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The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed acting National Assembly Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli's commitment to investigate the salary increase of the Secretary to Parliament. The matter relates to the salary hike that was approved by the then Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula for the Secretary to Parliament Xolile George, raising his salary from the advertised and approved maximum of R2.6-million to R4.4-million. DA Chief Whip Siviwe Gwarube argued on Friday morning during the National Assembly's Programming Committee, that the salary hike of over 70% for the Secretary to Parliament must be investigated. Gwarube said she took the matter to the Joint Standing Committee of Financial Management of Parliament (JSCFMP) to probe but claimed that the African National Congress (ANC) blocked those efforts. "I took the matter to the Powers and Privileges Committee for investigation; the ANC elected to sweep the matter under the carpet," she explained. "It is a victory that the Acting Speaker will table the matter with the JSCFMP which is tasked with oversight of the Parliamentary budget," said Gwarube. She noted that the matter needed a resolution before this term ended, saying gone were the days where the ANC got "to play fast and loose with the people's Parliament and not be held accountable for it".

South Africa may struggle to make much more progress on resolving the country's longstanding challenges if a coalition government emerges after elections this month, Moody's Investors Service cautioned. "These include stimulating years of sluggish economic growth, curbing chronic power shortages and reducing very high unemployment," said Aurelien Mali, vice president - senior credit officer at Moody's. "The current government has made incremental progress on these issues." Opinion polls suggest the ruling African National Congress could lose its national majority in the May 29 elections for the first time since taking power in 1994. While it's expected to remain the largest party, dropping under 50% of the vote will force it to form a coalition government. "The strength or otherwise of the new administration's mandate - and any concessions to minor parties needed to secure support - could make the already complicated management of fiscal, economic and social policy objectives even more difficult," Mali said. Gross domestic product growth in Africa's most industrialized economy has averaged 0.8% in the past decade, a rate insufficient to address rampant unemployment and poverty. Growth has been hampered by fraying port and rail networks, crime and state-owned utility Eskom Holdings's inability to meet electricity demand due to poor maintenance and aging power plants. "The election raises the possibility that policies from comparatively radical parties, including policies not friendly to investors, will emerge," Mali said. "Yet we believe the ANC will remain the dominant political force in South Africa, even within a ruling political coalition, which limits the risks of an abrupt shift from the current mix of economic and financial policies." An Ipsos poll released on April 26 showed ANC support at 40.2% compared with the 57.5% it won in the 2019 election. It also suggested the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party backed by former President Jacob Zuma is sucking voters away from the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters. It saw the EFF polling around 11.5%, down from 19.6% in its February survey, while MKP has the support of 8.4% of voters. Moody's sovereign credit rating for South Africa is stable at Ba2.

Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane told Polity that his party is aiming to be amongst the top four political parties in the country in this year's crucial May 29 elections. BOSA will contest South Africa's national elections with 400 candidate representatives of communities and constituencies across the country. "We are feeling strong, you know. When we set out we wanted to get above 5%. We think it's still possible, we want to grow. We want to be in the top four parties in the country, and we are working towards saying 'put us in the room' [of a coalition] because what we know is there will be no party that has an absolute majority," said Maimane. Polls predict that the African National Congress (ANC) will not win an outright majority, with Maimane predicting that parties will have to form a "grand" opposition coalition. He told Polity that in choosing coalition partners he was selective about what the party had to offer, stressing that the ANC was definitely excluded from coalition discussions. He said he could speak to any other parties, in general, and work with how the plan to govern could be achieved. "I am careful not to be selective about 'who', I can rather be selective about 'what'. This is where I am very central because we have a ten-point plan. The plan touches on areas such as making sure Eskom actually works, we talk about logistics, we talk about educating our kids, we talk about building infrastructure," he said. He called on South Africans to put BOSA in a room for a "grand coalition". "…the ask is that at a basic minimum, put us in a room so that we can decide to work with those who share the same vision of South Africa for all, who actually want for us to be able to deliver a job in every home, so that we can build a capable government that sets up South Africa's future," he said. He said other parties would not be able to match BOSA's ten-point plan. "…if a party brings the corrupt to Parliament, you cannot work with them. And I am afraid that includes the ANC, they are bringing corrupt people to Parliament. On the other score when you say you want to Build One South Africa you cannot work with parties that want to hold on to racism, because parties want to say we only want to represent this race, this tribe," he said. He noted that the worst thing that parties could do was to create the grand coalition of the opposition and govern worse than the ANC. "South Africans will never forgive us for that. We have to govern better and deliver better," he said. Maimane said he was sad about what was happening to the ANC, however, he said it would be good for the ANC to renew itself from the opposition benches. ELECTION MANIFESTO Maimane said BOSA's manifesto talked about keeping communities safe, by devolving policing so that intelligence was on the ground. He said with this, the party would be able to identify criminals and work with the criminal justice system to lock perpetrators away. He added that BOSA would also look at building the capability of the State by appointing ethical leaders. He noted the election polls, saying if they were to be believed, BOSA, from a favourability point of view, sat in the top four or five leaders in the country, and as a party, it was starting to show growth in provinces such as the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Thursday called on Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka to set up a steering committee to investigate what it alleges are "growing incidences of State fund abuse" by the African National Congress (ANC) for electioneering. DA national spokesperson Solly Malatsi said the investigation was urgently needed as it alleged that the ANC's election campaign was in violation of the electoral code of conduct. In August 2020, the Office of the Public Protector set up a steering committee for an 'own initiative investigation' into allegations of maladministration, improper conduct and the misappropriation of public funds by the Eastern Cape Department of Health in relation to a medical scooters project. "In just a week after DA Leader John Steenhuisen filed a complaint with the Public Protector following an unlawful instruction from Cyril Ramaphosa to senior public office bearers, reports show the public works budget has been targeted for ANC election purposes," explained Malatsi. He said in another case, the Department of Public Works was said to have spent R5-million to apparently launch Phase 5 of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). He added that for a similar 'launch' in the North West scheduled for May 2, the provinces' Department of Public Works budgeted R38.1-million, an amount which he said was now under review after it was deemed excessive by some of the officials in the province. "These excessive launch fees are only being used for bussing people to venues, printing T-shirts and providing pre-packaged food. For a programme that has been in existence for decades, why does the ANC government see the need to spend millions 'launching' it," Malatsi noted. He said the ANC knew that it could continue with "this brazen abuse of taxpayer money" because the Public Protector investigation model was retrospective in nature. "They have made the calculation that the Public Protector will only conclude her investigations long after the elections have ended, with no direct consequences for their illegal actions," he said. Malatsi said the Public Protector could not afford to ignore this "glaring abuse of State resources" for election campaigning, which he said was a direct assault on the country's democracy.

The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has urged registered voters who need to apply for a special vote to do so before the Friday deadline. It warned that no late applications would be accommodated after 17:00 at IEC offices and after midnight on the online platforms. The IEC pointed out that there were two categories of special votes: home visits and early voting. Home visits will be granted to registered voters who are infirm or have impaired mobility and they may apply to be visited by IEC officials at home or a place of confinement to cast their votes. The second category of special votes is available to any registered voter who wishes to vote early at their voting station. The IEC has reported that over a million special votes applications have already been approved for the May 29 elections. The Commission reiterated that there was no automatic age-based qualification for a special vote. "Special votes are available to all voters, but only upon application by the deadline date of 3 May," it said. Both categories of special votes will be conducted on May 27 and 28, from 9:00 to 17:00.

City of Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda announced on Thursday that the City intends to add an additional 50 MW of power to its grid by bringing online the Durban Street Substation, in the next financial year. Gwamanda was presenting the State of the City Address in Johannesburg, where he said the City had also planned for an additional 100 MW of energy by the financial year's end. "Our dedication towards avoiding loadshedding reflects in these actions aimed at protecting our citizens from discomfort and distress," he said. He said that for "too long" the city had been struggling with the "endemic loadshedding" that has plagued South Africans. "…however, I am pleased to declare that we are taking firm measures to confront this obstacle directly. We recognise that we cannot tackle this crisis alone. It is for this reason that we have established partnerships with the Gauteng provincial government and Eskom to address it collectively," he said. He noted and said he appreciated the increased focus on planned maintenance at Eskom, which he said had allowed the City to enjoy a temporary reprieve from loadshedding over the last month, with predicted record low stages of loadshedding for the coming winter months. Gwamanda noted that through the City's partnership with the Gauteng government and Premier Panyaza Lesufi in particular, the John Ware substation's open gas turbine has been brought back into operation, enabling the infusion of a noteworthy 50 MW into the City's network. "This progression marks only the initial phase in our determination towards implementing innovative energy solutions and decreasing dependence on Eskom for uninterrupted electricity supply," he said. Gwamanda said the City was working on innovative measures to reduce power outages such as the implementation of load limiters and commissioning open cycle gas turbines. He stated that the City's "consistent dedication" towards progress combined with these interventions would guarantee a dependable energy supply for Johannesburg citizens. "Over the last year, and in line with our commitment to make our communities safer, we have extended new high mast lighting systems in our townships and informal settlements to improve the safety and security of residents during the evenings and at times of loadshedding," he said. He said the high mast lights were powered by solar, giving them the ability to function outside of direct power supply from Eskom and City Power. CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT Meanwhile, the City is facing a rise in illegal mining activities, which Gwamanda said posed an immediate threat to the city's infrastructure and public safety. The City is taking steps to reduce risks associated with illegal mining by continuously monitoring areas where significant damage has occurred to bridge embankments and road reserves owing to this activity. He highlighted that the City's financial situation was also deeply affected by illegal mining, in a "complex and significant manner". "Though an exact total for the expenses associated with this issue has yet to be calculated on a municipal level, it encompasses various costs such as the repairs necessitated by damage to water or sewage systems, replacing entire pipes that have been damaged beyond repair and restoring terrain ravaged through quarrying activities," he said. He said to tackle this problem, effective collaboration among diverse stakeholders was needed, explaining that the City was leading discourse in this regard, drawing in the provincial and national spheres of government.

Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection executive director Joel Netshitenzhe delivered the keynote address at the Black Business Summit on Monday, where he was optimistic of South Africa moving towards 4% in economic growth in the next two or three years, provided constraints are dealt with. His address reflected on the country's political economy 30 years into democracy and asked "Where is South Africa headed in the next 30 years?" He noted various ongoing strategies that could ensure positive prospects for the country going forward. "These are elaborated in the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan: the infrastructure programme; Master Plans for sectors with potential; a strategic African pivot in economic relations; and focussed attention to absorption of the unskilled and semiskilled through speedier land reform, low-end manufacturing and support for micro and informal enterprises," he stated. However, he noted that it would take some time before these strategies had a significant impact. "…but the economy can climb towards 4% growth in the coming two to three years, if we are able to address the binding constraints," he added. In discussing the Black Business Summit's review and interrogation of policy, and legislative instruments that affect overall socioeconomic transformation and inclusive growth in South Africa, Netshitenzhe drew on the argument that politics plays a role in social development. He tracked the evolution of South Africa's political economy since 1994 by unpacking economic dynamics. "As we all know, in the decade of the 2000s, economic growth was in the region of 5%, and the unemployment rate was reduced from 31% to 23%. There are many reasons for poor performance in the last decade, both objective (such as the global financial crisis) and subjective (represented by systemic corruption and poor management of infrastructure). As South Africa sought to emerge from these reverses, many of us did not fully appreciate how gruelling it would be to turn the ship around. "Then, Covid-19, as well as natural and social disasters, struck - slowing the recovery and taking us back many years across most indicators. In other words, as we train our eyes on the horizons ahead, there are many positive and negative lessons to draw from," he said. Discussing the evolution of South Africa's class structure, Netshitenzhe noted that the black middle class was the majority in this segment, while noting the fragility of the positions of some. He said while black people formed the majority in skilled and professional categories, the same was not true at senior and top management levels. However, he noted that black asset ownership in housing, land and capital had seen improvements. "In mining, for instance, 39% of assets are owned by black people; and as we heard at the Worker Share Ownership Conference last week, the share value of ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) is about R70.3-billion, with R3.3-billion of dividends paid last past year. But, as in many areas of social transformation, the glass is still less than half-full," he noted. Meanwhile, he noted that while the South African economy continued to include more and more black people, there were many, who were mostly black, who were still marginalised and excluded. "And so, access to the political kingdom has enabled important changes in the country's political economy; but this has been inadequate. South Africa is capable of high rates of growth; but this depends on how the State guides economic activity; and how those who own capital respond to national imperatives," he said. Netshitenzhe also spoke of the emergence of the "black capitalist class" and cautioned that a small elite will disproportionately benefit from empowerment and said the challenges will be how to ensure that broader society is part of this. Furthermore, he warned that "that capitalist class formation is often an anarchic phenomenon" which could result in State capture. "We should, t...

The price of petrol, both 93 and 95, will increase by 37c/ℓ as of May 1, while diesel prices will decrease by 30c/ℓ and 36c/ℓ for 0.05% sulphur and 0.005% sulphur, respectively, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has announced. It notes that the average Brent crude oil price increased from $84.22/bl to $88.10/bl during the period under review. "There was a lot of volatility in the market during this period. The main contributing factor is the growing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and sustained production cuts by Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries-plus countries," the DMRE states. As a result of the higher Brent crude oil prices, the average international product prices of petrol have increased. Further, the rand depreciated against the dollar, from R18.04 to R18.90, during the period under review. Meanwhile, the prices of diesel, illuminating paraffin and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) decreased owing to seasonal changes and reduced demand in the northern hemisphere as it moves away from its winter season, the DMRE says. Illuminating paraffin prices will decrease by 19c/ℓ and LPG prices by 46c/kg from May 1.

Former Treasury budget office chief Michael Sachs highlighted that the decline in national electoral turnout in favour of the African National Congress (ANC) has been accelerating since 2004. Polls have predicted that the ANC will fall below 50% in electoral support in the upcoming May 29 general election. Ahead of the elections, Sachs' analysis of the voting trends and party support over 20 years, reflects on data from the Independent Electoral Commission and Statistics South Africa, over four general elections. He noted that he did not include the 1994 election because it was "in so many ways a special and unique election". He explained that elections were a contest for power, in general, and control over legislative and executive authority, in particular, adding that the only criterion for success was the percentage a party wins. He said percentages were important in this respect, but the absolute number of votes cast in favour of various parties was also an important indicator of long-term trends in political support and participation. He explained that votes for the ANC surged in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in the 2009 election thanks to former President Jacob Zuma's candidacy. "This factor may also have led to an increase in ANC votes in Gauteng and Mpumalanga, which are home to large numbers of people with roots in KZN. This Gauteng surge may partly reflect the emergence of the Congress of the People (Cope)," he noted Sachs said that in addition to the surge in KZN for the ANC, the entry of Cope into the 2009 election, following its formation when Thabo Mbeki stood down as President, boosted the total vote for this bloc. He said if KZN was excluded from the numbers, the surge was still witnessed in support for the ANC in 2009. "The combined vote of the ANC and Cope in 2009 was 10.7-million outside KZN, higher than the vote the ANC had received in the 2004 election. In other words, the creation of Cope (which garnered 1.3-million votes in 2009) probably had the effect of mobilising new voters into the 2009 election," he said. He highlighted that the combination of significant threats to the ANC's KZN base and declining effective turnout in the rest of the country could be fatal for the ANC's majority. If the ANC's support in KZN fell back to pre-Zuma levels, it would have 750 000 fewer votes in that province, a major blow to the ANC nationally, Sachs stated. He noted that the ANC's support as a share of registered votes or as a share of the eligible population had fallen even faster. He added that the result was that active support for the ANC - in the form of voting - had been falling faster than the electoral outcomes suggest. He said less than one-third of the eligible electorate voted ANC in 2019. Meanwhile, he said opposition votes have increased substantially in absolute terms between 2004 and 2014, however the increase slowed into 2019. "While the opposition has gained in percentage terms, this does not reflect an increase in support amongst the whole electorate. In the last two elections, the opposition vote barely kept pace with the increase in registered voters, and opposition support fell as a share of the voting population in the 2019 election," Sachs said.

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille revealed on Monday that R35-million linked to irregular payments, and for services not rendered, has been returned to the South African Tourism account. De Lille confirmed that Auditor General Tsakani Maluleke was in the process of finalising a delegation from her office to undertake an audit of the SA Tourism New York office. She explained that the recovery of funds followed months of communication with the respective media agency to pay back the money. De Lille said she was made aware of a number of irregular payments which were made through South African Tourism's US and South Africa offices for services not rendered. "I was recently informed by SA Tourism that there had been a number of irregular payments and invoices noted which do not meet the definition of compliant and valid or internal control verification standards," she explained. She said a number of irregular invoices were created about three days before the previous financial year end - March 31, 2023 - and processed piecemeal to override banking controls. These payments were processed from the US South Africa offices by executives who were no longer in the employment of SA Tourism, she added. De Lille noted that these transactions were linked to a media agency and when these irregularities were discovered, the service provider was informed and conceded that a significant portion received by them and signed off by then acting CFO, acting CEO and the then COO of SA Tourism were for services not rendered. She explained that the discovery was triggered by a review by SA Tourism. De Lille said the irregular payments were "completely shocking" and "it is unacceptable" that officials entrusted with public funds continue to act "with such contempt of public finance laws and regulations". She said the internal audit report was being finalised and the matter had also been reported to Maluleke to investigate.

Ahead of the upcoming May 29 elections, State-owned power utility Eskom has cautioned all political parties against the "dangerous practice" of placing election posters on electrical structures. The utility said in the past there had been incidents of electrocution whilst posters were being put up, which it said contravened the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Eskom warned of an inadvertent flash-over or electrical contact and said this could cause serious injuries and even be fatal. "As such, Eskom would like to caution all political parties against the dangerous practice of placing campaign posters on electrical structures. This includes electricity poles, electricity towers, meter boxes and mini substations," the utility stated. Only authorised personnel are allowed to climb or work on the electrical structures, it pointed out.

The United Democratic Movement (UDM) announced the availability of its leader Bantu Holomisa as the Premier candidate for the Eastern Cape, saying should the party do well in the upcoming May 29 elections, the party would approach the Independent Electoral Commission to change the UDM's candidates list in the allowed window period after the elections. On Saturday, during a prayer day in Gqeberha, Holomisa announced that he had, in principle, agreed to the nomination. UDM deputy president and Chief Whip Nqabayomzi Kwankwa said in the months running up to the elections, Holomisa had been "pressurised" by various traditional leaders, religious groupings and civil society organisations and other individuals to consider the candidacy. This had also been a desire of the UDM's structures in the Eastern Cape, he added. Kwankwa explained that being the national leader of a party, Holomisa would campaign in all provinces, but focus more of his time in the Eastern Cape. Kwankwa noted that should the changes in the party's candidate list succeed, he would, as Holomisa's deputy, "step up to the plate" and be the de facto president of the party while Holomisa assisted in governing the Eastern Cape.

Former South African President Jacob Zuma made his first public appearance in a week as his party sought to dispel speculation that he's ill. Zuma, who has spearheaded the election campaign of the opposition uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) since it launched in December, failed to attend a series of party events this month. South African media including News24 have reported that Zuma has had a series of falls that have raised concerns among his medical and security teams. The 82-year-old former leader danced and sang on a stage at a party rally at his homestead in Nkandla in rural KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday evening as scores of supporters chanted his name. Zuma had visible stitches above his left eye and while he didn't address the reports about his health, his party derided them as attempts to undermine the party's growth. "The falsehoods about President Zuma's health are a desperate attempt to disrupt our progress and weaken our resolve," the MKP said in a statement. Zuma led South Africa for nine scandal-marred years that included allegations of large-scale corruption and the looting of billions of dollars of government funds. He's denied wrongdoing and hasn't been indicted on the accusations. His popularity, particularly in the second-most populous province of KwaZulu-Natal, is one of the key reasons the party is garnering support that threatens the ruling African National Congress's (ANC's) ability to maintain the national majority it's had since coming to power in 1994. The MKP's policies include the expansion of the social security net, the expropriation of land without compensation and the nationalisation of all major banks - including the central bank - and mines. Zuma told the crowd that the party aims to secure a two-thirds majority in parliament, a feat the ANC last held under his predecessor Thabo Mbeki - in order to change laws that hinder the wellbeing of black people who are the "rightful owners" of the country.

The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has welcomed the gazetting of the final White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection, stating that it is reflective of duly considered local government submissions. Salga applauded the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for "collaborative efforts" and other stakeholders for demonstrating the "will to address the complexities of immigration". The local government association pointed out that the White Paper was underpinned by the realisation that South Africa had different pieces of legislation dealing with citizenship, immigration and refugee protection, namely the Citizenship Act, Immigration Act, and Refugees Act, as amended. "In practice, these pieces of legislation are not in harmony with each other, and piecemeal amendments were made without any policy framework. The changing population dynamics imposed by unmanaged immigration have long sparked calls for more to be done to manage immigration. Local government, being the receiver of all immigrants, jumped to the fore to be part of the solution, inspired by the vision to see South Africa effectively manage immigration," said Salga. In recent months, the DHA conducted public hearings in all nine provinces, including several radio and television interviews on the White Paper which Salga said it had participated in across the country. Salga led consultations with municipalities on the White Paper to mobilise and consolidate views and "deepen a common understanding at the local level". In March 2023, Salga hosted a National Migration Summit, where stakeholders across all spheres of government gathered to coordinate all partners to effectively address migration issues and the common agreement was a "whole-of-government approach" to managing migration. Salga said it fully supported the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection as an important step towards overhauling the migration system in South Africa. It explained that the White Paper would ensure a coherent approach to managing immigration issues in South Africa without the contradictions with various legislative pieces. Meanwhile, various civil society organisations are urging Parliament not to adopt the White Paper's proposals into law. The Helen Suzman Foundation argues that the White Paper is not sound government policy-making because it provides an "inscrutable solution" without properly defining the challenges that migration poses to South Africa.

Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration Dr Leon Schreiber said on Friday the African National Congress's (ANC's) latest application for leave to appeal confirms that the party is "terrified" of the implications of revealing President Cyril Ramaphosa's personal complicity in cadre deployment corruption. The DA said it received notice from the ANC that it has applied for leave to appeal a ruling handed down on April 3 by the Johannesburg High Court, which found the ANC and its secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, guilty of civil contempt of court for unlawfully withholding records of its national cadre deployment committee in violation of an earlier order, which was upheld by the Constitutional Court, that all such records must be handed over to the DA. The ANC had until April 24 to comply or to file an application to appeal. Schreiber said that should the ANC continue to hold the court in contempt after its latest "doomed" appeal fails, the DA will further escalate its "war against cadre deployment" by applying to send Mbalula and other ANC officials to prison for criminal contempt of court. He called the ANC's appeal "desperate Stalingrad tactics" that seek to delay justice in the matter. He pointed out that no fewer than four different courts have now ruled against the ANC's attempts to "hide its dirty cadre deployment secrets". "It is clear that the ANC's latest delaying tactic is doomed to fail like all that have come before. The simple reality of this case is that the Constitutional Court upheld an order that the ANC must hand over 'all' records related to its national cadre deployment committee dating back to 1 January 2013, when Ramaphosa became cadre deployment committee chairman. Unless the ANC claims to be so illiterate as to not understand the meaning of the word 'all', it is clear that the party knows that it is only a matter of time until the DA exposes Cyril Ramaphosa's fingerprints all over the cadre deployment project to capture and collapse the South African state," Schreiber said. Schreiber stated that the ANC "needs to understand" that the DA won't relent on the matter, describing it as foundational to the party's mission to rescue South Africa.

Civil rights organisation AfriForum on Thursday demanded that President Cyril Ramaphosa deliver on his promise to act against non-performing Ministers, one of those being Police Minister Bheki Cele. AfriForum has launched a petition, calling for Cele to go. The organisation said Cele had repeatedly proven that he was incompetent for his position. "Under his leadership, the South African Police Service (Saps) has obviously weakened. He himself has been involved in corruption scandals - how can it then be expected that police officers at grassroots level will keep their hands clean if the Saps' political chief does not even do it," AfriForum explained. The organisation has written a letter to Ramaphosa, requesting detailed feedback on Cele's professional performance, as expected from him in his presidential performance agreement. The agreement signed between Cele and Ramaphosa took effect in June 2019 and will come to an end in April 2024. AfriForum also wants to know the steps Ramaphosa will be taking against Cele should the assessment indicate that Cele has been "sleeping on the job", as AfriForum believes he "clearly has". AfriForum chief spokesperson for community safety Jacques Broodryk said the agreement clearly stipulated the targets in crime reduction and successful prosecutions that Cele was expected to reach. Broodryk noted that Cele was also expected to ensure a 70% conviction rate for serious fraud and corruption in the private sector, a 70% conviction rate for serious fraud and corruption in the public sector and that 90% of identified drug syndicates were neutralised with arrests. He is also expected to ensure that 90% of identified clandestine laboratories are dismantled with arrests and that 72% of registered serious organised crime project investigations are successfully closed. Cele must also ensure that 100% of identified illegal mining operations should be responded to in relation to requests received as well as that a 6.9% reduction in crimes against women is achieved. Broodryk pointed out that crime was one of the biggest issues affecting citizens, and said that looking at the crime situation in the country, it was "almost certain" that Cele failed to reach his targets as set out in his performance agreement. "We cannot afford to have an underperforming, out-of-touch and incompetent person in such an important role as Minister of Police. It's simple, Cele must go," he said.

With the International Monetary Fund's latest economic growth forecast for South Africa at 0.9%, ActionSA is blaming the dismal outlook for 2024 on the African National Congress (ANC). ActionSA said it was "concerned" about the "dire" state of the country's economy and blamed the low growth forecast on loadshedding, corruption and "dismal" ANC policies. "From 2014-2023, economic growth averaged a meagre 0.76% a year, much weaker than our population growth rate of 1.15% during the same period. Simply put, under this government, South Africans are becoming poorer while water, electricity and jobs are growing scarcer," ActionSA said. It also pointed out South Africa's "worsening" credit rating and the resultant high debt interest payments. "Debt can be used to grow the economy and create jobs, however, the ANC squandered these funds on corruption, higher public sector wages and failing State-owned enterprises. Consequently, the unemployment rate rose from 25.1% in 2014 to a staggering 32.4% in 2023, with 8-million South Africans unable to find jobs. The ANC borrowed trillions of rands from future generations but failed to create jobs and grow the economy - lining their own pockets instead," ActionSA said. It punted its own plan to boost economic growth if it comes into government, and promised to lower the debt burden, sustainably. It said it would create a business-friendly competitive economy and attract international investment, while supporting public-private partnerships, entrepreneurship and small, medium-sized and microenterprises, and labour market reforms. "During the first five years in government, ActionSA plans will boost economic growth to 5% and create 4.8-million jobs by 2029, ushering in an era of high, inclusive growth and economic prosperity in South Africa," the party promised.

Former boxing champion, now independent candidate, Lovemore Ndou said while he is concerned about coalitions government, if given the mandate to lead after the May elections, he would consider entering a coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA), but only if it changes some of its policies and priorities. Ndou was speaking exclusively with Polity on Thursday, when he said he does not believe that South Africa is ready for coalition government at national level. He said this was evident from coalitions in municipalities. He noted that he is open to working with other independent candidates and unrepresented parties, however, he was adamant that he would never work with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). He highlighted that the EFF leader Julius Malema is a "dangerous right-wing extremist." "…Malema wants people to believe that his party will give them everything for free, he wants people to believe that he is going to give them land and I say that anyone that thinks and believes that Malema is going to give them land is misguided," he said. Ndou believes that Malema will expropriate land and share it with his friends. He said Malema wants to control banks and mines, calling it a kleptocracy. He alleged that the EFF has already destroyed municipalities such as Ekurhuleni, adding that the party will destroy the country if it were to lead. "I have issues with [these] parties. I have issues with the way they have been behaving, with some of them what they stand for. [Meanwhile], the ANC is a failed party, that has nothing left to offer but blames all its failures on apartheid, and white capital monopoly," he said He claimed that the ANC is a divided party. He lashed at the country's former President Jacob Zuma, saying he was the most corrupt President and that President Cyril Ramaphosa is "useless". He said Zuma once sold the country to the Gupta brothers, warning citizens to be cautious about the MK Party. He said this party is a faction of the failed ANC. "…so you can expect nothing from it, more failure. The problems we are facing today, some of them were created by Zuma's administration," he said. He said the DA was formed out of splits and mergers and it has been the official opposition party for a long time, however, he said while the DA is good at pointing out the ANC's wrong doings it cannot come with solutions, saying this concerns him. "I also look at the DA as a party for the middle class and it does not understand that meaningful change begins at the grass roots," he said. SKILLS AND TOOLS TO RUN SA Ndou left South Africa for Australia in 1996 and said his return holds no ulterior motive other than to serve South Africa and save South Africans from the crisis created by the ANC. He said he is sacrificing a lot to come back to South Africa and stand as an independent candidate but added that he was doing it because he is concerned with how the country is operating. "Our country is on the brink of collapse and if nothing is done now eventually we are going to reach a point of no return and will most probably end up like neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe," he said. He said Australia has equipped him with tools to run a better South Africa. His focus will be on job creation and education. He noted that South Africa needs a better education system, highlighting that the current system is not different from the Bantu education system. He said the education system continues to fail citizens.

The Multi-Party Charter of South Africa announced on Wednesday its plans to increase the Child Support Grant to the food poverty line and extend the grant to cover pregnant mothers to support child nutrition goals, if it comes into power. The political parties that make up the Charter presented their plan to build a social relief framework, in which they also committed to an increase in the old age grant, funded by reducing the overall number of people on social grants through a growing economy that would see people into jobs and expand opportunities. Through a joint press conference, leaders of the Charter parties shared their agreed approach and plans to tackle the biggest crises facing the country. On Wednesday, the sixth such press conference detailed a Charter government's plan to build a social relief framework that protected the vulnerable and secured the socioeconomic development needed to break the cycle of poverty, inequality and hunger. The parties also committed to devising and implementing a plan to reduce teenage and unwanted pregnancies. The parties said they would identify social welfare beneficiaries by means-testing to ensure that interventions reach those genuinely in need, while also increasing the number of community-based primary health care and social workers to respond to the need for improved welfare services. The Charter said this would ensure that every community had access to places of safety. Prioritising the fight against gangsterism and drug abuse, increasing the number of rehabilitation facilities for substance abusers and ensuring that the community had access to the support of social workers, were also some of the plans the Charter had discussed. The parties highlighted the need to revamp the social housing model to create more housing options near economic centres, while promoting low-cost rental options by initiating a pilot rental voucher system. The Charter said that it would redistribute State-owned land, particularly in well-located urban areas, to provide housing for people experiencing poverty who would otherwise not be able to afford inner-city housing. It also highlighted the need to fix the title deed transfer regime and to protect and extend property rights of ownership to as many citizens as possible. It will ensure that State land is justly and more productively utilised, focusing on residential and agricultural needs, while also increasing access to property ownership and affordable housing. The Charter will concentrate on repurposing underutilised State-owned land for housing. It will also actively pursue new, innovative housing models, building technologies, funding structures, and community participation initiatives to improve the quality, affordability and flexibility of housing options in South Africa. The Charter highlighted that while the individual parties within the Charter were campaigning on their own merit, with distinct policies, brands and offerings, voters could confidently cast their vote knowing that these commitments had been agreed to by all the signatory parties to the Multi-Party Charter. MORE INTERVENTIONS Enforcing maintenance payments to ensure fathers take responsibility for their children and to assist single mothers. Helping users get off drugs through treatment and harm reduction services (while tackling serious drug-related crime through harsh consequences for dealing and trafficking). Developing a national framework on homelessness and improving links with NGOs to ensure adequate support for people experiencing homelessness, including assistance to reintegrate them into their families/communities. Increase police visibility in vulnerable communities with high incidences of violent crime. Improving education, security and healthcare to enhance social mobility and create equality of opportunity. Broadening the range of zero-rated food items to tackle hunger and malnutrition effectively. Ensuring that all qualifying households had access to the bask...

Amnesty International South Africa executive director Shenilla Mohamed said that 30 years after the end of apartheid, the right to life and dignity continues to be trampled on, with some lives deemed more valuable than others. "No one is spared, from women and girls enduring high rates of gender-based violence (GBV), to courageous human rights defenders risking their lives to expose wrongdoing and corruption," she said. On Wednesday, Amnesty International launched its yearly 'The State of the World's Human Rights' report, which assesses human rights in 155 countries. Mohamed pointed out that three decades had passed since the end of the oppressive apartheid regime in South Africa, marking a historic milestone in the fight for freedom and equality, however, the struggle for human rights and dignity persisted. She said GBV remained rampant, with perpetrators often evading justice. She highlighted that the report paints a sobering picture of the ongoing challenges faced by South Africans and added that despite the hard-fought victories against apartheid, millions still grappled with the denial of their fundamental human rights. "The promise to eradicate pit latrines in schools remains unfulfilled, while literacy rates among Grade 4 pupils remains low. Concerns loom over the potential adverse effects of the National Health Insurance Bill on healthcare accessibility, which is already a problem in the country. Access to safe drinking water is declining and water infrastructure is crumbling with alarming effects," she said. Mohamed noted that amidst these challenges, the murder rate persisted at staggering levels, and excessive use of force by police in response to protests continued. "Human rights defenders, activists and journalists face threats and attempts to silence their voices, underscoring the persistent dangers confronting those who advocate for justice and accountability," she said. Reflecting on South Africa's journey since the end of apartheid, it was a poignant reminder that the fight for freedom, dignity and human rights was far from over, Mohamed said. "This year, as South Africa heads to the polls on 29 May, we have the opportunity to collectively shape the future of the country and vote for human rights; to demand a reality where justice and equality are protected, and the right to live free from violence and have access to safe, sufficient and reliable water is realised for every person, no matter who they are, or where they live," she said. INTERNATIONAL LAW Amnesty International's report presents a stark assessment of the "betrayal of human rights principles" by leaders and institutions. In the face of multiplying conflicts, the actions of many powerful States had further damaged the credibility of multilateralism and undermined the global rules-based order first established in 1945, Mohamed pointed out. She noted the conflict in Gaza which showed no sign of abating, as evidence that war crimes continued to mount. The conflict has since forcibly displaced nearly 1.9-million Palestinians and is restricting the access of desperately needed humanitarian aid despite growing famine in Gaza. The report also points to the US's "brazen use of its veto" to paralyse the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for months on a much-needed resolution for a ceasefire, as it continues to arm Israel with munitions that have been used to commit what Amnesty International says likely amount to war crimes. "It also highlights the grotesque double standards of European countries such as the UK and Germany, given their well-founded opposition to war crimes by Russia and Hamas, while they simultaneously bolster the actions of Israeli and US authorities in this conflict," she added. Mohamed said this showed that many powerful States were abandoning the founding values of humanity and universality enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She highlighted that given the grim global state of play, urgent measures were requi...

