Makate and Vodacom settle Please Call Me case, and South Africans trapped in Ukraine

Today, 6 November, the rand weakened slightly to R17.39 against the US dollar, down from Wednesday’s close of R17.41. Earlier in the week, it reached a 30-day high of R17.51 on Tuesday.

In Parliament, acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia is expected to appear for the second day of his testimony before the ad hoc committee investigating allegations of police corruption.

Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo is expected to resume his bail amendment matter in the Pretoria Regional Court today.

Khumalo and two others have been charged with appointing an untrained civilian to a senior position within the South African Police Service. He was arrested at the end of June.

Here are five other big things happening in South Africa today:

Makate and Vodacom settle Please Call Me case – MyBroadband

Vodacom and Nkosana Kenneth Makate have settled the Please Call Me case, which has been dragging in South Africa’s courts since 2008, for an undisclosed amount.

17 South Africans trapped in Ukraine – News24

The Presidency has said that 17 South Africans are trapped in war-torn Donbas in Ukraine. They allegedly sent a distress call to come home after being lured to join the mercenary forces through lucrative contracts. All except one are from KwaZulu-Natal, while the other is from the Eastern Cape.

Mashatile’s former bodyguards to learn fate on assault charges – SABC

Eight men attached to the South African Police Service (SAPS) VIP Presidential Protection Unit will find out today if several assault charges against them will be dropped. This comes after they were caught on video attacking off-duty soldiers on the side of the N1 highway in 2024.

Warning over school placement scammers – Newsday

The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) is outraged after paying over R400 million to its BEE partner in Acapulco Trade and Invest relating to Lanseria Airport, alleging the airport’s valuation was inflated by around R1.7 billion.

Key Madlanga Commission figure opens attempted hit case – EWN

Police are proceeding with the investigation of an alleged attempted murder of a controversial figure implicated in the Madlanga Commission, Brown Mogotsi, who provided a statement at his lawyer’s Johannesburg office, detailing what he claims was an attack on his life.