Matlala’s R80,000 loan to Shibiri, US attacks Iran, SA tired of statues
Thursday 05 March 2026 – 18:00pm
Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan returned to the Ad Hoc Committee to conclude his testimony on Thursday.
O’Sullivan has sent a letter to Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee to apologise.
Citing that he had done enough, he walked out of the proceedings last week, leaving MPs furious.
READ: LIVE | O’Sullivan returns to Parliament to wrap up testimony
He had been instructed to apologise to MPs for disparaging remarks he made about them on Crime Watch on eNCA.
In the interview, O’Sullivan dismissed the need to appear before Parliament and referred to MPs as crooks.
During the committee proceedings, part of the interview was played. He defended his comments. He argued that allegations about his integrity had been made either by members of the committee or by parties representing them as such, prompting him to make the remark.
READ: ‘I’ve done enough’ -O’Sullivan storms out of Ad Hoc Committee
EFF leader Julius Malema accepted the apology but instructed O’Sullivan to retract the statement on eNCA as well.
This led to a heated exchange between the two.
READ: Paul O’Sullivan apologises for Parliament walkout
O’Sullivan later concluded his testimony and left the committee, rushing to the airport to catch a flight.
His former assistant Sarah-Jane Trent appeared before the Committee. She hasn’t spoken to O’Sullivan in over four years.
READ: O’Sullivan’s former assistant breaks down during Ad Hoc Committee testimony
She broke down several times during her testimony at the Ad Hoc Committee. She was also unable to answer some questions posed to her by the evidence leader.
After dissolving into tears for the first time, she left the chambers for a few minutes to compose herself.
Some MPs questioned her fitness to testify, considering her apparent distress.
Congress of the People (COPE) leader and co-founder Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota has died, aged 77.
Lekota died at a Johannesburg hospital in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
READ: RIP Mosiuoa Lekota | ‘I survived until we got freedom’
The party confirmed the news, adding that the family had requested privacy during this difficult time.
Last August, Lekota stepped back from politics to focus on his health. At the time, the party confirmed he was unwell, as he continued to battle an undisclosed illness.
READ: RIP Mosiuoa Lekota | ‘History will forever remember him’
Willie Madisha, COPE former deputy president said he was extremely saddened by Lekota’s death.
Madisha, who left COPE under a dark cloud after his membership was terminated in 2023, said he harboured no ill-feelings towards Lekota and the party.
READ: COPE co-founder Mosiuoa Lekota has died
Lekota served as Minister of Defence from 1999 to 2008.
He also served as the Premier of the Free State after the country’s first fully democratic elections in 1994.
READ: Mosiuoa Lekota remembered as ‘fearless’ leader
Lekota grew up in Kroonstad, Free State. He was expelled from the University of the North due to his political involvement with the Student Representative Council and the Black Consciousness Movement.
READ: Lekota funeral details yet to be finalised
While the elected Permanent Organiser for the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO), he was imprisoned on Robben Island in 1974.
READ: COPE leaders vow to protect and preserve Lekota’s legacy
Following his release in 1983, he was one of the defendants in the 1985 Delmas Treason Trial and was imprisoned for another four years.
READ: Mosiuoa Lekota’s remains transported to Bloemfontein
The family has yet to announce a funeral date, but he will be laid to rest in Bloemfontein.
The US and Israel launched a strike on Iran over the weekend. By Tuesday, new strikes were reported on across the Middle East, including Israeli bombardment on Lebanon and a drone attack on the US embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh.
A series of overhead explosions were heard from Jerusalem on Tuesday, AFP journalists reported, after the Israeli military said it had detected fresh missiles launched from Iran and was “operating to intercept the threat”.
READ: Middle East tensions disrupting global travel
US President Donald Trump has warned Iran against any further retaliation following coordinated American and Israeli airstrikes.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed over the weekend alongside several top Iranian security officials.
READ: Transnet ready for rerouted ships after Strait of Hormuz closure
The Middle East Conflict has shaken global diplomacy and disrupted international travel.
The European Union has warned of the cost to the Middle East of a long war, and said it was reinforcing its naval mission in the Red Sea.
READ: Oil prices jump as Strait of Hormuz ‘closes’
Also on Tuesday, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf sea route handles about a fifth of the world’s crude oil, and Iran has threatened to fire any ship that passes through there.
Tehran has also threatened to set fire to any vessels found in the Strait.
READ: Maersk suspends vessel transit through Strait of Hormuz
Ships will now have to be rerouted South. This brings an opportunity to South Africa and the Port of Cape Town.
Transnet National Port Authority said they are ready to handle any vessel diverted from Suez Canal route.
Suspended Organised Crime Head Richard Shibiri took to the stand at the Madlanga Commission on Wednesday.
He is alleged to have been on Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s payroll.
READ: ‘It was a loan’ – Shibiri on being gifted R80 000 by ‘Cat’ Matlala
Witness C, a detective from the Political Killings Task Team, detailed how Shibiri received a gift of R80,000 from Matlala.
He also faced allegations of trying to influence investigations into the murder of engineer Armand Swart.
READ: Organised Crime head Richard Shibiri in hot seat at Madlanga Commission
Shibiri is currently on suspension following all these allegations levelled against him.
Testifying before the Madlanga Commission on Wednesday, Shibiri said Matlala did not have his banking details.
READ: Organised crime head tied to alleged cartel boss
He said that the money was a personal loan intended for repairs to his son’s car.
He said he later paid back the money using funds raised from selling his livestock and paying the rest by EFT.
He said the money was deposited into his son’s bank account because his son was responsible for arranging the vehicle’s repairs.
He said he sold cattle and paid Matlala R20,000 cash and paid R50,000 from his ABSA bank account.
A building being constructed at the Amethyst Business Park in Johannesburg collapsed on Monday. By Tuesday, nine people were confirmed to have died.
City of Joburg Mayor Dada Morero said no formal plans were submitted to the city for the building structure, therefore flouting city by-laws and building control.
READ: COJ to demolish collapsed Ormonde building
Morero said the building would be demolished as they struggled to find the owners of the business that was being constructed.
The mayor visited the site on Tuesday alongside other MMCs from the city.
The families of the eight people who died had, by Tuesday not yet been located and Lesotho nationals are among the deceased.
READ: Ormonde building collapse|Owner urged come forward and take accountability
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has now called on members of the public to assist authorities in locating the owner.
Macpherson also urged the developer of the building to come forward and take accountability for the tragedy.
Macpherson said that with the rescue efforts now concluded, attention would now shift to the building, which has since been confirmed as not structurally sound.
READ: ‘Buildings have become monuments of tragedy’ – Macpherson on Ormonde collapse
Macpherson said that before the city can demolish the building, the owner will be given an opportunity to do so.
Should they fail, the city will step in and carry out the process itself.
At the same time, he said the city manager would now have to consider reviewing other buildings constructed to determine whether they meet the required standard.
City Manager Floyd Brink said they will be meeting with building and landlord inspectors to do an audit in the area.
He said they should be able to respond in the coming weeks on the matter.
The unveiling of two towering statues of ANC leaders on Tuesday has raised eyebrows in Durban.
President Cyril Ramaphosa presided over the launch of R22-million monuments to honour Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo at North Beach and the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
He described the statues as a tribute to two liberation icons whose contribution to South Africa’s struggle cannot be measured in monetary terms.
READ: R22m Mandela, Tambo statues raise ire of Durban residents
Durban officials said the statues have boosted tourism and reinforced the city’s reputation as a preferred destination.
But opposition parties and some residents have criticised the cost. They point to ongoing water, housing and sanitation problems facing their communities.
