South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Tuesday 27 October
Stay up to date with the latest news in South Africa by reviewing the day’s major headlines on Tuesday 27 October.
As infections continue to rise above recovery rates, government officials confirm warn that South Africa could be plunged back into a hard lockdown as a result of citizens’ non-compliance with coronavirus regulations. Meanwhile, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, says he does not fear the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture’s ‘taunts’. In sports news, the entire Cricket South Africa (CSA) throws in the towel; where to from here?
TODAY’S LATEST NEWS IN SOUTH AFRICA, Tuesday 27 OCTOBER
Lockdown: ‘Second wave’ may force SA to return to a higher level
While South Africans have welcomed the relaxation of lockdown regulations in recent months, commitment to consistent mask-wearing, adherence to curfews and social distancing practices have slowly eroded, leading government to mull a return to harsher restrictions.
In developing and promulgating South Africa’s risk-adjusted strategy at the beginning of the outbreak, both Health Minister Mkhize and President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that lockdown levels would be determined by infection rates and citizens’ observance of Disaster Management Act protocols. In recent days, Police Minister Bheki Cele and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala have criticised citizens for letting their guard down and ignoring calls for compliance. Zikalala stirred panic when he announced:
“Looking at the statistics, we can now safely say that we are definitely going back into a hard lockdown if there is no urgent and drastic change in behaviour.”
Cele also lashed out at reckless citizens, following a series of raids on nightclubs and liquor outlets which brazenly flouted regulations.
President Ramaphosa is expected to elaborate on South Africa’s fight against the coronavirus sometime this week.
While a ‘second wave’ of infections has been labelled as ‘unavoidable’ by epidemiologists, many have criticised government’s comments on a return to ‘hard lockdown’, pointing to the devastation wrought on the economy — with 2.2 million jobs lost — between April and June 2020.
Zikalala’s warning — and President Ramaphosa’s rumoured address to the nation — comes just days before Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is expected to elaborate on an Economic Recovery Plan during the Medium-term Budget Policy Statement.
Breakthrough in Senzo Meyiwa murder case, five suspects due in court
On Monday morning, Police Minister Cele confirmed that five suspects had been arrested for the murder of South African soccer star, Senzo Meyiwa. The arrests come after years of setbacks and controversy. Meyiwa was gunned down at his girlfriend’s house in October 2014.
Cele and the South African Police Service (SAPS) were criticised for failing Meyiwa’s family who had been left searching for answers in the wake of the athlete’s mysterious murder. After years of ‘inaction’, civil rights group, AfriForum, decided to assist Meyiwa’s family and investigate the events which surround the soccer star’s untimely death. Afriforum Deputy CEO Kallie Kriel has rubbished earlier reports that Meyiwa was killed in a botched house robbery and has instead pointed to an orchestrated ‘assassination’. Briefing the media alongside Meyiwa’s, Kriel said:
“The person who pulled the trigger was not originally in the house. He went into the house and pulled the trigger. Somebody was brought to the house to commit the murder, but that person was not the mastermind.”
Cele noted that the latest breakthrough would likely lead to more arrests and added that all five suspects would appear in court later today. Cele said:
“The SAPS and the prosecution team are confident that we have a watertight case against all five suspects.”
The arrests, the result of a “multi-disciplinary integrated approach”, were made in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Malema: ‘Zondo can ask me anything, I have nothing to hide’
EFF leader Julius Malema says that Deputy Chief Justice Judge Raymond Zondo and the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture are attempting to cast the Red Berets in a negative light. This comes after reports emerged indicating that Zondo had subpoenaed major banks to reveal financial information belonging to Malema, his wife and late grandmother.
EFF Deputy President Floyd Shivambu has also entered Zondo’s crosshairs, with the Commission already looking into the scandal-ridden VBS Mutual Bank collapse.
It’s alleged that Shivambu profited, via his brother, Brian, from the embattled Limpopo-based bank while Malema has long been accused of wrongdoing in the On Point engineering tender scandal which involved the province’s transport department.
Both Malema and Shivambu have consistently denied any wrongdoing, with the EFF leader recently hitting back at Zondo, saying:
“They are not looking for [bank] statements, they want to create doubt and leave us with a dark cloud. I spoke to the secretary of the commission and said you are either going to clarify this or you’re going to call us to the commission.
