Latest news with #Radebe
The Citizen
5 days ago
- The Citizen
Missing Soweto boy found dead in manhole drain
The lifeless body of eight-year-old Siyabonga Mkhwanazi, who was reported missing, was discovered in a manhole drain near his home in Emdeni, Soweto, yesterday. Soweto Urban reports that his body was recovered following an intensive search by the K9 search-and-rescue team. According to people at the scene, his hands and knees appeared shrivelled, and there was foam coming from his nose. Last seen In a statement released by the police, the Grade Two learner was last seen on Saturday. Siyabonga's sister, Gugu Mtenjane, told Urban News that he had gone outside after hearing a car horn, thinking it was his father arriving. That was the last time he was seen. 'After a few hours, my dad came home alone without Siyabonga. We immediately started to worry. We began searching for him, and we contacted close family, friends, and even community groups. When Siyabonga's mother got home from work, she and my dad went to the police station to open a case,' said Mtenjane. She added that the family is deeply saddened by the tragedy and, if someone is responsible, they hope justice will be served. Community offers support Following the discovery of Siyabonga's body, the community gathered to offer comfort and support to the family through a prayer session. Ward councillor Thapelo Radebe expressed his condolences to the family. 'We are concerned about the state of the municipality's infrastructure, which is not in good condition. We will not speculate on what happened to the child, whether he was thrown inside or fell in, but the fact remains that he was found inside the drain, and that is deeply worrying,' said Radebe. He added that the rising number of children who are being attacked or going missing is alarming. Radebe stressed the need to build safer communities and to return to the values of looking out for one another's children, saying such principles could make a significant difference. Soweto Urban is still awaiting an official police report. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on
IOL News
01-08-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
New parties fuel apartheid-era divisions, warns Jeff Radebe
JEFF Radebe, ANC KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Convenor, issued a warning to South Africa's political landscape, explicitly challenging entrenched power structures, political opponents, and high-profile figures undermining the nation's constitutional progress. Image: Sizwe Dlamini/Sunday Independent JEFF Radebe, ANC KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Convenor, this week, issued a warning to South Africa's political landscape, explicitly challenging entrenched power structures, political opponents, and high-profile figures undermining the nation's constitutional progress. In his Freedom Charter Lecture delivered at Unisa on Thursday, Radebe made a call to resist those seeking to dismantle the gains of decades of struggle for justice, and a clarion for radical reform rooted in the ideals of the Freedom Charter. 'These formations, which mushroomed in the aftermath of the 2024 electoral outcomes, seek to construct a society that is the antithesis of the Freedom Charter,' Radebe said, criticising emerging political entities that 'mobilise on the basis of racial exclusion and chauvinism'. He cautioned that these groups aimed to 'reverse the gains of constitutional democracy' and 'restore elements of apartheid logic', particularly 'the pursuit of parliamentary supremacy'. 'They are building 'Black Parties' as a counterweight to the vision of non-racial unity,' he said, calling their actions 'an attempt to undo the progress we have made as a nation'. 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 Radebe's critique extended beyond domestic politics into foreign policy, where he condemned those 'who once spoke for the state', now supporting actions that threaten South Africa's dignity. 'The position of the Republic of South Africa, not any political party or former official, is the custodian of its foreign policy,' he emphasized. 'Silence is not neutrality—it is complicity. 'It is profoundly disturbing,' he continued, 'that some within our own country, who once occupied high office and bore the constitutional duty to speak on behalf of the Republic have chosen to undermine our principled foreign policy positions,' especially regarding the ongoing conflict in Western Sahara. 'We must state unequivocally: the position of the Republic of South Africa is to reaffirm unwavering solidarity with Western Sahara,' he said, condemning individuals who 'support rogue actions that undermine our principled foreign policy positions'. In his broader internal critique, Radebe condemned what he saw as a betrayal of revolutionary ideals. 'Supporters of newly established political parties that vehemently oppose the ideals of the National Democratic Revolution… seek to construct a society that is the antithesis of the Freedom Charter,' he said. 'They attempt to reverse the gains we fought so hard for, and we must resist with every ounce of our revolutionary spirit.' He made it clear that these political moves threatened 'the democratic, non-racial, and inclusive future envisioned by the Charter', and cautioned that, if these trends were not stopped, 'we risk turning back the clock to worse than apartheid'. Recalling the revolutionary origins of the Freedom Charter, Radebe stated: 'The Charter was born from the collective dreams and demands of ordinary South Africans. It was adopted by the people, and only later endorsed by the ANC as policy. That endorsement marked a major ideological shift: from resistance to reconstruction, from protest to programme. 'It is vital to remember that the Freedom Charter was not initially an ANC document. It was adopted by the people,' he reiterated, underscoring its grassroots origins and moral authority. 'It remains the moral compass of our post-apartheid state… these principles continue to guide us in our efforts toward justice and equality.' Shifting his focus to governance, Radebe took a sobering stance on systemic failures across the country. 