For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: Zimbabwe Constitutional Court sealed off ahead of poll challenge, National minimum wage bill clears parliamentary passage And, SABC's debt close to R700 million

Zimbabwe Constitutional Court sealed off ahead of poll challenge

Reports from Zimbabwe's capital Harare indicate that police have sealed off roads near the Constitutional Court, where Nelson Chamisa the leader of the MDC Alliance is challenging the results of the election won by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Chamisa alleges that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission conspired to rig the election in favour of Mnangagwa.

He has assembled a team of lawyers including top South African advocates Dali Mpofu, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, Tapiwa Shumba and Jeremy Gauntlett.

National minimum wage bill clears parliamentary passage

The National Minimum Wage Bill was approved by the National Council of Provinces yesterday and will now go to President Cyril Ramaphosa to be signed into law.

The adoption of the bill, along with enabling the Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment bill, was welcomed by the Congress of South African Trade Unions as a step that would see the income of 6.4-million South Africans increase.

Employers who fail to comply with the wage will be fined unless they applied for and qualified for exemptions. 

ABC's debt close to R700 million

The SABC is currently close to R700-million in debt.

The public broadcaster owes its creditors R694-million, with further accruals of R475-million expected, SABC chief financial officer Yolande van Biljon told the Portfolio Committee on Communications.

By the end of this month, the SABC will have only R26-million in its bank account, after salaries and about 25% of the outstanding debt will be paid.

SABC board chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini said the broadcaster’s financial situation was very dire and added that a financially burdened public broadcaster not only affects its employees, but also the local production industry.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

For a news update each morning, register for Polity’s free daily newsletter