Latest news with #TimesLIVE
SowetanLIVE
2 days ago
- SowetanLIVE
Sedibeng mayor facing suspension found unharmed after alleged hijacking and kidnapping
Sedibeng mayor Lerato Maloka and her driver were found unharmed after they were allegedly hijacked and kidnapped from Alberton on the East Rand on Friday. Gauteng police spokesperson Brig Brenda Muridili said the owner of a house Maloka and her driver were leaving from reported the hijacking. 'Preliminary reports suggest the owner of the house reported the matter to an individual who then informed the mayor's husband. The husband went to report the matter at Dawn Park police station.' A broadcast was issued for her vehicle. 'The vehicle was recovered at about midnight in Dawn Park by Katlehong police. A few hours later at about 2am, the mayor and the driver were found unharmed and reunited with their families.' Muridili said statements would be taken from the victims and police were looking for the suspects. The incident comes as Maloka faced a disciplinary investigation into alleged misconduct this week. DA Sedibeng caucus leader Cllr Sibusiso Dyonase said in a statement on Thursday the council had resolved to write to Gauteng MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs Jacob Mamabolo calling for Maloka's immediate suspension. 'Maloka has long been a problematic figure, today's resolution centres around her and other municipal officials' misdeeds in wasting more than R500,000 on a trip to Germany. Prominently, her role in the destruction of the mayoral vehicle featured as part of today's proceedings. Sugar was found in the engine of the car after the council forced her to use the R490,000 vehicle.' Dyonase said Maloka had called for a full investigation into maladministration in her administration while claiming she was the target of a smear campaign. TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- TimesLIVE
‘Justice not served': Family outraged as student who urinated on Babalo Ndwayana's belongings walks free
The family of Babalo Ndwayana has expressed deep disappointment after the acquittal of former Stellenbosch University student Theuns du Toit, who was caught on video urinating on Ndwayana's belongings in a university residence in 2022. Du Toit was cleared this week of charges of crimen injuria and malicious damage to property, bringing a three-year legal process to a controversial close. The Stellenbosch magistrate's court found there was insufficient grounds to convict him. The incident, which went viral on social media at the time, drew national outrage and sparked renewed debate on racism and privilege in South African institutions. Ndwayana's father Mkuseli Kaduka, told TimesLIVE the family was devastated by the Stellenbosch magistrate's court's decision. 'Babalo and myself are both disappointed and devastated by the outcome of the case. Justice was by no means served at all,' said Kaduka. Stellenbosch University said it considered the process fair and closed. Meanwhile the SU convocation lamented the damage caused by the case to the university's reputation and called for an apology to Du Toit.
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Forty graduates turn conservation training into economic opportunity
Forty youths and women received certificates on Thursday in Bloemfontein for completing a community-based training programme hosted by Meals on Wheels in partnership with SANParks as part of a growing initiative to tackle youth unemployment, food insecurity and economic inequality in South Africa. The training focused on agriculture, food preservation, leather and beauty product manufacturing, supported by the government and private sector partners. It aims to equip vulnerable community members with hands-on skills to start their own businesses and build self-sufficiency. Seiso Mohai, deputy minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development, applauded the graduates for embracing an opportunity that links conservation with job creation. 'We must begin to see agriculture and biodiversity not only as tools for survival but as platforms for innovation and growth. What we are witnessing today is not just a graduation but a shift in how we build resilience in our rural communities,' said Mohai. Skumsa Nthanga, SANParks head of socioeconomic transformation and Vision 2040 project lead, told TimesLIVE that the programme's purpose is to empower communities, especially those near biodiversity-rich landscapes, to reclaim their heritage through sustainable economic activity. 'We want to see beneficiaries establish and run their own enterprises. Our national parks are in remote areas with limited job opportunities. This programme is about closing that gap,' she added. One of the graduates, Thulisa Mnqabisa from Nomathamsanqa, said she closed her beauty salon to join the training. 'I wanted to learn how to develop my own beauty products and eventually use them in my salon,' she said. Mnqabisa told TimesLIVE that she now plans to manufacture and distribute her beauty products to BnB houses and hotels. 'The knowledge I got here will help me employ others in my community. That's the dream.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
S Africa police name suspects linked to murder of student on date
