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

Making headlines: Mbalula leads delegation to Mabuza’s home; South Africa will continue to pursue trade deal with US despite Trump’s letter confirming 30% tariff; And South Sudan's president fires army chief after seven months in post

Mbalula leads delegation to Mabuza’s home

African National Congress secretary-general Fikile Mbalula will today lead a delegation to former Deputy President David Mabuza’s home in Mpumalanga to pay respects following his passing.

Mabuza passed away in hospital on Thursday, following a short illness. He was 65 years of age.

On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared Mabuza will be honoured with a State Funeral Category 2 on Saturday.

He has since ordered that the National Flag be flown at half-mast at all flag stations around the country during this period.

Remembering Mabuza, Mbalula said the former president embodied “disciplined, humble, and people-centred leadership”.

South Africa will continue to pursue trade deal with US despite Trump’s letter confirming 30% tariff

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa will continue with its diplomatic efforts towards a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the US after having received a letter from President Donald Trump indicating that a 30% tariff will be imposed on South African goods from August 1.

In a July 7 letter, Trump said the 30% tariff had been implemented to address “long-term, and very persistent, trade deficits engendered by South Africa’s tariff, non-tariff, policies and trade barriers” that meant the relationship was “far from reciprocal”.

Similar letters were sent to several other countries and came despite recent calls from South Africa for a 90-day pause on the imposition of the reciprocal tariff announced by Trump on April 2 to be extended to allow time for a deal to be finalised, after South Africa submitted a proposed framework agreement to the US on May 20.

In his response, Ramaphosa welcomed the commitment by the US government indicating that the 30% tariff is subject to modification at the back of the conclusion of negotiations with the United States.

He said South Africa will continue with its diplomatic efforts towards a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States, while adding that South Africa still awaited a “template” from the US in relation to its approach to sub-Saharan Africa on matters of trade.

South Africa became aware of the template at a meeting held on the sidelines of the US-Africa Summit on June 23 in Angola, but had not been provided with details.

And South Sudan's president fires army chief after seven months in post

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has fired the country's army chief after seven months in the post and named a replacement, according to an announcement on state radio.

No reason was given for the firing of Paul Nang Majok in the announcement late on Monday. Majok had been in the post since December. The announcement said Kiir had appointed Dau Aturjong as the Chief of Defence Forces.

Majok was in charge of the army while fighting raged between the army and the White Army, an ethnic militia largely comprising Nuer youths, triggering the country's latest political crisis.

South Sudan has been formally at peace since a 2018 deal ended the five-year conflict responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, but violence between rival communities flares frequently.

In March, First Vice President Riek Machar was put under house arrest, stirring fears of renewed conflict.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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