Daily news update: De Ruyter vs Eskom, Mkhwebane inquiry and Costa Titch’s memorial

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: 17 March

WATCH: Did De Ruyter fund ‘private investigation’ into corruption at Eskom?

Crumbling state-owned parastatal Eskom has told The Citizen that its former CEO, André de Ruyter, would be the “best person” to clarify details surrounding a privately funded investigation into corruption at the utility.

This comes after Eskom’s board chairman, Mpho Makwana, revealed that De Ruyter may have funded a private investigation team to probe corruption at Eskom.

Read more here

Mkhwebane defends CR17 report, says she went to court ‘in defence of the poor’

Suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane says she defended some of her reports in court “in defence of the poor”.

On Thursday, Mkhwebane returned to the hotseat at the Section 194 Inquiry into her fitness to hold office, where she is expected to testify until the end of March.

During the proceedings, the public protector defended her invalidated investigation report into President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2017 (CR17) ANC presidential campaign.

Read more here

Lesufi could face criminal charges if he continues to backpedal from AfriForum apology

AfriForum has succeeded in making Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s apology relating to claims that the group attempted to assassinate him and stalked his children an order of court.

The lobby group succeeded in obtaining the court order in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Thursday.

AfriForum decided to make the settlement reached with Lesufi in October 2021 a court order after Lesufi denied in the media, after the settlement, that he had apologised and continued to make false allegations about AfriForum.

Read more here

Lungile Phenyane withdraws from contesting two positions at DA federal congress

Democratic Alliance (DA) member Lungile Phenyane has withdrawn from contesting the party’s federal leader and federal finance chairperson positions ahead of the DA’s federal congress next month.

This follows Wednesday’s announcement of candidates vying for top leadership positions in the official opposition party, in which Phenyane was standing for all six of the DA’s national leadership positions up for grabs.

Read more here

Gov fights back: No national shutdown, Monday will be a ‘normal day’

Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni held a media briefing on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting, addressing the planned national shutdown on Monday, 20 March.

Ntshavheni was accompanied by ministers from the Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security (JCPS) cluster to discuss the alleged protest action.

This after Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, on Wednesday said the goal of the national shutdown is to hold President Cyril Ramaphosa accountable.

Read more here

This is why Costa Titch’s memorial has been postponed

Those close to late musician and dancer Constantinos ‘Costa Titch’ Tsobanoglou have confirmed that the artist’s memorial service had to be postponed.

At 28 years old, Costa Titch died after collapsing on stage during a performance at the Nasrec Expo Center for the music concert – Ultra, last Saturday.

Videos of his collapse circulated on social media, as concert-goers shared on platforms such as Twitter, that they thought the artist fainted.

Read more here

Tau returns to add spark to potent-looking Bafana attack

Percy Tau’s return to form and fitness at Al Ahly has earned him a place back in Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana squad for the two vital Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Liberia at the end of this month.

Bafana will play Liberia at Orlando Stadium on March 24 before travelling to Monrovia to play four days later.

Read more here