Polity.org.za Audio Articles

Opposition parties have rejected the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's (Nersa's) decision to grant State power utility Eskom a 12.74% tariff hike, with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) calling for an immediate review of Nersa's tariff approval process and an urgent intervention to halt the planned tariff increases for 2026 and 2027 too.

In addition to the 12.74% tariff increase for electricity in 2025, effective April 1, Nersa has approved 5.3% and 6.1% increases for the next two financial years.

Parties point out that while the approved increases are significantly lower than Eskom's application for a 36.15% tariff hike, they are still above inflation.

Tariff increases announced on Thursday build on Nersa's 4% increase to recover Eskom's losses of R8-billion in the 2021/22 financial year.

Effectively this is an increase of 16.7%.

The EFF rejected the "reckless decision" by Nersa, saying this move was another assault on the working class and the poor.

The party said the crisis at Eskom was not an accident, but the product of "deliberate mismanagement, looting and a calculated agenda to privatise South Africa's energy sector for the benefit of capitalist vultures".

The party insisted that government must invest in sustainable and alternative energy solutions, diversifying the country's power supply and reducing the nation's dependency on Eskom's "failing monopoly".

Civil society organisation AfriForum said it would investigate the rationality of Nersa's Eskom tariff increases, to determine whether it meets legal requirements.

Last year, AfriForum warned the regulator in a presentation at the public hearings held on the Eskom tariff increase application, not to allow Eskom's recovery of expenses incurred unlawfully.

AfriForum said an investigation into the rationality of Nersa's decision to allow the increases would now be carried out to ensure that consumers were properly protected.

ECONOMIC PROGRESS

The Democratic Alliance (DA) pointed out that a tariff hike of this magnitude "undoes the economic progress and stability of the past six months".

The party pointed out that the increase afforded to Eskom was three times the national inflation rate and would put massive additional pressure on the prices of goods and services.

DA Electricity and Energy spokesperson Kevin Mileham said despite the party's best efforts to present a compelling case against these increases, Nersa had chosen to pass on Eskom's failure to manage its finances and operations to consumers.

Mileham said Eskom must be held accountable for its "operational inefficiencies and financial mismanagement".

"Eskom must stop the wasteful spending, address its failure to collect billions in unpaid municipal debts, and ensure that its operations are run efficiently and transparently. Only when these reforms are made can we even begin to consider any future price increases," he said.

The DA said it would explore ways to oppose this decision through the courts, in Parliament and in other forums.

The GOOD Party pointed out that the increases would be a major blow to indebted consumers, highlighting that legal contradictions in the electricity supply system needed to be urgently addressed.

GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron noted that South Africans were already paying among the highest electricity prices in the world, relative to income.

"…it is unfair to continue asking consumers to pay more without addressing the entire system's inefficiencies. It is GOOD's view that end-users are the ones who are paying for Eskom's years of mismanagement," he said.

ActionSA pointed out that for struggling households and businesses, these increases would be devastating.

"What is most alarming is that these increases are a direct result of Eskom's entrenched corruption and incompetence, which date back to the State Capture era. Ordinary South Africans are once again forced to foot the bill, while the real culprits - Eskom's leadership, the African National Congress governmen...

Eskom has announced that it will implement Stage 3 loadshedding from 17:00 on January 31, after warning earlier in the day that there was a high risk of loadshedding.

"This is a potentially temporary setback. Loadshedding is largely behind us due to the structural improvements in our generation fleet. However, over the past seven days, we have experienced several breakdowns that require extended repair times.

"This has necessitated the use of all our emergency reserves, which now need to be replenished. Consequently, we are closely monitoring the status of our current emergency reserves, and loadshedding up to Stage 4 may be implemented over the weekend," Eskom Group CE Dan Marokane said on Friday morning.

Eskom noted in a media briefing on Friday afternoon that six units were currently down, removing 3 600 MW from the grid.

This is the first time Eskom has had to implement loadshedding in ten months.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a daughter of former president Jacob Zuma, appeared in court on Thursday after being charged with inciting violence during riots in 2021 in which more than 300 people were killed.

A lawyer for Zuma-Sambudla said she would plead not guilty.

Prosecutors allege that Zuma-Sambudla incited others to commit acts of violence in posts on social media in July 2021, when unrest broke out after her father was arrested for disobeying a court order to testify at a corruption inquiry.

What began as anger over Zuma's jailing turned into rage over poverty and inequality, leading to the looting of thousands of shops, extensive damage to public infrastructure and the deaths of about 350 people.

