An extraordinary row has broken out between higher education minister Blade Nzimande and his deputy, Buti Manamela, over who gets the media coverage of the department’s activities. Nzimande accused Manamela of “hogging the limelight” and relegating him to the sidelines in public engagements.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is sending a delegation to Washington to smooth the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s planned visit to South Africa in August, hoping to avoid a diplomatic fallout that could put trade ties worth R400bn at risk.
Reforms will enable third-party access to the freight rail network by private operators while the network itself would still be owned by the state, says the president.