The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) has instructed its legal team to immediately lodge an urgent court application to stay the execution of the warrant of arrest for city manager Floyd Brink and says it will seek to prevent any further "abuse of the legal system" to harass City officials. Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda said he was made aware on Wednesday morning of an attempt by the Sherriff of the Court to effect an arrest on Brink in relation to a matter that involves a business of the City and a disputed water utilities account. The business won its case in court to have the City found in contempt after the City carried out a water disconnection despite a court ruling. A Gauteng High Court in February ordered that Brink be imprisoned for 30 days, suspended for a year if the City was not found in contempt. The business's director on Monday approached the court to have the warrant against Brink executed. "However, the warrant of arrest was found to be defective and erroneous and as such could not legally be executed. Also of concern, was the attempt to execute the warrant at the Private Residence of the City Manager, undermining his rights and that of his minor children and family," said Gwamanda. He said "suspicious leaks to the media" and subsequent articles have also been used to further this narrative and warned that the City took a "cautious and dim view of this abuse and ill-intent". He said as the matter concerned Brink in his official capacity and responsibilities, legal action should have been undertaken at CoJ's address and not at Brink's private residence. "The City Manager has been the target of incessant harassment by certain political actors utilising the courts to compromise and prevent him from exercising his duties. This attack on his person and character has now been orchestrated to embarrass and target him and his family and to create a public perception that the City Manager is a suspect in a criminal matter," said Gwamanda. He added that the City aims to resolve any rates and utility account disputes in an amicable, transparent and cooperative manner with the affected clients to avoid unnecessary and protracted litigation. Gwamanda urged residents to always utilise the available dispute resolution mechanisms in dealing with billing queries and complaints.

The City of Tshwane confirmed on Tuesday the passing of former mayor Murunwa Makwarela. Tshwane Speaker of Council Mncedi Ndzwanana said Makwarela lost his life on Tuesday morning. Makwarela served as executive mayor during a tumultuous period in the City's politics in March 2023. Prior to his election as mayor, he served as the speaker. "It is a very sad day for us because we have lost the important person, the former speaker, former mayor and councillor of Tshwane which is Dr Murunwa Makwarela," he said. Ndzwanana passed on his condolences to Makwarela's family and Tshwane residents. Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink also expressed sadness at the passing of Makwarela. "Whatever the differences we might have had, and the controversy of his tenure, I am saddened by his passing. I pray that God will comfort his family, and bring them peace," he said. City of Johannesburg Council Speaker Margaret Arnolds also passed on condolences to Makwarela's family, the Tshwane Council and Tshwane residents. "The political landscape mourns with you and celebrates the extraordinary life of this remarkable man who devoted his life to service. His loss will be particularly felt by his comrades, for whom he worked so hard," said Arnolds. She stated that the memory of Makwarela's leadership will remain a source of inspiration and encouragement to all his friends, colleagues and fellow councillors. Makwarela appeared in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court last week, in an insolvency matter, where he failed to have his fraud case struck from the court roll.

The Public Servants Association (PSA) has urged the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to seriously consider a reduction in interest rates to alleviate the financial pressure on citizens. The PSA's appeal is based on recent observations by economists, highlighting the financial burden on South Africans, particularly public servants, owing to what it calls the South African Reserve Bank's "unnecessary" interest-rate hikes. The PSA said public servants should not be unduly burdened by excessive financial costs, especially when such measures were avoidable, and pointed out that they played a crucial role in the functioning of society. The PSA said it believed that high interest rates were unjustifiable and detrimental to the financial wellbeing of citizens. It pointed out that South Africans were facing multiple financial challenges, exacerbated by the economic strain of the Covid-19 pandemic, and said the recent interest-rate hikes had resulted in an inequitable financial situation. "Lowering interest rates will assist in stabilising the financial security of workers and contribute significantly to the overall economic recovery of South Africa," the PSA said. It further argued that a reduction in interest rates would provide immediate financial relief to workers and other South Africans, while lessening the burden of high debt-servicing costs including making mortgages more affordable. "With the current inflation outlook well within the target range, there is ample room for the MPC to consider a reduction in interest rates without risking inflationary pressures," it said. The PSA explained that economic recovery would be supported as lowering interest rates would encourage spending and investment, which would stimulate economic growth and aid the country's recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. It added that lower interest rates would also lead to increased business activity, which it said would promote job creation and stability.

With the crucial May elections looming, video hosting service TikTok has entered into partnerships with the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and civil society organisations, to prevent misinformation and provide users with reliable information to ensure a well-informed electorate. TikTok announced an in-app Election Centre, no paid political ads and investment in media literacy as its broader strategy to maintain a creative, secure and respectful environment during the electoral period. TikTok public policy and government relations director Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda said that the in-app Election Centre represented a pivotal step towards safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process. The in-app centre will be available in local languages such as isiZulu, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana and English, and users will gain access to a wealth of authoritative information from reliable sources about the South African elections. "In order to maximise the visibility and accessibility of our in-app centre, we have implemented labels on content associated with the 2024 general elections. These labels also serve as direct links to the centre, enabling viewers to access comprehensive information about the elections with a simple click," he said. He added that TikTok would facilitate access to popular election hashtags, ensuring that users searching for related content could effortlessly find and engage with relevant information. "Protecting the integrity of our platform, particularly around elections, is a responsibility we take seriously. We're proud to be a place that brings people together, and we work hard to keep harmful misinformation off our platform," he highlighted. IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo has welcomed the steps TikTok has taken to create a page for useful authenticated educational information about the upcoming elections. Mamabolo noted that factual information and positive information were key to defending citizens from disinformation, misinformation and malformation. He applauded TikTok for its efforts in educating users and combating the potential spread of harmful misinformation. "The burgeoning use of digital media in recent years has seen a corresponding surge in digital disinformation, particularly on social media platforms. Electoral processes have not been spared. Left unchecked, this phenomenon stands to undermine the conduct of credible elections," he said. Meanwhile, TikTok also has a long-standing policy of not allowing paid political advertising, and accounts belonging to politicians or political parties are not able to advertise or make money on TikTok. To further strengthen its mission, TikTok has joined forces with fact-checking organisation Africa Check on a media literacy campaign in the lead-up to and during the South African elections. Notably, this collaboration introduces a groundbreaking first for the platform - the inclusion of sign language.

South Africa is playing all sides when it comes to foreign policy as the country seeks to position itself as a leading voice of the Global South, and the approach seems to be working - so far. The Brics group of developing nations held its annual summit in South Africa last year and the Group of 20 is set to follow suit in 2025, highlighting Pretoria's growing international sway. President Cyril Ramaphosa's efforts to secure vaccines for Africa during the Covid-19 pandemic, help broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine and bring a genocide case against Israel at the International Criminal Court over its Gaza campaign have further enhanced its profile, despite the mixed results. South Africa, which is confronting a plethora of domestic problems, has long maintained that it adopts a non-aligned position when it comes to international relations. But its increasingly close ties with China, refusal to condemn Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and anti-Israel stance have raised concern in the US and European Union. There haven't yet been repercussions, in part because South Africa remains a key export destination and source of minerals. The USSR and Palestinian groups took a far more proactive stance against apartheid than most Western governments, which partially explains Pretoria's allegiances. US legislators this month dropped a call for an immediate review of South Africa's preferential access to US markets under the African Growth and Opportunity Act when they tabled a revamped bipartisan bill in the Senate that proposes extending the trade pact until 2041. Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho, had criticized South Africa's eligibility, saying its actions subverted US national security and foreign-policy interests. The US maintains a strong and multifaceted relationship with South Africa that is based on shared values and interests, and is committed to working together to promote global peace, security and bilateral trade among other priorities, a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed response to questions. "South Africa is a sovereign country that can make its own decisions about how to engage with Russia and the People's Republic of China," the spokesperson said. "We're focused on making our relationship even stronger, to the benefit of Americans and South Africans, and we aren't distracted by what others are doing. We recognise the deeply held view by South Africa on the status of Palestinians. We share concerns about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and are actively leading efforts to address it." The EU this month reemphasised its close links with South Africa, the only nation on the continent with which it has a so-called strategic partnership, and said the two plan to hold a bilateral summit. "South Africa is risking the ire of the West, but it's a calculated risk," said Daniel Silke, the director of Cape Town-based Political Futures Consultancy. "There is a push by the Global South and Brics to increase its global assertiveness and South Africa has played a leading role. That gives her a degree of clout and a degree of strength, and makes her less likely to feel as though she needs to be ultra-careful when it comes to dealing with the West." With elections due to take place in South Africa on May 29, the government has sought to portray its enhanced international role and independent positioning as major accomplishments - although foreign policy has historically played little role in swaying voters. Instead, the ruling African National Congress faces a backlash over its failure to tackle rolling blackouts and rampant poverty and unemployment. The party of Nelson Mandela risks losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since it took power three decades ago. South Africa isn't completely in the clear with the US. Its access to Agoa could still be revoked if it's found to have violated the qualifying criteria, including respecting human rights and democracy. Two-way trade between the two nations amo...

