Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-04-25 i Pretoria News

When he was presented to a cheering crowd at St Peter’s Square, Vatican City, on March 13, 2013, few people outside Latin America knew much about Jorge Bergoglio. But over a decade later, based on my work as a scholar of Catholicism, I would argue that most Catholics loved Pope Francis. They saw a deep connection between his message and priorities, and their dreams and hopes for a better church and a world that is reconciled. When Pope Francis was introduced in 2013, I was working as an African expert on global Catholicism for Canada Television. I went blank when the new pope was presented to the world on live TV because I had no biographical information on him. So, I ran off the list of what we African Catholics…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had to cut short his inaugural visit to South Africa in response to a devastating overnight missile and drone assault on Kyiv by Russian forces. According to local authorities, the attack claimed the lives of at least nine people and left more than 70 others injured, including children. The strikes caused extensive damage across the capital. In a statement posted on X, Zelensky announced that he would return to Ukraine immediately after his meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday. The visit was part of a broader diplomatic initiative to strengthen international support. Zelensky emphasised that rescue efforts had begun and described the scale of destruction as "significant". “Rescue operations are ongoing, and the rubble of residential buildings is being cleared. As of this moment, over…

Residents of Ward 1 in Pretoria West spent the weekend queuing to sign a petition demanding action from the City of Tshwane to address a range of service delivery issues, including faulty streetlights, potholes, and burst pipes. Ward 1 councillor Leon Kruyshaar said the intention is to finish filling up the petition forms this week and hand them in by the end of the week. He said the campaign is gaining momentum online, with more than 200 signatures collected, and 500 people signing on-site. “We currently lack service delivery in the ward. The potholes and streetlights are the big ones,” he said. The situation has deteriorated since the current administration assumed office six months ago, with metro police even resorting to filling potholes with soil, as captured on video…

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has announced that it has appointed a senior counsel to evaluate and advise on the possibility of appealing the Timothy Omotoso judgment. NPA national spokesperson advocate Mthunzi Mhaga said the decision to consider appealing the case is based on its gravity and complexity as well as the fact that the state can only appeal an acquittal under Section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Act. "This team is studying the transcript, and the three other relevant decisions that were handed down in the course of this trial and will provide a memorandum of advice and opinion on the appeal ability of the judgment," said Mhaga. "The NPA will announce its decision, taking into account the memorandum of advice from the NPA team, and the opinion from…

The National Zoological Garden (NZG) in Pretoria has taken a significant step towards enriching its marine life collection with the arrival of three Blacktip Reef Sharks and over 200 vibrant marine fish. This new wave of aquatic inhabitants is set to energise the largest inland aquarium on the African continent, providing visitors with an even more captivating look into the complexities and beauty of ocean life. In a bid to foster greater appreciation for biodiversity and marine conservation, the recent additions underline NZG's commitment to educating the public about the ocean's diverse ecosystems. Tracy Rehse, Director of Animal Collections at NZG, emphasized the importance of the latest arrivals. “The arrival of these animals not only adds to the beauty and diversity of our exhibits but also helps us tell a…

The consequences of a tragic incident more than 20 years ago, when two sets of twin girls were accidentally swapped at birth, unfolded in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, with the Gauteng MEC for Health ending up having to pay R5.5 million in damages. Judge Nomonde Mngqibisa-Thusi awarded damages to the biological mother of one set of twins – only identified as Mrs M, as well as to three of the other twins. The fourth twin did not form part of the litigation, brought on behalf of the plaintiffs by the law firm O Joubert Attorneys. The four plaintiffs’ claims follow a baby swap at the Heidelberg Hospital more than 20 years ago. Mrs M, a single mother, cared for what she thought were both her biological children, while another…

Watching him charge into the opposition, you would think that there’s little that scares Marcell Coetzee. But a bout of concussion that took him longer to recover from than usual this year has given the Bulls loose forward a fresh perspective on his career. He turns 34 in early May, but the way he has been playing since returning to the pitch makes him appear 10 years younger. The Springbok talk won’t go away either, although Coetzee earned the last of his 31 Test caps in 2022 already. His outstanding form, perhaps the best of his career, certainly warrants another look from Bok boss Rassie Erasmus – especially following Deon Fourie’s season-ending broken leg sustained last weekend. Coetzee set a new Bulls URC record 31 tackles in the tense 16-13…

