Daily news update: EFF abandons talks with ANC, more VBS arrests and uproar over re-election of rapist mayor

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EFF abandons coalition talks with ANC, reveals concluded deal with the IFP

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says the Red Berets have abandoned talks with the ANC to form coalition governments in South Africa’s hung councils.

Briefing the media on Tuesday, Malema said the EFF’s negotiation team met with various parties and many “smaller organisations” – including ANC, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and ActionSA.

Malema admitted to trying to persuade ActionSA into forming coalition government.

“The negotiations team held two official meetings with ActionSA. While there was a degree of mutual understanding and to some extent agreements with ActionSA on the approach to municipalities, which they represented in, we learned via media that ActionSA will not work with the EFF in the manner in which we had proposed.

“We respect ActionSA’s decision and hoped that their decision is autonomous from external influences,” he said.

Hawks arrest three more suspects over VBS Bank scandal

The Hawks have arrested three more suspects in connection with the looting and collapse of VBS Mutual Bank.

The suspects – a 57-year-old former municipal manager and a 39-year-old former chief financial officer (CFO) from Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality in Limpopo – were arrested on Tuesday morning at their residences around Tshwane.

They were arrested along with a 41-year-old owner of a private business.

Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo said the suspects were nabbed following investigations into the VBS matter.

Uproar over re-election of rapist mayor and his fraudster deputy in Kannaland

The newly elected Kannaland municipal council is already making waves across South Africa just a few hours following its inauguration at the Townhall in Ladismith on Tuesday.

The council, which consists of seven councillors – four ward councillors and three proportional representative (PR) councillors – held its first meeting today and elected the mayor and deputy.

The Municipal Council of Kannaland consists of Democratic Alliance [DA], African National Congress [ANC], Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa [ICOSA] and Kannaland Independent Party [KIP] representatives.

Ramaphosa declares mourning period for FW de Klerk

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national mourning period for late former deputy president FW de Klerk.

The national flag will be flown at half-mast “as a mark of respect” for de Klerk from sunset on Wednesday, until the evening of 21 November.

Government will also host a state memorial service in remembrance of apartheid South Africa’s last president at a later date.

Four vehicles torched as violent protests erupt in Soshanguve

Irate Soshanguve residents have torched four vehicles – a truck, bus, and two cars – during violent protests in the area.

Police say the protests are a result of a court order which granted the eviction of informal homes that had allegedly been constructed unlawfully next to the railway.

The situation remains volatile and Akasia Police are warning the community to use alternative routes due to the unrest at Doreen Road, on the way to Soshanguve.

Gauteng sports department defends spending R100k on corporate gifts

The Gauteng department of sports, arts, culture and recreation has defended spending more than R100,000 on corporate gifts.

This after the DA slammed the spending as “wasteful expenditure”.

The department said in a statement that it had delivered a “splendid awards ceremony on Saturday, 13 November 2021 honouring athletes and various bodies within the sporting fraternity who have performed well and are deserving of recognition”.

ALSO READ: Gauteng MEC slammed for spending R100k on gifts while artists, athletes struggle

It forked out R105,725 on corporate gifts this year, which the DA said was 19 times more than the R5,553.00 spent in 2018-2019.