Latest news with #Constantia
The Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald
Just too many unanswered questions around Mashatile
Opinion Premium 04 August 2025 We need to talk about Deputy President Paul Mashatile. Mashatile's sudden declaration that he lives in a sumptuous house in Constantia, Cape Town, after years of dodging disclosure of the property and its provenance must force the ANC, and SA, to confront itself and the pedigree of people it refers to as public representatives. ..
The Herald
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Mashatile fined R10,000 over Liebenberg diamond gift to wife
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has been fined R10,000 for failing to declare a diamond gift his wife Humile received from a controversial businessman Louis Liebenberg in 2023. Mashatile said at the time that the gift was unsolicited and that his wife would take the precious stone back. This could now see Mashatile being the first sitting deputy president to suffer the public humiliation of being rebuked by the National Assembly for his questionable ethical conduct. Parliament's joint committee on ethics and members' interests has recommended that the National Assembly reprimands Mashatile and imposes a R10,000 fine on him 'for his failure to declare a gift to his wife in the confidential part of his financial and registrable interests register'. The fine comes in the wake of a controversy about a Constantia mansion, on the slopes of the Table Mountain, that Mashatile declared in parliament last Friday. Reports suggested that Mashatile had declared the almost R30m house as his own, but he has since said all he did was to declare the palatial retreat as the place he lived whenever he was in Cape Town. Mashatile maintained that the mansion was a family home bought by his son-in-law. 'Look, people must read. That's just one of the first things you must learn in life. There's nothing in parliament that I said a house (in Constantia). I said I live there. That house is owned by my son I law. It's a very simple thing to read, so what's the problem?' Mashatile told the SABC on Thursday. 'I don't use government money, there's no government money in those houses, so what are you looking for, there's no government money in that house, so I don't know what's your problem. It's a private home; it's owned by the family ... so how does government come in?' The joint ethics committee probed Mashatile over the Liebenberg diamond after receiving a complaint from the DA in March 2025. DA chief whip George Michalakis at the time alleged that Mashatile had breached the code requiring MPs to disclose gifts received by their immediate family in the confidential part of the register of members' interests. 'Following consideration of the complaint and perusal of the confidential part of the Deputy President's disclosed interests, the committee noted that the gift in question (a diamond from Mr Louis Liebenberg) was not disclosed,' the committee said. 'While the committee noted the member's response, among others, that he was waiting for the appraisal of the diamond to determine its value before a declaration was made and that he has since surrendered the gift to the National Prosecuting Authority, the committee contended that ethical behaviour required that the gift be declared, with the value disclosed at a later stage.' Reacting to committee's damning findings against Mashatile on Thursday, Michalakis said the nature of the relationship between Mashatile and Liebenberg remained unclear. 'The DA welcomes the guilty finding of the parliamentary joint ethics committee against Deputy President Paul Mashatile, for failing to disclose a diamond gifted to his wife by alleged fraudster Louis Liebenberg. 'We also note the sanction of a reprimand and R10,000 fine. This follows a complaint I laid with the committee on March 5 2025,' he said. 'The deputy president has since confirmed that the diamond was handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority. However, the ethics report raises more questions than answers, and the DA will submit parliamentary questions in this regard.' Michalakis said it was worrying that Mashatile was 'so careless' in his failure to disclose his assets as required. 'These failures give rise to serious concerns as to why the deputy president continuously fails to declare assets transparently and ethically, as well as what other assets the deputy president holds that have not yet been declared,' he said. 'South Africans deserve transparency from their deputy president, remunerated with public money, about the assets he acquires by virtue of the office he holds.' TimesLIVE
News24
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Nomzamo vs X gossip: Shaka iLembe actor discredits Mashatile mansion link
