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  • We remain committed to GNU – DA's Steenhuisen
    Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said on Tuesday he hopes that a meeting between him and African National Congress (ANC) leader and President Cyril Ramaphosa will be the first step in improving coalition relationships and stability and restoring trust amongst partners of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
    The meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
    In a media briefing about the outcomes of the DA's Monday Federal Council meeting, Steenhuisen pointed out that in his letter to Ramaphosa and in the spirit of attempting to improve the relationship between the DA and the ANC, he insisted on meeting with the President prior to the Cabinet Lekgotla scheduled to be held on Wednesday.
    Last week, Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law, which the DA, other opposition parties and civil society organisations have threatened legal action against.
    With this, the DA declared itself in dispute with the GNU, accusing Ramaphosa of failing to consult with coalition partners on legislation relating to health, education and expropriation.
    Steenhuisen emphasised that his party was committed to the GNU, and that it saw it as a clear vehicle for economic growth and job creation.
    "… we are not the only party who is feeling excluded from the ANC's decision-making and feeling marginalised and having been reduced to being spectators. At least three other parties in the GNU have released statements over the last 72 hours indicating their unhappiness with the lack of consultation within the GNU," he said.
    He said he hoped Ramaphosa would treat the matter with urgency and that concrete measures were found to ensure that coalition partners were able to make the GNU work.
    Steenhuisen said the DA, as the second largest party in the GNU, must be allowed to express itself, and be allowed to table alternatives for there to be consensus decision-making within the GNU.
    "…if that is not possible, it makes further engagement in the GNU incredibly difficult to justify to our voters, the 3.5-million people who trusted us with their votes in this last election," he stated.
    He explained that entering the GNU was not a decision the party made lightly, and said that exiting the GNU would also not be a decision made lightly, as it impacted on South Africa's economy.
    Steenhuisen said the DA would not be taken for granted, or reduced to being spectators, threatening that if the DA cannot influence the growing of the economy and job creation, then it would have to question its involvement with the GNU.
    NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE ACT
    Meanwhile, he said a very real risk to the country remained, pointing to the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act.
    He said over the course of the last few months he has submitted detailed programmes, alternatives and had costed various ways to implement universal access to basic healthcare for all South Africans, regardless of their income status or geographic area.
    He emphasised that the DA supported universal basic healthcare for all South Africans.
    "…however we do not believe that the currently conceived NHI as presented will achieve universal healthcare, and without doing significant damage to the healthcare sector in South Africa and also potentially causing further collapse of the public healthcare sector," he explained.
    He said the constitutional right to access to healthcare services would also be "severely compromised, if not totally destroyed".
    He pointed out that in agreeing to join the GNU, the DA stated it will not be part of any government which "crashes the economy or trashes the Constitution".
    "…if there is an insistence that without any further consultations on NHI in its current form, including the targets that set out to collapse medical aid healthcare and remove tax credits for medical aid, it will not be tolerated," he stated.
    4 min
  • Calls for accountability amid loss of SANDF members in DRC
    Opposition parties have expressed sadness at the loss of nine members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga to account.
    The SANDF members were killed last week during combat and several others were injured.
    They were stationed in the DRC as part of Southern African Development Community and the United Nations peacekeeping deployments and were engaged in intense combat over two days with the M23 rebel group near Goma, the provincial capital of the eastern DRC.
    The Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Motshekga to urgently brief Parliament on the "deteriorating and calamitous" situation in the DRC.
    "As our hearts go out to their families, we will not rest until we get answers, and we hear a plan from the Minister to safeguard the SA base and personnel on the ground. It is unacceptable that SA soldiers are marched to their deaths, while the President, who ordered the deployment, sit locked in internal party scuffles, fighting internal party battles, at the African National Congress Lekgotla," said DA spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans Chris Hattingh.
    He said it was unacceptable that Motshekga and her generals flew out of Goma in a luxury VIP Falcon jet, leaving behind wounded soldiers with no SANDF air support available for them.
    He highlighted that Ramaphosa sent SANDF to combat in eastern DRC with the full knowledge that the troops were "unprepared; that the mission could not be won; and that our fiscus could not afford it".
    LACK OF COMMUNICATION
    Hattingh said a report to Members of Parliament in both Houses would help determine how best to withdraw the SANDF from eastern DRC and engage with regional and international partners to seek a solution.
