How the ‘Cat' captured SAPS; Steenhuisen on Trump tariffs; Today's top 7 stories in 7 minutes
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9 LIVES | How the 'Cat' captured the heart of the SAPS
- Top cop Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleges tenderpreneur Vusimusi 'Cat' Matlala bribed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu while Matlala was under investigation for multiple scandals.
- Former police minister Bheki Cele received stays in Matlala's luxury Pretoria penthouse, despite Cele's denial of any business relationship with Matlala.
- Matlala's company won a R360 million police tender while Cele was minister, and Mkhwanazi's revelations have triggered a national security concern, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to call for restraint.
'Urgent reform' needed: Steenhuisen sees red over Trump's 30% tariff on SA exports to US
- Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen is concerned that US President Donald Trump's 30% tariff on South African exports could end the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
- Steenhuisen says the agriculture sector, particularly citrus, wine, nuts and table grapes, is especially vulnerable.
- Trump's letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa suggests the US might reduce the tariff if South Africa lowers its barriers to US imports.
X/@OCJ_RSA
'I'm a Xhosa man': Mbenenge uses culture as a defence against sexual harassment accusations
- Eastern Cape High Court Judge President Selby Mbenenge is accused of sexual harassment by a judge's secretary, Andiswa Mengo, and is under investigation by a JSC tribunal.
- Mbenenge has defended his actions, claiming his persistent requests for intimate images were consensual and acceptable within Xhosa culture, where women don't immediately agree to sexual advances.
- Mengo testified that Mbenenge's advances were unwanted, but Mbenenge interpreted her responses, including emojis and certain comments, as flirtatious and an invitation to pursue her.
Driver arrested after dramatic Cape Town high-speed chase
- A driver was arrested for reckless driving in Muizenberg after a high-speed chase that began in Wynberg.
- Police fired shots at the car's tires to stop it after the driver drove into oncoming traffic and damaged multiple vehicles.
- The arrested man faces charges including reckless driving, drug possession, malicious damage to property and resisting arrest, with the public and officials praising the police's swift action.
Court backlash hits Joburg's bid to control private CCTV networks
- Two organisations, OUTA and Sapoa, are challenging the City of Johannesburg's new CCTV by-law in court, arguing it's irrational, cumbersome and potentially hinders community policing.
- The by-law introduces a strict registration system for CCTV cameras, requiring permits, fees and specific rules about footage access and confidentiality.
- The organisations claim the City lacks the authority to pass the by-law, citing flawed public participation and infringement on constitutional rights.
Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
Bok prop Thomas no longer the tank engine that thought it could after treble win with Bath
- Thomas du Toit, despite being a Springbok for seven years, has only 23 Test caps due to competition from Frans Malherbe and Vincent Koch.
- Du Toit's move to Bath under Johann van Graan has helped him find his best form, contributing to the club winning a treble and instilling a winning belief.
- With Malherbe injured and Koch aging, Du Toit, now 30, has an opportunity to become a permanent fixture in the Springboks' matchday squad, leveraging his ability to play both sides of the scrum.
'My heart will always choose you': Miss SA Mia le Roux engaged to partner Luke Tenover
- Miss South Africa, Mia le Roux, announced her engagement to her partner of three years, Luke Tenover.
- The couple has been engaged for a while but chose to keep it private until now.
- Tenover has been a supportive partner throughout Le Roux's reign as Miss South Africa.
*These summaries were written with the support of Gemini Pro AI.
