August 28, 2024.

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Lynne Davies.

Making headlines:

Ramaphosa wants detailed report from Justice Minister amid VBS allegations

Salga urges govt to strengthen metros following dismal audit outcomes

And, Mpox to add to sub-Saharan Africa's fiscal pressures

Ramaphosa wants detailed report from Justice Minister amid VBS allegations

Following backlash from civil society organisations and political parties calling for Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Thembi Simelane to account for her alleged involvement with Mutual Bank VBS, President Cyril Ramaphosa has requested a detailed report and briefing from her on the matter.

Early this week, media reports revealed that while serving as the mayor of Polokwane in 2016, Simelane took a "commercial loan" of R575 600 from Gundo Wealth Solutions, a company that brokered “unlawful” investments of R349-million into VBS Bank on behalf of the Polokwane municipality, amongst others.

Yesterday, civil society organisations called on Simelane to “fully and transparently” respond to the recent VBS allegations levelled against her.

In a joint statement, Freedom Under Law, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Judges Matter and Defend Our Democracy said perceptions of corruption and conflicts of interest caused significant harm to public confidence in governance institutions and the rule of law.

The organisations pointed out that it would be untenable for such serious allegations against a Minister in such an important portfolio to remain unanswered.

Salga urges govt to strengthen metros following dismal audit outcomes

The South African Local Government Association wants national and provincial governments to use legislation, and other measures, to support and strengthen municipal capacity to allow them to better perform their functions.

This follows the release of the Auditor-General of South Africa’s 2022/23 Municipal Finance Management Act audit outcomes, which indicated that of the country’s 257 municipalities, only 34 received clean audits.

Salga noted that, overall, consolidated audit outcomes, compared with 2021/22, have stagnated, with four municipalities dropping from unqualified without material findings to unqualified with material findings, which it said was concerning.

The association called for more efforts to assist municipalities achieve unqualified audit outcomes.

Mpox to add to sub-Saharan Africa's fiscal pressures

A rapid spread of the mpox virus in sub-Saharan Africa could add to the fiscal pressures many countries in the region are already experiencing, ratings agency Fitch said today.

Potentially deadly mpox was declared global health emergency by the World Health Organisation earlier this month after a new strain, known as clade Ib, spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring states.

"Virus outbreaks can have significant economic and fiscal effects," Fitch said in a statement, adding that some of the negative impact could be offset, however, by increased funding from rich donor nations.

Ivory Coast, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda are some of the Fitch-rated issuers that have reported mpox cases, the ratings agency said.

"In most of these, the number of confirmed mpox cases is very low, often in the single digits. However, there could be underreporting in some countries," it said.

Some 13 African countries have reported more than 22 800 mpox cases and 622 deaths this year, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday, up from 12 countries reporting over 18 900 cases and 541 deaths a week earlier.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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