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Wednesday, February 5 2020

THE BIG ISSUES

LEADING THE AGENDA

News FREE

Zuma sick? More like a case of Stalingrad-itis, says the state

Ex-president’s defence says he had two major surgeries in January, but court has seen no record of them

Nivashni Nair
Senior reporter
2 min read
Ideas FREE

Well done, Mr Zuma, you’re right on trend with your excuse

From pizza franchises to airline companies to our former president, everyone’s doing it these days

Tom Eaton
Columnist
3 min read
Ideas FREE

Come on Cyril! FW did it, Mantashe has just done it. You can do it too

Defying party policy is harder than ever in SA, but sometimes necessity demands it. Don’t hold your breath, though

Tony Leon
Columnist
5 min read

SMART NEWS

IN ONE TAKE

News FREE

Duduzane was lurking when Gupta offered me R500k: ex-SAA boss

Tuesday’s witness at the Zondo inquiry was not the first to paint Zuma Junior with the ‘silence’ brush

Zingisa Mvumvu
Journalist
3 min read
News FREE

‘Where’s-my-cheese’ pizzeria shooting suspect gives himself in, gets bail

Following a viral video, insurance executive Zain Trook has also been suspended from his job

Shain Germaner
Journalist
3 min read
News FREE

SA pathologist is taken back in time by novel coronavirus

SARS broke out in 2003. Did we learn from that experience? ‘Only partially’

Tanya Farber
Senior science reporter
4 min read

SNAPSHOT

An Israeli border policeman is on fire as he is hit with a molotov cocktail thrown by Palestinian demonstrators during a protest against Donald Trump's peace plan.
A BURNING PASSION An Israeli border policeman is on fire as he is hit with a molotov cocktail thrown by Palestinian demonstrators during a protest against Donald Trump's peace plan.
Image: Reuters/Mussa Qawasma

Six things about SA you need to know

Ex-DA youth leader: I’ll lead party out of ‘crisis’

The DA’s leadership battle has opened up, with former DA youth leader Mbali Ntuli putting her hand up to lead the party. Ntuli said she cannot watch the party “disappear into oblivion”. Ntuli’s decision means she will go head to head with interim leader John Steenhuisen. It is understood Gauteng leader John Moodey is also considering throwing his name into the hat, and it has been reported that Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela will stand for the position. In an an internal letter sent to DA members and public representatives on Tuesday, Ntuli said if DA members were honest with themselves, they would know the party “is in deep crisis”.

Parliament wants govt to work together on virus

Parliament’s portfolio committee on tourism says the novel coronavirus outbreak highlights the need for inter-departmental coordination to minimise the threat of it spreading to the country. In a statement issued on behalf of chairperson Supra Mahumapelo, the committee raised questions on the readiness of government for the global outbreak of the virus. “The outbreak of the coronavirus puts the spotlight on the need for SA to focus on the African continent for inbound tourism. This also emphasises the need to further develop domestic tourism to act as a buffer for the tourism sector whenever such outbreaks occur,” Mahumapelo said. The committee said it was imperative for the tourism sector to be ready should an incident involving tourists occur.

Municipal worker held for theft of Eskom millions

A KZN municipal worker has been arrested for allegedly stealing R4m earmarked as a payment to Eskom. The co-operative governance and traditional affairs department (Cogta) said on Tuesday that the Abaqulusi municipal official allegedly sent money to his account during a transaction with Eskom in December 2019. In March last year, the municipality faced an electricity switch-off because of exorbitant debts owed to Eskom. “It is alleged that in December 2019, when the municipality was making a payment of R3,918,716.89 to Eskom, an official changed the recipient’s banking details. When the bank discovered the discrepancy, the said official went further to instruct the bank to continue with the payment,” said Cogta. They were able to recover R2,596,547.25 from the official's account.

Ex-Media24 man faces four new sex assault charges

Four new sexual assault charges were laid on Tuesday against former Media24 employee and teacher Willem Breytenbach. The new charges bring the total Breytenbach, 56, faces to seven. Police requested a postponement for further investigations when Breytenbach appeared in the Cape Town magistrate's court, and the prosecutor indicated further charges were likely. The case was postponed until March 30.

Protest-gripped UKZN calls off lectures

The University of KwaZulu-Natal suspended lectures at all its campuses on Tuesday following a wave of fiery protests. Protests spread to the university’s Pietermaritzburg campus, where a guardhouse and a kitchen attached to an exam hall went up in flames on Monday night. The exam hall itself did not catch fire. At the university’s Westville campus, protesters set fire to part of the gymnasium and a mobile office. The protests come after an office building of the HIV-Aids support unit at the Howard College campus in Durban was torched on Monday. At the Edgewood campus, a car was set on fire.