The CAF Champions League semi-finals remain delicately poised, with both ties offering everything but goals in tightly contested first legs. As Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates prepare for crucial away fixtures in Egypt, the door to the final remains wide open for both South African giants. Sundowns will be aiming to book a place in what would be their second Champions League final when they take on defending champions Al Ahly at the Cairo International Stadium tonight (6pm kick-off). Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates face a stern test against Pyramids FC at the 30 June Stadium, with their clash scheduled for 8pm (SA time). Here, Obakeng Meletse explores five key talking points ahead of these eagerly anticipated semi-final encounters. Backs against the wall but the away goal rule might come to the…

Kaizer Chiefs’ No 1 Bruce Bvuma has responded to his idol and mentor Itumeleng Khune who recently lambasted him for not adhering to his advice. Khune is a Chiefs legend, having spent his entire career at the club before leaving at the end of last season when his contract expired. During his spell at Chiefs, Khune worked with various goalkeepers, including Bvuma who looked up to him before they shared the locker room as teammates. Having been nurtured at Chiefs just like Khune, Bvuma was expected to be the heir to the throne when the former Bafana Bafana No 1 left the Naturena-based club. Bvuma has gotten his chance this season, but hasn’t quite lived up to the lofty billing after conceding a lot of goals and struggled to organise…

Pope Francis left clear instructions for his funeral, asking for a simple and unadorned tomb inside the Roman basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore. • Cause of death revealed Francis passed away on Easter Monday following a stroke and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse. Releasing the Pope’s official cause of death, Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State, Dr Andrea Arcangeli, said Francis’ death has been identified as a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse. “According to the medical report, the Pope had a prior history of acute respiratory failure caused by multimicrobial bilateral pneumonia, multiple bronchiectases, high blood pressure, and Type II diabetes,” Vatican News reported. Details in Pope Francis’s will “As I sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life, and with firm…

Pope Francis marked 12 years as head of the Catholic Church about a month ago, seemingly out of danger after weeks in hospital but with his health casting a shadow over his future. The 88-year-old was for a time critically ill as he battled pneumonia in both lungs at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he was admitted on February 14. The Argentine’s situation had markedly improved since then, with the Vatican confirming his condition as stable ahead of the celebrations. But his hospitalisation, the longest and most fraught of his papacy, raised serious doubts about his ability to lead the world’s nearly 1.4 billion Catholics. Slowing down Francis had before then refused to make any concessions to his age or increasingly fragile health, which saw him begin using a wheelchair three…

After President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs earlier this month, the White House released a list of more than a thousand products that would be exempted. One item that made the list is polyethylene terephthalate, more commonly known as PET resin, the thermoplastic used to make plastic bottles. Why it was spared is unclear, and even people in the industry are confused about the reason for the reprieve. But its inclusion is a win for Reyes Holdings, a Coca-Cola bottler that ranks among the largest privately held companies in the US and is owned by a pair of brothers who have donated millions of dollars to Republican causes. Records show the company recently hired a lobbying firm with close ties to the Trump White House to make its case…

The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) has defended the existence of "cultural communities" like Kleinfontein and stated that the MK Party’s visit to the area exclusively inhabited by white Afrikaners near Pretoria, highlighted the importance of such communities and their right to exist in South Africa. MKP’s delegation, led by parliamentary chief whip Mzwanele Manyi, visited the area on Monday. The purpose of the fact-finding visit was to engage with local leaders and gain a deeper understanding of how Section 235 of the Constitution is interpreted. Manyi believes that settlements like Orania and Kleinfontein, which are predominantly inhabited by white Afrikaners, have distorted the intent of Section 235 to promote exclusionary agendas. In a statement, the FF+ said: “Unfortunately, the visit took on a racial tone, with Manyi accusing the communities…