'Over 90% of our municipalities are financially distressed or failing,' he noted, describing the situation as 'systemic decay'. 'In too many towns, water has not flowed in months, electricity is unreliable… and waste goes uncollected. These are not isolated failures; they signal systemic decay.' He warned that: 'When local government fails, it is not simply a service failure — it is a breach of the Constitution. The collapse of local government is the collapse of legitimacy,' he emphasised, framing current shortcomings as a betrayal of revolutionary principles of service and justice. In economic terms, Radebe denounced the ongoing inequality entrenched by the legacy of apartheid. 'Wealth is still largely controlled by those who benefited under apartheid,' he said, condemning the continued influence of 'corruption, elite capture, and institutional failure'. He highlighted the plight of skilled professionals, noting: 'South African pilots, among the most skilled professionals in our society, must plead for fair wages from foreign shareholders who extract profits from our skies but invest little in our country.' He also slammed the devastating impact of illicit financial flows (IFFs), which 'bleed our continent and our country dry to the tune of R80 billion to R100bn annually,' according to estimates. 'These flows are orchestrated theft from the public purse. IFFs are acts of betrayal against the developmental aspirations of our people. 'We must adopt a binding anti-IFF strategy, strengthen the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), criminalise corporate tax avoidance, enhance cross-border transparency, and repatriate stolen assets through multilateral partnerships. It is not anti-business to demand accountability; it is pro-development.' The speech also addressed systemic inequalities and inefficiencies in public service, citing the 2024 Auditor-General's report, which revealed that 'more than 90% of our municipalities are in distress or failing', with water not flowing in months and waste uncollected. 'These failures are a breach of the Constitution,' Radebe said. 'Local government is the frontline of our democracy… its failure is a failure of the social contract.' He called for a new, inclusive national dialogue — 'a modern-day Kliptown' — to reshape South Africa's future based on participation and collective ownership. 'This dialogue must not be a technocratic conference for the privileged few. It must be a radical forum where the people speak and shape the future… much like the process that led to the Freedom Charter, the dialogue must reflect the radical democratic spirit of collective authorship, not elite consensus.' Radebe urged the South African youth to lead this effort: 'Today's youth must lead in reimagining these frontiers of freedom… They must not be left behind but be the drivers of our future.' In closing, Radebe advised: 'Democracy is not inherited; it is built, and rebuilt, by every generation that refuses to accept injustice as normal.' He reaffirmed his commitment to lifelong resistance to corruption and inequality, and warned: 'If we fail to confront this fiscal injustice, we surrender the economic sovereignty that our freedom demands.' His words serve both as a warning and an appeal: 'The time has come for us to choose: Will we allow the Freedom Charter's dream to fade into history, or will we seize it anew and forge a Just and free South Africa?' Get the real story on the go: Follow the Sunday Independent on WhatsApp.
The Citizen
01-08-2025
- The Citizen
When lawyers stop fighting for justice
Lawyers are turning against the very people they vowed to help, leaving victims hopeless and stripped of their rights. It seems the suffering of people whose rights have been violated will continue unabated because lawyers appear to be no longer interested in assisting them. I have written many stories about people who approached lawyers to report civil cases, hoping they would assist them to find justice, but to no avail. I am talking about medical negligence victims, train accident victims, victims of illegal arrests and people whose children were injured due to the negligence of schools. As I called some of the victims one by one recently, I got the shock of my life when I found that almost all of them did not get help from the lawyers. Instead, the lawyers reportedly turned against them, while some paid lawyers who did not even make an effort to assist. ALSO READ: Nedbank exposed for ethical failures in court Some complained that after they handed over documents relating to their cases, the lawyers stopped communicating or became rude. Most of the people claimed the lawyers cut communication after sending letters of demand to the accused parties. Surprisingly, the fight turned from a commitment to find justice for the victims to a squabble between the lawyers and the clients. The people said they tried to report the lawyers to the Legal Practice Council (LPC), but the entity sided with the lawyers. One case was of a woman whose nine-yearold son got paralysed after the acid obtained from an unlocked school laboratory entered his ear as they were playing. ALSO READ: Should you be mad at your lawyer for using AI? The kids thought it was paint. The incident happened in Phororong Primary School in Khutsong, Carletonville, in 2022. The mother approached the lawyer, who reportedly cut communication later in 2023. In frustration the woman approached the LPC, which failed to assist her as well. She is now looking after her paralysed son and does not even know how the case is progressing as the lawyer's office is no longer taking her calls and not responding to her e-mails. To make things worse, the lawyer is refusing to hand over the files to her new lawyer. ALSO READ: Bogus lawyer ordered to pay back murder accused client's R40k Another complainant, Mabutana Radebe from Polokong in Sebokeng, lost his legs in a train incident. