Polity Audio Articles

South African cities shuttered as anti-migrant protests gather pace Demonstrators wrapped in flags and wielding wooden sticks gathered across South Africa on Tuesday for anti-immigrant marches, some of which saw brief outbreaks of violence amid heavy police guard, as shops remained shut and foreign workers stayed at home. Thousands of foreign nationals from elsewhere in Africa had already fled the...

Inflation expectations rise before South Africa rate decision South Africa's two-year inflation expectations climbed,complicating the central bank's efforts to anchor expectations around its 3% target. Average inflation expectations two years ahead, the measure the central bank closely watches when setting interest rates, rose to 3.9% in the second quarter from 3.6% previously, according to a surv...

Broken system inflaming xenophobic tensions – Amnesty International Ahead of the planned nationwide June 30 protests against illegal immigration, Amnesty International South Africa has accused government of inflaming tensions between South Africans and other African citizens residing in the country. The human rights organisation said there is a need for broader systemic reform to ensure that migra...

ANC, ActionSA call for investigation into Steenhuisen's allegations against Tony Leon The ANC and ActionSA on Monday issued separate statements calling for an investigation into the allegations made recently by former DA leader John Steenhuisen after he was removed as Minister of Agriculture. The ANC stated that after years of the DA associating corruption with a black-led government, a former DA...

Ramaphosa warns against vandalism, violence ahead of June 30 protests As South Africa gears up for national protests against illegal immigration, President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday stressed that while the right to protest is enshrined in the country's Constitution, intimidation, vandalism or violence will not be tolerated. Thousands of African migrants began the process of leaving South Africa fo...

SA govt intensifies mass migration repatriations, crackdown on vigilantism The South African government is accelerating its five-point migration strategy, marking significant milestones in the deportation, verification, and repatriation of undocumented foreign nationals across multiple provinces. Established by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration is overse...

Families, survivors of apartheid crimes fight Zuma, Mbeki's court bid A crucial legal battle is set for the Constitutional Court on June 29, when 25 families and survivors of apartheid-era crimes, alongside the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR), will formally oppose an application lodged by former Presidents Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki. The high-stakes hearing marks the latest hurdle in a decades-l...

Johannesburg collapse risk spurs call for State to run city South Africa's government may soon need to make the politically fraught decision to take control of Johannesburg to avert the city's financial collapse, according to a consultant appointed by two of the country's leading business groups. While such a move would be difficult for the ANC before crucial local elections in November, it may ha...

SAPS urges taxi industry to use influence to prevent disruption ahead of June 30 march The South African Police Service (SAPS) has called on the country's taxi industry to reject any attempts to destabilise South Africa or disrupt economic activity ahead of a planned nationwide protest against undocumented immigration on June 30. Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane made...

South Africa producer inflation accelerates to 7.8% y/y in May South Africa's producer inflation quickened to 7.8% year on year in May, up from 4.8% in April, statistics agency data showed on Thursday. The Producer Price Index increased 2.6% month on month in May, Statistics South Africa said.

Pretoria pushes back against US criticism on diplomatic engagements South Africa has issued a formal rebuke following critical remarks made by U S Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III regarding the African nation's foreign policy alignments. On Thursday, the country's Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) delivered a firm message clarifying its sovereign stance and the strategic d...

DA leader reflects on party's inspiring heritage, leadership push in new coalition era As the DA marks its twenty-sixth birthday, now under the leadership of newly elected federal leader Geordin Hill-Lewis, he says the occasion serves as a reflection of the party's historic roots and a forward-looking commitment to its future in South African governance. Hill-Lewis noted that the party's story was...

Outa warns of entrenched S African municipal crisis, as no metro achieves clean audit Not a single metropolitan municipality in South Africa achieved a clean audit for the 2024/25 financial year, according to the latest Auditor-General (AG) reports, with the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) warning that this failure points to an entrenched crisis in local government. Metros represent 54% of t...

Ramaphosa taps former Treasury Budget Chief as economic adviser President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed former National Treasury budget chief Michael Sachs as his economic adviser, bringing a respected fiscal policy technocrat back into the government as the country seeks to accelerate growth and deepen economic reforms. Sachs, who headed the Treasury's budget office between 2015 and 2017, is expected...

Surge in registrations for S Africa's 2026 local elections The Electoral Commission of South Africa recorded 2.9-million new registrations during the first voter registration weekend on June 20 to 21. This drive increased the national voters' roll to 28.5-million citizens ahead of the local government elections on November 4. However, political parties balanced optimism over youth turnout with dee...

Ekurhuleni budget passed after major ANC concessions The DA used its voting leverage to force major budgetary concessions from the ANC in Ekurhuleni after three failed budget votes threatened a provincial administration takeover. Key budget concessions secured by the DA include increased property rates to be capped at just 1.5%, legal protection for infrastructure funding for roads, electricity, w...

Family of Zambia's ex-leader should choose his burial site, South Africa court says A South African appeals court ruled on Tuesday that the family of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu should decide where he is buried, overturning a lower court's order that Zambia's government could repatriate Lungu's body for a state funeral. Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died in South Africa a year...

Salga demands intervention in political attacks ahead of local elections The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has issued an urgent call for stronger measures to curb political violence and killings following a bloody weekend that left four politically affiliated individuals dead across three provinces. The attacks come as the country prepares for the 2026 local government electio...

Police deployed as anti-migrant deadline looms South Africa will deploy more police this week to deter possible violence before a June 30 deadline set by xenophobic protest groups for foreigners to leave the country. "There has been mobilisation around this issue over a period of time and we expect it to continue after June 30, so we have plans in place," Firoz Cachalia, the acting police minister...

Ramaphosa urges African health sovereignty, self-reliance in wake of Ebola outbreak President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the critical need for African nations to establish self-reliance during health emergencies. Stressing that health security is deeply tied to economic development, Ramaphosa believes Africa can no longer afford to be at the "back of the global queue" for vital medical supplies,...

Home Affairs extends hours for voter registration weekend The Department of Home Affairs will extend its operating hours nationwide this weekend to support the Electoral Commission of South Africa's (IEC's) Voter Registration Weekend. All Home Affairs offices across the country will open on Saturday and Sunday from 08:00 to 17:00. Citizens are urged to visit their nearest branch to apply for a new...

ANC hails 'milestone' as Post Office applies to exit business rescue The ANC has welcomed the South African Post Office's (SAPO) application to exit business rescue, hailing the move as a critical turning point in restoring the State-owned entity to operational health. The decision marks a significant step in a broader turnaround strategy designed to ensure SAPO can fully discharge its national po...

Dean Macpherson urges police to find xenophobic agitators Public works and infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson called on law enforcement agencies to act against those responsible for violence against migrants, warning that the attacks are tarnishing the country's international reputation. "We have duty and responsibility to protect the vulnerable, we have a duty and a responsibility to enforce...

Floods inflict record R9bn damage on Cape Recent flooding in South Africa's Western Cape province, which includes the tourist hub of Cape Town, caused more than R9-billion of damage, a total that's expected to rise once final assessments are completed. "Our infrastructure budget for this year is 10 billion rand and the cost of the storm damage means that the whole provincial budget will have to be...

ANC slams DA's proposed GNU reshuffle as 'populist, contradictory' The ANC on Thursday launched a scathing attack on its coalition partner the DA, claiming its recent Cabinet reshuffle proposals expose "deep political contradictions and a selective respect" for South Africa's Constitution. The political friction erupted following a request by DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis for President Cyril Ramaph...