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

Making headlines: South African police lower cage into mine to check if anyone left after 78 died; Civil society threatens legal action against Bela Act, sets deadline for Ramaphosa, Gwarube; And, DA says Ramaphosa’s attendance at Chapo’s inauguration questions SA’s credibility

South African police lower cage into mine to check if anyone left after 78 died

South African police lowered a camera down more than 1.5 km underground into an illegal gold mine today to ascertain if any survivors or corpses were still there after a months-long siege by authorities in which at least 78 miners died.

The corpses and 246 survivors, some of them emaciated and disorientated, have been brought to the surface over three days of a court-ordered rescue operation.

Police had cut off food and water supplies since August in what they said was a necessary crackdown on illegal mining.

The siege of the mine near Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg, is one of the deadliest on illegal miners in recent South African history.

Trade unions have called the tactics the government has used "horrific" and accused it of allowing police to starve to death desperate people trying to make a living.

Only two of the 78 retrieved bodies have been identified so far because many of the illegal miners were undocumented and some of the bodies had decomposed, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said.

Civil society threatens legal action against Bela Act, sets deadline for Ramaphosa, Gwarube

AfriForum, Solidarity and the Solidarity Support Centre for Schools have given President Cyril Ramaphosa and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube 10 days to resolve the promulgation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, which the organisations claim is irrational.

The organisations announced that if there is no resolution, then they will approach the courts.

Ramaphosa signed the Bela Bill into law, in September last year, despite a significant degree of public rejection and concern over its constitutionality.

The organisations claimed that Ramaphosa acted “irrationally and in breach” of various agreements by promulgating the Act in its entirety, on December 20, 2024, without considering the recommendations of Gwarube, who also co-signed the proclamation despite her recommendations to the contrary.

Gwarube recommended that the implementation of the language and admissions policy be postponed owing to the absence of appropriate norms and standards.

And, DA says Ramaphosa’s attendance at Chapo’s inauguration questions SA’s credibility

The Democratic Alliance said the attendance of President Cyril Ramaphosa at the inauguration of Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo not only failed Mozambique’s citizens, but called into question South Africa’s credibility on the international stage.

Chapo was declared the winner of Mozambique’s October election with 65% of the vote, extending the 49-year-rule of the Frelimo party.

However, opposition parties claimed voting irregularities which then plunged the country into deadly protests and unrest.

DA spokesperson for International Relations & Cooperation Emma Louise Powell condemned Ramaphosa’s attendance at Chapo’s inauguration on Wednesday, saying this disregarded the escalating political and humanitarian crisis in Mozambique and undermined South Africa’s role as a champion of democracy and human rights in the region.

Rampahosa was joined by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola and Minister in The Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

The DA called on Ramaphosa to urgently clarify the country’s position on Mozambique’s political crisis.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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