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa paid nearly R8 million, but his lawyer kept the money in his trust account while Radebe lived in poverty. His family reported the matter to the LPC, but nothing was done to compel the lawyer to release the money. When reached, Radebe's legal representative could not give me straight answers. He was rude and even threatened me. It is about time that action is taken against lawyers who harass their clients. ALSO READ: Lawyers who steal: R1.4bn trust fund theft ignored According to data released last year by the LPC, more than 500 cases in which lawyers were accused of embezzling more than R1.4 billion of their clients' money from trust funds had not been prosecuted. It also revealed that only 59 convictions were made in seven years and just 25 resulted in jail time. When I was young, I used to respect lawyers and the legal profession, thinking they loved assisting people whose rights had been violated, but what I witness today erodes all the trust and respect that I had. However, much as we have some rotten apples in the profession, I believe we still have some good lawyers. The LPC and other relevant bodies must get their house in order and be honest and fair when handling squabbles between lawyers and their clients. Something needs to be done to save this vital profession. NOW READ: Lawyer, plumber and then security professional: Inside the elaborate cons of scammers nabbed by the Hawks
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- The Citizen
CoJ responds to concerns over women begging with children at traffic lights
City of Johannesburg social services says it is aware of the growing number of women begging with their children at various intersections in the city. This is after a Fourways resident Corinna Botoulas raised a heartfelt concern about the mothers begging with children at traffic lights, particularly at the Witkoppen off-ramp to Winnie Mandela Drive. Botoulas, who witnessed the aftermath of a traumatic hit-and-run accident, said she was deeply disturbed every time she saw a mother and child sitting vulnerably in the path of fast-moving traffic and questioned Where the city departments, or social service agencies, where. Also read: Resident pleads for help for mothers and children begging at Fourways intersections Ayanda Radebe, the city's spokesperson, said this is a city-wide challenge. She said the Department of Social Development has profiled the women at the intersections as part of its ongoing efforts to address this matter. 'We realise that this requires a multi-pronged approach that will include the Provincial Department of Social Development, JMPD, and Chapter 9 institutions. The matter is also discussed on various city platforms, as well as provincial platforms, and support is being provided through various stakeholders. 'The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) Social Development Department has a database which is used to monitor movements of the women begging with children at intersections, as they constantly change spots and regions. Especially after the department reaches out to them to assess their needs, and to make them aware of the implications of using children as begging bait, in terms of the Children's Act 38 of 2005.' When asked if this constitutes child endangerment, under South African law, and what steps can, or should, be taken in such cases, Radebe said: 'Yes, it does, in terms of Section 150 of the Children's Act 38 of 2005. Also read: Joburg Water still has no timeframe for fixing the Pritchard Street leak 'This section outlines various circumstances that would deem a child to be in such a state, including abandonment, orphaned status, displaying uncontrollable behavior, living on the streets, substance addiction, exploitation, or exposure to harm. Additionally, it covers children who are victims of child labour, or those living in child-headed households. 'In this case, the children work on the streets, which can be classified as victims of exploitation and child labour, because they are being used as begging bait. These children are, as a result, denied their right to education, their right to play as children, and their right to a safe environment, which is responsive to their needs. As a result, the concerned children are in need of care and protection.' Also read: Year-long water leak still unfixed Radebe said the Department of Social Development has staff across the seven regions of the CoJ for residents to report these incidents. 'For the purposes of reporting for Fourways, which falls under Region A, Lunga Mtshali and Mary Maduse are the responsible officials, and can be contacted at: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].' Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Leader Live
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Strictly's Johannes Radebe to make West End debut as Kinky Boots' drag queen
The South African dancer, who made his debut on British TV with Strictly in 2018, joined the cast of the Olivier and Tony award-winning musical earlier this year as drag queen Lola, ahead of its run at London Coliseum in 2026. The show follows the story of Charlie Price, who inherits his family's failing shoe factory and develops a line of high-heeled boots after meeting cabaret performer Lola. In 2021, Radebe reached the Strictly final with Bake Off star John Whaite, who were the first all-male couple on the show, and was paired last year with BBC Gladiators star Montell Douglas. Radebe said: 'I left my township in Zamdela at the age of 21 to dance in the ensemble on a cruise ship. 'Every night we did Abba. That was my dream come true. 'Never then, nor since then, was it in my wildest dreams that I would have the opportunity to star in a musical in London's West End. 'And not just any musical, my favourite musical – Kinky Boots. 'My involvement in Kinky Boots has been six years in the making, and Lola was the only role I ever wanted to play.' 'The theatre community has welcomed me, and I am having the time of my life,' he added. Composer and lyricist of the show, pop star Cyndi Lauper said: 'I'm so thrilled that Kinky Boots is returning home to London. 'When audiences leave the show, they feel happy and uplifted, and that's something the world could really use right now. 'It's so wonderful that this musical keeps bringing joy and acceptance to people around the world.' The London production will run for 17 weeks from March 17 to July 11 2026, and tickets will go on sale on July 15 this year. The show is currently touring the UK and Ireland.
