Deputy minister suspended Fire kills 43 folk

PRETORIA - President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended under-fire Deputy Minister of Small Business Development Dipuo Peters.

Yesterday, the presidency confirmed that Ramaphosa had informed Peters of his decision to suspend her.

“The decision follows a sanction adopted by Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members Interests against the deputy minister,” the presidency said in a statement.

“The committee found that Peters had breached the code of ethical conduct in her former portfolio as minister of transport. Consequently, Ms Peters was sanctioned and suspended for one term.”

EffEctivE

Peters’ suspension, which will be without pay, became effective on February 28, and will end on March 28.

In November 2023, Peters was suspended from her seat in all parliamentary debates, sittings, committee meetings, functions and operations for one term of the parliamentary programme.

The former transport minister’s salary was not docked.

The complaints against her were laid by activists Zackie Achmat - who intends to run as an independent candidate in this year’s elections - Zukiswa Fokazi, and non-profit organisation #UniteBehind in September 2022 following the release of the Zondo Commission’s report.

DHAKA - A massive fire raced through a six-storey building in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka late on Thursday, killing at least 43 people and injuring dozens, the country’s Health minister said.

The fire originated in a restaurant and quickly spread to other floors. At least 43 people have died and 22 others are being treated at health facilities, Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen told reporters after visiting the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

AdmittEd

All 22 people admitted with severe burns are in critical condition, Sen said. It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze, fire officials said.

Fires are common in densely populated Dhaka. In recent years there has been a boom in new buildings, often constructed without proper safety measures.