Making headlines: Religious, business and political leaders call for support for Zuma ahead of court appearance; Winnie to potentially receive posthumous honorary degree; And, Julius Maada Bio sworn in as new Sierra Leone president

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Jessica Oosthuizen.

Religious, business and political leaders call for support for Zuma ahead of court appearance

A group of religious, business and political leaders have reiterated their call for the people of South Africa to support former president Jacob Zuma when he appears in the Durban High Court on Friday.

The National Interfaith Council of South Africa, the Commission for Religious Affairs, Delangokubona Business Forum, the National Funeral Practitioners Association of South Africa and Black First Land First held a press briefing in Durban yesterday to outline why they supported Zuma.

Zuma is due to appear in the Durban High Court on April 6. He faces 16 charges relating to 783 payments, which, it is claimed, he received in connection with the controversial multibillion-rand arms deal.

The National Prosecuting Authority dropped the charges in 2009 just before Zuma was sworn in for his first term as the country's president.

Winnie to potentially receive posthumous honorary degree

Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape said that it was deeply saddened by the passing of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who the university had nominated to honour for her contribution to the liberation struggle.

Madikizela-Mandela died at the age of 81 on Monday and is considered the "Mother of the Nation" for her role in the anti-apartheid movement.

University spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo said that this shocking news came just a month away from the University’s graduation ceremony where she was to be conferred an honorary degree in social science.

And, Julius Maada Bio sworn in as new Sierra Leone president

Opposition candidate and former military junta leader Julius Maada Bio was sworn in as Sierra Leone's new president yesterday, just hours after the elections commission announced his victory in a tight run-off poll.

He now faces the difficult task of rebuilding the impoverished West African nation's economy that was dragged down by the world's deadliest Ebola epidemic and a global slump in commodity prices.

Representing the Sierra Leone People's Party, Maada Bio won 51.81 percent of votes cast in the March 31 poll, according to results announced by the National Electoral Commission yesterday.

He defeated former foreign affairs minister and ruling All People's Congress candidate Samura Kamara, who had held a slight lead based on partial results earlier in the day but in the end garnered 48.19 percent.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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