For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines: Minister Brown says ‘Gupta freebie’ allegations against officials must be probed, Zikalala says don’t assume Zuma is a Gupta lackey And, Malema forces his way onto UKZN campus after being blocked by security

Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown says she is fully behind investigations by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation into allegations of corruption levelled against officials in her department. 

Brown’s personal assistant, Kim Davids, this week became the latest official to be linked via leaked emails to the Gupta family freebie trips to Dubai.

The Times reported that Brown’s assistant visited Dubai in 2015, and her hotel bill of R32 000 was sent to the Guptas for settling.

The public enterprises department has been instructed to assist the Hawks probe by making documents and officials available to the investigation as required.

 

KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairperson Sihle Zikalala has cautioned against making any judgements about the relationship between President Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family.

This in spite him joining a growing chorus rejecting the Guptas and calling for an investigation into the family.

He said the commission proposed should be allowed to do its work.

The EFF leader Julius Malema told a crowd of students yesterday that he had to force his way onto the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville campus in order to address them because of “reactionary management”.

Malema said democracy meant the right to defend those who do not agree with you, so they can do so without fear.

Malema’s 30-minute speech at UKZN was primarily to drum-up support for an event taking place at Currie’s Fountain in Durban on Saturday at which the party will be celebrating its fourth birthday, dubbed by Malema as the “festival of the poor”.

Also making headlines:

South African Federation of Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has sarcastically “thanked” Cosatu for expelling him.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today