The financial damage from the riots was estimated at R50 billion.

Jacob Zuma accompanied Zuma-Sambudla to the court in Durban. She was released on a warning until another court appearance scheduled for March.

After his contempt of court sentence ended in 2022, Zuma backed a new political party uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), which was a major disruptor in last year's national election.

MK won 58 parliamentary seats, contributing to a sharp drop in support for the African National Congress (ANC) which Zuma used to lead. The ANC was forced into a broad coalition with a host of other smaller parties.

Zuma-Sambudla is one of MK's lawmakers in the lower house of parliament.

South Africa's central bank cut its main lending rate by another 25 basis points to 7.50% as expected on Thursday, saying that while inflation appeared well-contained the medium-term outlook was more uncertain than usual.

The Monetary Policy Committee's decision was split, with four members preferring a 25 basis point cut and two supporting an unchanged stance.

Annual inflation ticked up to 3.0% in December, the latest month for which data is available, but it is still at the bottom of the central bank's 3%-6% target range.

Inflation averaged 4.4% in 2024, just below the midpoint of the target range the central bank aims for.

Inflation expectations of analysts, business people and trade union officials, which the central bank tracks closely, have also improved.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has hit out against South Africa as conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues, with choice words for President Cyril Ramaphosa after South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members died in the conflict.

Kagame said South Africa was in no position to take on the role of peacemaker or mediator, claiming that statements made by Ramaphosa following their conversation on the conflict contained distortion, deliberate attacks, and lies.

Kagame held two conversations with Ramaphosa this week on the situation in eastern DRC, including earlier on Wednesday.

Ramaphosa on Wednesday broke his silence on the death of the SANDF soldiers, following criticism from opposition parties on his silence.

Last week 13 SANDF members were killed by M23 rebels in DRC.

Ramaphosa explained that the fighting was the result of an escalation by the rebel group M23 and Rwanda Defence Force militia engaging the Armed Forces of the DRC and attacking peacekeepers from the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), which the SANDF soldiers were part of.

However, Kagame highlighted that Ramaphosa confirmed to him that M23 did not kill the soldiers from South Africa, and that instead Armed Forces of the DRC did.

"If words can change so much from a conversation to a public statement, it says a lot about how these very important issues are being managed. If South Africa wants to contribute to peaceful solutions, that is well and good, but South Africa is in no position to take on the role of a peacemaker or mediator. And if South Africa prefers confrontation, Rwanda will deal with the matter in that context any day," he stated.

He clarified that the Rwanda Defence Force was an army, not a militia, also pointing out that the SAMIDRC was not a peacekeeping force, saying it had no place in the conflict.

"It was authorised by SADC as a belligerent force engaging in offensive combat operations to help the DRC government fight against its own people, working alongside genocidal armed groups like FDLR which target Rwanda, while also threatening to take the war to Rwanda itself," said Kagame.

He added that the SAMIDRC displaced a "true peacekeeping force", the East African Community Regional Force, and this contributed to the failure of the negotiation processes.

"President Ramaphosa has never given a 'warning' of any kind, unless it was delivered in his local language which I do not understand. He did ask for support to ensure the South African force has adequate electricity, food and water, which we shall help communicate," Kagame said.

Meanwhile, the Presiding Officers of Parliament commended Ramaphosa for initiating dialogue with his Rwandan and DRC counterparts, Kagame and President Félix Tshisekedi, to find a solution to the escalating conflict.

The Presiding Officers noted that diplomatic engagement remained a crucial tool in resolving complex regional challenges.

"…and we are hopeful that through the collective efforts of SADC and the African Union, an urgent and sustainable resolution will be found. The need for long-lasting peace and stability in the region has never been more pressing, and we urge all stakeholders to intensify efforts towards a peaceful settlement," said the Presiding Officers.

The South African Communist Party (SACP) and the family of freedom fighter Chris Hani, represented by his widow Limpho Hani, on Wednesday repeated a call for a thorough inquest into the assassination of Chris Hani and urged the State to act urgently.

The party and family were responding to a recent interview given by Hani's killer Janusz Waluś which they said underscored his "ongoing evasion of accountability, and his intentional lack of remorse".

The interview, which aired on Sunday, was pre-arranged and recorded in Poland, following Waluś's release on parole in 2024 under a Constitutional Court order.

"Let it be clear: the struggle for justice, equality and the complete dismantling of apartheid's legacy is not over. We will not allow the memory of Chris Hani to be tarnished, nor will we permit unrepentant assassins to distort the truth of our history," said the SACP.

