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Helen Zille claims that the reason the Democratic Alliance has opened criminal charges against Higher Education Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane is because President Cyril Ramaphosa refuses to act against corruption and criminality.

Speaking to a group of journalists on Tuesday morning, Zille, the Democratic Alliance Federal Council Chairperson, said they opened charges against Nkabane for allegedly lying to Parliament and facilitating ANC cadre deployment.

“We're here today for the simple reason that President Ramaphosa refuses to be as good as his word and act against corruption, act against criminality in our parliament,” said Zille. 

“Those kinds of actions go unchecked, whereas what President Ramaphosa perceives as a slight, which is a deputy minister (DA’s Andrew Whitfield) not asking him permission to go on a private trip that he didn't have to ask permission for, is punished in the strictest terms.”

Ramaphosa recently fired Whitfield from his position after he undertook an international visit without seeking presidential approval, something that Zille argues was not required.

Zille said serious fraud and misleading of Parliament appear to be condoned by Ramaphosa’s government.

“That is an enormous double standard, and that shows you that the ANC isn't at all interested in combating corruption,” she said. 

“This matter concerns Minister Nkabane, the Minister of Higher Education.”

Zille accused Nkabane of announcing appointments to the SETA boards (Sector Education and Training Authorities) - that were politically motivated and filled with ANC loyalists.

“Our colleague Karabo Kakao compiled a table of all those appointed and discovered, lo and behold, that there were a whole lot of deployed ANC cadres,” Zille said.

Among the appointments that Nkabane has since been withdrawn were:

- Buyambo Mantashe, chairperson of the MERSETA board (son of Minister Gwede Mantashe)

- Nomusa Dube-Ncube, chairperson of the BANKSETA board (former KwaZulu-Natal premier)

- Siboniso Mbhele, appointee to the TETA board (head of the KZN Department of Transport)

- Loyiso Masuku, appointee to the FOODBEV board (ANC deputy regional secretary, Johannesburg)

Another point of contention, according to Zille, was Nkabane’s claim that the boards were selected by an independent panel. She they were false.

“So the next question, obviously, was to ask how they were selected? And the minister said it was by an independent board of experts,” Zille said.

“But upon further investigation, the DA found that three of the six panel members were employees in Nkabane’s department, and others were ANC affiliates.”

Nkabane had also falsely said that Advocate Terry Motau chaired the panel, however Motau vehemently denied that.

She previously refused to disclose the panel’s names, however, she later submitted them under pressure.

The list included:

- Advocate Terry Motau (who denied serving the panel)

- Asisipho Solani

- Nelisiwe Semane

- Mabuza Ngubane

- Rhulani Ngwenya

Meanwhile, Zille said the panel included Nkabane’s chief of staff, a chief director for SETAs who reports directly to the minister, and a director of corporate services close to her.

“So she put three people who work for her, and two others - one of whom denied that it was his job - into choosing these critical roles for people who administer many tens of millions (of rands), supposedly in service of higher education in our country,” Zille said.

She added, “That was a blatant lie to a committee of Parliament, which is considered a lie to Parliament itself.”

The DA has filed charges against Nkabane for allegedly misleading Parliament and abusing her position to facilitate ANC cadre deployment.

*This article was first published by IOL News

Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa said that part of the problem was that the military was not being properly funded.

Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa said that the military was not in a fit state to defend the country if attacked due to outdated equipment and underfunding.

However, Holomisa said the country was currently not under any threat of being attacked.

South Africa's military conducts regular threat analysis to determine whether the country is at risk of attack from foreign or domestic enemies.

Speaking on the Clement Manyathela Show on 702, Holomisa said the July 2021 unrest and the recent floods in the Eastern Cape "embarrassed" the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

"Soldiers being carried by military buses going to a violent situation, it showed the defence equipment is obsolete. I cannot give another explanation, and if we were to be attacked, yes, we would respond, but I am not that confident about the state of readiness of the SANDF. Let us not mislead the people. I am not here to spin, but I must tell you the truth."

Holomisa said that part of the problem was that the military was not being properly funded.

"Every (defence) minister I can think of, they have been complaining since time immemorial that the defence is declining. How many defence reviews have been produced and the National Treasury has just ignored? They even ignored the president in 2023, who said, the budget of defence must move from 0.57% of the GDP to 1.5% of the GDP."

*This article was first published by Eye Witness News

By JN Reporter

The 2025 FNB U18 Craven Week, set to kick off on Monday, marks the 60th edition of the iconic tournament.
 
Hosted in Middleburg, Mpumalanga, the tournament will see a repeat of a mouthwatering clash between the Blue Bulls and Golden Lions in the main curtain raiser for the day. The tournament, which began in East London in 1964, will be hosted from 7 to 12 July at Middelburg High School.
 
This will be the third time Middelburg hosts the prestigious week, having previously welcomed it in 1978 and 2014.
 
According to organisers, over the decades, Craven Week has remained a proven platform for rising stars, offering a clear pathway from school rugby to senior professional levels.
 
“For many, it is the start of something bigger, where dreams begin to take flight. All eyes will be on Western Province, the perennial powerhouse of the tournament, who arrive as favourites once more. With 15 consecutive wins, including a 37–24 triumph over Free State in last year’s main match in Krugersdorp, they remain the team to beat. The Sharks, however, have also built a formidable squad and are serious contenders to feature in the headline fixture on the final day,” explained organisers in a statement.
 
The Youth Weeks action has already kicked off with the FNB Grant Khomo Week, which got underway on Monday, 30 June at St Alban’s College in Pretoria. Since its inception in 2003, the tournament has been a launchpad for numerous future Springboks, giving fans a first look at the next generation of greats.
 
