Innholdsfortegnelse for 2026-01-12 i Daily News

Documentaries like this aren’t made for comfort. Kids are involved, so yeah, expect to feel sick to your stomach. But if there’s one thing Netflix nails, it’s showing how deep cults can burrow into ordinary lives, and Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story is a horror story that doesn’t quit. If there’s one thing every wild cult has, it’s a leader. In this case, it’s Hildebrandt, a Utah-based therapist who had people wrapped around her finger while abusing children and teaching others to do the same. Her manipulations escalated over the years, culminating in 2023 when Ruby Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt’s house. His hands were still restrained when he ran to a neighbour, which finally forced the authorities to intervene. Both women were arrested. The documentary doesn’t just…

Young people in Rustenburg have defended themselves against controversial claims recently made by ANC chairperson, Gwede Mantashe, who stated that the youth are too lazy to look for jobs. Mantashe’s assertions come amid service delivery challenges that have resulted in frustration in the North West Province. Last week, while speaking to the SABC, Mantashe said the country’s youth are too lazy to look for jobs and want the government to provide these jobs for them. In Moruleng township, where President Cyril Ramaphosa gave his keynote address in celebration of the ANC’s 114th anniversary on Saturday, young people told of the pain of being unemployed while attempting to find new ways of making a living. Lebogang Kgosi, 25, said that efforts to find a job and the high crime rate in…

Residents of East Lynne and Niemand Park have lamented the state of service delivery in their area, saying power outages that have plagued the area since December 26 were just the tip of the iceberg. They expressed their anger and frustration during a community meeting that took place on Friday with the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Utility Services Frans Boshielo. The area has been plunged into darkness since a December 26 fire at Koedoespoort Substation that damaged critical equipment at the facility. Last week, the city announced that it had appointed a private contractor to assist its energy and electricity workers to repair multiple cable faults and restore power. However, on Friday, the city said: “The area in East Lynne that was previously restored has experienced a further…

Social media suggests that Sharks fans are growing impatient with their team losing, but it is not all doom and gloom after the weekend’s 26-10 Champions Cup defeat to Sale. JP Pietersen took a mostly youthful team to Manchester because he needed to rest overplayed Springboks such as Andre Esterhuizen and Ethan Hooker, both of whom played below their high standards in the loss to the Lions. Most of the weekend’s players gave a decent account of themselves, and the silver lining to the cloud of defeat is that the Sharks finished the match with 10 players under the age of 23, and they will have benefited hugely from the experience. Pietersen is building a side for the future while trying to win at the same time, and he will…

Liam Rosenior hailed “outstanding” Chelsea’s “strong start” to his reign as the new Blues boss savoured a 5-1 rout of Charlton in the FA Cup third round on Saturday. Taking charge of Chelsea for the first time following his arrival from Strasbourg, Rosenior watched as goals from Jorrel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez gave him the perfect introduction to his new club. The 41-year-old has replaced Enzo Maresca, who parted ways with the club last week after a turbulent campaign marred by reports of rifts with the club’s hierarchy. Some critics have questioned whether Rosenior will be a puppet for Chelsea’s powerbrokers because Strasbourg are in the same ownership group as the Premier League club. Rosenior, sacked by second-tier Hull in 2024, has much to…

Mohamed Salah scored as Egypt won 3-2 to dump defending champions Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in a thrilling quarter-final on Saturday. Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia netted for Egypt, then Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh conceded an own goal before half-time. Salah then edged closer to a first AFCON winners medal by doubling the lead soon after the break before Guela Doue pulled a goal back for Ivory Coast, but it wasn’t enough for the holders. The jubilant Egyptians will face Senegal on Wednesday in Tangiers with the winners meeting hosts Morocco or Nigeria four days later in the final. “I’m so happy with this win and reaching the semi-finals,” said Salah. “I am proud to wear the Egyptian national jersey and all the players know the…

The AFCON 2025 champions are set to be crowned on Sunday, and such has been the quality of the tournament that the new kings of African football will be reclaiming the crown for yet another term. The four semi-finalists – Senegal, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria – have all won AFCON before, albeit on different occasions. Senegal claimed their maiden title in 2021, while Egypt, who will face them in the first semi-final on Wednesday night (6pm kick-off) at the Tangier Grand Stadium, are chasing a record-extending eighth crown. Interestingly, this will also be a repeat of the 2021 final, where the Teranga Lions edged the Pharaohs on penalties to win their maiden continental crown under son of the soil Aliou Cissé. In addition, the clash between the Teranga Lions and…

