Cape Town —
Former Minister Bathabile Dlamini Guilty of Perjury
The former social development minister Bathabele Dlamini has been found guilty of perjury by the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court for her role in the payment of social grants in 2017.
According to Daily Maverick, Dlamini, who is the president of the African National Congress’s Women’s League, lied under oath while she was minister of social development. She will know on April 1, 2022 whether she will have to go to prison or pay a fine.
The sentence might also determine whether she would be able to accept a possible nomination for a second term, as the ANCWL conference is due in the first half of June 2022.
Opposition Democratic Alliance Calls for Amnesty for Undocumented Foreign Nationals
Undocumented foreigners should be given amnesty to leave the country and re-enter legally or apply for visas within South Africa, the Democratic Alliance has said.
According to an SABC report, this is one of the proposals put forward by the DA following the party’s federal council meeting, its highest decision-making body.
This follows a government decision to scrap Zimbabwean exemption permits at the end of 2022 and various anti-foreigner protests – the most recent of which took place in Alexandra township in Johannesburg.
Jacob Zuma In Another Effort to Remove Billy Downer From Case
Former president Jacob Zuma’s legal team approached the Supreme Court of Appeal on Wednesday, in his latest attempt at getting prosecutor, advocate Billy Downer removed from his corruption case. Zuma lost his bid to remove Downer in October 2022.
The case centres around 16 charges relating to 783 payments Zuma allegedly received from his former financial advisor, Schabir Shaik, as well as a R500,000-a-year bribe the State alleges Shaik facilitated for him from French arms company, Thales.
4×100 Relay Team Loses Gold Medal After Teammate Thando Dlodlo Guilty of Doping
Thando Dlodlo’s doping ban means South Africa has been stripped of its World Athletic Relay Championships gold they won in Poland in 2021. It is a huge blow for the team that consisted of Dlodlo, Akani Simbine, Clarence Munyai and Gift Leotlela.
According to Sports24, Dlodlo’s questionable sample was retrieved at the 2021 SA National Championships in April 2021, months before the Tokyo Olympics.
Dlodlo is banned until December 28, 2023 and will miss crucial athletics championships in that time.