August 22, 2014.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Motshabi Hoaeane.
Making headlines:

Small enterprises are expected set to grow South Africa's economy.

Right2Know says the media must be ‘de-commercialised’.

And, South African lawmakers chant 'pay back the money' at President Jacob Zuma.

President Jacob Zuma says supporting small enterprises and broad-based black economic empowerment will be a key strategy in growing the economy to create millions of decent jobs by 2030.

He said this would be guided by government’s plan to industrialise the economy by bolstering the small business sector – in line with the National Development Plan (or NDP).

“The Industrial Policy Action Plan (or Ipap) supports the re-industrialisation of the economy. We have set a target of 5% growth rate by 2014 and aim to use these instruments to achieve this target,” Zuma said.

According to the NDP, 95% of all jobs will come from small and medium-sized enterprises by the year 2030, while Ipap supports the re-industrialisation of the economy.

The South African media needs to be de-commercialised so that the industry can see true diversity, Right2Know campaign spokesperson Dale McKinley said on Thursday.

McKinley said media freedom and diversity were two sides of the same coin, and one could not exist without the other. He accused the SABC of being a government broadcaster instead of a public broadcaster.

He said the needed to revert to its original mandate of serving and informing the public.


In a Parliamentary question and answer session involving President Jacob Zuma, members of the radical minority Economic Freedom Fighters (or EFF) became increasingly raucous before Speaker Baleka Mbete ordered the session to be suspended as an awkward-looking Zuma faced chants of "pay back the money" from around 20 EFF members and dozens more in the public gallery, most dressed in their trademark red overalls and hard hat.

Zuma was submitting to Parliament his response to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s inquiry into the controversial upgrades to his Nkandla residence and other reports on the matter. A bi-partisan committee of the National Assembly has been set up to carry out a further review.

Zuma and the African National Congress he leads swept to victory in South Africa's fifth post-apartheid election in May, picking up more than 60% of the vote. The EFF collected around 6% and 25 parliamentary seats in its first election.

Also making headlines:

Gauteng MEC for Health Qedani Mahlangu says making sweetened soft drinks costly could sway people to drink fresh water – an important step in the fight against obesity.

And, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says Cabinet has issued an immediate travel ban for non-South Africans from countries affected by the Ebola virus outbreak.
 

Also on polity:

Recommended readings include special reports, speeches and statements on our webisite.

Watch this week’s political analysis with Professor Raymond Suttner as well as an interview with investigative journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika on his book  Nothing Left to Steal.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.