President Cyril Ramaphosa noted on Monday that South Sudan is now at a crucial point in its journey towards consolidating democracy, saying political parties are hard at work, and ensuring that the necessary preconditions are in place for elections that are free, fair and credible. Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly letter to the nation that despite the "ravages of a bitter war", South Sudan was "remarkably" able to emerge and join the community of nations. He said 30 years since South Africa attained its own freedom, government was proud of the country's ongoing support for the efforts of fellow African countries to emerge from conflict to rebuild and consolidate democracy. Elections in South Sudan are scheduled to be held in December, before the Revitalised Agreement expires in February 2025. Last week Ramaphosa was on a working visit to South Sudan, where he received an update from his South Sudanese counterpart President Salva Kiir Mayardit on the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), which was signed in September 2018. Ramaphosa said he was glad to see the progress that had been made in the run-up to the elections, including the establishment of a national elections commission and the registration of political parties. "What is pleasing is that the South Sudanese are working together to address the outstanding issues on the agreed Roadmap as the country advances towards elections," he said. Ramaphosa highlighted that this proved that the adage "African solutions for African problems" was truly at work in South Sudan. He said people needed to encourage and support the process. He explained that when the internal conflict broke out, South Africa was among the countries that joined the peace effort, noting that the signing in 2018 of the R-ARCSS became a beacon of hope. "It is admirable that the permanent ceasefire continues to hold and that the parties to the agreement have honoured their commitment to end armed conflict and engender national security by seeking to form a united national defence force through the cantonment and training of former combatants," he said. He said the political and legal framework being implemented outlined the aspirations of the people of South Sudan to bring a permanent end to armed conflict, consolidate democracy and determine their collective destiny. Included in the agreement were commitments to adopt a permanent constitution and create unified security services, he added. Ramaphosa said South Africa had provided development, mediation and other forms of assistance to South Sudan since 2005. "We have been consistent in our support for the current Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity and the people of South Sudan as they navigate the transition period. We continue to provide support at a bilateral level and as the chairperson of the African Union High-Level Ad hoc Committee on South Sudan, also known as the C5. This committee consists of South Africa, Algeria, Chad, Nigeria and Rwanda," he said. He noted that South Africa helped South Sudan with capacity building for State institutions and programmes for post-conflict reconstruction. "As Africa and as the international community, we owe it to a people who have suffered so much and for so long, to support South Sudan's journey towards becoming a fully-fledged democracy. We have a collective responsibility to ensure that South Sudan is ultimately able to reap the dividends of peace and security, including economic prosperity," said Ramaphosa. He noted that prior to independence, the south of Sudan had been deliberately marginalised, leaving it one of the world's least developed places, with high levels of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and poor health outcomes. He said that South Sudan needed investment, particularly in social and economic infrastructure. He explained that a number of South African companies had demonstrated their confidence in Sout...

The African National Congress (ANC) announced on Monday its intention to appeal the judgment of the High Court, in Durban, after losing another legal battle against the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party). The court dismissed with costs the ANC's application against the MK Party over its logo. The ANC took the MK Party to court to stop the party from using the name and logo associated with the ANC's military wing, formed during the apartheid era. ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula said that the party would be appealing the matter to stop and prohibit the "unlawful" use of the ANC's trademarks, symbols, and heritage by former President Jacob Zuma's newly formed MK Party. "In appealing the judgment, the ANC will centre the question of whether the unauthorised use of one's intellectual property is contingent on what and how the unauthorised party uses the property for. Furthermore, we believe that the goodwill associated with the Umkhonto w Sizwe Party is that of the ANC. It is this goodwill that Zuma's Party is attempting to unduly appropriate unto itself," said Mbalula. He explained that in the application considered by the Durban High Court, the ANC relied on Section 34 of the Trade Marks Act, to show that the MK Party was misrepresenting itself as being connected or associated with the ANC, with the use of the ANC's logo and name, uMkhonto weSizwe. The ANC argued in court that the MK Party wanted to confuse voters ahead of the elections. Mbalula said his party reiterated that it was committed to respecting the laws of the country and to a free and fair election in line with the Electoral Code. "As an organisation that values all the different facets of democracy we are not opposed to the Zuma Party's presence on the ballot. However, in bringing this case the ANC is defending its intellectual property, the legacy of the liberation struggle for future generations," he said. He stated that the country's democracy stood on the shoulders of the men and women who joined uMkhonto weSizwe, the Spear of the Nation, at a time when being associated with the ANC was virtually a death sentence. "The ANC was and is to this day the heart and soul of uMkhonto weSizwe. We strongly believe an appeal is duly warranted," Mbalula said.

South Africa's rand weakened in volatile trading early on Friday, as reports of an Israeli attack on Iran sapped risk sentiment and sent currency markets into a tailspin. In the latest tit-for-tat exchange between the two arch-foes, Israel launched an attack on Iranian soil, sources told Reuters. Iranian state media reported that drones had been shot down. The rand initially hit a near two-month low of 19.3800 to the dollar in a sell-off of risk assets as investors scurried towards safe-haven dollar and gold. However, some calm returned to the markets after a senior Iranian official said Iran had no plan to strike back immediately. "Diminished concern over a broader regional conflict, as Iran reported minimal damage to its infrastructure and confirmed no impact on its nuclear sites, contributed to the markets' partial recovery," said Andre Cilliers, currency strategist at TreasuryONE. At 0802 GMT, the rand traded at 19.2300 against the dollar, down 0.38% from its previous close. On the stock market, the Top-40 index and the broader all-share index were both trading in the red, about 0.7% weaker in early trade. The dollar was last down 0.1% against a basket of currencies but still hovered near a five-month high. Capital Economics chief economist Neil Shearing said Iran lifting flight restrictions may also have helped the markets. "This might indicate that the attack was at the more moderate end of the spectrum," he said in a research note.

The Labour Party wants the Constitutional Court to find in its favour to postpone the date of the upcoming elections to July or August, citing Electoral Court delays in its case to reopen the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC's) online portal. The Labour Party's application to reopen the IEC's online portal, which the party argues was unstable during the uploading period, was dismissed on Monday. However, the Labour Party noted that two of the five Electoral Court judges agreed with the party's arguments. The Labour Party says the IEC's online portal malfunctioned before the March 8, 17h00 deadline, resulting in many new parties being unable to upload the supporting documents required by the amended Electoral Act, which now requires new parties to upload up to 62 000 names, surnames, ID numbers and signatures of registered voters in order to contest the election. The Labour Party argued that the Electoral Court "dragged the urgent application" to reopen the portal for over a month. "…which led to the Electoral Timetable's milestones passing by, thus rendering the relief sought moot and academic. The Labour Party (and several other new political parties) therefore had no other viable choice than to approach the ConCourt for urgent relief," the party explained. Now the Labour Party wants the Constitutional Court to find its exclusion from the elections "inconsistent with the Constitution and unlawful" and for the President to postpone the elections. "The paragraph that best describes the crux of the decision before the [Constitutional] Court, must be paragraph 64 of our [founding] affidavit. This paragraph crisply and succinctly summarises the prejudice faced by the Labour Party and many other parties as compared to the relatively small effect of postponing the elections. Let's be frank, it would be better to have free and fair elections a few weeks later, than to have the elections on 29 May 2024, but the elections are not free and fair," said Labour Party Secretariat Krister Janse van Rensburg.

The African Christian Democracy Party (ACDP) is underscoring its commitment to a safer South Africa for citizens and investors, with an emphasis on respect for all and a promise to bring back the death penalty to deal with the country's high levels of crime, if the party is elected to govern after the May election. ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe spoke exclusively with Polity on Friday, and unpacked the party's policies laid out in its 2024 election manifesto, as well as his resistance to enter into a coalition with the African National Congress (ANC) or the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). Discussing employment opportunities, he said for the country to be able to create jobs, security needed to be addressed. He said investors had to be assured of their safety to create an environment that was conducive to job creation. He said investors must also be assured that their assets would not be "burnt down" as Meshoe said "South Africa is notorious for torching things" if citizens are unhappy. Added to that, he said government policy must be stable and assuring for investors. "We want business to do their work, their businesses, without government interference. When the climate is conducive for investment and job creation and investments come, we will be able to deal with the problems of joblessness. Because people will get jobs when people start investing," Meshoe laid out. In dealing with crime in the country, the ACDP promises to double the number of police and Meshoe expressed the need to reintroduce the death penalty. "We are not ashamed to say that. Crime is out of hand, we will introduce anything that will help to reduce crime. We will ensure that criminals do not have the same rights as law-abiding citizens, as their victims. You become a criminal, you are found and evidence is there you committed the crime, you definitely will suffer consequences," he stated. Criminals were currently not afraid of the law, Meshoe said, and the ACDP wanted to turn that around by closing the gap in the ratio of police to citizens, by not overloading detectives with cases and by properly training and equipping detectives. "In South Africa, unfortunately, the arm of the law is weak. And the ACDP wants to strengthen the arm of the law so that we can bite, so that criminals can start fearing the law. Criminals don't fear, they challenge. That's why they even rob police stations," he said. WHISTLEBLOWERS AND COALITIONS Another priority to deal with crime and corruption was the incentivisation of whistleblowers. Meshoe said an ACDP government would pay people for exposing corruption, adding that communities should be assured of their protection if they speak up against crimes witnessed. He also had a warning for police who were supposedly paid to expose whistleblowers. "Anybody, any policeman who exposes a whistleblower, we will have rules and regulations and laws that will govern how to deal with corruption. That will include punishment for those that are involved in corruption. There are policemen, corrupt police, that sell dockets and that expose whistleblowers. If you expose a whistleblower, there will be a sentence for you," he warned. Added to this, Meshoe said the ACDP would not enter into coalitions with parties that were corrupt. He said corruption within the ANC and among Cabinet members was known, referencing the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, which revealed the names of some government officials involved in corrupt activities. "…the ANC does not want to deal with them. Some are still on the 2024 election list. So they are not serious about eradicating corruption. So when it comes to the ANC, the ACDP has said they have shown their true colours, and therefore the ACDP will not form a coalition with them. Secondly, the EFF have shown a disrespect not only to authority, [they have] shown a lack of respect to elders. ACDP still believes strongly in respect," Meshoe stated. As part of the Multiparty Charter, which could possib...

South Africa's central bank is now predicted to deliver only 50 basis points of interest rate cuts this year, less than earlier projected as inflation is seen taking slightly longer to return to the Reserve Bank's comfort zone, a Reuters poll found. A cut of 25 bps to 8.00% next quarter, either in July or September, is expected from the Reserve Bank, according to a survey carried out in the past week, compared with 50 bps predicted in a March poll. The repo rate will finish the year at 7.75% instead of the 7.50% predicted last month if the central bank delivers another cut in November as the latest poll predicts. "We now forecast a more drawn-out, shallower easing cycle in South Africa," wrote Razia Khan, head of macro research for the region at Standard Chartered. Although inflation will likely dip below the mid-point of the central bank's target band in the fourth quarter it may ease hesitantly, Khan added. There will be a temporary dip in inflation in the last quarter of 2024 before it quickens again early next year, the poll showed. The central bank kept its main interest rate unchanged in March, saying restrictive policy was still needed to address elevated inflation expectations. It also said it did not expect headline inflation to reach the 4.5% midpoint of its target range before the end of 2025, later than previously forecast. The poll, however, suggests that could happen in the third quarter of next year. Inflation is expected to average 5.1% this year and 4.6% next, the survey showed. Consumer inflation fell slightly more than expected in March, to 5.3%, but analysts are wary. Volkan Sezgin, senior economist at Continuum Economics, said the drop could be short-lived because of drought conditions, rising oil prices and renewed rand weakness. "We continue to foresee the South African Reserve Bank will likely delay the rate cuts to Q3 until after the May 29 elections, if the Q2 CPI trajectory allows," added Sezgin. South Africa - the continent's most industrialized economy - is due to vote in general elections next month, the same month as the next Reserve Bank meeting. Only two of 20 economists expect a rate cut at that meeting. The economy is expected to grow 1.1% this year, unchanged from last month's survey and 1.6% next year, 0.1 percentage point better than had been predicted.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has tabled a motion for the establishment of an ad hoc joint committee to investigate allegations that Secretary to Parliament Xolile George's renumeration package was inflated by 70%. Reports that then-Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula approved the increase, which saw George's annual package increased from R2.6-million to R4.4-million, prompted the DA to lay a complaint with the Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management of Parliament. Mapisa-Nqakula has since resigned from her position, following allegations that she accepted bribes during her tenure as the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans. The DA, which also lodged a complaint with the Powers and Privileges Committee, said the matter had been met with "roadblocks". "Despite the senior counsel appointed by Parliament confirming that the Executive Authority [Mapisa-Nqakula and Amos Masondo] have a case to answer for; the committee ignored that legal advice and opted to not pursue the matter since Mapisa-Nqakula had resigned. The DA believes that this is a terrible decision by the ANC in the committee and once again seeks to stifle accountability," the party said. It wants a report on the matter tabled before Parliament ends its term on May 21.

Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi announced on Wednesday the publication of the final White Paper On Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection. Motsoaledi was briefing the media on the publication and explained that the Final White Paper is a product of robust engagements. Last week the cabinet passed the paper after public comments. In November, the department published the White Paper On Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection towards a complete overhaul of the migration system in South Africa for public comments. Written submissions were meant to reach the Department of Home Affairs on or before January 31. Motsoaledi explained that public hearings were conducted in all nine province, highlighting that the outcome of the engagements and public comments is that the policy position adopted in the white paper enjoyed wide support. He noted that only a handful of public interest group are opposed to selected policy positions, such as the withdrawal of 1951 refugee convention, the 1967 protocol - UN protocols - and acceding to them with reservations proposed repeal of Section 4.3 of the South Africa citizenship Act. "…and the first safe country principle. This are the things that people objected to," he explained. He said the department carefully considered all the oral and written submissions and highlighted that public comments to the paper reaffirmed an urgent need to adopt effective policy measures and legislative interventions, dealing with migration in the country. He said that South Africa has different pieces of legislations dealing with citizenship, migration and refugee protection, noting the Citizenship Act which was passed in 1995, the Immigration Act passed in 2002 and the Refugee Act passed in 1998. Motsoaledi noted that the paper proposed that government of South Africa must review or withdraw from the 1951 convention and the 1967 protocol with a view to accede to them with reservation, like many other countries did. He explained that government only intended to exercise its rights granted in article 42 of the 1951 convention and article 7 of the 1967 protocol and make reservations accordingly. He previously said South Africa had to correct its "mistake" when it adopted the UN protocols without reservations in place. Those opposed to the move warned that this could mean migrants would be stripped of certain rights. Motsoaledi said the refugee protection and immigration legislation must provide for reservations and exceptions as contained in the 1951 convention and 1961 convention. "…particularly in that South Africa does not have the resources to grant all the socio economic rights envisaged in the 1951 convention. Remember these rights were developed for all the countries - rich and poor - and there will be those countries, which will find there won't be a problem, but others will," he said.

The Labour Party of South Africa on Tuesday noted that owing to Electoral Court delays in its case to reopen the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC's) online portal, the party will now be launching an application to the Constitutional Court seeking to set aside the electoral timetable and postpone the elections scheduled for May 29. On Monday, the Electoral Court handed down judgment in the Labour Party's application to reopen the IEC online portal, which the party said was unstable during the uploading period during which parties were asked to submit the required documents needed to contest the elections. Parties had until 17:00 on March 8 to ensure all documents were submitted. In March, the Labour Party asked the Supreme Court of Appeal to ensure that its application to the Electoral Court was set down as soon as possible, raising concerns that delays in the matter being heard would threaten the freeness and fairness of the 2024 national and provincial elections. "The judgment which was handed down more than a month after the urgent application was filed, dismissed the case of the Labour Party with no order as to costs," said Labour Party secretary Krister Janse van Rensburg. He explained that the judgment contained a minority dissent of some of the judges on the panel who agreed with most, if not all, of the Labour Party's arguments. After meeting with its legal team and considering the Electoral Court's judgment and the minority dissent, the Labour Party made the call that the relief that was initially sought has effectively become moot. Van Rensburg explained that a draft notice of motion outlining the gist of the case has been served on the IEC as a courtesy. "As this matter is currently sub judice, and we are still busy drafting our court papers, we will reserve comment on the finer details of our case," he said. The party is confident that the ConCourt will see the "prejudice to be suffered" if political parties are excluded from participating in what is being called a critical election. "Put simply, these elections will most definitely not be free and fair if the IEC is left to bar new parties when it itself admits serious shortcomings in an untested and glitchy online portal," he added. Van Rensburg said that even more compelling is the serious prejudice caused to the Labour Party, other new parties and the voters by the IEC and the Electoral Court dragging their feet for more than a month to pronounce on Labour Party's case. "It is a clear travesty of justice, and we are of the firm belief that the ConCourt will not allow this situation to prevail," Van Rensburg said.

South Africa's headline consumer inflation fell to 5.3% year on year in March from 5.6% in February, statistics agency data showed on Wednesday. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast that inflation would slow to 5.4% in annual terms. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) kept its main interest rate unchanged at 8.25% last month, saying its policy stance needed to remain restrictive to tackle higher inflation expectations. It expects headline inflation to reach the midpoint of its target range of 4.5% only near the end of 2025. SARB Governor Lesetja Kganyago told Reuters earlier in April that South African policymakers were in discussions to lower the bank's current inflation target range of between 3% and 6% to bring it more in line with peers. On a month-on-month basis, inflation was at 0.8% in March compared to 1.0% a month before, Statistics South Africa said.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the political landscape after the May elections, the Public Servants Association (PSA) has advised President Cyril Ramaphosa to delay the signing of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill. The NHI Bill was passed by the National Council of Provinces in late 2023, and sent to Ramaphosa to be signed into law. Government has stood firm in its support for the Bill, despite warnings that it undermines universal healthcare instead of advancing its progress. The Bill has been sharply criticised by doctors, health facility providers and health insurance companies. The PSA said it was extremely concerned about the implications of proposed tax hikes to fund the NHI scheme, pointing out that South Africans are not able to bear such a financial burden, particularly during the current economic climate. The PSA said government's plan to increase value-added tax and income tax to offset the NHI deficit was alarming, and it was urging government to instead address fiscal inefficiencies, including fruitless expenditure and corruption. The PSA said the funding model presented by the Department of Health lacked sustainability, saying it disproportionately burdened the poor who were already struggling to make ends meet with a high cost of living, constant increases in petrol prices and high interest rates. "In addition, salary increases have consistently lagged behind inflation rates, exacerbating the financial strain on households," PSA added. The association believes that the proposed tax hikes are likely to be insufficient to cover the costs of the NHI, and that it will also place additional strain on consumers, further diminishing their purchasing power and exacerbating financial hardships. Previous estimates suggested that government would need nearly R200-billion a year to sustain the NHI. With persistent economic challenges, the PSA again stressed that citizens would undoubtedly bear the brunt of the financial burden and that this would perpetuate financial constraints on households and deepen socio-economic inequalities. The association advised government to prioritise job creation to bolster revenue streams and alleviate the pressure on taxpayers. The PSA said any funds acquired through corrupt means must be recovered and redirected towards supporting the NHI. It also tasked government with streamlining Cabinet and reducing unnecessary expenditure.

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) Fiscal Transparency Evaluation Report has placed South Africa in the top three countries in terms of transparent fiscal practices, which National Treasury has welcomed. In July 2023, the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) undertook a Fiscal Transparency Evaluation, at the request of National Treasury. Interviews were conducted with Treasury senior staff, government ministries, parliamentary committees, the Reserve Bank, civil society organisations, development partners, and Eskom. "South Africa has many elements of sound fiscal transparency practices. Based on an assessment of fiscal transparency practices against the IMF's Fiscal Transparency Code, South Africa's practices are strongest in fiscal reporting, followed by fiscal forecasting and budgeting, and weakest in fiscal risk analysis. There is room to improve South Africa's fiscal reporting, budget transparency and management of fiscal risks," the IMF report said. Treasury noted the need to improve in specific areas and said work in these was in progress. The IMF suggested that South Africa could improve its fiscal reporting by including other spheres of the public sector, strengthening tax expenditure disclosure, and improving adherence to audit timelines for published financial statements, all of which will align with international best practices. Further, it urged South Africa to implement precise, time-bound and stable fiscal rules, and to enhance analysis of risks in the fiscal risk statement, regularly publish public-private partnership financial data, consolidate transfers to State-owned companies to show fiscal impact and set limits on government guarantees. "Work is underway on all these areas. Government is committed to addressing these areas to enhance fiscal credibility and ensure continued transparency and accountability in the management of public finances," Treasury said. Download the report here

Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) CEO Sy Mamabolo said on Tuesday that there is no basis for IEC Commissioner Janet Love to step down from her position, as there is no substantive evidence establishing misconduct on her side. Mamabolo was giving a media briefing on the key aspects of the election timetable. Last week, former President Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party called for Love's immediate resignation, warning that should she fail to resign in seven days, the party would pursue "all available avenues" to remove her, including approaching the courts. "Janet Love, in an unprecedented move publicly declared nationally that President Zuma would not be eligible and couldn't be included in the MK Party's Parliamentary candidate list," the party noted. The party accused Love of being "highly vested" in the outcomes of the May 29 elections, saying she cannot be trusted. The MK Party justified its call for Love's removal by noting her "obnoxious behaviour" in January, before a public objection was lodged regarding the eligibility of Zuma to participate in the Parliamentary elections. Mamabolo said the commission wants clarity in its case, in which the recent Electoral Court judgment saw Zuma win his appeal against the IEC's decision to exclude him from being able to stand as an MK Party parliamentary candidate. The IEC has approached the Constitutional Court to appeal the Electoral Court's judgment on this matter. "With respect to the Constitutional Court appeal, it is preferable to lodge an appeal when you have reasons because then you can follow the reasoning of the court against which whose orders you are appealing. But when an appeal is lodged, it is lodged against the orders of court not against the judgment and we have orders in this case, and on the basis of those orders we think that there is a need for clarity on a number of issues," said Mamabolo. He said questions had to be answered for the sake of clarity for everybody in respect of the immediate case, but also in respect of future elections. He also noted that the commission was concerned about the safety of people and the safety of property during elections. He explained that an election should never be an opportunity for people to lose lives nor an opportunity for people's properties to be lost. "…it is rather an opportunity for the voter to record their political choices in an election that is arranged in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and the law. The security agencies in the country are responsible to secure all of us," he said. ELECTION PREPARATIONS Meanwhile, he said last week the Commission issued certificates to the 14 892 candidates who will contest 887 seats in the forthcoming elections. Nominations of candidates closed on March 8 and following verification processes and objections 70 political parties, and 11 independent candidates were published as final contestants in the upcoming May 29 elections. He explained that the list of candidates reflected that 58.14%, or 8 658, were male, with female candidates at 41.86%, or 6 234. Candidates in the age category 40 to 49 are the majority at 4 361, followed by the 3 708 in the 50 to 59 age category and the 3 406 in the 30 to 39 age group. "Notably, there are 15 candidates who at 18 years are also first-time voters. Of the 15, nine are female and six are male. These candidates are spread across eight political parties," he said. Mamabolo explained that voters who would be away from their voting districts on election day, may give a Section 24A notice of their intention to vote at another identified voting station by no later than May 17. He reminded voters that they may only vote at a voting station at which they are registered.

