Tornado Rips Through KwaZulu-Natal

A tornado and heavy downpours caused significant damage in parts of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, reports EWN. One death has been reported. A herdsman in Zwelisha, located northwest of Durban, is presumed dead after being swept away by floods. Security company Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) spokesperson Vinod Singh said the man was seen by witnesses herding cows during heavy rains. Singh said the man attempted to cross a river but got swept away by the water, along with a cow. Two people were treated for injuries sustained after the extreme weather event hit the Durban north area, including the Inanda township.

Three G4S Employees Arrested in Thabo Bester Escape Saga

Three more suspects have been arrested in connection with the escape of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester from prison in Bloemfontein last year, reports eNCA. The three suspects, all G4S employees, were arrested in Botshabelo and Bloemfontein. They face charges of assisting an inmate to escape from lawful custody, violation of a corpse, and corruption. This brings the total number of people facing charges in connection with Bester’s escape to 12. Bester faked his own suicide and escaped from his cell in Bloemfontein in May 2022. He was recaptured in Tanzania earlier this year. The investigation into his escape is ongoing, and police say that more arrests are possible.

South Africa’s Employment Crisis Deepens, Job Losses Persist

Employment in the formal non-agricultural sectors of South Africa’s economy continued to struggle to recover in the first quarter of 2023 due to high business costs caused by load shedding, reports IOL. Total employment in the sector went down by 21 000, bringing total employment to 9.97 million. Five out of eight industries have not returned to pre-pandemic employment levels, with job losses concentrated in the trade, business services, transport, and construction sectors. Full-time employment fell while part-time employment increased. Factors such as inflation, tight financial conditions, and energy constraints hinder employment prospects. The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) said the employment statistics were alarming signs of stagnation of the economy, and that the government and business need to treat unemployment as the nation’s number one crisis.

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