For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: Western Cape premier slams taxi violence, Provincial secretary says no one will unseat ANC in KZN and, West Africa bloc pins hopes on Niger coup mediation ahead of summit

Western Cape premier slams taxi violence

Policing the ongoing taxi strike in Cape Town has resulted in law enforcement resources being pulled away from "other policing functions", which has led to opportunistic crimes such as looting.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said that the strike had crippled the transport industry and left two people dead, scores injured and many public and private vehicles torched.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said that "isolated incidents of looting and damage to structures" had been reported and were under investigation.

City of Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has accused the taxi industry of making an about-turn despite agreeing to terms discussed in a meeting during the weekend.

Hill-Lewis said the City would not back down.

Provincial secretary says no one will unseat ANC in KZN

KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo stated today that no one will unseat the ANC in the province in the 2024 elections, as he boasted that the current membership of the party in KZN is above 200 000.  

He was speaking during a dialogue with the media in the province, which aims to build relations.

Mtolo said ANC officials had taken a decision to interact with party members to discuss the challenges and successes of the organisation's National Democratic Revolution.  

He said the ANC could not share its strategies on how it would win the upcoming 2024 elections.

West Africa bloc pins hopes on Niger coup mediation ahead of summit

West African countries and global powers hope there is still a window of opportunity for mediation with Niger's coup leaders before a Thursday summit that could agree on military intervention to restore democracy.

The Economic Community of West African States has scheduled the summit to discuss its standoff with the Niger junta, which seized power on July 26 and ignored an August 6 deadline to stand down.

The coup leaders have vowed to resist external pressure to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, after ECOWAS imposed sanctions and Western allies suspended aid.

The seventh power grab in West and Central Africa in three years has attracted global attention, partly due to Niger's pivotal role in a war with Islamist militants and its uranium and oil reserves that give it economic and strategic importance for the United States, Europe, China and Russia.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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