Daily podcast – September 25, 2015

25th September 2015 By: Shannon de Ryhove - Contributing Editor

Daily podcast – September 25, 2015

Photo by: Bloomberg

Please note: This podcast is not available in audio

September 25, 2015.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Shannon de Ryhove.
Making headlines:

The ruling ANC warns State broadcaster SABC about exorbitant salaries.
Two Al Jazeera journalists are freed from prison in Egypt.
And, Nigerian troops capture a top Boko Haram leader.

The African National Congress (ANC) has issued a warning to the SABC to ensure that it paid all its executives according to the budget stipulated by the National Treasury.

ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the SABC board shouldn’t operate outside the framework of commitments provided by the National Treasury. He said it was the ruling party’s view that economic trends should dictate decisions including remuneration for public servants.

This was after the public broadcaster revealed that its Chief Operations Officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng had received a salary hike of almost a million rand since he was promoted from the acting position.

Motsoeneng was now earning around R3.7-million, including a bonus of R279 000 and R916 000 in expenses and allowances.

Kodwa however, called for prudence in using public funds.


Two Al Jazeera journalists were released from prison on Wednesday following a pardon from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. The case drew worldwide condemnation.

Canadian-Egyptian Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed Fahmy and the Qatari network's Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed were among 100 prisoners  who were pardoned. Others included pro-democracy activists.

The pardons are the first to include prominent figures caught up in Egypt's crackdown on dissent since al-Sisi, then head of the armed forces, ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi two years ago.


The Nigerian Army captured one of the top commanders of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram earlier this week.

Bulama Modu and 43 others were captured in an operation that resulted in the destruction of two "terrorist camps" at Janguoriri and Bulatori in north-eastern Nigeria.

Spokesperson Sani Usman said the troops also rescued 241 women and children during the operation. Modu is a member of the highest decision-making body in Boko Haram.


Also making headlines:

Gauteng Premier David Makhura said the discovery of Homo naledi, a new species of a human ancestor, should unite and not divide people.

Johannesburg’s City Power estimates that there are already 4 MW of solar photovoltaic rooftop capacity in operation across the city and has revealed that it has received applications for the installation of a further 32 MW.

And, the civil war between two governments vying for control of Libya is being played out bizarrely in Pretoria‚ as diplomats of each side conduct a protracted battle for control of the Libyan embassy.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.