Latest news with #Struggle
IOL News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
ANC honours freedom fighter Johannes Phungula with Ixopo municipality renaming
Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality in Ixopo has been renamed after ANC Struggle hero Johannes Phungula. Image: Willem Phungula The ANC leadership in KwaZulu-Natal has commended the Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality in Ixopo, south-west of the province, for renaming the municipality after the party Struggle hero, Johannes Phumani Phungula. Speaking at the official unveiling of the new municipality name and logo bearing Phungula's name and his picture, ANC convener Jeff Radebe commended Mayor Thobile Ngubo and her council for the decision, saying it was an honour to the ANC, Phungula, and his family. Radebe described Phungula as a disciplined freedom fighter who contributed immensely to the liberation of the black people who were oppressed by the apartheid government, both as a party member and an uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) commander in exile. 'As the ANC, we are happy and wish to commend the municipality for its decision to honour this Struggle veteran. We call on all councillors and officials to emulate comrade Phungula by conducting themselves in a disciplined manner,' said Radebe. 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 ✕ Speaking on behalf of the ANC regional leadership, chairperson Zamo Nxumalo warned the councillors to avoid controversy, particularly corruption, in honour of Phungula because his family would not be happy to associate his name with controversies. Nxumalo said the ANC will strive to ensure that every time Phungula family members come to shop in Ixopo, they will always be proud to see his picture on the walls of the municipality buildings, by respectfully conducting the municipality's business. He described him as a very disciplined ANC cadre who was always scolding them for being late in meetings, warning them that people would not take leaders who could not keep time seriously. On behalf of the municipality, Mayor Thobile Ngubo thanked the Phungula family for allowing the ANC and her council to rename the municipality after Phungula, saying it was a great honour.
TimesLIVE
22-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
ANC struggle hero Gertrude Shope dies peacefully at home, aged 99
ANC stalwart Gertrude Shope has died at the age of 99. According to the party, Shope, also known as MaShope, died peacefully at her Gauteng home on Thursday morning. 'A lifelong revolutionary, MaShope was a leader of profound discipline, courage and humility. From her early activism to the dawn of democracy, she served the Struggle with unmatched commitment in the underground, in exile and in the democratic parliament. 'As former president of the ANC Women's League, head of the ANC Women's Section in exile, and a member of the ANC NEC, she played a pivotal role in shaping the political direction of our movement and the emancipation of women in South Africa and beyond,' said the organisation on Thursday. Shope, who was one of the oldest members of the party, is a former trade unionist and the first Women's League president. Shope had been exiled in countries like Botswana, Tanzania, Czechoslovakia, Zambia and Nigeria, where she fought for the rights of workers and women. 'Even in retirement, MaShope exudes an air of majesty and dignity as a sage of the age, belonging to the same illustrious historical galaxy of revolutionaries that includes Charlotte Maxeke, Ruth First, Fatima Meer, Helen Joseph, Sophia de Bruyn, Ruth Mompati, Lillian Ngoyi and many more,' wrote former minister Naledi Pandor in celebrating Shope's life a few years ago. Shope was born in 1925 in Johannesburg and grew up in Zimbabwe. She was 29 when she joined the ANC, leaving her work as a teacher in protest against Bantu education. As part of the Federation of South African Women, she fought to make women's struggles part of the wider Struggle for a free society.
