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

Making headlines: Cachalia seeks Cabinet approval to appoint Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as new Hawks head; Solidarity heads to US again to ‘protect Agoa, jobs’; And, South Africa unveils Durban as bid city for 2036 or 2040 Olympics

Cachalia seeks Cabinet approval to appoint Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as new Hawks head

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has initiated the formal process to appoint KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as the new National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, widely known as the Hawks.

The Police Ministry confirmed that Cachalia has officially submitted a Cabinet Memorandum seeking the necessary concurrence for Mkhwanazi's appointment.

The appointment process is being strictly conducted under the legislative framework of the South African Police Service Act of 1995 and cannot be finalised without the formal agreement and concurrence of Cabinet.

Once Cabinet concurrence is achieved, the Act requires that the appointment be formally reported to Parliament for oversight purposes.

The vacancy was left by Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya, who led the Hawks from June 2018 until his official retirement in 2025.

Following Lebeya's retirement, his deputy, Lieutenant-General Siphesihle Nkosi, has maintained operational stability by serving as the Acting National Head of the unit.

Solidarity heads to US again to ‘protect Agoa, jobs’

Trade union Solidarity has dispatched a delegation to the US in an urgent attempt to mitigate what it says is a severe diplomatic fallout and safeguard the country's multibillion-rand trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

The mission comes as relations between South Africa and the US are currently experiencing significant diplomatic strain, driven by friction over domestic policies and foreign alignments.

The US government is currently reviewing South Africa’s eligibility for the trade agreement, which grants thousands of local goods tariff-free access to the lucrative American market.

A suspension from Agoa carries negative economic consequences for South Africa.

According to internal research by Solidarity, exclusion from the agreement could directly threaten upwards of 250 000 local jobs.

Major export-driven sectors, particularly the automotive and agricultural industries, stand to lose their competitive edge overnight, the organisation warned.

And, South Africa unveils Durban as bid city for 2036 or 2040 Olympics

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee unveiled the coastal city of Durban as its preferred host to bring the Olympics to Africa for the first time.

South Africa will bid for either the 2036 or 2040 Games, SASCOC acting president Lwandile Simelane said.

The South African government has backed the bid after the cabinet approved it.

Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee will deliver presentations to the International Olympic Committee's Future Host Commission in November, with feasibility reviews concluding in March 2027 and a final host selection in 2029.

Durban won the bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games but the Commonwealth Games Federation stripped it of the rights in 2017, citing a failure to meet key obligations.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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