South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Tuesday 3 December

If you’re looking for all the latest news in South Africa, be sure to review the country’s biggest headlines on Tuesday 3 December.

It’s been a bloody start to the festive period for South Africa, as brutal murders dominate news headlines. Meanwhile, extreme weather conditions continue to embattle some parts of the country with heat waves and other regions with storms. In sports news, the Blitzboks arrive in Dubai for the Sevens Tournament.

Today’s latest news in South Africa, Tuesday 3 December

Brutal farm slaying shakes South Africa

A particularly disturbing farm murder has left South Africa reeling, after disturbing details, accompanied by video footage, made its way onto social media on Monday. While the scourge of farm attacks have often been used to further the rhetoric of black-on-white violence, a cruel kidnapping and murder at the hands of an Eastern Cape farmer, Fritz Joubert, has shocked South Africa to its core.

It’s reported that Joubert kidnapped Anele Hoyana, a traditional healer, along with his two children. Video footage, filmed by Joubert, depicts a manic, sadistic attack – which ends with Hoyana being killed. Police officers responded to the property and gunned Joubert down after the farmer attempted to wrestle a gun away from law enforcement.

The senseless slaying of Hoyana, coupled with Joubert’s racial tirade moments prior, has been condemned by political parties, members of the public and human rights organisations. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) lambasted mainstream media for their lack of coverage of the gruesome events, referring to the situation as an example of ‘white privilege’.

Details emerge about Aubrey Manaka, Precious Ramabulana’s suspected killer

Aubrey Manaka, the 28-year-old accused of stabbing Limpopo student Precious Ramabulana at least 52 times after her raping her, appeared before the Molemole Magistrates Court on Monday. Grim details of his previous crimes were revealed, garnering fierce criticism for the judicial system which had failed to keep Ramabulana alive.

President Cyril Ramaphosa had previously revealed that Manaka had ‘brushes with the law’ particularly relating to charges of rape.

While early reports claim that Ramabulana may have been a victim of a crime of passion, other suggest that Manaka broke into the TVET student accommodation as an intruder, with the intention to steal, rape and kill.

Manaka, who has been remanded in custody, will reappear in court in January 2020.

‘White nationalist terrorist plot’ court case postponed to 2020

Harry Johannes Knoesen, Riana Heymans, Eric Abrams and Errol Abrams – who stand accused of masterminding a terrorist plot on behalf of the National Christian Resistance Movement (NCRM) – will have until January 2020 to ready their defence.

Knoesen, an outspoken racist and self-proclaimed leader of the NCRM – better known as the Crusaders – was arrested over the weekend during a raid carried out by the Hawks’ Crimes Against The State (CATS) division. According to the Hawks, simultaneous raids on properties associated with the Crusaders in the Eastern Cape revealed an explosives factory, detonator devices, unlicensed firearms and documents related to the sabotage of national keypoints.

The accused face serious charges in relation to the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities (POCDATARA) act and, if found guilty, will face life behind bars.

The case is expected to resume on 21 January 2020.

Government addressing expenditure to stabilise debt

Government has set short-term interventions to stabilise debt by addressing expenditure, said Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo.

Addressing the J.P.Morgan South African Opportunities Conference in Cape Town on Monday, Masondo said government has set a goal to close the gap between annual non-interest spending and annual revenues by 2022/23.

“We have already identified around R50 billion of spending reductions in the next two years, and the outer year of the Medium Term Economic Framework (MTEF) will contain spending that grows no more than in-line with CPI,” he said.

However, he said, this is not enough.

“A primary balance will also require an additional R150 billion in reductions. As a matter of policy we have also decided that this should not come from service delivery and investment components of spending. The opportunity is ripe for us to not only cut spending but also improve the composition of that spend; and ensure that the majority of our budget is allocated to growth enhancing spending.”

Government, he said, needs to revive the infrastructure expenditure program focusing on areas including health, education, energy and transportation. (Source: SAnews)

Gross Domestic Product announcement

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) will release the results of the Gross domestic product (GDP) for the third quarter of 2019, at a media briefing

Springboks to meet All Blacks at Eden Park in 2020

The Springboks will, for the first time in seven years, face the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland in a 2020 Rugby Championship encounter.

The southern hemisphere’s premier rugby competition returns to its full complement of fixtures – with each of the four contenders facing each other at home and away – after its previous edition was reduced to the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

The former world champions confirmed their home fixtures for the upcoming season, and will face the team that dethroned them on Saturday 5 September.

The match will be the first encounter between the two sides since they met in the Pool stage of the World Cup, where New Zealand emerged victorious on their way to a semi-final exit.

Graeme Smith sheds light on reported director of cricket appointment

Former SA cricket captain Graeme Smith on Monday said he has not been appointed Director of Cricket by Cricket SA.

Reports have suggested that the ex-opening batsman was set to be announced as the first permanent appointment in the position, which is currently vacant following the suspension of Corrie van Zyl, who had filled the post on an interim basis.

He took to social media to dispel the rumours, but did admit that he was in talks with CSA.

Latest weather forecast, Tuesday 3 December

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Live traffic updates for Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban

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Horoscope today

Free daily horoscope, celeb gossip and lucky numbers for Tuesday 3 December.