Daily Podcast - March 14, 2017

14th March 2017 By: Thabi Shomolekae - Creamer Media Senior Writer

Daily Podcast - March 14, 2017

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir
Photo by: Reuters

March,14 2017.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Madiba.

Making headlines:
South Africa’s resumption of ICC membership brings immediate challenge
Sassa and Dlamini yet to answer the ConCourt’s questions
And, South Africa launches hate crime unit with Nigeria

 

South Africa has been summoned to appear before the International Criminal Court on April 7 to answer for its failure to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during his visit to the country in June 2015.

This announcement came only days after South Africa informed the United Nations of its decision to revoke its withdrawal from the court.

In October 2016, South Africa announced its decision to withdraw from the ICC. But earlier this year, South Africa's High Court declared the decision, which was taken without parliamentary approval, as " unconstitutional and invalid " and ordered the government to rescind the notice it sent to the UN.

On March 7, the South African government adhered to the court's decision and wrote a letter to the UN secretary-general officially rescinding its notice of withdrawal from the court.

 

Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini and the South African Social Security Agency have failed to meet the Constitutional Court's deadline to answer the court's questions about when Sassa knew it would not be able to take over the payment of social grants, when its contract with Cash Paymaster Services expires on March 31. The court also wanted to know which officials were aware of this.

The department instead filed heads of arguments and a proposed draft order but did not file affidavits that were expected to indicate who should be liable.

The court had sent Dlamini and the grants agency a set of questions on March 8. They were given a deadline of Monday 16:00 to make the submission.

 

South Africa says it will launch an "early warning" system with Nigeria to track and deter xenophobic attacks following a surge in such violence in South Africa.

South Africa's Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said the new monitor would "help prevent violence" against foreigners and their businesses as she met with her Nigerian counterpart Geoffrey Onyeama on Monday.

Last month, more than 20 shops were targeted in Atteridgeville, 120 km west of Pretoria, while in Rosettenville, an area south of the commercial capital Johannesburg, residents attacked at least 12 houses.

In response to the violence, the Nigerian government called for the African Union to step in and stop the "xenophobic attacks", claiming 20 Nigerians were killed in South Africa last year.

 

Also making headlines:
Ramaphosa to open Global Entrepreneurship Congress
And, Mugabe gives more land to ex-freedom fighters ahead of 2018 vote


To keep in touch with the news while you are on the move, visit m.polity.org.za

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today