For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines: Mantashe denies that he was forced to criticise Ramaphosa's preferred leadership, EFF warns Dlamini it will take her to court And, Mbalula says rogue intelligence elements are trying to discredit him

Mantashe denies that he was forced to criticise Ramaphosa's preferred leadership

The ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe has refuted claims that he was forced to criticise Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa for pronouncing on his preferred running mates for the December elective conference.

Ramaphosa announced on Sunday, in what has been seen in the #CR17 machinery as a “surprise and a blunder”, that branches should nominate Naledi Pandor as deputy president, Mantashe as national chair, Senzo Mchunu as secretary general and Paul Mashatile as treasurer-general.

Mantashe said, despite being in Ramaphosa’s mentioned slate, he would still have criticised his announcement because he was defending a party “principle”.

EFF warns Dlamini it will take her to court

The EFF has warned Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini that the party would take her to court if she attempted to "bring in her friends" to resolve the social grants deadlock.

Yesterday, opposition MPs once again laid into Dlamini in the National Assembly during a debate on the recommendations for her next budget - the biggest in the fiscus.

During a round of declarations, MPs zeroed in on Dlamini's handling of the South African Social Security Agency grants deadlock with the Post Office.

Sassa has until March 31, 2018, to find a new service provider to replace invalid incumbent Cash Paymaster Services in the nationwide social grants scheme.

Mbalula says rogue intelligence elements are trying to discredit him

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula says rogue elements within crime intelligence are behind a concerted campaign to discredit him and added that he knows who was leaking classified information.

However, the minister said that he was a “hands-on minister” who did not sleep on duty.

At a press briefing in Pretoria on yesterday, Mbalula said he has had to deal with the imparting of sensitive information to journalists within crime intelligence because he had implemented strategies to clean up the unit.

Also making headlines:

Former finance minister Pravin Gordhan yesterday said the inquiry into tax collection and governance at the South African Revenue Service announced by his successor Malusi Gigaba risked obscuring rather than resolving problems at the entity.

For a news update each morning, register for Polity’s free daily newsletter

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today