While former president Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial is yet to begin, despite him being first charged in 2005, it is not the only long-running case that the criminal justice system will have to grapple with in 2020.

The other is that of Gary Porritt and Sue Bennett, arrested in the early 2000s on various counts, including fraud and racketeering.

Their trial eventually started in 2015, but is nowhere near final.

Johannesburg high court judge Brian Spilg will hear arguments early in the year from the two on why he should recuse himself.

Judge Geraldine Borchers recused herself in 2011 after appearing in the matter for five years.

Porritt was arrested in 2002 after the infamous Tigon/PSC Guaranteed Growth scandal, with allegations that more than R160m invested in PSC disappeared into Porritt-associated business entities.

The indictment contained more than 3,000 counts involving contraventions of the Income Tax Act, the Companies Act and the Exchange Control Act, as well as racketeering and fraud.

Porritt and Bennett, who was arrested in 2003, have spent millions of rand on preliminary legal skirmishes that delayed the start of their trial.

The case has reached the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) on two occasions and is now being dealt with by the third judge.

They brought an application in the high court, seeking that Legal Aid SA pay defence lawyers of their choice.

The high court agreed with them, but Legal Aid SA appealed to the SCA, which, in 2010, set aside the high court order.

When she recused herself, Borchers said she had had too much intimate contact with them.

After her recusal, Judge Lucy Mailula was assigned to the case.

Porritt and Bennett then brought another application in 2013, in which they sought the removal of the two prosecutors.

Mailula agreed with Porritt and Bennett, and ordered the removal of the prosecutors. However, Mailula refused to acquit them. In the SCA, Porritt and Bennett appealed the judge’s refusal to acquit them.

Judge Zukisa Tshiqi dismissed their appeal in October 2014 and remitted the matter back to the high court for the criminal trial to proceed.

Spilg took the matter in 2015 and, after a number of preliminary applications from the two, the case began.

Porritt has been in jail since July 21 2017, when his bail was revoked after he failed to attend the matter on June 12 and 19 that year. His bail money of R100,000 was forfeited to the state.

Meanwhile, Zuma has yet to plead to charges of corruption, first put to him in 2005.

Entrepreneur and property developer Ntate Richard Maponya died in the early hours of Monday morning.

He celebrated his 99th birthday on December 24.

His death came after a short illness, a spokesperson said in a brief statement.

The family requested privacy “during this time of grieving”.

Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.

In November, despite his age, Maponya said he was so concerned about the low employment rate in the country that he was planning to open an academy to train the youth on how to be entrepreneurs.

“Right now I am trying to come with an institution that must train all our youngsters so that when they graduate they get trained to use their own hands and be able to get employed or get into business in their own right,” said a post on his Facebook page. He said he was searching for financial and non-financial support to make his dream a reality.

It was a lifelong goal.

Maponya was the founding president of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc), which was started in 1964 to serve the interests of small businesses.

At the age of 82, he said: “We need to create jobs for our people. That is my primary objective. I have been blessed beyond measure and am able to put food on the table; I want the same for others.”

Maponya, renowned for building a business empire despite apartheid-era restrictions, was last month wished happy birthday by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who said: “I urge young South Africans to research the life story of this great legend, and draw lessons from how he overcame adversity to become one of the greatest pioneers and success stories of our time.”

The business legend had trained as a teacher, before starting small grocery stores in Soweto in the early 1950s. These led to various businesses, including a butchery, liquor stores and supermarket, car dealership and filling station.

The most visible sign of Maponya’s success is his 65,000m² Maponya Mall in Soweto. In 2007, former president Nelson Mandela cut the ribbon at the opening of the landmark township development.

Cas Coovadia, Business Unity SA Acting CEO, said on Monday that Maponya’s death was a sad moment for SA business and the country.

“Dr Maponya distinguished himself as a successful businessman at a time when it was extremely difficult for black people to start a business, let alone excel in business,” said Coovadia.

“He also played a sterling role in the community where he lived all his life. He was a social entrepreneur well before the term was coined and ploughed back into his community as he became successful.

“He set an example for businesspeople and conducted his business ethically and morally.

“We join our country in mourning a patriot…,” added Coovadia.

Three people died after their car rolled on the N1 near Mookgopong, Limpopo, police said on Monday.

Police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the accident happened on Sunday.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that the vehicle, which was moving from north to south, experienced a puncture and the driver lost control.

“The vehicle veered into the opposite lane and started rolling,” Mojapelo said.

Three people, including two girls, aged seven and two, died in the crash.

Eight others suffered serious injuries and were taken to hospital.

As the festive season draws to a close, SA has been given a sobering reality check, courtesy of Eskom.

The embattled utility plunged the country into stage 2 load-shedding darkness on Saturday evening – and the news didn’t get much brighter.

Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini has called for an end to gender-based violence in the country.

He was speaking at the uLwaluko Homecoming Ceremony, held in Kokstad, on Sunday.

The ceremony welcomed back 280 young men, who successfully underwent the practice of ukusoka (circumcision) at six traditional initiation schools in the greater Kokstad area.

The ceremony was attended by KwaZulu-Natal Cogta MEC Sipho Hlomuka, social development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza and arts, culture, sports and recreation MEC Hlengiwe Mavimbela.

Zwelithini also urged the government to ensure that indigenous knowledge was used in conjunction with the best of western medical practices to ensure the fight against the spread of the HIV/Aids was successful.

The Zulu king revived the tradition of ukusoka in 2009, with the backing of the provincial government.

“Since the inception of this programme, which I revived, our province has not had a single incident where a young man has lost his life because of ukusoka,” said Zwelithini.

Hlomuka echoed the call for men to play their part in the fight against the abuse of women and children.

“As the provincial government, we are happy to see young men in Kokstad and all surrounding areas undergoing the practice of traditional circumcision in safe and hygienic environments. We are also happy to see that these men are being taught about the responsibility men have in building our communities” said Hlomuka.

“What we have witnessed today is also a reminder of the important role that the institution of traditional leadership continues to have in creating social cohesion within our communities. When these young men are in the mountain, they are taught to stay away from social ills such as drugs and alcohol abuse. Through this we are ensuring that our young men are better prepared to face life’s challenges,” he added.

Initiate Vuyolwethu Tubane said: “The process we have undergone through the uLwaluko ritual has been educational and has prepared us to be men who will play a meaningful role in our communities. At the mountain, we were taught what manhood is and the responsibility we have in fighting against social ills that continue in our communities, which include the abuse of women and children.”