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

Making headlines: DA threatens legal action against CoJ’s appointment process; HIV patient testing falls in South Africa after US aid cuts, data shows; And, Libya fighting calms after truce announced

DA threatens legal action against CoJ’s appointment process

The Democratic Alliance today served the City of Johannesburg with legal papers demanding an end to what it calls the ongoing violation of governance laws related to acting appointments in senior municipal positions.

The party said it would consider further legal action — including approaching the courts — if the City and Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo does not act by Friday.

DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said that despite the DA raising concerns in Council, a resolution was passed on May 8 that attempted to retroactively approve and extend the acting terms of seven senior officials — including the acting city manager.

These appointments, she said had already exceeded the legal three-month limit and were now without any lawful basis.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the City had had plenty of time to fill these positions permanently.

HIV patient testing falls in South Africa after US aid cuts, data shows

Testing and monitoring of HIV patients across South Africa have fallen since the United States cut aid that funded health workers and clinics, with pregnant women, infants and youth the most affected, previously unpublished government data shows.

South Africa has the world's highest burden of HIV, with about 8-million people - one in five adults - living with the virus. The United States was funding 17% of the country's HIV budget until President Donald Trump slashed aid early this year.

Data from the National Health Laboratory Service, a government entity, showed that viral load testing fell by up to 21% among key groups in the last two months, which four HIV experts said appeared to be due to the loss of US funding.

Viral load testing measures how much virus is in the blood of people living with HIV who are on anti-retroviral treatment. It is normally done at least once a year.

It checks whether the treatment is working and whether the virus is sufficiently suppressed to prevent it spreading to others.

And, Libya fighting calms after truce announced

The worst fighting in Libya's capital for years calmed today, an hour after the government announced a ceasefire, Tripoli residents said, with no immediate statement from authorities on how many people had been killed.

Clashes broke out late on Monday after the killing of a major militia leader. After calming on Tuesday morning, the fighting reignited overnight, with major battles rocking districts across the entire city.

Government's defence ministry said regular forces, in coordination with the relevant security authorities, have begun taking the necessary measures to ensure calm, including the deployment of neutral units.

The ministry said the neutral units it was deploying around sensitive sites were from the police force, which does not carry heavy weapons.

The United Nations Libya mission said it was "deeply alarmed by the escalating violence in densely populated neighbourhoods of Tripoli" and urgently called for a ceasefire.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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