Polity.org.za Audio Articles

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Friday expressed disappointment with Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga's absence from a meeting to discuss the withdrawal of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

DA spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans Chris Hattingh said despite the meeting being held virtually, Motshekga is in Russia and instead sent her deputy Richard Hlophe to attend this "critical engagement".

Last week, the SANDF began the phased withdrawal of its recruits and equipment from the eastern DRC, as part of a directive from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and government.

The withdrawal will take place via road, through Rwanda and Tanzania.

Earlier this year, South African opposition parties expressed sadness at the loss of 14 members of the SANDF in the eastern DRC, calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Motshekga to account.

The SANDF members were killed during combat and several others were injured, while stationed in the DRC as part of SADC and the UN peacekeeping deployments. They were engaged in intense combat over two days with the M23 rebel group near Goma, the provincial capital of the eastern DRC.

"After 14 South African lives were lost during the mission in the DRC, it is appalling that the Minister is somehow unavailable to account to the people of South Africa," stated Hattingh.

The DA criticised the withdrawal of SANDF soldiers and equipment from M23-controlled areas in eastern DRC, an area it described as of strategic importance and high volatility.

Hattingh pointed out that the lack of detail and transparency around this withdrawal raised questions about the government's crisis management and strategic planning.

"This disengagement from a hostile region, without a clear public briefing or accountability, sends a troubling message of carelessness and disregard for the sacrifices made by our soldiers," he noted.

US President Donald Trump's administration is aiming to bring the first group of white South Africans to the United States via its refugee programme as soon as next week, three people familiar with the matter said, a divisive effort given that Trump has been blocking refugee admissions from the rest of the world.

The Trump administration aims to fly the initial cohort of about 50 Afrikaners into Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, two of the people said, requesting anonymity to share internal plans. The group would participate in a press conference at the airport and then board flights to their US destinations, the sources said.

The sources cautioned that their arrival had already been delayed a week and that the plans could change. As of Thursday afternoon, a charter plane intended to ferry them to the US had not secured a landing permit, one source said.

The US State Department, which administers the resettlement of South Africans whom the Trump administration granted refugee status, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NPR first reported the timing of the arrivals.

Trump kicked off a wide-ranging immigration crackdown after taking office in January, including an indefinite suspension of refugee resettlement. In a related executive order, the Republican president said the US would only admit refugees who "can fully and appropriately assimilate."

Despite the broad refugee freeze, Trump in February called on the US to prioritise resettling Afrikaners, descendants of mostly Dutch early settlers, saying they were "victims of unjust racial discrimination."

The assertion that minority white South Africans face discrimination from the Black majority has spread in far-right circles for years and been echoed by Trump's white South African-born ally Elon Musk.

The average white household in South Africa owns 20 times the wealth of the average Black household, according to the Review of Political Economy, an international academic journal.

In interviews with US immigration officers, white South Africans seeking refugee status have highlighted troubles with land disputes, crime and perceived racism, Reuters reported in April.

The South African government has criticised the Trump effort, saying it fails to recognise the country's history of colonialism and apartheid.

While some Afrikaners have expressed interest in going to politically conservative US states, Democratic-leaning Minnesota has emerged as a popular choice, two of the sources told Reuters.

Minnesota has a reputation as a welcoming state for refugees, including those from Somalia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Some also plan to head to Republican-leaning states, such as Idaho and Alabama, one of the sources said.

The reason to charter a flight for the initial group of Afrikaners was not immediately clear. The charter plane would cost far more than commercial tickets, sources said.

The longest streak of inflows into South Africa's equity market in more than two years signals a pickup in foreign demand as investors look for alternatives to US stocks.

Non-residents have been net buyers of shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) for eight successive days through Wednesday, the longest streak since August 2022, according to JSE data.

The purchases been relatively small, at an average of R376-million a day compared with daily of outflows of more than R1-billion for the whole of the year. But it's a sign of changing sentiment following nine straight years of outflows, as lacklustre economic growth, a weakening rand and political risks weighed dimmed the market's allure.

Year-to-date outflows from the $1.1-trillion market through Wednesday amounted to $4.9-billion.

