For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Shomolekae.

Making headlines: DA wants immediate action from NPA on Life Esidimeni Inquest; Ramaphosa says recent weather disasters highlight importance of funding, initiatives to address climate crisis; And, Salga says local govt role in development vital for SA’s progress

DA wants immediate action from NPA on Life Esidimeni Inquest

The Democratic Alliance said it will be pushing the National Prosecuting Authority to lay a broad range of charges in the matter of the Life Esidimeni Inquest, within a tight time frame.

Last week, in its judgment, the Pretoria High Court ruled that former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu, and former Gauteng Mental Health head Dr Makgabo Manamela acted with negligence, which led to the deaths of 141 mentally ill patients.

DA Gauteng Shadow of Health MEC Jack Bloom said it was significant that Judge Mmonoa Teffo accepted that earlier evidence from Justice Dikgang Moseneke’s arbitration in the matter could be accepted as part of the inquest proceedings.

Bloom stated that there was an enormous amount of testimony, which he believed should be used to prosecute not only Mahlangu and Manamela, but others implicated in the suffering of the hundreds of mental patients sent to unsuitable non-governmental organisations.

The DA said it had studied the full 196-page of the Life Esidimeni Inquest judgment, and that its spokesperson on Justice Glynnis Breytenbach would be writing to the NPA to provide details by August 15, of who will be charged, and for what offences, concerning the Esidimeni tragedy.

Ramaphosa says recent weather disasters highlight importance of funding, initiatives to address climate crisis

As South Africa hosts the Climate Resilience Symposium this week at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, in Pretoria, the country’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change has already become evident, demonstrating the need to speed up and bolster initiatives to mitigate this.

This would also require considerable financial resources, President Cyril Ramaphosa noted in a keynote address at the symposium.

Ramaphosa said the storms experienced by the Western Cape last week were the most recent example of the impacts of climate change.

Moreover, he said that it showcased that climate change was more than just a scientific, social justice, human rights and development issue, but also an economic one, with the storms having disrupted ports and cargo, resulting in a knock-on effect in other sectors, such as agriculture.

Turning to South Africa, the World Bank put the cost of the country’s energy transition at at least $500-billion by 2050, of which $140-billion would be needed before 2030. It had also emphasised the importance of securing financing from the international community and of mobilising private capital.

Ramaphosa pointed out that climate change disruptions had an impact on taxes, and responding to these put a strain on public finances, and therefore, the National Treasury was pivotal to responding to this, as well as capitalising on opportunities to use the just energy transition as a means of building a more sustainable economy.

And, Salga says local govt role in development vital for SA’s progress

The South African Local Government Association has urged the seventh administration, under the Government of National Unity, to prioritise the local government agenda and use its legislative and oversight powers to underscore the revitalisation of dysfunctional municipalities and the improvement of service delivery.

The call comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver his opening address at a Joint Sitting of the Houses of Parliament on Thursday.

Salga president Bheke Stofile said that recognising the “pivotal role of local government” in development was paramount for the nation's progress.

He said the agenda of the seventh Parliament should place particular emphasis on the vital role of cooperative governance as a cornerstone of government structure.

However, he added that contributors to dysfunction should be considered by looking at both structural and systematic challenges.

Local government was responsible for 46% of constitutional functions, he said, stating it had been given a distinctive status, noting the backlogs of infrastructure repair and maintenance.

He noted that many of the country’s municipalities faced significant challenges relating to the delivery of essential services to communities, acknowledged that these challenges were a big criterion for dysfunction.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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