Latest news with #R1.2
The South African
15 minutes ago
- The South African
Mozambican kidnapping kingpin shot dead in Fourways
Police have shot and killed a Mozambican kidnapping kingpin to a block of apartments in Fourways, Johannesburg this week. The alleged kingpin was traced at a block of flats in Fourways, Johannesburg as the anti-kidnapping task team was searching for a kidnapped Pakistani businessman from Pretoria West. He is still in captivity and the team are still searching for the Pakistani national. A ransom demand has been made to the businessman's family. National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said a ransom demand was made to the Pakistani national's family. The team is still searching for the businessman who is still in captivity. Mathe said the team's tracing operation began at a residential complex in Carlswald, Midrand where they seized a Mercedes Benz, a silver Pajero and arrested two kidnappers. They proceeded to Fourways where the task team announced their arrival and a shoot-out ensued. 'One suspect was fatally wounded and upon further investigation, it was discovered that 40-year-old Mauro Mucambe Junior is a wanted kidnapping kingpin in Mozambique where he has been linked to several kidnappings. His warrant of arrest was issued by Maputo Police in August 2024. 'One unlicensed firearm used by the fatally wounded fugitive of justice was seized including 10 rounds of ammunition. Four cellphones, four bank cards have also been seized,' Mathe explained. Mathe said the SAPS has full faith and confidence in the work of the anti-kidnapping task team to rescue the kidnapped businessman. Since January 2024 to date, the team has arrested more than 170 criminals involved in Kidnappings for ransom and over R1.2 million has been recovered. In addition, more than 100 victims have been rescued mainly in Gauteng and more than 40 vehicles used in kidnapping crimes were also seized by the team. 'The anti-kidnapping task team recently registered a breakthrough in the Olorato Mongale murder case where they led the tracing operation of Philangenkosi Makhanya. The search is still on for Bongani Mthimkhulu.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
31 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Mozambican kidnapping kingpin shot, killed in police op
What started as a search for a kidnapped Pretoria West businessman ended in the fatal shooting of a 40-year-old Mozambican kidnapping kingpin in Fourways, Johannesburg, by police this week. According to police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the anti-kidnapping task team were tracing a kidnapped Pakistani national when their search led them to a residential complex in Carlswald, Midrand. 'They seized a Mercedes Benz and a silver Pajero and arrested two kidnappers,' Mathe said. 'Police proceeded to Fourways where the task team announced their arrival and a shoot-out ensued. One suspect was fatally wounded.' Mathe said that, upon further investigation, it was discovered that the deceased was 40-year-old Mauro Mucambe Junior, who is wanted in Mozambique, where he has been linked to several kidnappings. 'His warrant of arrest was issued by Maputo Police in August 2024. One unlicensed firearm used by the fatally wounded fugitive of justice was seized including 10 rounds of ammunition. Four cellphones and four bank cards have also been seized.' The kidnapped Pakistani businessman is still missing and a ransom has been demanded from the family, according to Mathe. 'We have full faith and confidence in the work of the anti-kidnapping task team to rescue the kidnapped businessman,' Mathe said. 'Since January 2024 to date, the team has arrested more than 170 criminals involved in kidnappings for ransom. More than R1.2 million has been recovered. More than 100 victims were rescued mainly in Gauteng and more than 40 vehicles used in kidnapping crimes were also seized by the team. 'The anti-kidnapping task team recently registered a breakthrough in the Olorato Mongale murder case where they led the tracing operation of Philangenkosi Makhanya. The search is still on for Bongani Mthimkhulu.' ALSO READ: Mamelodi family awaits DNA test results of charred body Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The South African
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The South African
Andy Warhol, Irma Stern headline latest art auction: Estimated selling prices
Two giants of 20th-century art, Andy Warhol and Irma Stern, lead the catalogue for Strauss & Co's upcoming live-virtual auction of modern and contemporary art, to be held on Tuesday, 24 June in Cape Town. The 70-lot sale brings together a compelling selection of established names and emerging voices, including high-value works by William Kentridge, Erik Laubscher and Alexis Preller, alongside two floral still lifes by in-demand painter Vladimir Tretchikoff. 'The cover lot for our winter sale is Andy Warhol's Vesuvius (estimate R1.2–1.5 million / $67 650-84 560) , a striking screenprint depicting the famed Italian volcano near Naples,' says Elmarie van Straaten, Head of Sale at Strauss & Co. 'Created in 1985, this late work reflects Warhol's deepening engagement with themes of mortality and legacy. 