IOL News
20-05-2025
- IOL News
Johannesburg court dismisses Alexi Bizos' appeal against assault conviction
From left, Advocate Gerrie Nel, Monique van Oosterhout, and Advocate Phyllis Voster. Van Oosterhout's former husband, Alexi Bizos, lost his appeal following his conviction of assaulting her. Image: File The Johannesburg Magistrate's Court has dismissed Alexi Bizos' application for leave to appeal against his conviction of assault with intention to cause grievous bodily harm following his conviction of assaulting his now former wife, Monique van Oosterhout. In February, the court sentenced the son of the late Struggle stalwart George Bizos to a R100 000 fine or one year imprisonment, six months' correctional supervision, which includes 20 hours a month of community service at shelters for abused women. Bizos was convicted last year, more than nine years after punching his ex-wife Van Oosterhout at their Johannesburg home. AfriForum's Private Prosecution Unit took on the case in 2018 and started the trial in January 2020. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ When handing down the sentence in February, Magistrate Tshepo Twala said Bizos had shown no remorse for his crime and failed to acknowledge the wrongfulness of his actions. The magistrate said the accused showed no insight into the crime he had committed, nor appreciation of the impact it had on Van Oosterhout. Advocate Gerrie Nel, head of the unit, argued that because the court rejected Bizos' evidence as that of a 'bad witness' who did not 'leave a good impression' and whose evidence was found to be a 'fabrication', no other court would find his version reasonably possible. 'We repeat our argument that the mendacity of the accused is without equal. His demeanour was one of contempt for the truth and indicative of someone who expects that his word must be accepted because of his standing in society. He is just more equal than others,' said Nel. He added that Bizos' claim that the magistrate had 'speculated' when reaching his finding was contemptuous. Magistrate Twala also gave judgment on the unit's application to be awarded costs and ordered that the accused and the National Prosecuting Authority should jointly be responsible for paying the costs of the private prosecution. Bizos' assault on his wife left her with severe injuries, including six broken ribs. In sentencing Bizos in February, Twala said domestic violence is a scourge that is far too prevalent, which demands robust punishment of the perpetrators. 'You cannot ignore that this was a vulnerable woman who was in the safety of her own home when she was assaulted. Gender-based violence gives the perpetrators power. In this case, the accused assaulted the complainant due to her questioning him, which undermined his authority,' he said. Bizos, 63, was spared imprisonment because of his age and because he was a first-time offender.
IOL News
06-05-2025
- IOL News
New evidence challenges the narrative of Albert Luthuli's death
Inkosi Albert Luthuli's death on July 21, 1967, remain a mystery. Image: Independent Media Archives More contractions and inconsistencies came to light on what modern-day investigator Warrant Officer Brenden Burgess found about the death of Inkosi Albert Luthuli compared to what was revealed in 1967. However, Burgess told the Pietermaritzburg High Court during the proceeding of the re-opened inquest that he could not conclude what led to the death of the Struggle stalwart. Burgess, a police crime scene management analyst who studied forensic science at the University of South Africa, ruled out that Luthuli was killed after being hit by the train, which was the conclusion reached by an inquest conducted shortly after his death. The train driver, Albertus Lategan, had in 1967 told the inquest that was presided over by Magistrate CI Bosswell at the Stanger Magistrate's Court that he saw an African man spinning after being hit by his goods train number 332. He said that due to the shape of the train and the position in which Lategan was seated on the driver's seat, which was on the right-hand side, it would have made it impossible for Lategan to see Luthuli spinning. 'The possibility of the scenario occurring as described by Mr Lategan is highly unlikely,' said Burgess. He said the spot at the Mvoti River railway bridge where the train stopped, did not reflect that the train had hit someone who was walking on the bridge's walkway, but it indicated that the train stopped after its driver had seen something lying on the railway line. 'The probability of the impact being on the southern side of the bridge was highly unlikely.' Burgess, who started testifying before Judge Qondeni Radebe on Monday and concluded on Tuesday, said evidence given to Bosswell was inconsistent with what he established might have happened on the day of the incident. 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 ✕ Burgess, who reconstructed the evidence scene using other experts, told the court on Tuesday that his findings were different from those of the original investigators, including the train driver, ambulance driver, and doctors. Burgess's evidence was too mathematical as it was dominated by detailed calculations of the speed, the size, length, and weight of the train, the length of the railway bridge that crossed Mvoti River, and the side of the bridge's walkway. He said the locomotive of the train that was said to have hit Luthuli on the bridge was pulling seven tanks containing syrup and seven containers of sugar. He said the train was no longer in existence as its parts were destroyed or recycled. On the day, he said, the train had left a nearby station at 10.29am and reached the Mvoti bridge, where it was alleged to have hit Luthuli at 10.39am. He also cast doubts on the evidence that was given by Doctor Mauritius Joubert, a neurosurgeon who examined Luthuli's body, saying his report had left out internal injuries. 