Polity Audio Articles

Eskom board chair reappointed after turnaround in power supply South Africa's government has reappointed State utility Eskom's board chairperson Mteto Nyati, for another three years after a sharp improvement in power availability under his tenure, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said on Friday. Nyati was appointed chair in 2023, when Eskom was implementing near-daily power outages that...

MVC asks parties to make coalition plans public before elections Political parties have until 17:00 on October 5 to respond to nongovernmental organisation My Vote Counts (MVC) and outline their plans for coalition negotiations before the local government elections on November 4. MVC argues that voters should have this information before casting their ballot, citing Section 19 of the Constitution,...

IEC demands parties restore public trust at 2026 electoral code signing In what is being described as the most challenging political environment in South Africa's democratic history, Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairperson Mosotho Moepya declared on Wednesday that the signing of the electoral code of conduct is a "sacrosanct ingredient" to ensuring the integrity of the upcoming 2026 loc...

South Africa's central bank raises main interest rate to 7.25% South Africa's central bank raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 7.25% on Wednesday, saying it wanted to steer inflation towards its 3% target. The decision by policymakers at the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) was unanimous. The majority of economists polled by Reuters had expected the 25 bps increase, as the es...

NSFAS records over 51 000 early applications for 2027, stresses strict deadline for submissions The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) announced on Tuesday that it is "highly encouraged" by a massive wave of early submissions following the official launch of its 2027 application window. A total of 51 474 applications were successfully completed within the first four days of the cycle op...

Mandela Foundation wants voters to demand action on GBVF ahead of elections As South Africa approaches the upcoming local government elections, citizens are being urged to leverage their vote as a tool for "profound social change". The Nelson Mandela Foundation has issued a call to action, reminding the electorate that the ballot box is not the end of democratic duty, but rather the beginning of s...

DA takes ActionSA, EFF, MKP, and GOOD party to Electoral Court over 'hidden' candidate lists The DA has launched an urgent application in the Electoral Court against ActionSA, the EFF, the MKP, and the GOOD party, accusing them of undermining electoral laws ahead of the upcoming local government elections. The legal challenge centres on allegations that these parties are deliberately concealing th...

DA calls for debate on GBVF as three suspects appear in court in Ekurhuleni cases Three suspects are expected to appear in the Boksburg Magistrates' Court on Monday, marking a major breakthrough in the investigation into a horrifying string of women's murders that has gripped the country. The South African Police Service (SAPS) announced the arrests of one man and two women over the weekend, follo...

Key African central banks set to keep high rates as buffer against shocks African central banks from South Africa to Egypt are poised to keep their interest rates high for longer, seeking to shield their economies from shocks such as surging energy prices caused by the Iran war and to support their currencies. Of the 11 central banks due to deliver their interest-rate decisions over the next two w...

DA challenges Lamola to oppose 'ANC's race-based' policies after US Apartheid 2.0 remarks The DA has challenged International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola to oppose race-based policies within South Africa's own Cabinet, following his recent public condemnation of race-based entry systems while visiting the US. This after Lamola addressed the Congressional Black Caucus Foundatio...

NSFAS opens 2027 applications, assures 'major system upgrades' after returning to board governance Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela announced on Friday that the 2027 National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) application cycle is officially open until November 18. Speaking at the launch event in Johannesburg, Manamela promised that funding outcomes will be communicated in De...

Policing is political, DA says as it offers collaboration in East Rand murders The DA said on Friday that it is willing to work with anybody who "genuinely" wants to take action in delivering justice to the families of the women whose bodies were recently found across the East Rand, in Gauteng, as it stressed that policing is political. After the discovery of the body of a ninth victim in Ekurhule...

Amnesty International demands SA criminalise femicide to expose 'hidden' crisis Amnesty International South Africa is urgently calling on the State to recognise femicide as a distinct crime, warning that failure to do so leaves the targeted killing of women largely unaddressed. Femicide, defined as the gender-motivated killing of a woman because she is a woman, is currently not classified as a sep...

ActionSA suspends Tshwane ward candidate amid disciplinary probe ActionSA has placed its Tshwane ward candidate and disbarred advocate Malesela Teffo on precautionary suspension with immediate effect, following his arrest in a contempt of court matter. The decision was announced on Thursday by ActionSA Gauteng provincial chairperson Funzi Ngobeni, who clarified that the suspension regulates Teffo'...

DA launches petition to reject SAPS safety warnings as body of ninth woman found DA mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni Khathu Rasilingwane has launched a full-scale petition rallying residents and women across the municipality to reject government instructions urging women to "protect themselves". The launch on Thursday follows the grim discovery of a ninth body in the region, signalling what Rasili...

South Africa's consumer confidence rises despite economic uncertainty, survey shows South Africa's consumer confidence improved in the third quarter, a survey showed on Thursday, although consumer spending is expected to remain subdued in the coming months due to uncertainty stemming from the war in the Middle East. The consumer confidence index, sponsored by First National Bank (FNB) and compiled...

South African inflation expectations stabilise in third quarter South African inflation expectations stabilised in the third quarter, a survey showed on Wednesday, after a steep rise in the previous quarter because of the oil price shock triggered by the Iran war. The quarterly survey is commissioned by the central bank and guides its thinking on the appropriate level of interest rates. The averag...

Govt rejects US visa restrictions, while domestic actors are emboldened The South African government has rejected unilateral visa restrictions imposed by the US, framing its domestic legislation as a constitutional imperative to heal past racial injustices rather than target minority groups. Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola hit back at US Secretary of State Marco R...

ANC loses case against IEC, calls for 'calm, discipline' from members The Electoral Court has delivered a blow to the ANC ahead of the November 4 local government elections, after it dismissed the party's appeal against the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC's) rejection of 181 of the ANC's candidate nominations, across six municipalities. The ANC argued that it had met the August 28 deadline...

Majodina apologises over heated confrontation with E Cape resident Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has issued a formal apology to the residents of Kouga, and the broader South African public, following a highly contentious confrontation with a local resident in the Eastern Cape. The incident, which has sparked widespread public outcry, has already resulted in official ethics complaint...

Complete overhaul of appointment process essential to save Joburg, warns CDE The Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) has issued an urgent directive to political parties ahead of the upcoming November local government election, warning that Johannesburg's compounding infrastructure and management crisis will never be resolved without a complete overhaul of how municipal leaders and boards a...

East Rand killings: Ramaphosa promises 'no stone left unturned' as ANCWL calls for debate on death penalty, castration President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday issued assurances to the public that the recent spate of murders of women in the East Rand area, in Gauteng, will be prioritised as a seventh body was revealed by police, this time in Clayville, a few hours after the discovery of a sixth body i...

SAPS deploys task team as political outrage mounts over murder of 5 women The South African Police Service (SAPS) has issued an urgent safety warning to women in and around Kempton Park, specifically in the Rhodesfield area, following the discovery of five women's bodies over a period of about two months. Preliminary evidence gathered by the SAPS has revealed "deeply concerning similarities" acros...

Ramaphosa greenlights SIU probe into eThekwini municipality, North West Transport Investments President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed a new proclamation and a key amendment empowering the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe deep-seated allegations of serious maladministration, corruption, and irregular expenditure at the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and the North West Transport Investmen...

Ramaphosa touts BRICS success, vows to build on $10-billion SA-India economic ties President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed South Africa's commitment to leveraging its BRICS membership to drive domestic economic growth, expand trade and solidify bilateral ties with India. Following the conclusion of the eighteenth BRICS Summit, held over the weekend in New Delhi, in India, Ramaphosa detailed how S...