News snippets from around the world

Ramaphosa returns SA to National State of Disaster in response to KZN floods

South Africa has returned to a national state of disaster, this time in response to the devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal that have claimed more than 400 lives. President Cyril Ramaphosa made the announcement in an address late last Monday night.

https://ewn.co.za/

Best-case scenario: loadshedding until Friday — Stage 6 ‘not envisioned for this week’

Shortly after stepping up load shedding to stage 4 last Tuesday, Eskom announced the earliest it will be able to consider ending the rolling blackouts will be 22 April 2022. Speaking at a press briefing, Eskom’s group executive for generation, Philip Dukashe, said load shedding would be reassessed only on Friday. “At this stage we do not envision stage 6 being necessary this week. We are hoping that will continue to be the case,” Dukashe said.

www.timeslive.co.za/

Hundreds left homeless after devastating Langa fire

Western Cape premier Alan Winde has appealed for donations of essential items to help those left homeless and destitute by recent, devastating fires in the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Langa.

www.timeslive.co.za/

War crime, crime against humanity, genocide: what’s the difference?

News24 takes a look at the different categories of the most serious crimes known to man, which the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague was set up to prosecute.

https://www.news24.com/news24/ world/news/war-crime-crime-againsthumanity-genocide-whats-thedifference-20220413

Six undocumented suspects to appear in court for R1 million worth of cable theft

Six suspects arrested for the stealing of copper cables worth R1 million and failing to produce valid passports are expected to make their first appearance at Harrismith Magistrate’s Court shortly. They were arrested on 13 April, after residents alerted the police about two suspicious vehicles at a house in Makgolokweng Village.

www.iol.co.za/

Khayelitsha mass shooting: Alleged gunman back in court for bail

The man accused of the late-March 2022 mass shooting in Khayelitsha is set to apply for bail. Thirty-six-year-old Thando Shuba is facing six counts of murder in relation to the attack.

www.thesouthafrican.com/

Agrizzi and Smith’s key relationship in Bosasa fraud scandal unfolds in court papers

Cash ‘gratifications’, university fee payments and the gift of a VW Polo for a daughter are mentioned in court papers as being among bribes allegedly made in return for Bosasa being awarded valuable tenders. The story of an alleged corrupt relationship between former Bosasa logistics company chief operating officer-(COO)-turned-whistle-blower Angelo Agrizzi and ANC parliamentarian Vincent Smith is unfolding in court papers. The businessman and the politician are seen as key players in the state’s case relating to a multimillionrand fraud scandal that involved many prominent political figures.

www.dailymaverick.co.za/

Art and crime — the dark side of the antiquities trade

For most people, museums are where we go to look at works of art or ancient artefacts. But those who can afford it prefer to have them much closer, paying millions to display exclusive pieces in their living room or study. The collection of art and antiquities is worth $50 billion (€45 billion) globally… and there is, unfortunately, an ugly side to the art market: illegal trade. It’s estimated that the illegal art trade makes up about five percent of the whole industry, and while that may seem like a small figure, it appears to be a stubborn and growing problem that’s increasingly tarnishing the art world.

www.euronews.com/

10,000 SANDF members deployed to flood-hit KZN

The South African army said last Monday that it had deployed 10,000 troops to help the nation’s East Coast recover from storms that have claimed more than 440 lives and ravaged infrastructure. Some of the troops include plumbers and electricians to help restore power and water, which have been cut off in some areas for over a week. The troops are also providing field accommodation and water purification systems. It is reportedly the deadliest storm on record for Durban and the surrounding areas of the KwaZulu-Natal province.

https://ewn.co.za/

UJ flood relief fund to go to Gift of the Givers due to lack of trust in government

The chair of the UJ council, Mike Teke, and vice-chancellor and principal Professor Tshilidzi Marwala will be donating R120,000 to the KZN flood relief fund. Marwala said UJ was expecting to raise more than R1 million, which would be handed over to Gift of the Givers: “People will ask why them, and the reason is very simple, we don’t believe that government has the capacity to handle funds. This is from the lessons we learnt from the disappearance of Covid-19 funds. So, Gift of the Givers, as a trusted entity, would be a good one.”

www.news24.com/

Four sinkholes have developed as a result of illegal mining activities, JRA says

The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) says it has identified and barricaded four sinkholes that have developed as a result of illegal mining activities in the Booysens vicinity after a recent collapse of the roads.

www.timeslive.co.za/

World Bank plans $170 bn financing to ease ‘multiple crises’

The World Bank is preparing a $170 bn package of financial help in response to the overlapping global crises of war, pandemic and inflation that are hitting the poorest countries particularly hard, its president has said. David Malpass warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had added to pressures caused by the Covid-19 crisis and soaring cost of living, and there was a need to provide assistance quickly. Under proposals that will be discussed with the World Bank’s member governments at the spring meeting of the Washington-based organisation, $50 bn would be spent over the next three months, with a further $120 bn of financing provided over the following year.

www.theguardian.com/

Russia ‘attacking 300-mile front’ as phase two of war begins; ‘bunker busting bombs’ dropped on Mariupol steel plant

A major new offensive in eastern Ukraine has reportedly begun, with Russia reportedly dropping ‘bunker busting’ bombs on Mariupol steel plant, where remaining civilians and troops are holed up, and there are concerns about Russia ‘going nuclear’.

https://news.sky.com/

WhatsApp group admins are getting the power to delete messages, as ‘Communities’ rolls out

