Daily News update: Three die in factory fire | EFF guns for Gauteng | Presidency lash back at Holomisa

In today’s news, three Kwazulu-Natal workers couldn’t escape the raging fire that engulfed the furniture manufacturing business as they worked the night shift on Friday.

In Gauteng, the EFF held its 2024 provincial election manifesto in Soweto on Saturday. The party said it said land expropriation without compensation is the building block to change the lives of Gauteng residents.

While launching his party manifesto, United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa tore into President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing him of being a “sleazy enabler.” But Ramaphosa’s office didn’t take that lying down.

News today: 3 March 2024

Furniture factory workers die in an inferno

Rescuers found the remains of at least three factory workers inside a burned-down building in Missionlands, KwaZulu-Natal. Five of the nine Malawian nationals were on nightshift when the locked-up building caught fire on Friday.

Five workers who managed to jump out suffered minor injuries.

The ninth employee is yet to be found. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Read more: Three workers die in furniture factory fire

EFF confident it will snatch Gauteng from ANC

EFF Gauteng leader Nonkululeko Dunga said his party is poised to get more than 50% in the May general elections.

Party supporters gathered in numbers at the Dobsonville stadium in Soweto for its provincial manifesto launch addressed by party leader Julius Malema.

Saturday’s launch was themed “land and jobs now, stop load shedding”, with the red berets indicating they have declared war against the governing ANC.

Speaking to The Citizen, provincial chairperson Nkululeko Dunga said “come the May 29 elections, Gauteng will be under different leadership”.

Read more: ‘Nothing below 50%’: EFF guns for Gauteng

Presidency slams Holomisa for his ‘sleazy Ramaphosa’ remarks

A war of words broke on Saturday between UDM leader Holomisa and Ramaphosa’s office. Holomisa criticised the president for not making public his ministers’ performance reports.

 Holomisa reminded his supporters about this urging them not to put their trust on Ramaphosa in the upcoming elections.

“If President Ramaphosa declined to release the performance report of his cabinet citing that he is scared it would embarrass his Cabinet and party, yes they will and if you had no other reason to refuse to vote for the ANC again, this will convince you,” the UDM leader said.

Ramaphosa had two to three rounds of engagements with his ministers between April and July 2023 in a review of their performances.

Read more: ‘Electioneering for two seats’, says Presidency after Holomisa slams ‘sleazy enabler’ Ramaphosa

Mamelodi Sundowns win against TP Mazembe

The Brazilians beat Congolese club TP Mazembe 1-0 to finish top of Group A in the 2023/24 Caf Champions League at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.

Both teams came into the game having already qualified for the quarterfinals. They were on 10 points with Mazembe on top of the standings due to a better head-to-head record.

Peter Shalulile scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium in front of their home fans.

Read more: Sundowns edge Mazembe in Caf Champions League

Film director Maake brings the story of the much-feared ‘inkabi’ to the big screen

Norman Maake’s film Inkabi was inspired by the real-life stories of the Zulu hitmen who come from the villages of deep, rural KwaZulu-Natal.

Most of these men leave the villages chasing dreams of becoming Maskandi musicians and a lot of them fall short and never make it to the stage.

They then trade the guitar for the gun to become hitmen.

Inkabi revolves around Frank (portrayed by Tshamo Sebe) a retired hitman who has chosen to disappear and start his life anew as a private taxi driver.

Read more: Film director Norman Maake on telling the hitman’s story in new movie ‘Inkabi’