Meanwhile, the FNB U18 Girls Week and FNB U16 Girls Week are taking place at Queen’s High School in Johannesburg.
 
“These tournaments play an integral role in growing the women’s game, showcasing young talent and building towards the continued success of the Springbok Women’s team and this year the tournaments will have a heightened importance given that the Women’s Rugby World Cup will take place in August.”

Justice Moshoeshoe and Thabang Tshali deny any involvement in the Kamogelo Baukudi kidnapping saga.

By Lerato Mutlanyane
 
The Kamogelo Baukudi kidnapping saga continues to present more questions than answers on what really happened to the 19-year-old boy.
 
This comes after a recent arrest of the two suspects who were caught with Baukudi in Kanana Location, in Wepener – approximately 80 kilometers out of Bloemfontein.
 
Justice Moshoeshoe and Thabang Tshali were found by the police in the early hours of Friday last week, walking with Baukudi and claiming to be accompanying him to his mother.
 
Baukudi was reported missing on 5 June 2025 and reunited with his family last Friday.
 
Journal News visited the dusty township of Wepener on Wednesday and spoke to Moshoeshoe and Tshali, who denied any involvement in the kidnapping and claiming to have been Baukudi’s saviors.
 
The duo recalled how they met with the reported missing Baukudi, whom they took to their parents.
 
"It was a normal evening when Baukudi knocked on the door, requesting help from us. After opening for him, he told us his names and that he was kidnapped before requesting that we assist him in calling his mother,” said Moshoeshoe.
 
He said following a brief introduction, they decided to take Baukudi to their parents for further assistance and advice on the matter.
 
Tshali said that following the advice to accompany Baukudi to the nearby police station, where he would meet his mother, they both got arrested and placed in the holding cell.
 
“As we were walking, things took a new turn, and we found ourselves behind a police van, tortured on the way to the holding cell. We knew nothing about him except what he had already told us on his arrival. He said he was kidnapped and kept in a place surrounded by bushes and hills,” said Tshali.

However, their statement was echoed by Moshoeshoe's mother, Maletsatsi Kele, who added that Baukudi’s arrival at their doorstep has changed their lives.
 
“Baukudi seemed very clean, unharmed, and just wanted to get in contact with his mother. What baffled me is when my child was arrested, whereas he was only assisting," said Kele.
 
In a twist of events, charges against Moshoeshoe, Tshali, and three other suspects in Baukudi's kidnapping have been dropped. It's believed that two men pretending to be police officers stopped and abducted him. A police officer whose work vehicle is linked to the crime is the only suspect still being held.
 
Tshali and Moshoeshoe's legal representative, Tiisetso Leballo, emphasised that the SAPS did not follow the correct procedure pertaining to the arrests of his clients.
 
"This arrest has tainted the names of my clients, and they now feel threatened as they are labeled as criminals, and SAPS did not do them any justice," Leballo mentions.
 
Meanwhile; questions are mounting about what really happened to Baukudi or where he was over the period of two weeks of his disappearance.
This is a developing story…

By JN Reporter
 
After two years of investigation into the restaurant in Sasolburg, showing pictures of black political leaders placed inside urinals in the men's toilet, the case has finally been set for a pre-trial hearing on Friday.
 
In 2022, a video clip taken by one of the ‘No Name Village’ restaurant employees, showing faces of President Cyril Ramaphosa, former President Jacob Zuma, former Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, went viral on social media platforms.
 
The matter was reported to the Human Rights Commission in the Free State province by the restaurant’s former employee Lehlogonolo Mathabatha, which prompted her dismissal from the company.
 
According to Mathabatha, the matter has been a thorn in her side for years.
 
Speaking to Journal News this week, she said that she is happy that the matter will finally be heard and concluded.
 
“All I want is justice for all… accountability and that no worker in our country should keep quiet about racism in order to keep their jobs,” said Mathabatha.
 
The former head waitress said a lot of racism and inhuman treatment were practiced by the restaurant towards employees during her time, which led to her acting against the employer.
 
“Placing leaders’ faces in men’s urinals was simply too much for me to bear and was a final blow. I felt that I needed to act on it,” she said.
 
Free State MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Ketso Makume, has come out in defense of Mathabatha, committing that he will be attending the court proceedings on Friday.
 
"As the province, we are in a mode to encourage the potential domestic and international visitors to continue visiting our restaurants, hotels, and guest houses when exploring our province as their preferred destination of choice. We don't have a space for racists. If there are any tourism establishments or owners performing any racist practices and exploiting workers, they are advised not to try it in this province because once exposed, we will ensure that they face the harsh consequences of the law,” said Makume.
 
The case is expected to attract members from both the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), and the African National Congress (ANC) to the hearing.

Christopher Fischer appeared at the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday over 11 counts of fraud, committed between July 2018 and April 2022 at New Hope School in Pretoria.

A man convicted of defrauding a special-needs school of more than R6 million was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Christopher Fischer appeared at the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday, over 11 counts of fraud, committed between July 2018 and April 2022. 

The 44-year-old worked as a human resources manager at New Hope School, which caters for learners with special education needs.

It was revealed in court that Fischer fraudulently made 11 payments into multiple bank accounts registered in his name.

He was in charge of managing the payments of staff employed by the School Governing Body at the time.

After his colleague noted irregularities in some documents, investigations revealed that he had been making payments to non-existent employees.

The school also suffered a tax liability exceeding R500,000 due to his criminal act.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said, “The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the outcome of this case as a clear statement that those who exploit public institutions will be held accountable.”

His 12-year sentence will be considered for parole in five to six years.

*This article was first published by Eye Witness News