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.
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Zondo defends call for criminal investigation as Mantashe disputes state capture report
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an hour ago
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‘Mantashe is a liar': Zuma to file perjury case over R40m ex-mine workers' claim
Zuma tells City Press he will file a perjury case against Mantashe, accusing him of lying under oath. Mantashe responded with a crimen injuria charge against Zuma, calling the allegations defamatory. The dispute involves a payout from East Rand Property Mines liquidation in 1999, which mineworkers say was never delivered. Mining rights activist Zakhele Zuma says he plans to lay a perjury charge against Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, accusing him of giving false testimony in a sworn police statement. Zuma alleged that Mantashe, in the police statement, denied claims that he mishandled R40 million owed to former East Rand Property Mines (ERPM) mine workers. 'He lied under oath,' Zuma told City Press. 'This is about accountability, not politics. Instead of addressing the workers' concerns, the minister is using legal tactics to avoid the truth.' Zakhele Zuma WATCH: Ex-mine workers and families accuse Mantashe, NUM of betrayal, demand 'R40m, with interest' Earlier this month, Mantashe opened a crimen injuria case against Zuma at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria, after Zuma publicly accused him of failing to pay out the R40 million. When the ERPM was liquidated in 1999, at least 4 000 workers were affected. Many had worked deep underground for years, often in unsafe conditions. In the aftermath of the mine's closure, workers say they were told that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), then under the leadership of its general secretary, Mantashe, had received their settlement packages and would invest the money on their behalf. Zuma claims Mantashe assured workers their money would be invested for ten years, but no returns have materialised. Mantashe denied the allegations in an interview with City Press: 'I do not know this man personally, and these claims are false and defamatory. I will pursue legal action because I will not allow my name to be dragged through the mud.' Mantashe further told City Press that he believed Zuma was not acting independently, but is part of a broader political agenda, adding that while he does not know Zuma personally, he sees 'clear political motives' behind the activist's allegations. Mahlatsi Moleya WATCH: Paul Mashatile defends spending millions on overseas trips The core of the dispute concerns mostly elderly, uneducated mineworkers who say they trusted Mantashe's promise that their payout would be managed responsibly—something they say never happened. Both parties now find themselves in a legal battle, with Zuma preparing to charge Mantashe with perjury, while Mantashe continues to press charges for crimen injuria against Zuma.
