Rupert in US for Ramaphosa-Trump talks; Mabuyane robbed: Today's top 7 stories in 7 minutes

News24 brings you the top stories of the day, summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech feature.
Thieves break into Eastern Cape premier's home, make off with goods worth over R42 000
Thieves broke into Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane's East London home on Sunday, stealing more than R42 000 worth of electronics.
Police were on duty at the residence during the burglary, and a case is under investigation.
This is not the first security incident at Mabuyane's home; in 2022, he reported a drone hovering over the property.
X/@SANRAL_za
Severe weather warning: KZN on high alert as snow, icy winds predicted
KwaZulu-Natal is bracing for freezing temperatures and potential snowfall in high-lying areas due to two strong cold fronts.
Disaster management teams are on high alert, and municipalities are urged to implement contingency plans for vulnerable communities.
Residents are advised to stay indoors, keep warm, check on vulnerable individuals, and stay updated through official sources.
'Bad Boys Porsche' accountant Rushil Singh pleads not guilty in R178m fraud trial
Rushil Singh is on trial for fraud, forgery, and uttering, accused of using falsified documents to secure R178 million in loans from Investec Bank.
The loans, intended for construction projects in Ghana, were allegedly used to fund a lavish lifestyle, including the purchase of rare McLaren cars and the "Bad Boys" Porsche.
The case involves complex financial transactions and forged documents, and is linked to the murders of liquidators who were investigating Singh's company.SA govt to offer Musk Starlink deal before Trump meeting
South Africa plans to offer Elon Musk's Starlink an alternative to black ownership laws to operate in the country, aiming to ease tensions with Musk and Donald Trump.
The proposed "Equity Equivalent" option would involve investments in infrastructure, training, or providing Starlink kits to rural areas to improve internet access, applicable to all ICT companies.
Talks stalled after Musk and Trump criticised BEE laws, but Starlink's technology could significantly improve internet access in South Africa, especially in rural areas where only 1.7% of households have access.
Johann Rupert in Washington for Ramaphosa-Trump meeting, annoyed by 'Afrikaner refugees'
Johann Rupert, South Africa's richest man, may have been instrumental in securing a meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Donald Trump.
Rupert was reportedly frustrated with Trump's portrayal of Afrikaners and urged him to engage with Ramaphosa directly.
Ramaphosa is meeting Trump after the US president issued an executive order against South Africa on 7 February, cutting all funding to the country.
READ MORE
'Is this really happening?' The phone call from Rassie that left young Varsity Cup star in disbelief
Ntokozo Makhaza, a 23-year-old UCT student, was surprisingly included in the Springbok alignment camp, despite never playing for a professional South African union.
Makhaza credits the Varsity Cup system for his unique pathway to the Springbok camp and hopes his journey inspires others to pursue rugby through university.
He recently signed with the Cheetahs and is preparing to join the Springbok alignment camp, aiming to learn and be himself among the biggest names in rugby.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Prosecutors focus on pattern of violence as Sean Combs trial continues
Sean "Diddy" Combs is facing serious allegations, including sex trafficking and racketeering, with prosecutors presenting witnesses detailing years of alleged abuse and violence.
Key testimonies from ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and her former friend accuse Combs of harrowing abuse, including assaults and coercive, drug-fuelled sex.
Witnesses recounted disturbing incidents, including assaults on Ventura and others, as prosecutors aim to substantiate racketeering charges that could see Combs imprisoned for life.

