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The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
JUST IN: Jayden-Lee Meek's mother denied bail
The court proceedings were briefly interrupted by a power outage on Tuesday. Tiffany Nicole Meek appears at Roodepoort Magistrate's Court in the murder case of her son Jayden-Lee Meek on 23 July 2025. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen Tiffany Nicole Meek, the mother of slain 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek, has been denied bail and will remain in custody. The ruling was handed down by the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, following two weeks of arguments presented by both the state and defence. Meek faces charges of murder, crimen injuria, defeating the ends of justice, and attempting to obstruct justice in relation to the death of her son. Jayden-Lee's body was discovered on 14 May on the staircase of his home in the Swazi's Place complex in Fleurhof, Johannesburg. He had been reported missing the day before. Jayden-Lee Meek murder: Mother denied bail During Tuesday's proceedings, the magistrate went through the evidence presented by both parties. She noted that Meek, who earns a monthly salary of R17 000, requested that her bail be set at R5 000. The court also considered the alternative address submitted by Meek – her father's residence in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal. The defence argued there were inconsistencies in the state's case, particularly in relation to the identification of Jayden-Lee's school uniform on the day he disappeared, and the absence of a murder weapon. ALSO READ: State argues Jayden-Lee Meek's mother rode public sympathy until the horse bucked The presiding officer remarked: '[The defence submitted] no eyewitness can confirm that Jayden was in the company of the applicant after being dropped off or that she was the last person being seen with him alive,' she said. The magistrate highlighted the state's position that there is prima facie evidence linking Meek to her son's death. 'The state argues that the applicant has done so by going to an elaborate scheme to evade justice.' The court proceedings were briefly interrupted by a power outage, after which the magistrate resumed delivering her judgment. WATCH: Fleurhof community members outside the Roodepoort Magistrate Court ahead of Tiffany Meek's appearance. Meek is accused of murdering her 11-year-old Jayden-Lee and attempting to defeat the course of justice. #JaydenLeeMeek #TheCitizenNews 📹 :Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen — The Citizen News (@TheCitizen_News) July 29, 2025 'Why was the alarm bells not sounded sooner?' The presiding officer highlighted the prosecution's assertion that Meek had deliberately omitted a critical detail in her police statement – that she returned to Swazi's Place at around 4am on the morning of 14 May. 'The state argued that because the applicant was not aware of what evidence the investigating officer was going to tender did she not prepare and was blindsided by the detail of the recording of the happening by the night security on duty,' the magistrate continued. 'The state argues the applicant intentionally omitted the time she returned to the flat that morning because she did not want to play on the mind of the court that she returned to flat placed the body of the child outside in his underwear because that was her trying to create a distance between her presence and the discovery of the body.' Even if Meek's timeline is accepted, the magistrate noted the state's argument that it does not change the fact that Jayden-Lee's body was found after she had already left the complex. READ MORE: Jayden-Lee Meek murder case: Missing pages and immigration status take centre stage The magistrate questioned why Jayden-Lee was not reported missing immediately after he was allegedly not dropped off at the complex, as claimed by the mother. 'It begs the question why if Jayden-Lee was dropped off by the school transport around three o'clock why was the alarm bells not sounded sooner.' The presiding officer subsequently denied Meek bail as 'it is difficult to trust the information presented' by the mother. 'It is difficult to trust the information presented. The applicant has shown that she has the ability to defeat or obstruct the administration of justice by causing other persons to be suspected and attempting or obstruct the cause of justice by placing Jayden's body outside her unit or stairs to create the conclusion that the child was harmed elsewhere.
