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For the second consecutive quarter, the African National Congress (ANC) declared the most donations, more than R12-million, with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Political Funding's Third Quarter Disclosure Report, which showed a total of R18 364 505 in all party donations.

The IEC said this made the cumulative value of donations for the year to date a significant R216 869 547.

The IEC's Political Funding's Third Quarter Disclosure Report for the 2024-25 Financial Year, showed an increase of R10-million compared with the previous quarter.

The ANC, Democratic Alliance (DA), Referendum Party (RP), Build One South Africa (BOSA) and nine individual entities made a declaration of donations above the R100 000 threshold.

The ANC declared a total of R12 998 773, with all the donations received from the party's regular donors, non-profit company Education and Training Unit (ETU), Chancellor House Trust and Botho Botho Commercial Enterprises.

The ETU made an in-kind donation of R998 773 in the form of direct payment to a hotel for the accommodation and training of ANC members in November 2024.

"Chancellor House Trust made a monetary donation of R2 000 000 in December 2024, whereas Botho-Botho Commercial Enterprise made a monetary donation of R10 000 000 on December 5, 2024," it said.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) reported the second highest in donations, amounting to R4 268 227.

Donations were received from Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), Main Street 1564, Danish Liberal Democracy Programme (DLDP) and the Smollan Foundation Trust (SFT).

"FNF made two separate donations of R888 950 and R311 547 in November and December 2024, respectively. The former was a monetary donation while the latter was an in-kind donation made in the form of a direct payment to service providers on behalf of the party for a variety of training and skills development projects," said the IEC.

The IEC noted that Main Street 1564 made two separate monetary donations of R1 420 773 and R706 316 in December 2024, while the DLDP and the SFT made monetary donations of R790 640 and R150 000, respectively.

"As a foreign donor, DLDP's donation was used to fund the DA's Ready to Govern Locally II Training Programme. Such a foreign donation and its use on skills development is permissible in law," it explained.

The Referendum Party reported the third highest donation, valued at R937 341, which was an in-kind donation from the Cape Independence Advocacy Group to provide for campaign resources such as the use of an office, 200 t-shirts, 20 000 flyers, 2 000 posters, gazebos and social media advertising.

The IEC highlighted that the donation was made in June 2024, which made it a late declaration.

"Consequently, the Party was issued a direction in terms of section 15 of the Act to make representation. Depending on the reasons furnished for this late declaration, the party could face imposition of an administrative fine or other penalties provided for in the Act," the IEC explained.

BOSA declared an in-kind donation worth R160 164.

The donation was received from Konrad Adeneur Stiftung NPC (KAS) in November 2024, towards payment for hotel accommodation, meals, conference fees, flights and transport costs for two training workshops for persons deployed in the national and provincial spheres of government.

The DA and BOSA declared foreign donations, constituting R2 151 300, or 11.7%, of the total value of donations declared for the quarter.

The donations were received from FNF, DLDP and KAS.

"The donations complied with the Act in that they did not exceed the upper limit of R5 000 000 per donor per party in a financial year and they were utilised for activities and costs related to training and skills development of members of the political parties concerned," the IEC said.

Lobby group AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel has reiterated his accusation that President Cyril Ramaphosa and the African National Congress (ANC) are causing division, this after Ramaphosa said AfriForum and Solidarity "spawned division" with a visit to the US this week.

The Solidarity Movement and its organisations held meetings with representatives of US President Donald Trump's administration to discuss concerns regarding South Africa's policies.

Following discussions with US representatives, the Solidarity Movement issued a warning to the South African government that a Bill is being considered by the US to review bilateral relations between both countries.

Many have labelled the Solidarity Movement and its associated organisations as "treasonous", with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party recently opening a case of treason against AfriForum.

However, the Solidarity Movement and its organisations have instead blamed the South African government, and particularly the ANC, for alienating the US and straining tensions.

Kriel said Ramaphosa and the leaders of the ANC must accept responsibility for the division they were sowing.

"It is Ramaphosa who signed the anti-Afrikaans Bela Act - an act that threatens the cultural existence of Afrikaans-speaking cultural communities. It is also Ramaphosa who signed the Expropriation Act. It is he who refuses to condemn slogans such as 'Kill the Boer' and it is the same President who denies the existence of farm murders," Kriel stated.

