Mörda's 'Asante IV' marks a pivotal moment in his artistic journey, showcasing his evolution since leaving Black Motion and redefining the Afro-house genre.

Four men arrested for the alleged kidnapping, robbery and murder of seven Newark family members made a brief appearance in the KwaDukuza Magistrate's Court on Friday.

An Eastern Cape attorney who was entrusted with safeguarding her deceased clients’ estates has instead been convicted of stealing millions from the dead. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed on Friday, 31 July, that Annene Krouwkam-Claasen, a 36-year-old trust and estate administrator, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of theft in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. According to regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, Krouwkam-Claasen committed the crimes between 23 March 2021 and 4 December 2023 through her own firm. During this time, she was serving as the appointed agent, executor and/or trustee of various deceased estates. Tyali said that in her role, she unlawfully and intentionally misappropriated funds entrusted to her for safekeeping and administration. Executor admits to stealing nearly R6 million Krouwkam-Claasen admitted to the offences. In her plea, she admitted that during the period in question and in or near Humansdorp, she siphoned nearly R6 million from the bank accounts of 14 deceased estates. “The stolen funds were transferred into her personal bank account and the account of Ancoris Fiduciary Services (Pty) Ltd, a company of which she was the sole director,” Tyali said. He said the state proved that the funds were used for her personal benefit, in blatant breach of the fiduciary duties she owed to grieving families and vulnerable beneficiaries. “Her conduct also constituted a direct violation of the reporting obligations prescribed by the Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965 and enforced by the Master of the High Court.” Krouwkam-Claasen is expected to appear in court again on 20 October for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. ‘Betrayal of the highest order’ Eastern Cape acting director of Public Prosecutions advocate Samkelo Mtwana described Krouwkam-Claasen’s actions as a “betrayal of the highest order”. “Executors are entrusted with carrying out the final wishes of the deceased and safeguarding the interests of beneficiaries. Instead, the accused exploited her position of trust for personal enrichment,” Mtwana said. “This conviction sends a strong message that the NPA, working closely with the South African Police Service’s Commercial Crimes Unit, will act decisively against those who abuse positions of responsibility for personal gain. We remain committed to protecting the integrity of estate administration and ensuring justice for victims and their families.”

Two KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) parents received an unexpected house call when a man demanded R100 for sex work services allegedly owed by their son, prompting Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) to mediate an awkward driveway settlement. Rusa officers answered a trespassing call from a home on the north coast of Durban. Trespassing call turns awkward The resident asked for assistance after an unknown man allegedly arrived at the private residence, harassed the occupants, and refused to leave. Reaction officers were dispatched immediately, and when they arrived, the officers found a male standing in the driveway. The homeowner and his wife remained inside the house while officers interviewed the man. Rusa released bodycam footage of the interview but cropped the video to protect the identities of the people involved and edited out sensitive information. The man told the Reaction officers that he was a sex worker and that he provided the homeowner’s son with sexual services. He said he met the son several months ago and, according to him, since then they have met weekly at a nearby park. The alleged sex worker claimed that during their most recent encounter, the son requested oral sex for R100, but he claimed he did not have the money to pay. Sex worker says he was told to collect R100 at month-end “This time I think he didn’t have money because he told me that I must come at month-end; it’s okay, he will see to it, but I come here, and he’s not answering,” the man said during the interview. When the man arrived at the home, the son was not present. Rusa said the son’s parents denied any knowledge of the allegations and disputed the alleged sex worker’s account. The parents also told the officers that their son had left the residence before they arrived. “He can explain that he knows me. If you don’t believe me, I can even describe his private parts… All I want is my money,” the man said. He added that the son had shown him the house so that he could collect his debt on the 31st. Reaction said that the officers instructed the man to leave the house. However, before he was escorted off the premises, one parent phoned their son. Rusa didn’t document the discussion between the son and parents. Parents settle outstanding amount In an awkward turn of events, after the phone call, the parents paid the outstanding R100 to the complainant. The incident prompted hilarious reactions on Facebook, with users commending Rusa officers for what they have to go through on the job. “Eish, I feel for these Rusa officers, what they have to deal with these days,” one user said. “But he went all dressed up to the house to collect R100. I don’t even dress up to go buy bread at the mall,” another user said. “Bro went to collect R100 and accidentally triggered a whole family meeting, a police report, and a payment settlement. And on a weekly basis is crazy,” someone else said.