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Bubba Wallace holds off Kyle Larson to win Brickyard 400
Bubba Wallace has been collecting points for the first 21 races of 2025, but on Sunday he earned something more important: a crown jewel trophy and a championship playoff berth. The 23XI Racing Toyota driver endured a late delay and barely won on fuel to capture Sunday's 29th annual Brickyard 400 in the second overtime at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway. After rain fell with six laps remaining and Wallace leading, the field sat through a red-flag condition for a rain shower, with the 23XI Racing team feeling they could only possibly make it through one overtime. On the restart and with 10 of the top 12 on old tyres and little fuel, the 31-year-old Mobile, Alabama, native led the two overtimes, had enough fuel in the second one and edged Kyle Larson by 0.222 seconds for his third career Cup Series win to break a 100 race winless streak. Wallace, whose No 23 Toyota is owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, led 30 laps and earned a spot in the championship playoffs by becoming the 13th different winner in 2025. Wallace went from appearing to have a win with seven laps left in regulation to wondering if he had enough fuel in an uncertain overtime period. If he had lost on fuel, it would have damaged him severely in the points. "I thought about everything under that red flag," said Wallace, whose previous wins were at Talladega and Kansas. "I am worn out, and that adrenaline rush is crazy. To overcome so much and to put these people here in Victory Lane, that's what it's about. It's about the people who continue to push me (and) believe in me." As a team owner, Hamlin changed into street clothes and kissed the bricks in the same way Wallace did. "They deserved to win the race," said Hamlin, who finished third after starting last in a backup car. "They were faster. They pulled away from the pack there. If that race goes green with no rain, they win it outright. "A great, flawless execution day by Bubba and (crew chief) Charles (Denike)." Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski were in fourth and fifth, respectively. Ty Gibbs won the In-Season Challenge's $1m (R17,738,240) purse by topping Ty Dillon in the head-to-head matchup. Gibbs' No 54 Toyota finished 21st. Dillon suffered nose damage on the way to a 28th-place effort. Mitchell, Indiana, native Chase Briscoe led his first laps at Indy after starting from the pole for the first time - all 18 circuits - before Michael McDowell nudged Ross Chastain's Chevrolet and sent the No 1 backward into the turn 3 wall. Briscoe regained the lead late in the 50-lap Stage 1, giving the Joe Gibbs Racing driver his second stage win and the maximum bonus points. Wallace followed in second, while William Byron, Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher were close behind. Late in Stage 2, Erik Jones' No 43 cut a right front tyre and slammed into the turn 3 wall to force the third caution, scrambling teams' strategies of pitting or staying out. Ford drivers Ryan Blaney and Keselowski stayed out to form the first row for a restart, and Blaney held off Larson for his fifth stage win this season. In a backup car after a qualifying crash as the last driver out on Saturday, Hamlin came in third with Byron and Brad Keselowski completing the top five.
TimesLIVE
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
BYD to delay production at new Hungarian plant, build fewer EVs
China's BYD will delay mass production at its new electric vehicle factory in Hungary until 2026 and will run the plant at below capacity for at least the first two years, two sources familiar with the matter said. China's No 1 carmaker will also start making cars earlier than expected at a new plant in Turkey where labour costs are lower, and will vastly exceed its announced production plans, one source said. Shifting production away from Hungary in favour of Turkey would be a setback for the EU, which has been hoping its tariffs on EVs made in China would bring in Chinese investments and well-paid manufacturing jobs. BYD's €4bn (R82,570,960,000) plant in Szeged in southern Hungary will start mass production in 2026, but only make a few tens of thousands of vehicles over the entire year, the sources said. That would be a fraction of the plant's initial production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. It should eventually have a maximum capacity of 300,000 cars per year. A third source confirmed the slower 2026 start-up. BYD has said it will launch operations at Szeged in October, but has not said publicly when mass production will start. Production at Szeged is due to increase in 2027, but will be below planned capacity, the sources said. The carmaker's $1bn (R17,644,850,100) plant in Turkey, which had been slated to start production at the end of 2026 with an annual capacity of 150,000 cars, will make more cars than the Hungarian plant next year, one source said. Production at the plant in Manisa, western Turkey, will far exceed 150,000 cars in 2027 and BYD will greatly increase output again in 2028, the source said. BYD did not respond to requests for comment. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss BYD's production plans publicly. BYD is building the plant in Hungary to sell cars in Europe tariff free. All the cars it sells in Europe are made in China, and subject to EU anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese-made EV imports on top of the standard 10% duty. In BYD's case, the total tariff is 27%. Many cars made at the new plant in Turkey will also be destined for Europe and face no tariffs when exported to the EU. A shift toward cheaper production in Turkey would highlight the challenge for Chinese carmakers that want to build cars in Europe to avoid punitive tariffs, but balk at the region's higher wages and energy costs. Under right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary, which will be the headquarters for BYD's European operations, has become an important trade and investment partner for China. Turkey has long served as a low-cost manufacturing hub for major carmakers including Toyota, Stellantis, Ford , Hyundai and Renault. In March, the Turkish government said China's Chery will invest $1bn in a plant with an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles.
