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Couple who met homeless in Camps Bay marry in church

Published

Jestelene van Rooi and Mzwamadoda "Blacks" Mpengezi married at Christian Life Church in Camps Bay this week. The couple first met two years ago, and the non-profit Ignisive, local businesses and residents organised the wedding.

The Camps Bay City Improvement District and the South African Police Service (SAPS) also took part. Police warrant officer Christian Lakay walked the bride down the aisle.

Theresa Massaglia, founding CEO of Ignisive, commented on the couple's story. She said: "Their story is a powerful reminder that, with support, opportunity, and human connection, transformation is possible, and even the most challenging journeys can lead to new beginnings".

Key facts

Who
Jestelene van Rooi (bride, couple who met while homeless); Mzwamadoda 'Blacks' Mpengezi (groom, couple who met while homeless); Theresa Massaglia (founding CEO of Ignisive); Christian Lakay (Police warrant officer who walked the bride down the aisle)
What
Jestelene van Rooi and Mzwamadoda 'Blacks' Mpengezi tied the knot at Christian Life Church in Camps Bay this week, with the wedding organised by the non-profit Ignisive, local businesses and residents. The Camps Bay City Improvement District and SAPS also took part, with Police warrant officer Christian Lakay walking the bride down the aisle.
When
25 October 2026
Where
Camps Bay, Cape Town, Foreshore
Status
Reported

Elections Hot

What you need to know

Voting in the 2026 Local Government Elections is under way at 23,696 stations, and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reported a smooth start on 4 November. Stations opened at 7am and close at 9pm, and by 10am preliminary figures showed 3,523,691 voters had cast ballots.

There were problems: unused ballot papers were stolen from Mnyameni Secondary School near Durban, police opened a case, and the IEC relieved the station staff of duty. Some voters in Tshwane said they were turned away for wearing party shirts, but the IEC denied this and said only mayoral candidates' entourages were barred.

ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe told members not to query the results or discredit the IEC, while the IEC said false online claims show routine procedures as fraud.

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US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

Democrats won back both the US House and Senate in the midterm elections held on 3 November, according to media projections. Exit polls showed voters were angry about high prices and the direction of the country, and rebuked President Donald Trump.

Before the vote, US forces struck targets on Qeshm Island in Iran, while Republicans struggled to defend the war against Iran on the campaign trail. Iranian officials said US voters rejected the war, and Tehran stayed on high alert for possible new US strikes.

Markets reacted, with the dollar hitting a one-month low and the rand firming to around R16.55, as analysts pointed to fears of gridlock in Washington.

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  2. Democrats win US Congress in midterm vote, projections show
  3. Ramaphosa wants US trade deal after AGOA suspension

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AI Cooling

What you need to know

Nvidia has told its cloud computing clients to sell at least 51% of their services to non-Chinese companies, according to five people with knowledge of the matter. Anthropic said it has committed to spend close to $900bn on AI infrastructure, and that its computing costs are rising faster than its revenues.

Elsewhere, reports from unnamed sources say OpenAI's latest funding round is falling short of expectations, and a judge let the NAACP pollution case against xAI proceed. In South Africa, the VAST AI investment scheme went offline on 30 October after withdrawals marked approved did not arrive, according to a news investigation.

  1. Accenture faces accusations over AI report with false citations
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  3. Google lets schools turn off AI tools but limits Search

See every update