South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Tuesday 15 December

We’ve probably never had a festive season like it. No public reveling, or mass gatherings, limited alcohol sales and a curfew that cancels out New Years’ celebrations for the first time in South Africa since … well, ever.

In the latest news on Tuesday 15 December, we reflect on a busy news day we left behind. On Monday 14 December, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a series of new regulations to contain the spread of Covid-19 during the festive season. The National Prosecuting Authority has scored some points in their favour, in the extradition of the Bushiris. The Malawi government signed the extradition papers needed to make an arrest.

Meanwhile, former president Jacob Zuma’s lawyers confirmed that he will not participate in the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture’s Constitutional Court case which seeks to force him to appear before Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

In a letter addressed to the court’s acting registrar, his lawyer simply stated:

“We are instructed by our client, President JG Zuma that he will not be participating in these proceedings at all.”

TODAY’S LATEST NEWS IN SOUTH AFRICA, Tuesday 15 December 

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA REVEALS LOCKDOWN CHANGES FOR CHRISTMAS

Cyril Ramaphosa may have gathered us for a family meeting just 11 days before Christmas – but he was in no mood to dish out the candy canes and stocking fillers. The head of state’s televised address was a solemn, often uncomfortable affair, as the president rolled out several new lockdown changes and ‘localised interventions’.

It’s the second speech delivered to the nation in the past two weeks. During his last address, President Ramaphosa warned that more action could be taken in other COVID-19 hot-spots before the festive season kicked in – he wasn’t kidding, and Nelson Mandela Bay is no longer the only region of the country facing special measures.

More restrictions on alcohol were introduced nationwide, and Ramaphosa also announced that some beaches would be closing over Christmas. Large gatherings have been discouraged too after South Africa’s coronavirus cases reached their highest levels since August over the weekend. The second wave has arrived with a vengeance.

Malawi sign extradition papers to bring the Bushiris back to SA

It looks as if the Bushiris were able to run, but ultimately, they are now losing places in which they can hide. A Malawian government spokesperson has confirmed that the extradition papers needed to bring the flamboyant pastor and his wife back to South Africa have been signed, and will be processed by a national court on Monday afternoon.

As reported by Malawian media, the decision is likely to see Malawi then issue a warrant of arrrest for Mary and Shepherd Bushiri – following the fugitive status they acquired by fleeing South Africa. The pair are wanted on charges of fraud, whereas the self-proclaimed prophet is also facing several rape cases once he returns to our shores.

LA PARADA SLAMMED FOR ‘FAILURE TO ENFORCE SAFETY GUIDELINES’

For those of us trying our best to follow the rules and keep COVID-19 at a minimum, these scenes won’t just have you shaking your head – you might end up giving yourself whiplash. A venue in Cape Town has been blasted to high heaven, after they held an event that flouted a number of Level 1 regulations.

The band GoodLuck was booked to play at La Parada in Constantia Nek on Sunday. But rather than conducting a COVID-compliant event, the popular drinking spot devolved into a pandemic party: Masks were at a premium, social distancing was non-existent, and the rules on indoor gatherings were also being strongly tested.

What’s truly mortifying about this clip is that, had it been uploaded it without any date or context, you could be mistaken for thinking this event had taken place a year ago, before COVID-19 came to our shores. The dancefloor was rammed on Sunday evening, as the festive jol got out of control pretty quickly…

Jacob Zuma won’t be opposing Zondo Commission ConCourt application

The year is nearly over, but it looks as though the drama around former President Zuma’s involvement at the Zondo commission will continue to drag on past Christmas and keep us occupied as we, hopefully, wait on the new year.

Former president Jacob Zuma’s lawyers confirmed that he will not participate in the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture’s Constitutional Court which would have effectively forced him to appear before Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

Zuma’s attorney, Eric Mabuza released a brief statement, confirming that the former president’s legal team would not be taking part in the state capture inquiry’s urgent Constitutional Court case seeking to compel Zuma to honour the summons which would see him appear before the commission in January 2021.

CSA clean-up continues as acting CEO Kugandrie Govender suspended

The clean-up at Cricket South Africa (CSA) gathered steam on Monday when acting CEO Kugandrie Govender was suspended.

Govender’s suspension came on Day 1 of company secretary Welsh Gwaza’s disciplinary hearing after he was suspended on December 1‚ also for misconduct.

Both Govender and Gwaza were suspended on full pay.

The CSA interim board spelt out the alleged misconduct charges Govender faces.

“The charges against Ms Govender relate to‚ inter alia‚ (i) the role she played in the revocation of media accreditation of certain journalists in December 2019;

“(ii)various breaches of the provisions of the Companies Act as a prescribed officer of CSA; and;

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