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield from his position yesterday. The Presidency confirmed the dismissal of Deputy Trade, Industry and Competition Minister, Whitfield. Whitfield, a DA Member of Parliament, was serving in the Ramaphosa-led the Government of National Unity (GNU). A brief statement from the Presidency thanked him for his service but gave no reason for his removal. “The Presidency can confirm that in terms of Section 93(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed the Honourable Andrew Whitfield, MP, from the position of Deputy Minister for Trade,” read…

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has emphasised the urgent need for a comprehensive, whole-of-society approach to tackling gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), highlighting that the fight extends beyond policing and requires co–ordinated action across government and communities. Mchunu was briefing the Multi-Party Women’s Caucus on yesterday, outlining current challenges and government efforts to curb GBVF, which he described as “one of the most pressing challenges facing our nation.” “The country is gripped by GBVF because of its prevalence and reaching distressing levels throughout the four corners of our country. It is a scourge that threatens the safety, dignity, and well-being of women and children, and it requires decisive action,” Mchunu said. He stressed the importance of addressing both the pre-incident and post-incident phases of GBVF, noting, “The first part requires the…

NATIONAL Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza rebuked three deputy ministers and four ordinary MPs, yesterday, for failing to declare their financial interests within the stipulated deadline last year. Didiza made Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel, and Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa, along with MK Party MP and national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela, and ANC MPs Mluleki Dlelanga, Mzoleli Mrara, and Masetshego Mofokeng stand up like schoolchildren when reprimanding them at the start of the plenary sitting. Monitoring and Evaluation Minister Moropene Ramokgopa tendered her apology because she was on an international trip, but she will be reprimanded on her return to the House. Didiza rebuked the deputy ministers and MPs after the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests…

SUICIDE rates are often used to show how serious mental health challenges are in a country. In 2019, the World Health Organization reported that South Africa was among the 10 countries with the highest suicide rates globally, with 23.5 suicides per 100 000 people. In that same year, South Africa was ranked the third highest in Africa – recording 13 774 suicide deaths, the majority of which were men (10 861 compared to 2 913 women). More recently, suicide rates in the country rose by 18% in 2021, showing that the problem is getting worse, especially for men. According to World Population Review, South Africa continues to rank high in global suicide statistics. These numbers tell us something serious: South Africa is facing a mental health crisis, and men are…

Despite their early exit from the Fifa Club World Cup, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso said it was “absolutely marvellous” to witness his players perform at the highest level against Brazilian giants Fluminense. Sundowns shocked everyone by holding the highly fancied Fluminense to a goalless draw in Wednesday’s Club World Cup Group F clash at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. This outcome meant that Sundowns’ ambitious stint at the Club World Cup came to an end, as the South African champions needed a victory to advance past the group stage. After the match, Cardoso reflected on the experience of his players competing against such esteemed opposition. He expressed pride in his team’s performance in challenging match conditions. “Everybody had the chance to watch 22 players playing at the highest…

The excitement around Kwena Maphaka is comprehensible. He sends down left-arm down thunderbolts that have touched the 150km/h mark. He is strong, mature, smart and ambitious, and hails from the same St Stithians College stock as Kagiso Rabada. The fact that he’s only 19 years old ensures he appeals to an entire generation unburdened by the country’s fractious past. In essence, Maphaka is the future of the Proteas cricket team, and with a home World Cup on the horizon in two years’ time, he is the picture-perfect image Cricket SA are trying to promote. This is an almighty load to bear for anyone – let alone someone only recently eligible to obtain a driver’s licence – with even the great Rabada admitting to having suffered from bouts of anxiety during…

Former President Jacob Zuma’s battle to remain an ANC party member has again been thrust into the spotlight after he hauled president Cyril Ramaphosa and his former party to court on yesterday. Zuma, the former president of the ANC and now leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), launched a court application in a bid to challenge his expulsion from the party. His decision to take the ANC and its leader to court came after the party’s disciplinary committee expelled him in July 2024 for publicly endorsing the MKP ahead of the general elections. He argued that the disciplinary steps that the ANC followed in 2024 were illegal and violated his constitutional rights. In a surprising revelation, Zuma admitted that he wants to remain in the ANC to take it…

When Asenathi Ntlabakanye smeared Sergeal Petersen into the Ellis Park turf during a United Rugby Championship clash, many rugby fans caught on to a truth that Lions supporters already knew: the burly prop would be a cult figure – if given a chance. In the 2019 Rugby World Cup final against England, Tendai Mtawarira packed down against his counterpart Dan Cole – who had replaced the injured Kyle Sinckler. The Beast feasted that day, relishing his dominance and cracking the resistance of the opposition. For the final time in his illustrious career, the exuberant cry of “Beeeeeaaast” rang out around the Yokohama International Stadium in Japan. For many years, it had already been a rite of passage for any fan of the game to proclaim his name whenever he touched…

Mamelodi Sundowns emerged as the stand-out African club at the Fifa Club World Cup, which saw all four African representatives failing to advance to the knockout stage. On Wednesday night in Miami, despite a gripping 0-0 draw against the Brazilian football powerhouse Fluminense, Sundowns fell just one point shy of reaching the last-16 round. At the start of the tournament, Masandawana were overshadowed by the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense. However, they quickly transformed into a team that captured the imagination of fans while demonstrating their mettle on the world stage. Their presence in Group F became a narrative of inspiration and unexpected brilliance since very little was known about the South Africans before the tournament. Travelling to the US to represent South Africa alongside African heavyweights like Al…

JESSICA Motaung says Kaizer Chiefs are not a mid-table team, and the club have been having hard conversations with regards to finding ways to moving up to the top, where they belong. Having finished out of the top eight in the past two seasons and only ending what has been a decade-long trophy drought by winning the past campaign’s Nedbank Cup, the Amakhosi have lost their shine as the country’s Glamour Boys. But Motaung, the club’s marketing director and daughter of chairman Kaizer, says they are intent on changing all that in the upcoming campaign. “Ninth and 10th (positions) is not great for us, and part of the hard conversations we’ve had is that we cannot find ourselves there (again),” Motaung told media at the club’s Taung Village in Naturena,…