Pretoria North’s ward 2 councillor, Quentin Meyer, has justified his protest of planting trees in a pothole-ridden road, saying it is a stand against the City of Tshwane's poor service delivery, which he believes has left the area neglected. He was responding to criticism from the Section 79 Committee for Roads and Transport, which accused him of flouting Tshwane's by-laws. Meyer said he mobilised community members to join his protest after repeated complaints about the area's potholed roads fell on deaf ears. He said he had reported the issue to Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya and also emailed the relevant city officials months prior to the protest. “So what do you do if they don’t reply? People toyitoyi. People protest. And that is what we are doing,” he said. He…

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has urged the provincial Health Department to prioritise a speedy and corruption-free reconstruction process of the fire-ravaged Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital. The plea comes following two separate fire incidents that devastated different sections of the facility within just five days. The first blaze, which occurred on Saturday, destroyed the Accident and Emergency units of the hospital while the second fire which broke out in the early hours of Wednesday, impacted the outpatient section, commonly known as the OPD. Emergency responders from the City of Ekurhuleni Fire Department attended to the scene, with the provincial department also confirming that investigations were underway to determine the cause of the fire. “The Department of Health can confirm that fire brigades from the City of Ekurhuleni Fire Department…

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has asked the SAPS to allocate additional resources to investigate the disappearance of Pretoria-based journalist Sibusiso Aserie Ndlovu, last seen on February 18, 2025. Lesufi visited the Ndlovu family in Ga-Rankuwa on Wednesday, offering words of comfort to the journalist’s mother, who wanted to be known only as Mam’uNdlovu, who expressed her anguish over her son's unknown whereabouts. Ndlovu and his partner, Zodwa Mdhluli, were reported missing on February 18, prompting SAPS to launch a search operation. Mdhluli was last spotted in KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga, while Ndlovu was seen leaving his workplace at Denlyn Mall in Mamelodi wearing blue jeans, a blue-and-white long-sleeve shirt, and Nike sneakers. Ndlovu was a journalist and founder of online radio Capital Live SA 99.0 FM. Since Mdhluli's case is…

The Economic Freedom Fighters have called for Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to fall on his sword and resign after Treasury announced it was scrapping the 0.5 percentage point VAT increase. The announcement was made on Wednesday night after weeks of political jostling over the issue which has caused huge fractures in the Government of National Unity. In a statement, EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo described the ploy of a VAT hike as “misguided, ill-conceived, and reckless”. “The EFF calls for the immediate resignation of the Minister of Finance and the Director-General of the National Treasury. “This entire budget fiasco should be a reflection for the Minister of Finance and his Director General that they are out of depth and pose a threat to the economic stability of the country and, by…

BUSINESS and neoliberal elites are tightening their grip on South Africa’s political landscape. With a clear strategy to oust the African National Congress (ANC) in the 2026 local government elections, they have found willing allies in the Democratic Alliance (DA) and compliant media outlets and academics. The seventh BizNews Conference, which took place in March, made this abundantly apparent. Helen Zille, Chairperson of the DA’s Federal Council, pulled no punches at the event. The DA’s role in the Government of National Unity (GNU) is not about national recovery. It is about reshaping the state in the image of capital. Propped up by powerful business interests, the DA is working to complete what it has always longed to do – dismantle the post-apartheid social compact, weaken the state, and privatise its…

Annerie Dercksen will always remember her Proteas Women’s ODI debut at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru last year. But not for the reasons that you may think. While it was the fulfilment of a life-long dream and she had the wicket of Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur to cherish, Dercksen’s primary recollection is standing in the field and admiring the brilliance of Smriti Mandhana. The graceful Indian opener was in the form of her life and her full array of strokes was on display during her 117. It certainly was an eye-opener for Dercksen, who hails from the small town of Beaufort West in the Great Karoo region, that she had now officially joined the big show. “I’ve got to say, in my debut game, I think she scored close to…

