For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Lumkile Nkomfe.

Making headlines: Buti Manamela replaces Nkabane as higher education Minister; Ramaphosa suspends Andrew Chauke amid inquiry; And, Nigeria set to hold rates pending clarity on inflation outlook

Buti Manamela replaces Nkabane as higher education Minister

President Cyril Ramaphosa has fired Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, who is facing accusations that she misled parliament, eight days after he suspended a close cabinet ally for allegedly meddling in a murder probe.

Buti Manamela will replace Nkabane, the presidency said in a statement, without providing reasons for the change. Nomusa Dube-Ncube was appointed deputy higher education minister, a post previously held by Manamela.

The move follows Ramaphosa’s July 13 suspension of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu over explosive allegations that he sabotaged an investigation into political assassinations. Both he and Nkabane have denied any wrongdoing.

Ramaphosa has faced mounting calls to act against colleagues suspected of wrongdoing and show South Africa has emerged from the shadow of former President Jacob Zuma’s almost nine-year rule, when members of his African National Congress were deeply implicated in corruption.

Ramaphosa suspends Andrew Chauke amid inquiry

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa also suspened South Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Andrew Chauke with immediate effect, following concerns that his continued tenure would negatively affect the National Prosecuting Authority.

This comes almost two years after NPA director Advocate Shamila Batohi wrote to Ramaphosa to request that he suspend Chauke amid withdrawals of State capture cases and low prosecutions.

There will be an inquiry into Chauke’s fitness to hold office.

The Presidency revealed that Ramaphosa had asked Chauke to provide reasons to counter his suspension, after which, Ramaphosa decided on suspension pending an inquiry.

The Democratic Alliance described Chauke’s suspension as part of the “revival” of the NPA.

And, Nigeria set to hold rates pending clarity on inflation outlook

Policymakers at the Central Bank of Nigeria are poised to leave borrowing costs unchanged at their third meeting of the year to gauge the durability of a recent slowdown in inflation.

All seven economists in a Bloomberg survey expect Governor Olayemi Cardoso to keep the key interest rate at 27.5% when he delivers the 12-member monetary policy committee’s decision after a briefing in the capital Abuja.

A revamp of the consumer-price index by the statistics bureau in January led the MPC to pull the handbrake on a record interest-rate hiking cycle to gain clarity on the direction of inflation. While it cooled for a third straight month in June to 22.2%, both food and core inflation — a sign of underlying price pressures — quickened slightly.

Though “confidence has improved and the naira has regained ground, which could justify a rate cut,” the bank will likely “hold and wait for more favourable inflation data before cutting,” said Bryan Carter, head of emerging markets debt at HSBC Global Asset Management.

The MPC will also seek to assess the impact US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs that are due to come into effect on August 1 will have on trade, investment flows and global growth.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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