Making headlines: Mantashe says ANC top 6 will discuss 'options' with Zuma; Sunday Times responds to Gupta indictment confusion; And, plans for extra desalination plants at tender stage

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Jessica Oosthuizen.

 
Mantashe says ANC top 6 will discuss 'options' with Zuma

The ANC’s top 6 officials will meet President Jacob Zuma to discuss "options" to avoid him being impeached or voted out by Parliament, party chairperson Gwede Mantashe has confirmed.

News24 reported yesterday that members of the NWC had instructed the officials to "confront" Zuma to step down before the State of the Nation Address on February 8, while others said that, if the officials failed to recall him, an emergency national executive committee meeting should be called.

Mantashe told News24 after a meeting of the party's national working committee on Monday that there was no decision or instruction to recall Zuma, but that there was a debate on what was the best option, such as something other than (the) possibility of impeachment and a vote of no confidence.

Mantashe said Zuma's fate would be decided after the meeting.

Sunday Times responds to Gupta indictment confusion

The Sunday Times said it was unaware that a 'criminal indictment' against the three Gupta brothers and Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane, which they published, was identical to the one drafted by former National Prosecuting Authority prosecutor and Democratic Alliance MP Glynnis Breytenbach as a "guideline for the Hawks".

The newspaper published the indictment last Sunday and reported that Zwane, along with Atul, Rajesh and Ajay Gupta were to be charged with money laundering in a matter of weeks.

However, it later emerged that the indictment was not a finalised document drafted by the NPA, but rather a document identical to one Breytenbach had drafted to give direction to the Hawks investigation.

Sunday Times editor Bongani Siqoko yesterday said that in hindsight, they should not have identified it as a finalised indictment as it is yet to be signed by the National Director of Public Prosecutions. They however, have no doubt that the documents they used emanated from the National Prosecuting Authority and is an official document.

And, plans for extra desalination plants at tender stage

Cape Town's deputy mayor Ian Nielson says plans to build additional desalination plants in the city are currently at the tender stage and could be announced in the next few weeks.

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane held a press conference yesterday, along with members of the City of Cape Town's drought crisis team.

Residents were told yesterday that their response to the imminent arrival of Day Zero has pushed the date back four days, from April 12 to April 16.

Neilson, who recently replaced mayor Patricia de Lille as head of the city's response to the crisis, said plans were afoot to add more plants to the three already commissioned.

Also making headlines:
Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille has insisted that mayoral committee member JP Smith was using the Special Investigating Unit, which she controversially shut down last year, for political gain.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today
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