He pointed to letters that AfriForum, Solidarity and the Solidarity Movement sent to Ramaphosa about the Bela Act, the Expropriation Act and the current tension with the US, claiming that these letters were simply ignored.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the President refused to enter discussions with these organisations, with Kriel labelling this action and Ramaphosa's "U-turn" on the Bela negotiations at Nedlac as "contemptuous."

"We will not be deterred. We will simply continue to fight for the interests of the country, and we will also fight unashamedly for the interests of Afrikaners. These statements only motivate us more to get our message out loud and clear," emphasised Kriel.

He pointed out that the movement would not be silenced by the "so-called cancel culture".

The African National Congress (ANC) says the rapid finalisation and adoption of the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) within a short period after the establishment of the Government of National Unity (GNU) is a clear demonstration that government is functioning effectively and that the centre is holding.

Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Maropene Ramokgopa, welcomed Cabinet's approval of the MTDP for 2024 to 2029.

The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation led and coordinated government to develop the MTDP as the five-year plan of the seventh administration.

The department noted that the MTDP 2024-2029 was a comprehensive framework guiding government action and priorities for the current administration.

"It is rooted in principles of inclusivity, poverty eradication, economic growth and sustainable development. This plan marks a critical phase in achieving the National Development Plan Vision 2030, as it is the final medium-term plan before the 2030 deadline," said Ramokgopa.

ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri highlighted that the approval of the MTDP marked a "significant step forward" for the GNU in delivering on its mandate to transform South Africa's economic landscape.

"A government that is efficient, transparent, and accountable is fundamental to rebuilding public trust and ensuring that developmental programmes reach the intended beneficiaries," she said.

Bhengu-Motsiri pointed out that a "capable, ethical, and developmental" State was essential for the success of the MTDP.

The ANC supported the emphasis placed on governance reforms, tackling corruption, and improving service delivery.

The ANC reaffirmed its commitment to working with all GNU partners in the spirit of the Statement of Intent, to ensure that the priorities of the current administration were aligned with the needs and aspirations of South Africans.

Bhengu-Motsiri said the ANC welcomed the emphasis on industrialisation and economic diversification, with key interventions aimed at unlocking the potential of sectors such as mining, manufacturing, agriculture and the green economy.

"The support for township and rural economies is a direct response to the urgent need for economic transformation that is inclusive of historically disadvantaged communities," she stated.

Bhengu-Motsiri pointed out that fighting unemployment and poverty remained a top priority of the MTDP.

The ANC welcomed the commitment to expand skills development and vocational training, particularly for young people, to equip them for a changing labour market.

"Additionally, the expansion of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme and support for small businesses, cooperatives, and entrepreneurs will provide much-needed relief and opportunities for economic participation. The enhancement of public employment initiatives will further contribute to absorbing a significant number of unemployed individuals into productive and income-generating activities," she said.

The MTDP also prioritised social development and the fight against the high cost of living, which the party said disproportionately affected the working class and the poor.

Bhengu-Motsiri noted that the plan outlined strategies to strengthen food security, expand social support systems, and improve access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and public transport.

"The commitment to stabilising electricity supply, upgrading water infrastructure, and improving logistics and transport networks will remove key barriers to economic growth and enhance South Africa's attractiveness for investment," she explained.

Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra) executive director Joel Netshitenzhe on Thursday noted that poor alignment in terms of technocratic logic, political savviness and emotional intelligence were laid bare for all to see in the recently instated Government of National Unity (GNU).

Netshitenzhe was speaking during a panel discussion on the South African State 30 years into democracy, building on Mistra's previous research examining the complex challenges, successes and failures of the South African State.

The webinar is a precursor to Mistra's upcoming book on the South African State, which will provide a comprehensive and timely evaluation of the South African State, with recommendations for course correction.

"In my view nothing illustrates the absence of effective integration and the gap between strategic planning and resources allocation, than the events which took place last week," he said.

For the first time in the country's history, the yearly Budget was postponed owing to disagreements among parties in the GNU.

