Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-05-02 i Pretoria News

In an era where air travel has long been the preferred mode of transportation, train journeys are experiencing a remarkable renaissance. This resurgence is particularly evident among millennials and travellers seeking immersive experiences that go beyond mere transit. With an unmatched blend of comfort, scenic splendour, and cultural immersion, train travel is carving out a niche as a unique and compelling option for those craving a different perspective on the landscapes they traverse. The allure of train travel “With sightseeing and experiential travel being a key motivator for tourists, rail journeys are quickly becoming a favourite for both luxury seekers and those who appreciate slow, immersive travel,” notes Haroun Khan, the founder of JR Pass, an online retailer specialising in travel in Japan. Trains provide a relaxing means of transport,…

US President Donald Trump has ruled out seeking a third term, despite previously hinting at the possibility on multiple occasions. In an interview with The Atlantic, published on Monday and marking his first 100 days in office, Trump was asked about a rumour that he had directed the US Justice Department to examine whether it would be legal for him to run again in 2028, when he will turn 82. He stated that he had not done so but appeared to leave the possibility open, suggesting he might be reluctant to break the democratic norm. “That would be a big shattering, wouldn’t it?” He mused. “Well, maybe I’m just trying to shatter.” Trump pointed out that his supporters had often urged him to run for a third term, but…

Disgruntled residents under the banner of Concerned Tshwane Residents (CTR) have vowed to continue protesting outside the Kalafong Provincial Tertiary Hospital in Atteridgeville township and blocking undocumented foreign nationals from accessing healthcare services. They claim unlawful foreign nationals put a strain on the public budget that was not allocated for them. Their threats were in defiance to a call by the Gauteng Department of Health to desist from exhibiting unruly behaviour by obstructing other patients from entering the hospital and demanding that they produce IDs at the gate. Kagiso Kekana, a CTR leader, said the recent protests were held to submit a memorandum of grievances to the Health MEC and the hospital CEO. “This is not going to be a once-off process but a continuous process until we win…

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have warned the ANC to stop pushing them away because they would need their support when the going gets tougher in the Government of National Unity (GNU). Addressing journalists on Monday in Johannesburg, EFF leader Julius Malema said the ANC should not loosely define itself as independent. This is after Minerals Minister Gwede Mantashe, who is acting president, said he was not sure if opting for the MK Party and EFF would be a better option because they were hostile to the ANC. Mantashe said leaving the Democratic Alliance (DA) for the EFF and MKP was like leaving the devil to run into the fire. “You are going to burn in any way,” he said. “He must not speak (like that); he doesn’t have the…

Wednesday morning saw a flurry of activity in Pretoria’s CBD as the City of Tshwane’s Mayoral Committee Members (MMCs) from the Bad Buildings sub-mayoral committee led an operation to evict a man who had allegedly turned municipal land on Sisulu Street into an unauthorised parking lot. The individual, accused of 20 years of illegal occupation and renting the property as a parking lot, tried to intimidate the MMCs and officials reclaiming the land. However, a group of taxi operators accompanying the MMCs stood up to him, and the Tshwane metro police impounded vehicles found parked on the premises. The alleged illegal land occupier, identified as Mnisi, declined to comment when approached by the media. Kholofelo Morodi, the MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, confirmed that the Bad Buildings committee had…

The City of Tshwane plans to increase the number of its business support centres in partnership with the Small Enterprise Development and Financial Agency under the National Department of Small Business Development, to tackle unemployment and support informal economies. This initiative builds on recent efforts where over 1 000 small business representatives, 75 young entrepreneurs, 28 cooperatives, and 23 aspiring exporters received support services in February and March, as part of Tshwane’s job creation push. Sarah Mabotsa, a Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, said expanding business support centres was part of the city’s strategy to boost economic growth and intensify support for small businesses. “As we and the majority of the world celebrate Workers Day on May 1 this year, we must also…

uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) chief whip Mzwanele Manyi said South Africans should thank the party for reducing the African National Congress’ power in Parliament and helping to spark real opposition to the proposed VAT increase. In an interview with SABC News, Manyi argued that without the MK Party’s impact in the 2024 elections, which pushed the ANC below a 50% majority, the VAT hike and other policies would have passed unchallenged. “The MK Party must be thanked for the situation we have now, which is finally making progress,” said Manyi. “Remember, when Cyril Ramaphosa took over in 2018, the very first thing he did was increase VAT from 14% to 15%. If the ANC still had its 62% majority, there wouldn’t be any debate about it today.” According to…

