Latest news with #statecapture
News24
13 hours ago
- Politics
- News24
Edgar Lungu funeral feud; State lottery alarm: Today's top 7 stories in 7 minutes
News24 brings you the top 7 stories of the day. 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. Saxonwold shebeen on sale: Opulence, neglect and the bitter legacy of the Guptas - The Gupta's Saxonwold compound, once a symbol of state capture and lavish wealth, now stands abandoned and decaying, revealing remnants of luxury and hasty departure. - The properties, featuring opulent amenities like spas and cinemas, are up for auction after years of legal battles, with proceeds going to creditors. - The state of the compound reflects the Guptas' fall from power and serves as a reminder of the authorities' failure to bring them to justice for their role in state capture. ALS Paramedics/Supplied Missing Comrades Marathon runner was among dozens hospitalised after race - Moira Harding, a Comrades Marathon runner who went missing for 15 hours after the race, was among 37 runners hospitalised. - Harding has been discharged from the hospital but has no memory of getting lost and is undergoing treatment for a chest infection and occupational therapy. - Race organisers and doctors noted an above-average number of runners requiring medical assistance, potentially due to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, exhaustion, and a disorganised finish area. NSFAS advised to scrap deals worth R1.3bn with IT firms amid student housing crisis - NSFAS paid more than R1.3 billion to four unaccredited IT companies to disburse student accommodation payments, leading to a student housing crisis. - A legal opinion advises NSFAS to cancel the contracts due to irregularities, including the IT companies' lack of financial service provider status and failure to properly manage the online portal. - The student housing crisis has resulted in unsafe living conditions, non-payment issues, and students allegedly trading sex for accommodation, prompting Rental Housing Tribunal hearings. Philippe Wojazer/pool/AFP Zambia's Hichilema apologises to Ramaphosa for drama over return of Lungu's body - Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema apologised to President Cyril Ramaphosa for delays in repatriating former president Edgar Lungu's body, caused by tensions between Lungu's family and the Zambian government over funeral arrangements. - Lungu's family halted the repatriation, accusing the government of sidelining them in decision-making, despite earlier agreements and preparations for a state funeral in Zambia. - Hichilema declared the national mourning period over, urging unity and calm, while the South African government will continue to hold Lungu's remains until the dispute is resolved. Alarm raised over plans for state-run lottery - The South African government plans to nationalise the lottery when the current operator's licence expires in 2034, requiring the new Sizekhaya Consortium to help develop state skills and infrastructure. - Critics warn that a state-run lottery could increase corruption, citing past financial mismanagement in parastatals and government entities. - The Request for Proposals for the new licence mandates that bidders support the state in developing the capacity to operate the lottery, including transferring technology rights. Paul Harding/Gallo Images Proteas Test captain Bavuma ruled out of Zimbabwe series - Temba Bavuma is out of the Test series against Zimbabwe due to a hamstring injury sustained in the World Test Championship final. - Keshav Maharaj will captain the Proteas in Bavuma's absence for the two matches in Bulawayo. - Several key players are being rested, while Lhuan-dré Pretorius and Lesego Senokwane received their first Test call-ups. DRIVEN | Hyundai enters new energy vehicle tango in SA with fresh Sante Fe Hybrid SUV - Hyundai SA has introduced its first hybrid vehicle, the Sante Fe Hybrid seven-seater SUV, despite having successful electric cars in global markets. - The Sante Fe Hybrid features a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor, offering a total output of 175kW and 367Nm, along with various safety and convenience technologies. - Priced at R1 249 900, the Sante Fe Hybrid Elite AWD comes with a seven-year/200 000km warranty and an eight-year/160 000km warranty for the hybrid battery pack.
News24
2 days ago
- Business
- News24
Audit watchdog wraps up state capture probes: 20 cases closed, R13m in fines
IRBA head Imre Nagy says the watchdog has had 'remarkable success' in investigating audit failures linked to state capture. Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once.
