South Africa Roundup: Mandela, human trafficking, mining accident

Mandela 10-year remembrance

South Africans celebrated the tenth anniversary of the passing of the nation’s first democratically elected president Nelson Mandela. The former leader of the SADC nation passed at the age of 95 on December 5, 2013. “2023 marks a decade since Mandela's passing. A time to reflect on gains and losses, shaping his legacy. Challenges persist: unemployment, energy crises, leadership issues, poverty, and inequality. Let's honour him by striving for a fairer society. His Legacy lives on through you,” the Nelson Mandela Foundation in a statement said.

Human trafficking

The South African police have recovered over thirty human trafficking victims and captured one suspect in Boksburg, a city in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The victims were rescued on December 3 as a result of a police operation into a kidnapping case of a foreign national, a police spokesperson told reporters. “Detectives from KwaZulu-Natal were tracing a suspect in connection with a case where a foreign national was kidnapped in Springfield Park last week. Investigations led the police to a house in Benoni and working with national police specialised units. The house was tactically penetrated, and thirty-three male victims were found cramped in the house, and one suspect was arrested,” the police spokesman is quoted by local media the Daily Sun.

Implats mining accident

The death toll for the mining accident at the Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Implats) mining site in Rustenburg in the Northwest province of South Africa has risen to thirteen. The company in a statement released on December 4 announced the death of another worker who had been hospitalized following the events on November 27. “Implats reports, with deep sorrow and regret, that an employee who was hospitalised following the accident at Impala Rustenburg’s 11 Shaft on 27 November 2023, succumbed to his injuries and passed away yesterday,” the statement read.

Independent election candidates

The South African Constitutional Court has ruled on the amendment of the nation’s Electoral Amendment Act that would for the first time allow independent candidates to contest for elections in the country ahead of its general elections in 2024. According to local media Ground Up the court decided in a majority ruling that independent candidates seeking to run in the 2024 provincial and national elections needed just 1,000 signatures, overturning the requirement of getting signatures of 15% of the population residing in the area in which they are contesting.

Fire outbreak

A fire outbreak in an informal settlement in Cape Town destroyed 118 shacks and displaced 362 people. The outbreak destroyed personal belongings and ID documents, leaving many with nothing but clothes, Ground Up reports. An alert concerning informal structures burning was received at roughly 4:30 am on December 3. The City's incident management team was notified and fourteen fire engines arrived at the location. By 8:45 am the fire had been contained. There have been no recorded injuries or fatalities, and the cause is unknown, a representative for the South African City Fire and Rescue Service told reporters. Ground Up reports that an official of South Africa’s Disaster Risk Management disclosed that NGOs and the South Africa Social Security Agency (SASSA) have been contacted to provide humanitarian aid.