Coach Miguel Cardoso lauded the unwavering attitude of Mamelodi Sundowns’ players following their commanding 3-0 Premiership victory over Richards Bay on Wednesday evening at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. This triumph, combined with a surprising 1-0 home defeat for second-placed Orlando Pirates at the hands of Sekhukhune United, has widened Sundowns’ lead at the top of the table to an impressive 12 points, placing them firmly on course for an eighth successive title. Cardoso was pleased that the Premiership title race had tilted in the Brazilians’ favour, but urged his troops to maintain focus and intent. “We played one more game today (Wednesday), five more games to go. If we get an extra advantage (Pirates defeat), fantastic, but it’s something we should manage. It’s to keep on going... We need to win…

Orlando Pirates may have just played their last strong hand in the Premiership title race. And as close as they came, their latest defeat to Sekhukhune United could prove to be a critical blow – perhaps the final knock that will make it difficult for them to mount a serious pursuit of their long-awaited 10th league crown. Coming into the season, the Buccaneers were widely tipped as the most likely challengers to end Mamelodi Sundowns’ dominance. More than any other team, they seemed best equipped to launch a formidable campaign – and for large parts of the season, they did just that. Their MTN8 triumph earlier in the season stands as proof of the remarkable foundation laid by Jose Riveiro and his technical team – measured not just in trophies,…

The travel industry is undergoing a significant transformation, as a recent McKinsey survey has revealed that modern travellers are no longer satisfied with traditional leisure packages. Rather, their expectations have shifted towards seeking authentic engagements with local customs, cultures, and a diverse array of activities. As such, the call for a more personalised and curated travel experience has never been louder, signalling a new era in the tourism sector. Industry insiders have taken note of this shift, with an emphasis on the importance of emotional connection in hospitality. “The days of one-size-fits-all packages are over. Travellers expect more,” asserts Kruger Gate hotel manager Miguel Farinha, highlighting the need for hospitality providers to respond to evolving consumer demands. Those who truly understand this sentiment and who invest in crafting unique experiences…

Throughout the 2024 presidential election campaign, Donald Trump denied claims he intended to shape his second administration’s policies around Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for a renewed conservative America. But despite his repeated denials, Trump 2.0 has adopted much of Project 2025 into the White House’s agenda. The Heritage Foundation, the right-wing Washington think tank which published Project 2025, has provided policy guidance for Republican presidents since the Reagan administration. Despite the foundation’s longevity, Project 2025 has met with opposition from many quarters. The 900-page Mandate for Leadership: the Conservative Promise, was published in 2023. It went largely under the radar until Democrats and civil liberty champions established Stop Project 2025 during the presidential campaign. Essentially, Project 2025 consists of policy recommendations for each department of the executive branch.…

The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, confirmed that the three police officers who went missing last week are among the five bodies recovered from the Hennops River. Speaking during a media briefing at the river on Tuesday night, Masemola said the bodies of Constable Keamogetswe Buys, Constable Boipelo Senoge, and Constable Cebekhulu Linda had been identified by their families at the Tshwane mortuary. “It has been a difficult six days for members of the South African Police Service and affected families, as we searched everywhere for our three missing police officers,” Masemola said. The trio was last seen in the early hours of Thursday at a petrol station near the Grasmere Toll Plaza on the N1 in Gauteng. Their vehicle, a Volkswagen Polo…

IN HER recent Mail & Guardian Thought Leader article, Budget: Why a VAT increase is the least bad option, author Tara Roos tries, quite unconvincingly, to rationalise the idea of raising value-added tax (VAT) in South Africa. Her argument, while dressed in economic jargon and a tone of polite pragmatism, is not only flawed but also dangerously dismissive of the very real socio-economic crises gripping millions of South Africans. It is an argument so devoid of moral imagination and political courage that it almost reads like satire. Let us be clear: a VAT increase is not the “least bad option.” It is, in fact, the laziest, most regressive and intellectually barren policy suggestion that can be put on the table. The problem is not that the government doesn’t extract…

Opportunity for the Vatican to express its faith in the Continent DURING a meeting at the Vatican in 2019 with South Sudanese leaders, a desperately frail Pope Francis dropped to his knees before the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, and other senior leaders. In an act of extraordinary humility, he kissed their shoes, pleading for peace and accord. In this historical moment, Catholicism stood tall and proud. Today violence is rising in South Sudan. Reflecting on this, political scientist and international relations expert Dr David Matsanga said, "The greatest gift Salva Kiir and Riek Machar can give to Pope Francis and history is peace, not in theory but in action… this is not a favour to the Vatican or the international community. It is a duty owed to the…