Supplied Actor Nomzamo Mbatha swiftly disproved social media accusations alleging she vacationed at Deputy president Paul Mashatile's Constantia property by presenting verified Airbnb receipts. The anonymous blogger who made the claims sparked widespread speculation about a romantic link between the politician and the actor. Per a News24 report, the mansion was purchased long after Mbatha's stay. South African actor and Shaka iLembe executive producer Nomzamo Mbatha has fired back at social media rumours. These were posted by an anonymous blogger, alleging she stayed at Deputy President Paul Mashatile's recently disclosed mansion. Mbatha shut down the claims by presenting literal receipts to disprove allegations made by X account @sanelenkosiii. The award-winning actor quickly produced emails from short-term rental platform Airbnb to prove she had independently booked a stay at the luxury mansion months ago. Her swift response follows a recent News24 investigation on the deputy president's declaration of his R28.9 million home in Cape Town's affluent Constantia suburb. The declaration forms part of Mashatile's annual obligation to report his assets and income-generating activities to Parliament, separate from his official salary as deputy president. EXPLAINER | The R28.9m Cape Town mansion that Paul Mashatile declared to Parliament A subsequent News24 explainer revealed the property, reportedly owned by Mashatile's son-in-law, Nceba Nonkwelo, was purchased in May 2023, well after Mbatha had booked her stay. X user @sanelenkosiii shared images of the multimillion-rand Constantia property. This account had previously posted unsubstantiated gossip under the popular @sanelenkosix handle. The user also included a screenshot showing Mbatha near a pool during her stay and alleged that the deputy president allowed romantic partners to use the property for vacations. The X post ignited widespread speculation that the actor was among the women counted as Mashatile's alleged romantic partners. 'Ok, I would like to credit and acknowledge @Airbnb,' she replied, noting that the anonymous blogger should apologise for the unsubstantiated claim. The screenshots she shared included timestamps and transaction records for the booking. Ok, I would like to credit and acknowledge @Airbnb 😭 - shuthi sorry. — Nomzamo Mbatha (@NomzamoMbatha) July 29, 2025 This isn't the first time Mbatha's name has made headlines this week. Following Sunday night's episode of the highly popular Shaka iLembe, musician Simphiwe Dana accused Mbatha and the show's production team of copying her signature look without credit. Dana had not responded to News24's request for comment at the time of publishing. Mbatha has been sporting various traditional hairstyles both on-screen in Shaka iLembe and during promotional appearances for the show. However, she has yet to respond to Dana's public accusations. News24 reached out to Mbatha's management for comment, and at the time of publication, received no response. This article will be updated when answers become available.
IOL News
07-07-2025
- General
- IOL News
Dog attacks lead to baboon deaths
The Cape Baboon Partnership and SPCA responded to sick and injured baboons, after several urgent welfare issues arose in the Northern baboon troops over the last week. Image: Cape Baboon Partnership The Cape Baboon Partnership and SPCA responded to sick and injured baboons, after several urgent welfare issues arose in the Northern baboon (Tokai and Constantia) troops over the last week. The Cape Baboon Partnership said two baboons required humane euthanasia, including a very sickly juvenile baboon from CT2 (troop) and an adult female baboon from the Tokai troop that had been mauled by dogs. They added that a subadult male from MT2 (troop) was killed by a vehicle, a juvenile male from CT1 (troop) was killed by dogs, and a search for an adult male in the MT1 troop that was spotted with a snare around his body continues. 'Human landscapes are exceptionally dangerous for all wildlife, including baboons, caracals, porcupines, penguins and more. From accidents like vehicle collisions and electrocutions to intentional, illegal harm caused by disgruntled people, there are numerous risks to wild animals entering urban and peri-urban areas,' they said. 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 They urged the public to follow the upcoming educational series on the dangers of the urban landscape, where they will share some common causes of injuries and deaths of baboons in the Cape Peninsula and what can be done to help prevent further harm. 'Dealing with these tragic and often jarring instances of human-induced mortalities and injuries is difficult for all involved, including the first responders, the vets, and especially our team members, who spend countless hours with the baboons and care deeply for them. 