For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Lumkile Nkomfe.

Making headlines: South Africa's Q3 GDP falls 0.2% quarter-on-quarter, more than predicted, country’s water quality deteriorates since 2014, nonrevenue water rockets and, ANC says Sheriff’s visit is attempt to create a spectacle

South Africa's Q3 GDP falls 0.2% quarter-on-quarter, more than predicted

South Africa's economy contracted 0.2% in the third quarter of 2023 in quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted terms , compared to revised growth of 0.5% in the previous quarter, statistics agency data showed today.

A presentation by Statistics South Africa showed the sharpest falls in output were in agriculture, construction, manufacturing and mining.

In unadjusted year-on-year terms gross domestic product contracted 0.7% in the third quarter.

Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted smaller third-quarter output declines, of 0.1% quarter-on-quarter and 0.2% year-on-year.

Africa's most industrialised nation has eked out only marginal economic growth in the past decade, with crippling power cuts among major constraints.

Country’s water quality deteriorates since 2014, nonrevenue water rockets

The latest full Blue, No, and Green Drop reports, released by the Department of Water and Sanitation, show the deterioration of South Africa’s drinking water quality, the state of water loss and nonrevenue water, and wastewater management performance, respectively.

The Blue and No Drop reports indicate that there has been a decline in drinking water quality and an increase in non-revenue water since the last reports were issued in 2014. The Green Drop Progress Assessment Report meanwhile indicates a deterioration in the performance of municipal wastewater treatment systems.

The full Blue Drop report, assessing the quality of South Africa’s drinking water from July 2021, to June 2022, shows that while South Africa’s drinking water quality is generally good in the major metropolitan areas, there has been a regression in drinking water quality since 2014.

Of the 958 water supply systems in each of the 144 water services authorities across South Africa, only 26, or 3%, scored more than 95% and qualified for the Blue Drop certification, compared with the 44 WSS, or 4%, which were awarded Blue Drop status in 2014.

ANC says Sheriff’s visit is attempt to create a spectacle

The ruling ANC has referred to Ezulwini Investments' attempts, through the Sheriff of the Gauteng High Court, to attach its assets as “attempts to create a spectacle”, which its spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said is unnecessary.

The ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters attracted the media spotlight after Ezulwini Investments sought to attach the party's accounts and other physical assets, to recover more than R100-million the party owes it for work done during the 2019 elections campaign.

Bhengu-Motsiri said following the “unfavourable judgment” of the Supreme Court of Appeal, which dismissed the party’s appeal against a judgment that it was liable for the outstanding amount owed to Ezulweni, the ANC indicated in earlier communication that “it is now taking the matter to the Constitutional Court which in effect postpones the execution of the SCA decision”.

Ezulweni Investments has now given the party until Wednesday to pay money owed or face liquidation. If liquidated, the ANC cannot contest elections.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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