    The DA and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) slammed the SANDF's lack of urgency and respect in informing the public and the families of the loss of the soldiers.
    "It is unacceptable that South Africans were forced to rely on foreign sources for news of this devastating loss, as SANDF delayed in releasing critical information. This demonstrates a glaring failure in leadership and crisis communication. President Cyril Ramaphosa, as Commander-in-Chief of the SANDF, and Minister of Defence Angie Motshekga must account for this failure. It is unconscionable that the President remained silent, prioritising his engagement at the World Economic Forum while our nation grieved," the EFF said.
    The party said Motshekga's "misleading public statements and delayed response" reflected gross incompetence.
    The party also wants her immediate resignation.
    The EFF reiterated its long-standing warnings that SANDF troops deployed in the DRC were "under-resourced and ill-prepared" to face the dangers posed by the well-equipped M23 rebels.
    "…in fact, it is reported that our soldiers had no supplies or ammunition as of Friday, a glaring case of neglect on the part of our government. These deployments appear to serve the interests of multinational corporations exploiting the DRC's mineral wealth rather than prioritising peace or South Africa's sovereignty," the party pointed out.
    The EFF called on the deployment of South African soldiers to the DRC to be withdrawn immediately, further calling for an emergency joint sitting of Parliament to hold Ramaphosa accountable and to urgently present the withdrawal plan for soldiers to return home safely.
    DIALOGUE, RECONCILIATION
    The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) said the situation in the DRC had deteriorated far beyond the initial peace mission for which the country's troops were deployed.
    "What began as a noble attempt to stabilise the region and protect civilians has now escalated into a full-blown civil war, with competing factions plunging the nation further into chaos," explained MKP national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela.
    MKP believes that this conflict is political and cannot be resolved thr...
    5 min
  • Parks Tau says no new tax planned for black-owned firms fund
    South Africa is still discussing whether to set up a new fund to promote Black-owned businesses, and suggestions that new taxes will be imposed to capitalise it are unfounded, the nation's trade and industry minister said.
    Policies aimed at racially transforming South Africa and their implementation are being comprehensively reviewed, and "the fund is a component of an overarching conversation," Parks Tau said on the sidelines of strategy meeting convened by the African National Congress, the country's largest political party, in Johannesburg on Sunday.
    Its establishment is still at a conceptual stage, and will still have to be mapped out and pass through relevant government channels, he said.
    The Democratic Alliance, South Africa's second-biggest party and a member of the nation's 10-member ruling alliance, last week said the trade department wanted to channel money to a R100 billion diversity fund to boost Black-owned businesses that would be raised by imposing new taxes on existing firms.
    Under the country's rules on so-called Black economic empowerment, companies contribute 3% of their annual after-tax profit to the development of Black suppliers through various initiatives.
    "The transformation fund is not intended to be a new source of revenue, as alleged, by introducing an additional tax, it certainly is not," Tau said. "It is looking at current equity-equivalent funding, it is looking at enterprise and supply development funding and other sources of funding."
    2 min
  • Ramaphosa says WEF sees SA’s GNU as a sign of stability, as instability brews at home
    President Cyril Ramaphosa pointed out on Monday that the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting held in Davos, Switzerland, last week viewed the formation of South Africa's Government of National Unity (GNU) as a sign of stability and a common commitment to inclusive growth, employment and a capable State.
    This comes as the GNU faces instability with Ramaphosa's controversial signing of the Expropriation Bill, as well as the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act and the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill.
    The Democratic Alliance (DA), a GNU signatory, has threatened to leave the coalition government, and has lodged a formal GNU dispute over the Expropriation Bill and the NHI Bill.
    While the DA acknowledged the WEF's positive sentiment toward the GNU it accused the African National Congress of disrespecting coalition partners and undermining trust by pushing through Bills without consulting GNU partners.
    On Monday, Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly letter to the nation that the WEF welcomed the reforms underway in areas such as energy, logistics, telecommunications and water to grow and transform the country's economy.
    The South Africa delegation in Davos presented its priorities for its G20 Presidency, last week.
    South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1, 2024, and will hold it until November 30, 2025.
    "In a plenary address and in a separate discussion with business leaders, we outlined our theme for the G20 this year - Solidary, Equality, Sustainable Development - and the focus areas through which we will give meaning to this theme," Ramaphosa said.
