June 03, 2021

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

 

Making headlines:

Mkhize faces contempt proceedings for failing to appear before Public Protector

5 782 new Covid-19 cases as death toll rises by 110

And, Cyril Ramaphosa recognises amaRharhabe 'kingdom'

 

Contempt proceedings will, this week, be initiated against Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, who has failed to appear before Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to present evidence on an ongoing investigation.

Mhkize was subpoenaed to give evidence into the investigation relating to allegations that the Department of Health had delayed or failed to implement recommendations from a 2017 report of the Clinical Associate National Task Team.

The Office of the Public Protector released a statement explaining that Mkhize was subpoenaed three times this year to give evidence and produce documents for the investigation, but was unavailable. A case against the Health Minister will be opened at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria.

 

South Africa recorded 5 782 new Covid-19 infections and 110 new Covid-19-related deaths, taking the official death toll to 56 711.

The country has so far recorded a total of 1 675 013 confirmed Covid-19 cases.

The positivity rate is 12.7%.

The total number of people vaccinated is 1 117 569. In total, 72 465 vaccine jabs were administered in the last 24-hour cycle.

Of the total number of people vaccinated, 637 801 were administered using the Pfizer vaccine as part of phase two of the national vaccine rollout.

 

Thirteen years after the Nhlapo Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims ruled that the amaRharhabe were not a kingdom, President Cyril Ramaphosa has recognised the amaRharhabe royalty.

In an official letter dated 25 May, Ramaphosa instructed Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to legalise the ruling.

Dlamini-Zuma communicated the decision in a letter addressed to the chairperson of amaRharhabe Royal Council, Inkosi Siseko Maqoma.

Dlaimini-Zuma said the department had notified the government printing works to publish the decision in a Government Gazette and send a copy to the kingship.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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