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News today: William Nicol Drive’s R250k, Cele denies car splurge, Joburg runs dry, Thabo Bester tell-all
Here’s your morning news update: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories.
Elements from iStock/editing by Cheryl Kahla
News today includes Kenny Kunene defending the R250k spent on renaming William Nicol Drive to Winnie Mandela Drive, and Bheki Cele denying government splurged millions of taxpayers’ money on parked cars.
Meanwhile, Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda remains mum on the Johannesburg water crisis, and the Thabo Bester tell-all is set for release.
News Today: 28 September
Today’s weather update includes extreme fire risks, thunderstorm forecasts, and UVB sunburn indices across provinces – full forecast here.
Joburg Emergency Services spokesperson Xolile Khumalo told The Citizen its teams were expected to be on high alert during the wet weather conditions.
Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way.
Kunene defends R250k spent on William Nicol Dr
“You can’t put monetary value to the pain of South Africans.”
So said Johannesburg Roads and Transport MMC Kenny Kunene, who defended the money spent on the renaming of William Nicol Drive to Winnie Mandela Drive.
The City of Johannesburg spent about R250 000 on the name change. This includes the advertising of the new name change, the public participation process, and the erection of the new street signs.
CONTINUE: Kunene defends R250k spent on renaming William Nicol Drive to Winnie Mandela Drive
Cele denies taxpayers’ money splurged
Police minister Bheki Cele has denied government splurged millions of taxpayers’ money on 100 parked cars, saying some of them have been “unleashed out there”.
City Press reported over the weekend that the cars, including luxury sedans and SUVs, have been parked at the crime intelligence headquarters in Silverton, Pretoria, for over a year, and were losing value due to being exposed to the sun.
Cele, briefing the media on the recent takedown’s successes of policing counter operations on Tuesday, said the report was not true and that the cars were part of the police’s efforts to fight crime.
CONTINUE: Cele denies government splurged millions of taxpayers’ money on parked cars
SIU investigations
The DA and ActionSA welcomed the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) investigation into the R295 million Rooiwal Treatment Plant tender awarded to businessman Edwin Sodi.
President Cyril Ramaphosa gave the unit the green light to investigate the R295 million-worth tender linked to the politically connected businessman.
The SIU will investigate any unauthorised, irregular, or fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred by Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality or the state.
CONTINUE: A victory for Tshwane: DA and ActionSA welcome SIU investigation into Edwin Sodi
In a separate incident, controversial businessman Thabiso Hamilton Ndlovu and his associated company, Zaisan Kaihatsu (Pty) Ltd, have been dealt a blow after losing a bid to stop the auction of his Bryanston home linked to an irregular personal protective equipment (PPE) deal.
The Pretoria High Court dismissed with costs an application to stop the auction of the R7.1 million luxury Bryanston house that belongs to Ndlovu.
Zaisan Kaihatsu (Pty) Ltd attempted to block the auction in the high court without success.
CONTINUE: SIU welcomes high court ruling to sell Hamilton Ndlovu’s Bryanston house for R7.1 million
‘Water shifting’ for dry Joburg reservoirs
As Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda remains mum on the Johannesburg water crisis, water and sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu has stepped in and ordered officials to shift water loads towards some of the dry reservoirs.
Mchunu said, in the interim, a short-term solution of water shifting would be put in place.
He was speaking to the Springfield community in Johannesburg on Tuesday after a meeting was called.
CONTINUE: Mchunu implements ‘water shifting’ for dry Joburg reservoirs as Gwamanda remains mum
Thabo Bester tell-all
The Thabo Bester Story: The Facebook rapist, the Celebrity Doctor and the Escape from Cell 35 is based on Marecia Damons and Daniel Steyn’s gritty journalistic investigation which exposed the convicted Facebook rapist and murderer’s daring escape from Bloemfontein’s Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022.
The GroundUp News journalists were awarded the 2023 Sanef Nat Nakasa Award for Media Integrity for their series of articles which thrust the sensational Bester saga into the public limelight and compelled authorities to finally take action.
CONTINUE: Finally, the Thabo Bester tell-all! Eagerly awaited inside story set for release
In other news today:
- Rochelle Naidoo murder: Family’s fight for justice goes on
- Gift of the Givers step in to provide aid for flood-hit Western Cape
- Husband confessed to killing his magistrate wife, says Lesotho police
- Rescue efforts resume for school group stranded by flood waters at resort
- Kunene defends R250k spent on renaming William Nicol Drive to Winnie Mandela Dr
Yesterday’s News recap
READ: Zoleka Mandela, William Nicol Dr, R295m Rooiwal tender, Chris Pappas, and more
