In case you missed it: ‘No US officials arrested’ | Verulam temple collapse findings | Shebeshxt denied bail

In the news today, the department of home affairs has refuted claims that South African authorities arrested US officials during a raid at a refugee facility in Johannesburg. Meanwhile, substandard concrete and reinforced steel, as well as a lack of building plans and oversight, are being blamed for the collapse of the Verulam temple in KwaZulu-Natal. Furthermore, musician Lehlogonolo Chauke, better known by his stage name Shebeshxt, will spend Christmas and New Year’s behind bars.

The South African Weather Service has warned of severe thunderstorms, flooding and damaging winds across six provinces on Thursday. KwaZulu-Natal is likely the most severely affected, with an orange level 5 warning, while the other five provinces are under yellow level warnings of varying intensity.Full weather forecasthere. Stay up to date withThe Citizen– More News, Your Way.

The department of home affairs has refuted claims that South African authorities arrested US officials during a raid at a refugee facility in Johannesburg. Principal deputy spokesperson of the US State Department, Tommy Pigott, said the State Department wanted clarity from South Africa on what transpired, claiming that US officials were arrested. However, Home Affairs spokesperson Carli van Wyk said while seven Kenyans were arrested, no American officials were detained.

[paywall]

“The department of home affairs, in collaboration with other arms of law enforcement, executed a routine, lawful operation in Johannesburg targeted at suspected violations of South African immigration law. “The operation followed after intelligence reports indicated that a number of Kenyan nationals had recently entered South Africa on tourist visas and had illegally taken up work at a centre processing the applications of so-called ‘refugees’ to the United States,” Van Wyk said. Substandard concrete and reinforced steel, as well as a lack of building plans and oversight, are being blamed for the collapse of the Verulam temple in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

[/paywall]