How Lotto was looted; Underworld murder-accused shot dead: Today's top 7 stories
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.
Scandals, shortlists, showdowns: Battle for Joburg's top job heats up
- Floyd Brink, whose previous appointment as Johannesburg's city manager was ruled unconstitutional, is on the shortlist for the same position again.
- The appointment process is under scrutiny due to concerns about transparency and governance, particularly regarding the potential involvement of controversial figures like Helen Botes.
- Mayor Dada Morero aims to finalise the city manager appointment within two months amid ongoing legal battles and questions surrounding Brink's past tenure.
Thahasello Mphatsoe/News24
WASTE LAND | Eight months on, Kagiso residents still live in sewage, despite mayor's promises
- Mogale City residents are still dealing with sewage spills in their homes, despite promises from the mayor eight months ago.
- The Percy Stewart Wastewater Treatment Plant is now releasing cleaner water into the nearby river.
- Tourists are returning to attractions around the Cradle of Humankind.
Gallo Images/Die Burger/Jaco Marais
Underworld murder-accused Andre Naudé shot dead in Parow
- Security company owner Andre Naudé was shot dead in Parow, Cape Town, on Thursday.
- The shooting occurred on Voortrekker Road, and Cape Town's MMC for safety and security, JP Smith, deployed his team to the scene.
- Naude was reportedly with his bodyguard at the time of the incident.
KZN official trying to attack ex-DG in R100m fund squabble 'restrained' by guards
- KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli is set to launch a R100-million youth empowerment project amid allegations of irregularities in the selection process.
- Former DG Nonhlanhla Mkhize allegedly faced intimidation and almost physical harm for blocking funding to unqualified companies, leading to her abrupt resignation.
- ActionSA has requested a postponement of the beneficiary announcement pending an investigation into allegations of interference and irregularities in the appointment process.
How Lotto was looted: Limpopo farm shows 4-step plan officials used to siphon funds
- Investigations reveal a consistent pattern of Lottery fraud where grant money is channelled to corrupt non-profits and then to attorneys, used to purchase assets.
- The SIU has identified a four-step playbook for looting Lotto funds: creating/hijacking a nonprofit, securing funding via internal players, diverting funds to a private company, and sending money to attorneys for asset purchases.
- Despite freezing assets worth over R100 million, only R9.5 million in cash has been recovered, and few cases have reached the courts, highlighting the difficulty in prosecuting these crimes.
Paul Harding/Gallo Images
Proteas Day 1 review: Rabada carrying the weight of three Aussie quicks in WTC final
- Kagiso Rabada's five-wicket haul wasn't enough as South Africa struggled against Australia's strong bowling attack on day one of the WTC final.
- Australia's pace trio of Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood outperformed South Africa, exposing their batting weaknesses and lack of support for Rabada.
- Stuart Broad highlighted that Australia's advantage lies in having three top-tier bowlers compared to South Africa's reliance on Rabada alone.
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Is Elon Musk a U.S. citizen? The SpaceX billionaire is no longer a DOGE government employee
Tesla CEO, SpaceX founder and South Africa-born billionaire Elon Musk became a 'special' federal employee in February, allowing him to work for the federal government with or without pay for a limited time. Now, around four months later, Musk is coming off the heels of a very public falling out with President Trump shortly after leaving his position as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While there are some exceptions, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, you generally must be a U.S. citizen to work for the federal government. And since supporting President Trump's 2024 campaign, flurries of comments on social media posts about Musk often accuse him of not being a U.S. citizen. Following the news of his job and due to his and President Donald Trump's strong views on immigration, some asked, "Is Elon Musk a U.S. citizen?" The short answer is yes. Regardless of his current employment status (or lack thereof) with the Trump Administration, it's still one of the most commonly asked questions about the wealthiest man in the world. Here's where Elon Musk's citizenship status stands, which countries he grew up in and where he currently lives. Musk and Trump's relationship: A timeline from campaign cash to 'disgusting abomination' Musk left his position with DOGE at the end of May and, about a week later, on June 5, started posting accusatory tweets on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter. He berated Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' calling it a 'disgusting abomination,' and even accused of being involved with the late child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein in now-deleted posts on X. But on June 11, Musk posted on X, 'I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.' Musk hasn't changed his opinion about the bill yet, at least publicly. While Musk has deleted some of his more inflammatory posts about Trump, some posts about killing the bill are still up on his X profile. What we know after his apologetic post: Does Musk still oppose the 'Big Beautiful Bill?' 'Musk has been a U.S. citizen since 2002 according to a 2023 biography of Musk by journalist Walter Isaacson,' Politifact and CNN reported. Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1971. His father, Errol Musk, is a South African businessman, politician, mine owner, consultant, and property developer. His mother, Maye Musk, is Canadian. Through her, Elon Musk also has Canadian citizenship. In his college years, Musk came to the U.S. on an Exchange Visitor Visa, which allows visa holders to teach, lecture, instruct, study, conduct research, consult, receive graduate training and more. In October, the Washington Post reported that Musk was — at one point — working illegally during his startup days in Silicon Valley, while he and his brother were creating PayPal. President Biden later echoed the Post's report, which went viral on X, Musk's social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Musk fired back on X, saying that he 'was in fact allowed to work in the U.S.,' and described his immigration journey as a 'gray area," CNN reported. Regardless of whether or not he was working illegally at the start of his career, Musk is now a U.S. citizen and maintains his primary residence in the U.S. Elon Musk surrenders: World's richest man is caving to Trump after their epic feud Musk was mostly raised in South Africa. He moved to Canada when he was 17 to study at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. In 1992, he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he graduated with bachelor's degrees in economics and physics. Yes, Elon Musk lives in the U.S. Currently, his main residence is in Boca Chica, Texas, the location of SpaceX Headquarters. He has a tiny home and a small two-bedroom home in the area, according to Architectural Digest. 'In 2021, Musk revealed in a post on X that he was living in a three-bedroom ranch, also in Boca Chica. He claimed to be renting the $50,000 property from SpaceX,' Architectural Digest reported in January. 'Like his tiny home, the property is a short drive from his company's beachfront launch site, SpaceX Starbase.' According to Forbes' real-time billionaires list, Musk is the richest man in the world as of Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. He ranks just slightly above Jeff Bezos. Musk is worth more than $400 billion, according to Reuters. Contributing: Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Elon Musk and Donald Trump: Is the SpaceX billionaire a U.S. citizen?
News24
an hour ago
- News24
Ramaphosa takes residents' calls for probe into deadly Mthatha floods on board
At least 78 people have died in devastating floods that engulfed Mthatha this week. Affected residents have rejected the classification of the flooding as a natural disaster and are demanding an investigation. A water crisis is now compounding the tragedy as Mthatha businesses and residents face days without supply amid massive infrastructure damage. President Cyril Ramaphosa has assented to pleas from residents of Mthatha's Decoligny village who insist that an investigation is needed into the deadly deluge that has claimed at least 78 lives. Ramaphosa, accompanied by several senior government officials, visited Mthatha on Friday to assess the extent of the damage caused by floods that have left many homeless in the area. Ramaphosa was accompanied by Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, among other officials. Decoligny, where scores of bodies were retrieved along the riverbanks with others scattered between houses, was the epicentre of the devastating floods. Resident Thembekile Majeke said the deluge was the first of its kind in the village and needed to be investigated. He told Ramaphosa: 'We do not share the view that this was a natural disaster. We want your office to set up a team to investigate the cause of these floods. We noticed a strange phenomenon when the water was raging through our houses that it was coming from an upward direction rather than going downward as per the direction of the river. We suspect foul play,' a devastated Majeke said. In response, Ramaphosa called one of the senior officials from the National Department of Water and Sanitation to explain what might have happened to Majeke and other residents. But when the official was not available, Ramaphosa said: We will investigate to see what exactly happened. Ramaphosa visited several areas in Mthatha including the bridge on the R61 where 13 schoolchildren from Jumba Senior Secondary were swept away while travelling in a scholar transport vehicle to school on Tuesday morning. Three pupils were rescued while the rest, including a driver and his assistant, died in the current. The bodies of the driver, his assistant and eight pupils have since been recovered. President @CyrilRamaphosa has expressed his sadness at the loss of lives and conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, affected communities and Eastern Cape residents at large. — The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) June 13, 2025 Addressing residents at a school in Decoligny, Ramaphosa said help was on the way for those who had lost loved ones. 'So many people have died. I heard some schoolchildren are still missing. This is not normal. We are very disturbed that so many people have passed away, but it could have been worse than this,' he said. He said the deluge was so massive that the South African government had received messages of support from the leaders of government in Asia and Europe. 'We will make sure that there is help coming after an assessment,' he said. READ | 'The water was around my neck': Eastern Cape death toll at 75 as residents recount escape Ramaphosa urged residents not to build their houses on floodplains – which was the reason for such a high death toll, Hlabisa said earlier this week. King Sabata Dalindyebo Mayor Nyaniso Nelani said on Wednesday that the municipality had for many years been trying – and failing – to convince people living on floodplains to move. Ramaphosa said: 'This is our new reality as the people of South Africa that we must now be aware that climate change is a real serious challenge that we must deal with. It affects our health, our education, our infrastructure, housing and also our economic infrastructure.' Mabuyane said the provincial government was planning a provincial day of mourning to pay respect to the deceased. He added: We are working towards finding a more suitable place for the [displaced residents]. We have never seen something like this before. We are doing all that we can to fix the damage to infrastructure. We have saved so many lives. Many people could have died, had it not been for our response. Meanwhile, Mthatha businesses have urged the government to expedite the process of restoring water supply in the town. Businessman Vuyisile Ntlabati, president of the Eastern Cape Chamber of Business, said businesses were struggling without water. 'The situation is bad. There is just not enough water supply to carry out business. Some businesses have been without power since Tuesday,' he said. Northcrest resident Siyanda Mabusela said they had been without water since Tuesday. 'We need water to be restored as soon as possible. We have really allowed officials [time] to deal with this tragedy. But we can't survive another day without water,' said Mabusela. The OR Tambo District Municipality said water was expected to be restored over the coming weekend.