Meanwhile, he noted that things seemed to have taken a turn for the worst with the new US administration, which he said in many respects suggested only "crude selfish interest but also the promotion of white supremacist ideology".

"South Africa may feel especially targeted but many more victims across the world are feeling the hand of US right wing populism, including State employees in the US itself, the global business community, centrist parties in Europe and the people of Palestine," he said.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump accused South Africa of "confiscating land" and "treating certain classes of people very bad".

This after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the controversial Expropriation Bill, which was met with criticism.

Netshitenzhe said that how the South African State navigated this global environment was a matter of Statecraft, diplomacy and economic strategy.

"…at one level, the State and private sector have to develop appropriate responses, at another level it is necessary to build a wide array of alliances across the world, including civil society," he said.

MISTRA MANUSCRIPT

Netshitenzhe noted that interestingly one of the earlier chapters in Mistra's upcoming book deals with the issues which are currently in contention.

"…how the State acquires and spends resources; questions are also posed about embedded autonomy and the meanings and forms of State capture. The diffusion of power among various agencies of the State is also a matter of great interest, from special context across the spheres in the form of subsidiarity and possibly asymmetry," he highlighted.

The book also focuses on the role of the judiciary, the aspirations of traditional leadership and the broader understanding of security beyond the role of the State as the legitimate bearer of arms.

"Given the degradation of State capacity of the past decade, there is also a need to look closely at the State delivery machinery, beyond the necessary focus on ethics and punishing law brokers.

"…if people-centred and people-driven development is to find concrete expression, the state of civil society cannot be divorced from the state of the State. This also relates to the global context within which South Africa has to operate," he explained.

He pointed out that the State must take into account changes in global production chains and trade, and growing nationalism across the world, trends he said had been developing over time.

Following discussions with representatives in the US, the Solidarity Movement has issued a warning to the South African government that a Bill is being considered by the US to review bilateral relations between both countries.

Relations between South Africa and Donald Trump's administration came to a head after the signing of the Expropriation Act, tensions which many believe were exacerbated by the Solidarity Movement and its members AfriForum and Solidarity lobbying the US.

Trump accused South Africa of "confiscating land" and "treating some classes of people very badly" and signed an executive order cutting financial assistance to South Africa, citing the Expropriation Act.

Trump has also offered Afrikaners the option to resettle in the US under refugee status, which AfriForum has declined but asked for assistance to help form an Afrikaner settlement in South Africa.

Many have labelled the Solidarity Movement and its associated organisations as "treasonous", with the uMkhonto weSizwe Party recently opening a case of treason against AfriForum.

However, the Solidarity Movement and its organisations have instead blamed the South African government, and particularly the African National Congress (ANC), for alienating the US and straining tensions.

"There is growing anger in the US government over South Africa's foreign policy. This is going to cost South Africa dearly, and tens of thousands of people who will lose their jobs will pay the price for the government's reckless policies. This is the reaction of the Solidarity Movement, of which AfriForum and Solidarity are part of, after discussions today with senior members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives and the Senate in the USA. This also follows discussions held yesterday with senior members of the Trump administration in the White House," the Solidarity Movement said.

It revealed that members of the US Committee on Foreign Affairs are currently considering re-submitting a 2024 draft Bill to the House of Representatives to review relations, citing South Africa's alleged historic ties with Hamas, China, Iran and Russia.

The Solidarity Movement argued that as a result of these ties, South Africa had lost its neutrality and it pointed out that as Republicans controlled the Senate, the Bill had a high chance to being passed.

"Furthermore, the Bill also addresses South Africa's flawed domestic policy, the government's inability to govern the country and its laxity towards corruption. A comprehensive review of the bilateral relations between the USA and South Africa is proposed in the Bill. If this Bill is passed, it would be solely the fault of the government, and specifically the ANC. This situation has been building up over many years and the recent passing of the Expropriation Act was merely the trigger," it said.

The Solidarity Movement warned that the Bill would negatively affect South Africa's participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), jeopardising 500 000 South African jobs.

