Zuma, Panama and WhatsApp: 11 things you may have missed this week
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. Need to catch up on what happened this week? From calls for President Jacob Zuma to step down to the leaked 'Panama Files', we round up some of the big stories - local and international - that made the news...
1) Vote to Impeach
The debate in the National Assembly on the Democratic Alliance’s motion calling for President Zuma to be impeached got off to a rowdy start this week with opposition parties calling for the Speaker‚ Baleka Mbete‚ to step down. They argued that Mbete‚ having been a respondent in the court case‚ would not be an “impartial umpire” in the matter. After much toing and froing (and a 'short' break) Mbete did finally slip away from her seat as the vote finally got underway. The National Assembly‚ where the ANC has a 62% majority‚ rejected the motion by 243 votes to 143.
2) Calls for Zuma to step down
Respected former finance minister Trevor Manuel called on President Jacob Zuma to resign this week, saying he violated his oath of office (watch the video below). This followed ANC veteran Ahmed Kathrada penning an open letter where he called on the president to resign. And they weren't alone. Civil society leaders, academics and ANC veterans gathered at Constitution Hill on Wednesday to urge South Africans to stand against Zuma, whom they say has breached his oath of office (Watch top 6 quotes here). The next day about 40 'children of exiles' penned a letter throwing their weight behind calls for action against Zuma‚ for embarrassing the ruling party and flouting the country’s supreme law.
3) WhatsApp Encryption
WhatsApp messages are now supported by end-to-end encryption, which means messages can only be read by the person they are sent to. No one else will be able to see the message, not cyber-criminals, law enforcement agencies and even WhatsApp itself. But what what does this mean for you and me? Find out here.
4) Companies cut Gupta ties
FNB was the latest of several companies, including KPMG and Barclays Africa, to sever ties with a Oakbay Investments, a firm owned by the Guptas due to a scandal over their relationship with the president. UPDATE: On Friday afternoon it was revealed President Jacob Zuma as well as three Cabinet ministers have been contacted by the Oakbay company over the closure of its bank accounts.
5) Uber cuts winter prices
The ride-booking service is cutting its prices by 20% in the South African cities it operates in from Thursday‚ as it tries to mitigate expected lower demand from passengers in the winter months. The move angered some drivers who protested the cut at Uber headquarters in Cape Town. But management said cheaper fares will result in more people using the service.
6) #FeesMustFall Imploding?
The #FeesMustFall movement appeared to be in danger of imploding this week. A clash between #FeesMustFall (FMF) and activist women on the campus of the University of the Witwatersrand highlights an increasingly strident campaign against student leaders accused of being patriarchal and homophobic.
7) Panama Scandal
Authorities across the globe have opened investigations into the activities of the world's rich and powerful after a cache of leaked documents from a Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca showed possible wrongdoing using offshore company structures. The Panama Papers have felled Iceland's prime minister and forced other political heavyweights onto the defensive, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping and Argentine President Mauricio Macri, the leading symbol of a budding right-wing resurgence in Latin America. British Premier David Cameron has also admitted benefiting from his father's offshore trust.
8) Winnie doesn't get Qunu
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's claim for the late statesman Nelson Mandela's Qunu home was dismissed by the Mthatha High Court this week. She shocked the country two years ago when she launched her claim for the Qunu property a year after Mandela died. Her lawyer has indicated she will be appealing the decision.
9) Ernie's bad day
Ernie Els suffered an embarrassing start to his 22nd Masters when he required six putts from a short distance to post a record-high nine on the par-four first hole. Els' third shot, a chip, came to rest just shy of three feet from the cup at the opening hole and immediately trended on social networking site Twitter.
10) Senzo's insurance
The issue of Senzo Meyiwa’s insurance payout is set to be concluded next week‚ a year and a half after the death of the former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana captain.
11) ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
Former Miss South Africa and businesswoman Jo-Ann Strauss and her husband‚ Michael Held‚ welcomed a baby girl into the world on Thursday. Strauss announced the arrival of the couple's daughter late on Thursday evening in a short message posted to her personal blog.
UPDATE: BREAKING NEWS
Two Gupta brothers and Duduzane Zuma have resigned from their roles within Oakbay Resources and Energy on Friday afternoon‚ citing concerns for the company's future due to the political aspersions cast on their involvement.
Government on Friday afternoon asked the Constitutional Court for permission to appeal against the ruling that the government acted contrary to the constitution when it failed to detain Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in the country last year.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.