Polity Audio Articles

South Africa consumer inflation slows more than expected in July South Africa's inflation rate slowed for the first time in five months in July, partly due to a steep drop in fuel costs, but analysts said it could soon climb again as renewed US-Iran hostilities had since driven global oil prices higher. Headline inflation in Africa's largest economy eased to 4.3% year-on-year, lower than the 4.5%...

Ramaphosa objects to Thandazani Madonsela as Impeachment Committee evidence leader President Cyril Ramaphosa has formally objected to the appointment of advocate Thandazani Madonsela as the Chief Evidence Leader for the upcoming parliamentary impeachment inquiry, claiming conflicts of interest. The objection has forced the Section 89 Impeachment Committee to halt proceedings and seek urgent indepe...

DA removes Mark Burke from finance committee amid SARB probe The DA has removed Mark Burke from Parliament's finance committee and his role as the party's finance spokesperson following a South African Reserve Bank (SARB) investigation into a company, Kastelo Proprietary Limited, with which he is linked. While the party maintains a "strict stance on accountability" and awaits formal findings, it s...

DA stands by 'due process' as MP Mark Burke addresses SARB probe The DA has affirmed its commitment to due process and the independence of State institutions following reports of a South African Reserve Bank (SARB) investigation into financial services company Kastelo Proprietary Limited, and which involves DA MP and party federal finance chairperson Mark Burke. DA Federal Council Chairperson Asho...

Nene appointed Financial and Fiscal Commission chair President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Nhlanhla Nene as chairperson of the Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC) and Malijeng Ngqaleni as its deputy chairperson. Additionally, Bulelwa Nqadolo, Neo Tsholanku, Andrew Donaldson and Astrid Ludin have been appointed as members of the commission. The appointments are for a period of five years. The c...

Joburg collapse guarantees national failure, warns CDE report Preventing the total collapse of Johannesburg must become an urgent national priority. This is the warning issued by Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) director Ann Bernstein, following the release of the organisation's report, 'Johannesburg Matters: Fixing South Africa's Growth Engine'. Bernstein emphasised that Johannesburg i...

South Africa takes over regional economic bloc as trade falters South Africa is taking over leadership of the Southern African Development Community with a push to deepen regional commerce, as the bloc's own assessment shows it faces tepid economic growth, persistent trade barriers and declining industrialisation. Pretoria's ascendancy to the chairmanship of the 16-member bloc this month follows p...

Ramaphosa calls for common market in SADC to develop industries The 16 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, with a combined population of nearly 400-million people, have abundant natural resources, a youthful population and the means to produce everything that its people need, says South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. SADC needs to create a dynamic common market in which co...

KZN Premier urges SADC to renew commitment to public diplomacy as leaders meet Ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa's public lecture for the 46th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Premier Thami Ntuli urged proactiveness and adaptiveness to deal with changing economic and geopolitical dynamics. South Africa is hosting hea...

Court reinstates NSFAS board, suspends administrator appointment The Pretoria High Court has granted interim relief suspending the appointment of National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Administrator Professor Hlengani Mathebula and immediately reinstating the institution's board. The ruling temporarily reverses the May decision by Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela to diss...

SADC Summit: Ramaphosa calls for regional action on xenophobia, GBV President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday delivered a powerful vision for the renewal of Southern Africa, calling for urgent regional action on gender-based violence, xenophobia, migration and climate change. Heads of State gathered at the University of KwaZulu-Natal for the 46th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit, whe...

Anti-migrant protests risk economic blowback for South Africa Frustrations over unemployment, crime and years of weak growth are driving South Africa's anti-migrant protests. But economists warn that the departure of thousands of foreign workers could end up hurting the very businesses and labour markets that anti-migrant campaigners say they are trying to protect. Anti-migrant sentiment has surge...

