• Zwane defies Zuma over bank probe - Business News

    Johannesburg - Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane has defied President Jacob Zuma after he reiterated that he issued his statement on the judicial inquiry into the banks for closing the accounts of the Guptas in his capacity as a cabinet minister. His statement on Wednesday also went against the cabinet decision that it never instructed him to issue the statement. Zwane, who was replying to a written parliamentary question from DA MP David Maynier, said he stood by his statement. Zuma had reprimanded Zwane for the statement and said he had made it in his personal capacity. This followed the investigation into the banks by the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) for closing the Guptas’ accounts.

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  • House arrest for ex-mayor found guilty of fraudulent spending

    Faku is a national Member of Parliament. She had hoped to get away with a small fine - telling the court that she earns R40‚000 per month and can only afford R2‚000 as a fine. Former Buffalo City mayor and ANC regional chairwoman Zukisa Faku being mobbed by hundreds of her supporters during her first court appearance to face fraud charges at the East London Magistrate's Court. This week, she was sentenced to house arrest and community service on nine counts of fraud relating to misuse of a municipal credit card.  Alan Eason Instead‚ Faku was sentenced to three years’ house arrest and community service at an old age home for 16 hours a month in the next year and a half‚ by magistrate Sadia Jacobs.

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  • Hlaudi needs to go ‘as in last week’, says Cabinet - Crime & Courts

    Johannesburg - Hlaudi Motsoeneng boasted this week that no one could make him leave the SABC. But on Thursday, the Cabinet ordered him out of the public broadcaster urgently – just a day after the ruling party said he should be fired. Motsoeneng’s only remaining allies are embattled Communications Minister Faith Muthambi and the parastatal’s board. Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said the SABC and Motsoeneng cannot continue to subvert the law and the decision of the Supreme Court of Appeal by appointing him to a different senior position. The Cabinet’s stance came after the SABC posted a third successive loss in three years, with the Auditor-General describing its books as being in a shambles.

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  • ANC leaders defy Zuma on EFF

    While an Emirati woman seeks permission from the courts in the United Arab Emirates to have that country’s first sex change operation‚ hundreds of people are faced with the prospect of having to wait for up to 25 years to get the surgery done in South Africa.

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  • SABC flips SA the bird – Vavi

    Former SABC chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the SABC board and Communications Minister Faith Muthambi have been accused by former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi of being in “cahoots” with President Jacob Zuma. This “collaboration” was an effort to shield Zuma from allegations of corruption against him and, in doing so, it “hides the truth from South Africa”, Vavi charged. Vavi was reacting to the SABC’s and Motsoeneng’s announcement this week that Morsoeneng would be redeployed within the state-owned enterprise as group executive of corporate affairs. He also indicated he would reapply for the position of COO. This followed the dismissal of his legal attempt at the

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  • The Big Read: Blackmailed and impotent

    Instead, judging from his dysfunctional cabinet and its actions this week, he is a man who is deeply, deathly afraid. He is like a person who is being blackmailed. Afraid of exposure and destruction, he not only does what the blackmailer instructs but allows the blackmailer to get away with murder with acts against those around him. So, Zuma is not captured. The reality is far worse. The events of last Friday indicate that there is a coterie of ministers and ANC officials who no longer take direction or instruction from Zuma. The hapless Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane issued a market-moving statement purporting to be from the cabinet announcing a judicial inquiry into banks and the

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  • The gloves are off: Bonang and Ntsiki go head-to-head over 'threatening email

    TV personality Bonang Matheba has come out strongly to set the record straight on a threatening email‚ which was apparently sent from her account to Ntsiki Mazwai. Not one to shy away from tackling disagreements head-on‚ a fuming Ntsiki shared the email on Twitter for the entire nation to see. This quickly led to Ntiski’s post going viral with Bonang and the controversial singer becoming the talk of the town. The threatening email which appears to have been sent from Bonang’s email account‚ warns Ntsiki to stay in her lane and throws massive shade at her singing abilities. “Don’t start what you cannot finish sisi. I’m not the one you want to mess with in this media zone. Focus on why your music

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  • Gauteng Premier's Bryanston mansion will be sold

