Daily Podcast – January 15, 2020

15th January 2020 By: Sane Dhlamini - Creamer Media Senior Contributing Editor and Researcher

Daily Podcast – January 15, 2020

Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: Mantashe denies any knowledge of nuclear board resignations, support grows for former eThekwini mayor ahead of her court appearance and, deadline to allow land expropriation without compensation looms 

 

Mantashe denies any knowledge of nuclear board resignations

Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe says he has not received any resignations from the current board members of the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa, but would not stop them if they wished to leave.

This came after energy expert Chris Yelland posted on Twitter that the entire board had submitted their resignations to him.

Yelland said board members quit over an apparent failure by the minister to give the corporation adequate financial support.

Mantashe said there was no way to protect Necsa from financial and operational risks without improving its governance first.

 

Support grows for former eThekwini mayor ahead of her court appearance

Supporters of embattled former eThekwini mayor, Zandile Gumede, hope that the case against her will be kicked out, maintaining their belief that the tender corruption case is politically motivated.

Loyal Gumede ally and the coordinator of her supporters, Mzomuhle Dube, said Gumede's support was growing and that people were beginning to see that Gumede was an honest person and a good leader.

In October, the Hawks and Asset Forfeiture Unit swooped in on the fraud, corruption and money laundering accused, seizing various homes and luxury cars.

 

Deadline to allow land expropriation without compensation looms 

The deadline is fast approaching for written submissions on the Draft Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to allow land expropriation without compensation.

The ad hoc committee reminded the public that written submissions should be received by no later than January 31.

The committee approved the Bill in early December before it was opened for public comment.

It is expected that there will be many submissions as groups opposed to the amendment, such as the DA, the Institute of Race Relations and an organisation called DearSA, launched online platforms to allow people to make submissions.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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