Photos of thin and sickly-looking BLF leader Andile Mngxitama shock SA

Black First Land First (BLF) leader Andile Mngxitama received numerous messages of support on social media on Sunday evening after making his first public appearance in months after struggling with an undisclosed illness.

It was immediately apparent that he had lost a great deal of weight, although reports suggest he is now on the mend, and he was smiling in videos and photographs on Sunday.

In a public appearance with his supporters, he thanked party members for continuing with BLF work while he was recovering.

Black First Land First (BLF) President Andile Mngxitama thanks his comrades and the leadership of BLF for continuing with the work in his absence importantly volunteers who continue to campaign, door to door so that black people have an option. #LGE2021 #VoteForYourLife #VoteBLF pic.twitter.com/rxU1lj6TxC

— ZaneleLwana (@ZaneleLwana) October 31, 2021

The Citizen understands Mngxitama opted to keep his poor health status confidential while he was ill, but people close to him have said that he nearly died.

Andile Mngxitama of BLF before and now pic.twitter.com/3HkqPDrK7o

— Nṱha_Na_Fhasi (@_HerchelleR) October 31, 2021

The BLF will be contesting some municipalities in the local government elections on Monday, but its campaign was very low key due to the long absence of its outspoken, controversial leader whose party was deregistered for a time due to its refusal to allow white people to be members.

Mngxitama has long courted controversy for his hardcore stance that only black people should be considered the rightful owners of land and other resources in South Africa. He was previously a senior member of the EFF and a member of parliament but had a very public fallout with the party and its leader Julius Malema in 2015. He and a group of other EFF dissidents were expelled.

Shortly before his disappearance from public life in about June 2021, Mngxitama was advocating passionately against Covid-19 vaccinations, having previously publicized the myth that the disease is caused by 5G cellphone towers.

The BLF contested its first elections during national and provincial elections in 2019, but failed to win a seat. Mngxitama accused the IEC of not capturing their votes accurately, saying after the results were declared: “We reject these elections … we were robbed. In many instances, results from their voting districts where 50 of our comrades voted says BLF came out with zero votes. A lot of our votes were stolen.”

WISHING HIM A SPEEDY RECOVERY. MAY HE GET WELL SOON #Andile mngxitama pic.twitter.com/L30oBHLGx0

— Emely (@Emely20250269) October 31, 2021

I would like to wish Cde Andile Mngxitama a speedy recovery and strength to the entire BLF family, ibambeni ngakho Sankarists, Pan Africanists, Sons and Daughters of the soil.

— I-AM-BLACK-FIRST (@mphikzo) October 31, 2021

Speedy Recovery to One of the Greatest Black Thinkers.

“I’m not here to be understood. I’m here to say there’s a Black group who don’t accept the current deal”.

~Andile Mngxitama pic.twitter.com/NK1vzt8Wgg

— Farmercist (@KgomotsRamotlou) October 31, 2021

Strength to Andile Mngxitama, Leader of BLF I hope he pulled through pic.twitter.com/Pu2D2X4FwK

— #Vote4Change (@NalaThokozane) October 31, 2021

It’s so sad seeing Andile Mngxitama in this state. Speedy recovery to this brave pro-black thinker.

— Cyfo (@Cyfogetsi) October 31, 2021

It was great to be in the presence of the President of Black First Land First (BLF) comrade and my brother Andile Mngxitama. #LGE2021 #VoteForYourLife #VoteBLF pic.twitter.com/OATNdKH2Be

— ZaneleLwana (@ZaneleLwana) October 30, 2021

-The Citizen

In other news – Actors Menzi (Muzi Mthabela) and Fikile (Phindile Gwala) dump Imbewu: The Seed

Actors Muzi Mthabela and Phindile Gwala-Ngandu have left Durban-based e.tv soapie Imbewu: The Seed. The former Isibaya actor, who plays the role of Menzi in the weekly soapie, asked to be excused from the show, while Gwala-Ngandu, who portrays the character of Fikile, was allegedly dropped by the producers.

