Rise & Shine Edition
A FRESH APPROACH TO LOCAL NEWS 29 October 2021
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IEC predicts upcoming elections to be
ONE OF THE MOST CONTESTED
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo says the upcoming Local Government Elections will be one of the most contested in South Africa’s history. Mambolo was speaking at the launch of the national Results Operation Centre (ROC) in Tshwane, ahead of Election Day on Monday, with special votes expected to be cast over the weekend. The elections will see millions of South Africans going to vote for local governent leaders who will represent them in the country’s 257 municipalities. “On account of the number of candidates and political parties, this election is highly contested. There are 95 427 candidates who qualified to take part in this election. In the corresponding election in 2016, we just had over 60 000 who were contesting. 61 111 candidates will contest wards
and 34 316 candidates will contest the proportional representation (PR) seats,” he said. Mamabolo added that independent candidates competing in the elections had also increased by 42% to 1 546 from the previous local elections. The most contested municipality is the City of Johannesburg with at least 56 parties on the PR candidates list. At least 26 million South Africans are registered to vote in this year’s elections. All systems go Mamabolo said the commission has delivered all “logistical items necessary to conduct a credible process” to its sites ahead of the elections. “In the last few days remaining, final picking and packing per voting station is being finalised. This operation is guided…in the logistics information system which is a bespoke business application of the commission.
“Predicated on the number of registered voters per voting station, the use of the logistics information system will alleviate shortages of supplies in the election value chain,” he said. Mambolo assured the public that despite facing challenges related to factors including preparation time and difficulties related to COVID-19, the commission is expected to deliver the elections in line with the Constitutional requirements. “[The] launch of this centre is not just an expression of our readiness to deliver a national event but one that bares significant Constitutional importance. We have sought to prepare for this election within the constraint of time and the constraints imposed by COVID-19. “Yet, we are reasonably confident that all measures necessary have been put in place to realise an election of the standard contemplated in the
Constitution,” he said. New technology Mamabolo announced that the customary “zip-zip” machines that have been part of the country’s voting traditions since 1998 have been replaced by enhanced devices. Mambolo said the new devices are expected to strengthen controls in the voting process, “while improving efficiency” in the electoral process. “We have acquired voter management devices…(which) will be used to record the opening and closing of stations, monitor the ballot paper usage as well as capture addresses of those 1.2 million residual voters for whom we still do not have an address,” he said. Ballot papers Turning to ballot papers, Mamabolo said the commission had produced the ballot paper in the “record shortest possible time”. “Ballot papers are central to determination of the will of the voter. Therefore, no credible election is possible without an accurate ballot. The whole ballot production process was undertaken in 18 days and the last ballots will be delivered to municipalities on Thursday,” he said.
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COVID-19 SRD grant recipients urged to wait for their SMS before lining up
29 October 2021
Recipients of the special COVID-19 SRD grant are urged to visit the Post Office, Pick n Pay or Boxer supermarket only after they have received an SMS. Those who chose to have the R350 grant deposited into a bank account cannot go to another collection point. Post Office officials say beneficiaries who withdraw their grant from the supermarket must carry their cell phone and identity document. “The grant will not be available if you try to collect it before you have received an SMS. The SA Post Office has become aware of large numbers of beneficiaries who try to withdraw their R350 SRD grant before receiving their SMS,” explains spokesperson Johan Kruger. Only beneficiaries who chose to receive their grants from the Post Office can collect their money at the supermarket. “The first week of every month is set aside for paying our old age, disability and child grants.
R30 000 Hit: During this week SRD R350 grants cannot be paid out,” says Kruger. Unclaimed COVID-19 SRD grant funds Sassa CEO Busisiwe Memela-Khambula says approved applicants whose unclaimed funds from the first round of the grant were to be forfeited on 31 August 2021, can still collect their unclaimed funds at the Post Office. “The affected beneficiaries have until 30 November 2021 to collect their unclaimed
funds,” says Memela-Khambula. Unclaimed funds will be forfeited to the state to fund other government priorities after the deadline. Sassa has received close to 14 million applications for the new iteration of the COVID-19 SRD grant. Officials have approved over 8.3 million applicants. Sassa paid over 5.6 million people by September 2021.
