‹ƒœƒ‹‡ƒ••– †Ǧ‡ƒ–Š Speaker’s home raided
GA=A ± (xtreme food shortages in parts of the Gaza Strip have already exceeded famine levels, and mass death is now imminent without an immediate ceasefire and surge of food to areas cut off by fighting, the global hunger monitor said yesterday.
7he integrated food-security phase classification (IPC), whose assessments are relied on by U1 agencies, said per cent of people in parts of northern Gaza were suffering the most severe level of food shortage, more than triple the per cent threshold to be considered famine.
7he IPC said it did not have enough data on death rates, but estimated residents would be dying at famine scale imminently, defined as two people out of every dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease.
Gaza’s +ealth 0inistry has said children and three adults have died so far from malnutrition.
³7he actions needed to prevent famine reTuire an immediate political decision for a ceasefire together with a significant and immediate increase in humanitarian and commercial access to the entire population of Gaza,´ it said.
Famine
-2+A11(S%U5G ± Investigating Directorate (ID) members raided the -ohannesburg home of 1ational Assembly Speaker 1osiviwe 0apisa-1Takula yesterday.
7imes/I9( understands the raid was conducted by +awks officials who have been seconded to the ID.
About six officials travelling in three unmarked cars were at the house in %ruma until mid-morning.
A photographer from 7imes/I9( visited the house and saw several vehicles there with police officers.
7he 1ational Prosecuting Authority’s 0thunzi 0haga could not be reached for comment.
Raid
7he +awks’ .atlego 0ogale declined to comment, saying this was an ID raid.
A Spokesperson for the office of the speaker, 0ike 5amagoma, could not be reached for comment.
7he raid comes a week after the Sunday 7imes reported an investigation by the ID into 0apisa-1Takula had been completed.
7he publication earlier this month reported that 0apisa-1Takula is being investigated in connection with allegations that while she was defence
In all, . million Gazans, around half the population, were experiencing µcatastrophic’ shortages of food, with around in the areas now facing the prospect of famine-scale death rates.
7he prospect of a man-made famine in Gaza has brought the strongest criticism of Israel from :estern allies since it launched its war against +amas militants following their deadly attack on Israeli territory on 2ctober , . ³In Gaza, we are no longer on the brink of famine. :e are in a state of famine. Starvation is used as a weapon of war. Israel is provoking famine,´ (U )oreign Policy Chief -osep %orrell said at a %russels conference on aid for Gaza.
Israeli )oreign 0inister Israel .atz responded that %orrell should µstop attacking Israel and recognise our right to self-defence against +amas’ crimes’.
Israel allowed µextensive humanitarian aid into Gaza by land, air and sea for anyone willing to help’, .atz said on
and aid was µviolentlydisturbed’by ;, +amas militants with µcollaboration’ by the U1’s aid agency U15:A.
%uthelezi was appointed as the .=1 ± 7he amabutho (=ulu regiments) =ulu nation’s prime minister by .ing do not want A1C .wa=ulu-1atal 0isuzulu ka=welithini in -anuary to Provincial Chairperson replace the late Prince 0angosuthu Siboniso Duma to attend any royal %uthelezi, who died in September. events after he was accused of disrespecting Amabutho generals resolved that given the royal household by the weekend’s fracas ² which also snatching the microphone from the allegedly led to an altercation amongst =ulu prime minister, who was introducing A1C and I)P members that resulted .ing 0isuzulu ka=welithini in several inMuries ² they were unable at a maMor cultural event over the to provide an assurance that any future weekend. events would not be marred by violence
7he amabutho generals made the if Duma were to attend. call amid the deepening political fallout between the A1C and I)P after Duma took the microphone from 7hulasizwe %uthelezi, who is also the I)P 0ayor of the =ululand District 0unicipality, during Saturday’s event commemorating the
anniversary of .ing Dinuzulu th kaCetshwayo’s death, in kwaCeza outside Ulundi.
Confirmed
0uzi 1yandeni, who is one of the amabutho generals, on 0onday confirmed to 7he :itness that the amabutho leadership resolved to have Duma barred from attending future royal family gatherings after a security assessment done following Saturday’s incident showed that he was a security risk. minister, she was paid millions in cash bribes by a South African 1ational Defence )orce contractor.
It was further reported that a high-level investigation had been instituted into the accusations that 0apisa-1Takula solicited and was paid up to 5 . million in cash, delivered in gift bags by defence industry businesswoman 1ombasa 1tsondwa-1dhlovu, the wife of a general in the military health service.
7he investigation began six months ago and was known to only a select few within the ID.
DA Chief :hip Siviwe Gwarube laid a complaint with Parliament’s Moint committee on ethics and members’ interests, calling for an investigation into the allegations.