'Combining beauty, violence and repetition, the piece stands as a powerful meditation on the anxieties of modern life. 'Although by no means a regular in our auctions, Strauss & Co have an excellent track record handling his work, with 87% of lots offered finding new homes.' A highlight from the South African selection is Irma Stern's Still Life with Lemons (estimate R2-3 million / $112 750-169 125), painted in 1954 during a period of remarkable creative energy. Then aged 60, Stern was widely regarded as 'an indefatigable ambassador of South African art,' and undertook extensive travels to the Belgian Congo, France, Germany, Israel, Italy and Turkey. As with much of her still life work, this composition reflects on the quiet harmony between the cultivated and the organic, the human and the natural. The post-war period saw the rise of numerous South African modernists, among them Alexis Preller and Vladimir Tretchikoff. The sale features Preller's Christ Head (estimate R2-4 million / $112 750–225 445), a fragmented devotional image, as well as two botanicals by Tretchikoff. Strauss & Co established the current world record for Tretchikoff following the May 2025 sale of Lady from the Orient for R31 million / $1.735 million. Other notable modernists represented in the sale include Gregoire Boonzaier, Pranas Domsaitis, Alfred Krenz, Maggie Laubser, Hugo Naudé, Frans Oerder and JEA Volschenk. A sense of the catalogue's range is evident in works such as Clement Sénèque's Dry Dock, Durban (1927, estimate R80 000-120 000 / $4 509–6 760), Erik Laubscher's Kouebokkeveld (1973, estimate R200 000–300 000 / 11 270–16 910), Gerard Sekoto's gouache on paper The Conversation in the Street (estimate R150 000–200 000 / $8 450–11 270), and Sydney Kumalo's drawing Reclining Figure (estimate R30 000–50 000 / $1 690–2 819). South Africa's re-entry into the global art scene in 1994 catalysed the international recognition of artists such as David Goldblatt and William Kentridge. This auction includes four of Goldblatt's photographs, among them his famous 1985 portrait of 15-year-old Lawrence Matjee (estimate R50 000–70 000 / $2 819–3 945), taken after his detention by security police. Kentridge is represented by two major works: the politically charged 1988 print Art in a State of Siege (100 Years of Easy Living) (estimate R300 000–400 000 / $16 910–22 555), and Untitled (Man with Globe), a 2010 bronze (estimate R350 000–550 000 / $19 735–31 015). The sculpture selection includes pieces by Deborah Bell, Willie Bester, Wilma Cruise, Brett Murray, Angus Taylor and Edoardo Villa, showcasing the vitality of South African three-dimensional practice. Young South African artists continue to command global attention. Athi-Patra Ruga, who appears in Irma Stern's first Berlin museum show next month, has two works in the sale: a photo from 2012 and the provocative 2009 tapestry Konflikt Free Blk Diamond, Teeth are the Only Bone that Show (estimate R150 000–200 000 / $ 8 455–11 270). Other contemporary highlights include Zander Blom's large-scale abstract canvas Untitled [1.495] (estimate R200 000–250 000 / $11 270–14 095) alongside pieces by Patrick Bongoy, Alex Emsley, Anton Karstel, Mongezi Ncaphayi, Cameron Platter, Brett Seiler and Pierre Vermeulen. The sale also debuts painter Philip Barlow. A preview exhibition is currently on view at Brickfield Canvas, 35 Brickfield Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, until 24 June. Pre-auction sundowners will be held on Thursday, 19 June, from 18:00-19:00. The live-virtual auction begins on Tuesday, 24 June at 19:00. For details and the full e-catalogue, visit – Thursday, 19 June | 09:00 – 17:00– Friday, 20 June | 09:00 – 17:00– Saturday, 21 June | 09:00 – 16:00– Sunday, 22 June | 09:00 – 16:00– Monday, 23 June | 09:00 – 17:00 – Tuesday, 24 June | 09:00 – 19:00
IOL News
4 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
South Africa moves closer to exiting FATF greylist after significant progress
South African is moving towards being lifted from the greylisting. Image: Independent Media archives KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Francois Rodgers and head of his department Carol Coetzee have expressed excitement at the news that South Africa was moving towards being lifted from the greylisting. The national Treasury released a statement on June 13 saying that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had announced that the country had substantially completed all 22 action items that were contained in the Action Plan adopted when South Africa was greylisted in February 2023. The country was placed on the greylist due to its failure to adhere to the FATF's requirements in dealing with anti-money laundering (AML) and combating of financing of terrorism (CFT). The FATF said it would now conduct an onsite inspection on South Africa's compliance with the requirements of being completely removed from greylisting. The FATF noted during its plenary meeting held in France that South Africa had shown political commitment in dealing with what landed it in greylisting. 