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

Making headlines: Rwandan President takes aim at Ramaphosa; Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla charged over unrest, released on warning; And, South Africa producer inflation at 0.7% y/y in December

Rwandan President takes aim at Ramaphosa

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has hit out against South Africa, as conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues, with choice words for President Cyril Ramaphosa after South African National Defence Force members died in the conflict.

Kagame said South Africa was in no position to take on the role of peacemaker or mediator, claiming that statements made by Ramaphosa following their conversation on the conflict contained distortion, deliberate attacks, and lies.

Kagame held two conversations with Ramaphosa this week on the situation in eastern DRC, including earlier on Wednesday.

Ramaphosa on Wednesday broke his silence on the death of the SANDF soldiers, following criticism from opposition parties on his silence.

Last week 13 SANDF members were killed by M23 rebels in DRC.

Ramaphosa explained that the fighting was the result of an escalation by the rebel group M23 and Rwanda Defence Force militia engaging the Armed Forces of the DRC and attacking peacekeepers from the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which the SANDF soldiers were part of.

However, Kagame highlighted that Ramaphosa confirmed to him that M23 did not kill the soldiers from South Africa, and that instead Armed Forces of the DRC did.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla charged over unrest, released on warning

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, appeared in court today after being charged with inciting violence during riots in 2021 in which more than 300 people were killed.

A lawyer for Zuma-Sambudla said she would plead not guilty.

Prosecutors allege that Zuma-Sambudla incited others to commit acts of violence in posts on social media in July 2021, when unrest broke out after her father was arrested for disobeying a court order to testify at a corruption inquiry.

What began as anger over Zuma's jailing turned into rage over poverty and inequality, leading to the looting of thousands of shops, extensive damage to public infrastructure and the deaths of about 350 people.

The financial damage from the riots was estimated at R50-billion.

And, South Africa producer inflation at 0.7% y/y in December

South Africa's producer inflation was at 0.7% year on year in December versus -0.1% in November, statistics agency data showed today.

The Producer Price Index was at 0.2% in month-on-month terms in December, Statistics South Africa said.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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