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng have called on the provincial government to immediately terminate all lease agreements with private landlords, following revelations that more than R34 million is being spent monthly on office rentals despite the availability of 41 unused government-owned buildings in Johannesburg and Pretoria. This shocking expenditure, admitted by Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development Jacob Mamabolo in the provincial legislature, has raised alarms over fiscal mismanagement, inefficiency, and alleged corruption. According to Mamabolo, 11 provincial departments are currently operating from leased properties while state-owned buildings lie derelict due to years of neglect. The Gauteng government’s justification that its buildings are in poor condition has been met with sharp criticism and demands for transparency. The EFF argues that this deterioration is not accidental but the result of…

Nearly a decade after the City of Tshwane deemed the Melgisedek buildings in Riviera unfit for human habitation and had planned to relocate occupants, people are still living there, illegally. The buildings continue to deteriorate, with locals complaining they are a haven for crime and drug infestation. In 2015, when the city condemned the buildings, concerns arose about rescuing the thousands of residents. The city announced plans to audit the residents and develop a relocation strategy. A crèche was closed and informal traders were ordered to leave, but the traders have since returned. A year after the buildings were deemed unsafe, the Pretoria News reported that the city formed a task team to assess the property’s condition, structural integrity, and residents’ social circumstances. The team’s mandate was later expanded to…

AS we commemorate May Day – the global day of workers’ solidarity and struggle – we are reminded of the ongoing necessity to defend dignity, justice and equality. The landscape of workers’ organisation and struggle is evolving swiftly. Remote work is becoming the norm, and labour is increasingly casualised, unpredictable and dispersed as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and digitisation reshape the global economy. In this context, traditional mechanisms of worker protection, like collective bargaining, are being eroded. Meanwhile, wages and working conditions are deteriorating, with workers barely able to maintain a basic standard of living. The demand for a robust, innovative and unified trade union movement has never been more urgent. In South Africa, however, where poverty and unemployment continue to be high, the situation is particularly acute. A revitalised…

Kaizer Chiefs will be under immense pressure to deliver what may be their most pivotal result of an up-and-down season when they host arch-rivals Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium tomorrow (3pm kick-off). Amakhosi are in danger of finishing outside the top eight for a second consecutive season, currently sitting ninth with 30 points – level with Chippa United, who still have a game in hand over the Soweto side. This will be the first of two Soweto derbies between the sides, with a high-stakes Nedbank Cup final set for exactly a week after their league clash at Moses Mabhida Stadium – where more than just pride will be on the line, as both clubs are in desperate need of victories in both encounters. Nasreddine Nabi and his charges suffered a…

The clear and present danger facing the Proteas’ Women’s team in today’s Tri-Series ODI clash (6.30am start) against Sri Lanka is home team captain Chamari Athapaththu. The powerful left-handed opener has been a thorn in the Proteas’ side since first coming up against the girls in green way back in 2013. The intervening years have done nothing to diminish Athapaththu’s powers. In fact, the 35-year-old has only become stronger and more skilful, as she notably illustrated last year when she clubbed 258 runs to help Sri Lanka share a first-ever ODI series with the Proteas. Athapaththu’s magnificent 195 not out in Potchefstroom not only bettered her Proteas counterpart Laura Wolvaardt’s undefeated 184, but also helped Sri Lanka chase down a record 301 in one of the most memorable Women’s ODIs…

“Only the investigation and finding the missing VW Polo can tell us what happened to my daughter.” These were the sorrow-filled words of the father of Constable Boipelo Senoge, 24, one of three police officers who went missing and were later found dead in the Hennops River in Centurion. On Thursday, part of his prayers were answered when a car matching the description of the one that had been missing for about a week was found in the river. SAPS Commissioner General Fannie Masemola had also earlier in the week pinned the police investigators’ hopes on locating the vehicle. He said it could be key to solving the case, which has gripped the nation after the officers’ bodies were retrieved from the river together with two others. Speaking with IOL…

The results of Canada’s “wild election” are clear evidence that the citizens of that beautiful country did not allow the Conservatives’ fearmongering about the immigrants or the “broken country” narrative to cloud their judgment. It must have been music to those of us praying for more stability, peace and co-operation around the world when Conservative candidate Pierre Poilievre – a firebrand loved by Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump – conceded defeat. Former Bank of England governor Mark Carney gave the world a nice counterbalance to Trump and Musk’s wrecking-ball reign from just south of the border with Canada. And Carney is not just a banker but a wise, humble, experienced and knowledgeable leader who weathered the storms of Brexit and played a part in dealing with the number…