South Africa's benchmark FTSE/Africa All Share Index has rebounded to hit record highs after plunging more than 9% in the wake of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff announcements on April 2. The gauge has gained of 8.8% this year, with miners the biggest contributors as the price of gold surged.

And with the rand also erasing its post-tariff losses to strengthen against the greenback, dollar investors have pocketed a return of 13%, compared with declines for the S&P 500 and the MSCI World Index of developed-nation stocks.

Still, the South African stocks remain cheap compared with developed-nation peers. The benchmark is trading at an estimated forward price-earnings ratio of 14.7, compared with 19.4 for the MSCI World Index.

Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya announced on Thursday that the organisation, also known as the Hawks, has made significant inroads in apprehending individuals involved in high-profile cases, as he presented progress made in the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 financial year.

He noted the arrest of uMkhonto weSizwe member Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla owing to the Durban Crimes Against the State unit of the Serious Organised Crime Investigation, following the unrest that brought the country to a standstill in 2021.

Lebeya also cited eight corruption cases, in which senior government officials were implicated.

He said in the last quarter, 656 suspects were secured before the various courts in the country, and of these arrests, 450, or 74%, are South Africans, while 15, or 26% of those arrested, are foreign nationals.

"Of the 656 suspects, the Serious Organised Crime Investigation secured 364, the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation secured 220 while the Serious Corruption Investigation secured 72 suspects before court," he said.

Gauteng had the most arrests with 139, followed by North West with 99, KwaZulu-Natal with 88, and the Eastern Cape and Free State with 73 suspects each.

"During these arrests, 395 firearms and 1 746 rounds of ammunition were seized. Seven clandestine drug laboratories were dismantled with drugs worth a total street value of R23 361 125.00," he said.

Lebeya noted that during this same period, the Directorate secured convictions of 239 accused persons.

"A total number of 266 - 253 natural and 13 juristic - accused persons including those convicted in the previous quarters were sentenced during the quarter under review. Of the 253 sentenced natural persons, 139 - 55% - are South Africans while 114 - 45% - are foreign nationals," he explained.

He highlighted that most of these convictions and sentences were secured in Gauteng.

Lebeya noted the killing of police officers under serious organised crime, with 22 police officials murdered during this time, 16 of whom were off duty.

"50% of these murders happened in Gauteng. Thirty-eight arrests were effected and 14 convictions with 11 life imprisonment sentences plus 487 years imprisonment were secured. Over and above these killings of South African Police Services members, two Metropolitan police officials were also killed," he revealed.

He explained that 50 incidents of cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies were received by the Directorate, noting a total of 28 suspects, excluding ten who died in exchange of gunfire with the police, were arrested.

"It is comforting that no one was released on bail. Over and above, 36 suspects were arrested in CIT-related cases making a combined number of 64 arrest for CIT and related crime. Thirteen convictions were secured on CIT and related cases," he said.

Meanwhile, the Priority Crime Specialised Investigation has contributed towards the issuing of a combined 102 freezing and forfeiture orders amounting to R418 938 340.14.

Of these orders, he explained that 56 were Preservation Orders with a monetary value of R370 952 439.49, with 45 Forfeiture Orders with a monetary value of R14 985 900.65; and one Restraint Order with a monetary value of R33 000 000.00.

"An amount of R19 104 419.50 has been deposited into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account," he said.

These performances bring the total recorded successes on arrests, convictions and attachment of assets to 1 024. He highlighted that of these cases, 656, 266 and 102 are for arrests, convictions and recovery of assets respectively.

ActionSA Gauteng provincial chairperson Funzi Ngobeni on Thursday dubbed the Democratic Alliance's (DA's) motions of no confidence against City of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero and Council Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu as an "opportunistic ploy aimed at exploiting a city already in deep crisis".

On Wednesday the DA announced that it had submitted the motions, citing that under the current leadership, basic services were crumbling, and communities were being neglected.

"There is no denying the deep governance crisis that has gripped the City of Johannesburg. Basic services are failing, infrastructure is crumbling, and residents have lost trust in their city's leadership. ActionSA has not hesitated to confront these failures - evident in our principled opposition to the Adjustment Budget that sought to impose an unfair R230 electricity surcharge on residents," explained Ngobeni.

