Top 10 stories of the day: Heads to roll in MP laptop saga
Here's your daily news update for Monday, 5 May 2025: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories.
In the news today, all Mpumalanga Department of Education officials will face disciplinary action for the irregular procurement of 22 laptops for a staggering R2 million.
Meanwhile, an Eastern Cape mother can now breathe a sigh of relief after a murder charge against her – stemming from the death of a man who allegedly raped her daughter – was withdrawn.
Furthermore, the DA says the United States' intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo was more fruitful than the Southern African Development Community peacekeeping mission.
Weather tomorrow: 6 May 2025
Extremely high fire danger is expected in the Nama Khoi municipality, while most provinces enjoy cool, fine weather. Full weather forecast here.
Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way.
R2 million laptop saga triggers disciplinary action in Mpumalanga education department
All Mpumalanga Department of Education officials, including the head of the department, will face disciplinary action for the irregular procurement of 22 laptops for a staggering R2 million.
Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu released the much-anticipated findings of an investigation into the so-called Mpumalanga laptop saga on Monday morning.
Laptop on a classroom desk surrounded by school supplies. Picture: iStock
The Department of Education purchased 22 laptops and a printer for R2 million, which means each laptop cost over R91,482.50, well above the market price.
CONTINUE READING: R2 million laptop saga triggers disciplinary action in Mpumalanga education department
Murder charge dropped against EC mother who confronted daughter's alleged rapist
A mother from the Eastern Cape can now breathe a sigh of relief after a murder charge against her – stemming from the death of a man who allegedly raped her daughter – was withdrawn.
On Monday, the 44-year-old woman made her appearance in the Cacadu Magistrate's Court, formerly known as Lady Frere, facing a charge of murder.
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane in Cacadu on 5 May 2025. Picture: Eastern Cape government
The incident occurred on 5 April, when the woman reportedly caught a 65-year-old man in the act of raping her disabled daughter at his residence in a village in Cacadu.
It is alleged that the man was beaten to death by the mother and other locals. She was subsequently arrested and charged with murder but was granted R500 bail on 10 April.
CONTINUE READING: Murder charge dropped against EC mother who confronted daughter's alleged rapist
SANDF in DRC: Trump administration did what SA couldn't, says DA
The DA has questioned South Africa's intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after reports that the United States government is on course to broker a peace deal between rival groups in the region.
This comes as South African troops make their way home after Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces withdrew from the DRC.
Members of the M23 armed group board a pickup truck as they leave to carry out a patrol. Picture: AFP
DA spokesperson on defence and military veterans Chris Hattingh told The Citizen that Washington's intervention was more fruitful than the SADC peacekeeping mission.
'The recent peace breakthrough between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda didn't come from years of regional mediation, it came swiftly from Washington.'
CONTINUE READING: SANDF in DRC: Trump administration did what SA couldn't, says DA
Blitzboks win Sevens World Championship in Los Angeles
South Africa's Blitzboks saved their best for last this season as they went all the way in Los Angeles on Sunday to lift the World Championship title.
Philip Snyman's team beat Spain in the final of the elite eight-team tournament, following the regular season.
The Blitzboks celebrate with the trophy after winning the men's Sevens LA World Championship at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles on Sunday. Picture: Patrick T Fallon/AFP
The Blitzboks won 19-5 in California early Monday morning (SA time) to end a perfect weekend.
In the semi-final, they beat New Zealand 26-5, while on day one of the tournament they won all three of their pool matches — against France (19-10), Great Britain (12-7) and Argentina (29-21)..
CONTINUE READING: Blitzboks win Sevens World Championship in Los Angeles
Free State asbestos trial: Investigating officer denies misleading US over Cholota's extradition
The state has denied misleading the United States (US) government to secure the extradition of Moroadi Cholota, former personal assistant to ex-Free State premier Ace Magashule.
A trial-within-a-trial began on Monday at the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein as part of the R255 million asbestos corruption case. Cholota is contesting the court's jurisdiction and the legality of her extradition from the US.
