Radio 2000 Mixes

The Chairperson of the Commission Inquiry into State Capture, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, has dismissed the application by former Public Enterprises Minister, Lynne Brown, for leave to cross-examine witnesses. In his testimony before the Commission last month, former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas said he was told by Ajay Gupta that the controversial family had worked closely with a number of people, including Brown and Brian Molefe...Here is an extract from an exchange between Justice Zondo and Brown's Lawyer Simmy Lebala

Zingiswa Losi speaks about her appointment as Cosatu's 1st female president and the way forward

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has described COSATU's 13th national congress as a success and says the election of Zingiswa Losi as the first female president of the trade union federation is a progressive step. COSATU has been meeting over the past four days to elect new leadership and to reflect on its direction. The SACP's First Deputy General-Secretary Solly Mapaila says the congress, which concludes today, not only focused on worker issues but also on ways of strenghtening the federation and the alliance. Mapaila has told Krivani Pillay that they will not be taking part in next year's national elections but that the alliance must ensure that its is strong as it moves towards 2019.

The DA in the Eastern Cape says it has resigned itself to being an opposition party after its application seeking to nullify the council meeting which ousted its member Athol Trollip as mayor, was dismissed by the high court in Port Elizabeth. The party says it will not be appealing the decision unless the national office decides otherwise. The DA took to court claiming that last month’s meeting, which saw the UDM’s Mongameli Bobani become mayor, following a motion of no-confidence against Trollip, was invalid because proper processes were not followed. But the court found otherwise. Our reporter Mcebisi Nqina was in court.

Senior UN officials have warned that there are legitimate questions and concerns about the commitment of the parties to peace agreement signed by the leaders of South Sudan less than a week ago. A previous deal, signed in 2015, fell apart and fighting between government forces and rebels have killed at least 50 000 people and displaced 2 million. The UN's Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping pointed out that within days of the latest signing in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, there have already been reports of fighting in several regions of the country. Sherwin Bryce-Pease reports.

Nedbank CEO, Mike Brown, says the bank decision to end its business relations with the Gupta family was motivated by the family’s continued negative media reporting about its activities. Brown is testifying at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture led by Deputy Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo. Brown has told the commission that he did not feel pressured by the ANC to re-open the Gupta’s business bank accounts. Senior officials of other banks have testified that they were threatened by ANC officials after they closed the bank accounts.

Confusion persists as two factions of trade union SAMWU continue to butt heads. Simon Mathe who claims to be the genuine General-Secretary of the union, says they have been meeting with COSATU leadership to ensure unity but this has been disputed by a group led by Chebeitsine Mokoto who says Mathe and his group refused to go to a mediated meeting earlier this week.

Trade union NEHAWU says the new COSATU president Zingiswa Losi, together with her new leadership should focus on economic growth and job creation as a matter of urgency. The union’s General-Secretary, Zola Saphethe, who is attending the trade union federation’s 13th congress in Midrand, north of Johannesburg, says Losi will help to unite COSATU. The union, it is understood, had nominated a second person but later withdrew the name.

The Eastern Cape Transport Department says it is awaiting treasury to confirm whether it will comply with a request for an increased budget for scholar transport in the province. It says it only received part of what they requested last year. Members of taxi association SANTACO have shut down main roads in the areas of Port Elizabeth, East London, King William’s Town and Uitenhage, demanding an increase in their subsidy. But the province’s MEC for Transport Weziwe Tikana, says their budget is constrained and she's not happy that SANTACO failed to inform the department about today’s strike.

Bussai talks to Ma'Nkambule from Albinism society of South Africa about albinism