It’s Wednesday, 10 June, and this is News Bite with Marcelle Gordon.
In Johannesburg, 12 people have been shot and killed at the Jumpers Informal Settlement in Cleveland, with nine others wounded. Police say more than 10 suspects allegedly arrived in a white Toyota Quantum near a petrol station before entering the settlement and opening fire. A manhunt is now underway. The Cleveland mass shooting came just hours after Gauteng Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni reported a decline in serious and contact crimes in the province. He has rejected claims that law enforcement is failing.
Around 500 Nigerian nationals have begun their voluntary repatriation process, fully funded by the Nigerian government. The first flight is expected to leave OR Tambo on Wednesday night, while more than a thousand citizens have expressed interest in returning home ahead of the so-called 30 June deadline linked to anti-illegal migration groups. Nigerian community leaders say many citizens have been left in limbo by permit backlogs and visa-related problems.
In Northern Ireland, violent anti-immigration protests in Belfast have seen a bus and other vehicles torched, with major roads blocked. The unrest reportedly followed a stabbing allegedly involving a Sudanese suspect and targeted black residents. The violence has been condemned by leaders in Northern Ireland and by the UK Prime Minister.
In Johannesburg, the city says its growing population is placing added pressure on municipal waste services. The metro has been taken to task in Parliament over slow waste collection in high-density areas, with Joburg Mayor Dada Morero facing questions from Scopa over service delivery and illegal dumping.
Parliament’s Police Portfolio Committee has asked SAPS to explain the finer details of its investigation into the Phala Phala farm theft. Police previously cited insufficient evidence, with Major General Leon Rabie now setting out the investigative position before MPs.
A legal challenge over South Africa’s birth registration backlog is expected to be heard in the Western Cape High Court. Parents who have waited years to register their children have turned to UCT’s Children’s Institute and the Legal Resources Centre for help. Unregistered children can struggle to access basic services, including healthcare.
In other news we’re keeping an eye on, the family of Gcina Dhladhla, a 29-year-old woman who died at Cartrack’s Rosebank offices, is demanding answers. Her family says she told her supervisor she was unwell but continued working, later collapsing and dying at the office. Cartrack has denied claims that she was not allowed to leave.
SARS and the Hawks have seized 30 bricks of cocaine at Durban harbour, just days after another major drug interception at the same port. About 90kg of cocaine was previously found hidden in trucks from Brazil.
In the United States, FIFA World Cup stadium workers in Los Angeles are threatening to strike over safety concerns. A tentative agreement has prevented strike action before Friday’s match between the US and Paraguay, but workers also want guarantees that federal immigration agents will not be allowed inside the venue.
SPORT
Bafana Bafana are preparing for their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on Thursday night. The fixture lands on 11 June, the same date South Africa and Mexico opened the 2010 World Cup. Bafana’s 2010 heroes, including Bernard Parker and Lance Davids, have been reflecting on the pressure facing the current squad. Banyana Banyana have also given South African football a boost, beating Japan 1-0 in their second friendly international, with Linda Motlhalo scoring and Kaylin Swart making a crucial save.
And finally, World Cup pressure is not just a football thing. It is nerves, history, national expectation and 90 minutes of collective blood pressure.
That’s your News Bite for 10 June.
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