TimesLIVE
18-07-2025
- TimesLIVE
‘I want to stand trial to clear my name': Tiffany Meek denies killing her son
The Fleurhof mother of murdered pre-teen Jayden-Lee Meek has asked to be freed on bail ahead of trial after her arrest a week ago in connection with his death. 'I did not kill my child. I will attend every court appearance. I want to stand trial to clear my name,' Tiffany Nicole Meek said in a statement read out by her lawyer in the Roodepoort magistrate's court. The 31-year-old disclosed Jayden-Lee was her second child. She lost a newborn two days after birth when she was 18. Estranged from her husband, Meek said she had been a single mom to Jayden-Lee and was financially supporting her mother and brother. She earns R17,500 a month from a clerical job which she started in October 2023 and has since been promoted. This was verified via an employer's letter submitted to court. Meek said she intends to relocate to her father's home in KwaZulu-Natal if released on bail, where she envisaged receiving the support of her extended family. She said she could afford to pay a bail amount of R5,000.
Daily Maverick
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
We will have to swallow bitter medicine to fix the financial health of our education system
This time last year, I took an oath to assume the office of South Africa's Minister of Basic Education. I did so with a clear conscience that I would hold this office with dignity and to the very best of my abilities. My first order of business was to listen deeply, to be guided by the evidence, and to reform strategically. Over the last 12 months, I have travelled the length and breadth of our country. I have, on average, visited one school per week. I've met provincial leaders and officials, school principals, teachers, parents and, most importantly, learners. Their stories and realities have shaped everything we have done since. Our work has been guided by a simple, yet powerful statistic: 80% of children in South Africa cannot read for meaning in any language by Grade 4. This has told me that we need to get the basics right. If our children cannot read for meaning by age 10, if they face unsafe sanitation, if they come to school hungry or unsupported in their earliest years, then everything else we do will fall apart as it is based on weak foundations. Strategic reorientation of the basic education system Based on the low levels of literacy and numeracy, we launched a major shift in how the Department of Basic Education approaches its work: the strategic reorientation towards improving the quality of foundational learning. Chasing surface metrics, such as the matric pass rate, will not move the needle in terms of the number of learners leaving the system with the skills needed to pursue further studies or enter the world of work. We need to get the foundations right if we are to see improved education outcomes across the system. Foundational learning cannot be a peripheral concern and must therefore be the centrepiece of our basic education reform agenda. Early childhood development: laying the first brick in the foundation In February 2025, I co-convened the Bana Pele Roadmap Summit with Business Leadership South Africa, which was opened by President Cyril Ramaphosa. This was a seminal moment in mobilising stakeholders around the importance of early learning. In partnership with Takalani Sesame, we are rolling out the Bana Pele Mass Registration Drive – a national campaign to register, formalise and support early childhood development centres, especially in the most underprivileged communities. Our goal here is bold: we want to register 10,000 centres by the end of the current financial year, to formalise them and to support them to comply with their local government health and safety requirements. We will furthermore subsidise them with R17 per child per day to ensure their financial viability. This is proposed to increase to R24 in the new budget. We won't stop there. We will also support them with age-appropriate learning and teaching materials required for children to follow a structured curriculum. Finally, we will then upskill practitioners to acquire a teaching qualification that would allow them to deliver a quality curriculum. In the Foundation Phase, we have continued rolling out the Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education programme, training teachers in bilingual methods and providing quality support materials. The Funza Lushaka Bursary Scheme and teacher development efforts are being augmented to prioritise Foundation Phase teaching, aligned to our focus on literacy and numeracy. Furthermore, we are reviewing Post Provisioning Norms to improve teacher distribution and buffer provinces against budget pressures. We are also updating the National