    COOPERATION
    It was in the interests of all countries, large and small, wealthy and poor, to reduce global inequality, Ramaphosa stressed.
    "…that is why one of our priorities is ensuring debt sustainability for low-income countries. By freeing up funds for debt relief in these countries, they will be in a better position to invest in infrastructure, industrial development, education, health care and other forms of development.
    "We stressed that our themes and priorities are underpinned by the principle of cooperation. Throughout history, human progress has been possible only through collaboration among peoples and countries," he said.
    He highlighted that South Africa renewed its call for the resolution of global challenges through multilateral actions, calling for inclusive solutions that recognised that the world was more interconnected than ever.
    Ramaphosa noted that cooperation was vital if government was to overcome the existential threat of climate change and pointed out that carbon emissions into the atmosphere, global warming and the extreme weather events that it caused did not recognise national boundaries or political systems.
    "As we saw during the Covid pandemic, the same is true of pandemics and other health emergencies. Conflict in one part of the world impacts on countries in other parts of the world. Trade wars, especially between large economies, weaken the global economy and hold back inclusive growth and development for all.
    "In the world of today, no country can go it alone. No country can sustain its growth, stability and development without working together with other countries to overcome common problems," he said.
    He highlighted that South Africa's message resonated with the participants in Davos, "it was a sentiment shared by many of the business leaders with whom we interacted, as well as with other heads of state and multilateral institutions."
    He said many people endorsed South Africa's G20 priorities.
    "…they saw the value of our focus on Africa and the interests of countries with developing economies. They appreciated the importance of reducing inequality within and between countries and the need for new growth paths that are climate-friendly sustainable," stated Ramaphosa.
    FINANCES AND MINERALS
    Meanwhile, he said another focus area, which reduces poverty and promotes sustainability, is the mobilisation of finance for a just energy transition.
    "Thr...
    5 min
  • Trump moves likely inflationary for South Africa, FirstRand CEO says
    Tariffs proposed by US President Donald Trump will likely have an inflationary impact on South Africa, according to the chief executive officer of one of the country's largest banks.
    Trump's moves will likely cause the dollar to strengthen, which will also hurt African nations carrying higher debt loads, FirstRand CEO Mary Vilakazi said in a Bloomberg Television interview.
    "We worry about the inflationary impact that the tariffs and the other policies that I think are going to be driven by the US," Vilakazi said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "I think we still have to watch the execution of what Trump says. One has to ensure we don't completely get ahead of ourselves."
    Trump, who was sworn in as US president on Monday, has repeatedly wielded tariffs as a frequent threat against friends and adversaries. The US is currently South Africa's second-largest trading partner after China.
    South Africa could escape the worst of the fallout thanks to the decisions by the new Government of National Unity to implement structural reforms to lift South Africa's potential economic growth rate, Vilakazi said. Those reforms have resulted in an improvement in the performance of the country's electricity, transport and logistics sectors, as well as higher levels of fixed investment.
    Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana says he now sees the improvements allowing the country to regain its investment-grade credit rating within two years.
    "The Government of National Unity has its own vulnerabilities, but I think beyond what plays out in public, there is a real commitment to make sure things work," she said. "Business is rallying behind and supporting the government's agenda."
    FirstRand plans to increase its investments in South Africa to tap into the "significant projects" that are on the way, Vilakazi says.
    "The need for lending to help the economy is quite significant," she said. "If one looked out three to five years time, I think the South African economy would have recovered.
    2 min
  • GOOD Party calls for Macpherson’s axing should he not sign Expropriation Bill
    The GOOD Party on Friday called for Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson to resign if he does not sign the recently assented Expropriation Bill.
    President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday signed into law the Bill, which repeals the pre-democratic-era Expropriation Act of 1975 and sets out how State institutions may expropriate land in the public interest.
    The Bill was passed by the National Council of Provinces in March, having been adopted by the National Assembly in 2022.
    The Bill is facing mixed reactions, with some opposition parties and civil society organisation AfriForum threatening legal action against the Bill.
    GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron said his party was shocked to see on the X platform that Macpherson was against the Bill.
    "… there will be no expropriation of private property without compensation on my watch. The guarantee of property rights under Section 25 of the Constitution is not up for debate and is non-negotiable," Macpherson posted.
