For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Haydon Whitley.

Making headlines: Hill-Lewis demands permanent Police Minister amid national crime crisis; EFF demands immediate public release of Madlanga Commission’s two interim reports; And, Unesco urges wider use of debt-for-education swaps

Hill-Lewis demands permanent Police Minister amid national crime crisis

DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has requested President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently appoint a permanent Minister of Police, warning that the country cannot fight the crime crisis with temporary leadership.

In a formal letter addressed to the President on Friday, Hill-Lewis emphasised that South Africa cannot afford ongoing leadership uncertainty within the South African Police Service.

The demand comes at a time when murder, extortion, gang violence, infrastructure sabotage, and organised crime continue to inflict deep harm on both local communities and the national economy.

In July last year, Ramaphosa appointed Firoz Cachalia to replace Senzo Mchunu, who was placed on an immediate leave of absence.

Speaking during the DA’s march demanding urgent action against violent crime in Nelson Mandela Bay, Hill-Lewis pointed out that this weekend marks exactly one year since Cachalia’s temporary appointment.

EFF demands immediate public release of Madlanga Commission’s two interim reports

The EFF is demanding the immediate, public release of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry's first and second interim reports, criticising the Presidency's secrecy and its handling of the commission’s deadline extensions.

The party has called for the publication of both the interim reports submitted to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The party stipulated that these releases should only be subject to redactions strictly necessary to protect witnesses, ongoing criminal investigations, or legitimate national security concerns.

The Presidency announced a second extension of the inquiry, shifting the final report submission deadline from August 31 to November 16.

However, the EFF expressed frustration over a perceived lack of transparency. While acknowledging that the inquiry has uncovered troubling evidence of criminal syndicates infiltrating South Africa's justice and security systems, the party condemned the lack of clarity regarding how much additional time or resources the commission genuinely requires.

The party highlighted ongoing secrecy surrounding the findings, noting that both interim documents remain hidden from the public despite their far-reaching recommendations.

And, Unesco urges wider use of debt-for-education swaps

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has urged governments and international lenders to expand debt-for-education swaps to help tackle a worsening education financing crisis, warning that 113 countries now spend more on servicing debt than on educating their populations.

The Unesco launched new guidance on debt swaps at a global education summit in Paris on Friday, arguing that the mechanism could help heavily indebted countries redirect scarce resources towards schools, teacher training and student support.

Debt-for-education swaps allow countries to refinance or buy back expensive debt and channel the savings into education.

The World Bank has recently started backing such arrangements, and Unesco pointed to bilateral examples including a 2023 agreement with France that helped Ivory Coast finance the construction of more than 30 schools, and a Spain-Peru programme that funded 50 education projects over a decade.

Unesco's call comes as new research highlights mounting pressure on education budgets worldwide. According to the agency, 113 countries, home to 6.1-billion people, spend more on debt servicing than on education.

In low-income countries, debt payments are nearly four times higher than education spending. In 18 of the most heavily indebted countries, they exceed education budgets by at least fivefold.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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