Scrolla’s ESKOMMANDO competition has officially come to an end!

A big thank you to everyone who participated and helped the president keep the lights on.

We know you’re all buzzing to find out who won the grand prize — a Gizzu GPS500 Portable Power Station worth R6,999. 

Hang tight! We’ll be announcing the lucky winners in the coming days, so keep your eyes peeled and your phones close.

Missed the competition? No worries! The ESKOMMANDO game isn’t going anywhere.

Even though the draw is closed, you can still play and perfect your skills. Who knows? You might become the next ESKOMMANDO champion in your friend circle.

Tap here to play. 

So go ahead, keep collecting those yellow solar suns and dodging those red power trips. 

Keep the lights on and set new high scores!

Once again, thank you for making this competition a huge success. We couldn’t have done it without your enthusiasm and participation. 

Stay tuned for more exciting competitions and updates from Scrolla!

By Toby Shapshak

President Cyril Ramaphosa had a rare chance to smile when he opened Huawei’s new innovation centre in Johannesburg on Thursday morning. 

As Ramaphosa and Huawei executives cut the ribbon, streamers exploded, showering them with colourful tinsel. 

It seemed an appropriate start to his official function, after the Constitutional Court ruled that his suspension of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkwabane was not irrational. This overturned a Western Cape High Court judgment in September 2022 that found the president had been “tainted by bias”.

Ramaphosa spent two hours at the innovation centre, where he said “digital innovation is inextricably linked to a nation’s development” and is “key to the competitiveness of our economy”.

“Not only can new digital technologies such as AI, Big Data and machine learning provide a platform for economic growth, job creation and self-employment; they can also vastly improve government service delivery,” he said.

He praised Huawei’s launch of the first 5G coal mine in the country last year and the innovation centre as a “signal of Huawei’s confidence in the South African economy and its potential”.

He said the country “has a robust and sophisticated ICT sector” with expertise in data centres, cloud computing and storage, and wireless and fibre infrastructure. 

The sector’s revenue increased by R25.5bn over a five-year period, he said, making “the ICT sector one of our most attractive industries for investment, with substantial growth potential.”

Of the centre he said: “By adopting the range of cutting-edge technologies being pioneered by companies such as Huawei, South Africa and the continent will be able to leapfrog into the Fourth Industrial Revolution”.

Photo: Scrolla.Africa

By Zukile Majova
Political Editor

The Constitutional Court has once again ordered former president Jacob Zuma to return to jail.

This comes after the court rejected an application by the Department of Correctional to appeal a previous court ruling that Zuma’s release on medical parole was unlawful.

Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after he failed to appear before the State Capture Commission despite a court order to do so.

On Thursday the Constitutional Court dismissed the government’s appeal, saying it had “no reasonable prospects of success”.

The Court also said Zuma should return to prison. “He must return to the Estcourt Correctional Centre.”

But the judges left it to the Department of Correctional Services to decide whether the 13 months Zuma has spent on medical parole should count towards his sentence.

News24 reported on Friday that Zuma is in Russia receiving medical treatment, and it is unclear what happens next.

The Zuma ruling comes at a critical time, as KwaZulu-Natal is on high alert for a possible breakout of violence and looting.

Police intelligence suggests the ground is now fertile for round two of the 2021 July riots where thousands of pro-Zuma supporters looted and burned shopping malls.

Their anger was sparked by the arrest of Zuma but also driven by an attempt to sabotage the economy and undermine the government of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

At the time, the Ramaphosa government took too long to unleash the army on the protesters.

Already almost 20 trucks have been attacked and burned to ashes on the N3, the economic corridor connecting Durban with Johannesburg with more incidents on the Durban to Richards Bay corridor.

This time however the state security agencies say they are ready to deal with possible riots at short notice.

Lungi Langa

He thought that buying his wife a cake for her birthday and surprising her would go a step towards resolving their marital issues – but this lady is not the peace-making kind.

Instead, the man’s cop wife allegedly assaulted him and squeezed his testicles until they bled before beating him with a broomstick until it broke.

According to the 49-year-old man from Illovo in KwaZulu-Natal, their marriage problems began when she suspected him of having an affair. He claims that she once held him at gunpoint and made him phone the woman she was suspicious of and made him call off the relationship.

But that was just the start of her troubles and now the man says that his efforts to save his 15 years of marriage did nothing to ease the unbearable pain.

