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

Making headlines: ActionSA submits Bill to overhaul Cabinet to Ramaphosa; DA urges Cachalia to arrest Crime intelligence CFO after meeting with Police Commissioner; And, Congo's Ebola-hit towns under confinement as cases tick up

ActionSA submits Bill to overhaul Cabinet to Ramaphosa

ActionSA has submitted its Constitutional Amendment Bill directly to President Cyril Ramaphosa for his consideration, following the party’s direct question in the National Assembly on whether he and the African National Congress would support the Bill.

The party today said it submitted the Bill at Ramaphosa’s request, saying it looked forward to his, the ANC’s and the Government of National Unity’s support.

In July, ActionSA gazetted its notice to introduce the Constitution Twenty-Second Amendment Bill, calling on South Africans to support the amendment, which would see a significant overhaul of the size of the South African executive.

ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip said the party hoped to abolish the “redundant role” of Deputy Ministers and to strengthen Parliamentary oversight.

DA urges Cachalia to arrest Crime intelligence CFO after meeting with Police Commissioner

The Democratic Alliance has written to Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia requesting the immediate arrest of Crime Intelligence Chief Financial Officer Major General Philani Lushaba, who the party said has violated his bail conditions.

The party expressed disappointment with Police National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola for meeting with Lushaba, who is currently out on bail for perjury, corruption and defeating the ends of justice in a 2022 case in which he lied about his State possessions being stolen during a burglary.

Lushaba is alleged to have entered the Crime Intelligence premises where he met with Masemola on Tuesday and again on Wednesday morning, the DA said.

The DA said Masemola’s involvement in this week’s meetings with Lushaba is a potential case of obstruction of justice.

And, Congo's Ebola-hit towns under confinement as cases tick up

Towns affected by Congo's latest Ebola outbreak have erected checkpoints to restrict population movements, officials said this week, as cases increased slightly and aid workers warned that the response was underfunded.

Democratic Republic of Congo's health ministry last week declared the country's first Ebola outbreak in three years, with 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths. It is the first outbreak in the country's Kasai province since 2008.

Kasai's Bulape zone, where the first case was reported, has been placed under confinement, the provincial governor said in a statement, with multiple checkpoints put in place to prevent residents from moving in and out of the area.

Administrator of the Mweka territory which includes Bulape Francois Mingambengele said said there had been 51 suspected cases and 18 deaths. The latest statement from the health ministry in Kinshasa said there were 32 suspected cases, 20 confirmed cases and 16 deaths.

The World Health Organization said last week that Congo had a stockpile of treatments as well as 2 000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine that would be transported to Kasai to vaccinate contacts and frontline health workers.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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