For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: Advocate Billy Downer wants Zuma to put up R1m as security if he wants to privately prosecute, inflation cools to 7.6% and, Nigeria opposition faction quits presidential candidate's campaign

Advocate Billy Downer wants Zuma to put up R1m as security if he wants to privately prosecute

State advocate Billy Downer wants former president Jacob Zuma to put up an additional R1-million as security for costs ahead of his private prosecution of Downer.

Zuma launched the private prosecution against Downer and News24 journalist Karyn Maughan and has apparently already deposited R90 000 at the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court as security.

But Downer said in papers filed in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, that R1-million was necessary to provide sufficient security to meet probable costs that may be incurred in his defence in the private prosecution if the prosecution fails.

Downer said he and the National Prosecuting Authority had engaged the services of senior counsel and two junior counsels for his defence.

Inflation cools to 7.6%

Consumer inflation cooled slightly in August, to 7.6% from 7.8% in July – thanks mostly to lower fuel prices. But food prices remain red hot.

Statistics SA reported that the monthly change in the consumer price index was the lowest reading since January 2022 when it was also 0.2%.

August's CPI number matches the median of 17 estimates from economists in a Bloomberg survey. Some economists have predicted that July would be the peak of the current inflation wave.

Still, the Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee is expected to hike rates by another 75 basis points tomorrow.

Nigeria opposition faction quits presidential candidate's campaign

An influential faction in Nigeria's main opposition party said it had pulled out of the campaign council for the party's presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, which could weaken the party's chances at the February election.

Political parties in Nigeria will officially start campaigning next week for the election to pick a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari, who steps down after serving a final four-year term.

Abubakar, presidential flag bearer for the People's Democratic Party, Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party are the main contenders in a field of 18 candidates.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter [@PolityZA]