The latest Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, has averaged 177.2 points over the month, up 2.7% from October and 9.5% from the same period a year earlier.

The Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill which seeks to amend section 25 of the constitution to provide for expropriation of land without compensation will be gazetted next week for public comment.

The chair of parliament’s ad hoc committee redrafting the property clause of the constitution has rubbished suggestions that SA’s drive to address skewed land ownership echoes Zimbabwe’s land grabs of two decades ago.

Although South Africa’s dam levels continue to lose water week-on-week due to the recent heat wave, the current rains across major parts of the country are expected to boost the dire situation in the next few days.

Widespread rain has been falling for two days over the central and northern parts of South Africa, bringing relief after several heatwaves that saw temperatures edge past 40°C and warm winds “like an industrial hair dryer”, according to a Limpopo citrus grower.

Parliament’s ad hoc committee dealing with the bill focusing on expropriation without compensation has decided to refer it to the National House of Traditional Leaders.