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

Making headlines: Inflation slows to 13-month low as food prices cool down; Popo Maja charged with fraud over R140m Digital Vibes contract; And, Eastern Cape ANC accuses SIU of discrediting Mabuyane

Inflation slows to 13-month low as food prices cool down

May's annual consumer price inflation slowed to 6.3% from 6.8% in April, with food prices finally cooling. 

Statistics SA said May's inflation rate, which was also slowed by an easing in fuel prices, is the lowest since April 2022. It was also cooler than economists expected. The median expectation among economists in a Bloomberg survey was 6.5%.  

The consumer price index increased by 0.2% between April and May. 

Food inflation – the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages - eased to 11.8% from 13.9% in April, which was close to the hottest level in fourteen years.

Food inflation only increased by 0.3% between April and May – the smallest increase since November 2021.

Popo Maja charged with fraud over R140m Digital Vibes contract

Popo Maja, the director of communications at the national Department of Health, has appeared in court on corruption charges related to a tender awarded to Digital Vibes.

Maja appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court this morning after handing himself over to the police.

He has been charged with two counts of corruption for his alleged role in awarding a contract worth more than R140-million to Digital Vibes to provide communication services to the department for the National Health Insurance programme.

According to the charge sheet, Maja was part of the bid evaluation committee, which assessed the different bids for the tender. 

It's alleged that he was paid two bribes amounting to R15 000 during this process. 

According to the charge sheet, the money for the alleged bribes flowed from a Digital Vibes bank account into another account owed by Tahera Mather. 

And, Eastern Cape ANC accuses SIU of discrediting Mabuyane

The African National Congress in the Eastern Cape is accusing the Special Investigating Unit of discrediting Premier Oscar Mabuyane.

This comes after Mabuyane successfully interdicted an SIU investigation into the University of Fort Hare qualifications scandal, through an application in the Eastern Cape High Court.

Mabuyane is accused of having been fraudulently admitted and enrolled for a master's degree at the University, without having a prerequisite honours degree.

According to ANC Eastern Cape head of communications Gift Ngqondi the organisation reaffirms its full confidence in the judiciary and in the upholding of the rule of law in South Africa.

The High Court re-affirmed the ANC’s position that the investigation was irrational, unlawful, unreasonable, unfair and was a ploy to discredit comrade Mabuyane, said Ngqondi.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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