Catalogue for grades 1 to 3 to ensure learners receive high-quality, curriculum-aligned materials. Without these foundations, a child will face challenges taking on and excelling in gateway subjects like mathematics and science, or technical, vocational and occupational subjects. This, in turn, impacts on their ability to pursue higher learning and meaningful work opportunities. The mere introduction of entrepreneurship education, coding and robotics and the like is no magic wand. These subjects become accessible only when learners are literate and numerate. Nutrition reform with integrity We made a bold decision to halt a R10-billion per year tender that would have hyper-centralised the National School Nutrition Programme in the hands of a single service provider, thereby risking the wellbeing of 9.6 million learners who depend on the NSNP for their daily meal. The current model of delivering school nutrition will continue, and we will strengthen provincial capacity to deliver while we work on a revised, balanced delivery strategy. Infrastructure justice: sanitation first We are turning the page on pit toilets and moving away from one of the most painful chapters in our country: when children would fall and drown in pit toilets in democratic South Africa. In April, I announced that 96% of the pit latrines identified by the 2018 Safe Initiative audit had been eradicated. Today, that has increased to 97%. This eradication project is about dignity, safety, and our moral obligation to learners and their teachers. The work of identifying and eradicating unsafe sanitation facilities not identified by the Safe Initiative must continue by provincial education departments (PEDs). What the DBE is doing to support this: (a) Safe Schools Act; (b) focus on maintenance; (c) supporting PEDs with planning, development and maintenance; and (d) reviewing the Regulations on the Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards. A hard look at provincial finances In September 2024, we undertook a deep financial analysis of all nine provincial education departments. I will not hide the reality of our financial situation from the people of South Africa. In November 2024, I shared the findings of that analysis and informed the public that we are facing a fiscal crisis. Ten years of austerity measures have left our sector with a deep financial hole. If the current funding levels continue, we will see seven of the nine PEDs fall into the red and be unable to fund their budgets by 2028. I can assure South Africans that we will not fold our arms and lament the poor financial decisions of the previous administration. We are putting in place financial recovery plans and we are working with provincial and national treasuries to protect education funding and to ensure that provincial education departments can get back on their feet. I must again be honest with South Africans, this will be a painful exercise; we will have to swallow bitter medicine to fix the financial health of our education system. We will conduct nationwide audits to root out ghost teachers and ghost learners in our system; we will have to right-size departments to ensure personnel costs go back to under 80% of the budget. We find ourselves in a mess not of our making, but the mess is ours to resolve. Institutional and policy reform: the National Education and Training Council To enhance policy development in the sector, we are operationalising the National Education and Training Council. This advisory body will provide evidence-based recommendations to me as minister on a range of complex school education-related issues. These will include a review of the resourcing model applicable to schooling; exploring ways to reduce administrative burdens on teachers; and considering whether the progression and promotion requirements remain fit for purpose. This is not just another council of government. It is a structure provided for in law comprising specialists from a variety of disciplines related to education who will volunteer their expertise, knowledge and experience to ensure that national education policies are responsive to the realities on the ground. Looking ahead This first year in office has laid the groundwork and shown our strategic intent. But reform is about action, not just intent. It will take political courage and cross-sector partnerships to make this strategic reorientation a success. We must be willing to break resistance to the reforms the sector so desperately needs. We must accelerate support for teachers, scale early learning innovations and stabilise provincial spending. My message to every parent, teacher, learner and policymaker is this: we are building strong foundations for our schooling system that must work for our children. Let's walk this road together. DM
