June, 30 2016.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Madiba.
Making headlines:

Journalists plan pickets outside SABC
Zille sets DA sights on Beaufort West
And, ANC worried about Zuma effect on elections

Journalists are set to picket outside the South African Broadcasting Corporation's offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town on Friday in solidarity with the public broadcaster's staff.

A message of the intended action was widely circulated by journalists and news editors on social media, email and Whatsapp. It was not clear who the organiser was.

Journalists in Cape Town were asked to picket at the SABC’s Sea Point office from 08:00.

The public broadcaster has recently come into the spotlight for a number of editorial decisions.

SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been criticised for his decision last month to no longer air footage of the destruction of property during protests.

Three SABC journalists were suspended last week for raising questions about a decision not to cover the Right2Know campaign’s protest outside their offices.

 

The Democratic Alliance is hoping to win the Beaufort West and Central Karoo municipalities for the first time in the upcoming elections, said Western Cape Premier Helen Zille.

She said in 2014, the Democratic Alliance had gained 42% of the vote there. She was confident the party could win it.

Zille said this while welcoming 100 people she said had joined the DA from the African National Congress, during a “street rally” in Murraysburg, Beaufort West.

In Beaufort West, the DA would have to unseat controversial mayor Truman Prince and compete against the Economic Freedom Fighters also campaigning there.

 

The African National Congress was worried about the effect President Jacob Zuma would have on the party’s performance in this year’s elections, a Johannesburg city official said on Wednesday.

The president needed to consider the impact he had on the country, said mayoral committee member for urban management, Ros Greeff.

She was speaking at a discussion between four political parties on their plans for the city after the August 3 local government elections. The event was hosted by the Jewish Board of Deputies.

Greeff said Zuma should do the right thing, but could not say what the right thing was.

DA mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba, Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota, and ACDP MP Steven Swart took part in the debate. Greeff was standing in for ANC mayoral candidate Parks Tau.

The EFF declined to attend the event without giving a reason. Greeff said the Nkandla controversy and the possibility of Zuma facing corruption charges would affect the ANC’s votes.

 

Also making headlines:
We are ready for the battle say Nehawu strikers
And, don’t rush to petrol stations, Sapra says there’s no petrol strike

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today