Update@Noon

The EFF's motion to remove National Assembly Speaker, Thoko Didiza, has been defeated. The motion related to Didiza's decision not to oppose President Cyril Ramaphosa's urgent interdict application in the Western Cape High Court to halt the Parliamentary impeachment process against him. During the debate in the House, EFF leader, Julius Malema, argued that Didiza has not shown impartiality and chose to prioritise her political party. The ANC chief whip, Mdumiseni Ntuli, countered Malema, saying there is a record to show Didiza acted speedily to implement the ruling of the Concourt in May, that an Impeachment committee should be established. Zalene Merrington reports...

The Department of Home Affairs is urging couples married under customary law to register their marriages before the 31 August deadline.The department says the special registration period allows couples whose marriages were not registered on time to regularise their marital status.This includes customary marriages concluded before November 2000, as well as those concluded after the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act came into effect but were not registered within the required period. Ndileka Cola speaks for the department of Home Affairs 

Alleged criminal kingpin Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala says a contract involving him and General Sonona was never concluded. Matlala told the Madlanga Commission that there was no written proposal or agreement. He also confirmed that Sonona's son, Thato, was involved in a project to buy an apartment for rental. Matlala said the apartment was in Menlyn and he believed it cost less than three million rand. He also said General Sonona did not receive any payment from the project.

Alleged criminal kingpin Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala has told the Madlanga Commission that he had several meetings with General Sonona from late 2024 until his arrest. Matlala said the meetings continued regularly when Sonona was in Pretoria and also took place in Durban. He was questioned about WhatsApp messages in which he referred to a "project". 

Alleged criminal kingpin Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala has told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that he learned the Political Killings Task Team or PKTT, had raided his home and business after speaking to former Police Minister Cele. Matlala says businessman Brown Mogotsi had already told him this, but he did not believe him at the time.He says Cele later confirmed what Mogotsi had told him.Matlala also says General Sonona sent him a letter confirming the PKTT had been disbanded. He says he may have discussed the letter with Sonona, but cannot remember the details

Alleged criminal kingpin Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala has told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that he will remain silent when questions about his relationship with Major General Sonona could potentially expose him to criminal charges. Matlala says police investigators have already questioned him about when he first met Sonona and other aspects of their relationship. He says he does not want to answer questions that could interfere with the investigation. The commission has warned Matlala that refusing to answer everything could make it difficult for him to give his side of the allegations against him.

Alleged criminal kingpin Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala has told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that he discussed police raids at his home with General Sonona. Matlala says Sonona gave him R20,000 after the first raid, after his phones were seized and he could not make transactions. He says he later raised concerns about a second raid and Sonona offered to ask around about it. Matlala says Sonona never returned with any information. He describes their relationship as "brotherly" and says he first learned that Sonona was a police general at a funeral.

POPCRU in the Western Cape has condemned the killing of a 50-year-old police captain who was shot dead during an operation linked to investigations into recent murders in Knysna. The captain, attached to the Western Cape Tactical Response Team, was investigating the killings of former Knysna mayor and councillor Aubrey Tsengwa, Mandla Matiwane and Mandla Tyololo. The union says the killing highlights the dangers faced by officers investigating organised and violent crime. It has called for stronger intelligence, protective equipment and specialised capacity, while urging authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice. The union's Mluleki Mbhele explains 

A group of local community internet network providers plans to form a consortium that will provide broadband internet to 30-million people in half the country by 2030. They aim to provide open source broadband to everyone in townships and rural communities in 7 of the country's provinces that has the least access to the internet. This announcement has been made at the KwaZulu-Natal launch of the Sustainable Connectivity and Community-led Digital Economies programme in Inanda in the north of Durban. AdNotes CEO - Nathi Mbele - says the consortium's work will run parallel to government's similar programme. Dries Liebenberg reports . . .

President Cyril Ramaphosa answered a variety of questions during an oral question and answer session in the National Assembly. Among others, MPs asked questions about protests directed at undocumented foreign nationals as well as the impact of Operation Prosper, aimed at combatting illegal mining and gangsterism in certain parts of the country. 
Zalene Merrington reports...