Making headlines: ConCourt set to hear appeal in NPA golden handshake saga; No date yet for Sona 2018, but budget speech will take place on February 21; And, 75% of voters' roll updated to comply with ConCourt ruling

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Simone Liedtke.

ConCourt set to hear appeal in NPA golden handshake saga

The Constitutional Court is set to hear the appeal in the case involving former National Prosecuting Authority head Mxolisi Nxasana and the future of his successor, Shaun Abrahams.

Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution executive secretary Lawson Naidoo confirmed that the hearing had been set down for February 28.

Naidoo said they think this is the end of Abrahams and added that he thinks the NPA has been an institution that has brought itself into disrepute in recent times through its own actions.

No date yet for Sona 2018, but budget speech will take place on February 21

The impasse on a new date for this year's State of the Nation Address will not affect the delivery of the budget speech on February 21.

This was the outcome of yesterday's meeting between the Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete and the chief whips of the parties represented in Parliament.

No new date could be set for Sona, but there was an agreement that the budget speech would definitely go ahead on February 21, regardless of any change in the Presidency.

Mbete and chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Thandi Modise announced the unprecedented move to postpone Sona on Tuesday, citing "that there is little likelihood of an uneventful joint sitting of Parliament this coming Thursday".

It has, however, become clear that the date for Sona is very much dependent on the outcome of ANC president and South Africa's deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa's discussions with President Jacob Zuma about what is termed the "transition", otherwise known as Zuma's resignation.

And, 75% of voters' roll updated to comply with ConCourt ruling

The Electoral Commission of South Africa has updated 75% of the voters' roll to include addresses in compliance with a 2016 ruling by the Constitutional Court.

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng gave the IEC 18 months to fix the "unlawful defects" on the voters' roll, which he said were "inconsistent with the rule of law".

He said the IEC's failure to record all available voters' addresses on the national common voters' roll was inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid and gave the IEC until June 2018 to correct this.

Lemias Mashile, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, yesterday said in a statement that while the number was commendable, the committee has called for an "intensified drive to have the remaining 25% names linked to addresses".

Also making headlines:
South Africa's beleaguered president Jacob Zuma has refused to resign, according to comments by a top ANC official in a leaked recording published last night

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today
Don’t forget to download the Polity apps for Iphone and Android devices