KZN news bites: Fired Zulu prime minister returns to Shembe church after wall collapse

Celani Sikhakhane brings you KwaZulu-Natal’s latest news.

Inanda: Former Zulu Prime Minister Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi will return to the Shembe Nazareth Baptist Church at eBuhleni in Inanda on Friday, just days after losing his royal position.

Buthelezi will visit the church in his capacity as KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to lead disaster relief efforts after part of a wall collapsed on Monday, injuring eight people.

His department said he will be joined by officials from the Provincial Disaster Management Centre to inspect the damaged site and receive a full briefing on what caused the collapse.

The visit comes just days after Buthelezi visited the church as Prime Minister to King Misuzulu kaZwelithini to apologise to church leader Inkosi Mduduzi Nyazilwezulu Shembe over the King’s public “idiot” remark.

On Tuesday, King Misuzulu removed Buthelezi from the position of Prime Minister and appointed Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza as his replacement.

Pietermaritzburg: KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma says thousands of families have benefited from government housing projects across the province.

Delivering his department’s budget speech in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature on Thursday, Duma said 14,277 housing opportunities have been created.

He said 8,819 fully subsidised houses have already been completed.

More than 800 homes have been built for vulnerable families, while about 6,000 houses have been delivered in rural communities.

Duma also praised officials for speeding up the relocation of families displaced by devastating floods in the province.

Durban: The KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for killing Durban Metro Police Superintendent Errol Ogle during a hijacking in 2023.

Phakamani Mpanza, 36, was found guilty of murdering the 52-year-old officer.His co-accused, Mzomuhle Gamede, 45, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for robbery and kidnapping.

The court heard that on 20 July 2023, Ogle confronted a truck travelling on the wrong side of the M7 near the Malvern off-ramp.

The truck had already been hijacked and its driver was being held hostage.When Ogle tried to stop the vehicle, he was shot and killed.

its alleged that the attackers stole his service pistol and fled in his marked Durban Metro Police Volkswagen Polo, which was later recovered abandoned in Pinetown.The truck driver managed to escape unharmed.

The Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit later tracked down the suspects, leading to their successful prosecution.

Pictured above: KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi will visit the Shembe Nazareth Baptist Church after part of a wall collapsed and injured eight people.

Image source: KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs