Author: The Bulrushes

Murder accused Ziphozethu Shange – the man found on his PlayStation while his 25-year-old girlfriend Ntwentle Sanelisiwe Sibiya lay dead near the couch, was a no-show at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. The murder accused had been scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on Tuesday, but his lawyer requested a postponement of the bail hearing. Shange has been in custody since 11 February when he was arrested at his Riversands apartment. RELATED: https://www.thebulrushes.com/2022/02/15/ntwentle-sibiya-lay-dead-near-couch-boyfriend-found-on-his-play-station/ Shange will now appear in court on Friday, 25 February 2022. None of the distraught family of the deceased were able to attend the…

Many people have made New Year’s resolutions – to lose weight, to be healthier, to spend more time with friends and family. But how many South Africans have set goals for themselves to let 2022 be the year that marks the start of their journey towards financial independence? Perhaps this seems like an unrealistic goal for many in an economy that has been battered by Covid-19. Unemployment figures paint a grim picture. Statistics South Africa states that the country’s official unemployment rate was 34,9% in the third quarter of 2021, with the number of employed persons decreasing by 660 000…

Job creation needs both a developmental state and a vibrant private sector, writes President Cyril Ramaphosa in his weekly “From The Desk of The President” newsletter. Dear Fellow South African, As we work to grow our economy and create employment, there is much debate about the relative roles of the state and business in pursuing these goals. Some people have suggested that we must make a choice between, on the one hand, a developmental state that plays a vital role in economic and social transformation, and, on the other, a vibrant, expanding private sector that drives growth and employment. The reality is…

Investigators are satisfied that all the suspects in the R130 million fraud at Cell C have been rounded up after two more suspects appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Iceberg Technology Solution (PTY) Ltd’s Director 70-year-old Robert Stephen Holloway and MTN IT Security Manager 43-year-old Christopher Marrian were charged for their role in the massive fraud, which involved inflating costs on invoices when billing Cell C. Iceberg Technology Solution (PTY) Ltd rendered IT and network services for Cell C between 2010 and 2017 during which the company allegedly colluded to inflate prices. Allegations are that Holloway’s company…

The Chinese embassy in South Africa on Wednesday said it welcomes the registration of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for use in adults within South Africa. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) on Monday announced the registration, with conditions, of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for use in adults within South Africa. The vaccine is manufactured by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd, which is also referred to as the Sinopharm Vaccine of China. SAHPRA also registered the COMIRNATY vaccine by Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Ltd. Commenting on the Sinopharm jab, the Chinese embassy in South Africa said: “This latest,…

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is excited to announce that registrations are open for this year’s JSE Investment Challenge and all high schools and tertiary institutions are encouraged to participate in the competition. The JSE Investment Challenge is the exchange’s educational programme designed to introduce learners and students to the fundamentals of investing on the JSE. Teams that participate in the competition are given R1 million in virtual funds to invest in various portfolios, with the aim of outperforming the portfolios of other participating teams. “Since the R1 million is virtual, participants have nothing to lose and everything to gain,” says JSE…

Arsonists set alight a coach on the Blue Train early Tuesday morning and one of the three suspects seen fleeing from the scene has been arrested. “Transnet SOC Ltd (Transnet) is investigating the cause of a fire which broke out in a coach of the Blue Train early this morning, while the train was in for repairs at the company’s Engineering facility in Koedoespoort,” said Transnet SOC Ltd in a statement issued by Spokesperson Ayanda Shezi. “Three people were seen fleeing the scene. One person was apprehended by Transnet security personnel and handed over to the police. “Two other people…

Another accused in the Cell C R130 million fraud matter 45-year-old Hilel January appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court Monday on charges of fraud and money laundering. Last week 37-year-old Michelle Pillay and 42-year-old Khatiya Patel appeared in the same court in connection with the Cell C fraud matter. Khatiya Patel allegedly colluded and inflated rates for the IT and network services rendered to Cell C while working as an Administrator at Techno Genius during the same period. Fraud accused Michelle Pillay is said to have received about R3 million from the proceeds of the crime. The…

