Making headlines: Zuma's 11th-hour abandonment of part of his court application; Zuma to face ire of SACP, Cosatu at alliance meeting; And, Chief Justice warns political parties on taking cases to court

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

Zuma's 11th-hour abandonment of part of his court application

At the 11th hour, President Jacob Zuma abandoned a crucial part of his State capture court review which asks for the State of Capture report to be sent back to the public protector for further investigation.

However, the main part of the case in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria - to have former public protector Thuli Madonsela's remedial actions reviewed and set aside - still stands.

In a surprising twist in the matter, which was set down for three days, Zuma's advocate Ishmael Semenya SC abandoned a part of the Notice of Motion which relates to the remission of the matter back to the office of the public protector for further investigation.

Zuma to face ire of SACP, Cosatu at alliance meeting

President Jacob Zuma will come face to face with his detractors today when the political alliance council finally meets at the ANC’s headquarters at Luthuli House.

Relations within the ANC-led alliance are at an all-time low after Zuma reshuffled his Cabinet twice without consulting Cosatu and the South African Communist Party.

They have also publicly lashed out at him over State capture, the struggling economy and keeping "deadwood and people laced with corruption and scandals" in his executive.

Alliance partners are not expected to hold back. SACP said all major decisions should be on the agenda, including their call, along with Cosatu's, for Zuma to step down or for the ANC to recall him.

And, Chief Justice warns political parties on taking cases to court

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng says political parties should use the courts as a final recourse for their internal "family matters".

Speaking at the Cape Town Press Club yesterday, the Chief Justice said: "If they push their courts to the point where it literally becomes [a] raw political player, they [are] exposing it to criticism that could have been avoided."

The African National Congress in the North-West, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal have all recently headed to court over internal election disputes.

Also making headlines:
Kenyans vote in presidential election rerun

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today
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