Parliament has confirmed that the planned Value Added Tax (VAT) increase, announced earlier this month, will no longer proceed. This follows an out-of-court settlement reached on Sunday, which was made an order of the Western Cape High Court. The agreement suspends the VAT increase and sets aside the 2025 Fiscal Framework, clearing the way for Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to present a new National Budget. Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the resolution demonstrates South Africa’s commitment to legal certainty and constitutional governance. “By avoiding prolonged litigation, Parliament has helped ensure legal certainty, fiscal stability, and the continued delivery of essential public services,” said Mothapo. The court order halts the VAT hikes previously scheduled to begin on Thursday. These increases are now suspended until new legislation is passed or a…

After days of intensive search and recovery efforts, the VW Polo vehicle whose disappearance had gripped the nation for a week, was retrieved from the Hennops River. Items that included a handbag were found in the car which has been officially confirmed as the one in which three police officers found dead in the river had been travelling, police said. Fannie Masemola, National Police Commissioner, expressed hope for closure. “The retrieval of the vehicle and bodies will bring some measure of closure to the families of the fallen officers and our colleagues. It has been a long and difficult process, but we hope this will help us determine what happened on that tragic day,” he said. Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said multiple specialised units, including SAPS drone teams, cybercrime experts,…

ActionSA has formally applied to obtain the police’s investigation report into the break-in at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s game farm, Phala Phala after it was announced that it would be “top secret”. According to the party, the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application was filed last week. ActionSA said it was initiating the step with the commitment to contest this matter in the High Court if necessary. This is after the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, described the report as “top secret” and informed the country that it would not be made public. Mchunu revealed the news in a written reply to a parliamentary question by African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader Vuyo Zungula in February. Although the Public Protector’s and the South African Reserve Bank’s reports on Phala Phala…

FORMER top intelligence official Thulani Dlomo has issued a stern warning, saying that South Africa’s high youth unemployment rate was a ticking time bomb, one that could lead to civil unrest, similar to the July 2021 riots which followed the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma. Dlomo, who previously headed the State Security Agency’s special operations unit, made those remarks at an event hosted by the Xubera Institute of Research and Development in Hillcrest, Durban recently. More than 300 people lost their lives during the 2021 riots, with many others sustaining serious injuries, during scenes of wanton violence that erupted after Zuma’s incarceration for being in contempt of court. “If 60% of young people are unemployed, that’s a recipe for disaster,” Dlomo warned. “If this issue isn’t addressed, we’re likely…

Late during last Friday night’s CAF Champions League semi-final second-leg match between Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns, the TV cameras focused on a very tense Thlopie Motsepe sitting alongside a visibly worried Flemming Berg in the stands. The Red Devils were leading 1–0 at the time and looked set to remain in line for an unprecedented third successive triumph in the continent’s premier club knockout competition. Sundowns, on the other hand, were facing yet another exit at the penultimate stage. No wonder the two were as red-faced – literally – as they were. After all, the head honchos of South Africa’s most dominant club of the past decade had earlier this season taken a bold decision they believed would deliver the second star for the club. Motsepe, the club chairman,…

Despite mixed form from both clubs and Mamelodi Sundowns’ dominance, the Soweto Derby continues to hold its place as South Africa’s most anticipated and culturally significant football event. Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates will meet this Saturday at FNB Stadium in a Betway Premiership match, before facing off again a week later in the Nedbank Cup final at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Back-to-back derbies are rare, and while both teams find themselves in different positions on the table, the significance of the fixture hasn’t changed. Chiefs come into the weekend sitting in ninth place, out of the running for any league silverware. Pirates, meanwhile, are still mathematically in the title race, nine points behind Sundowns with two games in hand. While a league title push is a long shot, they have…

Some Bulls fans on social media bemoaned the fact that the Pretoria side opted not to kick a late penalty at goal in last week’s epic victory over Glasgow Warriors in Scotland. The outcry came about as another three-pointer would’ve denied the defending champions a valuable losing bonus point. It ended 26-19 at Scotstoun Stadium, which meant that Glasgow remained a point ahead of the Bulls on the United Rugby Championship log on 59, compared to 58 for the third-placed South Africans. But there was method to the madness. Coach Jake White explained afterwards that it was a case of securing the victory rather than risking a possible draw, as the ball could have bounced off the uprights or landed in Glasgow’s hands, from which they could launch a counter-attack.…