
Meyiwa judge under fire; AARTO set for 1 October: Today's top 7 stories in 7 minutes
News24 brings you the top stories of the day, summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech feature.
'This is South Africa run by blacks': Senzo Meyiwa trial judge slammed for racial remarks
- Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng is facing criticism for comments made during the Senzo Meyiwa trial, where he questioned advocate Charles Mnisi's request to be excused for the Comrades Marathon, bringing race into the discussion.
- The GOOD party condemned the judge's racially divisive language, while legal experts expressed concern that it undermines judicial integrity, but Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo saw no misconduct.
- Mbekezeli Benjamin from Judges Matter expressed disappointment in the conduct of legal practitioners during the trial, but also noted the judge's reference to race in his comments.
Supplied/Zimbali Estate
Proposed R15.5m Zimbali Beach Club purchase scrapped after wave of resident complaints
- The Zimbali Estate Management Association (ZEMA) initially planned to purchase the Zimbali Beach Club for R15.5 million but cancelled the deal due to legal concerns about its authority to acquire immovable property.
- Concerned residents challenged the acquisition, citing lack of transparency, conflict of interest, flawed voting procedures, and concerns about noise and security.
- ZEMA CEO maintains the cancellation demonstrates sound governance and that the association remains committed to safeguarding the interests of the Zimbali Estate community.
Roman Cabanac/Facebook
Roman Cabanac sacked as Steenhuisen's chief of staff on his birthday
- Roman Cabanac was fired from his position as Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen's chief of staff due to racist remarks made on social media.
- Cabanac acknowledged his dismissal in a video, stating he is considering his options and may challenge the termination.
- The controversy stemmed from Cabanac's past social media posts, including minimising the Sharpeville massacre and making derisive comments about 'poor Xhosas'.
SEE | Midstream house bought with Lotto money meant for old age home, says SIU
- The SIU has frozen a R3.7-million property allegedly bought with Lottery funds meant for an old-age home and an agricultural project.
- The funds were allegedly channelled through nonprofits and private companies before reaching conveyancing attorneys to purchase the house.
- This case follows a pattern seen in other Lottery fraud cases, where grants are misappropriated for personal gain.
CatherineFoot-and-mouth: Animal transport crackdown imminent across SA
- The government plans to implement national rules on cloven-hoofed livestock movement due to foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks.
- These new measures will introduce stricter control measures, not a ban, on livestock movement, requiring supervision and adherence to biosecurity.
- The decision follows a report of foot-and-mouth disease at Karan Beef's feedlot, with the government citing reckless farmer behavior as a contributing factor.
AARTO set for 1 October: What motorists should know about points, spam filters and vehicle finance
- The AARTO system, introducing demerit points for traffic offences, is launching with potential consequences for drivers, especially fleet owners, as accumulating 15 points leads to license suspension.
- Concerns exist regarding the AARTO system's centralised digital process, potentially compromising drivers' right of appeal and creating issues with notification awareness due to reliance on SMS and email.
- The AARTO system raises questions about its impact on professional drivers, fleet owners, and the road freight industry, especially considering existing driver shortages and unique South African driving risks like hijacking.
United Rugby Championship boss Martin Anayi.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


News24
an hour ago
- News24
JSE crosses 100 000 for the first time
For more financial news. go to the News24 Business homepage. South Africa's benchmark stock index crossed the psychological level of 100 000 for the first time on optimism that a crucial budget vote will get support from key parties in the governing coalition. The index has advanced about 19% this year, hitting multiple record highs and outperforming a gauge of emerging stocks. The gains have been paced by precious metal miners including Sibanye Stillwater and Northam Platinum. South Africa's president this week ousted his embattled higher education minister, easing tensions within the governing alliance and clearing the path for the national budget to be approved. Lawmakers will vote on a law that allocates funds to government departments on Wednesday. Wall Street banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group earlier this month said the country's financial and cyclical stocks are also set to outperform emerging-market peers as Federal Reserve easing creates room for its South African counterpart to cut interest rates.


News24
an hour ago
- News24
June inflation heats up as power, food prices bite
Leon Sadiki/Bloomberg via Getty Images Consumer price index (CPI) inflation came in at 3% for June – from 2.8% in May. Inflation has been below 3% - the bottom level of the SA Reserve Bank's target band - from March to May. But in June, food prices continued to heat up. Food and non-alcoholic beverages were 5.1% more expensive than a year ago. Beef was a big contributor, as foot-and-mouth disease fuelled price hikes. Meat prices rose by 2.2% in the single month from May to June - and were almost 7% higher than a year before. But the biggest surge over the past year, of more than 13%, was in prices of fruit and vegetables. Hot beverages were also 10.1% more expensive than a year ago. Household electricity and gas prices were 11% higher than a year before, reflecting the latest Eskom price hikes. Housing and utilities saw a month-on-month increase of 0.5%, with rent increasing 1% month-on-month. June's inflation was still tempered by lower diesel and fuel prices - but this was reversed in July with large hikes after Israeli and US attacks on Iran triggered an oil price spike. While slightly higher than May, June's inflation number is in line with expectations and should bolster the case for the Reserve Bank's monetary policy committee to cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7% on Thursday next week. A cut is also supported by South African inflation expectations, which in the second quarter reached an almost four-year low. Unions, households and businesses are surveyed by the Bureau for Economic Research on their expectations for inflation over the next two years, which cooled to 4.5%. Expectations about where inflation is heading play a key role in driving prices higher. When workers expect inflation to remain high, they demand higher salary increases, which in turn drive prices higher as companies must recoup these higher costs. The SA Reserve Bank has been pushing hard to lower SA's inflation target to 3% (from a band of 3% to 6%).


Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
South Africa Inflation Hits Four-Month High Before Rate Meeting
South African inflation quickened to a four-month high in June, complicating the central bank's task as it prepares to review interest rates. Consumer prices rose 3% from a year earlier, compared with 2.8% in May, Pretoria-based Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday in a statement on its website. The median estimate of 12 economists in a Bloomberg survey was 3.1%.