Nigeria's creaking grid collapsed for the fifth time this year in the early hours of Monday, highlighting the country's inability to provide reliable power after raising tariffs for wealthier consumers by 230% only two weeks ago. Nigeria's electricity regulator on April 3 approved an increase in tariffs for the 15% of consumers who use the most power, as the government tries to reduce the $2.6-billion worth of subsidies for the sector. The head of the Nigerian electricity regulator, Musiliu Oseni, defended the tariff increase saying it will mean an end to grid collapses and bring investment into the sector. National supply data showed the supply of power via the grid fell to around 50MW early on Monday from 4 020MW the previous day. The Transmission Company of Nigeria, which oversees the grid, has not yet issued a statement on the cause of the latest near complete halt to the supply of power via the grid and did not immediately reply to an inquiry by Reuters. Gas shortages and vandalism have triggered grid collapses in the past. The new rate raises the tariff to 225 naira per kilowatt hour from a maximum of 68 naira for about 15% of customers, who will enjoy a maximum of 20 hours of supply daily. Some analysts have criticised the tariff increase because it pushes more power to wealthier consumers from the meagre 4 000MW available for distribution to over 200 million Nigerians from the grid. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, faces perennial power shortages that have contributed to years of weak economic growth. Its electricity sector faces a myriad of problems, including a failing grid, gas shortages, high debt and vandalism. The country has 12 500 megawatts of installed capacity, but produces only about a quarter of that, leaving many Nigerians reliant on expensive diesel-powered generators.

South Africa's health regulator said on Saturday it is recalling batches of Johnson & Johnson's children's cough syrup after detection of high levels of diethylene glycol. The affected batches were sold in South Africa, Eswatini, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria, the statement added. The recall follows a report by the regulator's Nigerian counterpart on Wednesday, which first detected the toxin in a batch of Benylin Paediatric Syrup. Kenya and Nigeria have already issued recalls for the same syrup, which is used in the treatment of hay fever and other allergic conditions affecting the upper respiratory tract. Kenvue, which now owns the Benylin brand after a spin-off from J&J last year, said in a statement that it is conducting its own assessment and working with health authorities to determine a course of action. "A review of our global safety database for the period between product release in May 2021 and up to 11 April 2024 did not identify any serious adverse events for any batch of Benylin Paediatric Syrup," it said. High levels of diethylene glycol in cough syrup has been linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia, Uzbekistan and Cameroon since 2022 in one of the world's worst waves of poisoning from oral medication.

The African National Congress (ANC) is confident, ahead of the May 29 elections, of an outright win and has not spent time discussing a coalition strategy, nor is it concerned about its former President Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party. This was according to ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri who spoke exclusively with Polity on Monday, to unpack the party's manifesto and policies set out within. Recent polling has put the ANC's electoral support at below 50% in this election, which, if proven true, would mean the party would have to enter into a coalition to form a government. However, Bhengu-Motsiri said the ANC was aiming for an outright majority. While other parties had been in coalition talks and had even expressed interest in a coalition with the ANC, she said the ruling party was focussing on its own campaign for an outright win. "Our ground is seriously energised. It's almost as if its 1994. We are not thinking of other parties, we are focussing on the message of the ANC," she said. And despite the controversy surrounding Zuma's MK Party, this issue is not top of mind for the ANC. When asked about whether the ANC was concerned about the former ANC President's MK Party in the election fray, Bhengu-Motsiri stressed that Zuma was suspended as an ANC member. "There's no worry about the MK Party. The 29th of May will be the defining moment and we are looking forward to that," she said. CADRE DEPLOYMENT AND CORRUPTION Bhengu-Motsiri noted that while the ANC may have had or currently has corrupt members, the party itself was not corrupt. She punted the party's renewal programme as a way to improve the way the party connects with South Africans. Priorities included "…to go back to what our founding fathers, including Nelson Mandela and countless others have left us, and the directives they have left us with, making sure that all of those things are attended to and one of those is addressing the demon of corruption and clarifying that the ANC is not a corruption organisation. We may have had, we may have, members that are corrupt but it is not the ANC that is practising corruption," she said. And to underscore that fact, she said the party had embarked on several actions to emphasise its renewal agenda, one of which was the party's integrity commission, which was able to enforce the step-aside policy if an ANC member was convicted of wrongdoing. "Those are interventions by the ANC to make sure corruption is being dealt with. We are modernising the work we are doing to ensure that ethics and integrity management is upheld in the organisation," Bhengu-Motsiri assured. She noted that the party would continue with its cadre deployment policy, but stated that it would be improved upon. She pointed out that cadre deployment was practised across the world and was not unique to South Africa. "Once people have given you the mandate to govern by voting for you, surely it is not expected that you go in there blind [sided] without the human capital that understands the policies of the party that has been voted in. So we don't see anything untoward about our cadre deployment policy, we will continue to practise it and we will improve it…," she said. Discussing how the party would keep its proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) safe from corruption, she said she did not understand the narrative that it would attract corruption. She accused opposition parties, particularly the Democratic Alliance (DA), of being ideologically opposed to the NHI and not for reasons relating to corruption. "[The NHI] will not attract corruption because it enjoys huge support from the people of South Africa that are going to be impacted positively by this policy. I don't understand where the idea of corruption comes from. [The DA] are opposed to it on the basis of the fact that they don't think that the poorest of the poor and those currently not covered by health policies deserve to have that access," she stated. ENERGY With loadshedd...

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party on Friday called for the immediate resignation of Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) commissioner Janet Love, warning that should she fail to resign in the next 7 days, the party will pursue "all available avenues" to remove her, including approach the courts. The party accused Love of being "highly vested" in the outcomes of the May 29 elections, saying she cannot be trusted. The MK Party said the Electoral Court's judgment, which saw former President Jacob Zuma win his appeal against the IEC's decision to exclude him from being able to stand as an MK Party parliamentary candidate, underscored a defeat against President Cyril Ramaphosa's African National Congress and "all its treacherous allies". The party said it also showed Love's "prejudicial conduct" as commissioner. The IEC has since approached the Constitutional Court to appeal the Electoral Court's judgment. The MK Party justified its call for Love's removal by noting her "obnoxious behaviour" in January, before an objection was lodged regarding the eligibility of Zuma to participate in the Parliamentary elections. "Janet Love, in an unprecedented move publicly declared nationally that President Zuma would not be eligible and couldn't be included in the MK Party's Parliamentary candidate list," the party noted. The party said that this pronouncement was not only premature and unwarranted, but that it was also in direct violation of the rules which stipulated that such declarations could only be made following an official objection. The MK Party pointed out that at the time of Love's statement, no objection had been filed, which the party said made her actions irregular and prejudicial. "What made things worse is that, even after the obviously orchestrated objection which was launched by a member of the ANC, she still presided within the committee responsible for deciding on President Zuma's eligibility, instead of recusing herself. Despite the clear conflict of interest," the party explained. The MK Party added that this "rogue of arrogance", has clearly undermined the credibility of the IEC and its capacity to administer free and fair elections, which the party said could not afford to harbour any sense of bias and should be beyond reproach.

Political analyst and African National Congress (ANC) insider Oscar van Heerden is predicting that the ANC's electoral support will not fall below 50% in the upcoming May elections, while hoping for an outright majority win for any political party, rather than the eventuality of a coalition government. Van Heerden was speaking exclusively with Polity to discuss his latest book Is the Party Over?, when he hedged that if there was significant voter apathy then perhaps the ANC could dip below 50%, but even then he imagined support would not fall below 47% or 48%. Support for the ANC is plunging, and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party backed by former President Jacob Zuma may become the country's third-biggest after next month's election, a new opinion poll showed. However, Van Heerden dismissed election polling as problematic, explaining that it reflected how a small sample of people felt on the day. He referred to some of the polls as "ridiculous". He admitted that the ANC, at the moment, was "not the favourite party", noting that "everyone hates the ANC" and that people "talk bad about the party". However, he highlighted that looking at the trends of the last few elections, the ANC's support had been waning but consistently, with a drop of about 3% to 4% per election in electoral support. "When you stand at 67.5%, to suggest that the ANC is going to lose more than 10% of their support base, the ANC would have to have really done badly," he noted. Van Heerden said "the truth of the matter is" that 30 years into democracy most black South Africans, are "far better off" than they were pre-1994. He said people now had rights, including a right to vote. Although there were still challenges with poverty, unemployment and inequality, he said this was something that could not change overnight. COALITION GOVERNMENT Van Heerden expressed concerns with coalition politics, saying it seemed as though the country was not getting it right. He said should the ANC fall below 47% or 48% of support, then it would have to form a coalition with smaller parties, which he said was likely to be the Inkatha Freedom Party "because the politics of KZN must be satisfied". He acknowledged that the newly formed MK Party led by Zuma would also play a role. He predicted a small coalition, where the ANC was still the dominant ruling party nationally. However, he foresaw problems in KZN and Gauteng. "I will rather want any particular grouping to outright win, I am not saying it must be the ANC but I think that will be a more stable factor than having coalitions at national level," he said. He highlighted that the electorate wanted stability and familiarity, predicting that if the ANC won the elections, he did not think President Cyril Ramaphosa would retain Paul Mashatile as Deputy President. He said Ramaphosa might bring in someone new. "…someone no one thought it could be. And he is basically sending a message that this is the future of the party once I leave," Van Heerden said. IDENTITY POLITICS Meanwhile, he believes that citizens are "not getting it right" in terms of building a cohesive society, noting that people are not voting for the party whose policies they believe in, but rather for the race or religion the parties represent. He highlighted that people still voted according to identity politics, explaining that Gayton Mackenzie's Patriotic Alliance was getting more attention from the coloured community, because "he plays the nationalist coloured card". Van Heerden pointed out that Afrikaans farmers and Afrikaans speakers were voting for the Freedom Front Plus, while English speaking people were predominately voting for the Democratic Alliance (DA). He said Muslims were voting for the Al Jama-ah party and Christians were voting for Kenneth Meshoe's African Christian Democratic Party. He noted that race was still very much present in the country and pointed out that while the DA argued that there were problems with affirmative action and black economi...

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said on Friday it has approached the Constitutional Court to appeal the Electoral Court's judgment which saw former President Jacob Zuma win his appeal against the IEC's decision to exclude him from being able to stand as an uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party parliamentary candidate. The IEC argued against Zuma's eligibility to stand as a candidate owing to his 15-month prison sentence for being in contempt of court, in 2021. The IEC wants the matter of the latest appeal finalised before the May 29 election. "The Commission believes there is substantial public interest in providing certainty on the proper interpretation of section 47(1)(e) and its interplay with the powers of the Commission to adjudicate objections to candidates. Such clarity is important in the present matter because of a live issue but also for future elections. It is furthermore important that such legal clarification is obtained from the highest court in the land which has constitutional-matter jurisdiction. Hence, a direct appeal to the Constitutional Court," it explained. The IEC stressed that its court action did not mean it was trying to become politically involved but rather to ensure that constitutional rules were upheld and understood for a free and fair election.