Woman‘Confesses’ To Paying To Have EMS Chief Killed
Tembisa 10: Five shocking details from Independent Media’s decuplets report
Independent Media has made some shocking statements about what happened to Gosiame Sithole, the woman who reportedly gave birth to the “Tembisa 10”. The media group released the findings of its investigation into the decuplets. Sithole made international headlines in June when news broke that she had given birth to the babies. She was thought to have broken a Guinness World Record with the birth. News of the “Tembisa 10” came as a shock to government officials, who said they could not find the woman who gave birth to 10 babes. When officials eventually tracked down Sithole, they claimed that there were no records of
her giving birth. Medical reports allegedly confirmed that there were no signs that she was recently pregnant. Health officials took Sithole for a psychological evaluation and later on, government officials were accused of trying to cover up medical negligence. T hey denied this and threatened to sue Piet Rampedi and Independent Media. Decuplets report Independent Media says its report confirms that Sithole did give birth and recently had a Cesarean section. Gynaecologist Dr Mpho Pooe supported the claim at a briefing held on Wednesday. The media group’s executive chairman, Dr Iqbal Survé , says the government needs to account for the “missing” decuplets. Here’s a look at five shocking details from Independent Media’s report on the “Tembisa 10”. Tembisa 10 hospital admissions Sithole allegedly gave birth to 10 babies but two of the babies died. Survé says Sithole was taken to the following hospitals: Steve Biko Academic Hospital Lenmed Zamokuhle Private Hospital Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital Tembisa Hospital Steve Biko Hospital has denied that the babies were born at the facility. Lenmed says it has
no records of Sithole giving birth at any of its facilities. No hospitals appear to have any record of their birth. Survé also made allegations of negligence by health officials. He says there were not enough doctors to deliver the babies. Possible human trafficking Independent Media claims hospitals in South Africa are possibly involved in human trafficking. It alleges that Home Affairs officials are also involved in the syndicate. “‘Our state hospitals are the epicentre of human trafficking and baby trafficking… About 50 percent of the babies are given up for adoption, the other 50 percent are used for muti, cosmetic surgery and stem cells,” Survé says. Picture of Tembisa 10 confiscated Survé says a nurse at one of the hospitals took a picture of the babies. The nurse allegedly took a picture on her phone. The human trafficking syndicate allegedly destroyed her phone. Independent Media vows to expose powerful politicians Independent Media says it has produced a video series that will reveal what happened to Sithole and her babies. Survé has vowed to expose all those involved, including powerful politicians. “We stand for the truth and will publish the truth…”
A 39-year-old woman was arrested by the Hawks in the Free State for allegedly paying R30 000 for a hit on Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Chief Nicholas Khoele, who was murdered earlier this year. HAWKS UNCOVER HIT Hawks spokesperson Captain Christopher Singo said EMS Chief Khoele was found dead at the side of the R76 Lindley Road in Bohlokong on Wednesday, 14 April 2021. He had several gunshot wounds to the head. Makhosazana Falicity Mfuphi and Sinethemba Klaas were arrested and charged with the murder of Constable Itumeleng Tladi who died under similar circumstances to Khoele. Tladi’s body was found lying on the side of the road on a farm near Vrede on Friday, 22 October. He also had gunshot wounds to the head. Singo said the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit interviewed the accused, Mfuphi and Klaas, which is what led to the arrest of the 39-year-old woman. After her arrest, the woman allegedly told the authorities about her role in the R30 000 hit. “She confessed to the police that she paid the accused an amount of R30 000 to kill the Chief of EMS,” said the Hawks spokesperson. The suspect is expected to appear before the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 28 October 2021.
29 October 2021
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More On Boity And Bujy’s Legal Battle As the legal battle between TV personality Boity Thuloand Bujy Bijwa continues to get messier and messier. Boity is allegedly demanding a whopping 1 million rand from the flamboyant former Metro FM radio DJ.
