(Gemma Ritchie/M&G)
The Star
- Paedo author suicide riddle
The son of author Mark Minnie, who recently co-wrote a book revealing a paedophilia ring allegedly run by former apartheid government ministers, was concerned that the explosive expose would lead to his father’s death.
Charges mount against ex-Parktown Boys’ coach
A former Parktown Boys High School water polo coach has been slapped with over a 100 more harrowing child abuse charges. Seven more pupils who allegedly suffered gruesome sexual assault at the hands of the 22-year-old former coach have come forward. The number of complainants has risen from 16 to 23 and the charges from 160 to 327.
- Gauteng health spends R94m on private lawyers
The Gauteng health department blew more than R94-million last year on private lawyers and firms to defend legal claims against the department. Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa says the spending on private law firms was due to the exodus of legally trained officials in the department.
Business Day
- Bank unhappy with Gold Fields ‘debacle’
Bank of America Merrill Lynch, one of the world’s biggest investment banks, describes Gold Fields’ latest attempt to revive South Deep mine, which has already cost investors R32-billion, as a “debacle” and has questioned whether heads should roll.
- Bid to raise R20bn for inner-city housing
Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba is aiming to raise about R20-billlion from SA’s largest banks to redevelop 71 dilapidated buildings into affordable housing units, giving the inner city the kind of investment it has not enjoyed since pre-democracy.
- President picks Ramaite to hold fort at NPA again
For the third time in 15 years, Silas Ramaite has been appointed to led the NPA in an acting capacity.
The Citizen
- SA child obesity rate beats US
Government’s much-vaunted “sugar tax” may not be working to quell South Africa’s obesity epidemic, as experts say they have seen little change in the quantity of sweetened foods people consume. A study has found that obesity rates in children in SA doubled in approximately six years while it took US children 13 years.
- Dodgy claims to be investigated
Dodgy doctors and crooked lawyers will feel the might of the SIU as it probes into cartels and networks that are trying to extort billions through the state attorney’s office.
- ANC ‘losing the numbers game’
The ANC in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality may be running out of the councillors they need if their plan to remove embattled mayor Athol Trollip is to succeed.
Sowetan
- Young workers back Losi to take reins at Cosatu
Cosatu’s second deputy president, Zingiswa Losi, seems to be getting a lot of support to succeed S’dumo Dlamini as the labour federation’s president.
- Missing TB patients risk death, infecting other people
More than 130 000 TB patients are unaccounted for in South Africa, risking their own lives and infecting multiple other people around them, according to the South African National TB Association.
News making headlines across the world:
Rescuers in the north-western Italian city of Genoa continue to search for possible survivors after the dramatic collapse of a motorway bridge. (BBC)
Roman Catholic bishops and other church leaders in Pennsylvania covered up abuse by hundreds of priests over seven decades, according to a report issued by a grand jury. The report, which identified as many as 1 000 victims, is the broadest examination yet of child sexual abuse in the Catholic church in the U.S. (The New York Times)
Turkey has doubled tariffs on some U.S. imports, such as passenger cars, alcohol and tobacco, in what its vice president said was a response to deliberate U.S. attacks on the Turkish economy. (Reuters)