South Africa is heading into unchartered political terrain and investors are growing increasingly anxious. The rand slumped 0.9% against the dollar on Wednesday immediately after an opinion poll by the Social Research Foundation showed support for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) falling to just 37% before next month's election, down from 57.5% five years ago. Six out of seven other surveys conducted since last year also show the party losing the parliamentary majority it's held since apartheid ended three decades ago, albeit by a smaller margin. Failing to get at least 50% may force the ANC into a coalition to govern. The question is whether that would be with smaller parties who'd keep the ANC - with whom investors are already familiar - fully in charge. If the ANC's loss of support is severe, it might choose to ally with the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), or a new party led by former President Jacob Zuma. It could also go in the other direction and form a government with the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), which says it's pro-business. The cost of hedging against rand declines over the next two months is hovering at a 10-month high as the election moves into traders' focus. Two-month implied volatility, which covers the May 29 poll, has jumped about 270 basis points after hovering around a four-year low in March. And the hedging is heavily skewed toward rand weakness, with the USDZAR risk reversal doubling since late February. The poll by the SRF - the methodology of which was questioned by some analysts - showed the EFF's share of the vote holding at 11%, unchanged from 2019, although another survey published by Ipsos last month indicated it could go as high as 18%. Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe Party, or MKP, was projected by the SRF to pick up 13%, with the DA on 25%. The SRF findings should be "taken with a pinch of salt" and probably underestimate support for the ANC, though it's a stark illustration of the ruling party's vulnerability, said Oxford Economics Africa analyst Louw Nel in a research note. Africa's most-industrialised economy has stagnated over the past decade, with power cuts and logistics snarl-ups curtailing output while poverty, unemployment and crime remain rife. But investors don't relish the prospect of the policy uncertainty and political wrangling that would likely accompany a coalition government. The EFF is vying to boost its sway in next month's election and party leader Julius Malema sought to assure the business community that it would offer investors clarity, consistency and transparency - something he said the current administration has failed to do. "What any investor wants is a clear policy as to what the policy is, and not government speaking in forked tongues," he said in an interview at Bloomberg's office in Johannesburg on Wednesday. "Investors leave politics to politicians because they know they'll still make money if they know and are assured about security and policy. 'Fearmongering' Senior ANC leaders say they're confident of winning the election outright, and aren't considering coalitions at this juncture. Malema played down "fearmongering" about what it would mean for businesses and private ownership if the EFF formed part of the next government. The nationalisation of mines, for example, would be a controlled process and would take lessons from neighbouring Botswana - which last year struck a deal with De Beers to sell about 30% of the diamond output from its Debswana joint venture with the company, with an agreement for that share to eventually rise to 50%. "We are not going to take land the Zimbabwean-style or anything of that sort," he said, referring to often-violent land seizures in the neighbouring country that resulted in more than 4 000 farmers losing their farms. "No one is going to be taken to the sea. No one is going to be killed. No one is going to lose his property on the basis of colour." He acknowledged that foreign investors might be sc...

South Africa's central bank won't cut interest rates this year because of persistent inflation and there's even a risk it could raise them, bets in financial futures markets show. The shift, which followed a hotter-than-expected reading on US consumer prices for March, now indicates investors pricing in a slight prospect the South African Reserve Bank will increase rates at its meeting next month. The repricing on Thursday was in response to a sharp change in sentiment on how quickly and by how much the Federal Reserve will start cutting rates, after US consumer inflation failed to slow as expected. That's prompted traders to erase bets on monetary policy easing in South Africa. Forward-rate agreements used to speculate on borrowing costs show traders are now pricing in an about 20% chance of a quarter-point interest rate hike at the central bank's May 30 meeting. That compares with no change expectations at the start of the month. Economists view the SARB as being wary of moving before the Fed from fear it weakens the rand, which would tend to push up import prices and pressure inflation. Central bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago, though, says policymakers watch the Fed but don't just follow it. Inflation expectations have surged over the past two days, adding to the expectations of higher-for-longer in South Africa. The nation's breakeven rate - the difference between the nominal yield on five-year sovereign bonds and the inflation-linked yield - climbed 9 basis points Thursday to 5.93 percentage points. The reserve bank's target inflation is between 3% and 6%. Yvonne Mhango, Bloomberg's Africa economist, said the SARB will maintain its restrictive policy stance well into 2025. "Reducing the inflation rate - currently at 5.6% - to the mid-point of the SARB's 3%-6% target is taking longer than anticipated," she said in a research note. "We don't expect this target, where the SARB would like to see prices anchored, being reached until the second half of 2025, keeping the central bank on hold until then."

Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has been elected, unopposed, Ekurhuleni mayor, after an almost two-week absence of leadership, following the removal of Sivuyile Ngodwana. Ngodwana was removed from office on March 28, following a motion of no confidence, brought by ActionSA. Xhakaza, the African National Congress's candidate, is a former MMC for finance and economic development.

Non-profit Freedom Under Law (FUL) wants the Electoral Court to release the reasons for its decision to uphold former President Jacob Zuma's appeal again the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). On Tuesday, Zuma won his appeal in the Electoral Court against the IEC's decision to exclude him from being able to stand as an uMkhonto weSizwe Party parliamentary candidate ahead of the May 29 elections. The IEC argued against Zuma's eligibility to stand as a candidate owing to his 15-month prison sentence for being in contempt of court, in 2021. The Electoral Court issued the order without reasons, which FUL argues is critical for the credibility of the electoral process. "The need for an urgent decision on this matter is understandable, considering that elections are imminent. However, the reasons for the decision are of importance, both for the eligibility of the candidate in question, and as a general precedent. The rule of law requires that courts give fully motivated reasons for their decisions. FUL therefore calls on the Electoral Court to issue its reasons for judgment urgently," FUL said. Meanwhile, African National Congress (ANC) alliance partner the South African Communist Party (SACP) also wants the Electoral Court to release the full judgment of the order it handed down, which it says has "plunged the entire country into speculation". It wants the court to release to full judgment to allow public scrutiny of its rationale and allow the public and the IEC to determine whether there are any grounds for an appeal. The party went on to say that the Zuma brand has passed its "sell-by date". "The fact is that millions of South Africans remain unhappy about the state capture and industrial scale looting that took place with the fugitives from justice, his friends the Guptas, at the helm. No reasonable South African wants to see a return to that rot, including through the ballot," the party said.

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga noted on Wednesday that while Gauteng roads are no longer going to be tolled, the e-toll gantry lights and cameras will remain for road safety purposes, adding that the obligation to pay e-toll accounts remains until midnight on April 11. E-toll invoices will be rolled out until the last day and issued up until this period. "Due to potential delays in the postal system, invoices will still be received sometime after 12 April 2024. However, no transactions post-midnight on 11 April 2024 will appear on the invoice or statement," Chikunga said. Last month, she published in the Government Gazette a notice concerning the withdrawal of the toll declaration of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, popularly known as e-tolls. Addressing the media on the end of e-tolling in Gauteng, Chikunga admitted that the system had caused public aggravation and was of great concern to Cabinet. She said this led to the formation of a three-member committee - made up of the Minister of Transport, Minister of Finance and Gauteng Premier - charged by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2019 to find a solution to the impasse. Chikunga explained that the long process involving government upgrading parts of important national roads in Gauteng began in December 2013, to ensure that the economic hub of South Africa was not jeopardised by poor roads. She noted that before the upgrades, the roads were extremely congested and had a negative effect on the country's economy. She highlighted that the system of e-tolling was implemented after some consultation had taken place. Chikunga said once the system stopped at midnight on April 11, users would not be required to do anything. The e-toll website will be updated with respect to the cancellation, including Mobility/Tag account functionality for services, i.e. interoperability and parking, et cetera. "Importantly, current valid accounts can still be used for payments at toll plazas and other value-added services (i.e parking). This is critical for the ongoing, long-term benefit of interoperability. The tag beeps will stop after midnight on 11 April 2024," she said. She explained that the e-toll stores would remain open as the tag could still be used for interoperability, account queries and other potential transport-related services that would be determined in due course. She added that the e-toll branding would be removed in phases. REPAYING OF DEBTS Chikunga highlighted that one of the issues the three-member committee had to grapple with was how the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) was going to repay the debt it incurred to build the infrastructure and how government would ensure that the roads remained up to the standards to which road users had now become accustomed. "It has not been an easy process and decision because we essentially were being asked to deviate from a principle that is universally accepted: you have to pay for whatever you use," she said. She explained that together with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwna and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi they finally reached agreement towards the end of March on how to conclusively deal with the debt resulting from e-tolls. "…and as a result, we were able to sign a memorandum of agreement to formalise alternative funding solutions for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project debt repayment and deal with the backlog of maintenance and rehabilitation costs," she said. She stressed that the three-member committee was unambiguous on the fact that the user-pay principle remained a government policy and committed to continually engage and work together to explore adequate and sustainable funding solutions for road construction, maintenance and upgrades to support economic development. Following the announcement by national government that e-tolls in Gauteng had been officially cancelled, Sanral resolved its long-outstanding application for increased borrowing limits from National Treasury. This would ...

Parliament's Powers and Privileges Committee said on Wednesday that as former Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has resigned as a Member of Parliament, the committee has no jurisdiction to investigate the complaint of corruption brought by Democratic Alliance (DA) Chief Whip Siviwe Gwarube. Last month, the DA approached Parliament's Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests to ask for an investigation into Mapisa-Nqakula, following allegations that she accepted bribes during her tenure as the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans. News reports claimed Mapisa-Nqakula took bribes totalling R2.3-million from a South African National Defence Force contractor, and that she approved a 70% salary hike for the Secretary to Parliament Xolile George, raising his annual package from R2.6-million to R4.4-million. The committee said it received a legal opinion from the Parliamentary Legal Services that states that the mandate of the committee extends only to Members of Parliament. "Therefore, when a person ceases to be a Member of Parliament, the committee has no jurisdiction to consider a matter related to that person," the committee said. Meanwhile, DA Deputy Chief Whip Dr Annelie Lotriet said members of the African National Congress chose to "sustain their culture of impunity" and fought to protect the former Speaker and the appointment of George based on a misleading remuneration package. She said the DA was in the process of considering options in terms of Sections 7 and 8 of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act, the Financial Management of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act, and the Assembly Rules to take the investigation involving the former Speaker and George forward. Lotriet pointed out that advocate Karrisha Pillay SC found on March 25, a week before the former Speaker's resignation, that there was a prima facie case that warranted the committee's investigation and a subsequent hearing. "Adv Pillay's finding of a prima facie case to be answered, confirms what the DA has long held - that the former Speaker misled Members of the Assembly when she induced them to endorse Mr George for appointment to the position of Secretary to Parliament at a much lower salary package, and possibly excluding more qualified candidates," she said. She noted that the fact that Mapisa-Nqakula resigned before she could be held accountable neither absolves her - and by extension the Executive Authority of Parliament - nor does it get to the bottom of the alleged irregular hiking of George's salary. She said George was still serving as the Secretary to Parliament, and the Executive Authority must be held accountable.

Former President Jacob Zuma won a court bid to overturn his disqualification from running for parliament in next month's election on the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party's (MKP's) ticket. The decision is another setback to the ruling African National Congress's (ANC's) efforts to stifle support for the so-called MKP, which opinion polls show is gaining popularity ahead of the May 29 vote. Last month, the ANC lost a court bid to have the MKP deregistered. An objection to Zuma running as a candidate in the election "is hereby dismissed," the court said in a ruling handed down on Tuesday. South Africa's constitution bars anyone sentenced to more than 12 months in jail from being a member of parliament. Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2021 after being found guilty of contempt of court. The MKP's lawyers had argued that the Independent Electoral Commission failed to consider that Zuma only served a few weeks of his sentence, and was released on medical parole before benefiting from a remission of sentence and should therefore be allowed to run. Zuma was forced to resign as president in February 2018 after the ANC elected Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed him as party leader in December 2017. Zuma, 81, ruled South Africa for nine years that were marred by scandal, including allegations of large-scale corruption and the looting of billions of dollars of State funds. He has denied wrongdoing and hasn't been indicted on the accusations.