Jeremy Maggs quits top eNCA post

eNCA on Tuesday announced that its acting editor-in-chief, Jeremy Maggs, was immediately stepping down. A statement issued by eMedia Investments said the veteran journalist requested to be relieved from his duties. “Jeremy has been in the position for the past 12 months, and has asked to be relieved from his duties as the stressful nature of the job was impacting on him negatively,” the company said. Maggs said he felt the decision was for the best. “This has not been an easy decision, but for the past few months the stressful nature of the job has caused me to re-evaluate both my position at the station and my life choices. I’ve been stressed and unwell for some time, and I’ve made this decision in my own best interests and that of the station,” he said. Maggs will continue with his anchoring duties.

THE VISUAL SIDE

Karabo Tau, 18, from Claremont High School, appeared in the Bellville magistrate’s court on Tuesday for her bail application. Tau was arrested after allegedly posing as a social worker and kidnapping baby Kwahlelwa Tiwane.

CROSSWORDS

GIVE YOUR BRAIN SOME EXERCISE

Today’s cryptic crossword

It's time to put your brain to work

1 min read

Today’s quick crossword

How fast can you get it done?

1 min read

WORLD

THE NEWS YOU DON'T NORMALLY GET TO HEAR

SNAPSHOT

6 things you need to know about the world

Official nailed to the cross at virus epicentre

Hubei Red Cross vice-president Zhang Qin, who was working at the epicentre of China’s coronavirus outbreak, was dismissed for dereliction of duty following local anger over the withholding of access to donated medical equipment. Two other officials received disciplinary warnings for the same charge. – AFP

Speechless: Tamil-language anthem gets dropped

A Tamil-language version of Sri Lanka’s national anthem was dropped from independence day celebrations, with critics saying the move was a setback to reconciliation after years of ethnic civil war. A Tamil-language version was included in the 2016 event as part of a push to heal the wounds of a 37-year war between Tamil separatists and the Sinhalese-majority. But at celebrations marking the anniversary of independence, the anthem was sung only in Sinhala. – AFP

Lesotho’s first lady turns herself in

Lesotho's first lady came out of hiding and turned herself in for questioning over the brutal 2017 murder of the prime minister’s previous wife. Maesaiah Thabane, 42, went missing last month after she was summoned by the police as part of an investigation into the killing of Lipolelo Thabane, PM Thomas Thabane’s estranged wife. – AFP

‘Sustainable development fee’ for Indian tourists

Bhutan is introducing a ‘sustainable development fee’ for regional tourists following a spike in Indian visitors that has sparked worries for the unique Himalayan kingdom’s cherished ecology. The majority of tourists already cough up $250 a day in high season to visit the country of 750,000 people famous for putting happiness before economic growth and being carbon negative. – AFP

Where’s the legal basis for GPS data, Google?

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has launched an inquiry into Alphabet Inc’s Google related to the processing of location data. The inquiry will look into whether Google has a valid legal basis to process the location data of its users and whether it meets its obligations as a data controller with regard to transparency. – Reuters

Long-lost Greek film sounds in French archive

The first silent Greek film set to music, believed lost for decades, will be shown again this month after resurfacing in a French archive. The 1930 film Oi Apachides ton Athinon (The Apaches of Athens) was rediscovered in 2016 by the Cinémathèque Française. Seen as an a vital link in the history of early Greek cinema, it was digitally restored at a lab in Bologna, Italy. – AFP
Sri Lanka's military march with national flags during the 72nd Independence Day ceremony in Colombo.
MILITARY STAFF Sri Lanka's military march with national flags during the 72nd Independence Day ceremony in Colombo.
Image: Reuters/Dinuka Liyanawatte

THE BUSINESS

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Hudaco: Feast on the divvy while SA gears up for ...

Lean, well-managed importer and distributor is perfectly placed for a broad-based economic upswing

By Chris Gilmour
2 min read

Life remains weird among the hot ashes of African ...

Minority shareholders in African Phoenix Investments  have been on a rollercoaster since the business rescue

By Ann Crotty
1 min read

LIFESTYLE

CULTURE COMES ALIVE

Only a wooden heart wouldn’t love a Valentine’s Day getaway

‘Month of Love’ specials from around the country

By Di Sparks
6 min read

Know which wine to choose? If not, here’s where to go

The 2020 SA Wine and Cellar Classification or the ‘Top Wine SA’ guide by Mike Froud are at your service

By Michael Fridjhon
3 min read

Shamwari splashes $25m to get back in the game

Refurbishment puts iconic Eastern Cape reserve back on top of the five-star safari bucket list

By Richard Holmes
2 min read

SPORT

FINISH LINE ESSENTIALS

SPORTS DAY: Scotland to help Boks say goodbye to ...

Your roundup of the sporting news of the day

David Isaacson
Sports reporter
3 min read

Blasts from the past: Baronet on an unbeaten run ...

Today in SA sports history: February 5

David Isaacson
Sports reporter
1 min read