Daily news update: Scopa guns for Ramaphosa, court blow for Mkhwebane, SIU report

Here is your daily news update. Click on the links below for the full story or visit our home page for the latest news.

Daily news update 26 January

Scopa to give Ramaphosa 10 days to explain remarks in leaked audio

Members of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) will write to President Cyril Ramaphosa requesting a response concerning the leaked audio.

This was in response to ANC MP Mervyn Dirks’ letter asking Scopa to summon the President over an audio recording, where Ramaphosa is heard saying that he knew of party members who used public funds for their political campaigns ahead of the ANC’s 2017 Nasrec elective conference.

In the leaked audio that was recorded during an NEC meeting, Ramaphosa conceded that he is “willing to fall on the sword” to protect the ANC rather than reveal the party members’ names because he is concerned about the image of the party.

ANC MP Mervyn Dirks loses bid to overturn suspension

ANC MP Mervyn Dirks has failed to overturn his suspension from Parliament after the Western Cape High Court struck his application off the roll.

Dirks‘ application was heard in court by Judge Andre Le Grange on Tuesday.

Le Grange ruled that Dirks did not prove that his application was urgent and dismissed it with costs.

The MP had sought an interdict to prevent ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina from appointing another person to replace him.

He also wanted to be reinstated with immediate effect as ANC whip of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa).

Another blow for Mkhwebane as SCA dismisses appeal against Sars rogue unit report

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has suffered another blow as the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein dismissed her application to appeal the Gauteng High Court ruling which set aside her report into the so-called Sars rogue unit.

The initial ruling had said that Mkhwebane’s claims were not supported by the established facts that were placed before her, and were “fundamentally wrong in law”.

Justice Maya in her ruling last week said that Mkhwebane’s application had: “no exceptional circumstances warranting reconsideration or variation of the decision”.

PPE corruption report: Gauteng the worst offender

The Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) final report into the personal protection equipment (PPE) corruption scandal has revealed that Gauteng is far the worst offender.

With more than R6 billion worth of contracts under investigation, the SIU’s reports show irregularities were found in 93% of the contracts.

ALSO READ: Daily news update: ANC divisions a threat says Ramaphosa, plans underway to open sports

The SIU investigated 1,906 contracts in the following departments:

• Department of Education
• Department of Health
• City of Johannesburg
• Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
• Johannesburg Property Company
• Johannesburg Social Housing Company
• South African Police Service

EFF disbands Limpopo leadership structures due to poor election results

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has disbanded the party’s Limpopo provincial command team (PCT) after the party’s poor showing during the 2021 local government elections.

This was revealed by EFF leader Julius Malema on Tuesday during a media briefing in Johannesburg on the outcomes of the Red Berets’ plenum held over the weekend in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni.

Malema said the decision to disband the EFF’s PCT in Limpopo – which is led by his longtime political ally Jossey Buthane – was taken by the party’s central command team (CCT) – the EFF’s highest decision-making structure.

EFF door is still open to DA for negotiations, says Malema

Despite being rejected by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in last year’s coalition talks in municipalities, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says his party remains open to negotiations with the DA.

Addressing the media in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Malema described the ANC and DA as both “devils” but said the EFF preferred working with the official opposition party, instead of the ANC because they want to unseat it from power.

Will Tropical Storm Ana affect South Africa? Here’s what we know

The first ‘named’ storm of 2022 – Tropical Storm Ana – is wreaking havoc in the West Indian Ocean region, but will it affect South Africa?

As of Tuesday morning, Tropical Storm Ana is on a path through the Zomba, Mulanje and Phalombe districts in Zambia.

Mozambique in path of destruction

The South African Weather Service (Saws) said in a statement the storm “began rapidly intensifying over the open ocean to the north-east of Madagascar, northwards of Mauritius and the Reunion Islands”.

Matric results 2021: Inmates achieve 89% pass rate, 77 Bachelor passes

Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Ronald Lamola, has commended the inmate class of 2021 for achieving an 89% matric pass rate.

Lamola was speaking at the Barberton Correctional Centre in Mpumalanga during the announcement of inmates’ 2021 matric results.

According to Lamola, the Correctional Services Department had registered a total of 191 inmates for the 2021 matric examination.

Lamola said the prison population achieved an 89% pass rate, with a total of 77 Bachelor and 47 Diploma passes.

ALSO READ: Daily news update: ANC’s cadre deployment minutes, malaria alert and Steinhoff settlement