Polity Audio Articles

South Africa must prepare for potential loss of US trade benefits, Ramaphosa says President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that the country must prepare for its potential exclusion from the United States' duty-free trade initiative, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), as relations between Washington and Pretoria have soured. AGOA gives eligible African countries duty-free access to the...

BofA, BNP see South Africa rating upgrade after budget South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is expected to signal the country's commitment to fiscal discipline on Wednesday, with its debt-to-GDP ratio set to decline for the first time in more than two decades — potentially paving the way for a credit-rating upgrade as soon as next month. Four of 11 economists surveyed by Bloomberg, incl...

Structural, financial deficiencies in metros actively restricting economic growth – City Risk Monitor South Africa's major municipalities are facing severe financial pressure, driven by an inability to manage debt, crumbling infrastructure, and a crippling lack of long-term administrative planning. This is according to Independent Consultancy, the Paternoster Group's City Risk Monitor, which recen...

S Africa targets 1.3m unregistered children with early childhood development reforms Government is hosting the second Bana Pele Leadership Summit in Gauteng this week, underscoring its commitment to expanding early childhood learning as a critical development priority and a vital tool to redress historical inequalities. In his weekly letter to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised that...

South Africa on path to investment-grade rating, Investec says South Africa stands a good chance of regaining its investment-grade credit rating within two years and next week's mid-term budget could take another step toward that goal, according to Investec Wealth & Investment International. The fund manager sees a more than 50% chance the country will restore its investment grade rating by 2028,...

South Africa set for brighter fiscal outlook in Wednesday's mid-term budget South Africa's finance minister is expected to present an improved fiscal outlook in his mid-term budget on Wednesday, with a revenue windfall bolstering a push to regain an investment-grade credit rating. But record fuel prices, weak growth and pressure to spend ahead of November 4 local government elections could limit h...

Kganyago says rand resilience cushioning South Africa from shock South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said the rand has held up well despite the shock caused by the Iran war, reflecting more confidence in the country's economic outlook. "Rand resilience has cushioned, but not shielded us from the shock," Kganyago told Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund...

Ramaphosa reinstates suspended police chief South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday he was reinstating the country's police chief, six months after he was suspended over charges he broke public finance rules in the irregular awarding of a tender. Fannie Masemola, national commissioner of the South African Police Service since 2022, will resume his duties on Monday after prosecutors...

ANC calls for mobilisation, unity following landmark ConCourt ruling in IEC candidate nominations case The ANC has launched a powerful call to action, urging all party structures, leagues, and alliance partners to close ranks for a "decisive victory" in the upcoming local government elections. With the election just 19 days away, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula directed provinces, national st...

NPA denies issuing arrest warrants for March and March leaders The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has categorically denied issuing warrants of arrest against advocacy group March and March Movement leader Jacinta Ngobese Zuma and her husband Xolani Zuma. The NPA issued an official statement on Thursday, directly dismissing assertions made by the group. This follows a statement released by th...

South Africa's central bank governor Kganyago sees upside risks to inflation Rising global energy prices and food costs continue to pose upside risks to inflation in South Africa, the central bank head said on Thursday, with consumer prices expected to return to the 3% target only in 2028. Speaking to Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual...

ConCourt rules in favour of ANC over candidate lists, DA raises 'serious precedent concerns' The ANC has won its case against the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which must now include all the party's candidate lists on the ballot for the local government election. Last month, the ANC claimed that the IEC's candidate-capture system experienced technical disruptions on the final submission...

Mashatile warns of 'new generation of challenges' as AI, unemployment impact S African workers Deputy President Paul Mashatile declared on Wednesday that while South Africa celebrates its progress in overcoming apartheid, the country and the global stage now face a "new generation of challenges". Speaking at the eighth national congress of the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa), Mashati...

Moody's says South Africa is on right track for rating upgrade South Africa is heading in the right direction for its first credit-rating upgrade by Moody's Ratings since 2009, provided the country's fiscal performance continues to improve. The agency, which rates South Africa Ba2 — two notches below investment grade — revised South Africa's credit outlook to positive from stable in May. It says t...

Judge us on what we have done, DA says as it eyes majority win in election As South Africa prepares for the November Local Government Elections, Polity is engaging with political parties contesting the elections in a series of interviews to examine their manifestos, policy priorities and plans for local government. The DA is feeling positive ahead of the November local government election, with na...

Joburg Water depot upgrade to strengthen service delivery The Johannesburg Water Depot upgrade in Randburg, being undertaken by the City of Johannesburg's infrastructure implementing agency, the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), is nearing completion, as it enters its final close-out phase. The project, located in Region C, will strengthen the operational capacity required to support reliable...

Zuma released from hospital – reports Former South African President Jacob Zuma was discharged from hospital after being admitted last week, eNCA reported on its website on Tuesday. Zuma, who leads the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, was taken to hospital by ambulance on October 6 for what the party said was a routine medical check-up, local media reported last week. ENCA said that he was discharged on Mo...

SA's record Class of 2026 begins final exams amid calls for systemic reform The Class of 2026 officially commenced the final National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations on Tuesday, with a record-breaking 962 832 candidates registered nationwide, and the exams are scheduled to conclude on November 26. Political parties and government officials united in wishing the learners well while simultaneo...

Former Home Affairs officials arrested for issuing fraudulent passports to non-nationals Two former Home Affairs officials have been arrested for fraudulently issuing South African passports to foreign nationals for up to R100 000 each. In a statement issued on Monday, the department said the syndicate exploited weaknesses in the manual passport process for "photo swapping". "The arrests follow a...

Sibiya 'dishonourably discharged' from SAPS The South Africa Police Service (SAPS) on Monday confirmed that Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya has been dishonourably discharged, following a disciplinary hearing, during which his lawyer tendered Sibiya's resignation. This comes as Sibiya faces a case of rape, sexual grooming and trafficking. The SAPS said in a statement that Sibiya is no longer an...

Expanding, transforming South Africa's agricultural base a must – Ramaphosa South Africa's population continues to grow and with it, so does the demand for food. Being reliant on the productive capacity of a relatively small segment of the population to meet the country's food needs is unsustainable, says President Cyril Ramaphosa. In his latest weekly newsletter, he says that, despite a flourishi...

South Africa blames disinformation as anti-migrant protests turn violent Anti-migrant protests in two South African cities including Johannesburg's Soweto township turned violent on Thursday, with the government blaming disinformation over a court ruling on asylum seekers. In coastal Durban, the second city hit by protests, a Reuters reporter saw five torched cars in the urban centre, where foreig...

Home Affairs backtracks from attempt to comply with ConCourt refugee ruling, amid public safety concerns Following violent anti-migrant protests that rocked Durban and Soweto this week, Home Affairs director-general Livhuwani Makhode has withdrawn the directive relating to the intake of asylum seekers, citing public safety concerns. Government blamed the violence on the deliberate spread of misinf...

South African Navanethem "Navi" Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize South African judge Navanethem "Navi" Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday "for her efforts to promote peace and international law," the Norwegian Nobel Committee said. "A common thread runs from her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood up against apartheid to her service as a judge in some of the key inte...

ANC seeks to correct 'false narratives' over immigration ruling, pending labour Bill The ANC has called on South Africans to reject "false narratives" surrounding the country's immigration policies, clarifying that a recent apex court ruling does not open the floodgates for irregular migration, nor has a pending labour Bill already become law. ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu stated that...