Discovery Bank has launched its comprehensive, real-time forex capability on the Discovery Bank app that gives access to immediate foreign currency transactions. CEO of Discovery Bank Hylton Kallner on Monday said: “Our full forex capability is a key requirement in an increasingly global environment. “We have placed a great focus on ensuring that we remove the challenges of transacting in foreign currencies, which historically included delays in settlements, cumbersome forms and transaction costs that were not always clear.” Kallner added: “Using our fully digital banking platform, it will take clients under a minute to seamlessly add a Dollar, Pound, or…

Siemens SA and Aspen have joined forces to form a strategic partnership that will enable Aspen Pharmacare to increase production capacity to meet the rising demands for Covid-19 vaccines in Africa. Co-financed by funds from the develoPPP programme of the German government, digital technologies will enable faster and more efficient production while ensuring consistent product quality. In a joint project, Siemens South Africa, Aspen SA Operations (Pty) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited (collectively “Aspen”), and Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG) have entered into an agreement. The agreement will enable the use of digital technologies to enhance the efficiency of Covid vaccine…

A female cat burglar was caught red-handed in the early hours of Monday with stolen computer hard drives after a break-in at the Metro Centre, headquarters of the City of Johannesburg. The woman was also found with tools used to disassemble computer hardware. “In the early hours of Monday (7 February 2022) morning, I was alerted to yet another break-in at the Metro Centre, where the suspect was found hiding under a table on the second floor, which houses offices of the Electoral Commission (IEC),” said Johannesburg Mayor Dr. Mpho Phalatse. “What is most distressing about this break-in is that…

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday authorised the release to the public of the report compiled by the expert panel appointed to review the government’s response to the July unrest. Ramaphosa appointed the panel in August 2021 following a spate of orchestrated public violence, destruction, and sabotage in July the same year. He tasked the panel to lead a thorough and critical review of the security services’  preparedness for the July events. The panel was mandated to examine all aspects of the security response and to make recommendations on how to strengthen security capabilities. Members of the panel comprised Professor Sandy…

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) on Monday said it had registered two more Covid-19 jabs – the COMIRNATY vaccine by Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Ltd and the Covid-19 VACCINE MC PHARMA by MC Pharma (Pty) Ltd. At the weekend, The Bulrushes reported that the SAHPPRA would announce Monday the names of the latest Covid-19 vaccination to be authorised for use in South Africa. For more read: REGISTERED: SAHPRA has auhtorised the use of these two Covid-19 jabs Sources had correctly told The Bulrushes that at least one of the vaccines was from China. “The registration of these vaccines is a vast…

Eskom suspended load-shedding Sunday at 21:00 saying it made sufficient recovery in generation capacity. The power utility had initially announced that load-shedding would continue through the weekend and end on Monday morning. However, Eskom said it was “pleased to announce that load-shedding has been suspended from 21:00 tonight due to sufficient recovery in generation capacity”. The power utility said the period of load-shedding assisted us in replenishing the emergency generation reserves in anticipation of the week ahead. Since Saturday morning, Eskom said its teams have returned nine generating units to service, helping to ease the capacity constraints. A generating unit…

An Appeal Committee has been appointed to make a formal judgment on whether it is necessary to vaccinate children between 12 and 17 years of age. On Friday Health Minister Dr. Joe Phaahla announced the appointment of an Appeal Committee to adjudicate on the matter between the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and an organisation called Free-the-Children Save the Nation. Last year in October Dr. Phaahla said the government would open Covid-19 vaccinations to children aged between 12 and 17 years old. Opening vaccination of children of this age group, was in line with then SAHPRA’s approval of Pfizer…

Two fraud suspects, 37-year-old Michelle Pillay and 42-year-old Khatiya Patel appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday facing charges of fraud in which Cell C lost more than R130 million. “It is alleged that between 2012 and 2019, Techno Genius Director, Adriaan Pillay (38) and his business partner Mohamed Ismail Adamjee (44), who was a Cell C executive, colluded and inflated rates for IT and network services required by Cell C which resulted in an actual loss of over R130 million,” said Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu. Further investigations revealed that Patel allegedly colluded and inflated rates for the…

The Presidency has received the second part of the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption, and Fraud in the Public Sector at the Union Buildings. The Secretary of the Commission Professor Itumeleng Mosala presented the second part of the report which focuses on procurement shenanigans at Transnet and Denel to the Director-General in the Presidency Phindile Baleni on Tuesday Afternoon. President Cyril Ramaphosa received the first part of the report from Acting Chief Justice and Commission Chairperson Judge Raymond Zondo on 4 January 2022. The Commission has until the end of February to…