EFF demands immediate public release of Madlanga Commission's first, second interim reports The EFF is demanding the immediate, public release of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry's first and second interim reports, criticising the Presidency's secrecy and its handling of the commission's deadline extensions. The party has called for the publication of both the interim reports submitted to Presid...

Hill-Lewis demands permanent Police Minister amid national crime crisis DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has requested President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently appoint a permanent Minister of Police, warning that the country cannot fight the perpetual crime crisis with temporary leadership. In a formal letter addressed to the President on Friday, Hill-Lewis emphasised that South Africa cannot afford ongo...

'ANC neglect' collapsing SA's foreign service assets – DA The DA has on Thursday fiercely condemned the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) following the sudden, unannounced closure of the South African High Commission to the UK this week. Located at the iconic South Africa House in London's Trafalgar Square, the building has reportedly deteriorated to an unworkable state...

Ramaphosa heads to France for high-level talks President Cyril Ramaphosa is embarking on a three-day official working visit to France to advance global education reform, strengthen bilateral ties, and honour fallen South African soldiers. The visit features high-level diplomatic engagements with French President Emmanuel Macron and a key leadership role at a gathering at United Nations Educational...

Ramaphosa extends Madlanga Commission deadline to November President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended the final report deadline for the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System. The commission is now scheduled to submit its final report on November 16, shifting from the originally anticipated date of August 31. Spokesperson...

DA to lead massive anti-crime march in Nelson Mandela Bay DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis will on Friday spearhead what is anticipated to be the largest anti-crime demonstration in Nelson Mandela Bay's recent history. The mobilisation comes as communities across South Africa grapple with a deepening and violent crime crisis. Organised under a unified "Catch, Convict, and Clean-up" agenda, the DA is d...

MKP, EFF reject Treasury's 'punitive' R13.5b municipal funding freeze The MKP and the EFF have strongly condemned the National Treasury's decision to temporarily withhold R13.5-billion in local government equitable share transfers from 69 non-compliant municipalities. The freeze impacts major municipalities and local authorities across all nine provinces, including the City of Johannesburg, Mangau...

Nkabane appointed acting chairperson of Agriculture Committee The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture has officially elected Dr Nobuhle Nkabane as its acting chairperson, invoking Rule 159 of the National Assembly Rules to ensure stable leadership. The position became vacant after President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed former committee chairperson Dina Pule to the Cabinet as the Social Development Min...

ActionSA escalates Phala Phala battle, accuses SAPS of shielding Ramaphosa ActionSA has officially approached the Information Regulator in a bid to force the release of crucial Phala Phala evidence that it believes could implicate President Cyril Ramaphosa in perjury. This escalation follows the rejection of the party's Promotion of Access to Information Act applications and subsequent appeals by...

SAPS rejects 'false' claims over death of Nigerian national in custody The South African Police Service has strongly refuted claims surrounding the death of a Nigerian national in Sunnyside, Pretoria, labelling the reports as misleading and baseless. This response follows statements from the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which alleged that two of its citizens were killed in South Africa, o...

ConCourt strikes down refugee barriers, reaffirms non-refoulement In a major victory for human rights advocates, the Constitutional Court of South Africa handed down a unanimous judgment on Tuesday, striking down highly controversial provisions of South Africa's immigration law. The ruling concludes a fierce legal battle spearheaded by the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and Lawyers for Human Right...

Nigeria says two citizens killed as anti-migrant violence surged in South Africa Nigeria said two of its citizens were killed in South Africa, one of them by police, during a surge in anti-migrant violence, and threatened to take unspecified action if authorities did not address the situation. There was no immediate response from South Africa's government, which has contested some similar accounts...

DA demands immediate lifestyle audit following Dina Pule's controversial return to Cabinet A fierce political battle has ignited following President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent Cabinet reshuffle, which saw the controversial return of Dina Pule as the new Social Development Minister. The DA has formally written to the director-general in the Presidency and secretary to Cabinet, demanding an immediate,...