First Take SA

Meanwhile Lobby group, Afriforum, alleges that the murder of former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain, Senzo Meyiwa, was an assassination and NOT a robbery gone wrong. The revelation follows the announcement of the arrest of five suspects linked to the murder. Meyiwa was shot dead in Voslorus in Ekhuruleni at the home of his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, in 2014. AfriForum's head of Private Prosecutions Unit, advocate Gerrie Nel and Meyiwa's brother, Sisfiso Meyiwa, spoke to the media in Pretoria yesterday.

Police are confident they have finally made a breakthrough in the murder case of former Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain, Senzo Meyiwa. Police Minister, Bheki Cele and National Police Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole yesterday announced the arrest of five suspects in connection with his killing with more arrests imminent. Meyiwa was gunned down in cold blood in 2014, at his songstress girlfriend's home, Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloruus, Ekhuruleni.

The Pretoria Magistrate's Court has postponed the bail application for the leader of the Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) Church, Shepherd Bushiri and his four co-accused, until Friday. The five are charged with fraud, money laundering and the contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crimes Act involving over 100-million rand

Meanwhile, Deputy President, David Mabuza, says government's poor procurement systems have led to large-scale Covid-19-related corruption. Mabuza was answering oral questions on various issues during a hybrid session of the National Assembly

The DA says that its virtual elective congress scheduled for next weekend will be the most accessible in the party's history. The congress, which is expected to see two thousand delegates attend, will see the election of a new leadership as well as the passing of resolutions to guide the party for the next five years. The party has detailed its preparations for the Congress including how it will ensure there is no voter fraud.

Executive Finance Manager at Transnet Freight Rail Yousuf Laher has denied allegations that he co-authored a memorandum which requested the then Transnet board to approve an unjustifiable one-billion-rand increase in Transnet's 1064 locomotives agreement. Yousuf Laher revealed that then Transnet Chief Financial Officer Anoj Singh had asked him ensuring that the calculations of the locomotives memorandum which was to be presented to the then Transnet board corresponded with the 1-billion-rand increase that Singh was requesting from the board. Laher appeared before the state capture inquiry in Johannesburg

Executive Finance Manager at Transnet Freight Rail Yousuf Laher told the state capture commission he was following then Transnet Chief Financial Officer Anoj Singh's instruction when he prepared a memorandum requesting the then Transnet board to approve an unjustifiable one billion rand increase for the 100 locomotives tender awarded to China South Rail. Laher was responding to previous testimony by former Electrical Engineer Francis Callard implicating him of the unjustifiable one billion rand increase of the locomotives tender. Laher was testifying before the state capture commission of inquiry in Johannesburg.

The leader of the Enlightened Christian Gatherings (ECG), Pastor Shepherd Bushiri, his wife Mary and the other co-accused, Landiwe Ntlokwana, spent another night behind bars as their bail proceedings drag on. The three were arrested on Tuesday on charges of fraud, money laundering and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act to the tune of 102 million rand.

Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has raised concerns about South Africa's Covid-19 trajectory following the latest spike in Covid-19 cases. Dr Mkhize says epidemiological reports show that over the last 7 days there has been an increase of 9.1% in new cases. Similarly, over the last 14 days, there has been an increase of 10.7%. He is in isolation after he and his wife, Dr May Mkhize, tested positive for Covid-19 at the weekend.

Former Managing Director of Rail for Hatch Engineering, Henk Bester, has told the State Capture Commission in Johannesburg that he was approached by Gupta associate, Salim Essa, who wanted Hatch to include Essa's company as a supply partner for phase 2 of a Transnet Rail Project worth 800- million-rand. Bester says they had estimated the Manganese project would cost Transnet 27-billion-rand, but the project was divided in two phases to manage costs. Bester says Essa demanded, at the Melrose Arch meeting in April 2013, that he be partnered with Hatch for the Transnet business at a cost of 80 million rand.