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2 hours ago

• News24

Lottery jackpot: Mashatile's family tied to new multibillion-rand operator deal

Adding to concerns over political interference in the award of the fourth national lottery licence, it has emerged that Deputy President Paul Mashatile's sister-in-law has a stake in the game. Khumo Bogatsu is the twin sister of second lady Humile Mashatile and co-owns Bellamont Gaming with Moses Tembe. The company is a shareholder of Sizekhaya Holdings. In May, Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau announced Sizekhaya as the winning bidder for the multibillion-rand tender. Sizekhaya Holdings, which landed the lucrative licence to operate South Africa's national lottery for eight years, has links to Deputy President Paul Mashatile. Among Sizekhaya's shareholders is Bellamont Gaming, a company co-owned and co-directed by Khumo Bogatsu – Mashatile's sister-in-law – and Moses Tembe, the KwaZulu-Natal businessman who chairs Sizekhaya – and seems close to Mashatile. Bogatsu is the twin sister of Humile Mashatile, born Bogatsu. The deputy president and Humile were married in a lavish set of celebrations attended by the political and business elite in March 2023. Bellamont Gaming was registered nine months later, in December 2023, with Tembe and Bogatsu as its founding and still only directors. Bellamont and consortium partners then registered Sizekhaya just days before last year's 3 February deadline to contest the fourth national lottery licence. Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau finally announced the award to Sizekhaya on 28 May this year after protracted delays and what he called an 'arduous exercise' of evaluating eight applications. The National Lotteries Commission, which answers to Tau, helps adjudicate licence bids. The lottery licence is almost literally a licence to print money. The outgoing operator, Ithuba Holdings, reported a R7.28 billion turnover in 2024. Bogatsu and Tembe's joint involvement adds to widespread fears that the politics of patronage may have intruded on the award process. Tembe stays in a palatial residence on Bellamont Road above Umdloti Beach north of Durban – a road that lent its name to Bellamont Gaming and about a dozen other companies in Tembe's corporate arsenal. People from the area, who asked not to be named, said Mashatile and Humile had frequented Tembe's home, particularly last year when the deputy president's sizable motorcade made itself known. In February last year, they allegedly stayed over for around six days ahead of the ANC's election manifesto launch in Durban. A picture shows Tembe and Mashatile together at St Paul's Anglican Church where the party was honouring those who lost their lives in a bus crash returning from the manifesto launch at Moses Mabhida Stadium. The manifesto launch was on 24 February, three weeks after the lotto bid deadline. Tembe has been seen at Mashatile's side in public, including in May this year as part of the business delegation that accompanied the deputy president to France for an investment conference. In a terse response to amaBhungane's questions, Mashatile's spokesperson, Keith Khoza, denied the deputy president had interfered. He said: He has nothing to do with the licence award process as it does not fall within the ambit of his delegated functions nor did he participate in any way, shape or form. Similarly, the business relationship with any of the parties involved has nothing to do with the [deputy president] and his wife. Khoza did not respond to detailed questions about Mashatile's relationship with Tembe and the new lotto operator, nor whether he was briefed – formally or informally – on the lottery bid. National Lotteries Commission spokesperson Rudzani Tshigemane referred questions to Tau's department, which did not respond to amaBhungane's query. Sizekhaya Holdings, answering on behalf of itself, Bogatsu and Tembe, said it rejected 'with the utmost seriousness, any suggestion that our successful bid for the national lottery licence was influenced by political proximity'. Bellamont-Sizekhaya web Tembe, among numerous other business interests, directs 14 companies bearing the Bellamont name and is active in a wide swathe of economic activity. He has served as secretary-general of the KwaZulu-Natal branch of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry, president of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and board member of the South African Chamber of Commerce UK and KwaZulu-Natal National Business Initiative. He also co-chaired the KwaZulu-Natal Growth Coalition with then-premier Sihle Zikalala. Bogatsu, for her part, has co-directed three companies with her sister – Mashatile's wife – though they have since been deregistered, according to company registration records. Neither the size of Bogatsu and Tembe's respective stakes in Bellamont Gaming nor Bellamont's in Sizekhaya