Cape Town - As you make your way over hump day, IOL’s Nokuthula Kwela brings you South Africa’s leading stories.
Our top story:
The Benoni Regional Court on Tuesday handed two men two life terms, each for killing a young couple after they ran out of fuel at the Putfontein off-ramp.
NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said Johanco Fleischman, 19, and Jessica Kuhn, 21, were driving a bakkie with two passengers, when they ran out of fuel at the Putfontein off-ramp.
Melusi Shima, 26, and Ishmael Hlabathi, 35, approached the couple and shot them dead. The suspects were exposed by a witness in 2020 but pleaded not guilty at the time.
In their Victim Impact statement, Kuhn’s parents stated that ever since the killing of their daughter, they have been diagnosed with depression and are taking medication to cope.
Read the full story here.
The department of Human Settlements in North West is expected to construct 97 houses for military veterans in the province during this year.
Spokesperson Dineo Lolokwane said the project is expected to start soon. It was revealed during the Military Veterans Housing Programme Project Steering Committee meeting held in Mahikeng.
Lolokwane said the challenge of having zero percent housing delivery for military veterans was of great concern to Jacky Mamabolo, deputy director of people’s housing project and military veterans from the national Department of Human Settlements.
Mamabolo said the department has managed to fast-track the appointment of a contractor in Moses Kotane Local Municipality, where six houses would be built for approved beneficiaries.
Get the full scoop here.
In the world of sports, there is no place like home, as popular sports anchor and radio presenter Thomas Mlambo's moves back to SuperSport. The SABC announced on Friday that Mlambo would be leaving the public broadcaster.
The major reason for Mlambo leaving was that the public broadcaster allegedly made a decision to replace him as host of the hugely popular Monday night soccer highlights and talk show SoccerZone.
Andile Ncube is set to replace Mlambo. Ncube hosted Monday night's SoccerZone show.
Mlambo and Robert Marawa were both considered strong male anchors by SuperSport. Mlambo left DStv to join the SABC in 2013. Marawa was dismissed from SuperSport in 2019.
SuperSport senior communications manager Clinton van der Berg was asked if he could confirm or deny Mlambo was joining SuperSport, both weren’t available to comment on the matter.
Read more here.
In our final story, April is Autism Awareness Month and this Cape Town teen is set on changing the narrative. Clayden Botes, 14, of Kalk Bay, is a self-taught artist and hopes to become a digital animator when he grows up.
Speaking to IOL, his mother, Antoinette Botes, 49, said Clayden was diagnosed with autism at the age of six, he is was a victim of backlash at school and is unable to read and write.
Clayden started drawing at school to deal with the emotional turmoil he encountered not knowing it would later become a business that saved his mother who was retrenched due to Covid-19.
The talented teen also won a design competition for Marmite and the limited edition packaging is expected to be launched in June/July.
Read more on this here.