Despite recent attacks on Cape Town mountains, SANParks notes drop in incidents

Safety on Table Mountain is back in the spotlight after a 23-year-old was arrested for armed robbery and an attempted rape of a female hiker.

In a separate occurrence, a mountain assailant met a fatal end while attempting to ambush a group of hikers. 

The tour guide successfully defended the group by using pepper spray.

Details of this incident are still pending confirmation. 

Despite this, Megan Taplin,Table Mountain National Park Manager reports a notable decrease in mountain muggings, crediting the collaborative efforts of law enforcement, SAPS, SANParks and the City of Cape Town.

She urges hikers to ensure that they have the essential safety measures in place before starting their hike.

Megan Taplin shares more (skip to 38:14).

"People should always take the appropriate measures to ensure that they are safe."

- Megan Taplin, Manager – Table Mountain National Park 

Thabi Leoka axed from Cyril Ramaphosa's Presidential Economic Advisory Council

Economist Thabi Leoka has resigned from MTN with immediate effect, following allegations of her having misrepresented her qualifications.

In addition, she will no longer serve on the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC). 

Wiener speaks to Kabelo Khumalo, Business Day Editor about the latest development.

Khumalo notes that companies haven't taken accountability for flaws in their processes, failing to detect discrepancies in Leoka's CV.

He commends Netcare for acknowledging their mistakes, highlighting the needs for proactive investigation into why her PhD qualification wasn't reflected in the report.

Wiener questions why Leoka, who had her masters, felt the need to fabricate her qualifications.

"It's astonishing to say the least."

- Kabelo Khumalo, Editor – Business Day

Sixth man succumbs to beating and stoning in Tembisa mob attack

Mandy Wiener interviews Tumishang Rapudi, Executive Member of Community Policing Forum in Rabie Ridge. (Skip to 7:28)

A sixth man has died after being beaten and stoned in a Tembisa mob attack.

It's believed that the men were targeted for committing crimes, including rape and house breakings.

Rapudi confirms that details around the attack remains under investigation and urges the public to report any crimes and leave justice in the hands of law enforcement. 

"As far as the situation is concerned, it was a repulsive reaction from the community."

- Tumishang Rapudi, Executive Member – Community Policing Forum in Rabie Ridge

"Whatever crime, small or big, report it."

Tumishang Rapudi, Executive Member – Community Policing Forum in Rabie Ridge

Further delays in Senzo Meyiwa trial

The trial for the 2014 murder of the Bafana Bafana captain, Senzo Meyiwa has been met with more delays.

EWN reporter Kgomotso Modise shares that one of the accused, Bongani Ntanzi, will have his dockets pertaining to other criminal cases studied in court.

Skip to 14:39 for more.

"These dockets are all unrelated."

Kgomotso Modise, Reporter – Eyewitness News

Fitness to stand trial hearing for police officer in Nokuthula Simelane murder starts

A fitness to stand trial hearing for one of the accused of struggle activist Nokuthula Simelane's murder is before the Pretoria High Court today.

Simelane disappeared in 1983 and is understood to have been tortured, killed and buried.

Representatives of Willem Coetzee, one of the former apartheid policemen allegedly responsible for Simelane's murder, believe that he is mentally unfit to stand trial, however, State experts believe the contrary. 

Skip to 18:50 for more.

Multi-million rand Gauteng-based academy grant under investigation

Raymond Joseph, Journalist with GroundUp weighs in on the R114 million grants awarded to organisations amidst budget cuts (skip to 30:18).

Two organisations, Beauty Hub and Daracorp having received roughly R114 million in grants by the Gauteng Department of Social Development are under investigation as part of a probe into the Department's funding of NGOs. 

Joseph notes that these organisations received these large funds at the same time that the Department announced social grant cuts.

Since the investigations, four officials of the provincial Department of Social Development are already 'under precautionary suspension'.

Although Joseph hasn't found any proof of corruption, he says that it doesn't mean that it isn't there.

"They didn't have a track record to be given that much money."

- Raymond Joseph, Journalist – GroundUp

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