Innholdsfortegnelse for 2025-06-06 i Daily News

The Pietermaritzburg High Court yesterday ordered that an independent investigation should be instituted to probe allegations of mistreatment, including the alleged sexual violence of pupils at a KwaZulu-Natal-based school for the blind and visually impaired. This was after the court ruled that a curator ad litem should be appointed to investigate the allegations at Arthur Blaxall School for the Blind. The case was brought by Blind SA last year, following allegations that were made in 2018. Blind SA, in its application claimed the original investigation into the allegations against the school was inadequate. No one was criminally charged and prosecuted after the school and the provincial education department concluded their initial investigation. The Department of Education attempted to oppose the application on the basis that the issues raised had been…

Roman Cabanac has been fired as Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen’s Chief of Staff – and on his birthday! In a video posted on social media, Cabanac who took up the role barely a year ago, said he was not going to go quietly and said he was disappointment by the manner in which he was axed. “I received a letter that terminates my tenure as chief of staff to the Minister of Agriculture. I received it yesterday, on my birthday. Fantastic timing,” Cabanac said. He claimed the letter was flawed and that he would seek other options. The DA endorsed party leader John Steenhuisen’s decision to appoint Cabanac affirming that “he carefully considered the decision”. “He applied his mind to this,” said the DA’s spokesperson Willie Acucamp’s said at…

2025 has been a year where many teams have broken their trophy droughts, and the South African batter Aiden Markram said he is hoping the Proteas continue this trend when they take on Australia in the 2025 World Test Championship Final, starting at Lord’s on June 11. In the sporting world, cricket teams like Hobart Hurricanes and Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their BBL and IPL trophies for the first time. In football, Paris Saint Germain, Crystal Palace, Bologna FC, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United FC also broke their long trophy droughts. All of this serves as a good omen for the South African team, who haven’t won any major senior men’s silverware in cricket. “(There's) not much chat along those lines in terms of watching the other events, but hopefully…

The cities of Northampton and York may be oceans apart from Antananarivo, but for the Springbok Women, their arrival in Madagascar's capital for the Rugby Africa Women's Cup is all part of the journey to destination Rugby World Cup in England in August and September. For the coaching staff, it is all about consistency – not only on the field, but off it as well – in order to do justice to the well-planned structure of their 2025 season, something Springbok Women assistant coach Bafana Nhleko said is very important. “We are building a spine, so consistency is key to our performance and theme,” Nhleko said soon after the team touched down in Madagascar. South Africa kick off their campaign against Uganda tomorrow and Nhleko and fellow coach Franzel September…

Pressure is mounting on eThekwini Municipality mayor Cyril Xaba to act against the city manager Musa Mbhele following the Constitutional Court’s dismissal of the city’s appeal to overturn a lower court order, which ruled that it must pay a service provider R30 million for the work the company had done. On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court dismissed the city’s leave to appeal the Supreme Court of Appeal’s decision, which was taken in February, after the earlier decision handed at the Durban High Court that the city must pay the service provider in question the amount due. The city was also expected to fork out more than R20m in interest as the debt had accumulated interest, since the high court ruling was made during 2022. And the city will be required to…

WITH June 3 marking a year since a tornado devastated Tongaat, the Naidoo Road Civic Association (NRCA) will hold a post-tornado ceremony and peace prayer over the weekend. It will be held in the spirit of unity, healing, and gratitude. The association extended the invitation to community members, partners, and well-wishers. NRCA chairperson Suresh Ramsahai said: “In the aftermath of the recent tornado, our community has shown immense resilience, solidarity, and compassion. This event is an opportunity to come together in peace, reflect on our shared journey, and extend sincere thanks to those who supported and uplifted us during difficult times.” He said that as a gesture of appreciation, the NRCA will present certificates of gratitude to individuals and organisations that played a significant role in aiding the community’s recovery.…

As South Africa gears up for its upcoming international fixtures, national team coach Hugo Broos is setting the stage for Bafana Bafana to evolve beyond the reliance on Mamelodi Sundowns stars. For almost a decade, Sundowns have formed the backbone of the national team, but they are unavailable due to the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. This will allow Broos to run the rule over new players, starting with Friday’s friendly against Tanzania at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane (kick-off at 7.30pm). Broos has a second chance next Tuesday to cultivate a more diverse talent pool that reflects the rich tapestry of footballing capabilities across the nation. Bafana will host Mozambique next Tuesday evening at the same venue. Broos, who took the reins of Bafana in 2021, has been…

