Daily news update: Action SA takes on Ramaphosa, Lungisa suspended and Mantashe defends Zuma

DA lays charges against Malema and Co as ActionSA pursues lawsuit against Ramaphosa, Cele

The DA has officially laid criminal charges against EFF leader Julius Malema and former president Jacob Zuma’s children, Duduzane Zuma, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and Edward Zuma for encouraging violence.

The DA laid the charges at the Cape Town police station on Wednesday.

Speaking in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday, DA leader John Steenhuisen said that following their remarks on social media, the four needed to be held accountable for the looting and violence the country has witnessed over the past few days.

Andile Lungisa slapped with 18-month suspension from ANC

The ANC in the Eastern Cape has suspended Nelson Mandela Bay councilor Andile Lungisa for a period of 18 months.

Lungisa faced the ANC’s provincial disciplinary committee (PDC) after being charged for violating Rule 25.17.2. of the party’s constitution. The charges relate to his criminal record, attained for smashing a glass jug on an opposition party member’s head five years ago.

Zuma is a victim and 15-month jail sentence is ‘harsh’ – Mantashe

ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe says he believes that the jail sentence imposed on former president Jacob Zuma was harsh.

‘My view is that any [prison] sentence for an 80 year old is harsh,” the Minister told on Newzroom Afrika.

Zuma was slapped with a 15-month prison sentence when he was found guilty of contempt of court by the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) on 29 June, for failing to comply with the court’s ruling for him to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture.

South Africa in flames: Is this a Jacob Zuma-linked coup attempt?

South Africans spent most of mid-July glued to their news outlets, from established media outlets to TikTok, from streaming news to old-fashioned printed words, to see just one thing: would Jacob Zuma blink? Would the country finally get some taste of revenge for the state capture, looting, destruction of institutions and threats to the country’s democracy their former president had enabled and championed? Would the rule of law win?

The cost of looting already exceeds R5 billion

The cost of the looting in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal already exceeds R5 billion, with more than 800 shops in KZN and 100 in Gauteng looted and burnt, according to the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA).

The CGCSA says it is concerned about the potential impact of the disruptions on food security in the country and various supply chain issues as factories are unable to produce, resulting in food shortages which will mostly affect the most vulnerable and poor.

No delegation visited Zuma in prison, says his foundation

The Jacob Zuma foundation has dismissed claims that former president Jacob Zuma was visited by a delegation in prison.

This is after reports suggested that the delegation went to the Estcourt Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, where Zuma is currently serving his prison sentence in an effort to discuss the former president’s release.

State of emergency SA: What this would mean for your rights

Six days of violent protests and looting have left parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng decimated, which has led to increasing calls for the government and President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a state of emergency in South Africa.

But what exactly would this mean for South Africans? Should we be in favour of this decision without understanding the implications of such a drastic step?