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Daily news update: Ramaphosa takes aim at splinter parties, eThekwini probe video of employee, Malema’s jab at Mbalula
Here’s your morning news update: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories.
Scores of ANC members at the Mbombela Stadium to hear President Cyril Ramaphosa deliver the party’s January 8 statement. Picture: Facebook/MyANC
In today’s news, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the January 8 statement at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga. He said splinter parties are worse than right-wing parties and also warned about the possibility of a coalition government.
Meanwhile, the eThekwini Municipality is investigating a video showing a seemingly drunk municipal employee in a shopping centre parking lot.
Tragically, ANC members enroute to the party’s 112th birthday rally lost their lives in a bus crash, with several others injured.
And finally, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema took aim at ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula for controversial remarks about former president Jacob Zuma’s “fire pool”.
News today: 13 January 2024
‘Snakes ready to bite people’ – Ramaphosa says splinter groups ‘worse than right-wing parties’
African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed claims that nothing has changed in South Africa over the past 30 years, saying that such statements are inaccurate.
Ramaphosa delivered the January 8 statement at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga on Saturday.
The event attracted ANC members from various provinces, including former deputy president David Mabuza, and leaders of the uMkhonto weSizwe Liberation War Veterans.
Ramaphosa warns ANC supporters about ‘dysfunctional’ coalition governments
President Cyril Ramaphosa used the January 8 statement at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga on Saturday to warn South Africans about coalition governments.
With elections set for later this year, many analysts have predicted that the ANC faces a risk of getting less than 50% of the national vote. If this happens, the ruling party will have to form a coalition to retain power.
Though South Africa has never been run by a coalition government before, many metropolitan municipalities have had coalition government in recent years, such as the City of Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay.
eThekwini ‘shocked’ after ‘intoxicated’ employee caught sleeping in municipal vehicle
The eThekwini Municipality said it is “shocked and appalled” after a viral video on social media showed a seemingly drunk municipal employee sleeping in one of its cars in a shopping centre parking lot.
The municipality said it has opened an internal investigation after the video emerged.
The video was filmed on Friday afternoon by a concerned citizen. The man behind the camera said it was at the Watercrest Shopping Mall in Kloof.
Dlamini-Zuma to retire from parliament
Minister in the Presidency responsible for women, youth and persons with disabilities Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has told the ANC, in a letter, that she will not be going back to parliament next term.
Dlamini-Zuma, who has been an ANC MP since 1994, wrote a letter to ANC electoral committee head Kgalema Motlanthe and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, informing them of her decision on Friday.
She was responding to the party’s invitation to attend the interview for the 2024 national list on 16 January.
Ramaphosa says injustice against Palestinians makes SA ‘tremble with indignation’
While delivering the ANC’s January 8 statement at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, President Cyril Ramaphosa again called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Addressing the masses, the president drew attention to the tragic situation in Palestine, stating that the persistent violence has prompted South Africa to take major steps for peace.
Ramaphosa was referring to the case brought against Israel by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to address the alarming situation and seek justice for the affected population.
Six Limpopo ANC members killed in crash
ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane and Police Minister Bheki Cele have confirmed that African National Congress (ANC) members have been killed in a crash while they were travelling to the party’s 112th birthday rally in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, on Saturday morning.
According to Cele, six members lost their lives, while at least 18 others were injured.
The bus the members were travelling in rolled down an embankment on its way to Mbombela early on Saturday morning.
Malema’s jab at Mbalula: ANC ‘must give you enough time to speak’ at birthday rally
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has taken a jab at African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula for his recent remarks that have caused a stir within the ruling party.
Mbalula stirred controversy last weekend when he implied that members of the ruling party had lied about former president Jacob Zuma’s swimming pool being a “fire pool.”
Mbalula said in part: “We formed an ad-hoc committee in parliament on Nkandla and said a swimming pool is a fire pool. Then minister of police was sweating in that committee because kunzima xa uthetha ubuxoki [it’s difficult to defend lies].”
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