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

Making headlines: ANC Women's League to go it alone for #totalshutdown march; DA wants Gauteng officials to pay a portion of the R159 million Esidimeni compensation; And, ANC KZN says all grievances addressed in time for provincial conference

 

ANC Women's League to go it alone for #totalshutdown march

The ANC Women's League young women's desk today said it will march alone and will not be joining the #totalshutdown march against violence against women and children.

In a statement the Women's League said 'on August 1, the young women’s desk along with the women across the country will be taking a stance against gender-based violence to address this threat to the country’s freedom.

As per the wishes of the organisers of the #TotalShutdown march, the young women’s desk will be marching separately due to the 'disallowance' of its participation in paraphernalia.

young women’s desk said that it was important to state and reiterate that their participation as the young women’s desk seeks to reinforce the voices of all South African women affected by violence and chooses to do so in their partisan identity. 

Organisers of the nationwide #totalshutdown march have vowed to bring the country to a standstill next month to highlight the scourge faced by women and children. The march will see women and non-gender conforming individuals march, excluding men. 

 

DA wants Gauteng officials to pay a portion of the R159 million Esidimeni compensation

The Democratic Alliance today on said it has written to Gauteng Premier David Makhura to demand that he takes action to recover from implicated state officials some of the millions of rand paid out to compensate victims of the Life Esidimeni tragedy.

The DA said it had sent letters of demand to Makhura and Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa to begin the process to compel implicated officials to pay for their wrong-doing.

DA Gauteng member of the provincial legislature, Jack Bloom, said the “joint wrongdoers” include former Gauteng Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu, former Gauteng Head of Department for Health, Dr. Barney Selebano and former Chief Director Mental Health, Dr. Makgabo Manamela.

Bloom, who shadows the health department, said the trio should be compelled to pay a portion of the R159-million arbitration awarded to relatives of those who suffered and died.

More than 140 mentally ill patients died as a result of a botched attempt to move them from Life Esidimeni to NGOs - some that were not registered to cater for such vulnerable people. 

 

And, ANC KZN says all grievances addressed in time for provincial conference

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says it has “adequately addressed” grievances that led to the party’s attempt at running its provincial conference last month being successfully interdicted by unhappy members.

Speaking at the party’s provincial head office in Durban today, coordinator Sihle Zikalala said the party’s National Dispute Resolution Committee visited KwaZulu-Natal to deal with appeals and grievances from the Lower South Coast, Moses Mabhida and Harry Gwala regions.

Led by deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, the NDRC “remained in the province until all appeals and grievances were adequately addressed,” said Zikalala.

The provincial task team (PTT) implemented the NDRC decision which relates to the complaints [and] disputes raised on the preparation on the provincial conference,” he said.

All of the decisions of the NDRC were collectively implemented and processed by the PTT deployees, the national and provincial organising teams in the three regions.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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