Mail & Guardian
13-06-2025
- Mail & Guardian
National Prosecuting Authority preparing to reinstate charges against Nulane accused
State capture: Ajay Gupta, Atul and Rajesh. (Adrian de Kock/Netwerk24) The 'We are tirelessly working towards that,' said NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga . On Thursday, the NPA prevailed in the supreme court of appeal (SCA), which found that Judge It said what transpired in the high court could only be summed up as a 'failure of justice'. The SCA ruling came almost two years after Gusha That decision meant that none of them had to take the stand to answer the case put forth by the state. Gusha found that the prosecution had 'regrettably failed to pass even the barest of thresholds' in proving that the accused colluded to defraud the Free State government and ensure some R24 million was funnelled to a United Arab Emirates (UAE) Standard Chartered Bank account linked to the Gupta family. Gupta associate Iqbal Sharma was arrested in 2021, nearly a decade after Free State officials deviated from public finance rules to awarded a contract worth R24.9 million for a feasibility study to his newly-founded Nulane Investments. It pinpointed Paras, an Indian firm linked to the Guptas, as the preferred entity to a dairy project in Vrede in the Free State. This would later become the Estina dairy farm scam in which more than R280 million allegedly flowed to the Gupta family. But Gusha, an acting judge, found that the prosecution was unable to prove that provincial officials broke the law when they gave the contract to Nulane. It meant that the case collapsed at the first hurdle, because without proof that the money was stolen, the state could not sustain the charge of money-laundering in relation to the rapid-fire transfers that followed to companies in the Gupta stable. The SCA agreed with the state that Gusha made a litany of errors in law and fact, resulting in a failure of justice. She had been obliged to consider the totality of evidence, and had failed to do so. 'The inference is inescapable — and the judgment itself shows — that the judge had closed her mind to the evidence adduced by the state. 'This is unfortunate, particularly in a case such as this, where it was prima facie established that scarce public funds were unlawfully extracted from the department and channelled to the UAE, by fraud and the misuse of power.' Hence, the appellate court said, the acquittal of the accused was unfair to the prosecution. The prosecution had relied on the doctrine of common purpose to prove that all accused were part of a conspiracy to defraud the government, as were Atul and Rajesh Gupta. It had planned to add them to the list of accused if they were surrendered to South Africa. The SCA said there was evidence that three Free State officials worked together to ensure Nulane was appointed and paid and, further, that fraud and money-laudering was committed with the cooperation of the rest of the accused, among them Ronica Ragavan, the director of the Gupta family's Islandsite Investment. That was one of the companies in the family's business empire through which the state allegedly the money extracted from the Free State was laundered with 'bewildering rapidity'. There was a real likelihood, the SCA said, that the accused would have incriminated each other, had they been put on the stand. 'The high court misapplied s174 of the CPA [Criminal Prosecution Act]: a court should not discharge an accused who might be incriminated by a co-accused. This was unfair to the state,' the court said. 'The trial in the high court can be summed up in a single sentence: This was a failure of justice.' It added that regrettably this undermined public confidence in the criminal justice system. The SCA ruling provided some comfort for the NPA a week after the Bloemfontein high court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to try Ace Magashule's former assistant, Moroadi Cholota, for her role in the R225 million Free State asbestos scam case. The court found that her extradition from the United States was unlawful as the NPA had failed to challenge an SCA ruling that only the minister of justice, and not the prosecuting authority, had the power to apply for extradition, in due time. The NPA is seeking to overturn this ruling as well.
The Herald
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Ramaphosa to meet Batohi over NPA 'infiltration' claims
'I don't believe there is state capture now under way in the NPA. I believe there are really good prosecutors, those who are putting in a lot of effort and the number of cases are being prosecuted, and including those that came out of the Zondo commission.' Justice minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said Batohi had explained she had been inundated with allegations that cases, including high-profile ones, were being deliberately sabotaged. 'But what she is worrying about is allegations of prosecutors who are working with criminal networks to sabotage cases. So we would have to deal with it case by case. 'I said to her I will engage the head of state to look at what we can do [to] investigate those individuals. That we will have to do. It's not the entirety of the institution that is affected; it's not really infiltration,' she said. Kubayi said she told Batohi she would speak to Ramaphosa about her concerns with a view to possibly launching an investigation into prosecutors accused of working with criminals to bungle cases. The meeting between Kubayi and Batohi took place days after the NPA was dealt a blow in the case against former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule when the court ruled the extradition from the US of his former PA Moroadi Cholota was invalid. This is one of several embarrassing defeats the NPA has suffered in high-profile cases, leading to concerns about the performance and preparedness of the prosecuting body when going to court. TimesLIVE
News24
10-06-2025
- Politics
- News24
Think tank calls for urgent judge-led inquiry into NPA
As concern grows over the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) string of high-profile court losses, the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to institute an urgent inquiry into the body's 'structure, integrity and performance'. According to the think tank, the goal of the inquiry – which it said should be conducted by a retired judge – would be 'to identify the specific causes of the NPA's underperformance with regard to successfully prosecuting major cases of state capture and corruption'. The inquiry should assess the NPA's performance, structure, independence, and overall leadership, it said. In a second report on the NPA, the CDE also called on Ramaphosa to use a new appointment model to find a replacement for outgoing National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shamila Batohi, who is due to retire in January. That model should be inspired by the 2019 SA Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner selection process, it said. According to the CDE's director, Ann Bernstein, this 'would involve the president selecting one or more candidates, who would then be interviewed by a high-level, independent and widely respected panel'. 'This panel should interview the potential candidates in private – away from the glare of television cameras – and then deliberate carefully on the basis of clearly defined criteria before making their recommendations to the president,' Bernstein said.