The Solidarity Movement wants the US Senate and the House of Representatives to recommend to Trump that South Africa remain a member of AGOA, while exerting political pressure on South Africa to change its policies.

"The Solidarity Movement has proposed that, instead of punishing ordinary South Africans, the focus should rather be on sanctions against corrupt individuals and pressure on ANC leaders. However, the South African government is conspicuous by its absence in the USA. Its diplomatic abilities seem to have collapsed. The Solidarity Movement cannot and does not want to act on behalf of the government, but we believe our call for intensified political pressure to bring about policy change is for the benefit of all South Africans," it said.

South Africa wants to reach a broad-ranging agreement with the US on diplomacy and trade amid strained ties between the two nations, President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

A dispute over Pretoria's land and foreign policies has put it firmly in US President Donald Trump's crosshairs, with Washington halting almost all aid and the secretaries of state and finance skipping Group of 20 meetings in South Africa.

"We don't want to go and explain ourselves," Ramaphosa said at Goldman Sachs event Thursday. "We want to go and do a meaningful deal with the United States on a whole range of issues, and the signals that we're getting are that we need to enable the development of that process to happen - it's inevitable that we will get together and do a deal."

Trump's decision to freeze aid to South Africa because of its new land-expropriation laws and "aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies" - including accusing Israel of genocide in the International Court of Justice - has led to a R7.5-billion ($407-million) shortfall for its longstanding HIV programmes.

"It's an interconnected world - we've got to deal with each other, whether we like it or not, and we've got to look at other policy positions that we may differ on," Ramaphosa said.

Trump claimed on his Truth Social account on February 2 that South Africa is confiscating land. The nation's authorities haven't confiscated any private land since the end of apartheid in 1994.

Trump "got the wrong end of the stick" on the country's land policies, Ramaphosa said. "We had decided that it's not best to have a knee-jerk reaction to all this. We wanted to let the dust settle."

African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula announced on Wednesday the party's provincial task team for Gauteng, led by province's Provincial Convenor Amos Masondo.

Following the electoral losses suffered by the ANC in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal during last year's general elections, the party called for leadership in those provinces to be reconstituted, in terms of the framework of its constitution.

The party highlighted that the intervention, aligned with the party's constitution, was part of a broader strategy to rebuild the movement and prepare for the 2026 Local Government Elections.

Mbalula announced Panyaza Lesufi as Co-Provincial Convenor; Ntombi Mekgwe as Deputy Provincial Convenor; Hope Papo as Provincial Coordinator; Nomantu Ralehoko-Nkomo as Provincial Deputy Coordinator and Tasneem Motara as Provincial Fundraiser.

"…this intervention seeks to strengthen ANC's capacity in the province, deepen its connection with communities and key sectors of society," Mbalula said.

He said Gauteng remains a vital political background, where the ANC needs to consolidate its leadership to advance transformation.

Mbalula noted that the decision to reconfigure Gauteng was not taken as a punitive measure against losses in last year's elections, rather, he said it is a response to the need to ensure the ANC's organisational effectiveness in the country's most popular and economically significant province.

He pointed out that the 41% national vote outcome in the 2024 general elections was "heavily" influenced by results in Gauteng and KZN, which he said made the two provinces central to the party's overal renewal and recovery strategy.

On Tuesday, the ANC announced its top 6 for KZN.

"At this time of global uncertainty and escalating tension, it is now more important than ever that the members of the G20 work together."

This was the message President Cyril Ramaphosa had on Wednesday during the first Finance Ministers' and Central Bank Governors' meeting under South Africa's G20 Presidency.

He pointed out the G20's "collective responsibility" for effective stewardship of the global economy through sustainable, resilient and inclusive global growth for broader multilateralism.

The Finance Ministers' and Central Bank Governors' meeting will move to advance this responsibility.

"The meeting of foreign ministers reaffirmed the role of the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. This meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, like those that have come before, carries a weighty responsibility. It needs to forge consensus on the actions we must take collectively to build a global economy that is more resilient, more sustainable and more equal. As it has done in the past, it needs to raise its level of ambition to achieve specific, concrete and impactful outcomes with lasting consequences," Ramaphosa said.