South African pensioners have to deal with the rising cost of living like everyone else. But, unlike many of their younger counterparts, pensioners live on a fixed income. Whether it’s a retirement annuity or the older persons’ grant, there’s only so much pensioners have to spend. These are the discounts that help that money go further. Where to Find Pensioner Discounts Despite pensioners being in a vulnerable financial position, very few shops offer dedicated pensioner discounts. This isn’t the case at these gems, where you can get discounts up to 10%. Makro Makro offers a 10% pensioner discount on general merchandise and a 5% discount on their grocery items. The offer runs all week and is available to pensioners over 60. You’ll need to sign up for the mPensioners card to use it. Game Unlike Makro, Game offers pensioners 10% off general merchandise and groceries. The discount is available every day on purchases under R3 000. To access the deal, you’ll need to sign up in store for the programme. Builders Warehouse If you need to do some work on your home, consider heading to Builders Warehouse on a Wednesday. They offer pensioners 10% off their merchandise. Show your identity document (ID) at the till to get it. Absolute Pets and Pet Box Pensioners can get 20% off pet grooming on Tuesdays at Absolute Pets. Over 60s qualify for a 10% discount every Wednesday on pet accessories, toys, treats, and food at Pet Box. Food Lovers Market Select Food Lovers Market offers mid-week discounts to pensioners. To find out if your local shop offers deals, you will have to contact them directly. Clicks and Pick n Pay You can’t get a discount, but you get double Club Card points if you shop at Clicks on Wednesdays. Clicks also offers the Helping Hand clinic service on Wednesday, where you can get select clinic services for free. At Pick n Pay, pensioners can get double Smart Shopper points on Wednesdays. ShopDiscount (%)DayGame10%EverydayMakro5% – 10%TuesdayAbsolute Pets20% on groomingTuesdayBuilders Warehouse10%WednesdayPet Box10%Wednesday Butcheries with Deals for Older People Meat has experienced some deflation since the start of the year, but it still isn’t cheap by any means. To get your meat cheaper, this is where you can go. Johannesburg: Tip Top Meats Factory Shop in Turffontein offers a 10% discount on Wednesdays. Pensioners must register in-store, and the special doesn’t apply to already reduced or promotional items. Pretoria: Hokaai Meat Market offers a 10% discount on Wednesdays. You can stop at their locations in Centurion, Lynnwood, or Silverlakes to access the deals. Cape Town: Die Wieveld Slaghuis, in Vredekloof, offers a 10% discount on Tuesdays. The promotion is valid on full-priced items, excluding half and whole lamb. Vanderbijlpark: La Oma offers pensioners 10% off their meat on Wednesday. Shopping Centres with Pensioner Discounts If you don’t want to use your fuel driving from shop to shop to get your specials, choose shopping centres where you can visit several shops and maximise the discounts. Gauteng Centurion Mall: Over 55 and living in Pretoria? Centurion Mall has specials. From 10% off on Sketchers every third Wednesday of the month, to 5% off Poetry purchases on select merchandise. End your shop with a treat at Milky Lane. The ice cream shop offers 5% off every Wednesday. Address: 1269 Gordon Hood Rd, Centurion Central, Pretoria, 0046 Western Cape Table Bay Mall: Pensioners residing along the R27 or N7 in Cape Town can visit Table Bay Mall on Wednesdays. While specials vary from store to store, if you don’t feel like cooking, Cafeteria, a restaurant on the Ground floor, offers 25% off all menu items to pensioners over 65. Address: R27, Corner of Berkshire Blvd, Sunningdale, Cape Town, 7441 Willowbridge Mall: If you’re in Cape Town’s northern suburbs, Willowbridge offers older persons discounts on Tuesdays. You can get all kinds of discounts in the mall, including daily deals at Sweetbeet, Wordsworth, and the Bed Centre. Address: 39 Carl Cronje Dr, Tyger Valley, Cape Town, 7440 KwaZulu-Natal South Coast Mall: In Margate? You can go to South Coast Mall. Wednesday is the day to get discounts for over-60s. The deals range from 10% at Volpes on linens to free frames at Specs Savers with the purchase of an eye test. To access these deals, you must sign up for the Golden Club Membership Card. Address: Izotsha Rd, Shelly Beach, Margate, 4265

Friday’s PowerBall jackpot has climbed to an estimated R52 million, with PowerBall Xtra offering an additional R24 million, for a combined R76 million on the line. The draw takes place at 21:00, broadcast live on e.tv and SABC, with ticket sales closing at 20:40. BOOKMARK | Find every PowerBall and PowerBall XTRA draw result in South Africa HERE How to play Friday’s PowerBall PowerBall costs R10 per board. Players match five numbers from a pool of 50, plus a PowerBall number from 1 to 16, either self-selected or via Quick Pick. Adding PowerBall Xtra costs an extra R5 per board, giving a second shot at winning from the same numbers. Why Friday’s PowerBall jackpot has grown to R52 million Tuesday’s draw produced no Division 1 winner, with the numbers 3, 12, 27, 36 and 47, plus PowerBall 15, failing to match a single ticket, pushing the jackpot to its current R52 million. PowerBall Xtra tells a similar story. Its last big win came on Tuesday, 30 June, when the entire R139 million jackpot was shared by three players under Sizekhaya’s cascading jackpot rule. Since then, rollovers have carried it to R24 million. Where to buy your PowerBall tickets Tickets are available at authorised National Lottery retailers, on the National Lottery website and app. You can also use USSD by dialling 1207529#. If you’re playing through a banking app, Capitec, FNB, Absa, Nedbank, Standard Bank, TymeBank and African Bank all let you select numbers or Quick Pick directly from your phone before the cutoff. Winners of R50 000 or more receive free trauma counselling and financial advice, and all National Lottery winnings are paid tax-free directly into the winner’s account. Whichever way you play, Friday’s PowerBall jackpot is one of the bigger prizes on offer this month. I’ll be keeping an eye on the numbers the moment they drop tonight. The South African is the first to deliver PowerBall results. Check back tonight for the results. Are you a regular PowerBall player? Tell us in the comments below …

Eskom recorded a daily energy availability factor of 80.24% on 20 July, its best single day since 20 September 2017.

The transmission operator will own the assets outright, reversing a plan approved by the energy minister in December.