Frustration is mounting across Gauteng as thousands of residents are grappling with ongoing water outages.
The widespread disruption comes as bulk water supplier Rand Water's major infrastructure maintenance programme enters its second day.
The comprehensive upgrade is targeting key pumping stations, including Eikenhof, Palmiet, Mapleton, and Zwartkopjes, as part of efforts to improve long-term water delivery.
*This article was first published by eNCA
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) has given the Department of Transport until next week to inform them on its strategy to resolve governance failures, financial mismanagement, and procurement irregularities within the Road Accident Fund (RAF).
Yesterday, the RAF updated SCOPA on several issues, including why its CEO was placed on special leave and the current SIU investigation.
During the hearing, the committee raised a number of concerns which include the boards failure to vet its senior officials, failure to appoint a chief claims officer despite a backlog of claims and operating for more than two years without a head of legal services, to name a few.
SCOPA Chairperson Songezo Zibi says if appropriate action is not taken it will move to censure the transport minister.
“It was a difficult hearing because firstly, it nearly didn’t happen. I got three lawyers’ letters, one from the CEO of the RAF, the other from the chairperson and another from the acting chief investment officer of the RAF. The first two, they said they didn’t want to come to the hearing because they had not been presented with the same presentation the SIU gave to us many weeks ago. The acting chief investment officer did not want us to mention him at all during the meeting. We worked through the weekend to make sure that we have a hearing with the great assistance of the deputy minister of transport.”
*This article was first published by SABC News
The primary suspect in the murder of Olorato Mongale has been shot and killed by police in KwaZulu-Natal.
Philangenkosi Makhanya was discovered by the police in Amanzimtoti, located south of Durban. It’s believed that he fired at the police, who subsequently returned fire.
Makhanya, along with two other suspects, Fezile Ngubane and Bongani Mthimkhulu, was wanted in connection with Mongale’s murder.
Mongale’s body was discovered near Alexandra township, in northern Johannesburg, last Sunday.
Ngubane and Mthimkhulu are still on the run.
Olorato Mongale murder | Prime suspect killed – KZN Police Commissioner shares more
On Thursday night, police also confirmed that Makhanya’s mother and father were taken into custody. This, as Makhanya’s father owned the VW Polo allegedly used in the commission of the crime, whilst his mother is believed to have tried to tip off her son to evade police.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is at the crime scene.
Mongale was murdered after being picked up by a man in a VW Polo, and her body was dumped at Lombardy West.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says the father of the suspects, said to be the vehicle owner, has been taken into custody.
“We have two suspects in custody: the mother and father of one of the suspects, who is on the run, are in custody. The father is the owner of the VW Polo, while the mother is believed to have tipped off the son that police are at the parents’ house looking for him. This action by the mother enabled the son to evade arrest on Wednesday evening. When police arrived at his residence he had already left. But we are quite confident the teams on the ground will register a breakthrough soon, and we will find all the suspects we are looking for.”
Olorato Mongale | KZN police still hunting for the mastermind
*This article was first published by SABC News
Economists agree that the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) will drop interest rates at its meeting next week, with an announcement expected on Thursday at 2pm. However, future cuts could be scuppered if the inflation target is dropped.
The rate at which SARB lends to local banks is currently 7.5%, with banks generally lending at 11% to consumers, unless they are not high risk, in which case borrowers can get a rate that is below prime.
Based on calculations using ooba homeloans’ online tool, a homeowner will save R2 040 over a year if they have a R1 million home they are paying off over the standard 20-year period.
These calculations have been worked out on an interest rate of 11% and then 10.75%, which is in line with others freely available on the internet.
Taking the average price of a car in South Africa of R400 000, the annual saving will be R612 – using an Auto Trader calculator with the same prime rate figures as for a home, although the results would be the same with any other calculator that can be found online.
The Bloomberg consensus is for a 0.25 percentage point cut.
Investec chief economist, Annabel Bishop, noted that “lengthy signalling of a lowering of the inflation target, but no announcement, has also led to expectations of an interest rate cut”.
Andre Cilliers, currency strategist at TreasuryONE, said the SARB’s Monetary Policy Committee “is expected to cut rates by 25bps given the recent inflation data and strong recovery in the rand”.
Meanwhile, Old Mutual chief economist, Johann Els, has previously said that he expected an interest rate cut, also of 25 percentage points, next week on the back of a stronger rand. The currency opened at R17.89 on Tuesday morning, a level at which it has been lingering after breaking through R18.
*This article was first published by IOL News
Pieter Andries Nel, a former Lieutenant-Colonel, has been arrested on allegations of stealing over a million rand from the South African Police Services (SAPS).
Nel was arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as Hawks) on Wednesday.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe said a J50 warrant of arrest was executed at Nel's home in Upington.
Explaining the details of the case, Thebe said Nel worked as the Head of Financial Services in the SAPS in the Upington area.
His tasks included authorising payments to service providers and providing subsistence and travel expenses for police members within the Upington District.
"It is alleged that from 2022 until 2024, Nel created and authorised false payments estimated to be over R1.2 million paid into his personal bank account."
Nel has been charged with fraud, money laundering, and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act 1 of 1999.
Nel made a brief appearance in the Upington Magistrate's Court shortly after his arrest.
He is expected to bid for bail on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
*This article was first published by IOL
The bail hearing of a police captain accused of raping a 20-year-old female trainee is set to continue today at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.
The incident allegedly occurred at the SAPS Training Academy in Pretoria West in March this year. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has confirmed that a second complainant has also come forward, accusing the same officer of sexual assault, also in March.
IPID spokesperson Phaladi Shuping says, “The captain appeared at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Friday, facing charges of rape and sexual assault and the case was postponed to 29 May 2025 for continuation of the bail application.”
The officer remains in custody pending the outcome of the bail proceedings.
*This article was first published by SABC News
