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

Making headlines: Khusela Diko dismissed as Ramaphosa’s spokesperson but receives warning; ANC withdraws application to reopen IEC’s candidate registration system; And, SA records 7 086 new cases as death toll climbs by 431

 

Khusela Diko dismissed as Ramaphosa’s spokesperson but receives warning

The Presidency has announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko, who is on maternity leave, will not resume her position.

Following a disciplinary process, Diko has been served with a written warning after she failed to disclose her interests in certain companies, which she says she had resigned from or which were now inactive.

In a statement Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele said action taken against Diko was in compliance with the Special Investigating Unit recommendation that she be disciplined for her failure to disclose those interests.

Last year her late husband, Chief Madzikane Thandisizwe Diko’s company, Royal Bhaca Projects, received a R125-million tender to supply personal protective equipment to the Gauteng Health Department.

 

ANC withdraws application to reopen IEC’s candidate registration system

The African National Congress has announced its decision to withdraw its application with the Electoral Court to get the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa to amend the electoral timetable and reopen candidate registration to allow the party to submit its final list.

The ANC will now wait on a ruling by the Constitutional Court on whether it will allow for the postponement of the local government elections scheduled for October 27.

On Tuesday ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte told the Electoral Court the ANC's incomplete candidate list, ahead of the local government elections, affected 93 municipalities out of 257. 

The ANC argued that it suffered technical difficulties in uploading the candidate list to the IEC portal and had attributed the delays to a range of issues, including the Covid-19 lockdown regulations.

 

And, SA records 7 086 new cases as death toll climbs by 431

South Africa recorded 7 086 new laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 infections on Tuesday and 431 deaths, bringing the confirmed death toll to 82 261.

According to a statement by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the countryhas so far recorded over 2.7-million laboratory-confirmed cases, with 7 086 new cases identified in the last 24 hours.

As of Tuesday, Gauteng recorded more than 900 000 confirmed cases, the Western Cape more than 400 000 and KwaZulu-Natal with more 400 000.

There was an increase of 404 hospital admissions in the last 24-hour cycle.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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