The Week That Was
JOHANNESBURG – It was a whirlwind week of shake-ups, raids and seizures.
From Parliament's rocky proceedings, to the temporary suspension of the GEPF two-pot retirement withdrawals, Nathi Mthethwa's mortal remains finally arriving in South Africa and Kaizer Chiefs’ bold coaching changes.
These are some of the stories that made headlines this week.
Son hacks mom
On Monday, the story of a 48-year-old mother who died, allegedly at the hands of her own son, made national headlines.
A video of the gruesome murder in Mosiane View village in Mahikeng went viral. In the video, the 25-year-old could be seen continuing to hack at his mother with a shovel, even after she had died.
As investigations continue, police say drugs cannot be ruled out as a possible influence behind the murder.
In the Western Cape, officials are probing an incident where an 11-year-old child was killed and two others injured, after a police van allegedly drove into them last weekend.
Ad Hoc Committee proceedings start
On Tuesday, all eyes were on Cape Town for the SAPS Ad Hoc Committee, which got off to a rocky start.
Proceedings stalled, even before KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi could even take his oath, as political parties raised a series of procedural concerns — some warning of serious legal implications for the process.
After a lengthy adjournment, Mkhwanazi finally took the stand, where he testified about controversial North West businessman Brown Mogotsi, accusing him of hiding behind his ANC membership.
Mogotsi, who is linked to alleged criminal kingpin, Vusimuzi Matlala, insists he knows Police Minister Senzo Mchunu only as a comrade. Mkhwanazi disagreed.
As his testimony continued, Mkhwanazi lifted the lid on the misuse of secret police funds and deep-rooted corruption within the SAPS.
Asked about his safety, he admitted he does not have the resources for protection, saying he was relying on the SAPS to protect his family.
The day also brought bad news for workers hoping to access their pension savings.
The two-pot retirement withdrawal applications were temporarily suspended, with the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) saying the pause was necessary to update its systems with new actuarial factors used to calculate benefits.
The suspension is expected to end on 21 October.
Fort Hare University on fire
On Wednesday, attention still remained in Cape Town, political analyst Dr Mpumelelo Mkhabela dissected Mkhwanazi’s testimony to eNCA, noting his assertive demeanour compared to his appearance at the Madlanga Commission.
Later that evening, the University of Fort Hare made headlines after suspending campus activities with immediate effect following multiple fires on campus.
Students clashed with security personnel, and parts of the campus were set alight.
Top cop house raided
On Thursday, it was National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola’s turn to take the hot seat.
He was the second witness to testify, picking up from where Mkhwanazi left off.
As Masemola continued testifying, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) raided the Sandton home of businessman Hangwani Maumela, seizing luxury cars — including Lamborghinis — as well as artwork.
The raid followed an explosive SIU report that revealed over R2 billion was looted* through fraudulent procurement deals at Tembisa Hospital.
At the same time, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, confirmed that his home had been raided.
He claimed heavily armed officers assaulted his brother during the search, adding that he was willing to testify to clear his name.
Also on Thursday, suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya said he felt "under siege and betrayed” after his Centurion home was raided.
He confirmed that officials confiscated his laptop and phones, calling the move an intimidation tactic ahead of his expected appearances before the Madlanga Commission, Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, and an internal disciplinary hearing.
Late Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa’s remains arrive home
By Friday, things had settled into a steady rhythm, with Masemola continuing his testimony before the Ad Hoc Committee.
He faced a grilling from MPs, including ActionSA’s Dereleen James, who challenged him to name those behind criminal networks within the police.
In a court development, controversial businessman and murder accused Katiso “KT” Molefe was granted R400,000 bail by the High Court in Johannesburg.
Meanwhile, the remains of Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday morning before being flown to King Shaka International in the afternoon.
And finally, Kaizer Chiefs confirms that it has parted ways with head coach Nasreddine Nabi.