Remains of South African man who died in Russia to arrive in Durban
via The Citizen2 min read
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government announced that the body of Sihle Makhaye, a 44-year-old South African man who died in Russia in March, is expected to arrive in the country on Sunday, June 14, 2026. Makhaye was reportedly among several men recruited from South Africa to fight in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, allegedly lured under the pretense of bodyguard training and promised employment. KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Sboniso Duma stated that Makhaye鈥檚 family approached the provincial government for assistance with repatriation. Makhaye's wife, Sibonile Ndwandwe, contacted the MEC's office on April 8, 2026, explaining that her husband was promised a lucrative job in Russia and that she received news of his death on March 28. MEC Duma praised the team assigned by the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Ronald Lamola and acknowledged President Cyril Ramaphosa's intervention in the repatriation efforts. A press conference with the family and government officials is scheduled for Monday to provide further details on the circumstances surrounding Makhaye鈥檚 death and to announce funeral arrangements.
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Julius Malema, president of the EFF, stated that South Africans complaining about foreign nationals owning spaza shops should instead focus on gaining control of large industries like mines. Speaking at the funeral service of MKP parliamentary deputy chief whip Muzi Ntshingila in Johannesburg, Malema questioned why there are strikes over spaza shops but not to claim mines, advocating for strategic means of production to be returned to their rightful owners. He suggested that international powers ignore xenophobic tensions in South Africa to protect "white monopoly capital," noting the absence of sanctions. Malema called for unity among all ideologically Black groupings. He also emphasized the urgent need to address redress stemming from South Africa's colonial and apartheid history, highlighting the worse conditions faced by the African working class and women compared to the white working class. Malema, known for advocating African unity, stated his party was never taught to hate and loves all South Africans and Africans, both within the country and in the diaspora. This comes as some African states repatriate citizens from South Africa amid anti-immigrant protests, with groups like March and March demanding the deportation of illegal immigrants by June 30.
Must ReadPresident Cyril Ramaphosa has initiated urgent legal action to prevent a parliamentary impeachment inquiry into the Phala Phala scandal from proceeding. On June 12, 2026, Ramaphosa filed a notice of motion in the Western Cape High Court, seeking an order to stop the impeachment committee's work. This urgent application accompanies a broader legal challenge where the president is asking the court to review and set aside the findings of the Section 89 independent panel, chaired by former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo. That panel's report indicated prima facie evidence suggesting Ramaphosa has questions to answer regarding the theft of approximately $580,000 about R9.6 million from his Phala Phala game farm in February 2020. The legal moves follow a Constitutional Court ruling in May that found Parliament acted unlawfully in blocking impeachment proceedings in December 2022, leading to the establishment of the current impeachment committee. Ramaphosa argues that no proceedings should commence until his review application, scheduled for September 2-4, is concluded, stating that interim activity would cause substantial harm and undermine the effectiveness of the review. Separately, ActionSA filed criminal charges against Ramaphosa last month, alleging misrepresentation of the stolen amount, which they claim could be up to R15 million, and accusing him of violations of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, perjury, and fraud. Criminal proceedings are also underway
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