Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-07-09 i Daily News

In a dramatic turn of events, senior ANC leader and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s aspirations for the next ANC presidency may have collapsed before it could even take off. This follows explosive allegations made by KZN Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who accused Mchunu of serious misconduct, including collusion in drug trafficking and political killings. The anticipated race for the ANC’s 56th national elective conference was expected to be fierce, with Mchunu among the prominent figures allegedly vying for the top position. His campaign had begun to gain traction, with posters circulating on social media. However, the landscape shifted dramatically when Mkhwanazi publicly alleged that Mchunu and deputy national commissioner, Shadrack Sibiya, had interfered in police operations and were shielding organised crime. Mkhwanazi’s revelations have raised significant concerns about the integrity…

Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng, said the committee remains concerned about the number of foreigners in the South Africa’s jails, and wanted them to serve their sentences in their own countries. She was addressing the media and stakeholders at the Peace and Security Cluster Committee Chairpersons' briefing on Monday and began her address by saying: “We heard during the budget debate there were 24 000 foreign national inmates in correctional centres, which cost R11 million per day. “The committee is seriously concerned that our correctional facilities have so many foreign nationals, but our country has not entered into an inmate exchange programme with any country. “We want foreign nationals serving life sentences to serve their sentences in their countries of origin,” she said. She…

HOME Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber yesterday announced that his department would increase the pilot project that currently delivers Smart ID and passport services in about 30 bank branches across the country. Presenting the R11-billion budget for the department, Schreiber said they would use digital transformation to integrate the Home Affairs IT platform onto banks’ networks, thereby enabling many more bank branches to deliver the service. “Our target for this financial year is to expand this service to at least 100 more branches,” he said during the budget debate in the National Assembly. Schreiber also said technology reform would enable South Africans to order Smart IDs and passports through their banking app, similar to when buying electricity or data. “We will introduce the option of home delivery for Smart IDs and…

The issue of SAPS officers being found under the influence of alcohol is deeply concerning. Unfortunately, this problem continues to persist, despite ongoing public concern, and it significantly undermines the integrity of the police force. Such behaviour does a disservice to the many dedicated individuals who aspire to serve their communities and our country. Numerous incidents have highlighted this ongoing challenge. For instance, a video that circulated on social media in 2021 showed an allegedly intoxicated SAPS officer passed out on the side of the road. In another instance, a police officer was seen struggling to speak while sitting on a public bench and then fell backwards onto the ground. More recently, we encountered a TikTok video allegedly showing a police officer appearing to be intoxicated. Additionally, a few years…

Prior to departing for Zimbabwe after the emotion of scaling their Everest by winning the World Test Championship at Lord’s, Proteas coach Shukri Conrad would have made a mental note of the objectives he hoped his team would achieve in the land of Chevrons. Much of it would have been to get his players back to ground zero, and that the youngsters afforded an opportunity in the absence of several starters from the WTC Final would take their chances to deepen the talent pool that Conrad has to select from for the prospective tougher contests in the subcontinent later this year. The boxes were duly ticked with Conrad pleased his team maintained their high-performance levels throughout both Test matches. “I think the important and the most impressive thing for me…

Richards Bay FC have declared their ambition to break into the Betway Premiership’s top four in the 2025/26 season, with club chairman Sifiso “Jomo” Biyela confident their recent reinforcements will elevate the team. The Natal Rich Boys enjoyed a historic 2024/25 campaign, finishing eighth in the league – their highest-ever placing – and secur- ing qualification for the prestigious MTN8 competition for the first time since their promotion to the top flight. Biyela, speaking at the club’s official player unveiling event in the Richards Bay CBD yesterday, revealed that a few missed opportunities from the previous season have strengthened his belief that a top-four finish is possible. “If you look at games where we dropped points last season, especially matches we should have won, we could have easily finished in…

Stuart Broad believes a Test return for Jofra Archer could help England hit back against India, following what he described as a “borderline perfect” performance by the tourists at Edgbaston. England began the series with a commanding final-day chase at Headingley but were outclassed in Birmingham, where India levelled the five-match series 1-1 with a resounding 336-run victory. India captain Shubman Gill led from the front with a mammoth 430 runs across the two Tests, while seamer Akash Deep wreaked havoc with the ball, claiming 10 wickets in the second match. “Look at this series so far: we’ve had 10 Test match days and I reckon India have won nine of them,” Broad said on his podcast ahead of the third Test, which begins at Lord’s on Thursday. “They’re going…

