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1 month ago
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News24 brings you the top 7 stories of the day.
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.
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie.
Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
NGOs ask Ramaphosa, Cabinet to rein McKenzie in over pro-Gaza art debacle
- Sport, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie is accused of censoring a pro-Gaza artwork meant for the Venice Biennale due to his support for Israel.
- Civil society organisations have urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene, citing “unconstitutional ministerial overreach” and a threat to artistic freedom.
- McKenzie defends his decision as a patriotic act, claiming concern over another country exploiting South Africa’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga.
Motshekga appoints board to find out if order for Iran’s naval drill withdrawal was flouted
- Defence Minister Angie Motshekga stated that President Cyril Ramaphosa instructed that Iran withdraw from active participation in naval exercises.
- Motshekga said she relayed the president’s instructions and is appointing a board of inquiry to investigate if they were ignored.
- The board of inquiry has seven days after the end of the joint naval exercises to report on the matter.
A building and an informal structure under water in the flooding in Giyani, Limpopo, on 16 January.
Limpopo floods: 11 dead, R4bn in damage, with more rain on the way
- The death toll from flooding in Limpopo has risen to 11, including a five-year-old child, with infrastructure damage exceeding R4 billion.
- More than 400 roads require repairs across a 600km radius, over 1 600 homes have been damaged, and schools have been closed due to safety concerns.
- The province has requested assistance from the national government and the SANDF, and has applied for disaster funding to address the extensive damage.
Former president Jacob Zuma claims he cannot afford to pay back the R28.9 million in legal fees he owes the state.
Gallo Images/Darren Stewart
Zuma says order he repay R28.9m in legal fees risks making his corruption trial unfair
- Jacob Zuma is attempting to appeal a High Court order that he repay R28.9 million in state funds spent on his corruption trial costs, claiming he cannot afford it and it would create an unfair trial.
- Zuma argues he should only be required to repay the funds if convicted and found to have acted in his own interests, and that the state’s right to a refund has not yet matured.
- Zuma insists he is not to blame for the unlawful expenditure and that the state should instead recover the funds from the officials who authorised the payments.
Former Steinhoff executive Iwan Schelbert has been sentenced to five years in jail for fraud.
Gallo Images/Beeld/Deaan Vivier
Steinhoff fraud: Jooste associate jailed for five years over fake R376m invoice
- Iwan Schelbert, an associate of Markus Jooste, pleaded guilty to fraud at Steinhoff for generating a fake R376 million invoice.
- Schelbert was sentenced to five years in prison and admitted his conduct was unlawful, contributing to a misleading picture of Steinhoff’s financial position.
- The state noted Schelbert’s loyalty was exploited by Steinhoff executives, and he has agreed to testify in further prosecutions.
Tony Brown and Jamie Joseph were at the helm of Japan during the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Brendan Moran/Getty Images
Springboks not losing sleep over premature Tony Brown links to All Blacks
- Jamie Joseph is a potential replacement for Scott Robertson as All Blacks coach, which could impact the Springboks.
- Joseph may try to recruit Tony Brown, the Springboks’ attack guru, back to New Zealand, but Brown is under contract with SA Rugby.
- SA Rugby is confident in Brown’s commitment, but New Zealand media and former players speculate about a potential Joseph-Brown reunion with the All Blacks.
Tata Sierra
Tata expands the family with two more new models arriving in SA in 2026
- Tata Motors, which returned to South Africa in 2025, will add two new competitively priced models, the Nexon and Sierra, in 2026.
- The Tata Nexon, a successful model in India with a five-star Global NCAP rating, will be positioned between the Punch and Harrier models in South Africa.
- The Tata Sierra, a name familiar to South Africans, will feature a striking design, a spacious interior, and a segment-leading boot space of 622 litres.
*These summaries were written with the support of Gemini Pro AI.
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