    Herron explained that as the Minister, Macpherson was the custodian of the law.
    "As the Minister he will be cited as a respondent in any legal challenge going forward. As a public office bearer, he does not have the luxury of exercising personal preferences. He has a responsibility to the people of South Africa to defend the law's constitutionality."
    "…if he has a personal conflict and is unable to fulfil his duties, he must resign. If Minister Macpherson does not have the personal or political will to defend this constitutional right, he must resign," he noted.
    Herron highlighted that expropriating land without compensation was not new, adding that Section 25 of the Constitution provided for nil compensation in circumstances in which it was just and equitable.
    "And the matter has been settled in law for over 20 years," he said.
    Herron maintained that critics of the Expropriation Bill were using a "dishonest and inflammatory" narrative for self-gain.
    "This law does not allow for the arbitrary expropriation of land; it articulates the circumstances under which nil compensation would be just and equitable. Twenty-three years ago, the Constitutional Court ordered that, 'No one may be deprived of property except in terms of law of general application, and no law may permit arbitrary deprivation of property'; we support the Expropriation Bill being signed into law," he said.
    Meanwhile, AfriForum called on Macpherson to refuse to be a co-signatory to what it termed the "contentious law".
    "If the Minister undersigns the Expropriation Act's proclamation, he will allow Ramaphosa and the African National Congress (ANC) to co-opt other parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) to carry out the ANC's destructive policies. This will make a complete mockery of the GNU," stated AfriForum public relations head Ernst van Zyl.
    Meanwhile, Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala described the signing of the Bill as "seminal and ground-breaking," saying the Bill would take South Africa on the path of economic transformation and inclusive economic growth.
    3 min
  • Mixed reactions to Expropriation Bill, with threats of legal action
    Opposition parties and civil society organisations have rejected President Cyril Ramaphosa's signing into law of the Expropriation Bill, while the African National Congress (ANC) has supported the move, calling it a significant milestone in the country's transformation agenda.
    Ramaphosa on Thursday signed into law the Bill, which repeals the pre-democratic Expropriation Act of 1975 and sets out how State institutions may expropriate land in the public interest.
    In March, the National Council of Provinces passed the Bill, while it was adopted by the National Assembly in 2022.
    Spokesperson to the President Vincent Magwenya explained that the Bill, which had undergone a five-year process of public consultation and parliamentary deliberation, aligned legislation on expropriation with the Constitution.
    "The Bill assented to by President Ramaphosa outlines how expropriation can be done and on what basis. Local, provincial and national authorities will use this legislation to expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons that seek, among others, to promote inclusivity and access to natural resources," he explained.
    LEGAL ACTION
    The Democratic Alliance (DA) strongly reiterated its opposition to the Expropriation Bill, pointing out that it was in discussions with its legal team to formulate a case.
    "While the DA recognises that the Constitution allows for acts of redress and restitution, including land reform, we have serious reservations about the procedure as well as important substantive aspects of the Bill," the party said.
    ActionSA parliamentary chief whip Lerato Ngobeni said her party was also considering legal action in response to Ramaphosa's enactment of the Expropriation Bill.
    "We believe this is yet another example of the ANC's relentless push for destructive policies, enabled by the ongoing capitulation of its Government of National Unity (GNU) partners on critical matters that threaten the future of South Africa.
    "This latest chapter in the chronicles of a co-opted opposition, silenced by Cabinet perks, exposes a multi-party coalition of convenience where former opposition parties have abandoned their principles to become enablers of the very same failed ANC policies that voters decisively rejected in May 2024," said Ngobeni.
    ActionSA noted that while the Bill repealed the outdated Expropriation Act of 1975 and established a framework aligned with the country's Constitution for property expropriation by State organs, its effectiveness hinged on genuine political will.
    "…without such commitment, this legislative move risks being a mere formality, allowing the ANC to operate as though it governs unilaterally, especially given the blind compliance of its GNU partners," the party explained.
    ActionSA said it believed that land reform was crucial for addressing historical injustices and must be expedited responsibly, safeguarding property rights and maintaining investor confidence.
    "Consequently, we oppose any constitutional amendments permitting expropriation without compensation and uphold the protection of private property rights as a fundamental economic tenet," said Ngobeni.
