Daily news update: Ramaphosa on ANC, Krugersdorp arrests, and Tshegofatso Pule case

Here’s your morning news update: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way.

Daily news update – 30 July

ANC divisions driven by corruption, competition for positions, Ramaphosa admits

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the ANC today is at its weakest and most vulnerable since the advent of South Africa’s democracy.

“Our weaknesses are evident in the distrust, the disillusionment, and the frustration that is expressed by many people towards our movement and our government,” he said.

Ramaphosa made the remarks on Friday during his address at the official opening of the ANC’s 6th national policy conference in Nasrec, south of Johannesburg.

Two suspects shot dead, 65 arrested after gang rapes eight women in Krugersdorp

Two suspects were fatally shot and 65 arrested during a multi-disciplinary operation in Krugersdorp on Friday.

This after a multi-disciplinary team of law enforcement agencies and security companies, led by the Provincial Commissioner of Police in Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, following an incident of gang rape and armed robbery where a production company’s crew was attacked in Krugersdorp, West Village, on Thursday.

Jacob Zuma won’t be in the dock for his corruption trial

The Jacob Zuma Foundation has confirmed the former president will not attend his corruption trial in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday.

The foundation’s spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi on Thursday said Zuma is not required to be in court.

 “Zuma, by direction of the court, is not expected to appear on Monday. In fact, he won’t be attending to be clear. That is the decision.”

Ntuthuko Shoba gets life sentence for murder of Tshegofatso Pule

Ntuthuko Shoba was on Friday sentenced to life behind bars by the Johannesburg High Court, for the murder of his eight-month pregnant girlfriend Tshegofatso Pule.

In March, Shoba was found guilty of premeditated murder for masterminding the killing of Pule.

Acting judge Stuart Wilson said there were no compelling reasons to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence for murder.

WATCH: Malema owns BBC journalist with ‘fortune teller’ response

BBC’s news and current affairs journalist and presenter Stephen Sackur got a small taste of Julius Malema’s firebrand wit, when Sackur tried to get an answer about how the EFF plans to defeat the ANC in next year’s polls.

Sackur questioned whether the EFF would work with the DA to unseat the ANC because on its own, the party does not have the numbers to topple the governing party.

Step-aside policy: ANC KZN leadership faces major test

The ANC KwaZulu-Natal provincial leadership, which is pushing for the scrapping of the party’s step-aside policy, is in grave danger of failing its first test.

This is after ANC leadership from other provinces have indicated that they would not support KZN’s position on the scrapping of the step-aside policy, stipulating that party members facing criminal charges should step down from both their ANC and government positions.

SACP blasts reserve bank for hurting poor with repo rate hikes

Newly elected SA Communist Party (SACP) secretary-general Solly Mapaila laid into the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) on Friday, accusing the bank of worsening the dire situation facing poor and unemployed South Africans, by increasing repo rates.

The SACP is part of the tripartite alliance, which also includes trade union federation Cosatu and the governing ANC.

The organisation has reiterated its stance calling for the total overhaul of the SARB fiscal and monetary policy to “assist in economic growth and job creation.”

AfriForum rejects proposal to increase Covid-19 grant threshold to R624

The civil rights organisation AfriForum on Thursday submitted its written comments rejecting the proposed amendments to regulations, which increase Covid-19 grants.

The department wants to increase the maximum allowable income from R350 to the food poverty line of R624.

“The organisation has deep sympathy for the millions of people in the country who live in poverty. However, poverty is caused by government failures which have led to a 46.2% unemployment rate and the payment of allowances to 46% of the population,” said AfriForum‘s Campaign Officer for Strategy and Content, Reiner Duvenage.

DA revels in MacG suggestion that it might be time to give them a chance to govern

Three days ago, MacG pondered something that many South Africans might have done before, on his Podcast and Chill Show.

“Is it not time that we give the DA a chance?”

The Democratic Alliance clearly saw MacG’s musings as well deserved pat on the back, and have since uploaded a small clip of the show on its Facebook page in which host MacG posed the question.

PSL announces new fan-voted Carling Cup

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has announced a new competition called the Carling Black Label Cup.

In a statement, the PSL said that the new tournament will be played by four teams that will be voted for by the fans.

“We are proud to announce a 2022 Carling Cup, that is set to re-ignite fans and football rivalries like never before,” read the PSL statement.