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In today’s Wrap, we tell you why Donald Trump’s second term in office should worry us all. Back home, we’re side-eyeing the judiciary because of sexual harassment charges levelled against not one but two members, one of them a whole judge. Meanwhile, rappers Drake and A$AP Rocky have their own legal troubles. We also explore why a minister close to the president should maybe step aside before she’s fired.
So, let’s dive into these stories and more in this week’s wrap, brought to you by Verashni Pillay and the explain.co.za team. 😄
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Format:
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▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ 1. OUR TAKE: State capture, but make it American
Today marks Donald Trump’s fourth day in office as the 47th President of the USA, and what a dark few days it’s already been.
Monday’s inauguration included a bevy of tech billionaires, all given prime seats and high visibility. Many of these men are currying favour to win lucrative government contracts and buck regulations. It’s like a US version of state capture, and it was so blatant that it was frightening. As the BBC noted, most of their firms still have serious outstanding matters before the US government, including anti-monopoly lawsuits, investigations, regulatory fights and tariffs. These billionaires are literally buying their way out of trouble.
For example, Elon Musk – who helped fund Trump’s campaign – will head Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency. He also holds billions of dollars in federal contracts with the US government via his company SpaceX. Musk will effectively be put in charge of the regulators that oversee him, the New York Times has reported. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is gunning for government business, too, looking to land lucrative NASA contracts.
Musk sealed his remarkable rise to power with not one but two Nazi-style salutes after addressing crowds gathered at the Capital One Arena for celebrations after the inauguration. 😵
There’s a lot on Trump this week so keep reading The Wrap for more on his first days in office.
▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ 2. BIG STORY: The Mbenenge sexual harassment case speaks to SA’s high GBV reality
South Africa’s first judicial sexual harassment tribunal began last week Monday under the Judicial Service Commission’s Judicial Conduct Tribunal. They are tasked with investigating allegations of sexual harassment made by High Court Secretary Andiswa Mengo against Eastern Cape Judge President Selby Mbenenge.
At the heart of the trial are WhatsApp messages and images that Mengo says Mbenenge sent her in 2021, including explicit content and a pornographic collage. She claims these were unsolicited and part of a pattern of harassment, while Mbenenge insists the interactions were consensual.
Mengo testified that the explicit content was so persistent that she felt pressured to respond to placate Mbenenge despite being disgusted by his advances. In one instance, she says she replied, “It’s nice” to a pornographic collage he sent her because she feared that anything else would provoke further harassment.
Mbenenge has flatly denied sending the explicit images and maintains that their exchanges were consensual. His defence hinges on Mengo’s responses, which his legal team argues were flirtatious and did not indicate discomfort. However, evidence leader Salome Scheepers pointed out that the power dynamics in this case are hard to ignore.
The tribunal is ongoing.
Mengo’s testimony paints a picture of relentless harassment. She claims Mbenenge sent messages referencing his genitalia as a “python” and even asked her to send explicit photos of herself, which she refused. The transcripts also reveal that Mengo repeatedly attempted to set boundaries, texting “no” to his advances and expressing frustration.
South Africa has one of the highest GBV rates globally, with countless women navigating harassment and violence in both public and private spaces. This case raises urgent questions about how power imbalances are exploited and what systems are in place to protect those who come forward. If found guilty, Mbenenge could face impeachment—a rare and significant move in the country’s legal history.
▁ ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ BRIEFS
3. Legal drama for US rappers A$AP Rocky and Drake
The rap world is alive with legal drama, and we’re here for it.
First up, Rihanna’s partner, also known as rapper A$AP Rocky, saw his shooting trial kick off on Tuesday. He’s accused of firing a semiautomatic firearm at a former friend on the streets near a Hollywood hotel in 2021. If convicted, he could get up to 24 years in prison, AP reported. He has pleaded not guilty. It’s obviously a serious issue, but we love that the judge involved had the same question as the rest of us. Will Riri be there in all her fabulousness? “The mother of his children is she going to be here?” Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold asked Rocky’s lawyers at an October hearing, according to the AP report. “She’s welcome to be here whenever she wants, I’d just like to know.” Alas, the answer seems no, as Rocky wants to protect her.
Meanwhile, another drama-prone rapper, Drake, is suing his record label thanks to Kendrick Lamar’s diss track about him, Not Like Us.
