Author: Silver Sibiya

A crackdown by Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda together with members of the JMPD on hijacked and vandalised buildings have led to an arrest of 23 suspects including a Joburg Councillor. The property in question belongs to the City of Joburg and is valued at R40 million and was intended to be used as a pound for the Joburg Metro Police Department. But recently it was identified as a possible place of shelter for the survivors of the Usindiso House in Marshalltown where 77 people died and scores injured after the building caught fire. During an inspection of the site, the…

The EFF and ActionSA have rejected the City of Joburg Council motion to increase councilors’ salaries. The motion, which was passed during Tuesday’s council meeting, was supported by the DA, ANC, and some minority parties. Salary increases was one of the items which were deliberated by the council on Tuesday. EFF Joburg Region Chairperson Sepetlele Raseruthe, told Newsnote that they’re opposed to the salary increase because it would widen the gap between the rich and the poor.“You should always remember we are a socialist movement ourselves and we are always pushing the issue of the wage gap. We can’t be…

President Cyril Ramaphosa said  illegal hijacking of buildings remains a big challenge while speaking outside the five-storey Usindiso Shelter for Women and Children Building in Marshalltown in Joburg’s inner city where 77 people died on Wednesday night after the building caught fire. By Friday hundreds of people who survived the inferno were still on the streets guarding their belongings, some saying they had nowhere to go despite the City offer of alternative accommodation. Ramaphosa said during his visit on Thursday evening that the government needs to tackle the illegal invasion of buildings. “It’s not allowed to happen (illegal invasion). It’s…

Survivors of the fire that gutted down a building in Marshalltown Johannesburg where so far 73 people perished and scores hospitalised for smoke inhalation and other injuries, are still reeling in shock and trauma. The fire started in the early hours of Thursday morning and when emergency services arrived, scores of bodies were lying on the pavement believed to be people who jumped from the building when it caught fire. Firefighters and emergency services were still inside the building where they have since recovered 73 bodies and believe the numbers could still rise as the people were living in overcrowded…

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday morning the expansion of the BRICS block with six more countries, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia getting approval to become members. Ramaphosa was speaking at the BRICS Summit on its last day at the Sandton Convention Centre in Joburg and he said the five BRICS countries reached an agreement on the guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures of the BRICS expansion process which has been under discussion for quite some time. “We have consensus on the first phase of this expansion process, and further phases will follow. We have…

President Cyril Ramaphosa called for the advancement of the interests of the Global South countries particularly, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia as well as Oceania countries during his speech at the BRICS Summit underway at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The BRICS Summit is attended by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Indian Priminister Narandra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping who are the members of the bloc. And about 30 heads of states, some from the African continent, are also part of the event. Ramaphosa said advancing the interests of…

As the 15th BRICS Summit kicked-off in Johannesburg on Tuesday, a small group of pro-Ukraine activists including Amnesty International South Africa, Ukrainian Association of South Africa and the Helen Suzman Foundation picketed a few kilometers away from Sandton Convention Centre where some of the world leaders are gathering. The group is calling for an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and are calling on the Russian authorities to stop violating people’s right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression in their own country, Ukraine. Ukrainian Association of South Africa Gauteng Representative Lesya Karpenko urged the leaders attending the summit to find…

President Cyril Ramaphosa raised concerns about what he believes to be the exclusion of minorities in South Africa’s political landscape at the celebration of 40 years since the formation of the mass movement called the United Democratic Front (UDF). “As a government, we have expressed our determination to ‘leave no-one behind’, which is in keeping with the spirit of the great UDF. The reality is that despite our gains, millions of our citizens feel left behind. “Many Coloured and Indian compatriots who were the backbone of the UDF feel excluded from our nation’s political life, and point to their under-representation…

A large contingent consisting of a private security company Black Ant and law enforcement officers swooped into Jerusalema Informal Settlement near Florida in Johannesburg on Friday following a shootout alleged to be involving illegal miners which forced the residents to abandon their homes and seek refuge at Florida Police Station. The residents, mostly women and children, sought shelter amid allegations that shacks belonging to illegal miners who are accused of terrorising the community were destroyed during the night in which sounds of machine gun fire were heard. Police said about 30 people slept at the police station on Thursday night.…

Leaders from the DA, IFP, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, United Independent Movement, Spectrum National Party and Independent South African National Civic Organisation (Isanco) are currently participating in a national convention in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni. The party’s leaders say the aim of the convention is to negotiate a pre-election agreement ahead of the 2024 General National Elections should ANC drop below 50%. IFP leader Velenkosi Hlabisa, during the media briefing held in Emperors Palace ahead of the talks said the voters should choose a better government to better their lives. “The IFP is here today because we believe that there is…