Newsroom

Police in the North West have retracted claims that extortionists are obstructing efforts to rescue illegal miners from an abandoned shaft in Stilfontein, according to EWN. Authorities had been investigating a community leader accused of demanding a 30% cut from a rescue team deployed by Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu at the Buffelsfontein gold mine.

Deputy Provincial Commissioner Patrick Asaneng dismissed the extortion allegations, stating that no mine rescue teams had reported being approached for bribes, labeling the claims as baseless distractions. Contractors are working on a plan to safely bring illegal miners, known as zama zamas, to the surface and dismantle the underground network, with the operation reportedly costing over R1 million daily.

Julius Malema, leader of the EFF, criticized the recent defection of several key party members, calling it “ideological infiltration” and “betrayal.” High-profile figures like Floyd Shivambu, Dali Mpofu, and Busisiwe Mkhwebane left to join Jacob Zuma’s MK Party (MKP), with Shivambu now serving as MKP’s secretary-general.

Speaking at the EFF Gauteng general assembly, Malema accused these individuals of prioritizing personal ambitions over the party’s principles, undermining the EFF during its election campaign. He also maintained his stance against Zuma, describing him as “corrupt to the core” and reaffirming the EFF’s anti-corruption mission.

Malema urged members to reject betrayal, stay loyal to the party’s values, and avoid individualism that weakens revolutionary movements. According to News24, this speech comes as dissatisfaction with Malema’s leadership reportedly grows within the EFF.

According to Times Live, Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, Chidimma Adetshina, has announced her decision to leave beauty pageants. The 23-year-old Nigerian beauty queen, who was the first runner-up at the 2024 Miss Universe pageant in Mexico, expressed her intention to prioritize her education, personal growth, and mental health.

In interviews, Adetshina described her pageant journey as both rewarding and challenging, calling it a “traumatic experience.” Despite the difficulties, she was overwhelmed by the support she received from Nigeria and Africa, which she described as “refreshing.” She plans to focus on runway modeling and exploring her potential in other areas.

Adetshina returned to Nigeria to a warm reception and expressed gratitude to her supporters for helping her dreams come true. She described her experience as a proud and life-changing moment.

Eskom has urged prepaid electricity users to update their meters before the 24 November 2024 deadline to avoid losing power, according to a report by MyBroadband. Meters using the outdated KRN1 system will no longer accept tokens after this date, leaving them inoperable once their current credit runs out.

Updating your meter is crucial to prevent costly replacements, which could reach up to R12,000. To check if your meter needs updating, users can input a code on the keypad: if it displays 1 or 1.2, recoding is required; if it shows 2 or 2.2, no action is needed.

Customers must purchase tokens from authorized vendors to receive two 20-digit codes necessary for the update. Eskom has also deployed community support teams to assist with the process. For more details, visit Eskom’s dashboard to track progress on the Key Revision Number rollout project, as highlighted by MyBroadband.

According to News24, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, 58, slapped opponent Jake Paul during a heated face-off before their upcoming bout, which is backed by Netflix. The confrontation happened after their weigh-in at AT&T Stadium in Texas, where Tyson, weighing 228.4 pounds, delivered an open-handed slap to Paul’s cheek. Security quickly separated the two fighters.

Tyson, appearing focused, had few words and left the stage with his entourage, saying, “Talking’s over.” Paul, 27, shrugged off the slap, taunting Tyson as “an angry little elf” and vowing to knock him out. The highly anticipated eight-round fight will be streamed live on Netflix and has sparked mixed reactions within the boxing community, with some disapproving of Tyson’s return to the ring nearly 40 years after his debut.

According to Times Live, EFF leader Julius Malema addressed recent tensions with MK Party president Jacob Zuma, stating he’s unafraid of any confrontation with the former president. This statement followed the departure of several prominent EFF members, including Deputy President Floyd Shivambu, Mzwanele Manyi, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, and Dali Mpofu, who joined the MK Party. The MK Party recently overtook the EFF as South Africa’s third-largest political party.

In a podcast episode, Malema criticized the former EFF members, suggesting they lacked loyalty and political impact. He was only surprised by Shivambu’s resignation, asserting that neither Zuma nor the MK Party could threaten the EFF’s future. The EFF will hold an elective conference next month to select new top leaders for the party.

According to The Citizen, SAFA president Danny Jordaan has been arrested and charged with fraud, allegedly spending R1.3 million of the association’s funds for personal gain. Alongside him, SAFA CFO Gronie Hluyo and businessman Trevor Neethling face similar charges, with the trio set to appear in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court. The Citizen reports that between 2014 and 2018, Jordaan allegedly used SAFA funds for personal security and PR services without board approval. The Hawks conducted a five-hour raid at SAFA’s Johannesburg office in March, seizing evidence to support the case.