Sports bodies hit out at funding delays amid McKenzie’s R31m spend row
Delayed and limited government funding is forcing SA athletes and parents to pay their own way to international competitions, while the women’s softball team has already withdrawn from a World Cup that offered a path to Olympic qualification.
ANC’s answer to Zille? Frank Chikane tipped for Joburg mayoral race
The ANC is expected to name Reverend Frank Chikane as its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, with senior party leaders hoping the respected former director-general can revive the party’s fortunes and blunt Helen Zille’s high-profile campaign.
Steenhuisen’s chief of staff to farmer: ‘I’ll f*** you up in court’
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen’s chief of staff, Jana le Roux, has apologised after allegedly swearing at an agricultural CEO during the Nampo show and dismissing a pressure group’s concerns about foot-and-mouth disease in a leaked email.
Losing top job over far-right student group ties ‘feels unfair’, says SA-born Donald Pols
South African-born environmentalist Donald Pols says it feels unfair to lose a top job at Tata Steel over his involvement in a far-right student group 35 years ago, as his past resurfaces and threatens his career in Europe.
FF Plus leader claims intelligence plot behind Groenewald-for-president campaign
Dr Corné Mulder, leader of the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), believes “national intelligence” is behind a social media campaign promoting his predecessor, Dr Pieter Groenewald, as a possible president of South Africa.
Gayton’s FIFA World Cup trip for celebs and dept officials to cost almost R20m
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will spend between R14 million and R19.2 million to send singers, artists, football legends and a government delegation to the FIFA World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada, reports News24’s sister publication Rapport.
McKenzie invites celebs and influencers on taxpayer-funded FIFA World Cup trip
Singer Nádine, influencers and artists have been invited by Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie to attend the FIFA World Cup in North America as part of a large, taxpayer-funded delegation. The department has not disclosed the full cost or purpose of the trip.
How Pretoria and Washington cleared the path for Roelf Meyer
Months of negotiations between South African and US officials over trade, investment and diplomatic tensions paved the way for Roelf Meyer’s appointment as South Africa’s first ambassador to Washington in more than 400 days.
Prison food shock: Department paid more than R700 for a litre of cooking oil
The Department of Correctional Services said it had to cancel and renegotiate contracts with food suppliers after discovering it was paying more than 20 times the market price for certain items.
Foot-and-mouth concern as cattle get reinfected after first shot of vaccine
Two KZN farmers report reinfections after first vaccination shots, with FMD Response SA blaming an overlong vaccination window; government says the supply is sufficient, the rollout is accelerating and 80% herd coverage by December is still in reach.