On Wednesday last week, Aubrey Drake Graham filed a suit against Universal Music Group (UMG), the label backing both rappers, saying their release and promotion of Lamar’s track dissing him, which includes allegations of paedophilia, amounted to defamation and harassment.
To make matters worse, Drake says the visuals on Lamar’s album include an image of his house, which he considers a dangerous invasion of privacy.
This follows the epic feud last year between the pair, who were once friends. Not Like Us became one of Lamar’s best hits, climbing to the top of the charts and nabbing five Grammy nominations, including Record and Song of the Year. While rap feuds thrive on hard-hitting lyrics, Drake argues Lamar’s track crossed the line. Diss tracks are one thing. Allegations of this scale are another.
One thing is clear: the world of hip-hop never runs out of drama or diss tracks.
4. Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s R2.5 million tender scandal: Will she step aside?
Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, a minister in the presidency and one of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s key confidants, may be forced to step aside. On Monday, News24 reported that the Hawks have wrapped up their investigation into an irregular tender worth R2.5 million, awarded during Ntshavheni’s time as municipal manager of Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality back in 2009. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is reportedly gearing up to press charges.
The ANC’s Step Aside rule previously only applied to leaders once charged. However, President Cyril Ramaphosa took the rule one step further in his January 8th address, declaring that party members facing serious allegations shouldn’t wait until formal charges are filed—they should step aside, or resign, from government and party positions the moment they’re implicated. Ntshavheni has not responded to questions, saying she was on sick leave, while the ANC said there was nothing to say on the matter.
All eyes are on the party as it battles to clear up its corrupt image, which led in part to the historic loss of its majority at the last national elections.
5. Prince Harry settles with The Sun publisher: The end of a hacking nightmare?
Prince Harry has finally settled with News Group Newspapers (NGN), the publisher of The Sun, over claims of phone hacking and other shady information-gathering tactics. The case stems from Britain’s now-infamous tabloid culture, which has spent years rifling through the private lives of celebrities, royals, and, well, anyone they could get dirt on.
NGN has admitted to using private investigators to unlawfully snoop on Harry’s personal life—think phone hacking, tailing, and digging through confidential information. The publisher even issued a formal apology, acknowledging what they called “unlawful acts.” Harry will receive a substantial payout as part of the settlement, although the exact figure is under wraps.
Reminder: Harry and his wife Meghan Markle say they were hounded out of the UK and gave up their royal life in part thanks to the harassment by the UK tabloids. Markle said in a bombshell interview with Oprah that the reports and death threats that followed drove her to thoughts of suicide.
A history of bad behaviour
This isn’t just a Prince Harry issue. Britain’s tabloid media, led by NGN and other powerhouses, has a long history of invading privacy in ways that would make your nosy neighbour blush. The phone hacking scandal exploded in 2011 when it was revealed that News of the World, NGN’s now-defunct sister paper, hacked into the voicemail of Milly Dowler, a murdered teenager. 😠 The revelation led to public outrage, legal battles, and, eventually, the paper’s shutdown.
Over the years, NGN and others have paid out nearly £1 billion in settlements to victims, ranging from celebrities to everyday people. Harry himself has been vocal about how these publications contributed to the trauma his mother, Princess Diana, endured before her tragic death in a paparazzi chase.
NGN’s admission highlights the need for accountability in the media, especially in an era when clicks often trump ethics.
6. Executive orders that made headlines
Back to Trump, he wasted no time showing everyone who’s boss by signing a bevy of executive orders, some of which will have devastating consequences for Americans and the world.
Now, let’s talk about executive orders for a second. These are directives presidents use to push policies without Congress (their version of parliament). Trump’s been prolific, but critics argue he’s overreaching, and the courts may have the final say.
Here are some of the most concerning ones:
- F*** the environment: Declaring a national energy emergency and a return to fossil fuels, plus ending the Green New Deal – a collection of the Biden administration’s measures aimed at boosting green jobs, regulating the fossil fuel industry and limiting pollution. Additionally, Trump has tasked the US ambassador to the UN to submit a formal request to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.
- Border emergency: Trump has declared a national emergency at the country’s Southern border with Mexico, with a promise that millions of “criminal aliens” will be deported. As part of this, he has ordered the deployment of military troops to enhance border security.
