Ruling Party ANC Calls Zuma "Ill-Disciplined" for Backing Rival MK Party
Former South African President Jacob Zuma's public endorsement of the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has sparked severe criticism from the African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal, reports News24. The move, seen as a display of "gross ill-discipline" and an effective divorce from the ANC, came as Zuma refused to campaign for the party in upcoming elections. Zuma's public backing of the newly formed MK Party, named after the ANC's anti-apartheid military wing, ignited fury in the ANC's KwaZulu-Natal stronghold. They blasted it as a betrayal, tantamount to divorcing the party, and denounced his refusal to campaign for them in the 2024 elections. Zuma, however, claims his support aligns with his "patriotic front" vision and vows to campaign for the nascent MK Party.
Implats Miners in Illegal Underground Protest, Safety Concerns Mount
Over 2,000 Implats miners in Rustenburg sparked chaos by staging an illegal underground protest, reports TimesLIVE. Flaring tensions at the Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine saw 2,205 workers remain below, raising concerns of coercion and safety. Motive remains unclear, but echoes recent unrest at the Gold One mine, where miners were allegedly held hostage. Implats condemns such disruptions, citing safety protocols and vowing to investigate while grappling with the recent mine tragedy that claimed 11 lives.
Wife of "Dead" Al-Qaeda Abductee Begs for His Return
Amanda Bothma, whose husband Christo was presumed dead due to an Al-Qaeda kidnapping, expressed both hope and despair after six years of uncertainty, reports Karyn Maughan in an exclusive News24 report. While thrilled at paramedic Gerco van Deventer's release, she continues to cling to the hope of Christo's return despite legal actions declaring him deceased. Christo, a mining employee kidnapped alongside his boss' son in Burkina Faso, was believed murdered by Al-Qaeda, but conflicting accounts about his fate persist. The family, assisted by Gift of the Givers, faced demands for proof of death, unaffordable and questionable in legitimacy. Bothma left without closure, lives in a limbo between hope for Christo's return and yearning for answers from his captors, holding onto memories and refusing to speak of him in the past tense.
