November 14, 2014
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini
Making headlines:

ANC says Parliament is losing its integrity following the recent disruptions by opposition parties.

Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo has been suspended.

And, Energy utility Eskom says that steady progress is being made on the construction of the Medupi power station.

Recent disruptions by opposition parties in Parliament could lead to the institution losing its integrity, the ANC said on Friday. Yesterday, the nation watched with shock and horror as the National Assembly degenerated into a chaotic circus due to the unruly conduct of members ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said in a statement.

He said despite whatever short-term gains some parties may seem to think they are reaping now, his party is extremely worried about the more serious long-term implications of Parliament losing its integrity and the respect currently afforded to it by society.

Kodwa said the dangerous alliance of a “racist DA” and a “fascist EFF” driven by a common hatred and disdain for the ANC has once again displayed its contempt for democratic institutions.

On Thursday, opposition parties shouted down National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete when she tried to prevent them bringing dozens of motions. Most of these were related to spending on so-called security upgrades at President Jacob Zuma's private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal, which Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found Zuma to have unduly benefited from.

The drama unfolded after Economic Freedom Fighters MP Ngwanamakwetle Mashabela refused to leave the podium when she was ordered to do so by house chairperson Cedric Frolick.  The police arrived minutes later. Meanwhile, Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu was physically restrained in the hallways outside the chamber after an altercation in Parliament with an EFF MP.

Zimbabwe's African National Union – Patriotic Front (or Zanu-PF) spokesman Rugare Gumbo has been suspended as supporters of President Robert Mugabe's wife Grace Mugabe push for the ouster of top officials linked to Vice President Joice Mujuru. The decision was taken by Mugabe’s politburo said Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Moyo.

Infighting within the ruling party is reaching a peak ahead of a congress next month which will almost certainly see Grace Mugabe confirmed as the head of Zanu-PF's influential women's league.

The 49-year-old former typist's speedy political rise has been backed by Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, who heads one of two warring factions in Zanu-PF and is understood to be positioning himself to succeed the 90-year-old Mugabe. Mujuru leads the other faction.

Gumbo is the most senior Zanu-PF official to be ousted in a purge of pro-Mujuru allies in what local critics call the “Grace wars”

State media and Grace Mugabe are accusing Mujuru of trying to topple the president.  

Energy utility Eskom said on Thursday that steady progress was being made on the construction of the Medupi power station, in Limpopo, with a number of milestones being reached on the station’s Unit 6, in preparation for its planned synchronisation to the grid in December.

The burner commissioning programme has been “virtually completed” and plans were to put the first mill in service later this week, after which the blow-through process would begin.

To date, the unit has been generating steam while the commissioning of the burners is in progress. The work in progress has seen the first strainers being blocked, as the debris was being removed from the pipework.

Eskom said the whole team is working around the clock to deliver Unit 6 and the deadline for the end of this year remains clear in everyone’s mind with the focus on the final activities of completing blow through, steam pipework restoration, steam cleaning, protection tests, steam to set and synchronisation.

The utility had, meanwhile, also successfully commissioned and operated the ash overland conveyor, which would transport the boiler-bottom ash to the ash-dump area on the western side of the Medupi power station.
The conveyor was 1.8 m wide, about 2.8 km long and had the capacity to handle 2 100 t/h of ash.

Also making headlines:

Speaker Baleka Mbete on Friday defended the physical removal of an Economic Freedom Fighters MP from the National Assembly, saying she had a duty to protect Parliament as the opposition was trying to tarnish the legislature.

Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has admitted that the trade union federation is in trouble.

And, Mali is rushing to impose tougher measures to contain the spread of Ebola after recording a new case of the disease in the West African nation's capital, health officials said on Thursday.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.