South Africa: Matlala's Lawyers Head to Madlanga Commission - South African News Briefs - July 7, 2026

Matlala's Lawyers to Appear Before Madlanga Commission

Lawyers representing alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala are set to appear before the Madlanga Commission, reports EWN. This comes after an agreement was reached to postpone his anticipated testimony. Matlala, who is in custody on charges including attempted murder, fraud and corruption, has emerged as a central figure in the commission's investigation into alleged corruption within the South African Police Service. He's alleged to have used his influence to have people arrested, to access confidential police documents, and to score multimillion-rand tenders. Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa said he is pleased with the commission’s progress and would consider extending its August 2027 deadline if commissioners require more time to complete their work.

Investigation Into Fatal Mpumalanga Crash

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Authorities are investigating the cause of a devastating nine-vehicle crash on the R555 between eMalahleni and Middelburg in Mpumalanga, reports SABC News. Four people were killed and five others seriously injured. The collision occurred after an articulated truck allegedly lost control and collided with another vehicle. The truck immediately caught fire. The injured were taken to hospitals in eMalahleni and Middelburg. The road was temporarily closed.

Amazon Funds Massive Eastern Cape Spekboom Planting

Amazon is backing a major environmental restoration project in the Eastern Cape that will see 180 million spekboom shrubs planted to restore degraded land, reports EWN. The project is expected to create around 11,000 jobs by 2030 and generate over R8-billion in economic value for local communities. The company has committed to purchasing 1.95 million tonnes of carbon removal credits from the project, which captures carbon dioxide through nature-based restoration. Environmental experts said that the initiative reflects growing investment by major technology companies in carbon offset projects as they seek to reduce the environmental impact of their expanding operations, including energy-intensive AI and data centres.

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