Latest news with #WesternCape
News24
12 hours ago
- News24
Plettenberg guardian gets two life terms for foster daughter's murder over insurance money
Mboneleli Msila, along with three accomplices, was found guilty of planning and executing his foster daughter's murder to claim insurance payouts. On the day of the crime in Kwanokuthula, two armed men stormed Mafani's home, shooting her 15 times before fleeing on foot. The four accused received heavy sentences, including Msila's two life terms. A Plettenberg Bay guardian, Mboneleli Msila, was sentenced to two life terms on Thursday for orchestrating the murder of his foster daughter, Nomdundu Mafani, in a chilling bid to cash out insurance policies. The 23-year-old victim, who had lived with Msila for 12 years, was shot 15 times in an attack carried out by hitmen hired by her guardian. Msila appeared in the Western Cape High Court, sitting in Knysna, with his three co-accused: Mbulelo Jack, 25, Monde Tshemese, 35, and Lungisile Lucas, 41. The three were contracted to kill Mafani, a crime they carried out in April 2022. According to the police, Mafani, who lived with a mental illness, was at home in Kwanokuthula on Cuba Street when two men, one armed with a firearm, entered the house. 'One of the suspects fired several shots at the victim who succumbed to 15 gunshot wounds. They then fled from the scene on foot,' said Sergeant Christopher Spies. He said investigations led to the arrest of the four men, following which Msila, who had been her guardian for 12 years, was identified as the mastermind behind the killing. Spies said investigations revealed that Msila had taken out several insurance policies on her life at various financial institutions to the value of R600 000. 'The guardian hired his three accomplices to implement his plan, with the ultimate plot to kill the victim so that he could have access to the insurance money,' he said. In court, Msila was handed two life terms for murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Jack was sentenced to 17 years for conspiracy to commit murder and another 17 years for murder. These were ordered to run concurrently. Tshemese received two life terms for murder and conspiracy to commit murder. He was also sentenced to five years for the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Lucas was sentenced to 17 years for conspiracy to commit murder and another 17 years for murder. These charges will run concurrently. Garden Route District commissioner Major General Phumzile Cetyana, who attended the sentencing proceedings, conveyed appreciation to the investigating officer, Sergeant Mphumezi Mlenze, and senior State advocate John Reyneveld for their diligence. He also thanked members of the Western Cape Provincial Serious Crime Investigations Unit, who collaborated with Kwanokuthula detectives to ensure a guilty verdict. Provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile also praised the investigation and prosecution teams. He said: This sentence should send a very strong message to the public that those entrusted to care for our children should not exploit the opportunity for financial gain. 'Gender-based violence and femicide remain one of the top police priorities, and any act of gender-based violence and femicide will be met with a similar response from police.' 'No efforts or resources will be spared as we will make sure that those threatening the safety of our women are brought to book and removed from society,' Patekile said.
News24
14 hours ago
- Climate
- News24
Friday's weather: Western Cape chilly with light rain, rest of SA fine and cool
Very cold conditions are expected in the Western Cape and the Northern Cape with daytime temperatures of 10°C or below in some parts, according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS). Impact-based warnings - Yellow Level 2 warning: Damaging waves along the coastline between Saldanha Bay and East London are expected until Saturday morning. These waves may create difficulty for navigation, pose risks to small vessels (capsizing or taking on water), and cause disruption to ports and harbours. - Yellow Level 2 warning: Damaging winds are likely to cause localised damage to settlements (both formal and informal) over the Kouga and Nelson Mandela Bay local municipalities. These winds will also affect offshore navigation between Plettenberg Bay and East London. Weather forecast for today & tomorrow, 19 - 20 June 2025. Partly cloudy conditions are expected along the coastal areas of RSA, with isolated showers and damaging winds & waves possible along the south coast. #saws #weatheroutlook #southafricanweather — SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) June 19, 2025 In the SAWS' colour-coded weather warning system, yellow indicates a moderate risk of impact that requires caution and awareness, while orange indicates that higher-risk impact is expected, requiring increased attention and preparation. SAWS uses the numbers to indicate the likelihood of weather-based impacts occurring. Levels 2 and 6 are high, and Level 4 is low. Advisories Areas in the interior of the Western Cape and the Namakwa District in the Northern Cape are expected to experience very cold conditions, with daytime temperatures of 10°C or