Polity Audio Articles

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,...

Home Affairs boosts border force with 301 new immigration officers The South African Department of Home Affairs has initiated a major recruitment drive to hire 301 additional immigration officers, aiming to drastically bolster the country's border security and law enforcement capabilities. This deployment addresses a long-standing personnel deficit that has strained the department's capacity to po...

AfriForum launches PAIA application over grim municipal stats Lobby group AfriForum has launched a formal Promotion of Access to Information Act application targeting the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, following the Auditor-General's (AG's) 2024/25 consolidated general report on local government audit outcomes. The legal application seeks to uncover records concernin...

DA wants inquiry over high commissioner meeting with Zuma, Gupta in India The DA has called on International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola to launch an urgent departmental inquiry into whether South Africa's High Commissioner to India Anil Sooklal received official written instructions meet with with former President Jacob Zuma and fugitive businessman Ajay Gupta in India. Minis...

South Africa deploys troops to bolster security during anti-migrant protests South Africa has deployed more than 3 000 soldiers nationwide to bolster security and support police this month during anti-migrant protests that organisers have vowed to hold every week, a letter signed by the president showed on Friday. Protesters marched across cities on Tuesday, with some demonstrations hit by violenc...

Hill-Lewis defends GNU but warns ANC over mandate In his first major address since assuming the leadership of the DA, Geordin Hill-Lewis has declared that South Africa has entered a "second transition" that demands a "fundamentally new type of political movement". Speaking in Sandton on Thursday, Hill-Lewis called for an "honest, unvarnished assessment" of post-1994 politics. He framed the upcomin...

Johannesburg faces R2.1bn funding gap as its bills mount Johannesburg is starting a new financial year with a multibillion-rand budget that's not fully funded, potentially deepening a crisis that's already left it unable to pay for power and fuel supplies. South Africa's biggest city is facing an unfunded budget gap of about R2.1-billion for the year starting July 1, according to a framework seen...

ActionSA files complaint with Public Protector against Tony Leon's PR firm ActionSA has escalated its fight against alleged political cronyism by lodging a formal complaint with the Public Protector's Office, demanding an official investigation into Resolve Communications, a public relations firm owned by former DA leader Tony Leon and its alleged dealings with Government of National Unity ministe...

Hill-Lewis hails 'DA difference' as new GNU executive sworn in, condemns Pule's appointment DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has congratulated his party's new representatives in the National Executive, who are being sworn in on Wednesday to serve in the Government of National Unity (GNU). The appointments follow "structural adjustments" requested by Hill-Lewis last month, aimed at demonstrating the "D...

Kganyago signals South Africa could hike rates again this month South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said inflation expectations have risen above the central bank's 3% target, justifying the May interest-rate increase and signalling further tightening may be needed when policymakers meet later this month. The central bank raised rates in May for the first time in three years, lifti...

Over 900 arrested during nationwide anti-migrant protests South African police arrested more than 900 people during nationwide anti-migrant protests on Tuesday that were mostly peaceful but at times turned violent, with shops looted, police said on Wednesday. Of 120 marches, 108 were peaceful while 12 required police intervention, deputy national police commissioner Tebello Mosikili told a press c...

Tony Leon defends communications firm: 'We have never sought to influence ministers' Tony Leon has denied allegations by fellow former DA leader John Steenhuisen that his communications firm, Resolve Communications, sought to influence DA ministers, saying the claims are false and that legal action is being considered. Over the weekend, Steenhuisen alleged that Leon and former DA CEO Paul Boughey'...