5 important things happening in South Africa today

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

• The SABC is broke and cannot pay its service providers – who have been informed that they won’t be getting paid for July. Among those who won’t be paid, are big production houses, who have reportedly been forced to turn to the banks for loans to stay afloat. [IOL]

• Government is one step closer to merging SAA, SA Express, and Mango under one group management structure. SAA has been placed in the Public Enterprises portfolio, and discussions for ‘strategic alignment’ are well underway. The merger would means that all resources and assets, including aircraft, will be pooled. [Mail & Guardian]

• President Cyril Ramaphosa has initiated the first steps to having deputy director of public prosecutions Nomgcobo Jiba and special Lawrence Mrwebi suspended. The duo, who have just returned to work after being on special leave, will have to make submissions for why they think they shouldn’t be suspended. [EWN]

• Gun experts are weighing in on footage of EFF leader Julius Malema apparently firing off live rounds from a semi-automatic weapon during the party’s birthday celebrations. The EFF claims that Malema was firing blanks – however, experts say that it was definitely live rounds being shot off. [Times Select]

• South Africa’s rand bounced back late on Wednesday as investors bought the currency cheap ahead of a policy decision by the US central bank that could send the greenback higher. On Thursday, the rand was trading at R13.27 to the dollar, R17.38 to the pound and R15.45 to the euro.