have been made public. Sizekhaya confirmed Bogatsu held shares in Bellamont. It said Bellamont in turn was a 'minority shareholder' in Sizekhaya and 'a legally compliant gaming entity'. Publicly available information records the Goldrush Group as Sizekhaya's largest shareholder, with 50%, which will decrease to 40% when a stake is issued to a government entity in line with licensing conditions. Goldrush is in turn 59.4%-owned by JSE-listed Goldrush Holdings, whose shareholders include Mauritian-based Astoria Investments and local investors Jan van Niekerk and Piet Viljoen. Another notable figure in Sizekhaya is ANC-linked businessman Sandile Zungu. He was nominated for the position of ANC KwaZulu-Natal chair in 2022 but decided not to contest after speaking to ANC leaders. Zungu, like Tembe, accompanied Mashatile to France in May this year. The delegate list records Tembe as representing his Bellamont Investments and Zungu his Zungu Investments. It was a visit that later drew media scrutiny over Mashatile's travel expenses and the company the deputy president kept. The delegation included a businessman under scrutiny by Johannesburg Water, an amaBhungane investigation has found. Sizekhaya said Tembe and Zungu attended the investment conference 'at the formal invitation of the South African ambassador to France, Mr Nathi Mthethwa' and that they were 'present as part of a longstanding national effort to promote foreign investment'. Sizekhaya did not respond directly to a question about Mashatile's alleged stay at Tembe's house before the ANC manifesto launch, but said Tembe 'has hosted and interacted with trade unionists, religious figures and political leaders across the spectrum, including the ANC, IFP, DA, EFF, MK Party – and yes, Deputy President Paul Mashatile'. Regarding a picture that shows Tembe and Mashatile together at St Paul's Anglican Church in Durban where the party honoured party faithful killed in a bus crash after the launch, it said Tembe had been invited by the presiding minister, his cousin Reverend Thami Tembe. 'This was a private family engagement of spiritual significance, and it would be inaccurate to attribute any political motive to it.' 'Never concealed' Sizekhaya dismissed any suggestion that the company's successful bid was tainted by political connections. 'This is a defamatory inference that maligns not only Mr Tembe's business integrity but also undermines the credibility of the regulatory and adjudication systems of the Republic of South Africa.' Sizekhaya also said Tembe 'has never concealed his association' with the deputy president: 'Given Mr Mashatile's public role as the country's second citizen and the scrutiny which accompanies it, it would be entirely illogical – if not impossible – to obscure any such association.' READ | amaBhungane: Who went to Paris with Paul? Tenderpreneur joined Mashatile's France-SA business trip The Lotteries Act provides that 'no political party in the Republic or political office-bearer [must have] any direct financial interest in the applicant or a shareholder of the applicant' for a lottery licence. Sizekhaya said it had fully complied with the Act: 'No arrangements exist that confer a direct or indirect financial benefit to any political entity.' Bogatsu, it said, 'is not a political office bearer and is fully entitled to pursue any legitimate commercial interest'. Controversy The awarding of the fourth lottery licence has garnered significant public attention, which has also focused on the apparent political ties of other bidders. Political parties BOSA and the EFF have been outspoken on the issue. BOSA submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act application last October to access the identities of the people tasked with adjudicating the tender amid concerns of conflicts of interest. 'At R180 billion, the contract to operate the national lottery is the country's largest tender. Given the amount of money involved, the process followed requires a high duty of care to ensure no malfeasance or wrongdoing by any party involved,' BOSA deputy leader Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster said in a statement. The EFF last year raised red flags including over the involvement of Tembe and Zungu in Sizekhaya. 'The minister's refusal to answer direct questions… raises serious concerns about the legitimacy and lawfulness of the process,' spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said. The process of the award has not been without struggle, having been plagued by delays and court challenges. In December last year, Tau said he had identified 'matters that require further evaluation' and postponed his decision. He cited the need to ensure that the licensee's owners and managers were fit and proper persons. 'In addition, I must ensure that no political party or political office-bearer has any direct financial interest in the applicant or a shareholder of the applicant,' he said.