Every so often, you get to watch a disaster unfold in slow motion right in front of you. Inevitably, you think to yourself, there must be a German word or phrase to encapsulate the experience. Like Treppenwitz – that moment when you think of the perfect comeback just a little too late – or Backpfeifengesicht, which describes the urge you feel to look down on someone with a punchable face. Perhaps the German word that best describes the Lions over the past two months, however, is Fremdscham – which literally translates to “strangely ashamed” and in English aligns most closely with second-hand embarrassment. Now, it is well established in newsprint that I am a massive Lions fan, so we won’t rehash those details. Needless to say, though, the last few…

Raymond Mdaka is disappointed that he'll be without one of his talismans for the upcoming Africa Youth Championships, but he says the show must go on. Coach Mdaka will guide his SA U20 men’s national team - Amajita - in the youth Afcon which is scheduled to kick-off in Egypt on Sunday. Amajita have to be at their best in north Africa as the event will also serve as a qualification for the U20 World Cup which will be hosted in Chile later this year. But before they can dream about qualifying for the global showpiece for the first time since 2019 under coach Thabo Senong, they need to do well in the group stages in the land of pharoahs. Amajita are in Group A alongside hosts Egypt, Cosafa neighbours…

Pope Francis called for freedom of thought and tolerance in his Easter Sunday address, as the weakened pontiff delighted the crowds of Catholic faithful by making a much hoped-for holiday appearance, even circling St Peter's Square in his popemobile. "Happy Easter," said the 88-year-old Argentine pope in a weak voice from his wheelchair on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, to the great joy of the crowd in the flower-filled square below. The pope's convalescence from pneumonia has kept him away from most Holy Week events but Francis made a major effort on Sunday, waving at the crowd and blessing babies from his popemobile for nearly 15 minutes despite appearing listless. After giving his Easter greetings to the crowd, estimated at more than 35,000 people, from the basilica's balcony, Francis…

Pope Francis's funeral was expected to draw together world leaders from across the globe and the political spectrum - from US President Donald Trump to his Ukraine counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. The Argentine pontiff, 88, died on Monday from a stroke, less than a month after returning home from five weeks in hospital battling pneumonia. His funeral was scheduled to be held on Saturday, April 26, in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Francis's coffin, which he previously ordered should be of wood and zinc, will then be taken inside the church and from there to the Rome basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial. The date was set by the first so-called "general congregation" of cardinals on Tuesday morning, which kicked off a centuries-old process that culminates in the election…

The Pope is dead; long live the Pope! The original version of this expression is normally used by royalists to mourn the death of a king or queen while in the same breath celebrating the accession of the new one, thereby ensuring the life of the monarchy in perpetuity. This proclamation signifies that kings and queens will come and go but the throne will stand forever. Perhaps in the case of the dearly departed Roman Catholic pontiff we should say, ‘Jorge Mario Gergoglio is dead; long live Pope Francis!’. The pope was many things to many people. He was the “People’s Pope”, while to others he was an “intellectual”, a “progressive”, “radical”, “warrior”, “leftist” or “liberation theologist” and so on and so forth. For me, he was a genuine human…

Leaders of the Afrikaner community of Kleinfontein, an informal settlement near Pretoria, have accused the City of Tshwane of delaying its rezoning process from a farm to a township, despite the community's long-standing presence on land initially zoned for agriculture. This came to light during a visit by uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) leaders to the settlement on Monday, where they were informed that the community's application to formalise the settlement has been pending with the municipality since 2011. Rian Genis, chairperson of the board of directors, alleged that the city has made empty promises to address their application through previous executive mayors, without taking concrete action. “Every single mayor prior to the DA mayor promised us that they will assist us to formalise the settlement. We have a formalisation…

South Africa is to meet with the US “soon” to resolve bilateral differences over the status of the country, President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed. Ramaphosa announced on social media platform X that he had a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Thursday morning. Part of the conversation included the fostering of peace in Ukraine. The President also mentioned the phone call during a media briefing at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday. “I spoke to US President Donald Trump to discuss the peace process in Ukraine. We both agreed that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible to stop further unnecessary deaths. “We both agreed to meet soon to address various matters regarding US-South Africa relations. “We also spoke about the need…

