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

Making headlines: ANC and DA to go head to head in battle for control of Nelson Mandela Bay; Government’s infrastructure plan lacks detail on funding, anti-corruption efforts; And, HIV prevention breakthrough 89% more effective than daily pill

 

ANC and DA to go head to head in battle for control of Nelson Mandela Bay

After nearly a year without a mayor, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality could see a fresh election for a new mayor after the Eastern Cape High Court in Makhanda upheld its order that the council speaker set a council meeting within seven days.

Council speaker Buyelwa Mafaya had appealed an initial judgment, which compelled her to hold a special meeting to elect a new mayor.

This after the Democratic Alliance filed court papers on 31 July and its leader Nqaba Bhanga wrote to Mafaya to demand an urgent council meeting to elect a new mayor.

The DA were pre-empting a move by Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Xolile Nqatha to place the metro under administration.

In her ruling, High Court Judge Irma Schoeman said she was of the view that there was no reasonable prospect that another court would come to a different conclusion.

 

Government’s infrastructure plan lacks detail on funding, anti-corruption efforts

Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille says the government plans to iron out obstacles in the implementation of infrastructure projects. MPs, however, want more clarity on what measures of accountability will be in place to prevent corruption. President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier announced plans to roll out 276 infrastructure projects.

The government's infrastructure development programme, which forms part of the president's economic recovery plan, has been criticised by opposition Members of Parliament for being thin on the details.

The government has already attracted R340-billion worth of commitments from investors during the sustainable infrastructure symposium held in June.

So far, 62 projects have been identified as part of the first phase, including water and sanitation, agro-processing, an emergency power programme as well as transport projects.

 

And, HIV prevention breakthrough 89% more effective than daily pill

Researchers from the University of the Witswatersrand have announced that CAB LA injections, taken once every eight weeks, are more effective in preventing HIV in women in sub-Saharan Africa, compared with the daily TDF/FTC pill that is currently being used.

These are the results of the NPTN trial, which have been touted as a milestone for prevention of HIV among women and as motivation for further studies.

The trial was headed by Wits Reproductive Health & HIV Institute director of research Dr Sinead Delany-Moretlwe and jointly funded through a partnership between the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the US National Institute of Mental Health, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and ViiV Healthcare.

The trial saw the participation of 3 223 cisgender women from Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

Don’t forget to download the Polity apps for iPhone and android devices