He said his wife had left their home around 12pm the day before her birthday on 8 August without saying where she was going.

“When she came back the next day at 6.30pm, I surprised her with a cake and asked to speak to her privately,” he said.

“I asked her if she remembered that she was a wife and asked her why she hit me in front of our children. She told me she didn’t have the answer to either question.”

Then according to him she punched him in the face and they started fighting – and then she grabbed his testicles.

“She held me by my testicles until I felt weak and lost my energy and started bleeding,” he said.

He said his children found him lying on the floor in the bedroom and tried to call the neighbours, but the wife wasn’t finished.

“She came back and started beating me with a broom until the broomstick broke,” the man said.

According to him, this is not the first time he has suffered at the hands of his wife.

The first time was three years ago when she came into the bathroom while he was bathing and cocked her gun. She instructed him to phone a woman she suspected he was having an affair with and end the relationship.

“I did that at gunpoint,” he said.

In 2020 she pistol-whipped him above the eye with her police gun after a neighbour accused him of sleeping with his wife.

He said he reported the matter to the police. He was told to take the issue to court and he got a protection order against his wife.

His wife wouldn’t let this go without a fight, she also got a protection order against him, claiming he hit her.

The couple have opened assault charges against each other and they both appeared in Mbumbulu Magistrate court on Tuesday.

Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed that counter charges of assault were being investigated by KwaMakhutha police.

“Both suspects were charged and they appeared before the magistrate’s court. The matter was adjourned to 1 September,” said Gwala.

Dylan Bettencourt

Former footballer Ryan Giggs admitted to a court that he has always been a “love cheater” but denied ever assaulting his former girlfriend, Kate Greville.

The ex-Manchester United winger claimed in the Manchester Crown Court that he has never been faithful to women, as per The Times.

Giggs is on trial for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her younger sister.

Speaking for the first time at the trial, the Welshman revealed that he was a flirt by nature who was not able to resist females “regardless of their marital status”.

The relationship between Giggs and Greville began as an affair while both of them were married.

Giggs’s lawyer Chris Daw said that his client was commonly known for two things, football and infidelity.

“In the course of your relationships with women, up to and including Ms Greville, have you managed to be faithful to any of them?” Daw asked his client.

Giggs replied: “No.”

“If an attractive woman has shown you interest regardless of your marital status, are you able to resist?” Daw asked Giggs.

Giggs had the same response: “No.”

In addition to being accused of abusing his ex-girlfriend, Giggs has also been charged with controlling and coercive behaviour towards her.

Greville accused Giggs of attempting to control the relationship but he accused her of attempting the same, particularly when she was jealous.

“She ordered me to message certain women with whom she incorrectly accused me of having an affair,” Giggs told police.

“She dictated the content of the messages and watched me while I sent them.”

Giggs was also accused of attempting to blackmail Greville following an argument. When Giggs’s lawyer Chris Daw asked him why an email sent to Greville  was considered blackmail, Giggs replied that it was only a joke and that the video attached was of her “dancing embarrassingly and acting silly at a Christmas party which was outside of her nature.”

Image source: @SkyNews

Everson Luhanga

When the dust settled, four lifeless bodies were sprawled across the freeway or slumped inside a bullet-riddled Mercedes-Benz, with pistols scattered on the road.

This was the bloody scene on the N2 off-ramp, towards the Higginson Highway in Durban on Wednesday afternoon.

The bodies belonged to four suspected robbers, who were killed in a shootout with the police.

KwaZulu-Natal police captain Nqobile Gwala said security officials spotted a vehicle suspected to be involved in a number of robberies in Durban.

She said the suspects sped off went they spotted the security personnel and a chase ensued towards the freeway.

“Police officers from K9 Unit, Airwing, and other role players joined the chase,” Gwala said.

While speeding to avoid the law enforcement, the suspect’s vehicle collided with a truck, after which a shoot-out ensued.

During the exchange of gunfire, the four suspects were fatally wounded. Three pistols were seized. The fifth suspect was taken to hospital, where he remains under police guard.

The Higginson Highway was closed off to traffic on both lanes throughout Wednesday  afternoon, resulting in a backlog of traffic as motorists had to either reverse or take the N2 north on-ramp to avoid the commotion.

