Daily news update: Ramaphosa on multi-party pact, Boks thump Wales, and more

In today’s daily news update: ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa labelled the recent multi-party pact a “sideshow”. While at the Brics media summit, Russia Today (RT) said Western media’s depiction of the rest of the world must change.

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

Daily news update: 20 Aug

President Cyril Ramaphosa finally commented on the highly debated multi-party agreement signed this week.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Ramaphosa called the Kempton Park meeting nothing but a “sideshow”.

The ANC president was speaking on the sidelines of the party’s national working committee’s engagement with branches in Johannesburg.

“The gathering of parties that want to unseat the ANC is a sideshow to us. They are entitled to hold conferences, they will never be able to amass the support the ANC has,” Ramaphosa said.

Read more here.

Brics: Spotlight on the role of media

Against a background of decades marked by the American and British media as the arbiters of what is important and relevant for the world, Russia Today (RT) called for a media landscape in the new world order, which it says “has to be truly multipolar”.

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Addressing the two-day Brics media forum in Johannesburg, RT first deputy editor-in-chief for news, Elizaveta Brodskaya, said the international news market was monopolised by the US and the UK, with CNN and BBC being the dominant players.

She said in 2003, CNN and BBC painted “the picture they (Western countries) wanted about the Iraq invasion”.

“Colin Powell was sitting in the UN Security Council, waiving a vile of fake evidence supposed to prove non-existent possession of weapons of mass destruction by Saddam Hussein – lying, but there being nobody to call him a liar,” said Brodskaya.

For more on this, read here.

Boks thump Wales

The Springboks put a young and inexperienced Wales side fully to the sword as they powered to a record 52-16 win in their World Cup warm-up match at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday afternoon.

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It was important for the Boks to put in a statement win, which they did as they picked up their biggest victory in Wales in their history, eclipsing the 34-22 win at the same stadium back in 2007 which was their previous biggest.

It was a superb all-round showing with most of the match 23 putting in strong shifts and they will now hope to take this momentum into their final warm-up against the All Blacks at Twickenham next Friday.

Arguably the biggest plus of the match for the Boks was a massive 40-minute shift from captain Siya Kolisi, on his return to play from a serious knee injury.

Kolisi looked in fantastic nick during the first half, putting in a busy performance. He was active in the loose and did not look afraid as he took contact whenever he had the ball.

Read more here.

Dr Musa and Liesl celebrate their two-year anniversary in Mauritius

Dr Musa Mthombeni and his wife Liesl’s marriage continues to warm the hearts of social media users.

The two took to Instagram, posting pictures of yet another lovely anniversary.

“Feel it! It’s here! Our 2-year anniversary is here and we decided to jump over the pond and visit Mauritius for a little shot’left in celebration of 24 months of marriage. Come with us as we explore,” wrote Mthombeni on his Instagram.

“Come with us as we celebrate our 2-year anniversary. A day in the life of a sexy, dark and delicious husband and a sweet innocent girl from Eldorado Park.”

The medical doctor and the model got engaged in June 2021 when Mthombeni popped the question at the top of a mountain overlooking the beauty of Durban.

A month later, Mthombeni and his family paid the Lauries a visit and completed the lobola negotiations.

Read here for more.

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