Ex-President Thabo Mbeki Denies Interference in Prosecution of Apartheid-Era Crimes
Former President Thabo Mbeki vehemently denies allegations of interference in the prosecution of apartheid-era crimes referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), reports News24. Mbeki labels the claims as "pure fabrication" and challenges the NPA to disclose any executive instructions to halt the cases. He insists that during his government tenure, there was no interference with the NPA's work, emphasizing that investigations were halted by the NPA, not the government. Mbeki calls for an NPA investigation and prosecution of TRC-referred cases. He refutes the existence of backdoor amnesty and clarifies a failed process initiated post-TRC, which the courts deemed in violation of the TRC Act. Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza's recent report criticizes the NPA for its failure to prosecute apartheid-era crimes, prompting further scrutiny and demands for transparency.
Ndimande Brothers to Face Extradition Hearing in AKA Murder Case
The lawyer for Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande, arrested in Eswatini for the murders of rapper Kiernan "AKA" Forbes and Tebello Motsoane, has said that they are awaiting a comprehensive application for the extradition process, reports SABC News. Sivesonke Ngwenya mentions that the extradition hearing can only proceed once they receive the full application. The Ndimande brothers, facing charges related to four cases of murder and attempted murder, are scheduled to appear in the Manzini Magistrate's Court tomorrow. Arrested two weeks ago in Mbabane, they are implicated in the killings of AKA and Tebello in February 2023, as well as two additional murders in Durban between February and March. The upcoming court appearance may mark the commencement of the extradition proceedings.
Water Shortages Hit Southern Johannesburg After Eikenhof Pump Station Outage
Joburg Water is advising residents in the southern parts of Johannesburg to use water judiciously due to shortages caused by an outage at the Eikenhof pump station, reports EWN. The city's power substation in the area was struck by lightning, affecting water pumping. Although the pumping has resumed, reservoir levels will take time to recover due to increased water consumption. Areas such as Soweto, Brixton, and parts of the Joburg CBD may experience low water pressure. The Eikenhof outage has also impacted Rand Water's booster station supplying some city reservoirs. Joburg Water is monitoring the situation and deploying roaming tankers where necessary, while City Power has not provided a restoration time for electricity in the affected area.
