For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines: Malema found guilty of hate speech, DA welcomes ruling; ActionSA challenges Ramaphosa on Lily Mine disaster; And, Rand Water to reduce bulk water supply to Merafong municipality by a further 20% amid R1.4bn debt

Malema found guilty of hate speech, DA welcomes ruling

The Western Cape Equality Court has found Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema guilty of hate speech in a case from an EFF rally in 2022.

The case was brought by the South African Human Rights Council and another, and Malema was found to have an intention to incite violence and promote hatred.

The Democratic Alliance welcomed the ruling and commended the Human Rights  Council for initiating the case.

The DA pointed to an alleged pattern of Malema inciting violence, noting, most recently, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the White House, where he was shown clips of Malema during EFF rallies.

DA leader John Steenhuisen, who was part of the South African delegation at the White House meeting, said the ruling showed that political leaders could be held to account by capable institutions and added that the DA would look at taking further action against Malema.

ActionSA challenges Ramaphosa on Lily Mine disaster

In an open letter addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa, ActionSA questioned his next move in the 2016 Lily Mine disaster saga, following a visit the party took to the mine in Barberton on Tuesday.

In February 2016, three miners at the Lily mine fell to their deaths in a container that was swallowed by a sinkhole.

In an open letter to Ramaphosa, ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip said his party’s visit to the mine was a result of party leader Herman Mashaba’s concern for the families’ struggle, noting his involvement in the matter since 2020, even before the formation of ActionSA.

Trollip said the incident could and should have been averted had the mine owners listened to reports submitted to them two years prior, warning that they were pursuing “reckless” mining practices.

He added that not only did their careless greed lead to the unnecessary loss of life, but it also resulted in the catastrophic loss of a thousand desperately needed jobs.

And, Rand Water to reduce bulk water supply to Merafong municipality by a further 20% amid R1.4bn debt

Bulk water utility Rand Water has announced that it will reduce bulk water supply to the Merafong municipality, in Gauteng, by a further 20% after the parties were unable to find a solution to the more than R1.4-billion owed by the municipality to the utility.

Rand Water says the municipality has, after months of deliberation, continuously refused to honour its debt payments to the utility.

The decision to reduce the bulk potable water supply by a further 20% was necessary to prevent further escalation of the municipality's debt that has accumulated owing to its failure and refusal to fulfil the bulk water supply contract entered into with Rand Water.

The municipality will experience low-pressure water supply with immediate effect.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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