Author: The Bulrushes
Police crime intelligence officers have have recovered stained cash, explosives and arrested five suspects in connection with an ATM bombing in Carousel View, Tshwane. The suspects were bust hours after an ATM was bombed and a fuel station robbed in the area and the contents stolen. Recounting events leading up to the arrests, Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said: “At about 01h30 on Friday 13 May 2022, police were notified about an ATM that had just been bombed and fuel station robbed in Carousel View. “Several units of SAPS [SA Police Service] were activated and led to a safe house in…
Mechatronics engineering students’ analytical skills have trumped the competition in the JSE challenge, proving that predicting and anticipating the future can be profitable if you get it right. Megan Greggor and Shreya Gopaulsingh of team “Queen of Mechanics” are winners in the university’s speculator portfolio in the JSE Investment Challenge for March 2022. This is what great investors try to do each day, using the information that is before them about the economy, and the business environment to understand how these moving variables will affect and determine the state of industries and businesses in the future. However, the knowledge and…
South Africa is donating millions of doses of Pfizer and J&J vaccines to other African countries, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced. In his message to the 2nd Global Summit on Covid-19, Ramaphosa – the AU champion for covid-19 response – on Thursday said: “To get more life-saving vaccines to those in need, South Africa is donating 5 million doses of Pfizer vaccine and 10 million doses of the J&J vaccine to other African countries.” He said South Africa has contributed $10 million to the Global Fund and plans to contribute financial support to the ACT-Accelerator. “To address low testing rates,…
An intriguing tale of the theft of more than 100 million rand from ABSA bank, involving murder, and the arrest of six people including a traditional healer – is unfolding in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, Johannesburg. On Thursday, 43-year-old traditional healer, Khumbulani Elvis Ntombela – also known as “Mabalengwe” and 29-year-old Nonelwa Nondlazi, were in the dock for their part in the theft of more than 100 million rand from ABSA. Nondlazi was the former partner of the main suspect – the late Xolela Masebeni. The money was stolen from a Sandton branch between September and December last…
MultiChoice is searching for 60 aspiring film and TV content creators from Southern Africa, West Africa and East Africa to be part of the Class of 2023. Now approaching its fifth year, the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) (www.MultiChoiceTalentFactory.com) Academy is excited to once again call for applications for its world-class film and TV training programme which kicks off in October this year. The call is open to all emerging filmmakers with either some industry experience or a relevant post-school qualification, to apply for this exciting opportunity to hone their television and film production skills. “Our curriculum combines film studies such…
Eskom will implement Stage 2 load-shedding at 5pm on Monday. The power utility said: “Stage 2 load- will regretfully be implemented from 17:00 to 22:00 this evening as the power system is severely constrained. Earlier on Monday Eskom warned it might have to implement load-shedding at “short notice”. “While the power system has recovered sufficiently to fully meet the demand during the day,” said Eskom, adding that it would like to “caution the public that load-shedding might be required at short notice during the evening peaks should there be further breakdowns in currently available capacity”. Eskom had said it expects…
Security guards on Wednesday found three men stripping the decommissioned Anglo Gold Ashanti Hospital of valuables including copper cables, gas stoves, monitors, and mattresses. Two of the culprits ran away and one was apprehended as he was loading the loot onto a late model bakkie. The matter was reported to the Carletonville Police Station. The security guards also found that two state-of-the-art digital x-ray machines had been vandalised at the hospital located in Carletonville on the West Rand. The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) said the thefts coincided with its process of moving equipment and machinery out of the disused…
Mukuru – the leading next-generation financial services platform catering to Africa’s emerging consumer – on Wednesday announced new sponsorships, including English Premier League side Crystal Palace Football Club. Mukuru has simultaneously struck a naming rights deal for the top Malawi Super League Team, The Mighty Wanderers FC, and a sponsorship arrangement with Springbok legend Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira. The financial services platform, which has built a formidable business serving remittances for expatriate Africans, has more than 10 million customers and has completed more than 100 million transactions since its inception in 2004. Commenting on the England-based Crystal Palace Football Club, Mukuru CEO Andy Jury said: “The…