The Tiger Brands Foundation (TBF) has served a record 100 million meals to schoolchildren since launching its in-school breakfast programme about a decade ago. The programme complements the daily lunch provided by the Department of Basic Education as part of the National Schools Nutrition Programme (NSNP). The NSNP ensures that the country’s most vulnerable schoolchildren have access to a nutritious meal every day. TBF Operations Manager Karl Muller said the breakfast programme now reaches 104 schools across all nine provinces in South Africa. It provides nutrition to more than 79 593 schoolchildren a day, with a total of 83 897 beneficiaries. The…

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will find out today if he can appeal against a high court ruling that he may be extradited to the United States, where he is wanted for publication of classified military documents. Last year in December a British high court overturned an earlier ruling by a magistrates’ court not to extradite the 50-year-old Australian to America. After the high court ruling, Assange’s fiancee Stella Moris said extraditing him to the US was “dangerous and misguided”. Moris added: “For the past … two years and a half, Julian has remained in Belmarsh prison, and in fact, he…

An armed gang of 30 robbers shot dead an Eskom-contracted security officer in a brazen attempt to steal copper cables at the power utility’s Klipspruit Customer Network Centre (CNC) in Soweto. It is alleged that the suspects were attempting to steal the City Power copper cable when they shot at an approaching team of seven security officers. Eskom said the shooting occurred on 11 January just before midnight. Recounting for the first time events leading to the fatal shooting, Eskom said Tuesday: “Seven security officers drove out of the Klipspruit CNC to return to their post at Mapetla substation when the…

A day after Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) responded to criticism of having disgraced Bain & Company as a member, the local unit of US management consultants quit the lobby group so as not to “distract”. Business Day reports that Bain South Africa said in a statement that it was withdrawing its membership from BLSA so that it “should not distract from the important work” the lobby group does for the local business community. On Monday BLSA CEO Busi Mavuso addressed criticism directed at the organisation and herself over the stance taken on Bain after the Zondo Commission exposed the company’s role…

Foreign nationals are under siege in Soweto and other parts of Johannesburg, where mobs of locals are removing them from markets and going house-to-house to “clean up” townships. Kaya 959 is reporting that on Monday many residents from Diepkloof in Soweto woke up to the scenes of a mop-up operation aimed at chasing away foreign nationals who sell goods at the Bara Taxi Rank. The so-called clean-up targeting foreigners has been dubbed “Operation Dudula”. In Soweto, a man wearing military fatigues appeared to lead uniformed police officers on the clean-up. There were also videos doing the rounds on social media of…

Unvaccinated Serb tennis ace Novak Djokovic faces a three-year ban after his visa was again revoked Friday by Australian authorities. Earlier this week on Monday, a court in Melbourne upheld the Australia Open defending champion’s appeal against the cancellation of his visa. Djokovic, who has not had a Covid-19 jab, was immediately released from a detention centre after the ruling and allowed entry to the country. Although the Serb met the requirements for jab exemptions, disputed declarations of his travel sparked a new controversy after the star admitted there was an error on his application. On Friday Australia revoked Djokovic’s visa for a…

In a first for South Africa’s space industry, three locally produced nanosatellites will be launched into space later today, Thursday 13 January 2022. The first Maritime Domain Awareness Satellite constellation (MDASat-1) will be launched as part of US aerospace company SpaceX’s Transporter-3 mission. SpaceX was founded in 2002 by billionaire businessman Elon Musk. The 50-year-old engineer was born in Pretoria, South Africa. The launch is scheduled to take place from Cape Canaveral in the United States on 13 January 2022 at 17:25 South African time. This is the latest estimated time and is subject to change depending on weather conditions.…

The Pretoria High Court on Thursday ruled that the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) was at odds with the Constitution. The Act sought to introduce a points demerit system for violations of traffic laws. OUTA – the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse – challenged the constitutional validity of AARTO and the Amendment Act. OUTA has repeatedly pointed out the problems with the AARTO Acts, which are also administratively complicated and rely on chaotic municipal systems. The Acts also usurp the exclusive executive competence of local government (under Part B of Schedule 5 of the Constitution) to enforce traffic…