    He hasn't been staying at the Bryanston mansion for two years already‚ despite millions of rands being spent on it during the time of his predecessor‚ now Water Affairs and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokanyane. Makhura‚ speaking in the legislature on Tuesday‚ announced that the executive committee has given the Gauteng infrastructure department a mandate to sell all houses owned by Gauteng Province‚ including the official residence. "We are confident that the decision will save us a lot of money and help raise additional resources‚" the GautengGov ‏@GautengProvince said on Twitter. The money raised would be used to fund the Township Economic Revitalisation programme and bursaries‚ the provincial

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  • Why the US presidential race is so close when Clinton should be walking it

    MANY people across the world are probably wondering why Hillary Clinton — who is obviously more prepared and better suited for the American presidency than her opponent, Donald Trump — isn’t waltzing to victory. Many Americans share the world’s bewilderment. Trump has been closing in on Clinton, even threatening to catch up with her in the Electoral College vote, where the Democrats’ control of some of the most populous states (New York and California) give Clinton an advantage. Despite knowing almost nothing about governance or public policy, he has managed to consolidate most Republicans behind him. One motivation is Republicans’ long-held hatred of Clinton. He has also exploited many Americans’

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  • Ocean Basket grilled over angelfish posing as hake

    Cape Town businessman Osman Parker raised a red flag this week when he complained that his children had been served angelfish instead of hake fingers at various restaurants in the chain in the Western Cape. He claimed that managers had admitted to using angelfish and his wife was concerned about possible allergic reactions. Affected restaurants were at the V&A Waterfront‚ N1 City‚ Canal Walk‚ Vangate Mall and a recent flower festival in Vredenburg. Ocean Basket marketing executive Jean Sloane offered an explanation to CapeTalk radio on Wednesday as to how angelfish could have ended up on their plates. She said that angelfish – which is served on the main menu and in platters – was purchased whole

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  • ANC ‘punishes’ its youth league

    The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the Eastern Cape has appealed the decision of its national leadership to disband the provincial structure. ANCYL provincial spokesperson Ayongezwa Lungisa said the provincial executive committee (PEC) received a report from provincial secretary Butsha Lali that the structure had been disbanded by the league NEC without consulting or notifying them. “There has been no communication with us regarding the matter. We learn this from the media,” Lungisa said. He said the PEC decided to lodge an appeal to the ANC national executive committee (NEC) against the league’s decision. “Since we have appealed, we are still the only legitimate structure of the league operating

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  • China warns Japan not to ‘play with fire’ in S. China Sea

    China on Thursday warned Japan against “playing with fire” in the contested waters of the South China Sea, after Tokyo announced it may patrol alongside the US in the region. China also sent fighter planes for the first time over a strait near Japan on Monday as part of a group of more than 40 jets headed to train in the West Pacific. The move followed remarks by Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada this month that Tokyo would increase its engagement in the South China Sea through joint training with the US Navy, exercises with regional navies and capacity-building assistance to coastal nations. “If Japan wants to conduct any joint patrol or joint exercises in waters administered by China, it is just like playing with fire, and the Chinese military will not sit and watch,” ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a regular press briefing.

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  • Free education was an 'impossible promise': Winnie

    Madikizela-Mandela was speaking at a briefing in Soweto to announce a partnership with former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand‚ to establish a youth employment initiative. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela says ANC needs fresh leadership  "We all know all the universities are on fire. Students want assistance in relation to their fees‚" she said "When we got into government from 1994‚ we realised that the free education we had promised wasn't going to be easy‚ because we had had a society that was stratified so strangely… We had divided our society into four classes. 'We are prepared to be arrested for the cause of free education': Wits activist  "Free education is difficult to attain today because

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  • Man dies in freezer while hiding from flames - Western Cape

    Cape Town - A man who was killed in a fire at his home hid in the family’s freezer in a desperate attempt to survive the blaze. The body of Heinrich Francis, 24, was found curled up in his mother’s deep freezer on Wednesday. He lived in a separate entrance in the back of the Camelot, Kuils River, house that was engulfed by flames in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Heinrich’s 10-year-old daughter Renecia Hartley, who lived in the main house, also died from smoke inhalation after she was rushed to the Eersterivier hospital. His siblings Farren, 22, and Shiloh, eight, and their mother Shirley Ruiters, 50, were all rushed to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. Shirley’s partner Cedric

