Indholdsfortegnelse for 2025-12-18 i Daily News

As a millennial who grew up loving the blockbusters of the late 1990s and 2000s, I was delighted to learn about the star-studded cast of Oh. What. Fun. From Michelle Pfeiffer in the lead of the new Amazon Prime Christmas movie to Eva Longoria, Chloë Grace Moretz and Denis Leary making appearances, this nostalgic line-up had me genuinely excited. But not even this illustrious talent – which also includes a few newer faces – could save the film from mediocrity. Sure, it offers some humorous and charming moments, and it’s packed with relatable themes, but the production ultimately fails to leave a lasting impression. Pfeiffer (who is truly ageing like fine wine) is its biggest redeeming quality because, overall, we are exhausted by the predictable Christmas-movie formula and the reliance…

The Verulam temple collapse site, where five men lost their lives, has been officially declared a crime scene as investigations continue into the disaster. This was stated by Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson on Wednesday. “The site has now been formally classified as a crime scene and will be handed over to the Department of Employment and Labour to continue with statutory investigations alongside other authorities,” Macpherson said. The building, a reinforced concrete multi-storey structure that was still under construction, collapsed last week while concrete was being poured on the edifice’s upper levels. Rescue teams worked tirelessly to recover the victims’ bodies from the debris, with four of the five men laid to rest on Tuesday. The Public Works Department is set to take control of the site to facilitate…

The eThekwini Municipalityy’s Agri-business division will enter into a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding with Bethel Estate for the implementation of the Tshalanathi Farmer Support programme, involving 45 vegetable farmers. The initiative is now upscaling up to 100 farmers, of which 45 are based in eThekwini. The eThekwini Economic Development and Planning Committee, in a report to council, stated that this would be over three years and that the committee would receive regular progress updates. The Sustainable Trade Initiative will fund the programme to empower small-scale farmers within the municipality through enhanced market access, capacity development and value chain integration. The division regarded Bethel Estate, in the south of KwaZulu-Natal, as a reputable agribusiness entity with a proven record in linking emerging farmers to major retail markets such as Freshmark. This…

Scores of mourners gathered at Medley House in Brakpan yesterday afternoon for the final memorial service of Marius van der Merwe, known as Witness D at the Madlanga Commission. The emotional atmosphere was marked by uncontrollable tears from his wife. A sombre mood gripped the venue as family and friends paid their last respects to Van der Merwe, who was gunned down last month. During the service, Van der Merwe’s wife, children, and other relatives were overcome with grief and wept openly. Following the memorial, his body was due for cremation. He was shot dead in front of his wife and children outside his Brakpan home. Police said he had just arrived home with his wife when he was attacked as he attempted to open the gate. “He was certified…

Ismail Ayob, the renowned South African lawyer who played a pivotal role in representing Nelson Mandela and numerous anti-apartheid activists, has died at the age of 83 in Johannesburg. Throughout his distinguished legal career spanning over five decades, Ayob became known as one of the most significant attorneys during South Africa’s Struggle against apartheid, serving as the personal legal counsel to both Nelson Mandela during his imprisonment and to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela for many years. Ayob represented Mandela during his imprisonment in the 1970s and in various matters after his release. During Mandela’s incarceration, Ayob was the only lawyer allowed to visit him on Robben Island and he served as his personal lawyer for many years, also representing Madikizela-Mandela. Ayob represented several political prisoners and was also most notably part of…

Enzo Maresca said he appreciated the backing of Chelsea's fans after they sang his name during Tuesday's 3-1 win at Cardiff in the League Cup quarter-finals. Chelsea moved into the semi-finals thanks to Alejandro Garnacho's double and a Pedro Neto strike, after David Turnbull had equalised for League One leaders Cardiff. The Blues did not have it all their own way in a hard-fought clash, but reaching a third semi-final in 18 months provided further evidence of Maresca's impact since he arrived from Leicester in 2024. It was a well-timed victory after Maresca admitted following Saturday's 2-0 win over Everton that the previous 48 hours had been his worst at Stamford Bridge because he and his team lacked "support" from "many people". The Italian's comments had fuelled speculation he was…