However, he believes that the DA's motion is not a "sincere effort" to restore sound governance, but rather a "cheap ploy", to deepen instability.

"The endless spinning of the mayoral carousel, without any credible plan, offers residents no relief. It is a distraction and must be exposed for what it truly is - political theatre cloaked in hollow virtue," he stated.

He accused the DA of being at the centre of collapsing its own multi-party government in Johannesburg, led by former Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse.

"At a critical moment when compromise could have preserved stable governance, ActionSA offered to sacrifice two out of our three Executive seats to accommodate the Patriotic Alliance - a good-faith proposal that the DA arrogantly rejected," he said.

He said the DA's refusal to save their own mayor, opened the door to the African National Congress-led coalition that now governs the city.

"…the DA's refusal to share power in the interest of residents directly contributed to the dysfunction they now claim to oppose. Johannesburg continues to bear the cost of their political intransigence," he said.

MISREPRESENTATION AND POLITICAL GRANDSTANDING

Meanwhile, Ngobeni pointed out that Mthembu had a constitutional responsibility to uphold order and impartiality in Council proceedings.

"While we reject the DA's deliberate misrepresentation of her conduct, ActionSA remains committed to accountability. All our public representatives are subject to monthly internal performance reviews to ensure they uphold the highest standards of public service," he explained.

He noted that ironically, Mthembu had been at the forefront of leading the City's Integrated Development Plan (IDP) public participation process - a process, he claims, the DA and its councillors have chosen to disregard.

"While the IDP public participation sessions continue until 12 May 2025, providing residents with a vital opportunity to influence service delivery and budget priorities, DA Ward Councillors have consistently failed to attend or mobilise their communities to participate.

"This dereliction of duty directly undermines the democratic process, and lays bare the DA's hypocrisy. It raises a serious question about whether the tabling of this motion is a deliberate attempt to deflect from their own failures at grassroots level," he pointed out.

Ngobeni further accused the DA of political grandstanding and said his party would scrutinise the DA's motions to determine whether they genuinely served the public interest.

"The DA's decision to table these motions without first engaging other parties underscores a clear lack of constructive intent. Their refusal to consult, even while knowing that no single party holds a majority and that a successful motion requires 136 Councillors, exposes the performative nature of their actions.

"With only 70 Councillors, especially after losing a crucial ward to the Patriotic Alliance, it is evident that the DA's approach is not about building consensus to address the city's governance challenges, but rather about grandstanding and undermining any real effort to ...

The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) said while it respected the independence of the judiciary and its mandate to interpret the Constitution, it firmly believes that the right to citizenship must be treated "with the seriousness it deserves", arguing against dual citizenship for South Africans.

The party noted Tuesday's Constitutional Court judgment, which declared Section 6(1)(a) of the South African Citizenship Act unconstitutional, saying it was not surprised that this matter was taken to court by the Democratic Alliance (DA).

The DA celebrated the victory of its application to secure the citizenship of South Africans with dual nationality.

The DA argued the constitutional invalidity of a section of the Citizenship Act, which terminated the South African citizenship of persons who did not apply for a retention-of-citizenship before voluntarily obtaining a secondary citizenship in another country.

The section had previously meant South Africans who voluntarily acquired citizenship in another country would automatically forfeit their South African citizenship unless they applied to retain it beforehand.

The ANCYL accused the DA of serving the interests of "foreign and elitist forces".

"Their actions once again expose who they are working for: those who exploit our laws to escape accountability and avoid real contribution to our national development," it said.

Citizenship, the ANCYL argued, was not a mere administrative status, but a commitment to a country, its people, and its future.

The ANCYL expressed concerns that the court ruling opened the door to "dual loyalties", as it believed that the country needed "focused, active citizens".

"South Africans must decide: are you in or are you out? One cannot enjoy the privileges of being South African while pledging allegiance to another State," it said, stating that national identity must be protected from dilution.

The ANCYL has invited the youth to make submissions to the ongoing constitutional review process.

"This is an opportunity for the youth to raise their voices on matters that affect their future and ensure that our Constitution reflects the lived realities and aspirations of this generation. Submissions can be made through the official platforms provided by Parliament, and we encourage all progressive youth to seize this moment," the ANCYL said.

