South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Tuesday 29 September

For all the latest news in South Africa, be sure to check out the day’s biggest headlines on Tuesday 29 September.

While South Africa braces for, what is expected to be, a dire unemployment report reflecting the destructive economic impacts of hard lockdown between April and June, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) faces a serious rape scandal which threatens to intensify factional infighting.

TODAY’S LATEST NEWS IN SOUTH AFRICA, Tuesday 29 SEPTEMBER

Unemployment in South Africa: Quarterly Labour Force Survey release

The economic impact of South Africa’s hard lockdown — between April and June 2020 — is expected to be revealed in a quarterly unemployment report. The data, due to be released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), comes as the country begins to remerge from restrictive regulation which halted economic activity and limited personal freedoms in an attempt to quell the coronavirus’ pervasive spread.

While National Treasury director general Dondo Mogajane predicted that South Africa’s unemployment rate could eventually climb to 40% as a direct result of lockdown’s economic fallout, estimations for the second quarter figure are slightly more reserved at around 34%. South Africa currently has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world — particularly impacting the nation’s youth — at 30.1%.

While government has tried to soften the blow through financial relief schemes — Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) COVID-19 Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) — economists warn that retrenchments will intensify once these programmes are suspended before businesses have had a chance to recoup severe lockdown losses.

Stats SA is expected to release the latest unemployment figures at 11:30.

Former ANC MP arrested on rape charges

The ANC in Mpumulanga has announced that a former Member of Parliament (MP), who had, at one time, also served as the MEC of Finance and Economic Development in Mpumulanga, has been arrested on charges of rape. While the party named the member and revealed that he had been suspended pending outcomes of the judicial process, it’s alleged that the former MEC is charged with raping his own daughters.

For the protection of the victims in this case, media houses have lambasted the ANC and vowed to withhold information pertaining to the perpetrator, despite these details already being in the public domain.

The former MEC, who has been charged along with his stepson, is expected back in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Thursday 1 October where bail applications will be heard.

It’s been alleged that the public ousting will further inflame tensions within the ANC and that the accused’s identity was released as a tactic to suppress political adversaries. Factional infighting along loyalist lines has embattled the ruling party for years especially since the shift in power from Jacob Zuma to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

In response to the rape allegations, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumulanga said:

“We know that all ANC members who are charged or accused with serious crimes always tell us that is ‘politically motivated’.”

Former crime intelligence boss Mdluli to learn his fate

Former crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli and co-accused Mthembeni Mthunzi are expected to learn the full extent of their fate as sentencing procedures before the High Court in Johannesburg wrap up today. Sentencing was initially expected to be completed on Monday.

Mdluli and Mthunzi were found guilty of kidnapping, common assault and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The case is connected to the 1999 murder of Oupa Ramogibe, who allegedly had an affair with Mdluli’s wife.

Both guilty parties have pleaded for leniency, citing their age and risks associated with the coronavirus.

SASSA grant payment not affected by Post Office finances

The South African Post Office has assured recipients of social grants that South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) payments will not be affected by the current financial restrained experience by the Post Office.

“The funds for social grants come from National Treasury through the Department of Social Development and are not funded from the revenue of the South African Post Office.”

“The SA Post Office experienced a dramatic reduction in revenue during the lockdown period and is currently looking at ways to improve cash flows,” the Post Office said in a statement. (Source: SAnews)

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HOROSCOPE TODAY

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