COSATU says ultra-cheap imports from Shein and Temu are undermining South African manufacturers and retailers, after adopting a resolution calling for the platforms to be banned.
Nigel Sibanda / The Citizen
Former Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock says he had all the information required to have senior politicians and generals prosecuted, but was not asked to testify.
The 77-year-old was on Monday before the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry into possible interference and deliberate delays in the prosecution of apartheid-era crimes.
Vlakplaas was the infamous counterinsurgency unit that retrained captured liberation fighters to carry out attacks on liberation movements.
De Kock stressed that the generals involved in committing crimes during the 1980s were not prosecuted, suggesting it was done deliberately to shield National Party politicians.
“I believe that if the generals had been prosecuted, they would have disclosed the source of their instructions and that they would have implicated political officer bearers,” De Kock told the commission.
De Kock was speaking about generals who could have faced prosecution when he shared a memory of dealing with former police commissioner General Johan van der Merwe.
De Kock attributed the idea for the distribution of poisoned food to then-Colonel Van der Merwe.
He explained that in a meeting with Van der Merwe shortly after Operation Koevoet’s launch in January 1979, the then head of security police for South West Africa elaborated on how he experimented with thallium in prisoners’ food.
The thallium would cause paralysis and De Kock alleged that those who died were cremated so as to avoid an autopsy that would show signs of poisoning.
De Kock said that when questions were asked, a young sergeant was made a scapegoat and subsequently relocated.
“He was the one who always had to take the food to the Article 29 prisoners, but he didn’t know it was poison.
“And they transferred him to a one-horse station about 30km from Piet Retief. There he was, alone, out of the way,” said De Kock.
The affected prisoners were being held under Article 29 of the Geneva Convention, which covers the treatment of prisoners of war.
Elaborating on the wider use of poisoned food, De Kock relayed that a Rhodesian Special Branch officer had told him that they would take samples of their enemies’ faeces for analysis.
“I thought they were testing them for lack of the necessary vitamins or where they get their food from. In the mean time it was thallium, because through that they could determine that these people were dead or totally disabled.
“Then he told me that they had to double the dose of thallium because the black people that was fighting them had a constitution twice as fast as a European, so they had to double the dose of thallium in the tinned food,” said De Kock.
The former Vlakplaas commander, who was known as ‘Prime Evil’, had earlier explained that while he was not tasked with dealing with politicians, the generals took instructions from above.
He named former ministers Louis le Grange and Adriaan Vlok, claiming Le Grange signed off on the 1988 bombing of the ANC’s London offices, and that Vlok had twice come to Vlakplaas to congratulate him on the bombings of Cosatu House in 1987 and Khotso House in 1988.
“When I was instructed by Brigadier [Willem] Schoon to bomb Cosatu House, he told me that the instruction to do this was from very high.
“I asked him how high, and he said it came directly from President PW Botha,” said De Kock.
He stated that when the time came to testify on those matters, the issues were not addressed.
“I was willing and able to give evidence as to where the instructions came from that would have exposed the chain of command. I was not called as a witness to do so.
“Those who gave the instructions to the generals would have been at risk of exposure. If one wants to know why prosecutions did not take place, an obvious question is who benefitted from the failure?
“The answer is that those who benefitted where those who were at the top of the chain of command,” De Kock stated.
COSATU is not taking sides in the feud between the ANC and SACP.
Image credit: Pexels
The latest sexual assault allegations at Johannesburg primary schools have renewed concerns about whether children are adequately protected in the very places where they should feel safest.
The concern follows allegations at Naturena Primary School, where two learners reportedly disclosed sexual assault, and comes less than a week after a teacher appeared in court in connection with the alleged rape of a nine-year-old learner at Busisiwe Primary School in Soweto.
Teddy Bear Foundation director, Shaheda Omar, says the incidents must prompt more than public outrage, calling for decisive action, stronger safeguarding systems and accountability from the adults and institutions responsible for protecting children.
Omar says every allegation must trigger an immediate safeguarding response, including ensuring the affected child’s safety and access to medical care and psychosocial support.
“Sexual violence between learners must never be dismissed as ‘child’s play’,” she says, stressing that allegations involving coercion, force, intimidation, exploitation or a significant power imbalance require assessment by appropriately trained professionals.
At Naturena Primary School, Grade 4 boys were allegedly sexually assaulted by older Grade 7 learners in the school toilets.
The allegations prompted protests by parents and community leaders outside the school on Monday. Protesters called for the principal’s removal, alleging that she had attempted to silence the children.
Gauteng Education MEC, Lebogang Maile, confirmed on Tuesday that investigations are underway into the two alleged incidents, which had been referred to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The department has also requested a comprehensive report from the school to establish the circumstances surrounding the allegations, how they were handled and whether the required protocols were followed.
Maile expressed concern about the disruption of teaching and learning amid the community’s frustration.
