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

Making headlines: Malema to approach Constitutional Court to challenge Riotous Assemblies Act; Ramaphosa to address Fourth Industrial Revolution summit; And, Gauteng government seeks answers from municipality on R1.9bn toilet tender

 

Malema to approach Constitutional Court to challenge Riotous Assemblies Act

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema on Thursday indicated that he would approach the Constitutional Court to challenge the constitutionality of the Riotous Assemblies Act after his application was dismissed by the North Gauteng High Court.

A full bench, led by Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba, also dismissed his application to have separate criminal charges against him for inciting violence set aside.

Malema faces criminal charges of allegedly contravening the Riotous Assemblies Act after calling for land invasions. In 2014, during the party’s elective conference in Bloemfontein, Malema told his party members that they should occupy the land.

In June 2016, he told supporters in Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal to occupy land as it belonged to black people.

Both criminal trials had been put on hold pending the outcome of his constitutional challenge.

 

Ramaphosa to address Fourth Industrial Revolution summit

President Cyril Ramaphosa will officially open and address the first Fourth Industrial Revolution SA - Digital Economy Summit on Friday.

The Presidency said the summit would be hosted by the 4th Industrial Revolution South Africa partnership (4IRSA), an alliance between partners from the public and private sectors, academia and civil society.

The 4IRSA partnership seeks to develop an inclusive, coherent national response to the 4IR for South Africa, based on research and to complement and support other national activities relating to the 4IR.  Among these national initiatives is the establishment by President Ramaphosa of the Presidential Commission on the 4IR.

 

And, Gauteng government seeks answers from municipality on R1.9bn toilet tender

Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Lebogang Maile has formally written a letter to Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina after an investigative report by AmaBhungane exposed how the metro spent R1.9-billion on a toilet tender that was allegedly a "get-rich-quick scheme for underperforming contractors".

The report suggested that the project, where toilets were sourced from 16 small suppliers “left many a beneficiary with dirty and broken toilets”, the human settlements department said in a statement on Wednesday.

The investigative publication reported that the tender had occurred over three financial years from 2017 to 2019.

The office of the executive mayor of Ekurhuleni has since confirmed receipt of the formal letter in a short statement.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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