University of Pretoria (UP) graduate Mia Gerber recently received a master’s in Computer Science with distinction for her thesis investigating automating the design of the deep neural network pipeline to address fourth industrial revolution (4IR) problems by using artificial intelligence. Gerber completed her degree in a year and a half following her return to academia after a work stint. The machine-learning techniques that she developed as part of her research not only makes artificial intelligence more accessible but can also be applied to areas that are relevant to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): disease diagnosis, spam detection and sentiment…
The Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday upheld the application by the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID) to restrain the assets of Regiment Capital of just over R1 billion. Allegations are that Regiments was corruptly awarded contracts at state-owned logistics company Transnet. Regiments was the transaction adviser to Transnet for the latter’s R54 billion procurement tender for 1 064 locomotives in 2014, which the state alleges was inflated by about R16 billion. The interim restraint initially awarded in favour of the ID in November 2019 was discharged in October 2020 on grounds of failing to disclose material information about…
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has weighed in on the arrest of Advocate Malesela Teffo inside the courtroom, saying it was “unacceptable”. Advocate Teffo was handcuffed inside the Pretoria High Court on Thursday when police executed an outstanding warrant of arrest. Advocate Teffo spent the night in the cells and appeared at the Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court the next day, where he was granted bail of R10 000. However, there was an outcry as to why the advocate – who is representing four of the five men accused of the murder of football star Senzo Meyiwa, was not given a chance to…
The five men who were caught red-handed stealing metal railway sleepers on Tuesday appeared in the Morgenzon Magistrate’s Court, Mpumalanga. The five accused were named as 56-year-old Phillip Thyse, 27-year-old Kashveer Harrilil, 45-year-old Mahlomola Johannes Mphasha, 45-year-old Sipho Maseko, and 53-year-old Mthabine Semid Tsotetsi. METAL RAILWAY SLEEPER HEIST: The laden truck that was intercepted by the Hawks All five were arrested on Friday, 29 April 2022, by the Hawks acting on a tip-off about people who were stealing metal railway sleepers in Morgenzon. The court heard that some of the stolen metal railway sleepers had already been delivered to a scrapyard…
South Africa is bracing for cold and dark nights after Eskom announced it was implementing load-shedding from Tuesday evening because of a shortage of generation capacity. Eskom said it regrets “to inform the public that due to severe generation capacity constraints Stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented from 17:00 this afternoon”. Loadshedding will continue until 05:00 on Monday. “This load-shedding has been caused by a shortage of generation capacity owing to delays in returning generators to service, as well as breakdowns of nine generators,” said the power utiity. Eskom said it will continue to monitor the system and implement any…
Just like any other youthful person of my generation, moving to any foreign country in search of the so-called ‘greener pastures’ is not always what it seems to be in pictures. With the fast-rising of social media, many would be quick to conclude life abroad is sweet and super. Simple advice is you really need to work hard to achieve your dream in that foreign land. Most people (me included) relocate completely ignorant of the possible dangers and costs associated with such a move. In this day and age, people need to be careful when travelling or relocating to another…
President Cyril Ramaphosa – who had to abandon his Workers’ Day address in Rustenburg – on Tuesday said the “workers have spoken. We must listen. And, together, we must act”. Writing in his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa said: “This year, I was invited to address a Workers’ Day rally at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. “I was, however, unable to address the gathering because workers there had grievances that they expressed loudly and clearly.” Before he could address the gathering, security personnel whisked Ramaphosa away after workers in attendance became increasingly rowdy. “While the main grievance appeared to be about wage…
The Empire Partner Foundation (EPF) has challenged young software developers and tech entrepreneurs to find digital solutions to address South Africa’s energy challenges. State-owned power utility Eskom, which provides over 90% of South Africa’s electricity, has over the years implemented multiple bouts of load-shedding, much to the detriment of the fragile economy. Tech non-profit organisation, EPF, recently hosted an energy hackathon to seek solutions to end the perennial load-shedding problem. Challenges to finding solutions to the electricity shortage ranged from envisioning the power needs of the country to quantifying the benefits of renewable energy projects. The event was supported by…