Hani was shot and killed on April 10, 1993, outside his home in Boksburg, Johannesburg.

"While Clive Derby-Lewis has since died after being granted medical parole, Waluś remains unrepentant," the SACP highlighted.

The party noted that Waluś revealed no new information during the interview.

"Although this was a mere interview and nothing under oath, the assassin's refusal to engage meaningfully, often claiming he would 'restrict himself to what is relevant', underscores his ongoing evasion of accountability, and his intentional lack of remorse," the SACP added.

The SACP and the Hani family have consistently maintained that Waluś remains unremorseful.

"This was argued extensively in court, including at the Constitutional Court, where Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and his concurring judges insisted otherwise, that Waluś had shown remorse. Instead, to our surprise, the court placed the burden of remorse on Limpho Hani by citing her rejection of, or so-called non-reply to, Waluś' letter of apology - which she never received," the party stated.

Limpho Hani had responded, "I never knew how strong I was until I had to forgive someone who wasn't sorry, and accept an apology I never received."

The party said the deep disappointment in the judgment delivered in 2022 has been reignited by Waluś's continued display of no remorse.

"…his open declaration that he would assassinate Chris Hani again under similar circumstances demonstrates his complete lack of regret and exposes the flawed assertion of his supposed remorse. Waluś's interview underscored his deeply entrenched racism and white supremacist ideology, including the apartheid-era malicious agenda to sow division among the black majority and turn them against each other," the SACP stated.

The party said Waluś disparaged South Africa's black majority, by insisting that they should have been confined to the apartheid-imposed bantustans, which is where, he further insisted, their right to vote should have been restricted.

"This would have left South Africa as a white supremacists-dominated country and State. His utterances are a stark reminder of the oppressive ideologies that drove his heinous crime. The SACP and the Hani family condemn in the strongest possible terms Waluś's unrepentant stance, his racist attitude and his continued glorification of apartheid-era atrocities," the party highlighted.

The SACP said his utterances insult Chris Hani's memory, the sacrifices of South Africans and the democratic gains that Hani dedicated his life to achieve.

Former South African President Jacob Zuma's daughter will face charges related to anti-government riots in the country four years ago in which 354 people died.

Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, a lawmaker with the opposition uMkhonto weSizwe Party, or MKP, will appear in court in the eastern port city of Durban on Thursday, the party said in a statement posted on social media platform X. It appealed to its supporters to picket peacefully outside the court.

The state will charge Zuma-Sambudla with inciting terrorism, News 24 reported, citing a person it didn't identify. MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela initially confirmed that Zuma-Sambudla's lawyers had been served with the charges, but later said she was unaware of them, the Cape Town-based website said.

Jacob Zuma founded the MKP in late 2023 and it went on to win almost 15% of the vote in elections held the following year, depriving the African National Congress (ANC) of the parliamentary majority it had held for three decades. The ANC then formed a 10-party coalition government and the MKP became the main opposition, challenging the new administration at every turn.

MKP communications manager Sipho Tyira didn't answer his phone when Bloomberg called seeking comment. Ndhlela's phone has been "compromised" and he is temporarily unavailable, the party said in a separate statement on X.

Riots erupted in South Africa in July 2021 after Jacob Zuma was imprisoned over his refusal to testify before a judicial inquiry into state graft during his nine-year tenure as president. Much of the violence, which caused billions of rands worth of damage to infrastructure, property and businesses, took place in Zuma's home province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Following the deaths of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members during combat in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), President Cyril Ramaphosa called on all parties in the conflict to embrace diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution, including honouring the Luanda Process agreements.

He said governments must silence the guns in Africa for inclusive development and prosperity.

Ramaphosa explained that the fighting was the result of an escalation by the rebel group M23 and Rwanda Defence Force militia engaging the Armed Forces of the DRC and attacking peacekeepers from the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC).

He stated that South Africa's military presence in the eastern DRC was not a declaration of war against any country or State.

"The members of the SANDF that are in the DRC are part of both Southern African Development Community (SADC) and United Nations efforts to bring peace and protect thousands of lives that are constantly threatened by the conflict in the DRC," he explained.

He added that the presence of the SAMIDRC forces demonstrated a commitment by SADC member States to support the DRC in peace efforts.

He assured that Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga, Chief of the SANDF General Rudzani Maphwanya and SAMIDRC Force Commander Major General Monwabisi Dyakopu were working to ensure that the SAMIDRC forces remained well equipped and sufficiently supported during this critical mission.