'If we are removed from the greylisting, it means that the R5.7 trillion that we had borrowed as the National Treasury and incur interest, you can start negotiating better interest rates on the R5.7 trillion,' said Rodgers. He said the national treasury was currently paying R1.2 billion a day on interest to repay its loans. 'Should that be reduced, it will ultimately mean that there is more money at a national level, which can be cascaded down to provinces,' said Rodgers. Coetzee said being removed from greylisting would mean South Africa would now be in a better position to be an investment destination, as it would be considered less risky. 'It means that investors would be very interested to come and invest, and it would mean that the government is settling down, and their (investors) funds are secured,' said Coetzee. The National Treasury commended the country's law enforcement agencies, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), the State Security Agency, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), for their sustained increase in investigations and prosecutions of serious and complex money laundering and terror financing activities. 'This made it possible for South Africa to secure the upgrades of the last two remaining action items, often considered to be the most difficult, in the current reporting cycle,' read a statement from the National Treasury. The Treasury said FATF had noted that South Africa demonstrated 'a sustained increase in investigations and prosecutions of serious and complex money laundering and the full range of [terror financing] TF activities in line with its risk profile, updating its TF Risk Assessment to inform the implementation of a comprehensive national counter financing of terrorism strategy.' 'The improvements to South Africa's AML/CFT regime are particularly important for South Africa, given the legacy of state capture, one element of which was that law enforcement and prosecuting institutions were deliberately weakened. Improvements in these domains are critical not just for getting off the greylist, but for strengthening the fight against crime and corruption, and for contributing to the integrity of the South African financial system. 'Exiting the FATF greylist is a significant step forward as South Africa continues to improve and strengthen its supervisory and criminal justice systems,' read the treasury. However, the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP) called on the country not to jump into celebrating the FATF's move as the ANC continued with its chaotic policies and its failure to deal with the Phala Phala matter. 'This (Phala Phala) controversy raised alarming questions about financial controls, money laundering and the credibility of the President's own financial conduct, fueling international suspicion about South Africa's ability to manage financial crimes,' read MKP's statement. The party said the very fact that the FATF will still have to conduct an on-site assessment to verify South Africa's compliance 'speaks volumes about the fragility and questionable integrity of our financial oversight system.' 'This is not a routine check; it is a clear sign that international bodies have serious doubts about the reliability of South Africa's own reports and reforms. 'It underscores the deep trust deficit the ANC government has created, both at home and abroad. 'Until these doubts are fully dispelled, South Africa's voice on the global financial stage remains weak and contested,' read MKP's statement. ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu described FATF's move as a major milestone for South Africa, both domestically and internationally. 'It strengthens the credibility of our financial system and contributes to the global and national fight against illicit financial flows, terrorism financing, and the legacy of state capture. 'We will continue to support government efforts to fully comply with global standards, ensuring that the country is permanently removed from the greylist and that our financial systems are protected from abuse,' said Bhengu. [email protected]
The South African
11-06-2025
- Business
- The South African
Cape Town's unique R1.2 billion 'living building' gets cancelled
Plans for Africa's first biophilic building, The Fynbos, in Bree Street, Cape Town has sadly been cancelled. The R1.2 billion Cape Town development was positioned to be a 24-story apartment building with a host of luxury amenities, such as a lap pool, a plant-based restaurant, a botanical bar, and a rooftop sunset terrace – all with one-of-a-kind natural elements. Once completed, the 'living building' would have also had a unique 1 200-square-metre vertical garden, made up of indigenous trees and plants, intended to create a living, breathing facade in the city, BusinessTech reports . According to BusinessTech , in May 2025, buyers were informed that development of the The Fynbos would not go ahead as initially planned. Lurra Capital, the developer, revealed that shifting market conditions and a change in strategic direction were the main reasons for the cancellation. The building project has now been handed over to another property developer, Tricolt, who plans to reimagine the building from the ground up. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
