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Graphic: Sharlene Rood
News24 brings you the top stories of the day,summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech feature.
Bongani Mthimkhulu and Philangenkosi Makhanya,the two suspects wanted for the kidnapping and murder of Olorato Mongale,were arrested earlier this year for the alleged kidnapping and robbery of another woman.
SAPS/Supplied
Two men wanted for Olorato Mongale’s murder had prior kidnapping,robbery arrests
Two suspects arrested earlier this year for kidnapping and robbery are now wanted for Olorato Mongale’s murder after she went on a date.Police linked the suspects,Bongani Mthimkhulu and Philangenkosi Makhanya,to a syndicate targeting women via similar methods,prompting hundreds of victim reports.A vehicle tied to Mongale’s murder was located,leading to the arrest of one suspect’s father,who owns the car.READ MORE
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Tender king Vusimusi Cat Matlala.
Graphic: Sharlene Rood/News24
9 LIVES | A Rolls-Royce,mansions and cosmetic surgery - Cat Matlala’s R360m tender splurge
Vusimusi Cat Matlala,a tenderpreneur,lived a lavish lifestyle funded by a R360-million police tender,while his staff and subcontractors went unpaid.Matlala and his family splurged on luxury cars,mansions,cosmetic surgery,and designer clothing,showcasing their wealth on social media.The police tender was cancelled amid fraud allegations,leading to a criminal probe and leaving Matlala’s subcontractors and employees in financial ruin.READ MORE
An elephant seal was first spotted in a residential area in Gordon’s Bay.
Good Hope SPCA/Supplied
Oh ‘Gordy’: Elephant seal makes second appearance in Cape Town
A southern elephant seal nicknamed “Gordy” surprised Cape Town residents by wandering into suburbia,sparking a nine-hour rescue effort.Gordy later appeared near the Naval Base in Simon’s Town,where SPCA and City officials are monitoring him as he rests safely.Southern elephant seals,known for coming ashore to moult,can grow up to seven metres and weigh five tonnes.READ MORE
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Governor Lesetja Kganyago said underlying inflation was well contained,with conditions more settled than during its last meeting in March.
SA Reserve Bank
Interest rates cut,Kganyago punts 3% inflation target
The South African Reserve Bank reduced the repo rate to 7.25%,driven by settled inflation and revised economic forecasts.Lower rates will reduce home loan payments,but economic growth was downgraded to 1.2%,with mining and manufacturing underperforming.Governor Kganyago aims to lower the inflation target to lock in reduced inflation; consumer inflation currently sits at 2.8%.READ MORE
Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke has again appealed to parliamentarians for help in dealing with errant municipalities.
Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
SA’s metro mess: Big cities regress,but contractors close to councillors,officials score
South Africa’s major cities awarded more than R1 billion in tenders to suppliers with close ties to municipal employees or councillors,with Johannesburg leading at R927 million.Metros are struggling with financial management,incurring R33.29 billion in irregular expenditure since 2021/22 and writing down R118.64 billion in unrecoverable consumer debt.The Mangaung metro,under national intervention,faces financial distress,spending most of its revenue on employee costs and mismanaging grant funding,leading to service delivery disruptions.READ MORE
Proteas batter Heinrich Klaasen raises his bat after bringing up his IPL century for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Surjeet Yadav/MB Media/Getty Images
From crushing Klaasen to Brevis blitz: How all of SA’s 18 stars fared at this year’s IPL
Several Proteas batters,including Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram,performed well in the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) season.Eighteen South Africans participated in the IPL,with four making their debuts,and most have now left to prepare for the World Test Championship final.Other notable performances came from Ryan Rickelton,Tristan Stubbs,and Dewald Brevis,while some players like Kagiso Rabada and Quinton de Kock had less successful seasons.READ MORE
Airport lounges are the ultimate,especially with a long layover.
Onurdongel/Getty Images
No membership,no problem: Your guide to affordable pay-as-you-go airport lounges in SA
Many South African airports offer pay-as-you-use lounges with amenities like food,drinks,showers,and Wi-Fi,providing a comfortable alternative to crowded terminals.Bidvest lounges are common in major airports like Cape Town and OR Tambo,with rates around R286 online or R318 walk-in for domestic access and R608 online or R675 walk-in for international access.Other lounges,like Shongololo Premium Lounge and Aspire Airport Lounge at OR Tambo,offer similar services with varying prices and booking options,while smaller airports also have Bidvest lounges with standard rates.READ MORE
*These summaries were written with the support of Gemini Pro AI.
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