It further called for a national discussion on "the meaning of citizenship" in a post-Apartheid democratic State.

"…we cannot allow our laws to be hijacked by those with dual passports and divided interests, who run to South Africa when it's convenient and abandon it when it's time to contribute meaningfully. We remain committed to advancing the interests of young people who have no other home but South Africa, and who are ready to build and defend it with everything they have," the Youth League said.

The African National Congress (ANC) has met with the Afrikaner Leadership Network, which includes the Solidarity Movement, Solidarity and AfriForum, and described discussions as "robust and frank".

The meeting held on Tuesday, was facilitated by the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania which had held prior meetings with the ANC and the Afrikaner Leadership Network.

The parties said they discussed various issues of national interest, and stated that the meeting was a clear indication that South Africans had a collective responsibility to address the country's challenges.

The parties said they identified issues around which they were committed to find South African solutions, "in the interest of a diverse and united nation".

In March the Solidarity Movement and its sister organisation, AfriForum, made a trip to the US, to discuss concerns regarding South Africa's policies.

This after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the Expropriation Bill, which was met with criticism for its clause on nil compensation in certain cases.

The Solidarity Movement was criticised for this move, with many blaming it for creating a campaign of misinformation that led to US President Donald Trump cutting funding to South Africa.

The Solidarity Movement said at the time that the ANC must accept responsibility for the diplomatic crisis with the US owing to what it termed the party's "reckless policies".

Ahead of Wednesday's State of the City Address, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg has submitted motions of no confidence in City of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero and Council Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu.

DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku stated that her party believed that under the current leadership, basic services were crumbling and communities were being neglected.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku accused Morero of failing citizens of the City, and claimed that his administration had been marked by "mismanagement, patronage networks, and a disturbing lack of transparency".

"Equally troubling is the Speaker's failure to uphold her constitutional role as an impartial guardian of council processes. Instead of ensuring fair and robust oversight, she has consistently shielded the mayor, undermining council's ability to hold the executive accountable," Kayser-Echeozonjoku added.

She accused Mthembu of being biased, which she sayid had "stifled critical decision-making, suppressed legitimate scrutiny, and eroded the democratic integrity of the council chamber".

She said Mthembu's actions, showed that she was no longer independent and that she is "a political ally of the mayor".

Kayser-Echeozonjoku went on to claim that between Morero and Mthembu, council had turned into what she termed a political playground, while she said residents suffered the consequences of poor governance.

"We owe it to every resident to fight for a council that works, a mayor who leads, and a speaker who upholds the rules with fairness and impartiality. We urge all councillors, irrespective of party affiliation, to support the DA's motions and join us in fighting for a city that works for all its people," the party highlighted.

The latest Altron FinTech Household Resilience Index (AFHRI) has improved, for the third consecutive quarter, following a series of repo rate cuts between September 2024 and January 2025.

While the three 25 basis points cuts have led to a modest improvement in the financial positions of South Africa's households, citizens are "not out of the woods yet", AFHRI's fourth quarter of 2024 report has found.

Economist Dr Roelof Botha, who compiles the index on behalf of Altron FinTech, pointed out that the increase in the AFHRI during the fourth quarter of 2024 reflected the seasonal influence of year-end bonuses, as well as temporary jobs created during the summer holiday season.

In addition, withdrawals from pension funds and other investments related to the two-pot system, which started in the third quarter of 2024, artificially inflated the performance of the AFHRI, an effect that is likely to become more subdued during 2025 and that is detrimental to the financial disposition of households in the longer term.

When these indicators are included at their values recorded in the third and fourth quarters of 2023, the AFHRI's year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter increases drop to 1.4% and 1.2%, respectively.

Botha commented that, from a longer-term perspective, it is also concerning that households have been sacrificing considerably more of their incomes on servicing debt - a direct result of the restrictive monetary policy over the past three years.

"At the latest meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank, the rate-cutting cycle was halted, which will prevent the debt cost burden of households from dropping to a level that would encourage a more permanent recovery of household expenditure - the key driver of aggregate demand in the economy," Botha said.

"In the event of the country's monetary authorities appreciating the dire need for higher growth and employment creation, further rate cuts will be on the cards."

