Key Witnesses in Police Torture Trial Killed
A woman and a man, both key witnesses in a trial against four police officers accused of torture, were gunned down outside the Randburg Magistrate's Court, reports News24. The woman had been a suspect in a robbery incident on her employer's plot in Midrand in 2018. The trial of the four police officers - accused of torturing the woman during detention while investigating that incident - continued despite the chilling double murder. The motive for the murders is unknown, but the State has applied to secure evidence that could link the officers on trial to the murders, including their cellphones, firearms, and gunpowder residue tests.
1.2 Million Households Refuse Census in KwaZulu-Natal
The Statistician-General of South Africa, Risenga Maluleka, says that 1.2 million households in KwaZulu-Natal refused to participate in the 2022 Census, raising concerns about accurate budget allocation and service delivery to communities in the province, reports SABC News. Maluleka added that when people are not counted, it disrupts the alignment between population figures and budget distribution. In KwaZulu-Natal's King Cetshwayo district, there is a notable problem with children not being enrolled in early childhood development programmes, slightly exceeding the national average. KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube attributed this issue to many children lacking proper documentation, particularly in the northern part of the province, which complicates their registration for these programmes.
South Africans Taking Part in Israel-Hamas Conflict Could Face Prosecution - Minister
The South African State Security Agency (SSA) is monitoring the Israel-Hamas conflict. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has warned that South Africans participating in foreign armies, particularly the Israel Defence Force, may face prosecution, reports News24. Questions in the National Assembly raised concerns about South Africans' involvement in foreign military operations and private security companies, with the government emphasising the need for regulation and multilateral discussions on the matter. The Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act prohibits mercenary activity, and the SSA is working to trace those who have returned from conflict zones.