Yahoo

4 hours ago

• Yahoo

Caught in the crossfire - the victims of Cape Town's gang warfare

The distraught father lies on the narrow, single bed and points to two small bullet holes in the wall of his house. This is stark evidence of a moment that shattered his family's life forever. Devon Africa's four-year-old son Davin was shot dead in February, caught in the crossfire of a shoot-out between criminals. He was a victim of the gang warfare that has plagued the Cape Flats, the townships around Cape Town - a legacy of apartheid, when the non-white population was forcibly moved from the centre of the wealthy city to the under-resourced outskirts. "This is the bullet hole here," he says. "This is where he slept." The family had already endured unspeakable horror. Davin's older sister, Kelly Amber, was killed two years earlier, also shot as rivals fired at each other. She was 12. Now Devon and his wife, Undean, have only their youngest daughter left. "She asks me: 'Where's my brother?'" says Undean. "So I told her he's with Jesus in daddy's heart and in my heart." These murders took place in an area known as Wesbank, but many other families across the wider Cape Flats area have had to endure similar nightmares, despite assurances by the police of increased patrols. The numbers tell a horrifying story. The Western Cape province - in which the Cape Flats sit - consistently sees the overwhelming majority of gang-related murders in South Africa, according to the police. Officially, this is a policing priority for the government. President Cyril Ramaphosa set up a special unit to combat gang violence in 2018, he also briefly deployed the army to the area the following year, but the problem has persisted, and the killings have continued. "There's a whole history and generations of people who have been born into these gangs," says Gareth Newham, head of the Justice and Violence Prevention programme at the Institute for Security Studies in Johannesburg. "[They] flourish in areas that have largely been neglected or underdeveloped by the state. The gangs provide a form of social structure that actually provides services to the communities that the state doesn't. They provide food for homes. Money for electricity. Money for transport or funerals. These gangs even pay school fees." They are embedded in the community and "that's why it's so difficult for the police to tackle them… it means that they can use non-gang members' houses to store drugs and store weapons". But there are people trying to tackle the issue. Fifteen kilometres (nine miles) away from Wesbank is Hanover Park where Pastor Craven Engel is glued to his mobile phone almost all day, every day in his quest for peace. His mission is to mediate in gang conflicts to stop this violence and the killings, fuelled by the lucrative trade in drugs. He and his team try to follow a basic formula: detection, interruption and changing mindsets. "Hanover Park doesn't really have an economy to speak of," says Pastor Engel. "The bulk of the economy comes out of the drug culture. That's the biggest economy." Pastor Engel says that apartheid's impact on the area can't be overlooked but neither can generational trauma - manifested as drug addiction and then family breakdown. "The substance [drug] creates unemployment, the substance creates robbery, it creates gang fights because of turfs. So, the substance sits in the middle of so many of the atrocities within the community," says Pastor Engel, who estimates that around 70% of local children are living with some kind of addiction. This community of around 50,000 people has to endure shootings and stabbings almost daily. And it's often young people who are doing the killing and being killed. "The policing approach alone is unlikely to solve the problem because you might arrest people for being gang members, for having guns and for shootings and murders. They will go to prison, but then they get replaced by younger members. And that creates a whole different set of problems. They're more likely to get into fights over territory and turf," says Mr Newham. "How does a kid get shot seven times in his head or three times in his back? How does a stray bullet hit a kid?" asks Pastor Engel. Cape Town safety fears force parents to seek former white-only schools On his phone, he calls up community leaders and gang kingpins, constantly cajoling to try and head off the violence. When BBC Africa Eye visits him he is trying to broker a ceasefire between two warring gangs - and manages to reach the jailed leader of one of them. "If I want something to happen then it still happens. Do you understand pastor?" the gang boss shouts down the line. "But I can tell you one thing. I'm a guy that likes to counter if I come under fire." Threats. Even from behind bars. But Pastor Engel is relentless. He is highly visible in his community, whether in the home of a parishioner or before his large and loud congregation in the pulpit on a Sunday. "I think that what makes it very, very terrible now is there