“Preliminary investigations conducted at the scene revealed that the same vehicle was used in a number of robberies in Durban and Richards Bay. The recovered vehicle was hijacked in Pinetown during December 2021,” Gwala said.

One of the suspects managed to flee the scene and is still being searched for by police.

Chatsworth police are investigating charges of attempted murder, unlawful possession of firearms, and possession of a stolen vehicle.

MAYOR GIVES CHILD FOOTBALLERS THE RUN-AROUND

By Everson Luhanga

R50,000. 

That’s enough to buy 60 footballs, 60 pairs of boots and plenty of soccer kit.

To the poor kids of Bitou it’s not just a fortune. It is hope. A new life. 

So the big poster sized cheque handed to their local football association by Mayor Peter Lobese – at a glittering awards ceremony – was a moment of joy.

It could have been a fairy story.

Except that this fairy story comes with a curse. 

Not a seven day curse. Not a seven month curse. An unbelievable THREE YEAR curse.

That cheque was handed over in April 2017.

But no real cheque followed. 

Not one cent has been handed over to the kids of the Plettenberg Bay Local Football Association (PBLFA). 

Some say it would have been better never to fire up their dreams in the first place than to live with the constant disappointment. 

Derick Philander, chair of the football association (pictured in headline photo), says they have tried many times since then to get the money, which was supposed to come from the Mayor’s discretionary fund.

He says:

·       “We were promised to have the money into the association’s account two days after the event”

·       The promised day came and there was no money in the account

·       They made follow-up calls and emails to the office of the mayor

·       They met the assistant to the Mayor

·       And then they met both the mayor and his assistant 

Derick says the mayor and his staff told him:

·        “We will receive the money and we should be patient”

·        or the municipality/council will investigate what happened to the money.

Three years later, “we are sitting with a big cheque in our offices with big money figures that we never had”.

While Derick has waited, the Bitou municipality has been attacked for corruption, mismanagement and heavy spending. The latest budget reportedly has R7 million for soccer field upgrades, including R1,9 million on new cloakrooms (see Biting Bitou bit by bit below). 

Derick – who has put together more than 40 teams of kids – says that without the cash, the children make ekasi plans.

•          Some children make shin guards using old cardboards tied with condoms

•          Some wear oversized jerseys that look like gowns

•          Others play barefoot

After the last meeting with Mayor Lobese, Derick says “they started ignoring our calls”.

“For three years, we have waited for that one bank notification to clock to our phones that doesn’t come through. Our hope is gradually fading away. It breaks my heart,” he says.

Asked for comment, Bitou Municipality’s Communications Manager, Andile Namntu, confirmed that Mayor Lobese awarded a R50,000 cheque to the Plettenberg Bay Local Football Association at the award ceremony. Namntu had no comment about the non payment.

Next up: Biting Bitou bit by bit

By Everson Luhanga

In the three years that Bitou’s Mayor has not paid the R50,000 he promised to child footballers (see FOUL PLAY), his government has spent plenty on itself

Bitou is typical of many SA municipalities – the rich, alongside the very poor.

And a municipal government looking after itself well, while many residents struggle to live. 

The difference is that Plettenberg Bay, the main town, is also home to many of South Africa’s business elite. 

So there are men and women with the time and experience to investigate local government. 

The Plettenberg Bay Ratepayers’ Association watches the municipality like a hawk.

In February, the ratepayers’ association reported: “The community believes salaries are being padded, houses being misallocated, tenders being twisted, grants being misdirected, back-handers being demanded, and allowances being abused.”

The ratepayers recently grilled the latest budget released by the municipality, which they say plans to spend:

• R800,000 over three years for the Christmas Festival of Lights  

• R130,000 for the Deputy Mayor’s office

• R7 million on soccer field upgrades, including R1,9 million on new cloakrooms

Over the past four years, the Bitou municipality has changed municipal managers 11 times.

The ratepayers pushed hard for a forensic report into Bitou by the Western Cape government to be made public. The 164 page forensic Western Cape government report is packed with allegations of corruption, spending irregularities and mismanagement. 

It targets a “Grant-in-Aid” scheme, where companies were paid to do community work.

Mayor Lobese is accused of picking companies against the rules, and getting them to pay back to his political party.

“It appears that Peter Lobese abused his position as Executive Mayor to strengthen his political party, the AUF,” the report says. “Grant-in-Aid funds were merely handed out to members of the public, without being legitimate non profit organisations.” 

