October 10, 2023.

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

Making headlines:

Palestinian Embassy calls on DA, ACDP, PA to re-evaluate positions on Palestinian rights

Only 28 of the 136 municipalities owing Eskom approved to participate in write-off scheme

And, ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane leads working visit to UK and Ireland

Palestinian Embassy calls on DA, ACDP, PA to re-evaluate positions on Palestinian rights

The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa said it believes that political parties should stand on the “right side of history” and support the just cause of Palestinians right to self-determination.

The Embassy has called on the Democratic Alliance, the African Christian Democratic Party, and the Patriotic Alliance to revaluate their respective policies and positions on Palestinian rights.

On Saturday, the militant group Hamas launched a large-scale invasion and offensive against Israel from the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of people on both sides have died.

On Saturday, the DA condemned what it called an unprovoked attack on Israel's territory by Hamas.

ActionSA called for both sides and the international community to facilitate an immediate cessation of all hostilities, and to work towards negotiating lasting peace and a sustainable solution.

The PA wrote to the Israeli embassy in South Africa, voicing its condemnation of the attacks by Hamas. 

Only 28 of the 136 municipalities owing Eskom approved to participate in write-off scheme

Only 28 municipalities have, to date, been given approval by the National Treasury to participate in the Eskom Municipal Debt Relief Support Programme which was announced in the February Budget as part of a R254-billion debt-relief package that has been extended to the utility.

The programme is designed to enable Eskom to write off municipal arrears debt, which stood at R58.5-billion at the end of March with 136 of the country’s 257 municipalities in arrears.

In September, Eskom indicated that its outstanding municipal arrears debt had increased to above R65-billion.

The National Treasury did not name the 28 municipalities nor what they owed Eskom individually or collectively.

ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane leads working visit to UK and Ireland

The first deputy secretary-general of the African National Congress Nomvula Mokonyane is leading a delegation in the United Kingdom and Ireland to deepen diplomatic ties.

The ANC delegation arrived in Liverpool on Sunday to attend the Labour Party’s Annual Conference, convened under the theme “Let’s Get Britain’s Future Back”, which will be held from 9 to 11 October.

The ANC delegation is scheduled to conclude its trip on October 14.

The Labour Party conference will foster discussions on geopolitics, the global balance of forces, the just energy transition, the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine, as well as consider the recent developments in the Middle East.

The ANC and Ireland’s republican and democratic socialist party Sinn Fein will also reflect on political, constitutional reform and global governance matters.

Mokonyane is accompanied by fellow ANC members Mavuso Msimang, Alvin Botes, Khusela Diko, and Zuko Godlimpi.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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