MZANSI started the weekend with positive news.
On Friday afternoon, 26 Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide in Gaza.
This after South Africa filed an application instituting proceedings against the state of Israel for the violence on the people of Gaza. President Cyril Ramaphosa thanked the ICJ for upholding its role of achieving justice, promoting peace and preventing genocide.
Cops celebrate one of their own
In other news, a Durban cop who was killed in the line of duty was laid to rest on Saturday, 27 January. Constable Nosipho Zuma of Bellair SAPS was attending to a crash on the M7 Durban-bound highway on Wednesday, January 17 when she was struck by a truck. She passed away due to severe injuries.
Police Minister Bheki Cele along with national Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola were among those who paid their last respects to the officer at the Hammarsdale Community Hall in Mpumalanga township in KZN.
Cops observed this years’ National Police Day by raising funds for the children of police officers who died in the line of duty.
While celebrating National Police Day on Saturday, 27 January, they remembered the sacrifices that the men and women in blue have made.
Politicians go all out
In political news, former DA leader, Mmusi Maimane launched his party manifesto in Bertrams, Johannesburg on Sunday, 28 January. Speaking to his party supporters, he spoke about the change that Build One South Africa (BOSA) will bring in Mzansi.
During the manifesto launch, the party promised to provide jobs for every household in the country and their plan is to grow the economy for jobs.
DA leader, John Steenhuisen visited Soshanguve’s crime hotspot in Block P famously known as “Jukulyn” in the north of Tshwane on Saturday (27 January) to call out the governing party for its failure to deal with criminal activities in the Kasi.
Steenhuisen went as far as taking a swipe at Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi for hiring crime wardens. He said instead of using the funds allocated for crime prevention wardens, they should have been redirected toward improving the capabilities of the South African Police Service.
“Here in Soshanguve, you don’t need me to tell you about the cost of violent crime. The people of Soshanguve are subjected to this living hell on a daily basis," he said.
He added:
While Steenhuisen was boasting about how his party can curb crime in Tshwane, GOOD party called him out on the crime statistics in the Western Cape, where the DA governs.
Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General said Steenhuisen wants people to believe that, due to his party’s brilliance, murder in the DA-led Western Cape province is down 40%, in fact, the most recent set of national crime statistics, released at the end of November 2023 recorded a near 11% spike in the provincial murder rate.
“Steenhuisen is shamelessly exploiting peoples’ suffering under grotesque rates of crime to claim a false advantage for his party at the elections.”
“This is part of the overall DA strategy to present the DA-led Western Cape as exceptional compared to other provinces. In fact, the quality of life of people struggling for resources in the Western Cape is equally miserable and under-resourced as that of their peers in any other province,” he said.
In Limpopo, Patriotic Alliance (PA)leader, Gayton Mckenzie went on a campaign trail where he promised voters that his party will fight against illegal immigrants, drugs and poverty.
Addressing voters at a local church in Westernburg, Polokwane, Mckenzi said unless the people there love suffering, then his party will not do well, but if they want change, he is their guy.
“I mean I was at your border trying to protect them and to show them we are a borderless country already. The PA is the fastest growing party in the country that brings coloured people, black people and white people together.
“You can see in this hall it’s not just coloured people and that is what we are about, building a new South Africa,” he said.
In KZN, hundreds of people attended the uMkhonto Wesizwe Party (MK) at KwaXimba in the west of Durban. Party coordinator Thulani Gamede said the party will prioritise its voters when it comes to land and free education.
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“You remember that Zuma was the one who pronounced free education and the ANC failed with that, but I am not here to speak about the ANC. Our mandate as the MK is we want people to have land,” he said.
Former ANC leader Jacob Zuma also addressed the masses and said the party’s main priority will be land and giving power back to traditional leaders.
He said: “Our land will return and we will put it to better use. You see, Parliament is no longer the same. Back then, traditional leaders were in charge. When parliament was built, traditional leaders held higher authority, and politicians used to report to traditional leaders.
Back in Gauteng, ANC resumed with its National Executive Committee meeting in Boksburg. The meeting will be followed by the party's national Lekgotla, which is expected to outline the ANC’s plan of action for the coming year.
The party said it will also discuss the Zondo Commission Report, those implicated and their appearance before the Integrity Committee. Zuma is expected to be part of the discussions.
Sports makes headlines
In sports news, SA Rugby announced on X (previously Twitter) that SA Rugby director, Rassie Erasmus was hospitalised. They said he was recovering in hospital following a medical procedure for chemical burns sustained in a freak accident using powerful detergent product.
More than 100 golf players from various corporate companies across the country came together to pledge and raise funds for the South African Police Education Trust Fund (SAPSET), where R6,6 million was raised and will go towards the educational needs of children.
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