The Presidency on Friday said it had received the fourth part of the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture. “The Secretary of the Commission Prof Itumeleng Mosala handed over the report to Acting Director-General in the Presidency Mr. Thami Ngwenya at the Union Buildings in Pretoria,” said the Presidency. Part Four of the Report is comprised of four volumes focusing on six themes as follows: Volume 1: – The attempted capture of the National Treasury – EOH Holdings and the City of Johannesburg – Alexkor Volume 2: – The Free State Asbestos Project Debacle…
South Africa’s Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula on Wednesday reassured local and international airlines that jet fuel supplies to O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg had been stabilised. On Tuesday, ACSA Chief Executive Officer Mpumi Mpofu said that the supply of jet fuel to airlines flying in and out of O.R Tambo International Airport was stable and continues to meet demand. Mpofu revealed that of the 67 rail tanks en-route to OR Tambo International Airlines, only 11 have arrived, with 56 remaining behind, owing to the flood damage to parts of the rail freight route. He rejected media reports of a…
While parts of the freight rail lines out of Durban remain unusable weeks after the KwaZulu-Natal floods, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has moved to allay fears of imminent jet fuel shortages at O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. As a result of the floods, about 140 sections of Transnet freight rail lines from Durban to Johannesburg were damaged and Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) estimates that it will only be able to repair the damaged rail infrastructure by 9 June 2022. Of the 67 rail tanks en-route to OR Tambo International Airlines, only 11 have arrived, with 56 remaining behind.…
The state of Gauteng hospitals has again come under the spotlight amid the surge in Covid-19 new cases. “Are Gauteng hospitals ready for a 5th wave of Covid cases?” was the question posed on Monday by Jack Bloom, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health. “Yesterday there were 1 727 new cases and 10 933 active Covid cases recorded in Gauteng, compared to 460 and 4 333 active cases a week before,” said Bloom. “This is an alarming jump. “At this stage, we do not know the severity of the Omicron sub-variant, which appears to be driving the…
American carrier Delta Air Lines’ application to fly a triangular route between Atlanta, Johannesburg, and Cape Town has finally been approved. Delta will operate three flights a week year-round using a 306-seat Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The flights are expected to start on 18 November this year. The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday said it welcomes the long-overdue approval of the Delta Air Lines Atlanta-Johannesburg-Cape Town triangular route. “The approval comes off the back of a long and determined campaign by the Western Cape Provincial Government and the Western Cape Provincial Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism,” said…
AVBOB the “Cashback Funeral Insurance” has moved to assist flood-hit KwaZulu-Natal, where at least 306 people have lost their lives, by donating millions of rand and offering free funerals. The unprecedented environmental catastrophe destroyed houses, washed away bridges, and left huge sinkholes that rendered the roads impassable. Responding to the tragedy, AVBOB Mutual Assurance Society said it has “set aside R7 million for immediate assistance” to communities in KwaZulu-Natal affected by the floods. The organisation said it believes that Ubuntu remains the cornerstone that ties together South Africans through the profound sense that “we are human only through the humanity…
An immigration officer at OR Tambo International Airport has been arrested for facilitating the unlawful entry into South Africa of five Bangladesh nationals. “A short while ago, we arrested an immigration officer who facilitated the entry of five Bangladeshi people into the country without the required immigration documents, in this case, valid permits,” said Home Affairs Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi on Wednesday afternoon. “He is a key link in an elaborate and well-coordinated international syndicate that operates in South Africa and Bangladesh.” The home affairs minister said the activities of the syndicate were first picked up by the South African…
Eskom has implemented Stage 2 load-shedding after an earlier warning on Monday that the grid was “severely constrained”. However, in a terse statement on Monday evening, Eskom said: “Unit 5 at Medupi Power Station has just tripped, taking some 700MW capacity with.” The power utility added: “Regretfully, Stage 2 load-shedding has been implemented immediately. A full statement will be published in due course.”
Judge Piet Koen on Monday afternoon postponed the corruption trial against former president Jacob Zuma who failed to appear due to a “medical emergency”. The 79-year-old Zuma, who was released on medical parole after serving a month of his 15-month sentence for contempt of court, fell ill Sunday night. After listening to arguments from both sides in the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, Judge Koen adjourned proceedings for lunch. When the court resumed, Judge Koen postponed the matter to 17 May – a date he said was provisional depending on whether the Supreme Court of Appeal president, Justice Mandisa Maya,…