He stressed the need for the Finance and Sherpa Tracks to work together for best results, stating that the G20 was founded on cooperation.

The Sherpa Track is led by the personal representatives of G20 leaders and seeks to oversee negotiations and discuss the points that form the summit's agenda, and coordinate most of the work.

Ramaphosa noted heightened global political tension and stressed the need for a "rules-based order" to stop conflicts.

He said the erosion of multilateralism presented a threat to global growth and stability.

"Multilateral cooperation is our only hope of overcoming unprecedented challenges, including slow and uneven growth, rising debt burdens, persistent poverty and inequality, and the existential threat of climate change. We are not moving quickly enough or boldly enough to address these global challenges. We must collectively target a step-change in our efforts to improve the lives of all of our people and to protect future generations," he stated.

Inequality between countries was noted as the most significant growth impediment, he said, noting the G20 needed to focus on inclusive growth based on responsive trade and investment to grow the incomes of poor nations.

He pointed to South Africa's G20 Presidency's focus areas of solidarity, equality and sustainability and said this was vital for wealthy and poor countries.

Once again, Ramaphosa outlined South Africa's priority areas during its G20 Presidency. This includes a strong focus on climate change, debt-sustainability, just energy transition finance and harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development.

He encouraged "innovation and openness" in trying to overcome the biggest challenges.

"In the context of our broader review of the G20 at the end of its first cycle, I have asked South Africa's Minister of Finance to initiate efforts to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of working arrangements in the Finance Track. As we work collectively to build on the progress made in previous years, we must continue to advance our shared goals. As the world navigates rapid technological changes, climate change and pressing development needs, the Finance Track must once again rise to the occasion," Ramaphosa said.

He reiterated the importance of Africa's inclusion in global discussions on the economy and politics, noting that some of the fastest-growing economies were found on the continent, however, he noted the challenges these countries faced with climate change, poverty and debt.

"The Summit's location underscores the need for African voices to be heard on critical global issues like sustainable growth, the digital economy and green industrialisation. We must focus the world's attention on the opportunities for more rapid, inclusive and sustainable growth in Af...

South African inflation edged up in January in the first release since the statistics agency updated its consumer price basket, but the headline rate remains near the bottom of the central bank's target range.

Inflation rose to 3.2% year on year in January from 3.0% in December, lower than the 3.3% forecast by economists and still well within the South African Reserve Bank's range of 3% to 6%.

Annual core inflation, which strips out volatile items, such as food and energy, came in at 3.5% in January, in line with analysts' expectations.

South Africa's central bank has cut interest rates at its last three monetary policy meetings, but its last move in January followed a split decision as it stressed the uncertain global backdrop.

Some analysts think the central bank will soon pause its rate-cutting cycle, though Capital Economics economist Jason Tuvey said in a research note on Wednesday that he thought there was still room for more policy easing.

"January's CPI data will lend support to the idea that price pressures in South Africa have been brought back under control," Tuvey wrote.

Nicky Weimar, an economist at Nedbank, said she suspected the central bank would keep its repo rate unchanged on March 20 "until the inflationary impact of the change in US economic policies becomes clearer".

A breakdown by Statistics South Africa showed housing and utilities, food and non-alcoholic drinks, and restaurants and accommodation were among the main contributors to January's annual inflation rate.

The statistics agency made changes to goods and services in its consumer inflation basket and updated the weights to reflect changes in spending habits. Items now in the basket include rose wine, air fryers and streaming services.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said on Tuesday that a group of critically injured soldiers has been repatriated from Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to receive medical care in South Africa.

Soldiers were deployed as part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the DRC.

So far, 14 soldiers have lost their lives in the conflict, this amid concerns regarding the serviceability of the SANDF's Prime Mission Equipment and mission deployment readiness.

There have been calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to recall soldiers from the mission.

Meanwhile, the SANDF said more wounded soldiers will arrive in South Africa this week.

"The SANDF in coordination with other relevant role players has worked tirelessly to ensure the safe return of our wounded members. We urge the public to respect and afford privacy to the injured members and their families during the healing process. The SANDF remains committed to the welfare of our soldiers. Further updates will be provided as necessary," it said.