below. The weather in your province Gauteng: Fine and cool. Pretoria: 9°C — 23°C Johannesburg: 9°C — 20°C Vereeniging: 8°C — 20°C Mpumalanga: Fine and cool, warming up in the Lowveld and escarpment. Mbombela: 7°C — 27°C Ermelo: 6°C — 20°C Emalahleni: 7°C — 20°C Standerton: 5°C — 20°C Skukuza: 12°C — 31°C Limpopo: Fine and cool to warm. Polokwane: 8°C — 23°C Phalaborwa: 13°C — 30°C Tzaneen: 10°C — 27°C Musina: 11°C — 29°C Lephalale: 8°C — 26°C Mokopane: 8°C — 24°C North West: Fine and cool. Klerksdorp: 5°C — 21°C Potchefstroom: 5°C — 21°C Mahikeng: 5°C — 22°C Rustenburg: 7°C — 22°C Vryburg: 4°C — 21°C Free State: Fine, windy, and cold to cool. Bloemfontein: 0°C — 17°C Welkom: 4°C — 18°C Bethlehem: 1°C — 16°C Northern Cape: Cloudy in the south and south-west, then fine and cold to cool with windy conditions in the extreme south-east. Coastal winds: Light and variable, becoming moderate southerly in the afternoon. Upington: 1°C — 16°C Kimberley: 2°C — 17°C De Aar: 1°C — 13°C Alexander Bay: 6°C — 22°C Springbok: 5°C — 15°C Calvinia: 4°C — 13°C Sutherland: 5°C — 11°C Western Cape: Cloudy and cold with light rain in the south-west in the morning, later spreading along the south coast by evening. Northeast areas will start partly cloudy before becoming cloudy. Coastal winds: Fresh to strong west to north-westerly, becoming light to moderate south-westerly north of Cape Point from the afternoon. Cape Town: 12°C — 15°C Vredendal: 9°C — 17°C Riversdale: 8°C — 17°C George: 10°C — 17°C Worcester: 11°C — 16°C Beaufort West: 2°C — 17°C Oudtshoorn: 4°C — 18°C Western half of the Eastern Cape: Fine and cool to cold, partly cloudy later along the south, with isolated coastal showers and rain. Coastal winds: Moderate to fresh north-westerly, turning fresh to strong south-westerly by the afternoon. Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Fine and cool to cold. Coastal winds: Moderate to fresh north-westerly in the south, switching to south-westerly by midday, with moderate south-westerly winds elsewhere. Gqeberha: 12°C — 20°C Makhanda: 8°C — 19°C Cradock: 3°C — 16°C Graaff-Reinet: 4°C — 15°C East London: 13°C — 20°C Port St Johns: 11°C — 20°C Mthatha: 5°C — 18°C Komani: 0°C — 16°C Qonce: 7°C — 19°C KwaZulu-Natal: Partly cloudy in the south early on, then fine and cool to warm across the province, yet cold along the south-west. Coastal winds: Light to moderate northerly winds, strengthening toward the north, followed by moderate to fresh southerly winds sweeping south to north during the afternoon. Durban: 13°C — 23°C Richard's Bay: 12°C — 26°C Pietermaritzburg: 6°C — 23°C Ladysmith: 7°C — 22°C
News24
15 hours ago
- News24
‘I only went there to play dominoes': Alleged gang leader denies knowledge of drug ‘yard'
Elton 'Koffie' Lenting denied being the feared Terrible Josters leader as his murder trial continued in the Western Cape High Court.
The Herald
17 hours ago
- The Herald
Innovate Africa: At the edge of opportunity — inside the Samsung Innovation Lab at UWC
In a small corner of the University of the Western Cape (UWC), a bold idea is quietly changing lives. The Samsung Innovation Lab is not your usual tech classroom. It's a space where students from tough backgrounds get access to skills once out of their reach that can help them break into industries that typically ignore them. But this isn't just about coding. Dr Wouter Grove, who heads the centre, explains that the lab focuses just as much on critical thinking, design thinking, confidence and even public speaking. The aim is simple: give students the tools to shape the future, not just survive it. Kieno Kammies sat down with Grove to understand how this lab is unlocking potential — and why it's already making waves far beyond the UWC campus. TimesLIVE
The Herald
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Herald
Volkswagen welcomes 540 young trainees through YES programme
Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) has announced an intake of 540 young unemployed graduates for its 2025 Youth Unemployment Services (YES) programme. The YES programme was initiated by the government in 2019 to alleviate youth unemployment. The company said 296 trainees will work for VWGA: 232 at will be stationed at Kariega in Gqeberha, where the company assembles the VW Polo and Polo Vivo models; 62 are headed to its Gauteng headquarters in Sandton; and two will be absorbed at the company's satellite parts warehouse in the Western Cape. Another 244 trainees will be deployed with external partners in October. This intake brings the total of YES trainees who have benefited from VWGA's involvement in the programme to 3,650. 'We know today's youth will be tomorrow's leaders, but we also believe in playing an active role in developing those leaders and innovators,' said Nonkqubela Maliza, VWGA's corporate and government affairs director. 'Through our participation in the YES programme, we want to offer youth the space to become economically active and gain invaluable skills on which they can build successful and fulfilling careers.' Since its inception, VWGA has supported the initiative by providing employment opportunities and work experience for youth at its sites, in addition to opportunities in the dealer network and SME partners. TimesLIVE
