For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines: Tsvangirai, war vets leader Mutsvangwa fly back home 'for negotiations', Zuma calls urgent SADC meeting to discuss Zimbabwe and Debbie Schäfer says draft Education Bill attempts to 'fix what is not broken'

Tsvangirai, war vets leader Mutsvangwa fly back home 'for negotiations'

Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change Morgan Tsvangirai and war veterans leader Christopher Mutsvangwa reportedly flew back home from South Africa on Wednesday.

This came as reports indicated that both Tsvangirai and Mutsvangwa were "ready to enter negotiations to form a transitional government with former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa".

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces on Wednesday announced that it had taken over the country and was keeping the country's president Robert Mugabe and his family under guard at his home as the military was getting rid of the "criminals around Mugabe".

On Monday the ZDF warned the 93-year-old leader that it would intervene if he continued purging party veterans in a bid to see his wife, Grace Mugabe, become his successor.

Zuma calls urgent SADC meeting to discuss Zimbabwe

President Jacob Zuma, in his capacity as Southern African Development Community chairperson, has called an urgent meeting to discuss the unfolding political and security situation in Zimbabwe.  

The meeting follows hot on the heels of what is being described as a coup in Zimbabwe after the country’s Defence Force put President Robert Mugabe under military guard and seized control of the state broadcaster. 

The meeting is expected to take place in Gaborone, Botswana today afternoon and will be attended by ministers responsible for foreign or external affairs from the SADC Organ Troika member states, namely Angola, Tanzania and Zambia as well as SADC Council Chairperson Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.

Debbie Schäfer says draft Education Bill attempts to 'fix what is not broken'

While Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi labelled criticism of the draft Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill "apartheid nostalgia", the Western Cape Education Department raised serious concerns over a bill it says aims to "fix what is not broken".

The draft bill proposes to drastically reduce the responsibilities of school governing bodies to appoint personnel and gives provincial education departments the power to approve and change schools' language policies.

In a statement on Tuesday, Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said the bill "is seeking the wrong solutions for the right problems".

On Monday, Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga said there's been "overwhelming response" to the bill which will "diligently be considered".

Also making headlines:

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has promised that the South African army will be deployed to areas worst affected by gang activity by Christmas.

And, the EFF has thrown its weight behind the military in troubled Zimbabwe by calling for a peaceful transition of power and for South Africa to offer President Robert Mugabe political asylum.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today