Judge President John Hlophe has returned to work, stirring controversy and speculation, write Nic Dawes and Sello S Alcock.

ANC chief whip Mnyamezeli Booi is to go on trial for fraud in June next year, not in February as had been expected, it was reported on Friday.

Former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown, who is facing multiple fraud charges, has found God and a new girlfriend, it was revealed on Wednesday.

Cape Town mayor Helen Zille has accused cellphone giant Vodacom of helping the ANC-controlled Western Cape government to illegally spy on her.

At least two witnesses called by the state to testify against murder-accused Najwa Petersen have been threatened with death.

A tearful victim of the Fidentia collapse on Monday pleaded with a Cape High Court judge for assistance for her crippled son -- and received some, thanks to a generous lawyer. The emotional outburst came during what was expected to be a routine postponement of the bid for final sequestration of former Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown.

Murder accused Najwa Petersen, now on her fourth advocate, will have to conduct her own defence if she changes her lawyer again, a Cape High Court judge warned on Wednesday. Judge Siraj Desai delivered the warning as he postponed the trial to July 28 to enable her latest advocate, Johann Engelbrecht, to get up to speed.

A judge has issued a stern warning to murder accused Najwa Petersen after learning on Tuesday she had dismissed her advocate just as she was supposed to start presenting her case for a not-guilty ruling. "We can't be held to ransom by the whims of one accused," Cape High Court judge Siraj Desai said.

Fidentia's J Arthur Brown was currently receiving antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in a private clinic after allegedly being sexually assaulted by prisoners in a prison vehicle, the Cape Town Magistrate's Court heard on Monday. Brown was arrested recently on charges of theft, fraud and money laundering.

A full bench of judges on Friday reserved a ruling on the bid by the City of Cape Town and the Democratic Alliance (DA) to quash the Erasmus commission. The commission was set up by Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool to probe the DA-led city's investigation of renegade councillor Badih Chaaban.