'There are no detailed descriptions given by doctors as to the severity and nature of the sculp fracture and brain damage of Mr Luthuli. 'No detailed description of the internal examination seemed to have been undertaken by the doctors.' Burgess said that when he conducted the reconstruction of the evidence collected after the incident, he established that Lategan had provided evidence that the train hit Luthuli on the right side of the shoulder. He said Lategang stated that the deceased, who was unknown to him at the time of the impact, was struck on the right shoulder and also saw the 'African male spinning around'. 'There are inconsistencies noted from Mr Lategan's description and medical evidence.' He said he conducted a thorough reconstruction of the accident using the help of the engineers proved that Lategan did not tell the truth about the train hitting Luthuli. 'The possibility of the accident scenario occurring as described by Mr Lategan, in my opinion, is highly unlikely,' Burgess said. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which is leading the inquest, believed that Luthuli might have sustained the fatal injuries after someone had struck him with a strong object such as a steel bar or a strong stick. It was also suspected that he had been placed on the spot where he was found after being attacked elsewhere, or someone might have met him on the bridge and tried to push him onto the train. The NPA said it has a report from Dr S Nsele, a KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health forensic pathologist, which indicated that Luthuli's injuries on both arms indicated that he was trying to defend himself when he was being attacked. Burgess read the report, which he received from the NPA on April 25, 2024, to the court. 'Dr S Nsele's report mentioned that the bruises on Luthuli's both hands and the fracture of the left elbow are indicative of the wounds sustained during the assault,' read the report. When asked to comment on what is contained in the report, he could not conclude what happened because the past investigation was poorly recorded. 'The nature of the injuries sustained by Mr Luthuli was not well documented to come to any conclusion as to the course of the injuries sustained by Mr Albert Luthuli. 'Until such time further information is forthcoming, the probable cause of the injuries sustained by Mr Luthuli, in my mind, remains inconclusive,' said Burgess. The matter is proceeding until May 16.
IOL News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Soweto commemorates the reburial of anti-apartheid activists Moloise and Mngomezulu
A solemn and historic handover and reburial ceremony is under way for the exhumed remains of political activists who were hanged on death row for politically related offences. Image: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development / Facebook The handover and reburial ceremony of anti-apartheid activists, Benjamin Malesella Moloise and Abraham Zakhele Mngomezulu, is under way in Soweto today after the remains of the Struggle heroes were exhumed. The political activists, who were hanged on death row for politically related offences, were buried without their families' consent in pauper graves in October 1985 and May 1989. The ceremony forms part of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development's (DoJ&CD) Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Unit's recommendations, which includes creating appropriate memorials, offering medical support, aiding affected communities, and providing educational bursaries to descendants of apartheid-era victims. Malesella Benjamin Moloise was convicted in 1983 and executed in 1985 for the 1982 assassination of a security policeman. Image: South African History Online DoJ&CD Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, presided over the solemn and historic handover and reburial ceremony held at the Orlando Communal Hall in Soweto. The department said the significant event marks an important milestone in South Africa's ongoing journey towards healing, justice, and reconciliation. 'The department, on behalf of the State, remains firmly committed to advancing justice, fostering national healing, and preserving the dignity of those who paid the highest price in the fight against apartheid,' the DoJ&CD 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 ✕ Between 1960 and 1990, at least 130 individuals were executed on death row for politically motivated offences. Image: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development / Facebook Between 1960 and 1990, at least 130 individuals were executed on death row for politically motivated offences. At the time, the state withheld their remains, denying families the opportunity to mourn and bury their loved ones with dignity. These individuals were interred as paupers in cemeteries around Tshwane, without the knowledge or consent of their families. Moloise, an ANC activist, was convicted in 1983 and executed in 1985 for the 1982 assassination of a security policeman. He denied any involvement, claiming his confession was made under duress. The ANC has consistently maintained his innocence. Anti-apartheid activists, Benjamin Malesella Moloise and Abraham Zakhele Mngomezulu's remains were exhumed in Tshwane. Image: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development / Facebook
