Minister Simelane Disputes Eskom Contract Corruption Claims
Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has denied fresh corruption allegations related to her former role as a project director at Vitrovian, a company contracted by Eskom, reports EWN. A News24 report claims the company inflated prices for work at Kusile power station during her tenure. This follows previous scrutiny over a loan she received through a middleman linked to the collapsed VBS Mutual Bank. In response, Simelane's spokesperson, Tsekiso Machike, dismissed the allegations as misleading, saying that her position did not involve knowledge of financial dealings, calling the report "gutter journalism."
Joshlin Smith Investigator Faces Trial Grilling
The investigating officer in the Joshlin Smith case, Captain Wesley Lombard, will return to the stand as part of a trial-within-a-trial to determine whether confession statements from the accused, allegedly obtained under torture, are admissible as evidence, reports EWN. Lombard previously testified that co-accused Stevano van Rhyn became a suspect after inconsistencies emerged between his statement and that of another accused, Jacquain Appollis. Van Rhyn's defence attorney, Nobahle Mkabayi, challenged Lombard's decision to detain her client, arguing that initial investigators had cleared him. Lombard, however, maintained that Van Rhyn's claim of not seeing Joshlin on the day she vanished contradicted other evidence. Mkabayi will continue cross-examining Lombard as the hearing proceeds.
Three Killed in Suspected Taxi Attack in Johannesburg
Three men were shot and killed in an apparent taxi-related attack in Vlakfontein, south of Johannesburg. Gauteng police are investigating the murders after finding the victims with gunshot wounds inside a Toyota Quantum, reports SABC News. The motive remains unclear, and authorities have urged anyone with information to contact the Crime Stop Line (08600 10111) or submit anonymous tips via the MySAPS App.