Police in South Africa have named three men believed to be directly involved in the murder of a university student who had gone on a date. Olorato Mongale's body was discovered on Sunday in Lombardy, north of Johannesburg, about two hours after she was reported missing. Police late on Wednesday said they had seized a VW Polo that was allegedly used in the murder of the 30-year-old student. "The vehicle was found with traces of blood inside at a panel beater workshop in Phoenix, Durban," police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said. One man, who police believed was the owner of the vehicle, has been arrested. Photographs of three other suspects - Fezile Ngubane, Philangenkosi Sibongokuhle Makhanya and Bongani Mthimkhulu - who are said to be on the run, have been released by police. Brig Mathe said the men were "dangerous" and cautioned members of the public not to come near them. A reminder of South Africa's femicide problem South Africa: Violence against women like a war "These suspects are warned to hand themselves over at their nearest police station." Ms Mongale was last seen on Sunday in the company of a man she had met a few days earlier at a mall. CCTV footage showed her leaving a location in Kew, Johannesburg, and walking towards a white VW Polo, with fake licence plates. Her friends said she was invited for a date by a man only identified as John, who she met in Johannesburg, where she was studying for a postgraduate degree at Witwatersrand University. She texted one of her friends shortly before leaving home, saying that she was excited and getting ready for her date. But police later found her body in an open field, sparking public outrage and calls for justice. Family spokesperson Criselda Kananda said Ms Mongale's body was "brutally violated." A candlelight vigil was held on Wednesday evening in Lombardi West, at the site where the body was found dumped. Family and friends have described her as an outspoken, bubbly woman who "lived with purpose and love", local media reported. Ms Mongale was a journalism graduate from Rhodes University and worked briefly as a multimedia reporter at the TimesLIVE news website. While working as a journalist, she covered the murder of Karabo Mokoena - a young woman who was murdered by her boyfriend in 2017. Ms Mongale's killing has sparked a fierce debate about the levels of violence faced by women in South Africa. It is the latest femicide in a country which has a particular problem with femicide and violence against women. In 2020, an average of one woman died at the hands of her intimate partner every eight hours, according to a study by the University of the Free State. In 2019, South Africa ranked among the five countries with the highest rates of the murder of women, according to the United Nations. The country has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world, with rape being the most reported crime against children. Chris Brown concert shines spotlight on violence against women in South Africa Missing South Africa girl: Our children are scared Sexual violence in South Africa: 'I was raped, now I fear for my daughters' Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
S Africa police name suspects linked to murder of student on date
Police in South Africa have named three men believed to be directly involved in the murder of a university student who had gone on a date. Olorato Mongale's body was discovered on Sunday in Lombardy, north of Johannesburg, about two hours after she was reported missing. Police late on Wednesday said they had seized a VW Polo that was allegedly used in the murder of the 30-year-old student. "The vehicle was found with traces of blood inside at a panel beater workshop in Phoenix, Durban," police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said. One man, who police believed was the owner of the vehicle, has been arrested. Photographs of three other suspects - Fezile Ngubane, Philangenkosi Sibongokuhle Makhanya and Bongani Mthimkhulu - who are said to be on the run, have been released by police. Brig Mathe said the men were "dangerous" and cautioned members of the public not to come near them. A reminder of South Africa's femicide problem South Africa: Violence against women like a war "These suspects are warned to hand themselves over at their nearest police station." Ms Mongale was last seen on Sunday in the company of a man she had met a few days earlier at a mall. CCTV footage showed her leaving a location in Kew, Johannesburg, and walking towards a white VW Polo, with fake licence plates. Her friends said she was invited for a date by a man only identified as John, who she met in Johannesburg, where she was studying for a postgraduate degree at Witwatersrand University. She texted one of her friends shortly before leaving home, saying that she was excited and getting ready for her date. But police later found her body in an open field, sparking public outrage and calls for justice. Family spokesperson Criselda Kananda said Ms Mongale's body was "brutally violated." A candlelight vigil was held on Wednesday evening in Lombardi West, at the site where the body was found dumped. Family and friends have described her as an outspoken, bubbly woman who "lived with purpose and love", local media reported. Ms Mongale was a journalism graduate from Rhodes University and worked briefly as a multimedia reporter at the TimesLIVE news website. While working as a journalist, she covered the murder of Karabo Mokoena - a young woman who was murdered by her boyfriend in 2017. Ms Mongale's killing has sparked a fierce debate about the levels of violence faced by women in South Africa. It is the latest femicide in a country which has a particular problem with femicide and violence against women. In 2020, an average of one woman died at the hands of her intimate partner every eight hours, according to a study by the University of the Free State. In 2019, South Africa ranked among the five countries with the highest rates of the murder of women, according to the United Nations. The country has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world, with rape being the most reported crime against children. Chris Brown concert shines spotlight on violence against women in South Africa Missing South Africa girl: Our children are scared Sexual violence in South Africa: 'I was raped, now I fear for my daughters' Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
