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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Tuesday said it was not surprised by US President Donald Trump's sentiments on the forced removal of Palestinians from Gaza, accusing him of having a history of "siding with white supremacist and far-right groups" worldwide.

The party condemned what it termed a "genocidal declaration" by Trump, which it believes exposes the "long-standing Zionist plan" to depopulate Gaza of Palestinians.

Trump recently suggested resettling Palestinians in neighbouring countries under his plan to take over and rebuild the Gaza Strip.

"Trump has shamelessly stated that Palestinians should have no right to return to Gaza and instead be permanently relocated, claiming that they would be given 'much better housing' elsewhere. He has suggested that Jordan or Egypt could be forced into taking in the displaced population, despite both nations rejecting such proposals," said the EFF.

While the party noted the recent ceasefire, which was supposed to allow for humanitarian relief, it believes this is a deception.

"While some Palestinians have attempted to return to Gaza, they have found nothing but devastation, sleeping in makeshift tents or on the streets without basic necessities. Many have been shot dead by Israeli forces simply for trying to return to their homes, which have either been destroyed or remain uninhabitable. Aid deliveries have been blocked, and the Red Cross has been unable to recover the bodies of those murdered by the Israeli military," the party stated.

It called on global progressive forces to reject the "genocidal policies" of Israel and its supporters, which include Trump and the US government.

"…the world must stand against this atrocity, or history will remember it as the greatest failure of humanity," the EFF said.

Meanwhile, the party said Trump's current support for extreme right-wing forces in South Africa was an "attempt to punish the country" for taking Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to declare genocide.

The EFF pointed out that while Trump falsely accused the South African government of conducting "land grabs" from Afrikaners and threatened economic sanctions, he boldly supported the violent dispossession of Palestinians.

"…this hypocrisy is not lost on us - it is the hallmark of white supremacy, colonisation, and the cruelty of imperialism," the EFF said.

The EFF also noted Trump's threats against the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying this demonstrated his commitment to shielding war criminals.

"In retaliation for the ICC's decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister, Trump has moved to sanction the court, seeking to cripple its ability to hold perpetrators accountable. This is a blatant attack on global justice, made even more absurd by the fact that the USA is not a signatory to the Rome Statute and has no authority over the ICC," the EFF said.

The party believes the US supports international law only when it is "weaponised against its enemies but will undermine it when it threatens their imperialist interests".

In a statement released on Tuesday, uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) MP Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla issued an "unconditional public apology" to party president Jacob Zuma and the MKP leadership, for recent posts directed at MKP secretary-general Floyd Shivambu.

Her father issued a statement berating her for "insulting posts" made against Shivambu and requested that she immediately issue an unconditional public apology to Shivambu, or her membership would be terminated and she would be recalled from all party responsibilities.

"As a committed and disciplined member of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, I hereby extend this unconditional public apology to President Zuma and UMkhonto WeSizwe Party leadership for the profanity used in my recent posts on X. While I hold strong and personal views, including serious concerns about internal party matters, my perceptions of how certain issues may be handled within the organisation, especially by the Party's Secretary General, I fully recognise that such concerns should have been, and shall be addressed through the proper internal channels, as dictated by the core values and principles of the glorious movement of the people," she said without mentioning Shivambu by name.

Zuma said earlier that no MKP member was above the party's constitution and he directed his daughter to issue an unconditional public apology to himself, party members, party supporters and South Africans.

"To President Jacob Zuma of the MK Party, the entire leadership, members, supporters of the MKP, and the people of South Africa, I wish to assure you that I never intended to harm the integrity of the party or the values it upholds. Hence, my deepest apology for any offense caused in this regard," Zuma-Sambudla said.

She added that she was prepared to face internal party processes and also issued an apology to the structures she served in.

Zuma had said an internal disciplinary process would be initiated.

"I hope my apology is received in the spirit of accountability, revolutionary solidarity and a genuine commitment to upholding the values of the MK Party," Zuma-Sambudla said.

Meanwhile, she appeared in the Durban Magistrate's court last month, where she was charged with terrorism and inciting violence during the deadly 2021 unrest. She was released on a warning and will appear in court again in March.

Lobby group AfriForum said on Monday that any investigation will confirm that there are no grounds for the "false allegations" of treason being made against AfriForum.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) opened a case of treason against the organisation in Cape Town on Monday, with the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) also announcing its intention to open a similar case against AfriForum, and other organisations, later this week.

The case comes after US President Donald Trump accused South Africa of confiscating land and treating some class of people very bad. Trump signed an executive order cutting financial assistance to South Africa, citing the land Expropriation Act.

