Let’s wrap up some of the top stories happening in South Africa this week.
It’s all systems go for EFF’s National Shutdown on March 20
Economic Freedom Fighters’ leader Julius Malema says they will be going ahead with their national shutdown and no one will stop them.
This comes as the party gears up to bring the country to a complete standstill on March 20, 2023, as they call for an end to load shedding and for President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down.
Malema says there will be no violence during the shutdown, but he says there could be collateral damage to businesses.
During a briefing yesterday, the leader told the media that essential workers would be protected from the strike.
Three members of Parliament resign after they were axed from the President’s cabinet
Former Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture Nathi Mthethwa, former Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, and former Minister for the Presidency for Women, Youth, and People with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, have all resigned as members of parliament.
Their resignations come after President Cyril Ramaphosa removed them from his cabinet last week.
The office of the ANC’s chief whip also confirmed that former deputy minister of water and sanitation Dikeledi Magadzi and former transport minister Fikile Mbalula also submitted their resignation letters.
Mbalula’s resignation comes after he was moved from cabinet to be based at Luthuli House full-time to focus on his role as ANC secretary-general.
City Of Tshwane appoints new speaker
The African Transformation Movement’s Mncedi Ndzwanana has been appointed as the City of Tshwane’s council speaker.
This comes after the city was without a speaker following the resignation of Dr Murunwa Makwarela, who then became Tshwane’s mayor.
Ndzwanana was up against ActionSA’s Kholofelo Morodi, who lost votes because the Democratic Alliance told its members to vote using numbers and not X as per norm.
This automatically spoils their votes.
The new council speaker received 105 of the votes, while Morodi got 37 after 69 of them were deemed invalid by the Electoral Commission of South Africa.
The new speaker is set to announce a date when a new mayor will be appointed following the resignation of Dr. Makwarela.
Rahima Moosa Mother And Child Hospital reveals the dire state the facility was in
Investigations done at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital have revealed that pregnant women would sleep on the floors and that they were neglected at the hospital.
The investigations by the Office of the Health Ombud come after multiple complaints regarding the state of the hospital.
The Health Ombud has also recommended that they replace the CEO, Dr. Nozuko Mkabayi, who was hardly at work during her tenure.
The department of health says it has noted the report and will follow through with the recommendations.
The strike by members affiliated with NEHAWU has come to end
After a week of disruptions at some public hospitals across the country, the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers Union has ended their strike.
This comes after the government agreed to a 7% increase for workers.
Last week, services at several hospitals were brought to a complete standstill, which resulted in the deaths of some patients.
In a statement, Nehawu thanked its members for their participation in heeding the call by the national union to defend collective bargaining.
“We call on all our members and workers at the picket lines to prepare for an orderly return back to work, in line with the report given directly at picket lines this morning,” said Nehawu in a statement.
Share your thoughts on this article and join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook.