Global reality TV hit dating show Love Is Blind is coming to South Africa. The series follows singles who form emotional bonds without ever seeing one another, before testing whether love can survive the realities of physical connection and real life. The South African version promises high emotional stakes and intimate storytelling as participants navigate the intricacies of modern relationships. Local viewers are buzzing with excitement for the experimental dating show, anticipating the drama and potential connections that will unfold. The original US series of Love is Blind has inspired numerous international adaptations. By late 2025, the American version had aired nine seasons, alongside adaptations in countries including Brazil, Japan, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Argentina, Mexico, France, Italy, and an Arabic version known as Habibi. A celebrity power couple from…

The township of Inanda continues to grapple with a spiralling crime wave that is compelling residents to abandon their homes. A community member, along with the Inanda Community Policing Forum (CPF), has raised concern regarding the severity of criminal activities that plague the area. A shootout on Thursday morning resulted in the deaths of five armed suspects in Bester. The community member, who asked to remain anonymous, said some of the suspects had been fighting a gang from another area that had been terrorising the community. “They would come here and rob us. So they were keeping the others away,” he said. He said that when the police leave, community members become victims. “This is a crime haven. “We wish there was a police station here, even a satellite…

Former DA Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Dr Dion George, has accused the party’s leader, John Steenhuisen, of actions “tantamount to cadre deployment” after he removed him from his position and appointed the Minister, Willie Aucamp. George claims that the appointment suited Steenhuisen’s personal and commercial political objectives. This is according to an 85-page affidavit submitted to the Public Protector, in which George alleged that Steenhuisen orchestrated his removal from the cabinet to install a successor who would protect specific commercial interests, specifically of the captive lion breeding and hunting industry. This comes ahead of the DA’s elective congress in April, with Steenhuisen hoping to be elected for a third term. George wants the Public Protector to investigate Steenhuisen’s “unlawful interference with the DFFE’s mandate and functions,…

A formal complaint lodged against an acting judge of the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, will be investigated by the Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) following allegations that the judge solicited and received a R5 000 bribe to rule in favour of an application in a case before the judge. Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judge Halima Saldulker has been appointed to probe the allegations against the acting judge in a complaint lodged by businessman and lawyer Bouwe Wiersma last year. Democratic Alliance MP Glynnis Breytenbach late last year urged the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to urgently attend to complaints of bribery against the judge. The judge allegedly accepted the R5 000 to grant leave to appeal against an eviction order. Breytenbach said the judiciary is the last line of defence against…

South Africa has taken a major step towards workplace equality. The Constitutional Court’s ruling now allows parents to share a total of four months and 10 days of parental leave after the birth, adoption, or surrogacy of a child. This replaces a system that offered mothers extended maternity leave, while fathers were limited to just 10 days. The change gives fathers a real opportunity to participate in early childcare and signals a cultural shift in industries traditionally dominated by men, including mining, construction, engineering, renewable energy, and petrochemicals. Changing family roles In many male-dominated sectors, workplace culture has long assumed that caregiving is the mother’s responsibility. Fathers were expected to return to work almost immediately, leaving mothers to manage the majority of early childcare. The new ruling challenges that norm.…

Ryan Rickelton is “chilled” with missing out Proteas’ T20 World Cup selection and is focusing squarely on helping MI Cape Town defend their Betway SA20 crown. The MI Cape Town opener was overlooked for the 15-man national squad heading to the short-format jamboree in India and Sri Lanka next month. But instead of sulking over his omission, the southpaw has responded by topping the League’s run-scorers charts, which included his second century of the competition against the Joburg Super Kings at the Wanderers on Saturday evening. Rickelton’s undefeated 113 off 60 balls saw him become the only batter to score multiple SA20 centuries, and also reignited MI Cape Town’s campaign with a 36-run victory to keep the defending champions in the race for the playoffs. “I’m over (the World Cup)…

Durban Super Giants breathed fresh life into their Betway SA20 campaign with a thrilling two-wicket victory over Sunrisers Eastern Cape at St George’s Park yesterday. The visitors required just four runs off the final over, but with only last man Noor Ahmad to come they needed Evan Jones to hold his nerve by striking Anrich Nortje for a boundary. Tristan Stubbs has largely played a peripheral role thus far this season, but the Sunrisers Eastern Cape captain burst into life with an undefeated 47 off 30 balls to push the table-toppers up to 158/5, but the Super Giants edged home to just three balls to spare. Stubbs’ predecessor Aiden Markram returned to St George’s Park for the first time since leaving the Sunrisers and he returned with a vengeance. Markram…

Adriaan Wildschutt achieved the best result by a South African in the senior men’s race at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday, but his time of 29:32 in the 10km was only good enough for 13th place. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo crossed the line in 28:18 to become the fourth man in history to win three consecutive world cross-country titles. Wildschutt’s achievement improved on the 15th-place finishes by Shadrack Hoff in the senior men’s race in Stellenbosch in 1996, and Stephen Mokoka in Punta Umbria, Spain, in 2011. Wildschutt, who is based in the US and previously competed for Florida State University, led the SA men’s squad to ninth position in the men’s team competition. “It was a nice race; went out really fast. I knew…