are more children involved in the gangs, because gangs are recruiting between the ages of eight and 15 years old," he says. The programme he runs used to get government money, but that has dried up. To cut off the supply lines and protect the innocent, he will meet victims and perpetrators anywhere and at any time. He also sends rehabilitated gang members to negotiate directly with warring factions. Those who lived a life on the edge of death know how critical it is to push for peace instead. Glenn Hans is one such person. He is meeting rival gangs to convince them to honour a ceasefire. "I was also in this game. As long as you make a decision that you want to be a better person. That's all," he tells a group of gang members. One has a chilling response: "The more we kill, the more ground we seize and the more ground we have, the more we can build. So, for me to speak about peace - I cannot make that decision because it's not my decision to ensure peace." The ceasefire that is eventually agreed lasts just a few days, shattered by the killing of two people in a drive-by shooting. But some in the thick of the conflict have had enough. Fernando - or Nando - Johnston is in a gang called the Mongrels, and he wants to try and find a way out with the help of Pastor Engel. The pastor describes Mr Johnston as being young and "born into the gang" since his whole family was involved. "In this game there are only two options - it is either you go to jail or you die, " says Mr Johnston. "I really do want to change direction and I believe there is always a way. That is the reason I approached the pastor - to ask him if there is a plan or way to take me." He will join a six- to 12-week programme of rehabilitation run by the pastor and funded by charitable donations designed to get people off drugs and into work. "The thing is you can now start building yourself up again," Pastor Engel tells him. "You'll be able to get yourself a job and make money for yourself. Then you won't have to hustle and scavenge around here any more." "I'm ready to go, pastor," says Mr Johnston, poised to leave his battered and scarred community in search of a new path. Those closest to him have gathered to wish him well. His mother, Angeline April, holds back the tears, desperate that, this time, her son will choose life. "Please just make the best of this opportunity, Nando," she says. "Yes mummy, I always make the best of a situation." But that has never been easy. "Fernando's dad was a gangster but my other children's father was a gentleman," says Mr Johnston's mother. "But because he was a gangster, the children also got involved in gangsterism despite me constantly warning them. It wasn't easy raising four boys on my own, you know. I'm always encouraging him to make a change, because I love him very much." And so far so good for Mr Johnston. Two weeks on from starting the programme, he is still there. "Nando is stabilising. He's in a works programme. He's busy seeing his family, seeing his kids. He did a house visit yesterday. We let him loose and he came back and tested clear with no drugs in his system," says Pastor Engel. Hope is a rare commodity here, but it does sometimes spring through the cracks in the streets that have seen so much trauma. Not all streets, though. Very little hope is found at Devon Africa and Undean Koopman's house, which sits in the middle of a battlefield. The cycle of killings and retaliation that hit the areas being fought over on the very edges of this beautiful South African city is overwhelming for many of those just struggling to survive. And those caught in the middle often have to make impossible choices. "Community members, even if they are opposed to the gangs, are not necessarily pro-police for two reasons," says Mr Newham. "One is that they just don't know the police will actually come if called. And if they do call the police, they have no idea if the police officers are corrupt. People don't understand the scale of the challenge in South Africa." Sentiments reflected by the peacemakers on the frontlines in this war. "Nobody is going to come from anywhere to help or save us. Not from overseas. Not from our local government. No-one is going to come with a magic wand to cure the Cape Flats," says Pastor Engel. "As individuals we need to be so determined to build up resilience, create hope for our people and to grow. Because politics has clearly failed us." 'Nowhere is safe' - Cameroonians trapped between separatists and soldiers BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters Sudan's years of war - BBC smuggles in phones to reveal hunger and fear Secret filming reveals brazen tactics of UK immigration scammers 'Terrible things happened' - inside TB Joshua's church of horrors Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa

Yahoo

5 hours ago

• Yahoo

KDPS: Man was shot multiple times during fight between two groups, three arrested

A man is in the hospital after he was shot multiple times in Kalamazoo Sunday, police say. (June 22, 2025)