Trump has also offered Afrikaners the option to resettle in the US, under refugee status, which AfriForum has declined.

Many organisations and political parties are blaming AfrifForum for the tension created with the US.

AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said the treason charges against his organisation are "absurd" and will not cause sleepless nights.

"It is the duty of civil society and organisations such as AfriForum to shine a light on legislation and actions that threaten the welfare of citizens and the country. We cannot keep quiet about the injustice that is being committed at the expense of South Africa, its citizens, and the South African economy. False allegations that AfriForum has spread 'misleading information' about the Expropriation Act and that this is the reason for the USA's action against South Africa are blatant lies," said Kriel.

He said AfriForum has constantly put the facts of the Expropriation Act in the spotlight.

"…this was done in the interest of the country and its citizens to point out the dangers that the act poses for private property rights and the risks that especially Section 12(3) of the act poses," emphasised Kriel.

Section 12(3) of the act provides for nil compensation in specific cases of land expropriation.

He pointed to what he termed the African National Congress's (ANC's) "reckless and radical" domestic and foreign policies, saying are the real reason for the unstable relations with the US and the US's recent actions against South Africa.

"Their action against the interests of the citizens of the country is evident in, among other things, State capture and other corruption as already pointed out by the Zondo Commission and the failure of the criminal justice system to act accordingly against individuals who are responsible for State capture and other transgressions," noted Kriel.

He explained that it is moreover hypocritical and ironic that it is MKP leader Jacob Zuma, who, in his time as President of the country, was responsible for State capture, is now the leader of the party to bring in a charge of treason against AfriForum.

BREACH OF OATH OF OFFICE

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said it will report MKP MP Andile Mngxitama to Parliament's Ethics Committee for investigation, for breach of his oath of office to the Republic.

This after Mngxitama posted on social media that he agreed with Trump that "land thieves must leave SA" and go to the US.

"Our land shall be free of colonialists. Mabahambe!," he posted on X, while also commenting on another post with the term "Plaas moord".

DA National Spokesperson Willie Aucamp said there is no place in democratic South Africa for hateful, and inciting words, particularly not from a person who has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution.

The party called for South Africans to de-escalate the "rhetoric and divisive language" being used following Trump's executive order against South Africa.

"When views and expression escalate to hate speech and calls for violence they must be condemned, and there must be accountability. No person in South Africa has the right to express themselves in a way that amounts to hate speech, which is harmful, promotes hatred, or incites harm," said Aucamp.

He pointed out that rural safety must be a top priority for the South African...

Economic Freedom Fighters' (EFF's) Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has officially announced his resignation from party politics, briefly noting his interest in making a contribution to the betterment of the country through academia.

Speaking during an SABC interview, Ndlozi pointed out that he had taken a decision to step away from party politics completely.

"I am leaving parties politics, I think I have made my contribution in that space, we do not live in a one-party State, we are not in the camps, we are not burned, politics is a free activity in South Africa and party politics is not the monopoly of making a social contribution," he said.

Last month, Ndlozi resigned as an MP. He has served in the National Assembly since 2014.

He highlighted his interest in contributing in academia and a passion for the upliftment of the level of discourse in the country.

"…but most importantly, I think the terrain of struggle that has been neglected over the years is the civil society space, and that civil society space I am interested in it because it is where you are able to cultivate and agitate the notions of freedom where liberation is about the people, the people liberate themselves and community development, research, advocacy," he explained.

He said it was time someone did for the people of this country, what AfriForum undertook for the Afrikaner community.

"I think that is the civil society space that one is having a conversation and thinking about. I am saying that party politics do not monopolise the contribution to social change and I have taken a decision to step out," he said.

ALLEGATIONS

Ndlozi has also broken his silence on allegations levelled against him by the EFF's leadership, explaining that he could not attend the EFF National People's Assembly over a dispute over his suspension.

He noted that he was suspended about six weeks before the conference, and said the suspension was unconventional, claiming that it did not rely on the EFF's code of conduct.

"…but largely the suspension rested on two counts. On the one hand the leadership said that it's in possession of an intelligence report in which they claim that I am part of the infiltration strategy by the MKP, I am working with the MKP, that I am planning to go join them, that I am waiting for some opportune moment. The second one largely rested on the fact that I knew about then deputy president Floyd Shivambu's departure and I did not tell the leadership," he explained.

Ndlozi said he was told by the EFF leadership to stay at home, and cease his participation in Parliament and other EFF activities.

"It was very important for me because they said that the investigation is still ongoing and when the investigation is finished I then would be given an opportunity to respond to these allegations," he explained.

He said the allegations levelled against him were "dangerous and very serious."

