For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Shomolekae.

Making headlines: City of Tshwane confirms former mayor Murunwa Makwarela’s passing; Zuma’s party wants to nationalise land, mines in South Africa; And, top UN officials call on UK to reconsider plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda

City of Tshwane confirms former mayor Murunwa Makwarela’s passing

The City of Tshwane confirmed the passing of former mayor Murunwa Makwarela.

Tshwane Speaker of Council Mncedi Ndzwanana said Makwarela lost his life this morning.

Makwarela served as executive mayor during a tumultuous period in the City's politics in March 2023. Prior to his election as mayor, he served as the speaker.

Ndzwanana passed on his condolences to Makwarela’s family and Tshwane residents.

Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink also expressed sadness at the passing of Makwarela.

Zuma’s party wants to nationalise land, mines in South Africa

South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma’s newly formed party vowed to nationalise land and banks, withdraw from the International Criminal Court and expand the social security net in its campaign manifesto released before May 29 elections.

Opinion polls show the Umkhonto WeSizwe Party cannibalising support from the ruling African National Congress of which Zuma remains a member. They also show the ANC, which has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, may lose its majority for the first time.

The MKP’s plans are similar to those of the nation’s third biggest party, the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters. The EFF’s leader, Julius Malema, has indicated that it would be open to align with the MKP to form a left leaning bloc.

And, top UN officials call on UK to reconsider plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda

Two United Nations top officials today called on the UK to reconsider its plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda, warning the move would have a harmful impact on human rights and refugee protection.

In a joint statement, Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on the UK to instead take practical measures to address irregular flows of migrants and refugees.

Turk, who has criticised the plan before, said that the legislation "seriously hinders the rule of law in the UK and sets a perilous precedent globally".

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised on Monday to start sending asylum seekers to Rwanda within 10 to 12 weeks as the upper house of parliament passed legislation that had been delayed for weeks by attempts to alter the plan.

Other countries are considering tough measures to stem illegal migration, with Italy planning to build reception camps in Albania for thousands of migrants arriving by sea.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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