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

Making headlines: Ramaphosa to answer questions on why he approved Zimbabwe trip; DA concludes its first internal virtual debate ahead of leadership congress; And, world urged not to give up as Covid-19 pandemic resurges

Ramaphosa to answer questions on why he approved Zimbabwe trip

President Cyril Ramaphosa will have to explain to the National Council of Provinces the circumstances which led to him approving Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula's controversial visit to Zimbabwe last month.

He will be asked why civilians and high-ranking African National Congress officials were on a South African air force plane with Mapisa-Nqakula and Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu.

After a public outcry, Ramaphosa demanded answers from Mapisa-Nqakula.

He eventually sanctioned her by docking three months of her salary.

DA concludes its first internal virtual debate ahead of leadership congress

With just five days before the Democratic Alliance elects a new leader, supporters of interim leader John Steenhuisen and Mbali Ntuli claimed victory in the party's first internal debate on Monday.

Debating took place virtually and was closed to the media as part of the DA’s strict rules governing the debates.

The closed debate follows the DA’s hard line approach against simmering divisions within the party.

It has adopted strict rules for internal campaigning which includes prohibiting leadership candidates from approaching existing party donors.

On Wednesday, Ntuli and Steenhuisen will square off in the final debate before the congress kicks off at the weekend.

And, world urged not to give up as Covid-19 pandemic resurges

The World Health Organization is urging people around the world not to give up in the fight against the coronavirus as cases surge once again, stressing the need for mask-wearing, physical distancing and other measures to avoid the kind of full-scale lockdowns that were imposed earlier this year.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual briefing that he understood the “pandemic fatigue” that some people were feeling but stressed the need to continue measures to contain a virus for which there remains no cure or vaccine.

Tedros stressed that governments also needed to do their part to break transmission – test extensively, isolate confirmed patients, trace their contacts and provide “supported quarantine” for all contacts.

He noted that such measures had previously been shown to suppress the outbreak.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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