Sources close to Mthabela say that the actor, who is known for his role as Duma on the now canned Mzansi Magic soapie Isibaya, Learn More

The post Photos of thin and sickly-looking BLF leader Andile Mngxitama shock SA appeared first on News365.co.za.

Police on high alert as South Africa goes to vote

Extra police personnel has been deployed to “hot spot” areas in KwaZulu-Natal and other provinces on Monday as thousands of voters are expected to mark their X for their preferred candidate.

On Sunday, Minister of Police Bheki Cele visited the province to asses the police’s readiness to ensure a safe election. KZN boasts 4006 voting stations with 128 of those placed in the high risk category. Cele also visited Mpumalanga on Saturday, which was also identified as a high risk province.

“These provinces have received additional SAPS officers ahead of the elections and not only that, law enforcement agencies including the SANDF will be working hand in glove with police as force multipliers. The provinces have put together solid plans informed by intelligence driven analysis and this gives me confidence that those plans will result in citizens casting their votes freely, with little to no disruptions,” he said.
He added that in areas where IEC officials are not able to perform their duties due to safety fears and threats from communities, police officers who have been trained by the Electoral Commission remain on standby to take over from these officers at voting stations.

“This is already the case in the Ugu district in KZN where election related violence broke out and resulted in the injury of a police officer from a gunshot to the leg in Mistake Farm. While police will be on hand to ensure voting goes ahead as planned, they will not be letting their guard down in policing other crimes,” Cele said.

Meanwhile, the IEC has reassured voters that all Covid-19 safety protocol will be in place. Voting stations have been opened from 7am and will close at 9pm however, voters who are still in queues by 9 pm will not be turned away.

Source: eNCA

In other news – Singer Kelly Khumalo sets Idols SA stage on fire

Singer, Kelly Khumalo set the stage warm for the Idols SA top 4 tonight.

The reality star gave a spectacular performance of her song, Awazi Lutho in a stunning gold outfit, she was also the guest judge for this week. Learn more

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Game Black Friday deals revealed

Game has revealed its first set of Black November deals, which will be on offer from 1 November 2021 to 9 November 2021.

All the deals are available in a digital leaflet published online and include discounts on big TVs, smartphones, laptops, and other tech.

Game will be running four weeks of deals throughout November, with offers only valid in the week they are launched. For the duration of Black November, the store will charge a flat delivery fee of R50 on all online orders.

It is also offering its Price Beat Promise for both online and in-store shopping during Black Friday month.

If you find a product for cheaper from other retailers, Game will match it and pay you back 10% of the difference between the competitor and its price.

Below are 10 of the best tech deals we found for Game’s first week of Black November 2021.

70-inch Sinotec 4K Android TV — R10,999 (R5,000 off)

Xbox Series S + 3 months of Game Pass Ultimate — R6,499 (R949 off)

DStv Explora 3B — R699 (R300 off)

Hisense 463l refrigerator — R9,999 (R3,000 off)
LG 4.2 Channel Sound Tower — R5,999 (R2,000 off)

WD Elements 1TB External Hard Drive — R699 (R300 off)

Huawei Y5 Lite — R999 (R600 off)

ASUS Intel Core i5 laptop — R7,999 (R2,000 off)

LG Xboom PL7 Wireless Speaker — R1,999 (R1,000 off)
Philips TWS Earphones — R499 (R300 off)

Source: mybroadband

In other news – 7de Laan Teasers – November 2021

Coming up on 7de Laan this November 2021: Lana is concerned about Rickus’s obsession with the bodybuilding competition. Mariaan makes it clear that she doesn’t trust DeWet’s façade.

Tjattas is determined to rectify his mistakes. Bonita gives DeWet perspective. Learn more

The post Game Black Friday deals revealed appeared first on News365.co.za.

Police ready for any eventuality as 2021 local elections kick off

The police ministry has assured that this year’s local government elections will take place in “a safe and secure environment” – despite some disruptive instances.

Police minister Bheki Cele visited KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday night to assess the readiness of the South African Police Service (Saps). On Saturday, Cele was in Mpumalanga.

