ANC members and staff picketed outside the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg on Monday, protesting the non-payment of salaries and unpaid provident fund contributions which they say are deducted but not forwarded. The demonstration took place as the party’s National General Council (NGC) got under way. Staff member Nombuso Mthembu told Newsnote that many workers have still not received their November salaries. “They have started paying the November salaries in batches,” she said. “But the numbers they say are paid compared…

National Police Commissioner General Fanie Masemola announced that three persons of interest have been linked to the assassination of Marius van de Merwe, who testified as Witness D at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria. One of the individuals has already been taken in for questioning as investigations continue. “Three persons of interest have been identified, and one has been questioned. We are confident a breakthrough is imminent as police remain on high alert for those responsible,” Masemola said.…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government must end the outsourcing of basic functions, warning that the practice opens the door to corruption. Ramaphosa was addressing the 5th National General Council of the African National Congress, on Monday where he emphasized that outsourcing has significantly weakened the state by eroding its capacity to perform essential functions. He noted that public institutions have lost the necessary skills and capabilities to deliver services effectively, as many core functions are handed over to external…