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Adeleke Receives Certificate of Return, Unveils N500m Fund for Election Violence Victims

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Adeleke Receives Certificate of Return, Unveils N500m Fund for Election Violence Victims
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By Derick peretengboro

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), formally confirming his re-election for a second term.

The certificate was presented to Adeleke on Wednesday by the INEC National Commissioner supervising the South-West, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, shortly after the commission presented a similar certificate to the Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi.

Adeleke emerged victorious in the August 15 governorship election, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, with 511,067 votes against his opponent’s 444,815 votes.

Speaking after receiving the certificate, Adeleke described the document as more than a confirmation of electoral victory, saying it represented a renewed mandate and contract with the people of Osun State.

However, the governor used much of his address to call for healing and reconciliation following incidents of violence recorded during the election period.

He announced the establishment of a N500 million Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund to provide assistance to verified victims and families affected by politically motivated violence.

Adeleke also disclosed that his family, through the Springtime Development Foundation, would provide full scholarships up to university level for children and dependants of people who lost their lives during the political violence.

The governor said a Verification and Relief Committee would be established to identify genuine victims and ensure that assistance was distributed transparently and fairly.

The committee, he said, would be headed by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun.

Adeleke stressed that the intervention would not be influenced by political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender or social status, assuring that every eligible victim would receive consideration.

He specifically remembered victims including Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass and Kolade Eluyera, saying their deaths must not be reduced to mere statistics.

«“No election, political office or ambition is worth the life of a single citizen,” the governor said.

He added that families who lost loved ones to political violence deserved the sympathy and support of the state, describing the intervention as a humanitarian responsibility rather than a political programme.

“In grief, there is no political party,” Adeleke said, stressing the need for the people of Osun to look beyond political differences and unite in their common humanity.

The governor also extended an olive branch to his political opponents, urging those who voted against him to join hands with his administration in advancing the state.

“The election is over. The campaign is over. The contest is over. Now is the time to govern, unite, heal and build,” he said.

Adeleke pledged to govern all residents of Osun State regardless of their political affiliations or voting choices, promising renewed attention to infrastructure, healthcare, education, workers’ welfare, youth empowerment and economic development.

He said the renewed mandate came with greater responsibility, stressing that his administration must work harder, listen more and deliver more for the people.

The governor said Osun must now move beyond the politics of the election and focus on reconciliation, development and improving the wellbeing of its citizens.

The presentation of the Certificate of Return formally followed Adeleke’s victory in the August 15 governorship election, which saw him defeat Oyebamiji by 66,252 votes.

Adeleke, while concluding his remarks, urged residents to celebrate the electoral victory with gratitude but also reflect soberly on the lives lost during the political contest.


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The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and South African Police Service (SAPS) are investigating a video circulating on social media that appears to show a soldier slapping a woman during a planned joint operation in Mitchells Plain on Friday.

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The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and South African Police Service (SAPS) are investigating a video circulating on social media that appears to show a soldier slapping a woman during a planned joint operation in Mitchells Plain on Friday.
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By: Miracle Orumor

CAPE TOWN — The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) are investigating a viral video that appears to show a soldier slapping a woman during a joint security operation in Mitchells Plain.

The incident reportedly occurred on Friday during a planned operation involving members of the SANDF and SAPS in the Cape Town community.

The footage, which has been widely circulated on social media, has sparked outrage and renewed concerns over the conduct of security personnel deployed in crime-hit communities.

Both the SANDF and SAPS have launched investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether any misconduct took place.

The latest incident comes amid continued scrutiny of Operation Prosper, a joint security operation involving the military and police in several Western Cape communities affected by high levels of violent crime.

Previous allegations linked to the operation have raised concerns about the treatment of civilians and the accountability of security personnel accused of misconduct.

The investigation into the latest incident is expected to determine what led to the confrontation and whether the soldier involved could face disciplinary or further legal action.

Authorities have previously maintained that security personnel deployed during joint operations are expected to act within the law and respect the rights and dignity of members of the public.

The SANDF and SAPS investigations are ongoing.