These two provinces were earmarked due to identified hotspot areas, especially in KZN, which has 128 voting stations in “high-risk” areas.

In the province’s Ugu district, local election-related violence broke out over the weekend, resulting in a police officer being shot in the leg.

The Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and Gauteng have also been deemed high-risk areas.

“These provinces have received additional Saps officers ahead of the elections and not only that, law enforcement agencies including the SANDF [South African National Defence Force] will be working hand in glove with police as force multipliers.

“The provinces have put together solid plans informed by intelligence-driven analysis and this gives me confidence that those plans will result in citizens casting their votes freely, with little to no disruptions,” Cele said.

Should Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) officials not be able to perform their duties due to safety threats, police officers have also been trained by the IEC to take over duties at voting stations.

However, Cele assured police would still be performing their duties in policing other crimes.

Additional police deployment in high-risk provinces will take place from Monday until Thursday, when local election results are due to be announced.

SANDF troops have been on the ground since Saturday, and will remain stationed across the country until Wednesday.

-The Citizen

In other news – Actors Menzi (Muzi Mthabela) and Fikile (Phindile Gwala) dump Imbewu: The Seed

Actors Muzi Mthabela and Phindile Gwala-Ngandu have left Durban-based e.tv soapie Imbewu: The Seed. The former Isibaya actor, who plays the role of Menzi in the weekly soapie, asked to be excused from the show, while Gwala-Ngandu, who portrays the character of Fikile, was allegedly dropped by the producers.

Sources close to Mthabela say that the actor, who is known for his role as Duma on the now canned Mzansi Magic soapie Isibaya, Learn More

The post Police ready for any eventuality as 2021 local elections kick off appeared first on News365.co.za.

Local government elections 2021- Voting stations open from 7am until 9pm

South Africans are voting in the Local Government Elections on Monday, 1 November. Over 23 000 polling stations are set to open at 7 am and they are expected to operate until 9pm.
Over 80% of special votes were cast throughout the country over the weekend. More than 26-million South Africans have registered to vote.

Rise and shine Mzansi! It’s Election Day!
Our democracy needs all of us. Turn up and put an X for your community.

Remember to vote at the voting station where you’re registered between 7am to 9pm. #EveryVoiceTogether #LGE2021 pic.twitter.com/q3MZgb8wTj

— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) November 1, 2021

IEC Chairperson, Glen Mashinini says it is the priority of the Commission to conduct safe elections in the context of the pandemic.

“Electoral staff will be provided with the necessary personal protective equipment to minimise the risk of spreading of the virus. The following acceptable methods to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will be enforced. Among them is maintaining social distancing by observing distance of at least a meter & a half away from each other or the next person and sanitising frequently,” says Mashinini.

Mashinini says though the IEC will provide pens, they encourage voters to bring their own. The pens will be provided and disinfected after each use. However, voters are encouraged; should they wish to do so, they should bring their own pens,” says Mashinini.

Source: IOL

In other news –  Singer Kelly Khumalo sets Idols SA stage on fire

Singer, Kelly Khumalo set the stage warm for the Idols SA top 4 tonight.

The reality star gave a spectacular performance of her song, Awazi Lutho in a stunning gold outfit, she was also the guest judge for this week. Learn more

The post Local government elections 2021- Voting stations open from 7am until 9pm appeared first on News365.co.za.

Home Affairs offices open between 7am and 9pm on election day

Home Affairs Department says there are still thousands of ID smart cards that are still to be collected from their offices. South Africans are voting in the Local Government Elections on Monday. Over 23 000 polling stations are expected to open at 7 am and will operate until 9 pm.

Department’s Director-General, Tommy Makhode says their offices will be open on Monday, 1 November, from 7 am until 9 pm for people to collect their smart cards, or apply for temporary identity documents(IDs) in order to go vote.

” Just before the voter weekend registration, for the 18th and 19th of October, they were sitting at around 400 000 and during that particular registration weekend, there were around 30 000 that were collected. Since then, we have been opening our offices operating extended hours and this weekend we have another 30 000 IDs collected, so we’re sitting at around 330 000 that’s not collected,” says Makhode.

