Daily news update: Phala Phala panel, Mkhwebane’s findings ‘inaccurate’ and Senzo Meyiwa trial

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Daily news update: 16 September

Phala Phala panel: Meet the people who will pass judgement on Ramaphosa

A parliamentary panel has been appointed to decide whether President Cyril Ramaphosa has a case to answer regarding the robbery at his Phala Phala farm.

After receiving 17 names from various parties, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Wednesday announced the independent panel, which will be chaired by former Constitutional Court (ConCourt) chief justice, Sandile Ngcobo.

Former Gauteng Division High Court judge Thokozile Masipa and University of Cape Town (UCT) associate professor Richard Calland will also sit on the three-person panel.

Mkhwebane’s claims on Phala Phala investigation ‘inaccurate’, says acting Public Protector

Claims made by Busisiwe Mkhwebane that her suspension affected investigations into the Phala Phala farm saga have been quashed by acting Public Protector advocate Kholeka Gcaleka.

News24 reports that court papers filed by Gcaleka found the suspended public protector’s accusations “inaccurate” and “untrue”.

Millions of US dollars were allegedly stolen during a robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo in 2020.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa remains tight-lipped over Phala Phala farm matter

Gcaleka pointed out that Mkhwebane would not have had knowledge of progress into Phala Phala farm investigations, as she had not been the incumbent in office since June.

Witness points out accused No. 2 as the man who got into a tussle with Senzo Meyiwa

Senzo Meyiwa’s long-time friend has pointed out accused number two, Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi, as the man who got into a struggle with the soccer star on the night he was murdered back in 2014.  

State witness Tumelo Madlala on Thursday morning did a dock identification of Ntanzi in the Pretoria High Court.

Madlala was among the seven people who were inside the house belonging to Kelly Khumalo’s mother in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, when Meyiwa was shot during an alleged botched robbery on 26 October.

The former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper later died in hospital.

ALSO READ: Days after Senzo was killed, Chicco Twala asked Kelly if she wanted to go on holiday overseas – witness

WATCH: University of Limpopo students burn guard house during protest for allowance

University of Limpopo (UL) students embarked on a violent protest on Wednesday, setting alight a security guard house, uprooting the university’s fence and blockading roads that lead to the university.

The students were protesting over the non-payment of their off-campus accommodation allowance.

The disgruntled students claim they have not received the allowance since the start of the 2022 academic year.

A member of the Student Representative Council (SRC) told The Citizen that another issue that fuelled the strike is that they were told by their landlords that the university management is also trying to decrease their off campus allowance.

ANC RET group rejects Dlamini-Zuma

Key supporters of former president Jacob Zuma within the ANC’s radical economic transformation (RET) faction have rejected the proposal to nominate Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as the party’s presidential candidate.

According to reports, Zuma lobbied senior members of the RET faction to support the candidature of Dlamini-Zuma — who has already declared her willingness to stand against President Cyril Ramaphosa in the upcoming ANC national elective conference scheduled for December.

However, The Witness has since established that attempts by senior members of the ANC RET faction, which includes suspended party secretary general Ace Magashule, to get the faction to embrace Dlamini-Zuma hit a brick wall after a significant number of the faction’s members rejected her.

Lumko Johnson remembered fondly by friends, industry peers

Following the devastating news of the passing of Lumko Johnson; fans, friends and family have been reflecting on how wonderful the former YoTV presenter turned content producer was. They have also shared how they will continue to keep their (as Lumko preferred to be referenced) memory alive.

Due to the sudden nature of the news, a lot of social media users have been asking what happened to the beloved media practitioner. 

The statement posted on their social media account by representatives from their family did not indicate what happened to Lumko but confirmed that they departed on 14 September 2022, aged 32.

Pirates players enjoying life under ‘father figure’ Riveiro

Life seems to be good at Orlando Pirates under the guidance of Jose Riveiro, with winger Vincent Pule describing the coach as a “father figure” who guides them towards the right direction.

ALSO READ: We need to start getting results, says Chiefs defender Kwinika

Riveiro was appointed Pirates coach just before the start of the 2022/23 DStv Premiership season, with the Spaniard coming into the country as an unknown coach, who has never coached in the continent before.

He has managed to steer the Buccaneers into the semi-finals of the MTN8, and the club is currently sitting in second place on the league standings.