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  • I've been blocked from roles because of my accent, says actor Luthuli Dlamini

    Speaking to TMG Entertainment in a sit down interview recently, Luthuli opened up about the struggles of the industry and says that he has "definitely" been overlooked for certain roles over the last few years because of his accent. "Especially in the last five years or so when they (film producers) are looking for an authentic Zulu accent and a delivery that is authentically Zulu," Luthuli explains. Iconic Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu teams up with John Legend in war on Aids  He revealed that the snubs have affected him and believes that he would have been able to fill the roles if he was given the opportunity. "It has affected me because I feel like, given the script and if the dialogue is

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  • Durban eatery makes world restaurant list

    Durban - The taste of the authentic South African braai has now grabbed the attention of the world. International luxury travel and lifestyle magazine Condé Nast Traveler has named Durban restaurant Max’s Lifestyle one of the best 207 restaurants in the world. uMlazi-based Max’s joins East Head Cafe in Knysna and The Pot Luck Club in Cape Town as the South African representatives on the list. Reviewer Cherae Robinson wrote that Max’s was “the best place to get braai”. Owner Max Mqadi told The Mercury that he was honoured by the recognition. “I am humbled. I don’t know what I am to say,” he said. “When I was starting in the township where it is disadvantaged, nobody knew me. Today it (Max’s) is

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  • Sam Meyiwa says Kelly 'trapped' Senzo by falling pregnant

    There is certainly no love lost between Kelly Khumalo and Sam Meyiwa — this we know. But things have just taken another nosedive as Sam backtracks from wanting to make peace to insisting that the songbird “trapped” his son. Kelly Khumalo raised eyebrows when she told Anele Mdoda on her show‚ Real Talk‚ that her child with Senzo Meyiwa would not meet his family. “I had to decide for myself‚ I don’t care how you see me‚ or what you expect from me. I’m going to do me‚ the same way I would have done when Senzo was alive. When Senzo was alive I blocked out everything negative about him and focused on loving him‚ so that’s what I did‚” she said during the interview. Sam‚ who has previously lambasted

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  • LISTEN: Shock revelations about Sars

    See the full transcript below RYK VAN NIEKERK: Over the past few years we have read of very disconcerting allegations of severe misconduct at the South African Revenue Service in various national newspapers. Now, this included that a rogue unit operated within Sars and that this unit ran a brothel, conducted covert operations and even bugged the office of Jacob Zuma. These allegations are extremely serious, one of the key individuals who was involved is Johann van Loggerenberg, he was the chief investigator at Sars at the time, van Loggerenberg, as well as Adrian Lackay, the previous Sars spokesperson, have penned a new book called Rogue: The Inside Story of Sars’s Elite Crime-busting Unit, and

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  • Can CEOs force Zuma's government to behave?

    South African business leaders are not doing themselves or their country any favours by remaining silent about recent political developments. Although there have been a few business leaders who have voiced their concerns in public in recent weeks, we need more voices. We need more leaders to ditch the seemingly omnipresent practice of brown-nosing and stand up to publicly condemn the brutal attack on state agencies and the inevitable economic consequences. I urge all business leaders to read Rogue: The Inside Story of Sars’s Elite Crime-busting Unit, written by Johann van Loggerenberg and Adrian Lackay. It is a window into the internal war waged within state agencies and illustrates how virtually

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  • Mujuru loses bond notes case

    The Constitutional Court on Wednesday dismissed the case in which Zimbabwe People First leader and former vice-president Joice Mujuru was contesting the introduction of bond notes. Tendai Biti, for Mujuru, said the court noted that the bond notes were not yet in circulation, hence the challenge was premature. “The Constitutional Court dismissed the application on the basis that it was premature. They are basically saying the bond notes have not been introduced and there is wrong to the applicants. The court said we should approach them on the day the bond notes are introduced,” he said. Biti said the court also noted that it could not make a ruling on the basis of speculation. He, however, said

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