August 5, 2015.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sashnee Moodley.
Making headlines:

Members of parliament have agreed to shorten the Nkandla draft report.

At least 1.5-million people face hunger in Zimbabwe.

And, the Department of Education is on a drive to assist teachers to get their qualifications in order.

 

Members of parliament from the ruling and opposition parties agreed to shorten their draft report on Police Minister Nathi Nhleko’s findings on the Nkandla controversy.

This was to curtail disagreement ahead of a Friday deadline to table it to the National Assembly.

The proposal came from Steve Swart from the African Christian Democratic Party after some three hours of debate as to whether the rough draft accurately reflected the various parties’ views put forth in response to a briefing by Nhleko.

It was readily accepted by Cedric Frolick, the African National Congress chairperson of the ad hoc committee. Nhleko’s report concluded that President Jacob Zuma was not liable to repay the state for luxuries added to his private home at Nkandla during a security upgrade. This was in direct contradiction to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report, which stated Zuma should repay a reasonable amount for upgrades not related to security.

 

Zimbabwe is reportedly facing widespread food shortages, with the situation said to be critical in the country’s rural areas.

At least 16% of the country’s estimated 13-million population face food insecurity, according to a New Zimbabwe.com report quoting the United Sates-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (or Fewsnet).

"Rural food insecurity for the 2015/16 consumption year is estimated at 16% of the population during the peak lean season from January to March 2016, compared to 6% last season. Livelihood options are projected to be constrained in most of the country, but especially in the south," Fewsnet was quoted as saying.

Vast areas of southern and western Zimbabwe suffered crop failures this year due to lack of rain.

Zambia has already started exporting grain to Zimbabwe.

 

The Department of Education is on a drive to assist teachers to complete their National Qualification Framework (or NQF) Level 4, whilst 4 000 more teachers are receiving support to complete either a Bachelor of Education or Diploma in Grade R teaching.

This is after the department took note of the report by the Auditor-General in terms of unqualified and under-qualified teachers for the year 2013.

The report which was tabled in Parliament last week, found that half the teachers in Grade R do not have the minimum qualification to teach in that grade.

The department said it noted challenges being experienced in the capacity of Higher Education Institutes to enrol teachers on the programme which was currently low.

It said it was in discussions with the relevant Higher Education forums to increase capacity to absorb the numbers at the required rate.

 

Also making headlines:

Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel said South Africa's mining sector is in "trouble" as it struggles with widespread job losses and lower commodity prices.

A delicate conservation operation allowed a one-tonne rhino to be moved out of a poaching hotspot in the Kruger National Park.

Supporters of toppled Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi staged a rare protest in eastern Libya.

And, US lawmakers offer Nigeria support in the fight against Boko Haram.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.