Source: SABC

In other news – Actress Phindile Gwala ventures into farming

No doubt her thrust into the limelight came when she bagged a gig on Muvhango. Since then, she has managed to remain relevant and wow Mzansi with her unmatched talent.

Phindile Gwala is currently nailing her on-screen character as Fikile on etv’s drama series Imbewu: The Seed. Learn more

The post Home Affairs offices open between 7am and 9pm on election day appeared first on News365.co.za.

Voters not allowed to take photos of marked ballot papers

After special votes came to a close on Sunday, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) held a briefing on its state of readiness ahead of 2021 local government elections on Monday.

Special votes
During the briefing on Sunday evening, IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini indicated that the commission was “very confident that all systems are good” for election day following a successful two-day special voting.

Mashinini said 83% of those registered for a special vote cast their ballot this weekend.

“As of [6pm], 502,837 out of 602,780 voters had been approved to vote as specials voters, and of those we now know that 83% were able to cast their votes.

“We are please as the commission that such a large number of special voters, for the first time due to the Covid environment, were able to achieve this particular task,” he said.

The IEC chair said that the voters who was unable to cast a special vote for whatever reason may still cast their ballot at their voting stations on election day.

Election day

Ballots

Mashinini pointed out that voters who live in a metropolitan area will receive two ballots.

“One for a ward candidate and one for the political party. In addition, voters in local municipalities will receive a third ballot paper for the district council. Each ballot paper must be stamped on the reverse side to indicate the authenticity of the ballot during the counting process,” he added.

Voters must vote where they are registered and must bring theirs IDs.

The IEC chair said citizens whose registration details were not captured or updated on the commission’s system are allowed to vote on election day.

“In order to ensure that they are not disenfranchised, but would participate […] these voters will be permitted to vote as though their details were on the voters roll segment of the voting district in which they present themselves.

“This arrangement is authorized in terms of Section 72 of the Municipal Act, which allows a voter to be permitted to vote on presenting proof that they had applied for registration before the proclamation of an election,” he added.

Photos prohibited
The IEC chair also said voters were prohibited to take photos of their marked ballot papers.

Meanwhile, IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo explained further on the matter.

“I think the issue is not so much [about] policing people, but rather persuading people to desist from taking the photograph of the marked ballot.

“Why? This is to protect the secrecy of their votes because of that possibility of taking a marked ballot can be used quite nefariously.

“There has been instances in the past where employers, especially for domestic workers, would say go to the [voting] station […] mark your ballot paper in a particular way and come back with proof that you voted in a particular way.

“So it is about protecting the secrecy yet at the same time protecting those vulnerable groups in society who may be, at the behest of their bosses and employers, subject to abuse,” Mamabolo said.

You can bring your pen
While the commission will provide sanitized pens at voting stations, Mashinini said the electoral body encourages voters to bring their own.

As a further measure to prevent the spread of the virus at voting stations, the IEC chair added that the commission would also be imposing strict protocols such social distancing and the wearing of masks on election day.

The 2021 local government elections are set to take place on 1 November, and it will mark South Africa’s sixth municipal elections since the dawn of democracy in 1994.

The first democratic municipal elections took place in 1995 and 1996, while the first municipal elections run by the IEC took place in 2000.

The previous municipal elections were held in 2016.

The IEC on Tuesday revealed that it will proclaim and announce the election results on Thursday, 4 November.

-The Citizen

In other news – Actors Menzi (Muzi Mthabela) and Fikile (Phindile Gwala) dump Imbewu: The Seed

Actors Muzi Mthabela and Phindile Gwala-Ngandu have left Durban-based e.tv soapie Imbewu: The Seed. The former Isibaya actor, who plays the role of Menzi in the weekly soapie, asked to be excused from the show, while Gwala-Ngandu, who portrays the character of Fikile, was allegedly dropped by the producers.

Sources close to Mthabela say that the actor, who is known for his role as Duma on the now canned Mzansi Magic soapie Isibaya, Learn More

The post Voters not allowed to take photos of marked ballot papers appeared first on News365.co.za.