Daily news update: Spotlight on Ramaphosa, Khehla Sitole faces another charge and Lindiwe Sisulu

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Daily news update 29 January

Time ticks for Ramaphosa to answer for leaked audio as Scopa sends request

The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) has officially sent a request to President Cyril Ramaphosa to answer questions over allegations of public funds being used for political party campaigns.

This comes after the committee resolved to give Ramaphosa 10 days to account for remarks he made in a leaked audio recording regarding public funds being utilised for political campaigns during the ANC’s 2017 Nasrec elective conference.

The meeting was convened after suspended ANC MP and Scopa whip Mervyn Dirks wrote to the committee, requesting it to summon Ramaphosa to answer questions over the allegations.

Lindiwe Sisulu denies meeting with Gupta associates in Dubai

Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu on Friday denied meeting with Gupta lieutenant Salim Essa’s business partner during the Dubai Expo in December.

The defiant Sisulu labelled the media reports as a “sponsored smear campaign” that would not succeed.

“I did not have anything to do with the Gupta (sic) here in the country, why would I be smudged with them on a worthy responsibility that I had undertaken during Tourism Month at an International Expo?” she asked.

“I have an impeccable track record of fighting corruption and no amount of propaganda will erase this.”

Police commissioner Sitole’s woes worsen as he faces another charge

National police commissioner General Khehla Sitole faces an additional fraud and corruption charge laid by the Independent Police Investigative Authority (Ipid).

Ipid spokesperson Grace Langa on Friday confirmed the news the police boss now faces two criminal cases.

“Since these two matters are of a criminal nature, we might at some point see ourselves in the courts over this, we won’t discuss these further as they are sub judice,” she said.

City Hall in Cape Town to be handed over to Parliament officers for Sona

The Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, will officially hand over the Cape Town City Hall to Parliament’s Presiding Officers as an alternative venue for the State of the Nation Address (Sona).

The handover will be done next Monday, with Parliament’s Presiding Officers, the Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Amos Masondo.

“After the handover, the City Hall will be declared the Parliament of South Africa precinct,” Parliament said on Friday.

First woman elected to lead National House of Traditional Leaders

Nkosikazi Nomandla Dorothy Mhlauli has been elected Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders (NHTKL). This makes her the sixth elected chairperson and the first woman to lead the house.

“The election of Nkosikazi Mhlauli has great significance for the institution of traditional leadership and the broader national goal to ensure the recognition of woman rights in our democratic country,” said the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

Mhlauli was acting chairperson following the death of the then Chairperson, Ikosi Mahlangu in July 2021.

LaConco finally opens up about her marriage to Jacob Zuma

The first episode of season two ofthe Real Housewives of Durban is out, and while the introductions were as boring as boring can be, LaConco all but made up for it by being open about her relationship and getting vulnerable on screen. 

If you thought questions about her relationship had stayed behind with season one, you were sorely mistaken.

Early on in this week’s episode, newlywed Annie Mthembu caught up with ​​Sorisha Naidoo and said that LaConco is single. 

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