It’s Wednesday, 3 June, and this is News Bite with Marcelle Gordon.
At the Madlanga Commission, Lieutenant-Colonel Gavin Jacobs of the Counter-Narcotics Unit is in the hot seat as the inquiry probes how 541kg of cocaine, valued at more than R200-million, vanished from a Hawks storage facility in Port Shepstone. The commission is examining whether the failure came down to an inability to store the drugs or an unwillingness to do so. The wider fight against corruption is also under scrutiny, with the SIU warning that South Africa cannot simply investigate its way out of corruption and needs proactive, risk-based prevention measures after irregularities in the Free State provincial government bursary scheme.
Malawi begins voluntary repatriation of its citizens from South Africa amid fears over vigilante action and xenophobic protests. President Cyril Ramaphosa has also raised concerns about illegal immigration, saying it places pressure on public services, while Western Cape police say the deadly stabbing of teenager Nhlamulo Sambo in Mossel Bay was not linked to anti-migrant protests, but appears to have been a burglary gone wrong.
Also today, Morocco overtakes South Africa as Africa’s leading industrial economy, with business strategist Martyn Davies pointing to South Africa’s declining competitiveness and port performance. Two suspects have been arrested in Mozambique for the Kruger National Park murders of tourist couple Ernst and Dina Marais. In Kenya, two people have been killed during protests over a proposed US Ebola isolation centre, and a new TransUnion digital fraud report shows South Africa has the highest suspected digital fraud rate on the continent.
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Bafana Bafana arrive in Mexico and settle into their Pachuca training base, with captain Ronwen Williams saying the team is not there to make up the numbers. Banyana Banyana are in Osaka for two friendlies against Japan as part of their CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations preparations, while the Stormers remain upbeat despite an injury list that includes Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who is expected to be out for up to six months ahead of their URC semifinal against Leinster.
And finally, R&B legend Peabo Bryson has died at the age of 75 after suffering a stroke. His career spanned more than five decades, with unforgettable duets and soundtrack classics that helped define modern soul.
That’s your News Bite for 3 June.
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