THERE was a moment during the elite athletes’ pre-race media conference of the Comrades Marathon at a beachfront hotel yesterday when Pie Wiersma and Tete Dijana exchanged glances and a smile flickered across both men’s faces. The smiles were fleeting though, coming as they did immediately after Dijana had declared himself not being under any pressure but loudly saying’ they have pressure’. He looked at Wiersma when he said that and the Dutchman clearly knew his adversary was playing mind games. For a significant part of the press conference, the two Nedbank Running Club athletes had not really looked at each other – although Dijana intermittently smiled when Wiersma spoke about his readiness and ‘being in the best shape’ of his life. Given the tough nature and the unpredictability of…

WITH multiple sardines shoals beaching along KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast this past week, skilled seine netter Leonard “Lenny”, Pillay, 70, is hardly like a fish out of water, its an eagerly anticipated time of year for him. For over 50 years, Pillay has been casting nets along the shores in and around Durban, bagging the popular annual fish phenomenon, as part of the region’s fishing culture. The first batch of sardines landed on the lower South Coast at Port Edward on Saturday and more shoals were reported, up the coastline, heading towards Durban, in places like Port Shepstone, Pennington, Warner Beach, Winkelspruit and Amanzimtoti by mid-week. Once and again Pillay and his crew, which usually about 12, including divers, are ready for anticipated sardines splashes at beaches closer to Durban…

THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is facing a crisis of credibility, with a string of failed cases and allegations of incompetence and corruption. The recent decision by the Free State High Court to withdraw charges against Moroadi Cholota, the former assistant to former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, has highlighted the NPA’s struggles. According to legal experts and political commentators, the NPA’s challenges were deep-seated and multifaceted. According to Richard Spoor, a legal expert, the NPA’s problems were rooted in a lack of leadership, inadequate resources, and a failure to retain skilled personnel. In the Cholota case, the NPA failed to follow the correct procedure for extraditing her from the US, leading to the charges being withdrawn. In other cases, such as the Koko and Nulane cases, the NPA has been…

THE presiding judge in the murder trial of former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa ran out of patience when he learnt that an advocate representing one of the accused in the matter won’t attend court on Monday because he was running in Sunday’s Comrades Marathon. Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng was mindful that Meyiwa was killed in 2014 and his family were waiting for justice to be served and similarly, the accused have been held in custody for three years. Therefore, he baulked at learning that Advocate Charles Mnisi requested to be excused from proceedings because of the race. The judge, visibly furious, made it clear that the seriousness of the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial could not be sidelined for personal activities. “I’m not going to respond. If Mr Mnisi doesn’t want…

LAST Monday the Western Cape’s Provincial Commissioner advocate Patekile released the crime report for the fourth quarter of 2024/25 following the national public release of the national crime report. Despite the reality that in the Western Cape, the levels of crime are a reflection of the crisis of chronic underdevelopment, the efforts of the police should be commended given some degree of reduction in certain categories of crime such as the murder rate. However, in an attempt to appease international capitalist market forces, some sections of the bourgeoisie media characterised the crime reduction as significant. It is evident that the bourgeois media has once again spun a deceptive tale, one that serves the interests of international capitalist market forces while ignoring the brutal reality working-class communities endure daily. They package…

Springbok great Victor Matfield recently said on social media that perhaps the greatest moment of his glittering career was the Bulls’ Super 14 final defeat of the Sharks in Durban in 2007. The Bulls captain’s opposite number that day, John Smit, said: “I will probably never get over it.” This was the unforgettable match in which Bryan Habana scored in the final movement of the game, with Derick Hougaard’s simple conversion sealing a 20–19 victory. The Bulls had escaped in that epic encounter, but the door was opened for them because the Sharks were pitifully poor in closing out the game. Their decision-making in the final frantic minutes could serve as a textbook case for coaches around the world on what not to do in a final. Current Sharks coach…

As the dust settles on a dramatic Betway Premiership season, it's time to take stock of how each club fared — from those who soared against the odds to others who stumbled despite high hopes. Herman Gibbs and Obakeng Meletse reflect on the campaigns of clubs that finished from eighth ninth, unpacking their highs, lows, key figures and what the future may hold. 8th | Richards Bay FC Rewarded for their hard yards The Natal Rich Boys were the surprise package among the top eight teams, securing their spot with the final kick of the season after spending much of the campaign battling relegation. Their troubles began under Brandon Truter, whose departure left the club in urgent need of a turnaround as they were staring at a second consecutive season…