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Trump caught off guard by Pentagon's abrupt move to pause Ukraine weapons deliveries, AP sources say
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's decision to send more defensive weapons to Ukraine came after he privately expressed frustration with Pentagon officials for announcing a pause in some deliveries last week — a move that he felt wasn't properly coordinated with the White House, according to three people familiar with the matter. The Pentagon, which announced last week that it would hold back some air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery and other weapons pledged to Ukraine because of what U.S. officials said were concerns that American stockpiles were in short supply. Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S. will have to send more weapons to Ukraine, effectively reversing the move. Two of the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the sensitive internal discussions, said there was some internal opposition among Pentagon brass to the pause — coordinated by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby — before it was announced. One of the people described Trump as being caught 'flat footed' by the announcement. The White House did not respond to queries about whether Trump was surprised by the Pentagon pause. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson denied that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had acted without consulting the president. 'It is the job of the Secretary of Defense to make military recommendations to the commander-in-chief. Secretary Hegseth provided a framework for the President to evaluate military aid shipments and assess existing stockpiles. This effort was coordinated across government. The Department will continue to give the President robust options regarding military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end and putting America first,' Wilson said in a statement to The Associated Press. The pause in critical weapons deliveries had come at a difficult moment for Ukraine, which has faced increasing — and more complex — air barrages from Russia during the more than three-year-old war. Trump acknowledged that in announcing the reversal on Monday night, saying, "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now." Asked by a reporter Tuesday who approved the pause, Trump bristled at the question while he was gathered with his Cabinet. 'I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" Trump's change in tone on Putin The president also laid into Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting he was unnecessarily prolonging the war that Trump has said he's determined to quickly conclude. Trump has struggled to find a resolution, with talks between the sides stalled. The Republican leader has sounded increasingly exasperated with Putin in recent days. The two spoke by phone last week. 'We get a lot of bull---- thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth," Trump said during Tuesday's Cabinet meeting. "He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.' He has threatened, but held off on, imposing new sanctions against Russia's oil industry to try to prod Putin into peace talks. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said last week that Trump has given him the go-ahead to push forward with a bill he's co-sponsoring that calls, in part, for a 500% tariff on goods imported from countries that continue to buy Russian oil. The move would have huge ramifications for China and India, two economic behemoths that buy Russian oil. Trump said Tuesday that he's 'looking at it very strongly.' Pentagon says it's going to resume shipments to Ukraine The weapons pause announced last week impacted shipments of Patriot missiles, precision-guided GMLRS, Hellfire missiles and Howitzer rounds and more, taking not only Ukrainian officials and other allies by surprise but also U.S. lawmakers and other parts of the Trump administration, including the State Department. The Pentagon said late Monday that at Trump's direction, it would resume weapons shipments to Ukraine 'to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops.' Still, spokesman Sean Parnell added that its review for Trump to evaluate military shipments worldwide continues as part of 'America First' defense priorities. It's also unclear which weaponry would now be sent, though Trump said that the U.S. will primarily be assisting Ukraine with defensive weapons. 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Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement Tuesday that he was glad Trump was resuming deliveries to Ukraine. 'This time, the President will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his Administration to limit these deliveries to defensive weapons," McConnell said. 'And he should disregard those at DoD who invoke munitions shortages to block aid while refusing to invest seriously in expanding munitions production.' ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
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What would it take for Elon Musk to create a new political party in America?
On the heels of the Fourth of July -- and amid his feud with President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans over the president's tax policy bill -- tech billionaire Elon Musk announced plans for a brand new political party, dubbed "America Party," to represent what he called "the 80% in the middle." Musk, who recently left his temporary government post as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, told his X followers that his new party will "give you back your freedom." In a series of posts over the weekend, Musk said his party would use "extremely concentrated force at a precise location on the battlefield" to target "2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts," which he believes "would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws." So what would it take for Musk to launch his third-party effort? Here's an overview. Getting on the ballot To start, Musk would have to get his party on the ballots in the states where he wants to compete -- each with its own process for qualifying. In many states -- including Kentucky, where the race to fill retiring Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell's open seat in 2026 is heating up -- a party-designated candidate must win a nomination from a state-recognized political party that has received a certain percentage of votes in the previous presidential election -- or else a candidate has to run as an independent or a write-in candidate. In other states, the America Party's name itself could present a problem -- like in New York, where state law prohibits political parties from having the word "American," or any part of it, as part of their party names, according to Election Law Blog. Bankrolling these state-level efforts would take significant resources. 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It's not yet clear if Musk has filed any paperwork for his America Party, and an FEC spokesperson declined to comment on whether the agency has received any paperwork from Musk's team. Going the PAC route Faced with the long odds of gaining party certification, some election experts say that Musk, at least for the time being, could focus on House and Senate candidates through a super PAC. That's because ballot access for congressional races is governed by the states -- not the federal government -- so the America Party could still put its designated candidates on the ballot without the FEC's certification, as long as they pass state qualifications. And because super PACs are unconstrained by fundraising or spending limits, an America Party super PAC could be funded by unlimited donations from supporters including Musk himself, and could independently spend an unlimited amount of money in support of its candidates. 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