    Civil rights organisation AfriForum said it was ready to take legal action to protect property owners if targeted with expropriation without compensation.
    "…this comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Bill into law, which makes expropriation of private property without compensation possible. With the signing of this Bill into law, the Government of National Unity has sanctioned a substantial threat to the right to private property in this country. Just as with the threat to Afrikaans education by the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act, any law which seeks to dismantle private property is a red line for AfriForum. The organisation intends to treat it as such," said AfriForum head of Public Relations Ernst van Zyl.
    DISGUISED SOLUTION
    The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) said it "categorically" rejected the law and its a...
    9 min
  • Ramaphosa signs land Expropriation Bill into law
    President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday signed into law the Expropriation Bill, which repeals the pre-democratic Expropriation Act of 1975 and sets out how organs of State institutions may expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons.
    In March, the National Council of Provinces passed the Bill. The Bill was and it was adopted by the National Assembly in 2022.
    Spokesperson to President Cyril Ramaphosa Vincent Magwenya explained that the Bill, which has undergone a five-year process of public consultation and parliamentary deliberation, aligns legislation on expropriation with the Constitution.
    "The Bill assented to by President Ramaphosa outlines how expropriation can be done and on what basis. This law will assist all organs of State - local, provincial and national authorities - to expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons.
    "Local, provincial and national authorities will use this legislation to expropriate land in the public interest for varied reasons that seek, among others, to promote inclusivity and access to natural resources," explained Magwenya.
    He pointed out that Section 25 of the Constitution recognises expropriation as an essential mechanism for the Sstate to acquire someone's property for a public purpose or in the public interest, subject toin exchange for just and equitable compensation being paid.
    "Up to now, expropriation of property has been governed in terms of the Expropriation Act of 1975, which predates the expropriation mechanism provided for in section 25(2) of the Constitution," he said.
    The Bill repeals the Expropriation Act and to provide a common framework in line with the Constitution to guide the processes and procedures for expropriation of property by organs of state.
    He highlighted that in terms of this law, an expropriating authority may not expropriate property arbitrarily or for a purpose other than a public purpose or in the public interest.
    Expropriation may not be exercised unless the expropriating authority has without success attempted to reach an agreement with the owner or holder of a right in property for the acquisition thereof on reasonable terms, he addedexplained.
    "An expropriating authority is therefore obliged to enter negotiations with the owner of a property required for such purposes.
    "An expropriating authority must also attempt to reach an agreement on the acquisition of the property before resorting to expropriation - except in circumstances where the right to use property temporarily is taken on an urgent basis in terms of a provision in the legislation," Magwenya noted.
    He pointed out that the law provides for disputes to be referred for mediation or to appropriate courts.
    Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters have been vocal about the Bill, with the DA saying the Bill threatens land ownership security.
    The EFF has been pushing for land expropriation without compensation.
    3 min
  • Reserve Bank to cut rates by 25 bps Jan 30 to 7.50% – poll
    The South African Reserve Bank will trim its repo rate next week by a quarter of a percentage point to 7.50% and repeat that in March, but then delay its final 25 basis point cut of the cycle to the third quarter, a Reuters poll forecast on Thursday.
    As US President Donald Trump's new administration settles into office, South Africa's Reserve Bank was expected to ease interest rates gently this year as it awaits clarification on his proposed tariffs and other policies.
    All 19 economists surveyed in the past week were unanimous in saying the SARB would cut its repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.50% on January 30.
    A slim majority in the poll said the central bank would cut by another 25 bps to 7.25% in March.
    Median forecasts showed the bank would wait until the third quarter to cut again by 25 bps, its last expected move this year and through 2027. In a December survey, a third cut was expected in May.
    Johannes Khosa, economist at the Nedbank Group Economic Unit, was one of the economists who expected only two 25 bps cuts this year to put the repo rate at 7.25% by end-2025.
    "We believe Trump's policies, if implemented, will be inflationary. This will cause inflation to be sticky and cause the US Fed to reduce rates slower or even stop cutting. The SARB will have to follow suit, scaling down the cuts in order to maintain the interest rate differential," Khosa said.
    The rand weakened on Monday, after Trump announced a flurry of policy changes following his inauguration.
    On Tuesday, he vowed to hit the European Union with tariffs and said his administration was discussing a 10% punitive duty on Chinese imports.
