For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Lynne Davies.

Making headlines:   ActionSA and EFF condemn Ramaphosa’s public holiday announcement ahead of Budget, government spent about R180m on hosting recent Brics Summit and, Britain's King Charles visits Kenya

ActionSA and EFF condemn Ramaphosa’s public holiday announcement ahead of Budget

ActionSA and the Economic Freedom Fighters have condemned President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Monday night declaration of an extra public holiday for December 15, describing the decision as opportunistic and disconcerting.

Ramaphosa’s speech was intended to celebrate the Springbok rugby team’s victory at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. 

ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said Ramaphosa and the ruling party should not seek to place a burden on the South African people who are already overburdened by the deepening cost-of-living crisis.

The EFF has highlighted that the public holiday intended for December 15 already fell within the holiday period in South Africa and concluded its criticism of Ramaphosa by asserting that he had “taken advantage” of the Springboks victory to promote himself and the African National Congress. 

Government spent about R180m on hosting recent Brics Summit

The government splashed out more than R100-million on hosting the recently held 15th Brics Summit.

It's already been revealed that R75-million was spent on policing and security for the summit, bringing the cumulative amount spent on the three-day event to nearly R180-million.

Minister Naledi Pandor said the expenditure incurred by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to host the summit was over R104 million. She added that her department did not contribute financially to the hosting of the Brics Parliamentary Forum.

Britain's King Charles visits Kenya

Britain's tarnished colonial past took centre stage in Kenya today as King Charles began a four-day state visit, poised to acknowledge "painful aspects" of the countries' long shared history as local leaders press demands for reparations.

Accompanied by Queen Camilla on his first visit as monarch to a former colony, Charles arrived in the capital Nairobi overnight.

He was welcomed to the Presidential Palace by a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour and, accompanied by President William Ruto, planted trees in the palace grounds.

The royal couple then laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Uhuru Gardens, where Kenya declared independence in December 1963.

Charles' visit comes at a time when former colonies are demanding that Britain do more to recognise the abuses of its colonial past.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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