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

Making headlines: Ramaphosa to receive China counterpart Xi Jinping; AfriForum to privately prosecute Thandi Modise over animal cruelty; And, Cele says Botswana nationals being recruited for 'expertise' in blasting cash-in-transit vans

Ramaphosa to receive China counterpart Xi Jinping

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday receive China’s President Xi Jinping who will be on a State visit to South Africa, the Presidency has announced.

In a statement it said the State visit takes place within the context of a strengthening of the political, economic, social and international cooperation partnership between South Africa and China.

The two leaders will engage in bilateral talks and evaluate the progress achieved by the two countries on the Strategic Programme with specific reference to six priority areas identified in 2015.

AfriForum to privately prosecute Thandi Modise over animal cruelty

Lobby group AfriForum has announced that it will privately prosecute chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Thandi Modise in connection with animal cruelty at her farm.

In 2015, a protracted legal action was initiated after it emerged that animals had been starving on Modise’s multimillion-rand farm.

The farm, based in the North West town of Modderfontein, just outside Potchefstroom, was found littered with the carcasses of more than 50 dead pigs and other animals, including goats, sheep, geese and ducks.

About 85 surviving animals were found eating the carcasses of those who had died.

Advocate Gerrie Nel said at the media briefing that AfriForum was planning to prosecute Modise within the next three months. The case is expected to be heard in Potchefstroom.

And, Cele says Botswana nationals being recruited for 'expertise' in blasting cash-in-transit vans

Police Minister Bheki Cele says Botswana nationals are well known for their expertise in the blasting of vans during cash-in-transit heists.

Cele said it was discovered that foreign nationals were involved. Two of these were Zimbabweans while another two, from Botswana, had been arrested.

Cele gave an update to the media on Operation Thunder, a police initiative which saw the deployment of 267 officers from the public order policing unit to nine stations in the Western Cape.

He said the success rate of cash-in-transit operations that rely on blowing up cash vans had been reduced following the arrests of more than 40 suspects in cash-in-transit robberies from June 4 to date.

There have been 179 heists to date since January.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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