First Take SA

The Constitutional Court has ordered former President Jacob Zuma to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and give evidence. The court has also declared that Zuma cannot invoke his right to remain silent as he had initially threatened. The former president was also ordered to pay the commission's legal costs and those of the two counsels.

The State Capture Commisson yesterday heard testimony relating to various covert operations undertaken by the State Securtiy Ageny's Chief Directorate for Special Operations. Amongst them were Operation Justice to deal with judges colluding against the state, Operation Hollywood, aimed at spying on high profile persons and Operation Sisonke set up to stop the so-called Cape Town "poo wars". According to the evidence of unidentified witness Ms K, the majority, not all of the projects carried out were in breach of Agency regulations.

Ms K, an unidentified witness testifying at the State Capture Commission in Johannesburg, has spoken about how the State Security Agency (SSA) established a parallel private protection force for the personal use of former President Jacob Zuma, soon after he took office in 2009. Ms K, is an employee of the SSA and replaced Mr Y who was scheduled to testify on the stand but could not do so due to ill health. The Commission's evidence team instead used Mr Y affidavit to question Ms K. The two are involved in investigations relating to the improvement of the governance systems of the Agency through a programme called Operation VEZA.

The South African National Editor's Forum, SANEF is calling for an investigation into claims that the State Security Agency was used as a vehicle to plant positive news stories about government for certain media outlets. On Monday, the State Capture Commission of inquiry heard evidence from Dr. Sydney Mufamadi who claimed that news wire, African News Agency, was paid Twenty million rand in the 2015/16 financial year for services rendered. These allegations have since been refuted by ANA CEO, Vasantha Angamuthu.

South Africa's first batch of Covid-19 vaccines will arrive in the country on Monday. The arrival of the one million doses from the Serum Institute in India was announced by Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize last night*. They will be used to immunise frontline healthcare workers in the first phase of the country's vaccines rollout. Government wants to vaccinate at least 40 million South Africans by the end of the year to achieve herd immunity.

Acting State Securtiy Agency Director General Loyiso Jafta says the SSA has suffered from selective adherence to the law, employees being given illegal instructions as well as corruption and theft. Jafta, who was testifying at the State Capture Commission, was appointed in 2018. He confirmed the payment of money to members of the judiciary and the use the SSA for political as well as factional struggles within the ANC. This was earlier outlined by Former Chairperson of the High Level Panel of Review into the SSA Sydney Mufamadi who testified on Monday

The South African Teachers Union is taking the Department of Basic Edcuation to court for failing to pay up to 4 000 temporary educators' salaries in Mpumalanga for January. Chief Executive Officer at the union, Chris Klopper, says they are taking the department to court on an urgent basis arguing unfair dismissal in terms of the labour relations act and that the department did not comply with the collective agreement.

The Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA ) has handed over a memorandum of demands to the office of President Ramaphosa. The association is calling for government to lift the ban on alcohol sales and transportation as well as the curfew times. The association says the ban has left the industry crippled as most of its revenue comes from alcohol sales. The alcohol ban was re- introduced in late December as part of reducing the spread of Covid-19 infections and reducing trauma cases at hospitals.

Former Chairperson of the High Level Review Panel into the State Security Agency, Sydney Mufamadi, has painted a disturbing picture of the State Security Agency over the last ten years. Testifying at the State Capture Commission, Mufamadi said that there had been politicisation and factionalisation of the intelligence community, fuelled by power struggles in the ANC. The Panel was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018 to investigate whether the SSA was conducting itself as a professional national service.

The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs is assessing the damage caused by tropical storm Eloise in Mpumalanga. Areas in the Ehlanzeni region in the north-eastern part of the province seem to be the hardest hit. Many roads are flooded and at least 100 houses have been damaged