Former Free State premier Ace Magashule speaks to his former PA Moroadi Cholota at Bloemfontein High Court on 15 April 2025. Picture: Gallo Images/Mlungisi Louw
She was extradited to South Africa on 8 August 2024 to face charges alongside Magashule and 16 others related to fraud and corruption.
Money laundering charges against her were recently withdrawn after the US declined to extradite her on those grounds.
CONTINUE READING: Free State asbestos trial: Investigating officer denies misleading US over Cholota's extradition
Here are five more stories of the day:
Yesterday's News recap
READ HERE: Top 10 stories of the day: SANDF's withdrawal from DRC | ANC told to ditch DA| Mbeki accused of trying to save his reputation
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
20 hours ago
- IOL News
'VBS was our lifeline': Ramokgopa pressures treasury to restore Limpopo's lost bank
ANC treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa pleads with government to help rebuild VBS. Image: File photo ANC treasurer-general Dr Gwen Ramokgopa issued a stirring plea to the South African Reserve Bank and National Treasury: step in and help to rebuild the looted and collapsed Venda Business Society (VBS) Mutual Bank. Ramokgopa was speaking on Thursday at a packed memorial service for ANC veteran and revered liberation figure, Reverend Dr Tshenuwani Simon Farisani, held at the George Phagadi Town Hall in Thohoyandou. The late struggle stalwart and former Lutheran bishop passed away on May 29. His funeral will take place on Saturday at the University of Venda Stadium. In her tribute, Ramokgopa honoured Farisani's lifelong commitment to justice, recalling his outspoken defence of VBS victims who lost life savings and community investments when the bank collapsed under a staggering R2 billion looting scandal. 'Government, under President Cyril Ramaphosa, has been for the people. We always said those who stole from VBS must be punished and languish in jail,' Ramokgopa said, adding that the Finance Department and the Reserve Bank should assist the suffering community to revive their only hope, VBS. In her address, Ramokgopa reminded the nation of the Vhembe community's enduring pain — a pain worsened by betrayal and scandal. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Since the shocking collapse of VBS in 2018, over 53 individuals have been charged with theft, fraud, corruption, money laundering, and violations of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act — accused of siphoning more than R2 billion from the mutual bank that once symbolised financial hope for Limpopo's people. Ramakgopa emphasised that the government has successfully rebuilt several institutions and therefore VBS should not be an issue. 'We have also successfully rebuilt the Limpopo provincial government after it collapsed through fraudulent activities,' she said. IOL Politics
TimesLIVE
21 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Illicit financial flows are derailing Africa's future
Illicit financial flows (IFFs) continue to undermine the future of Africa, hampering the ability of governments to adequately fund education, healthcare and development projects essential for lifting people out of poverty and fostering sustainable economic growth. As business leaders, politicians, academics and citizens, we cannot sit back. We must help curb the illegal flow of money out of our country through a cohesive effort by all stakeholders, both local and international, to ensure safeguards are put in place, laws are harmonised, and all enforcement agencies work together to address the problem. At the same time, we must not do anything that will deter investment. Ahead of G20 summit in Johannesburg in November, as well precursor meetings — such as the G20 finance ministers' and central bank governors' meeting and the T20 midterm conference held this month — we must formulate proposals that integrate the perspectives of public and private sector institutions, nonprofit organisations, think-tanks and universities. Together we can make valuable policy recommendations, such as using AI to turn vast amounts of data into information for developing strategic interventions. Working alongside each other, we can identify gaps in current legal frameworks and areas where greater co-operation is required. We must seek ways to stem illicit money flows. When individuals or companies evade their tax obligations, deliberately falsify import or export documents, or misappropriate funds intended for development projects, they are not committing victimless crimes. These outflows not only weaken our reputation in the eyes of the international markets, but also make it harder for the government to raise capital at manageable interest rates. We already owe too much: the National Treasury predicts that debt on our national balance sheet will be 77% of GDP this year. IFFs directly undermine economic growth, costing the South African economy the equivalent of almost 5% of annual collected tax revenue — losses of about R92.5bn. On the African continent, the numbers are more alarming, with between $50bn (about R889bn) and $90bn stolen annually, according to the UN. A 2020 report from a UN conference on trade and development states that IFFs represent as much as 3.7% of Africa's GDP. This figure has almost certainly grown since