'These incidents remind us that the safest place for baboons is in the natural environment and that our primary aim throughout our activities is the improved welfare of the baboon troops on the Peninsula,' they said. The Cape Baboon Partnership thanked the Cape of Good Hope SPCA for their continued support and assistance. 'We also extend a thank you to the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue services for responding to the call-out and providing advice on retrieving the gravely ill baboon in a tree.' Baboon activist group, Baboon Matters added: "When people speak of the loss of predators from the Cape ecosystem, they overlook dogs and humans who have killed many baboons in recent years. "It's clear we need to keep baboons out of urban areas for their safety." On July 19 organisations such as Beauty Without Cruelty, Baboon Matters, and others will hold a family-friendly march calling for the protection of Cape Town's baboons. 'No to Killing – Yes to Solutions: March for Cape Town's Baboons' will be held from 10 am at the Simon's Town Train Station Parking Area, where they will march to Boulders Beach and designated handover points. They are calling for an end to the killing of baboons and want to see an investment in science-based, humane solutions, 'like effective fencing, waste management, and community education'. Cape Times
IOL News
06-07-2025
- General
- IOL News
Protest planned after dog attacks lead to euthanasia of baboons
The Cape Baboon Partnership and SPCA responded to sick and injured baboons, after several urgent welfare issues arose in the Northern baboon troops over the last week. Image: Cape Baboon Partnership Activists are rallying together to hold a protest, which comes after the recent euthanasia of two baboons that were mauled by dogs over the weekend. The Cape Baboon Partnership and SPCA responded to sick and injured baboons, after several urgent welfare issues arose in the Northern baboon (Tokai and Constantia) troops over the last week. The Cape Baboon Partnership said two baboons required humane euthanasia, including a very sickly juvenile baboon from CT2 (troop) and an adult female baboon from the Tokai troop that had been mauled by dogs. They added that a subadult male from MT2 (troop) was killed by a vehicle, a juvenile male from CT1 (troop) was killed by dogs, and the search for an adult male in the MT1 troop that was spotted with a snare around his body continues. 'Human landscapes are exceptionally dangerous for all wildlife, including baboons, caracals, porcupines, penguins and more. From accidents like vehicle collisions and electrocutions to intentional, illegal harm caused by disgruntled people, there are numerous risks to wild animals entering urban and peri-urban areas,' they said. 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 They urged the public to follow the upcoming educational series on the dangers of the urban landscape, where they will share some common causes of injuries and deaths of baboons in the Cape Peninsula and what can be done to help prevent further harm. 'Dealing with these tragic and often jarring instances of human-induced mortalities and injuries is difficult for all involved, including the first responders, the vets, and especially our team members, who spend countless hours with the baboons and care deeply for them. 'These incidents remind us that the safest place for baboons is in the natural environment and that our primary aim throughout our activities is the improved welfare of the baboon troops on the Peninsula,' they said. The Cape Baboon Partnership thanked the Cape of Good Hope SPCA for their continued support and assistance. 'We also extend a thank you to the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue services for responding to the call-out and providing advice on retrieving the gravely ill baboon in a tree.' Baboon activist group, Baboon Matters added: "When people speak of the loss of predators from the Cape ecosystem, they overlook dogs and humans who have killed many baboons in recent years. "Credit to them for handling such a difficult situation so professionally. And then they had more injuries and death to deal with. It's clear we need to keep baboons out of urban areas for their safety." Meanwhile, on Saturday, 19 July, organisations such as Beauty Without Cruelty, Baboon Matters, and others will hold a family-friendly march calling for the protection of Cape Town's baboons. 'No to Killing – Yes to Solutions: March for Cape Town's Baboons' will be held from 10 am at the Simon's Town Train Station Parking Area, where they will march to Boulders Beach and designated handover points. They are calling for an end to the killing of baboons and want to see an investment in science-based, humane solutions, 'like effective fencing, waste management, and community education'.
