News today: Mashatile defends ANC, Mbalula on KZN killings, Hillbrow fire, and more

News today includes Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s Q&A session and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula’s comments on political killings in KZN.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested a 40-year-old man after his wife’s body was found in the boot of their car in Lesotho on Friday.

News Today: 24 September 2023

‘Finger pointing doesn’t help’: Mashatile insists ANC dealing with ‘dysfunctional’ municipalities

Deputy President Paul Mashatile defended the African National Congress (ANC)-led government as he was grilled in Parliament over the state of municipalities across the country.

Mashatile responded to questions from Members of Parliament (MPs) in the National Assembly on Friday.

During the Q&A session, Democratic Alliance (DA) chief whip Siviwe Gwarube asked Mashatile to apologise for the dysfunctional state of some of the country’s municipalities.

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‘A comrade kills another comrade’ says Mbalula

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has expressed his concern over violence which is stirred by greed.

This comes a few days after the murder of Mkhambathini Local Municipality ward 7 councillor, Mzwandile “Nganono” Shandu (40), who was gunned down in Umlazi on Wednesday after surviving three previous assassination attempts.

Shandu was driving with two other occupants in a car when he was shot multiple times.

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WATCH: No injuries reported as fire breaks out in Hillbrow building

No casualties or injuries have been reported so far after another fire broke out at a building in the inner city of Johannesburg.

The authorities were alerted to the blaze on the corner of Van Der Merwe and Klein streets in Hillbrow on Saturday afternoon.

Fortunately, no person was hurt in the incident.

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Signs of recovery: Reservoirs gradually filling up – Rand Water

Bulk water supply utility Rand Water says reservoirs in Joburg and Ekurhuleni metros are being pumped up following widespread water shortages.

Rand Water says a meeting was held with Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni officials following a thunderstorm that damaged power lines at the Zuikerbosch Water Treatment plant.

“The meetings yielded positive results as the four booster stations have improved significantly.”

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SA magistrate’s body found in car boot in Lesotho; husband arrested

The body of Magistrate Mamello Thamae was discovered in her husband’s car boot after the pair were reported missing from their home in Heilbron, Free State.

Her 40-year-old husband, Lehlohonolo Maketoane, was arrested in neighbouring Lesotho after the vehicle was traced to a guesthouse, in Mokgotlong.

“The Lesotho Mounted Police questioned the husband who showed them the lifeless body of the wife in the boot of the vehicle,” said police spokesperson Captain Lorraine Earle.

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Two people dead, several injured after suspects storm ‘liquor premises’ in Mpumalanga

A police investigation has been launched after two people were killed, while several others were injured following a shooting in Alexandria, Mpumalanga.

According to the provincial South African Police Service (Saps), the nine victims were drinking in a certain premises when they were randomly shot at by a group of unknown suspects in the early hours of Saturday.

Two people were declared dead at the crime scene by paramedics on arrival in the area near Calcutta.

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ANC and EFF lock horns over Madikizela-Mandela street rename

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African National Congress (ANC) are once again fighting over the legacy of the late struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

The plans by the ANC in Johannesburg to rename William Nicol Drive to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela did not go down well with EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu.

The EFF’s second-in-command fired a salvo at the ANC on Friday, accusing them of copying EFF’s motion he says was long tabled in the Johannesburg council.

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Sundowns edge Chiefs to reach MTN8 final

A brace by man of the match Peter Shalulile sent Mamelodi Sundowns to the final of the MTN8 after a 2-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs in front of a sold-out crowd at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.

The Brazilians took the two-legged semi-final 3-2 on aggregate. They will play the winner between Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch FC, who play each other on Sunday.

For a team that written off even before a ball was kicked, Chiefs were not overawed by the occasion.

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