Missing Comrades runner found; Father's prayers after son killed: Today's top 7 stories
News24 brings you the top 7 stories of the day.
Graphic: Sharlene Rood/News24
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.
ALS Paramedics/Supplied
Comrades runner found disorientated and hypothermic by construction workers
- Comrades Marathon runner Moira Harding, who went missing after the race, was found in a hypothermic state near the NSRI base in Durban.
- Construction workers discovered Harding and alerted NSRI staff, who provided initial first aid before emergency services transported her to Umhlanga Netcare Hospital.
- Police are investigating the circumstances of her disappearance, and Harding's daughter has confirmed she was found.
Marvin Charles/News
Cape Town mayor takes Ramaphosa to highest court over procurement law
- Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis is challenging the Public Procurement Act in the Constitutional Court, citing procedural flaws in its passage through Parliament.
- The City argues the Act will slow down procurement, allow undue interference in municipal processes, and negatively impact service delivery.
- The legal challenge highlights concerns about public participation, provincial mandates, and the potential for a centralised system to disrupt local autonomy.
Supplied by source
Broker vanishes with over R30m of single parents, friends, relatives' money
- Johannesburg investment broker Mark Kretzschmar is being investigated for allegedly defrauding clients of over R30 million, including widows, single parents and relatives.
- Kretzschmar gained clients' trust by portraying wealth and success, hosting lavish events, before allegedly disappearing with their investments.
- The FSCA is investigating, and police cases have been opened, while victims share stories of devastating financial losses and broken trust.
God, please bring him back, father prayed after 12-year-old driver allegedly kills son
- 14-year-old Malcolm Booysen was killed in Brakpan after being hit by a car allegedly driven by a 12-year-old boy who skipped a stop sign.
- Malcolm's family remembers him as a responsible, friendly, and ambitious boy who dreamed of becoming a pastor.
- A case of culpable homicide has been opened, and the 12-year-old was expected to appear in court.
733 000-card backlog as SA's sole driving licence printing machine breaks down - again
- South Africa's only driver's licence printing machine has been down for 38 days since April, resulting in a backlog of 733 000 cards as of 15 May 2025.
- Over R11.5 million has been spent on repairs since 2022/23, with overtime payments totaling R4.4 million over three years due to machine downtime.
- Transport Minister Barbara Creecy is seeking a court order regarding the tender for a new machine after the Auditor-General found irregularities in the procurement process.
(Darren Stewart/Gallo Images)
'Flying Dutchman' Wiersma reveals Comrades food poisoning struggles, applauds Dijana
- Piet Wiersma, despite peak training, faced illness during Comrades 2025, impacting his performance.
- Wiersma acknowledged Tete Dijana's dominance and committed to returning stronger in future races.
- The growing rivalry between Wiersma and Dijana adds excitement to the Comrades Marathon.
Supplied
'Very intriguing': Suidooster's Irvine van der Merwe on playing a charming baddie
- Irvine van der Merwe discusses his role as Nazeem in Suidooster, who experiences a stroke after donating part of his liver to Bridgette.
- Van der Merwe says Nazeem's motivations were a mix of brotherly love and wanting to be accepted by the Jacobs family, as well as gaining company shares.
- Despite being a villain, Van der Merwe sees Nazeem as a caring and loyal person, and enjoys the challenge of portraying a character with conflicting morals.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
an hour ago
- News24
Cape Town couple arrested on child porn charges allegedly abused their own children
A Bloubergstrand couple has been arrested for the alleged sexual abuse of their two daughters, aged 3 and 8. They have been accused of producing child pornography and other sexual offences. According to police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk, a multidisciplinary team comprising members of the national and Western Cape Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) Units, and officials from the Department of Social Development (DSD), supported by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), arrested the 47-year-old woman and 48-year-old man in Bloubergstrand on Tuesday. They were found at a house identified through joint investigative efforts. They face multiple charges, including the production of CSAM (commonly referred to as child pornography), rape, sexual assault, and sexual grooming. The two children were rescued during the operation and have since been put in a place of safety. Several electronic devices were seized. Last month, the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) seized assets, including a luxury vehicle and R647 300 in cash belonging to Darryn Wilken and his girlfriend, Tiona Megan Moodley. Investigations by various law enforcement agencies, including the US Secret Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), led to their arrests. The couple faces charges for allegedly running a child pornography website, offering material for sale internationally. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said along with the cash and vehicle, the unit also seized high-end electronic equipment. 'It (Wilken's luxury vehicle) brazenly reflected a registration number 'KIDZ NA GP'. The luxury vehicle, high-end electronic equipment and R647 300 in cash were the subjects of the search and seizure warrant,' she said.
Wall Street Journal
4 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
Tanzania's First Female Leader Championed Human Rights. Now She's Turning to Repression.
Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania's first female president, came to power as a renowned defender of human rights. She is clinging to it, critics say, by locking up and torturing those who stand in her way. In recent months, Hassan's government has orchestrated abductions and killings of several political rivals, rights groups say. A senior opposition leader was found dead—beaten and doused with acid—after being abducted by security agents, according to his political party. Authorities closed a top newspaper, which had published stories about his death. A Catholic priest is battling for his life after surviving a brutal beating by unknown assailants as he returned from a conference where he made remarks critical of the government.
Associated Press
12 hours ago
- Associated Press
Togo's president faces calls to resign after protests over new role allowing indefinite rule
LOME, Togo (AP) — Togo's President Faure Gnassingbé is facing growing pressure following a government clampdown on protests calling for his resignation over recent changes in the constitution that could effectively keep him in power indefinitely. Activists on Tuesday condemned the arrest and alleged maltreatment of dozens of people following staged protests late last week in Togo's capital, Lomé, and on social media. The Togolese leader, who has ruled since 2005 after the death of his father, was in May sworn in as President of the Council of Ministers. The powerful role has not official term limits and he is eligible to be re-elected by parliament indefinitely. Opposition politicians have denounced the move as a 'constitutional coup.' Around half of the 80 protesters who were arrested were released late Monday. However, at least 25 remain in custody, a local rights group said, urging authorities to release the others. 'What we know is that several people were beaten during their arrest,' Aimé Adi, director of Amnesty International's office in Togo, told The Associated Press. In addition to the release of the remaining detainees, 'what the Togolese now want is the end of this regime which can no longer offer anything to the people after 20 years of absolute and repressive power of Faure Gnassingbé,' said a coalition of political groups known as 'Hands Off My Constitution'. Demonstrations are rare in Togo as they have been banned in the country since 2022, following a deadly attack at Lome's main market. But the latest change in government structure has been widely criticized in a region threatened by rampant coups and other threats to democracy. Public prosecutor Talaka Mawama has defended the arrests and described the protests as 'part of a revolt against the institutions of the Republic.'