When approached, the Mayor’s office did not provide comment on the allegations in the forensic report.

SPORTSCAR SAMARITANS DAZZLE ALEX

By Everson Luhanga

There was a party mood in the streets of locked-down Alexandra on Sunday afternoon as a convoy of flashy cars gave food parcels to the poor and threw thousands of Rands into the air.

The people of Alex screamed and took videos and photos as a line of supercars went past.

The Nigerian donors are members of the Blackdoor Lifestyle Lounge based in the upper class suburb of Sandton.

The club representative, wearing brightly coloured cloth, said he and his team donated 250 food parcels worth R40 000 to the poor in Alexandra.

But they saved the most eye-popping gesture for last.

Before leaving Alex, they threw R10,000 in notes from their cars, leaving the poor scrambling and scratching for cash.

Those who were lucky to pick up money from the ground screamed for joy – but the unlucky ones cursed.

The visitors were supported by some volunteers in the township. When they entered Alex, residents lined both sides of the street, whistling, clapping and shouting as the club members drove past. 

At each street, the team received the same response. The sportscar samaritans were given respect for the machines they were driving. 

The club representative said he feels for the poor and unemployed people in the township who have been hard hit by the pandemic and the lockdown. “We will be doing the same thing in other parts of Johannesburg.”

Phantom Lidwaba said the food parcel he received was the only food he had in his house. “It is bad my brother. I go around and eat from my friends every day. This donation has saved the day.”

Isaiah Retlala says he thanked his leader for choosing him to be the recipient of the food parcel. “I am a handyman. Since lockdown, I have not worked. My clients don’t have money either,” he said.

The reception they received was much different to the xenophobic attacks last year in which Nigerians were targeted.

By Everson Luhanga

Ask any woman and they will tell you that the hairdressers, nail manicurists and beauty salon owners that usually do a thriving business in the townships are an essential service.

A woman needs to look beautiful to feel her best.

But the government does not agree. Lockdown regulations say the beauty industry is not an essential service.

So the township beauty industry has gone underground. 

Many of them are continuing to operate out of their often cramped homes.

One beauty therapist, Tumelo Mokgokolo from Alexandra, says the lockdown pushed her to make an alternative plan to survive. 

“Since I have been home, clients have been following me. I now work from home.”

She specializes in:

•          Facials

•          Manicures and pedicures

•          Spray tanning

•          Lashes

•          Makeup

•          Hair

“I serve at least six customers a day. Although it is not the money I used to make, I have something for my family.

“My greatest fear is that my clients might bring the virus to my family. It could kill me,” she says.

She says while men are also hard hit with the closure of the industry, women are suffering more. “Women love taste, variety, and style.

“Doing your hair and nails is a confidence booster. If you look good, you don’t feel depressed,” says Boitumelo.

She says when doing their hair and nails, they try different colours and styles. “Women are adventurous when it comes to their beauty and looks. They love themselves,” she says.

She says it very hard for them to do their own hair. “They love to be out and later on show their partners the swag they have done.”

Getting the treatment at someone’s home is not quite the same, though. 

Women interviewed by Scrolla.Africa miss the swag of visiting the salon.

Hairdresser Zelda Diziba, says it has been tough. “I have three kids. Before lockdown, I used to pay their school fees, buy groceries, pay rent, stokvel, and manage my life.

“All that has gone,” she says.

The day Scrolla.Africa spoke to Zelda, she had an order to make a wig. She was doing it inside her handbag – out of fear of the police enforcing the lockdown regulations.

Johanna Acquah is the manager at Xebglo saloon. She says she and her seven workers have closed their doors. “We had customers from Tembisa, Woodmead, Kelvin, Lyndhurst, and all the surrounding areas. They all have nowhere to go.”

Seloane Moleli who owns byMaletsatsi Doeks says the township beauty industry looks closed on the outside, but the business is still underway in people’s homes.

Seloane says she has seen an increasing number of clients buying her doeks since lockdown.

“Doeks are a way to go as they have swag and style. It promotes Africanism in most black communities,” she says.

But Mapula Shiko says the doeks and caps make her sweat. “I prefer my natural cut since there is no plan B now,” she says.

Jonathan says since lockdown, he has been forced to cut his own hair. “You cannot find these guys (underground barbers) easily. You need to have connections,” he says.

Some names have been changed.