For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Madiba.

Making headlines: Cabinet calls for calm amid land expropriation hearings; ANC says government has to consult the party before it reconsiders withdrawing from the ICC; And, Malema lashes out at Gordhan, media and Moyane

Cabinet calls for calm amid land expropriation hearings

Cabinet has appointed a team of ministers to assist in allaying traditional leaders' concerns emerging from the current public hearings into whether section 25 of the Constitution should be amended to allow the State to expropriate land without compensation.

This is according to Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane who was briefing reporters in Pretoria on Cabinet's Wednesday meeting. Parliament kicked off a tour on June 26 that will see MPs hold hearings in all nine provinces until August 4, canvassing the views of South Africans on land.

Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini addressed a land imbizo in Ulundi, in KwaZulu-Natal, on Wednesday, during which he bared his teeth at anyone who he said would try to take land owned by the crown or dissolve the Ingonyama Trust, which is the asset vehicle of the Zulu crown.

Tensions have heightened between members of the ruling party and traditional leaders. ANC national executive committee member and head of its presidency Zizi Kodwa tweeted that the governing party would not allow itself to be bullied by traditional leaders on the land issue.

ANC says government has to consult the party before it reconsiders withdrawing from the ICC

The ANC says Cabinet will have to consult the party first before reconsidering the decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, head of elections Fikile Mbalula said yesterday.

International Relations Minister Lindiwe Sisulu hinted on Wednesday that  government might reconsider the controversial decision.

Sisulu did not mention former president Jacob Zuma by name, but told journalists that the decision that was taken "under the previous administration".

She said it was back on Cabinet's agenda with a view that South Africa could do more to change the skewed bias against Africa in the ICC, if it remained a party to the Rome Statute.

Mbalula said the decision to withdraw was an ANC decision.

And, Malema lashes out at Gordhan, media and Moyane

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema lashed out at Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, calling him the "real president of South Africa" and accusing him of doing as he pleases.

The political party held a media briefing at its headquarters yesterday and touched on a range of issues, including the petrol price hike, suspended Sars commissioner Tom Moyane, inquiries at the SABC, the public hearings on land and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Malema said he became corrupt in this country the day he challenged Pravin's appointment. He asked [former president Jacob] Zuma: Why he keeps appointing minorities to the economic cluster to the exclusion of black Africans?

Malema also complained about journalists he claimed had organised themselves as a mob around President Ramaphosa and Gordhan. He said some freedom was given to those who criticised the incumbent, but that politicians were attacked when taking issue with Gordhan.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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