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The Star
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Bushiri twist: NGO goes for accountant as she turns State witness
Sifiso Mahlangu | Published 2 hours ago The non-governmental organisation Right to Justice has called for perjury and obstruction of justice charges against Landiwe Ntlokwana, the accountant of controversial preacher Shepherd Bushiri, after the leak of her affidavit in the ongoing fraud case. Ntlokwana, initially one of the accused in the 2021 case, has since indicated a shift to state witness status, raising serious questions about the timing of her testimony and the integrity of the legal process. The NGO's concerns centre around the potential implications of Ntlokwana's sudden decision to cooperate with the prosecution after four years of silence. Right to Justice argues that this move could undermine the case and believes Ntlokwana should be investigated for perjury, given the inconsistencies and omissions within her affidavit. They assert that her actions may have been aimed at shielding *Bushiri* while implicating other co-accused.'It's deeply concerning that Ntlokwana has remained silent all this time,' said Siphesihle Jele, chairperson of Right to Justice. 'Now, she wants to flip the script, claiming to be a state witness when she could have spoken out years ago. We believe she is guilty of perjury and defeating the ends of justice by withholding crucial information and only revealing it now when it suits her.' The case in question involves allegations of financial misconduct and fraud, dating back to 2021, surrounding Bushiri's church and his Commodities Trading Platform. Ntlokwana's affidavit, which provides detailed accounts of her role, has caused an uproar due to the timing of its submission, as it comes after the prosecution has struggled to secure a conviction in the case. In the affidavit, Ntlokwana reveals that she was recruited by Bushiri to assist with the Commodities Project, noting that she believed in him as a prophet and was motivated by his promise of helping others. 'I believed that he was a prophet of God... I truly believed that he was going to help the people and myself the way that other businessmen had never done,' Ntlokwana states in the affidavit. She further explains that she was actively involved in the administration of the Commodities Trading Platform, admitting: 'I put my hand up to serve in the Administration Committee for the Commodities Trading Platform.' This admission has raised questions about her level of involvement in the operation and whether she was complicit in any illicit activities during her leak of the affidavit has also prompted allegations that Ntlokwana's decision to cooperate with the prosecution could be a strategic move to distance herself from potential criminal liability while helping the state strengthen its case. Under Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act, an accused person can turn state witness in exchange for immunity if their testimony is crucial in securing a conviction. However, Right to Justice argues that Ntlokwana's actions should be scrutinized, especially given the long delay in her cooperation. The NGO questions why she waited for four years to reveal what she now claims to know. They contend that this delay could be an attempt to obstruct justice by withholding critical evidence that could have led to earlier proceedings. 'If Ntlokwana was truly acting in the interest of justice, why didn't she speak up when the case began in 2021?' asked Jele. 'Her recent decision to turn state witness seems more like a tactic to exonerate herself while implicating others. This is a clear violation of the principles of fairness and transparency in legal proceedings.' Right to Justice insists that the authorities investigate whether Ntlokwana's actions constitute perjury and obstruction, and they are calling for her to be charged accordingly. The organization is also urging the prosecution to explain why it has allowed a previously accused individual to shift roles in such a significant manner and whether this could undermine the integrity of the entire case.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Final 2025 Tony eligibility rulings: Jinkx Monsoon, Jeb Brown, and Bernadette Peters will compete as featured players
The Tony Awards Administration Committee met for the fourth and final time this season to determine the eligibility status of 12 Broadway productions ahead of the 2025 Tony Awards nominations on Thursday. In addition to confirming the status of several writers, some hotly competitive performers are swapping acting categories. The productions discussed today were: Good Night, and Good Luck; Boop! The Musical; The Last Five Years; Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends; Smash; John Proctor Is a Villain; Floyd Collins; Stranger Things: The First Shadow; Pirates! The Penzance Musical; Just in Time; Real Women Have Curves: The Musical; and Dead Outlaw. More from GoldDerby Sadie Sink on her character's 'emotional rage' in 'John Proctor Is the Villain' and her reaction to 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Allison Janney enters Emmy race as a supporting actress for 'The Diplomat' (exclusive) 'The Last of Us' stars Pedro Pascal, Isabela Merced are rising in the latest Emmy odds The committee made the following determinations on all requests eligible for consideration: Heather Gilbert (lighting design) and David Bengali (projection design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Lighting Design of a Play category for their work on Good Night, and Good Luck. Jasmine Amy Rogers will be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actress in a Musical category for her performance in Boop! The Musical. David Rockwell (scenic design) and Finn Ross (projection design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on BOOP! The Musical. The Last Five Years will be considered eligible in the Best Revival of a Musical category. Jason Robert