Polity Audio Articles

Lamola welcomes Dlamini-Zuma's retraction of vote-buying claims Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola has welcomed a formal retraction by ANC veteran Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, of allegations linking him to illicit voice notes and vote-buying during internal party elections. The controversy erupted earlier this month following Dlamini-Zuma's appearance on the African Re...

ActionSA sues ANC's Maepa over alleged AI-faked claims ActionSA has launched coordinated actions against the ANC's Kgoši Maepa, lodging a formal complaint with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and preparing criminal charges over an alleged disinformation campaign targeting Tshwane Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya. The dispute stems from public allegations that Tlopo Construction, a company doing bu...

DA welcomes former FF+ caucus leader to its ranks The DA on Tuesday welcomed to its ranks former Freedom Front Plus (FF+) Tshwane Caucus Leader Grandi Theunissen, a move that DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink said bodes well for the blue party. Theunissen, a former FF+ regional chairperson for Tshwane, said he hopes to make a positive contribution to the DA and to the metro. "As I said,...

Parly flags R300m shortfall at Home Affairs following spike in deportations The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has raised serious concerns over a R341-million financial shortfall facing the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), following intense anti-illegal-immigration protests on June 30 and a subsequent surge in immigration enforcement, deportations and repatriations. With its ye...

CDE report says Joburg budget is 'disconnected from reality', with water failures biggest risk With unpaid bills owed to the City of Johannesburg rising from about R15-billion in 2014/15 to nearly R72-billion in 2024/25, the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) cautions that the City's budget is "increasingly disconnected from reality". In the second issue of the independent think tank's ne...

Oversight tightens as McKenzie faces Parly committee grilling Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie will face an intense parliamentary committee on Tuesday as opposition parties gear up to demand accountability over a multimillion-rand overseas trip and allegations of political patronage in board appointments. McKenzie is scheduled to appear before the Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts...

Business, govt unanimous on economic growth plan, jobs target The Presidency and business organisation Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) have united behind the plan, announced last week, to lift economic growth above 3% a year and contribute towards the creation of one-million new jobs by 2030, with both social partners agreeing that the focus must now shift from fixing the economy's structu...

ANC says it has learnt from past mistakes as it vows 'capable' municipal leadership ahead of elections The ANC has the capacity to lead municipalities effectively following a rigorous selection process for its local government election candidates, the party has promised. Speaking on Monday, a day after the launch of its election manifesto, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula emphasised that party...

Border security top of SA-Zim BNC agenda as Ramaphosa hosts Mnangagwa President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for deeper bilateral cooperation between South Africa and Zimbabwe, urging both nations to modernise respective border systems, tackle trans-border crime, and correct a "massive" trade imbalance. Speaking at the fourth session of the South Africa–Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission (BNC) at the O...

NPA drops corruption charges against top crime intelligence bosses amid Madlanga Commission revelations The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) has formally withdrawn all corruption charges against the Divisional Commissioner of Crime Intelligence Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, and six other high-ranking police officials. The legal turnaround follows a direct intervention by...

ANC lays criminal charges against coalition partner's Mark Burke The ANC said on Friday it has pursued criminal charges against DA MP Dr Mark Burke, as well as the fintech company Kastelo, following a South African Reserve Bank (SARB) investigation into Kastelo, with which Burke is linked. On Wednesday, the DA removed Burke from Parliament's finance committee and stripped him of his title as the p...

Parly champions coordinated regional strategy for migration governance, expansion of legislative dialogue Parliament must move beyond reactive measures and lead the charge in building robust governance systems, driving evidence-based policies, and leveraging parliamentary diplomacy to address the complex realities of continental migration. This according to Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Int...

DA wants Parly hearing after scathing SCA ruling on Kusile pollution The DA has requested an urgent joint oversight hearing in Parliament following a landmark Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgment regarding ongoing pollution at Eskom's Kusile power station. The party describes the ruling as a damning indictment of the power utility and the regulatory bodies tasked with monitoring it. The SCA over...

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...