- Muslim ban 2.0: Trump resurrected his campaign promise to bar travellers from Muslim-majority countries. Outrage? Immediate. Legal battles? Already brewing.
- Goodbye, WHO: Trump has ordered the US to withdraw from the World Health Organisation due to the organisation’s “mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic”.
He also signed an order pardoning 1500 of his supporters who were part of the attack on the Capitol on 6 January 2021 in a bid to overturn the result of the 2020 election, which Trump lost to Biden. 😮
There are voices of sanity. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, a leading voice in the Episcopal Church, delivered a striking if softly-spoken rebuke directly to Trump as he and his family attended a service at Washington National Cathedral following the inauguration. She pleaded with Trump to have compassion for migrants and LGBTQI+ people, criticising his rhetoric and early policies as “morally indefensible”. Her remarks drew praise from faith leaders and advocates across the political spectrum. Trump, of course, later dismissed her as a “so-called Bishop” and a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater.” He described the service as “very boring” and demanded an apology from her.
We’re just glad someone is calling him out.
7. SA’s U19 Women are on fire at the T20 World Cup
South Africa’s U19 women’s cricket team is not just playing—they’re putting on a clinic at the T20 World Cup in Malaysia. With three wins out of three, they’ve marched into the Super Sixes stage like it’s a walk in the park. 😄 And honestly, who wouldn’t be scared of a team that bowled Samoa out for 16 runs? Yes, 16—barely enough for a scorecard!
Here’s the tea so far:
🏏Win #1: Rain didn’t stop them from schooling New Zealand in their opening match. Despite a shortened 11-over game, SA posted 91-7, with Jemma Botha smashing 32 runs off 24 balls. The bowlers did the rest, leaving New Zealand 22 runs short.
🏏Win #2: Samoa probably wished they’d stayed home. Nthabiseng Nini’s fiery 3-for-4 spell helped dismiss them for a record low. Our openers knocked off the 17-run target in 10 balls like they had a lunch date to get to.
🏏Win #3: Nigeria put up more of a fight (relatively speaking), but the South Africans outplayed them in another rain-affected clash, cruising to a 41-run victory via the DLS method.
Coach Dinesha Devnarain says this team is special—and it’s hard to argue. She’s been shaping these players for 18 months, throwing everything at them, from tough love to tactical tweaks. The result? A squad that looks more polished than a freshly waxed cricket ball.
There’s hope this team can go where the Proteas Women fell short: all the way to a World Cup semi-final or beyond. But first, the young guns will face the USA and Ireland in the Super Six stage. After that, it’s likely the heavyweights—India, Australia, or England. A true test of grit.
For now, though, let’s celebrate. These young women are not just winning—they’re owning the stage. Let’s hope they keep showing the world what SA cricket is all about!
8. Top advocate Jeremy Gauntlett retires amid sexual abuse allegations
One of South Africa’s top legal minds, Jeremy Gauntlett SC KC, has stepped down from the Anglican Church’s inquiry panel into serial child abuser John Smyth. The news emerged on the weekend after serious sexual abuse allegations against Gauntlett surfaced, dating back to the 1980s. Wits University lecturer Dr. Hylton White has accused the advocate of abusing him when he was a teenager.
The inquiry into Smyth stems from an independent report that revealed a cover-up of decades of sexual, physical and psychological abuse of as many as 130 boys and young men by Smyth in Britain and Zimbabwe in the 1980s and 1990s, News24 reported. The report found it was “highly likely” this abuse continued when he was in South Africa.
As an aside, his son, PJ Smyth, started the popular evangelical Godfirst church in South Africa, later moving to the US. He was forced to step down as the leader of a US church movement after a report concluded he did not disclose important information about his father’s abuses.
It’s a devastating story all around, but we’re glad Gauntlett stepped down. Now for justice to take its course, in every aspect of this case. 💔
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That’s it from us at The Wrap, an award-winning product of explain.co.za – simple news summaries for busy people. 💁🏾♀
The Wrap is sponsored by explain’s agency division. We specialise in content marketing for purpose-driven organisations, often with a pan-African reach. Mail info@explain.co.za for a quote.
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_Till next time, goodbye from the team_ ✌🏽
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