Brown (book/composer/lyricist) will be considered jointly eligible along with the producers in the category. Jason Robert Brown (book/composer/lyricist) will be considered eligible in the Best Orchestrations category for his work on The Last Five Years. Bernadette Peters will be considered eligible in the Best Featured Actress in a Musical category for her performance in Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends. Lea Salonga will be considered eligible in the Best Featured Actress in a Musical category for her performance in Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends. Matt Kinley (scenic design) and George Reeve (projection design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends. Robyn Hurder will be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actress in a Musical category for her performance in Smash. Beowulf Boritt (scenic design) and S. Katy Tucker (video and projection design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on Smash. John Proctor Is the Villain will be considered eligible in the Best Play category. Natasha Katz (lighting design) and Hannah Wasileski (projection design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Lighting Design of a Play category for their work on John Proctor Is the Villain. Floyd Collins will be considered eligible in the Best Revival of a Musical category. Tina Landau (book/additional lyrics) and Adam Guettel (music and lyrics) will be considered jointly eligible along with the producers in the category. Jeremy Jordan will be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actor in a Musical category for his performance in Floyd Collins. Scott Zielinski (lighting) and Ruey Horng Sun (projections) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Lighting Design of a Musical category for their work on Floyd Collins. Louis McCartney will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category for his performance in Stranger Things: The First Shadow. Miriam Buether (set designer) and 59 (video and visual effects designer) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Play category for their work on Stranger Things: The First Shadow. Stephen Daldry (director) and Justin Martin (co-director) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Direction of a Play category for their work on Stranger Things: The First Shadow. Lynne Page (movement director and choreographer) and Coral Messam (additional choreography) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Choreography category for their work on Stranger Things: The First Shadow. Rupert Holmes (adaptation) will be considered eligible in the Best Book of a Musical category for his work on Pirates! The Penzance Musical. Jinkx Monsoon will be considered eligible in the Best Featured Actress in a Musical category for her performance in Pirates! The Penzance Musical. Tatianna Córdoba will be considered eligible in the Best Lead Actress in a Musical category for her performance in Real Women Have Curves: The Musical. Arnulfo Maldonado (set design) and Hana S. Kim (video design) will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Musical category for their work on Real Women Have Curves: The Musical. Andrew Durand will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical category for his performance in Dead Outlaw. All other eligibility will be consistent with the opening night credits. Several actors are now competing in categories that run contrary to their opening night billing. RuPaul's Drag Race double winner Jinkx Monsoon moves to the featured actress race for her comedic portrayal of Ruth in Pirates! The Penzance Musical. But her costars Ramin Karimloo and David Hyde Pierce will still be duking it out in lead actor. Broadway legends Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga will be joining Monsoon in the featured actress race for their turns in the revue Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends. Gold Derby had already predicted that these two divas would buck their star billing for a shot at featured: revues are true ensemble-based productions, and the Tony administration hasn't allowed a performer to compete in lead for this type of production since the '90s. The other major acting switcheroo is for Jeb Brown of Dead Outlaw. The entire cast of that critically acclaimed musical is billed below the title. Brown received lead actor nominations from the Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle Awards for the Off-Broadway run, but the Tony Administration chose to only bump up his costar Andrew Durand. Some of Broadway's top writers will also get a shot at a Tony Award for shows they wrote years ago. In 2014, Neil Patrick Harris made a comment in his lead actor acceptance speech for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, lamenting the fact that the show's creators John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask never had the chance to win a Tony Award for the musical. The tuner fell into a rare, but increasingly common, loophole where the revival was its first time being produced on Broadway. The following year, the Tony Awards decided that the writers of any such revivals would be eligible for the top award alongside the producers. This year, that affects musical revivals Floyd Collins and The Last Five Years, both of which have been performed professionally for decades but never on Broadway until now. As such, Tina Landau and Adam Guettel will appear on the ballot for Floyd Collins and Jason Robert Brown will appear on the ballot for The Last Five Years. Best of GoldDerby Sadie Sink on her character's 'emotional rage' in 'John Proctor Is the Villain' and her reaction to 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' 'It should be illegal how much fun I'm having': Lea Salonga on playing Mrs. Lovett and more in 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends' 'Death Becomes Her' star Jennifer Simard is ready to be a leading lady: 'I don't feel pressure, I feel joy' Click here to read the full article.
