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

Making headlines: SACP denies engagements with MKP; PSA calls for ‘proper’ regulation of spaza shops; And, Trump inherits waning US strength in Africa

SACP denies engagements with MKP

The long-term historical ally of the African National Congress, the South African Communist Party, says it never initiated any engagement with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, neither has it received any request for a formal engagement. 

The party was responding to a news article, which claimed that the MKP was negotiating behind the scenes to solidify an alliance with the SACP with the explicit objective of jointly challenging President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Government of National Unity.

The SACP pointed out that the story was based on what the MKP was apparently plotting, but added that it correctly referred to a recent interview by Sunday World Engage with the SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila, where he stated that he would never close the possibility to engage with other forces.

PSA calls for ‘proper’ regulation of spaza shops

The Public Servants Association has called for proper regulations and for the appointment of health inspectors to monitor the compliance of spaza shops, as South Africa sees an unprecedented spike in food poisoning reports, with 14 fatalities and hundreds of children falling ill.

The association urged Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to prioritise the matter, while calling for the intensification of monitoring to prevent further loss of lives.

The PSA said reported cases must be subjected to investigation and where deliberate foul pay is proven, culprits needed to face the full extent of the law.

The association welcomed the recent announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the approval of the proclamation to regulate spaza shops across South Africa, noting that this was a significant step in ongoing efforts to enhance the safety, quality, and sustainability of these community businesses.

And, Trump inherits waning US strength in Africa

A decline in US influence in Africa means US President-elect Donald Trump's administration will have to grapple with blind spots in its understanding of a fast-changing continent increasingly allied with China and Russia and threatened by spreading jihadist insurgencies.

Interviews with eight current and former officials along with a review of US government watchdog reports show that a dearth of staff and resources under President Joe Biden at embassies in Africa undermined efforts to implement Washington's goals. 

The US racked up diplomatic setbacks over the past four years, including losing America's major spy base in Niger and failing to negotiate a deal with any ally to reposition those assets. It is now caught without a foothold among the Sahel region's Russia-backed military juntas just as the region becomes the world's terrorism hotpot.

In soft power terms, a Gallup poll published this year showed that China surpassed the US in popularity in Africa. 

Cameron Hudson, a former CIA analyst who worked on Africa in a number of roles for both Democrat and Republican administrations, said the lack of resources had led to missteps.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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