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

Making headlines: 27 State capture suspects arrested; DA committed to cabinet negotiations, ANC says talks 'almost done'; And, Parliament joint sitting to be held on July 18

27 State capture suspects arrested

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation national head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya assured that the State Capture National Investigation Task Team is focussing on conducting comprehensive investigations, prioritising investigations and transforming inquiries into case dockets.

Briefing the media on the Hawks 2023/24 achievements, he said 2 241 statements had been obtained in 53 cases, relating to the recommendations that came out of the State capture commission.

Twenty-seven suspects – 19 natural and eight juristic persons – have been arrested by the Hawks, Lebeya said.

He announced that the DPCI had already arrested six suspects in the Bosasa case before it was taken over by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, bringing the total arrests by the DPCI to 33.

The team recovered over R400-million, promptly deposited into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account, Lebeya added.

DA committed to cabinet negotiations, ANC says talks 'almost done'

The Democratic Alliance is committed to working out a deal over posts in President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet, a party source close to the talks said today, in response to reports that negotiations were at risk of collapse.

And a senior official on the negotiating team for Ramaphosa's African National Congress said the coalition discussions were "almost done".

South African media had reported that a major disagreement between the pro-business DA and the ANC over the trade and industry portfolio had threatened to derail the collaboration between the two parties.

A DA spokesperson said the party would communicate officially when negotiations were finalised.

The ANC, the legacy liberation movement of Nelson Mandela, and the white-led DA are the largest of the 10 parties in the government of national unity that emerged after Ramaphosa's ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid in an election last month.

And, Parliament joint sitting to be held on July 18

President Cyril Ramaphosa said today that the Opening of Parliament being held on July 18 is a fitting tribute to former President Nelson Mandela, as it calls on individuals and communities to take time to reflect on his values and principles and to make a positive impact on communities and globally.

The Opening of Parliament will coincide with the United Nations-declared Nelson Mandela International Day and will be a Joint Sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.

The Presidency said the Opening of Parliament will be a platform for Ramaphosa to outline the priorities of the seventh administration.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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