For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Madiba.

Making headlines: Zuma in Russia seeking medical treatment as court rules he must return to jail; KZN Premier says 107 cases of truck torching have been under investigation since 2018; And, more than R1bn damage to Western Cape farms after West Coast, Winelands flooding

Zuma in Russia seeking medical treatment as court rules he must return to jail

Former president Jacob Zuma is currently unwell and seeking medical assistance in Moscow, Russia.

This is as the Constitutional Court on Thursday dismissed the Department of Correctional Services' application for leave to appeal a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling that he must go back to prison.

Two sources with direct knowledge of Zuma’s trip said the former president had left on Monday for Moscow, where he was receiving medical treatment.

He flew commercially to Russia, accompanied by six VIP protectors paid for by the State.

Jacob Zuma Foundation spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi confirmed that the former president was in Moscow and was seeking medical assistance.

Zuma has long relied on the Russian healthcare system, ever since he was allegedly poisoned in 2014.

KZN Premier says 107 cases of truck torching have been under investigation since 2018

Since 2018, there have been 107 criminal cases related to the torching of trucks which police have been investigating, said KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube on Thursday.

She said the provincial executive received a comprehensive report on the work being done on the ground, including investigations, the deployment of law enforcement, and intelligence gathering.

Nine trucks were torched in KZN, and 10 trucks in other areas, in a space of just four days recently.

Police Minister Bheki Cele said 12 people of interest were part of four coordinated groups in KZN and Mpumalanga. Three had since been arrested in Mpumalanga.

And, more than R1bn damage to Western Cape farms after West Coast, Winelands flooding

The Western Cape agriculture sector suffered more than R1-billion in infrastructure damage during recent flooding, and now the provincial agriculture department wants to have the area declared a disaster to free up funding for repairs.

According to the department, an updated assessment puts the cost of the damage at R1.053-billion, with the West Coast, Cape Winelands and Overberg the worst affected.

Last month, a series of cold fronts led to heavy rain and caused severe flooding in some regions. The floods caused extensive damage to riverbanks, irrigation equipment, private roads and sediment over vineyards and fruit orchards.

Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer said repairs would cost around R748-million for rivers, riparian zones, vineyards and orchards.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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