Zuma hauls Ramaphosa to court and municipal debt is bad news for water supply

Here’s what is happening and affecting South Africa today:

• Zuma vs Ramaphosa battle back in court: Former president Jacob Zuma will once again appear in the Gauteng High Court today for another private prosecution case against President Cyril Ramaphosa. Zuma’s prosecution, initiated in December 2022, accuses Ramaphosa of “failing to act” against prosecutor Billy Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan, whom Zuma alleges leaked his medical information. Last year, a full High Court set aside his private prosecution, labelling it unconstitutional and unlawful, with numerous unsuccessful subsequent appeals. [The Citizen]

• R21bn municipal debt hurting water boards: South Africa’s 15 water boards are owed R21.3 billion by municipalities, jeopardising the sector’s viability, according to Water & Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina. The minister said that non-payment for treated water prevents boards from maintaining and operating their infrastructure effectively, which is exacerbating water woes in the country.  [Business Day]

• RAF dodges R11m claim, but woes persist: In what the Road Accident Fund (RAF) is hailing as a victory, the Limpopo High Court has reduced what appeared to be an ‘exaggerated’ claim by more than 90% from R11 million to R800,000. Despite considering this a victory, given its struggle with excessive claims, the fund still confronts significant challenges. In the same court in July, there were three cases alone in which the RAF was directed to pay claimants a combined sum of R9.65 million. [Daily Maverick]

• Eight killed, five arrested in CIT sting operation: In Khayelitsha, Cape Town, a sting operation targeting a cash-in-transit robbery resulted in eight deaths and five arrests. Police, including Hawks and the Special Task Force, acted on critical information to raid the suspects in Town Two. Police say that there is a need to clamp down on the soaring CIT heists in the country. [News24]

• Markets: South African stocks and the rand took a beating on Monday as global investor sentiment soured towards riskier assets due to growing fears over a possible recession in the United States. On Tuesday (6 August), the rand was trading at R18.48 to the dollar, R23.64 to the pound, and R20.28 to the euro. Oil is trading at $77.35 a barrel. [Reuters]