He said government welcomed the position that was recently adopted by the United Nations Security Council during its special sitting on the situation in the DRC, which called for an immediate end to hostilities, the reversal of territorial expansion by the M23, the exit of external forces from the DRC and the resumption of peace talks under the Nairobi Process.

He pointed out that the DRC's territorial integrity must be respected in accordance with the United Nations Charter on the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of other States.

Speaking about the state of the country's troops and the battle conditions, Ramaphosa urged South Africans to rally behind the soldiers, who he said had dedicated their lives to bringing peace on the continent.

Meanwhile, he indicated that the process to repatriate the remains of the deceased soldiers was underway, and that all necessary support was being provided to the families of the families of the injured.

Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille defended Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson's rejection of the Expropriation Act, saying he was prioritising his oath of office.

Following the signing of the Bill into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Macpherson publicly announced that there will be no expropriation of private property without compensation on his watch.

In a post on social media, he said that the guarantee of property rights under Section 25 of the Constitution is not up for debate and is non-negotiable.

Zille reiterated DA leader John Steenhuisen's words that Macpherson swore to the Constitution and took an oath that he will be a faithful councillor to the President.

"…which means he has to advise the President and Dean advised the President before he signed the Bill that the Bill was unconstitutional. He must put his oath of office ahead of anything else because he swore before God," Zille said.

Steenhuisen said Macpherson's rejection of the Act was based on his belief that it is unconstitutional and added that the Minister did not receive guidance or explanations as to what the correct way to proceed would be.

Zille explained that Macpherson had made a large submission to Ramaphosa on the Expropriation Bill by, along with legal opinion indicating problems with the Bill.

Steenhuisen claimed the Bill contained two "wholly contradictory procedures", which he said will make it impossible for any court to adjudicate.

Zille pointed out that relations within the Government of National Unity (GNU) must be reset by all the parties, especially the DA and African National Congress (ANC).

The party has accused Ramaphosa of failing to consult its coalition partners on various legislations, announcing its intentions to evoke clause 19 of the Statement of Intent.

She said her party has done everything to play its part constructively and honestly.

"…the ANC, particularly the President, acted completely unilaterally as if he is not in any coalition and we are concerned about that. We require him to take us and the other parties in the GNU seriously as coalition partners, that must happen," Zille stated.

She highlighted that the DA has "very good reasons and legal opinion" to suggest that the Act is "unconstitutional" and the party is still going to challenge it in the Constitutional Court.

She told Polity.org that the DA is preparing its court papers.

Meanwhile, Steenhuisen said he believes coalition partners within the GNU could have found a way through, what he describes as an impasse, had there been a discussion amongst them.

"…there are several options. There was nothing instructing the President to sign this Bill, there was no urgency on it, we could have had discussions about it, we could have decided to refer it back to Parliament, we could have amended it, using the GNU's majority in Parliament to come up with a Bill that met all the [constitutional] requirements," he said.

Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa could have given party leaders his reasons to proceed with the signing of the Bill into law.

"…instead, all brushed aside. I found out on social media on my way back from Davos that the Bill had been signed, and my party is rightly asking questions of me, saying but was this discussed in the GNU," he said.

South Africa's statistics agency has updated its consumer inflation basket for the first time since 2022, including items like rosé wine, air fryers and streaming services to reflect changes in spending habits.

Patrick Kelly, head of price statistics at Statistics South Africa, said it was difficult to gauge what impact the update would have on upcoming inflation releases given subtle shifts in the weighting of some items.

Consumer inflation currently sits at the bottom of the central bank's target range, which has allowed it to cut interest rates at its last two meetings. Another rate cut is expected this week.

The update involved adding 71 products to the basket, removing 53 and reorganising 29 through merging, splitting or reclassification, the statistics agency said on Tuesday.

There are now 391 items in the basket, down from 396 previously.

Housing and utilities, food and non-alcoholic beverages, and transport continue to have the biggest weightings in the basket.

Statistics South Africa's Kelly said the weight of the food and non-alcoholic beverages category had risen while it had fallen for housing and utilities, suggesting the overall impact on headline inflation was likely to be muted.

The changes were informed by the results of a 2022/23 household income and expenditure survey.

The survey showed real average annual household income fell to about R204 000 in 2023 from R206 000 in 2015.

It also highlighted persistent racial disparities more than three decades after apartheid ended, with more than 45% of Black African households spending less than around 25 000 annually, showing they experience the worst financial constraints.