He explained that the leadership argued that the report would only be ready after the conference and the matter had been referred to the leadership.

"It seemed fair for me to wait, to clear my name in relation to these allegations so that I do not function with a dark cloud on my head or a gun on my face. As I said, we can all agree these are very serious allegations that one had betrayed the revolution, had been disloyal and that indeed you are a double agent of some sort," he added.

He stated categorically that he never planned to join the MKP and that he still did not intend on joining the party. He said he had never worked with anybody in the MKP.

"…I think that whatever information they say they have was based largely on lies," he highlighted.

Ndlozi said he knew about Shivambu's departure, however he said he was not an informant.

"I did know about the departure of Floyd Shivambu, he did come to tell me of his consideration and indeed I did tell him that look you have to take the leadership into confidence and he did. The idea that I should have ran behind his back and inform the leadership...

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has asked the Western Cape High Court for an order that will nullify the Expropriation Act in its current form, saying the Act is "unconstitutional, substantively and procedurally".

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the controversial Expropriation Act, which allows for land expropriation without compensation in certain circumstances.

The Act has been met with criticism from opposition parties, civil society organisations and US President Donald Trump.

DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille said the process of adopting the Act did not conform to the Constitution, noting that five out of the seven provinces that voted for the Act in the National Council of Provinces did so without obtaining a provincial mandate in the manner prescribed by law and regulations.

Zille also pointed out that the Act was "vague and contradictory" in several clauses, which she said rendered it unconstitutional.

She said during the process in the previous Parliament to pass the Act, the DA was unequivocal.

"…we reject this Act, because we believe that no government in a democratic country should be given such sweeping powers to expropriate property without compensation," she explained.

She highlighted that apart from compelling legal shortcomings, the DA strongly opposed the substance of the Act, which she said sought to fulfil the mandate of the African National Congress's (ANC's) elective conference in 2017, which mandated the party to include expropriation without compensation as an instrument of law.

Zille said after the DA defeated the ANC's plan to amend Section 25 of the Constitution to enable expropriation without compensation, amending this Act became a "blunt instrument of ANC majoritarianism in the last Parliament".

"There are at least three other Acts that deal with restitution for injustices of the past that give meaning to Section 25 of the Constitution, and where the DA governs, we are facilitating just and fair compensation in terms of these laws - the Restitution of Land Rights Act, and two Land Reform Acts," she added.

She noted that her party rejects the ANC trying to "smuggle in further powers" of expropriation without compensation in an Act that is meant to provide for expropriation in circumstances where the State needs to develop infrastructure such as roads, railways and dams.

"Every country has legislation to ensure that the State can, with fair compensation, build public infrastructure, but this Act goes too far outside of these accepted international norms," she added.

In the passage and signature of the Expropriation Act, the ANC wanted to dramatically widen the purview of expropriation, and keep the window for land restitution open indefinitely, Zille claimed.

Spokesperson to the President Vincent Magwenya on Friday reiterated Cyril Ramaphosa's directive made during the State of the Nation Address (SoNA) that the national flag be flown at half-mast at all flag stations for seven days, in honour of the soldiers who lost their lives in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The South African forces were part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC, deployed in December.

During Thursday evening's SoNA, Ramaphosa read out the names of the 14 fallen soldiers and said flags would fly at half-mast from Friday.

Criticisms have been made over the adequacy of support for the soldiers, with the Democratic Alliance preparing to use an upcoming debate in Parliament to demand answers on why South African National Defence Force members remain in armed conflict in eastern DRC.

In his SoNA, Ramaphosa stressed that the soldiers had lost their lives defending the rights of the Congolese people to live in peace and security.

"They lost their lives not in the pursuit of resources, territory or power. They lost their lives so that the guns on our continent may be forever silenced. We salute our gallant soldiers," he said.

Opposition parties have expressed mixed reactions to President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address (SoNA), with the GOOD Party praising Ramaphosa's steady and diplomatic tone in the face of US provocation.

Ramaphosa delivered his SoNA on Thursday, where he highlighted that South Africans would not be bullied, as the country deals with tension with the US.

Following the signing of the Expropriation Bill into law by Ramaphosa, the country was accused by US President Donald Trump of confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people "very bad", describing the alleged situation as a massive human rights violation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated his President's stance, pointing out that he will not attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg, as "South Africa is doing very bad things".

GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron said Ramaphosa's plan to send delegations to engage world leaders to dispel the false narratives is a positive and proactive step.

"His steadfast references to the values of compassion, empathy and humanity were an excellent start. He is correct that South Africa has lessons to teach the world about cooperative problem-solving and nation building. His steady and diplomatic tone in the face of US provocation was commendable, as was his recommitment to peace for Ukrainians and Palestinians," noted Herron.