THE IFP has reclaimed the Nongoma Local Municipality, a move seen as a major boost for the party ahead of local government elections next year. With the help of two EFF councillors, the IFP ousted NFP mayor Mshangane Ndabandaba and ANC Speaker Babongile Sithole through a motion of no confidence on Monday. The IFP’s Mbekezeli Zondo was elected as the new mayor. The EFF's Mthokozisi Luvuno was rewarded with the deputy mayor’s position while the Speaker’s position went to the IFP’s Sinethemba Mbongwa. Speaking after the election of the new leadership, IFP deputy secretary-general, Mangaqa Mncwango said the party was happy to reclaim the municipality from the NFP/ANC coalition, agreeing that it was a political boost ahead of the elections next year. “We promise the people of Nongoma that we…

The threat of higher tariffs on BRICS nations by US President Donald Trump has sparked a heated debate about the future of global trade and economic stability. According to Trump, BRICS, conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, and its growth and expansion posed a threat to US dominance in the global economy. At a recent summit in Rio de Janeiro, the 11-nation bloc, which includes South Africa Brazil, Russia, India, and China, criticised Trump’s imposed tariffs. In response, Trump accused the group of “anti-Americanism” and pledged an additional 10% tariff on their goods. President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned Trump’s threat, saying efforts to “punish” the bloc were disappointing. “BRICS does not seek to compete with any other power,” Ramaphosa said on Monday. “The bloc advocates for…

The Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in Changsha, central China’s Hunan province. The Changsha meeting, held last month, invoked the spirit of Bandung, calling on the Global South to unite in confronting contemporary global instability embedded in historical structural injustices that have exploited disunity within the Global South. China is the world’s second-largest economy, while the African continent is home to the largest number of developing countries. With an estimated combined population of over three billion people, Africa and China together form the backbone of the Global South, and a significant demographic and economic share of the world. While the two sides have immensely strengthened diplomatic and economic ties over the past two decades, and…

BANYANA Banyana are on course to emulate their previous success at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after starting the ongoing tournament strongly. Banyana beat Ghana 2-0 at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda, Morocco, Monday as they climbed to the top of Group C. The Desiree Ellis-coached team wrapped up the match in the first half, courtesy of Linda Motlhalo’s penalty and a close-range finish from Jermaine Seoposenwe. Banyana breathed a heavy sigh of relief after the victory as they arrived at the tournament with the odds stacked against them defending their title. The players had staged a stay-in upon their arrival in Casablanca, citing they were owed money by the South African Football Association (Safa) relating to preparation friendlies. Upon returning to training, they were inadvertently impacted by the…

Star Proteas netball duo Refiloe “Fifi” Nketsa and Owethu “Sammy” Ngubane teamed up with former skipper Bongi Msomi to give kids from two Kokstad schools a fighting chance in the coming DStv Schools Netball Challenge. The pupils from Shaya Moya Secondary and Thembalethu Secondary will represent KwaZulu-Natal at the national under-19 tournament at Hoerskool Dr EG Jansen in Johannesburg on July 26 and 27. They were inspired by the Puma ambassadors’ stories of their rise to the top from similarly impoverished backgrounds. They were then taken through their paces in drills and other training exercises on a bitterly cold Monday morning in the small town in the shadow of Mount Currie, southern KZN. For Nketsa, in particular, the clinic represented a full-circle moment as she went to school at Shaya…

A weekend of captivating performances await Durban Make Me Dance This production is a spectacular tribute to A C Bhaktivedanta Swami, the inspiring founder of the Hare Krishna movement. Experience a beautiful fusion of dance, poetry, music and storytelling that celebrates the message of love that knows no barriers. Where: The Playhouse Loft Theatre. When: Saturday at 12pm. Annie The KZN Young Performers Project will light up the stage with their musical production of Annie. The much-loved Depression-era musical tells the story of a little girl, played by Kaitlyn Rex, with big dreams, and her faithful companion, Sandy, a show-stealing golden retriever. Directed by Daisy Spencer, the production will see Daniel Mayiza as the billionaire Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, and his charming secretary, Grace Farrell, played by Chloe Marot. The cast…

