For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines: Oversight tightens as McKenzie faces Parly committee grilling; ANC says it has learnt from past mistakes as it vows ‘capable’ municipal leadership ahead of elections; And, Business and government unanimous on economic growth plan and jobs target

Oversight tightens as McKenzie faces Parly committee grilling

Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie will face an intense parliamentary committee tomorrow as opposition parties gear up to demand accountability from him over a multimillion-rand overseas trip and allegations of political patronage in board appointments.

McKenzie is scheduled to appear before the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture for a second time to account for a controversial R30.9-million taxpayer expenditure incurred by his department for a 151-member delegation to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The DA has vowed to challenge McKenzie for a detailed, itemised breakdown of the spending, while the MKP is demanding transparency over the alleged appointment of 19 individuals linked to his party, the PA, to public boards.

According to DA spokesperson on Sport, Arts and Culture Leah Potgieter, the minister and his department have “run out of excuses”.

Meanwhile, the MKP has raised formal governance concerns regarding public entity boards within McKenzie’s portfolio.

Reports allege that 19 individuals with ties to the PA have been appointed to these structures.

MKP national spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu clarified that while political affiliation does not automatically disqualify a candidate, merit must always come first.

ANC says it has learnt from past mistakes as it vows ‘capable’ municipal leadership ahead of elections

The ANC has the capacity to lead municipalities effectively following a rigorous selection process for its local government election candidates, the party has promised.

Speaking today, a day after the launch of its election manifesto, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula emphasised that party did not choose just anyone to fill the mayoral seats.

Instead, he said the ANC leadership invested time into analysing every prospective candidate to ensure they possessed the right qualifications, leadership experience, and capabilities.

He said the party has upped the ante based on the experience in the past, acknowledging that previous governance challenges have forced a shift toward stricter vetting.

The internal selection process reached a critical milestone over the weekend when the ANC decided to postpone its final mayoral candidate announcement until September.

The party shortlisted 42 nominees across eight key municipalities.

And, Business and government unanimous on economic growth plan and jobs target

The Presidency and business organisation Business Leadership South Africa have united behind the plan, announced last week, to lift economic growth above 3% a year and contribute towards the creation of one-million new jobs by 2030, with both social partners agreeing that the focus must now shift from fixing the economy’s structural weaknesses to unlocking its growth potential.

The agreement forms the basis of Phase 3 of the Government-Business Partnership, launched at Summer Place, in Johannesburg, on August 20, with more than 30 CEOs committing private-sector expertise, resources and capacity to work alongside government on this growth agenda.

In his latest weekly newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa has highlighted that the first two phases of the partnership were focused primarily on stabilising the economy and addressing binding constraints, particularly in electricity, freight logistics and the criminal justice system.

The partnership was established in 2023 when South Africa was facing severe loadshedding, deteriorating logistics performance and persistent security challenges.

Since then, government and business have worked together on reforms and operational improvements, contributing to more than 400 days without loadshedding, improved port performance and the opening of freight rail corridors to private operators.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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