However, the economy is unlikely to grow at more than 1.5% in real terms until the prime overdraft rate declines to between the pre-Covid rate of 10% and the rate of 7% immediately after the Covid lockdowns were lifted. The prime overdraft rate is currently 11%.

"The AFHRI's four-quarter average indicator has started to recover but remains barely above the level recorded at the end of 2021, when the MPC started its relentless cycle of interest rate increases, despite lacklustre GDP growth and an obvious absence of excess demand in the economy."

The ratio of household debt costs to disposable incomes, while having declined to 8.9%, remains significantly higher than the 6.8% level in 2021.

Further, the cost of credit, and of capital formation, in the South African economy remains 31% higher than four years ago - one of the main reasons for the lethargic economic growth rate that moved in tandem with each increase in the repo rate.

"The decision by the MPC at its March policy meeting not to lower the repo rate further is regrettable, as several key economic indicators continue to show weakness, with business confidence having retracted since the beginning of the year," Botha continued.

The S&P Global Purchasing Managers' Index for South Africa fell to 47.4 in January 2025, down from 49.9 in December, marking the sharpest contraction in the private sector since July 2021.

"Although it recovered to 48.3 in March 2025, it has now been in contraction territory - below 50 - for four successive months. The main reason for the decline in this indicator is weak demand that has driven further declines in output and in new orders."

Further, Botha indicated the marginal lowering of interest rates had not been sufficient to lift the building construction sector out of its deep recession.

The Afrimat Construction Index for the fourth quarter of 2024 showed a marginal 0.5% quarter-on-quarter increase, below the rate recorded for the country's GDP.

The lengthy and steep decline in the values of building plans passe...

The South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) warned on Tuesday that South Africa's public service is in a critical condition, characterised by a lack of professionalism and rampant political interference, but noted the potential of the Government of National Unity (GNU) to be a game changer.

South Africa's poorly functioning public service had led to a decline in service delivery and an increase in corruption and inefficiency, the IRR said.

Speaking the launch of the IRR's paper on South Africa's public service, IRR project manager Terence Corrigan said the GNU had the potential to be a major game changer in the country, noting that the dominance of the African National Congress (ANC) had crashed, adding that he did not see it coming back.

"…more remarkable though was the Democratic Alliance and the ANC sharing the government podium; now I am sure this needs no further comment, that this is a very difficult relationship," he said.

He highlighted that one thing both parties seemed to agree on was the need for a better-quality administration through the creation of a professional, merit-based public service that prioritised the needs of all citizens and addressed governance issues.

The IRR paper on South Africa's public service, discusses the State and challenges with South Africa's public service, emphasising the need for reform and a merit-based, non-partisan approach to governance in the context of a coalition government.

It notes that public servants have often ignored formal work mandates and pursued personal or political goals.

"The central failing is the ineffective institutionalisation of the public service. Political formations and criminal networks have infiltrated public service operations. Long-standing staff may prioritise loyalty to criminal syndicates over public service duties," it pointed out.

Corrigan explained that these issues had persisted through various administrations, culminating in a crisis of governance.

The IRR paper points to reports as far back as 2009 and 2012, which highlighted critical shortcomings in local governance and the need for a capable State.

The National Development Plan emphasised the importance of insulating the public service from political interference, noting that by the end of former President Jacob Zuma's presidency, there was widespread recognition of the public service's inadequacies.

Free Speech Union South Africa MD Sara Gon said that to address the issues within the public service, a multi-faceted reform approach was necessary, focusing on depoliticisation, operational control, and enhancing capacity, saying cadre deployment had been an enemy in this respect during ANC presidencies.

She pointed out that reforms should target political and policy-related roots, operational control, and capacity enhancement.

"Key areas include depoliticising the public service, improving leadership and management, and enhancing recruitment and training. The public service must be reoriented to fulfil a developmental role in society," said Gon.

She noted that the politicisation of the civil service through cadre deployment must be decisively addressed to restore professionalism and meritocracy.

"Cadre deployment lacks constitutional justification and should be completely abandoned. The Public Service Commission should regain its authority to oversee public service operations. A cultural shift is needed to view the State as a public trust rather than a political prize," she explained.

She highlighted that effective leadership and management were crucial for improving the public service, focusing on accountability and employee engagement.