Daily news update: Zandile Mafe case, Limpopo crash kills 12, CT cop charged with murder

Click on the links below for the full story or visit our home page for the latest news.

Daily News update: 12 January

Alleged Parliament arsonist Zandile Mafe to undergo mental evaluation

The Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday ruled that alleged Parliament arsonist Zandile Mafe be committed to a psychological evaluation to determine whether he is fit to stand trial.

The State had earlier presented a psychiatric report that showed that Mafe was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia. The court said its “hands were tied” due to the psychiatric report from a medical doctor and had to refer to Section 78 of the Criminal Procedure Act, which states that “the court shall refer an accused person to a mental institution if there is a prima facie evidence presented before it that the accused must be observed and a report obtained to determine whether he would be fit to stand trial or not.”

Lindiwe Sisulu flirting with Zuma allies by attacking constitution

ANC veteran and Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s opinion piece slamming the South African constitution and judiciary is not based on any fact, but meant to appeal to former president Jacob Zuma’s supporters in the governing party.

That’s according to political analysts who spoke to The Citizen on Tuesday, who say Sisulu’s statements appear to be part of her attempt to revive her bid for a senior position in the ANC’s top six leadership ahead of the party’s elective conference in December this year.

Limpopo head-on collision leaves 12 people dead, 8 injured

Twelve people have died while eight others escaped with injuries in a head-on collision involving a 22-seater Iveco bus and a Toyota SUV on the N1 near Mookgophong off-ramp in Limpopo on Tuesday.

According to the department of transport and community safety, the driver of the SUV allegedly lost control of the vehicle due to a tyre burst and collided head-on with a 22 seater Mercedes Benz bus.

“The bus burst into flames and eleven occupants trapped inside were burnt to death. The driver of the SUV was also killed on impact. Eight people survived, six are seriously injured and two escaped with minor injuries.”

Probe launched after inmate killed, officials attacked in prison brawl

The department of correctional services has launched an investigation into the death of an inmate and attack on prison officials by five inmates at the Mthatha Correctional Centre in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday.

According to department of correctional services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo, five inmates attacked officials and four other inmates during an exercise session on Tuesday afternoon.

‘Don’t be fooled, state capture still flourishing under Ramaphosa’, says Zille

Democratic Alliance (DA) federal council chair Helen Zille says she “laughed out loud” after hearing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s promise to end state capture and corruption.

Ramaphosa delivered the ANC’s January 8 statement during the party’s 110th birthday celebrations at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo on Saturday.

He indicated that one of the ANC’s goals as part of its renewal process was to end state capture, saying the party “will support government in instituting measures required to eliminate the conditions and conduct which enable state capture and corruption”.

But Zille believes otherwise, suggesting that state capture is still “flourishing” even under Ramaphosa’s tenure, and was not “a Zuma thing”.

Cape Town cop released on bail after shooting homeless man in face

A City of Cape Town Law Enforcement officer was charged with murder at the Wynberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday, after a homeless person was shot and killed in Rondebosch on Sunday.

Twenty-two-year-old Luvolwethu Kati is accused of shooting Dumisani Xolirha, 38, in the face on Sunday morning in Chester Road.

According to police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut, the officer was arrested shortly after the incident.

Here’s how much electricity you can buy with R1000, R2000 in SA’s biggest metros

An increase of 31% in fixed charges levied by Johannesburg’s City Power for electricity over the last two years means that postpaid (credit) customers now don’t even get 100 kilowatt hours (kWh) of usage for R1 000. Less than 100kWh is an astonishingly low amount.

The two fixed monthly charges – a network charge and capacity charge – totalled R631.16 including value-added tax (Vat) per month in 2019/20. Today, they total R825.32. This is charged by the metro’s utility regardless of how much electricity is consumed.

Taxi operators will each get R5000 Covid relief, says Mbalula

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula launched the disbursement of Covid-19 relief funds for taxi operators and also confirmed that government is still looking to subsidise the taxi industry.

The industry is set to receive R1,135 billion, which will be distributed by the National Empowerment Fund (NEF), as a once-off payment to taxi operators.

Speaking during a media briefing on Tuesday, Mbalula said the fund is intended to mitigate the negative financial impact suffered by the taxi industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

POPI Act means no public matric results, says basic education dept

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) on Tuesday morning announced that no matric results will appear on any public platforms this year. 

DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said this was due to the recognition of the July 2021 Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), which meant the rights of privacy when it came to the collection, retention, dissemination and use of personal information of students had to be adhered to and respected. 

“In order to comply with the provisions of the POPIA, the usual practice of publishing the national senior certificate (NSC) results on public platforms (media platforms) will not occur for 2021.”