Author: The Bulrushes
The trial within the corruption trial against former president Jacob Zuma and Thales ended Wednesday with the defence insisting that the Pietermaritzburg High Court should find that Billy Downer has no title to prosecute in the main matter. Advocate Wim Trengove for the National Prosecuting Authority wrapped up his arguments supporting Downer’s case to prosecute Zuma. Advocate Dali Mpofu for Zuma took the opportunity to repel all the reasons advanced for allowing Downer to prosecute the 79-year-old former president. The former president, who did not attend the court case brought the special plea to court to have Downer removed from…
The Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein on Wednesday ruled as unlawful that the Department of Tourism’s use of Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) as criteria to financially assist struggling businesses in the sector. Former Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane had insisted that support for distressed firms and establishments in the sector would be guided by empowerment (BBBEE) codes – a move Solidarity and AfriForum opposed in court. Judge Clive Plasket said the tourism minister committed an error of law and was not legally obliged, as she argued, to allocate funds based on BBBEE requirements. Judge Plasket overturned a previous ruling, delivered…
The charred body of a man who broke into an electricity transformer mini substation in Linden, Johannesburg, was found on Monday City Power said: “An unknown man was burnt to death early this morning in Linden after he vandalised the mini substation on 13th Street”. A bag and tools that included a spade and a hacksaw – were found near the body. City Power said an initial probe found that the man met his demise after he broke into the transformer substation to steal copper cables and other valuable components. “He tried to strip the live mini substation when it blew…
Caught out for misrepresenting its BBBEE status, Vicky Adey Consulting CC has agreed to immediately withdraw from each panel of contractors/service providers of any organ of state or public entity. These contractors/service providers included the Independent Development Trust, Coega Development Corporation and Department of Education Gauteng Province. In addition, Vicky Adey Consulting CC said it was voluntarily surrendering to the Construction Industry Development Board its CIDB grading for cancellation. Vicky Adey Consulting CC is a close corporation registered in South Africa. The members are Olufunsho Adebayo Ademoye, a Nigerian born African male, and Phumudzo Nancy Muthelo, a South African born…
A Zimbabwe national and eight workers from Checkers have been arrested over multiple fraudulent medical certificates. Matters came to a head when as many as 19 Checkers’ employees based in Northmead Square in Benoni submitted 41 fraudulent medical certificates under the name of Dr. MLA Modisane. The workers used the fake medical certificates to cover up for absenteeism from work. Acting on this information, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) Inspectorate Office in collaboration with the Ekurhuleni East Crime Intelligence and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department Community Liaison Unit launched a probe into the matter. The investigation led to…
More than 90% of IT decision-makers in South Africa, Kenya, and Zimbabwe have accelerated their cybersecurity due to the substantial emergence of digital ways of working. These are the findings of the latest 2021 research undertaken by leading pan-African technology group Liquid Intelligent Technologies. The study established some of the main concerns about cybersecurity threats and the most significant impacts of digital breaches on an organisational level. A critical insight from the research suggests that 79% of businesses from all three countries attribute an increase in cybersecurity threats to the advent of remote working. Data breaches like data extortion, data…
Arrested Zamaswazi Zinhle Majozi appeared in the Germiston Magistrate’s Court on Monday facing charges of incitement of public violence related to last month’s deadly unrest. More than 300 people died in the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, where shops were looted and vandalised. Haulage trucks were set alight and infrastructure was destroyed. At least 3 000 people were arrested for looting and public violence. A dozen others thought to be instigators were being sought by the police. Majozi is one of the people authorities suspect incited the week-long violence. The 36-year-old was arrested on Saturday, 28 August 2021 in Leondale. Majozi is alleged…
China responded strongly against the United States “slanderers” on Monday rejecting suggestions that the origins of COVID-19 have been traced back to Wuhan. Speaking from Pretoria, Chen Xiaodong, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa, said the US was simply trying to “smear China” to cover up for its own poor response to the pandemic. He noted that on Friday, 27 August, the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence released “key takeaways of the Summary of Assessment on Covid-19 Origins”. US President Joe Biden also issued a statement on this matter. “The US spared no effort to hype up the…
Was it a record 10 or 11 babies? The number really doesn’t matter because it was a fake story that Nandos is not letting anyone forget. The new Nandos Prego and Chips ad takes the mickey out of the decuplets fable. Weeks after the incredible fable did the rounds, the mother of the imaginary babies was understandably sent to have her head read. When matters came to a head, the so-called hubby stopped taking donations – but that was after he scored one million rand from the owner of Pretoria News, Dr. Iqbal Survé. RELATED: Family Admits 10 Babies Story Was A Lie,…
Two men have been caught with steel-cutting equipment inside an electricity substation in Roodepoort. City Power said the arrests on Tuesday night came after security was beefed up to include heightened patrols of all its electrical installations across Johannesburg The collaborations forged with the community structures including the policing forums, neighbourhood watch groups, and ratepayers associations are helping to curb cable theft, said City Power. “The two were arrested last night after they cut the locks to gain access into the substation chamber in Florida,” said City Power. The thieves cut and stole cables inside the substation leading to power…