While it was all fun and games watching the Proteas Women put together their highest ODI total at St George’s Park in Gqeberha earlier this week, the cricket on display was mediocre, and probably their worst game this year. A quick glance at the Proteas Women scorecard during the second limited overs match against Ireland on Reconciliation Day would leave many with smiles on their faces. Proteas Women captain Laura Wolvaardt brought up her 12th One Day century, top-order batter Sune Luus brought up her second career century, while former captain Dane van Niekerk blasted 88 off just 47. These are numbers that would lead many to believe that the squad is continuing from where they left off in this year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, where they reached the…

As a 30-something year-old born and raised in Johannesburg, I grew up listening to DJ Warras (real name Warrick Stock) on the radio. Having followed his career over the decades, I am deeply saddened by his death and will always remember his engaging and warm personality. The 40-year-old radio personality and television host was murdered outside the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg on Tuesday. It is believed that after parking his vehicle at the centre in the Johannesburg inner city, he was approached by three unknown suspects, who opened fire before fleeing the scene on foot. This tragic and horrifying crime was committed against one of the nation’s most beloved stars, a man who spread joy throughout his nearly two-decade-long career. As a teenager, I have fond memories of tuning into…

The Pietermaritzburg High Court’s decision that nullified several Umvoti Local Municipality council resolutions could leave two senior officials without bodyguards. On Monday, the court set aside several council meetings and its resolutions. According to municipal sources, one of the resolutions taken in the meetings that the court set aside was the provision of security to the two senior officials who had received death threats. After a brawl that went viral last week, during which the two Abantu Batho Congress (ABC) councillors were forcibly removed from the council, the ABC’s Philani Mavundla went to court. He asked that the Speaker, Ntombi Ngubane, be interdicted from preventing his party’s councillors from attending the meeting. The ABC also asked the court to set aside all council decisions that were taken without the participation…

The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Health has appointed Penelope “Penny” Msimango as their Head of Department (HoD). MEC Nomagugu Simelane described Msimango's appointment as a move that promises to enhance stability and continuity within the department. The announcement was officially made during the Department's monthly Management Committee (MANCO) meeting, where Msimango was introduced to the senior leadership team. Previously serving as the acting HoD, Msimango now assumes the role permanently, armed with a revitalised mandate to facilitate systemic transformation, organisational reform, and enhanced service delivery across the province's healthcare system. Simelane expressed optimism regarding the new leadership, stating that Msimango's appointment marked a decisive turning point for the department. “The appointment of Ms Msimango marks a new chapter for this department,” Simelane said. “She brings extensive institutional knowledge and a…

The Ethics Committee has issued a stern warning to Members of Parliament regarding their obligations under the Code of Ethical Conduct. The warning came following the adoption of five committee reports by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) yesterday, exposing a disturbing trend of misconduct among some parliamentarians. Co-chairperson Joseph Britz emphasised that the integrity of Parliament requires members to uphold the highest ethical standards, warning that persistent disregard for the code will lead to harsher penalties. “The committee has resolved to initiate a comprehensive review of the Code of Ethical Conduct and members’ interests. This review will focus on strengthening enforcement mechanisms, adopting provisions relating to visual conduct, and enhancing deterrence for repeated violations,” Britz said. The committee’s findings presented to the NCOP included complaints lodged against Deputy President…

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the world is already having a negative effect on computer hardware prices, and that trend is set to continue in 2026. The key hardware component for the vast requests handled by AI apps like ChatGPT and Google Gemini is Random Access Memory (Ram) or Unified Memory. The amount of Ram in a computer determines how much work it can do at once, and the CPU-intensive nature of completing AI tasks means it requires more memory just to keep pace. The majority of budget PCs still ship with 8GB Ram, and in rare cases, less, but this is set to change quickly – possibly as soon as next month. No longer will a bottom-of-the-range laptop be able to run the complicated AI apps…

