South African metro rot laid bare, and Eskom to take over from dozens of municipalities

The Rand is trading at R17.03 to the Dollar today, 14 November, weakening slightly from R17.01 at the close of business on Thursday. 

In the Madlanga Commission investigating police corruption, the commission will be hearing from the spokesperson of the Ekurhuleni Police Department today.

This is after the former Employee Relations Head Xolani Nciza took the stand yesterday, explaining how suspended acting EMPD chief Julius Mkhwanazi was protected even as he faced serious allegations of misconduct. 

In preparation for the G20 Leaders’ Summit, CEOs in the City of Johannesburg are conducting a clean-up today. 

The initiative, launched by Mayor Dada Morero, will clean up Kliptown in Soweto. They will be joined by President Cyril Ramaphosa himself. 

In the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, the African National Congress (ANC) will be appealing a court decision that allowed former President Jacob Zuma’s party, Umkhonto weSizwe, to use its current name and logo. 

Before the 2024 elections, the ANC evoked the trade mark law in the Durban High Court to ban the party from using its name and logo, but was unsuccessful.

In the Palm Ridge Magistrates’ Court in Ekurhuleni, the trial against six suspects arrested for the hijacking and murder of Kaizer Chiefs player Luke Fleurs is expected to continue. 

In parliament, the parliamentary Ad Hoc committee investigating allegations of police corruption has been postponed today. 

Here are five other major things happening in South Africa today:

The Ekurhuleni municipality is ‘rooted in corruption’ – EWN

This is according to the City of Ekurhuleni’s head of employee relations, who provided his testimony before the Madlanga Commission yesterday, adding that it has “no regard for the law.”

Mchunu’s chief of staff in hot water for ‘thumbsucking’ Parliamentary testimony – Newsday

The EFF has laid perjury charges after Cedric Nkabinde admitted to his testimony before Parliament was ‘thumbsucked.’

KwaZulu-Natal spent R48.6  million on meals for matric markers – News24

The province spent R48.6 million on meals for 11,781 staff members during the 2024/25 financial year.

Eskom to take over the electricity distribution in nearly 50 municipalities – MyBroadband

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement that Eskom will take over distribution operations in 47 municipalities.

Only half of South Africans who start school pass matric – Daily Investor

Data show that between 2013 and 2023, only half of learners who started grade one graduated with a matric certificate.