February 27, 2024.

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

Making headlines:

South African food inflation continued to decelerate in January

Ramaphosa nominates Mandisa Maya as next Chief Justice

And, Rhino poaching in South Africa increases in 2023

South African food inflation continued to decelerate in January

In January, for the second month in a row, South African food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation declined, in year-on-year terms, the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy has reported, in its latest ‘Food Inflation Brief’.

Year-on-year food inflation in January ran at 7.2%; the figure for December had been 8.5%, and for November, 9%. January’s month-on-month food inflation was 0.6%. South Africa’s year-on-year consumer price index headline inflation figure in January was 5.3%, to which food inflation contributed 1.3 percentage points.

The BFAP noted that loadshedding remained a persistent “challenge” to the country’s food and agriculture sector. The prices of electricity and “other fuels” had increased 15.2%, year-on-year, although the price of “fuel” had gone down by 5.2%, also year-on-year. Another external factor affecting the sector was the rand:dollar exchange rate, which had seen the rand depreciate by 10%, year-on-year, from R17.09:$1.00 to R18.79:$1.00.

Ramaphosa nominates Mandisa Maya as next Chief Justice

Ahead of Raymond Zondo’s end of term as Chief Justice on August 31, President Cyril Ramaphosa has nominated current Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya to take over.

The President is calling on political party leaders in Parliament to comment on Maya’s suitability.

Drawing out her career, Ramaphosa noted that she held degrees from the University of Transkei, University of Natal, Duke University in the US and honorary LLD degrees from the Universities of Fort Hare, Walter Sisulu and Nelson Mandela.

She began her career, in 2000, as a judge in the Eastern Cape High Court and has held the positions of Deputy and President of the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa has also nominated Supreme Court of Appeal Justice Dumisani Hamilton Zondi to take on the role of Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Rhino poaching in South Africa increases in 2023

South Africa recorded 499 rhinos poached in 2023, 51 more than the previous year, despite efforts to protect the animals.

South Africa is home to nearly half of the critically-endangered black rhino population in Africa and to the world's largest population of near-threatened white rhinos.

Rhinos are poached for their horns, which are used in east Asian countries for making traditional medicines and jewellery.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment said in 2023, 406 rhinos were killed on state properties and 93 on privately owned parks, reserves and farms.

Kruger National Park recorded a 37% decrease from 2022 with 78 rhinos poached in 2023. No rhinos were poached in any other national parks.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

Don’t forget to follow us on the X platform, at the handle @PolityZA