South African Police Arrest 46-Year-Old Man for Threatening Premier Winde; eThekwini Welcomes R250 Million Office Investment
The South African Government News Agency (SAnews), in its morning edition on November 13, rounded up developments across South Africa: Western Cape police arrested a 46-year-old man in Cape Town in the early hours over text messages allegedly threatening Premier Alan Winde; the eThekwini Municipality welcomed a R250 million commercial office investment at Sibaya Coastal City; Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Mmapaseka Letsike called for sporting opportunities to be open to every child; Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training urged the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to show measurable improvements in performance; and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande will form part of President Cyril Ramaphosa's high-level delegation to Silicon Valley in the United States from November 15 to 21, a trip GSM reported yesterday, with the ministry's delegation composition announced today.
Western Cape police said the arrest followed an investigation into intimidating text messages received by a complainant on October 17, 2026. The messages allegedly contained threats directed at Premier Winde, as well as a direct threat to shoot the complainant. Detectives from the Provincial Murder and Robbery Unit, working with Crime Intelligence, pursued several leads and, after gathering and analysing information, obtained an arrest warrant. The suspect was arrested at about 03:30 on November 13 at a premises in Kensington, Cape Town, and a cellphone believed to have been used in the offence was seized. Police said the suspect faces charges of intimidation and contraventions of the Cybercrimes Act, 19 of 2020, and was expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrates' Court on November 13. Western Cape police said threats and intimidation, particularly where intended to undermine the safety of individuals or public representatives, will be investigated and dealt with through the appropriate legal processes.
The eThekwini Municipality welcomed the launch by Devmco Group of HQ Sibaya, a premium office development of about 7,000 square metres at Sibaya Coastal City, representing an investment of R250 million. Located along Heleza Boulevard, between uMhlanga, uMdloti and King Shaka International Airport, the project forms part of efforts to establish Sibaya as an integrated mixed-use urban node bringing together residential, commercial, retail and lifestyle facilities. According to the developer, based on National Treasury's economic multiplier, the project is expected to generate approximately R500 million in total economic output and contribute an estimated R8 million annually to the municipality's rates base, create approximately 750 temporary jobs during construction and a further 20 permanent positions once operational. Some 75% of the available office space has already been sold; construction of the building's upper structure is expected to begin once earthworks are completed, with completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2027. City Manager Musa Mbhele said such projects attract business, create employment and expand the municipal rates base, while Devmco Group Managing Director Schalk Theunissen said HQ Sibaya marks the start of Sibaya's commercial node.
Addressing a men's netball tournament, Deputy Minister Letsike called for greater inclusion in sport, saying children should be free to pursue the games they love without being made to feel they do not belong. Reflecting on her own experience as a football-loving girl who helped establish the first girls' football team at her high school, she said exclusion often begins with a joke or a dismissive look, and that a child can carry those words for years. Letsike said inclusion requires accessible facilities, community-based opportunities and public institutions that consider who might still be excluded, adding that during Disability Rights Awareness Month, inclusion is not a favour but a public responsibility. She stressed that the growth of men's netball should be matched by greater investment in women's sport, and called on Netball South Africa, municipalities, schools, sporting bodies and sponsors to support accessible facilities, community leagues, trained coaches and development pathways.
Tebogo Letsie, Chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, made his call as DHET presented its first- and second-quarter performance reports for the 2026/27 financial year, in the maiden appearance of Acting Director-General Nadia Starr before the committee. Letsie urged the department to address areas of underperformance through measurable action, strengthen accountability and ensure students and communities receive timely, accurate information on study opportunities, funding, skills development and career pathways. DHET reported expenditure of R96.69 billion, representing 64.8% of its annual allocation of R149.2 billion by September 30, 2026. In the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector, the department trained 639 college council members against a target of 150, and 201 TVET lecturers obtained formal qualifications. All 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities were assessed as having credible Sector Skills Plans, and the average turnaround time for qualifying trade test applications was 25 days against a target of 30 days. Starr acknowledged that performance remains uneven and outlined corrective interventions covering implementation bottlenecks, governance, procurement processes and performance monitoring.
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation said its delegation accompanying Minister Nzimande will comprise senior officials of the ministry and the department, the Director-General of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, the chief executives and representatives of the Human Sciences Research Council, the Technology Innovation Agency, the National Research Foundation and the National Advisory Council on Innovation, the Chairperson of the Board of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and experts, academics, small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups. The visit aims to enhance South Africa's knowledge of the global super intelligence (SI) technology and innovation ecosystem, and will engage on cyber security, the use of SI and its impact on socio-economic development, and potential investment in and collaboration with South Africa. GSM published its main report on the delegation's Silicon Valley trip yesterday; this section adds the delegation composition announced today.
The SAnews morning edition also carried three features, on why every vote matters in local government elections, on local governance from service delivery to the ballot box, and on the gap between food availability and access in food security.
Related: South African President Ramaphosa to Lead Delegation to Silicon Valley Next Week
(Source: South African Government News Agency)
Source: South African Government News Agency
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：开普敦市政厅。Shyamal 摄，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Cape Town City Hall, Cape Town, South Africa. By Shyamal, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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