Call for action to address the humanitarian crisis and foster lasting peace SINCE the outbreak of the war between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in 2023, I have held frequent virtual consultations with representatives of the Sudanese political parties, civil society leaders, and humanitarian actors. I held one of these consultations shortly before the 15 April 2025 London Conference on Sudan. I am honoured to convey this message on behalf of my Sudanese interlocutors. Today, we mark a grim milestone: it is two years since Sudan descended into a destructive war that has torn asunder the fabric of Sudanese society, devastated lives, displaced millions, and brought one of Africa’s most vital nations to the brink of famine and state collapse. But even as we deliberate in…

The City of Tshwane has rejected claims by community leaders and some DA councillors that its new overtime policy, aimed at reducing excessive payouts, will negatively impact service delivery. The leaders alleged that the policy would cause prolonged power outages due to a lack of staff available to address service issues outside regular hours. Municipal spokesperson, Selby Bokaba, said the city was aware of misleading social media posts by some community leaders, saying they were untrue in claiming that the city's overtime policy changes were intended to compromise service delivery. He explained that the city's strained resources have led to tough decisions on overtime management, aiming to balance costs without compromising service delivery. “It should be put on record that the adjustments to overtime hours were based on repeated…

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said the party’s position has been vindicated following Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s decision to withdraw the proposed 0.5% VAT increase. “Today, our position has been vindicated,” Mashaba said during a multi-party media briefing on Thursday. “Despite this, what followed was a deliberate and well-funded misinformation campaign that misled you, the South African people, falsely claiming that ActionSA had supported a VAT increase.” This comes after some political parties, including the Democratic Alliance, which opposed the VAT hike, argued that ActionSA had been misled into backing the 2025 National Budget, which initially included the controversial increase. “While some continued to play politics, ActionSA made substantive submissions of revenue alternatives to the finance minister and began a series of engagements with the ANC,” Mashaba said. The media briefing,…

Professor Jéan Steyn, a criminal justice expert at the University of Zululand, said the timing and secrecy surrounding Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s convoy shooting could point to deeper political tensions within the ANC. “The timing of the incident, post-African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, and its delayed disclosure could intimate internal ANC dynamics or factionalism,” Steyn told IOL News on Tuesday. Mashatile is widely expected to contest for the upcoming ANC presidency in 2027. IOL News previously reported that Mashatile’s official vehicle was shot at earlier this month while he was travelling home from the ANC NEC meeting in Boksburg. His spokesperson, Keith Khoza, said Mashatile was unharmed and that the matter was under police investigation. South African Police Service (SAPS) national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said…

In a striking development, Al Ahly has been granted full-capacity approval for Friday's clash against Mamelodi Sundowns, turning up the heat in the CAF Champions League semi-final second leg in Cairo. Recently, Egyptian authorities have capped attendance at CAF matches to a maximum of 30,000 fans. This rule was strictly enforced in Cairo last week when South African minnows Stellenbosch FC shocked the football world by upsetting Zamalek in the Confederation Cup match. Egyptian giants Al Ahly appealed to their Ministry of Sport after their officials emphasised the significance of the match and the potential impact of an electrifying crowd on the outcome. As a result, the Cairo International Stadium will host a capacity crowd of 75,000 fans for this high-stakes encounter. Slovenian-born Nejc Gradisar, who played as the lone…

The 2024/25 Betway Premiership campaign has delivered non-stop action from the opening whistle, and as the season ticks into what feels like stoppage time, several key positions remain undecided. While the top two spots appear all but secured by this season’s standout performers – Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns – the race for third is wide open. Both Pirates and Sundowns look set for a return to the CAF Champions League, leaving one final continental ticket up for grabs. Third place, which grants a berth in next season’s CAF Confederation Cup, is still being fiercely contested. Here, Obakeng Meletse takes a closer look at the three teams still in the hunt for that coveted final spot in African competition. Stellenbosch FC FOURTH – P23 W10 D8 L5 GD11 Pts38 Stellenbosch…