Daily news update: Ramaphosa ‘didn’t collapse at all’, Mbalula criticised about lie, Nzimande hits back at corruption allegations

Here’s your morning news update: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories.

In today’s news, President Cyril Ramaphosa says claims he was admitted to hospital were exaggerated, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula has been criticised after admitting the ANC lied about Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla ‘security measures’, and Nzimande hits back at Nsfas corruption allegations.

We also look at Oscar Pistorius being willing to sweep and park cars at church, baggage theft at OR Tambo, KwaZulu-Natal’s flooding death toll, Deputy Minister Pinky Kekana falling victim to a fake social media account impersonating her, winners at the Golden Globes and Heinrich Klaasen retiring from Test cricket.

News today: 9 January 2024

‘I didn’t collapse at all’ – Ramaphosa dismisses ‘exaggerated’ ICU claims

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reassured South Africans that he is in perfect health as he leads the African National Congress’ (ANC) birthday celebration in Mpumalanga.

President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: African National Congress/X

This after claims on social media that Ramaphosa fell ill on Sunday and was admitted to the Military Hospital in Pretoria.

Mbalula’s admission ANC lied about Zuma’s Nkandla fire pool ‘an insult to constitution’

African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has been highly criticised for admitting that his party lied to South Africans about former president Jacob Zuma‘s swimming pool at his home in Nkandla.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. Picture: African National Congress/X

Addressing members of the ANC at the Mjindi Town Hall in Barberton on Sunday, Mbalula took South Africans back to 2014, when then public protector Thuli Madonsela found in her report that former president Jacob Zuma should repay some of the money spent on the “security measures” done in Nkandla.

‘My conscious is clear, I have nothing to hide’ – Nzimande hits back at Nsfas corruption allegations

The Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, who has been accused of siphoning millions of rands from corrupt National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) dealings has hit back against the allegations saying that the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) was just out to destroy his good name.

Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande. Photo: GCIS

“I wish to once again assure the South African public that as Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, I have never used any money from any of my department’s entities for the purpose of funding the South African Communist Party as was maliciously and falsely suggested in the Outa report.

Cleaning the slate: Oscar Pistorius sweeping church floors, parking cars?

Olympian and Paralympian Oscar Pistorius, who ran Bible studies and prayer meetings during the eight years he spent behind bars before his parole release last Friday, is reportedly keen to sweep the floors of the Dutch Reformed Church Waterkloof as part of his parole “penance”.

Oscar Pistorius Reeva Steenkamp, the Dutch Reformed Church. Photos: Picture: Kim Ludbrook/EPA/Pool

The 37-year-old double amputee could even be donning a yellow bib and directing cars of the congregation to parking areas “as it gets very busy on Sunday mornings”.