Daily Podcast – July 2, 2019

2nd July 2019 By: Thabi Shomolekae - Creamer Media Senior Writer

Daily Podcast – July 2, 2019

Bongani Bongo

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

Making headlines: Former Zuma minister elected to head parliament's finance committee; NPA declines to prosecute Mkhwebane or Letsatsi-Dube; And, Bongo elected chair of home affairs portfolio committee

 

Former Zuma minister elected to head parliament's finance committee

Former transport minister Joe Maswanganyi, a supporter of former president Jacob Zuma, was elected unopposed to head Parliament's vital standing committee on finance.

Maswanganyi said he would be guided by the constitution on issues like the mandate of the South African Reserve Bank and financial support for failing State-owned enterprises in chairing the oversight body.

He is one of a number of portfolio committee chairs whose nomination sparked controversy because they served in Zuma's cabinet and were viewed as firmly partisan.

The group also includes former Zuma era mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane and communications minister Faith Muthambi who have corruption allegations hanging over their heads.

 

NPA declines to prosecute Mkhwebane or Letsatsi-Dube

The Hawks have said that Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane and former state security minister Dipuo Letsatsi-Dube will not face prosecution in cases that the two had laid against each other.

Earlier this year, Letsatsi-Dube opened a criminal case against Mkhwebane, charging her with theft of information and violation of South Africa’s security laws, after she allegedly laid her hands on a classified state document.

According to the publication, low-key warfare developed between Mkhwebane and Letsatsi-Duba after numerous exchanges of correspondence and a meeting between the two failed to resolve a dispute that can be traced back to the allegations of a rogue intelligence unit at Sars and factional bickering within the ANC.

 

And, Bongo elected chair of home affairs portfolio committee

Bongani Bongo has been formally elected home affairs portfolio committee chairperson.

Bongo was elected by six votes to three after the Democratic Alliance (DA) proposed its MP Angel Khanyile.

Bongo is at the centre of a parliamentary ethics committee investigation into whether he bribed the evidence leader in the legislature's inquiry into state power utility Eskom,

Just over a week ago,ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina told journalists Bongo had indicated he had approached the courts in a bid to compel the ethics committee to release its report but the courts were loathe to intervene in the process.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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