I will go on my own to the Zondo Commission and Zondo can ask me anything about my statements and that of my grandmother. Anything you want from me or my grandmother, Zondo can ask me, Hawks can ask me, the NPA can ask me. I have nothing to hide.”
Meanwhile, Zondo and the Commission’s officials have refused to comment on the investigations into the EFF’s top brass.
ANC celebrates the life and times of Oliver Tambo
Oliver Reginald Kaizana Tambo, born on 27 October 1917, founded the ANC Youth League, together with Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, at just 26 years of age. Tambo would go on to play a pivotal role in the struggle against apartheid, organising boycotts, strikes and, later, after returning from exile after being president of the ANC, guerrilla combat.
Tambo died in 1993 at the age of 75.
Today, the ruling party will honour the life and times of the struggle veteran. The ANC announced a host of events, saying:
“The ANC will celebrate the 103rd birthday of the longest serving President of the ANC, Comrade Oliver Tambo. Gauteng and the Eastern Cape will jointly host the commemorations.”
Commemorations will begin at 08:00, with the unveiling of a statue at OR International Airport in Johannesburg followed by wreath laying ceremony led by Ramaphosa. The president is expected to deliver an address at 13:00.
ANC Deputy Secretary General, Jessie Duarte, will also “share with the media her reflections on the life and times of Oliver Thambo”.
Angelo Agrizzi to learn bail fate on Friday
Bosasa’s former Chief Operations Officer, Angelo Agrizzi, will have to wait until Friday to learn the outcome of his latest bail bid. Agrizzi, who was remanded in custody earlier this month after being arrested alongside ANC MP Vincent Smith on charges of corruption, is currently fighting for his life in a private hospital after suffering a near-fatal heart attack.
Agrizzi’s lawyer, Mannie Witz, lashed out at the regional magistrate of the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, arguing that denying his client bail had ultimately led to drastic health complications. During the initial bid, Witz implored the court to grant Agrizzi bail, citing the former Bosasa bigwig’s dire respiratory illness and cooperation with the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture as mitigating factors.
This bid was ultimately denied, after the court learned of Agrizzi’s offshore accounts and Italian passport.
Now, Witz says, if Agrizzi were to die, South Africa’s judicial system would be dealt a fierce blow, with politicians involved in corrupt dealings avoiding prosecution due to loss of his client’s invaluable testimony.
State prosecutor Arno Rossouw, has, once again, opposed bail for Agrizzi. The matter has been postponed until Friday 26 October.
CSA: Entire board bowled out, task team set up to rebuild
After a protracted period of turbulence, largely owing to years of mismanagement, Cricket South Africa will now begin to rebuild from ground-zero. This comes after a series of resignations, which, on Monday, resulted in the entire CSA board stepping down.
The first mass exodus occurred on Sunday, when Acting Preident Beresford Williams, Angelo Carolissen, John Mogodi, Donovan May, Tebogo Siko and Dheven Dharmalinga all called it quits. On Monday, CSA confirmed that all remaining board members had resigned and that a task team had been set up to facilitate the organisation’s renewal.
A statement issued by CSA noted that Zola Thamae, Mogodi and May “had been appointed to ensure the continuity and stability of the organisation”. Rihan Richards has been appointed acting president of the Members’ Council and is charged with overseeing the restructuring process.
While the writing had been on the wall for months, CSA’s collapse comes at a critical time for cricket in South Africa. The Proteas are due to take on England as part of a multi-series competition beginning in late November. If CSA fails to get its house in order, government may be forced to intervene which could see South Africa suspended from the International Cricket Council.
MTN8 semifinals: Dates, venues and kick-off times confirmed
The two legs of the MTN8 semifinals will take place on consecutive weekends, beginning on the last day of October.
Only four teams remain in the competition, with the two Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs due for back-to-back derbies, while champions Supersport United face off against Bloemfontein Celtic.
Following the opening weekend of the new season, where Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City were among some of the big casualties in the quarterfinals, the semifinal draw took place immediately after the final whistle had gone off in the last fixture.
Over a week later, the four remaining teams have found out where and when they will contest the MTN8 semifinals.
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HOROSCOPE TODAY
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