Author: newsnote correspondent

UMZINTO – KwaZulu-Natal police have opened an inquest docket after the man suspected of stabbing five people to death in Malangeni Phase 2, Umzinto, was found hanging from a tree on Sunday morning, 7 December 2025. According to police, the horror began on Saturday night when a 39-year-old man allegedly argued with his 32-year-old girlfriend because she wanted to attend a church sermon. He is accused of stabbing her multiple times, killing her on the spot. The suspect then allegedly went on a rampage in the same area, stabbing four more people. Two of the additional victims died on the…

Eskom has swung back to profitability for the first time in eight years, posting more than R24 billion in profit for the first six months of the current financial year, Cabinet announced on Wednesday. Briefing reporters after the final Cabinet meeting of 2025, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the state-owned power utility’s performance vindicated government’s multi-year turnaround strategy. “Eskom has moved from a struggling entity to a profitable one,” Ntshavheni told journalists in Pretoria. She revealed that profit for the period to September 2025 was 37% higher than the same six months in 2024. The minister highlighted dramatic…

South Africa has launched a diplomatic offensive to block U.S. President Donald Trump from excluding the country from next year’s G20 leaders’ summit in Miami, Florida. The standoff escalated after Trump announced on Truth Social that South Africa would not be invited to the 2026 gathering, citing the Johannesburg summit boycott and a disputed ceremonial gavel handover. Speaking at the ANC National General Council on Monday, NEC member Thandi Moraka urged the remaining 18 G20 members to defend South Africa’s permanent seat. “We are a group of 20, not a group of 19,” she said, stressing that no single member…

The Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday dismissed an application by former president Jacob Zuma and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party seeking to set aside President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to place Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave. The court also rejected challenges to the appointment of Firoz Cachalia as acting minister and the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry chaired by retired Constitutional Court justice Zak Yacoob Madlanga. In a judgment delivered by three judges, the court ruled that the president acted within his constitutional powers when he suspended Mchunu pending the outcome of the…

Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has emphasised that all foreign actors operating in South Africa, including intelligence operatives, must strictly adhere to the country’s laws and respect its sovereignty. Ntshavheni made these remarks in a written parliamentary reply addressing the presence and activities of foreign intelligence agencies within the Republic. She highlighted that South Africa’s intelligence community continuously monitors global and regional developments, particularly the impact of great power competition on African economies and political stability. “It is standard practice for sovereign nations, including South Africa, to monitor the activities of foreign intelligence services within their borders,” Ntshavheni stated.…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday at Castel Gandolfo as he prepared to send Washington revised proposals aimed at ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Earlier, Zelensky held talks with European leaders in London and Brussels, navigating pressure from US President Donald Trump for a settlement. Trump has criticized Zelensky for not fully reviewing the US administration’s initial 28-point plan, which Ukraine and its allies deemed overly favorable to Russia. After weekend discussions with the US, the plan has been reduced from 28 to 20 points, which Ukrainian and European officials are now reviewing. “We do…

The Randburg Magistrates’ Court has informed a Midrand couple accused of operating a child sexual trafficking ring that they now face more than 900 charges. Darren Wilken and his girlfriend, Tiona Moodley, are alleged to have manufactured and distributed over ten million copies of child sexual abuse material. The pair was arrested in January; Moodley has since been granted bail, while Wilken remains in custody. A key development in court saw Magistrate Anna Oosthuizen impose a strict condition on Moodley’s bail: she is barred from having any contact—direct or indirect—with State witnesses, including her own mother, who has turned State…

Paramount Skydance on Monday launched an unsolicited $108.4 billion all-cash tender offer for all outstanding shares of Warner Bros Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD), directly to shareholders, in a dramatic attempt to derail Netflix’s recently agreed $72 billion acquisition of key Warner assets.The $30-per-share cash offer represents a 139% premium to Warner Bros Discovery’s undisturbed share price before takeover talks emerged and delivers approximately $18 billion more in immediate cash to shareholders than Netflix’s $27.75-per-share mix of cash and stock.Warner Bros Discovery’s board said it would review the Paramount proposal but maintained its recommendation in favor of the Netflix transaction, advising shareholders…

Tensions rose at the inquiry into suspended South Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Andrew Chauke as his legal representatives pressed National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Shamila Batohi to clarify discrepancies in the inquiry’s terms of reference. Chauke faces the inquiry after being placed on suspension, with proceedings chaired by retired Justice Bess Nkabinde. During cross-examination, Chauke’s defence team challenged Batohi on whether the terms guiding the inquiry were properly constituted and accurately reflected her recommendations. Batohi testified that the draft terms of reference she had submitted were not identical to the version eventually approved and signed by the president.…

The High Court in Johannesburg has dismissed an urgent application by Black Rock Mining to temporarily freeze a portion of the settlement paid by Vodacom to “Please Call Me” inventor Nkosana Makate. Black Rock, represented by businessman Errol Elsdon, sought to block access to 40% of Makate’s payout, claiming entitlement to the funds under a disputed 2011 funding agreement. The value of the settlement remains confidential under a non-disclosure agreement. Judge proceedings found that Black Rock failed to demonstrate any intention by Makate to hide or dissipate the funds, and therefore did not meet the requirements for a freezing order.…