News24
an hour ago
- News24
News24 uncovers disinformation network; Top cop arrested: Today's 7 stories in 7 minutes
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. Supplied by source Luxury bakkies and fancy watches: Hawks now after financial advisor Mark Kretzschmar - Financial broker Mark Kretzschmar is being investigated by the Hawks for allegedly defrauding a Limpopo businessman of R1.5 million, part of over R30 million he allegedly took from multiple clients. - Kretzschmar gained investors' trust by displaying a lavish lifestyle and promising high returns, but then allegedly provided irregular statements, became difficult to contact, and ultimately vanished. - The FSCA is also investigating Kretzschmar, and Freedom Capital, where he was a representative, claims he acted 'rogue' and misused their financial service provider number. Philani Lushaba/Linkedin Crime Intelligence CFO, co-accused granted bail in sex worker burglary cover-up - A senior Crime Intelligence officer, Major General Philani Lushaba, and three other police officers were arrested for allegedly covering up the theft of Lushaba's laptop, cellphone, and firearm by a sex worker. - The officers face charges including corruption, defeating the ends of justice, and perjury, with the case highlighting ongoing turmoil and power struggles within Crime Intelligence. - Lushaba is also under scrutiny for allegedly using Crime Intelligence's Secret Service Account to purchase properties worth millions of rands, raising questions about corruption and maladministration within the division. 'They came to kill all of us': Naudé's co-accused tells how he survived AK-47 gunfire - Andre Naudé was fatally shot in Parow, Cape Town, while with Sam Farquharson and a 'client,' who was also injured. - Farquharson, who survived the attack, claims they were checking on construction work and denies any involvement in 'gangster shit'. - Police are investigating the murder and attempted murder, with alleged Sexy Boys boss Jerome 'Donkie' Booysen also present at the scene. X/@MkhontoweSizwex ATM NEC members eye Parliament as part of MK Party partnership deal - ATM NEC members are reportedly slated to fill MK Party's parliamentary vacancies, strengthening the Zuma-Nongqunga alliance. - Vuyo Zungula's removal as ATM president is linked to differing views on merging with the MK Party, though ATM denies this was the reason. - ATM spokesperson denies any NEC directive to fill MK Party roles, emphasising that cooperation between the parties is still in a developmental stage. Web of deceit: How we traced India's 'Raju Singh' behind SA's viral fake news sites - News24 uncovered a disinformation network, headed by Raju 'Raj' Singh in India, which spreads false stories in South Africa, India, Wales, and the US. - The network uses fake news websites resembling local news outlets to publish fabricated stories on various topics, aiming to attract traffic and generate revenue through ads or affiliate links. - By tracing digital clues like Google Analytics codes and profile picture metadata, News24 identified Singh and his digital marketing business, revealing a profit-driven motive behind the disinformation campaign. Supplied/Paul Henman Comrades Marathon Association condemns abuse directed at Israeli runners - The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) condemned the abuse directed at Israeli athletes during the race. - The CMA emphasised its political neutrality and stated the race should unite people, not be a platform for discrimination. - A video surfaced showing pro-Palestine protesters verbally abusing Israeli athletes along the marathon route. - The premiere of Shaka iLembe season 2 celebrated African royalty with a golden carpet event at Montecasino, featuring stars in regal attire. - Highlights included Zulu song and dance performances, stunning fashion creations like actress Nomzamo Mbatha's beaded dress, and an exclusive screening of the season's first episode. - Attendees included stars like Lemohang Tsipa, Dawn Thandeka King, and King Misuzulu KaZwelithini, all showcasing diverse South African cultures through their outfits.