He also noted that Ramaphosa walked a "coalition tightrope" in his SoNA, balancing the urgent need to address high rates of poverty and inequality with the needs of the business sector for a stable environment conducive to economic growth to facilitate this.

"…his commitment to use the Social Release of Distress Grant as the basis for a more sustainable social relief mechanism was very important. This commitment must translate into the implementation of a Basic Income Grant of at least R999 a month in the next financial year," Herron said.

However, he said aiming for 3% annual growth of the economy was not enough to meaningfully dent the unemployment and poverty rates.

He said South Africa needed to grow at a minimum of 5% a year, for several consecutive years.

"[Ramaphosa] signalled that the pending reform would include privatising elements in the electricity, freight, rail and port sectors. There was much in the President's speech that was good, but the proof of the pudding will be in the implementation and delivery," Herron said.

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) called for a clear plan for economic transformation that prioritised black empowerment, job creation, and service delivery.

The party rejected, with contempt, what it termed a directionless, inept and incoherent SoNA, saying it was nothing but a desperate attempt to mask the catastrophic failures of, what it has labelled, "the neoliberal, right-wing so called Government of National Unity (GNU)".

"Since the formation of the GNU, this unholy alliance between the African National Congress (ANC) and the racist Democratic Alliance (DA) has delivered nothing but chaos, regression, and suffering for the people of South Africa, particularly workers and the poor. The GNU was supposedly established to stabilise the economy, promote economic growth, reduce poverty, and build a capable and ethical state - yet, in every measurable aspect, it has failed dismally," the EFF said.

The party pointed out that when he opened the seventh administration in July last year, Ramaphosa "boldly proclaimed" that the GNU would place inclusive growth at the centre of its agenda.

"…this was supposedly meant to drive job creation, empower black South Africans and uplift the most vulnerable. However, South Africa's economy remains in a dire state, with economic growth averaging below 1.5% annually and projected to grow by less than 2% over the next three years," the EFF said.

The party believes that instead of implementing bold State-led industrial policies, the GNU has left South Africa's economy at the mercy of white-owned private businesses th...

Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel on Friday gave feedback on what the organisation describes as the African National Congress's (ANC's) "reckless actions and policies", and which it believes were the catalysts for US President Donald Trump's withdrawal of aid to South Africa.

AfriForum has been called out by government and other organisations for creating misinformation, particularly around the recently assented Expropriation Act, that resulted in claims from Trump that South Africa is confiscating land, and "treating certain classes of people very badly".

Trump's claims have since been widely refuted by government leaders and civil society organisations, with President Cyril Ramaphosa calling on Trump to better understand South African policies.

AfriForum has been on a campaign, with delegations to the US, to raise "awareness" on land expropriation without compensation and farm murders.

The lobby group believes the nil compensation clause in the Expropriation Act needs to be amended.

"…it is so that expropriation is common in the world, but the only places that have compensation of nil is Zimbabwe and Venezuela," Kriel said during a media briefing in Pretoria.

While Trump made claims of land confiscations in South Africa, Kriel clarified that at the moment there were no large scale confiscations of land in the country, but rather claimed that there were large scale land grabs underway.

He said the "real problem" was that the Expropriation Act allowed for the "disrespect" of property rights, while pointing to South Africa's foreign policy, which he said played into Trump's statement.

"It is astonishing that nobody asked what is President Cyril Ramaphosa's role, what was the African National Congress's role in creating this anger from the US President, and simply it was just said 'no it's them, its AfriForum'.

"What we have seen in the last week is an orchestrated attempt to just put the blame on someone else. Ramaphosa and leaders of the ANC are to be blamed for the crisis," he said.

He said it was Ramaphosa who had signed the Act, not AfriForum, pointing out that the organisation tried to prevent the Bill from becoming law.

Kriel further claimed that the ANC government was reaching out to Hamas and building relationships with countries such as Iran, which it said could lead to an intensification of US action against South Africa.

He said this created the impression that Ramaphosa and the ANC government had a strong anti-western attitude and were choosing sides against the US.

AfriForum also wants South Africa to rethink its international relations policy and commit to keep out of international conflicts.

The organisation also urged the US not to punish ordinary people in the country.

"…normal working class, unemployed people are not responsible. If one is going to be blamed, blame the President and blame the ANC," Kriel said.

He stated that AfriForum tried, through conversations with Ramaphosa and the ANC, to find solutions for the "crisis" that the Expropriation Act and Basic Education Laws Amendment Act created.