“The right to protest cannot be exercised at the expense of children’s constitutional right to education. We expect law enforcement authorities to act decisively against unlawful conduct that prevents learners from accessing education,” said the MEC’s spokesperson, Onwabile Lubhelwana.
Omar says the Naturena allegations raise important questions about supervision, reporting procedures and whether children feel safe enough to disclose abuse.
She warns that children’s disclosures must never be dismissed, minimised or treated as an inconvenience. Schools, she says, should not attempt to handle allegations of sexual offences internally or rely on disciplinary procedures alone.
The allegations follow the case at Busisiwe Primary School, where a 59-year-old teacher appeared in the Protea Magistrates’ Court in Soweto on a charge of rape involving a nine-year-old learner.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that the matter was postponed to 29 October 2026 for a bail application.
The teacher has also placed on precautionary suspension by the department, pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings.
While accountability is essential, Omar says cases involving learners accused of harming other children require a careful, developmentally informed response. She says the affected child must be protected, while the circumstances and needs of the child alleged to have caused harm must also be assessed.
Omar argues that schools need effective safeguarding systems rather than relying on zero-tolerance statements after incidents occur.
These should include appropriate supervision in vulnerable areas, clear procedures for escalating allegations to authorities, proper screening of personnel working with children, age-appropriate education on consent and personal boundaries, and access to psychosocial support.
Maile has appealed to the public to allow law enforcement investigations and the judicial process to unfold without interference or prejudice.
“We cannot allow moral decay, sexual violence and the abuse of vulnerable people to become normalised in our communities. We must restore our collective conscience, strengthen family and community values, and stand together against all forms of abuse,” he said.
For Omar, the central question is whether these incidents will lead to sustained changes in how schools prevent abuse, respond to disclosures and hold the relevant adults and institutions accountable.
[WATCH] || Gauteng Education MEC @LebogangMaile1 addressed the media following a briefing with school management, the SGB and SAPS at Busisiwe Primary School in Soweto regarding sexual assault allegations involving an educator and a Grade 4 learner.
MEC Maile outlined the department’s response, including the educator’s precautionary suspension, psychosocial support for the affected learner and her family, and the continuation of schooling, while appealing for calm, responsible reporting and respect for the ongoing disciplinary and police processes.
— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) October 21, 2026
[VOICE]ANC GREATER JOBURG REGION CONDEMNS ALLEGED RAPE OF NINE-YEAR-OLD GIRL AT
BUSISIWE PRIMARY SCHOOLFor Immediate Release
21 October 2026
#StopGBV https://t.co/GNv4DegkID
— ANC Greater Joburg Region (@ANCJHB) October 21, 2026
Schools must be places of safety, learning, and protection. Every child has the right to feel safe at school. We cannot continue to fail our children, says #COSATU Gauteng @DBE_SA @SAPoliceService @NPA_Prosecutes @Lesufi @thegautengtimes @SABCNews @Newzroom405 Radio702 @Jozifm https://t.co/Bs1DHJsWMx
— @COSATU Today (@_cosatu) October 22, 2026
Production: Minenhle Thusi | Journalist: Richard Roberts
Welcome to your Daily NovaNews Newscast, your trusted source for the stories that matter most, from your street to the world stage. Let’s get into today’s headlines.
Diesel prices are surging to record highs worldwide — and the crisis is not simply about a shortage of crude oil. Refineries cannot produce fuel fast enough to meet demand. In the United States, drivers paid a record 6.52 dollars, about R108.50, a gallon on Monday — roughly R28.60 a litre. In France, diesel reached 2.41 euros, about R44.83, a litre. The International Energy Agency says global oil stocks have fallen by 507 million barrels since the war in the Middle East began, leaving Europe especially exposed. Economist Paul Krugman says the real problem is refineries, not oil supply — and there are no quick fixes.
In other news, South Africa wants direct talks with the US to fix strained relations. Ambassador Roelf Meyer says the situation is tense but can be solved through dialogue. South Africa could lose AGOA, a duty-free trade deal with the US that runs until December 2028. The Trump administration has already imposed visa restrictions on certain South Africans and blocked the South African government from G20 meetings in the US, including December’s summit.
And finally, former Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock has told the Khampepe Commission that prosecutors protected apartheid-era generals from being charged. De Kock, known as Prime Evil, said he was made a scapegoat. He claimed former president PW Botha ordered the Cosatu House bombing, and that FW de Klerk has the blood of children on his hands over a 1993 raid that killed 5 people, including 12-year-old twins.
That’s your NovaNews newscast for today. For the full stories and more, head to www.novanews.co.za — free, no paywalls. Follow us on WhatsApp for news straight to your phone. Stay informed, and we’ll see you next time.
Source: https://novanews.co.za/novanews-newscast-todays-top-stories-27-october-2026/
