‘Please Call Me' case back to SCA; Rates relief: Today's top 7 stories in 7 minutes

News24

6 days ago

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.
No, the US did not confirm AfriForum's farm murder claims in an official investigation
- A US State Department's human rights bureau X thread on South African farm attacks is being misrepresented as a formal investigation, with AfriForum claiming it confirms their stance.
- The X thread draws heavily on AfriForum's data, omits the group's own report of a sharp decline in attacks in 2024, and makes politically charged assertions without sufficient evidence.
- The Human Rights and Labour's future is uncertain due to potential budget cuts and internal turmoil, raising questions about whether its messaging is being influenced by political priorities.
ConCourt dismisses Zuma, MKP's urgent legal challenge over Mchunu's special leave
- The Constitutional Court dismissed the MK Party's legal challenges regarding Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's special leave and the Madlanga Inquiry.
- The court found the MK Party failed to prove it alone could decide on litigation and didn't justify direct access to the Constitutional Court.
- The ruling allows Professor Firoz Cachalia's appointment as acting police minister to proceed, but Jacob Zuma and the MK Party can still challenge the matter in the High Court.
Mashatile's man, ANC leaders party with Cat Matlala at corruption-accused Sodi's mansion
- Underworld figure Vusimusi 'Cat' Matlala attended Edwin Sodi's 50th birthday party, mingling with high-ranking ANC politicians.
- Matlala faces criminal charges for a botched hit and his company won a R360 million police tender that was later cancelled amid fraud claims.
- The presence of Matlala and his connections with influential figures have raised concerns about political influence and corruption.
Vodacom victory sends 18-year 'Please Call Me' battle back to Supreme Court of Appeal
- The Constitutional Court has ordered the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) to rehear the 'Please Call Me' case between Nkosana Makate and Vodacom.
- The Constitutional Court found that the SCA failed to provide proper reasoning in its previous ruling, which directed Vodacom to pay Makate 5-7% of the product's revenue.
- Makate remains confident and Vodacom is reviewing the judgment to determine its next steps in the long-standing legal battle.
Interest rates cut to lowest level since 2022
- The SA Reserve Bank lowered interest rates by 25 basis points, reducing the repo rate to 7% and the prime rate to 10.5%.
- Inflation has been below 3% since March, but is expected to rise to 3.3% by year-end due to factors like higher fuel prices.
- The SA Reserve Bank downgraded its growth expectation for the year due to the impact of US trade tariffs, which are set to increase on South African goods.
Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
'A unifying factor': 20 000 in Paarl brace for world rugby's biggest schoolboy derby
- Paarl Gimnasium and Paarl Boys High will compete in their annual Interschools derby, a major schoolboy rugby event.
- Gimnasium is aiming for an undefeated season, while Boys High seeks to break their two-derby losing streak.
- The derby is a unifying event for the schools and the town of Paarl, drawing a crowd of over 20 000.