    The US Federal Reserve is due to meet next week and is expected to hold its benchmark rate steady as it also keeps an eye on Trump's administration and challenges from its own bond market.
    Inflation in South Africa rose for the second month in a row in December, yet at 3.0% year-on-year it was still below the mid-point of the Reserve Bank's 3%-6% comfort level. The poll suggested it would average 4.1% this year and quicken to 4.5% next year.
    The South African economy was expected to grow 1.7% this year and 1.9% next.
    "We think there's enough evidence to suggest the improvements seen in the macroeconomic backdrop will continue this year," said David Omojomolo, Africa analyst at Capital Economics.
    "The effects of loadshedding and logistics constraints should continue to fade, while the agriculture sector, which was a big factor behind the GDP contraction in Q3, should soon rebound," said Omojomolo.
    In this poll, Capital Economics was joint most bullish on growth, forecasting 2.3% for South Africa this year.
    3 min
  • Families of activists take govt to court for failure to prosecute apartheid-era crimes
    Twenty-five families of anti-apartheid activists and survivors of apartheid-era crimes are forcing the African National Congress (ANC) and government to admit to its "failures and obligations" to grant justice to the families.
    On Monday, with assistance from non-profit Foundation for Human Rights and law firm Webber Wentzel, the families brought an application in the Pretoria High Court against President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government, seeking constitutional damages for the government's "gross failure" to adequately investigate and prosecute apartheid-era political crimes following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
    They seek an order compelling Ramaphosa to establish an independent and public commission of inquiry into the political interference that resulted in the suppression of several hundred serious crimes arising from South Africa's past.
    The families also want to know the names of the ANC politicians "who decided that the activists must not be granted justice."
    The applicants are the survivors of the Highgate Hotel Massacre, Neville Beling and Karl Weber; as well as the family members of the Cradock Four, Richard and Irene Motasi, Caiphus Nyoka, the PEBCO three, the COSAS four, Nokuthula Simelane, Rick Turner, Musawakhe 'Sbho' Phewa, Hoosen Haffejee, Mxolisi 'Dicky' Jacobs, Imam Abdullah Haron, Deon Harris, Matthews 'Mojo' Mabelane, Ntombikayise Priscilla Kubheka, Ignatius 'Iggy' Mthebule and Nicholas Ramatua 'Boiki' Tlhapi.
    Journalist Lukhanyo Calata, the son of Fort Calata, one of the Cradock Four murdered by the South African police in 1985, said he had hoped his father's killers would have been prosecuted much sooner.
    "It's a very sad today for me to sit here to be part of an application or legal challenge, like this against the State, because this is not what I wanted. I would have preferred the State to have acted when it had the time to do so. To prosecute my father's killers and to allow justice for me, my mother and my sisters, and to create the kind of society where my father's life mattered . . .
    "…when successive African National Congress-led administrations failed to do that, it told me that my father's life, that Mathew Goniwe's life, Sparrow Mkonto's life, and Sicelo Mhlauli's life, who become known as the Cradock Four, that their lives did not matter in a government that has been led by the ANC," said Lukhanyo Calata.
    He said justice was not something one could outsource.
    TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION SUPPRESSIONS
    Last year, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola re-opened the inquest into the deaths of the Cradock Four. The Minister's decision came on the recommendations of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
    He explained that in the more than 20 years following the handover of the TRC report to former President Thabo Mbeki, government Ministers had intervened to prevent the NPA from carrying out its constitutional mandate to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes.
    "Justice delayed in this manner has ensured that justice is permanently denied to our families," Lamola said.
    Head of the Webber Wentzel Pro Bono Department Odette Geldenhuys highlighted that constitutional damages were last resort legal remedies for addressing "egregious violations" of constitutional rights by the State.
    "In this case, the suppression of post-TRC accountability efforts has led to the loss of witnesses, perpetrators and evidence, making prosecutions impossible in most cases and denying survivors and victims' families rights to justice, truth, and closure," said Geldenhuys.
    Foundation for Human Rights executive director Dr Zaid Kimmie emphasised that the case was pursued in the public interest and for all survivors and families of victims who aim to address the "systemic failure" caused by political interference in the investigations and prosecutions of the TRC cases.
    The families hope the court will force Ramaphosa into action, claiming that letters written...
    4 min

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