Didiza criticised for impeachment stance
National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza has drawn flak for deciding that her office will not oppose President Cyril Ramaphosa’s urgent application to halt impeachment proceedings. This has raised (again) the longstanding issue of the duty of the Speaker to the institution of Parliament and his or her party loyalties. George Michalakis of the Democratic Alliance said the Speaker was required to act in accordance with the wishes of the impeachment committee. He said: “It does raise alarm bells, and I would have hoped we had turned a page where the Speaker actually acts fully impartially. Her actions do raise the question of who she puts first, the ANC or Parliament, and it feels like more of the same, which is unfortunate.” African Transformation Movement leader Vuyo Zungula said that the Speaker was disregarding legal advice, adding that “she must defend the work of Parliament from being interdicted, because she’s the head of the institution.”
Organisations call on US to reconsider plans to withdraw HIV/AIDS funding to SA
US plans to withdraw HIV/AIDS funding for South Africa could cost lives in the country with the largest number of people infected with the virus, warns head of UNAIDS Winnie Byanyima. She has urged Washington to reconsider. In South Africa, the F W de Klerk Foundation also urged the US to reconsider, warning that cutting funding would play into the hands of those seeking to undermine democracy, and would promote racial division. The US State Department said the country had “”decided to initiate a phased drawdown” of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in South Africa “following South Africa’s failure to make demonstrable progress on policy requests by the administration.” It said PEPFAR was never intended to be permanent and that South Africa “is a middle-income country and is more than capable of supporting its own health programs.”
R600 million to head off 30 June trouble
Police minister Firoz Cachalia says the government has committed R600 million to preparations for a threatened national shutdown on 30 June, called by groups protesting the presence of illegal migrants in South Africa. According to the groups behind the action, 30 June is a “deadline” for foreigners unlawfully in South Africa to leave the country. This has prompted concerns about the risk of violence. Cachalia emphasised that the scale of the preparations meant that resources would be drained from other priorities. He urged South Africa to reject intimidation and vigilantism and reiterated that dealing with illegal migration was a state prerogative, and that considerable resources had been committed to achieving this.
Iran sanctions temporarily waived, Tehran contradicts Vance on nuclear-inspection claim
In separate developments in the fledgling talks between Washington and Tehran, the US temporarily waived sanctions, allowing Iran to sell oil in US dollars for the first time in decades, and Iran denied a claim by Vice-President JD Vance that it would allow nuclear inspectors back into the country. These developments followed the first round of talks between Washington and Tehran on a final deal to end the war. Vance had said discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could be happening “as soon as today”, but Iran’s foreign ministry told state media that Tehran had made “no new commitments” on nuclear inspections.
Schools close as European heatwave expected to shatter records
France closed more than 1,300 schools across the country yesterday, while another 4,000 rescheduled classes to allow pupils to leave early. One in 10 regional train services around Paris were cancelled amid fears for rolling stock and tracks. French authorities placed half the country – 49 of the 96 mainland departments – on a level 1 danger-to-life warning, urging 35 million people to exercise “absolute vigilance”, avoid strenuous exertion and stay out of direct sun. Temperatures in western and central France were expected to exceed 40C – 43C in Bordeaux, 41C in Limoges, 40C in Toulouse and Tours and 39C in Paris, and would continue rising until the end of the week.
Sources: News24, Reuters, BBC, Netwerk24, The Guardian, Daily Maverick