The settlement relates to assault charges she filed against him. According to City Press, Boity is also asking for R200 000 to cover the medical expenses she incurred after the incident. Early this month, Boity filed a case against Bikwa for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following an altercation that turned physical between them at a hotel in Midrand. She sustained facial injuries after a bottle of alcohol was thrown at her face. Boity was hospitalized after the bitter spat, and now she demands Bujy take responsibility for assaulting her. In a twist of events, Bujy also filed a countercase of assault against Boity saying both of them were guilty. “I also opened a counter case of common assault against the culprit for physically attacking me and after being in pain from the injuries I sustained for seven days, being held in police custody, I have received medical attention and have filed my medical
records towards my counter case,” he shared. In his now deleted statement, Bujy said Boity insulted him, his surname and told him that he is nothing. “I was verbally abused and told that my surname has no relation to who I am and because of that, that is why my career is going nowhere in terms of growth, in fact, “what is it that I do in the media industry because I am actually nothing!” he said. Bujy reveals he too was physically assaulted, “being kicked and punched while being told that “I am a man, I am a man,” I must take it. The pain of suffering of having to let a woman abuse me verbally and physically while trying to contain myself and holding her hands to stop was not enough until witnesses managed to defuse the situation.” However in one of his many statements he issued, Bujy apologized and said he could have handled the situation differently “ I would like to apologize to everyone for my reaction in the situation. I regret that it happened and also
accept the occurrence as unacceptable behavior, and I could have handled the situation differently and not have it escalate to the levels it has from either myself or the said complainant and I do not condone any acts of violence by any person including myself.” So will he settle the R1.2 million Boity is demanding? Well, Bujy told TshisaLive
recently he feels that it is unfair for Boity to demand money from him, considering both of them were at fault. “I need to take accountability for her scars but now, she opened a case, I got arrested...the worst part is that she sent a letter demanding R1m and I’m just like, so you don’t want to resolve this. Where will I get R1m when both of us are at fault?” he asked.
Slain pastor’s husband found in KZN sugarcane field Police officers in KwaZulu-Natal have tracked down a man who allegedly fled Durban following the gruesome murder of his wife, who is a pastor. Werner de Jager was located in lower Illovo on the south coast. A farmer discovered de Jager’s vehicle on his farm and alerted emergency services. Emer-G-Med spokesperson Kyle van Reenen says ET Rapid Response called their paramedics to a sugarcane plantation. “Further investigation by security officers found a man seated in the vehicle in a serious condition. Emer-G-Med paramedics responded to the scene and stabilised him before he was airlifted with the assistance of the Netcare911 aeromedical helicopter, to a nearby specialist
facility for further care,” van Reenen says. News24 reports that Werner’s father-in-law last saw him on Sunday. He was due to report for a lie detector test at Brighton SAPS. However, he went missing. His father-in-law filed a Missing Person’s report. Pastor found dead after morning jog Liezel de Jager’s body was found sprawled in the garden two weeks ago. She had just returned from her morning jog. KZN police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said police received a complaint of a murder in Athlone Park in Amanzimtoti. Upon arrival at the scene, police found a 38-year-old woman victim lying on the ground inside her yard with strangulation marks on her neck. Liezel was a reverend at the Dutch Reformed
Church on the south coast. The family lived in a cottage on the church property. Reports claim that about an hour before Liezel’s body was found, the emergency alarm
was triggered. When a private security company called, de Jager reportedly told the operator that it went off by mistake. The couple had two daughters.