On Thursday, WhatsApp announced ‘Communities’, a system to manage groups of groups under a single umbrella. Some related changes are coming to standard WhatsApp groups even before Communities becomes available, such as emoji reactions. There is also a new power for group admins: to delete messages from other people, and silent exits from groups.

www.businessinsider.co.za/

Watergate — whistle-blower lifts lid on ‘probably the most perfect example of ANC State Capture’

A whistle-blower, frustrated by a lack of action against more than 65 top officials in the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) who were implicated in widespread corruption, has given DM168 access to reports that reveal the department to be what the whistle-blower calls ‘probably the most perfect and comprehensive example of ANC State Capture’. The documents reveal details of officials’ complicity in corruption and violations in virtually all Water Boards, municipality, water and sanitation projects, and questionable suppliers in every province, running into tens of billions of rands over a decade.

www.dailymaverick.co.za/

Machine learning and AI is coming for corrupt officials

Data science is an emerging field of inquiry usually associated with buzzwords such as big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). All of these terms have their roots in classical statistics. Statistical learning is quite simply, learning from data. This is made possible by two conspiring realities: the costs of storing data has decreased over the years, and computational power has increased exponentially. This means that it is possible to find patterns and correlations in very large datasets (hence the term big data)… the possibilities for machine learning to tackle corruption are very exciting.

https://mg.co.za/

Global finance meeting puts war-driven food security in the spotlight

Global finance leaders are putting the growing crisis over food insecurity and skyrocketing food prices at centre stage as members of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank grapple with the brutal effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine produce 14 percent of the world’s wheat supply, according to the United Nations (UN), and the loss of commodities due to the war has resulted in soaring food prices and uncertainty about the future of food security globally, especially in impoverished countries. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization Food Price Index has made its biggest jump since its inception in 1990, reflecting an all-time high in the cost of vegetable oils, cereals and meat, according to the organisation. A late March report from the organisation stated that the global number of undernourished people could increase by eight million to 13 million people into 2023, ‘with the most pronounced increases taking place in Asia-Pacific, followed by sub-Saharan Africa, and the Near East and North Africa. If the war lasts, impacts will go well beyond 2022/23.’

www.marketwatch.com/

Rampant crime in Durban amid flood devastation

Durban Central SAPS (South African Police Service) has made several arrests in the wake of the KwaZulu-Natal floods that left parts of the city damaged last week. Crimes range from aggravated robbery, possession of stolen property, drug possession to loitering.

https://bereamail.co.za/

Two police officers, K9 dog die in KZN floods

National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, says he’s saddened by the deaths of two police officers and a police dog in KZN. Female diver, Sergeant Busisiswe Mjwara, was conducting a search in the Msunduzi River when she got into difficulty and drowned. A police dog unit, K9 Leah, also drowned while assisting Mjwara. Thirty-one-year-old Constable Thandazile Sithole died when her home collapsed on her earlier this week. At least 30 police officers have been affected by the floods. Counselling services to affected areas, including police stations and units, are being provided.

www.enca.com/

US voters worried about crime: the White House needs to listen

Voters – both Democrats and Republicans – keep telling politicians what issue matters most to them. Covid-19? Hunger? Those are big on the list, but again and again, voters say they are worried about crime. Last year, New York City elected Eric Adams, a former cop who talked about little else during the race, as its mayor. Crime is also a serious issue in Los Angeles’ mayoral race. Politico reports: “Frustrations over crime and homelessness are setting the tone in the race to become Los Angeles’ next mayor, pushing progressive candidates like Rep. Karen Bass to set their liberal priorities aside — and bolstering the chances of a billionaire centrist in California’s most sprawling and diverse metropolis.”

www.washingtonpost.com/

Airport home affairs official arrested in connection with R110K per person smuggling scam

A Home Affairs official has been arrested at OR Tambo International Airport for allegedly helping five people enter South Africa without the required documents. It is alleged that he facilitated the entry of five Bangladeshis and is believed to be a key link in an international syndicate in both countries.

www.news24.com/

Fraudulent document manufacturing plant uncovered in Hillbrow

A tipoff from the community has led to the arrest of a 47-year-old suspect who was found with fraudulent documents in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, last week.

www.iol.co.za/

KZN floods: Durban port clogged with debris, faces backlog of 8,000 containers — Gordhan

The Durban port has been reopened after severe rainfall and flooding last week. Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan says that backlogs still need to be cleared at ports and that considerable damage to the rail network linked to the port needs to be repaired. Gordhan estimates that between 8,000 to 9,000 containers have accumulated at the port because trucks could not reach the harbour areas.

www.news24.com/

14 arrested for Elvis Nyathi murder

Fourteen suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of Zimbabwean national Elvis Nyathi in Diepsloot earlier this month. Police Minister Bheki Cele and Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi visited the area following the killing and protests. The two ministries promised to embark on a joint operation to weed out undocumented foreign nationals and fight crime in Diepsloot.

www.enca.com/

Easter operations in Limpopo see police net over 1,600 suspects

Police in Limpopo arrested 1,632 suspects between 10 and 17 April 2022 in a successful joint operation, according to provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Mamphaswa Seabi. Aged between 19 and 60, the suspects were arrested on varying charges, including possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, possession and dealing in drugs and illicit cigarettes, murder, attempted murder, robbery, burglary, theft of motor vehicles, contravention of the Road Traffic Act, sexual offences, stock theft and more.

www.iol.co.za