Political analysts and the SA Local Government Association (Salga) warn that the landscape following this year’s municipal elections is likely to be characterised by an increase in hung councils, raising concerns about governance and service delivery across the nation. According to leadership experts, the political climate has been evolving, with indications that the era of one-party dominance is gradually diminishing. Professor Zweli Ndevu from the Inclusive Society Institute emphasised that the prevalence of coalitions is becoming a defining feature of local governance. “We’ve seen that happening at local government level, at provincial level, and at national government level,” he stated. “This trend suggests a diminishing trust in any single political party ruling over the populace.” Historically, the move towards coalition governance began after the introduction of democracy in South Africa,…

The North West High Court, sitting in Mahikeng, declared the appointment of MIB Infrastructure Development by the former Administrator of the province’s Department of Health to act as a consultant for architectural services for the planning, design, and commissioning of the upgrading of General De La Rey District Hospital was unlawful. Acting Deputy Judge President Andre Petersen had set aside the tender and ordered that Bagale Consulting’s appointment is legal and enforceable. This is after Bagale sought a declaratory order that it is in fact the duly appointed consultant in respect of the construction site known as Lichtenburg Hospital, which includes the existing General De La Rey Hospital situated in Lichtenburg. Court papers revealed that two different service providers – Bagale and MIB Infrastructure – were appointed for the…

With less than two months before the Eastern Cape ANC provincial elective conference, the current provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukaitobi has raised his hand for the position of provincial chairman. The conference is scheduled to take place in March and lobbying and horse trading have started to intensify. The current provincial chairperson and Premier Oscar Mabuyane is said to be eyeing his third term, however, many branches are said to be pushing for the elevation of Ngcukaitobi to replace him. On Sunday, Ngcukaitobi confirmed his availability for the position, if nominated. “Yes, indeed, it would be very humbling to be nominated to lead the ANC in the Eastern Cape so I will accept the nomination,” said Ngcukaitobi. One of his lobbyists, Silulami Ndinisa from the Mbashe sub-region under the Amathole region…

Former Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town Spurs coach Ernst Middendorp has weighed in on the debate sparked by Hugo Broos’ comments following Bafana Bafana’s exit from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). South Africa were eliminated in the Round of 16 after a defeat to Cameroon in Morocco, bringing a disappointing end to their AFCON campaign. The Indomitable Lions exposed defensive frailties that plagued Bafana throughout the tournament, with the team conceding six goals in four matches at the Nations Cup. Despite the early exit, Broos’ side had progressed to the knockout stages after finishing second in Group B with six points from three matches. Bafana collected victories over Angola and Zimbabwe, and suffered a defeat to Egypt in the group stages. Upon the team’s return from Morocco, Broos…

World number one Aryna Sabalenka warmed up for a tilt at a third Australian open title in four years in ominous fashion by winning her second successive Brisbane International crown yesterday. Sabalenka scored a dominant 6-4, 6-3 win over Marta Kostyuk in just 78 minutes. “Every day you go out there and prove your level, and I think this week I did it really well,” said Sabalenka after a tournament in which she powered to the title without dropping a set. Looking ahead to the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday, Sabalenka said: “The only thing I know is that I’ll be there, I’ll be fighting.” Salablenka lost in the Melbourne Park final last year to Madison Keys, having been Australian Open champion in 2023 and 2024. “I’ll do my…

Achraf Hakimi is an idol across Africa Cup of Nations host country Morocco, but there is a particularly strong feeling of pride in Ksar El Kebir, his mother’s home town. Far from the tumult of the six Cup of Nations host cities, including Casablanca and Marrakesh, Ksar El Kebir is a small provincial city of 120 000 inhabitants not far off the road linking the port of Tangiers to the capital, Rabat. The mother of Paris Saint-Germain superstar Hakimi was born there before emigrating in her youth to Spain, where the current African Footballer of the Year was born in 1998. “There are no Moroccans who are not proud of him, so imagine how we feel here,” says Hassan El Mouden, the 57-year-old owner of a cafe in the centre…

Newly appointed Durban City head coach Sinethemba Badela has opened up on the role Rulani Mokwena played in shaping his coaching career. Badela, who recently took charge at the Betway Premiership newcomers, revealed that his relationship with Mokwena stretches back to his playing days. The Durban City coach explained that he once played under Mokwena before being encouraged to transition into coaching. Their professional paths later crossed again at amateur side Black Poison in Gauteng, where the foundations of their working relationship were laid. Badela was then appointed as Mokwena’s assistant during their brief stint together at Chippa United, marking his first exposure to top-flight coaching structures. That partnership continued at Mamelodi Sundowns, where Badela served as both first-team assistant coach and reserve team coach during a period of transition…