Fifa World Cup organisers unveiled a new cut-price ticket category on Tuesday after a backlash by fans over-pricing for the 2026 tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico. Football's global governing body Fifa said in a statement that it had created a limited number of "supporter entry tier" tickets fixed at $60 (about R1 000) for all 104 matches, including the final. It said the plan was "designed to further support travelling fans following their national teams across the tournament". Fifa said that the $60 tickets would be reserved for fans of qualified teams and would make up 10% of each national federation's allotment. Fan group Football Supporters Europe (FSE), which last week called prices "extortionate" and "astronomical", responded by saying Fifa was offering too little. "While we welcome Fifa's…

The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) has been asked by the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) to probe the National Prosecuting Authority head Shamila Batohi’s alleged role in the killing of then 16-year-old Kwazi Ndlovu during a police operation in KwaZulu-Natal in 2010. On Wednesday, MKP MP Des van Rooyen, accompanied by party members, filed a complaint against Batohi at the IDAC office in Pretoria. Van Rooyen said: “What is at the centre of our affidavit that we have submitted at IDAC is a conduct of a certain police officer by the name of (Gonasagren) Padayachee and of course the conduct of Shamila Batohi, as well as a prosecutor who was charged with the responsibility of looking over the matter of a young boy who was killed under the pretext of…

The SAPS in KZN shot and killed a suspect following a shootout at Maydon Wharf on Monday. According to a SAPS statement, the suspect was wanted for several serious offences, including murder and attempted murder, allegedly committed in Sawoti, in the Ugu District Municipality of the KZN, earlier this month. Police revealed that the suspect was also linked to a case in Mbumbulu, where four people were brutally killed, and was wanted for alleged involvement in a cash-in-transit robbery that occurred in Umlazi on December 5. The SAPS received intelligence indicating that the armed suspect was heading towards Durban’s central business district. The information was operationalised by their members and they worked in conjunction with metro police officers. “The minibus taxi in which the suspect was travelling was spotted by…

Organised crime continues to surge and deepen across the African continent while state resilience to these threats is weakening. This is according to the 2025 Africa Organised Crime Index, which stated that many countries on the continent tend to favour institutional responses, such as using non-state actors, when it comes to building resilience. The non-state actors play a vital role in growing resilience by supporting vulnerable communities and holding authorities to account. They are often at the forefront of leading social protection efforts. However, since the 2021 index, the ‘non-state actors’ resilience indicator has declined the most. The index, published by the EU-funded Enact programme – run by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Interpol and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, found that the most pervasive criminal markets…

The US has demanded answers from the government following a raid on a centre processing US-bound refugee applications in Johannesburg, during which seven Kenyan nationals were arrested. According to CNN, the US government is “seeking immediate clarification from the South African government” and expects “full cooperation and accountability,” State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott was quoted as saying. “We’ll have more to say once all the facts are confirmed, but the Trump Administration will always stand up for US interests, US personnel, and the rule of law,” Pigott told CNN. “Interfering in our refugee operations is unacceptable.” Earlier yesterday, IOL reported that the Department of Home Affairs had arrested seven Kenyan nationals for illegally working in South Africa while in possession of tourist visas, following an intelligence-driven operation in…

In South African cricket, we could have a world-class player scoring runs and taking a bunch of wickets every season in domestic cricket, all for them to never don the green and gold. Some go on to play for South Africa but find themselves back in domestic cricket, as it is incredibly difficult to be a regular in the Proteas setup. This is not a matter of mismanagement, but a matter of the abundance of talent. Had the likes of Colin Ingram hailed from countries such as New Zealand or even England, they probably would have had longer international careers. However, at the time, there were the likes of AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and Jacques Kallis making up the top- to middle-order in white-ball cricket. Proteas wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton…