Latest news with #Mukwevho
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Mass vulture poisonings spark ecological crisis in the Lowveld
Vultures are scavengers that keep the ecosystem healthy by consuming carcasses and preventing diseases from spreading. Without them the human population could be in danger. A mass poisoning that took place on May 6 in the Lionspruit Reserve next to Marloth Park is the worst mass killing of vultures in the history of the Lowveld. SANParks rangers, VulPro and the Wild and Free Rehabilitation Centre attended the horrific scene where over 100 vultures died. 'To lose to this number of vultures – let alone adult breeding birds during breeding season – is an ecological crisis,' Kerri Wolter, CEO of Vulpro, stated. VulPro and Wild and Free Rehabilitation Centre have joined forces to combat this issue and call the new organisation The Vulture Ops. They conduct regular meetings and operate in smaller teams to facilitate quicker response times when alerted about poisonings. ALSO READ: GRAPHIC CONTENT: Catastrophic vulture poisoning incident near Marloth Park The team collected samples from poisoned carcasses for testing to learn more about the poison and its harmful effect on these bird that are known for having strong digestive systems. Vultures can digest anything from bones to deadly bacteria like TB, anthrax, and the rabies virus that all occur naturally in carcasses. 'The SAPS are investigating and might be able to enlighten us soon,' Laura Mukwevho, a SANParks media relations practitioner, commented. Mukwevho further explained that they plan to prevent future attacks by initiating proactive intelligence gathering, intensive deployment of technology, and implementing manpower to hotspots to speed up response time to incidents. No arrests have been made so far and SAPS continues to look for the culprits and a possible syndicate that could be behind these operations. 'It appears there's a syndicate targeting vultures to eliminate these biological indicators. We're losing hundreds of birds in co-ordinated strikes. This isn't random, it's strategic,' said toxicologist, Dr Gerhard Verdoorn. ALSO READ: GRAPHIC CONTENT: More than 100 vultures killed in Kruger National Park Verdoorn, the director of the Griffon Poison Information Centre, suspects the illegal substance used in the poisoning could be Aldicarb and/or Terbufos. Terbufos is the toxin that caused the death of six children after they consumed snacks from a spaza shop in Soweto recently. In addition to cleaning carcasses, vultures act as aerial alarms in the fight against poaching. Without them, humans and wildlife would be more prone to severe illness and we would see a significant rise in extinctions. 'When carcasses remain exposed to the environment for weeks, it results in a build-up of harmful diseases and bacteria such as anthrax, botulism and rabies, which not only negatively affect our wildlife, but humans too. Should vultures go extinct, wildlife and humans will be vulnerable to disease outbreaks from carcasses,' Mukwevho said. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Herald
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald
'I will not allow this to pass without consequence' — Minnie Dlamini to pursue legal action against MacG
Minnie took to her timeline on Tuesday responding to MacG's apology. She said she had never made negative statements about the podcaster and was emotionally affected by his comments. 'Over the past few weeks, I have watched in disbelief and deep pain as my name, body and dignity were dragged through the mud of public discourse, triggered by the vile, humiliating and inexcusable comments made by Mukwevho on his podcast. 'This is not about ego — this is about systemic misogyny. While I have chosen not to dignify the specifics with a response, I must emphasise there is nothing entertaining or provocative about weaponising a woman's body for clout, commentary or so-called content. What occurred was not banter — it was a grotesque and deeply harmful violation of my dignity, humanity and constitutional rights as a woman.' Minnie said she had received an apology from the Podcast and Chill legal team but felt it was too little to late. 'An apology, offered only after the damage is done and reputations are on the line, is not a meaningful act of accountability, especially when it comes from a platform that has made misogyny part of its brand. This was not a lapse in judgment. It was a reflection of values consistently displayed and defended by the show and its host. 'To apologise now, only when public pressure threatens their image, is to centre their own reputational damage rather than the trauma inflicted on others. And so I must say clearly: words without [genuine] accountability are hollow. I will continue to pursue legal recourse. As a public figure and a mother I must act not only for myself but for every woman whose dignity is violated in the name of content and entertainment.' Minnie thanked those who showed her support. 'It's about every woman who has ever been publicly degraded, digitally humiliated or silenced through shame. This moment has again spotlighted the disturbing normalisation of misogyny in the entertainment industry and online platforms. We need systemic change. 'We need accountability and we must decide what sort of public discourse we are willing to defend — or dismantle. I am a mother, a daughter and a sister. This episode has caused harm not only to me but to those closest to me. Innocent people. That said, I will not allow this to pass without consequence. Because it's not just about my name — it's about protecting the dignity of women everywhere.'
IOL News
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Government, don't touch us on our podcasters, even if they are vulgar, crass and childish
Khuselo Diko, ANC NEC Member and MP, in her role as Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Communications & Digital Technologies has summoned MacGyver 'MacG' Mukwevho The government is at risk of being hypocritical in trying to be the gatekeeper to protect us from exercising our freedom because of selective outrage. Khuselo Diko, ANC NEC Member and MP, in her role as Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Communications & Digital Technologies has summoned MacGyver "MacG" Mukwevho, one of the podcast duo of Podcast & Chill, to explain the misogynistic and frankly crassly stupid remarks he made on a recent podcast about a female celebrity. Mukwevho's Podcast & Chill Network, which hosts the podcast, also produces content such as "variety shows, insightful comedy and engaging celebrity interviews", which apparently gets over 3.3 million weekly views, 2.3 million unique users and has over 1 million subscribers on YouTube. He has won awards and is worth millions. None of his considerable achievements excuses his crass, misogynist and completely tasteless comments and questions Mukwevho posed to celebrity guest Minnie Dlamini. Dlamini is "an on-air personality, actress and model". Women for Change, an organisation that focuses on gender-based violence and femicide, issued a statement condemning Mukwevho's misogynistic and degrading remarks about Dlamini. The FSU SA agrees with the criticism of MacG and that he certainly deserves blowback from society for being uncouth and vulgar. Given Dlamini's public profile, she is well-positioned to exact her revenge.
IOL News
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Government, don't touch us on our podcasters, even if they are vulgar, crass and childish
Khuselo Diko, ANC NEC Member and MP, in her role as Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Communications & Digital Technologies has summoned MacGyver 'MacG' Mukwevho The government is at risk of being hypocritical in trying to be the gatekeeper to protect us from exercising our freedom because of selective outrage. Khuselo Diko, ANC NEC Member and MP, in her role as Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Communications & Digital Technologies has summoned MacGyver "MacG" Mukwevho, one of the podcast duo of Podcast & Chill, to explain the misogynistic and frankly crassly stupid remarks he made on a recent podcast about a female celebrity. Mukwevho's Podcast & Chill Network, which hosts the podcast, also produces content such as "variety shows, insightful comedy and engaging celebrity interviews", which apparently gets over 3.3 million weekly views, 2.3 million unique users and has over 1 million subscribers on YouTube. He has won awards and is worth millions. None of his considerable achievements excuses his crass, misogynist and completely tasteless comments and questions Mukwevho posed to celebrity guest Minnie Dlamini. Dlamini is "an on-air personality, actress and model". Women for Change, an organisation that focuses on gender-based violence and femicide, issued a statement condemning Mukwevho's misogynistic and degrading remarks about Dlamini. The FSU SA agrees with the criticism of MacG and that he certainly deserves blowback from society for being uncouth and vulgar. Given Dlamini's public profile, she is well-positioned to exact her revenge.
TimesLIVE
09-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
'I remain a proud lesbian': deputy minister Mmapaseka Steve Letsike addresses gender identity controversy
Deputy minister for women, youth and persons with disabilities Mmapaseka Steve Letsike has responded to social media users questioning her gender identity. The controversy arose after Letsike spoke out against podcaster MacGyver 'MacG' Mukwevho for making derogatory comments about media personality Minnie Dlamini. Mukwevho, in a recent podcast, suggested the reason Dlamini's partners left her was due to the unpleasant scent of her private parts. Letsike called for Mukwevho to appear before parliament and account for his utterances. She faced a public backlash, with some accusing her of prioritising certain issues. The criticism escalated into personal attacks, with some questioning her sexuality and gender identity. In a statement on X, Letsike affirmed her identity as a lesbian. 'I remain a proud lesbian woman even in times like these,' she said. 'I used to rush to defend myself against attacks or false accusations but now I watch to see who believes it. The deeper one dives, the more one discovers the rot in society. We don't give up, we continue to stand up for a just society.' Letsike has been open about her sexuality for years and is a known LGBTI activist. She married her wife Lucy in 2018 and the couple have a daughter.