A TRAFFIC officer serving a 10-year jail sentence for attempted murder following a road rage incident in Newcastle appealed against his conviction and sentence as he argued that his passenger fired the shots and not him. Nhlanhla Tshabalala turned to the Pietermaritzburg High Court in a bid to appeal his conviction on three charges of attempted murder and his subsequent sentence meted out by the Newcastle Regional Court. The issue of the doctrine of common purpose came under the judicial spotlight during the appeal, with Tshabalala arguing that he cannot be held accountable for his passenger’s actions. One of the injured people in the other car, Bonginkosi Zondi, testified that on the day in question, he was driving with his wife and another passenger, Dumisani Buthelezi. It was getting dark,…

Last Friday an unidentified Swiss man was hiking with his dog on the Fee Glacier in the Swiss Alps when he unknowingly stepped onto a snow bridge - a fragile layer of ice that forms over cracks in the glacier. The bridge gave way, and he plunged 8m into the icy darkness below. It wasn’t a muscular St Bernard or a hardy German Shepherd that came to the rescue. Instead, it was a long-haired Chihuahua, no taller than a hiker’s boot, who led a rescue team to its owner after he plummeted into a glacier crevasse in southern Switzerland. How a tiny dog sparked a big rescue Trapped and injured deep inside the glacier, the man managed to call for help using a basic walkie-talkie. A passerby picked up…

Sexual harassment complainant Andiswa Mengo was labelled to have “selective amnesia” by former Judge President Selby Mbenenge as he continued his testimony at the Judicial Conduct Tribunal yesterday. Mbenenge was accused of having engaged in untoward and sexually-driven WhatsApp conversations between himself and Mengo over a period of time which he conceded were “flirtatious” and “deeply sensual”, but defended himself saying these were consensual conversations. Before proceedings concluded yesterday, Mbenenge confirmed that he had lodged a case of crimen injuria against Mengo, which he said showed his commitment to dispute what he was alleged to have done. This was coupled with an apology. “It is embarrassing to me that clandestine chats between two adults came into the public domain. I regret that it happened and I can only apologise to…

If families truly thrived and functioned well outside the presence and participation of men in the family structure, would creation and evolution have designed reproduction differently? From the genesis and formation of life and a biological standpoint, women need to procreate with men to form a foetus. Men can continue to father children throughout their lives, unlike women, who have a limited fertile window. Biology may make fathers indispensable for conception, but what about upbringing? Contemporary data suggests their ongoing presence matters just as much. While children may come into the world through the procreation of two, they ultimately are born into and for a community. The quality of the father is not absent from the contributions and the environment in which the father finds themselves or chooses. According…

AmaZulu CEO Sinenjabulo Zungu has delivered a firm defence of football club executives amid the growing backlash to the proposed sale of SuperSport United, arguing that fans rarely understand the true pressures of running a professional team. SuperSport United’s shock decision to sell their club to a private consortium has caused ripples across South African football and is currently pending approval from the Premier Soccer League (PSL). While the finer details of the transaction remain under wraps, the response from supporters – particularly those loyal to Matsatsantsa – has been overwhelmingly negative. But Zungu, speaking candidly about the realities of football ownership at the launch of the KZN Premiers' Cup, said it was important for people to grasp how complicated club operations are behind the scenes. “Fans will never…

Golden Arrows assistant coach Kagisho Dikgacoi has thrown his support behind Manqoba Mngqithi’s bold ambition to mount a Betway Premiership title challenge, saying the veteran coach has already transformed the club’s mentality behind the scenes. Mngqithi returned to Arrows late last season after parting ways with Mamelodi Sundowns, reuniting with a club where he built his name in the early 2000s. He took over a side battling for consistency and managed to steady the ship, helping Abafana Bes’thende secure a 12th-place finish – two points shy of a top-eight spot. Now, with a full pre-season under his belt, Mngqithi has made it clear that he’s aiming higher. For Dikgacoi, who played under Mngqithi during his first spell at Arrows before securing a move abroad, the ambition is refreshing and familiar.…

WHEN Wiaan Mulder’s professional career started, he was still a high school student at St Stithians. His skill was good enough to start his professional career with the Lions. However, at 18 years old at the time, Mulder had a long way to go and entering the Lions dressing room would have been intimidating for any youngster. Mulder needed a mentor, an experienced Lions player that would take him under his wing and show him the ropes as a professional cricketer. Lions captain, Dominic Hendricks, became that mentor for Mulder. In an exclusive interview with Independent Media, Hendricks highlighted how Mulder’s preparation was undercooked when he burst onto the professional set-up and how their chat helped him (Mulder) raise his training standards to meet what is required to succeed at…