Springboks are in a good place after psychologically difficult few months 29 September 2021
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has confirmed what many suspected and that is that the Boks were almost mentally out on their feet by the end of the Rugby Championship in Australia. After a season like no other, it required a superhuman effort for Siya Kolisi’s men to almost beat the All Blacks in the Centenary Test and then get it right a week later in the 101st match between the bitter rivals. Nienaber is in Paris where the Boks will train for a week before moving to Cardiff to play
Wales on November 6. “Mentally, it was very tough towards the end of the Rugby Championship,” Nienaber admitted. “It is nobody’s fault how the rugby calendar unfolded this year. “With a normal schedule, you would have two Tests and then a regeneration week or bye week, then maybe two more games, then more rest ... “But we played Georgia, then had to pick our guys in the form of SA A to play the Lions because our second Test against Georgia was cancelled, then three very intense Lions Tests
was followed immediately by two Tests against the Pumas, then we were in Australia where we quarantined for two weeks before playing two Tests in a row against the Wallabies, then straight into two matches against the All Blacks. “After the year that we had, to play Australia and New Zealand twice each in one month was very tough but it was nobody’s fault — it is just how the cards landed in the time of Covid,” Nienaber stressed. “It is not normally this way and from a player welfare point of view, it was unfortunate.
“It was psychologically difficult — we had no clue how tough it would be for that extended period of time in a bio bubble — but what does not kill you makes you stronger. “We had to dig deep, but I had no doubt that we would rally. “After we did not win the first Test against New Zealand I was not disappointed in the players but in myself because I maybe made some stupid substitutions. “I thought I squandered that Test match after we were in a good position to win it, but we got a second chance against the All Blacks and we took it. “We had a good break and it was actually nice to get on a plane and go north for more rugby,” he added. “Coming to France has been easier than going to Australia because we are all vaccinated and we went straight through and we don’t have to do quarantine,” he said. “The break was very good for us — seeing loved ones and being able to do whatever you want was a great tonic — but it was also nice to see all the guys again and we are excited to finish the year on a high,” Am added. “As a group, we are in a good space after finishing the way we did against the All Blacks, that gave us a huge shot of confidence and we will definitely keep to our strengths and try and close this year out positively.”
Senzo Meyiwa Murder Case Takes Another Twist media outside the high court in Johannesburg sitting in the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court yesterday, Sifiso Meyiwa made a startling revelation saying the family was expecting that the accused would be released from prison because they did not kill the Orlando Pirates goalie. The claim came just as the state and defence in the matter agreed on trial dates which have been set for April 11 to April 29 and to resume again on May 30 to June 17.
from the police for some time. There are two police officers who worked on the case in 2018 and 2019. Those officers have their own docket. They are just waiting for these [current investigators] to finish with what they are doing.”Meyiwa claimed that the first investigators did their work but when they were ready to take the docket to the National Prosecuting Authority for a decision whether to prosecute or not, a new team was appointed. He said families of the accused have contacted
They know that these are wrong suspects but they are continuing just to protect themselves. We have information that we have been receiving from the police for some time.
The murder case of slain Bafana Bafana captain, Senzo Meyiwa, has taken another twist much to the disappointment of his family. According to Sfiso Meyiwa, brother to the Orlando Pirates star, there are two dockets for the same case. Meyiwa alleges that the second docket is just a cover up of the truth revealed in the first docket. He says, the five suspects, whose trial was
recently set for April 11 to April 29 and to resume again on May 30 to June 17, are not his brother’s killers. Meyiwa says that the original investigators compiled a docket that reveals who is behind Meyiwa’s murder but they were replaced by another team which now implicates wrong suspects. Meyiwa said that sources within the police have told his family that the five men due to stand trial for the murder are not the goalkeeper’s killers. Speaking to the
The accused – Muzikawulahlelwa Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokozisi Maphisa and Sifiso Ntuli – face charges of murder, attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm and robbery with aggravating circumstances. “I was expecting the court to release these five suspects because they are not involved. Not even one of them is involved. Police are just lying,” Meyiwa said on the eve of the seventh year anniversary of his brother’s death. Later in the day, he said: “They know that these are wrong suspects but they are continuing just to protect themselves. We have information that we have been receiving
the Meyiwas alerting them that their loved ones were being beaten up in prison by the police to force them to make a confession to the October 26 2014 murder of his brother. They are being held at five different correctional facilities in Gauteng, North West and KwaZuluNatal. Senzo was shot and killed at the home of his girlfriend singer Kelly Khumalo in Vosloorus, on the East Rand. Meyiwa’s claims have given credence to last year’s media reports that police were working against each other in a desperate effort to crack the case. Meyiwa believes that the real killers are still out there.