South Africa
I report on the South African Parliament for South Africa's biggest online news platform, News24.
I started my career in 2012 at the English daily newspaper Cape Times, after obtaining a National Diploma in Journalism from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
A year later, I completed an International Media course at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.
I worked as Parliamentary Journalist for the Afrikaans daily Die Burger and its online platform Netwerk24.
After a short stint at the Cape Argus, I joined Eyewitness News (Primedia Broadcasting) as a journalist and radio news anchor.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on white South Africans to assist in working on creating an inclusive economy. Ramaphosa said there should be inclusive growth on strategic sectors like land and the ownership of companies. Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) is here to stay, Ramaphosa told MPs.
Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu confirmed this in reply to a parliamentary question from DA MP Michele Clarke who asked for details of public servants who have been on suspension for more than 60 days with full pay.
The government said its biggest Covid-19 headache is patients refusing to self-isolate or use state quarantine facilities. Joe Phaahla said on average, out of every 100 positive tested people in the Western Cape, only between 15 and 20% agreed to go into quarantine.
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has said infrastructure investment is needed to grow the economy post-Covid-19. The government has committed R100 billion over 10 years towards an infrastructure fund. Mboweni says together with the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the government has identified projects that will be funded through the budget facility for infrastructure.
Minister Patricia de Lille revealed 4 123 officials were investigated for possible conflict of interest. Only seven were disciplined. De Lille said sanctions against the seven officials ranged from final written warnings, to suspensions from work without pay. The department is investing in strategies to maintain its vigilance and root out fraud and corruption.
Deputy President David Mabuza said Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, amid all the criticism, was simply doing her job. Mabuza also said President Cyril Ramaphosa was in charge and not Dlamini-Zuma. DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone called Dlamini-Zuma the "unofficial prime minister of the country".