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Two jets – one wrapped in green and one in black – coupled with an astonishing double flyover over the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, mere moments before the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry test match between South Africa and New Zealand, had the entire world buzzing.

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Two jets – one wrapped in green and one in black – coupled with an astonishing double flyover over the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, mere moments before the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry test match between South Africa and New Zealand, had the entire world buzzing.
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By: Miracle Orumor

CAPE TOWN — A heart-stopping aviation spectacle over DHL Stadium went viral on Saturday, leaving 55,000 rugby fans breathless and sending social media into a frenzy just minutes before South Africa faced New Zealand in their Test match.

​A commercial Embraer E190 passenger jet operated by Airlink—bearing a custom “Go Bokke” logo on its underside—executed a precise, ultra-low flyover directly above the open-roof stadium.

​Approaching from a holding pattern near Robben Island, the airliner thundered over the venue, passing through pyrotechnic smoke erupting from the roofline before banking hard over Table Mountain. Spectator footage instantly flooded platforms like TikTok and X, with millions debating the aircraft’s proximity to the stadium superstructure.

​Data from flight-tracking service Flightradar24 revealed that the jet descended to roughly 200 feet above sea level. With DHL Stadium standing about 164 feet tall, the plane passed just tens of feet above the roofline. Aviation experts noted that long broadcast lenses created an optical illusion, making the aircraft appear even closer to the stadium than it actually was.

​Airlink confirmed the flight was thoroughly planned, rehearsed, and fully approved by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), with three senior captains inside the cockpit managing the display.

​The maneuver pays homage to South Africa’s iconic 1995 Rugby World Cup final, where a South African Airways Boeing 747 famously buzzed Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.

​Would you like me to adjust the tone of this updated version to fit a specific platform, such as a YouTube script, an Instagram caption, or a website article?


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Mega-contractor and pastor Witness Mazanga “sold” his golf estate mansion to a dormant company owned by his alleged wife shortly after News24’s exposé of his R500 million City Power contracts, some of which were allegedly “fraudulent”

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Mega-contractor and pastor Witness Mazanga “sold” his golf estate mansion to a dormant company owned by his alleged wife shortly after News24’s exposé of his R500 million City Power contracts, some of which were allegedly “fraudulent”
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By: Miracle Orumor

SOUTH AFRICA — Mega-contractor and pastor, Witness Mazanga, has reportedly transferred ownership of his luxury R13.9 million golf estate mansion to a dormant company allegedly owned by his wife, shortly after a major investigation exposed his companies’ links to more than R500 million in City Power contracts.

According to a News24 investigation, Mazanga, who is also known in church circles as Reverend Witness Acts, allegedly “sold” the luxury property to a company connected to Tsholofelo Margaret Makhubelo, described in the report as his alleged wife.

The reported property transaction has raised fresh questions because it reportedly took place shortly after News24 published investigations into Mazanga’s business dealings with Johannesburg’s City Power.

Mazanga has been under growing public scrutiny following reports that companies linked to him secured contracts worth more than R500 million from City Power.

Some of those contracts were allegedly described as fraudulent or irregular, while an earlier investigation also reported that the Auditor-General found an irregular multimillion-rand contract involving Mazanga.

In another investigation, News24 reported that City Power paid about R121 million in connection with a contract initially valued at approximately R11 million, with Mazanga reportedly involved in the matter.

The latest investigation adds another chapter to the controversy surrounding the pastor and businessman, whose property portfolio was previously reported to be worth about R31 million.

The timing of the mansion’s reported transfer has now become a major talking point, coming shortly after investigations into Mazanga’s multimillion-rand City Power contracts and his growing property empire.

However, it is important to note that the reported transfer of the mansion does not, by itself, prove that any crime was committed. The transaction would need to be investigated and any allegations proven through the appropriate legal processes.

The developments have nevertheless intensified questions surrounding Mazanga’s business dealings, property ownership and the multimillion-rand contracts awarded to companies linked to him.

The story is expected to attract further attention as scrutiny continues over the contracts and allegations surrounding the Johannesburg power utility.


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