He alleged that Ramaphosa and the Government of National Unity were acting "very badly" with regards to the cultural existence of the Afrikaans community, stating that there were 141 racially-discriminating laws in the country.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, the ANC said it would not tolerate "racist distortions" aimed at undermining national sovereignty and the country's transformation agenda. It called for a progressive rejections, locally and globally, of AfriForum's "divisive agenda" and called for support for South Africa's pursuit of justice, equity, and land reform.

"It is unacceptable that AfriForum continues to seek external intervention against a sovereign country's domestic policies - policies that are necessary to address the legacy of land dispossession caused by colonialism and apartheid," the party said.

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has reiterated its support for land expropriation, in line with the Constitution, as it responded to US President Donald Trump's opposition to the policy.

On Sunday, Trump accused South Africa of "confiscating" land and "treating certain classes of people very badly", threatening to cut off all future funding to the country pending an investigation.

South Africa hit back at Trump's misinformation and stressed its sovereignty and democracy, while stating that there was no arbitrary dispossession of land or private property taking place in the country.

The SACP reiterated South Africa's national independence and said it rejected Trump's "imperialist agenda" and the "entire United States imperialism".

"South Africa is an independent country with its own democratic sovereignty and territorial integrity. We are not a colony of the United States or any other state for that matter: we fought against and shall fight against any attempts at undermining our national independence, democratic sovereignty and territorial integrity. The SACP rejects with the contempt it deserves the agenda by the United States to operate outside both international convention and democratic multilateralism and make itself the ruler of the world," it said.

Further, it stressed that the recently assented Expropriation Act repeals the apartheid-era Act and aims to redress past discrimination. It said Trump's opposition to the Act was hypocritical, racist, distorted and misleading given that he did not oppose the old legislation that saw racial land dispossession.

"For the record, Trump is not the President of South Africa - he is the president of the United States. We will not allow him to interfere in our internal affairs, undermine our democratic national sovereignty, or impose his reactionary will upon our people. The SACP remains resolute: South Africa belongs to all South Africans who live in it. We will not bow to imperialist threats. The struggle continues!," the SACP said.

The Portfolio Committee on Health emphasised the need for South Africa to strengthen its sovereignty in health matters and reduce reliance on foreign funding, calling on Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi to prioritise local production of essential medications.

The committee also wants Motsoaledi to explore innovative funding mechanisms that could support health initiatives without depending on foreign aid.

The committee received a comprehensive briefing from Motsoaledi, regarding the recent withdrawal of funding from the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Last month, US President Donald Trump announced that his government would be halting all PEPFAR funding, which has funded the distribution of HIV/AIDS treatment in South Africa and other countries for years.

During the briefing, Motsoaledi highlighted PEPFAR's critical role in supporting various health initiatives, stating that about 7.8-million South Africans are living with HIV/AIDS - the highest number globally.

Motsoaledi emphasised that PEPFAR funding had been instrumental in addressing the needs of the 27 high-burden districts, which were selected for support based on specific criteria.

The committee also highlighted that the withdrawal of PEPFAR funding served as a wake-up call for the country to develop sustainable healthcare solutions independent of external influences.

The Minister noted that South Africa relied primarily on its own budget for antiretroviral treatment, with approximately 90% of the medication being locally funded.

During the discussions on the US withdrawal of PEPFAR funding, committee members had questions about the immediate and long-term implications of this decision.

"Members expressed concern that the suspension of funding could lead to significant disruptions in HIV prevention and treatment services, particularly in these 27 high-burden districts that rely heavily on PEPFAR support," said Health Committee chairperson Sibongiseni Dhlomo.

The committee also wanted to know about contingency plans for maintaining service delivery, the potential impact on patient care, and how the department intends to support the healthcare workforce affected by the funding cut.

Dhlomo highlighted that the committee sought clarity on how the government planned to address the anticipated shortfall and the measures that would be put in place to ensure that those living with HIV continued to receive the care they need.

HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Meanwhile, concerns were raised about the rising numbers of qualified healthcare professionals who wee unable to find employment in the public sector.

The committee questioned the long-term implications of this trend on the healthcare sector, noting that an adequate workforce was essential for delivering effective health services, especially in underserved areas.

Committee members questioned the Minister about the current vacancy rates for medical positions and urged him to outline specific strategies for integrating newly qualified doctors into the healthcare system.

"Suggestions made included the need for a streamlined recruitment process, the development of internship programmes that guarantee employment upon completion, and collaboration with provincial health departments to prioritise hiring in areas with the greatest need. The committee urged the Minister to explore strategies for absorbing newly qualified healthcare practitioners into the public healthcare system," explained Dhlomo.