then, given that those who break laws will keep doing so if they are not held accountable. We recently convened a G20 multi-stakeholder dialogue to better understand this challenge, quantify its impact, assess current solutions, and identify new ones . One of our speakers, deputy minister of international relations and co-operation Alvin Botes, spelt out what this theft means: countries with high IFFs spend at least 25% less on healthcare and 50% less on education compared with their peers. IFFs wipe out any good the $65bn in aid Africa receives each year might do. They reduce progress made in making people's lives better. There are initiatives under way to address IFFs. For example, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) collaborates with the UN to strengthen countries' financial systems and prevent illicit outflows. While South Africa's inclusion on the FATF's grey list is viewed by some as an embarrassment, it enables us to strengthen our legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as enhance our anti-money-laundering capabilities. While South Africa's inclusion on the FATF's grey list is viewed by some as an embarrassment, it enables us to strengthen our legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as enhance our anti-money-laundering capabilities. We are also seeing prosecutions of high-level fraudsters, especially those who use dubious accounting methods to move money around and avoid paying their fair share of taxes. It is gratifying to see that action has been taken in this regard. Other UN entities have developed discussion platforms and measurement systems. There are 10 asset-recovery inter-agency networks that have 178 member countries, allowing illicit money flows to be traced across borders. In addition, Interpol supports national and international law enforcement agencies to investigate, trace and prosecute those responsible for these crimes. We must all strive towards expanding such interventions, as well as advocate for and enable closer alignment between government departments and between local law enforcement agencies and their international counterparts. However, our solutions must not cause more harm than good by discouraging legitimate investment. We should not, for example, implement unfair tax regimes that could result in capital flight. We must also not inhibit international investment inflows by making it nearly impossible to comply with legislation and regulations. Such a state of affairs would merely encourage companies to operate businesses in sectors such as import and export under the radar. Through working together by sharing data, harmonising laws and holding those responsible for IFFs accountable, we can strengthen the economy by plugging the holes through which money leaks and encouraging investment. Our people deserve nothing less.
The South African
a day ago
- The South African
Limpopo police bust truck smuggling stolen goods to Malawi
Limpopo police struck a decisive blow against transnational crime, intercepting a highly organised smuggling syndicate transporting stolen goods from Cape Town to Malawi. At around 2:00 on Thursday, 5 June, the Limpopo Anti-Smuggling Task Team, working with Tshimollo Security and Investigation and Shadow Secure Technology, stopped a Scania truck with superlink trailers near the Polokwane weighbridge. The truck, believed to be part of a broader criminal network exploiting the Beitbridge border post, was found carrying a staggering cache of stolen items following an 18-hour search operation. 'This breakthrough represents a major victory against sophisticated criminal networks that have been exploiting our borders to traffic stolen goods,' said Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe. Stolen Goods Reveal Chopped Cars and Bikes Investigators uncovered chopped parts of a Ford Ranger stolen in Nyanga, including critical components like the engine and dashboard. Sixty disassembled motorcycles, hidden in drums and containers, were traced to thefts from at least seven police precincts across the Western Cape, such as Bellville, Muizenberg, and Sea Point. Electronic goods suspected to have been stolen, including plasma televisions, sound systems, solar tower batteries, and cell phones, were also added to the haul. All were concealed in an elaborate smuggling setup designed to pass undetected through one of the busiest trade routes in southern Africa. 'The collaboration between our Anti-Smuggling Task Team and private security partners demonstrates the power of coordinated law enforcement efforts,' Hadebe noted. The total value of the recovered goods is estimated to exceed R3 million. Four Suspects to Face Justice Four foreign nationals, aged between 37 and 50, were arrested at the scene. They are expected to appear in the Polokwane Magistrate's Court on Monday, 9 June, to face charges related to possession of suspected stolen goods. Authorities have also seized the truck and trailers involved, treating the vehicle as key evidence in an ongoing investigation into cross-border smuggling syndicates. Hadebe assured the public, 'We will continue to target these criminal syndicates relentlessly until they are completely dismantled.' With police ramping up their focus on smuggling syndicates, are our borders finally tightening? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
